Issue 6 - March 2018

T U ES DAY, M A RC H 27, 2018

Content Creators

Cheap Housing’s True Cost

Gun Control

LIFESTYLES page 11

OPINIONS page 4

INSIGHTS pages 12 & 13

FEATURES pages 8 & 9

VOLUME 60 NO. 6

[artificial lavender]

“Nor the Last”

FLIPSIDE page 16

The Prospector

CHSPROSPECTOR.COM

Student Newspaper of Cupertino High School

10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA 95014

FIVE STAFF INDUCTED INTO CHS HALL OF FAME COURTESY OF STACEY MORSE

CHRISTINA SHAO insights editor/business manager

GENE KIM business manager

At the bi-annual Hall of Fame Rally on March 9, five current CHS staff members were inducted into the CHS Hall of Fame. All CHS alumni, the teachers and educators, Nikki Merrick, Wes Morse, Terese Barbeau, Charity Purse and Greg Merrick, were recognized for their commitment to the school and its students.

English teacher Nikki Merrick has taught at CHS for 22 years. During her induction speech, Merrick talked about taking the winding, “scenic” route to her destination as a high school teacher. “If you had told me in high school that

I was going to be a high school teacher, I would have laughed in your face … It can be really liberating to realize that there are many ways to eventually get to where it is that you want to be,” Merrick said.

For history teacher and ASB advisor Wes Morse, during his four years of school at CHS, he was actively involved on the journalism staff and boys basketball team. When reflecting on what aspects of CHS have changed, said Morse, “Students work harder, they study harder, they take harder classes, and there is certainly more pressure with getting into college, but it is still a school that embraces its rallies, has successful athletic teams, and has students passionate about their clubs and their causes.”

In high school, Special Education Para Educator Terese Barbeau said she was a shy and

awkward student. Her experiences, however, would ultimately shape her and inspire her to work at the special education Learning Center.

Said Barbeau, “I have a lot of natural empathy and compassion probably because I remember being so shy and out of the loop.” From doing 3D design to working and volunteering offcampus, Barbeau’s students enjoy learning with her and were enthusiastic about her induction.

“I am very proud of her,” senior Sidhi Sabherwal said.

Special Education Department Lead Charity Purse found her passion for teaching students with disabilities through volunteering during college. When she was a student at CHS, Purse was a member of the dance team and found support in her dance team advisor. “One of the things that was really different

CUPERTINO HIGH ADDRESSES MENTAL HEALTH & SUICIDES

Ishika Shah triumphs in math competitions

I have seen many students self-harm, abuse drugs and have suicidal ideation. We, as a school, are in a crisis.” - Anonymous Junior

ESHA RADHAKRISHNAN copy editor

CLAIRE WARNER news assistant

On Sept. 26, 2016, Calif. Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that mandated all local educational agencies (LEAs) of grades seven through twelve develop and implement suicide prevention, intervention and postvention policies. Recognizing that suicide is a leading cause JENN ZARATAN

HEALTHY MINDS ASSEMBLY | Glenn Teeter, mental health specialist, speaks about stress, depression and suicide prevention

of death in youth, any possibility of suicide or suicidal ideation necessitates attentive care and support from school staff members. Focusing on mental illness, the root of the issue, the 201718 CHS School Plan published early this school year models around one of FUHSD’s four Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals, which is to ensure that “every student [feels] safe, cared about, and both academically and socially engaged in school.” CHS compared its goals with the responses provided by the school’s annual Student Wellness Survey, which students completed by Jan. 12, asking them about their stress levels, sleep patterns, and how they felt about their classes. An action plan was later developed to address the concerns brought up in the survey.

Said Assistant Principal Melina Nafrada, Mental Health, continued on page 3

[about CHS] back then from now was that I did not know many teachers that I felt connected to on campus. [My dance team advisor] was one of the only adults that I really felt connected to,” she said.

Coming from a family of teachers and coaches, English teacher Greg Merrick also wanted to make a positive impact in CHS, where he originally attended. Said Merrick, “The students at Cupertino High School are incredible … I have a lot of hope for the future when I’m able to work with today’s students who will be the adults of tomorrow.” However, Merrick still wants students to avoid pushing themselves too hard. Said Merrick, “I guess it is important to be academically successful, but it is also important to take care of yourself, discover who you are and have fun.”

JENN ZARATAN

EDWARD HSU online editor

In early February, Cupertino High School and other schools worldwide administered the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), and out of the 150 possible points on the AMC 10 and 12 exams, Cupertino High School sophomore Ishika Shah scored 150 and 130.5 points, respectively, placing her at the top one percent of students who take the exam.

Written to cover the high school mathematics curriculum, the AMC 10 and 12 exams are first in a series of tests that lead to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), and eventually the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Shah, who scored well above the cutoff, qualifies for the AIME, which she and other qualifiers took on March 22.

With more than 350,000 students participating in the AMC annually, doing well on the AMC boils down to practice. Said Math Club president Jai Sankar, “I don’t think there’s a single person who qualified for the AIME without some sort of practice. The AMC isn’t just about how much you [already] know but how [effectively you can] logically sawork through the problems. The more practice you have, the better you will do.” Shah and Sankar used a website called The Art of Problem Solving to prepare for the AMC. “It has all the past

Ishika Shah, continued on page 2

News

S TA F F 2017-2018

TINO SPEECH AND DEBATE STUDENTS & STAFF REFLECT ON TRYOUT SYSTEM TAHA SHAFIEI news assistant

Cupertino High School Established 1958 Vol LX, No. 6 | 2018 editors-in-chief ethan qi catherine seok news editor santosh muralidaran opinions editor leo rassieur features editor nico chilla lifestyles editor catherine seok insights editor christina shao sports editor neerali shah flip side editor caroline gee copy editors esha radhakrishnan saagar sanghavi xinyi zhang amy zeng online editors edward hsu lily rosen marvin photo editors michelle ma jenn zaratan business managers gene kim christina shao news assistants

taha shafiei claire warner

opinions assistants

tal ashkenazi kavya gupta

features assistants

sudyut yuvaraj sydney liao

lifestyles assistants

haejin cho aashna shah

sports assistants

yooni park anthony zhu

flip side assistant

ariana fahri

online assistant

ashley kang

CHS Speech and Debate students and staff are analyzing the successes and failures of the tryout system they implemented on the beginning of the year in Sept. 2017, which was a system that had members tryout for their respective competition teams: beginning novice or higher level varsity. In the system, the club admitted 66 percent varsity students and 70 percent novice students.

The tryout system was implemented as a solution to decrease the number of competing members as the club was faced with problems supporting their previous two hundred member club. Said CHS math teacher Amartya De, “As one coach I

We decided we really want the students who are most dedicated [to compete at tournaments].”

- Speech and Debate Advisor Marty De cannot handle two hundred students. We did not have enough practice rooms for all the students, so there was not enough space. Also it really depleted our budget, because when you have that many students, our donation was pretty low at the time, we just ended up with no money at the end of the year, so ultimately we decided that we really want the students who are most dedicated versus students who are just wanting to try it out.”

For the varsity members of the club, the process began during the summer, with summer practices. It was here where they were evaluated by their event captains with a tryout that consisted of

both verbal and written parts.

For the new or novice members, the process began with the first few meetings of the school year. For each event, members were given a month and a half of preparation time before their tryouts commenced, where they were taught how to compete in their event effectively by captains of each event. Said senior and Speech and Debate executive Anoop Balakrishnan, “Most of the emphasis was on making sure that students were dedicated to the club rather than being good at speech and debate. We wanted kids who we knew would work hard at speech and debate”.

With members evaluated, the highest scorers were admitted to the competition team of that event, while those who did not make the cut were accepted into the club team where they could strengthen their skills but not compete in tournaments. “Because the club teams weren’t able to compete, a lot of them did stop coming the few that did stay around eventually got added to the competition team when spots did open up, so now at this point most of the club teams are mostly dissolved because either they are in a competition team or they didn’t want to stay in speech and debate,” said Balakrishnan, “And it is a problem. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about it this year because we needed at least some students rather than none, so we had to make that decision”.

With smaller competing teams came new effects to the overall atmosphere of the club as a whole. Said captain of the interpretation events and junior Nishka Chotai, “It has made it more competitive but although it is more competitive, members are putting in more effort.”

In addition to this there have been changes to the competition outcomes of the competitive teams, said Speech and Debate Treasurer Joshua Yu “I think in general the novice teams seem to be overall stronger than in the past years because they are so focused from the start to get better, so a lot of people do really well in their first couple of tournaments and its an overall stronger team”.

But some officers notes that the transition to this new system has not been as smooth as it may appear. With so many students trying out, and this being the first year the system has been rolled out, it was clear that there would be some issues. “There were some logistical issues, because of course when you have that many people with the tryout system it took us a long while to get it going, and it took us a while to set it up, a lot of extra work,” Said Balakrishnan. “And now we are seeing throughout the year that with the tryout system, it is very difficult now to replace members if there are members who choose to come out of the competition team.”

The club has not finalized its plans but will likely continue the tryout system next year.

OVERVIEW Comp. Team Clubs Team

Sep. 2017

66%

34%

70%

30% COURTESY OF MARTY DE

SD TEAM | Competition members who passed tryouts and club officers smile in the CHS quad

MARCH NEWS BRIEFS

ISHIKA SHAH

continued from page 1 JENN ZARATAN

photo crew

March 27, 2018

VARSITY

The Prospector

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NOVICE

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THE KOREAS

XI JINGPING

Following talks between North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea in Pyongyang, DPRK has expressed their willingness to converse with the United States and possibly give up nuclear weapons.

On March 11, 2018, China’s National People’s Congress voted to alter its constitution, dropping its two term-limit on presidencies, allowing President Xi Jinping to remain in his position for life.

kenneth jeon varun shenoy

2018 GUN CONTROL DEBATE

adviser ann peck Editorial Policy “The Prospector” is an open forum of expression for student editors to inform and educate their readers. It will not be reviewed by or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisors may and should coach and discuss content during the writing process.

The staff of “The Prospector” seeks to recognize individuals, events and ideas and bring news to the Cupertino community in an accurate, professional and unbiased manner. “The Prospector” will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy.

If you believe an error has been made or wish to have your opinion expressed in “The Prospector,” please contact us via mail or email. Letters sent become the sole property of “The Prospector” and can be edited for length, clarity or accuracy.

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Contact Us The Prospector 10100 Finch Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 prospector.chs@gmail.com

problems from major math contests that run across the world,” Shah said. “There’s always tons of problems on there, so you can find pretty much anything you want.”

Shah got her start in competitive math at Lawson Middle School, where she joined the Mathcounts competitive math team after her parents noticed Shah’s strong interest in math. Despite her parents’ initial involvement in helping her pursue math competitions, Shah never felt pressure from them. “Most of the pressure is from me,” Shah said. “I’m the one who wants to do well.”

Although Shah does not have a set idea for her academic future, she has expressed interest in pursuing computer science or a physical science.

She enjoys the critical thinking involved in these fields, which consequently led to her initial involvement in mathematics competitions.

In fact, Shah encourages others to explore competitive math competitions. “There isn’t a lot of innate talent is involved,” Shah concludes.

“A little bit of it comes from natural ability, but the rest of it just depends on how long you’ve been practicing and how much experience you have.”

Shah’s AP Calculus BC teacher notices her skills in the classroom.“She thinks at a deeper level than most people,” he said. “Too often I see students think that they are actually saving time by not explaining their work.

If you read [Ishika’s] work, there is a certain prose to it. You can follow exactly what she is saying. She can clearly communicate her thinking in her work.”

Overall, Shah is looking forward to her future endeavors in math.

On March 14, 2018 at 10:00 AM local time, high schools throughout the nation, including Cupertino, participated in a “walk out” to honor the 17 students who had lost their lives a month prior during a mass school shooting in Parkland, Fl. and demand gun control, sparking controversy. Additionally, on March 20, 2018, an armed student shot two students in a high school in Maryland, marking the fourth mass school shooting in American schools in 2018 (see map below).

COMPILED BY CATHERINE SEOK

SANTOSH MURALIDARAN

2018 GUN INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS | The four large pins pinpoint the mass shootings this year in schools, while remaining smaller pins pinpoint the other gun incidents in schools such as suicides, incidents involving no casualties and unintentional shots

News

The Prospector

March 27, 2018

JAPANESE TEAM ADVANCES TO JAPAN BOWL NATIONALS ANTHONY ZHU

COURTESY OF YUKARI SALAZAR

sports assistant

On March 10, Cupertino High School’s Japan Bowl Teams competed at the regional level at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif., and has advanced to nationals. Japan Bowl is a nationwide competition for students in high school on Japanese language, history, culture and politics.

There are 3 divisions of competitors from the 3 levels of Japanese: 2, 3, and 4. Students were chosen through teacher recommendations and try-out process, and each team consisted of three people from each level. Japanese 2 was an exception as it had 2 teams representing Cupertino High School.

Students prepared for this competition with multiple practices throughout the week being coached by both Assistant Principal Ms. Salazar

It was a very heartwarming feeling to see how everyone had done so successfully.” - Senior Margeaux Truus and Japanese teacher Ms. Fan. One technique that Cupertino’s teams used was assigning topics to competitors that each person would be accountable for teaching and knowing all of the information about certain topics. This made every student an expert on what they were assigned, which was useful because they could share their specialized knowledge in the group setting of the competition. Practices were hours long and they happened three times a week.

Although Cupertino always does really well at Japan Bowl, this year students had 3 months to prepare compared to the normal 6 months so there was pressure.

JAPAN BOWL TEAM | The Cupertino team poses at Loyola Marymount University after regionals

Said Sophomore Lillian Kann, “It’s a lot of work trying to meet the standard, but when you do, it’s really rewarding and you kind of look back and see how much you’ve really learned. You have to be really self-motivated but if the workload is ever too much, you’re teammates are there to help you.”

The regional competition started with a preliminary written round. The top three teams from prelims advanced to the championships which consisted of a buzzer round, an individual round, and a white board round. Because of their extensive training, Cupertino was able to place first in all three divisions, which meant that they would be advancing on to the national competition in Washington D.C. Said Senior Margeaux Truus, “It was a very heartwarming feeling to see how everyone had done so successfully, because we we worried about how we entered so late. [Surprisingly], we actually did really well.”

Cupertino’s competitors have a month to prepare for the national competition that is happening April 12-13. The national competition will be tougher and it has an additional interview round where contestants are scored on their conversational ability. Competitors are preparing by practicing speaking with Japanese moms to improve their conversational skills.

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MENTAL HEALTH continued from page 1

“Looking at student stress particularly, [we investigate] how much is based on academics and what we can do to alleviate some of that stress. I do think that we’ve seen a bit of a reduction in some of that. [In the past], we would have students absolutely devastated about failing one test whereas now [in some classes] we have second chances when it comes to academic grading.”

Additionally, in CHS’s third year of partnership with El Camino Hospital to address student mental health and wellness, on Thursday, March 8, suicide prevention advocates and psychologists Glenn Teeter and Steven Lo presented to students during a 50 minute period about how they can do their part to prevent suicide. The day after, Teeter and Lo returned to CHS to talk to struggling students.

El Camino Hospital’s Community Benefit Program offers grants and sponsorships to organizations that endeavor to address issues of mental health and disease.

Eligible organizations that apply for these resources must address an identified health need within one of the following three funding priorities set by the hospital: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Community. CHS was the second school to receive Teeter and Lo’s presentation within FUHSD, focusing on the Healthy Mind aspect, following Fremont High School. Despite only having presented to two schools, Teeter and Lo have already witnessed a change in how students approach suicide.

“There was a big influx of people coming in right after the presentation at Fremont High School during our office hours [to express concern for their peers],” Teeter said. “I met with somebody who said ‘I’ve never told anybody’ and turns out she has been depressed and having suicidal thoughts, and so she, from the presentation, said ‘I’m gonna say something.’” Teeter was then able to give her with support that she did not have previously.

Although the assembly’s intentions were pure, some found that it was ineffective in instructing students how to successfully identify those who have suicidal thoughts.

Said an anonymous senior, “The presenters acted like depression and anxiety were the only mental illnesses. I feel like that’s very misleading because depression is very common but people with other, more severe illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are more likely to commit suicide than people with depression.”

When asked to reflect on the suicide prevention assembly, said junior Esha Gupta, “[The presenters] showed us a lot of graphs and data. Most people zonedout; if the presenters were more interactive, then I think students would have left the assembly with a better understanding of the important issues that they were talking about.”

Regardless, staff members are optimistic. Said Nafrada, “My hope is that by talking about suicide we start to reduce the stigma. We also let kids know that RESOURCE CARD | Students were there are resources and hopefully they will given this card with various crisis feel more comfortable coming in [to talk hotlines during the assembly to counselors].”

CHS SENIOR ALLISON D’SOUZA HELPS ORGANIZE WORKSHOP TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR AUTISM Autism (n.) - a lifelong mental condition hindering one’s ability to communicate, use language & form relationships

KAVYA GUPTA opinions assistant KAVYA GUPTA

ALLISON D’SOUZA | D’souza talks with and teaches students about autism and people with special needs and the stigma

KAVYA GUPTA

PRACHI GUPTA | Gupta wears scratched up goggles; an activity to show how it is hard to filter outside stimulation with autism

On Friday, Mar. 9, Cupertino High School senior Allison D’Souza teamed up with Monta Vista High School’s social acceptance club, Ohana, to present a workshop about autism for the Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE).

The purpose of the workshop was to spread awareness and dispel myths about autism, such as their supposed dislike for communication and social interaction. By offering snacks and drinks, the officers sought to create a safe environment for people to communicate with one another.

Around fifteen students from both Cupertino and Monta Vista were present. According to D’Souza, the annual workshop typically has a larger turnout of about 30 students, but delayed confirmation resulted in less time to spread the word about the workshop this year. Ohana is a student-run club at Monta Vista specializing in closing social gaps between people with autism and those without.

After offering snacks and drinks, club officers and representatives set up a presentation explaining the logistics behind autism, such as the type of disorder and rates of the amount of people with autism in America. Afterwards, a video was shown, demonstrating how autistic people interpret certain phrases differently from others. To help strengthen the understanding of those present, the participants played a game of Jeopardy. Following another video about the sensitivity of some people with autism to light and sound, the PACE volunteers had everyone participate in two challenges to exemplify how certain disabilities could make everyday tasks difficult for those who struggle with them.

The workshop proved beneficial to the students who attended. Said MVHS junior and Ohana officer, Benjamin Bedregal, “I have a better understanding of what it’s like to have autism, and when I talk to autistic people, I’ll be able

to connect with them more, especially now that I’ve been given a slight experience of what they go through everyday, thanks to the simulations.”

Officers from Ohana were also present at the workshop. Said MVHS sophomore and Ohana officer Alicia John, “Lots of high schoolers look down at kids with special needs, and we hope that with Ohana, people can see that those students are just like them and deserve to be treated equally. We want to create a safe space where people can make friends and have fun.”

PACE works with over 25 school districts in the Bay Area, in addition to providing residential services and behavioral therapy services. Their Youth Leadership Committee (YLC) aims to increase annual fund dollars, increase awareness about PACE and autism in general, and provide a positive service to the community.

Said PACE representative Kellie Welch, “PACE hopes to become a recognized leader in providing comprehensive and replicable programs in the region. We are always looking for ways to expand our services in our community so we can help more families in need.”

As a member of the PACE YLC, D’Souza hopes to present another workshop at Cupertino High School in the following months. Even after graduation, she plans to continue to spread autism awareness through campaigns, autism awareness workshops, and volunteer work with organizations that support individuals who have intellectual disabilities. “In spreading awareness, I hope that we can all embrace individuals who have intellectual or learning disabilities as amazing human beings and that we befriend them,” D’Souza said. “I hope that we can all offer them a smile, hello, or wave because sometimes even the smallest gestures can have the largest impact.”

KAVYA GUPTA

BENJAMIN BEDREGAL | Bedregal puts on oversized clothes with oven mittens to demonstrate difficulties with sensory reception

KAVYA GUPTA

STUDENTS | Students listen to the presenters during the workshop talk about autism and how it is to live with autism

Opinions

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March 27, 2018

The power of empathy in Silicon Valley MICHELLE MA photo editor

How many times have you heard the words “same” and “relatable”? Personally, I have heard them far too many times. While these words are often said with well-meaning intentions, to help another person feel less alone in their struggles, their nonchalant usage underlines a more concerning trend among teenagers.

Many students, in and outside of Cupertino, do not understand the importance of empathy in our daily lives. How often have you tried to explain your inner turmoil to a friend only to have them quickly respond with the familiar fall-back words noted above?

We think that empathy means showing someone we “understand” their situation by implying that we have “totally been there.” And while most of the time we do care, this train of thought often results in the unintentional dismissal of another person’s pain. Part of the problem is that many students do not understand the meaning of empathy, and others simply do not value its worth. If we want to avoid superficially skipping along the surface of other’s emotions, then we as young adults need to recognize empathy for what it truly is.

Empathy, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is the action of understanding and vicariously experiencing the feelings of another. While compassion and sympathy are terms that often rest under the umbrella of “kindness,” empathy is distinct from such

generalized emotions. Most of us care enough about our peers to want to alleviate any pain they may be experiencing — in other words, we feel compassion. We say “I am so sorry” to acknowledge their pain and we say “stop thinking about it” so our hurting friends will turn their attention to positive thoughts. But we fail to consider that what others may desire is not a distraction from their problems, a temporary solution or even our sympathy.

What we want, as human individuals, is to be understood.

I cannot speak for everyone, but I sincerely appreciate and value those who empathetically listen to me rant about my personal issues, ask me questions and try to understand what is going through my mind. Most times, I do not expect the listener to provide solutions to my problems, only that they listen and process.

In the competitive Silicon Valley, many of us tend to be selffocused, whether it be on our academics or our personal struggles. Because we are constantly so preoccupied, we often lack the mental and emotional capacity to be there for those around us.

It can be incredibly challenging to maintain stellar grades, keep one’s goals in sight and develop interpersonal connections at the same time. However, the inability to empathize with people around us can lead to isolation and depression when we fail to see that we are cared for. We miss the fact that others are going through similar struggles because we simply do not know how to show each other that we care.

There is no easy fix for this issue, but as a start, I suggest being empathetic toward yourself and dedicating some time in

your busy schedule for self-care. Listen to music, read stories and try to feel the emotions the creators of such works felt. Find opportunities to develop empathy by surrounding yourself with people and speaking in person rather than online. Allow yourself to feel and share emotions with others — laugh together, cry together and make lasting memories together.

As seniors continue to receive college decisions, it is especially meaningful that we be there for each other regardless of the outcome. No matter how difficult it may be, try to be genuinely happy for the friend who got into their dream school after years of hard work, and cry with the one who did not. Be thankful for the people who have been there for you in times of need.

Empathy is not a foreign concept.

We have been taught to abide by the “golden rule” our entire lives — to treat others the way we want to be treated. It is time to start doing just that.

CHEAP HOUSING’S TRUE COST VARUN SHENOY photo assistant

When photographer Jacob Riis first published How the Other Life Lives in the late 19th century, middle and upper class families were exposed to the horrid living conditions within the New York City slums. Since then, the United States has looked to provide subsidized housing to those who face financial difficulties. In August of 2017, the California Association of Realtors released a report detailing that the median price of a single-family home rose to its highest level in a decade, $565,330.

In the Bay Area alone, costs rose 10.2% to $856,200. Without a doubt, California currently faces a significant housing crisis. The solution to this problem from an economic standpoint is quite simple: increase the supply of houses, thus reducing the average cost of renting or purchasing a home. While at first glance affordable housing seems to be an elegant solution, it hurts communities in many unintended ways.

Added density of residential areas can make life substantially worse for those who already lived there due to increases in traffic and an added burden on utilities. Moreover, those who stand to gain from affordable housing are often economically disadvantaged.

According to a 2013 Department of Housing and Urban Development report, the average annual income for a resident of a government housing unit is $13,730, and 68% of all residents are categorized as “Extremely Low Income.” Consequently, government housing concentrates poverty in small, isolated regions. Job opportunities for the poor and low-skilled workers near housing units quickly fill up, leading to diminished prospects for others. In the past, this phenomenon has led to crime and violence in government housing projects. In 2005, Researchers from the Urban Institute concluded that drugrelated crime and shootings are especially prevalent in government housing projects.

Another consequence of government-mandated concentration of poverty is the

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flight of the upper middle class. Not only do more affluent spenders start to trickle out of communities once housing complexes they perceive to be ghettos begin construction, the businesses that cater to them also relocate. This reinforces the disparity in class that affordable housing aims to solve in the first place. The government cannot pay for the homeless population indefinitely, so the best option would lift them up, not take away their job opportunities and reify social segregation.

As the primary goal for California politicians when it comes to the housing crisis is to increase the supply of homes and decrease prices, those who paid millions of dollars for a house in an affluent region would lose money. The resulting anger has been channeled into the NIMBY movement, short for “Not in My Backyard,” which opposes the construction of housing. One local example in Cupertino is the revitalization of Vallco last year. It sought to construct many new homes for individuals who work in Cupertino but live significantly farther away. However, disapproval from Cupertino citizens prevented the Sand Hill Property Company from pursuing the Vallco transformation. These interests must be considered for a legislative solution to work in the long-term.

There are better methods available to fix the housing crisis plaguing California.

Housing vouchers enable citizens to choose and lease houses while keeping the rent under 30% of their net income. These prevent poverty from being concentrated in one region by spreading out the poor population as it spreads people out. Another solution is called “scattered site housing.” This method “scatters” the development of homes around the city, thus reducing the chance of concentrated poverty and therefore crime.

While citizens tend to favor this method, the problem of increased traffic persists.

Ultimately, California’s politicians need to return to the drawing board and devise a method that prevents the negative results of government housing in the past. The affordable housing crisis is an important issue to many people in a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds — now is the time for a real solution.

A mother and her one-year-old daughter are going down a slide together in a park. The joyful moment is captured and posted to social media. Suddenly, the internet explodes with comments, criticizing the first-time mother for attempting such an act that could possibly break her daughter’s legs. The mother is celebrity Chrissy Teigen, with her daughter Luna. But instead of giving a gentle warning and continuing to mind their own business, many of the commenters saw the post as a chance to lash out against Teigen’s parenting, “mom-shaming” her. “Mom-shaming,” when people degrade a mother because of her parenting choices, isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to celebrities in the limelight. In fact, six out of 10 mothers have experienced it, according to a nationwide survey. Every mother does parenting differently, so unless it is truly out of genuine consideration, don’t tell a mother what to do or not do with her child.

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COLLEGE VISITS As incoming and first semester seniors approach the often-dreaded task of college applications, college visits become more common. With these trips comes the underlying belief that colleges favor students who demonstrate interest in the school. For some colleges, unfortunately, this belief is reality.

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, around half of all colleges rank demonstrated interest as moderate or high importance. Though demonstrating interest does not always have to be in the form of a college visit, taking the time and effort to travel to the campus might be one of the best ways to reveal an applicant’s sincere interest in attending. And these colleges are ultimately being elitist. Students from wealthy backgrounds can tour the entire country, visiting colleges of their choice, while students from less financiallyadvantaged families do not have this privilege. Consequently, advantaged students have a higher chance of being admitted.

Inequality in educational opportunities is unacceptable, and so it is time for colleges to end this unfair practice.

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Opinions

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March 27, 2018

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WHEN BOYCOTTS BACKFIRE

KENNETH JEON features assistant

With recent fervor for gun control after the Parkland shooting in February, the American public has turned its attention to the National Rifle Association (NRA) for its opposition to stronger firearm regulations. Supporters of the campaign against the NRA have called for boycotts of the companies associated with the advocacy group, such as Amazon, which provides a broadcasting platform for the NRA, and FedEx, which offers discounts to NRA members, to drain its resources and limit its influence in politics.

At first glance, boycotts seem to be a logical method of forcing change: businesses thrive off of customers, so limit those customers and businesses are at the mercy of the organizers. However, past instances show that boycotts are not nearly as productive as they may initially seem. They are rarely ever effective in economically pressuring a company, but nevertheless create consequences for the employees that depend on the business for a living.

Boycotts often fail to make a dent in a company’s bottom line, as it must be extremely persistent for it to have a substantial impact. As Professor of Regulation and Competitive Practice at Northwestern University, Daniel Diermeier explains in the Harvard Business Review of August 2012, for a boycott to succeed, supporters need to care deeply enough to stay consistent with the boycott for a significant amount of time, as well as gain lots of media attention to perpetuate the sentiment. Additionally, the denied product must be unnecessary and easily replaceable for participants to reliably follow their resolutions, which in practice can rarely be the case.

57%

Number of consumers who will buy or boycott a brand solely because of its position on a social or political issue

ORE CURVES

oss campus as a student spreads the news that t score. The curve is ruined for the other stus quickly turn into hate for the curve-setter. g is a common practice among many CHS orm of a curve with the highest score deterrest of the students. Although having a curve ot unfairly difficult, it detracts from a healthy nt, fueling the already problematic competiool. Curved exams seem to acknowledge that ly measure ability, relying on a curve to make tween the student and the exam. If the averachieve a passing grade on an assessment, it student’s fault. The student demographic for om year to year, making the policy even more grades are partially dependent on factors they tead of relying on a curve, exams should be udents’ real ability, measuring them on their nst their peers.

An ineffective boycott directly hurts workers who have nothing to do with the political standpoints of the organization being boycotted. In 2014, the American public boycotted the Beverly Hills Hotel after its owner, Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, implemented strict Sharia law that made homosexuality punishable by torture and death. While Bolkiah, who is worth billions of dollars, maintained the law, the hotel workers were distressed. According to CBS Los Angeles, when the Beverly Hills City Council approved a resolution to force Bolkiah to sell the hotel, more than 100 Beverly Hills Hotel employees expressed opposition, with one stating: “We are being evicted for what is going on right now.”

Despite all this, one must acknowledge that boycotts have worked to make significant changes in the past. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and 1956 led to the Supreme Court Ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. The boycott of Nike for the use of child labor in the 1990s led to vast improvements in the companies’ efforts to supervise their factories. But these examples demonstrate the specific way boycotts can have an effect. They can make good attention grabbers for the media. Nike could not effectively survive such a big hit to its reputation because that was its selling point. Even though the bus boycott dealt heavy financial blows to Montgomery’s public transportation department, it was only able to achieve success by putting a spotlight on institutional racism in the United States. As the National Park Service states in its article on the boycott, “Those involved in the boycott might have lost hope and given up with the lack of progress. However, the precedent established by [Brown v.

Board] gave boycotters hope that a legal challenge would successfully end segregation on city buses.”

Since boycotts only work as expressions of protest, alternative methods can often be more immediately effective.

Boycotting businesses

30%

Number of consumers who make purchases based on a company ’s stance on an issue more frequently than they did three years ago

like Apple, Amazon, and FedEx will most likely be unsuccessful due to their ubiquity in many consumers’ lives, and targeting the NRA will cause little to change, as many have already made their minds up about the organization.

A slight twist on the concept of boycotting may make a real difference. Buying from a specific company to express support for a political view, recently termed “buycotting,” appears to be a much more impactful form of consumer protest.

Devotion to a company is relatively easy to maintain. Since more people are able to sufficiently perform a “buycott”, making an impact becomes that much easier. This subsequently draws in more people and snowballs its effectiveness. In December of 2017, Patagonia increased its external web sales six times over after suing Trump for reducing the sizes of two national monuments. Instead of weakly showing disapproval of NRA affiliates, backing supporters of gun control, like Dick’s Sporting Goods, which recently set age limits on firearm sales and refuses to sell automatic and semi-automatic guns, will produce better results. Already, Walmart has joined Dick’s Sporting Goods in setting restrictions on firearm sales.

While success is not guaranteed, organized marches, pledges, and “buycotts” are comparatively better alternatives to boycotting the NRA. A boycott is simply not viable, and when its most visible results consist mainly of harm to innocent employees, it’s clear one should be at most an ideological add-on to an already strong movement. Actively holding and supporting protests demonstrates more intelligent proactivity than refusing to purchase goods or services that are essential to modern life. Instead of using your wallet to harm the employees who have nothing to do with the NRA or other organizations, use it to amplify the voices of those who speak up about the issues that matter to you.

67%

Number of consumers who bought a brand for the first time because they agreed with its position on a controversial topic

COURTESY OF EDELMAN

CAFE PROJECTOR Nothing is more infuriating than having something but not being able to use it. You are sitting in the school cafeteria, looking up at the lonely projector, and dreaming of the endless movies it could play — if only it was used. You dream of enjoying a movie while eating lunch and sheltered from the rain; you dream of a Friday-night movie party with your friends or a romantic movie date with your crush, all for possibly no cost or a cost many times less than going to the theater. But instead, you are stuck in a rowdy cafeteria on a dreary day, without even a microwave to warm your cold burrito. A movie day would also be a perfect ASB “fun day,” you mutter. Especially with the Vallco AMC closing, how are you supposed to keep up with the latest and greatest shows now? The school should use the cafeteria projector to put on movies or other entertainment for students as a way to alleviate stress and allow students opportunities to forget their worries. Our campus could use more bonding, and this is the perfect opportunity.

keep tino clean Four years ago, the entire student body of CHS cooperated in “Keep Tino Clean,” both a challenge for students to clean up after themselves and a movement to improve the environment at CHS. “Keep Tino Clean” prohibited students from leaving their trash on the ground and awarded those who voluntarily cleaned up after other students. The reward for meeting the challenge? Club’s Day. Otherwise, the highly anticipated, food-filled day would be canceled. Especially with Principal Tomberlain’s school-wide announcement for students to clean up after themselves, it seems almost imperative to bring back another “Keep Tino Clean” challenge. Although the reward (or punishment) may not necessarily involve Club’s Day, it is often the case that students need some form of motivation to overcome their laziness. The challenge would be once-again effective in preserving the place that many students call home, an even more important goal with the opening of the new classroom building.

COMPILED BY CHRISTINA SHAO

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March 27, 2018

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The Prospector

7

8

Features

March 27, 2018

ASHLEY KANG online assistant

Posting content online can be one of the most daunting, and potentially life-ruining tasks a teenager may do. With the mere click of a button, content creators voluntarily expose themselves to the vast, and often cruel realms of the internet, but this unconventional bravery is to be applauded.

Every creator has a different story to share when it comes to their channels. Freshman cover artist Preetha Kumar began her YouTube career after honing some of her existing vocal skills. In expanding her musical career, Kumar’s YouTube channel became a creative outlet rather than a foreign endeavor.

Said Kumar, “I originally started singing Indian classical music and then in middle school I branched out into pop music and I did Lawson Idol,” said Kumar. In expanding her musical career, Kumar’s YouTube channel became a creative outlet rather than a foreign endeavor.

Junior DJ Eito Murakami was first introduced to classical music when he began taking piano lessons at the age of three. When he moved to the United States from Japan in 2015, he began exploring different genres on YouTube.

That is when he discovered Electronic Dance Music, which ignited a spark to “create something of [his] own.”

Well known content creators often play a pivotal role in inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. Said Kumar, “I saw all these people posting videos online and I really liked singing

TAL ASHKENAZI opinions assistant

Perhaps the most unique and powerful aspect of YouTube as a media platform is the genuineness and accessibility of its creators. Even then, getting to meet a creator in person is a rare and exhilarating experience for a loyal subscriber. This is exactly what Junior Naomi Gau had the opportunity to do when she attended the “Rare Day” women’s summit on March 11th.

Said Gau, “I was actually pretty scared going to this event, because I was worried about them [The panelists] not being genuine, but they were so real.” Gau represents a vast group of students that browse youtube for entertainment and education. In fact, according to a schoolwide survey of 150 students, a whopping 90% of students at Cupertino browse youtube regularly, and of those, 33% watch 4 or more hours of youtube a day.

Such high viewership among such a diverse set of

too. I’ve always wanted to start a Youtube channel so I found it as the perfect way to grow and potentially become a little known for my music.”

Others upload content in hopes of sharing their hobbies and interacting with fellow enthusiasts. Said junior and twitch-streamer Adi Avraham, “I realized, ‘Okay, I’m going to play these games, why not stream them? Maybe some people will find some enjoyment from watching the stream.’ Twitch has a chat on the side of the livestream, and as I’m playing the game, people will say things in chat that I’ll respond to.”

While creating content can, in itself, be a great source of fulfillment, it can also be fueled by an alternative purpose. For example, in addition to showcasing amazing music for others to enjoy, Preetha Kumar aims to break racial stigmas through her presence on YouTube.

“I’ve noticed online there isn’t much cultural diversity when it comes to Youtubers. It’s always the same kind of people that you see and I think they have some kind of preconceived notion of what kind of person you should be in order to be a successful Youtuber. So I wanted to start my own Youtube channel so that I could sort of break that stereotype and branch out and create pathways for other people too,” said Kumar.

Senior Anooj Vadodkar has also made societal commentary relevant to Silicon Valley culture in his comedy.

“I think I want people to learn from the sat-

ire and jokes that stressing about college apps and things like that might be a problem. We hope our audience will evaluate the things they think about in their life. It’s a little bit more of a critical intent and more of a funny, outside intent.”

Murakami similarly imbues his music with social objectives, realizing that EDM is often associated with drugs, parties, and alcohol. Said Murakami, “It’s kinda sad, but that’s the reality, and part of my project is to spread the good side of EDM and how much it can mentally support you when you’re going through hardships.”

Stepping out of your comfort zone requires a certain amount of not only courage, but resilience. The unsettling prospect of receiving criticism from strangers is often the biggest deterrent in posting content online. Especially with great ambitions, creators may find a slow start rather discouraging. However, success can only be obtained by persevering through difficulties.

When asked who inspired her to upload her first cover to YouTube, Kumar replied, “I would have to say my sister, because she’s always been probably my #1 supporter and she’s the one who told me to put myself out there and she gave me that extra push. So, without her I probably wouldn’t have started it.”

Yet, criticism is inevitable: Pranjal Mishra describes her experience receiving criticism such as “‘Entertainment isn’t really looked upon very highly,’ or ‘Focus more on school’ or ‘What are you doing with

students cannot rely solely on one type of content, but youtube has an incredibly diverse library of videos that can be accessed from almost anyone. Said junior Adi Avraham, “the whole youtube scene has something for everyone. If you like a certain type of content, then someone on youtube will already have made a video on it.” As with all entertainment, there are a few prime genres that tend to be more appealing than others.

According to the survey, the top three topics followed by Tino students are comedy, education, and vlogging channels. According to Gau, who watches one to two hours of YouTube every week, part of the reason these genres are so popular is the unique traits and identities of each creator on the platform.“They have some pretty distinct personalities, and you can relate to some aspects of their personalities.” Some of the most popular channels and personalities among students are David Dobrik, Casey Neistat, Pewdiepie, and H3H3. David Dobrik and Casey

this?’” Collectively, content creators have learn to “just brush it off and take it in a positive w to improve on that kind of stuff,” instead of ta ing comments to heart, according to Kumar. O the other hand, Murakami views negative co ments as tools to improve his work.“It’s not li I think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do this anymore,’ ‘I wish I could’ve done better.’ It’s all about t process, and I’m still learning everyday.”

Neistat both vlog, while Pewdiepie makes his own brand of comedic videos and H3H3 tends to makes commentary videos and podcasts. These four are just the surface, however, and among the respondents The Prospector was able to identify at least 128 different creators. This diversity is to be expected and moreover appreciated: “It makes sense that people would be drawn to different forms of content. We all have our own tastes,” said Avraham. With the users and creators of youtube growing up, the change in taste from one year to another can become quite clear.

One of Cupertino’s own content creators, Senior Anooj Vadodkar, has been watching youtube since he was younger, and has seen his tastes evolve over time.

“Growing up I watched gaming videos and tutorials — if there was a game I could not play, I would just watch these videos, so I could get tips and every chance I could in the game...Now, I have been watching more analytical videos about, for example, The Great Gatsby, or just other analysis on different subjects, which I am really interested in. So my tastes have definitely changed over time,” Vadodkar said.

Gau has also her preferences change over time. Said Gau, “When I was younger on youtube, I started watch-

ing Bethany Mohta, but I m tubers who seemed a bit some of her videos.”

Others like Junior Ra match their hobbies and in Said Ralph, “I mainl and piano covers. With th channels that focus on the piano a bit more than the li I do have creators I like th example of a creative pian she does.”

Youtubers influe whether they are sharing advise, or, as in the case recommendations. Said A review channels, which c I’m looking for parts, or e do with my computer.” S choices are heavily influen recommendations. “I’ll wa what to buy.” Said Gau “Peo they really help when you on what to buy.” Students

ned way akOn omike ’ or the

XINYI ZHANG copy editor

SANTOSH MURALIDAN news editor

In front of his piano, senior Greg Robbins runs the simple tune several times over in his head.

Then he starts to play, slowly at first, then picking up speed after several repetitions. Without sheet music or guide, Robbins trusts his mind and fingers to lead him to the best possible combination of notes and chords. If the snippet doesn’t sound as he intends, Robbins simply adds more notes or cuts out parts in what becomes an elaborate game of trial and error. In the end, however, Robbins believes that he has something.

Exactly what, he can’t say for certain — just a potential ingredient for his masterpiece in the making.

For content creators everywhere, the first step to a great product is an equally great starting point, whether it’s such as an abstract or familiar concept, an experience, or a specific media outlet. Alas, with such a variety of content and per-

moved on to other beauty youmore mature. but I still watch

alph Wang seek out content that nterests. ly watch educational channels he music aspect in mind, I like e technical aspect of playing the ives of the people behind them. hough - Tiffany Poon is a good nist who is really good at what

ence students in powerful ways, g unique perspectives, offering of Avraham, making product Avraham, “I mainly watch tech can help tremendously when even just planning what I could Similarly, Gau’s beauty product nced by her favorite channels’ atch reviews when I don’t know ople tend to trust reviewers and u have to make a hard decision s can watch youtube for hours

Features

The Prospector

March 27, 2018

sonalities on the web, the similarities in everyone’s “inspiration” are few and far between.

Inspiration is simply the encompassing force propelling content creators closer to their masterpieces, one mental connection at a time.

But why start in the first place?

Compared to the often tedious process of creating new content, making the decision to become a content creator seems relatively simple; however, in reality, becoming a dedicated content creator requires a strong affinity for sharing a passion associated with the content created.

Said Robbins, a SoundCloudbased composer specializing in electronic music, “I have done music throughout my life, and I play a lot of musical instruments… I was in a band through middle school and half of high school. Making electronic music is just of way of taking all those different skills and mashing them together.”

For some, making YouTube videos comple-

ments their personal qualities. Said junior Pranjal Mishra, who makes videos on her YouTube channel “V!CE,” “I’m a really outgoing person, so I tend to talk a lot. Plus I’m a drama student, so that definitely played a huge part in [creating YouTube videos]. YouTube was a way for me to build my portfolio.”

Of course, the desire can come from something as simple as the opportunity to spend time with friends. This is the case for senior Anooj Vadodkar, one of the contributors to the YouTube channel RektSupport. Said Vadodkar, “My friend Jasper contacted me and said, ‘Hey Anooj, you know guitar right?

You want to join our band?’ And then from that we branched out and because Jasper really liked film and he’s really good at special effects so we did those… It started off as just a simple thing we did after school, and now it’s a YouTube channel.”

However, after uploading their first video, not all content creators are sure where to go next.

When junior Ralph Wang uploaded his first video on YouTube,

a gaming commentary, he could not see where his YouTube career would take him. Finding inspiration can be tough without knowledge of how to build one’s channel in the future, if at all. Right when the video began to catch the eyes of more and more viewers, said Wang, “Hey why don’t I try to famous on youtube?”

However, looking back, realized Wang, “Obviously, I was a very optimistic person back then.”

However, similar to Mishra and Vadodkar, Wang lets his creativity guide him in the right direction. When asked what makes producing videos possible, responded Wang, “Most of my videos are anime song covers. Compose these pretty much by myself…”

Despite him initially being unsure about the development of his YouTube channel, his creative side and love for music allowed him to generate ideas and continue making videos on YouTube with anime song covers. “Every [video] I make something better,” Wang said.

For those who create music, exploration and experimentation are often the best routes to new

content. Said <grade level> Preetha Kumar, a singer on Youtube, “I do get inspiration a lot because I really enjoy listening to music so I’ll always be doing that, humming along… I get inspired pretty much like every second of every day. I have a couple of singers that I really like to do and I have some songs that I write down from time to time of what I’d like to perform. I don’t make any original pieces but I do kind of like to put my own twist on what I hear of other people’s to make it more of my own.”

Robbins, who composes original pieces, uses his perceived emotions of himself and those around him as basis of the tune.

Focusing on one section or layer, he experiments with the sound on instruments before replicating it on software. “The best kind of inspiration just comes to you. When I make electronic music, I use the piano a lot. I don’t know a lot of songs on the piano, but whenever I do play piano I just improvise. I just let my fingers do their thing, and it evolves in its own way… And I either work to get the idea working completely because it sounded really good on the piano or I turn it into something else, or sometimes, it’s just a building block for something different; I can branch off of it and create something else,” Robbins said.

COMEDY (77.2%)

on end. This is only possible because of the wide variety of content that can be tailored for each individual. These students are drawn to youtube because of the sheer versatility and appealing content that such channels have. According to Avraham: “Youtube is still growing. I expect that more and more people will see the appeal in getting to choose between content”

GAMING (41.2%)

SCIENCE/TECH

(43.3%)

VLOGGING (47.8%)

EDUCATION (55.1%)

10%

21%

21%

14%

34%

<1 hours

1-2 hours

2-3 hours

3-4 hours

>4 hours

9

Lifestyles

10

March 27, 2018

project careers for

ETHAN QI

editor-in-chief

Coveted by juniors and first-semester seniors alike, the eighth semester of high school represents the attainment of freedom and the conclusion of the college application process.

However, this milestone is often characterized by a looser sense of responsibility, which for some, manifests itself as slipping grades and lackluster attendance, along with other behavior symptomatic of late-seniors. However, likewise, this unique period is also a time for friends to spend time with each other they might not have had previously, students to rekindle childhood hobbies and the senior class to get to know themselves a bit better.

AP Government and Economics teacher Oliver Yeh understands this quite well. On the topic of commitment to activities in schools, he commented, “Oftentimes, students end up doing extracurriculars because they’ve been good at it, or it can go on their r e sume, and maybe they still enjoy it, but they haven’t gotten to necessarily choose what they want to do based on their interests.”

To remedy this, at beginning of the second semester, Yeh created a two-month long assignment called the “Life Project,” where students were given the opportunity to pursue anything they found meaningful. Topic options ranged from an exploration of intended career options, hobbies, to personal goals. Said Yeh, “A lot of our education system is based off extrinsic and external consequences, and my hope is to build some sort of intrinsic motivation because life isn’t just about external things. I think students getting to choose for themselves what they want to focus on, realizing that they might not be perfectly successful the first time,

and that it’s an important investigation to question, ‘what’d I want for my life and my free time’ and ‘what holds me back from accomplishing the things that are important to me.’”

Beyond a topical departure from traditional assignments, the Life Project was also unlike any other in that it was not graded. The intention being that students would put as much, or as little, effort as they wanted to, getting out what they chose to put into the endeavor. Additionally, it was not meant to be any extra work—at least in the traditional sense. Its purpose is to act more as scaffolding through which students would be able to accomplish personally fulfilling goals for no one other than themselves. In fact, students were presented with an “opt-out” option, should they have felt unable to complete it.

As just the second time Yeh did this project, this experience is still very much a new one. Said senior Hayley Jang, who chose to learn and improve on the guitar, “I’m not sure I necessarily pursued something super meaningful, but I was definitely able to expand my knowledge about it and I think I definitely challenged myself during the project, and was able to distance myself from the screens that I normally pass my time with.”

But as with any additional school-sanctioned work, students may feel slighted, regardless of its intention. Said Jang mentioned, “I felt like it would’ve been a lot more meaningful for the individual if the option was to opt-in rather than to opt-out.” Additionally, she found that it would have aided her in the process if there were more check-ins, especially if there were more structured opportunities to interact with Mr. Yeh. Regardless, despite potentially varying opinions, the experience still provided a uniquely special opportunity for second-semester seniors to engage in the activities beyond the mundanity of high school. Said Yeh, “What I found over time, as an adult, that once you don’t have grades assigned, there aren’t many other purposes other than money and employment. And sure you can focus on those things, but I think there’s more to life than just that.”

5

In line with our generation’s destructive tendencies, it is common for us to squander our hours consuming multiple TV show episodes, seldom realizing our disregard of time until the crack of dawn. Although this behavior typically results in either a session of introspection or a futile resolve to dominate the rest of the day, watching Netflix shows is not a waste of time. To appeal to a broad demographic, TV shows feature many careers, providing valuable insight and inspiration for interested candidates. In fact, studies show that 40 percent of millennials choose their majors based on the TV shows they watch. If you are having trouble deciding what line of employment to pursue, here are some TV shows that just might help you with your decision.

Medicine: House MD Starring in this medical drama is Gregory House, a cheeky, egotistical, self-destructive addict, but also a brilliant diagnostician. He treats patients with perplexing ailments and often resorts to bizarre methods of deduction. With episodes filled with confusing medical lexicon, emergency surgeries, and information dumps, this show gives the audience an educational and entertaining glimpse into the complexity of the medical industry.

Law: the good wife In this television series, the audience is introduced to the publically disgraced wife of a former state’s attorney, Alicia Florrick, who returns to her job as a lawyer after her husband is incarcerated for a recent scandal. All seven seasons of this show stage detailed, well-researched legal debates, accurate portrayals of legal procedures and intriguing story arcs that equips the audience with a thorough understanding of the justice system.

Forensics: CSI: Miami Amid the humid surroundings of Miami, this TV series follows Horatio Caine and his team of investigators as they solve crimes and find justice for their clients.

Caine’s well-rounded squad of ballistics specialists, street detectives, underwater recovery experts, coroners and much more demonstrates what it takes to be successful in a field as action-packed as forensics. With high-speed car chases and the intense interrogations, the audience will be left with more than just a simple mystery.

7 8

2 3

6 tv industry: 30 rock By focusing on the lives of those working behind the camera, this sitcom uses Elizabeth Lemon, an executive showrunner for a late night sketch comedy show, to depict the hectic lives of TV show writers. Handling the complicated personalities on her eccentric writing staff, Lemon deals with both the corporate and unhinged side of the entertainment industry, giving the viewer a close-up of what it takes to survive in the jungle of Hollywood.

COMPILED BY ESHA RADHAKRISHNAN

10 1

The Prospector

March 27, 2018

SUDYUT YUVARAJ features assistant

SYDNEY LIAO

features assistant

“That’s all I have for you” and “You’ve been great” are some of the most bittersweet phrases a comedy aficionado will ever hear, as they are many stand-up comedians’, or comics’, way of closing off their shows.

Stand-up has experienced much growth in the past few years, with Netflix recently sponsoring specials from comic legends such as Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Aziz Ansari.

Like most other fields, comedy has experienced radical diversification in the past decades. What was once a field dominated by caucasian males (legendary in their own right) has now expanded to include comics of diverse ethnic and social backgrounds.

Comics Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari and Gabriel Iglesias were among the highest paid comedians in 2016, with Hart earning $87.5 million in 2016 alone. Comedy remains a largely male-dominated platform today, but stars like Amy Schumer and Chelsea Peretti have gained mass popularity as well, with Schumer raking in $37.5 million this past year.

Through their stand-up performances, comics also have the opportunity to voice their unfiltered thoughts and opinions on controversial issues. They are able to do so without the same level of accountability as other mediums in the entertainment industry. If a comic joked about an experience they had with race or other social taboos, the audience laughs because they understand that the intent is not to belittle, but to entertain. This does not mean that comics are not held accountable to their words, or that they are invulnerable to backlash, but the medium of comedy does allow performers to censor themselves less and express their undiluted opinions.

Dave Chappelle in particular shared his opinions on the increasing level of sensitivity in society, speaking particularly on his aversion to the transgender community, while still supporting their right to live without fear of persecution. Chappelle is not the first comic to voice unpopular

stances on social justice issues; in his Netflix special “Tamborine”, Chris Rock shared his thoughts on schools’ no-tolerance policies, claiming that if kids were not exposed to bullies early, they would not be able to handle bullies in adulthood.

Said Rock, “School is supposed to prepare you for life. Life has a--holes. And you should learn how to deal with them as soon as possible. God forbid, you wait till you’re 30 to find out people ain’t sh-t. That’s how Trump became president. That’s exactly what happened. We got rid of bullies. A real bully showed up, and nobody knew how to handle him. ” If Chris Rock had tweeted his opinion that schools should exercise tolerance in the face of bullying, he would likely be faced with bad press. However, because he chose to express himself through comedy, he was met with much less backlash from the media.

Comedy does not discriminate economically or racially, and is a field where true talent and effort stands out. The medium now includes people from different ethnic backgrounds with equally different takes on life, allowings us to see the world through others’ eyes while still having a good time.

In a culture primarily driven by music, people welcome new tunes with open arms.

Music is part of our everyday lives—we listen to it in the car, at school, pretty much everywhere. Some people take their passion for music one step further; high schoolers Sahana Krishnamurthy, Kyra Moore, Sami Taylor and Raven did not waste any time doing exactly that.

The girls call themselves “[artificial lavender]” and hail from the heart of Silicon Valley, where they have been creating alternative tracks (known for its distinction in style from mainstream music), for two years.

It all started at the School of Rock, when enriching their musical skills turned into an opportunity to unite under their passion for music. The School of Rock, located in San Jose, is a performance-based music school that focuses on the teamwork in music production.

Said lead guitarist and junior Sahana Krishnamurthy, “Kyra and Sami saw me and Raven perform, and they asked us if we wanted to join their band.”

The young songwriters are inspired by other alternative and shoegaze bands, such as Ride and Lush. That influence is evident in their dreamy, spacepop sounds; however, Krishnamurthy is adamant about remaining true to themselves. “We try to create our own sound and try not to emulate anyone.

We strive to be original,” she said. “We like how it is less mainstream and believe it’s better quality compared to basic pop music.”

For “[artificial lavender]”, the process of creating music is the most rewarding part of being a songwriter. To them, music is a reflection of themselves and their lives. Being able to communicate their experiences and feelings through songs is what makes the art so special.

Said Krishnamurthy, “You learn more about yourself, your friends, and other people. Our songs are very personal and inspired by real experiences. The music that we write resonates with how we are as people. It’s more about how we grow.”

Producing music might be fun, but it requires hard work and dedication.

When the girls are not tackling schoolwork, sports or other extracurriculars, they are busy practicing melodies, writing lyrics and mixing beats. They primarily meet on Fridays during the school year, and in the summer, they devote many hours into the band. Once in a while, they can be found performing at events, festivals and coffee shops.

However, finding time is just a small part of their struggle. As one of few all-girl bands in the Bay Area, they have taken it upon themselves to set a good example for others like them in the future.

“If you’re a girl and you’re into rock, you have to assert yourself and be strong about what you believe in, and I think that is the biggest challenge,” Krishnamurthy said. “We want to be the first to show that we can be successful and that music doesn’t have to be defined by your gender.”

Their feats have not gone unnoticed. In late February, they were featured

by Content Magazine, a medium based in San Jose that focuses on the creative side of the area. Said Krishnamurthy, “They contacted us after hearing our demos, and then they had us do a photoshoot. It was an interesting experience.”

The group is currently in the process of making an album, and they have two upcoming shows in April. After releasing the album, the girls plan to devote their attention to promotion. “As the summer goes on, we hope to play at local venues and hopefully get ourselves further out there. I think we can do so much more, and I’m hoping we can explore more opportunities when summer comes,” Krishnamurthy said.

[artificial lavender]

STAND-UP COMEDY

11

Lifestyles

PIERCINGS THROUGHOUT HISTORY NEERALI SHAH sports editor

ARIANA FAHRI flip side assistant

ear piercings Throughout history, people have used their piercings to show off their beauty, wealth, or status. Ear piercings are the most common and oldest type of piercing; an ancient, mummified man named Otzi around 5000 years old was discovered in a Austrian glacier with pierced ears. The body of Otzi was found with pierced ears, and it was apparent that he had gages as seen by the 7-11mm diameter hole in his earlobe.

nose piercings The nose piercing with first dated in Genesis 24:22; Abraham wanted to find a wife for his son Isaac, and once he chose Rebekah he gifted her a pure gold nose ring. Nose piercings are still a common practice in North Africa and the Middle East where the husband gives his bribe a nose ring, and the more elaborate the piercings, the wealthier the family is.

tongue piercings

nose piercings

Tongue piercings date back to the Mayans who would use them to summon the gods; they believed the gods would favor them if they sacrificed their blood. They would frequently use septum and tongue piercings using bones and tusks to intimidate enemies during war. Additionally, Aztec warriors received lip piercings and enlarged the gage of the piercing with every battle victory or every prisoners captured in war.

The reason behind certain piercings like the nose ring revolves around its position, namely the left nostril. According to Ayurvedic medicine, this piercing is strategically placed on what is essentially an acupuncture point meant to relieve pain during menstruation and labor.

Although nostril piercings are more frequently used for aesthetic purposes today, many cultures once believed their jewelry would bring them closer to the spiritual realm.

Additionally, Indian women from the southern India typically got both or just the right nostril pierced while women in the northern part of the country got the left side.

Insights

12

March 27, 2018 Investigations

Opinions on gun control at Tino CAROLINE GEE flip side editor

JENN ZARATAN photo editor

The bulk of teenage stress is expected to stem from academic pressures, social circles or other typical adolescent problems. Yet, as a result of jolting events like the Parkland school shooting, students have been inescapably confronted with the nation’s larger issues at hand.

Gun violence and resulting protests have fueled passionate student opinions on all sides of the debate. And, as students discuss these contentious topics, further questions arise about the reasoning behind these viewpoints and the way in which they are formed.

In a school-wide survey that generated 122 responses, students were asked to report their level of investment in the gun control debate from a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 meaning “I don’t care” and 5 meaning “I am very passionate about my opinions on gun control”). The Prospector

55%

of students are invested in the debate on gun control in a school-wide survey with 122 responses

found that 54.9 percent responded a 4 or above, indicating that many students are invested in the debate. Even so, a significant proportion of the population responded that they feel more apathetic towards the issue.

Said history teacher Igor Fedotov, “A lot of people are desensitized to [gun violence] on one side, and on the other side, people are just completely apathetic because they don’t believe [a shooting] will ever happen within this area.”

In addition, according to CBS News, 19.8 percent of California residents own guns. Compared to Florida, in which the gun ownership rate is 32.5 percent, it is clear that guns are simply less prevalent in the lives of most Tino students. Said senior Pallavi Rajan, “[California’s] laws are a little stricter than most [states] regarding access to guns, so a lot of people feel that we are relatively safe.”

While the surge of student activism regarding gun control on campus is newfound, mass shootings are anything but. The familiar routine of yet another tragedy has resulted in a numbness that may contribute to the desensitization.

By any means, a month ago, the kind of student initiative appearing now was nowhere to be seen.

But as young students — most of whom are not yet of voting age — some challenge the idea that caring about certain political topics should be an obligation.

“Sure, some few people that care get extremely loud about their opinions, but in no way does that imply that everyone should care.

A vast majority of students at Tino barely even handled a gun, or delved into the bureaucracy that goes on behind gun legislation. So what if some people are apathetic?” senior Anton Samoylov said. “It’s great to be knowledgeable, [but it] shouldn’t be particularly expected of students to delve into issues that don’t really concern them.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 to 29 year-olds have consistently had the lowest voting turnout rates for every presidential election in the last four decades. If motivation for involvement is low among age-eligible youth, then it should come as no surprise that it is low among students under 18 as well.

In the Prospector survey, students were asked to rate their peers’ knowledge on gun control. While results were mixed, a greater per-

centage of participants responded that students lack knowledge about the topic over those who said otherwise. The majority of Cupertino High School seems to generally support leftist gun control, but it is difficult to gauge whether perhaps it is actually only a vocal minority masking the population of those apathetic or undecided.

Some argue that students may be lumped into this majority group before they get the chance On a scale of 1 to 5, how knowledgeable do you think students are about gun control?

1 Not at all

2

3

4

5 Very

to research the topic and develop their own conclusions.

“It’s not like everybody follows the flow, but of course there’s a lot of bandwagoning. A lot of my friends just went to the [walkout] because everybody else was going,” Samoylov said.

Exploration and curious participation on their own are inevitable, as many students are just beginning to form their views and need somewhere to start. However, Samoylov argues that the issue is a lack of knowledge behind strongly vocalized opinions. Unlike those who are apathetic, students may feel passionate about an argument, but not all fully understand the specifics of its legislative aspects.

“I think the biggest problem here is that a lot of people have really strong opinions, including me sometimes, but they don’t really have anything to support it with. … People would either nod or disagree, but there wouldn’t be any actual knowledgeable discussion about it,” Samoylov said. “It’s great if you have an opinion, but if you don’t know why you have it then it loses its point.”

The highly controversial and emotional nature of the gun control debate may also rush students to form a strong political opinion. Said Rajan, “You shouldn’t feel pressured to make a choice if you are actually at odds, and if you don’t know how you believe about something, then you should take as much time as you need to look at all of the facts.”

Many students can and do find information on the Internet, but if not more closely examined, the sources that students draw from may lack comprehensive insights. Junior Tanaz Saiyed voiced concerns that students often rely on rumors or social media — sources that can be unreliable or skewed. Said Saiyed, “[A lot of people don’t] take the time to actually go out of

OPEN MIC | Students voice their opinions about

gun control at March 14’s open mic during brunch.

their way and actually learn what these [facts] are. … [Students] tend to steer their opinions a certain way, either pro-gun or anti-gun, and they steer it in an extreme.”

As a main source of guidance, teachers wield a particularly influential platform to students when it comes to political issues. Now more than ever, in the current political climate, staff members find themselves in the tricky situation of acting as mentors for students while appearing nonpartisan.

Literature teacher Carley Stavis chose to post in the Facebook walkout event page, not intending to display sole support for liberal solutions, but to encourage the act of protesting in and of itself. “My message of support [in the Facebook event group] was really in the name of, to all students, being aware of what your civic responsibilities are and what it means to be a citizen in the United States,” Stavis said. “Having the ability to know the moment where you want to stand up and do something in response, but also being able to dialogue with people who don’t feel the same way, to me, is one of the greatest lessons that teachers can teach. And that’s not political at all in my mind, that’s just about what public education’s supposed to be.”

Senior Brett Anderson, however, contends that the way some of his teachers handle discus-

It’s great [if] you have an opinion, but if you don’t know why you have it then it loses its point.

- Senior Anton Samoylov

sions on gun regulation and other political topics is problematic — especially after the 2016 election.

Said Anderson, “Some teachers, I know they don’t go as often as they should to look at the Steven Crowder’s, the Ben Shapiro’s: the really popular conservative voices that are encouraging a lot of young Republicans coming up. I feel like they don’t go as often to those sources to say, ‘Okay, here’s what their point is and how can I counterattack it?’”

Against the greater numbers of those advocating for gun control, students who lean more towards defending the Second Amendment and gun owner rights face unique and sometimes alienating experiences.

“I think the biggest danger on our campus when it comes to these opinions is being that minority, because a lot of the times we devalue the minority’s point of view,” Fedotov said. “Our campus is so liberal where conservative-thinking students oftentimes are pushed aside or bullied or thought of as lesser. And they might also be scared to speak out because of all of these different things that everyone else in the [majority thinks].”

The student-organized walkout on March 14 served as a clear-cut example of a highly polarized political climate. While the overwhelming majority of students at the walk chanted for more gun control, there were a scant few individuals who also voiced their opinion — but of the opposing viewpoint.

Said freshman Brandon Pan, who came holding a poster promoting gun owner rights, “I’m doing exactly what the other students are doing; I’m exercising my First Amendment right and protesting to express my opinions.”

Reactions were mixed and the majority of students were respectful, but Pan says he also received notable backlash from a select few.

Along with receiving obscene hand gestures and remarks, at one point Pan got hit in the face with a full water bottle, thrown by someone he did not see.

Said Pan, “I think a part of it is the fact that [some students] have not matured enough to understand how to deal with a differing opinion.

I think that’s definitely one of the bigger issues in this nation, especially with political polarization. … People can’t seem to be able to see the other side’s perspective and that usually ends up getting us nowhere.”

Some students have strove to address this lack communication between individuals with

People can’t seem to be able to see the other side’s perspective and that usually ends up getting us nowhere.

- Freshman Brandon Pan

opposing viewpoints; after observing student comments around campus and on Facebook, many of them sparked by the nearing walkout, senior Eito Murakami was inspired to promote methods of productive dialogue. With the help of law teacher Sean Bui, Murakami hosted a socratic seminar to discuss gun control prior to the protest that week.

“The idea was to create a safe environment for people to share and exchange their opinions,” Murakami said. “I think it’s really cool that everyone got to hear each other’s and expand their horizons.”

Amid the rising numbers of students involved in political discourse, there are also those who simply do not see the point of certain student initiatives. Particularly with the walkout, efficacy and the place of teens within politics serves as another topic of contention.

Said senior James J. Li, “There’s other ways to have us show that we do have voice. … First of all, I don’t really think teenagers should be too involved in politics. We can be intelligent, but we are not as wise [as adults] and we tend to see things in black and white. … We really get down to the point where we start shouting slogans, and that’s not going to be too effective.

Politics is about compromise.”

Li suggested contacting congressmen or writing columns for publications as alternate mediums for voicing one’s opinions, which he believes are more effective in accomplishing change.

However, noting the relevancy of school shootings to students, others stress the importance for teens to take bolder approaches. Said Saiyed, “I think we’ve seen after Parkland and everything … that if the adults aren’t going to make a difference, we’re actually the future of America and we need to make that difference if we want to see it.”

WALKOUT | Student protestors hold up posters promoting gun control at the March 14 Walkout.

Insights

The Prospector

March 27, 2018

13

Perspectives

PEACEFUL PROTEST ANTHONY ZHU sports assistant

On Wednesday, March 14, students from Cupertino High School participated in a walkout during second period to express their thoughts on gun laws and school safety. The walkout lasted 17 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 10:17 a.m., which represent the 17 victims of the Parkland High School shooting. This was just one of the many school protests happening around the country.

One of the main incidents that encouraged

quad, students chanted pro-gun control slogans, following up with a 170 second silence honoring the 17 victims of Parkland.

Many staff members encouraged the walkout and the message it sent. Because they could not leave students unattended, some staff mem-

56.2% 25.6%

2 out of 5 students had planned on attending the walkout

students to organize this event was the bomb threat that occurred earlier this year. On February 38th, students were asked to evacuate the campus as there was a potential threat to Cupertino High. Students were initially shocked and afraid, but eventually the campus was cleared and it was safe for everyone to return. This event — along with the recent Parkland shooting — caused many students to take action and start planning–they took time during lunch, tutorial, after school and at home to design posters, make shirts, and create ribbons. They also promoted the walkout at school with pamphlets and online with social media.

At 10:00 a.m., students from all grades left their classrooms and went to the quad — many of them holding anti-gun posters and wearing orange, which represented anti-gun violence.

A few students who represented pro-gun beliefs, were antagonized by other students. In the

#ENOUGH school walkout at Tino

Importance of walkout Necessary

In Between

18.2%

Not Important

bers were legally obligated to stay in their class while others sent non-participating students to other teachers. However, teachers did not force their own political beliefs on students and let them decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to participate in the walkout. This being said, many students ended up using the walkout as an excuse to leave class and meet up with their friends, or they participated simply out of peer pressure.

Students had conflicting viewpoints both on the effectiveness and the message of the walkout, and they took to social media to argue their opinion. There are those who consider the walkout to be a waste of school time and unable to bring any change, while others say that the walkout will demonstrate the passion the school has about its safety.

Said junior Pranjal Mishra, “I know a lot of people said that, ‘Oh it’s a walkout, what is it going to change?’ In order to start a change we need to take a step. That was the first step of it.

That was the first step to show that we did have a voice, and it also showed unity of students across the nation.”

According to a survey by the Prospector,

25.6 percent of Cupertino students felt strongly that a walkout was necessary, 18.2 percent of Cupertino students felt that having a walkout was not that important, and the rest were somewhere in between. This shows exactly how much students’ opinions differ on the walkout.

Student opinion also differed on what the walkout was mainly about. Some believed it was about honoring the Parkland victims while others thought it was primarily focused stopping more gun violence.

Cupertino High School, for the most part, provided students the freedom to express their opinion whether it was thoughts on the walkout or their thoughts on gun control. They were not penalized for participating in the walkout or for

My role [is] ... offering space, pointing students in the direction of noticing these things happening ... and asking them what they think.

- Teacher Carley Stavis

CHS #ENOUGH WALKOUT | At 10:00 a.m. on

March 15, students walked out of their classes to send a message about gun violence and reform.

not participating in the walkout.

Said English teacher Carley Stavis, “I guess that’s what I see in my role; not necessarily sharing my opinions ever in a way that’s meant to be influential, but more just taking my opinions out of the equation, offering space, pointing students in the direction of noticing these things happening around them and asking them what they think.”

The #ENOUGH school walkout is proof of CHS staff ’s consideration and respect for their students, as well as a reminder of CHS students’ eagerness in organizing and achieving change peacefully.

Principal Tomberlain discusses school safety LILY ROSEN MARVIN online editor

KAVYA GUPTA opinions assistant

In the past few months, concerns over safety have swept through schools across the nation. Nearly every student in America has been trained on how to best protect themselves against a potential gunman. Today, over 90 percent of American schools require students and staff to partake in active shooter drills.

Active shooter drills have become a fundamental part of education. For the past few years, the procedure has been “Run, Hide, Defend”. These drills consist of a three-prong approach to avoiding shooters. As the name suggests the first and best option, if it is safe to do so, is to run off campus and get a safe distance away from the shooter. If this is not an option the next step is to lock down the classrooms. The doors are secured, windows closed and barricades are built out of desks. Finally, if all else fails the final step is to defend.

Said Principal Kami Tomberlain, “As teachers we have been trained so that if someone were to gain access we are able to defend ourselves with the available resources in the classroom.

Which of course we hope never to have to do.”

While the school routinely practices evacuation and active shooter drills during class periods, many students question what to do in an unconventional emergency scenario. For example,

As teachers we have been trained so that if someone were to gain access we are able to defend ourselves with the available resources in the classroom.

- Principal Kami Tomberlain

some may be unaware of what actions to take in case of a shooting during brunch, lunch, or after school. If something was to take place, teachers are informed to open their doors and gather as many students inside as possible. Students are encouraged to run to larger rooms surrounding the quad, such as the gym, Wagon Wheel, cafeteria, or library. The office would also send out messages on phones telling people to stay off campus.

Said Tomberlain, “I think we need to do a drill. For fires I feel like everyone knows what to do. We’re all confident enough to get to the evacuation points. I’m not as confident about an active

That building was not designed to be a bunker, it was designed to be a beautiful space for teaching and learning.

- Principal Kami Tomberlain

shooter situation in a time that we’re not in class.”

The completion of the new building has resulted in another variation on the standard shooter drill. Following the opening of the new building some students had concerns regarding the safety of the classrooms in the event of a shooting. Questions were raised surrounding the design of the new learning space and a few students addressed these concerns to administration.

Said Tomberlain, “I will say that as soon as you walk in on that first Monday and it’s been less than a week since the tragedy in Florida, I think [shootings] were on everybody’s mind. That building was not designed to be a bunker, it was designed to be a beautiful space for teaching and learning. Right now in our country those two things seem to be in conflict” Tomberlain met with law enforcement following the completion of the new building to derive a safety protocol unique to the space.

Said Tomberlain, “The breakout spaces provide some additional security. If there’s time the bathrooms on each floor can fit an entire class and there are no windows and the doors can be locked from the inside. There’s also relative ease of access to an exit by going down the back stairs and then going in both directions that way. I talked to the experts [who said] the first idea is to run. If it’s safe then the best thing would be to get off campus.

Hide is the second step. We worked with the different teachers in the building to locate the best spots. We’re acquiring vise grips to go on the doors. Also, the fact that the building is in the back of campus provides additional layers of security.”

Administration also wished to address the rising distress surrounding the possibility of a school shooting.

Said Tomberlain, “I understand that fear and that worry and that [school shootings] are certainly happening around the country at a more frequent pace than they should. No one needs to be afraid to go to school. No one should be afraid to be at school.

The adults on campus have student safety as our paramount priority and that we are talking together and working together so that we can adapt to current times and continue to protect our kids.”

JENN ZARATAN

NEW BUILDING | The newly constructed building at CHS has raised concern over student safety.

Sports

14

March 27, 2018

Spotlight: Violet Williams SWIM TEAM UPDATES AASHNA SHAH

YOONI PARK

lifestyles assistant

Gymnastics has played a huge role in senior Violet Williams’s life since she was a young child. First introduced to her through “Mommy and Me” classes, gymnastics is something she has pursued for over 14 years.

When she began, Williams struggled to balance gymnastics and her social life. Since she usually had practice after school and meets occupied most of her weekends, Williams often had to decline invitations from her friends to meet up. “I couldn’t have sleepovers or anything on the weekends. My friends would always ask me if I wanted to hang out after school, but I always had to say no because I had practice. So then [my friends] just stopped asking me to do stuff, so I didn’t really have many friends,” Williams said.

COURTESY OF VIOLET WILLIAMS “Even in high school, I haven’t been able to go to some things, like dances.”

However, Williams’s love for gymnastics VIOLET WILLIAMS | Williams competes in a has never stopped despite all of the sacrifices she meet for the Twisters gym make. Said Williams, “For me, it’s an easy way to get exercise in a way that I love. I love it because even though it’s a very hard sport, it requires you to have a lot of confidence in yourself. The skills you have to do, if you don’t trust yourself, then you’ll never really be able to do them.”

Through all of the difficult training and work, her main motivation has been her team and doing well on behalf of them. Said Williams, “Going to meets and my teammates [motivate me] because even though gymnastics is an individual sport, it is also a team sport because you get a team score and you could win as a team.”

While gymnastics is a major part of her life, Williams nonetheless must respect her own limits.

Said Williams, “I was in the Junior Olympics, but it was really time consuming, so I quit. Ever since, I’ve been able to have a life. Honestly, it hasn’t been that hard but I can’t do both [high school and competitive] at the same time since then I would have no time for homework, so I had to choose which one I had to do more.”

Williams’s strong track record indicates her mastery in many aspects of the sport. She has been ranked first in the USA overall in her category, and tied in second place for the vault and bar. In 2017, she and co-captain Tiffany Zheng led Cupertino High to tie for first place with Homestead in CCS, the 41st annual Central Coast Section gymnastics championships. Cupertino’s previous best finish was in the early 1980’s, in second place. At the competition, Williams placed second overall.

sports assistant

On Wednesday, Mar. 14, Cupertino High School hosted a swim meet against Wilcox High School. At the event, Cupertino took a clean victory over Wilcox. Many of the swimmers have impressive records which ultimately contributed to the win. Even though the team is in the beginning stages of their season, Coach Igor was strategically able to push his team into receiving a win.

Junior Benjamin Winn, a varsity swimmer, performed exceptionally in his races. Ben swam in the 500-meter freestyle and got an impressive time of four minutes and 55 seconds. He also competed in the 100-meter breaststroke race and was able to complete it in one minute.

Said Winn, “My friends and coaches are my main sources of motivation when I’m swimming. My ultimate goal is to beat the 1972 Cupertino 200 I.M. Record of 1:55 held by three time Olympian John Hentcken. I plan on reaching this goal by working and training hard as usual.”

Freshman talent on the varsity team has been a true asset and helped carry the team one step further. For example, freshman Arjun Rao swam in the 100-meter fly race. He earned e first place, which greatly contributed to Cupertino’s victory over Wilcox. Sarah Radle, also a freshman, swam in the 50 meter freestyle and 100 meter freestyle. For the 50 meter race, Sarah got an impressive record of 26.3 seconds. Her talent also resonated throughout her 100 meter race as she finished just under a minute with 56.3 seconds.

Skilled swimmers like Arjun Rao and Sarah Radle will be able to provide the varsity team with expertise for years to come.

The 2018 CHS swim team is gifted with many seasoned athletes, making the course of their season worth following. It is especially important for swimmers to set goals via time to have a goal to work hard and train for. Though swimmers compete individually, it ultimately becomes a team effort to compile all their record in order to take a win in the meet.

SANTOSH MURALIDARAN

CUPERTINO SWIM TEAM | A junior varsity swimmer practices the butterfly stroke

EXERCISE EXPERIMENTATION WITH A STAFFER LEO RASSIEUR opinions editor

I am not what one would traditionally call an athletically inclined person. The closest I have gotten to anything even remotely resembling exercise in the past year and a half is biking to and from school once per week, and even that is only to escape the strain of walking. Otherwise, most of my physical activity occurs when I reach for a tub of ice cream sitting on the couch at home.

At one point, I tried out badminton as a serious athletic endeavor, but that episode of my life began and ended in fourth grade. In short, I do not have a very impressive athletic career.

With that in mind, I do have to take PE Total Fitness next year to graduate. To avoid embarrassing difficulty performing basic tasks like step-ups, I thought it best to try out a fitness routine, at least for one week. So I sat down and planned out roughly thirty to forty-five minutes of exercise per day for a week’s schedule and made sure to escalate the intensity of the exercise over the course of the week. For instance, on the first day of the regimen, Sunday, I did jumping jacks, squats, sit-ups, push-ups and jogged for a mile. By the last day, Saturday, I had almost doubled the number of reps for each set of exercises and jogged for a full two and a half miles.

It was not easy. Although I had deliberately made the exKEY

ercises earlier in the week easier to ease myself into the routine, I probably would have benefited from even lighter of an initial workout. That was my first lesson: your body has to get used to strenuous exercise, so you cannot expect to show up at the gym and copy what everyone else is doing. It is important to generate that burn in your muscles that allows you to become more fit while making sure not to cause so much strain that future exercise becomes painful. By Tuesday and Wednesday, however, I more or less got the hang of things. It was satisfying to be able to do more reps than the day before, and many more than the day before that.

That was another valuable lesson for me: you should not stop doing reps just because you have hit the number you were aiming for. Always push harder, because that burn allows your body to repair your muscles overnight and add more muscle mass.

However, I did encounter a few obstacles. My lifestyle is hardly conducive to jogging after school; speech and debate, academics and other obligations made the idea of cutting my exercise off quite tantalizing. To combat this, I had to shift my mindset. Rather than allowing myself to have a “cheat day” by skipping one of the exercises, I focused on the long-term. My success at my workout the next day would surely depend on whether I had gained enough muscle mass through burning calories the day before. And habits become much harder to break the longer you keep at them, both because your muscles become more acMONDAY

3 sets of 20

squats

jumping jacks

jogging

TUESDAY 2x 40 sec

3 sets of 20

WEDNESDAY 3 sets of 15

3 sets of 20

2x 50 sec

wall-sits 3 sets of 15

sit-ups

customed to stress, but also for psychological reasons. The first few days or weeks of a more physically active lifestyle can be jarring, so that is where one needs to learn to self-motivate. For me, it helped to set a timer where the only tasks I would allow myself to do were those on my exercise list for that day. Other times, I would start off with jogging then go through some of my exercises at the park where I could be free of distractions like my laptop or School Loop.

By the end of the week, I learned that anyone can attain physical fitness — all it takes is a consistent routine. That is not to say that seven days of physical activity has suddenly gotten me mad gains. To the contrary, I still have a long way to go before I reach marathon-runner-level physical aptitude. But you do not need to aim as high as a track star if you do not want to. An incorporation of simple routine exercise into your lifestyle not only boosts your health but also raises your confidence and energy. In all likelihood, I will stick with just light exercise on a weekly basis, like wall-sits or push-ups every now and then, but I am glad to be capable of doing more if I so choose. Perhaps I will find it hard to carry my new fitness routine into a senior year packed with college applications and terrifying classes, but it is certainly nice to know that I am just a little less likely to embarrass myself when I walk into Total Fitness.

1.5 miles

3 sets of 18

4 sets of 12

4 sets of 16

3 sets of 18

push-ups

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

4 sets of 18

3 sets of 20

4 sets of 18

2 miles

4 sets of 14

1 mile

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

3 sets of 20

4 sets of 28

4 sets of 20

4 sets of 10

3 sets of 20

2x 55 sec

2x 60 sec

3 sets of 20

3 sets of 20

1 mile

March 27, 2018

The Prospector

CORRUPT SCORING SYSTEM

The scandals, bribery and corruption in scoring routines in ice skating and gymnastics competitions world-wide

YOONI PARK sports assistant

With the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics just recently coming to the end, watching the top athletes from around the world compete has been a major highlight.

Despite the many popular events, ice skating has been of the highest interests. Among the rules and contentious scoring systems, it is commonly overwhelming for the spectators when watching these performances unfold on the ice.

During the past two weeks, thousands of athletes competed on mountains, rinks, and tracks; the best of the best emerged with precious medals that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. Professional ice skating is highly competitive across the globe but first entered the Olympic games in 1908. Throughout time, ice skating has become more and more controversial as it holds various standards, making it arguably the most anticipated sport in the games.

Many people have accused the figure skating scoring system to be extremely subjective. This lead to the occasional controversy over the course of the years, including the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. A French judge voted for a Russian pair to receive the gold; however, suspicion fell quickly on the judge. There was an intimate suspicion of cheating, and it was later revealed that the judge was pressured to vote for the Russian pair, regardless of how they performed.This ultimately resulted in today’s ISU (International Skating Union) Judging system. This system was created by the sport’s governing body. Though it was designed to eliminate the abuse in the scoring system through a bias, many people believe that it still carries a subjective aspect.

When skaters are judged, they receive points for their overall presentation and their artistry during each event. Though they earn points for their techniques (spinns, jumps,

Nations with Highest Score Changes

1st: Ukraine by an average increase in 0.4 points

2nd: Russia by an average increase in 0.3 points

3rd: South Korea by an average increase of 0.25 points

steps, etc.), figure skaters are also able to lose points through various deductions and violations. The competition is evaluated by a nine person panel along with a three person technical committee. The judges of the technical aspects are able to assess these scores fairly quickly as it only requires straightforward judgement. On the other hand, as for the nine judges, the grading is a lot more subjective. These nine judges evaluate a skaters overall performance based on their skill, composition, transitions, and interpretations.

The judges usually have a good eye for the competition, but there always seems to be a measurable amount natural bias towards one’s country. Many potential problems can arise from this scoring system with the country’s making sure that their own is not at a disadvantage. Even in this year’s Winter Olympics, judges added an average of more than three points to their home country. Out of more than 200 judges, 27 judges consistently gave higher scores to skaters from their own country. During Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, and Canada have been recorded as the most biased judges. In the ice dance, short dance event on Feb. 19, Canadian judge Leanna Caron awarded Canadian skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir a perfect score for their routine.

The big twist was that no other judge awarded the Canadian skaters perfect scores across the scorecard. Judges with a record of being bias are still allowed to return to the Olympics, which contributes to the long lasting history of bias scandals in the games.

The quality and art of skating happens through habits and learned behaviors first and foremost, and is demonstrated through outcomes only secondarily. Preparing in the right way, and for the right reason, will always yield wins, even if those victories are only expressed through internal development. Honing this attitude of persistence and the commitment to excellence regardless of external results is the key to lasting change for the better. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fair, but the tradition continues along with the games.

The definition of ‘artistry has changed drastically through the course of many years, creating a huge evolution in the figure skating world. Rules have constantly been changed to get rid of the subjective aspects. This, however, has been an ongoing issue and will most likely continue throughout the universal games. However, simply bringing attention to the sitution is important to appreciate and hopefully more change will continue to be seen in the scoring systems.

Sports

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UP AND COMING CAREER:

SPORTS MEDICINE

Opening the perspectives to the opportunities avaliable for those interested in professional health, lifestyle, and hospitality SAAGAR SANGHAVI copy editor

Sports Medicine addresses the physical fitness and injury treatment of athletes. While a seemingly small branch in the field of medicine, sports medicine encompasses a wide variety of skills, degrees, and professions.

Sports medicine is a growing field—as recreational athletic events gain popularity, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job opportunities in the field would increase by 21% to 36% over the next ten years.

There are several ways that students with an interest in sports medicine can pursue a career.

While hiring physicians with a medical school degree has been the common practice in sports teams for many decades, programs specifically for students who express an early interest in sports medicine has led to explosive growth of the field over the past few years. Many jobs for physical therapy and rehabilitation usually require a college degree in Kinesiology, anthropology, biology, health sciences or athletic training. These often require attending grad school after completing a bachelor’s in order to practice in a hospital or private practice.

Athletic trainers also require a background in sports medicine. Many require a bachelor’s degree or higher, and often have special training and credentialing necessary to get a job in a California high school or college. These people have an invaluable role to play in shaping the athletes and improving practice routines.

Said school athletic Trainer Rochelle Collinwood, “Athletic Trainer is an allied health medical professional. I do part of what PTs do and part of what emergency medical response paramedics do. My role at Cupertino is to protect all athletes from traumatic injury. Doing preventive exercises, doing rehab if an injury actually happens, doing emergency care on-site, and whatever else I can do—mental health, nutrition, all that is part of my job.”

Athletic trainers have a wide variety of skills and are thus in high demand across the nation in numerous settings. Athletic trainers are needed in hospitals, high schools, middle schools, and in private practices.

“Athletic trainers have a wide field of work— I could work at a high school, I could work at a college, I could work on a cruise line, I could work with the military, I could work in a private setting (like occupational setting). I know Google has athletic trainers for their recreational teams. Being an athletic trainer gives you many opportunities

to work in a variety of settings. Cirque de Soleil has Athletic Trainers, Olympics do as well,” Collinwood said.

Collinwood attends all sports events and helps athletes both on and off the field. In addition, she is in her office from 2-6pm daily and works with athletes one-on-one when they have knots in their back, sprains, or strains.

Said Collinwood, “I usually start an hour or so before the school sports begin, and I do prerehab, pre-taping, preventative things for the athletes. Then I supervise the sports teams, whether it be at practices or a game. I usually stand at the riskiest event first, then go down from there.”

Along with working with athletes, Collinwood makes an effort to connect with them on a more personal level. Collinwood was inspired to pursue an athletic training career after her years as an athlete in high school.

“Originally, I wanted to be a massage therapist. Then I realized that would mean I would be rubbing on people’s backs all day, inside of a dark room. I really like sunshine. I decided I needed to find something else,” Collinwood said.

“I was an athlete myself; I was also an injured athlete myself. I did soccer, swimming, and diving. Through that, I realized that I liked being out on the field. I did have a great athletic trainer when I was in school, and she was able to take care of me through my injuries, so I really looked up to her for that,” said Collinwood. “When I got into college, I was split between Physical Therapy and Athletic training, and as schooling went on I found Athletic Training more intriguing because it gave me more opportunities to be outside. I get to do a little piece of a lot of different jobs, and I really enjoy the variety it gives.”

In addition to working as an athletic trainer, Collinwood is an advisor for the recently-started sports medicine club and guides them through learning about different injuries, preventative treatment, and taping.

“The sports medicine club is a group of students that gets together and studies different injuries and theories,” said Collinwood. “The club members talk about what injuries they’ve had in sports and what they would be interested in learning more about, then we do the research and prepare presentations. If there are any skills involved, such as taping ankles or rehab exercises, we get the equipment and actually do it. It gives students an opportunity to get hands-on and learn.”

Ultimately, sports medicine offers another unique outlook for students with an interest in health, especially for athletes who are still considering different career options.

JENN ZARATAN

ROCHELLE COLLINWOODS | Collinwoods tapes an athlete’s ankle before his practice to avoid a sprain

Flip Side

March 27, 2018

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MARCH IN PHOTOS MICHELLE MA

MICHELLE MA MA MICHELLE

MASTERWORKS CONCERT | Sophomore Ken Kagawa performs at the joint Tino choir and orchestra concert

WOMEN’S DAY | Students and teachers wear red on March 8 in support of International Women’s Day

MICHELLE MA

GRAND OPENING | CHS Robotics shows off its creation at the presentation of Tino’s new building

JENN JENNZARATAN ZARATAN

HALL OF FAME | Literature teacher Nikki Merrick speaks at the rally for her induction into the Hall of Fame

SIMPLE STEPS TO HAPPINESS

JENNZARATAN ZARATAN JENN

NATIONAL SCHOOL WALKOUT | Hundreds of students walk out of class for 17 minutes to protest gun violence MICHELLE MA

Spoiler Alert: These steps are not guaranteed to solve all your life’s problems. But with college decisions, AP testing and stress in various forms looming in the horizon, it’s important for students to remember to take a deep breath, step back and focus on caring for ourselves. Here are some unique self-care ideas that will hopefully relax and uplift your mood.

Studies show that having to take care of a plant is beneficial for mental wellbeing, in part because it gives the plant owner a sense of purpose, responsibility and empathy for another living thing, no matter how small it may be. The other benefits of owning a houseplant include bringing fresh air to your home and distributing “outdoorphins,” which simulate the natural mood-boosting qualities of being in the wild. If you don’t have the best track record when it comes to taking care of living organisms, try investing in a succulent; this type of plant is highly self-sufficient and barely needs any watering.

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Jotting down one happy thing per day on a slip of paper and placing it in a jar can be a unique way to preserve your memories. Studies that show how the act of writing down your thoughts and feelings can aid with understanding and controlling your emotions and promote mental health.

Plus, you can save these slips of joy for a rainy day or whenever you’re in a particularly nostalgic mood, and boom — instant mood boost. This daily routine can teach you to appreciate life for all its small moments.

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Forms of aromatherapy can stretch from the manufactured to the natural, and all have been proven to help improve physical health as well as mental wellbeing.

Typically, essential oils and diffusers are necessary in standard aromatherapy (think spa-levels of relaxation).

But if you don’t have these (sometimes p r i c e y ) materials, there are also many natural ways to harness the power of aromatherapy into your everyday life. One easy way is to attach a bundle of eucalyptus to your showerhead; the steam from the hot water activates the plant’s natural oils which can alleviate congestion and provide a refreshing scent to your bathroom.

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Social media’s ever-increasing presence in our lives means that we are exposed to updates, posts, and pictures that cause us to stress out about “likes” or feel left out of events. This can negatively impact mental health by magnifying the already toxic effects of comparing yourself to others. Thus, a social media detox can serve to actively improve your wellbeing; reevaluate your “inspirational” accounts and clean out your feed by unfollowing or blocking what makes you feel unhappy.

Though unfollowing or blocking others may often be framed as acts of passive-aggressiveness, the reality is that it can be truly beneficial for your own mental health to get rid of the negativity in your life, especially on social media.

COURTESY OF AMY ZENG

Next Month: April Clubs Day

Gold Awards

Blood Drive

Spring Break

Thursday, April 5 Monday, April 9

Wednesday, April 11 Monday, April 16 - Friday, April 20 CATHERINE SEOK

“Nor the Last” NICO CHILLA features editor

This is an excerpt I found in the “notes” application on my laptop, typed on July 20th, 2017 at 2:44 PM: “Waking up at 1:00 PM is always a sobering event for me — this time was no exception.

Opening the blinds, I shed sunlight on the virtues of my squalor: empty bags of popcorn, an Xbox controller, discarded articles of clothing, and even a rather large cockroach that quickly scurried out of sight. For the past few days, I had behaved like those 30-year-old men we joke about who live in their parent’s basements. I was holed up in the apartment with only my cat for company, playing video games, eating junk food, and binging Netflix. I would go to sleep later and later every night, culminating in the 4:00 AM night that kept me asleep past noon. It wasn’t like I didn’t have anything to do; in fact, I had mountains of work to catch up on. And yet here I was, sitting on my bed in the middle of the day, surrounded by filth, and nothing done. If you are waiting for a valid excuse, I’m afraid I don’t have one. It was not the first time this had happened, nor the last. But like I said, this morning was a wake-up call. I staggered to the bathroom and took a long shower, imagining that I was washing off an accumulated layer of corruption. Suddenly I was again aware of the imminence of my responsibilities. That leads to now, featuring me typing this little memoir on my laptop in the local internet cafe.”

While I’d like to tell an inspirational tale about being uplifted by that moment, the truth is foreshadowed even in the above account: “nor the last.” Because this same self-control problem is the thing that makes me leave school at 3 PM thinking “today is the day I’ll become productive” and enter home thinking “I wonder what’s trending on YouTube.” It’s the thing that makes me think “it’s alright to stream one episode of Friends before working” and keeps me watching after the third. It’s the thing that, when I finally begin working at 7 PM, keeps me absentmindedly creating new Facebook and email tabs. Finally, it’s the thing that makes me look up from my tear-stained homework at 3 AM wondering where half a day went.

That’s where this column ended when I first wrote it 55 hours ago: a frustrated rant. But I have news to report: it has been 48 hours since I last distracted myself with a video. I got a full seven hours of sleep last night (you would applaud if you knew me). And the best thing, I went for a run today (cue gasps). I owe yesterday’s development to a simple what-if: “what if this afternoon, for once, I could start working without getting distracted?” No grandiose statements or lofty resolutions; just a desire to prove that I could focus for three straight hours. If there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s that I am horrible at switching gears. Unbeknownst to me, however, this trait goes both ways; this first achievement led to “what if I cleaned my room,” to “what if I did some exercise,” to “what if I actually slept tonight,” and a stream of what-if ’s later, I feel physically and mentally better than ever. Of course I’ll slip at some point, making an impulsive and damning “click.” But “what-if ” taught me that finding long-lasting self control isn’t about battling my mind; it’s about accepting and understanding it. That leads to now at 1:57 AM, featuring me writing this article after an irresponsible afternoon.