Issue 8 - May 2017

T H U RS DAY, M AY 25, 2017

What Makes a Meme? LIFESTYLES page 8

boi LIFESTYLES page 8

VOLUME 58 NO. 1

Redefining Masculinity

Pressure to find a Passion

FEATURES pages 6 & 7 FLIPSIDE Page 12

OPINIONS page 5

Cupertino Gymnastics Sports page 11 Wins CCS

Under the Surface

FEATURES pages 6 & 7 NEWS page 3

FEATURES pages 6 & 7

The Prospector

CHSPROSPECTOR.COM

Student Newspaper of Cupertino High School

10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA 95014

PTSA recognizes outstanding Tino teachers TINO STEM

MICHELLE MA

MICHELLE MA

GENE KIM business manager

UTKARSH TANDON copy editor

On April 25, three Cupertino teachers and one administrator were surprised with awards of excellence from the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). It was just another regular school day for recipients Daniel Stavis, Christina Masuda, Anna Tran and Andy Walczak, until a sudden appearance from Ms. Tomberlain made that day delightfully special.

“What a great day,” Stavis said. “We were starting pig dissections when I suddenly heard Ms. Tomberlain’s voice say ‘Excuse me everyone.’ I looked to the side and saw her with several members of the PTSA who handed me flowers and read out the award.”

Every year, the PTSA recognizes and awards a few teachers, association members and occasionally administrators for their commitment to the student body. The certificate recognizes faculty for their “volunteer service to students, youth and [their] community at school.”

For Mr. Stavis, excellence was found in his involvement in the Tino STEM club, an organization that helps students create science projects and prepares them for the annual science fair.

Said Stavis, “I feel very humbled and am extremely proud of the amount of work that officers put in on a daily basis to plan meetings and assist members throughout their scientific research.”

Ms. Masuda, another outstanding teacher award recipient, was honored for her exemplary efforts in the CHS English Department. Student recommendations and quotes presented as part of her award revealed that she closely listens to her students, allows them to be heard and emboldens them to voice their thoughts and experiences.

CHRISTINA SHAO

“Receiving the award made me feel honored and special but above all incredibly happy that the parents in the community have such a voice — a voice that comes from a place of extreme care and the utmost concern for their students,” Masuda said. “Seeing the parents recognize staff for this reason was a ‘pleasant surprise,’ as my 2nd period class happily noted.”

In the Math Department, fifth-year teacher Ms. Tran was awarded with a similar congratulation. Tran has taught Algebra 1 and Pre-Calculus Honors for four years, and started teaching AP Calculus AB this year. Important to her is ensuring that her students truly understand the guiding concepts, rather than just knowing how to solve certain problems.

“When they came to announce the award, I saw Ms. Tomberlain walking in with her squad of moms, and I immediately got scared because I thought it was an impromptu parent observation.

But they walked in with flowers and read quotes from my students. And honestly, I teared up a little, because them recognizing me was such a nice thing to do.” Tran said.

While recipients of the award are mainly teachers, this year, assistant principal Mr. Walczak also received the PTSA award. Walczak has been a committed administrator for 10 years, nine of which he was involved in the Athletics and Activities Department. Walczak has worked tirelessly with ASB and sports coaches to support the various programs on campus and has also helped many students with their personal struggles.

“It’s great working here because of all the support we get from parents, teachers and students here on campus,” Walczak said.

Through staff appreciation, the PTSA revealed the profound impact teachers and administrators have on Tino’s student body — they nurture students in a multitude of ways that go beyond that which is obligated to them. These efforts deserve recognition as they develop a platform of success for CHS’s future generations.

Teacher Adrian Cheng leaves Tino Magic Society makes debut MICHELLE MA

ADRIAN CHENG | Teacher Adrian Cheng will start teaching at Bellarmine in the fall.

tity. A part of me has always wanted to give back in the same way.” copy editor His announcement was met by ETHAN QI sadness and disappointment by stueditor-in-chief dents and staff.

Said sophomore chemistry honThis is the last year that chemistry ors student Naren Ramesh, “Mr. teacher Adrian Cheng will be teaching Cheng is a science teacher unlike any at Cupertino High School. He will I have seen before. The way he teaches be teaching chemistry and freshman is extremely engaging, fun and effecconceptual physics at Bellarmine Col- tive. His decision to teach at Bellarmlege Preparatory this coming fall. His ine caught me off guard [...] but I think decision to move was a hard one, with we all just feel happy for him and we many contributing factors. hope he visits us!”

However, the most important Despite the sad feelings, Cheng reason is his attachment to Bellarmine still has things to be excited about in Preparatory. Said Cheng, “While liv- the coming year. He is most excited to ing in Cincinnati, I attended Bellarm- be teaching physics, an entirely new ine’s brother high school, St. Xavier, subject that he has not yet been able often referred to as St. X. I have very to teach. fond memories of the impact St. X and “I am excited to be teaching a my teachers had on my life. It was a brand new physics course that all insafe place where I could grow, explore, coming freshman will take. I admitand find confidence in my own iden- tedly did not enjoy physics in high Mr. Cheng leaving, continued on page 3 AMY ZENG

ANSHUL RAJWANSHI news assistant

One of Cupertino’s newest student clubs is Tino Magic Society. Started by sophomores Divya Rao, Michelle Yeung, and Vincent Liu in January, the club brings together students with interest in magic and just having a good time. The club meets in room 116 with Amanda Phelps as the advisor during Thursday at lunch. The atmosphere is clearly very laid back, and the students laugh and hang out together.

Said Rao, “Tino Magic Society is a club that performs various. tricks. It is a great club that is a break from all the academic clubs that people are doing.”

The student magicians are clearly proficient at their craft.

One of their recent meetings started off with students mulling around and sharing snacks before the meeting started. Once everyone had arrived, the officers asked for volunteers to begin their tricks. Two performers performed card magic tricks.

The main focus of the magic tricks of both magicians was on playing cards. Liu, however, did an amazing trick where he was able to create smoke inside his mouth and blow it out.

This trick astounded the room and confused the audience.

Tino Magic Society, continued on page 3

News The Prospector

S TA F F 2016-2017

The Prospector

May 25, 2017

Tino Events Breakdown

CHRISTINA SHAO news editor

From sports awards to baccalaureate, each Cupertino High School event has its own unique time, location, attendees, and dress code. Here are a few of the popular but less known events at our school.

Sports Award Nights Spring Date Location Attendees Dress Code

Cupertino High School Established 1958 Vol LVIII, No. 1 | 2016 editors-in-chief allison lo ethan qi

5/23/17 Main Gym Athletes and coaches Casual

Taking place each time after the fall, winter or spring season ends, athletes from that specific season gather for a night of recognition. Each sport from the season receives a chance in the spotlight and outstanding athletes are recognized. Following the event, attendees enjoy cake and coaches present certificates of participation to athletes.

Senior Awards Night

news editor chritstina shao

Date Location Attendees Dress Code

opinions editor esha radhakrishnan

5/25/17 School Gym Seniors Casual

ALL PHOTOS BY THU DAM

During Senior Awards Night, seniors gather for an evening of recognizing the school’s outstanding students who are graduating. Seniors who receive athletic, activity, service or gold awards, as well as scholarships, are recognized during the event.

features editor nico chilla

Baccalaureate

lifestyles editor catherine seok

Date Location Attendees Dress Code

sports editor neerali shah flip side editor caroline gee copy editors utkarsh tandon amy zeng henry zhang

Date Location Attendees Dress Code

online editors edward hsu justine qiu business manager gene kim

news assistants

anshul rajwanshi meilinda sun

opinions assistants

peter martin santosh muralidaran

features assistant

aishwarya laddha

lifestyles assistants

leo rassieur saagar sanghavi

sports assistants

sudarshan kannan erin song

flip side assistant online assistants photo crew

melissa silva josephine robinson lily rosen marvin elena chang jenn zaratan

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.

“The Prospector” editorial board reserves the right to accept or reject any ad in accordance with its advertising policy.

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

5/30/17 St. Joseph’s Seniors Cap and Gown

Taking place the Monday before graduation, Baccalaureate is an event for seniors held at a local church. The night includes inspirational speeches and songs, followed by a reception organized by the PTSA.

Grad Night Party

photo editor michelle ma

6/1-6/2 School Seniors Casual

Taking place directly after graduation, the Grad Night Party is the last school-related event seniors will attend together. Starting at 10 in the evening, seniors can stay at the event until five in the morning. It is the last time for seniors to participate in a school-sponsored event.

California prisons accommodate transgender inmates ESHA RADHAKRISHNAN opinions editor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar issued a court ruling that mandates all Californian prisons to give transgender inmates broadened access to commissary products that correspond to their preferred gender. This order entails bracelets, earrings, hair brushes, hair clips, compression tops, nightgowns, robes, and scarves. The ruling was brought upon a lawsuit led by Shiloh Quine, a transgender inmate currently serving a life sentence, who recently became the first convicted felon of the state to have state-funded sex reassignment surgery.

Quine, represented by the Transgender Law Center, argued that the current prison policies contradict constitutional rights, such as the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment.

Advocates of this court order state that the status quo does not sufficiently fulfill the concept of American equality.

Said Cupertino High School’s student advocate and counselor Christopher Hickey, “If someone was transgender they ought to have the same rights as women in prison have. If incarcerated women have rights to hair ties, clips, and other accessories, then I think that transgender women should be entitled to those as well.”

On the contrary, Kent Scheidegger, the legal director of the non-profit law organization Criminal Justice Legal Foundation claimed the ruling was ‘ridiculous,’ citing increased access to feminine products for transgender women would compound the inherently prevalent issue of sexual assault in men’s pris-

NEWS BRIEFS

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ons. Supporters, however, state that new commissary accessories share no correlation to existing derelict conditions of prisons.

Said Cupertino High School’s sophomore Annie Schwartzberg, a proponent for transgender rights, “Sexual assault in jail is a big problem that is not being addressed well enough already. If transgender women or men, are at increased risk of violence, they should simply be transferred to prisons that are consistent to with their identifying gender to prevent any instance of sexual assault.”

Those hesitant of the ruling contend that amenities could present safety risks to inmates; yet, Judge Tigar noted the current distribution of pre-existing safe accessories made of rubber to women’s prisons.

Tigar’s order also disregarded the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s concerns that the newly accepted array of apparel may be altered to resemble street clothes, which can aid in escape attempts.

After her surgery and transfer to a women’s prison, Quine has stated to be in a continuous state of ‘torture.’ With discommoding restrictions preventing her access to razors, Quine has grown a beard and mustache. She claims to be suffering from gender dysphoria, a mental illness that arises from discomfort with one’s gender identity which often results in helplessness, depression, or anxiety.

Said Hickey, “Considering that the U.S.’s concept of incarceration is more focused on pure punishment rather than rehabilitation, I think that commodities should be provided to ensure the prison population is less violent and more importantly, less prone to suffering. It’s not going to harm anyone to do so, and if you’re helping reduce pain, it would seem like more of our legal obligation to take action.”

President Trump fired F.B.I. director James Comey on Tuesday, May 9. The president has cited Comey’s investigation into Clinton’s private email server as the reason behind his decision, but the letter to Comey released by the White House refers to his work on the potential collusion between Trump’s aides and the Russian government during the election.

Kimberly Nuestro, a Homestead High School sophomore, passed away on May 7, a day after collapsing at an AAU basketball tournament. Nuestro was taken to Valley Medical Center and later to Stanford Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. A community driven campaign successfully persuaded Stephen Curry to sign her basketball shoes.

Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old independent centrist, won the French presidential election, with 66.06 percent of votes, against right-wing Marine Le Pen. Although Le Pen lost, her run signified a high point for the French right. Macron was inaugurated on May 14, when the previous president Francois Hollande officially left office.

On May 18 a car crashed into Times Square, killing one woman and injuring 22 others. The driver was a 26-year-old US Navy veteran and has been taken into custody. There has been no terror link reported. The driver was previously arrested in 2008 and 2015 for drunk driving. Police suspect the man was under the influence of synthetic marijuana.

Roger Ailes, founder of Fox News, passed away on May 18 due to a fall. He was 77. Ailes had resigned from his position at the Fox News Channel due to sexual harassment allegations.

Ailes was a television network innovator; he revolutionized 24-hour-news when, in 1996 he built Fox News Channel to compete directly with left-leaning networks.

Google debuted new technologies in their annual developer conference and showcase such as the Google Lens, a new chip for the AI in the Cloud, and a new iOS Google assistant. There are also new advancements being brought to Google Home, a personal home assistant, in an attempt to directly compete with Amazon’s Alexa.

COMPILED BY MELISSA SILVA

The Prospector

May 25, 2017

Mr. Cheng leaving

News

3

Tino Magic Society

continued from page 1

school and college so I feel like this will be a nice way to challenge myself. I want to find ways to make the course fun and engaging while also teaching all the content,” said Cheng.

His prospective students at Bellarmine will undoubtedly enjoy Cheng’s eccentricities and teachings as much as Cupertino students have. Over the past four years at CHS, he has made fond memories with students and has developed a very close friendship with three other teachers on campus, a friendship students have come to label, “teacher squad.”

On the continuity of the “squad,” said Cheng, “Even though we will be working at different schools, our friendship will remain. In the same way, many of you will remain friends even after graduating from Tino even though life has taken you in a different direction. Bellarmine is also only a 10 to 15 minute drive away from Tino so I can and will still stop by to visit.”

Cheng has left a huge impact on the Tino community. One piece of advice that he wants to leave to his students is, “Take time to explore and know that finding what you want to do with your life is a journey, not a destination. After four years of working here, I have no regrets about my decision to become a teacher, but even so, I will continually look for opportunities to grow.”

continued from page 1

Said Liu, “People often make the mistake that you have to practice to get to know an audience and not get nervous. The truth is that everyone is nervous when they are performing. The confidence inside you allows you to show your passion.”

Ralph Wang ended the meeting by doing what he called Comedy Violin, a unique way to play the instrument. Wang started off with a simple song but did weird contortions that made the violin harder to play.

He played while sitting in awkward positions as well as with the bow backward.

The club was founded by a group of friends with a similar passion that wanted to bring it to the school.

Said President Rao, “All the officers in our club decided to meet at Cafe LaTTea, and we were watching a magic video, and we decided that since we don’t have a magic club at school, we need to create one.”

The club is looking to the future and has ambitious plans for what it wants to accomplish on campus.

Said Liu, “We are hoping that we can recruit more experience magicians into the club. We also want to have meetings where we can practice together. We are also thinking about holding a competition in the quad where we can do stage performances in front of everyone during lunch.”

American Literature and World Core teacher as well as Tino Magic Society advisor, Ms. Phelps said, “I thought it would be cool to see the sleight of hand stuff that Vincent has done in class. I am excited to see what they can do.”

Gymnastics makes perfect landing in CCS JUSTINE QIU online editor

ELENA CHANG

GYMNASTICS | Team member executes a

landing during practice in the Tino mat room.

On May 17, Cupertino High School’s varsity gymnastics team competed in the CCS tournament. They emerged victorious, winning the tournament for the first time since over a decade ago, in 2001. This year, the team put in tremendous work towards the title, and are overjoyed at their result.

Gymnasts on the varsity team train about ten hours per week, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. after school on weekdays. “The practices were really productive this year. Everyone came in daily with an incredible work ethic, and that’s one of the defining factors in our win,” junior and cocaptain Violet Williams said.

The team trains for extended amounts of time on the vaults, bars, beams, floor bars, and other equipment to best prepare for the various events in the competition.

In CCS, each person in the team is allowed to compete in up to four different events: vault, uneven bars, floor exercise, and balance beam.

Said co-captain Tiffany Zheng, “To compete in an event, the gymnast needs to qualify for it. During CCS, each competitor gets one chance to demonstrate their skills in that particular event.” There, the rankings are based off of the sum of the highest four scores of each team. Cupertino Gymnastics was able to secure the highest team score, placing them first in the competition.

Though the team came out on top, there is much for them to continue pursuing and succeeding in. “My hopes for the team are that we can stay undefeated for as long as possible,” Williams said. “The team definitely has the potential to do that.” Zheng also believes that they can secure victories in the future, as long as the team works hard. The team depends heavily on each competitor’s performance, emphasizing the need for everyone to give their best performance on the day of the competition.

Said Zheng, “Next year, we’ll focus on individual improvements.

Another huge priority is to help the JV team prevail in competition with us.” Both captains agree that practice is the key to success in events like CCS, and they are excited to continue the legacy for years to come.

Opinions 4 PRISON VOTING — A RIGHT NOT A May 25, 2017

PRIVilEGE SANTOSH MURALIDARAN opinions assistant

Hidden in the dark alleyways of the unjust criminal justice system of the United States of America lies a law that deprives prisoners of a fundamental human liberty granted to all citizens of America: the right to vote. In 48 states, felons are not permitted to vote while serving time in prison or upon release, even after full reintegration into society.

1n 1958, the Supreme Court Case Trop v. Dulles, inspired by the Eighth Amendment prohibiting the enforcement of cruel and unusual punishment, ruled that the federal government shall not revoke citizenship status to current citizens for disciplinary reasons. Said former Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren who voted in this case, “Citizenship is not a right that expires upon misbehavior.”

Although there has never been a formal revocation of a prisoner’s citizenship due to their misconducts, declining prisoners the right to vote undermines their citizenship status as the right to vote is one of the core tenants of becoming a citizen.

Not only do disenfranchisement laws for prisoners weaken the significance of holding a U.S. citizenship, but it also prevents prisoners from contributing to America’s development — which is vital as many presidential candidates propose policies that directly affect prisoners themselves.

Prison and criminal justice reform constitutes a significant portion of political discussions in the United States; many enactments that presidential candidates seek to impose can directly impact prisoners. In the controversial 2016 presidential election, Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton’s promised to ease mandatory minimum sentencing and provide treatment rather than incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. In 1971, Republican President Richard Nixon, declared a “war on drugs,” instituting higher mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related crimes and

increasing the overall severity of punishments for the possession of certain drugs. Because of this, the prison population nearly quadrupled since 1980. The number today has risen to approximately 2.4 million — 2.4 million prisoners who are not permitted to contribute to a political system that has defines the limitations on their social freedoms. When committing a crime, there will inevitably be consequences, but the consequences cannot include rescinding the very trait that distinguishes U.S. citizens from U.S. residents and noncitizens: the right to vote. Because deliberations on issues regarding criminal justice and prison reform have remained prevalent throughout history and present-day, it is illogical to prevent prisoners who are citizens to vote.

The fact that prisoners committed a crime is simply not a justifiable enough reason to prevent them from amplifying their voice within the political system that defies their freedom. America has long promised rehabilitation for all prisoners. The country houses prisoners in correctional facilities for their rehabilitation to become a contributing member of society again. Currently, however, the U.S. is failing to fully rehabilitate its prisoners, as approximately ⅔ of all released prisoners are convicted again, in an endless cycle known as recidivism. However, according to Al Jazeera, granting permission for ex-felons to vote reduces the rate of recidivism by nearly 10%. With a new say in governmental affairs, prisoners begin to develop more faith within the government and are less likely to engage in criminal actions again. With less ex-convicts returning back to prison, the U.S. federal government saves an abundance of taxpayer money that would have been used to reincarcerate such individuals. Thus, the argument extends beyond the realm of ethics, as preserving prisoners’ right to vote will help to achieve the goal of rehabilitation the U.S. desires and yield economic benefits for our nation.

Unfortunately, disenfranchisement laws prevail in the United States due to the government’s belief of prisoners’ misjudgement. The government bars prisoners from vot-

TAKE A BREATHER WHY TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF IS IMPORTANT CAROLINE GEE flipside editor

By now, almost everyone has grown tired of the constant clamor to sleep more, eat healthy and exercise every day. Everyone knows how vital these daily physical actions are to our health — even if they are not always performed to their fullest extent. But what are often not even considered are the self-care practices done for one’s mental health. Too often, students feel ashamed when they take time to tend to their emotional and mental needs, thinking that they are wasting time or are undeserving of it. By neglecting their mental health, students unconsciously hurt their productivity and increase their stress levels. Students must understand that self-care practices done for their emotional health are not guilty pleasures or rewards for hard work, but essentials in life that are vital to reducing stress and anxiety.

The meaning of self-care differs for every person. According to goodtherapy.org, self-care “describes the actions that an individual might take in order to reach optimal physical and mental health.” It is important to understand that the amount and type of self-care that each person needs to obtain “optimal physical and mental health” varies according to their needs and preferences — there is no one size fits all.

The line between doing an action for one’s mental health versus simply being lazy can be blurry and tentative. What is common about self-care practices is that they are necessary in order to lower stress and improve an individual’s state of mind. Journaling, going for a walk, talking to family members or even watching TV are actions that reduce stress for some people. If so, then one can safely assume them to be self-care practices.

While physical self-care habits, like showering and exercising, are frequently sacrificed for lab reports and literature essays, the importance of taking care of one’s emotional needs is often overlooked due to its negative connotation . Such self-care practices are not usually viewed as medicine for the soul, but as luxuries or privileges. Only after a strenuous period of testing or anxiety do students feel that taking a break is merited.

However, forcing oneself to push through extended periods of stress and anxiety can be extremely counterproductive. According to a study published in the “New York Times,” mental concentration works like a muscle in that it “becomes fatigued after sustained use and needs a rest

ing due to the the prisoners’ willing act of misconduct which could cause them to lose their credibility and wisdom, reflecting on their decision-making. However, prisoners still hold their right to sue, right to access to due process and their right to appeal upon release from prison. They re-gain the ability to freely buy or sell property, get married and purchase alcohol and legally merchantable drugs. The sole right that prisoners are deprived of is their right to vote. The logic becomes imprudent; the government trusts ex-prisoners to have the rational judgement to sue an individual with reasonable justifications, while not believing they have the rational judgement to elect politicians. Being as the government trusts ex-convicts to purchase alcohol given that there are already approximately 1.4 million arrests for driving while intoxicated (DWI) crimes in the United States, it becomes illogical to deny prisoners the right to vote. Voting holds no affiliation with potentially dangerous actions nor is it the cause of many convictions, it is a democratic human right and civic duty. Voting is not a privilege, rather, it is an essential and unalienable right that is granted to all U.S. citizens for the purpose of ensuring the safe democratic progression of the United States of America.

Recognizing this need for the preservation of voting rights for convicts and ex-convicts, many states have been taking initiatives to enfranchise prisoners with the right to vote, one notable example being California. On Sept. 28, 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown passed a bill allowing prisoners to vote both while convicted in county jails and after their release. Maine and Vermont are the only other American states with similar legislation that preserves all citizens’ right to vote regardless of their criminal status. To uphold the teachings of the Trop v. Douglas Supreme Court Case, increase the feasibility of prisoners’ rehabilitation process, and restore prisoners’ voice in a political system that directly affects them, the United States can justifyingly pride themselves for being a nation of equality, liberty, and justice for all — including those behind bars.

period before it can recover.” While taking a mental break may seem like an undeserved luxury in the face of schoolwork and responsibilities, disallowing oneself to care for their emotional needs can lead to adverse effects like “overload burnout” in the future. When exhausted and overstressed, temporarily disconnecting from work to, for instance, take a walk or read quietly, can help one refocus and feel newly motivated. Self-care is not a reflection of laziness or a delicacy to feel guilty about. Ignoring one’s emotional needs is only a show of disrespect to one’s physical and mental health.

Complementing the benefit of increased productivity is the fact that self-care practices can provide an opportunity for students to release pent up stress and emotion. In a study published in the journal “Advances in Psychiatric Treatment,” participants found that journaling helped them cope with stressful and emotionally-draining events. And, according to mayoclinic.org, relaxation techniques can improve concentration and lower the activity of stress hormones. The ideal selfcare medium is one that is entirely independent of any sources of stress, despite any unease it may cause having to think about anything other than that huge pile of homework.

One of the largest reasons behind the guilt over self-care practices is due to the over complication of determining what does and does not constitute as “self-care.” At the bottom line, self-care is something that directly addresses whatever an individual needs in order to achieve optimal health.

Therefore, watching TV as a short mental break is very different from watching TV to avoid doing homework completely. While the first revitalizes your brain so that one can work more efficiently, the second leads to procrastination and severe eye bags.

Admittedly, self-care is also not always easy to accomplish. It may involve becoming more efficient in order to set aside time for meditative activities. Oftentimes, students blame their schoolwork or numerous responsibilities for keeping them from having fun hobbies. Part of the negative stigma against self-care that labels it as lazy and unproductive originates from the belief that one does not have time for it; critics have drawn pictures of self-care as lying on the couch and avoiding one’s commitments. If self care is truly a goal to relieve stress and improve one’s quality of life, however, then achieving it requires one to find a balance between it and other tasks.

Many students view self-care as an unwarranted privilege that is often associated with feelings of guilt and self-reproach. But when students deprive themselves of this crucial lifestyle habit, they are essentially punishing their mental wellbeings. Students need to remember the fact that self-care is akin to “self compassion”; it is imperative to take care of one’s body and emotional health with the respect it deserves.

The Prospector

May 25, 2017

Opinions

5

THE PRESSURE TO FIND A PASSION WHY UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS PREVENT STUDENT’S FROM REALIZING THEMSELVES LEO RASSIEUR lifestyles assistant

My parents and I are different in myriad ways, not least of which in what we are passionate about. My dad knew he wanted to program and work on technology since he was six or seven; I remember him telling me about how he asked for a transistor for his tenth birthday. Now, he is a software developer at Google. My mom grew up in China, majoring in electrical engineering and computer science at Tsinghua University, and went on to become a software develop as well. They both had some mystical knowledge of what their lives’ callings would be since a young age, and pursued those callings without deviation for decades.

But that’s not me. During freshman orientation, we were told to write letters to our future selves, so that when we are ready to graduate we can reflect on the progress we have made since then. I had asked myself what career choice I settled on because at the time I had no clue. The thing is, I still don’t — and my predicament is not uncommon in our community. Many high-school students have parents who force them into a particular career path.

Even with laid-back parents like my own, the pressure to commit to an impressive set of interests and eventual major is inescapable. Ultimately, this cripples our ability to explore and find a lifestyle that is truly enjoyable, rather than devoting ourselves to work we do not enjoy.

This stress of finding a career path forces teenagers to make life-altering decisions whether or not they possess the ability or the motivation to do so.

The activities we pursue during high school affect the perception of which majors are viable options in college, and abandoning a career path at the end of high school or in the middle of college is both frowned upon and difficult. Any parent would balk at the idea of additional years of tuition because his or her child had a change of heart and took longer than expected to graduate. Therefore, students choose to keep silent about their lack of certainty in the future because it is easier to accept a lie than to grapple with painful insecurities.

At the same time, the science says otherwise in the long run. A study by the Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies in 2013 showed that approximately 75% of college students change their major at least once prior to graduating, and those students who had declared a major tended to do so based on external pressures rather than accordance with their values and personal goals. In fact,

35%

the study goes on to argue that first-year students at colleges are developmentally unprepared to sensibly consider the options they have available and that the declaration of a major is best reserved for their sophomore year. The hope of graduating four years after heading off to college without losing confidence in one’s plans is unrealistic, so we should not be planning our lives as if we are the exceptions to this rule.

If we want to foster the acceptance of our inner doubts, we should look toward colleges that offer broader educational opportunities — ones where having a major on day one is not the norm, or not allowed at all. At the University of California, Santa Barbara, for instance, students only need to declare their majors by the beginning of their junior years and are free to design their own “individual major” if the available options are inadequate for their ambitions. But the College Board reports that the number of colleges that offer a custom major has only increased by five percent over the past nine years; there is still progress to be made in normalizing unconventional career paths.

More importantly, students and parents need to stop associating success with certainty. If our goal is to find happiness in what we do, then having the future set in stone will only hold us back. Instead, we should define our happiness by the variety and excitement in our experiences; this can only be done if we allow ourselves to take a leap of faith into the unknown rather than stay on the beaten path.

We need to take time to sit down and ask ourselves what it is we are hoping to get out of high school and college. The answer to that question will be different for everyone, perhaps even “I don’t know,” but at least we can actively search for a purpose rather than pretend we knew what it was at the age of seven. We only have one shot at making the most of our lives, so it would be a shame if we let others dictate our choices for us.

75%

of college students change their major at least once prior to graduating

of students enter college as “undecided

COURTESY OF PENNSTATE & TIME

Hello

my name is

progressive identity politics has no future MEILINDA SUN news assistant

Random House Dictionary defines identity politics as “political activity or movements based on or catering to the cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, religious or social interests that characterize a group identity.” Identity politics is not the discussion of political issues in relation to certain groups. In fact, we should have conversations about the effects of certain policies and rhetoric on minorities. Rather, identity politics is the harmful philosophy commonly held among progressives that you should vote for X or believe in Y because you are a: • • • •

LGBTQ American Racial minority Woman All of the above

Following the election of Donald Trump, grassroots organizers rallied together for a #DayWithoutImmigrants demonstration to protest the President’s border wall and deportation plans. While thousands proudly participated, the protest called to attention to the reductionist nature of schemes such as these that progressive identity politics encourages.

While preventing the construction of the wall and curbing deportations can certainly be con-

sidered honorable causes, those who supported the #DayWithoutImmigrants protest failed to distinguish between illegal and legal immigrants. At a university admitted student event I attended several weeks ago, a gaggle of student protesters filed onto the stage chanting “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!”.

Exasperated, a woman in the audience with a noticeable Asian accent shouted, “Legal immigrants are welcome here.”

Disregarding the merits and harms of sanctuary campuses, the woman revealed a frustration that many minorities feel when they are implicated in political generalizations — that their individuality is ignored because they are pawns in a political battle. Their beliefs are glossed over. Many legal immigrants who waited months and even years to enter the United States do not believe in amnesty for illegal immigrants. The woman who interrupted the protest didn’t feel that her beliefs were represented by this group of protestors. In an attempt to use identity to advocate for change, the protestors conflated legal and illegal immigrants, thereby alienating the immigrant citizens who disagreed with their cause. This is a classic example of how identity politics misrepresents minority groups by erasing their diversity of opinion. The iden-

tity politics framework fails to explain why Donald Trump won a surprising 28% of the Latino vote and why 24% of Asian Americans are Republican; it ignores the fact that the Women’s March did not represent all women.

Identity politics is also divisive. For instance, making the blanket statement that prolife policies are anti-women excludes the sizeable 46% of women who are against abortion.

While the argument that abortion restrictions are against the interests of women can certainly be debated, labelling all pro-life Americans as anti-women is an unfair oversimplification that further polarizes the issue.

One woman I met shared with me the moment she gathered up the nerve to admit to her peers that she was pro-life. She was stunned when a classmate asked, “Do you hate yourself?”.

It is true that political affiliation tends to vary depending on identity; minorities and women, in general, tend to vote Democratic.

At the same time, though, it is important to honor the diversity of thought that exists within minority groups rather than portray them as monoliths. It leaves no room for nuance. While it is tempting to label a policy anti-women, antiimmigrant or anti- any identity, it also drowns

out dissenting voices and misleads the public.

Progressive advocacy organizations should think twice before subscribing to an ideology that favors making harmful generalizations — something that liberals constantly rail against.

In an attempt to “help” minorities, progressives have misrepresented them.

Granted, both political parties should acknowledge the unique challenges faced by minorities, women, immigrants and LGBTQ Americans. It cannot be denied that these groups are increasingly becoming left-leaning.

What is harmful, though, is the condescending habit of invoking identity as a reason an individual should vote a certain way. Yes — identity matters. But it is not the only thing that does.

Politicians don’t deserve my vote because of what I identify as. As a woman and an Asian American, I do not want to be pandered to.

Playing the identity card is a lazy strategy that makes me feel as though I am a political football to be tossed around rather than an autonomous individual with my own beliefs. I am not merely a “cause” for which the country must fight. I want to be recognized as fully human with my own beliefs about the economy, national security and social problems — issues that all Americans care about.

Features

6

BIPOLAR

Junior Greg Robbins was first introduced to bipolar disorder when he was hospitalized at the start of his Junior year, following an incident related to his illness. Although he did not know that he had bipolar disorder beforehand, the diagnosis explained what he had already observed about the two emotional phases he goes through - mania and depression.

“During manic episodes, I have a lot of energy and get pumped up to do things without any afterthought,” explained Robbins.

“During times of depression, I feel paranoid and can’t energize myself to actively do anything I wanted to do.”

People with bipolar disorder must tackle the unique challenge of finding ways to “normalize” their mind during different periods of their emotional cycle. According to Robbins, failure to do so may result in poor decisions, especially in social and recreational situations.

“The biggest challenge is [managing] the specifics of my condition during my cycles and taking necessary precautions. I have to be more careful during my manic episodes when I’m hanging out with friends… I have to deal with deciding what are the delusions created by my emotions and what is reality,” Robbins said.

ADHD

AND TREATMENT

XINYI ZHANG copy editor

ELENA CHANG photo crew

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is known for its negative influence on students’ attention spans and emotional control. Some students with ADHD, like Joshua Perez, find it impossible to keep up with the fast pace of school and are always behind in terms of homework and deadlines.

“I haven’t really been able to keep up with the fast pace of school.

I’m slacking off...my ADHD and all that other stuff, it really pushes me back,” Perez said.

Others, like senior Liam Ramirez, go through a complicated process with the district to get a 504 plan. Although teachers may not be cooperative, they are encouraged to extend deadlines for students with the plan and give them more time to complete assignments.

Ramirez still struggles to meet deadlines, much like other students, but has improved since receiving treatment and benefits from the 504 plan.

The hyperactivity and impulsivity ADHD induces also impedes one’s ability to interact with others. It is hard for those with ADHD to express meaningful ideas and remember what other people had said in the past.

“Socially, [ADHD comes] with an expressive language disorder and [before receiving treatment] I could not articulate what I wanted to say, so it had an effect on how I talked to people,” Ramirez said.

Imagine feeling as if all your happiness and motivation has permanently disappeared. Imagine watching helplessly as your grades, appetite, and quality of sleep slowly deteriorated. This is the burden of depression, a common mental illness among teenagers that makes a huge impact on academic and social life.

“It’s kind of like a cycle, where one thing starts it, then triggers off another thing, and it [becomes] a whole chain reaction. It’s different for everyone of course, but for me personally it’s something where I have a lot of self doubt and lack of confidence in myself, which leads to me thinking that I’m a failure, which leads me to wonder why I am trying if I will fail, which leads to me stop trying, which leads me to worry about people judging me because I’m not trying, and so on,” one student said.

Depression drains the enthusiasm from any activity, whether it is homework or a passion. Subsequently, this lack of motivation results in an inability to focus. Students dealing with depression often suffer penalties in schoolwork as they are too distracted to complete work efficiently and effectively.

The negative sentiments depression creates inevitably lead to perceptions that a situation or an implied result - such as the feeling of failure after a test - is a lot worse than it actually is. Consequently,

COPING

May 25, 2017

depression is often associated with anxiety and a lack of self-confidence.

“Depression and anxiety usually go hand in hand; you have both. For me, in high school, I had a lot more anxiety than depression, and I get a lot of anxiety taking tests. Because I am in avid, however, Mr. Gilmore helped me out a lot and emailed my other teachers [about my issues]. I used to take tests in another room. I eased off that, and now I don’t have to do it… I just go to the back of the room, so I have my space,” senior Amy Chen said.

On certain occasions, the emotional lapses caused by depression isolates those who have it social situations. Without warning, one’s thoughts and emotions may temporarily disappear, leaving behind a sense of apathy.

“You could be hanging out with friends and laughing, but then feel empty a second later. [You think], ‘what am I doing here?’ Everyone is enjoying themselves, and you feel nothing. It sucks because everyone is having a good time, but you have to pretend you are [too]. It is not like you have control over it, it just happens. It is not that you are predominantly sad, but it is this overwhelming feeling of nothing,” another student explained.

“If you’re at the rock bottom, the only way you can go is up. Grasp everything you can. If you have nothing besides a pencil and paper, write down your feelings or a story.” -Joshua Perez

UN

PREF

For this issue, The P learn more about the lives with mental illness or imp a variety of afflictions; the lump these problems toge light on many people who We seek to identify the student body and mental couraging acceptance and sion. Throughout this pro many powerful stories of v secution from students he bold enough to share with

“If you think someone directly: ‘Do you feel lik now?’ Just asking th cause anything if they a makes you a safe perso -

SAAGAR SANGHAVI lifestyles assistant

Christopher Hickey, Cupertino’s student advocate, acts as a counselor for many of students who may be going through tough times. Hickey is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps students with more personal issues.

“The top two things I see are depression and anxiety.” said Hickey. “Often they come together and can be diagnosed together.”

Hickey reported that factors such as academic stress, high expectations, demanding extracurricular activities, friendship conflicts, and family history all contribute to clinical depression. Furthermore, a lack of sleep worsens any mental health issue.

“And that’s pretty rampant around here,” said Hickey. “I might go into a classroom and ask for hours of sleep, and with ‘Eight hours?’ I’ll get no hands.

‘Seven hours?’ A little sprinkling… ‘Six?’ Few hands… “Five?” And more hands go up. I would say, five to six hours is around where most students end up. Sleep deprivation makes all of these things worse if you are already stressed.”

Hickey recognizes that parental pressure on kids to do well often creates unrealistic expectations.

“A lot of the folks that I meet in my office just get this idea, I think some of it is parent driven, that they can just study all the time, and not take a

break,” said Hickey. “Parents may want the best for their kids, but the interactions between the students and parents do not always feel that way to the student. Sometimes, I have parents in my office as well—they may apply what they think is the most motivational strategy, but often times, it knocks the student down a bit in terms of their self esteem or confidence.”

Hickey’s most frequent solution for teens with mental health issues involves a combination of finding a work-life balance, getting enough sleep, staying physically active, and finding a creative outlet such as acting, drawing, or playing music.

“I always advise people to take breaks and do something you like that gives you joy. Some studies show that physical exercise and antidepressant medication have the same effect; doing vigorous physical exercise for five days a week, half an hour each time, can have a physiological effect,” said Hickey.

Additionally, friends play a huge role in helping individuals cope with mental illness.

“When people get super stressed out, especially when it enters the realm of depression, they tend to isolate and disconnect with other people. Most students report that friends are the most important thing in their lives,” said Hickey. “[If someone is going through a tough time], I want to know what

their social life is like and what their support not have a support system. They may have on about it. I like to encourage people to have as they can have.”

Many students also find refuge in talking ers.

“I make sure that students have a number to—an adult on campus, a teacher, someon “We have plenty of great teachers here who k in and help students.”

Hickey also reported meeting with m dealing with depression. His advice in these s mental and simply listen.

“Be open, ask open-minded, non-judgm you doing, how are you feeling, or what life is you try to take somebody somewhere or fix th where they are yet, it is going to feel inauthen ine, and it is not going to feel like you really c is, do not try to fix that person. Just be a good

NDER TH

Prospector staff set out to s of students who struggle pairment. The topics cover e purpose of this is not to ether, but to simply shine a ose voices must be heard. relationship between the illness in the hopes of end more productive discusocess, we have discovered vulnerability and even perere at Cupertino who were h us.

e is suicidal, ask them ke killing yourself right hat question does not are suicidal. It actually on to talk to.”

Christopher Hickey

ts are; a lot of times, people do ne person they go to, and that is s many different connections as

g to and confiding in their teach-

r of reliable people they can talk ne they can trust,” said Hickey. know how to listen, how to tune

many students who have friends situations is to avoid being judg-

mental questions about how are s like for them,” said Hickey. “If hem and you do not even know ntic, it is not going to feel genucare. The most important thing d listener.”

“It was the darkest part of my life. I had sunken to the bottom. My parents didn’t even know, I was so good at hiding it.

I tried to commit suicide three times, when I was in depression.”

-Anonymous “Usually teachers aren’t very cooperative because they are held to the expectations of other students, and due dates are due dates. In order to get extra time, you have to get a 504 plan from the district which is incredibly difficult.”

-Liam Ramirez NICO CHILLA features editor

7

SURFACE

STIGMA

For even more coverage, including a future advice column from Student Adocate Mr. Hickey, visit chsprospector.com!

FACE

Features

The Prospector

May 25, 2017

TEENS/PARENTS JOSEPHINE ROBINSON online assistant

The way that people look at mental illnesses and impairments has improved drastically over the past 100 years; however, the cultural stigmatism towards these afflictions has survived in the wake of advancements in diagnosis and treatment.. For example, despite all the research and progress psychologists and the medical community have made, there is little to no education about it in K-12 schools. This is a contributor to the negative stigma surrounding the topic, and why those who suffer from mental illness have a harder time talking about it with friends, teachers and even their parents.

The stigma implies that those afflicted are insane, and it causes people to be wary of interacting with or feeling empathy towards these individuals.

Said Junior Greg Robbins, “Other people sometimes view me, or others with the bipolar disorder, as irrational or crazy when they do not know about the condition. They have to understand what I am going through in order to accept my actions and behavior, especially during manic episodes when I become pushy or overlyconfident.”

In other cases, students have had difficulty overcoming the pressures and misconceptions from their parents.

This is especially true of parents who immigrated from eastern countries, where mental illness has cultural stigma attached, and thus is not well-accepted.

Said Amy Chen, senior, “My friends were accepting, but my mom tried to ignore [my depression], like she didn’t believe in it. I think it was because of where I am from. I am from China, and there has always been this negative stigma. It’s not as progressive as the US, so growing up she was never educated about it. To this day I am not even sure what she thinks about it. She still doesn’t think it’s real.”

Where, one might ask, does one glean a positive message from the intense challenges of mental illnesses and impairments? Indeed, those affected often lead difficult and confusing lives; however, the investigations we conducted have taught us that these burdens come with unique advantages.

“I think compared to [neurotypical] people, autistic people tend to have a broader mindset,” said senior Austin Zhang.

“They look outside the box. I guess in a way autistic people have a different view of the world, instead of following the normal trend.”

Distinct mental frameworks are often accompanied by a distinct understanding of relationships with other people.

For example, many of our interviewees commented on how their affliction taught them to be mindful of others.

“It gave me a different perspective on life”, explained an anonymous student who struggles with depression. “It’s not that I enjoy life more- if that was the case I wouldn’t have depression. However, it’s helped me a lot with my people skills in a sense. I don’t necessarily like to talk to a lot of people, but I understand people in a better way.”

In some cases, these mental illnesses or impairments allow those affected to break out of the social

Another anonymous student had a similar experience, recalling that, “they both were not very understanding, and I think it is because especially being Korean immigrants, their mindsets were very stuck in the old ways and they could not believe it was real. They thought I was just being lazy and that I was going through the teenage times, being unmotivated and not knowing what to do.

They were still accepting of the fact that I did indeed need help, even though they did not believe it should come from therapists. But they were willing to give it a try, even though they were not very happy about it.”

While depression is often misjudged as laziness or apathy, those with learning disorders deal with a different form of stigma.

Said Joshua Perez, “When I started off in kindergarten, I couldn’t read at all. I had a speech impediment, and I couldn’t do much because of my dyslexia. People started to think that I couldn’t do anything, like I was stupid or something. That was the thing - the IEP [Individualized Education Program] wasn’t in place when I was in kindergarten, so I couldn’t get help with addressing my difficulties.”

For other students, however, parents were more accepting. Said Liam Ramirez, “When I was diagnosed with ADD and depression, My mom felt guilty, like she should have seen it coming and felt guilty for not spotting it earlier because all the professionals saw it so clearly. My dad always wanted to get a second opinion, because he just wanted to be sure, that’s the kind of person he is.”

Much of the misconception that still surrounds mental illness is due to the fact that there is limited discussion about the topic.

Said Amy Chen, “There is a negative stigma around it, but if you don’t talk about it you can never break it.”

constructs that affect most people, such as the awkwardness of first encounters.

“The disorder definitely made me a more social person,” said Greg Robbins, who has bipolar disorder. “I have lots of confidence talking to others, probably confidence carried over from my manic episodes.”

The challenge of dealing with an enhanced mental state creates a need to learn more about oneself. As a result, these people often have a better understanding of their own emotions and the motives of others.

“It allows me to take a deeper look into my feelings and personality,” continued Robbins. “As I get to experience each side of my mind in a separate state, I discover more about myself in times of happiness and sadness.”

For those affected, it is important to understand that these afflictions are an integral part of one’s identity, not something to ashamed of.

“My story has taught me to accept myself for who I am and really understand that people judge,” said Austin Zhang.

“No matter what, through the trials and tribulations that we face, just be content with yourself and your own unique personality.”

Lifestyles

8

what makes a meme?

ERIN SONG

sports assistant

From the ancient days of 9GAG to the vast empire that comprises the UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens Facebook group, meme culture has rapidly incorporated itself into high school communities.

The word “meme” was first coined in 1976 by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.

The word itself derives from the Greek word “mimeme,” which directly translates to “something imitated.” Dawkins first used the word

to describe the fast manner in which cultural information spreads; however, the term “meme” has now evolved to be majorly associated with any idea, activity or phrase spread from person to person on the Internet.

Bradley E. Wiggins’s paper, Memes As a Genre: A Structural Analysis of the Memescape, describes three main stages in which Internet content becomes a meme: spreadable media, emergent meme and finally, the golden title of meme. Memes first are born as simple ideas or be-

boi

May 25, 2017

haviors, often mockeries of existing events, experiences or activities. The meme’s presence on the Internet allows it to gain attention on various media platforms including social media, email and various entertainment websites. The accessibility of sharable content online allows the Internet content to become an emerging meme. At this point, the content is recognizable to Internet users who follow specific online niches. Although the line defining Internet content’s status as an emergent meme and a true meme is hugely debated upon, most experts agree that online content can truly be called a meme once several Internet users recognize its presence for a certain duration of time. Like all other forms of media, the types of memes popular during certain time periods allow people to view multiple perspectives on the

same event.

The 2016 election serves to highlight the potential that Internet memes have to affect society’s perceptions of current events. Whether to mock Donald Trump’s abnormally small hands or Hillary Clinton’s attempts to appeal to the younger generation, the use of memes to document political events has brought to light various recent events. For example, Clinton’s referral to Donald Trump’s followers as a basket of deplorables had exploded on the Internet, as both Clinton and Trump supporters engaged in meme-y combat over the validity of the use of the word deplorable.

Social media plays a major role in contributing towards the prevalence of memes. Memes currently provide a revolutionary medium for those who wish to share their creativity, art, messages and ideas in a humorous manner.

BULLET JOURNAL STARTER PACK 1 2

6

CATHERINE SEOK lifestyles editor

4 5

3 7

I started my bullet journal at the beginning of 2017 for several reasons: I wanted to be more organized, while also having a space to be creative. I use my “bujo,” or bullet journal, as a weekly and monthly planner, a sketchbook and a place where I can just reflect. Everything from doodles to class notes are in my notebook. I’ve done the research on the best tools for you and your bullet journal so that you don’t have to! Here’s your bujo starter pack:

1. a good ruler If you’re a perfectionist like me, you definitely need a ruler. I use the small stainless steel ruler from every stationery-head’s favorite store: Muji.

2. binder clips Binder clips help hold the pages of your notebook open when you’re doing some serious bullet journaling and can’t be bothered by pages that won’t stay open.

3. washi tape

LEUCHTTURM1917

SO optional. SO pricy.

But SO pretty. It’s great for tidying up borders.

8 9

4. a pencil Self-explanatory.

5. a pen Pens are my favorite part about bullet journaling.

Gel pens are great because they don’t bleed — I love Muji gel pens especially because they’re affordable and come in a variety of colors. But I don’t think I could ever leave out my black Pilot G2 07 pen.

6. markers Unless you’re more of a minimalist when it comes to color, markers are essential. The Crayola Supertips are a common favorite.

7. a notebook Your notebook is the center of your bullet journaling experience! The “official” bullet journal works well if you’re less interested in the art aspect and more interested in being productive. The Leuchtturm 1917, Classic Moleskine, and Rhodia Webnotebook are all good options if you want a customized notebook. (Note: If you use ink that bleeds easily, a Rhodia notebook is probably the way to go.)

8. an eraser I’m loyal to the Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser, but as long as yours can erase, then you’re fine.

9. highlighters Any highlighter will do, really. I love the Zebra Mildliners because they come in so many colors and they’re not super neon.

Everything on this list is completely optional. If you think imperfections give your bullet journal character, don’t use a ruler or pen. On the other hand, if you’re a total highlighter hoarder . . . buy ALL the mildliners. Happy bullet journaling!

Lifestyles

The Prospector

ar ti s t s JENN ZARATAN photo crew

Upon browsing a used-bookstore, I came across a compilation of screenplays written by arguably one of the most talented filmmakers in history. As I handed it to the cashier, I had a small but unshakable feeling that there was something problematic about said filmmaker. I bought it anyway, since I liked his work and lacked the cellular data to look it up anyhow. At the time, in my blissful ignorance, the rest didn’t seem to matter.

Fast forward a few nights: I sat on my bed after finishing the book, having spent the last half hour mowing through articles and trying to process each bit of information. In essence, each source discussed the same idea — that Woody Allen, whose reputation preceded him and whose films earned impressively high ratings by any standard, had allegedly sexually abused his adopted daughter. That Woody Allen had possibly and probably gotten away with taking advantage of a young girl, and whose book sat, with increasing heaviness, on the top of my shelf.

Allen lost custody, but the judge ruled that there ultimately was not enough evidence to convict him. Please note that I am fully aware of the “innocent until proven guilty” policy of our justice system. Nevertheless, this article is not meant to be a dispute over whether Allen is guilty or not — rather, the truth is that I do believe, at least as far as I am able to, in the allegations. The question now is whether or not it is acceptable for me to enjoy Allen’s work knowing that he is a sexual predator.

This opens up an ethical dilemma that is larger than the one individual case of Woody Allen. Is it acceptable that Casey Affleck to have won an Oscar despite the multiple sexual harassment allegations made against him? What about Roman Polanski and Tupac? It might be quicker and easier to boycott their work if you’ve never heard of them, but I would imagine there would be more chaos and an instinctual need to defend Beyoncé if, say, she turned out to be a cannibal.

Whether we’re talking about a singer, writer or filmmaker, at some point, most of us can understand what it’s like to hold a uniquely high regard for an artist. Or, rather, for their work. For us mere civilians who have not had the privilege of knowing our idols personally, the two views seem to be the same. They blend together to form one single, generalized view of the artist. We typically judge artists based solely on their work, which is understandable when their work is the only thing we have to make judgements on. But on the rare occasions where we may catch a small glimpse at another side of an artist — a perhaps truer and more monstrous side — how do we reconcile these two opposing facets?

After reading the book, my respect for Woody Allen as a person has lessened, of course, but as an artist, the answer is murkier. While I do not believe that these two ideas can be entirely separated, I have come to the conclusion that no, there shouldn’t be a reason to deny that Allen’s art is still as great as it was before I knew about the case. Being a terrible person doesn’t automatically invalidate all of other achievements. It doesn’t undo good deeds or sparks of genius. Art is art; it churns the wheels in our brains. It makes us think and feel more deeply, empathize better and learn from new perspectives. If a work is successful in accomplishing this for me, why is there shame in evaluating it for what it is — art?

If the central message was embedded in a sick, I decided to go twisted or problematic attiahead and read the tude, then a work of art would book; in my very humble opin- be ethically questionable for ion, art does not simply lose its an entirely different reason. value in spite of the artists them- Should anyone’s work suggest that sexual abuse is acselves.” ceptable in any way, I would not hesitate to condemn such artwork — nor would I be the first. Even as I continue to read or watch Allen’s films, the allegations are not so easily erased.

I do not believe you should let your respect for an artist’s work surpass your moral ethics; the public’s negative attention to an artist is warranted in the face of an issue as serious as sexual abuse. In no way am I suggesting that we should forget about Woody Allen’s allegations for the sake of preserving his reputation. Appreciating an artist’s work for itself does not equate to condoning the artist’s decisions in their private life.

Sure, you can boycott their work and refuse to support them economically, though I’m not sure how effective the loss of a few dollars will be to a multi-millionaire in the end. Personally, I decided to go ahead and read the book; in my very humble opinion, art does not simply lose its value in spite of the artists themselves.

a week without trash

a rt & May 25, 2017

LILY ROSEN MARVIN online assistant

I don’t usually think about the amount of trash I am producing. A Cheez-It wrapper here and a bit of sandwich crust there does not seem to matter very much. However, it is that unconcerned attitude that has allowed the U.S. to become the number-one producer of waste in the world. With this in mind, I have decided to challenge myself: I am going to attempt to go a full week without creating any trash.

The hardest part of this experiment was remembering not to make trash.

That might sound dumb, but being garbage-free is more difficult than you might think. I kept opening packages or grabbing paper towels before I realized that I would have to throw them away.

Eating was also a struggle. Since most of my normal snack foods come in individual packages, a lot of foods were off limits. I will admit, I cheated a bit as the week went on. If I ate some of another person’s pre-packaged food (and by some I mean all) I counted it as their trash, not mine.

That being said, I did still manage to reduce the amount of trash I made this week. My biggest helpers were compost and recycling bins. Although they are not always accessible, having them around made my “no trash” week a lot easier. My biggest takeaway from this experience was that it doesn’t take too much effort to limit the amount of waste you are making — a little effort goes a long way.

monday Why do all my favorite snacks have to come in packages? How am I going to go a full week without my cheez-its?

tuesday

Compost is my lifesaver.

wednesday

If someone else opens the pack age, does it still count as my trash?

thursday Paper towels are my enemy. I keep grabbing them and then I remember that I’m not supposed to throw them away. I’m starting to really appreciate the school hand dryers.

friday

I wish more places had guides to what is compostable because I’m pretty sure some of what I just threw in there was not.

saturday

Why are there no recycling bins?

sunday

I thought I was ok when I recycled the gum wrapper… then I realized I can’t swallow gum.

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10

Sports

May 25, 2017

HOW SPORTS HAVE SWIMMING TEAM: ENDING SHAPED ME TODAY THE SEASON STRONGLY SUDARSHAN KANNAN

NEERALI SHAH

sports assistant

sports editor

Sports. The two hours I have everyday to drown myself in sweat, nausea, passion, and love. My childhood consisted of running from one sport to the next. My journey began when I was two years old, as I was thrown into an unhygienic pool with 30 other children who were most definitely peeing in the pool. My next step was a recreational soccer team where everyone was more excited for the half-time orange slices than the actual game. Finally, as an absolute tomboy, I decided to be a gymnast, overlooking the fact that I was one of the tallest girls in my grade. The lessonws that I have learned from playing sports, especially soccer, have altered my characteristics and continue to open doors for me, and I am grateful that I was given this opportunity.

Through the course of playing soccer for over 11 years, I have gained exposure to many of the aspects that make me who I am today. Some of these characteristics that I have developed are that I am now more willing to work, ready to face challenges, and have a stronger mindset. I saw myself grow as I learned to bear tremendous injuries (6 broken fingers and counting), playing through 100°F temperatures, and found that an athlete’s heart and desire value more than their skill and allows them to overcome any barrier blocking their way to success.

However, two of the most valuable experiences from my journey was learning about social norms and developing the ability to adapt and perform well under high stress environments. As a four year old, learning how a soccer team operates and figuring out who were the nice kids on the team was a challenge, but as I grew into a stronger athlete I also discovered how to incorporate myself in situations where I was not welcomed. Getting to know people is truly a challenge and even harder as I did not share similar interests with girls my age, like my lack of hair style specialties and inability to sense a clash of colors. Nonetheless, growing up on the field with girls who I spent more time with than my school friends, allowed me to obtain one of the most fruitful takeaways I have come to encounter. Teamwork and playing on a team taught me how inclusiveness is not handed to an individual — it is something that needs to be found within oneself. From periods in my life where I felt like nothing was going to get better to other moments where I wanted to relive that second over and over again, I learned to accept the situation I am in and feel content regardless of the circumstance.

Even so with the sense of inclusion and perspective of unity within me, I still had so much to gain from the knowledge athletics has to offer.

Throughout my athletic journey, I have witnessed a common misconception that spectators judge the athletes morales based on their actions on the field, but what is overlooked is that this nature of physicality comes from past tensions, experiences, stress, and events in the athlete’s life that need to be replaced with jubilant memories.

Personally, I have relieved all of my initial frustrations on the field and have found that doing so allows me to achieve sharper composure during games. I am glad that I can use soccer as an output for all of the negatives swarming around me. Without the sport I would be a completely different person — one who is constantly burdening the torment of life.

From my past experiences as an athlete and through my continuing journey in soccer, I have gone through incredible events which have taught me more life skills than words can comprehend. I am proud to be an athlete because it gives me the opportunity to connect with others and have a position in my community. Playing sports has gifted me with lasting friendships and an escape from my busy lifestyle; every student at this school should seize the option of participating in a sport, both because of the people they will meet and the lessons they will learn.

Comprised of a large variety of events, Cupertino High School’s traditionally large swim team has closed out another season. Having broken school records and sent a large number of competitors to CCS in years prior, this season has very much lived up to the team’s high bar, despite a smaller team size in both junior varsity and varsity. Even more remarkable is the drastic improvement over the last four years for boys varsity swimming, which went from a zero-win season to an undefeated record in dual meets.

Given the plethora of events in different techniques such as backstroke, freestyle, breastroke and butterfly and in varying distances and combinations, each practice tends to focus on trying to improve the swimmer’s performance in the events he or she will participate in. Said senior Kelvin Fang, “To motivate us, he basically puts the team through a series of strenuous practices and helps us work on our technique”.

Furthermore, the team captains organize bonding events such as team dinners in order to boost the team spirit. As many swimmers also attend practice at club teams in addition to the school team, the team tries to emphasize the importance of supporting one another

at meets in order to foster a unified team.

With many talented members heading to college swim teams, including Jenny Ma swimming for Princeton, Avalon Schultz swimming for the University of Wisconsin and Anna Rajaratnam playing water polo for Stanford in the fall, varsity swimming has no shortage of capable members. On the boys’ side, senior Brian Kim, junior Kartik Nighojkar and sophomore Brian Winn qualified for various swimming events at CCS. On the girls’ side, Kristen Tria, Avalon Schultz, Jenny Ma and Anna Rajaratnam qualified for the state meet, with Schultz and Ma competing this weekend in their individual events.

Kelly Ryou, Chanell Khann, Kristen Tria and Karina Lanning competed at CCS. As this season is Coach Jarvis’ last year, next season the CHS swim team will have to adjust to a new coach with a new coaching style, a possible hurdle to cross.

Says senior diver Rucha Patki, “With the loss of a large contingent of seniors, the onus of winning meets will be placed on the junior members of the varsity team. Nevertheless, with the number of underclassmen qualifying for CCS, the team may have less difficulty transitioning into a successful season next year.”

NEERALI SHAH

SWIMMING | Sophomore varsity boys’ team member Flynn Eastwood competes at a swim meet at __ High school

Badminton Soars High MICHELLE MA photo editor

EDWARD HSU

BADMINTON | Junior Julia Liu represents Cupertino varsity badminton during a girls’ singles match at Gunn High School

The overall score is 14-14. The last match of the day is being played against Gunn High School — the winner of this match will win the game and thus win the entire game for the team. One wrong move, and Cupertino High School’s undefeated badminton team risks losing its shot at becoming league champions.

Sweaty players line the sides, their eyes following the birdie — left, right, left… Varsity girls doubles players Olivia Du and Grace Till score in the final match.

Immediately, the players in maroon jerseys “go crazy and mob the court,” in the words of Varsity Captain Joseph Liu. Co-league-champions of the A-league, the highest league for badminton in the Santa Clara area, Cupertino’s badminton team has seen some great matches this year.

Said freshman Carter Bian, “The JV captains were good at leading. This season was good, thanks to the coaches.”

The season for both Varsity and JV started off strong, with the first loss being a nearly inevitable one — to rival Monta Vista High School, which Cupertino has not defeated since 2012.

Said Liu, “losing to Monta Vista the first time around was heartbreaking. The final point was tied at 15 all, but we lost the tiebreaker.”

After this, the players and coaches co ntinued to work hard, amassing in the end a 10-2 season record,

with losses to Monta Vista and Gunn.

Said coach Austin Li, “This year we had some really tough challenges, but our players did a good job working together with the team. It was evident that everyone tried their best; everyone wants to win. Coach Mitch, coach Albert and I also worked together to help the team improve and rise to a higher league.”

As the school year comes to a close, the badminton team will see many strong players graduating.

Said senior and Varsity Captain Gargee Khaparde, “There was a large addition of promising freshman boys this season. As long as they continue to train hard and practice, they will contribute very strongly to the team. The team will have to spend next season training really hard and creating more depth within the team in order to maintain our position in A-league for future years to come.”

Said coach Austin Li, “The cycle of training new freshmen all the way until they become seniors will continue. While it’s gonna be real tough next year, I’m pretty sure we’ll still stay in the upper league.”

On senior night, for the first time in 5 years, history was made as our team won 18-12 in a pivotal game against Monta Vista.

Said senior and Varsity Captain Joyce Li, “The game was very energetic and the line up by the coach was strong so we were able to get enough points to win.”

The Prospector

May 25, 2017

Sports

11

CUPERTINO RUNNING ROUTES AISHWARYA LADDHA features assistant

For many runners, running on a treadmill just does not cut it. Be it the lack of scenery or change in pace, the city, for many, can serve as a better track than the inside of a gym. Here are four routes -- road runs -- that I go on myself that any runner or aspiring runner can check out.

STEVENS CREEK LOOP RUN

HOMESTEAD LOOP RUN

This run is relatively easy and short -- perfect for beginners or those hesitant to try distance running.

Mary Avenue Bridge can be a beautiful lookout and if you can catch the sunset or sunrise on it, even more so.

Starting Point: S. Blaney and Stevens Creek Water stops: Creekside Park, Cupertino High School Distance: 2.81 miles Destination: Loop

Starting Point: Memorial Park Water stops: Memorial Park Destination: Mary Avenue Bridge and back to Memorial Park Distance: 2.9 miles loop

LINDA VISTA RUN

ORTEGA PARK RUN

Once you get to Linda Vista, there is a short trail up to a lookout. If you get there a bit before sunset you can catch the sunset overlooking the hills and the city. If you’re looking for a shorter run than 6.7 miles, end your run at Monta Vista High School and loop back for a 6 mile run.

If you want a change of pace or scenery and want a longer workout, Ortega park has a dirt track. Additionally, there are basketball courts there so you could bring your friends and a ball along for a pickup game after the run.

Starting Point: Yogurtland Distance: 3.35 miles one way, 6.7 miles round trip Water stops: Kennedy Middle School, Linda Vista Park (Restrooms too!)

Destination: Linda Vista Park

Starting Point: Lawson Middle School Distance: 2.81 miles Water stops: Ortega Park Destination: Ortega Park and back to Lawson Middle School

Flip Side

May 25, 2017

12

MAY IN PHOTOS MICHELLE MA

MICHELLE MA

COURTESY OF DANIEL ZENG

MICHELLE MA

NICO CHILLA

SPIRIT WEEK | ASB puts on a demonstration in the quad for “Beach Thursday”

DOG THERAPY | Psychology Club and LBC2M provides the opportunity for students to play with dogs

RALLY OF CHAMPIONS | Seniors dance at the Disney and Nickelodean themed May Rally

SENIOR NIGHT | Track and Field honors its seniors with posters and food

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK | Teachers receive pizza as a token of gratitude from CHS

THE BOOK BLACKLIST WN O R B , R A E BROWN BT DO YOU SEE? A BEAR, WH

We love banning books. In fact, Americans have attempted to ban more than 11,300 different books since 1982. As it turns out, not all of these books were banned for great reasons. Here are four of the most blacklisted banned books.

AND TANGO MAKES THREE

ay. The find a w sed Bill Martin c nfu d Eri board co children’s book in Jr. an r, a c e Bill Mart fi B li o r Jr., p “Brown ill u o with B Carle’s Y o , D r t o a h th u W a r, a r of Brown Be “And Tango n, autho : t. There ti lo r p a o M n s Makes rxism e a h See?” ha T M T r. hree” is a pict a l e a b of a Ethic ur re e l tu a book ic ic p r e o a g is te written by Pet t th The Ca asks wha er Parnell r f o to a s rr e a n se ve and Justin R Imperati The bear ichardson, on. i bear sees. animal. The t an a d it is ab r e b i L t n ou , a differe penguins. Roy t gay ractically ckingly P o . h ts S a e an p d Silo OT cycle re are two male However, they are N e le. chinstrap f o m unbannab sa penguins livin rd the g in New xas Boa ays The Te lw Y a ork’s Centr . n l o s il r w e p al Park n o Educati Zoo, who m ake a nest together and attempt to hatch a rock as an egg.

dding,” bit’s We arth b a R e h G “T by epicts published d , 8 5 9 in 1 s m a li il W bit and a urred rab falling -f e it h w a ed rabbit black-furr d throwing a an other in love with the unds g o weddin S reatures. forest c e and m o s le who book. like a dly n ie fr of family the eyes . in t o But n ator E state sen Alabama AT? IS ins. WH O. Edd

OR ANDA F E G A P O R THIS P ARRIAG ACIAL M N? R R E T IN IO TEGRAT AND IN AND IN ST T O LN THIS WIL E THE FIN Everybod y OF E knows STAT M artin .

A M Handford A ALAB “Where’s ’s Wa Handford ldo,” Martin ’s classic p icture book in w hic Waldo ad h the titular ven the world tures across a time itself nd through in his ico nic striped ou tfit. Who could object to the whole some escapades of Waldo and friends? A s it turns out, a

The zookeepe rs decide to give them an extra real egg, and the two m ale penguins hatch and ra ise the baby penguin, dubb ed Tango.

“And Tango M akes Three” has been bann ed in Illinois, North Carol ina, Virginia, Iowa and ot her states.

Also, it’s a true story. This banned book goes in the nonfiction sect ion.

WHERE’S

IT’S THE RABBNG WEDDI

WALDO

lot of peo ple the Beach . In the “On ” scene o f original 1987 “W the h ere’s Waldo” re lease, assu m you can fi nd it amo ing ng the hundreds of swimm e rs and beachgoers , is a sin gu topless w oman. W lar ho is also lying down. An d lying down on her stoma ch know, a tr avesty to sa . I y the least.

COMPILED BY PETER MARTIN

Next Month: June Last Day of School

Track and Field State Finals

Senior Graduation

Father’s Day

Thursday, June 1 Thursday, June 1

June 2 - June 3

Sunday, June 18

MICHELLE MA

THE DEFINITION OF ME(N) EDWARD HSU online editor

For as long as I can remember, my dad has never been a concrete figure of influence in my life. My parents aren’t divorced — but my dad has lived in China ever since I was born, due to the belief that living there will allow him to pursue better business opportunities.

Naturally, many of my behaviors can be attributed to the amount of female influences in my life — my mother and my sister. Although I now appreciate the values that my mom and sister have instilled in me, this has not always been the case. Many stereotypically feminine characteristics that I have adopted, such as openly expressing my emotions, were scorned by my peers in elementary school. My classmates constantly bullied me for not being “masculine” enough. I was the “gay” and “weird” kid at my school and was made fun of to the point where I began to think that what others said about me was true.

Since elementary school, I have felt insecure about my masculinity, but even scouring the Internet to find out how to deepen my voice and dressing in dark colors cannot compensate for the fact that my dad isn’t here to teach me how to speak and act like a man. Ultimately, my self-doubt stems from the absence of my dad’s approval; for a while, I was unsure of what I could do to fit the masculine “mold” portrayed by my peers and mainstream media.

Freshman year served as a fresh start for me. My classmates and I had already learned to embrace our differences by the beginning of high school, so the opportunities that were given to me to lead group projects and club activities were catalysts that helped me overcome my self-doubt and break out of my shell. During this process, I realized that the qualities that define me should not be shaped by others and that the unique traits that characterize an individual should not be tied to the words “masculine” or feminine.”

Being a man doesn’t have to mean being aggressive or thickskinned, just like how being a woman doesn’t have to mean being “sweet” and “gentle” all the time. There is no single definition of being a man or a woman, but there is only one way to define yourself.

There is still a part of me that resents my dad for not being around in my life, but I am coming to terms with the way my life is turning out and have found that I don’t need my circumstances to define me or hold me back.