Issue #7 — The Prospector — 2012-13

FAMILY Protests against FRIENDS major retailers HEALTH FAIR W CLEAN CO AGES NDITIONS life

F RI DAY, M A RC H 29, 2013

A life in the military

Alumnus Kurt Rambis interview SPORTS page 10

FEATURES pages 6 & 7

VOLUME 54 NO. 7

OPINIONS page 5

The Prospector Student Newspaper of Cupertino High School

CHSPROSPECTOR.ORG

News briefs

LIFESTYLES page 9

Keeping the United States out of Syria

10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA 95014

Locker thefts lead to new P. E. policies

In the wake of Iran’s nuclear progress, President Obama has been traveling across the Middle East, first stopping in Israel to deliver a speech in which he encouraged Israeli youth to empathize with their Palestinian neighbors.

Former U.S. army officer Benjamin Bishop was arrested on Friday, March 15, after he was accused of leaking U.S. military and nuclear weapon secrets to China via his girlfriend.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergolio of Argentina, now known as Pope Francis, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, March 19, becoming the first Latin American and Jesuit Pope.

“Before, it wasn’t that bad. You only hear about it occasionally. Now, it could happen to anyone.”

- Freshman Stephanie Shi

On Wednesday, March 20, a suspected cyber attack hit nine broadcasting companies and banks in South Korea.

Accused of genocide during the 1970s and 80s, former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has gone on trial in Guatemala City. He is the first former president to face a national court.

On Tuesday, March 19, two high school football players from Steubenville, Ohio were found guilty and sentenced to one and two years, respectively, of juvenile jail for their rape of a 16-year-old girl.

In Pakistan, 11 children ranging in age from 10 to 16 were accused of terrorism for attempting to make homemade explosives and were arrested on Wednesday, March 20.

An earthquake hit Hualien, Taiwan on Wednesday, March 27, shaking buildings with a magnitude of 6.0 and severely injuring at least 20 people.

On Wednesday, March 27, U.S. Senator John McCain and three other senators witnessed a woman illegally hop over the 18foot fence along the border of Nogalas, Arizona.

COMPILED BY MICHELLE CHEUNG

JESSE ZHOU

VINITRA SWAMY news assistant

A recent increase in locker room thefts has led to the implementation of new restrictions for P.E. students on campus. Over the course of the last month, numerous students have reported items stolen from the girls’ locker room, including large sums of money, iPhones, gift cards, clothes and chewing gum. In an effort to stop the problem, the administration decided to instate several locker room safety precautions and rules.

Said Assistant Principal Cathleen Farrell, “We’re making sure that the teachers double check to see that everyone is cleared out of the locker room and that the locker room is not opened early for any student to get into until a female P.E. teacher is actually in there to supervise.”

Other restrictions placed on students as a result of this new policy are the shorter changing release

times and closure the locker rooms during brunch and lunch. P.E. Total Fitness teacher James Gilmore disagrees with the fairness of the measures towards the students in his classes.

“I don’t think that this is the correct change,” Gilmore said. “The tardiness of students as well as other repercussions of these new policies make the students inconvenienced until the thief is caught.”

While these regulations are a valiant attempt to catch thieves and reduce the theft level, according to sophomore students Hannah Southerland and Lyn Bafour, students’ belongings are still being reported missing and P.E. students are becoming increasingly disgruntled at the length and extent of the changes.

“A couple days ago, my P.E. Total Fitness class was still outside, waiting for the locker rooms to be opened when the bell rang for lunch,” Southerland said. “It’s a major inconvenience. I understand the need for these measures, but honestly, it’s affecting everyone negatively and unfairly.”

More and more students are forced to arrive late to subsequent classes without tardy passes, causing a widespread feeling of dislike for the policies from students and teachers alike.

“We’re only given three minutes to change, and we’re freezing outside until the locker rooms are open, because we have to get out of the pool,” Bafour said. “Then we have to be late when we go into class, and when teachers ask for a late pass or an explanation, all we can say is ‘Some kid stole stuff, it’s a long story.’”

Although P.E. Total Fitness classes, comprised mostly of sophomore and junior girls, are affected most severely by the thefts and the new changes, even freshmen students like Stephanie Shi have noticed the changes.

“I’m really paranoid about keeping my [belongings] in my P.E. locker now,” Shi said. “I just feel that we have to be more careful about bringing stuff to school.”

Students express frustration at new locker room policy cont. page 2

How new healthTeachers perform in West Side Story care affects students JESSICA SHIN JASON CHEN

flip side assistant

VINITRA SWAMY lifestyles assistant

YOUSEPH PAVLOVIC lifestyles assistant

In 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama ran on a platform of sweeping health care reform, promising to accomplish what many past presidents had tried and failed to do. Though opposition was harsh, the landmark Affordable Care Act — referred to by some as “Obamacare” — passed in Healthcare cont. page 2

In West Side Story, the spring musical production by the drama department, three staff members, Gregg Buie, Sean Bui and Lynn Chen, were given the part of Glad Hand, a chaperone at a dance that the musical’s rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, attend. Although they had a small role compared to those of the majority of the student actors, they were still required to put in lots of effort in learning their part and studying their roles. One teacher was required to come to every rehearsal, so the GREGG BUIE IN WEST SIDE STORY| Guidance three teachers rotated turns to practice blocking, Counselor Gregg Buie’s perfromance during opening Teachers perform alongside students in play cont. page 2

night

2

News

The Prospector

S TA F F 2012-2013

Cupertino High School Established 1958 Vol LIV, No. VII | 2013 editors-in-chief azadeh rongere jesse zhou news editor chris yoon opinions editor nikhil kanthi features editor laura kao lifestyles editor natasha sharma sports editor abhishek zaveri flip side editor michelle cheung

The Prospector

School fee ban brings changes to education KATIE MARTIN copy editor

California Governor Jerry Brown recently approved legislation that will hold public schools accountable for illegally charging students for supplies and school-related activities. The bill, AB 1575, seeks to resolve a lawsuit against the state in which the plaintiffs complained of humiliation by teachers when they and other students could not afford to pay material fees.

While the law remains largely the same, the heightened awareness of these regulations is “a good trigger for us to make sure we’re not violating the spirit of the law,” Principal Kami Tomberlain said.

Although it is common for schools to request student funds to cover goods ranging from graphing calculators to sports uniforms, Article IX, Sec. 5 of the State Constitution declares that one year after the inception of a public school, education must be free to students, with all costs financed by the school district. This clause, however, has long gone ignored by schools, many of which are suffering from the effects of budget cuts. The 2010 class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union names 35 school districts guilty of charging students for Advanced Placement exams, P.E. uniforms and elective courses such as art and music, according to the fees listed on the school websites. In the case of a student referred to as Jane Doe, her sophomore Spanish teacher embar-

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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.

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rassed students by writing the names of those who had yet to pay for their textbooks on the whiteboard.

The bill has sparked confusion among school officials, as it disallows both charging fees and asking students to apply for financial assistance if they cannot pay. Purchasing supplies, uniforms and the like is a struggle for lower-income districts that are already strapped for cash, especially if families cannot afford to donate money to fund the classrooms.

While the law has been part of ongoing discussion among district administrators, Tomberlain does not anticipate any drastic changes at the school; class syllabuses, for example, will still include lists of recommended supplies, and P.E. uniforms will still be available for purchase. The difference is that students now cannot be penalized for failing to provide these items, nor can extra credit be offered as an incentive to contribute items to a classroom.

“Grades should reflect what a student can do at a certain time in a certain class,” Tomberlain said. “And when [achievement] is clouded with tissue extra credit, paper towel extra credit … it’s not a true reflection of mastery, and puts kids who can’t afford those things at a disadvantage.”

To combat future violations, AB 1575 reinforces the educational fee provisions in the State Constitution but clarifies that schools still have the right to solicit donations to cover costs. The bill will also provide for the creation of a complaint system for students whose schools do not comply with these standards.

John Zhao: U.S. Physics Olympiad

photo editor jason chen

news assistants

March 29, 2013

Junior John Zhao recently qualified for the semifinalist round of the U.S. Physics Olympiad by achieving a qualifying score on the preliminary exam.

The exam tests mostly mechanical concepts and approximately 300 to 400 students throughout the United States are selected each year to advance to the semifinalist round.

This year’s cutoff score was 12.25, with a total possible score of 25.

Said Zhao, an AP Physics C student, “[The topics] covered in AP Physics C overlap really well with those [on the exam]. I was ini-

tially intimidated by the exam, but I practiced with the [past exams], and my scores were way above the cutoff scores for those exams, so I felt confident that I could make it.

“If you want to take this exam, practice and put your mind to the task. You should have a goal. You also need to figure out what you’re going up against. People who could have easily gotten in didn’t get in just because they didn’t prepare. I think that we were capable of getting at least two or three more people into the semifinalist round.”

COMPILED BY MICHAEL LI

Teachers perform alongside student actors in play Cont. page 1

or learning where to go on stage.

When musical director Arcadia Conrad first came up with the idea to cast teachers in the play, she did nothing more than “put out an open call” and wait for willing teachers to respond.

Luckily, three teachers replied, which meant that one teacher would not have to perform in all the shows. Conrad allowed the teachers to join the play without an audition process and trusted them to learn their parts independently, a stark contrast to the lengthy audition and rehearsal process that students experienced.

“Unlike high school students, teachers have more life experiences ... so they might have a concept in their head about [how they want to play their role],” Conrad said. “But for high school students, I need to teach them everything they need to know about the show.”

Conrad’s trust in the teachers came from an experience from a couple years ago when teachers made a surprise appearance in the production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

The teachers’ involvement in drama productions, however, has significantly decreased because of their increased workloads.

Said Conrad, “There used

to be a faculty play right when the school first opened and it’s something that I’ve actually been thinking about reinstating, but our teachers nowadays are super busy.”

Implementing teachers in school plays not only displayed a different side of teachers that students have not yet seen, but also allowed teachers interested in acting to have the opportunity to take part in a show. The cameo appearance also helped to attract students who usually do not watch drama performances but came to watch their teachers act.

As Conrad said, “It’s a win-win situation.”

Students express frustration at new locker room policy Cont. page 1

Other students, like sophomore Rona Yeh, are also afraid of trusting the safety of the locker rooms, as the shirt and sweatpants she wore to school one morning and locked up during her P.E. class were stolen as well. Gilmore fears the loss of time and privacy in the locker room along with the increased sense of unease that may result in low attendance.

“When the edict came down from the [administration] that I can no longer let [the students] into the locker rooms, the girls no longer have enough time to change and get to their next class,” Gilmore said. “In

the past, when we haven’t given them anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes after water aerobics, the amount of people that participates decreases.”

According to Farrell, the restrictions will last until further notice, but the majority of the P.E. students hope that the thief will be caught soon and the new regulations will be revoked. Until then, she warns students “to make sure anything valuable is put in a locker and locked” and to be careful about leaving their valuables in insecure places.

“I just want everything to return to normal,” Southerland said.

Healthcare Cont. page 1

March 2010. Many of the reforms included in the bill affect a young demographic and are being put into effect in the coming months.

On Jan. 1, 2013, Medicaid, the government-funded healthcare program for low-income individuals and families, began the process of expanding coverage and benefits. The transition, which will be completed in 2014, aims to cover more families and provide more comprehensive healthcare benefits to members of the program.

While several students at this school have spent extended periods of time in the hospital, few have had as much experience with the nation’s healthcare system as osteosarcoma bone cancer survivor Sally Green (her real name has been retained for anonymity).

“It’s really hard to say exactly what you feel, because everyone deals with going to the hospital differently,” Green said. “Being a teenager [with cancer], no one really understood what I was going through. As a teenager, you’re obviously going through insecurities and you’re worried about school and college in the future ... I didn’t really think it was going to turn out so well.”

Effective Oct. 1, 2013, insurance companies will be mandated to comply with new transparency and open competition laws. The goal of these laws is to make the process of choosing between insurance plans simpler for consumers like Green and her family.

“I was fortunate enough that my parents could pay for all of my treatments, but there are some families out there whose children are going through diseases who need that support and don’t have access to it,” Green said. “I would see little babies getting chemotherapy whose families couldn’t afford the full treatment, and that just broke my heart. If a program like Obamacare can help people like them, I completely support it.”

Perhaps most relevant to the student population is the provision allowing young adults to remain under their parents’ health care plans until they turn 26 — two years longer than the old law permitted. A government study published by the Commonwealth Fund estimates that 6.6 million young adults will stay insured because of this new plan. For many, this means not having to worry about finding health coverage while in the midst of the transition from college to the workforce. For Green, insurance meant that her parents would not have to carry the heavy burden of almost a year in the hospital, as well as her various treatments.

“Insurance helped us cover all the medical bills, because I had surgeries, x-rays and CT scans which were all expensive and all cost a lot of money,” Green said. “Insurance really [helped] my parents afford all of my treatments.”

After almost a year of treatment, Green made a full recovery; her story, however, speaks to the state of health care in the country today. Green hopes that her story will lead other people to consider their blessings.

“I want everybody to realize they are so fortunate and lucky and I hope no one has to go through what I went through.”

News

The Prospector

March 29, 2013

3

Project Tails helps abused animals DECA to continue as club on campus FBLA’s Community Service Project (CSP) for the 2012-2013 school year, Project Tails, is dedicated to preventing animal abuse and improving conditions at animal shelters, with the goals of raising money for the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA), raising awareness and providing community service at the local animal shelter.

Thus far, the students have executed fundraisers and obtained support in partnership with the SVACA throughout the past few months of this school year. The project, which officially ended on March 1, will be judged at the 2013 FBLA State Leadership Conference on April 18-21.

Throughout the school year, CSP sold items that included baked goods, Christmas cards and handmade teddy bears, both on and off campus. In addition, the project recognized Animal Day through the distribution of pamphlets and informational fliers, and made presentations promoting animal abuse awareness at local elementary schools and the city’s Community Hall. Furthermore, the project helped

the shelter directly by organizing a pet supplies drive and volunteering at the location.

Project members raised $850 by March 1, far exceeding their previous goal of $500. Similarly, CSP exceeded their prior expectations of acquiring signatures on an animal-treatment awareness pledge, garnering 300 signatures rather than 250.

“I was extremely impressed by the ability for the team to maintain interest,” FBLA advisor Mark St. John said. “I found that they were able to maintain momentum throughout the process.”

Even though the purpose of the project was ultimately to compete at the FBLA conference, it did not detract from the experience of community service.

“I’m not sure if we made a really big impact — not like Ghandi, like ‘Oh my gosh, we changed the world’ — but I do feel like we really did help ... [and] made a difference in our community,” sophomore Jaeyoung Hwang said.

While rumors of DECA’s probation — or even dissolution — continue to circulate after several students were sent home for inappropriate behavior during the 2013 State Career Development Conference (SCDC), the DECA club advisor, Leslie Robledo, has confirmed that DECA will resume all normal club functions in the next school year.

Meanwhile, all members are restricted from staying overnight at off-campus DECA events for the rest of this semester. This ban does not prevent them from staying off-campus with other clubs, nor does it include the two DECA students who qualified for the International Career Development Conference, as they will still be able to attend independently.

“Only students serious about the competition will be allowed to attend conventions,” Robledo said. “Next year, members need to prove that they are going to study... and do well in their competitions. I’m looking for ... a DECA that is stronger, more coherent and more competitive.”

DECA experienced a 207 percent increase in membership from the last school year, it had a record number of 60 conference attendees.

Robledo and assistant principal John Rodriguez placed especially protective measures on the SCDC attendees, including “taping in” doors after curfew, traveling from the hotel only with chaperone supervision and performing head counts each time. In addition, at the beginning of the conference, Robledo informed the DECA members that any misbehavior may result in punitive measures against the club, including club dissolution.

Several students, however, engaged in inappropriate behavior despite the additional safety measures. For this reason, it was unclear if the club would be punished. Regardless, any consequences dealt will not affect the club’s continuity. Outside of club travel restrictions for the duration of the school year and individual disciplinary measures, DECA activities will continue as per usual under the new leadership of next school year’s club officers.

COMPILED BY CHRIS CAI

COMPILED BY ASHLEY LIU

Students assume teacher roles in class and in clubs Recently, some students have gone beyond learning and are instead teaching. Senior Kshitij Grover is teaching Android programming as enrichment for the AP Computer Science class and Saul Fuhrmann is teaching Multivariable Calculus with math teacher Mark St. John in the Calculus D Club.

Students in AP Computer Science were given the chance to vote for their next project before AP test review, and a majority of students chose to have Grover teach Android programming for three weeks. The students have already been able to successfully develop

a working Android app that can connect to the Internet, download data and display the data in a user-accessible format.

Fuhrmann has been teaching Multivariable Calculus in Calculus D Club since the school year began. Every Wednesday lunch he teaches a topic and hands out problem sets for students to work on and discuss together.

Thanks in part to Fuhrmann’s teaching, the Calculus D Club has covered almost a quarter’s worth of college coursework for Multivariable Calculus.

COMPILED BY MICHAEL LI

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Opinions

4 US NEWS INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE

College

&

March 29, 2013

Costs

Sending financial aid forms

ACT and SAT test fees

College advisor

Sending test reports

Consumerism

ACT classes

SAT classes

Application fees

mate coupons.

While many students are stuck in this rat race, there are facets of society that have grown opinions editor wary of the system, and it is about time the classes of 2018 and beyond took a leaf out of their I am the typical American teenage consumer. I buy Nike shoes, main- book. In 1995, Reed College, an institution once ranked closely behind Stanford and Harvard, stream movies and am applying to college. My budget for the last item, chose not to submit their data to US though, dwarfs what I spend on the former two. My parents have already News due to criticisms of its ranking spent upward of a thousand dollars on this chase, because applying to college policy. Since then, its score in the system does not stop at the application fee. It begins with the abominably expensive ACT and SAT tests, the has fallen while the College argues their prep classes for said tests, sending financial aid packets and, for the truly hardcore consumers, a college education standard hasn’t. Based on US admissions guide to aid them in the process. Every dime that is spent goes toward News’ stock ticker, one goal: a school with a good brand. Like Nike and Ray-Ban, colleges build their their product is not so hot anymore, but in the end, academically its graduown brand, and the parents and students of the class of 2017 will spend hundreds ates could give the Cardinals a run for their money. It is about time a colof thousands of dollars chasing that brand. lege’s brand stopped outweighing the actual education.

There is an entire economy centered around For example, there is a college whose brand is weak but whose educahigher education. There are ranking systems that tion is solid. Its animation program rivals that of USC and UCLA, even take a college’s selectivity and tuition into the though it does not have the benefit of being in the entertainment capital of equation.

They serve almost as a the world. It has the best statewide transfer rate into California’s UC sysstock market ticker for diftems, and boasts an exceptional math department. Even with these traits, ferent colleges; the higher De Anza College is the butt of many jokes because its brand name cannot they are on the list, the hotter their hold a candle to the Bruin flame. product is and the more likely they are to There is no wisdom in attending a college that will give you a lower have a good endowment. There are also student you can judge yourself. we can help. paying job than its better-ranked competitors, but there is wisdom in judgloans, packaged with a red ing a college on quality over brand name. American consumers universally ribbon and a crippling interest rate, payable to fall into the brand versus quality pitfall, and while we’ve gotten wiser at picking shoes by conthe $40k-per-year university of your choice. sidering more than just the swoosh on the side, it’s about time the thrift shopping mentality Finally, let’s not forget scholarships, the ulti- extended to higher education.

co th e l bo le ar ge d

NIKHIL KANTHI

JUST STUDY.

STAFF EDITORIAL

71

One budget does not fit all

# of clubs on campus

9

# of new clubs formed this year

If it is a fundraiser

A club has an idea for an activity they need funds for

The club submits a fundraiser request form to the ASB office

The initial expenses are paid by the students’own money

If students initally paid, they submit a reimbursement form to the ASB office.

There exists a law in the state of California requiring that high school clubs spend 75 percent of their total funds before the end of the school year. But this policy has not been formally enforced by the school’s ASB over the last couple years. So when clubs were suddenly told that they must adhere to the 75 percent policy this year, many questions arose regarding the matter.

The confusion is mainly centered around the legitimacy of the policy. The rule itself is missing from the official Club Constitution that each club signs at the beginning of the school year.

It is also unclear what the 75 percent expenditure is referring to — the profits the club raises during the year or the amount of money the club has amassed by April — and what the consequences are. Why is it that there is so much confusion over this policy? Club commissioners have the responsibility to know the exact details of newly implemented policies so that they can relay exact information to students, yet are being held in the dark with the rest of the clubs. There is currently too much inconsistency and confusion between ASB and clubs.

Clubs deposit any profits into their ASB bank account

$

$365

Maximum profit made in Clubs Day

THE CLUB FUNDS PROCESS

If the required amount is too great, they can request a loan from ASB.

COMPILED BY NIKHIL KANTHI

The 75 percent rule’s purpose is to keep clubs from hoard- every club is a hoarder, and as a result not every club is satisfied ing money that should be spent on its events, charity donations by the 75 percent policy. Rather than enforcing this general rule or current members. ASB reasons that club profits should be on all clubs, ASB should focus on each organization’s individual needs. The ASB treasurer and club commissioners must work with each club to figure out what would be the best strategy for Competition between clubs to spending and saving that club’s profits.

All clubs are different, and each should be subject to a monsee who can pool the largest etary policy that serves its purposes the best. Certain clubs need amount of savings is a problem funds from previous years to serve as an emergency reserve for on campus. But not every club is a hoarder, events that may or may not require an extra pocket of money while others may need an extra push to use their funds efficientand as a result not every club is satisfied by ly. ASB’s current method of relaying information to clubs is inefthe 75 percent policy. fective, and the 75 percent rule that ASB is trying to enforce has many inconsistencies. Club commissioners and officers alike spent on the current year’s activities and members — after all, need to be well-informed about all policies regarding their rethey are they ones that earned the money. This is definitely a val- spective organizations. Then clubs can work alongside ASB to id argument, as competition between clubs to see who can pool avoid misinformation and effectively carry out monetary polithe largest amount of savings is a problem on campus. But not cies.

Opinions

The Prospector

March 29, 2013

5

Grammar.

You’re education needs it whose

whoever

u’re o y whomever its it’s

your who’s

IN

A

IC

S ES

SH

J

predicate nominative

Whose hands is Syria in?

NIRMIT SHAH

CHRIS S. YOON news editor

KEELY ZHANG features assistant

“Time to eat children!”

Whoever wrote this probably meant, “time to eat, children!” Clearly, a mere comma can be the difference between life and death.

A person’s command of language is often one of the most significant markers of intelligence. Grammar is needed in the professional world for writing resumés, cover letters and recommendations. In fact, a simple grammar mistake can potentially send one’s college application, not to mention job resumés and recommendation letters, to the nearest garbage disposal.

Not only that, but first impressions are often based on the way people communicate and express themselves.

People who know more about grammar will always correct those who make mechanical mistakes in their speech or writing. What’s more is that those who know their grammar are often given a significant advantage over their peers. Unfortunately, a growing emphasis on reading and analyzing literature in schools across America has overshadowed strict grammar instruction, and in some cases eliminated it altogether.

One problem with grammar education in schools

There is no doubt that developing reasoning skills and creative thought processes is important, but what good is a brilliant idea if it cannot be communicated? is the heterogeneous environment of the classroom.

English teachers are often forced to accommodate both students who can teach grammar to others and students who cannot even identify the subject of a sentence. This problem is even greater in ethnically diverse areas like Cupertino, where a majority of the students do not learn English as a first language.

Furthermore, students often disregard the subject altogether because there is no formal assessment of grammar aside from the California STAR exam. The school should motivate students by instituting grammar tests that directly affect students’ GPAs. Teachers of all grade levels should administer a basic grammar exam in the beginning of the year to assess students’ command of the language. Then, throughout the school year, teachers can hold mandatory grammar lessons during tutorials for those who tested below proficiency. Upon graduation, students will have developed a solid grammatical foundation after four years of testing and learning.

Additionally, school essays should be graded on mechanics as well as content to enforce students’ mastery of the language in context. One third of the overall essay grade should be based purely on students’ grammar and the other two thirds on their content.

There is no doubt that developing reasoning skills and creative thought processes is important, but what good is a brilliant idea if it cannot be communicated? It is never beneficial to limit oneself by focusing solely on grammar or, alternatively, disregarding it altogether. The English department should find a medium, a balance point between the two extremes: a point where students will be able to clearly articulate their evolving analytical thought processes.

KEVIN CHU features assistant

As the crisis in Syria enters its third year, many are understandably alarmed at the tens of thousands of civilians who have been fleeing the conflict and the millions trapped inside the country whose plight is becoming increasingly more desperate. While Britain and France attempt to arm Syria’s rebels, the United States should do everything short of military intervention to support the grassroots democracy movement in Syria. The aid should be focused on diplomacy aimed at motivating other countries to exert their influence to stop the crisis.

Flexing military muscles in another Middle Eastern conflict should be the last thing on our minds. We need only recall the strategic disaster that the Iraq War was for the United States, or the Reagan administration’s decision in 1982 to send forces to Lebanon — an engagement that resulted in the highest death toll in a single day for the U.S. military since the end of the Vietnam War. Critical global security questions have primarily focused on one question: Should the United States employ its own military force to resolve a foreign embroilment? America’s underinvestment of diplomatic and economic tools of power, overinvestment in military power and the tempered expectations of other countries taking responsibility for their own security affairs all contribute to this question. “Intervention,” however, must include diplomacy as well, not just the number of boots on the ground or fighter jets in the air.

Syria’s situation is unprecedented. None of Arab Spring’s modes of rebellion are applicable to this conflict: one, the Egyptian

model — military joins civilians in deposing the dictator; two, the Yemen model — United States facilitates Arab-backed diplomacy that ousts the strongman; three, the Libya model — unified military intervention. The first has yet to occur and the third is not a realistic possibility, given Russia and China’s rejection of a United Nations Security Council resolution on the matter.

Door number two, although accompanied by its share of challenges, is our most feasible option: to mobilize a contact group on Syria to orchestrate political and economic pressure. Meanwhile, the United States and other concerned nations may give nonlethal aid like food and medical supplies to rebels battling to oust President Bashar Assad.

On Syria, the Obama administration has sought the right balance over the past year by offering support to Syrians seeking peaceful government change. President Obama signaled this new approach to foreign policy in his 2009 speech to the United Nations General Assembly, putting greater emphasis on the notion that Syria’s neighboring countries must play important roles in crafting the plan.

A “Made in America” military intervention would definitely inflame the region’s sectarian divisions while recreating the Bush administration’s mistakes in Iraq. For now, the United States should continue its quiet work with key regional actors. A prime example would be Turkey, a NATO ally that could provide assistance and humanitarian corridors for Syrians fleeing the conflict zone. We could also use our leverage with the Iraqi government to garner support in isolating the Assad regime in Syria.

In this conflict, the United States should remain engaged and prepared to intervene, but looking to Washington to rise to the rescue in a military coup is unwise.

It is time for a military draft TRINA BHATTARAI opinions assistant

When World War I ended, America had a public holiday to celebrate the event. When World War II ended, a veteran kissed a stranger in Times Square.

When the war in Iraq ended, there was silence.

A reinstitution of the draft system promises to be a viable solution to the general apathy in America.

The consequences of this indifference predicts to be severe, particularly among the younger population, as the United States becomes more and more militarily entangled with foreign countries. For example, the United States participated in four major wars in the last 20 years, never mind the several minor involvements. The defense department has migrated from the word “defense” to “business”. In fact, U.S military spending has doubled since 1962 and trumps that of the next 13 power nations. In addition, eight out of 10 of U.S government’s contractors are weapon industries.

Despite these shocking statistics, many young Americans now dismiss U.S wars because they are so removed from the con-

flicts. I personally can attest to this unfortunate reality as I hardly paid attention to the war in Iraq until last year, eight years after the war began.I was not aware of the precise reasons behind the intervention and I never took the time to find answers. Although I am ashamed of my prior ignorance, I know I am not the only with this experience.

Would we be more interested in foreign policies if our best friend aspiring to be a dentist is taking gunfire in the midst of a war? Would we take the time to protest an unnecessary 10-year-war if our own brother goes missing in action?

With a military draft, representatives in Congress will not jump the gun on war, knowing that their constituents are the ones fighting in it. With a temporary draft, the nation will be woken from its apathy towards war, and once that happens, the U.S’ policy towards war will drastically change To what extend of this apathy will allow for our democracy to persevere? It is pitiful that we live in a country in which, if we go to war, the citizens do not know or simply do not care. The only way for America to find its moral compass again is through a military draft.

?

EDITORIAL CARTOON

6

Features

Factions of the US Military

3 SIDE OF WA

THE

Army Air e c For

Nav

y

Ma Co ri rp ne s

l ta as ds Co ar Gu

The United States Army is primarily for land-based operations and is the oldest part of the United States Armed Forces, dating back to the Continental Army.

March 29, 2013

RD

JAS

ON

CH

EN

565,463 active personnel

13.6% F, 86.4% M

This military division formed as a separate branch on 1947 and used for air-based operations.

333,370

19.1% F, 80.9% M DIANA KRUZMAN

active personnel

news assistant

Established during the American Revolution, the United States boasts the world’s largest navy, a military branch used for water-based operations.

325,123 active personnel

16.4% F, 83.6% M

This branch is used to carry out U.S. Navy operations and was also established during the American Revolution. Additionally, it offers help with transportation and logistics for naval forces.

201,157

6.8% F, 93.2% M

active personnel

Created in 1790, this branch protects maritime law by enforcing federal order on domestic and international bodies of water.

43,251

15.7% F, 84.3% M

active personnel

COMPILED BY ABHISHEK ZAVERI, AZADEH RONGERE AND LAURA KAO

approx. 10,000 WOMEN

INFORMATION COURTESY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

approx. 10,000 MEN

DATA REPORTED AS OF SEPT. 30, 2011

JESSE ZHOU editor-in-chief

There’s a section in “All Quiet on the Western Front” that reminds substitute teacher Richard Klokow of one of his days on the battlefield during World War II. It is the part where the protagonist Paul kills a French soldier, then looks at a picture of the dying man’s wife and little girl.

“One day, another 17-year-old and myself took the day off and we went to the front lines, put on our rifles and bayonets, heard a little gunfire, then walked along a path and there were two dead Japanese soldiers,” Klokow said. “At first, I thought that this was good. This is what we were supposed to be doing.”

Klokow then took one of the deceased soldier’s wallets out as a souvenir, but he soon noticed something that completely changed his perspective on warfare.

“I looked and there was a picture of a lady and two children. I thought, ‘Why is he here? Why am I? What are we doing here, thousands of miles from our homes?’”

To serve or not to serve?

Such questions that bothered Klokow back then are ones, among others, that keep many current students wary of a career in the military. The potential for danger or death is frightening to many students of this generation.

One of the biggest concerns that students consider is the value of education over a military career. As students enter their junior and senior years and begin to plan their lives after high school, most envision a standard, four-year college rather than becoming part of the military. Older generations have taught students that the key to success is education, and this lesson influences the decisions of many students who are not willing to sacrifice anything for the military.

A poll taken by the Class of 2011 showed that less than one percent of the graduating class chose to enlist in the armed forces; this small amount is because of how, especially in areas as academically-focused as Cupertino, pursuing a higher education takes priority over anything else.

Most students these days who enlist join for financial reasons over anything else. Such was the case for 2011 graduate Noah Wu when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“I knew that my mother’s ‘American Dream’ was to one day own her own home, but being a single mother of three in the Cupertino area, that was a hard dream to accomplish,” said Wu, who is stationed in Hawaii until 2015. “I’ve gotten asked why I wasn’t good enough to get into college, or have had parents

tell their daughters they couldn’t date m get into school. I just wanted to put mys mother.”

On the other hand, senior Patrick before he was born and whose brother p the Air Force, says that although he has now believes that such a path is not for h “You’re dedicating your life, your tim Force,” Facelo said. “In my opinion, I thi an education myself.”

Other factors also influence student forces that have nothing to do with educ military lifestyle that requires many to c Said Facelo, “I don’t want to build a

A Beneficial Career Current alumni who work in vario shed a variety of perspectives when it co 2011 alumnus Jeannie Kim, who is curre the benefits outweigh the drawbacks wh tary.

Said Kim, “So far, I’m proficient in proficient in the language, I got to go to I get to use Tuition Assistance. You get to go all over the world and learn all ki the importance of health, the value of ed order.”

Such benefits, according to Kim, ex since they are defined as “servicewide.” K she did not expect from being a Navy lin information, traveling to foreign countr military career is certainly not suitable fo “There are many people in the milit be leaving after their first enlistment. Yo soldier, airman, Marine — or you don’t.”

Courage and character Moral benefits are reflected in the o despite supporting education over serv ship-building that the armed forces offe retained during his service in the Marin

me because I didn’t get into school. I did self through it and not be reliant on my

k Facelo, whose father was in the Navy presently works behind the front lines in s considered a career in the military, he him. me, your everything to be part of the Air ink it would be better to first pursue just

ts’ decisions to avoid a path in the armed cation. Such factors include the volatile constantly move around and start over. and rebuild over and over again.”

ous branches of the military, however, omes to deciding whether or not to join. ently a linguist for the Navy, claims that hen joining any branch of the U.S. Mili-

a language, I’m getting paid extra to be o China, I’m getting an A.A. Degree and to meet people all over the nation, get inds of things. The Navy has taught me ducation and the need for discipline and

xtend to all branches of the U.S. military Kim also notes the many opportunities nguist, which include access to top secret ries and more. However, she adds that a or everyone. tary [who] discover they hate it and will ou either get what it means to be a sailor, .”

opinions of older military veterans, who, vice, praise the character and relationer soldiers. When asked about what he ne Corps during World War II, Klokow

A Tough Decision The conflicting feelings many students have about war come from a lack of knowledge of what service is actually like; furthermore, danger and fear of combat are prime concerns not only for those considering a life in the armed forces, but also for those who have already experienced it.

“When you go off to a war, you decide how you are going to react,” Timmreck said. “When faced with a dangerous situation or the threat of death, one is forced to think, ‘What am I going to do with it? How am I going to deal with that?’ And once you make that decision you’re already different for the rest of your life.”

Prolonged distance from home and pure independence are additional detractors from military life. Many who have already gone through such experiences have noted how difficult it was to get over the first few weeks of being in the military. The promise of a better future, however, helped many of them through it, especially for Wu. “Every day I know that not only am I bettering my own life and opening doors so I can better provide for my future family, but also that I’m doing this so that my friends and family and those that I care about don’t need to do it,” Wu said. “That’s what helps get me through the long days.”

It is this positive aspect that keeps the military as a viable option for some, albeit one with both benefits and drawbacks. The positives of enlistment led Richard Klokow to keep walking even after seeing the dark side of war; the negatives keep Patrick Facelo from pursuing a military career even at the urging of his family. Education, patriotism, danger, opportunity and altruism all influence students’ views toward the military, but ultimately, the choice is up to the student: risk deployment and sacrifice the chance to serve one’s country, or walk ahead and never turn back.

íT

WOULD

Y

W

OUT OF 211 STUDENTS POLLED COMPILED BY TRINA BHATTARAI

was quick to name numerous positive aspects.

“I got the spirit of the Marine Corps, [where] everyone supports each other and the model is honor, courage and commitment,” Klokow said. “[We] learned to treat each other with respect [and never] lie, cheat or steal.”

Math teacher Roy Timmreck, who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, has similar sentiments.

“I went to a funeral for my father-in-law, who was in World War II, [but] before he even had any chance to be involved in combat the war ended,” Timmreck said. “Yet when he died, at his funeral all these military guys showed up in uniform.”

Such support for a fallen comrade, even one with which the connection was brief, showed Timmreck the strength of a military bond, one that apparently no one else would ever understand.

7

DN L U O

CO U JEA RTES NN Y IE K OF IM

Would you ever consider joining the military?

67.3%

COUR TE ROY T SY OF IMMRE CK

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Perspectives on war, enlistment and education from war veterans and alumni on active duty

M3IL2I

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Features

The Prospector

March 29, 2013

Tino students who entered the military

3 4

Class of 2011

Class of 2012

COMPILED BY ABHISHEK ZAVERI

Costliest conflicts Iraq

$715

billion

Afghanistan

$297

World War II

$296 billion

Vietnam War

$111 billion

Persian Gulf War COMPILED BY TRINA BHATTARAI

billion

$61

billion

Lifestyles

8

s uck b r a t e ”S “Le urchas p of ge lan u o La B er y Bak ally in orig om fr RAN F SAN

March 29, 2013

BONJOUR STARBUCKS SOLD for $100 m illion

THU DAM lifestyles assistant

JESSICA SHIN flip side assistant

With drinks ranging from teas to lattes to frappuccinos, coffee giant Starbucks is widely known for its variety of drinks and the familiar green logo that can be spotted all across the world. Although people regularly stop by the famous coffee shop to grab a drink to start their day, few acknowledge the variety of delicious goods that Starbucks offers to accompany their drinks. Oatmeal, sandwiches and parfaits are among the numerous food items that are conveniently packaged to accommodate a busy schedule and a hot cup of coffee. In an attempt to draw more attention to its food, Starbucks has decided to add a new gourmet twist to its original products that changes it into much more than just a typical coffee shop.

Recently bought by Starbucks for $100 million, La Boulange — not to be confused with Le Boulanger — is a French bakery whose name is emerging on Starbucks’ menus and doors in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Serving artisan breads and pastries, the bakery takes pride in its fresh homemade specialties that bring French traditions to California. La Boulange is in hotels and high end restaurants in addition to its 19 cafe-style locations in the Bay Area. By increasing the range of choices, Starbucks hopes to please customers with

their new delicious pastries.

The unity of Starbucks and La Boulange was not a one-sided advantage for Starbucks. Originally a single bakery in San Francisco, La Boulange is gradually becoming well-known among Bay Areans as they notice the change in pastry and food items. Not only were the bread and cakes added to the coffee shop — a special Starbucks blend of coffee has also been added to the bakery, enhancing both stores.

So how does the La Boulange and Starbucks duo compare to the old Starbucks? An immediately noticeable difference is the greater assortment of food. Croissants, cakes, cookies and other pastries fill the display windows. The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the cafe, and the bakery presents customers with a taste of French culture to go with their Italian drinks. The bakery items are notably softer and more aromatic, and they match perfectly with the familiar drinks, like the pairing of a warm French chocolate croissant and an iced mocha. The entire atmosphere invites customers to sit down and enjoy quality food before rushing back into their busy lives.

Although La Boulange’s baked goods are currently only available in some corporate stores and stores that are not united with other companies like Bay Club or Safeway, Starbucks hopes to expand the French bakery across the nation. But for now, exclusively, the Bay Area will be able to enjoy a little bit of France with their favorite coffee.

THE ULTIMATE PMT GUIDE

5 5 Quickly

Verde

Pearl Milk Tea. PMT. Bubble Tea. Boba. Zhen Zhu Nai Cha. Whatever you call it, this magical concoction milkinfused tea and gelatinous rice molded into “pearls” is a drink that permeates throughout the city of Cupertino.

We have taken on the challenge of sampling pearl milk tea at various locations in Cupertino to bring to you the best, in our highly esteemed opinion, of them all.

Quickly, while being overall satisfying, seemed to taste like inexpensive milk with some oriental flavoring. While still delicious and better than most restaurants, the drink always felt like it was missing an important ingredient.

Tapioca Express was an instant, utter and complete yes, as the combination of thoroughly cooked pearls

4

Fantasia

2

Ten Ren

6 TapEx

3

LaTTea

1 Sipatea

and perfectly balanced tea-to-pearl ratio gave the tea an overall strong, yet not overpowering taste impression.

Squishy and yummy all around.

other places. However, the bitterness of the actual tea made us turn sour faces after too much exposure to our tongues.

Verde, one of the more popular pearl milk tea restaurants for students, offered a standard pearl milk tea that seemed to pull away from the idea of tea and pushed more into the territory of sweet cream and condensed milk. In contrast to their sweet tea, the pearls themselves were fairly bland.

On the other hand, the tea component of Fantasia was extremely milky but acceptable, while the pearls were mediocre at best, as the centers of the pearls were too tough but their outsides were too squishy.

Cafe LaTTea offered a pearl milk tea that remained more true to its name and brought a drink that allowed one to taste actual tea rather than the fusion of what seemed like syrup and condensed milk that dominated

Ten Ren and Sipatea, while generous with the quantity of tea given, nevertheless gave poor results in terms of flavor, boba to tea ratio and overall quality of the drink.

So what are you waiting for? It’s tea time in Cupertino; try out these cafes and prove us wrong.

COMPILED BY NIRMIT SHAH AND ASHLEY LIU

Lifestyles

The Prospector

March 29, 2013

FAMILY FRIENDS HEALTH FAIR WAGES CLEAN CO NDITIONS life closed down, they were left with next to no income and no means of supporting their families. With ire and angst directed at H&M and Wal-Mart, these factory workers pledged to begin a 24-hour vigil. For two months, laborers went on strike outside the factory, demanding reemployment as well as fair wages. Risking their own safety and lives, they slept on the sidewalks at night and later went on a hunger strike in the effort to have their voices heard.

After two months of unrelenting protests, H&M and Wal-Mart have sanctioned $200,000 as compensation for lost wages. While this sum is trifling for both companies, it has had a meaningful political impact in the labor movement. Factory workers have been mistreated and oppressed in every corner of the world, from being paid unfair wages to being kept in inhumane working conditions. This group of 200 people had the conviction to stand up for their rights and the courage to face two very powerful corporations. It may be just a grassroots effort, but this could be the beginning of workers banding together against unethical practices and greed of multinational corporations.

NATASHA SHARMA lifestyles editor

In the world of fast fashion and high wardrobe turnover, where big name retailers need clothes to be produced en masse at the lowest possible price, the high cost is ironically borne by the factory workers. Workers at the Kingsland factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia went on strike for two months after the management of the factory closed down all operations and suspended employment for over 200 people without proper and prior notification. One month before the factory shut down, wages were cut by 50 percent without any explanation. The abominably low wages were not accepted by the workers, as they violated Cambodian Labor laws.

The manufacturing of women’s undergarments for multibillion-dollar companies H&M and Wal-Mart is one of the significant productions at Kingsland. For this, workers would earn a meager $60 USD per month; however, when the factory

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9

Sports

10 Game Summaries

A legend speaks: NBA alumnus reflects on career

Boys’ Volleyball: March 5, James Lick, 3-0 March 6, Wilcox, 3-0 March 8, @ Santa Clara, 3-0 March 13, Santa Clara, 3-0 March 15, Eastside Prep, 3-2 March 20, Fremont, 3-2 March 22, Wilcox, 3-2

Boys’ Baseball: March 2, Half Moon Bay, 3-1 March 5, Milpitas, 1-6 March 7, @ Milpitas, 8-12 March 12, Los Gatos, 3-0 March 14, @ Los Gatos, 4-5 March 16, Pinole Valley, 1-14 March 19, Lynbrook, 10-3 March 21, @ Lynbrook, 8-1 March 26, Fremont, 7-6

Girls’ Softball: March 1, @ Harker, 7-4 March 5, @ Santa Clara, 8-6

ANAND HEMMADY copy editor

I have always been a basketball lover. I played as a child throughout elementary school. Like many other children, I had dreams of making it big as a superstar in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Those ambitions were shattered in middle school, though, when I learned that there was something called “defense,” and that other people would actually try to prevent me from scoring. Faced with the fact that I was not NBA material, I put away my basketball shoes and resigned myself to watching the sport on television, accepting my fate as a basketball junkie who would never hit the hardwood or get shoe sponsorships. Little did I know that only a few decades ago, less than two miles away from my house, lived an NBA legend: Kurt Rambis.

When I arrived at the school as a freshman and went into the gym for my first rally, my eyes scanned the rafters. I zoned in on a jersey that read “54 — Rambis.” I recognized that name as belonging to Lakers player from the 1980s. But I never realized that he had attended the school. Ever since then, I was fascinated

by Rambis. I knew that before I left the school, interviewing Rambis was something I wanted to accomplish. Two years, an ambitious tweet, dozens of emails and one kind agent later, I received my opportunity.

Rambis moved to the city as a child and attended local public schools. He grew up around basketball, albeit an informal variety. Since there were no leagues for youth at the time, Rambis played with his neighbors and friends in outdoor courts.

“We would just go down to the local junior high

March 11, Piedmont Hills, 1-10

sports editor

MICHELLE CHEUNG flipside editor

March 15, Silver Creek, 10-9

Standing on the plate and waiting for the perfect pitch to arrive at the

March 20, Milpitas, 2-6 March 22, @ Fremont, 13-8 March 23, Independence, 8-7 March 22, Monterey, 1-13

Boys’ Track March 7, Fremont, 78-45

Girls’ Track March 7, Fremont, 74-53 March 14, @ Monta Vista, 73-54

Jersey: 15 Position: P, OF Ht/Wt: 6’0”/185 Class: Junior Overall: 6-7-0 League: 3-4-0

March 21, @ Santa Clara, 76-51 March 30, @ De Anza, Team Championship

as a player, Rambis coached for the Lakers. He was the head coach for one season when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, two legends infamous for their poor relationship, were on the team.

Said Rambis, “They were both young, they were both trying to establish dominance on the team, they both kind of had that alpha dog personality, so there was a lot going on in the locker room, we’ll put it that way.”

He later served as an assistant coach for the Lakers and later the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Currently, Rambis is a broadcaster for the Lakers with Time Warner Cable.

Looking back, Rambis has only fond memories of his time in the school.

“I had a chemistry class that I enjoyed, [an] English class too. I had a great time in high sc hool. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the classroom and playing and the friends that I had there. I always look back on high school as one of the greatest times of my life. I hope that everyone else that’s gone to [the school] looks at going to school there ... that way.”

ABHISHEK ZAVERI

March 13, @ Gunn, 5-6

March 21, @ Santa Clara, 71-56

and shoot baskets outside,” Rambis said. “There was no league, no parental supervision, nothing like that.”

Rambis’ first exposure to organized basketball was in high school. Understandably, many of his greatest memories from high school are the victories that his team achieved.

“We had a really good freshman team,” Rambis said. “And then sophomore year, we ended up going to the quarterfinals of the area tournament. In my junior and senior years, we ended up winning CCS … and we ended up playing at Stanford. We all grew up together, that’s what was fun about it ... some of us went all the way back to elementary school.”

Rambis’ path to the NBA was not a smooth one.

After graduating from the school, Rambis attended Santa Clara University. He was then drafted to the NBA by the New York Knicks but was cut and went overseas to play in Greece for one year. Upon returning, Rambis tried out for and was given a contract by the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the national championship that very year. The Lakers team Rambis played for was known as the Showtime Lakers and is considered to be one of the greatest teams of all time, boasting notable players such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

“There were obstacles in my way, so I didn’t feel for sure that I was going to make it [to the NBA] until I actually did,” Rambis said. “It was a culmination of great joy; we ended up winning a championship, and I ended up starting my rookie year. It was pretty amazing. We enjoyed each other as teammates ... it was just an incredible time.”

Rambis later played for the newly founded Charlotte Hornets. In one game, he made the game winning shot against a Chicago Bulls team led by the most famous basketball player of all time: Michael Jordan.

COURTESY OF Upon retiring KURT RAMBIS

Batting against the odds

March 8, Homestead, 1-12

March 14, @ Monta Vista, 84-43

March 29, 2013

COURTESY OF BILL WALSTROM

mound is an aspect of baseball that fuels anxiety in the minds of many players who wish to hit the next home run for their team. Those who master it, and conquer this anxiousness lead the team to victory and are able to showcase their true talents on a larger scale than they could have ever imagined.

Starting from the time he was in elementary school, Junior Morgan Saenz has continuously attempted to achieve this goal of excellence in baseball, and has tremendously succeeded in doing so through consistent practice and perseverance. Despite the trepidation of competition and failure, Saenz has driven the team to triumphant wins by applying the skills he had learned as a Little League player to the big leagues.

At the very beginning, Saenz was directly inspired by his father, a college baseball athlete, to pursue baseball as his primary sport at the age of four. His methods of practice, technique and form began to form around this age and became developing as he moved up the ranks in his local Homestead Little League, a competitive baseball league that encourages kids to push their potential talents to the test through rigorous scrimmages and games. Within this team, he was able to consistently earn the distinction of

“Home-Run King” every season and play on the All-Star team as well. Even though the season is year-round, Saenz remained persistent in his vision and never withdrew from the league, which remains true to this day.

“It’s competitive, but my whole family supports me on baseball,” Saenz said. “Even though, my dad is the only one that comes to the games, my grandmother and mother support me too.”

As for his career on the baseball team, Saenz is dominating his team’s batting roster as designated hitter, earning Most Valuable Player for Junior Varsity last year. Although he does not play a defensive position, Saenz has pitched a few times for the team against formidable teams. His greatest feat this season has been hitting two home runs for the team, which is a great improvement over the team’s total of zero last year. Because of these successes in the most recent season, Saenz has been considering placing baseball as one of his top priorities in the future.

“It’s hard to get into good colleges especially when you’re going to Cupertino High School and trying to get baseball in college,” Saenz said.

“It would be my dream to get a scholarship for baseball though.”

While it is his second to last year at bat for the team, Saenz’s desire to enter college baseball by performing well for college scouts at CCS and League Championship is strong. In order to attain his goal of playing for Arizona State University as a starting batter, Saenz has to maintain the work ethic, admiration for the game and his ability to work well with his teammates, which he undoubtedly has acquired the determination for in the past season.

The Prospector

March 29, 2013

Sports

11

Leaving a mark Borges temporarily retires for new child JASON CHEN

AZADEH RONGERE editor-in-chief

After coaching one of the most successful teams on campus for seven years, varsity field hockey coach Jill Borges, who is five months pregnant with a boy, will temporarily retire to take care of her three children.

The varsity field hockey team has been ranked in the top five of their league ever since Borges began coaching. Back in 2000, before Borges coached, the team won the C-league in the Blossom Hill Valley League and advanced to the B-league. With Borges coaching, the team held steady top rankings and qualified for CCS five years in a row. This past season the team finally won the league title in the B-league after being co-champions with Leland HIgh School the year before.

Besides just coaching, Borges is also a P.E. teacher. Prior to coaching field hockey, Borges also coached varsity girls tennis and varsity girls soccer. While she enjoyed these experiences, coaching field hockey has been her favorite due to her longtime love for the game.

“I love coaching; it’s the best part of my job,” Borges said. “I

get to hang out with the team and get to know the players better than any other students. In my [P.E.] classes I have 40 to 45 kids, so I can’t get to know everyone on a personal level. And I love the competition.”

Borges, who attended Monta Vista High School, played as a goalie and was captain her senior year. She was eager to start coaching when she was first hired at the school, but since the position was filled she was unable to. Two years after she began coaching tennis, Borges started coaching JV field hockey and became the varsity coach in 2009.

Borges is proud of the players she groomed, all of whom try out with no prior experience, into skilled athletes. One of these athletes, senior Jackie Ballin, recently accepted an athletic scholarship to Mercy College.

“The reason I coach is to make sure the girls have a good experience and make sure they leave high school feeling like they accomplished something,” Borges said. “It’s very sad for me to leave because I love the team. And I am okay with making sacrifices to coach, but not when my sacrifices are my kids. I feel like I would have been selfish to continue to coach.”

Borges considers the field hockey team an extension of her

The art of

Kyudo COURTESY OF MIRA SIMMEL

LAURA KAO features editor

For juniors Mira Simmel and Hyewan Kim, kyūdō is not simply an after school sport, but a martial art that involves the mind, body and spirit.

The ancient art of kyūdō originated in Japan and is known as “the way of the bow.” Unlike Western archery, practicing kyūdō is not merely nocking an arrow, aiming at the target and shooting. There is an entire concept and art form in which the archer’s spirit is heavily trained.

According to Simmel, the ideal archer is supposed to be able to “stand quietly without any interference from outside, not thinking about anything else except for the target or your shooting or your spirit. You don’t [consciously] let go of the string, [it is] supposed to naturally slip out of your hand.”

Requiring an entire textbook to explain its details, kyūdō is a complicated art form. There are different movements, postures and hand positions depending on the situation.

As seen from the basic greetings that demonstrate deference to one’s senior, speaking in honorifics and cleaning the practice area, kyūdō is built on a system of respect.

“I used to not be a very patient person ... but then because of the slow movements, [kyūdō] teaches you patience, inner peace, discipline and manners,” Simmel said. “I am half

Japanese, but because I haven’t lived in Japan, I didn’t completely understand the manners or the ‘keigo’ – the proper way of talking to an upperclassman. Since I’ve started, I talk [in a] more proper way … [I now avoid] things that I shouldn’t do or things that would embarrass not myself, but my teachers instead.”

In addition to their weekly two and a half hour practices, Simmel and Kim’s kyūdō group rents out the Foothill College gym to have a full 28-meter range for practice.

“For me, learning about the Japanese culture is really fun,” Kim said. “I can learn more about the Japanese people by learning about the rules that apply to kyūdō because this is a sport that requires etiquette and respect towards the teacher, or ‘sensei.’”

Despite kyūdō’s intense attention to detail and overall complexity, it develops a sense of community among those who practice the art form. There is a long lineage of senpai who pass along their knowledge and appreciation of kyūdō to their students. At the international seminars, students are able to meet students from other groups in countries from the United States to Brazil to many others. Athletes able to come together during the week to shoot for fun and share what they know about kyūdō.

As kyūdō is such and international sport, Simmel and Kim know that wherever they choose to go, they can continue practicing it, whether they remain in the United States or travel to Japan.

own family, which made her decision to leave even more difficult.

“I didn’t plan not to coach next year, but as I started thinking about the logistics of how I could raise [my daughters] Brooklyn and Emry and the newborn while coaching seemed impossible. I mean the girls love coming to the games, but they have to be the first ones dropped off and the last ones picked up from daycare because I choose to coach. It came to a point where it just seemed unfair for my own kids.”

Even though Borges found her replacement, she did not disclose the name. Borges’ last day of school will be on April 23, while her caesarean section is scheduled on May 22.

Borges’ farewell bid is not permanent, but she still expressed her gratitude for the teams that made field hockey one of the most successful sports on campus.

When her children go to school, she wants to resume coaching and she even looks forward to coaching her daughter’s team in the future.

“Ultimately, I want to thank all of my players for being there and choosing to play, being enthusiastic about it, and putting forth the effort we needed to win,” Borges said. “I can’t take all the credit because we had a great and crazy team.”

Flip Side

March 29, 2013

12

MARCH IN PHOTOS

NIRMIT SHAH

THU DAM

JASON CHEN

BOYS VOLLEYBALL | Senior Patrick Johnson spikes the ball over the opponent’s block in a game against Fremont High School

WEST SIDE STORY | Senior Ariana Banks grieves the death of Tony, played by senior Martin Nguyen, in this classic musical production

WINTER SPORTS RALLY | Senior David Hong is dragged across the gym in a race against the sophomores and juniors

INTERNATIONAL WEEK | Two soccer players battle it out in a friendly, school-wide competition at lunch

Brian Shin and his journey to Korean stardom Senior Brian Shin, who traveled to South Korea in October to compete in the televised singing contest KPOP STAR, tells of his experiences in reality TV and sharing the spotlight with his boy band, the Raccoon Boys.

I am the youngest. I was in charge of the vocals and rearranging the songs for us to perform (like Thriller, Like This, Run Devil Run). All three of us brought something special to the group.

Q: Did you keep in contact with your friends in Cupertino?

A: I tried my best to stay in contact with my friends, but it was really hard because of the time difference. I did webcam a lot of my friends every week, and they would send me emails and messages about how school was going.

Q: How has your schedule changed?

A: When we made it to Top 10 we would start everyday at 7:30 a.m. and besides eating breaks, rehearse until 11:00 p.m. We would also often go to skin care, live band and singing rehearsals, get fitted for performance clothing, dance rehearsals, interviews and VCR and studio recording.

Q: Did you ever feel lonely in the competition?

A: Being by myself in Korea without my parents and friends made me very lonely at times, but I overcame it by talking to my friends and family whenever I could. When we entered the Top 10 stage, we weren’t allowed to use the internet or phone, so I was disconnected with my OF friends and family for more than COURTESY BRIAN SHIN three months and that was really hard for me too. Everybody in the competition felt lonely by then and the only thing we had was each other.

Q: What’s it like working with the other two boys?

A: At first when we were put into the Raccoon Boys, it was really awkward because we barely knew each other and all three had different interests and musical backgrounds. But once we started practicing and rehearsing, we clicked and started to connect. We somehow found mutual interests and really bonded. By the time we were out of the show, we were closer than real brothers; they were like older brothers I never had. Minseok, who is the oldest and the rapper of the group, is very talented in writing. His Korean rap has always been praised during the competition. McKay, the second oldest, is in charge of the accoustics and vocals.

Q: So what happens now?

A: We aren’t allowed to use Twitter, Instagram or Facebook before the show officially ends on April 7th. I am still scheduled to appear on two more episodes for special performances. Once the show ends, the writers/ producers will let us know which record labels are interested in us.

Q: What’s the scariest thing about being on television?

A: Before the live shows, I was really scared about being on TV because the episodes before live shows are edited.

However once we got into live shows, knowing that every little move, every little thing you say will be broadcasted live throughout the nation was even more freaky.

Q: Is there anything you learned about yourself?

A: I learned a lot of things. One of the most important things I realized when I was out of the competition was that I was scared of myself, more than anything else in the world.

During the show I went through a breakdown, because I thought I wasn’t good enough. Once I knew I was my own worst critic, I gained a lot of confidence on the stage.

COMPILED BY ALYA OMAR CHRIS CAI

NEXT MONTH: APRIL Spring Break

April Fool’s Day

Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19

Monday, April 1

Star Testing

Spring Band Concert

Tuesday, April 23 - Friday, April 26

Wednesday, April 10

Clubs Day

Blood Drive

Monday, April 29

Friday, April 12

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JASONSHAH CHEN NIRMIT

COURTESY OF LUCY CHIAN

West Side Story: Relive this classic musical in the online photo album

NIRMIT SHAH

DANCE COMPETITION | Junior Rachel Bell performs the choreography to “Musicology” at the districtwide competition

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THU DAM

Don’t talk to me about diets YOUSEPH PAVLOVIC lifestyles assistant

The key to fasting is taking it slow.

You have to slow down the normal routine of your day, slow down your physical and mental processes and find peace in the hunger that you can’t take your mind off of. I fasted for 48 hours, from Monday night to Wednesday night. The day before I was set to start my fast, I read up about fasting in nervous preparation.

I learned that while it is often done for religious or political reasons, many people choose to fast for health reasons too. I read about a 456-pound Scottish man who went over a year without anything but supplement pills. Afterwards, many of his health problems had been cured, and he lost 276 pounds. This comforted me. Two days? Child’s play. I would be able to breeze through it.

How wrong I was.

Fasting challenges your mind as much as it challenges your body. I found that I went through cycles during the day, peaks and valleys. I don’t usually eat a lot in the morning, so going to school without breakfast (ever realize it’s really break-fast?) wasn’t a big deal.

During the day, there were points when I felt energized, invigorated and focused. But then there were low points, when I was tired and lethargic and unable to focus at all.

These were usually sparked by mentions of food, or the sight or smell of it.

The evening was brutal. I excused myself from dinner and stayed in my room. The smell and sight of a table filled with food was too much for my fraught nerves. It didn’t help much. I thought about food. I had visions of food. I listened to songs about food. I couldn’t get it off my mind. When I woke up the next morning, I had the dreadful realization that I had another twelve hours to go. No breakfast. The clumps of broccoli in the vegetable-basket looked like a stack of pancakes. The tomatoes looked like juicy apples. I forced myself away from the kitchen and its temptations.

But I made it through the second day with less speedbumps than the first. My brain seemed to realize that it’s pleas for food would not be satiated, and so it moved on to other things. I found peace in it, and I almost forgot that I was ending my fast that night.

You don’t realize how precious food is until you’re deprived of it. I sat down for my first post-fast meal with a deepened appreciation for the food before me. Fasting can feel like torture while you’re doing it. But afterwards, it is humbling to realize that people go hungry by no choice of their own. We’re fortunate to live in a part of the world where food is cheap and readily available. I never want to take this for granted again, so I plan on making fasting routine.