MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
VOL. 52, NO. 8
May 5, 2017
41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
Trials begin for new drop-off system Robson Homes sponsors improvements to drop-off loops on Palm Avenue
By Ian Hsu & Maggie Zhao Staff Writers Students, parents, and faculty tested a new traffic configuration starting May 1. As part of the new plan sponsored by Robson Homes, two additional drop-off zones were outlined in a trial plan hoping to reduce traffic on Palm Avenue. One drop-off zone will potentially be in the horseshoe, and the other will be in the previous staff parking lot. The drop off lanes are a result of Robson Homes’ new construction of houses on land across Mission Boulevard from MSJ, approved by the Fremont City Council on March 14. As part of the proposal, Robson Homes also agreed to construct a driveway for MSJ student drop-offs on Mission Boulevard to improve traffic flow along Palm Avenue. The original proposed plan called for only a single loop near the north side of campus, but it was recently modified to include more access points. If the trial run of the traffic configuration goes well, the horseshoe will no longer be used for office parking, and will instead be renovated into a drop-off loop intended to decrease traffic on Palm Avenue as per the modified plan. The horseshoe parking spaces would then be available to visitors only. In addition, the current staff parking lot would be reconfigured into a second drop-off loop. The only entrance to the staff parking lot would be the main three-lane entrance on Palm Avenue, and cars would exit through a new lane leading back out to Palm Avenue. Staff would park in the student parking lot, and students would need to park closer to the soccer fields, as there will be no construction extending the student parking lot.
Robson Homes Project Manager Jake Lavin, who is in charge of the design and construction process, said that “the plan [will] give parents multiple locations on the campus to drop off their students. With the construction of a new drop-off loop on Mission Boulevard, and the two new drop-off loops created on Palm Avenue, there will be separate and distinct drop-off loops and routes for parents approaching the school from the south, the west, and the north. Parents will be able to plan accordingly to use the route that works best for them.” Assistant Principal Jeff Evans said, “The traffic has been an ongoing problem for the last three years I’ve been assistant principal — to figure out how to solve traffic in the morning, and now when Robson Homes stepped up to build houses on the hill they said they would help us build some things and so this is part of the agreement.” Lavin believes the new plan will ultimately be more successful because “this approach has been used successfully elsewhere in the School District. There is currently no drop-off locations on the campus, and no ability to turn around on Palm Avenue. The street is being used for the drop-off and that slows everyone down. The new plan moves the drop-off activity onto the campus, and allows drivers to return in the same direction as their approach. There will still be congestion on Palm Avenue due to the convergence of so many cars at the same time, but the new configuration should keep parents moving in a more orderly fashion.” Construction for the trial test began on April 13, when Robson Homes construction crews coned off the staff parking lot. The sidewalk curb was
Alumni panel gives advice MSJ alumni speak about their journeys on unconventional career paths By Stephanie Dutra, Andrew Kan, Anagha Mandayam & Julia Park Staff Writers MSJ hosted an alumni panel open to students and parents at 6:30 p.m. on April 6 in the A-Wing Flex Room. The panel featured seven successful alumni who followed unconventional career paths to reach where they are now. After a brief introduction from each alumnus, Assistant Principal Jeff Evans asked the alumni questions about their goals and experiences during and after high school.
Evans’s first question was, “What were your goals in high school? How have they evolved since graduating?” Social Studies Teacher and Class of 2008 Alumnus Spenser Peterson replied how during high school he had just wanted to complete high school and attend Boston College. However, he realized in college that he enjoyed working with students and wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, which motivated him to become a teacher. Class of 2007 Alumna Grace Chiu, who is currently a public middle school teacher in San Francisco, added that although she had originally wanted to simply experience life outside of Fremont,
Top: Robson Homes’s plan for the proposed drop-off system. Bottom left: Northbound cars enter the horseshoe to drop students off on May 1. Bottom Right: Eastbound cars drive through the new loop in the current staff parking lot.
removed soon afterwards and several staff parking spaces were removed as well. These modifications are only temporary, as the new arrangement is only for a trial run. If the trial run is unsuccessful, the temporary lines will simply be painted over and the traffic situation will return to its previous state until
photos by staff writers ian hsu and maggie zhao. courtesy robson homes
she now wants to positively affect those around her. Before Evans moved on to the next question, Class of 2010 Alumna Emmeline Wang, who has her own coffee blog and works for Saint Frank Coffee, and Class of 2009 Alumnus Jose Ruvalcaba, who has worked for both NASA and Google, discussed the importance of having a positive perspective and following your passion. The rest of the panel continued in a similar fashion and covered a variety of topics such as the challenges they faced, how MSJ had prepared them for life beyond high school, and how the meaning of success has changed for them as they grew older. Class of
“Life after MSJ is so much different . . . You get exposed to a diversity of different people that don’t come from the same community or background as you.” — Class of 2009 Alumnus Alan Ngo
Students and parents attend the alumni panel presentations. INTERACTIVE BOBA MAP
staff writer stephanie dutra
The Smoke Signal compiled a list of 12 milk shops that are not so well-known at MSJ, but deserve recognition all the same. Check out the map online to learn more!
a better plan is proposed. While the outcome of the trial is yet to be seen, Lavin has a “high degree of confidence that the new traffic configuration will ultimately prove to be an improvement over the current situation.” ▪
2010 Alumnus Jai Kakkar, who owns three businesses and is starting a fourth, said, “Success to me now is being in a state of mind that makes you happy.” Wang also originally had a different perception of the word success, thinking it entailed making a lot of money. However, after her mother was hospitalized, her priorities changed and she began to pursue her passion for coffee. Wang said, “When you are happy and you are finding a purpose you can serve, the money is just a byproduct, a score for what you are serving.” Students and parents were given the opportunity to ask questions following the panel. Common questions parents had included how to best support their
MEET THE 2017-18 CLASS OFFICERS
The Smoke Signal reached out to the incoming class officers to discuss their plans and goals for the incoming year. Read on to see what they have to say!
staff writer stephanie dutra
Class of 2009 Alumnus Jose Ruvalcaba and Class of 2010 Alumnus Jai Kakkar present their experiences during the alumni panel.
children in MSJ’s competitive environment, while students inquired about dealing with peer pressure. Class of 2009 Alumnus Alan Ngo, a technical recruiter at Facebook said, “Life after MSJ is so much different . . . You get exposed to a diversity of different people that don’t come from the same community or background as you.” Class of 2012 Alumnus Matt Farberov, a US military intelligence officer, also said, “Realize that what you’re in at the very moment is not the end all, be all. Anyone who can say with a straight face that they’ve never failed is lying to you. I’m sure everyone up here has failed at one point or another.” Parents and students had the opportunity to talk with the alumni one-on-one following the panel. Evans hopes that the alumni panel had shed light on a diverse set of possible futures after high school and hopes to host the panel again this fall. He said, “The theme of tonight is journeys, and the different journeys we have.” ▪
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FOR MORE COVERAGE,
VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG