The Epitaph, Volume 59, Issue 6, 2021-2022

The Epitaph

School Spirit

on In-Depth, page 8-9

Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

By Joss Broward and Bobby Gorelick with additional reporting by Harshita Vijayakumar Giglio said moving the skinny FUHSD finalized a new bell schedule for next year following day back to Monday will allow the passage of California Senate the shorter periods to be used Bill 328 in 2019, which requires as check-ins at the beginning of all public high schools to start no the week. This year, he said, many teachers used skinny Wednesdays earlier than 8:30 a.m.

The week will begin with stu- to review for tests, consequently dents attending all classes for a overloading students with exams shorter period of time on Monday on Thursdays and Fridays. With and will follow a block schedule the skinny day on Monday, testmodel with alternating classes for ing can be more evenly spread out over the week. the rest of the week.

Despite the positives, however, “For the first time in my 29 years here, all five comprehensive Giglio said the schedule has its high schools will be on the same downsides.

“The days ending at 3:50 p.m. schedule next year,” associate superintendent Tom Avvakumovits are going to be a push,” Giglio said. “If said. you have Prinathletics c i p a l “If you have athletics or activGreg Gior activities on those ities on glio said days, you’re going to those students’ miss more class.” d a y s , s l e e p you’re will ben-Principal going efit from Greg Giglio to miss the later m o r e start. Adclass. ditionally, because the schedule is shared We have to come up with a plan by all FUHSD schools, sites have to help folks with that.”

Avvakumovits said the district the ability to share teachers, and students may be able to go to dif- began a process to create the new ferent schools to take classes not schedule, working with the teacher’s union and representatives offered at HHS.

70.9%

Illustration by Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

NEW BELL SCHEDULE FINALIZED BY DISTRICT

Friday, April 15, 2022

of students feel they were not able to provide en ough input on th e new sch edule

from all sites.

“The initial polling by the teachers did not want three tutorials, but after seeing the student voice so dramatically in favor of three, it shifted the vote,” Avvakumovits said. “I like that because sometimes teachers unions are accused falsely of not taking into account what’s best for students or what the students say.”

English teacher Ashley Pitta said she expressed interest in being part of the HHS bell schedule committee when an email was sent out in October.

“There were representatives from each department that talked about what we don’t like about the schedule,” Pitta said, “what the kids don’t like about the schedule and what the options are.”

Pitta said she was asked to be a part of a meeting at the district office, where all five sites gathered to present different schedule options. Ultimately, the final schedule was a combination of

% 3 .

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Based on a survey of 429 students

Vol. 59, Issue 6

Read about

t cerned abou n o c re a ts n time of stude later lunch ’s le u d e h c the s

78.6%

of stu d the s ents are co chedu le’s la ncerned a bout ter en ding time

CHS’s a n d LHS’s proposed schedules.

JV soccer athlete Emma Fiedler said she dislikes the new bell schedule because it interferes with sports.

“We’re going to be practicing in the dark,” Fielder, a sophomore, said. “We could be scheduled to play a game and it’ll either be dark or it’ll conflict with our classes since we get out so late.”

Giglio said regardless of what the bell schedule is, there will be both positives and negatives.

“There’s going to be something good and something that people don’t like,” Giglio said.

“This schedule is close enough to what we’ve done before so it’s

DECLINING ENROLLMENT CONTINUES DISTRICTWIDE Incoming freshman class predicted to be smaller than previous three years

By Madhavi Karthik tor of data and assessment Denae Nurnberg said.

Due to the loss in sections, Nurnberg said sharing teachers among different sites may become more frequent when scheduling classes.

“Somet i m e s [course requests align] perfectly with staffing, because when you have staff that are tenured and DECLINING ENROLLMENT PERSISTS: Since are owed 2018, enrollment has decreased by 6%.

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Data courtesy of ED-Data Infographic by Madhavi Karthik

As the trend of declining enrollment becomes increasingly apparent among FUHSD campuses, HHS is predicted to lose 16 sections, or periods of classes, in the upcoming year, coordina-

FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOLS

F O U N D A T I O N

employment, we have to make it all magically work together,” Nurnberg said. “[But] now, the number of course requests do not necessarily align with the staffing demands, and we have to figure out where to put the sections in order to balance out student interest with staffing demands. It’s not a simple process because it is interdependent on all the schools in the district.”

In the past when LHS faced prominent enrollment decline issues, the Community Advisory Committee – an organization comprised of local educators, parents and staff members – formulated the Lynbrook Supplemental School Assignment

News Opinion Lifestyles

Plan as a solution, director of administrative services Jason Crutchfield said. The LSSAP allows 8th grade students residing within qualifying boundaries to attend LHS, and was renewed by the Board of Trustees for the 2022-23 school year, according to the FUHSD website.

Once the CAC reconvenes in the fall, Nurnberg said members will review whether the LSSAP is meeting the needs of enrollment to sustain the comprehensive high school offerings.

“We are looking at how to offer a robust electives program and sports program that we [attend] to as a district for all five of our schools,” Nurnberg said.

“In a declining enrollment era,

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Arts & Culture Sports Spotlight

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we might have to think about what that means but we’ve been able to maintain and grow programs over the last decade and a half because of growing enrollment.”

In regards to extracurricular activities, Nurnberg said despite the continuous decline in enrollment, the district is not looking to cut a specific program.

“Removing programs is not the conversation we’re having,” Nurnberg said. “It’s about how do we continue to use what we have in place and think about solutions to provide ongoing access for students so that we aren’t cutting anything.”

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News

Friday, April 15, 2022

NEWS IN A MINUTE

By Madhavi Karthik

Local:

New statewide legislation makes abortions more affordable: Although the state of California already mandates insurance companies to cover abortions, they have been able to charge clients for copays and deductibles, according to the California Health Benefits Review Program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation eliminating these additional charges, according to The Sacramento Bee.

National:

Yellowstone National Park celebrates 150 years: Becoming the country’s first national park under President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration, Yellowstone National Park officially turns 150 years old, according to the National Park Service.

To honor the park and its prominent figures, Yellowstone will be hosting activities held March to August to reflect upon obstacles and achievements the park has experienced.

Multicultural week promotes cultural appreciation

By Ashley Orozco Plata and Hope Saena Photo by Saira Ahmed Cultural decorations in the halls and performances during lunch marked the beginning of multicultural week, which took place from Mar. 28 to Apr. 1. Since it has been two years since multicultural week took place in person, EL commissioner, junior Yu Jiun Chen said she hoped to bring the event back in full swing.

“We weren’t as exposed to multicultural week when we were MULTICULTURAL PERFORMANCES: Indopak perfreshman so this year, forms classical dances to showcase their culture. our main goal was to sold jambalaya, she said. promote it as much as we can,” Chen “We made lots [of money] and we had said.

Multicultural week is a spirit week a great time interacting with the people meant to showcase and embrace all coming to our booth,” Neely said. “My faethnic clubs currently present at HHS, vorite part of the night was going to supChen said. Additionaly, unlike previ- port all my friends and their clubs as well ous years, changes had been imple- as them coming to my booth and supportmented this year to improve outreach, ing me.”

As an attendee, junior Shamus Grass Chen said.

“We partnered up with the PTSA to said he enjoyed talking to all the students make a more widespread event,” Chen and learning about different cultures as said. “We have been involving parents well as trying different kinds of food.

Grass said he learned a lot about Latand filling the schedule with perforinx culture and enjoyed participating in mances.”

In addition to broadening the au- the events Spanish National Honor Socidience of the event, Chen said multi- ety and Latinx Student Union hosted.

“The events that the Spanish club cultural night included new elements such as an art gallery and fashion show. hosted were interesting,” Grass said.

“We required each club to have “Bringing a pinata was a good choice as it a representative to walk in cultural seems to be important [to] the celebration clothing,” Chen said. “For [the art gal- aspect [of the culture].”

The primary highlight of the event, lery], clubs hung up cultural art in the however, was the unification of cultures, cafeteria.”

Grass said.

Xochitl Neely, vice president of the “I would attend another multicultural Black Student Union, said multicultural night was an enjoyable expe- night next year,” Grass said. “The hands rience and a major success. The BSU on experience was great.”

Photo by Dan Penalosa

ETHNIC CLUBS UNITE: Students learn about world cultures through clubs.

International:

Taliban revokes agreement to permit girls to return to school: After prohibiting girls from attending school since the Taliban assumed power of the nation in August, Afghan girls enrolled in above grade 6 expected to return to school the week of Mar. 21 as promised by officials, according to The New York Times. However, the Taliban revoked their decision and said girls would only be allowed to return once they have reached a consensus of appropri-

ate attire compatible with Islamic law.

As Afghanistan continues to face a humanitarian crisis, many countries have agreed to only provide aid if the Taliban agreed to reform girls’ education. With a U.N. conference set to take place in the near future to discuss assisting Afghanistan while a sizable number of citizens experience starvation, The New York Times reported, the Taliban’s broken promise may affect donor countries’ decisions.

Substitute shortage affects classes

The lack of substitutes pose difficulties for teachers, students to continue lessons

By Nina Vasquez Cruz, Ariana Tejeda Moreno and Esmeralda Villalobos Soriano With in-person instruction this year being unlike any other due to the pandemic, HHS has found it more difficult to place substitute teachers in classes more than ever, principal Greg Giglio said.

“It’s been hard after the pandemic because a lot of the substitutes tend to be older, so they are a little freaked out about being exposed to COVID,” Giglio said.

Teachers have also been sent home or stayed home more often, Giglio said.

“There are a lot of days when there aren’t enough substitutes to cover the classes for absent teachers. With the necessity of isolating for a positive test, teachers have had to be absent more than we usually would,” literature teacher Kirk Hinton said.

When substitute teachers are needed, the administration contacts all substitutes and teachers already on campus with a prep period asking if they are willing to cover. To facilitate the transition for students, administrators prefer having HHS teachers and regular substitutes who are familiar with the school, Giglio said.

However, needed staff who are substituting during their prep periods cause them to lose valuable time, Giglio said. Teachers spend their prep periods planning lessons, grading, writing emails, having meetings and more.

To compensate teachers for their lost time, there has been an increase in hourly pay for staff that give up their prep period to substitute for other classes. If there is no temporary substitute available, the administrative staff steps in to help until there is someone available.

When administrators are needed to substitute a class, it requires them to have to rearrange their days as they have other obligations such as meetings and other work that needs to be completed, Giglio said.

“It is stressful for Nancy Navarro, who is the [administrator] who makes sure that openings are covered and that subs have the proper instructions.” Giglio said.

“When admin does cover, we tend to have to rearrange our schedules or move meetings, but our schedules are much more flexible. It is nice as an administrator to step out of the office and be closer to students, as we were once teachers too.”

The continuous need for substitute teachers at HHS can also have impacts on students’ ability to learn. Teachers are able to identify which students will need more support and can reach out to struggling students. Without having this reinforcement, students may feel lost and can

have a hard time when following different lesson plans in class, which can result in them falling behind, Giglio said.

“For those who have substituted on a regular basis, capabilities like how to be effective when teaching or how to best manage a class have been improved over time,” substitute teacher David Keay said.

“A new substitute will take a longer time to become more effective. Students may not have the ideas of the class subject presented as well.”

Photo by Esmeralda Villalobos Soriano

HARD AT WORK: Kirk Hinton fills in to

substitute for class.

PAGE DESIGN BY CHRISTINE KIM AND DAN PENALOSA

News

Friday, April 15, 2022

Class of 2023 officers prepare for prom

3

Officers considered decorations, prices, advertising

By Naomi Baron, Bobby Gorelick and Shreya Partha Robbed of their sophomore year and with minimal exposure to the high school experience in their freshman year, junior prom was the first major event for the class of 2023, class president, junior Josie Cho said.

“It’s been a roller coaster experience planning junior prom, especially since it’s the first junior prom in three years,” class treasurer Ivy Zhan said. “So we didn’t really know what to expect.

Getting ticket sales, decorations, advertising and touring the venue was a major part of planning.”

In preparation for prom, leadership students advertised the event by posting QR codes around campus, Zhan said.

“We want the venue to be lit up,” Cho said. “We ordered over $800 worth of flowers to be delivered to my house where we made floral centerpieces.”

Located at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom, the prom also featured a vast array of desserts,

a photo booth, a chocolate fountain and a sundae bar, Cho said.

“The location of the Corinthian is a really nice place. It had a lot of rooms and a balcony,” Cho said. “We could see the whole main ballroom and it had really high ceilings.

There [was] a red carpet going into the venue.”

Ticket prices were $50 for students with ASB and $60 for those without ASB, class secretary, junior Megan Lucas said. “[Planning the prom] has been a challenge because we needed to have enough money to cover the venue and food costs,” Lucas said.

“But we did fundraisers and sold our tickets at a price that would [make profit]. It’s been fun, but some points can be more stressful than others.”

Cho said there is a lot that goes into planning prom and while leadership has always promoted their events, advertising for prom required more involved promotion.

“Some of us had concerns that we priced it too high, but our main goal was to try to earn a little bit of profit so we can start planning senior prom as well,” Zhan said.

However, Zhan said discussions over whether to change

“It’s been a roller coaster experience planning junior prom, especially since it’s the first junior prom in three years” - Ivy Zhan (11)

Photo by Erin Loh the venue date arose when the leadership class was notified the prom was on the day many FBLA students were going to southern California for states.

“We were considering changing the date. But since it was decided two years ago and changing the date would be an extra EXCITED FOR PROM: Juniors attended prom at $5,000, we the Corinthian Grand Ballroom on Apr. 8. didn’t change it,” Zhan said. not go to many formal events.

Junior Katelyn Yap said junior “It [was] one of the biggest prom served as an opportuni- events [I went to] since COVID,” ty for her to experience a major Yap said. “I [was] excited to have high school event for the first somewhat of a normal high time, especially since she does school experience.”

Staff, students recognized for excellence

By Macy Li, Nicole Pimenta Innecco and Chloe Wong

Photo by Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Photo by Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Photo courtesy of Debbie Curley

Photo by Karuna Chandran

Foundation student of the year: Diya Agrawal

Teacher of the year: Christina Graham

Classified staff member of the year: Sarah Loyd

When senior Diya Agrawal heard she was selected as the 2022 foundation student of the year, she said she was surprised, but grateful for the recognition.

“I’m still very shocked that I was chosen out of so many people in our senior class, even though I know I work hard,” Agrawal said.

Agrawal said she suffers from a physical disability called cerebral palsy, which has caused many of her muscles to weaken. She said this condition hinders her ability to write, type and speak.

“In order to be a student, I need to put in a little extra work, and I don’t mind that,” Agrawal said. “I go above and beyond by attending extra tutoring sessions, so I can get the help I need.”

Throughout the years, Agrawal said she has learned to persist through obstacles and achieve her goals.

“If I want a new skill, like learning how to walk with a cane,” she said, “as long as I keep doing it, repeating it and practicing it, success will eventually happen.”

Principal Greg Giglio said Agarwal was chosen for her positive contributions to the HHS community.

“Diya is a student who hasn’t taken the straightest path to get to the end of these four years,” Giglio said.

“But she has worked really hard and shown that she’s not giving up.”

The teacher of the year award recognizes a teacher that exemplifies strategic teaching and has improved their school community, TOTY committee member Paco Arevalo said.

This year, English teacher Christina Graham was selected for recognition by the TOTY committee, a group that consists of previous winners of the award.

Arevalo said Graham embodies leadership and learning, qualities Arevalo said are a positive influence on the students and staff around her.

“She is not just a great teacher, but also a very strong leader on the campus,” Arevalo said. “She is so into learning and promoting the best [teaching] practices in her department. Being in class is just one thing, but there are some teachers that do even more than that. In this case, Christina is an example.”

When Graham learned she had been recognized as the TOTY, she said she was honored to be categorized with the previously awarded teachers.

“This award makes me feel appreciated,” Graham said. “I respect a lot of the previous teachers of the year, and I think they’re amazing teachers, so it feels good to join them. The impact I want to leave is the idea that being a lifetime learner is doing what will improve yourself and make you the person that you want to be.”

School-based therapist Sarah Loyd was voted by staff as the classified staff member of the year, head of CSOTY committee Rick Cardenas said. Cardenas said ballots cast for Loyd praised her for the support she provides students and the positive impacts she has on the community.

“She does a lot of work behind the scenes. She doesn’t get enough credit,” Cardenas said. “She goes above and beyond the call of duty. She talks to kids at night when they need help and has been known to go out into neighborhoods and look for kids that are missing from home. She really touches lots of lives, and people notice that.”

Loyd said she was shocked when she first learned she had been selected as CSOTY. She said she finds it meaningful that her colleagues care deeply about her work and the need for mental health services to be available for students.

Through her job as a school-based therapist, Loyd said she has found it rewarding to witness growth in the students she works with.

“When you see individual progress in a student you’ve known for a while, you know how far that student has come,” Loyd said. “It’s just amazing to see the resilience and the effort they put forth.”

Editors & Reporters Editor–in–Chief Editor–in–Chief Managing Editor Senior News Junior News Senior Opinion Senior Opinion Senior Lifestyles Junior Lifestyles Senior Arts & Culture Junior Arts & Culture Senior Sports Senior Sports Senior Design Junior Design Senior Multimedia

Naomi Baron Shreya Partha Leila Salam Madhavi Karthik Erin Loh Macy Li Ritaja Subrahmanya Karuna Chandran Lia Klebanov Amber Birrell Christine Kim Josh Cantwell-Nahrung Hope Saena Seoyoung Hwang Ashley Orozco Plata Mae Richardson

Junior Multimedia Senior Social Media Junior Social Media Junior Social Media Business Manager Junior Business Manager Web Master Copy Editor Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter

Zeinab Rakhshanderhroo Bobby Gorelick Saira Ahmed Niyatee Jain Yukari E. Hernandez Ariana Juliette Tejeda Moreno Jack Xu Bobby Gorelick Joss Broward Aiko Charon Gaby Cristancho Nicole Kim Keshav Kumar Anushruti Nagarajan Dan Penalosa

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Nicole Pimenta Innecco Raymond Ranbhise Brevin Reed Olivia Shen Lindsey Steel Nina Vasquez Cruz Rajiv Venkatesh Harshitha Vijayakumar Esmeralda Villalobos Soriano Chloe Wong

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Opinion

Friday, April 15, 2022

STAFF EDITORIAL

New bell schedule fails to address community concerns

Stricter penalties fail to curb crime rates

By Keshav Kumar

It is pointless to complain about an issue while ignoring its causes. As fear of a crime wave grows in the Bay Area, according to the LA Times, this is especially true. While it is easy for us to condemn crimes and those who commit them, we must remember when it comes to addressing crime, prevention is just as important as the cure.

Although California has a reputation for embracing progressive attitudes, dissatisfaction with these transformative ideas is beginning

to show. The percent of Californians supporting harsher penalties for property crimes has increased from 30% to 60%, according to Politico.

But these attitudes about rising crime rates are not entirely based in reality. Although cities like San Francisco and Oakland had slight increases in property crime rates in 2021, San Jose, Mountain View and Berkeley all saw decreases, according to the Mercury News. From this mixed evidence, it is difficult to say whether California’s crime rates are out of control.

A l though California’s crime wave may not be i real, public concern yL ac M regarding it certainly d an is.

We must ensure this ar um shift in public opinion vK a sh does not result in the imKe by n plementation of criminal o i t ra st justice policies we know to u l l I be ineffective.

SOLIDIFYING OUR Contrary to popular GAINS: Opposing probelief, “tough-on-crime” gressive reform weakens our society. policies do not work.

Studies show stricter penalties for minor crimes and harsher sentences for adolescent convicts have failed to reduce crime and in fact make first-time convicts more likely to break laws again, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Instead, Bay Area communities must go on the offensive against the social ills that cause crime.

Factors such as substance abuse, unstable home environments and lack of community empowerment create hotbeds for crime, according to the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council. Providing resources to underprivileged communities would create safer and more equitable neighborhoods.

We must cut off crime at the social ills that are its source. Poverty, inequality, and neglect are not things of the past; their impacts are still felt today.

We cannot take our state’s progress for granted; we must fight to ensure it continues.

by

FUHSD while planning sary change could have been the bell schedule and more avoided with more parental consistent timings for meals input in the creation of the could have ensured that stu- bell schedule.

The new schedule should dent health was not harmed not have been finalized withby these changes.

In addition, the change in out further approval from the schedule will also cause prob- community. Although surlems for those participating in veys were conducted, many athletics. With school ending students were not aware that later in the day, athletes would they had the ability to make an need to stay back longer to at- impact in the creation of next tend sports related activities. year’s bell schedule. Surveys Although the bell schedule assessed a limited portion of was intended to give students the FUHSD community and more sleep, it will ultimate- thus did not accurately reprely be ineffective as they will sent their concerns. return home later and are anya hm bra u forced to complete homework S ja ita later in the night.

R Likewise, the new bell schedule will pose challenges for both teachers and parents.

Rush hour falls between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., forcing teachers who live farther away to face more severe traffic congestion.

This problem extends to parents, some of whom drive from their workplaces to pick up their children after school.

With later start times and end times for schools, parents will be forced to go to work later and adapt to picking children up at 4 p.m. as opposed to 3:30 TOO MANY FLAWS: The new bell schedp.m. This unnecesule will hurt staff and students alike. n

have been beneficial.

Perhaps one of the most worrying changes to the schedule is a 25 minute pushback to lunchtime, with the new times for Tuesday and Thursday being 1:30 p.m and Monday being 1:25 p.m. A change in lunch time can increase the risk of developing health issues such as high blood pressure, according to a study published by PubMed. Additionally, the time between brunch and lunch will extend to an hour and 40 minutes, which may be concerning considering that is a long time for students to go without proper nourishment as brunch time is meant for quick, small meals. Not only is the later lunch time for three days a week detrimental, but the inconsistency from the 12:45 lunch time on Wednesdays and Fridays is even harder to fathom. More indepth research conducted by

Illu str at io

The new bell schedule for the upcoming school year has been finalized, revealing a multitude of shortcomings.

Many of the changes fail to meet the needs of the HHS community, and ultimately, the new schedule will negatively impact students, parents and staff members.

Each school in the district created a bell schedule committee to create options for next year’s schedule, English teacher and bell schedule committee member Ashley Pitta said. Although Pitta said the committee tried to account for what teachers and students did not like about the current schedule, students were not consulted on several aspects of the schedule, including lunch time and the effects on school end times.

Students were only given small snippets of information rather than being able to see a physical schedule on which to give feedback. Focus groups based on those most affected, such as student athletes who would have to deal with the change in end times, would

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Beyond asking for community members’ opinions, FUHSD should have worked to understand the community’s perspectives, concerns and insights.

This speaks to an overall issue of transparency on the part of the district when it comes to making major decisions.

While it may be too late to change the new s c h e d u l e, it can serve as a warning for the future.

From this experience, we can learn that when significant decisions are made without proper procedures, they can end up having avoidable harms on everyone involved.

Achieving an equal education Gender-based disparities present in AP Classes

36%

of students in AP literature are male

The class is overwhelmingly female, which can reduce the ability of students to see and understand various perspectives in literature. Books are the pathway to knowledge and having a more gender diverse classroom will enable students to have those critical conversations surrounding gender, race, sexuality and more.

55%

of 242 students in AP US history are female

Unlike AP literature and AP Physics C, AP US history has a balance between males and females. This equality will expose students to peers of different backgrounds, who have a diverse array of perspectives on the material being taught. HHS should try to strike this balance in more of their AP classes, in order to enrich the experiences of students taking them.

of students in AP Physics C are male.

70%

HHS should work to combat the gaping gender inequalities present in science and math education.

By fostering a more inclusive environment and encouraging all students to pursue their interests in STEM subjects, HHS can correct this gender imbalance.

Infographic by Keshav Kumar, Macy Li, and Ritaja Subrahmanya

PAGE DESIGN BY KESHAV KUMAR

Opinion

Friday, April 15, 2022

CAASPP testing must go

Noncitizens deserve right to vote

By Amber Birrell and Ritaja Subrahmanya

to their communities, just like all U.S. citizens do. They pay taxes, run businesses and attend public schools. Their actions benefit the US economy, further demonstrating their importance to society.

Furthermore, the Constitution itself does not explicitly deny noncitizens the right to vote or show evidence that the founders intended suffrage to be exclusive to citizens, according to The Washington Post. Given this, debates over the constitutionality of this issue should not serve as an obstacle.

Fortunately, we are starting to see change. The city of New York will allow noncitizens to vote starting in 2023, according to Politico. This decision will provide noncitizens the opportunity to elect their school boards and must be extended nationwide.

Nearly 250,000 children in the U.S. have parents who are noncitizens, according to the Pew Research Center. Historically, these parents have lacked the ability to advocate for their views or express their perspectives without voting rights.

By allowing noncitizens to vote, they will be able to voice their opinions and bring needed change to the education system their children are influenced by.

Having parents who are not U.S. citizens has given me firsthand insight into how challenging it can be for them to feel heard in their communities or impact the legislation that affects them. The right to vote lies at the core of a democratic nation.

Giving noncitizens voting rights will provide them with a voice in both RIGHT TO VOTE: Allowing noncitizens their own communities to vote will provide them with the chance and beyond. to influence laws that govern them.

Illustration by Seoyoung Hwang

Every election cycle, Americans flock to the polls to cast their ballots, hoping their votes will make a difference. For U.S. citizens, this is another opportunity to make their voices heard.

Yet, the voices of the 25 million DACA recipients in the U.S. are silenced every election, according to Teen Vogue. Ultimately, green card holders and undocumented people should not be denied the right to vote in the country they live in. The U.S. is a country that has long prided itself in democratic ideals and the ability of citizens to influence the laws that govern them. To truly promote democracy, suffrage must be extended to all people.

Everyone living in the US is influenced by elections and all the legislation that is enacted.

The decisions made by elected officials can determine their ways of life. It is simply unjust for them to be denied the right to vote in elections that heavily impact their lives.

In addition, noncitizens contribute

Junior year has been the most stressful year of high school by far. With AP tests, SATs and college applications approaching, levels of stress have been at an all time high.

Each year juniors take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test, a standardized state test that assesses student performance and progress. Since schools are mostly funded by local property taxes, CAASPP testing does not determine school funding. However, the results help schools allocate their resources to best meet students’ academic needs, assistant principal Terri Hannigan said.

Using scores, departments will determine if there are gaps in student learning so they can help improve the curriculum and by extension, student comprehension. Although taking the test does not directly benefit the junior class, it can improve programs for future classes, principal Greg Giglio said.

The state requires schools to have at least 95% of the junior class participate in order to yield an accurate assessment, Hannigan said. If schools do not reach this number, they can receive a penalty on their overall score. This pressure to reach the 95% participation rates placed Illustration by Amber Birrell and Ritaja Surbrahmanya

By Seoyoung Hwang

by the state on schools directly translates to students, causing them unnecessary stress.

The root of the problem lies within the system of standardized testing. Perhaps the largest flaw in standardized testing is that it does not accurately measure student performance, which former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan acknowledged in 2013, according to EdSource. Many unforseen factors on the day of testing such as exhaustion or stress can cause poor performance. Basing one’s entire capabilities on a single test is illogical, as it does not portray their strengths or work throughout the school year.

Additionally, California reports scores by comparing the current students with last year’s students, which is not a productive way to measure growth, according to EdSource. However, external factors could skew this data.

Instead, to track improvement, policymakers should measure the growth of the same students over time to see how they have changed as learners.

As children progress from third to twelfth grade, educators can evaluate trends in their learning to see if a student is struggling, as they would be performing lower than they had previously.

If California wishes to improve student learning, standardized testing is not the way to go. Its rigidity prevents students from thinking creatively and does not account for nonstandard ways of learning.

CAASPP testing requires urgent reform to ensure students and schools receive an accurate assessment of their abilities.

UNNECESSARY ACADEMIC STRESS: Standardized testing

puts additional pressure on students and schools.

Combating HIV crisis lessens COVID-19 impact

By Brevin Reed

COVID-19 variants

20%

tion between COVID-19 and HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two-thirds of the global population living with HIV, according to The Guardian. This region has been a breeding ground for new variants, most notably Beta and Omicron.

HIV is a virus that attacks and weakens the body’s immune system, rendering it vulnerable to other infections.

When COVID-19 infects immunocompromised people, the virus can survive for months inside a person’s body before be40%

60%

80%

Omicron Epsilon Alpha

100%

Infographic by Brevin Reed

After two years of lockdown and millions of deaths, there’s no doubt that COVID-19 has done irreversible harm to communities and lives. Every time it seems COVID-19 may finally be over, a new variant appears, causing a surge of new cases and deaths.

Omicron, which was first identified in South Africa on Nov. 24, has been the most mutated variant by far, with over 50 variations, according to Medical News Today. Many of the damages could have been prevented if medical experts recognized the connec-

Beta Peak Cases

COVID VARIANT EFFECTS: The percent of COVID cases caused

by these variants at their peak from the New York Times.

5

ing fought off, according to FP News. During this time, antibodies neutralize part of the virus, but not the resistant versions.

The surviving viruses multiply, able to evade immune defenses even in healthy individuals.

Disease specialist, scientist Richard Lessells observed an HIV patient infected with COVID-19.

Over the course of six months, the symptoms of the virus subsided, but it rapidly adapted in her body, becoming more resistant to natural immune responses. Many of the mutations found matched those currently in Omicron.

This reveals one of the underlying factors behind the development of COVID-19 variants. In people with HIV, the COVID-19 virus survives within their bodies for a longer duration of time, allowing for the creation of COVID-19 mutations and new variants, according to Medical News Today.

Consequently, a powerful way to combat the spread of COVID-19 is to begin addressing HIV. Decreasing the amount of people infected with HIV will

THE POLITICAL ARENA

By Macy Li

Imagine — a man wrestling with an omnipresent Big Brother, the struggles of a slave who clings to his beliefs and the poignant chronicles of corruption during America’s Gilded Age. This is a supercut of scenes from three influential novels, all of which left a resounding political impact on society: “1984” by George Orwell, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe and “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair.

I have always loved exploring the intersection between literature and politics. Growing up, I have discovered the power of literature to cast light upon injustices and catalyze widespread change.

Take “1984,” a novel that forces us to reflect on the value of free speech, as well as the freedom of thought and expression. In this narrative, the author conveys potent messages about the growing influence of misinformation and propaganda — which are issues that are still pervasive today.

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was a historic piece of literature, often recognized for fueling the start of the Civil War, according to the New Yorker. Published during the time of slavery, this wildly-popular novel shifted the public perception of civil rights and strengthened abolitionist sentiments.

Likewise, in “The Jungle,” Upton Sinclair wove a vivid tale about the corruption plaguing U.S. society, while also raising awareness for the appalling factory conditions during the 19th century. This paved the way for the creation of the Food and Drug Administration, according to The New York Times.

In essence, literature serves as a powerful form of social activism, shaping the minds of readers and transforming institutions across the world. In times of turmoil, we can turn to books to advocate for far-reaching change.

lower the chance of COVID-19 variants emerging, bringing us closer to an end to both of these crises. The best way to do this is to empower developing countries to treat their affected populations.

This is in no way meant to stigmatize HIV patients.

Rather, rich countries should use this new information to look beyond their borders.

Of course, there is a gap in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as well. More than 11 billion vaccines have been administered globally as of March 30, according to The New York Times.

While in the U.S. we are debating whether or not people should receive a fourth dose, only around 500 million doses have gone to Africa, a country with a population of almost 1.4 billion people, according to FP news.

What should be clear is if HIV is not addressed, COVID-19 will continue to spread. To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to address the ongoing HIV crisis.

It is time for the world to take proper action and stop ignoring HIV. PAGE DESIGN BY RAYMOND RANBHISE AND CHLOE WONG

6

Friday, April 15, 2022

Opinion

Life360: the battle between trust and safety

Reputation tainted by bad parenting

App restricts teen privacy

By Josh Cantwell-Nahrung

Know safety, no accidents

Bike education will create a better environment for all

By Anushruti Nagarajan The bell rings and stakes are high as students scramble to get to school on time. Within all the chaos, I frequently see students tripping over each other, getting hurt and upset with each other.

Often, bikers and pedestrians forget to put their safety first.

Lack of education surrounding bike and pedestrian safety increases the risk of accidents, according to the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. There is a lot we can do as a com m u ni ty

to improve the safety of bikers.

At the intersection of Mary Avenue and Homestead Road, bikers share the crosswalk with pedestrians. It can be dangerous to bike while pedestrians are crossing, so when a biker comes to a crosswalk, they must yield to pedestrians. It is even safer to walk bikes in these busy intersections to ensure bikers have full control of their bike. Most students do not do this, as they are not aware of the grave

consequences their small actions can potentially cause.

Incorporating bike safety lessons into our advisories can help educate students on traffic etiquette to ensure they follow the rules of the road. Additionally, FUHSD should also post rules and regulations, such as traffic laws and safety videos on their school websites.

Once students arrive at school, more problems arise with a lack of bike racks. Often, bikes

are locked against the S-building fence because the racks are full, which can be a hazard. To protect help students them adhere to the rules, more bike racks need to be installed.

There are bike lanes and pathways, but the school can do more to make biking a better experience. With the implementation of education and expansion of bike racks, students will be able to commute safely, respectfully and responsibly.

Illustration by Ritaja Subrahmanya

SAFETY, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY: HHS should improve bike safety and maintenance on campus through education.

Breaking the binary: splitting harmful for growth

By Shreya Partha

Noting the instability of topics like these is important to building personal growth. The only thing that is constant is change; as such, confining any views as purely one thing is harmful in the way we perceive the world.

ey a

P ar

th

a

tax less. But not every liberal or conservative follows their traditional mentalities. For instance, a person who identifies as a liberal may align in their social views but may be conservative in their economic view.

S hr

another, getting rid of our unconscious bias is a must.

The problem with thinking of situations as black and white is nothing in life ever is purely one thing: there is always a gray area that goes unaddressed, especially with more nuanced topics like politics and human rights.

For example, it’s impossible to categorize every liberal as fully liberal or every conservative as completely conservative. Socially, liberals favor gun regulations and government intervention through healthcare and higher taxes, according to the Pew Research Center. On the other hand, conservatives favor the right to bear arms and feel the government should spend and

by

When discussing politics, human rights or even something as small as the weather, humans often take part in the subconscious psychological process of splitting. Splitting can most accurately be described as a defense mechanism where people subconsciously categorize the world around them — people, ideas and groups — in all or nothing terms, according to Forbes.

The prospect of having to decipher the subtleties and layers that come with opposing perspectives is daunting. It’s easier to categorize the world around us as black and white. In order to progress and perceive the world around us in a way that isn’t completely extremist on one side or

n

In a decision that would impact the college education of thousands, the California Supreme Court announced it will not review a case between the University of California, Berkeley and local residents, which required UC Berkeley to cap its enrollment.

The legal dispute is between the university and a local group, Save Berkeley’s Neighborhoods, who sued UC Berkeley over its housing expansion plans by invoking the California Environmental Quality Act, according to Cal Matters. The act requires developers to study the environmental impact of a project on the surrounding community and take action to reduce negative effects, according to the LA Times.

The concerns of Berkeley community members are certainly valid. Although enrollment at UC Berkeley has increased 30% in the past 17 years, housing is lacking. Only 22% of the over 44,000 students at UC Berkeley live in housing owned by the university, according to the SF Chronicle. This leads to a massive housing shortage, which affects both lower income residents and students as students seek cheap housing in Berkeley neighborhoods, according to The New York Times.

Lower courts, which ruled against the university, were correct to demand the UC cap its enrollment as it is ultimately students who will suffer. At UC Santa Barbara, students have had to sleep in cars or hotels due to lack of housing and rising costs, according to The New York Times. Similarly, UC Berkeley is clearly unequipped to house and support the increasing numbers of students it wants to admit.

Education is important, but basic necessities such as a roof over your head are equally essential. If UC Berkeley wants to enroll more students, it must take action to work with surrounding communities to ensure students access to affordable, university-owned housing.

Trust is paramount in a relationship with a teenager and the way parents employ Life360 sends the wrong message.

Tracking can appear as a sign of distrust and sends the message that a parent does not trust their own kid to truthfully tell them their location or plans, which can result in teens feeling less confident in themselves and their relationships with their parents.

When parents trust their children, it results in better communication and improved relationships.

Balance is needed when ensuring the safety of a teenager and trust is the most important piece.

Safety will always be the number one priority of a parent. However, apps like Life360 should only be employed during worst case scenarios resulting in a more trusting relationship for parent and child alike.

at io

By Ritaja Subrahmanya

With the accessibility of digYet, even with this ability addital tracking technology, parents ed, the purpose of Life360 is to utilize apps like Life360 to monmaintain a form of communicaitor their children in the wrong tion and security for both parway, creating distrust in relationents and their children should ships as well as harmful psychosomething go wrong. While it is logical effects for their teens. reasonable to want their privacy A psychological study showed respected, it is up to the actions parents who use too much disciand discretion of the parents to pline and restrain their children use the app in a safe and proper are at a higher risk for mental manner. health problems such as anxiety Simply put, earning and depression, as well as alcorespect is develhol and drug abuse. oped through Despite Life360’s seemingly conversagood intentions, tions. If chilthe app creates dren want an uncomfortprivacy, having able relationconversations ship between with their parparents and ents is the teens as the way to go teens might rather than feel suffodeleting an cated by app that may Illustration by Emily Choi parents potentially MISTRUST RUINS RELATIONSHIPS: monitoring save their life Parents and kids should work toward a them. in the future. mutual relationship of trust.

Ill us tr

THE COURT DECIDES

In concept, Life360 has good purpose and intent. The ability for parents to ensure the safety of their children through location sharing, crash detection and other features can help prevent accidents by giving parents the ability to check in on their children, as well as notify those who need to be aware when something does go wrong. For a young adult, it is reasonable for parents to want to have the ability to check in on their safety using these features – to an extent.

Despite the benefits of safety features, kids take offense with the constant location sharing.

Parents argue the child’s safety is at risk when they are not able to easily access their location through Life360.

To be a more reasonable app, children over a certain age should have the ability to temporarily disable their location in some way to prevent parental overreach.

By Bobby Gorelick

BLACK AND WHITE: Nothing in life is ever purely good or purely

evil, and having both is crucial for the way we grow as individuals.

PAGE DESIGN BY KARUNA CHANDRAN AND MAE RICHARDSON

Lifestyles

Friday, April 15, 2022

The unstoppable Richard Klokow

7

97-year-old substitute teacher has worked in district for 27 years

By Mae Richardson From technical sergeant to substitute teacher, Richard E. Klokow has done it all.

Born Jan. 26, 1925, Klokow has worked various jobs throughout his lifetime.

He served in The Marine Corps from 19421945 as a technical sergeant, taught technical engineering at MIT and worked at Lockheed Missile and Space Company for 30 years, retiring in 1990, according to Nittany Leathernecks. He has been working as a substitute teacher for FUHSD, which he has done for the past 27 years.

Over the years, Klokow said he has observed various changes in the school district, varying from changes in the teachers and students to the teaching style and curriculum.

“I would say the teaching has improved a bit, and students are progressively doing more and more than they did 27 years ago,” Klokow said. “Everything’s at a much faster pace.”

When teaching, Klokow said he strives for his students to be able to fully understand

Photo by Karuna Chandran

AGE ISN’T EVERYTHING: Klokow said he would rather substitute than stay home.

the concept by first thoroughly comprehending its roots.

An example of this is teaching mathemati-

cal definitions to provide background for the students to further build their knowledge he said, as well as to gain a better understanding of the concept.

“Rather than providing students with the answers, I think it is important to provide proper education, so students can think about the problems themselves,” Klokow said. “My favorite saying is ‘The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.’”

Throughout his years of substitute teaching, Klokow said one particularly memorable moment is when he met a student he previously taught, who graduated from HHS and was finishing up his education at De Anza College.

“That young man said to me, ‘Thanks to you I’m going to UC San Diego to study premed, because you motivated me by coming to school everyday when you’re 90 years old,’” Klokow said. “It made me feel happy that I was able to have an impact on that student’s life.”

‘S’ stands for ‘students’

Students reflect on their work with the PTSA

By Nicole Kim

Photo courtesy of Vicki Nahrung

When sophomores Saanika Patel and Samhitha Varanasi first collaborated with the Parent Teacher Student Association, they knew little of what the organization did, but soon realized the value in what they were able to accomplish together.

“I wasn’t aware you could walk in and be a part of the PTSA,” Varanasi said. “While I did know that the PTSA is the Parent Teach-

WORKING TOGETHER: FBLA members partner with PTSA volunteers to sort clothing.

er Student Association, I never really saw the student portion of it.”

Patel and Varanasi said they both began working with the PTSA in the fall of 2021 as part of a collaboration between FBLA’s community service project and the PTSA. “We decided to work with the PTSA because they were already working with HHS families that needed the services we were trying to provide,” Varanasi said. “[With this in mind] we thought the PTSA would be the best resource for us to collaborate with.”

The two said they knew they wanted to do a clothing drive, but weren’t sure how to manage logistics such as where the clothes would go and advertising.

PTSA President Vicki Nahrung assisted them with advertising, gathering volunteers, and creating the idea of a free clothing store, Patel said.

Similarly, seniors Tejas Kurkure and Martin Wu, who are Intra-district Council representatives, worked closely with the PTSA to help organize a canned food drive.

During the pandemic, Kurkure said the leadership class withheld the tradition of organizing and hosting canned food drives

through a partnership with PTSA volunteers.

“We launched a new initiative: the HHS Food Pantry,” Kurkure said. “[The pantry] keeps that spirit of collecting food but instead of giving it to a local nonprofit, it goes directly to HHS families.”

Kurkure said prior to this experience he had never worked or been involved with the PTSA, but thinks other students should become more involved to offer the student perspective.

“I think [the PTSA] is appreciative of [the student perspective] because they get to hear ideas from our point of view,” Kurkure said. “[Maybe] we have some ideas that they wouldn’t have thought of and vice versa.”

When it comes to why there may be less student representation in the PTSA, Patel said lack of advertising could be a contributing factor.

“There’s this overall notion that the PTSA is only meant for parents and teachers when there’s a lot of events that students can participate in,” Patel said. “[A way to involve students] is [raising] awareness for the opportunities they can provide.”

Creating a sustainable community, one item at a time Climate Crew works to educate students on sustainable practices

By Karuna Chandran and Harshitha Vijayakumar After ASB Club Commissioner Elisa Floyd heard from facilities manager Toby Mockler about complaints of students leaving their trash throughout the community, she said it inspired a class-wide leadership discussion that culminated in the creation of the Zero Waste Committee.

“I talked to Ms. Kirby, our adviser, about potential ideas of what the committee could do,” Floyd said. “I was then able to present to our class about the issue we would address and what we would do as a committee.”

The Zero Waste Committee is a leadership sanctioned committee, leadership adviser Jessica Kirby said. The importance of taking action to have a long-term impact on the environment as a whole, whether that is education-based or hands-on involvment, is a mission that connects the student body, Kirby said. “[This club] is a priority [for HHS students] because climate change is an important issue and we have a lot of social injustice in the world, but if we don’t have a planet

to live on, we can’t really work to conquer those other [injustices],” sophomore, Chetan Kurkure said.

The committee takes place during the leadership class, but Climate Crew is an initiative created as an extension of the Zero Waste committee for the whole student body whose goals include educating teens and helping make recycling and waste sorting easier, member of Climate Crew, Kurkure said.

Furthermore, the Climate Crew has plans to educate students with fundraising events, such as selling sustainable items to promote green practices, Kurkure said.

In terms of future endeavors, the Climate Crew intends to get involved with the student community by having meetings, continuing to educate students and hopefully get all FUHSD schools to participate in the climate initiative, Kurkure said. Additionally, the sophomore said he plans to host advisories next year targeting climate change.

“We all know [climate change] is an issue, but we feel individuals are so powerless be-

Photo courtesy of Elisa Floyd

SORTING THE TRASH: Floyd said she clas-

sifes waste to improve the school environment.

cause in the end, it comes down to the big corporations who make the most impact,” Floyd said. “[However, if] we all come together and do little things, [we can make a difference]. It’s something can connect us.”

REAL TALK

By Lia Klebanov

The clock is ticking.

Time never gives us any say in the matter even when we so desperately want it to stop only for a moment. Tick …Tick … a step closer to my future.

Thinking about my life experiences so far, everything feels like a blur. Just yesterday, I was finishing elementary school wearing a turquoise dress and now I’m approaching my last year of high school with a cap and gown so close in reach. Change seems unfair at times, and realizing it is the way of life can be challenging to accept.

Humans are creatures of habit. We wake up to do the same routines and grow accustomed to everyday practices. However, one day, everything changes and a new norm arises.

During course selection a couple of weeks ago, I realized I had to plan out my entire senior year. How was this even possible? The year 2023 had once seemed so far away as a 14-yearold freshman, but not anymore, and now my last chance to make high school count was about to commence.

All of a sudden, hundreds of thoughts rushed through my head as it was finally starting to sink in that in a little more than a year, my life will drastically change. No matter what path I decide to pursue, there won’t be anyone holding my hand along the way or telling me what to do; I will be independent.

However, I decided to stop and think about what graduation or any sort of change truly means: an opportunity to grow. Staying in my comfort zone may be the easy way to live, but I wouldn’t get the chance to experience all that life has to offer. A feeling of sadness when an old chapter closes and another begins is not unusual, but important, as it makes us human.

Life is going to keep moving forward and there is no sense in resisting, but we need to place trust that everything will work out the way it is supposed to — that’s our destiny.

PAGE DESIGN BY MACY LI AND ERIN LOH

8

In-Depth

Friday, April 15, 2022

Friday, April 15, 2022

School spirit on the rise

9

With the return to campus, ASB events get students more involved Photo by Dan Penalosa

Photo by Aiko Charon

EVENTS CONNECT STUDENTS: Traditions like senior sunrise kickstart class bonding and get students excited to begin the school year.

thing has remained the same: the lack of spirit in the class of 2022, Karki said, but for good reason. The class of 2022 entered HHS during the 2018-19 school year, translating to only one full year of high school during their freshman year, Karki said.

“Freshmen tend to be less spirited because they are just getting to know their class, so it is a given they’ll be uncomfortable at first,” Ventura said. “They become more comfortable once they get to know people and get excited for something familiar to them.”

While the class of 2022 is now well familiar with their classmates and environments, it is not a lack of comfort that is inhibiting their spirit, Karki said.

“There are expectations that in most events, such as BOTC, the seniors are going to win,” Karki said.

“But our class has never been the most spirited, and I was hoping it would change before BOTC.” While the majority of their duties include creating events, Karki and Ventura’s responsibilities also include making sure all students actively participate, Karki said.

“We’re having more diverse events,” Karki said. “I hope new events like disability awareness and multicultural week are showing students that there’s more to life on campus.”

A year of excitement

By Brevin Reed and Olivia Shen

Photo by Mae Richardson

pir i

72.2%

“

9/3 Bell game

The bell game is a big rivalry that’s been going on for a while. Because we’re all in the same area, many students at HHS have friends at Fremont, which gets more students involved and makes the game a lot more meaningful.”

- Will Hook (12)

Photo by Joss Broward

52.9%

st

s

DEMONSTRATING SCHOOL PRIDE: More than half of the stu-

dent body believes students do a good job of expressing school spirit.

44%

Games

47%

juniors

DISPARITY AMONG CLASSES:

While the juniors comprise onefourth of the student body, over 50% of HHS students believe they are the most spirited. Contrastingly, of those who responded, only 7% believe the freshman class displays the most class pride.

Have school events positively impacted your high school experience?

Rallies

42%

Dances

22%

SPIRIT STAYS STRONG: Nearly 75% of students surveyed said school events have impacted them in a positive way.

Based on a survey of 353 students

Photo by Amber Birrell

3/7-3/18 BOTC

A weeklong competition between the classes, consisted of dances and flag football, culminating in a game-filled rally on Friday.

A spirit week leading up to Friday concluded with a parade with class decorated floats, a rally declaring homecoming court and a football game.

The annual rally was hosted at the beginning of the school year to welcome students back and give seniors the opportunity to ring in their final year through a

s is the mo

agreed

10/11-10/15 Homecoming

8/27 Welcome back rally

Photo by Mae Richardson

s oe

express s H HS

clas h ic

Spirit weeks ed? ri t pi

ence in people’s lives at school.

“The position intrigued me because it caters towards the student body and makes what people want to see into a reality,” Ventura said.

As social managers, their responsibilities lie in planning major school events like homecoming and BOTC to create a memorable high school experience.

“There are a lot of students that have not experienced high school, so we want to make sure that everyone is having a good time,” Karki said. “The seniors and juniors were deprived of their underclassman years, while the freshman and sophomores haven’t experienced high school at all.”

Although COVID-19 changed many aspects of high school, one

ell?

Fletcher said she felt confident she and her co-president Annabelle Bussey could return the club to the same level it was pre-COVID-19, by increasing membership and getting people excited to participate.

“In freshman year, I was a little intimidated but really wanted to join,” Fletcher said. “Now I want to make an impact at HHS before I leave for college.”

While some students may demonstrate school spirit by attending games and participating in spirit weeks, ASB co-social managers, seniors Megan Ventura and Minnie Karki said they decided to show their passion through a hands-on approach. Karki said she wanted to be a social manager because she wanted to make a differ-

h

tw

From scream team captain, senior Rachel Fletcher, freshman to senior year, one thing remained consistent: school spirit.

Fletcher said the primary goal of the scream team is to improve the morale of sports teams when they are playing.

“The most important thing is that the players have fun out there,” Fletcher said. “It is so rewarding seeing everyone enjoy the game.”

School spirit is important on and off the field, Fletcher said, as the more people involved, the better. She said during sports games and rallies, school spirit is essential to a fulfilling high school experience.

“School spirit makes everyone feel more together,” Fletcher said. “It makes school more exciting to go to and creates a sense of community and unity.”

This was challenging last year due to the prohibition of all spectators, Fletcher said. Now, Fletcher said she was determined to bring back enthusiasm and encourage students to cheer on their peers, but it has proven to be a challenge.

“In previous years of scream team, everyone knew each other more,” Fletcher said. “We were still able to make it a club this year, but the classes feel a little less united.”

W

By Brevin Reed and Olivia Shen

D

ASB aims to improve spirit post-COVID-19

School spirit, by the numbers

Which events have impacted your high school experience?

Fluctuating class pride amongst grade levels

12/6-12/10 Winter

“

wonderland

“Winter wonderland was a great way to destress before finals. It made school a bit more tolerable in a week of cramming and intense studying.

Hopefully it made dead week a little more fun and lively.”

- Megan Ventura (12)

Photo by Dan Penalosa

“

5/20 Senior prom “Senior prom means living out the full high school experience. It’s an integral part of senior year and is basically our last hurrah. It’s our final chance to look nice, get dressed and have a fun night with our classmates for the last time.”

- Christine Hoy (12)

Turn to page 7 to read about leadership efforts to involve the community in environmental change

Enders talks scream team

By Rajiv Venkatesh

For some, the scream team is homecoming game had the synonymous with ear-deafening loudest HHS crowd [there’s chants and bleacher-rumbling been] in a long time,” Enders stomps, but to sophomore Nate said. “The amount of people Enders, it meant an introduction that we got out to the student to the HHS experience. section was insane. The scream When Enders was a fresh- team all wore pink, and, in picman, he said adjusting to a new tures online, there’s a massive school meant there were not pink wave in the crowd.” many opportunities for him to The scream team at the get to know the student body. homecoming game was about However, this all changed 100 members strong, though when he joined scream team typical games have 20-30 memthis year after seeing an ad on bers in attendance, Enders Instagram for the spirit-based said. At each game, passionate club, Enders said. members boost the energy, so “I saw people were starting athletes know there is a crowd it up and thought, ‘I like being offering support, which Enders loud and cheering on my team,’” said is important to him as an Enders said. “Especially when athlete himself.

I’m playing baseball, you can’t “A lot of our competitors unreally do anything in the dugout derestimate us, thinking we’re but cheer.” not very good at sports and Enders said he loves the en- we’re only an academic school,” ergy the team creates at vari- Enders said. “But there are peoous games, since members are ple here who care about sports, brought together by a love of and we want to make it known.” being loud and having fun.

Enders said the scream team “It doesn’t matter who the is unique because its members other team is or how loud their care about the individual playfans are, we’re just trying to be ers they are cheering on and louder,” Enders said. “It’s a great know how to handle themselves way to make friends and engage in certain situations. If a player with people.” gets injured, for example, the At the homecoming football team becomes quiet to show game, Enders said his time with respect. the scream team reached new “The best part of the scream heights, as he had his first expe- team is being able to hype up rience leading chants. the crowd,” Enders said. “It’s “It was a little nerve-wrack- great to see people having fun.” ing at first, because I didn’t know I Photo by Dan Penalosa was going to be in front of the crowd,” Enders said. “But it was pretty exhilarating to be the person that got everyone hyped.”

Enders said he knew the scream team’s presence was a success when he lost his voice the next day.

“Everyone was INCLUSION THROUGH SPIRIT: Scream saying that the team welcomes underclassmen like Enders.

PAGE DESIGN BY BREVIN REED, OLIVIA SHEN AND RAJIV VENKATESH ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAYLENE SON

8

In-Depth

Friday, April 15, 2022

Friday, April 15, 2022

School spirit on the rise

9

With the return to campus, ASB events get students more involved Photo by Dan Penalosa

Photo by Aiko Charon

EVENTS CONNECT STUDENTS: Traditions like senior sunrise kickstart class bonding and get students excited to begin the school year.

thing has remained the same: the lack of spirit in the class of 2022, Karki said, but for good reason. The class of 2022 entered HHS during the 2018-19 school year, translating to only one full year of high school during their freshman year, Karki said.

“Freshmen tend to be less spirited because they are just getting to know their class, so it is a given they’ll be uncomfortable at first,” Ventura said. “They become more comfortable once they get to know people and get excited for something familiar to them.”

While the class of 2022 is now well familiar with their classmates and environments, it is not a lack of comfort that is inhibiting their spirit, Karki said.

“There are expectations that in most events, such as BOTC, the seniors are going to win,” Karki said.

“But our class has never been the most spirited, and I was hoping it would change before BOTC.” While the majority of their duties include creating events, Karki and Ventura’s responsibilities also include making sure all students actively participate, Karki said.

“We’re having more diverse events,” Karki said. “I hope new events like disability awareness and multicultural week are showing students that there’s more to life on campus.”

A year of excitement

By Brevin Reed and Olivia Shen

Photo by Mae Richardson

pir i

72.2%

“

9/3 Bell game

The bell game is a big rivalry that’s been going on for a while. Because we’re all in the same area, many students at HHS have friends at Fremont, which gets more students involved and makes the game a lot more meaningful.”

- Will Hook (12)

Photo by Joss Broward

52.9%

st

s

DEMONSTRATING SCHOOL PRIDE: More than half of the stu-

dent body believes students do a good job of expressing school spirit.

44%

Games

47%

juniors

DISPARITY AMONG CLASSES:

While the juniors comprise onefourth of the student body, over 50% of HHS students believe they are the most spirited. Contrastingly, of those who responded, only 7% believe the freshman class displays the most class pride.

Have school events positively impacted your high school experience?

Rallies

42%

Dances

22%

SPIRIT STAYS STRONG: Nearly 75% of students surveyed said school events have impacted them in a positive way.

Based on a survey of 353 students

Photo by Amber Birrell

3/7-3/18 BOTC

A weeklong competition between the classes, consisted of dances and flag football, culminating in a game-filled rally on Friday.

A spirit week leading up to Friday concluded with a parade with class decorated floats, a rally declaring homecoming court and a football game.

The annual rally was hosted at the beginning of the school year to welcome students back and give seniors the opportunity to ring in their final year through a

s is the mo

agreed

10/11-10/15 Homecoming

8/27 Welcome back rally

Photo by Mae Richardson

s oe

express s H HS

clas h ic

Spirit weeks ed? ri t pi

ence in people’s lives at school.

“The position intrigued me because it caters towards the student body and makes what people want to see into a reality,” Ventura said.

As social managers, their responsibilities lie in planning major school events like homecoming and BOTC to create a memorable high school experience.

“There are a lot of students that have not experienced high school, so we want to make sure that everyone is having a good time,” Karki said. “The seniors and juniors were deprived of their underclassman years, while the freshman and sophomores haven’t experienced high school at all.”

Although COVID-19 changed many aspects of high school, one

ell?

Fletcher said she felt confident she and her co-president Annabelle Bussey could return the club to the same level it was pre-COVID-19, by increasing membership and getting people excited to participate.

“In freshman year, I was a little intimidated but really wanted to join,” Fletcher said. “Now I want to make an impact at HHS before I leave for college.”

While some students may demonstrate school spirit by attending games and participating in spirit weeks, ASB co-social managers, seniors Megan Ventura and Minnie Karki said they decided to show their passion through a hands-on approach. Karki said she wanted to be a social manager because she wanted to make a differ-

h

tw

From scream team captain, senior Rachel Fletcher, freshman to senior year, one thing remained consistent: school spirit.

Fletcher said the primary goal of the scream team is to improve the morale of sports teams when they are playing.

“The most important thing is that the players have fun out there,” Fletcher said. “It is so rewarding seeing everyone enjoy the game.”

School spirit is important on and off the field, Fletcher said, as the more people involved, the better. She said during sports games and rallies, school spirit is essential to a fulfilling high school experience.

“School spirit makes everyone feel more together,” Fletcher said. “It makes school more exciting to go to and creates a sense of community and unity.”

This was challenging last year due to the prohibition of all spectators, Fletcher said. Now, Fletcher said she was determined to bring back enthusiasm and encourage students to cheer on their peers, but it has proven to be a challenge.

“In previous years of scream team, everyone knew each other more,” Fletcher said. “We were still able to make it a club this year, but the classes feel a little less united.”

W

By Brevin Reed and Olivia Shen

D

ASB aims to improve spirit post-COVID-19

School spirit, by the numbers

Which events have impacted your high school experience?

Fluctuating class pride amongst grade levels

12/6-12/10 Winter

“

wonderland

“Winter wonderland was a great way to destress before finals. It made school a bit more tolerable in a week of cramming and intense studying.

Hopefully it made dead week a little more fun and lively.”

- Megan Ventura (12)

Photo by Dan Penalosa

“

5/20 Senior prom “Senior prom means living out the full high school experience. It’s an integral part of senior year and is basically our last hurrah. It’s our final chance to look nice, get dressed and have a fun night with our classmates for the last time.”

- Christine Hoy (12)

Turn to page 7 to read about leadership efforts to involve the community in environmental change

Enders talks scream team

By Rajiv Venkatesh

For some, the scream team is homecoming game had the synonymous with ear-deafening loudest HHS crowd [there’s chants and bleacher-rumbling been] in a long time,” Enders stomps, but to sophomore Nate said. “The amount of people Enders, it meant an introduction that we got out to the student to the HHS experience. section was insane. The scream When Enders was a fresh- team all wore pink, and, in picman, he said adjusting to a new tures online, there’s a massive school meant there were not pink wave in the crowd.” many opportunities for him to The scream team at the get to know the student body. homecoming game was about However, this all changed 100 members strong, though when he joined scream team typical games have 20-30 memthis year after seeing an ad on bers in attendance, Enders Instagram for the spirit-based said. At each game, passionate club, Enders said. members boost the energy, so “I saw people were starting athletes know there is a crowd it up and thought, ‘I like being offering support, which Enders loud and cheering on my team,’” said is important to him as an Enders said. “Especially when athlete himself.

I’m playing baseball, you can’t “A lot of our competitors unreally do anything in the dugout derestimate us, thinking we’re but cheer.” not very good at sports and Enders said he loves the en- we’re only an academic school,” ergy the team creates at vari- Enders said. “But there are peoous games, since members are ple here who care about sports, brought together by a love of and we want to make it known.” being loud and having fun.

Enders said the scream team “It doesn’t matter who the is unique because its members other team is or how loud their care about the individual playfans are, we’re just trying to be ers they are cheering on and louder,” Enders said. “It’s a great know how to handle themselves way to make friends and engage in certain situations. If a player with people.” gets injured, for example, the At the homecoming football team becomes quiet to show game, Enders said his time with respect. the scream team reached new “The best part of the scream heights, as he had his first expe- team is being able to hype up rience leading chants. the crowd,” Enders said. “It’s “It was a little nerve-wrack- great to see people having fun.” ing at first, because I didn’t know I Photo by Dan Penalosa was going to be in front of the crowd,” Enders said. “But it was pretty exhilarating to be the person that got everyone hyped.”

Enders said he knew the scream team’s presence was a success when he lost his voice the next day.

“Everyone was INCLUSION THROUGH SPIRIT: Scream saying that the team welcomes underclassmen like Enders.

PAGE DESIGN BY BREVIN REED, OLIVIA SHEN AND RAJIV VENKATESH ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAYLENE SON

10

Lifestyles

Friday, April 15, 2022

Photo by Saira Ahmed

Photo by Joss Broward

Peek into Asian clubs on campus Officers give insight on educating students

By Ashley Orozco Plata and Esmeralda Villalobos Soriano

Photo by Joss Broward

When attending a school with such an abundant diversity of clubs on campus, many cultures end up getting overlooked. Ethnic clubs provide the resources to bridge that gap.

Vietnamese Student Association: Photo by Saira Ahmed

Photos by Saira Ahmed and Joss Broward

PHOTOGRAPHING EVERY MOMENT: By learning to overlook success, we have discovered ourselves through photography.

Pose for the picture

By Saira Ahmed and Joss Broward

Saira Ahmed:

Joss Broward:

I used to hate everything about Photography has been a part going outside, but that sentiment of my life for as long as I can changed when my dad gave me remember. However, it was not his old camera. until I was gifted my first camera My trip to Vienna in 2017 was one Christmas that this hobby the first time I tried making the flourished into a passion. composition of a photo look After the holiday, I began takgood. While aiming to get the ing pictures of everything and perfect shot, the sunset looked anything. Owning a camera with too bright, so I ran to a differ- a zoom lens allowed me to capent spot to make it seem like the ture so much more than I could sun was shining just the right with an old iPhone 6S. amount. At the time, it seemed This newfound ability comlike an obvious and minor adjust- pelled me to bring my camera ment, but the motivation of excel- on my trip across Scandinavia lence would keep me on my toes during the summer of 2019. There, for years to come.

I gained experience taking phoFrom that moment on, I would tos of different subjects, ranging capitalize on every opportunity to from sprawling cityscapes to consee something new. Hiking was templative statues, broadening no longer a chore, but a chance to my perspective of what a great get new pictures of flowers. trees photo could look like. Although and hills.

I still had an incredible amount I uploaded some of my photos to learn about the basic photo Unsplash, tographic a stock techniques, photograthe trip phy site. At served as first, I was the catalyst getting a of my pasfew downsion. loads here Photogand there, raphy has but then always been a photo of an aspect the Golden of my life, Gate Bridge h o w e v e r, got 10,000 it recently Photo by Niyatee Jain downloads motivated HOBBY TURNED PASSION: Phoin one day, tography became a creative outlet we me to exa shocking never thought possible. plore my and excitsurrounding milestone. However, when the ings more and be more advenviews and downloads eventually turous. Moreover, photography plateaued, I felt like I was losing pushes me to be creative, whethmomentum as a photographer, er that’s in the angles or the editwhich made me lose motivation. ing style. Most of all, I love the art It took me a while to internal- of photography because it gives ize that numbers do not direct- me an opportunity to capture a ly represent skill level. I had to unique moment in time that can figure out that I was not taking be preserved forever as a result. photos for others, but for myself. Yet, photography doesn’t capture I realized I found more pride in a everything in the same way that a photo that felt unique to me and video would, making the art form my experience, not the one that push me to truly appreciate my had the most likes. surroundings.

I do not want to pursue phoThe moment is forever fleettography to get praise from oth- ing. With photography, I can ers, I want to preserve the mem- appreciate that sentiment while ories of where I have been in the permanently capturing a small most beautiful way possible. piece of the past.

President of the Vietnamese Student Association, senior Jenny Vu said her main goal for the club is for other students of different ethnicities to learn about Vietnamese culture. “[The club] is for students to learn about Vietnamese culture and for those who are Vietnamese to have a space where they can be around

[other Vietnamese students] and learn about their culture,” Vu said.

Vu said a typical meeting starts off with a short lesson on Vietnamese culture. The officers play music and share news from Vietnam to give students a deeper understanding of modern events.

“We’ll go into some sort of lesson,” Vu said. “We’ll have music or news or history about the culture, and then we’ll go into an activity. For example, we did paper chain and lantern making in one of our meetings.”

Korean Student Association:

The Korean Student Association is split into two parts, KSA and KREW. President, junior Seoyoung Hwang said both spread Korean culture by teaching about it and through dance to make learning more engaging for students.

“We have monthly Korean culture lessons where we like to talk about what’s trending in Korea,” Hwang said. “We also have Korean monthly vocabulary to teach people new words.”

Hwang said that Photo by Ashley Orozco Plata her main goal for A NEW PERSPECTIVE: Asian clubs work the club is to show students that Koreto spread culture to students.

an culture does not only revolve around certain aspects.

“The biggest impact I want to make is to help people truly understand Korean culture,” Hwang said. “Most of the time people think Korea is all about North Korea or K-pop but there’s a deeper meaning like the cool history behind it.”

Hong Kong Student Association:

Secretary of the Hong Kong Student Association, junior Ivy Zhan said the Hong Kong Student Association teaches about Hong Kong culture by exposing them to the different lifestyles people have.

“Our last meeting went over shopping in Hong Kong because malls are really popular there [and give a glimpse into daily life].

We’ve also talked about holidays like the Lunar New Year,” Zhan said.

She said she hopes club members will gain new experiences and learn to appreciate Hong Kong culture through the events they host and lessons they provide during general meetings.

“We have covered [aspects] like amusement parks and holidays and have done socials with other clubs,” Zhan said. “We did a collaborative social with the Taiwanese Student Association and the Vietnamese Student Association for Lunar New Year, and that was a really fun project as we all got together and celebrated.”

You’ve got a friend in me

Pets hold valuable spot in students’ hearts

By Lindsey Steel After a hard day of classes, dog owner, sophomore Makaila Kim said having her Maltipoo, Hodu, to come home to instantly brightens her mood.

Pets, whether it be dogs, cats, reptiles or amphibians, are a critical part of many students’ lives as they provide a variety of different benefits including companionship and stress relief.

For Kim, Hodu provides consistency in her life, as Hodu never fails to put a smile on her face, she said. “ P l ay ing

with Hodu is always a stress reliever,” Kim said. “He can do special tricks, such as give people high fives. It’s really amusing to watch.”

Similarly, freshman Giada Hu said she believes pets are beneficial for emotional support. Hu said her tuxedo cat, Trouble, comforts her whenever she is feeling down and especially in times of need.

“Trouble can always sense when I’m sad,” Hu said. “When my grandmother died, my whole family was impacted, and I felt overwhelmed. Trouble would be able to tell that we weren’t feeling good, and he would sit on our laps or climb on our beds to sleep with us. Even if it was a small thing, it helped so much and meant a lot to my family.”

Dog owner, sophomore Leila Matta, said taking care of a pet is an immense responsibility. These duties include feeding her Italian greyhound, Milton, throughout the day, taking him on walks and letting him out to use the bathroom, no matter how early or late. AdMAN’S BEST FRIEND: Isabel

Photo courtesy of Isabel Matta

Matta said she finds Milton’s rodent-like features unique.

ditionally, Matta said she has to feed Milton snacks, which requires methodical planning.

“To give Milton his snack, I take turkey, and rip it up into little pieces,” Matta said. “I throw it on the floor, but not in one pile because Milton is a fast eater and he’ll eat it all up. Instead, I throw pieces far away from him so he has to walk back and forth.”

Despite the obligation to look after them, pets have alleviated feelings of isolation, especially during COVID-19, Leila’s sister, senior Isabel Matta said.

Ultimately, while pets are different species from humans, their impact is still profound, Leila said.

“Pets feel core human emotions, such as anger, hunger, loneliness and tiredness,” she said. “If Milton is hungry, lonely, tired, annoyed or all of the above, he makes sure you know and understand how he feels. He’s always been a great communicator, even from day one.”

For Isabel and Leila, getting Milton right before the pandemic made quarantine more interesting, Isabel said.

“Having Milton united our whole family,” Isabel said. “Everyone loves him, and everyone likes to talk about what he is doing. We all wanted to see him so he got us out of our rooms, which was important when we all had to stay inside.”

PAGE DESIGN BY NIYATEE JAIN

Lifestyles

Teachers inside the classroom, heroes outside

11

Friday, April 15, 2022

Female teachers discuss their positions as role models

By Niyatee Jain and Leila Salam Women’s history month spans through the entirety of March and celebrates influential women everywhere. In honor of the month, teachers Heather Bonvechio and Shawnee Rivera shared how their experiences of being influential leaders on campus make their jobs memorable.

Shawnee Rivera

English and AVID teacher Shawnee Rivera said she believes high school is a time when having mentors is crucial because many aspects of teenagers’ lives are changing.

“When I was in high school, I needed role models,” Rivera said.

“Whether it was my cross country coach or my physiology teacher, I felt like I had a lot of people who were willing to catch me.”

Rivera said she tries to be a positive mentor for her students by listening, being available and cultivating a safe space.

“It’s important to be able to go to your adult, know that they’re going to trust and love you implicitly and not fear that the love is going to go away,” Rivera said.

“With our own parents, it can be a genuine fear that they’re going to write us off or disown us. I can’t disown you or kick you out.

I can only love you.”

Rivera said when looking for a role model, it is important to take into account who they truly are and their values, not just selective aspects of their life.

“I suggest to everybody go out and get themselves a role model by looking at people,” Rivera said.

“Look at their lives and ask them questions. If they are successfully in a loving relationship and are living their best lives then those are the people that should be your role model.”

Heather Bonvechio

Resource teacher and site president for the Fremont Education Association, the Certificated staff union, Heather Bonvechio said she initially applied for site president due to her passion for supporting other staff members and collaboratively working with other adults.

This is Bonvechio’s first year in the role after being a site representative for five years.

Bonvechio’s responsibilities include working with other teachers to negotiate contracts, salaries and other potential issues while also supporting them in areas that are protected by the California educational codes, such as grading, she said.

“I’ve received a lot of positive

feedback from people thanking me for how transparent I am with the issues the union is working on,” Bonvechio said. “I’ve tried to be super communicative and respond to emails as soon as I get them to make people feel supported. My overall goal is to protect my colleagues and their health and well-being.”

At the same time, Bonvechio said she uses her position as resource and English teacher to support the student body.

By using differentiated instruction, Bonvechio said she focuses on what the individual student needs so she can better assess how to support them.

“The students I work with in my resource classes all haeve very specific accommodations or things that help with their learning disability or perhaps issues with attention,” Bonvechio said.

“I make sure their teachers are aware of the specific things that support them and make sure those accommodations are implemented because the accommodations are part of a legal document that students are legally entitled to. It’s a big job because teachers support students in so many different ways, and I’m there to make sure teachers don’t have to remember it all on their own.”

Photos by Niyatee Jain and Leila Salam

MENTORS AND ADVOCATES: Bonvechio and Rivera said they both strive to amplify students’ voices and push for change.

Senioritis strikes campus

Seniors, teachers discuss burnout

By Bobby Gorelick and Olivia Shen Senioritis is a “disease” commonly found among high school seniors; common symptoms include a drop in attendance, influx of late work and a general decrease in academic performance. Since March, HHS has reported increased rates of the infectious disease.

Typically starting at the beginning of the second semester, social studies teacher Carrie Nakamura said teachers tend to see a decrease in motivation amongst seniors, which can have subsequent impacts on teachers, as well, Nakamura said.

“My first few years I only taught seniors, and it stressed me out both mentally and physically,” Nakamura said. “I saw students who had a high level of engagement [at the beginning of the year] and their grades just dropped. I was stressed to the point where I popped a blood vessel in my eye. I don’t give seniors extra credit past the beginning of March because the work that I [usually] get is not the quality that warrants extra credit.”

Senior Surbhi Yadav said her senioritis is a lack of motivation while

senior Hannah Kim said she began to take excessive amounts of naps and started procrastinating her work.

“There are nights where I have a test the next day and I ask myself if it is really worth staying up to study to get a B or if I should just not study and get a C,” Kim said. “It’s the bare minimum.

It doesn’t really faze me.”

At the beginning of the school year, many seniors are often motivated to work hard and finish strong, but as the year progresses, the initial determination soon deteriorates.

“When I first got back to school, I was really excited to be here,” senior Rachel Fletcher said. “But once second semester started, I began not wanting to do my homework or attend class.”

All senioritis experiences are different and the symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Senior Isabel Matta said senioritis for her is simply the reduced stress levels and decreased focus on schoolwork.

“I have a pretty mild case of senioritis, I still turn in all of my assignments because I don’t want to disappoint my teachers but I’m overall just less stressed about assignments and tests.”

Fletcher said she thinks incoming seniors shouldn’t be scared of senioritis and instead should take it as a time to relax from all their continuous hard work.

“It’s alright to let go for a second,” Fletche said. “We’re gonna leave soon. We don’t have to be on the grind 24/7. I think it’s fine to be able Photo by Bobby Gorelick to let loose of the reins SPRING EVOKES BURNOUT: As college decisions a bit.” begin to come out, seniors’ motivation drop.

PAGE DESIGN BY ESMERALDA VILLALOBOS SORIANO AND YUKARI E. HERNANDEZ

12

Arts & Culture

Friday, April 15, 2022

Confessions of a shopaholic

By Christine Kim

Illustration by Tiffany Yu

RESIST CLICKING CHECKOUT: Do not

make impulsive purchases.

Many of us, myself included, have indulged in retail therapy; feeling the stress of the day melt away with a swipe of the card. All of my worries and qualms give way to the anticipation of waiting for another package to arrive. Over the years, I have come to realize this pattern of relying on material things is not healthy for me, my bank account balance or the environment.

At first, I loved scouring websites and going to the mall in search of the perfect piece that would act as my therapist. However, that moment

of satisfaction became shorter and shorter, until I was obsessively checking where my package was. As soon as I received my package, all I could think about was what I should purchase next. It was not fulfilling to constantly buy things when they no longer made me as happy.

My wallet also did not agree with my spending habits. Rather, it was drained immensely.

All of my purchases started to add up and I realized my retail therapy, or so I called it, did not solve my problems as I had hoped. Instead, it created an-

other one, called poor spending habits.

Another downside to retail therapy is how unsustainable it can be. I would find myself buying items without a second thought, but I would never use them and they ended up sitting in my closet. This resulted in me not even knowing my own style and what I truly liked.

I did a closet clean-out recently and it was shocking to see the poor decisions I used to make. I now realize that trying to keep up with trends because I thought it would make me satisfied was not good for the

environment. Currently, I like to consider the price-per-wear for whatever I buy, so I know it is not an impulsive decision, but, rather, something I will cherish forever.

I will admit, after cutting down on shopping I was disappointed to see the FedEx truck come by less and less, but they were probably tired of coming to the same house repeatedly.

Although it is too easy to press a few buttons and buy a whole cart full of clothes, there are many other ways to relieve stress that do not create an unhealthy cycle.

We are more than just our Instagram profiles

By Anushruti Nagarajan

Nowadays, I commonly see people follow me just to get a follow back, as Instagram is simply becoming a huge popularity contest. Social media has become a toxic environment with a good deal of stigma around following and unfollowing others, negatively influencing me in many aspects of my life.

When I see my following is going down, my self esteem is bruised and I feel the pressure to mass follow or unfollow people to fit social expectations. But when my following increases, my confidence goes

up because of the validation from peers.

Additionally, the media creates fake expectations, such as dressing to impress everyday, or putting a lot of effort into our appearances online. This goes hand in hand with the follower stigma, as I often feel people unfollow me because I am not looking my best.

As most students now have grown up with media, this feeling is so ingrained in our heads that it is hard not to let seemingly trivial numbers affect us.

However, whenever I feel

pressured by society, I remember a few numbers do not have to define who I am and having a lot of followers does not correlate with being popular. A person with a private account could only let in people they choose.

On the other hand, someone with a public profile could rapidly gain followers from complete strangers, proving how insane it is to equate numbers on a social media platform to popularity.

Unfortunately, this stigma will continue to prevail, if not become worse over the years,

so it is important to understand social media is not reality. The stigma can only be broken if we collectively work towards making these platforms less toxic. Personally, I am trying to take social media less seriously and making genuine connections instead of media-driven ones.

MEDIA TAKES OVER:

With social media being so prominent in teenagers’ lives, it is hard for it not to influence day-to-day choices.

Illustration by Seoyoung Hwang

Whether we admit it or not, social media has become a huge part of our lives. When I go on Instagram, I often find myself checking out other people’s profiles to compare their “followers to following” ratio. Some of my friends have over 1,000 followers yet only follow 700 people back. Subconsciously, I associate this with popularity, and compare my Instagram account with others.

Social media is not a place to compare ourselves. Rather, it is a way to express and showcase our memories.

Hollywood, please put some clothes on

‘Euphoria’ successfully portrays complexities of being a teenager

By Shreya Partha

By Joss Broward For a long time, when I thought about media has the capability of subconsciousthe show “Euphoria,” my uninformed ly planting an image of how a relationship mind was quick to judge it as “a-supershould look and more importantly, how intense-TV-show-that-is-effectively-oneour partner should look and act. long-sex-scene.” While part of this judgThe ramifications of this are horrible ment rings true, I did not have any clue of as they can make partners feel inadewhat I was in store for when I spent two quate, both physically and sexually, when days binge-watching “Euphoria.” they are not able to live up to the unrealBesides having an interesting and istic expectations of movie magic. (for the most part) well-written Ultimately, the abhorrent script, “Euphoria” is nothing nudity in Hollywood short of breathtakingdoes all harm and ly beautiful. The no good. Unless cinematography producers are creatively experusing nudity iments with few and far color, lighting between, and angles in there is no a way that need for it. few shows It does do. A prime not enhance example of the viewing this is the experience season two finale, nor does it where a series of tranadd to the sitions seamlessly blend plot. Quite the past, the present frankly, if and a school play, their goal is which is about the to increase lives of the main viewership in characters in the a certain deshow. mographic, they However, “Euneed to be tactical phoria” has flaws in thinking of the in its narrative that demographic of viewers they will illuminate deeplose with the deer problems with NO MORE NUDITY: Shows need to stop cision, includthe show. Multiple putting nudity in films in order to increase ing me. viewership as it detracts from the plot. storylines from

season one are removed from the second season, most notably Kat Hernandez’s, played by Barbie Ferriera. In season one, Kat was one of my favorite characters. To see her almost entirely removed from season two was disappointing.

Questionable choices are not unfamiliar to “Euphoria’s” narrative. Levinson has faced ongoing backlash over his attempted sexualization of numerous female characters in the show, exposed in multiple interviews where “Euphoria” stars have mentioned how they have felt Levinson incorporated unnecessary nudity. Although nudity of any kind is nothing out of the ordinary for “Euphoria,” it seems the director is particularly interested in sexualizing the show’s female characters and perpetuating misogynistic views of women.

Despite its faults, “Euphoria” is a powerful show exploring the struggles of adolescence. Although the show features a few plot-related missteps, I have no doubt it will go down in history as one of the most applauded shows of this decade.

n by

tratio

Illus

rtha

a ya P Shre

A line producers and directors constantly tread is when nudity detracts the integrity of the movie, rather than adds to it.

I’ll admit, some movies introduce nudity with a purpose — the movie needs it to maintain coherence.

But others, for example “Game of Thrones” and “Shameless,” bring in nudity not to add to the plot but rather the viewership.

The question that arises now is whether the excessive amount of nudity in shows reaches the effect its producers intend. It doesn’t, unless the intention is to arouse the viewer.

Most people are not exposed to seeing a high number of naked strangers in their daily lives, so when we are, it brings us out of the sense of normalcy we are used to.

Producers are also introducing more nudity to favor a certain demographic and increase viewership.

Yet in the process, they lose the trust of loyal viewers who watch the show for the plot, rather than the excess amount of nudity.

The bigger issue with nudity, however, is the perception of how we view our partners in the aftermath.

With the lights perfectly dimmed, the actors caked with makeup and filters that enhance their features, it’s no wonder a lot of the adult scenes we view are ideal.

But that’s all they are: idealistic. Reality does not work on perfect lighting, airbrushed skin or god-like curves.

Reality is flawed, raw and passionate.

Yet, the exposure to constant nudity in the

'Euphoria' Genre: Drama Release date: Jan. 9

PAGE DESIGN BY HOPE SAENA AND JACK XU

Arts & Culture

Friday, April 15, 2022

The last promise made by Nu’est

13

K-pop group releases last album before disbanding

By Seoyoung Hwang The K-pop boy group Nu’est released their last album “Needle & Bubble,” on Mar. 15, 2022, before their disbandment, under Pledis Entertainment.

The group debuted exactly 10 years ago, Mar. 15, 2012, as the first boy group under the label, with high expectations from the public. However, their first release was a failure and was followed by more unsuccessful albums.

After five years, the company decided it would give Nu’est one last chance before terminating their contract by letting them participate in a survival program.

They were able to gain immense popularity, as the group were given a second look by the public.

After the survival show was over,

they were allowed to continue to release music. Unfortunately, after Hybe Labels bought Pledis Entertainment, the activity of Nu’est began to wane since there were more popular groups under the label, causing the company to pay less attention to Nu’est.

The disbandment surprised many fans, including me, as it was announced just weeks before the group’s tenth anniversary.

Their last album “Needle & Bubble,” is composed of eight remastered versions of their previous hit releases as well as two new tracks, “Galaxy” and “Again.”

The remastered versions of their previous tracks were a great success, because they were a perfect blend of their older music

‘I miss the old Kanye’

By Saira Ahmed and Niyatee Jain

From his inaccessible album to controversial interactions with Pete DaGenre: Documentary vidson, Kanye West has recently garnered attention for all the Release date: Feb.16 wrong reasons. West recently went on an Instagram tirade, slamming his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and posting erratic content about teresting story to follow with his divorce. So when Netflix an- comedic scenes laced in with innounced they were releasing a triguing moments, the best part documentary about him, it was is seeing his interactions with his safe to assume it would cover mom, Donda West. Offering the these controversies. This assump- support a mother should, Donda tion was wrong, leaving viewers; is there at every step of West’s early career. One beautiful moinstead, pleasantly surprised.

Narrated and filmed from the ment was when West plays his perspective of West’s long-time song “Hey Mama” in the kitchen. friend Coodie Simmons, “Jeen- He and his mom sing it together, yuhs” was developed from 1998 smiling and laughing throughout.

Act III is the most heartbreakto 2022. The documentary is split into three acts: VISION, PUR- ing of them all, as it highlights POSE and AWAKENING, with Donda’s death. After his mother’s each part detailing the major death, West spiraled and became the controversial figure he is stages of West’s life.

Throughout the first act, “VI- known to be today. It provides an SION,” an ambitious, creative insight into West’s meltdown and and lesser-known side of West allows viewers to sympathize with is brought to life. It follows his him, though some of his actions journey of transitioning from a are still inexcusable.

This documentary is simultaproducer to a rapper and getting acquired by Roc-A-Fella records. neously heartwarming and heartAct II, “PURPOSE,” focuses breaking.

Since it focuses on West himon his continued efforts to establish himself as a rapper and over- self, viewers expected it to paint come having a broken jaw. These him in a positive light, but were acts are beautifully made, as they surprised to see that the deterioprovide a more human side to ration of his and Simmons’ relaWest and there was enough an- tionship was included.

This is a classic example of ticipation between scenes to keep losing someone to fame, and conviewers engaged.

Though this part has an in- trary to what Pharrell Williams advised, Photo courtesy of Netflix West let fame get to his head.

If there is one thing to be said confidently about West, it is that when it comes to what is next– ‘I guess we’ll never know.’

VISION, PURPOSE, AWAKENING: ‘Jeen-yuhs’

‘Jeen-yuhs’

successfully shines light on West’s musical journey.

with their new mature voices.

The album was a perfect wrap I also loved the remixes of the for the band’s outstanding tentracks they created. year career. Although I will miss The song “Galaxy” revealed listening to them sing together that although the members will in the future, I will continue to be going their seperate ways, replay their old tracks as many they will never forget each oth- times as Spotify will allow me. er or their fans, and Illustration by Seoyoung Hwang they will be one even when they are far apart. The song is fast and upbeat.

On the other hand, their last title track “Again” left me in tears. This track surpassed my expectations as the lyrics illustrated a beauti- THE LAST RELEASE: Nu’est makes a ful tale of two lovers promise of return with their fans with the having to leave but release of their last album. then meeting each other again. It was very resemblant of the members promising to meet again, Genre: K-pop too. The sentimental track also brought Release date: March 15 out the members’ vocals, allowing them to showcase their mature voices to their fans.

‘Needle & Bubble’

Using social media to document your life

By Shreya Partha

When spending time with is no longer about preservfriends, I prefer to keep my ing memories, but rather to phone tucked away in my back update their status. Our time pocket. Taking walks along the together and the memories beach, waking up at 6 a.m. to we have made are no longer catch a sunrise and staying enjoyed in the moment or relpast curfew are all memories ished later. Photos are merely ingrained in my mind and a keepsake adorned to paint a I have yet to feel the urge to false portrayal of reality. Our document them on social me- smiles in photos were no londia. ger genuine, our laughter no My friends are the complete longer contagious and our opposite. I constantly see their memories were forever taintphones plastered to the palm ed. of their hand, their eyes hidConsequently, I am torn. den by the camera and a smile I was also no hypocrite — I threatening to break, just be- knew I am guilty of pulling out fore they say, “smile!” my phone to snap a couple of Perhaps selfishly, I want pictures, too. them to be completely present It took a while and a lot of in the moment and not con- experimenting for me to be sumed in their thoughts about comfortable finding the balthe pictures they are going to ance. post later that night. Yet, I also When I came to terms understand their need with the fact that I to document mowanted to take ments, wanting to pictures of preserve them memories for forever. myself rather Gradualthan to post, it ly, however, I became easier have noticed for me to keep my them becoming phone away and take obsessed with how my phone out very they look in picrarely. Now, I am tures, often going able to reminisce manic to get the those memories perfect angle to more than if I post. simply looked Initially, my back on a social friends took media post. pictures to docuEven though ment and preserve taking pictures of memories. every moIllustration by Joss Broward Later, this inment is STOP TAKING PHOTOS: We nocent action should treasure the moment, t e m p t i n g, turned toxic. not consume it by taking keep it to a Taking pictures pictures for social media. minimum.

FASHION POLICE

By Amber Birrell

Neon. We have all seen it, walking through the mall or scrolling endlessly while shopping for new spring clothes online. Spring 2022 is a time of bright colors setting up for an equally flamboyant summer.

Vibrant colors were initially introduced in 2021 runway shows. Most notably, Bottega Veneta reintroduced neon greens to the fashion world in its spring 2021 collection with heels, stretch-knit skirt suits and even their entire set drenched in vibrant greens, helping to kickstart a colorful spring 2022.

Now, the bold, bright kelly green took 2022 by storm, dominating London fashion week.

Designers like Yuhan Wang, Supriya Lele and Molly Goddard brilliantly incorporated this shade into their designs, making it an irresistible bold, fun color. These designers have managed to make green a color to be crazy about because, after seeing these pieces, I want to order anything in green for myself.

I love yellow– it is such an alluring color, but I have never been a fan of the way it has been featured in fashion. However, in its spring 2022 collection, Moschino finally did yellow justice, bringing out the warm happy tones that make this color so great.

But my favorite comeback has to be bright orange. Don’t get me wrong – orange happens to be my least favorite color, but spring 2022 runways have turned that around completely.

Of the many designers who have brought orange into collections, Max Mara stands out from other brands. They have models decked out head to toe in neon orange and I am absolutely in love with each of the looks. Max Mara proved that any color can be crafted into an absolutely stunning piece.

The world needed neon to make a comeback after the past year, and spring 2022 runways did not disappoint.

PAGE DESIGN BY ANUSHRUTI NAGARAJAN

Sports

Friday, April 15, 2022

Prejudice on the playing field

Girls sports are undervalued, disregarded

By Zeinab Rakhshandehroo and Lindsey Steel

In the world of sports, but a trend in our country player Megan Ventura said there has always been an overall.” she noticed girls basketball undeniable undercoverage Girls varsity basketball games have significantly fewof women’s sports, er attendees in comparison to boys games. according to The “At boys basketball Washington Post. games, the student section Athletic direcwas full and the crowd was tor Mallory Lantz cheering,” senior Ventusaid this is an issue ra said, “whereas at girls also present at our games, the stands were school, with girls barely filled.” sports receiving less These feelings of disreattention in compargard create a less supportison to boys sports. ive environment for female “We have a tenathletes, Ventura said. dency to be more However, junior, varsity interested in boys Illustration by Amber Birrell football quarterback Charsports,” Lantz said.

INEQUITY IN SPORTS: Girls sports at “This isn’t some- HHS often do not receive the same at- lie Castaneda said he believes gender is not a signifthing just at HHS, tention as boys sports. icant factor.

“People cared more when football made CCS [than when girls basketball made CCS],” Castaneda said. “But I feel that attention has more to do with school spirit. It’s like that when compared to boys

By Hope Saena and Rajiv Venkatesh basketball, too.”

By capturing every mome how to be a leader and Various aspects of the ment with a photograph, communicate with others.” school community contribthe sports media group Along with the skills ute to this feeling of excluseeks to highlight the varihe has gained, Singh said sion, Ventura said. ety of sports athletes parit has been rewarding to “The scream team was ticipate in, athletic director see players appreciate his really keen on going to Mallory Lantz said photography. In particular, guy’s games automatically,” “We have many difSingh said his coverage of Ventura said. “But the girls ferent kinds of athletes,” the football team helped team had to ask.”

Lantz said. “The sports him develop close relaIn order to better supmedia group helps hightionships with the players port female athletes, Venlight them and showcases and coaches. tura said HHS must spread the cool things they do afThe group has attracted awareness about the ineqter school.” many students who share uity in sports.

Although the InstaSingh’s passion for sports “I know HHS is all about gram account was created coverage, including freshimproving equality on cambefore Lantz became the man content creator Repus,” Ventura said. “But it’s athletic director, she said becca Hsu. Although Hsu hard to see that effort if the group started when said she initially began she met current co-social as a photographer for the they’re not taking that extra media manager and lead group, creating content at step to address this issue.” photographer, sophomore Harshdeep Singh.

“Last year’s athletic director, Cody Owens, started the page and when he gave it to me, I knew I wanted to take off with what he started,” Lantz said.

“Harshdeep began helping me cover games and that’s when we decided to create a group that would encompass more than just taking photographs.”

Through his time with the sports media group, Singh said he has been able to develop new friendships and strengthen his photography skills.

“This job has taught me patience because I have to wait for the right moment to take a picture,” Singh said. “It has also taught

weekly home games and special events has given her much pride.

“When I first joined, I found out I could do promotional parts, so I went that direction [instead],” Hsu said. “Every time I make something, everyone says it looks great and I feel really proud being able to contribute.”

Lantz said she believes the athletic community has grown more supportive and stronger with the group’s help.

“It’s cool to see students sending and saving our posts,” Lantz said.

“Our coverage extends past Homestead. Athletes are getting to share it with their family members and the community.”

Photo by Rajiv Venkatesh

MULTIFACETED MEDIA MASTER: Singh is the media group’s lead photographer and co-social media manager.

By Nicole Kim and Anushruti Nagarajan Being on varsity as a sophomore is an incredible athletic achievement and one that can be an exceptionally rewarding opportunity. Sophomores John Tahk and Sana Ranganathan can attest to this feeling as they continue their journeys as sophomores on varsity teams.

As an experienced player who has played tennis for nearly nine years, including one on the varsity team, Tahk said he was not overly surprised when he was placed on the varsity squad again this year.

“When you make varsity once, you generally make it again,” Tahk said.

“The coach is pretty accepting, and I think we have a good mix of all grades on our team.”

Tahk said grade level does not have a major say on who gets put on JV or varsity, as the coach wants what is best for both teams.

“In tennis especially, because so much of it is experience based, you have to have [younger] varsity players,” Tahk said. “Having a lot of seniors in one year means that we lose a lot of seniors next year, so we have a lot of people who are new to varsity.”

Despite being a singles player, Tahk said the experience of being in a supportive team has benefitted him most.

Photo courtesy of John Tahk

“Tennis is one of those gladiator sports where it is just you and the opponent out there,” Tahk said. “But when you are part of a team, it is really cool seeing people cheer you on and helping you brush off your mistakes.”

Varsity middle infield and outfielder Sana Ranganathan said her experience on the softball team has been full of growth and community bonding, as players of all levels work to support each other.

Ranganathan has been playing softball for over eight years and said playing varsity has helped her learn a lot as a player.

“Varsity is the highest level you can play at a high school,” Ranganathan said. “Watching my teammates that are at a higher skill level than me helps me learn and have a better understanding of the game.”

On a more personal level, Ranganathan said playing softball is her escape from the stresses of school, and her love for the sport affects almost all aspects of her life.

“I feel like I am in this trance whenever I am on the field,” Ranganathan said. “My whole life revolves around softball, and it is the one thing that I’m in love with right now. I would drop anything to play it.”

Photo courtesy of Sana Ranganathan

COMMUNITY ON VARSITY: Sophomores Sana Ranganathan and John

Tahk said they learn from other teammates on varsity.

Power in protein, plant-based diet

Absence of meat does not affect performance

By Harshitha Vijayakumar

As a vegetarian athlete, I have often received questions regarding my protein intake and how it affects my athleticism. Many believe that one’s primary source of protein can only be found in meat. However, it is time to put an end to the misconception that being a vegetarian inhibits one’s ability to participate in athletics.

There are many types of vegetarian diets that athletes follow, such as a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, which excludes meat, dairy and fish or the lacto vegetarian diet, which excludes meat. Both of these diets can provide adequate intake of protein, vitamins and minerals, according to Children’s Colorado Hospital.

Many worry that without meat, they will not obtain a proper amount of protein and nutrients in their diets. This speculation is unjustifiable, considering the amount of protein-packed foods available to vegetarians, such as nuts and beans.

Alternatively, as more people convert to vegetarianism and veganism, many more protein-rich vegetarian and vegan products that are meant to mimic meat products are available for purchase.

As a vegetarian soccer player am told that I will not get stronger myself, I can attest to the fact that I with my diet when I seem to be dohave never felt my athletic ability to ing just fine eating how I am.” be hindered due to my alternative Track athlete Sania Khanzode, protein sources. who has converted from an omnivAlthough I still believe pro- orous diet to a vegetarian diet, said tein is vital in order to repair and her performance has not been imstrengthen muscle tissue, yielding pacted. a better physical state, according “I feel much healthier, better to the Academy of Nutrition and and stronger when I am running,” Dietetics, getting my protein from sophomore Khanzode said. “Being alternative sources has never held vegetarian has not affected me a me back from participating in lot. I have been performing just as physical activities and succeeding well on the track and getting all the in sports. At the end of the day, food that I need from my own diet hard work is what leads to fuel myself for my daily activan athlete to ities.” success.

PlantVegetarbased athian weightletes can lifter Roopa be as sucSrinivas said cessful as she is often quesother carnivtioned about her orous athletes, without ng wa diet and how it should the need for meat in adapt to her workout their diets. regimen.

PRESSURE ON DIET: “People will say, Vegeterian atheletes ‘you should be eating share how their meatmeat or else you won’t less diets have been a put on any muscle,’” common topic of disjunior Srinivas said. “I cussion. find it irritating that I PAGE DESIGN BY SAIRA AHMED AND MADHAVI KARTHIK H

Media group sparks connections

Small fish in a big ocean: sophomores on varsity

tion by Seoyou Illustra ng

14

Sports

Friday, April 15, 2022

spring sports in swing

15

Athletes discuss challenges and triumphs of this year’s spring season What do you want to accomplish by the end of the season?

PEOPLE’S CHAMP

“I hope to win the games that we should be winning.

After the regular season, I would like to go farther and [compete at] CCS to have a chance at winning a title for HHS. I also hope we have fun.”

By Josh Cantwell-Nahrung

- Captain, starting pitcher and center fielder, senior Kailash Menon

Key players:

Josh Cantwell-Nahrung Kailash Menon Ryan Murphy Simon Kirschenbaum Joel Arcune

Upcoming games:

Apr. 18 vs. Piedmont Pirates at home Apr. 22 vs. Bellarmine Bells at home

Photo courtesy of Edmond Kwong

How is the season going so far?

“This season is giving me more chances to progress, and even when I have bad meets I learn from them. These past few meets, I haven’t met what I wanted to throw in discus because of the mental pressure I put on myself. I just have to learn how to cope with it. I’ve grown so much and it’s definitely been a rewarding [experience].”

- Shot Put & discus thrower, junior Ningning O’Brien

Key players:

Upcoming Meets: Apr. 26 DeAnza League Trials at Palo Alto High School

Mose Kim Spencer Ye Eric Chan Jessica Zhu Beatrice Ho

Apr. 28, DeAnza League Trials at Palo Alto High School

Photo courtesy of Ningning O’Brien

How is the season going so far?

“We didn’t play so well at our recent match, but overall we’ve had ups and downs. I feel like a few more downs than ups, but some of these teams that we’re playing were really good. Some games we play we’d win by 10 or 15 points, but this game specifically we lost by 20. Some days are worse than others and some days are better than others.”

- Freshman, Anthony Macdonald

Key players:

Animan Patil Colin Geffon Eric Peterson Anthony MacDonald Eliott Delile

Upcoming games:

Apr. 25 vs. Mountain View Spartans at Sunnyvale Apr. 27 vs. Wilcox at Los Lagos

Photo by Madhavi Kathik and Erin Loh

What has the team accomplished?

“One positive moment we had during the season was when we beat Lynbrook, who were number nine in all of Northern California [at the time]. It was a very exciting five-set match.

The win against them meant a lot to us because it helped boost up our team’s confidence when we headed into our next matches.”

- Setter, junior Parsa Bastani

Captains of this season: Ryan Markley Greg Baker

Photo by Ariana Tejeda Moreno

Upcoming games:

Apr. 27 vs. Lynbrook Owls at Lynbrook High School Apr. 29 vs. Mountain View Spartans at home

Similar to their professional counterparts, when it comes to the three major college sports, baseball’s popularity pales in comparison to college football and basketball. College football is almost as popular as the NFL and has a rich history of rivalries and school spirit. Everyone involved with sports whatsoever tunes in for the college football national championship and the bowl games leading up to it.

College basketball has March Madness, one of the most watched television events in America, with nearly 20 million watching the champions game alone.

However, it is most of the people who watch college football and basketball who are not aware of what happens in Omaha, Nebraska annually. In almost the same fashion as March Madness, the top 64 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 teams at the end of the regular season battle it out in regional bracket matchups until the top eight go to Omaha. In Omaha, the teams are split into two brackets, and the two best teams at the end of the tournament play a three game series to determine who will be victorious. It is unfortunate an event of this caliber, which has been unchanging for over almost nine decades, gets so little attention.

This year was different. College baseball started with a significant boost in popularity due to the MLB still being in a lockout at the start of the season. This meant vast amounts of MLB fans who were not invested in college baseball became interested as there was no other competitive option. College baseball has started receiving the attention of basketball and football alike. Although this quick boom in popularity might be depleting as MLB is back in business, only time will tell if college baseball will retain its popularity or revert back to being a hidden gem in the sports world for years to come.

PAGE DESIGN BY GABY CRISTANCHO AND ARIANA TEJEDA MORENO

16

Spotlight

Friday, April 15, 2022

Community members share experiences completing bucket list items Photo c

ourtesy

of Eliza

beth Tru

ong

Goin g skyd ivin g

Scan the QR code to see photos and videos from Krew’s Florals for Royals showcase!

Junior Elizabeth Truong said she first went skydiv ing in the fall of 2021 and said it has always been something on her bucke t list.

“The scariest part was jumping out because they just tell you to walk out and I was scared,” Truong said.

The junior said she would definitely skydive again and suggested that everyone try the activity.

Completing a triathlon

Ge tti ng a ta tto o

Math teacher Gary Auten said he has completed around Triathlons from 20 20 Ironman 03 to 2015, each co nsisting of a 2.4 m mile bike ride and ile swim, 112 a marathon. Compe ting in the Ironman World Championships was his Photo c ourtesy ultimate goal, Aute of Gary n said, Auten and after ten ye ars of hard work and sacrifice, he was able to complete the race three times.

“There were times when I thought I wo uld never reach that goal,” Auten said . “I sacrificed a lot of time and effort, and it was worth it, bu t while I was doing it, it was mentally hard to push for that.”

5 mi nu te s of fa me

Sophomore Ava Mracek said she has always be en drawn to the stage. After many audiPhoto courtesy of Ava Mracek tions, she filmed an ad for Apple.

“The feeling you ch ase after is adrena line,” Mracek said I was, with my face . “There on the big screen.

I was amazed and Mracek said for an proud.” yone wanting their moment of fame, perience is unlike the exanything else. Sinc e that ad, she co pursuing acting as ntinued an extra on “13 Re asons Why”.

“I got to see so many sets that ar en’t visible to the Mracek said. “I wa public,” s in awe. Seeing th e cameras and ac me realize I was re to rs made ally there, seeing th e behind the scenes show taking place. of the It was surreal.”

Freshman expectations with Ellia Kim

By Lindsey Steel

Photo by Nicole Pim

enta Innecco

summer after juhe got his first tattoo the Senior Jack Ohman said his dad and brothvacation to Hawaii with ily fam a g rin du r yea r nio knew when or nted a tattoo, but never wa s ay alw he id sa n ma er. Oh where he would get it. and saw a bunch of it, we went scuba diving “The day before we got the turtles that we “[We felt] connected to id. sa n ma Oh s,” tle s tur sea to get matching tattoo swam with [and decided of them].” l said many were skeptica Upon returning, Ohman ope s, ard too, but afterw of the realness of his tat ple started liking it.

7 w onders V is itin g th e abbar

said suf J u Y re o m o sevSoph two of the to n e e b s a g the he h ers, includin d n o w d rl o en w t Wall d the Grea n a l a h a M hitecTaj said the arc d n a s helped , breathtaka in h of C Wonders ha onders was d W rl d o rl W o e W s e th ture of both aveling to the world. re are aid that tr om around s fr r a ry b b to a r said. “The is J a h . b d b n a ing a J s ,” re n fte e deiate cultu ings very o d seeing th n th a e s o e him apprec tw th g e e in it get to s e world. Vis “You don’t places in th was e s e m e th th f o d behin ry to only seven is h e arning th tails and le special.”

Senior realities with Megan Choy

By Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Ellia Kim...

Megan Choy...

•

•

•

• • • • • • •

Expects to take seven AP courses throughout high school, including AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C. Intends to continue participating in robotics and joining the Vietnamese Student Association.

Hopes to score a 1550 on the SAT. Aspires to get into UC Berkeley her senior year.

Wants to get her driver’s license during her sophomore year.

Expects to attend several milestone events, such as prom and homecoming.

Intends on being in a relationship her senior year of high school, so other years can be more focused on academics.

Would like to go to the beach and San Francisco with her friends.

Plans to get a part-time job.

Photo courtesy of Yusuf Jabbar

•

Only took AP courses that genuinely interested her. Concentrated on areas she wanted to pursue, like math and science, 4 total.

Tried out a lot of clubs in freshman year, picked one to commit to.

Was in robotics for 4 years , to further bonds with her team and her passion for the activity.

• Took a lot of prep for the SAT, didn’t end up taking it, partly because of the pandemic, and test blindness policies.

• Learned a lot about different college different options, ended up liking state schools. Is going to Santa Clara University.

• Didn’t prioritize driver’s license, got it summer before senior year when she had time.

• Expected more partying and drama because of movies, but ended up finding friends she was able to keep.

• Was in a relationship in freshman year, decided to prioritize school and friends.

PAGE DESIGN BY NICOLE KIM, NICOLE PIMENTA INNECCO AND LINDSEY STEEL ILLUSTRATIONS BY AVA MAGHSOODLOU, AMBER BIRRELL, JOSS BROWARD, LIA KLEBANOV