The Epitaph, Volume 56, Issue 4 by The Epitaph

THE EPITAPH SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES UNDERWAY that for two years now in conjunction with the city of Cupertino. Then we [use] that data as we’re looking for solutions to our congestion problems … Basically, we have too many people driving cars and not enough space.” Puccinelli also said Sunnyvale currently has a grant to improve the intersections between Homestead Road and Kennewick Ave. and Homestead Road and Mary Ave. “We would be looking at how we would redesign our parking lots with entrance and exits to allow for less standing cars,” Puccinelli said. “The purpose of that is really to decrease carbon emissions. The longer the cars are waiting, the more emissions they are putting out.” The city of Sunnyvale is currently spearheading Climate Action Plan 2.0, a framework that intends to build “a healthier and more sustainable community for Sunnyvale residents, businesses and visitors,” and that maps “the path toward achieving more ambitious, longer term greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions between now and 2050,” according to the city of Sunnyvale website. Back on campus, individuals like junior Clarissa Gao contribute to the environmental sustainability of the community. Gao has been working with the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge since 2013. As an activity and group leader, Gao leads activities that aim to educate children about the wildlife refuge, environmental trends and good habitat preservation habits. There are also several community service clubs on campus whose participants actively volunteer with such orga-

Several initiatives, from cutting back on paper clutter to working to decrease carbon emissions to volunteering in the community, are currently underway to champion sustainability on campus. HHS actively engages in recycling with blue bins dispersed across campus, for example. The school has also gradually moved toward “going online” as part of an effort to reduce paper waste, Principal Greg Giglio said. In 2010 solar panels were installed atop the staff and student parking lots, and the athletic fields are synthetic, cutting down water usage. The school also actively endorses student-led initiatives that promote sustainability. “We’ll cooperate with kids interested in doing projects,” Giglio said. “In the beginning of the year, there were two [students] who were very passionate about reducing the usage of plastic water bottles, so they did some fundraising and we worked with them. We bought all the freshmen metal water bottles.” HHS has tried to cut some of its electrical usage as well, Giglio said. “We had some money that we got through the state that we put in different lights in the gym and in the theater,” Giglio said. “They last longer and are more energy efficient.” Dean of Students Steven Puccinelli has been collaborating with the Cupertino Safe Routes to School program, which works to physically collect traffic data before and after school. This data allows the school to examine traffic issues and brainstorm solutions for sustainability. “We continually and constantly collect data just so we have a picture of who is coming in, [and] when and where ONLY FRUITS, they are coming from,” VEGETABLES, Puccinelli said. breads, grains, “We’ve been chips or crackers can be doing

nizations. This month, National Honor Society announced two upcoming events relating to environmental sustainability. On Jan. 19, according to NHS, volunteers planted trees at the Meridian Avenue Community Planting and on Feb. 9, volunteers will be planting native species and removing invasive species from the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge for their Restoration Day. The AP Environmental Science course also integrates community service into its curriculum. Titled “Step Ups,” students are required to participate in activities or events that are relevant to environmental science. “The ‘Step Ups’ are super important because rather than just learning about some of the issues in our world from the book, me lecturing or watching videos, I think the real learning comes from getting out in the community and experiencing things first-hand,” APES teacher Jessica Wakefield said. Collaborating with Alrie Middlebrook, the president and founder of Middlebrook Gardens in San Jose, APES students have volunteered across several weekends this school year. “Whether it’s through community gardening that focuses on sustainable agriculture or planting native plants, or getting rid of invasive species,” Wakefield said, “I think that’s where the true learning comes from, if you go in and get your hands dirty.”

January 30, 2019 Vol. 56 Issue 4 Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

2013 CALIFORNIA SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RESULTS

Environmental stewardship practiced on campus By Aarya Gupta

Wednesday,

Data courtesy of Safe Routes to School

THE CALIFORNIA HOUSEHOLD Travel Survey collected data of the percentages of students in the state who traveled to school by bicycle, school bus, walking or using a private vehicle.

Food waste bins introduced By Andrea Boyn

Sophomores Erin Yoon and Sahiti Kadiyala worked with Dean Steven Puccinelli, food services manager Terri Forston and facilities director Toby Mockler to spearhead the task of implementing campuswide composting through the introduction of food waste bins. Six bins were first introduced in December. “We thought that since throwing away food is a big

issue on campus,” Yoon said, “because it all goes to the landfill, implementing food waste bins would repurpose waste to go to a better cause.” Although committee chairs Kadiyala and Yoon were the brains behind the initiative, the project has since been handed over to the administration. “Since it has been approved by administration, they are in charge of taking out all the waste every-

d an

INSIDE: News | Page 2

STEM NIGHT Opinion | Page 4

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE

Lifestyles | Page 7

placed in the waste bins, pictured with project chairs Erin Yoon (10) and Sahiti Kadiyala (10).

TALKING TRASH

el W

Photos by Jacqueline Beaufore

day, just like if it was a normal trash can,” Kadiyala said. Food waste in schools is a nationwide problem that began with the Healthy Hunger=Free Kids Act of 2010, according to a study from Cornell/Brigham Young. The Act, which requires that school-provided meals include a serving of both fruits and vegetables, has unintended negative effects on food waste, as its not surprising that fruits and vegetables are often what end up in waste bins at the end of the day. Providing food waste bins is the first step toward making HHS’s impact more sustainable. With prolonged use, the substa-

tial reduction of food waste will become more of a reality. Prevention of food waste will reduce the cost of purchasing, handling and ultimately disposing of food that isn’t eaten. Experts at ReFED, a leading nonprofit committed to reducing United States food waste, found that each pound of food diverted from waste can be converted into an average of 1.2 meals. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, announced recently that one of his main focuses this year will be to bring awareness of the issue of food wastes to students in schools throughout California.

DEAR DAISY

Entertainment | Page 13 CORRUPT GLOBES Sports | Page 14

IZZY TALK PAGE BY AISHWARYA JAYADEEP AND KATELYN PAN

News

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

SNHS HOSTS FIRST ANNUAL STEM NIGHT

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FRESHMAN OFFICERS USE VLOGS TO BUILD COMMUNICATION Interactive videos help provide useful information By Laurel Schmidt The Class of ’22 created a vlog last semester to increase the communication between students and class officers. The vlog includes many ways to provide information and helpful tips to the freshman class. “Part of my campaign focus was to increase communication among the student body and the class officers about different things that are going on during school,” Freshman Class President Martin Wu said. “Having a vlog was just one of the most effective ways we thought that we could easily communicate with people.” The class officers decided to make the vlog a three-part segment, but plan to make more in the future due to the overall success of the vlogs so far. The two current vlogs have accumulated over 400 views, Wu said. The class officers decided

to include a special feature in some of the vlogs including a guest speaker. One of the past speakers was Senior Class President Valerie Hu, who gave helpful tips about finals week, Wu said. To make the experience more interactive, a survey was created for students to enter questions for officers or guest speakers to answer. Additionally, guest speakers or special student spotlights can apply to be apart of the vlog, Wu said. “Questions may be submitted either through the Instagram story or through the provided link,” according to the vlog information sheet that can be found on the Class of ’22 Instagram page. “Hopefully [students] can take away that we’re there to be their representatives, we’re there to work for them and our job is to support them,” Wu said.

air quality. Chandra said that having the event first semester would have given students the opportunity to explore different science clubs on campus. “At that point of the year, it’s still early enough that the people who attend STEM Night might be interested in joining some of these clubs,” Chandra said. The event itself is centered around the theme “Yesterday’s Tomorrow.” “The theme ... basically means that the innovations that people were thinking of yesterday,” Chandra said, “like in the past, are now being made currently. So, ‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow’ means ‘today.’”

SCIENCE FOR CHANGE held a joint event with National Art Honor Society to create decorations and posters for the event.

Aarya Gupt a

Programming clubs are some campus organizations that will be in attendance. Additionally, BioCurious, a local laboratory currently working on multiple community projects, will be setting up a booth. When people visit each station, they can retrieve a sticker to paste on a “passport,” which they can later enter in a raffle. “[Attendees] can look forward to the variety of booths that we have, and how it’s stuff that you wouldn’t really experience in class,” Chandra said. “There’s something for everyone, whether you’re interested in astronomy, anatomy, physics or whatever.” Spearheading this event required months of preparation. To plan, Science for Change created a STEM Night committee, open to any member of the club. Each of the five meetings, which occurred over the past few months, had a different focus. “In those meetings we did some pretty important things,” Chandra said, “like emailing different labs or college clubs that could come and have a booth, creating [the] floor plan, coming up with ways to market the event to the community, and thinking of decoration ideas.” Initially, STEM Night was set to occur on Nov. 16, but was cancelled due to the poor

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By Aarya Gupta

Science for Change is hosting the first STEM night on Friday, Feb. 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is open to all members of the local community. Senior Anisha Chandra, the president of Science for Change said she was inspired by past volunteering experience at local elementary school science nights. According to the STEM Night mission statement, the event “celebrates the cycle of scientific discoveries,” and intends to “expose [the] community to a variety of topics in the sciences.” To recruit clubs for participation, Science for Change began compiling emails and extended an invitation to different clubs on campus, asking them to respond with whether they were interested in participating. Aside from Science for Change, twelve other booths will be present, integrating various activities, games and demonstrations. “They are all pretty fun activities,” Chandra said. “Some of them are combined with art. For instance, Science for Change is [making] galaxy bottles, where you make these bottles [with] glitter, and you can see the different parts of space like nebulas. We’ll have an explanation [about the] galaxy for those who want it.” Future Physicians of America, Green Ops, Aerospace, and

Science clubs come together for community event

“‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow’ means ‘today,’” -Anisha Chandra (12)

NEW FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER OPENS THIS YEAR Center helps parents get questions answered

By Kari Anderson Parent Nina Wong-Dobkin brought an online Family Resource Center to HHS this year to provide schoolwide information to parents with questions regarding school-related topics. Wong-Dobkin said she wanted to provide the center to the school after being active on campus with her two kids, both of whom recently graduated. “I have always been a very hands-on parent,” Wong-Dobkin said. “Knowing that a lot of parents don’t know how to support their first child while in high school, and with my experience with parents in previous years and my involvement with the school, I could help parents and give them advice for it.” Wong-Dobkin was on the Family Engagement Committee at the district for one and a half years, and said she wanted to bring a similar level of support for parents here. Principal Greg Giglio said he also wanted to bring a Family Resource Center to the school, and Wong-Dobkin was happy to help. “She had heard about my idea for a Family Resource Center, Giglio said. “I don’t remember where or how, but she had told me how her second child is graduating and how she loves the school and had asked to

volunteer to get it started, and I said yes.” Giglio said his decision was inspired by schools in the district with Family Resource Centers. “I’ve seen it in other places and other schools to be effective,” Giglio said. “It works in a way where a parent wouldn’t necessarily want to talk to someone working in the office [but] rather talk to another parent. So we kind of said, ‘Let’s try this out.’” The center is used as a resource for parents with school-related questions, which Wong-Dobkin answers. To do so, she verifies her responses with the school so there is no confusion. “The questions I have gotten so far have been athletic-related,” Wong-Dobkin said. “Parents have a child who play sports for the school and whether or not they would have an excused absence regarding their classes. And also some questions regarding the SAT and other tests.” While not many parents know about the resource center, both Giglio and Wong-Dobkin said they have hopes for the center to generate publicity throughout this semester and in the following years. One idea for the expansion is to create an actual office for parents to come to the school,

rather than having it operate solely online. “When we get done with the iHub building, the D building is going to be knocked down and become a new office building [for] guidance student services,” Giglio said, “and I am creating a spot within the College and Career Center for a Parent Liaison Resource Center. This way there’ll be a better spot for parents to come to for questions.” Throughout the process of creating the Family Resource Center, the support from the community has been uplifting, Giglio said. This highlights the importance of providing a place where parents feel comfortable asking questions and offering feedback, and where guidance can easily be provided to parents. “I just really appreciate the support we have been getting to do this project and I just think it really shows how great our community is,” Giglio said. “And, you know, we’ve got a lot of people who love the school and want to help out, and a lot of parents who know that even though this is high school, students and the entire school benefit from collective support.”

PAGE BY EMILY CHOI

News Wednesday, January 30, 2019 3 SENIOR SORTS, SEQUENCES WAY TO SCIENCE SCHOLAR AWARD STAFF Reet Mishra honored in nation’s oldest science talent contest By Aishwarya Jayadeep Reet Mishra’s work at the Stanford Genome Technology Center recently earned her the honor of being named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar in the nation’s oldest pre-college science talent competition. Mishra, a senior, said she attributes her interest in biomedical engineering and computational biology to her experience as a detective — a “disease detective.” “In seventh grade, I started doing Science Olympiad,” Mishra said. “I started with an event called ‘Disease Detectives,’ and it was really cool because I felt like Nancy Drew, trying to find and solve outbreaks.” As she discovered and entered other research competitions over the years, she said, she quickly became fascinated with the study of how one’s environment influences DNA. The subject, combined with computer science, led her to genomics: the intersection of biology and computer science. Over the past summer, Mishra began research for the Stanford Genomics Research Internship Program, leading her to the project she was awarded for. Mishra aided in the development of a tool to rapidly generate medicinal drugs, she said, speeding up the growth of the fungi that comprises such drugs by injecting fungal genes into fast-growing yeast. Her specific role in the process involved the identification of mutant genes.

Editor-in-Chief Thomas Denome Editor-in-Chief Aishwarya Jayadeep Senior News Editor Aarya Gupta Senior News Editor Laurel Schmidt Senior Opinion Editor Gianella Ordoñez Senior Opinion Editor Renee Wang Senior Lifestyles Editor Andrea Boyn Senior Lifestyles Editor Hana Baig Junior Lifestyles Editor Andrea Sun Senior Entertainment Editor Katie Fung Senior Sports Editor Izzy La Rue Senior Sports Editor Nicole Fuller Senior Design Editor Eden Pollitt Senior Photo Editor Brandon Welty Junior Photo Editor Jacqueline Beaufore Copy Editor Kate Gabrielson Copy Editor Batool Al-Jabiry Senior Multimedia Editor Claire Torii Business Manager Katelyn Pan

Reporters Pranavi Abburi Harley Anderson Kari Anderson Leiyonee Bosé Melody Chen Emily Choi Ryan D’Amour

Natalie Owsley

Photo courtesy of Reet Mishra

REET MISHRA (12) has been working at the Stanford Genome Technology Center, using equipment like the MinION, pictured, for DNA sequencing.

“Say we had all the newspapers from the past hundred years shredded, and we find one snippet.” Mishra said “Now your job is to find the what the original paper it came from was,” So far, Mishra has found about 109 mutant genes through the process. But the project is still continuing, and every day presents her with a new challenge, she said. “There was a new problem to tackle not only through the whole day, but every two or three hours,” Mishra said. “It was really fun, the small problems I had to

tackle to get to the big solution.” Her enthusiasm for genomics and computational biology, palpable in everything from her descriptions of the subject to the fact that she took her research home to work overtime, carries over into her future plans. “I do want to pursue [this field],” she said. “It’s a really cool field, especially because now we’re getting into a stage where we can personalize medicines. Imagine what could happen: We would have everyone’s genomes and not only could we detect genetic diseases but we could get

predictors for diseases that are not genetic.” Her various interests over the years, ranging from biology to computer science, have all culminated in her current passion has led her to another realization, she said. “I never knew that epigenetics was going to come back to me,” Mishra said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or if you don’t get recognition for it — if you have something that piques your interest, definitely pursue it, because it will come back to you.”

Performances celebrate Asian culture The Korean Student Association (KSA) hosted Asiafest last Friday, a multi-school event celebrating different Asian cultures with performances and food designed to bring together different people and give them more information on asian cultures. Senior Sunho Kum, copresident of the KSA, was part of the effort to get the event set up. Planning for the event had been ongoing since last semester, though the idea for the event was first proposed over the summer break. Preparations for Asiafest involved reaching out to different Asian culture groups to find people interested in sharing their culture. The process pulled in people from around the district interested in performing in the event. At its debut, the event totaled about 50 performers, Kum said. “We initially just reached out to Asian clubs at our school,” Kum said, “but then we thought that we could go a tiny bit farther,

Steven Lefaive Shruti Magesh Katelynn Ngo Fonzie Pitco III Dexter Tatsukawa Patrick Yu

Adviser

KOREAN STUDENT ASSOCIATON HOSTS ASIAFEST By Dexter Tatsukawa

Editors

and we talked to other schools.” Although the event is organized and hosted by KSA, Asiafest is not restricted to just Korean culture, the event welcomes a variety of performances and events stemming from various Asian cultures. The nature of the events at Asiafest varied wildly as a result of the multitude of traditions represented. “At Asiafest, we’ll have a lot of performances, dance performances, some of them are K-pop, some of them are freestyle, some of them are martial arts,” Kum said. “Some of the clubs have booths about their culture and certain foods.” The KSA’s own K-pop dance group performed at the event. In addition, stands were present at Asiafest giving information on the different languages spoken. Kum also said a stand for “Liberty in North Korea,” which is a cause helping North Korean refugees that she and other members of the KSA wanted to promote during Asiafest, was present. Although Kum said that the one of the main purposes of the

The Epitaph is a non-profit publication at Homestead High School, 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014. The Epitaph is a forum for student expression and not subject to prior review, in accordance with Education Code 48907. The staff is composed of Homestead Journalism students. Views expressed do not necessarily represent views of the school, its staff, or the district. Editorials are opinions of the editorial board. The Epitaph welcomes all letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Include contact information. Unsigned letters cannot be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Send via homestead. epitaph@gmail.com, or drop letters in the newsroom or the office mailbox. If the Epitaph has made an error, please send corrections to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com. The corrections will be published in the corrections box for the next issue. To reach the Epitaph staff in C105, email homestead.epitaph@gmail. com

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Photo by Jacqueline Beaufore

ASIAFEST PROVIDED A number of performances and events that all show off unique aspects of Asian culture. Pictured from left to right: Karen Chow (9), Isabella Cheng (9) and Katherine Wang (9).

event is to entertain, Kum and performers at Asiafest also hoped to educate their audience on the cultures and traditions of the different Asian countries being represented. “[Asiafest works] to help high school students to indulge themselves in certain types of

Asian cultures,” Kum said. “It gives them an experience they wouldn’t otherwise have.” Although this is the KSA’s first Asiafest, Kum said this event will be just one of the many future annual events to come. “This hopefully sets a precedent,” Kum said.

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Donors Jason Halden David & Charline Sun Catherine Hansa Spencer Fung Thomas Kendall Manjari Patel Laurel Schmidt Greg Tatsukawa Dexter Tatsukawa Julie Tatsukawa Angela Wipfler Morpheus Tatsukawa Bridget Wipfler James Tatsukawa Katelyn Wong Sadae Tatsukawa Katie Yasuda Margaret Batek Virginia Uchiyamada Christopher Zeren Hinoko Torii

PAGE BY HARLEY ANDERSON

Opinion

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

AMERICAN DREAM OR MODERN-DAY NIGHTMARE? Silicon Valley has a skewed idea of success By Katie Fung

THREADS OF INJUSTICE By Aarya Gupta In New Jersey, Buena Regional High School junior Andrew Johnson was faced with an impossible choice. On Dec. 19, as he was getting ready to compete, he was forced to choose between chopping his dreadlocks or forfeiting his wrestling match. That is no choice a student should ever have to make. According to the 2018-2019 National Federation of State High School Associations Wrestling Rules and Interpretations, “braided hair that is non-abrasive,” if longer than its natural state, must be contained in a legal hair cover. Thus, Andrew Johnson should have been able to compete without enduring the pain and humiliation he felt that day. But, Alan Maloney, the referee, was blinded by racism. He had subconsciously made the decision to penalize Johnson solely for a defining characteristic: dreadlocks. This was not Maloney’s first abominable act. As reported by Fox 23 News, Maloney allegedly used a racial slur when conversing with fellow officials at a gathering after a wrestling tournament in 2016. Such offenses should not go unnoticed by high school leagues. Not only should prospective and current referees participate in annual trainings outlining how to officiate in an unbiased manner, but they should be checked for prior offenses relating to discrimination. Johnson will remember that moment for the rest of his life, the moment when he stood with his head bowed, abashed, as the jarring snip of scissors permeated his memory. He was stripped of his identity, and dehumanized. And that is something that no one should experience. Above all, this scenario confirms that black men are unable to exercise autonomy. Specifically, they are constantly diminished in contemporary society, undermined by mistreatment and inequality. Stories like Johnson’s are inherent microcosms of systemic oppression woven into the fabric of the United States of America. These instances matter; they set a precedent. While Johnson won his match that day, he lost something bigger: the ability to govern himself.

When I was a kid, my favorite game was “Game of Life.” I didn’t realize until recently how messed up it is that the only way to win is by making the most money. In “Life,” I always wanted to be a doctor, because it had the highest salary. After all, if you didn’t get a high-paying career, you were essentially guaranteed to lose. The real world is not supposed to be as simplified as “Life,” but it might as well be. The American Dream is no longer merely a dream; it’s a game, and one we aim to win. The American Dream is one perpetuated by immigrants and native-born Americans alike. It is the idea that with hard work and the will to persevere, everyone can succeed. But the dream has been warped. For instance, simply going to college is no longer the goal; in order to feel we have truly succeeded, we must go to Ivy League colleges like Harvard. Or Columbia. Or Yale. Silicon Valley is full of immigrants who moved to America to create a better life for

themselves and their children. Our parents and grandparents just want us to be the best we can be, and the way they understand it, success is power. Success is money. Success is respect. But this manifests into thousands of talented individuals believing they can only be successful by meeting the increasingly cutthroat criteria of going to the right college, getting the right job and living the right life. People say that Silicon Valley is a bubble. And they’re right. We are single-minded in our goal: college. In class, we don’t ask questions because we’re curious; we ask them just in case they might be on the test. We perform community service to maintain our NHS and CSF memberships, not to better our city. Throughout everything we do, a single question is there in the back of our heads: “Will this look good on my college applications?” In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the national college enrollment rate of high school graduates is 69.7 percent. According to the HHS website, our rate is 93 percent. I’m not saying that going to college or making money or wanting to earn respect are bad goals. The problem lies in the fact that we are being taught the only

Illustration by Katie Fung

SILICON VALLEY HAS redefined “successful” at the cost of fulfillment.

important thing to be is “successful.” Our culture pits us against our peers so that we may compare ourselves to each other in any given moment. It’s this kind of toxicity that turns life into a game, a race to see who can do the most and gain the most. The American Dream talks a big talk about success. But what about happiness? What about enjoying the classes you take, applying to college with a major you’re interested in not because it’s the way to money, but the way to a sense of fulfillment? The pressure to not only conform to the set expectations, but to surpass them, is a burden I no longer want to carry.

I’ve come to understand that I cannot measure my own success by the success of my peers. My personal accomplishments are not always tangible to the outside eye; they’re more than just awards and a high GPA. They’re feelings as well. Just as my achievements are not always visible to others, theirs are not to me. We need to create our own definitions of success. They don’t have to be perfect; like mine, yours may feature money and respect and power. But we can’t forget to factor in the intangible things, the ones you can’t measure by your peers: happiness. Fulfillment. The sense that whatever you’re doing, wherever you go, it’s a decision made with care.

THE STRUGGLE TO BE BEAUTIFUL

People push themselves too much to look perfect

By Alfonso Pitco III

Photo illustration by Alfonso Pitco III

BEAUTY STANDARDS THROUGHOUT media lead people to want to attain an impossible image.

There have been countless moments when I stared at my reflection in the mirror and hated what I saw. I saw myself as unfit and ugly, and I was desperate to change my image. That is what beauty standards do — they ruin who you are. I was afraid to take off my shirt and expose my “muffin top,” especially when I went to public pools. I would be mindful of what I ate, skipping meals and eating very little until I became underweight and light-headed. I would go to the

gym, lift heavy weights and do extraneous workouts until I overworked myself and had unbearable aches throughout my body for days. I was only damaging my body and my self-esteem. I was so focused on trying to be the ideal image of a boy, I did not even pay attention to my well-being. Society expects boys to be tall, fit, muscular, well-groomed, have six-pack abs and a large “size.” However, society expects just as much from girls. They are expected to be pretty and thin with

large breasts, dress sexy but not too revealing and wear makeup. These beauty standards are imposed by our peers, entertainment and the media. We strive to become like people or characters we find attractive, and so learn the meaning behind the phrase “beauty is pain.” Some people resort to different beauty products such as weight loss pills and skin lightening creams. However, according to Futures Recovery Healthcare, some weight loss pills can cause harmful side effects such as kid-

ney problems, liver damage, high blood pressure and diarrhea. Hydroquinone, a popular ingredient in skin lightening creams, can cause blistering, severe itchiness and long-term depigmentation according to Be:Skinformed, a blog that covers the beauty industry. The constant comparison of one’s body to others can cycle and affect day to day routines, from excessively watching of what we eat to exercising too much. This obsessive mentality can destroy someone physically and emotionally. According to a statistic from Rawhide, 90 percent of teenage boys who exercise do so with the sole goal of building muscle 31 percent have an eating disorder. In addition, girls become concerned over their body image at a young age, as 81 percent of 10-year-old girls are afraid of being fat and 9 percent of 9-yearolds force themselves to vomit to lose weight, according to a statistic from The Body Image Therapy Center. Many of us are tired of having to hear what we should look like and aspire to be that perfect image. It is time for us to finally look at the bigger picture: our inner beauty. How we look on the outside does not define who we are on the inside. It does not compare to how smart, kind, brave, creative and passionate we actually are. To be beautiful does not mean you have to look perfect. It is time for us to stop putting ourselves down. Instead of saying “I’m so ugly and fat,” start saying “I’m beautiful and worth it.” PAGE BY GIANELLA ORDONEZ AND RENEE WANG

Opinion

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CAUSES DESTRUCTION

Democrat and Republican clash devastates federal workers By Laurel Schmidt The government shutdown. A perfect way to start 2019 off badly, by leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without a paycheck and beating the record for the longest shutdown ever, according to Business Insider. The shutdown started Saturday, Dec. 22, due to President Trump wanting $5.7 billion to fund a wall along with increased border security to combat the socalled crisis at the border. Democrats strongly disagree with this, and will not allow for the funding of a wall when they do not believe in or recognize a crisis. Both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have made this clear in meetings they have had with Trump, and their response to his national address on Jan. 19. According to Politifact, a few of the departments that are closed are Agriculture, Commerce, Justice and Treasury. Another department that closed, NASA, had more of a personal effect on my life. Both of my parents are NASA Ames employees, and have not been paid for the duration of the shutdown. While it may not have as large of an effect on my family as others, it is still taking a toll on our financial situation. It is easy to go on and on about

Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

CLASH BETWEEN DEMOCRATS and Republicans hurts federal workers.

the devastation that has come as a result of the shutdown. There is the lack of economic progress, according to CNN, destruction of national parks, lack of revenue for many companies and, of course, the 800,000 federal workers living without a paycheck. Even though furloughed workers will be given back pay for the time that they missed, according to USA Today, this does not make up for the fact that many

are needing to take from their savings, lean on friends and family, take up other jobs or file for unemployment, just to survive. No matter what party you are associated with, it is fairly obvious that the shutdown has caused significant damage to the country. It seems there must be a good reason for all of the chaos that is arising around our government. But in reality, when you look deeper into the White House

walls, you will find it is just a head-on clash between Pelosi and Trump. Both Democrats, who strongly oppose the wall, and Republicans, who continue to follow Trump’s every move, are reluctant to deviate from their sides. Trump said he would let the shutdown go on for years if it had to in a meeting with “newly powerful Democrats,” according to CNN, which is a terrifying thought. The only success that has been achieved during the shutdown is the title of having the country’s longest government shutdown, which is not something to be proud of. Although other pieces of legislation have been thrown into the mix, such as Trump offering temporary protection to Dreamers in a bill proposal in exchange for his wall funding, the wall seems to be the one thing keeping the government from reopening again. At this point, one question remains: is it worth it? The answer is no. A wall and the illusion of a crisis at the border are not good reasons to jeopardize thousands of citizens. A reasonable solution is to reopen the government, allow federal workers to continue getting paid and set the idea of a border wall and the Trump-Pelosi power struggle aside.

JUDGMENT ON SCREEN TIME SHOULD BE RESERVED

Lack of evidence makes health effects uncertain By Dexter Tatsukawa Screens have become a more prevalent part of modern life due to their versatility in both work and social life. According to CNN, the average adult American spends over 10 hours a day staring at a screen. As people devote more and more time to screens, questions are raised on whether such activity may be unhealthy. Studies on the topic of screen time have not managed to provide entirely conclusive data on the subject. It is often not clear whether results are caused by screen time or by independent factors, or if no consistent trends appear. Due to a lack of a scientific consensus on the topic of screen time, people should not jump to conclusions on its danger or safety. According to a long-term study by the National Institute of Health, differences were found between the brains of children who used screens for over seven hours a day and those who used screens for less time than that. However, due to the fact that the study only began in 2015, it may not yet have a full picture of screen time effect. As a result, according to The New York Times, the results of the study may not suggest long term effects because adolescent brains continue to adapt into one’s 20s. In certain cases, studies on screen time are also presented in ways that are misleading. Articles

Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE been claims of the ill effects of screens, studies have not proven adverse effects.

like Psychology Today’s “Grey matters: too much screen time damages the brain” never fully define what exactly “too much” screen time is, instead leaving it up to the reader’s imagination. The article also only uses studies on screen and internet addiction but not any that give information on moderate screen use. Although the nature of the studies is noted, no differentiation is made between screen use and screen addiction. It makes the assumption that addiction to something suggests that that thing is inherently harmful when that is not neces-

sarily the case. Even Psychology Today, the website that the article is published on, defines addiction on a different page as the repeated use of a substance despite “detrimental consequences.” Addiction by its definition is harmful, so it would make sense that screen addiction, like any other addiction, would have negative effects. However, it cannot be assumed that moderate screen use has negative effects unless specific evidence of it is given. Moreover, a study by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health resulted in somewhat inconclusive data, with experts hav-

ing been unable to recommend an optimal amount of screen time due to the lack of evidence for screen time’s health effects.. The study also criticized the results of other, similar studies which they claim often overstate the possible negative effects of screen time. Due to a lack of consistent information on the effects of screen time, there is no basis on which to form any conclusions about its health effects. The public should wait for a scientific consensus on screen time before they act on its supposed threat (or lack thereof) to health.

THE DENOME’S ADVOCATE By Thomas Denome Halfway through Donald Trump’s first term as president, people are already lining up to challenge him. Sen. Kamala Harris of California was the latest, announcing her bid on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. According to CNN, the major candidates for the Democratic nomination include Harris, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. And yet, I likely will vote for none of them. I will not support Harris, because her record as the Attorney General of California is abysmal, tainted by her attempts to deny transgender inmates access to gender realignment surgery, according to the Washington Blade. I will not support Gabbard due to her abhorrent record of aligning herself with ultranationalist leaders, including Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I will not support Gillibrand because of her history as a lawyer. She lied about whether or not cigarettes cause cancer, according to the New York Times. She also once held an A- rating from the NRA, according to CNN. And I will not support Warren, simply because she will not change the way our system works. Warren described herself as “a capitalist to [her] bones” in a speech last July, attaching herself to a system that has left the planet with 12 years to avoid irreversible climate change, according to the IPCC. A system that, despite spending twice as much as Europe on private health insurance, has produced worse medical results, according to Reuters. A system that has failed its people. I will not support any candidate who does not advocate for radical change: single-payer health insurance, a Green New Deal, relaxed immigration enforcement, reduced military spending and all of it paid for by the wealthiest. I don’t believe this is too idealistic. I believe this is the bare minimum response that Democrats should have for the backwardness of the Republican administration of the last two years. PAGE BY PATRICK YU

Opinion

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

TATTOOS NO LONGER OBTRUSIVE IN THE WORKFORCE Body ink, piercings not indicators of professionalism

By Harley Anderson

THE IMPATIENT PATIENT

It’s 2019. Why are tattoos still being questioned in some places in the career field? Tattoos have been a form of art and expression for many, and have even become part of people’s identities. Yet some

have found themselves turned away from careers because tattoos are still frowned upon for being inappropriate. However, it is now more uncommon, as this stigma is being stripped away. People should no longer worry about discrimination

By Renee Wang When applications for the California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Society opened up, I applied immediately. However, I am ashamed to say that I had no idea what either club did. My mindset was that clubs with distinguished names would look great on college applications. According to Childtrends, high school seniors planning to attend a four-year college are more likely to volunteer. Teenagers volunteer most through school-sponsored service activities, according to the Do Good study. It is widely known that volunteerism, along with grades, are essential in letting colleges know you are generous and intelligent. It was not until my junior year that I realized why you cannot measure generosity. According to a study by the U.S. Census Bureau, volunteer rates among adult Americans dropped 24.9 percent in 2015. The contrast between volunteer rates in high school and declining rates overall may be attributed to the fact that when we graduate, we no longer have colleges to impress or hours to fulfill. When we join organizations for the wrong reasons, we grow to see volunteering as a chore. A genuine want for helping out one’s community is never instilled, and the importance of volunteering is not translated into adulthood, where getting into college is no longer an all-important priority. A few months ago, I volunteered at a cleanup in Coyote Creek as part of my science class requirement. Despite being in the hot sun, picking up trash became one of the most rewarding experiences I had last year. It reminded me of why I began volunteering in middle school at an animal rescue: knowing that my small action would induce a positive ripple of effects. We ended picking up 44 bags of trash. Equating volunteer hours to an on-paper generosity had stunted my enjoyment of volunteering. And with a lack of volunteer rates come alarming trends, such as greater social isolation and an overall distrust, according to the Do Good Institute. It is essential we build a generation of lifelong volunteers.

Illustration by Ryan D’Amour

TATTOOS ARE BECOMING more accepted in the workplace, allowing people to get them freely without worry of judgment on the job.

when it comes to having tattoos, now that companies have not used them as a determing factor. According to Stapaw, only 4 percent of tattooed or pierced people say they’ve actually faced discrimination in their current job. With millennials stepping into the workforce, it’s more common to find someone in a career field with a tattoo or even multiple. According to Good News Network, a study shows that the perception of tattoos in the workplace has changed so much that even a visible tattoo is no longer linked to individual employment, wages or earnings discrimination as it once was. And even if tattoos are looked at when considering someone for a job position, they have no effect on someone’s ability within the criteria of the job. They are an external part of someone that doesn’t limit nor increase one’s capability when it comes to the work they can contribute.

“The long-held stigmas associated with having tattoos, and particularly visible ones, may be eroding, especially among younger individuals who view body art as a natural and common form of personal expression,” lead author on the article and professor Michael French said. The move of tattoo acceptance in the work industry gives those who want to get them the ability to do so freely without worry. Being one of those people, this allows me to be able to express myself through tattoos, and find interests without having to think about them affecting my potential jobs and the work I’d bring to them. Before, my parents always told me to never get a tattoo that was visible, but with more acceptance comes the ability to do so. This is important to me because I find tattoos to be an expressive outlet for people to show more of themselves.

THE DARK SIDE TO A PERFECT TEST SCORE

Standardized testing pressures students, teachers By Leiyonee Bosé “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” While Albert Einstein may not have specifically been talking about standardized testing with those words, there is a powerful message behind them. Many students express their negative feelings towards state mandated testing, but what should really be discussed is the dark downside to it. Standardized tests were created to judge students all by the same criteria. They completely ignore the differences in student learning and background. No two students are the same, yet they are treated with this “one size fits all” ideal. To make matters worse, standardized tests are regarded as highly important and a representation of one’s abilities. With the pressure to do well, students have to buckle down and slave for hours and hours studying. Many students break down under the stress and develop health issues. According to a former board member of the National Association for Nurses, student anxiety increases in correlation with an increased emphasis on standardized testing. According to the Alliance for Childhood, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, standardized testing usually results in consequences “including stomach aches and vomiting, headaches, sleep problems, depression, attendance problems and acting out.” On a more personal level, standardized testing also impacts students’ self-

esteem. Since these tests are regarded as a representation of one’s intellectual abilities, many use their scores to measure their self-worth. According to The Washington Post, standardized tests are designed to fail a certain portion of the test takers, enforcing a failure mentality. Those who score on the lower side view themselves as worthless, and their self-esteem plummets. This self-deprecation directly impacts academic success. According to a study conducted by Harvard University, standardized testing actually increases the school dropout rate. Students who score in the bottom 10 percent of the achievement range are 33 percent more likely to drop out of schools in states with graduation tests. This holds true for younger students as well. According to the National Research Council, lower-performing elementary and secondary students who are held back do worse academically, are worse off socially and are far more likely to drop out. In the end, standardized tests do not even fully prepare students for life in the real world. They are taught to memorize and follow guidelines instead of learning life skills and thinking outside the box. According to The Washington Post, any material not covered on these huge tests is seen as less important and might not even be taught in schools. This causes a narrower curriculum. However, content knowledge is not everything. There needs to be more attention given to actual, life-applicable survival skills. But instead, schools focus heavily on STEM subjects and deemphasize the arts, music and humanities. Even at HHS, we have seen classes like auto shop and humanities close down. Nowadays, schools have become factories producing

Photo illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

COUNTRIES SUCH AS FINLAND have found educational success without enforcing regular standardized testing for students.

high performing robots who all compete with each other to have the highest scores. Everyone is fighting to fit into the same “perfect” mold. On top of all this, students are not the only ones hit. Teachers are also affected by the statemandated testing. According to the National Education Association, 72 percent of teachers feel moderate to extreme pressure from the administration to improve the test scores of their students. Additionally, 42 percent of teachers feel that standardized testing has a negative impact in their classroom. Not only are teachers experiencing similarly high stress levels, but standardized testing is also tied to their salaries and job stability. According to the NEA, education reformers and lawmakers have become obsessed with rooting out “bad” teachers, using student standardized test scores as a huge part of the evaluation. This lack of stability makes the workplace even harder for teachers. According to the NEA, 45 percent of teachers have considered leaving the

profession due to standardized testing. The toxic testing environment is a contributing factor to a lower job satisfaction and unstable workforce. At the end of the day, standardized testing is completely unnecessary. There are better ways to assess students and help them grow. According to the World Economic Forum, Finland has one of the best education systems in the world, outranking the U.S. Ranked fourth internationally, Finland has no standardized testing except for a voluntary exam at the end of high school. Instead, students are graded on an individualized basis, with a philosophy of “cooperation, not competition.” Countries like Finland are doing amazing things without the shadow of standardized testing. There is no need to continue asking fish to climb up trees and punishing them when they cannot. We should work toward the future and a better education system. As Prince Ea, a civil rights activist, said, “While students are 20 percent of our population, they are 100 percent of our future.” PAGE BY STEVEN LEFAIVE

Lifestyles Wednesday, January 30, 2019 7 MY POV: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH Still marching after end of civil rights movement

by ue aR yL Izz

Struggling in school? Need advice about friends? Having relationship troubles? Scan the QR code to ask Daisy a question!

Breakups are never easy. They can break down your self-esteem, and you may feel sad, angry and all-around horrible. It is likely that you do not want your ex to feel okay when you are not, so seeing them with someone else will be tough. Yes, it does get better, but it will take a little while for you to get there. Do not undermine your beauty, because you are beautiful. You also have to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the first beholder is you. So if you say you are beautiful everyone around you will believe you are too. You are beautiful in your positively unique ways and deep down inside, you know you are, too. Never forget that. While that is easier said than done, there are things you need to understand to get to a well balanced state of mind. First off, the pressure that society puts on women to be perfect all the time creates an unattainable image of what “true beauty” really means. The beauty standard is crazy, and if your ex expected you to reach it, simply walk away and move on with your life, because he is not worth your time. While your ex went to someone else, you cannot harp on what could have been, because it will only hurt you in the future. Things with your ex may have ended before you were ready, but there is always good that comes with the bad. Instead of wasting your time on someone who is not good enough for you, be the best you can be for yourself. You know what your worth is, you know what you bring to the table and if

someone doesn’t recognize that, then they are not up to your standard; not the other way around. Breakups are hard and can put you in an emotional state; however, sooner or later, you will be able to pick yourself up and find other people or activities with whom to dedicate your time and love. Until then, dedicate that love and time to yourself. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, “Being single used to mean that nobody wanted you. Now it means you’re pretty sexy and you’re taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with.”

aR ue

Photos

‘How do I feel better about the way I look when I can’t even accept myself after my ex dumped me for a pretty girl?’

Photo by Izzy L

Ru e

DEAR DAISY...

an important piece of American history, which led to ongoing civil rights revolutions.

Izzy La

In 1986, after years of petitioning for the creation of the national holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as the third Monday of every January to commemorate the work of the famous civil rights activist. People still march to this day, to remember how Martin Luther King Jr. and people of color fought for civil rights, and on Jan. 15, I marched in San Francisco with many others. I have only participated in two other marches before this one: the Women’s March in San Jose and another one I attended with my grandma when I was little, for Latino rights. But the MLK march was different from the past two I was part of. This one was more organized and there were government and civil rights leaders who spoke at the end of the march. The march itself was not long: it was 1.5 miles and ended in Yerba Buena Gardens, where there were chairs for people to sit in. San Francisco Mayor, London

Breed, and other important government officials were present, listening to civil rights activists and others who marched with MLK when he was alive. Each speaker started with a quote from MLK and then talk about their experience with him or how he affected them and the people around him. My favorite part of the march was when the speakers asked the crowd to practice traditions that they did with MLK. One of the traditions they had was locking their arms together and singing. Being able to witness history was an amazing experience. People of color were not the only people present at the MLK Day march, Caucasians were also there celebrating MLK and his efforts to achieve civil rights. This march was my favorite one of the three I have attended, as I got to be immersed in the speakers’ experiences. The MLK Day march is celebrated in cities all across the U.S., and I hope more people take advantage of their local marches in the coming years to experience

By Izzy La Rue

PEOPLE ALL ACROSS the Bay Area came to the MLK Day march in San Francisco to listen to civil rights leaders speak of their experiences with Martin Luther King Jr.

TRADITION OF STUDENT CREATED PLAYS CONTINUES Shorter shows give student directors creative opportunity

Photo by Brandon Welty

FIVE UNIQUE ONE Acts premiered in the auditorium last Thursday. Pictured from left freshmen Bobby Gorelick and Gabriel Ochoa

By Anastassia Dardenne Throughout history, great directors have always been celebrated in the film and theater industry. Yet, the general public rarely has a clear idea of a director’s role and sphere of influence. Every year, One Acts give students the opportunity to see the impact that different directing styles can have on a play. One Acts is a celebrated tradition where once a year, half a dozen students are given the opportunity to write, direct and produce a short play, or one-act, of their choice. Each director is free to choose his or her cast members, and has complete creative freedom over the piece. This

often results in performances unique to each student director. The first show, directed by senior Michael Wallerius, centers around a man, who having recently died, finds himself in purgatory, only to be told that his life is balancing between good and bad. Unlike many of the other directors, Wallerius said this year’s show is not the first one he has directed. Still, he feels he has no specific directing style and instead, is open to his actors’ own interpretations of their characters. “I have always cast people who are older than me [in the past],” Wallerius said,” so I have always struggled to give direction. I heard someone say a long time ago that directing is 90 percent casting

and 10 percent directing.” He is not the only director to believe in “laissez-faire” directing: seniors Divya Rajagopalan and Ron Barzilay agree. “I am all about organic directing, especially with small one-act pieces,” Barzilay said. “I just like plays that are very human, so I ask myself, ‘When does it make sense to get up’.” Although almost all student directors practice “organic directing,” their individual plays reflect their different personalities. Senior Dan Cohen not only directed, but also wrote his own one-act, a short ode to musician Ludwig Von Beethoven. His piece enables the audience to experience Beethoven’s progressive deafness along with him, as the music slowly fades throughout. “I like to think the idea is a very ‘Dan’ thing to do,” Cohen said. While each one-act is starkly different, all five share one thing in common: each play is directed by students who are equally passionate, and involved. “Acting, you bow and say, ‘I did this.’” Barzilay said. “With directing, you walk from the back and say, ‘But I really did this’.”

PAGE BY DEXTER TATSUKAWA

Spread

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Drawing the Line

A TALE OF TWO VALLEYS

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

HHS ranks

in the upper

9.2% family

income bracket

Recognizing socioeconomic stratification beyond the valley: why we must address these gaps even in a mecca of success By Renee Wang Teslas, the Google headquarters and 76,000 millionaires and billionaires form one tale of Silicon Valley. On the other end of the spectrum, however, is the tale of the 30 percent of Silicon Valley residents reliant on public and private assistance, according to Business Insider. Socioeconomic inequality is an issue prevalent even in a valley of innovation and success. In fact, such an issue can be prevalent even in a highly ranked and high-performing school like HHS. According to College Simply, HHS ranks in the upper 9.2 percent family income bracket in California. Despite this being one of the wealthiest areas in the country, 18.4 percent of students at HHS are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged, according to the California School Dashboard. This categorization includes students with parents who do not have a high school diploma or students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to the California School Dashboard. Philanthropy advisor Alexa Cortes Culwell said the disconnect between the wealthiest and poorest in the valley is attributed to a prosperity gap in which neither group is aware of each other’s intentions, or even existence. But recognizing socioeconomic inequality, as hard as it may be to talk about, is crucial so as to dismantle its presence in political, social and economic spheres. One instance in which inequality seeps into the political arena is political influence. Those in lower income brackets have less swaying power politically due to high rates of poverty-related deaths, according to the Wa s h i ng ton Post.

Sunnyvale 94086

A lack of political sway in the lower socioeconomic classes excludes a large group of Americans who are vital in the promotion of policies that will better the lives of the poorer classes. In the economic sphere, inequality threatens national economic growth, according to The Conversation. Inequality does not only affect those disadvantaged -no one is exempt. Socially, inequality threatens the mental health of disadvantaged American adults, according to a study by Princeton and Georgetown University. Overall, this manifests into a “selective elimination” according to the Washington Post -- citizens who vote become more “socioeconomically homogeneous.” These aspects of inequality manifest in our schools as well. Attending a high school in this area is an unparalleled experience. Our academic rigor can be noted in an 89 percent AP test pass rate, compared to a state passing rate of 55 percent. Similarly, HHS has an average SAT score of 1130, according to College Simply, compared to a state average of 1076, according to Prep Scholar. However, HHS’s great academic achievement masks the needs of disadvantaged students. Its important to acknowledge that certain practices, like private SAT tutoring (with packages starting at $700 for The Princeton Review) and being able to p a y

94085

MHI $131,346 MPV $1,374, 800

94087

MHI $137,652 MPV $2,174,400

MHI $118,576 MPV $1,768,800

1,911

students

to take multiple AP tests, in addition to affording the supplementary material, are opportunities not all HHS students have. In school, students are provided with the same resources. Outside of school, students are not all subject to the same resources. It is misguided that enforcing school improvements alone will wholly close such a disparity. According to the National Education Association, students from low-income families are especially affected by the achievement gap. This gap dominates all aspects of a student’s academic prospects, according to a study by Sean F. Reardon, from standardized test scores to high school completion rates. The gap has grown immensely in 30 years. It is essential to fix the inequality in education -after all, education is empowerment. Allowing the gap to continue to widen severely limits social mobility and disillusions the idea that the key to success is hard work. “Opportunity for people from every conceivable background is essential to a functioning democracy, and in this country we’re not providing enough of it ... it’s a waste not to develop talent in young people wherever it exists,” Biddy Martin, president of Amherst College, said. There is a perception that increasing mobility for lower-income students benefits them solely -- and this is untrue. Schools that are socioeconomically diverse have benefits for students on all points of the spectrum. According to Seattle PI, socioeconomic diverse schools boast the following benefits: an increase in graduation rates and an increase in test scores. In elite colleges, specifically, socioeconomic

Cupertino 95014

MHI $147,929 MPV $2,2960,600

210

students *Median Household Income (MHI) and Median Proprty Value (MPV), according to Zillow

Amount of students from area code data provided by school Data Processing Specialist Heidi Parrish

diversity benefits students on the higher end of a spectrum who are not only becomes more engaged in a different perspective, but also lends skills such as a “fluen[cy] in diversity” which translates into the job sector, according to Frank Bruni, of The New York Times. On the other end of the spectrum, students with aspirations to go to college tend to come from schools that are more economically mixed -- such diversity also affects teacher performance more positively, too. The influence of high-achieving students in economically mixed schools creates a positive confluence, rubbing off on other students, according to KQED. Although HHS may not be a school that is diverse socioeconomically, students as a whole can still stand to benefit from one another’s perspective. After all, when we only live one tale, it is all too easy to become stuck in it. When one recognizes this, one is then able to open their perspective to different chapters and understand that different groups face different barriers to success. We are in a unique position: not only have legends like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak roamed the same hallways we have, but the academic pressure in the valley has an upside: we are continually striving to greatness, to get into the best universities. But, it is crucial we recognize that it is easier to soar to great heights when there are safety nets ready to propel you up.

Los Altos 94024

MHI $293,812 MPV $3,444,200

312

students

According to CA School Dashboard and College Simply

18.4% of

students are socioeconomically disadavtaged

RESIDENCY VERSUS EDUCATION

Students discuss effects of socioeconomic status By Andrea Boyn and Melody Chen

Although our district does not implement a program that provides teachers with such resources, the McKinney-Vento Act guarantees certain rights to homeless students and provides services to these students and families. Math teacher Matthew Guevara has known students who have families that sacrifice the quality of their living standards to attend HHS. “I have had students that packed into an apartment,” Guevara said. “They would have two [families] in an apartment, and that’s how they can stay up here.” Senior Kathy Rodriguez is one of many students who lives in an apartment. “Definitely at the beginning of high school, I felt embarrassed to even say that I lived in an apartment,” Rodriguez said. “[I] always hoped that I lived in a nice house with a pool because all my friends did. But as the year went by I realized my friends didn’t care where I lived.”

Over time, students might move out of these areas because the sacrifice to attend academically challenging schools like HHS is too great, Guevara said. Many students are able to afford tutoring, private college counselors and test prep courses that may cost thousands of dollars. The extra academic support students receive outside of school directly feeds into their success levels, and as a result, creates an issue of equity. “We (HHS staff) know that some students have more access to supports outside of school whereas some students do not,” Guevara said. “However, they should each have equal access to an education.” AVID is one program our school has dedicated to supporting first-generation college students, hoping to help mend the gap economics has created in our education system. Income and college-readiness however are not the only ways social stratification presents itself daily on campus.

Students and staff have noticed that, to an extent, the attitudes and beliefs of their peers are also affected. “It affects how people acknowledge you as a person at school, if teachers trust you will actually turn stuff in and your capability,” junior Justin Pennypacker said. Many of these assumptions are solely based on stereotypes and the portrayal of classes in media. The deceptive nature of stratification can cause unnecessary distinctions among students. Despite this, where one lives should not induce unequal treatment or be an excuse to unequal learning opportunities. “Even if you don’t have as much money, you are always welcome,” Pennypacker said. “It should be known as equal even if the people that you hang out with are a lot wealthier than you.”

STAFF PERSISTS DESPITE DISTANCE The hidden cost of being a Silicon Valley educator By Andrea Boyn and Melody Chen

“[My wife and I] could live in an apartment in this area with two teacher salaries,” math teacher Matthew Guevara said. “But, we want to have a dog, a cow and all kinds of stuff, as far as room for our family to grow.” Guevara, who commutes every morning from Hollister (approximately an hour away), is one of many teachers who has sacrificed comfort to provide opportunities for his family. The cost of living often drives teachers out of the area, but many teachers are choosing to sacrifice commuting conveniences and recreation to fulfill the financial demands in Silicon Valley. “We really enjoy traveling,” English teacher Kirk Hinton said. “But, it’s expensive. And so we travel less than [what] we would like to because teachers make what teachers make.” Although the median salary in FUHSD was $93,683 in 2017 ($10,611 more than the state average), it still proves insufficient comparing to the cost of living in the area. According to

Trulia, the median sales price of homes in Sunnyvale is $1,419,500. The salaries teachers make in the district are mainly funded by property taxes, Hinton said. “Owning a house is a really difficult thing [with] a teacher salary because housing prices here are insane,” Hinton said, “And the ability to save 20 percent of a million-dollar house is a whole lot of money to save.” According to a study by Zillow in 2018, it takes approximately 20.5 years to save a down payment on a medianincome house in San Jose. While the ever-escalating cost of living and competitive environment ensure the quality and rigor of HHS, it is hard to believe that a striking division in prosperity exists among the staff. It inevitably feeds into the stratification among staff on campus. Comparable to business hierarchies, a certain fiscal hierarchy exists between teachers of varying year and administrators. In 2017, according to the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the beginning teacher salary is $60,125 whereas the highest teacher salary caps out at $112,351. On the other side of the spectrum, the principals in FUHSD earn an average of $188,791 while the superintendent earns $328,372. “I would venture to say that maybe there is some sort of hierarchy that teachers and administrators are not super aware of,” Guevara said. While salaries vary across years of experience and positions, Hinton and

history teacher Kelly DiNucci believe that a social hierarchy does not exist. “I’ve felt like all the administrators are fairly personable [and] easy to talk to,” Hinton said. “I’ve been in schools where there’s very much a combative relationship between admins and teaching. I don’t feel like that is the case here.” Administrators also have to make sacrifices to work in the area. Even though administrators are more flexible with their schedule during the day compared to teachers, they have to attend meetings and late nights. After returning late from work in school days, Principal Greg Giglio, who lives in Pleasanton (approximately 30 minutes away), said that it is tough to spend time with his family. “If you have younger kids, they might be in bed before you get home sometimes. So, that can be a little tough,” Giglio said. In addition to attending nighttime activities, the administration also has to resolve issues concerning disciplines and grade disputes between students and teachers. Although the administration receives higher pay than teachers, the staff has to make daily sacrifices to work and teach in this rapid growing region. Additionally, the financial stress of teaching in the progressively growing valley presents a divisive problem in wealth and living standards among teachers on campus. Teachers work outside the classroom as means to prepare next day’s lectures and grade quizzes and essays. “Teaching is not a 9 [a.m.] to 4 [p.m.] [cycle] where you just leave and

you’re done with your day,” DiNucci said. “You sacrifice time at home with your family with grading and planning.” Several districts in Santa Clara County provide teacher housing and access to support programs to help teachers purchase houses, Guevara said. This sort of program can especially benefit brand-new teachers who have recently earned their degrees and receive a low starting salary. For instance, Santa Clara Unified offered 70 units of subsidized housing in Casa del Maestro, House of Teachers. Affordable rental units near districts are set aside for teachers so they don’t have to commute far. Since teachers have to meet a low income threshold to be able to qualify for the subsidies in the area, many teachers don’t qualify for the teacher housing in our district. The lack of access to the housing in the district and standard pay may force teachers to commute far away. Although DiNucci, Guevara and Hinton experience the financial strain of keeping up with sky-high home prices and daily sacrifices, they can certainly say that they wouldn’t trade teaching for anything. Silicon Valley teachers contribute to the innovation of future generations. They establish the foundation of the birth of new ideas in students who may grow into future doctors, authors, researchers and inventors. “I enjoy teaching a lot, and I feel very fortunate to be at a school that I’m at,” Hinton said. “But no matter where you are, there are difficulties that you have to deal with. It’s not an easy thing, but it’s worth it.” PAGE BY ANDREA BOYN, MELODY CHEN AND RENEE WANG

Spread

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Drawing the Line

A TALE OF TWO VALLEYS

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

HHS ranks

in the upper

9.2% family

income bracket

Sunnyvale 94086

94085

MHI $131,346 MPV $1,374, 800

94087

MHI $137,652 MPV $2,174,400

MHI $118,576 MPV $1,768,800

1,911

students

Cupertino 95014

MHI $147,929 MPV $2,2960,600

210

students *Median Household Income (MHI) and Median Proprty Value (MPV), according to Zillow

Amount of students from area code data provided by school Data Processing Specialist Heidi Parrish

Los Altos 94024

MHI $293,812 MPV $3,444,200

312

students

According to CA School Dashboard and College Simply

18.4% of

students are socioeconomically disadavtaged

RESIDENCY VERSUS EDUCATION

Students discuss effects of socioeconomic status By Andrea Boyn and Melody Chen

STAFF PERSISTS DESPITE DISTANCE The hidden cost of being a Silicon Valley educator By Andrea Boyn and Melody Chen

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Lifestyles

PAGE BY RYAN Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AMOUR PAGE BY ANASTASSIA DARDENNE

Wednesday, January 30, 2019 11 Lifestyles STANWOOD CONTINUES LIFELONG PASSION FOR TEACHING French teacher Madeleine Stanwood uses psychology to relate to students

experience to what a lot of our students are facing today.” Stanwood said this, combined with her double major in psychology, has enabled her to empathize and even comfort those who worry about their future. “In some ways, it kind of helps me calm them down, like ‘you don’t have to get stressed about this,’ or ‘it’s okay to give yourself time to think about this,’ ‘it’s okay if you don’t know what college you want to go to, or even if you’re going to go to college,’” Stanwood said. Stanwood is not a native French speaker, but said her mother learned it in school, even giving her a French name and taking her on trips to France growing up. Stanwood attended Scripps College, studying abroad in western France to improve her language skills. “I was lucky enough to be living with a host family rather than living on my own, so that forced me to speak French a lot more and get more comfortable in conversational French,” Stanwood said.

By Kate Gabrielson Born and raised in Los Gatos, French teacher Madeleine Stanwood said since her early childhood, she only ever envisioned herself becoming a teacher. “There’s nothing else I’ve ever imagined myself doing,” Stanwood said. “Even from when I was a kid, my mom can tell you stories about me, after school, teaching my ‘students’ — which were an empty bedroom — everything that I had learned in school that day.” Despite the Bay Area’s high cost of living, Stanwood said she loves it and is proud to call it home. “I love the variety of things to do around here,” Stanwood said. “Obviously, the weather is great and everyone loves [that aspect], but I like how easy it is to do so many different things around here. In half an hour, you can be at the beach or you can go up into the mountains.” Having graduated high school in 2011, Stanwood said

Photo courtesy of Madeleine Stanwood STANWOOD ENJOYS TRAVELING the world, such as exploring Lake Louise in Canada’s Banff National Park over the summer.

she can relate to her students, since she was in their position only a few years ago.

“In a lot of ways, it’s helpful for me and for my students that I have a sense of the stress and the

pressure,” Stanwood said. “I went to a modern high school here in California, so it was a similar

SEMESTER ONE ENDS WITH SEMESTER TWO REVELATIONS Students express their favorite, least favorite classes so far By Patrick Yu Sophomores are not really feeling the same. One student found his first semester to be slightly more challenging than their first year. “[Sophomore year] was easier than freshman year,” sophomore Bryan Huang said. “The homework assignments were easy, but after a few tests, I was feeling [very] stressed, [especially towards] the end of the year.””. Ultimately, I found that many upperclassmen shared my woes: “Boy, am I glad [semester one] is over with,” senior Brandon Ligeti said.

+ A to i llus

trat ion

Alfo n

Pitc o

III

were not too happy with the first semester of this school year either. Nor were juniors, one of which experienced a dwindling social life. “I didn’t have time to do other things, such as hanging out with friends,” junior Yuval Ricklis said. “I hope for this semester, I will have better time management.” However, most freshmen seemed content with their first semester. Freshman Jessica Li seemed to enjoy her first semester at Homestead. She described her first semester as “a good experience.”

Pho

The first semester was not what I would call fun. The onslaught of school work, family commitments and athletics ultimately contributed to a deterioration of social life, perpetual state of lethargy and an overall feeling of bitter indifference towards life. This was my daily life during school weeks. After the semester ended, I was left wondering about other students’ experiences, and whether they mirrored mine. According to the survey I conducted, freshmen and sophomores have different views regarding their easiest, hardest and most enjoyable classes compared to juniors and seniors. Most freshmen claimed their easiest classes were math and biology, while majority of upperclassmen answered their easiest classes were electives, such as drama and ceramics. Juniors and seniors also tend to take more AP and honors courses. Upperclassmen such as junior Simon Scheiter said they found these classes the hardest. “The first semester was pretty bad,” Scheiter said. “Don’t take an AP class if you’re not ready. Also, don’t get [waived] into a math class you aren’t ready for.” It looks like many would agree with Simon. In fact, a majority of juniors and seniors said they found their hardest courses to primarily be weighted math and science courses, notably AP Biology. In contrast, freshmen believe language classes, such as Spanish 2 and 3, present the biggest challenge. The seniors I interviewed

Photo illustration by Patrick Yu GABE ROSADO (11) AND Kyle Fenton (11) study hard, hoping to start off the second semester on a high note.

PAGE BY ALFONSO PITCO III

Entertainment

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

‘HOLMES AND WATSON’ EXEMPLIFIES A NEED FOR CHANGE IN COMEDY

Why A-list stars and Trump jokes no longer work as comedic relief By Renee Wang “I thought this movie would be funny because Will Ferrell was in it,” my mom said. After all, “Holmes and Watson” followed a promising formula — star-studded leads and a story that many are familiar with. Revivals of Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” have been done countless times, but a comedic take should have brought a fresh perspective. So what went wrong? According to The National, the film’s release was pushed back three months due to low test screenings. Sony even attempted to sell the film off in a bargain price offered to Netflix, to no avail. Currently, the film holds a 2.8 out of 10 rating, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The general gist of the film is: Holmes and Watson must foil Moriarty’s plan to kill the Queen of England. Along the way, they meet two American women and have their friendship tested. Like Holmes’ emotionally stunted plotline, the film provided no real depth despite its political jokes, most of which referenced President

Donald Trump, and offensive jokes in hopes of raising some semblance of social commentary. The main antagonist, Moriarty, is quickly defeated. The characters are insufficiently fleshed out: Holmes, for example, despite being described as brilliant, is also incredibly socially clueless and vain. Such a contradiction makes no sense given his backstory, yet these traits are kept for the film’s comedic value — such as for

scenes where Holmes is so absorbed in which hat to wear, he is almost late to court and nearly allows a criminal to go free. Being unable to connect with a character, or understand them on a superficial level, makes it hard to understand their jokes when you do not even understand their personal quirks. Other examples of the film’s failure was its poor attempt at anachronism — “Make Britain

HOLMES AND HIS sidekick Watson lacked depth and had zero character, one of the many problems with this comedy.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Great Again” hats and Watson sending an old-timey “dick pic” were poorly executed — it was painfully obvious that the creators of the movie decided to home in on trending pop culture topics instead of thoughtfully integrating them, converting modern day happenings into an everyday Victorian setting. The running gag of Holmes simply being unable to believe that Grace, Watson’s love interest, is female and a doctor is a poor attempt at making some semblance of social commentary, without actually achieving anything. Oh, and the slapstick! Was the intent shock value? Because if so, I was definitely shocked — at how well a movie could take the humor out of slapstick. The attempts were just gross. Most jarring was a scene of Holmes and his love interest bonding over eating whole onions like apples: cue a scene where they bite into the onion, mouths open and onion juices squirting out. What was the audience supposed to laugh at? Overall, “Holmes and Watson” had no depth. I cannot even call it superficial, because it was so far below that. At least a superficial movie has some

cheesy lesson for the audience to take away. “Holmes and Watson” is but a string of gags and surfacelevel jokes — and that is not comedy. While a laugh is always good, comedy needs more than that — it needs an actual plot and dynamic characters with motivations. While I love a good Trump joke as much as the next person, simply making references to the president is not enough to garner a laugh. The creators of “Holmes and Watson” too closely followed a formula of what they thought would be the ultimate comedic masterpiece, but were instead left with a movie that should be a lesson to other comedies of what not to do.

“HOLMES AND WATSON”

Director: Etan Cohen Release Date: Dec. 25, 2018

Genre: Comedy Rating: PG-13

‘GLASS’ EMBODIES MEDIOCRITY

Lukewarm emotions on last installment By Andrea Sun

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Let’s be honest: M. Night Shyamalan has made one spectacular movie — “The Sixth Sense.” Sure, he has directed other excellent movies (“Unbreakable,” “Split” and “The Visit”) but at the root of it all, “The Sixth Sense” was, and is, a revolutionary movie. Because of this, I didn’t feel too guilty about dreading “Glass.” I already knew about its 37 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the negative reviews flooding in from the internet. It is the third in a series that started with “Unbreakable” and “Split,” which is a usual sign that it is not going to be a good movie. So I just went for a good time. Surprisingly, after the movie, I found myself telling people that it was “pretty good” and that it “wasn’t as bad as people have been saying it is.” I must expand on my reasoning, though, because all the credit for my sense of fulfillment goes to the brilliant actors in “Glass.” Especially James McAvoy. McAvoy brought a monumental role to

life as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with 23 different personalities. McAvoy’s transformation into each character hit minute details that gave the illusion he was someone else. The posture, walking style, stance, accent and linguistic differences of each character made me forget that McAvoy was the mastermind behind each. “Glass” had some standard M. Night Shyamalan cinematography; there was no surprise or disappointment there, which was better than an unexpected style so far into his career. The enormous setback to “Glass” was the disappointing ending. I understand the need for an M. Night Shyamalan movie to have several world shattering plot twists, but, without giving anything away, the ending seemed forced and unnecessary. Yes, it was a plot twist, but there was no premonition about it and it seemed irrelevant to the story. Overall, I must give “Glass” more credit than it has received in the media. Despite its faults, “Glass” is a truly entertaining movie that is probably not worth the $12 I paid to see in theaters, but not a waste of time, either. That said, it’s definitely a satisfying ending to a 19-year trilogy and worth it if you’ve been waiting for this moment.

“GLASS”

Director: M. Night Shyamalan Release Date: Jan. 18, 2019 Genre: Thriller, Drama Rating: PG-13 Photo courtesy of IMDb PAGE BY ANDREA SUN

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

GOLDEN GLOBES CONTINUE TO REEK WITH CORRUPTION Despite increased inclusivity, award shows are worthless to viewers By Claire Torii I watched the Golden Globes as I do most years: accidentally, while flipping through channels after a fruitless pursuit on Netflix. Although I watched many of my favorites win, like “Roma,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” I couldn’t help but wonder if having a sudden increase in diversity through race, gender and sex in the span of one year was a sign of a drastic difference in award show culture, or if it was just giving the people what they wanted. Sure, there has seemingly been a surge in the diversity in movies that are gaining the most money at the box office, but there has always been a collection of TV and films with diverse casts that merit big awards but have never been recognized outside of smaller award shows such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Film Awards. It is apparent that the Hollywood Foreign Press has a greater regard for what is popular with audiences, instead of what is quality film. As more people advocate for diversity, the Golden Globes feels the greater need to give the people what they want. In addition to an insincere effort to be more inclusive, the Golden Globes has recently been under fire from allegations that judges are liable to be swayed into choosing certain films or

By Katie Fung

TV shows. In 2016, actor Denzel Washington revealed that after going to a Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon upon the suggestion of his agent, the HFP told him,“We are gonna feed them. They are gonna come over. You gonna take pictures with everybody. You are gonna hold the magazines, take the pictures, and you’re gonna win the award.” He would later win that year for his performance in “Glory.” But when director Alfonso Cuarón was accused of airing “Roma” on Netflix to increase revenue, he expressed that he felt his film would have no chance at winning awards because of its minimalist style, unknown actors and dialogue in exclusively Spanish and Mixteco. Yet by releasing it on a large streaming service, Cuarón was able to reach millions, instead of being an afternote film at the theaters. If he had not attained this exposure, his award-worthy film would have never been recognized. Take nominations from insider award shows with a grain of salt. As the Oscars edge closer, with the same mainstream works as the Golden Globes, scour family-owned movie theatres, YouTube short films and independent film festivals like Sundance. Quality visual works are determined by the feelings they invoke, not about who’s popular in Hollywood.

Illustration by Claire Torii

ALTHOUGH THE 2019 Golden Globes Awards leads mainstream award shows in a more inclusive and hopeful direction, the selection process continues to rely on huge budgets, popular trends and the social elite.

DO IT FOR THE CULTURE: PERFECTION IN POP

Selena Gomez has come quite a long way. From the days of “Wizards of Waverly Place” and Disney Channel specials, she’s neatly transitioned her life into one of aesthetic polaroids and collaborations with Coach. She is successful, rich and gorgeous. But she’s also super boring. Gomez was every little girl’s role model, and it’s clear that she checks herself to these parameters to this day. A quick scroll through her Instagram reveals carefully cultivated photos of her looking unattainably pretty, with heartfelt captions about CARDI B CAN get away with much more scandal than other celebrities.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

spreading kindness and joy. And that’s the problem. When I look at photos of her or read the captions she’s written, I don’t feel a hint of recognition that lets me know that Gomez is “real.” That’s why she feels boring: she’s too perfect. Yet being too human has its own problems. Take Jennifer Lawrence. She was incredibly popular, up until she wasn’t. When Lawrence fell on her way to accept her Oscar in 2013, people laughed and called her relatable. When she fell on the red carpet just a year later, people called her annoying. Her actions got tired fast — and so did the American public. We wanted her to be someone we could look up to and someone we could be friends with at the same time, and we turned on her when she couldn’t maintain it. We expect stars like Gomez and Lawrence to be real, but to also be perfect. Our dual expectations ensure they will never truly fulfill either. But unlike the pop and film stars of this generation, rappers and hiphop artists can sim-

ply focus on being “real”; the rest doesn’t matter. This is partially because of stereotypes. Pop music and film are associated with a certain amount of elegance and poise; we expect stars to follow these unspoken rules and stay in line with our expectations. We associate hip-hop with brashness and drama, so we aren’t surprised when drama happens. For example, Cardi B has no concerns over perfection. Over the past year, she’s been embroiled in scandal. Her husband cheated on her just months after her child was born. Her beef with Nicki Minaj escalated into a shoe-throwing fight that resulted in her being very publicly kicked out of an awards show party and she recently went to court for an misdemeanor assault charge that took place in a strip club. These are not things that Gomez or Lawrence could get away with. But when it comes to Cardi, we gloss over them. She causes drama, but we welcome it because we expect it. She keeps it real in a way we almost admire, because she’s not hiding who she is. She’s not ashamed of her imperfection. She embraces it, and we embrace her for it. This is in part because Cardi has never posed herself as a role model. She’s supposed to be a peer of sorts. She’s your funny friend, the crazy one that makes you laugh. And because of this, we forgive her more easily. Just as we forgive Drake, who’s publicly dating Bella Harris, an 18-year-old

girl he met when she was only 16. Just as we forgive XXXTentacion, who was charged with domestic battery by strangulation of his ex-girlfriend. Why aren’t we penalizing rappers for these actions? Well, put simply: we don’t care. We don’t care if Drake likes them young, we don’t care about X’s past. They were never meant to be our role models, so it doesn’t matter whether they are objectively good or not. Taylor Swift avoided talking about politics for years because she didn’t want to alienate parts of her following. She rarely swears, and keeps a demure public image. In contrast, on Jan. 18, Cardi B posted a video on Instagram filled with expletives lecturing on the government shutdown. Pop and movie stars have to constantly worry about their reputation: how to maintain it, what has to be avoided to keep it clean. They walk the line between role model and relatable to maintain their fame. It’s the way it’s always been. But even with the rise of rap as a genuinely respected genre of music, hip-hop artists don’t have

these same constraints. They can just be themselves, and the public will accept them with admiration not only for their music, but for “keeping it real.” Selena Gomez is no longer the gold standard. She’s boring, operating under an outdated definition of celebrity that no one really wants anymore.

AS A POP star, Selena Gomez is held to drastically different standards from rappers and hip-hop artists like Cardi B.

PAGE BY KATIE FUNG AND CLAIRE TORII

Sports

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

STUDENTS RECRUITED FOR COLLEGE SPORTS

Players recall motivations to continue athletics post-high school By Gianella Ordonez

IZZY TALK By Izzy La Rue After an 8-4 start, the boys varsity basketball team is now 11-7, with a 3-3 record in league games. Being .500 in league is due to the many injuries that the team has suffered. Senior Seth Markley saw his minutes increase while senior Mitchell Rebollo was out. The Mustangs didn’t have another player with the height to play center. Another player that has been plagued with injuries is senior Jack Hauser; in the first tournament of the season, he sprained his ankle. After coming back, he chipped his tooth and had to sit out again. Luckily, he hasn’t had other injuries and has returned to his former level of play. When Hauser returns from injury, he doesn’t miss a beat. He controls the offense through shooting and driving in, making defenders foul him. During the FHS game, most of the starters were injured. Senior Carson Chou was concussed, senior Sunny Arattukulam sprained his ankle and senior Brandt Hedgpeth dislocated his thumb. The team lost two of their last three games before entering league play. Junior Alex Harris has been a key player for the Mustangs, both offensively and defensively. Whenever he starts making 3 pointers, the team’s play increases on both sides.He also gets a few blocks and steals per game. Chou is arguably one of the best offensive players, being able to drive in and shoot three-pointers. When the team is missing shots, he is the catalyst to get them back on track. The best rebounder on the team is Markley. Not only is he a great rebounder, he also gets points in the paint almost at will. Being a captain, Markley sets the tone for the game whether he’s getting the first rebound or the first points of the game. The best part of the Mustangs defense is when they press full court; this makes opposing teams uncomfortable, forcing them to turn the ball over and slow down their offense. The team has the potential to win every game for the regular season. Their goal is to make CCS and win games in the playoffs. The team can accomplish this feat but it’s all up to them and what team shows up; the one that can score at will and force turnovers, or the one that starts the game off slowly, struggling to guard players.

We often only see the end result of the recruitment process for high school athletes. Many commit to colleges ranging from Division 3 to Division 1 and play football, baseball, basketball, soccer and other sports. However, the recruitment process is not as simple and consists of important decision-making, as well as the work ethic be able to plan out reaching out to schools while going to practice and maintaining a high GPA. Senior Trina Chou, who has officially committed to Vassar College for lacrosse, said she had to start the process earlier than others because, for girls lacrosse, they start recruiting as early as eighth grade. “I started by going to the Harvard camp for several years,” Chou said. “But I’ve gone to camps and tournaments that are all over the east coast like Florida, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania.” Chou’s recruitment process consisted of many days spent traveling while also managing school work and choir events, Chou said. Junior Harold Rucker III has started to receive recruitment letters from colleges such as Yale, Army and Navy to compete with their track and field programs. “I definitely thought it was early because track season hasn’t started and they just

Photo by Gianella Ordonez

STUDENT ATHLETES FACE decisions that affect where they end up playing their desired sport.

keep on coming in,” Rucker said. Rucker said he hopes to do track and field and play football in college and wants more offers from even bigger schools. As for deciding which school to go to, Rucker is looking into how known the college is and if their program will be able to enhance his skills. “I want to go to a place that is good but also can challenge me and make sure I can get the most out of my time there,” Rucker said. “If they have really nice coaches or approachable people then that makes it a lot easier.” Chou initially looked into Division 1 schools but then

started researching schools that were more known for their liberal arts programs on the East Coast, which is when she ultimately found Vassar, a D3 college. “I decided D3 was the better fit for me because I’m pretty academic too and I like doing extracurriculars,” Chou said. Football coach Milo Lewis said student athletes have to commit to wanting to play in college their freshman year because it take a lot of hard work to balance grades and sports not just in high school, but also at the colleges they choose to go to. “It’s not easy to stay in a D1 school playing sports and still

take care of academics; people break down in that situation,” Lewis said. For Chou and Rucker, being recruited is important for them because it is something they committed to as a young age. Chou said she decided she was going to play lacrosse in college in eighth grade and spent most of her freshman and sophomore year figuring out who she was and which schools would be the best fit for her. “This is something I’ve planned out since elementary school and it’s great to see it actually happen,” Rucker said.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: TYLER OHMAN Leaving his goal-scoring legacy

By Eden Pollitt Junior Tyler Ohman is participating in his first year of high school sports and has made his way to the boys varsity soccer team. What’s more impressive than his experience on the team is his breaking of the school record for goal scoring in a season. The previous record was set at 18 or 19 Coach Luis Comesana said. Now the record is at 20 and counting, with three league games left and a possible CCS appearance ahead. Ohman didn’t just magically become a major competitor overnight; he’s been playing soccer since the age of four. “I joined Sunnyvale Alliance, the recreational team,” Ohman said. “Over the years I’ve been a utility player, which is somebody who just works everywhere.” His versatility has helped him become the force he is today, but also almost changed

his role on the team. “When I first met him, I wanted to convert him to center back,” Comesana said. “That probably would’ve been the worst coaching decision I’ve ever made in my entire career of being here in 30 something years.” More than his setting records, Ohman’s presence on and off the field is really what contributes to the team. “There’s never a day where [I think] ‘Tyler you didn’t work hard today,’” Comesana said. “I could never say that about him. Everyday he comes to work, he could be injured, whatever, he’s always ready to go.” Ohman is a positive influencer on the team and “he’s always reminding us that we can do things better,” senior Sebastian Hurst said.

He demonstrates his Ph positive influence by being a ot oc leader for his teammates. ou rte “He’s played at a pretty high sy of Ty [academy] level so he guides a lot ler Oh of people,” senior Ben Ambach ma said. n Overall, Ohman’s contributions, whether they be goals or dedication to practices, make the team better. play more relaxed when he’s on “He just gives us that positive the field.” energy,” Comesana said. “We all

PAGE BY PRANAVI ABBURI, CLAIRE TORII AND THOMAS DENOME

Sports

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Scoreboard SPORTS UPDATE: Boys varsity basketball is making a push

for CCS in their last six games of the season. Girls varsity basketball has already won the same amount of league games that they won last season. Girls varsity soccer is looking to have a better record than they did last year, and they are on track to do so. Boys varsity soccer has already tripled the amount of total wins that they had last year and wrestling is looking to send wrestlings to CCS.

Boys Basketball

Photo by Israel La Rue

Key Players: Carson Chou Seth Markley Alex Harris Record: 11-7

Girls Soccer

Photo by Israel La Rue

Key Players: Fabiola Zamora Eden Pollitt Brenda Castillo Record:10-3-1

Wrestling

Photo courtesy of SmugMug

Key Players: Sam Kirschenbaum Brandon Reed Amit Klein Record: 2-1

STUDENTS NOT THE ONLY ATHLETES ON CAMPUS

Staff members love athletics as much as their students

By Nicole Fuller

Sometimes students get too caught up in their own lives to remember that many of their teachers were once just like them: trying to find a balance between homework and athletics. Economics and government teacher Matthew Wright is also the boys varsity basketball coach on campus, but many of his students, and even players, may not know that he himself was intensely involved in high school sports. “I played football for all four years of high school, but I also did one year of basketball, one year of baseball and one year of track,” Wright said. Now, Wright loves basketball more than he used to, since he coaches it. “If I could go back I definitely would still play football but I would have tried to play more basketball because I have a greater appreciation for the sport now,” Wright said. It is predictable that some teachers on campus, such as Wright, participated in high school athletics when they were younger due to their involvement with athletics on campus, but some star athletes are not as obvious. Math teacher Gary Auten is one of them. “I did basketball for five years and football for two years,” Auten said. “I played guard and linebacker.”

Photo by Jacqueline Beaufore

Key Players: Izzy Sathy Jaide Chen Trinity Gao Record: 9-8 Photo by Brandon Welty

ALTHOUGH AUTEN DID not develop a love for triathlons until after high school, it is now one of his favorite things to do when he is not teaching

Due to the assortment of triathlon-related decor around his classroom, it is difficult to leave one of Auten’s math classes without knowing he’s an avid triathlete. Surprisingly, his love for the sport did not develop until after high school. “[I] started after college. I had a bet with my brother for the Catalina triathlon. Whoever won that got a silver champagne cup and we did that for about 15 years,” Auten said. Since then, he has participated in many triathlons, including the Ironman World Championships in Kona in 2014.

Defense allowed comeback

Photo by Israel La Rue

JUNIOR ALEX HARRIS led the team in scoring against the Los Gatos Wildcats with 20 points, which was almost half the team’s total points.

By Ryan D’Amour

Girls Basketball

Photo courtsey of Gary Auten

MUSTANGS HOLD DOWN LOS GATOS

boys soccer Key Players: Ben Ambach Sebastian Ruiz-Hurst Tyler Ohman Record: 9-4-3

The Mustangs took on the Los Gatos Wildcats on Jan. 18 and came out on top in a 43-32 victory. Stellar performances from senior Seth Markley and junior Alex Harris were key factors in the Mustangs’ victory. The team entered the game with an overall record of 10-6 while Los Gatos entered the game with an overall record of 8-8. The Mustangs were only able to put up 16 points in the first half due to Los Gatos playing solid de-

fense. Harris and Markley were the leading scorers during the first half. The Mustangs allowed Los Gatos to score 27 points in the first half. Finding themselves down 11 points inside the home of the Wildcats, the team looked as if they were going to have a bleak future that night. The Los Gatos crowd drew much energy from their team’s early lead. Despite the odds not looking in their favor, the Mustangs persisted and came out the second half ignited and ready to play. The Mustangs’ defense set the tone for the second half. Los Gatos scored 0 points in the entire 3rd quarter. This caused the Los Gatos crowd to lose some of the energy that they had accumulated during the first half. The Mustang dominance continued into the fourth quarter, only allowing Los Gatos to score five points. HHS found their stride on the offensive side of the ball as well. The team put up 13 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth. Harris ended the game with 20 points and Markley put up 11 for the Mustangs. PAGE BY JACQUELINE BEAUFORE

Photo by Katelynn Ngo

Friends are people who have been with you throughout your entire life. Good friends are often our support system, and help us when we are stressed or simply listen when we need to let off some steam. These people have more or less helped shaped who we are today. However, meeting people and making connections can be a difficult task, and is admittedly something many of us struggle with. But, after that initial connection is sparked, the friendship often takes off, and you start to make memories you will never forget. “[Friendship] is being able to value your friendship with your friends and to make good memories,” freshman Madelyn Lau said. Friendship and time do not always go hand-in-hand. Maintaining close con-

nections with others can often be a challenge, as there are always numerous factors in play. As time goes on, more responsibilities build up and new phases of our lives begin. Friendship becomes high maintenance, and we sometimes end up losing valued friends, not realizing how crucial social connections are to our well being. Nevertheless, most people do end up losing friends along the way. Whether due to drama, distance or even personality clashes, losing friends is a normal and expected part as you grow up and change. Your definition of what a friend is also changes with you. Everyone has a different and unique view on what friendship is. For some, friends are people who they feel comfortable talking to about anything. “[A friend is] someone I can complain

By Shruti Magesh and Katelynn Ngo

to; [they’re] like my therapist,” sophomore Katelyn Ma said. Even though you might lose friends as you grow up, that loss is counterbalanced by the amount of friends you end up making along the way, those of whom sometimes end up being lifelong friendships. They become people you can call family. “There’s never an awkward moment. We’re always laughing together or talking about something,” junior Navya Sri Sangam said of her friends. Simply stated, friendship is not just a connection, but a structure with intricate framework. It takes time to build, and needs maintenance to keep it strong. But once it has a solid foundation, it persists through the hardships. Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

Friendships have always been a weird thing for me. For as long as I can remember, I have always had people to talk to, a shoulder to cry on. If you know me well, you know I’m the kind of person who is friends with practically everyone. For some, it seems as though I have never had to worry about being alone during passing periods. There is always someone for me to say hello to when walking through the halls to my classes. But there is something else about having a group of people to call your own. Ever since I graduated from a private school in fifth grade and moved into the public school system in sixth grade, there has never been a time where I could sit down and really say, “These are my people.”

By Brandon Welty Whenever I try to settle, I always end up feeling less important than others and feeling like I don’t matter, like I was just standing in the shadows. If I just left, would they even notice? My heart has been broken many times when it comes to friendships. A majority of them, when looking back, were simply because I felt like I wasn’t valued by my peers. In those times, splitting from my friends seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen to me, as if my world was being shattered into a million pieces, never being able to be put back together. Dealing with losing a friend group is never easy - or me, for anyone. To be honest, it is one of the most unfavorable feelings to experience. You spend days wondering what went

POV: It’s never been easy...

PAGE BY SHRUTI MAGESH, KATELYNN NGO AND BRANDON WELTY

wrong, thinking of ways to fix things. When you lose a friend, it is obvious that the initial separation is going to hurt, and there are times where you feel like you would do anything to make that pain go away. Depending on how close you were to them, there are times when you feel like your life is over. It’s normal to feel that way, and I have felt that way too many times. But you should never let your entire life revolve around that. There are more important things in your life to focus on, like who you are and how to improve. Having a negative outlook on life will not get you anywhere. Friendships have never been easy, but if you learn to focus on yourself and your personal value, making friends who truly value you for you becomes a little bit easier.

Illustration by Brandon Welty

-Janani Ganesh (11)

The value of friendship is a bond between two people that can never be broken.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Friendship and Connections

Starting from left are friends Katelyn Ma (1 0 ), Aiko Garvacio Denda (1 0 ) , and Maddie Lakritz (1 0 ) . Ma met Lakritz at water polo practice, and then met Denda at a birthday party. Denda and Lakritz met through Ma.

bRANCHES OF BENEVELOENCE

From left, Hayden Gutierrez ( 1 0 ), Anika Shah (1 0 ), Madelyn Lau ( 9), and Keenan Ligeti ( 1 0 ) said their most meaningful memory was getting ice cream together at 7-Eleven.

Photo by Shruti Magesh

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