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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 942 SAN JOSE, CA
ISSN: 2164-6996 6677 Camden Avenue San Jose, CA 95120
The Charger Account
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Road
Leland High School
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San Jose Unified School District
RoyaltyWednesday, May 29, 2019
Vol. Q | No. 8
2
NEWS
May 29, 2019
Department of Education puts FBLA club at risk
Caroline Brew and Eric Zhang Feature School Editor and News Editor
This year, ten students from the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club qualified to the state tournament in Sacramento. The
“FBLA’s goals are ultimately to promote young people learning business, but the main means with which they evaluate that is based on how well students do at these section, state or nationwide competitions. The school places at these competitions, despite not having gone through the CTE certified classes that other competitors have. The requirements that are going to be enforced are counterproductive to the values that FBLA and the Calif. Department of Education are trying to preach. It ostracizes schools from districts that are not as privileged and can not afford to add additional business classes to curriculum or hire CTE JONATHAN KE PHOTO certified teachers,” Junior Amy Zhou, Secretary of FBLA, said. The CDE wants to enforce these laws because FBLA is considered a cocurricular activity, meaning that in order for students to be able to compete in tournaments, they are supposed to be enrolled in courses Courtesy of Suzanne Paulazzo taught by CTE certified teachers. When students won institutions view FBLA on a student’s resumé or college many awards, application, it has a higher value compared to those of with Senior Allison other business organizations due to these CTE courses, as Li placing fourth they imply that students have been properly taught and in Business Law and have an understanding of proper business curriculum. Senior Qianyin Wu with This year, chapters at Los Altos and Cupertino High JONATHAN KE PHOTO sixth in Emerging Business School have already shut down due to inability to fulfill Issues. However, the Calif. Department of Education’s these requirements. According to Tracy Hall, Math (CDE) decision to enforce a set of laws that requires club Department, the school has failed to implement business advisers to be Career Technical Education (CTE) certified courses in the past. Furthermore, according to Wu, and students to be enrolled in business classes may force Joseph Heffernan, Assistant Principal of Instruction and the school’s FBLA chapter to close down. Curriculum, stated that he is open towards integrating
business courses into the school’s curriculum. Junior Joanna Yang, Treasurer of FBLA, is also working with board members on the Santa Clara Board of Education to see what steps San Jose Unified School District can take to create business classes on campus. FBLA’s hope is that these business classes, like courses such as Biomedical Engineering or Computer Science, would give students the opportunity to gain experience in their future careers while also satisfying the CDE’s requirement for the club. “These restrictions favor the rich to compete and gain business experience. FBLA should be accessible to all and not just to the privileged. Though we have not met the requirements, our team made states and nationals in the past, proving that the CTE requirement has no correlation to the competency of the students,” Yang said. The club’s advisers, Suzanne Paulazzo, Social Science Department, and Hall, met with Molly Anderson, the CDE board member who is pushing these laws, to discuss the club’s future since the school does not have business classes or CTE certified teachers. If the school’s chapter is forced to close, students will lose the ability to participate in business conferences and other activities to learn about business through the club. The chapter will only be able to remain open for the next school year if the school shows progress towards implementing business classes and certifying teachers. Thus, both Paulazzo and Hall have expressed willingness to earn a CTE credential. “FBLA has helped me grow as a person from multiple aspects. I have been able to compete at the Bay Section and national level which allowed me to learn different types of subjects that I normally would not learn in class. I have also become a leader who is able to work alongside such passionate people. It makes me really happy that we have an increased amount of momentum and enthusiasm from incoming members, so I am excited to see what they do next year,” Wu said.
Top left: Rosemary Kamei, Trustee of Area 3 of Calif., discusses critical educational issues surrounding the schools in Santa Clara County. Bottom left: Joseph Di Salvo builds upon Kamei’s idea, contributing his own discussion about changing schools’ curriculum to fit better to common core standards. Middle: FBLA members pose with their awards from the state leadership conference from April 19 to April 21.
Students volunteer at Bret Harte cultural fair Chloe Bui, Tiffany Nguyen, Pauline Nguyen and Kathy Xing A medley of aromas and music filled the air at Bret Harte Middle School’s cultural fair on May 3. The diversity found within the school community was on full display by students, staff and community. Various booths specialized in the cuisine of their respective cultures and cultivated wider cultural appreciation among attendees. Countries with booths included Mexico, Malaysia and Singapore, India, Taiwan, China, Croatia, Korea, Canada, Colombia, Iran, Romania and Brazil, where students were able to learn about everything from the festivals of Japan to famous Canadian inventions to the geography of El Salvador. Not only did the booths use posters to educate people about the countries and cultures, they also provided popular foods from their cultures. The Canada booth had maple syrup shots while the China booth gave out fried rice and the Russia booth gave out a delicate soup. Taiwan was decorated with large colorful lanterns referring to the Pingxi Lantern Festival, and was stocked with braised pork on rice and boba milk tea. “The fair is such a special event for me because I remember when I was in elementary school going with my family, when I was in middle school performing for the fair and then when I was in high school volunteering at a booth. Throughout the years, the fair remains to keep the happy, bonding environment that helps bring the community together and raise cultural awareness,” Senior Kaitlyn Do said. Although the booths were lively, the performances offer a more visual approach for understanding culture within the activities of everyday life. Entertainment was provided by a variety of musical performances, with each one demonstrating popular music styles and traditions of the represented country. Along with other nations, students represented Korea by offering numerous dance routines to Korean pop songs, India by presenting bollywood dances and Iran by showing off dance styles like the Baba Karam and Shaliteh. The culture fair was supported by the Bret Harte community club, a non-profit parent volunteer
Staff Writers
organization. The club helped organize the event learn about many countries and cultures they may not and provided many parent volunteers who each had otherwise be exposed to or know about by sampling backgrounds in different cultures and were able to bring cultural foods, viewing exhibits, observing performances their experiences into the fair. High school students who and learning about a country’s geographical significance. volunteered to work the event were assigned to help hand out foods or hand out brochures. Many choose to volunteer at the fair because of its entertaining activities and performances. “In a broad sense, our hope is by attending the fair, more students will learn about and engage with each other’s cultures and traditions, fostering appreciation a n d tolerance of each other’s uniqueness and similarities. In a sense, the Cultural Fair represents what America represents—a land of JONATHAN KE PHOTOS world immigration and native cultures and world travelers,” Chairperson Lieke Vlasveld-Coppoolse said. The main purpose of the fair is to unify and celebrate the Bret Harte community between the student body, staff and parents. From the fair, students and parents can
Top left clockwise: Sophomore Yangyang Lai and Junior Bradley Liu prepare food for the Romania booth. Freshmen Daisy Wong and Leo Gao construct their booth. Sophomore Daniel Noronha interacts with the fair’s participants at the India booth. A Bret Harte Middle School student performs a piece on the guzheng.
3
THE CHARGER ACCOUNT
Jason Yang Everyone has passed it while on the way to the CVS Pharmacy at the Via Valiente Plaza: a long strip of deserted buildings that were once home to the PW Market which closed in 2010. Since then, no franchises have come to replace it, while the turnover rates of neighboring stores and restaurants are at an alltime high. “In the past years, businesses in the Via Valiente Plaza have been constantly changing. The Tulip Kids Academy, Bevy Produce, Surfside Kids Dental and Mimosas and T4 are all relatively recent additions. The current Lin Garden restaurant has gone through many name changes due to new ownership,” Junior Tiffany Wang said. San Jose City Council member Johnny Khamis expressed concern for the PW marketplace on Jan. 2016. According to
Vacancies remain in Via Valiente Plaza with compensation, but such processes have been controversial in the past. “Many of the stores
KELLY CUI ART here have either closed or relocated due the lack of engagement in the area. Since the plaza is extremely close to the school and Bret Harte, multitudes of students pour into T4 and CVS after school on a daily basis to buy drinks and snacks, while the neighboring stores are overlooked,” Wang said. In 2012, franchises at the plaza consisted of Unwined, Elements, Round
“Many of the stores here have either closed or relocated due the lack of engagement in the area” him, the “long-term vacancies” in the plaza are attributed to the reluctance of the owner, Delora Sanfilippo, to reach out for long term tenants. The City Council has encouraged the owner to fill the vacancies by presenting potential tenants or even business owners who are willing to occupy the entire property, but has no power to force her to to fill such vacancies; the only option would be Eminent Domain, a right that allows the government to expropriate property from its owner for public use
people at the plaza at one time. Whenever they do not have time to cook, they order dinner from Lin
Table Pizza, Almaden Yoga, New Double Luck Chinese and a United States Postal Service—all of which have come to close and gone unnoticed by the community. Khamis asserts that the best way for Almaden to reduce the business turnover rate at the plaza is for the people themselves to become regular patrons to the stores that are currently there. “My parents buy the majority of their groceries from the weekly farmers market: one of the few times I see a lot of
Garden—the quality of the food is very high while the prices are extremely
NEWS
Opinions Page Editor
reasonable for the size of their portions,” Junior Christine Baek said. Given the accessibility of the plaza, many find it puzzling as to why it there is a lack of traction at Via Valiente. If the community begins to stimulate business among its stores, it will demonstrate that the people of Almaden are willing to support the plaza if the property vacancies are finally filled up.
Do you visit the plaza regularly (besides T4 and CVS)? KELLY CUI ART
YES
27%
NO
73%
Compiled by Edward Jung, Community News Editor
To donate to Leland Bridge and support programs like ours, check out the QR code or visit https://tinyurl.com/lelandbridge
THANK YOU BRIDGE CLUB!
4
MAY 29, 2019
OPINIONS New screens installed on campus
Caroline Brew and Grace Li
School News Editor and Staff Writer
THE CHARGER ACCOUNT Leland High School 6677 Camden Ave. San Jose, CA 95120-2142 (408) 535-6290 lelandchargeraccount.com EDITORS IN CHIEF Bhargavi Garimella, Jerry Lin, Elaine Huang, Edward Park COPY AND MANAGING EDITOR Anupama Shivakumar ART AND PHOTO DIRECTORS Aaren Gaud, Serena Tran NEWS EDITORS Caroline Brew, Ariel Chu, Edward Jung OPINIONS EDITORS Megha Ganesh, Jason Yang FEATURE EDITORS Keerthana Ramaswamy, Eric Zhang VIEWPOINT EDITORS Claire Han, Yeji Jeong ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Yana Kouretas, Rishab Satyakaal LIFESTYLE EDITOR Isabel Zhou INVESTIGATIVE REPORT EDITOR Felisha Fan SPORTS EDITORS Matthew Ho, Ethan Huang LAST WORD EDITOR Advaitha Bhavanasi AD MANAGER Caroline Brew DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Felisha Fan ADVISOR Kim Kelley-Lafranconi COMMUNITY CIRCULATION Parent Club and Leland Bridge
STAFF WRITERS Serena Atkinson Sophia Lu Chloe Bui Minji Kim Meghna ChanCarolyn Nguyen drasekar Pauline Nguyen Kelly Cui Christian ParkNeikon Ebadat Gastelum Benson Fang Kathy Xing Grace Li Jonathan Yue PHOTOGRAPHERS Richard Jeong Jun’an Ke Yu Yi Lu Tiffany Nguyen Sejun Park Jeffrey Tan Arya Tandon Diana Yousef-Nejad ARTISTS Grace Greer Nicole Kim Evelyn Liu Yeon Joo Nam Garrett Yuan Ivan Zhu The Charger Account May 29, 2019 Vol. Q, No. 8
In April, two black television screens appeared overnight by the school’s cafeteria and Counseling and Resource Center (CRC). Many students have failed to notice their change in the campus surroundings, but some are also curious about their function and purpose. The screens were approved by the School Site Council (SSC) last year and are supposed to replace the informational whiteboard in front of the CRC. Once active, the screens will relay news about college visits, school events and important deadlines. They will be controlled by Rose Garcia, Student Services, and Meg Walsh, Activities Director. “[Students] pay more attention to things that are eye-catching. Hopefully, with these screens, the information will be more visual,” Garcia said. The main benefit of moving the bulletin and whiteboard to a digital platform is the ability to easily edit information. For example, a shift in the date of a field trip would simply merit a quick correction in a digital display that can be done with a few clicks of a button. The process of getting information to students is ultimately streamlined and augmented by these screens. However, the necessity of the screeens is questionable, as ASB already
places several posters around campus and creates posts on social media to draw attention to upcoming events. There is also a limited amount of information that can be projected on the screens because the font must be fairly large in order for the information to be visible from a reasonable distance. If more information were to be placed on the screen, students would have to congregate around it, negating its purpose of allowing students to glance over at it while they walk past. “Instead of JASON YANG PHOTO the addition of the screens, improvements to the bathrooms or another facility that is commonly used by the students would be more appreciated,” Junior Jennifer Cheng said. There are many more pressing needs that directly impact students which the money invested on the screens could have addressed. For instance, the school’s pool is not deep enough for the water polo team, making it unideal to host home games. It still may be too early to pass judgment on whether investing in these new screens was a sound decision. Still, given students’ lukewarm reactions to their installation, it is doubtful they will be able to make a significant impact. For the majority of the school, information is just a few taps away on Instagram or Facebook, and many feel the whiteboard outside of the CRC is sufficient.
The importance of SBAC testing Serena Atkinson and Yeji Jeong Staff Writer and Viewpoint Editor
The familiar clickety-clack of a keyboard resonates throughout the classroom as weary students take on yet another test, this time a state-mandated one. Some take the opportunity to passionately criticize the inconvenience and timing of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). Yet, the contempt that many students hold for the SBAC testing may be short-sighted as SBAC does matter, especially for those planning to attend California State Universities (CSU). “Most students think that [SBAC] testing is annoying and are not really inclined to perform well on it compared to other standardized tests because the scores do not affect their college applications,” Junior Vibha Chandrasekar said. Regardless of students’ abhorrence to the tests, the technology used in EVELYN LIU ART the SBAC illustrates the assimilation of technology into public education. A unique feature of the SBAC is that the tests are self-adjusting, taking into account the student’s answers in order to align the test with the student’s ability. The SBAC offers more reliable results than other individual assessments. If a student answers a question correctly the next question will be more difficult, but if it is answered incorrectly the next question will be easier. This process, known as Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), is more accurate and efficient than other standard forms of testing, as it shows educators both what a student knows and does not know. Additionally, SBAC test scores are used by CSUs in order to determine students’ readiness for college-level English and math classes. According to Southern California Public Radio, 11th
graders who exceed standards on the SBAC do not have to take any remedial classes at CSUs, while only meeting standards set by the SBAC means that students must take an additional class in 12th grade and pass with a grade of C or higher. Students who fail to meet the standard must pass a CSU-administered readiness test as well as taking an Early Start Course. In order to not take additional classes, it is important that students treat the SBAC like any other classroom assessment and put in their best effort. The SBAC is important not only for those planning to attend CSUs but also for the school itself. As students become more careless with SBAC testing, the school district begins to suffer. According to the school’s Accountability Report, from 2016-2017 to 2017-2018, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in English Language Arts dropped a full 13 percent, while mathematics dropped by 12 percent. A declining trend of scores may influence the district to step in and enforce more rigid class curriculums, such as requiring students in English classes to write an essay a week. It is doubtful that teachers taught in a completely different manner to result in such a drastic drop. A falling average at Leland can have lasting effects, whether it be it be in the context of how a college views the school in terms of its national ranking or in the context of lower state scores lowering housing values within the neighborhood. It is understandable that the student body is weary of testing, but it would be in students’ best interests to aim for a high score on SBAC.
Digital addiction
The merits of unplugging
Keerthana Ramaswamy
Feature World Editor
It was after closing a Facebook tab, and then unconsciously reopening and closing the same tab five times within 10 minutes, that I realized I had a problem—I am addicted to my digital devices. While a significant portion of this time is spent completing schoolrelated assignments, to say that I am not frequently absorbed in the unending stream of my Facebook feed would be an utter lie. As much as social platforms have facilitated communication with those around us, sometimes disconnecting from our digital devices is critical to reconnecting with oneself. Addiction to digital devices is ubiquitous. According to a recent report by global information measurement company Nielsen, Americans ages 18 and older spend approximately “ten and a half hours per day” using their electronic devices. While a Luddite distaste for technology may be misguided, technology does lend itself to several negative health consequences that merit an occasional switch off. According to an American Medical Association study in 2012, long-term exposure to light from our devices can tamper with natural circadian rhythms, in effect propelling depression and mood disorders. Thus, unplugging can provide much needed relief for one’s health and well-being.
“Evading the need to check your devices can be rewarding...” Unplugging from your devices can also serve as a much needed break from the burden of FOMO or Fear of Missing Out, a descriptor used to identify with the common phenomenon of despairing about being left behind while one’s peers are doing exciting things. From colorful, bright pictures captioned #superbloom to exciting pictures from Coachella, social media can convey that people around you are living life to the fullest while you are missing out. Taking a break from your phone can disconnect you from the myth that you are leading an incomplete life and incentivize you to self-reflect. Detaching yourself from your devices seems can be achieved as demonstrated by group of 11th grade students from Haggerston School in the U.K. have shown. It will initially be difficult; one student named Uche admits having to resist listening to the “voice telling me to peek at one notification with every hour that passes.” However, the feeling of successfully evading the compulsive need to check your devices can be rewarding. A few weeks ago, I decided to try this out for myself by blocking my Facebook account for a single day. The results were refreshing: my productivity and concentration throughout the entire day were optimized. The notion of evading digital devices for even a day is daunting, but not as far-fetched as you portion out longer breaks from the Internet. So take a moment in the next few weeks and brave the challenge: switch off your devices for 24 hours and see what happens.
5
THE CHARGER ACCOUNT
FEATURE: SCHOOL Bridge Night
Mr. GQ
With the help of student volunteers, the cafeteria was transformed into a festive bonanza for the school’s annual Bridge Night celebration. Decorated with red-gold lanterns, candles and streamers, the atmosphere mirrored the exuberant energy of Chinese New Year. The event began with a traditional lion dance, followed by a humorous skit. The four hosts of the event, Seniors Ariel Chu, Neo Huang, Devin Sze and Tiffany Xiang, introduced themselves and proceeded to present the program. Soon after, various students showcased their talents with performances ranging from a Mozart string quartet to Junior Erica Lam’s solo “A New Song of Herdsmen” with the dizi, a traditional Chinese instrument. While student performers entertained the guests, other volunteers served hot tea and dinner to the audience. During the festivities, Principal Peter Park dedicated a speech to praising Bridge Club and its community work. Johnny Khamis, a San Jose City Council member, also awarded Kathy Xiong, president of the Bridge Parent Group, with a plaque commemorating the 18th anniversary of Bridge Night. The group is heavily involved in funding a variety of school activities like sports, journalism and speech and debate. Leland Bridge Night was both intended to bring cultural awareness and raise donations for the school’s extracurricular programs. With the combined committment of students YUYI LU PHOTO and parents, the event continues to be a festive Chinese New Year celebration each year. Top left: Freshman Sophia He strikes a pose.
Food fair
The school’s annual male pageant show, Mr. GQ, took place on March 29. A group of ten junior and senior boys battled one another in a contest of talent, wit and style. Hosted by Senior Kaitlyn Hurley and reigning Mr. GQ champion, Senior Andre Fatehi, the contestants sported a series of unique look-alike outfits, answered personality questions and engaged in a lip-sync and dance-offs Each of the competitors demonstrated their unique talents in hopes of winning the title. Some of the talents that the boys performed included speed painting, comedic skits, singing and dancing. Celebrity look-alikes featured historical and fictional figures like Gandhi, Aladdin and even Arthur, from the children’s show. The judging system was based off of two different factors. During the pageant’s intermission, each boy carried a personalized box to which audience members were able to make a donation to their favorite contestant. After the competitors ran through their routines, three judges allotted a score to each. The boy who received the most donations and highest cumulative score among the judges was crowned Mr. GQ. This year, Junior Lucas Coan was awarded the coveted title. He orchestrated a rap performance, flaunted a Justin Bieber impersonation and showcased his affable personality on stage. Coan was awarded with a graduation night ticket and reserved seating at YUYI LU PHOTO his graduation next year.
Semester in Review
Ariel Chu, Matthew Ho, Neikon Ebadat and Benson Fang News Editor, Sports Editor, Staff Writers
Top right: Senior Sohan Kshirsagar performs a skit.
Spring musical
This past Wednesday, over 20 different clubs sold ERIC ZHANG PHOTO foods from pizza to pumpkin pie in the quad for the school’s first annual Club Street Food Fair. Associated Student Body (ASB) event chair, Sophomore Riya Shukla, came up with the idea when she saw other schools hosting food fairs. While community building and publicity drew in many clubs to participate, the main purpose of the event was to help clubs raise money. Rather than directly selling food, ASB event coordinators had students purchase tickets from the bank for $1 each. Students ERIC ZHANG PHOTO exchanged tickets for food at various booths and each club was reimbursed for the tickets they collected. “I think the food fair is a great opportunity for small clubs like us to gain publicity,” Junior Matthew Vu from International Club said. During the event, students flocked to club tables to trade in their tickets during the food fair. FBLA, which sold popcorn, and Red Cross, which sold boba, both sold out before lunch ended. From small ten-person clubs to more well-known, established clubs, the club food fair offered student organizations opportunities to both expand their reach and earn money.
Intertwined with intense choreography, TIFFANY NGUYEN PHOTO upbeat music and a couple of murderesses, Chicago, the musical ventures through the mischievous and murderous narrative of Roxie Hart. Directed by Melissa Webb, English Department, this satirical musical aims to address America’s broken justice system and detail how Roxie exploits her way to fame. After she is thrown into Cook County Jail, Roxie meets Velma, a convicted murderess. Velma, played by Senior Katlyn Barbaccia, advises Roxie to hire a prominent TIFFANY NGUYEN PHOTO lawyer named Billie Flynn, to bail her out of jail. Flynn, played by Junior Anna Skoglund, successfully manipulates the press and frees the two women to pursue their dream of dancing. The costumes were artistically styled ranging from slick, black body suits to olive green dresses. Additionally, the cast aesthetically executed songs like “Cell Block Tango” with great precision and vocal control. The school’s talented jazz band offered accompaniment by playing a series of up-beat and powerful songs, which paired well with the musical’s dances.
Center left: Seniors Niraj Shah and Vooha Kumar sell samosas. Bottom left: Junior Sidhart Krishnan and Senior Sarthak Dassarma discuss what to sell.
Center right: Junior Lucas Coan performs his rap. Bottom left: Sophomore Cesar Cruz and Junior Ashley Wilson pose for a promotion shot.
MAY 29 , 2019
6
FEATURE: WORLD Notre Dame—the fall of a cultural icon Claire Han, Yeji Jeong and Felisha Fan
Viewpoint Editors and Investigative Report Editor
Billowing clouds of gray smoke rose from the burning skeleton of the Notre Dame de Paris. The nearly 800-year-old cathedral is iconic for its French Gothic style. It came as an unprecedented shock to many when on April 15, the iconic cathedral of Notre Dame burned down in in a fire that lasted for 15 hours. About 500 firefighters were able to salvage the main structure of the cathedral, including its two bell towers, from complete destruction. “I vividly remember my experience at Notre Dame four years ago. Standing in the building and looking up at the dome ceiling, I was awestruck by the cathedral’s magnificence. It just goes to show what people can accomplish, even without modern technology. To see it burn down is such a shame,” Junior Chris Lingunis said. The Notre Dame fire was a shock for not only the French people, but also the whole world. Public figures expressed their sorrow, such as the Pope who voiced his mourning: “I join you in your sorrow, as well as that of the faithful of your diocese, the inhabitants of Paris and all the French people.”
According to The Guardian, just 20 minutes after the fire started, media and photographs began circulating the Internet, and about 4 hours later, the French Heritage Foundation had “[set] up a national appeal for funds.” With a steady influx of funds from France’s billionaires such as Bernard Arnault and Francois-Henri Pinault and the help of four different foundations, donations exceeded one billion dollars by April 20. Furthermore, an international flood of donations began to pool in starting the day after the fire. The Trump Administration pledged assistance in a statement from the Press Secretary. Disney also donated $5 million in aid in tribute of
one of its animated films, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The high amount of donations towards reconstructing Notre Dame has led to intense debate as some question the need for such excessive spending. Vox reports that the Yellow Vests, a grassroots populist movement in France, are pointing out that the speed and quantity of donations to the cathedral could just as easily help the poor. These donations also created unexpected controversy on social media, as tweets questioned the difference of donations and support for Notre Dame, with the case of three historically black Louisiana churches that had similarly been
burned down earlier in February due to suspected hate crimes. Many criticized the allocation of donation, claiming that while the Catholic Church is wealthy, the La. churches truly need the money. In addition to the general public, activists and politicians, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, took to social media to raise awareness about the La. churches. After Clinton linked a fundraiser for the churches, the money raised quickly rose from barely over $100,000 to $2 million, surpassing its $1.8 million goal in four days. “The Notre Dame fire is a tragic event as it represents France’s cultural history as well as the shared history of the world. It is sad to see such a great monument burned down; however, providing the Catholic Church with money to rebuild is not necessary. The Catholic Church is one of the richest institutions in the world, and seeing that war-ridden places where people are dying, do not generate such support when it could mean life or death for them is a real shame,” Junior Erica Fu said.
ISABEL ZHOU ART
Can technology mend hostility among Israelis and Palestinians?
Megha Ganesh and Matthew Ho
Opinions Editor and Sports Editor
When people think of technology hubs, Israel is likely not one of the first countries that come to mind. However, Israel is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, currently 19th in the world for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. Yet deeply rooted in the nation’s history lies ceaseless tension between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews. Palestinians and Israelis have been fighting for control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for over 50 years, ever since Israel was founded. Due to this ongoing conflict, tensions continue to run high. Various technological initiatives with the intentions of bringing members of the two groups together may be a vital way to shift the hostile dynamic between Israelis and Palestinians. According to The Guardian, technological infrastructures can foster local peace in three ways: by providing new ways for peacebuilders to encourage discourse that challenges existing conflict narratives, by creating digital trust networks to cultivate dialogue between conflict groups and by giving local peacebuilders the technological tools they need in order to campaign against calls for violence.
Tech programs such as Tech2Peace, a summer academy that incorporates peacebuilding activities in its curriculum, bring Israeli and Palestinian youth together to
learn tech skills such as 3D and graphic design, website creation and app development, as well as participate in conflict resolution dialogue. Tech2Peace is a catalyst for providing youth with the skills needed to obtain a job in the high tech industry while simultaneously fostering
friendships and establishing professional relations among the divided groups. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tech2Peace cofounder
to educate the next generation of IT leaders while simultaneously providing them with the skills needed to interact professionally and amicably with various groups allows for healthy discourse between two sides that have been previously divided by years of conflict,” Senior Audrey Chan said. In addition to these programs, the accessibility to digital media has changed the way conflict resolution works. In Israel, companies use social media to try and unite Jews and Arabs with positive messages that support interaction between the two groups. The Peace Factory in Israel sets up campaigns on Facebook that encourage connections with people across conflict barriers, GARRETT YUAN ART serving as a “bridge for communication” for groups in the Middle Tomer Cohen said that East. With the ability to publish news their seminars further internationally, peace groups now have cooperation and work the ability to broadcast their message towards breaking down across many platforms, informing more the religious barriers people about the violence that troubles between Jews and Arabs. Palestine. Through technology, Israel and “I think the use Palestine are forging bonds between the of tech initiatives is a bold step in the next generation of Arabs and Jews, hoping right direction towards reducing tensions to put an end to the tension and warfare between Israelis and Palestinians. Aiming that has plagued the region for decades.
College Decisions
Universities of California Berkeley Trevor Baba Rohan Bhargava Ariel Chu Emily Chun Matthew Dworkin Avantika Ghosh Matthew Kang Rahul Khorana Siffat Kohli Yingnan Allison Li Brian Lin William Lu Wilson Nguyen Alexandra Shahinfar Georgia Stebbins Devin Sze Amy Vu Ho-Yen Wang Jin Yu Davis Reanna Agah Preet Amin Lucas Carper Ashley Jian Mindy Mohr Connor Murphy Baoviet Nguyen Roya Taghavi Wendy Zhai Irvine Sarthak Dassarma Kaitlyn Do Ashley Im Jose Jeffreys Gerald Lee Adil Quamar
Los Angeles Rohan Battula Sarah Enzminger Andrew Jang Sejun Park Anupama Shivakumar Solaine Zhao
2019
Riverside Nikhil Devaraj Shruti Jawale Aramis Masarati Rosey Park Niraj Shah Tyler Uyeda Santa Barbara Nicole Chirila-Rus Soohyun Sushi Choi Michael Garcia Jessica Wang Elukiya Veerasingam
*These colleges are self-reported; therefore, this list does not reflect the entire senior class.
Santa Cruz Megan Ta Jeffrey Zhang San Diego Anurag Asthana Ethan Chen Derek Hwang Robert Jiang George Liu Anokhi Mehta Joyce Qi
Eastern U.S.
Western U.S.
California Community Colleges De Anza Yash Kolwalkar Rebecca Iofis Harmanveer Singh Deven Sutaria
Santa Barbara City College Nick Andrews Marlene Gomez
Arizona State University Sahil Dubey Kaitlyn Hurley William Lee Anthony Paquet Gonzaga University Sheridan Payne
California State Universities California Private Schools Art Center College of Design Calista Lo California Institute of the Arts Alicia Pak Chapman University Katlyn Barbaccia Vivian Brown Pooja Joshi Loyola Marymount University Tiffany Chu Brent Rouiller Occidental College Sohan Kshirsagar Pepperdine University Sara LaValley Pomona College Min Kim Redlands University Ryan Nolte
Santa Clara University Eduard Braverman Wallace Hwang Tanveen Singh Jordan Yaldaei Scripps College Aanya Subramaniam Stanford University Audrey Nguyen University of San Francisco Rebecca Baggott Aimee Yamagami University of Southern California Aryan Desai Elaine Huang Victoria Kang Hannah Lee Alyssa Mai Layla Yun
Calif. Polytechnic University, Pomona Cindy Chang Joseph Koch Marisa Nakanishi Christian Park-Gastelum
Fresno Maya Gulvady Sammie Keith
Calif. Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo Advaitha Bhavanasi Joshua Blank Edward Du Emma Ferguson Jennifer Foxhoven Ayesha Gokhale Sam Hirst Sahya Kabutogi Joyce Lam Brian Liu Ryan Ngoon Jessica Pearson Britney Pham Anusha Sowda Stephanie Wang Nate Winiecki Brian Wong
Sacramento Logan Thomas
Chico Fuad Alemu Andre Fatehi Brianna Naranjo
University of Puget Sound Capriana Jiang University of Utah Paige Marquez
Linfield College Jordan Bennett
University of Washington Brent Seto Jenine Shafi Sela Wein
University of Oregon Pashmin Patil Hannah Schutt
Washington State University Brett Craft
Northeastern University Emily Gringorten
Carnegie Mellon University Libb Choi Edward He
Parsons School of Design Rachel Han
Georgetown University Qianyin Wu George Washington University Prerna Agarwal Harvard University Bhargavi Garimella John Hopkins University Joanna Bi Allison Li Alice Mao
Pennsylvania State University Lyndsey Paladin Ashik Sathiya Rutgers University Anirudh Rao Priyanka Varma University of Pennsylvania Cynthia Zhou University of Rochester Alex Sochocki
New York University Wesley Luh
Long Beach Samantha McKee
San Diego Neikon Ebadat Nicolette McGaugh Madeline McKee Serena Tran
Brown University Zoe King
Midwestern U.S. Colorado State University Jessica Snyder
University of Illinois at Chicago Khai Huynh
Northwestern University Edward Park
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Megha Ganesh Jeff Kim Julie Lee Isha Savant Isha Nagar Rachel Yao
San Francisco Vasav Juthani
Ohio State University Sanjana Srinivasan
San Jose Lillian Alnajjar Mayra Cardenas Rojo Jenna Ferreira Anna Frias Kenny Huynh Marissa Lew Jasmine Luu Thanh Ly Martin Nguyen Haley Rudolph Muskan Seth Jeremy Zaya
Purdue University Joseph Chen Jwala Mitra Regis University Monica Koch Rice University Tiffany Xiang University of Colorado Boulder Keelyann Worth
University of Michigan Alyssa Huang Washington University in St. Louis Rishi Samarth
Southern U.S. Duke University Michelle Huang Jerry Lin Emory University Ritika Choudhary
Vanderbilt University Jessica Jang Virginia Tech Reagan Orth
International University of the Arts - London College of Fashion Melisa Ozcolak University of Toronto Madison Sayler-Tait TRINITY TRAN ART
NICOLE KIM ART
Enter the ballroom : 2019 Senior Awards Awards Legend 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12 is awarded to seniors who earned a 4.0 GPA for seven semesters. AP Scholar is awarded to seniors who have received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. AP Scholar with Honor is awarded to seniors who receive an average score of at least a 3.25 on all AP Exams and score a 3 or higher on four or more AP Exams. AP Scholar with Distinction is awarded to seniors who receive an average score of at least a 3.5 on all AP Exams and score a 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams. National AP Scholar is awarded to seniors who receive an average score of at least a 4 on all AP Exams and score 4 or higher on eight or more AP Exams. California Scholarship Federation (CSF) Life Member is awarded based on academic excellence, commitment to community service and active membership for six semesters. California Scholarship Federation (CSF) Scholarships are awarded to seniors who are CSF Life Members and have demonstrated substantial commitment to the CSF Club and to the community. Golden State Seal Merit Diploma (GSSMD): Assembly Bill 3488, approved in July 1996, called for the development of the GSSMD to recognize public school graduates who have demonstrated their mastery of the high school curriculum in designated content areas. Leland Community Service Award (LCSA) is awarded to seniors who have 300 or more documented hours of community service as of April 30. Level One Peer Tutor Certificate is awarded to students who have completed 30 hours of tutoring. National Merit Commended (NMC): 34,000 out of more than one million graduating seniors nationwide earn this award based on their outstanding performance on the 2017 PSAT. National Merit Finalist (NMF): 15,000 out of more than one million graduating seniors nationwide earn this award based on their outstanding performance on the 2017 PSAT. Pat Tillman Award is awarded to a student-athlete who has exemplified integrity, fairness, character, outstanding athletic accomplishments and high academic achievement. President’s Award for Educational Excellence (PAEE) is awarded to those with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher for seven semesters. President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is awarded to students who completed 100 documented hours of community service in one calendar year and completed the requirements to receive this award. President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) for Four Years is for seniors who have received the President’s Volunteer Service Award every year in high school. Raymond Leland Awards are awarded to the Best All Around male and female athlete. Criteria for this award are athletic achievement in more than one sport, sportsmanship, leadership and academic achievement. Seal of Bi-literacy is awarded to seniors who have earned a score of proficient or higher in English Language Arts on the CSF, maintained an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher as of fall semester in the senior year and demonstrated proficiency in one or more languages other than English by fulfilling one of the three language proficiency options.
Audrey Chan - PAEE, AP Scholar with Honor; Cynthia Chang - PAEE, GSSMD; Mizmor Chang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean; Leslie Chavez - PAEE, GSSMD; Sonali Chellappa - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Ethan Chen - GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Joseph Chen - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese Damian Cheung - PAEE, GSSMD; Nicole Chirila-Rus - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Leland Parent Club Award, Seal of Biliteracy - German; Samantha Cho - PAEE, GSSMD; Libb Choi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Soohyun Choi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMF; Ritika Choudhary - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Ariel Chu - PAEE, AP Scholar with Honor, PVSA, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese Tiffany Chu - GSSMD; Emily Chun - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Rachel Cobern Leland Community Service Award; Athena Dai - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Chloe Dang - PAEE, California-Nevada-Hawaii Key Club District Distinguished Lieutenant Governor Award, Kenneth C. Forror M.D. Scholarship, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Sarthak Dassarma - AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Best Senior in Mathematics Aryan Desai - PAEE, University of Washington Purple and Gold Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMF; Nikhil Devaraj - AP Scholar; Kaitlyn Do - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Bradley Doherty - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, English Department Award, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Jacob Domingos - Charger Pride Most Inspirational in Academic Achievement; Edward Du - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC Matthew Dworkin - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Excellence in French Language, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Neikon Ebadat - PAEE, GSSMD; Kian Elyasi - PAEE, GSSMD, NMC; Sarah Enzminger - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, Downtown Doors Award 2016, Skills USA Regional Silver Medalist Fashion Design, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Stephanie Enzminger - PAEE, Almaden Library Certificate of Appreciation, San Jose Teachers Association Memorial Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Level One Certificate, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish Brian Fang - PAEE, AP Scholar with Distinction; Emma Ferguson - PAEE, GSSMD; Georgia File - Charger Pride Perseverance Award; Elena Flynn - PAEE, GSSMD; Jennifer Foxhoven - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD; Anna Paola Frias - PAEE, GSSMD; Megha Ganesh - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Most Improved Mathematics Student; Michael Garcia - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, Norm Orloff Historian Award Bhargavi Garimella - PAEE, National Merit $2500 Scholarship, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Honorable Mention, California State Legislature Certificate of Accomplishment, National Association for Bilingual Education Student Recognition, Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship Finalist, Almaden Valley Women’s Club Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, English Department Award, Journalism Award, Leland Parent Club Award Athena Genise - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, Outstanding Student in World Language, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Avantika Ghosh - PAEE, Stanford University’s AI4ALL Alumni Grant for Research on Machine Learning, NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) 2017 California San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, PVSA, Level One Certificate; Christian Girodo Angelin - PAEE, GSSMD; Ayesha Gokhale - AP Scholar, NMC; Alexandra Goncharova - Seal of Biliteracy - French
Tristan Nguyen Award is presented to the individual that best exemplifies the qualities that Tristan exhibited on and off the field. This student does whatever needs to be done to help the team and always exhibits a great attitude, is a great teammate, and displays outstanding character on a daily basis.
Preston Gook - PAEE, Michael Jay Jones Memorial Football Scholarship, Pat Tillman MVP of Team Award, Linebacker of the Year All League, Dean’s Scholarship at Chapman University, GSSMD; Emily Gringorten - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Rachel Gringorten - PAEE, GSSMD, Best Wind Musician; Maya Gulvady - Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Eeshan Gurnani - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Trenton Haas - GSSMD, Best Jazz Musician
Reanna Agah - PAEE, GSSMD; Prerna Agarwal - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, PVSA, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Preet Amin - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Leland Parent Club Award, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Kaden Anderson - PAEE; Angelique Armenta - Kiwanis Turn Around Scholarship
Shaion Habibvand - GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Charlene Han - AP Scholar; Rachel Han - PAEE, GSSMD; Edward He - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMF; Jennifer Hernandez - PAEE, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Samuel Hirst PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Sydnee Hoang - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, PVSA, Norm Orloff Historian Award; Alyssa Huang - PAEE, GSSMD
Anurag Asthana - PAEE, Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America), GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction; Idean Azari - PAEE, Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America), GSSMD, AP Scholar; Trevor Baba - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Rebecca Baggott - PAEE, GSSMD; Shaina Bagri - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Outstanding Performance In The Sciences, Excellence in Computer Science; Katlyn Barbaccia - PAEE, Almaden Valley Women’s Club Scholarship, ASB Leadership Award, GSSMD Andrew Barker - PAEE, GSSMD; Iara Barylko - Excellence in Visual Art; Rohan Battula PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMF; Brian Belluscio - PAEE, GSSMD; Delilah Bender - Excellence in Visual Art; Jordan Bennett - PAEE; Rohan Bhargava - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Samantha Bhatia - PAEE, GSSMD Advaitha Bhavanasi - PAEE, National Merit Boston University Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Joanna Bi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Most Improved Mathematics Student, Level One Certificate, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Max Bi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Megan Bignell PAEE, GSSMD; Joshua Blank - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Aashna Bombwal - PAEE, GSSMD Eduard Braverman - PAEE, GSSMD; Scott Brendlen - PAEE, GSSMD; Wesley Brock - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, Norm Orloff Historian Award; Vivian Brown PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Chloe Bui - PAEE, GSSMD; Olivia Burd - PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Eric Burling - GSSMD; Daniel Cai - Leland Community Service Award, AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Mayra Cardenas Rojo - Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Lucas Carper - Most Improved Mathematics Student
Elaine Huang - PAEE, National Merit University of Southern California Scholarship, University of Southern California Presidential Scholar, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Journalism Award; Michelle Huang - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Semi-Finalist, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Exceptional World Language Student, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Neo Huang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Kaitlyn Hurley - ASB Initiative Award Christopher Hwang - PAEE, CM Piano Certificate of Merit, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Derek Hwang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Excellence in Computer Science, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Wallace Hwang - PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Megumi Ikeda - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Seal of Biliteracy - Japanese; Ashley Im - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Nile Imtiaz - PAEE, GSSMD; Rebecca Iofis - GSSMD, Best Vocalist; Derek Jackson GSSMD; Andrew Jang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC Jessica Jang - PAEE, Korean American Music Supporter’s Association Scholarship, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMF, PVSA, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean; Shruti Jawale - GSSMD; Richard Jeong - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Sodam Jeong - GSSMD, English Department Award: Excellence in Language Acquisition; Ashley Jian - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Capriana Jiang - PAEE, Matelich Scholarship, PEO Janet H. Griswold Memorial Scholarship, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese
Robert Jiang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Margaret Johnson - GSSMD; Pooja Joshi - PAEE, GSSMD; Hyun Jo Jung - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean; Vasav Juthani - National Merit Semi-Finalist; Sahya Kabutogi - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Japanese
Jessica Pearson - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12 FIRST Robotics Deans List Finalist, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Certificate of Distinction, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, PVSA, Outstanding Performance in the Sciences; Jasmine Perez Hernandez - Charger Pride Commitment Award; Parker Petersen - PAEE, GSSMD; Britney Pham - PAEE, GSSMD
Matthew Kang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Ye Rin Kang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Samantha Keith - PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy Spanish; Rahul Khorana - PAEE, AP Scholar with Honor, PVSA; Guk Il Kim - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, NMC, PVSA, Level One Certificate, Seal of Biliteracy Korean; Jeff Kim - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, National Merit $2500 Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish
Madeleine Phan - PAEE, GSSMD; Miles Phillips - GSSMD; Aniek Pikaar - PAEE, GSSMD; Justin Brent Pineda - PAEE, GSSMD; Samantha Pizzo - PAEE; Joyce Qi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Adil Quamar - PAEE, AP Scholar; Shaden Qutmiera - PAEE, GSSMD, ASB Spirit Award; Carson Rampelberg - PAEE, GSSMD; Anirudh Rao - GSSMD, NMC, PVSA; Daniel Richards - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Iyana Roberts - GSSMD
Min Kyoung Kim - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Zoe King PAEE, GSSMD; Siffat Kohli - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, PVSA; Julia Konovalov - PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Rahul Koonantavida - PAEE, GSSMD, NMF; Sohan Kshirsagar - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction; Vooha Kumar - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Joyce Lam - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Seal of Biliteracy French
Brent Rouiller - PAEE, Arrupe Scholarship - Loyola Marymount University, GSSMD, PVSA; Haley Rudolph - PAEE, GSSMD; Rishi Samarth - PAEE, Certificate of Recognition by Councilmember Johnny Khamis, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Emmanuel Sanchez Leon - PAEE, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Isha Savant - PAEE, Robert Brownlee Award - Engineering Execution and Idea Development, BioGENEius National Semi-Finalist, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Madison Sayler-Tait - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Sarah Schuster - PAEE, GSSMD; Cheyanne Segura - Kiwanis TurnAround Scholarship
Sara LaValley - PAEE, GSSMD; Alisa Lee - PAEE; Colleen Lee - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Gerald Lee - PAEE, GSSMD; Hannah Lee - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, National Merit University of Southern California Scholarship, Commendation from the Santa Clara County Supervisor’s Office, 3rd Place Policy Debate Speaker in the Nation, Good Samaritan Hospital Scholarship Recipient, Certificate of Merit Level 10, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction; Jiwon Lee - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, PVSA, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean; Victoria Lee - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; William Lee - GSSMD Allison Li - PAEE, National Merit NVIDIA Corporation Scholarship, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMF, PVSA, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Exceptional Performance in World Language, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Bill Li - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Changxun Li - AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Yingnan Li - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMF, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese Emily Lien - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Brian Lin - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, Regeneron Science Talent Search 2019 Scholar, USACO Silver Division, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Jerry Lin - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, National Merit $2500 Scholarship, Regeneron Science Talent Search 2019 Scholar, Thomas Watson Memorial Scholarship Winner, GSSMD, National AP Scholar, Journalism Award; Allan Liu - PAEE, GSSMD; Ashley Liu - Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Brandon Liu - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar Brian Liu - Leland Community Service Award, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; George Liu - PAEE, Scholarship to swim at USCD, USA Swimming Scholastic All American, USA Swimming All American (top 100 for the Nation), GSSMD, NMC; Calista Lo - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Japanese; Brandon Loftis - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Raquel Long - PAEE, GSSMD, ASB Service Award; Abraham Lozano Medina - Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Anh Lu - PAEE, GSSMD; Cassidy Lu - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; William Lu - PAEE, GSSMD, National AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Wesley Luh - AP Scholar with Distinction, Best String Musician; Jasmine Luu - PAEE, GSSMD Thanh Ly - GSSMD, AP Scholar; Ned Machulsky - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Hebrew; Robert Mackaness - PAEE, GSSMD; Alyssa Mai - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Michail Majstrov - PAEE, GSSMD; Blake Maloblocki - GSSMD; Alice Mao - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Mark Marienthal - PAEE; Paige Marquez - PAEE, GSSMD; Aramis Masarati - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Shane McKnight - PAEE, GSSMD; Jakob Mceuen - Charger Pride Academic Achievement Award Nicolette McGaugh - PAEE, GSSMD; Madeline McKee - PAEE, Filipino Women’s Club Scholarship, GSSMD; Samantha McKee - PAEE, Filipino Women’s Club of Salinas Scholarship, GSSMD; Divya Meenakshi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Anokhi Mehta - PAEE, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Certificate of Distinction, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Outstanding Student in World Language, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Jwala Mitra - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Mindy Mohr - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, PVSA, Level One Certificate Connor Murphy - PAEE, GSSMD; Tejas Nair - GSSMD; Marisa Nakanishi - Japanese Speech Presentation Award, PVSA, Seal of Biliteracy - Japanese; Brian Ng - PAEE, GSSMD; Ryan Ngoon - PAEE, ACT 36’er Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, PVSA; Audrey Nguyen - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Baoviet Nguyen - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Duc Trieu Nguyen - GSSMD; Jonathan Nguyen - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar Martin Nguyen - GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Wilson Quang Nguyen - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction; Pawrsa Nikzad - PAEE, GSSMD; Russell Occhipinti - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Alexi Olmsted - PAEE, GSSMD; Reagan Orth - PAEE, GSSMD, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Melisa Ozcolak - PAEE, GSSMD, Level One Certificate Lyndsey Paladin - PAEE, Seal of Biliteracy-Spanish; Kelsey Palmaffy - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Edward Park - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, National Merit Northwestern University Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Journalism Award; Sejun Park - PAEE, Korean American Music Supporter’s Association Scholarship (KAMSA), Certified California Arts Scholar 2018, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Pashmin Patil - GSSMD
Brent Seto - PAEE, GSSMD; Iliya Shadfar - PAEE; Jenine Shafi - PAEE, Exceptional and Most Improved World Language Student, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Niraj Shah - GSSMD; Alexandra Shahinfar - PAEE, GSSMD; Megan Shieh - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, PVSA, Level One Certificate; Hannah Shin - GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor; Aria Shirazi - PVSA; Anupama Shivakumar - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Journalism Award, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Catherine Simmons PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish Eleanor Simmons - PAEE, GSSMD; Jessica Simms - GSSMD; Tanveen Singh - PAEE, PreCollege Art Experience Dual-Scholarship at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Justin Sloan - GSSMD; Bradley Smedley - California State Skills USA Electrical Maintenance Silver Medal Award, Regional Skills USA Electrical Maintenance Gold Medal Colin Smith - GSSMD; Kyle Smith - GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Jessica Snyder - PAEE, GSSMD; (Alex) Alexandria Sochocki - PAEE, Outstanding Achievement from the Association for Women in Science, California Scholarship Federation Seal Bearer Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar, PVSA; Austin Soe - GSSMD, NMC; Anusha Sowda - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, PVSA; Sanjana Srinivasan - Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Michael Srouji - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Norm Orloff Historian Award; Georgia Stebbins - PAEE, GSSMD Aanya Subramaniam - PAEE, SJTA Memorial Scholarship, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Akshay Suresh - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC; Deven Sutaria - PAEE, GSSMD; Devin Sze - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, National AP Scholar, NMC, PVSA, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Seal of Biliteracy Chinese; Roya Taghavi - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD; Lindsay Tarasco - PAEE, GSSMD; Preston Taylor - PAEE, GSSMD; Nicholas Tharenos - GSSMD Yong Hwei Toon - GSSMD; Aivy Tran - PAEE; Serena Tran - PAEE, GSSMD, Journalism Award; Sherman Tsai - Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Anya Tyagarajan - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC; Tyler Uyeda - AP Scholar; Darshan Vamathevan - PAEE, GSSMD; Priyanka Varma - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD; Dimitry Vartan - PAEE, GSSMD; Elukiya Veerasingam - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Michael Villett - PAEE; Kevin Vo - PAEE, GSSMD; Amy Vu - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Oliver Vu De Leon - PAEE, GSSMD Andre Wang - NMC; Ho-Yen Wang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Jessica Wang - PAEE, GSSMD; Maggie Wang - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Stephanie Wang - PAEE, GSSMD; Trace Ward - GSSMD; Sela Wein - PAEE, 4.0 Grade Point Average Grades 9-12, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Alexandra White - PAEE, GSSMD; Nathan Winiecki - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish Brian Wong – PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC; Jenny Woo - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, Leland Master Peer Tutor Certificate, Seal of Biliteracy - Spanish; Qianyin Wu PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Tiffany Xiang - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, PVSA; Jordan Yaldaei - PAEE, Dean’s Scholarship at Santa Clara University, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMC, PVSA Aimee Yamagami - GSSMD, Seal of Biliteracy - Japanese; Rachel Yao - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar, Excellence in Visual Art, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Melissa Yates - Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD; Sean York - PAEE, Charger Pride Social Responsibility Award; Amanda Yu - PAEE, GSSMD Jin Yu - PAEE, David H. Liu Memorial Scholarship, City of Cupertino Mayor’s Letter of Commendation, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, National AP Scholar, Outstanding Performance in the Sciences, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean; Seonyoung (Layla) Yun - PAEE, CNH Key Club Distinguished President Award, Kiwanis Kenneth C. Forror, M.D. Scholarship, Finalist of U.S. Constitution Day Poster Contest, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Distinction, NMC, Norm Orloff Historian Award, Seal of Biliteracy - Korean Anthony Zanella - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar; Jeremy Zaya - PAEE, GSSMD; Emma Zettler - PAEE, Seal of Biliteracy - French; Wenyan Zhai - PAEE, Leland Community Service Award, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese; Jeffrey Zhang - PAEE, GSSMD; Solaine Zhao - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar with Honor, NMC, Outstanding Student in World Language, Seal of Biliteracy - Chinese Cynthia Zhou - PAEE, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key Award, Presidential Scholar in the Arts, National YoungArts Foundation Finalist, CA Legislature Certificate of Recognition, Santa Clara Board of Supervisors Commendation, GSSMD, AP Scholar, NMF, Excellence in Visual Art, Le Grand Concours Gold Medal; Cyrus Zomorrodi - PAEE, GSSMD, AP Scholar
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MAY 29, 2019
SPORTS Eric Zhang
Boys’ volleyball plan to rebound from difficult season Feature School Editor
On May 10, the gym buzzed with excitement as students dressed in Hawaiian shirts, board shorts and flip flops gathered in the gym to watch the annual Tiki Match. This night not only marked the annual home game against the Willow Glen Rams but more importantly, it marked senior night for the boys’ volleyball team and the end of the Chargers’ hardfought season. As their season came to an end, the Chargers looked to honor Anthony Benyat ‘19 and William Lu ‘19 on senior night and to defeat the Willow Glen Rams in the annual tiki match. To celebrate their time on the team, they were gifted with flowers and took photos with their family before the game. Unfortunately, the team lost the match in five sets and ended the season with a 6-8 league record. The Chargers took an impressive lead in the first set, as Matthew Kim ‘20 secured the first two points of the match with back-to-back spikes. As the team started to gain momentum, their teamwork began to show on the court, when Denny Xu’
20, Jaden Dangtran ‘20 and Forrest Cai ‘22 worked together on defense to block the Rams’ hitters and prevent them from scoring. The Chargers’ chemistry ultimately led to them winning the first set 25-19. However, during the second half of the game, the intensity began to pick up. The Chargers were able to continue working together in order to score and play strong defense but the team also had many out-of-bounds hits and unsuccessful dives. After losing the second set to a close score of 21-25, Travis Nguyen ‘21 stepped up, leading the team defensively with multiple saves during the third and fourth sets. With this
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defensive momentum, the team was able to come back from their second set loss by beating the Rams 25-20. The school’s students and Entourage were cheering as loudly as they could to give the boys more energy. However, it proved to be of no avail as the boys started to fall apart in the fifth set, and the Rams closed the game 15-7. Although the Chargers lost the match, they are motivated to use the lessons and experience gained from this year to improve for next year, since the majority of the team’s players will be juniors coming up from junior varsity. “We accomplished a lot of season goals; we got much better over the
course of the year by playing nine league champions over the course of the season. From tonight’s game, the team learned to embrace intensity. You have to step up when the score is close and take control of the situation,” Head Coach Ed Mattson said. Led by captain Matthew Ho ‘20, the majority of the team was new to the fastpaced playstyle of varsity volleyball. Most of the team have played together for more than two years and four of the players are freshmen, so there is potential and room to grow. Unable to secure a spot in the Coast Central Section (CCS) playoffs, the team plans to practice and train together over the summer. Either playing for club teams or playing together at open gyms, the boys are looking to improve to prepare for next season. “This year, I was one of the only freshmen so my goal was to just get better at volleyball so I could play more in the future. I was able to learn from more experienced players which helped me improve,” John Kim ‘22 said.
SEJUN PARK PHOTO Denny Xu ‘20 and Forrest Cai ‘22 work together in order to block the spike.
SEJUN PARK PHOTO Matthew
Kim
‘20
spikes
the
ball,
launching
it
past
the
Rams.
Athlete of the Month: Audrey Nguyen Pauline Nguyen and Chloe Bui From international competitions in Brazil to local events, synchronized swimmer Audrey Nguyen ‘19 makes the pool her stage, captivating audiences with fluid movements as she gives her all in three-minute routines. Swimming for a total of 12 years, Nguyen demonstrates the commitment and hard work that attributes to her success. As a six-year-old, Nguyen found interest in swimming after following her cousin to a local community center for a try-out. Participating as a member of the San Jose Angelfish as a ten-year-old, Nguyen dedicated ten hours each week to swimming, until she decided to join the Santa Clara Aquamaids, a competitive club in which she still takes part in now. On her club team, Nguyen takes on a leadership role when she encourages her teammates, a task crucial to the overall performance of the team. When uplifting her teammates, Nguyen stresses the importance of a strong team connection in the routine. “If one person is feeling down, the whole team is feeling down, and my job is to keep the energy going and to inspire the team to continue fighting. I usually give pep talks to remind my teammates of what to remember before a swim-through. We all push each other to be the best, both mentally and physically. My teammates
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are a big reason as to why I have committed to synchronized swimming for so long,” Nguyen said. Although a motivator to others, Nguyen faced issues herself, particularly when she entered high school and took on a rigorous course load. Overwhelmed by
“With synchronized swimming, school and a social life, my agenda was always booked. Training 20 to 30 hours a week was both mentally and physically draining and having to come home after practice to study for hours upon end was undeniably exigent. I virtually had little
RICHARD JEONG PHOTO Audrey Nguyen ‘19 smiles after being named Athlete of the Month
studying, practicing and socializing, time management and commitment turned out to be a stress factor throughout her years of synchronized swimming.
to no time to hang out with my friends because of all the time I would either be in the pool or studying. There were days when I contemplated if all the sacrifices
I had made would one-day be worth it,” Nguyen said. Even with her doubts, Nguyen continued to balance her time between school work and her team, prevailing with a mindset of perseverance. By overcoming the hardships, Nguyen was able to find success in her numerous achievements, allowing her to compete as a representative of the nation. “I am a ten-time national champion in solo, duet, trio, team and combo events. I am also a five-time member on the United States National Team, on which I have competed internationally in Canada, Israel, Puerto Rico and Switzerland. It is a truly amazing opportunity to both represent the United States and to compete at the highest level,” Nguyen said. Along with the accomplishments made on her club team, Nguyen will be able to establish more successes as a synchronized swimmer for Stanford University, a school that Nguyen has aspired to attend since she first started as a six-year-old. “While I have made numerous sacrifices to balance my swimming and studies, overcoming adversity has attributed to my resiliency. I feel so unbelievably blessed to be able to continue doing synchronized swimming and study at Stanford,” Nguyen said.
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