Congratulations Class of 2016
2016 Olympic Games Page 8
See pg. 4-5
Fremont High School
the
PHOENIX
Vol. 4 Issue No. 8 May 31, 2016 From: Fremont To: Mrs. Larson
Farewell Mrs. Larson
Dear Sue, “This is a note that says thank you for years of dedication and inspirations. For years of enormous positivity and optimism. And for years of love and support. I remember the first day I met you. It was my lucky day to say the announcement. I was nervous and anxious, but your gentle voice kept me calm and giving me the confident to speak freely. Sue, you are something special. You have empowered every person surrounding you and blessed him or her with your amazing personality. It is hard to say goodbye. It is hard because you end an adventure, whether it was good or bad. Every goodbye opens a different door that may lead to the next adventure in life. From everybody you have touched, we really wish you the best on your next endeavor. We are blessed that we met you and couldn’t be more excited to see where retirement will take you. We will always cherish every little moment we spent with you. And just remember once a Firebird always a Firebird!”
Alumni ‘13 Omri Nissan
Photo courtesy of Sue Larson
SUE LARSON being honored in the Fremont High School gym
by Dana Nissan Staff Writer
With tears of sadness as well as joy, Sue Larson is leaving the Fremont Community after 14 years of involvement. For 10 of those years, Larson worked at Fremont High School, known by her as her “golden years.” At Fremont, Larson worked as the Executive Assistant, assisting the administrative team. Her job includes working and helping students go through the ups and downs they encounter. She still visits Fremont with a camera in hand ready to capture moments around campus. At a school working site it is more face to face interaction with students and building relationships. In her current job as Communications Coordinator of the Fremont Union High School District, there is much less interaction with students and it is more of an office setting. Larson works with the communication aspect of the district on social media or newspaper related. “I think of it as in many ways as being the storyteller of the district. There is all these great things happening and it is good to be able to share that with in our district with staff members and students and also outside our district in the community and the world really,” Larson said. Before coming to work at Fremont, Larson started
a small business with her brother. It is a chain of hair cutting stores called Shroters and she worked there for almost 20 years. Larson and her brother didn’t know much about opening a new business, but enough to make it work and pull it off.
These memories will gladden my heart for the rest of my days. I can just see the faces of the people I’ve been blessed to work with and support students, staff members, and parents. I just feel like a really blessed person for having the chance to have been here Sue LArson She experienced the spirit and energy that the school and students there are filled with. Because of all the support she has given to the students, she received many shout outs and requests from the student body to be Grand Marshall for homecoming twice. Students voted for Larson to be able to walk and sit next to them during their graduation day. According to Larson it is a very heartfelt event and it is one of the greatest honors as a staff member is to be asked to speak at Baccalaureate. For Larson, that is the most memorable and sweetest tradition Fremont has because you cannot buy that or anything as students
choose the staff members. “I will look back with a lot of pride and satisfaction in the opportunity to have worked here,” Larson said. “It’s a really special place, the whole district. So I will miss the people and I will miss being a part of telling the stories.” Once Larson got her calling and joined the Fremont community, she worked at a place where students come every day, having the chance to assist and encourage students to accomplish. For her, knowing she makes a difference means the world to her. “I provided a lot of assistance and support for the principal, but also it’s an unique position because in many ways you are helping out lots of different people. Students and staff members and parents and community members. You try and provide information for people and help them answer questions. And help provided information about the school, but it was so much more than that,” Larson said. “Fremont has treated me beautifully, gloriously. I can’t think of anything better,” Larson said. “The heart of the campus cannot be measured, and Fremont’s heart is so open and generous. There is nothing like the love of young people, it is not something you can buy when it comes your way.” Larson’s decision to retire took a lot of time and work as it’s a once in a lifetime decision, but in the
end after many years of the topic being discussed, the decision was made. Larson looks forward to explore the world, have more of a relaxed space, take photos and use that to give to others. Larson and her husband have a trailer truck and are planning to travel and explore every national park. They want to travel all around the world and have no time limit on their journey. “It just feels like it is a good time to be going. I am really proud of the work I have done, and I am really grateful to have had the chance to work both at Fremont and the district,” Larson said. “These memories will gladden my heart for the rest of my days. I can just see the faces of the people I’ve been blessed to work with and support students, staff members, and parents. I just feel like a really blessed person for having the chance to have been here.” Fremont will always be in Larson’s heart. “It is such a beautiful place, the people and the spirit and the challenges that people overcome and their dedication to others,” Larson said. “I take heart in the phrase, ‘once Fremont always Fremont.’ And some people say “once a firebird always a firebird.” But it’s true once you are ever a part of that community in any way: student, staff member, parent, you are always going to be a part. So I feel that and I cherish that.”
“I will miss seeing/hearing her positivity so often. Even at the district office, I have opportunities to stop in her office and say hello. Though she hasn’t been a Fremont for several years now, it has been nice to know that she is still near by and still a major advocate for Fremont High!”
Principal Bryan Emmert
Thank you Mrs. Larson for everything you have done for me and for Fremont. You always have a bright smile that makes everyone’s day better. You have been such a big part of this school and we appreciate everything you have done! We love you!
Efrat Avidan Antonir
SUE LARSON at the Watermelon Run.
Photo courtesy of Sue Larson
News
may 31, 2016
2
Comparing College Now and Middle College programs by Caroline He Staff Writer
Middle College
College Now
Established in 1980.
Established in 1989
Students must meet with a Middle College advisor daily. Middle College students are required to take two classes taught by Fremont Union High School Teachers—English and Social Studies.
Student Profile: “Both of these types of students have great potential,” Rosado said.
College Now students have complete control over their schedulesthey are not required to take any classes with the FUHSD. College Now students cannot play high school sports due to a Central Coast Section ruling which found that since College Now students do not take any classes with the FUHSD, they should not be considered students of the district. For the purpose of record keeping, however, they are considered students by Fremont High School.
“[The programs] are designed to give stuStudent Profile: “Middle college students the opportunity to look for a differdents haven’t necessarily shown their ent experience from the traditional high potential if you look at their grades, school,” Rosado said. but teachers have seen potential, have seen that they could shine in a different “You get a little more freedom in your schedenvironment.” Jeff Rosado, Assistant ule, a little more freedom in the classes you Principal, said. take,” Rosado said. “They want a change in environment. Student Profile: “College now students No time is spent on a high school campus in have already shown [potential], and For whatever reason, they don’t feel as relation to these programs. connected to their home high school,” they’ve proven it, and they think, ‘Hey I Tamara Emmert, Guidence Counselor, want to get started on college early and The students take college level classes I’m ready to move on,’” Rosado said. said. “Middle College is to offer a different environment from high school.” “College Now’s goal is to offer courses to students who have pretty much fin“There’s more of a community base at ished what they needed to do here (high Middle College,” Emmert said. school) but haven’t earned that high Students can begin this program as a school diploma yet,” Emmert said. rising Junior. Students are eligible for this program for their senior year.
Recognizing Student Teachers by Hannah Butay
Current Events: What’s going on around you?
Online Editor
Sophia Li is a student teacher for Sonia Dass’s fifth period American Literature class. She formerly attended Brown University and currently attends Stanford University. She decided to become a Literature teacher because she enjoyed seeing the different ways people could interpret the same idea. Li hopes that she will gain new perspectives on life and other people’s thoughts and ideas from being a teacher. Outside of school, Li enjoys doing yoga, reading and rock climbing. Sam Fegan is a student teacher for David Heinke’s fourth and fifth block geometry classes. He went to American River College for a year, then Brigham Young University and now he attends Stanford University. Fegan chose to become a teacher because he was always good at math. Additionally, he felt that high school was a crucial part of his development and wants to make sure it will be a good experience for his students. Fegan enjoys playing sports and spending time with his wife and daughter outside of school. Katherine Sanden is a student teacher for Adrienne Philippe’s fourth block algebra 1 class. She attended Princeton for her undergraduate degree and currently attends Stanford University. Originally, Sanden did not want to become a teacher, but decided to pursue teaching after a professor showed her how fun math could be. She hopes as a teacher she will be able to implement the same idea into her students.
Fremont News - Stan Zhang makes blue Math Olympiad Summer Program (MOSP), making him top 24 in the nation. “In MOSP, I can meet up with the nation’s top 60 people and communicate with them and find out if I have an easier time communicating with good at math people”, freshman Zhang said.
Bay Area News - On June 7, the Primary Election for the state of California will be held to vote on the democratic and GOP nominee. - Gunn High School students were asked to retake their AP exams after the school discovered several testing procedure errors.
World News - President Barack Obama is set to visit Japan and will be the first sitting president to visit Hiroshima after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. On his trip, he will also visit Vietnam in order to cement a stronger relationship with the United States’ former wartime enemy. - EgyptAir Flight 804 going from Paris to Cairo disappeared from the radar with 66 people on board. Searchers have recovered parts of the wreckage from the ocean, including luggage, life vests and human body parts. Sources: Fremont High School website, CNN, Palo Alto Online and The New York Times
Compiled by Hannah Butay
News 3
May 31, 2016
Statway, the new approach to an old problem by Caroline He Staff Writer
Coming next year, Statway is the new math course taught by a professor from Mission College. “It’s this really interesting hybrid class,” Jeff Rosado, Assistant Principal, said. “This is an effort to keep students engaged in math in a new way. What’s really unique about it is that we’re teaching a Mission College course here on our campus. So the students will get high school credit and college credit.” The Statway program is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and also is the first of its kind in the
Fremont Union High School District. “Our district does not currently run any dual credit courses with any of our community colleges in the same way we are going to with Mission College for Statway,” Lori Riehl, FUHSD Coordinator of Pathways to Postsecondary Success, said. “We’re really trying to support students and make them see that they can still do math and earn credit.” The goal is to keep students taking math courses throughout all four years of high school. Coordinators behind this effort hope to keep current high schoolers, and future college students, out of remedial math classes
in college—a long standing issue with community colleges.
In the Long run, our goal is to see whether or not this could be an ongoing thing—Not only for Fremont, but for other campuses as well. Lori Riehl “What students don’t know is, regardless, even if you’re an English major or a History major, you’re going to have to take a math class
to fulfill general education requirements,” Riehl said. By fulfilling those general education requirements in high school, students spend less time obtaining their college degree. It is a tall order and will take a lot of work, but Statway’s new approach may be the answer. “The curriculum of Statway does a lot to apply mathematical problem solving skills to very real problems,” Riehl said. “It’s more than just memorizing the quadratic equation. The approach is very collaborative problem solving. And the other thing is that we reinforce growth mindset. So it really is learning from
Staff Writer
Public speaking in front of a large audience is uncomfortable enough for most students. Yet, it would be more frightening to do it in a language that you may not be fluent in. On Thursday, May 12, 2016, more than 300 English Language Development students from all schools in the Fremont Union High School District participated in the 9th Annual ELD Speech Contest, held at Fremont High School. This annual contest is designed to challenge students to embrace their fear of public speaking, build confidence and develop their communication skills. “The contest allows students to boldly step out of their comfort zone,” Welton
Kwong, the contest creator and a former ELD teacher at Homestead High School, said. Each student is allotted three to five minutes to present on the topic of their choice. The judges, consisting of volunteers from the community including teachers, board members and students, then select the winners of each round. They grade the students’ on originality, language, content and organization, delivery and ability to stay on topic. Students who qualified through the first round go through the next round of speeches, and the ones selected from both the first and second round compete again in the final round, just before the award ceremony. According to many students, the teachers played a
huge role in this event. “[The teachers] listened to and fixed all grammatical errors,” Lucas Xin, a sophomore at Cupertino High School, said. Xin’s speech topic was about how ELD classes are necessary for all international students. He said the teachers’ supportiveness is one of the reasons for choosing his topic. Rick Barlow, a math teacher at Fremont High School, loves this event because it allows him to learn more about his students. “When students give speeches about their countries of origin or their customs, it gives me a chance to look at my students as person outside of classrooms,” said Barlow. Those who take away the most from this event are the participants themselves.
PHOENIX
Fremont High School 1279 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408)-522-2200 | fremonthighphoenix@gmail.com Advisor | Stacey Stebbins Mission Statement:
The Phoenix, protected under the California Education code, is a public forum for the students of Fremont High School. The Phoenix staff will publish features, editorials, news and sports in an unbiased and professional manner. The Phoenix is the official student newspaper and is distributed free of cost to the students. The Phoenix publishes eight issues throughout the school year.
Jhoana Mabutas, a senior at Fremont High School, said the contest gave her a chance to research what interests her. “I chose to talk about how College education is not needed to have a good future because I was really interested in learning about it since I’m a senior. I wanted to explore the different options out there,” said Mabutas.
The contest allows students to boldly step out of their comfort zones. Welton kwong The annual ELD contest gives students a chance to overcome their fear of public speaking and improve their communication skills in English. Kwong wants students to take away one lesson at the minimum from participating in the contest. “I want them to realize that they can achieve anything if they try really hard,” said Kwong.
by Susannah Schulze Staff Writer
As classes are assigned for next year, many small details and conflicts have to be taken into account. Fremont High School is allotted a certain amount of sections, or classes, from the district and administrators have to work within this number and with the teachers we have. One conflict arises from students who request multiple AP classes. Classes with less enrollment run fewer sections, so it could be possible that two classes occur at the same time. “Sometimes students don’t get classes they chose because we had to build the schedule that worked best for all the school,” Jeff Rosado, Assistant Principal, said. If the amount of interest for one class is too much for a single section, but too little to justify making two sections, some students will be given their alternate choices. In this case, seniors are given priority as it is their last chance to take the class, while underclassmen can still be enrolled in upcoming years. With Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics becoming increasingly more popular, there is a rise in interest for science classes. This year students noted their second and third choices of science classes during course selection. According to Mr. Rosado, since science is popular, having students include alternates helps the administrators to assign science classes more efficiently if a student’s first choice class is not available. There has been greater interest in engineering classes as well. This year, there is enough interest for more Java classes than there are teachers and sections available to teach. One new course offering for the 2016-2017 school year will be Digital Innovation and Design. This class is targeted for freshman, especially students who are interested in computers, but may not have a strong foundation in technology. The curriculum will focus on learning how developers think about designing programs rather than introducing heavy amounts of coding. Due to the lack of student interest, PE Total Fitness and AP Music Theory will not run sections next year and Writing for Publication will be combined with the Journalism class.
Sami Jin | The Phoenix
JHOANA MABUTAS presenting her speech.
the
kids already interested in it,” Rosado said. “Currently we have over 45 students who’ve signed up for it. Mostly rising seniors [and] current juniors who struggled with Algebra 2.” Statway next year will be a test run for programs of this nature in the FUHSD. “In the long run, our goal is to see whether classes like this could be an ongoing thing—not only for Fremont, but for other campuses as well,” Riehl said. Only time can tell how successful Statway will be, but on paper, the program holds promise.
Class overflow
English learning speech contest by Sami Jin
your mistakes and building on them with your peers.” This course focuses more on ordinary math. For that reason, the Statway course is not recommended for students going into Science Technology Engineering and Math fields. “The program isn’t designed for that kind of rigorous understanding,” Rosado said. “This is for students that want to go into the humanities, or business, political science. You need college math, but you don’t need that type of rigorous understanding.” Even so, the class has already garnered attention from many students. “We’ve got a lot of
Editor in Chief
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Staff Writers
Managing Editors
Jasmine Salik Sarah Arkoh
Michael Alva Nadia Anees Manavi Chandra Mira Dhingra Caroline He Sami Jin Jessica Lara Momina Nadeem Jenny Nguyen Dana Nissan Susannah Schulze Sam Tumkur Ambika Vaidya Michael Wang Allyson Wilbur
News
Kelly Zhong
Opinion
Julie Wi
Entertainment
Emily Wright
Sports
Essam Rao Maggie Bernauer
Copy Editor
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Online Editor
Hannah Butay
Editorial Policy Editorials are the official opinion of The Phoenix. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Phoenix. All content decisions are made by the student editors and do not reflect the official policy of Fremont High School, nor the opinions of the administration, faculty, or adviser. Advertise with The Phoenix Contact us for more details at fremonthighphoenix@gmail. com or call at (408)-522-2200. Want to be part of The Phoenix? Letters to the editor and questions for Ask Esteban may be submitted online through our website, room 145, Ms. Stebbins’ mailbox, or emailed to us. Identities of those who submit questions will remain anonymous. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to styles and policy.
Special Feature
May 31, 2016
4
The Senior Cl
What they are going to miss about FHS: “FHS is different. It’s a very different like atmosphere here. The atmosphere here at Fremont is like completely different than the other schools in the district, which I think is really cool and which is what I really about this school . . . I really like how chill we are here . . . There are competitive people here at Fremont, but they are much less.”
Daniel Zhang, UC Berkeley
“I would say the people, the students and the teachers. At FHS, I made a lot of friends and I know I’ll find new friends but I’ll miss the people I’ve gotten to know here. I’ll also miss the teachers because they were super helpful and helped me grow as a person.”
in state: 232
Mackenzie Cox, CalPoly SLO
“I’m going to miss Robotics the most: the late night meetings and brainstorm sessions for crazy ideas that I would have never thought of by myself.”
Rishab Kedia, UC Berkeley
Ankeeta Saseetharran, UC San Diego
“My teachers and my friends especially. The teachers here are so supportive, and they encourage us a lot, and I feel like that probably won’t happen as much in college, so I’m going to miss them. And I’m going to miss my friends, because I’ve known them all four years so I’m going to be away from them for the first time.”
Most popular co
-De Anza colleg with 62 atending
“I’m going to miss the close friends I have made and the unforgettable memories that I’ve created.”
Arun Dhingra, UC San Diego
“Probably the people and the teachers, and all the friends I’ve made.”
Students Attending a U
Davis: 7 San Diego: 4
Marissa Rutherig, Mission College
LA: 1
“I’m going to miss spending time with all of my friends that I’ve known for so long and the community here.”
Jennifer Clinton, University of Colorado Boulder
Berkely: 13
Merced: 3 “I’m going to miss how students are always willing to help one another and strengthen those around them.”
Georgia Marquez, Wellesley College Emily Wright, Allyson Wilbur, Mira Dhingra | The Phoenix
Santa Cruz: 1 Santa Barabara: 10
Special Feature
May 31, 2016
5
lass of 2016 out of state:20
JJ ESCALERA, Liz Luotto and Jessica Yu are going on to play sports in college.
out of the country: 2 THESE SENIORS played sports for all four years of their high school career.
olleges:
ge
UC:
-San Jose state with 20 attending BEST OF luck to our journalism seniors!
Joining Airforce, Military or Navy:
Ten students College data courtesy of Lorena Villagomez Drawings courtesy of Mira Dhingra
Photos courtesy of Fremont Athletics, Sue Larson, Maggie Bernauer and Emily Wright | The Phoenix
Opinion North Korea as portayed in the media 6
Photo coutesy of Liberty Voice
by Michael Wang Staff Writer
W
hen you hear the country North Korea, what do you think about? The stupidity of Kim Jong Un? The failed missile attempts? While these images may be accurate, it seems the media only focuses on the absurd aspects of the country rather than the serious ones. This media bias has subconsciously changed our perception of North Korea. All we think about when North Korea is mentioned is its laughable aspects; when you scroll through head-
by Jenny Nguyen Staff Writer
C
ollege has always been a popular topic in the life of the average student. Questions about where you want to go to college, what majors you’re interested in and what you want to do when you grow up come up constantly. Some colleges appear as the answer more often than others. Stanford, Harvard and University of California, Berkeley are popular
lines, you only see, “North Korea expels BBC Journalists” (Deadline) or, “Kim Jong Un says North Korea won’t use nukes first” (USA Today). However, the way the media portrays North Korea is very different from the reality. The people in North Korea are being oppressed due to the harsh, strict treatment from the government. There are still concentration camps and prisons in which inhumane treatment takes place. According to Human Rights Watch, the top six most notorious North Korean political prison camps each contain around 100,000 prisoners. In these camps, prisoners are commonly subjected to starvation, forced labor, executions, torture, rape and forced abortion. These concentration camps are taking a large toll on the population of North Korea. According
to FreeKorea, North Korea holds as many as 120,000 people in its system of concentration and detention camps. In context, the North Korean Government has allowed up to two million of their people to starve and suffer, including children. As seen in the news, North Korea wants to strengthen its army to intimidate the rest of the world. However, the means of doing so comes at a cost of the people. Children and women are also subject to being a part of the military. The media only portrays the laughable actions the government is executing, but doesn’t cover the toll on the citizens of the country. Day to day, citizens are suffering due to poverty, forced combat and inhumane treatment. It seemed weird to me why all the media bias started in the first place. Perhaps it is mostly because North Korea heav-
ily sensors their activity so reporters can’t get a clear picture of what really happens, leading to factually inaccurate articles. Moreover, the lenses through which media write through are inherently biased; this is possibly due to the global hate of a communist and totalitarian government. Many U.S. citizens hate the style of government in North Korea, so reporters write in a way that criticizes or brings out the errors of the government. Eventually, after reading so many biased pieces about North Korea, the mentality of American people towards North Korea has subconsciously changed. So, the next time you read an article with a headline like “North Korean leader praises ‘great success’ of nukes” and laugh, think about what is actually going on in North Korea.
because of their high prestige. According to the 2016 Ivy League Admission statistics, the admission rate of Stanford is 4.69 percent, Harvard is 5.9 percent and University of California, Berkeley is 14.8 percent. The perks of going to one of these big name colleges can bring reputation to your own name. However, these colleges aren’t as glamorous as they seem. Constant competition, intense workloads, the pressure to outperform all the other students there— it’s severe, to say the least. No matter how well you do, it will always seem like the person next to you is doing better. Every college is competitive in some way and of course they are stressful. However, Ivy Leagues intensify that. Only the best
students get accepted after all. The stakes are higher and the stress is greater. That’s not to say that setting high standards for yourself is bad. Aspirations can make a student reach their full potential and push them to be even better than they already are. If you want to go to an Ivy League college, good for you. Setting high standards for yourself isn’t bad until it becomes pathological. Some students become so obsessed with the idea of being praised that they become caught in a compulsive reward-seeking trap. The validation of others becomes more important than their own self-validation. Some students would rather follow someone else’s idea of “the best” college rather than what college is “the best” for them.
As a child, I was taught that A’s on the report card meant everything in the world and because they made my parents happy, they made me happy. I was trained to have the mindset of always having to be better than average, all for my parents. Soon enough, I became obsessed with my parent’s validation. It was as if it was my life support. So many students act like Ivy League schools are the only schools that exist and strive to be accepted into one because of their obsession with validation. But, there are disastrous effects on those who aren’t accepted to the Ivy League university of their dreams. They often start to see themselves as failures and try to prove themselves that they aren’t, to the point where they break down.
May 31, 2016
Variety of APs A
s the school year comes to a close, a commonly discussed topic among students is what classes they will be taking next year. For many students, this brings a new chance to try a wider variety of Advanced Placement and Honors classes, and the question many students ask themselves is, “Which classes by Momina Nadeem look better on a college apStaff Writer plication?” The decisions for which classes students should take can be very overwhelming. A lot of students choose to limit themselves to taking APs and Honors classes in only a few subject areas, whether it be because they already know what they want to major in, or because they aren’t comfortable with pushing themselves in other areas because of the consequences some AP classes have if you fail. Some people may say that colleges like a more wellrounded student who tries a variety of classes, whereas others may say colleges like to see some consistency in the types of advanced courses that students take. In reality, the truth is that it depends on the school and what a student plans on majoring in. According to Fremont Guidance Counselor, Lisa Freitas, if a student is planning on going into the STEM field, then it is important to try a variety of courses, but focus the most on science and math courses. “If you are interested in going into math or sciences or engineering, then the colleges are going to look to see that you’ve taken the most course load in the math or science area,” Freitas said. “However, what they have started to tell us now is that they also look for students that have done well in their English classes because if you’re an engineer then you have to communicate with people.” If a student is not planning to go into the STEM field, then it’s a good idea to try a variety of classes based on what the student enjoys. For students who aren’t sure what they wish to major in, taking AP and honors classes in a range of subjects allows them to get a taste of what college classes are like and can potentially help them decide what they want to major in. There are many benefits to trying a variety of courses, aside from not having to take the course in college if you pass. If you do well in the class, then it can bring an extra boost to your GPA. Additionally, it can show colleges you’re willing to try new things. A lot of students do not take AP classes because the idea of taking them is intimidating and there are consequences if you fail certain AP classes, such as having to go to night school. However, there are many advantages of taking a variety of AP courses in high school. In the long run, it’s helpful to try new things.
My cousin applied to Stanford back in 2014. That was the only school that she wanted to go to at the time and she really believed that she would get in due to her great grade point average and excessive extracurriculars. However, when she didn’t get accepted, she was devastated, almost to the point of depression. She thought that she wasn’t good enough because she wasn’t able to claim a spot in the university of her dreams. Adding to the stress and competition is the ungodly debt of student loans. According to UC Berkeley, the amount of debt of the average UC Berkeley graduate is slightly over $17,000. If you were to take all of the money that every student from UC Berkeley owes, it would stand higher than
the Sather Tower, an eightstory clock tower that was built as a testament to what students could achieve. Let there be light, yes, but not without the shadow of debt. The point is this: don’t go to an Ivy League or a top tier college because of its reputation. Go because you’re interested in a major that’s offered there. In the case that you are interested in a major that is offered at a top tier college, go for it, but don’t expect it to be the fancy lifestyle advertised in those glossy brochures. No matter what, your college decision is up to you. Don’t go to a certain college because your parents or your friends want you to. Don’t go to a college if you feel like it’s not necessary. You do not need to be anybody else’s definition of “good enough.”
Arts & Entertainment First Annual Fremont High Art Show 7
May 31, 2016
by Sam Tumkur Staff Writer
“We want to share the opportunity to share the
artwork with the community,” Kim said. “We want
the whole community to be aware of what we’re doing.”
Student Artwork
The first ever Fremont High School Art Show kicked off Tuesday May 17 at the Art Building. The art show is a new way for students in the art department to show off their artwork to families, friends and peers. “This is the first year we are trying to do this exhibit and we want to do this annually because this year we didn’t have many art pieces to present for the district art show case,” Ji Young Kim, Art 1-4 teacher, said. According to Kim, 35 pieces out of the whole department were featured at the district art case. The exhibit showcased art from the Art 1-4, Ceramics, 3D art and Studio Art, which was spread across the three rooms. There was a fair turnout of interested families and students walking through the art rooms enjoying the variety of art presented, such as cultural masks, self portraits and much more. In the future, Kim plans on making the art exhibit a more advertised
event so more people are aware of the show.
FUHSD art show submisions. Sam Tumkur I The Phoenix
License to Speak by Manavi Chandra and Momina Nadeem
by Nadia Anees Staff Writer
Collaboration
License to Speak is a club at Fremont High School that allows students to express themselves through original creative works such as poetry and songwriting. The club offers lunchtime Open Mic sessions in room B-7. Members of the club can participate in poetry slam competitions. There are also monthly Flex writing workshops hosted by national poetry slam champion, Mighty Mike McGee. According to club advisor, Ruben Zamora, the club first started in 2001. “A small group of students were doing poetry on their own,” Zamora said. “I asked them if they wanted to do something outside of school and read their poetry publically so we decided to form a club.” The club is starting late in the year along with upcoming summer sessions to prepare for the next year. According to Zamora, after the club’s start there were many who became members of Fremont’s slam teams. Participants went to nationals and slam teams were featured in local newspapers. However, the number of people in the club has been
Last Opportunities In need of service hours or trying to keep busy this summer? The following programs and activities are potential ways you can earn several community service hours as well as get involved this summer.
Photo courtesy of the Bellingham Herald
fluctuating over the course of the past fifteen years, due to the fact that poetry is not as popular as it once was. Therefore, one potential goal of the club is to promote creativity and invite more students to share their thoughts and feelings
A poetry slam is a vehicle to get poetry out there and share what they write. Ruben ZAmora
The club has the potential to increase activity in the club by providing many opportunities for students, both inside and outside of school. The Lunchtime Open Mic sessions is one of these opportunities where students can come out and share their creations with others. The previous Open Mic hosted roughly a dozen students with many different examples of creative work. “A poetry slam is a vehicle to get poetry out there
and share what they write,” Zamora said. “We have students all throughout this campus [who write poetry], and then they get public recognition.” There are a few FHS students who participate in national Poetry Slam competitions every year, according to Zamora. One type of a poetry slam is a peer poetry slam, in which audience members are selected at random from the audience to judge. Each judge assesses the competents based on a scale from zero to ten, with a maximum of 30 points total. If there is a large number of participants the slam is split into rounds. Along with the poetry slam competitions and Open Mics, each monthly Flex writing workshop covers a different aspect of poetry. Students are encouraged to practice writing and present their creations with the class.
Photo courtesy of ManyCoups
HandsOn Tomorrow: The HandsOn Tomorrow Program is a two week summer program in which students in the Bay Area come together to volunteer on different service projects and practice their leadership skills. There are two sessions available to attend, one in San Francisco that takes place on the weekdays of July and July 18 and another in Palo Alto taking place on the weekdays of July 25 and August 1.
FHS Allies: This is a program at Fremont designed for incoming freshmen that helps advance their literature and math skills and gets them used to their new campus before school begins. The program will be taking place from June 15 to July 10. However, you can volunteer for a two week session instead of volunteering all four weeks.
Children’s discovery museum: A Summer of Service (SOS) program is being held at the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose that is accepting workers who have completed their junior year of high school. The position available is assistant team leader. As an assistant team leader, you will accompany the SOS Team Leader and help them by watching over children, traveling with groups, participating in games and helping visitors or visitor groups complete projects. The time frame of the job is from June 6 to August 12 with roughly 35 hours per week.
Cupertino Library Volunteering: Enjoy spending time in the Library or are you interested in assisting the librarian? The Cupertino Library offers a volunteering opportunity for teens ages 14 to 17 who can volunteer at the library two hours per week for up to four months. Before volunteering, you must fill out an application and attend an orientation.
STK (Stretch To Kindergarten): Stretch to Kindergarten is an internship for high school students looking to guide and lead children and prepare them for kindergarten. This program will be favorable to those who enjoy working and spending time with young children. The program takes place at Lakewood Elementary School in Sunnyvale. Session 1 takes place from June 14 to July 1 and session 2 takes place on July 5 to July 22. Both are Mondays through Fridays.
Photos courtesy of ClipArtix, the Tomatos, and Yo Priceville
Sports Zika Brazil outbreak
May 31, 2016
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Olympic Alumni class of ‘07
Nicole Stibbard Copy Editor
The 2016 Summer Olympics is going to be hosted in Rio, Brazil, although there is much controversy surrounding the location of the event due to the recent outbreak of the Zika virus. This virus can be spread through insect or animal bites, insect stings or can be sexually transmitted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), the Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda. The first human reports of the virus were found in 1952. Ever since then, outbreaks have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In May of 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed the Zika virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It is assumed that the virus will continue to spread to new areas. Despite the different ways the virus can be contracted, the most common way is through a mosquito bite. Often times the virus goes undetected, however, the most common symptoms, if any are felt at all, are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The only people truly at risk once they have caught the virus is women who are pregnant, or women who plan to eventually get pregnant, also infants. A woman
Maggie Bernauer Sports Editor Photo courtesy of Rio Olympics 2016
who has been infected with the virus can pass the disease to her unborn fetus, as a result the fetus can get a malformity in their brain known as microcephaly. Microcephaly is when the baby’s growth is compromised and they are born with their heads much smaller than that of a normal baby. Just like many other diseases, this condition can range from moderate to severe. In terms of the Olympics, critics are worried of what kind of viral outbreak will result from athletes and visitors attending the event. Central News Network (CNN) approximated 16,000 olympians and 600,000 visitors will be attending to the Rio Olympics. The biggest threat people face is that 80 percent of cases have no symptoms, so people could leave Rio with the virus without a clue. Many of those traveling to Rio will be returning the United States, where currently the mosquito population is hitting its summit, which poses another risk. According to CNN, Brazil has began fumigating Rio for mosquitoes; the majority of the events will be held in the heart of the fumigation. One difficulty faced in eliminating the mosquitoes has been the hardy Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Those who carry the virus can
reproduce within small amounts of water. Whether or not the Olympics should be postponed or moved has been a hot debate, with various different arguments. Art Caplan, New York University bioethicist, said, “The country shouldn’t be trying to run an Olympics and battle an epidemic at the same time.” Although others disagree with Caplan. Dr. Mary Wilson, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, “The fact that the games are held in one city, and during the colder months, means officials should be able to reduce the risk of Zika to an acceptable level.” Dr. Daniel Lucey, Georgetown’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, said, “The world has an opportunity to respond better, stronger, faster to this epidemic.” Eskild Petersen, editorin-chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, said, “Controlling Zika at present is a problem of mosquito control and once the authorities get that working, the risk will be reduced.” These thoughts from experts and professionals have managed to console certain individuals. The U.S. Olympic
committee is rumored to have told athletes who are concerned with their health may skip the games if they wish. According to Sports Illustrated, Hope Solo, goalkeeper of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, stated, “If I had to make the choice today, I wouldn’t go to the Olympics.” Also, other sporting events such as the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Latin American Tour are postponing upcoming dates, according to Golf Magazine. Despite what experts are saying, athletes are clearly still concerned, and Dr. Kamran Khan is too. According to CNN, Dr. Kamran Khan, infectious disease physician and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto believes the number of visitors attending the Olympics may become infected with Zika and introduce the virus back within their home countries. Despite the fact it is Winter in Southern America, it will be summer back in the U.S. for the returning visitors. In spite of all the differing opinions, it is agreed among a large majority that athletes and visitors must do all they can to reduce their risk of contracting the virus.
Boris Novachkov, class of 2007, is representing Fremont and Bulgaria in the 2016 Summer Olympics. As a Fremont wrestler, he was a two time Central Coast Section and state champion. After his career at Fremont, he received a full scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He wrestled there for five years, one as a redshirt, meaning he was on the team but could not compete. “I think he is their [Cal Poly’s] most accomplished wrestler ever in history right now,” Erik Duus, Fremont Wrestling Coach, said. At Cal Poly he was a three time All American Champion as well as a runner up for the National Championship. As of now, Novachkov is living with Duus and training at Stanford. According to Duus, he is a “coach that is training.” Novachkov travels with the Bulgarian National Team. Usually training takes place in Bulgaria, but for the Olympics it is in Cuba. “He was the smallest guy on the team and he was always trying to prank somebody,” Duus said. “He enjoyed wrestling. He had a great time in the room. All the guys that are really successful, wrestling is where they are in their element and he definitely was in his element.”
Photo courtesy of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
What it takes for Angeles to cross the finish line Sam Tumkur Staff Writer
Senior Jaydino Angeles has a wide range of talent in both track and dancing. He is a member of the Fremont High School Track and Field team and the Hip Hop Club. Encouraged by his friends, Angeles joined track because of this skill and speed. He did track throughout middle school and joined the Fremont track team his sophomore year. Saturday May 21, Angeles competed in CCS and (standing). Angeles receives constant support from his friends, fellow athletes and his coach, Mark Shields. Through Shields, Angeles has learned various techniques that he can use to perfect his events. Although he is the captain of the hurdling team, Angeles says he needs to improve on his hurdle form so he can become even
faster in his events. He even joined cross country so that he could gain endurance for the 300 meter hurdles. Ever since he had heard about track, Angeles was fascinated by the hurdling events. “I make sure I stretch my legs so I could run faster,” Angeles said. “It’s really bad to run if your muscles are tight, because that’s just going to slow you down, so I stretch really good before a race.” When he is at the running block, Angeles’ main goal is to clear each hurdle and finish the race. “My mindset is getting over the hurdles and not hitting it and trying to finish my event without hitting the hurdles.” Throughout his time on the track team, Angeles is proud of his own achievements and the achievements of his fellow teammates.
“Our team is really big this year and everyone did really good, and I’m proud of them because they’ve been winning a lot.” Along with hurdles, dancing plays a key role in Angeles life. Angeles has been dancing ever since fourth grade and was inspired by the dance sessions his older brother took him to when he was younger. “I really liked what they were doing with the music and their bodies. The movement that people have with the music it’s like they’re speaking the music through their body to send a message to the people.” As much as he enjoys dancing, Angeles does not plan on pursuing dancing because he feels that track will take him farther in life than dancing. To Angeles, track is something he wants to take to a professional level. Angeles is going to be on the track team at De Anza college for two years
JAYDINO ANGELES passes the baton to John Angeles in the 4x4 relay
and then transfer to a different college. Along with track at college, Angeles’ hope is to be apart of the 2020 Olympics. By pursuing track,
Angeles would also be helping his family by earning a scholarship. “I feel like I can take track to a whole different level after high school at
Photo courtesy of Ganesh Balgi
college and advance to a professional level. If I’m good enough my family won’t have to pay for college.”