The Union - Milpitas High School - September 2014

E D I TO R I A L 2

O PI N I O N S 3

AD 4

L I FE S T Y LE 5

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 6

SPORTS 7

T HE

SEPTEMBER 2014 Volume XXVII Issue I

UN I O N

MHSTHEUNION.COM For the latest updates

STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL

MHS gains new staff members

BY MICHELLE HUANG

Several new teachers and administrators were hired at MHS this school year in comparison to the number hired in previous years, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton.

Part of the reason behind the new hires is the improving economy, Lawton speculates. For a long time people did not want to leave their jobs because they could lose their job security, but many are feeling a little bit safer now, according to Lawton.

“I think when you get new people in, you get some new ideas. And especially with the administration you can look at what has worked in the past and what you may want to change,” Assistant Principal Amanda Gross said.

Administrative hires include two Assistant Principals, Ethan Stocks and Amanda Gross. Attendance Secretary Daisy Loo was also a new hire, according to Secretary Jackie Roy. The additions to the Science Department are Kathleen Downum and Chris O’Connor. The new Social Studies teachers are David Carter and Bridget Walsh. The Math department welcomed Michael Cincotta, Olga Eidelman, Unyoung Lamborn, and Alexandra Nguyen. Lisa Brizuela also returned and is teaching two more Biology classes, Gross said.

The new administration has been focusing on enforcing the school dress code and maintaining a closed campus, according to Gross.

“Right now I have not had a large opportunity to look at the different programs that we have,” Gross said.

“But I am very interested in just learning about the community.”

The changes in staff are also caused by a shift in the direction of education, according to new Social Studies Teacher, David Carter. The district has been trying to update the educational system and make it more relevant to present society, Carter said.

“Trying to teach people to use the tools of the future and to think and apply these tools in creative ways is something that Milpitas is touching upon,” Carter said. “And that’s frightening for a lot of people in education.

It’s also attracting to those who see what Milpitas is doing as ahead of the curve.”

Carter was drawn to Milpitas because of the cordial relationship between the parents, teacher’s union, and the district. He also spent time last year working with MHS staff and promoting technology, Carter said.

New Science teacher Kathleen Downum also had previous experience with MHS. While getting her teaching credentials three years ago, she was a student teacher in Charles Schletzbaum’s class, Downum said.

“I knew my department and my coworkers, and so I knew going in that I would get along with these people,” Downum said.

The sudden need for more teachers is due to the growing student population, according to Downum.

The freshman class size is 889 students, according to Registrar Mary Nickel. This is higher than the other class sizes. For example, the sophomore class has only 762 students.

“On the whole, I think we’re running pretty smooth,” Gross said. “I really do believe we are a good administrative team and we are all working really well together.”

amy nguyen| THE UNION

Dragon Boat actively encourages students to join the club alongside other clubs and organizations that gathered on the green. Many club officers dressed up and brought accessories to capture the attention of the students.

CLOGs recruit, publicize for members

BY AMY NGUYEN

Students, from freshmen to seniors, gathered for the Clubs and Organizations (CLOG) Rush on the green at lunchtime from Sept. 4 to Sept. 6. CLOG Rush is a three day event where CLOG officers try to recruit other students.

There were 62 CLOGs chartered this year which is constant with how many were charted the previous years, according to CLOG Commissioner Kyle Nguyen.

“The CLOGs were allowed to sign up for the day they wanted at CLOG Council,” Nguyen said. “There were

N EWS IN BR IEF

Winter Parent Athlete meeting All student athletes interested in participating in a winter sport who did not attend the fall Parent Athlete Meeting must attend this mandatory meeting, along with their parent or guardian. Winter sports are basketball, soccer, and wrestling.

Stories not placed in the paper can be found on mhstheunion.com Find more information and articles on the website. There are opinions, brief news and feature stories.

Upcoming college visits University of California at Santa Barbara will be visiting on Sept. 26, The University of Pacific on Oct. 1, Pacific University (Oregon) on Oct. 13, and Santa Clara Univeristy on Oct. 20.

Sign up in the Counseling Office to attend the visits.

recruit members, she continued.

Among the most spirited CLOGs were Interact and Dragon Boat, K. Nguyen said. Interact had the most signups with well over 650, he added.

There are no major changes to the CLOG system this year, Butcher said.

Congress and Unity, however, continue to help lower the required monthly meetings.

“As a school we have been encouraging and pushing for groups to work together rather than against each other,” Butcher said. “A couple have taken that to heart but we would like to see more combined effort for service on this campus.”

Equality Prom pushes for change

Homecoming Week from Oct. 6 to Oct. 11 Monday, Oct. 6 is Class Color Day. Tuesday is Preps v. Socks Day, Wednesday is Breast Cancer Awareness Day, Thursday is Generation Day, and Friday is Blue and Gold Day. The Homecoming Rally, Parade and the football game, JV at 5:00 p.m. and Varsity at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Homecoming Dance is on Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Testing dates to remember The first SAT of the 2014-2015 school year is scheduled for 8 a.m. on October 11. The PSAT will take place on Oct. 18 at MHS. Eligible juniors who score high enough may compete for National Merit scholarships. The ACT will be on Oct. 25 at 8 a.m.

about 30 CLOGs out [on the green] each day.”

CLOGs use fliers, posters, and other tactics to bring in members and signups. All fliers have to be cleared by the activity office, according to Activities Director Joanna Butcher.

“There were a couple groups that decided to go rogue and not follow the fair and equitable guidelines,” Butcher said. “There was one inappropriate poster that was confiscated by administration.”

The energy of students representing their clubs is exciting, according to Senior Julie Nguyen. Most of the people go to CLOG Rush and try to

BY RISHIKA DUGYALA

neal bansal | THE UNION

A construction worker cuts tiles into the floor of the new Learning Commons. The Learning Commons will replace the school library in Nov. or Oct.

Campus renovations to continue

BY NEAL BANSAL

Over the summer, MHS went through multiple renovations including the installation of new carpeting, air conditioning and heating (HVAC), classrooms, and a swimming pool, Associate Principal Hillary Brittan said.

The new Learning Commons, formerly the library, as well as the locker rooms will be renovated next summer.

The money required to fund the construction is supplied through the bond money given by Measure E. “Living in the Silicon Valley, I am grateful that we are receiving the funding required to reflect that,” Brittan said.

The G, E, F, L, and J buildings received new HVAC systems and car-

peting, Brittan said. The G, E, and F buildings received new classrooms, updated from rooms already used as meeting or break rooms. The Learning Commons, a work in progress, will connect to the Cafeteria and will contain updated rooms and technology for student use, Brittan continued.

“There is a project manager on site all the time to put in perspective how large of a scale the work is,” Brittan said.

The Learning Commons is scheduled to open early Nov. or late Oct. There will be presentation rooms with chrome boxes and flat screen televisions that students can rent for projects, Brittan said. There will be bookshelves, couches and desks, and desks and chairs that can be moved around, acting as flexible space.

Five students began a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) movement called Equality Prom to foster change in community, attitude and education at MHS, Senior Simeon Alojipan, one of the organizers, said.

The movement had its first meeting on Aug 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Milpitas Public Library, according to Alojipan. Equality Prom has many objectives,such as electing a same-sex couple as prom royalty.

But its main goal is to push for acceptance on campus, Alojipan said.

“We want to change the ballot from vote for King and Queen to vote for Category One and Category Two,” Alojipan said. “It would be a statement to have a couple of the same gender not only elected, but nominated by the student body itself.”

The other founders, seniors Jonathan To, Brianna Atayan, Sharon Nguyen and Chau Nguyen, also discussed their plans. They hope to create an Anti-Bullying week, have guest speakers, get involved with various pride festivals, and reach out to middle schools with their message.

“We do plan to petition for more sexuality classes so the students can be more socially informed and accepting,” S. Nguyen said. “Also, other schools have a clinic that offers protection and pamphlets on sexual education to reach out to students. We want that.”

Social Studies Teacher Lauren Byler offered her room as an on campus meeting place. The five seniors did not seem to have much direction

at first, so she offered them ideas on what Equality Prom could try to achieve, Byler said.

“I think they have a lot of ideas but change takes time,” Byler said. “If they have a group of kids following them, eventually we’ll get there. But if this dies after this year, I don’t know if we’ll meet all of our goals.”

The prom aspect specifically is so students do not feel the stigma that they have to be a part of a heterosexual couple to be elected, Byler said. It si trying to encourage people to move away from bullying people and using derogatory terms such as “fag” or “no homo.”

Members of Equality Prom make their opinions heard through surveys.

“We want to be as democratic as possible because we function as a voice of the students,” Alojipan said. “We don’t want to force our goals down their throats.”

Equality Prom’s videos and posters caught the attention of ASB, Alojipan said. It is now a subcommittee of Unity, a congregation of clubs and organizations that discuss issues and create solutions for them. Being part of Unity helps the movement spread awareness, gain popularity and establish connections, Alojipan continued.

“I’m involved with Equality Prom so I can feel in touch with my culture in general,” Sophomore Jacob Manansala, a member of the movement, said.

The movement is focused and heading in a good direction, To said.

“There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance,” To stressed.

“And we are aiming for acceptance on this campus.”

2

EDITORIAL

THE UNION

EDITOR I A L : The Opinion of The Union

Delays in campus renovations inconveniencing many students, should be prevented in the future We, The Union, welcome the renovations occurring around MHS. However, we believe that these changes should not be occurring during the school year.

We are not against the fact that our school is finally getting new facilities. However, the timing of these changes is far from ideal.

The new swimming pool is beneficial to a multitude of parties as the previous one being inefficient and hazardous as it was deemed to not be in accordance with league regulations for the swim team.

The swimming pool is probably the only ongoing construction work that has not somehow inconvenienced the students.

Especially important facilities on campus are the restrooms. There are not enough restrooms in the most populated areas on campus to begin with.

Fencing off the girls bathroom located by the satellite kitchen across from the E-building makes the situation worse.

Even blocking off just one bathroom strongly affects the students at the school. For one, it is troublesome to have to walk to a different part of campus in search of a restroom, especially when the one located directly next to a frequented kitchen and water fountains is not accessible. Also, it causes a line to build outside the bathrooms that are open, lines long enough to cut into the allotted lunch time students have and also cause accidents if a student’s situation is urgent.

Inaccessibility is not the only problem caused by the closure of the girl’s bathrooms. The fences that have been erected serve as a blockade to students walking from the L-Building towards the Green.

Seeing students trip over the blockades is not at all uncommon. The narrow pathway also causes a jam near the L-building stairs, with students having to push and shove in order to maneuver their way to their next classes.

Another hindrance created by the delayed construction is the closure of the library. Home to a plethora of books, the old library served as a meeting place for students, where they would be able to check out an interesting book to read. Now, students

are unable to check out their favorite books, or even run a quick print in the library.

The closure of the library would not be a problem if our campus had a serviceable replacement for the library, but the school’s only solution has been to move certain books online, and to make other books available in a book-mobile (manned by the ever-working and appreciated Ms. McCready). Obviously, this doesn’t cover all of the books that were once available in the library.

The closure of the library has also affected students taking the Online Connect course. In previous years, the Online Connect course was held in the library, as there were enough computers for every student to be able to work on their assignments. This year, on the first day of school, Online Connect students did not have anywhere to go, and were instructed to sign in at the office and go sit anywhere on campus.

The boys and girls PE lockers are also tabbed for renovation beginning second semester. As PE classes will still be in session, temporary lockers will be erected above the old swimming pool in order to ensure that students will have a facility to change clothes in.

There are a few problems that will undoubtedly arise when this construction begins. First and foremost, the lockers will most likely only be available to students for one period. After the end of their PE period, students will be expected to empty out and remove the locks on their lockers. The reasoning behind this is that there are simply not enough lockers for each and every student. Although a completely valid and understandable reason, at the end of the day students will still be inconvenienced. Having to store sweaty, smelly uniforms in backpacks and then having to lug these uniforms home is an unnecessary burden being placed on students.

Upgrades are long overdue for our campus.

Whether the construction company or the school district is responsible for the construction being delayed, the fact of the matter is that students are still being inconvenienced. MHS should provide a comfortable environment for learning. Not one filled with disruptions.

SEPTEMBER 2014

U NION THE

S T U D E N T V O I C E O F M I L P I TA S H I G H

The Union is published by the Journalism class of Milpitas High School.

The views in The Union are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the school, students, administration, or Milpitas Unified School District.

S TA F F Rishika Dugyala Editor-in-Chief

Akshat Das ƀɠNews Editor Divyesh Chotai ƀɠAsst. News Editor Neal Bansal ƀɠOp-Ed Editor Simeon Alojipan ƀɠAsst. Op-Ed Editor

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H AV E YOU R OPIN ION PU BL ISH E D Have a gripe with the school?

Want to praise the school?

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L E T T E R S TO T H E E DI TOR Congested classes problematic What do you mean this class is full?

This is the question that many people have been asking their counselors when they wish to switch into a certain class. The class sizes at MHS have been increasing ever so much over the past years and now teachers are dealing with class sizes that range close to 35 students or so with limited supplies and spaces to keep the students without causing classroom disruptions. There are even people sitting at lab tables as their main desk in my AP chemistry class where they have to sit on uncomfortable lab stools because all the regular seats are full.

As far as I know, a basic tenet of education should be providing an environment for students to learn both safely AND COMFORTABLY. But besides the overcrowding problem creating spacious issues, the atmosphere of classrooms change from a one on one learning style to a case where multiple conversations are bound to begin between people

and the instruction from our teachers may not be picked up on completely and the focus of the class is now being interrupted.

I like the idea of offering a zero period as a way for students to take the class to reduce the amount in the actual periods and hope that a zero period opens up for many other classes as well so that students can be granted the flexibility to find a class schedule that works best for the various learning styles of the students.

Students should be given whatever resources they may require so that their mind can be focused on what we come to school for: LEARNING. As of now, most kids in my class are probably thinking about how to fit their stuff onto their stools and lab tables without knocking over expensive chemicals (for which there is already a shortage).

The school should continue doing what they are to address this issue, so school becomes enjoyable.

Neel Srejan

Class of 2015

Principal addresses dress code It has come to the attention of MHS Administration that some students have been posting inaccurate information about the MHS dress code.

The dress code has not changed from what it has been for the past several years.

Below is a summary: Shoes must be worn at all times for safety reasons.

Clothing or buttons that depict violence and/or which show obscene words or pictures, sexually suggestive statements, or deal with drugs or alcohol are inappropriate clothing at Milpitas High School.

Students may not wear clothing or carry items (backpacks, notebooks, etc) that are associated with gang behavior or considered by Milpitas High School Administration to be gang-related (due to color, writing style, words, numbers, shoe, bandana, do-rag, etc.)

Students who wear clothing that

bare cleavage, bodice, bare bellies, backs, or underwear disrupt the educational process. The student dress code prohibits dress that is disruptive to the educational process.

We encourage anyone with questions to read pp. 13-14 in the 2014-15 Student/Parent Handbook or speak with an Administrator.

Thanks, everyone, for your cooperation!

Ms. Cheryl Lawton Principal

Bathroom closures troublesome There is a huge problem regarding the girl’s bathroom situation at MHS. Since the first day of school, the large, women’s restroom located in the middle of campus has been under construction. This bathroom happens to be the most convenient one to use no matter what part of campus a student is on. Its easy accessibility is due to its central location and its huge size.

Given its value to the female pop-

ulation at MHS, the construction of the bathroom has brought many inconveniences. There are only a handful of other small bathrooms located only on the extreme ends of campus, which hinders girls from using the restroom during brunch and lunch.

As brunch is ten minutes long, it is impossible to leave class, go to ones locker, eat, and use a restroom that takes ten minutes to walk to. These restrooms are now incredibly clogged and standing in line takes up a large amount of time, which causes students to leave valuable class time to use the restroom.

It is disappointing that better planning was not used when approaching such a vast project such as the remodeling of a central restroom. In this case, there were two and a half valuable summer months that could have been used to complete this project. I hope that the students at MHS will not have to spend an entire school year with such an inconvenience.

Manasi Aranake Class of 2015

SEPTEMBER 2014

PRO

Awareness created by Ice Bucket challenge beneficial for research Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis sible without the Ice Bucket Chal(ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s lenge. What started out as a small idea Disease, is a progressive neurodegen- soon turned into a social frenzy that erative disease that affects nerve cells reached out to millions of people and in the brain and the spinal cord. The raised money for a good cause. degeneration of the motor neurons Some argue that the challenge posleads to an inability to inies a problem in terms of tiate and control muscle water conservation, espemovement and can even cially while California is lead to paralysis, accordexperiencing a drought. ing the ALS Association’s The water used for a website. challenge is nothing comIf you already knew pared to the water that we that, you probably found use everyday. A toilet flush out through the ALS Ice uses about 1.5 gallons of Bucket Challenge that has water; showers use about recently been circulat2 gallons per minute; ing social media. People laundry uses about 15-20 AMY who are nominated pour gallons per load, accordNGUYEN a bucket of ice water over ing to the Regional Water their heads to get out of doProviders Consortium nating money to the Association. Al- website. though some participate in the chalOne ALS Ice Bucket Challenge uses lenge without knowing much about 3 gallons on average. It is estimated the cause or believing in it, their that overall the challenge has used videos are still on the Internet and up over 12 million gallons of water, are still spreading awareness about and when compared to the 9 billion the foundation. Other people see the gallons of water used on nationwide videos, grow curious, and learn about irrigation everyday, the amount is the disease. It is hard to miss since the minimal.

Ice Bucket Challenge is now spreadIf you’re still worried about the waing like a wild fire all over the Inter- ter situation, find a creative way to go net. Some do it for the cause; some do about doing the challenge. Stand on it for the social media acclamation. top of your unwatered plants or do Either way, word is getting out and the challenge in your pool or a lake. more people are aware of the disease. So what’s the big deal with the Ice As of Sept. 12, the ALS Association Bucket Challenge? People have found has received $112.4 million in just a fun and easy way to spread awareIce Bucket Challenge donations, ac- ness about the ALS Association, and it cording to its website. This is a 3,500 has not created any major problems. percent increase from the same time It has raised millions of dollars and period last year, Forbes magazine most of the world now knows about said. This would not have been pos- the disease.

CON

Ice Bucket Challenge turning into a frivolous trend, waste of water It is problematic how many people wasting both ice and water for. I worare participating in the Amyotrophic ry that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket has gone from a creative tactic to Challenge without knowing what the spread awareness to a “hot trend.” association is about. ALS, commonly Now consider this: we live in a referred to as Lou-Gehrig’s Disease, world where people struggle for clean is a neurodegenerative disease that drinking water. A world currently exnegatively affects the brain’s ability periencing a drought, especially here to initiate and control muscle move- in California. The challenge is facing ment and could potentially lead to justified backlash from those conpatient paralysis. cerned with how buckets of water are Participating in the challenge being disregarded. should not be about hashtag activMore than 81 percent of California ism. Know what you are dumping suffers from extreme drought condiwater on yourself for and really tions and approximately 33 million consider whether this is gallons of ice water have a cause that means somebeen wasted on this chalthing to you, enough to lenge in California alone, be one of its public faces. the National Report’s Many people have been website states. While it posting videos of themis true that the water lost selves doing the challenge from household faucets because they think it’s and sprinklers is a great funny and they are trying deal more, we should not to get out of donating. disregard the fact that the Posting a video of yourchallenge still is causing self doing the ALS Ice water to be wasted. Every RISHIKA Bucket Challenge is saydrop counts.

DUGYALA ing to the world that you If you truly believe in the believe in the ALS AsALS association and want sociation, that you want people to to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge donate and spend time looking into to spread awareness, go ahead. But the foundation’s cause. So why post find a creative and eco-friendly way a video if you do not know about the to do it. Plug the drain and reuse the disease or if you post it to get out of water for a shower. Use the cold salt donating to a charity the challenge water from the ocean. Have a friend advocates for? blast you with a garden hose (preferNote that this argument is not ably while you’re in the garden so the directed towards those who do not plants get watered). Or just use a cup have the money to donate and partic- instead of a bucket. ipated in the challenge to contribute I did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge whatever way they could. and I donated. But I spent an entire For the people who both post vid- day researching the Association. eos and donate because they be- I did the challenge in my bathtub, lieve that the ALS Association has plugged the drain, and reused the a worthwhile cause, there are many water. Most importantly, I didn’t do more who fail to even mention in it to participate in a trend. their posts which charity they are

OPINIONS

THE UNION

3

AP Contracts flawed; not beneficial for students Advanced Placement (AP) contracts, we all know them, and I have yet to meet people who actually care for them until they get stuck in a class they decided was not what they expected, only to figure out that it could not be dropped due to some contract they supposedly signed about six months prior.

To drop classes, they have to purposefully fail in the first three weeks, but what class actually has enough coursework for you to get a D or F in order to get out? Most teachers will take pity on their students and give them C’s in that time period under the assumption that they are helping said students out, but they are actually making it even harder for the student to drop.

The student probably will proceed to undermine his grade, making it seem like either he is not a good student when applying to college, or make the school think the teacher is bad. So why do we have AP contracts?

Do not get me wrong. I am not saying that AP contracts are the scourge of the earth and are useless, because they do provide something useful for the school: an insurance policy.

If everyone suddenly wants to drop give our word, which most everyone one class, then the district is paying did, have enjoyed classes with few a teacher that is not teaching a class, broken rules, while almost every class but only eight students. Obviously, that gave us a contract of some sorts the district cannot afford had every rule broken. this, so there exists the AP How does this even recontract which basically motely solve the issues of tells you that you are stuck the AP contract that you in a class unless you want may be asking? Well, it apto fail out of it, which most pears that peoples’ words people taking an AP class mean more to them than do not want to do. arbitrary rules that they Obviously, we can look have no other choice than outside our campus to see to sign off on. Have peowhat other schools are dople promise they will not ing and copy them, but why drop a class unless absoNEAL do that when we can look lutely necessary and you BANSAL at our own campus to see will solve the problem of what other teachers are dopeople being stuck in a ing successfully? In my past class that is not the propthree years of high school, I’ve gotten er fit for them while at the same time so many syllabi saying that I would insuring that a class is not dropped by follow class rules, which, for many, everyone. are evidently empty promises.

This gives the school an insurance This year, I received a total of three plan and students some freedom in syllabi, two of which did not require their schedule. I mean, if everyone is me to bring back my parents’ signa- trying to drop the class, there has to tures saying that I would follow rules. be an issue other than “it’s too hard.”

Rather, I simply had to give my word Essentially, the school should modthat I would not break any rules. The ify the regulations so that AP conteachers that gave us the freedom to tracts regain some of their value.

Registration poorly handled, wastes time With one month remaining of sum- my scheduled registration time, I natmer, you can start looking forward to urally expected the whole process to cramming last minute hangouts with take less time than it normally does. your friends, watching any new mov- Common sense would seem to dictate ies you may have missed out on, and... that when you have less forms to turn in, you should be spending less time coming to school to register?

Registration has become a chore in the registration lines.

After mindlessly scrollthat you have to do each year. Granted, there is no ing through my Facebook Newsfeed, I looked up to option when it comes to see how close I was to the registering, unless you plan on being home-schooled. end of the line. Imagine my surprise at finding out Still, there is no denying the belief that registration that in the half hour I had can be rather tiresome, as it spent finding out what my friends had been up to, the is never fun to stand in line in the sweltering summer line had barely moved.

It barely took me five sun for extended periods of minutes to find out what time.

AKSHAT Personally, I’ve never had been holding up the DAS line. People were jumpbeen a fan of having to pull ing in line wherever they myself out of bed at noon in order to get dressed so I saw their “best friends.” It can go put on my best fake smile to was really amusing to see people dishave my picture taken. Having to sort cussing their summer vacation with through all the papers in the manila their new BFFs. Even though the sefolders is not enjoyable at all. Luckily, curity guards were positioned at the this year several of the papers nor- front of the line, presumably to stop mally included in the packet were not people from cutting, the middle of the printed in time to be included in the line kept getting bigger and bigger. Alpackets. I’m all about less paperwork. though the security guards did a great When I got to the school gym during job of keeping the kids who had fin-

ished registering away from the kids who were still in line, nothing was done regarding the people jumping in wherever they felt like it.

When I got to the front of the line, my frustration started waning, as I expected the process inside to be a lot more organized. It was anything but.

Registration tables were arranged all over the place, and there was no one directing me to where I should begin.

With students clustered all over the place, there was no real way to figure out where I should go.

The ID card printers were placed right next to the photographers, which created a number of other issues. Students standing in line waiting to get their photos taken were obstructing the path of students who had already gotten their photos and were waiting to pick up IDs. I understand that logistically, there was no flexibility for registration to be held anywhere but the gym, as the cafeteria simply had to be closed and there is no building big enough to hold so many students. Still, the situation within the gym could have been organized slightly better to create a more efficient and enjoyable environment for everyone involved.

New locker system efficient, allows more autonomy I’m sure we are all familiar with the infamous bottom locker. Nothing is worse than having to struggle with one’s combination while fending off knee strikes to the head; this statement is especially true for those with a tall stature. Just as bad are the top lockers that require a complementary step stool to be accessible.

This year, however, a new policy allowed students to choose their own lockers, removing the need for extra safety precautions. Not only can we decide the appropriate height, but also the location that is most fitting.

This comes in handy for those who are either too tall for bottom lockers or unable to reach the ones on top.

Being able to choose where we store our textbooks is another improvement. For those with the majority of their classes in the H-Building, an E-Building locker does not make much sense. A location at the front of the school would be much preferred.

Not only is it more convenient, but having to rush across campus between classes can take up a lot of time and result in tardies.

Another bonus is being able to choose lockers next to friends or classmates This way we won’t be stranded on one side of campus while

our peers are on the other. It’s also The office also had to deal with nice having someone to walk with complaints that could have easily during locker trips. been avoided with the new system.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of Those who reported others for stealthe new rule is its efficiency; previ- ing their lockers had to wait several ously many students were assigned days so that administration could islockers regardless of whether or not sue a warning to the thief and allow they needed one in the first place. him or her to remove all belongings.

This meant that several of In addition, many stuthe lockers were left undents had learned how to used, including the much “outsmart” the system, coveted middle lockers that creating disorder and could have gone to those making it harder for staff who needed them. to impose the established The previous policy was restrictions. Whenevalso fixed in that people er administration ancould not change lockers nounced a lock-cutting regardless of availabiliritual, everyone would rety. This rule was enforced turn to their assigned area (albeit unsuccessfully) for the time being. Once MICHELLE through routine lock-cutthe process was over, howHUANG ting patrols made by adever, people would simply ministration with their go back to the locker that hedge clippers. they had claimed earlier.

Many locker problems also The loopholes in the system made it emerged through the years. Often nearly impossible to enforce. times on the first day of school, peoWith the new changes, we no longer ple would claim lockers at random have to worry about height difficuldespite them being assigned to oth- ties. The students also have a lot more er students. As a result, many were freedom in choosing lockers that are forced to either go locker-less or steal better suited to their needs. Props to someone else’s, thus creating a repet- the new administration for starting itive cycle. the school year on a high note.

SEPTEMBER 2014

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T HE U NION

4

LIFESTYLE

SEPTEMBER 2014

Drought affects community lifestyle

BY RUTH PARK

Droughts often have negative connotations. We associate them with bad hygiene, dehydration, and weeds.

However, droughts are a blessing in disguise because they serve as a lesson for those of us who take clean water for granted.

Senior Aldrich Quijano developed an urgency to conserve water after learning about the severe effects of droughts through a program called Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), he said. His daily usage of water has decreased since then.

“I shaved down on my showers a lot; the water itself only runs for about two minutes,” Quijano said.

“I have a low water flow for when I wash dishes and try to recycle water as much as possible.”

The city of Milpitas is also regulating water usage. It is mandating a 20 percent water reduction usage in each household, according to the official City of Milpitas website.

Those who fail to reduce their water usage must pay with increased water rates, the website stated.

Families, like Junior Misbah Surani’s, opted for backyards that do not require water maintenance to conserve water, she said. Shorter showers are also expected of her family members.

“A few months ago, we had a backyard filled with grass,” Surani said.

“We filled it with concrete, so we don’t have to water our yard anymore.”

Water can be easily conserved in daily routines, according to Quijano.

Tasks like brushing your teeth and watering your plants can save tons

of water if done sparingly.

“Clean drinking water is used for things that can use recycled water,” Quijano said. “You can water your plants with recycled water.”

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge has fostered much opposition due to the drought. It not only wastes water but also degrades the purpose of the challenge, Quijano said.

“The ice bucket challenge is losing its meaning while wasting water,” Quijano said. “People are just doing it for the hype and don’t know what they’re actually doing. I’m not saying I’m against ALS, though.”

California is still in a severe drought; we should do as much as we can to conserve water. We often take water for granted and may waste more than we are aware of.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT Cas s a n dr a N g o Senior

1. Necklace from Tiffany’s 2. Jean jacket from Crossroads 3. Dress from Forever 21

Appearing in more and more restaurants’ menus, ramen is becoming a craze in the Bay Area.

Ramen is a savory Japanese noodle dish that has been rising in the ranks of popular foods.

The Ramen Festival in San Francisco on July 19-20 only heightened the ramen frenzy. If you want to join in on the hype, here are four ramen shops, listed in no particular order, you can visit.

1. Kahoo Ramen (4330 Moorpark Ave San Jose, CA 95129) Kahoo ramen bowls are packed with tasty toppings such as pork, seaweed, and eggs. If you’re looking for someplace close that makes

a perfectly boiled egg with a runny center, Kahoo is the place for you.

2. Orenchi Ramen (3540 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara, CA 95051) Orenchi provides a good atmosphere for a group setting or a date for two. The amount of ramen you receive for the price you pay is a good trade. Bowls range from $8 to $13. The ramen is high quality and the waiters are attentive. If you get lucky, you could be chosen to be in a Polaroid picture that is posted on the walls of the restaurant.

3. Santouka (Mitsuwa Marketplace, 675 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129) Located inside of a marketplace, Santouka might not be ideal for groups, but it makes Ramen that is

4

loaded with flavor and enjoyed by everyone. Bowls are more expensive than other places: around $11 for a small bowl and $13 for a large bowl. There are also other foods including dessert offered inside the market.

4. Kotetsu (2089 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95050) Kotetsu is a small ramen place with ambient lighting, nice for a dinner date or small get together.

The ramen is highly customizable.

You can choose between a soy sauce and sea salt base, and you have the option of adding spice and other toppings to your bowl. The place is lively and fun, the waiters are polite and attentive, and the ramen is topnotch.

1

2

4. BOOTS from Forever 21

Affordable ramen available in Bay Area

BY AMY NGUYEN

5

THE UNION

3

Her Fashion Inspir ation:

“I get my inspiration from my cousins and would describe my style as solid or flowery.

My favorite accessories are bracelets.”

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Amy Nguyen | THE UNION

Senior Cassandra Ngo (left) and Junior Jaryle Zamora (right) show off their back-to-school fashions ready for weather that varies from chilly to summery.

1

Jaryle Zamora Junior

1. Glasses from Ray Bans 2. Long Sleeve from Vans 3. jeans from Levi’s

2 3 His Fashion Inspir ation: “My style has an autumn-y kind of vibe. I love wearing winter clothing. Outerwear and slim-fitting jeans are really great.”

4. shoes from Vans

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THE UNION

ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 2014

MUSIC REVIEWS TRXYE - EP

by Troy Sivan Pop RATING (out of five)

V

by Maroon 5 Pop Rock RATING (out of five)

BY AMY NGUYEN

BY AKSHAT DAS

Vlogging is just one of Troye Sivan’s many talents. On August 15, 2014, the renowned YouTube entertainer released his third EP, titled “TRXYE.” “Happy Little Pill,” a somewhat melancholy track, has a touch of electronic influence and resonating pulses. Sivan’s silky vocals provide the perfect touch to the single.

The second song on the album, “Touch,” starts off with soft, slow beats and eventually turns into a dubstep chorus.

In “Fun,” Sivan sings about the war in the Middle East behind an upbeat melody, making a feel-good song that caters to the title.

“Gasoline,” shows a vulnerable side of Sivan. He sings about a struggle within himself and the mistakes he has made. The song is put together with a gentle piano and delicate vocals. The last track, “The Fault in Our Stars,” is a slow-tempo love song also composed of piano tunes accompanied by his smooth voice.

Sivan is an exceptional talent. He is versatile, including cheery and melancholy elements while conveying strong emotions in his story-telling lyrics.

Maroon 5 are the epitome of consistency. Judging by the release of their fifth album (aptly titled V, the roman numeral for five), the band has no plans of slowing down.

Although the casual Maroon 5 fan might hear traces of the band’s debut album, “Songs About Jane,” “V” travels through decades of musical genres in order to truly highlight the wealth of talent this band has.

“V” opens with the single “Maps,” which features the high-pitched range that lead singer Adam Levine has become so comfortable with.

The emotion invoked in each song is attributable to Levine, as he co-wrote each song featured in “V,” working with the likes of Benny Blanco, Rodney Jerkins, Sia,and Nate Ruess.

The one complaint people have against Maroon 5 is that their versatility can be a weakness. However, their versatility is what has allowed them to release chart-topper after chart-topper.

At the end of the day, “V” is a great album for both the casual listener and the hardcore Maroon 5 enthusiast.

“V” packs a punch.

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Courtesy of Clevescene

This flashback in the movie shows Mia Hall (Moretz) and Adam Wilde (Blackley) as they explore their relationship.

‘If I Stay’ rapid, leaves much to be desired RATING (out of five)

⋆⋆⋆

BY RISHIKA DUGYALA

“If I Stay” follows Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia Hall, daughter of two rocker parents and a protégé at the cello. When her parents learn that school is cancelled for the day, they use this opportunity to persuade Mia and her brother to head out on a trip to visit their grandparents. One minute everything is perfect and then... an accident.

Mia awakes to a scene of destruction and bustling activity, cars smoking and paramedics shouting orders at each other. She tries to find out what happened only to realize that she is a spirit and is physically in a coma.

The rest of the movie is a series of flashbacks interwoven with the present and Mia faces a dilemma: hang onto her life or let go?

“If I Stay” caused the obligatory tears, a little tugging of the heartstrings and the short sighs of happiness whenever there was a particularly happy flashback.

But when I really started to reflect on the movie and its elements, I was not quite so satisfied. Take away the unique, supernatural aspect to the film and “If I Stay” is just another romance story with a few of tragedy. Yes, MOVIE elements it was a love story, and it REVIEW was dry.

A central part of the film was Mia’s relationship with Adam Wilde (Jamie Blackley). The movie used flashbacks to focus on their love and their break-up, and portrayed Adam’s grief when he found out Mia was in a coma.

The reason for Mia and Adam’s break-up was dull, and their relationship was far too dramatized.

What really bothered me was how Mia’s conflict changed from hanging onto the joys of life or moving on, to staying alive for her one true love Adam or leaving him behind to join her family.

I am all for a good romance movie, and I am all for a movie about a teen finding herself. I was looking for a movie that could move me in

terms of romance or in terms of being relatable and tragic. This movie touched both genres, but far from excelled in either.

The actors did the best they could with what they were given, I believe.

Moretz portrayed the shy, awkward Mia Hall well, although there were times when her emotional moments seemed a bit forced and uncomfortable. However, I really enjoyed the dynamics between Mia and her parents, Mia and her best friend Kat, and even Mia and Adam despite their relationship dominating the movie when it was better left as part of the background.

I think this movie tried to touch on too many elements too quickly. There were many flashbacks I wish would’ve been more fleshed out, and the tearjerker moments were crammed near the end of the film, causing the ending in turn to seem abrupt. The shift to focusing on a strongly Adam oriented angle caused the story to seem less relatable and a little bland because the romance wasn’t strong enough to carry the film to the finish line.

SEPTEMBER 2014

SPORTS

FEATURED ATHLETE

Athletic registration switches to online forms

BY RUTH PARK

Technology is being used more throughout MHS. One area it has impacted greatly this year is the athletics program.

Previously, athletes registered by turning in hard copies of their information; however, the new registration process is done online through www.highschoolstubs.com, Athletic Director Jeffrey Lamb said.

Online registration requires a lot less ing to Lamb. Before, about 25 percent of the paperwork was sent back because of missing information, but if athletes out online, the registration will not go through, Lamb said.

“I don’t ever foresee us going back to the previous system,” Lamb said.

“Before, the packets created crates of paperwork. Now, everything can be accessible in two pages.”

Double or triple athletes do not need to redo their registrations unlike before, according to Lamb. The online registration allows students to go back onto their accounts and click on the next sport they plan on participating in, Lamb said.

“The drawback to it is that we don’t know who’s on the other end,” Lamb said. “The parents are required to put in their initials, but we have no way of verifying that.”

Many athletes like the new online method. Senior Thao Nguyen, for excial for athletes with siblings.

“You can sign up for two people in one account,” Nguyen said. “So if you have a sibling, it’s a lot easier.”

Other pros of the new method include the immense amount of paper saved, according to Junior Kimberly Dinh. Registration is a lot more straightforward and easy now, Dinh said.

“There weren’t any problems for me, -

physicals must be turned in personally.

Truong swims in Mexico; achieves personal best

BY RUTH PARK

Summer is a time for sleeping in, traveling, eating ice cream, but most of all, swimming. Though casual days at the beach may be enough for most, Senior Bill Truong takes swimming to another level.

Over the summer, he competitively swam at the North American Challenge Cup (NACC), which was located in Mexico, according to Truong.

About seven years ago, Truong developed a passion for swimming after seeing his cousin do it, he said. Truong currently swims with the Santa Clara Swim Club (SCSC); however, for the NACC,

I just wanted to play with all my friends. They all play football, so I just thought it would be fun.

tions,” Dinh said. “The new one is better because it saves a lot of time, paper, and ink.”

Nguyen believes, however, that the registration process was confusing at rections from Coach Lamb, but once you got the hang of it, the registration process was a lot easier, according to Nguyen.

Athletic coaches also have access to their players’ information, according to Lamb. The player’s contact and general information are available when the coaches need it. registration,” Lamb said. “I’m the only one to clear the athletes, and the coaches only get the information after I clear the athletes.”

The online method is better, but not yet perfect, according to Lamb. Simple things like a section for student identi-

What do you like about football?

It’s a fun sport. All my friends play it, which makes it even more fun. You get to work on a bunch of things; you can hit people and not get into trouble.

What is the most memorable moment you had either last season or the current season?

My two interceptions during the CCS game last year.

courtesy of sportswurlz

Christian Rita Senior Varsity Football

How long have you been playing football?

This is my second year.

Did you start at the Varsity level?

Yes. What positions do you play?

Wide receiver and cornerback.

Why did you start playing football?

Star Team.

“Anybody can sign up to be in the NACC,” Truong said. “They choose the better swimmers from the ones that signed up.”

Swimming at the NACC was one goal Truong had for his swimming career, according to Truong. He knew about it through his swimmer friends who had previously participated in the competition, he said.

“I got three personal best times in Mexico,” Truong said. “They were the 200 Free, 50 Free, and 200 Fly.”

some of Truong’s favorite events. He also enjoys distance events such as the 1000 meter and 1650 meter Freestyles.

His favorite swimmers are Olympic Medalists Misty Franklin and Michael Phelps.

“I like Misty Franklin because she’s young and has lots of potential. And she goes to Cal,” Truong said. “I like Phelps because he’s just one of the greatest of all time.”

Truong plans to continue swimming with the SCSC for the rest of high school, he said.

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THE UNION

Do you plan on playing football in college?

Yeah, if I get scholarships. If I don’t get any scholarships then I’m just going to play at a junior college.

If you could play on any college team, which team would you pick?

I would like to play for the University of Southern California or Michigan State University.

If you wanted to improve something about the team this year, what would it be?

We need to be more disciplined this year than we were last year to get past CCS and then go to states. That’s my goal this year, to get to states.

Tennis court renovations ‘overdue’

BY NEAL BANSAL

The tennis courts at MHS were renovated during the summer after over 15 years of not being serviced, according to Varsity Boys Tennis Coach William Conley. Tennis courts require work was completely overdue, Conley said. team, the athletic director and previous tennis coach at the time did not know when the courts were last serviced, according to Conley.

It was evident, however, that it had been many years since the last servicing because there were cracks on the surface and weeds were growing through the cracks, Conley said.

The new courts are beautiful and some of the best in our league, Conley said. All eight tennis courts were fully resurfaced.

They were completely stripped down and built back up. They are done right and are quality courts, Conley said.

To be able to resurface, the courts -

be built back up to the surface, Conley said.

The courts also received new windscreens and new fencing with the resurfacing, Conley said. “[The courts] are much more level, which makes it easier for the players to see if their balls are out when they play matches,” Varsity Tennis Player Kristen Buchanan said.

It took time to adjust to the new courts, but the players have now improved their timing and the quality of their shots, according to Buchanan . the new courts, the balls would bounce slower than before. This interfered with their playing, Buchanan said. “[The new courts] felt right at home with me,” JV Tennis Player Carey Van Tran said. “[The old courts] were rough, and did not provide traction for either tennis balls or shoes,” Tran said.

This made the balls bounce slower on the new courts, and now the hits are less forced over the net, Tran said.

The new color of the courts is also easier on the eyes and more like-able, Tran said.

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8

NEWS

T HE U NION

2014 AP Exam Scores

Closed campus controversial

EXAM SUBJECT

5s

4s

3s

2s

1s

Biology Calculus AB

8 29

22 31

55 27

26 10

3 54

Average Score 3.05 2.81

Calculus BC Chemistry Computer Science English Language English Literature Environmental Science Macroeconomics Microeconomics Physics B Psychology Statistics Studio Art: Drawing U.S. Government U.S. History World History

70 14 0 0 11 1 2 4 5 34 20 7 12 4 27

9 20 3 0 20 0 5 3 2 39 41 4 7 12 28

3 14 1 1 36 2 2 10 5 22 28 1 13 13 37

2 9 0 0 15 1 12 7 6 7 22 0 8 14 11

1 0 3 0 0 0 6 6 3 7 8 0 2 5 2

4.71 3.68 3.38 3.00 3.33 3.25 2.44 2.73 3.00 3.79 3.36 4.50 3.45 2.92 3.64 amy nguyen | THE UNION

The Advanced Placement (AP) scores for the previous school year are shown above. In total, 626 MHS students took 1,054 AP exams administered by the Collegeboard in May. Students received their scores online in July.

MHS students received a passing score on 76 percent of the AP exams taken. AP scores considered passing, 3 or higher, may give students college credit. Data was provided courtesy of Assistant Principal Ethan Stocks.

New locker policy implemented tentatively

BY AMY NGUYEN

Among the several changes on the MHS campus is the new locker system, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton. The new system, created

by Textbook Technician Ilinka Goloemick, allows students to choose their own lockers, Lawton said.

This year students chose their own lockers on a first come first serve basis, Golomeick said. To obtain a locker, students had to turn in a locker agreement, put a lock on the locker of their choice, and turn in the pink locker slip, Golomeick continued.

“Last year I came here and noticed that there was no accuracy with the lockers,” Golomeick said. “I think

that’s due to kids just stealing lockers that they want anyways, so I decided to just let them choose and that way the record will be better and the students will be happier.”

From an administrative perspective, the changes have been beneficial, according to Lawton. “We need to be able to get into [a locker] if there’s ever a suspicion of something in there that shouldn’t be,” Lawton said. “We want to know who [the lockers] belong to.”

Several students are unhappy with the change, according to Senior Robert Palvolgyi. The new system is only beneficial to those who come to school early, he said.

“I personally do not think [the sys-

tem should be kept],” Palvolgyi said.

“I am a senior with a bottom locker, which is extremely frustrating.”

Some students believe the system is beneficial but can be improved, Senior Brian Dinh said.

“Students should be able to either drop off the form in a designated office tray or just put a lock on a locker,” Dinh said.

This system will most likely be put into effect next year as well, according to Lawton. If the system continues to work, the change will be kept permanently, she added.

“Hopefully in the next few years we won’t need lockers,” Lawton said.

“Everything will be online, and you’ll all have your tiny little tablets.”

Nine seniors named NMSQT semifinalists

BY MICHELLE HUANG

Nine students qualified as National Merit Semifinalists at MHS this year, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students qualify by taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).

The qualifiers included Christiana Sy, Zahra Surani, Shivani Prabala, Jian Lu, Calvin Lau, Sahil Hansalia, Rishika Dugyala, Akshat Das, and Tommy Dang. “[The test] is a kind of criterion for people to determine eligibility for students for scholarships,” Senior Sahil Hansalia said. “They create a cut-off score for each state that you

need to have at or above to become a semifinalist, and that cut-off depends on the scores of the state.”

In order to qualify to the finalist stage, semifinalists have to write an essay, submit their SAT scores, and report academic achievements, according to Senior Zahra Surani. Approximately 90 percent of the people make it to the finalist round, Surani said.

“If you actually reach the finalist stage, firstly you get something from the National Merit Scholarship organization,” Surani said. “Then there are other organizations that also contribute independently.”

The number of National Merit qualifiers has increased. In the previ-

SEPTEMBER 2014

ous year, there were two people who qualified, compared to the nine students this year at MHS. “I think kids are getting smarter,” Hansalia said. “And they’re increasing the amount of resources available nowadays to take these tests.”

For the PSAT and SAT, you can memorize a lot of the things that they put on the test, Lau said. There are certain things that show up consistently, according to Lau. “I would suggest for the students who are going to take the PSAT to take full tests and time themselves on it because for some people timing is an issue,” Surani said. “Maintain a cool attitude, and good luck future PSAT takers.”

BY RUTH PARK

Students that are caught off-campus can be given in-house suspensions, Principal Cheryl Lawton said.

Although the administration has not finalized the punishment yet, if sneaking off-campus continues to remain a major issue, the policy may be enforced, according to Lawton.

MHS was once an open campus, Lawton said. Due to the recurring problem of tardiness and accidents, it became a closed campus, according to Lawton.

“Rarely did students come back on time to fifth period when students went off campus because things just took longer,” Lawton said. “We had accidents in the parking lot all the time because everybody was trying to race out of here.”

MHS is a closed campus due to liability and safety issues as well, according to Lawton. The school is responsible for all students from the time they leave their houses in the morning until they get home in the afternoon, Lawton said.

“If something happens to somebody off campus, we’re responsible for you,” Lawton said. “If someone could prove that I allowed you to be off campus and you didn’t get permission and you got into an accident, I’d lose my job.”

Students like Junior Nina Quach believe that MHS should be an open

campus, Quach said. The policy enforced seems too strict, according to Quach.

“Some students just want to go off campus to have lunch because the lunch here sucks,” Quach said. “The teachers should be able to trust their students to leave and come back on time.”

Junior Jessica Kuo believes that MHS has has a valid reason for enforcing the closed campus poilcy.

“If the students could just wander off during school hours, the school doesn’t know where the students would go,” Kuo said. “And if the students got hurt in the midst of their excursion, the parents might just sue the school.”

“People around here with businesses are not happy with open campuses because things get stolen and we have issues with people breaking in,” Lawton said. “The stores around here, the neighbors, were constantly at the board meetings complaining about thefts.”

“Where would you go anyway when it’s school time? Any restaurants are too far from MHS,” Kuo said. “You should be in class. Not to mention, if you want to get lunch, the school’s lunch can’t be that bad.”

Trojan Access Cards can still be used until the end of October, Lawton said. However, the administration has not decided what will happen to the cards after the current ones expire.

Motivational speaker visits MHS

BY MICHELLE HUANG

Speaker Keith Hawkins spoke at MHS in the Large Gym during 4th and 5th period on Sept. 3. ASB required one officer from each club to attend, Senior Alex Bang said.

Hawkins works with his own company, Real Inspiration Incorporated, which specializes in motivational speaking and customized programs, according to his website. Hawkins focuses on topics regarding leadership, diversity, enhancing school climate, and bullying prevention.

“There are people who be retaliating when bullies say things about you,” Hawkins said. “But you don’t need to react to these people who are hurting so bad they think if they hurt you and pull you down that you will walk out of here and be as lost and lonely as they are.”

There are only three things permanent at this school: education, the memories you create, and the people you help, Hawkins said.

Most people will ignore the presentation and go back to doing the same thing, according to Hawkins. “But let me tell you, brother, you do not have to be most, just be you. I agree it might be cheesy, it might be corny,

but it will always be the truth,” Hawkins said.

If you don’t accept yourself nobody is going to accept you, according to Hawkins. You do not have to come to this school and be a somebody, because nobody can define somebody for you, Hawkins said.

“Hawkins talked a lot on bullying.

That was probably the main thing,” Bang said. “It was kind of like a pep talk, but most of the stuff was already learned from having experience as an officer in general, so it’s kind of like common sense.

Bullying is not a huge matter for clubs, according to Bang. Instead Hawkins should have addressed other issues such as exclusiveness and cliques, Bang said.

“What I mean by exclusiveness is that some clubs are not very open and welcome to everyone and they’re not as friendly to people who are not in their group,” Bang said.

“I think ASB organized [the workshop] to get us more inspired and understand what being an officer is,” Bang said. “It’s not just a position.

You have to be a role model and try to prevent things and make the school a better place.”

SENIOR PICNIC

AP Government and Politics gets new books

BY AKSHAT DAS

The AP Government and Politics class received new textbooks this year, according to AP Government and Politics teacher Michael Cummins. The new textbooks became a necessity due to increased enrollment in the class, Cummins said.

The AP Government class had not received new books since 2007, Cummins stated. With new information being released, the books were outdated, Cummins added.

“In most AP classes, there isn’t new information that requires new books being written,” Cummins said.

“When I compared the new book to the old one, there were several changes. Obama wasn’t president, the entire presidential cabinet was different, and healthcare wasn’t mentioned.”

There are several improvements in the book, including the reader friendly design, Cummins stated. The addition of images and reduction of text encourages students to read the book with more enthusiasm, Cummins added.

“They keep making books less scary to kids, so that kids have an easier time reading them,” Cummins said.

“Previously [with the old book], we

had to access the internet to get accurate data, which created a problem as students were unsure if they should remember the book information or the internet information.”

The increased enrollment led to the books becoming a necessity, according to Cummins. There were more students than there were books, Cummins said.

“Last year there were only 52 people enrolled, and there were 94 people this year, so we had no option but to order new books,” Cummins said.

“Getting a new book takes a while, as the district has to review the information before it can approve the book.”

ruth park | THE UNION

Seniors participate in a waterballoon toss. The class of 2015 had its Senior Picnic on Friday, Sept. 12. Activities at the picnic also included swimming, volleyball, hiking, bocce ball, bean toss, hula hooping, and dancing.