The Epitaph Volume 56, Issue 3 by Natalie Owsley

THE EPITAPH

News | Page 2

DIGITALIZING THE ACADEMIC CENTER Opinion | Page 6

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX (EDUCATION) Spread | Page 8

SEXPOSÉ Lifestyles | Page 10

MIDDLE COLLEGE TRANSITION Entertainment | Page 13

‘GRINCH’ REVIEW

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 Vol. 56 Issue 3 Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

UP IN SMOKE

Increase in vaping causes unforseen consequences By Batool Al-Jabiry, Aarya Gupta, Gianella Ordonez and Katelyn Pan Anti-vaping posters were recently affixed to bathroom walls in hopes of shedding light on the health effects of vaping. “We have found students vaping in the bathroom,” Dean Lia Pinelli said. “There are a lot of people on campus who are really concerned about the choice to vape.” These posters, which were put up by Senior Clerical Assistant Rita Figueroa, were sent to the school by “Real Cost,” a campaign launched by the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Despite California law, which requires one to be 21 years of age to purchase e-cigarettes, JUUL, Suorin and other products have found their way into the pockets of students on campus. As this trend continues to grow — vaping among high school students went up by 75 percent in 2017, according to the CDC — e-cigarette brands have begun cutting back on the sale of most flavored pods in stores, according to the FDA. According to the Truth Initiative, 15- to 17-year-olds are 16 times more likely to use e-cigarettes, like JUUL, than 25- to 34-year-olds. Additionally, a third of middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes said the variety of flavors is the main reason they decide to vape, according to the CDC. Similarly, another study found that 43 percent of youth who use e-cigarettes tried them because of the appealing flavors. E-cigarettes were originally intended to be a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, since they do not contain tobacco, according to JUUL. Over time, however, they have become popular among teenagers, all of

whom cannot legally purchase the products in the first place. According to NPR, the tobacco and e-cigarette purchase age in California was raised to 21 in 2016. However, students have still found ways to get their hands on these devices, which can be kept discreetly in backpacks and pockets, as many e-cigarettes have the look and feel of a USB stick. “It’s really easy to get access to these products; most places won’t card or they just don’t care,” senior Laia Menendez said. The 7-11 next to campus, for example, which is frequented by students throughout the school day, displays an advertisement on its entrance depicting a discounted JUUL “starter kit” for $20.00 less than the original price. In 2017, the National Youth Tobacco Survey found that approximately 11.7 percent of high school students utilized e-cigarettes “in the last 30 days,” according to the Truth Initiative. So far this year, 25 students have been referred to administration, from 16 independent events, for violating California Education Code 48900(C), which states that a student who uses, sells or is found in possession of any controlled substance is subject to discipline by suspension or expulsion, Pinelli said. The disciplinary actions

taken by the administration against a student can vary, depending on the situation and level of effectiveness, she said. “If it’s an isolated event, where ... the student has a vape pen, but there is no evidence that student is under the influence, or smoked anything ... that would be a very different consequence than if a student was under the influence,” Pinelli said. “If a student is under the influence of any kind of substance, I have to send that student home.”

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Illustration by Katelyn Pan

SENIOR PUBLISHES ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY

Brenden Koo creates a book dedicated to his mother

Photo

illustra

tion by

Laurel

Schmid

By Aarya Gupta

SENIOR BRENDEN KOO hopes his book will aid those learning English.

Senior Brenden Koo’s mother immigrated to the United States from Korea in 2004. In order to help her learn English, her second language, Koo combined creativity, art and rhetoric to craft an illustrated dictionary. Published on Oct. 25, “Daily Vocab for My Mom: Lexicographical Art” features intricate and vibrant drawings coupled with sentences to depict words like “frisky” and “streak.” “I wanted to expand my creativity and so I found my medium to do that when I was talking with my mom,” Koo said. “She would ask me to translate words … I couldn’t really translate them in simple English terms that she could understand and I couldn’t use my own Korean because I’m not good at Korean, so I just created drawings to demonstrate

what each word meant, and [I] eventually compiled them into a book.” Koo said that he aspires to publish four illustrated dictionaries in total, ascending in perceived order of difficulty. While the first installment is composed of 50 words, Koo said he anticipates his set of four books to be approximately over 250 words. His second illustrated dictionary was published on Nov. 29. “I’m proud that I’m able to share my artistic abilities with other people,” Koo said. “I’m trying to focus my art in the communicative dialogical aspect of art, which is more community-based [and] volunteer-based,” Koo said. “Art is very communicative. It’s very emotive. It’s very expressive, and people can share their ideas through art.” Koo said he has been working on this project since his fresh-

man year, looking for ways to “diversify and improve” his artistic abilities and escape a “rut of doing drawings and paintings.” At first, the drawings were merely entries in a journal, until they were collated between late 2017 and early 2018. “I know that it can be difficult for people who are not really familiar with the language … to become accustomed with the language because it is not an easy language to learn,” Koo said. “There are so many different irregular words that are being used … so it’s definitely geared towards people who are English learners or want to learn more about the language and want to learn new words as well.” Priced at $20, Koo’s illustrated dictionary is available to purchase on Amazon.com as a Kindle or paperback edition. “We wanted to publicize [the

book],” Koo said. “We wanted to make sure that a lot of people could have access to [the book]. Not just my mom, but her friends in the community and our relatives around the world. We compiled it at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.” All proceeds from sales will be going towards combating the California wildfires. “I would never be able to live if my house burned down or if I knew someone else whose house burned down,” Koo said. “No one should have to go through that; no one should have their memories demolished in such a quick and destructive form. The funds would go towards the first responders and the support of the families who have been devastated by the wildfires.” PAGE BY KATELYNN NGO

News

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

TKTK NEWHEADLINE APP ALLOWS FOR LIBRARY ACCESSIBILITY Students develop app to update library technology

Infographic by Aarya Gupta

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Continued from page one

Ultimately research shows that e-cigarettes, like tobacco cigarettes, are harmful and addictive. Dr. Robert Jackler, a Stanford University professor of otorhinolaryngology, the study of diseases of the ear, nose and throat, said there are two issues with teenagers using e-cigarette products. “First of all, JUUL has an exceptionally high level of nicotine, and someone who starts using JUUL on a regular basis will get deeply addicted … and it’s very difficult to get off it when you start it,” Jackler said in a phone interview. “JUUL has such high nicotine that using JUUL for just a few days on a regular basis can cause potentially a lifetime of addiction. The second issue is that once addicted to nicotine by using JUUL, quite a few teenagers graduate to other

tobacco products, such as regular cigarettes.” Senior Mridul Raghav, who has been vaping since his sophomore year, said he has not felt any negative side effects of vaping, but strongly urges new users to consider the physical and mental consequences first. “I can understand why some people might [become addicted]. If you’re vaping 24/7, you’re building a higher nicotine tolerance,” Raghav said. “With JUUL, the pods come pre-filled, so you don’t know how much nicotine you’re consuming, but with other brands, you’re buying the juice and you fill it in yourself so you can control exactly how much nicotine is going in.” Some users, like Menendez, do experience addiction or withdrawal as a result of nicotine use through vaping. “If I didn’t smoke one day then

I would get antsy,” Menendez said. “You feel sort of stressed and build habits like tapping on a table. You feel like you have a lot of pent-up frustration. You need to get it out somehow or, like, you’re waiting on something and it never comes.” For students who may be struggling with nicotine addiction, HHS offers several resources, including nonpunitive resources designed to support teenagers who face all types of addictions. “We have an actual drug counselor who comes every Tuesday, and any student can come see him if they would like,” Pinelli said. “We have a 90-minute drug and alcohol class that happens at the district. We have student counselors that students can talk to on a regular basis.”

ACADEMIC CENTER INTRODUCES WEBSITE

Senior codes website to modernize Academic Center

Photo by Laurel Schmidt

the school website and clicking “Athena Tutoring” or visiting hhsathena.org. Questions asked go directly to tutors in the subject area of interest. The tutors then provide help to the students. It also allows students to schedule meetings with tutors which had been more complicated to do before the website. Mishra still plans on making improvements to the website in order to expand the number of people who can have access to the benefits of the Academic Center, she said. Her next goal is to have the page in multiple languages to accommodate nonEnglish speakers.

Photo illustration by Jacqueline Beaufore “HHS LIBRARY” WAS created by seniors David McAllister and Eric Cheng to make the library more accessible to students.

By Andrea Sun and Jacqueline Beaufore Seniors David McAllister and Eric Cheng have created an app to make the library system more accessible to students. The app, HHS Library, is available on the Apple Store for free, Cheng said. Cheng and McAllister said they noticed a lack of technology in the library and in libraries around the community. “When you can go on Amazon and get a paper bag shipped to you, but you can’t find out availability of a book in a library, it seems like the libraries could do with some upgrading,” McAllister said. “That’s kind of what we wanted to provide in our community.” The two said they were in the process of finishing AP computer science and decided to attempt a new challenge. “Mobile app development is a whole new language, and new development principles and technology stacks, so we decided it’d be really fun to just jump into this project that could be a combination of giving back to the community and working long-term as a group,” McAllister said. Other than allowing students to browse library books

and put them on hold for nextday pickup, users can scan any book in a bookstore or at home to see if it is available in the library, according to the App Store description. The app also provides a digital student ID for checkout for students who may have forgotten their physical card. Students can also receive recommendations from the librarians and popular titles that other students have checked out and rated. The app currently has a five star rating on the Apple Store, with 18 reviews. “We’re both proud and excited that [the app has been] so successful so far,” Cheng said. Scan here to access the app

A NEW STUDENT-CREATED website increases accessibility to tutors.

By Ryan D’Amour Over the past summer, the Academic Center went through a huge change. Since May of this year, senior Reet Mishra has been coding a new website, which is currently being integrated into it, she said. Inspired by the Percy Jackson books, Mishra chose the Greek goddess “Athena” as the name for the website. Mishra had to first pitch her idea to her counselor before she could go through with it. Mishra had taken AP computer science her sophomore year, so she was quite familiar with coding and programming. In order to undertake her goal of coding the website from scratch, Mishra had to learn how to use the languages HTML and CSS. She also had to learn how to register and host a website. Mishra said that she was

inspired to create the website from her own personal experiences. She has been connected to the Academic Center since her freshman year as a tutor, and has seen the difficulty of students and tutors trying to connect during times near exams when the Academic Center is the busiest. “I noticed that a lot of times, what I would do was that I would text my friends for homework help,” Mishra said, “so I thought, ‘what if we could directly text tutors who are the experts in subject areas?’” Mishra concluded that because society is so centered around social media, digitizing the Academic Center would be the best way for students and tutors to connect. Students can visit the website by going to the Student Portal on PAGE BY SHRUTI MAGESH

Wednesday, December 5,2018 News AIR QUALITY DIMINISHED DUE TO CAMP FIRE HHS remained open, affecting school activities By Aarya Gupta

In light of the recent wildfires, like the Camp Fire in Butte County, air quality in the Bay Area was severely diminished in November. On Nov. 15, the Santa Clara County Office of Education released a statement recommending that schools remain open under the conditions at that time. In the statement, county superintendent of schools, Dr. Mary Ann Dewan said, “We have received communication from parents and community members who are concerned regarding the current air quality. It is my goal to keep students in schools when possible, as schools provide a safe environment.” HHS remained in contact with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and the Santa Clara County Office of Education “in order to make the best decisions about the safety of students and staff,” according to an email sent through SchoolLoop on Nov. 16 from Executive Assistant Tricia Goulet. “Some of the things that went into consideration are the air filtering systems that are in our building,” Principal Greg Giglio said. “[They] are significantly bigger and better than what you would find in a normal house. Another reason, which is probably more important in the younger grades, [is] when you close a school, parents have to get off work.”

Other factors were also considered when coming to this decision. “There is also this idea of we do have to hit a certain number of minutes, and if we don’t hit the minimum number of minutes, we have to find ways to make those times up. Nobody wants to come back at the end of June or cut a break short,” Giglio said. The misconception among students that the only reason school was not canceled was due to administration being paid based on student attendance was incorrect, Giglio said. “I know a lot of people may have said ‘it’s because you guys would lose money.’ We wouldn’t lose money based on daily attendance, because that’s not how we receive our funding,” Giglio said. As a result of the poor air quality, several activities were canceled, including games, practices, conditioning, the EL Basketball Tournament and STEM Night. Additionally, according to the American Lung Association, the poor air quality can impact both lung and heart health. “We’re concerned about asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes and then generally health impacts for people based on whether they have a pre-existing conditions, whether people living with asthma or COPD, or children, or senior citizens who are all more vulnerable to the impacts of these levels of air pollution,” Director for Advocacy

STAFF

Editors

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

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

Infographic by Jacqueline Beaufore and Clean Air at the American Lung Association William Barrett said. From another perspective, HHS students and clubs are helping those affected by the fires. Red

Cross hosted a Chipotle fundraiser on Nov. 12, to raise money for the club’s future events that will aid wildfire victims, according to senior Binnie Karki’s post on the HHS Class of 2019 Facebook page.

20192020

2018-2019

integrate earth and space science concepts into biology, chemistry and physics courses. Biology is a mandatory class for freshmen, while chemistry and physics courses are only offered to upperclassmen. These changes are in line with the standards set by Next Generation Science. HHS has developed a three-course model, Sohal said. The three-course model does not affect the order students take a science course. The model was created to maximize a comprehensive scientific education, according to Next Generation Science Standards. The Next Generation Science Standards were spearheaded in

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To reach the Epitaph staff in C105, email homestead.epitaph@gmail. com

2020-2021

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE Standards began to apply earth and space science concepts in 2012. The science curriculum is currently being redesigned to meet national standards and a district goal of understanding over memorizing content, science teacher Sukhraj Sohal said. “We need to teach students how to be better critical thinkers,” science teacher Sam Fung said. “We used to have a lecture and then a test, but we are looking to emphasize [utilizing] evidence.” Sohal said district changes include employing engineering concepts to solve real world problems, thus improving students’ understanding of the curriculum. The second set of changes are nationwide, with goals to

The Epitaph is a forum for student expression and not subject to prior review, in accordance with Education Code 48907. The staff is composed of Homestead Journalism students. Views expressed do not necessarily represent views of the school, its staff, or the district. Editorials are opinions of the editorial board.

If the Epitaph has made an error, please send corrections to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com. The corrections will be published in the corrections box for the next issue.

Infographic by Renee Wang

By Renee Wang

Natalie Owsley

The Epitaph is a non-profit publication at Homestead High School, 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014.

Curriculum to focus on earth and space science

2012-2017

Lyndon Lee Steven Lefaive Shruti Magesh Katelynn Ngo Alfonso Pitco III Dexter Tatsukawa Patrick Yu

Adviser

SCIENCE CURRICULUM TO UNDERGO CHANGES 20172018

2012. Teachers voted to agree on a curriculum. In 2018 and 2019, teachers will focuse on drawing up lessons plans. The current school year will be utilized on improving upon past lessons. The changes will be fully implemented by 2020-2021. “[The transition] will be handled through collaboration with other chemistry teachers,” Fung said, “and being honest to my chemistry [honors] students; I [will be] planning lessons two weeks ahead.” Sohal said he believes students will be receptive to the changes. “We are naturally curious people. We used to teach people that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but we

never taught people where the universe came from,” Sohal said. Sophomore Adele Basturk, who is taking physics honors, said she looks forward to the integration of space science. “I’m really interested in space science; I remember learning about it in sixth grade and [enjoyed it],” Basturk said. Hannah Mcgoran, who is also a sophomore, is taking chemistry honors. “I’ve heard that the [implementations] will cause us to work at a faster pace, as there are two units added,” Mcgoran said. “I think [earth and space science] is good to know as you might not learn it unless you take [environmental science].”

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

PAGE BY JACQUELINE BEAUFORE

Opinion COMBATING HATE SPEECH IN A DIVERSE COMMUNITY Wednesday, December 5, 2018

STAFF EDITORIAL Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

HHS STRIVES FOR its diversity and has no tolerance for hate speech in any shape or form.

The simple act of using the restroom should not make anyone feel unsafe. However, recent events have uncovered a less-thanwelcoming side of HHS. Anonymous hateful graffiti has contaminated the school walls. On a campus that is lauded for its diversity, these messages reveal our tolerance may only be surface-level. The terrifying thing about the anonymity of the graffiti is that it could be anyone’s work. Your lab partner in chemistry, the girl you say ‘hi’ to every day or the teacher’s aide that grades your papers. This rise in bigotry is not exclusive to HHS, but is a growing trend — hate crimes targeting religion, race and sexuality experienced an average 18.4 percent rise in California since 2017, according to the state Department of Justice. Although the administration has reinforced HHS as a safe space, an issue remains: hateful graffiti is written, erased and the cycle continues. This is a reflection of the lack of

consequences for those who hide behind their anonymity. Students have largely taken the harmful words to be a poor attempt at a joke. But we should not presume the best out of this hateful gesture. “Why are black people so retarded?” one such graffiti read in the girls cafeteria bathroom on Oct. 22. “White lives matter more!” Though the words have since been washed off, the sentiment remains. And this sentiment leads us down a path of increasingly extreme ideological beliefs. Extremism has been part of the most damaging chapters of history. From the terror of the KKK against AfricanAmericans to the ethnic genocide committed by the Nazis in World War II, extremist beliefs are often used to justify violence and destruction. Our school’s graffiti, and the narrow-minded beliefs it represents is an alarming indicator of the growing intolerance currently being faced by minorities in America. It’s important that we impress

open-mindedness on our students before it’s too late. When an anonymous bully attacks our peers, we cannot stand by and watch as it happens. Our inaction against such a prevalent problem reveals our complicity in the words written on the bathroom walls. The more such graffiti is excused, the more individuals will continue to feel encouraged to spread hate with greater fervor and greater conviction. Dealing with these issues should not fall solely on the administration. Although implementing regulations to prevent these hateful actions will be a step in the right direction, us students need to combat the social climate that breeds these hateful ideologies. We must do our part in making sure people around us feel loved. Tolerance is a two-way street, and in extending our tolerance to others, we can create a campus culture that breeds acceptance instead of hate.

SILICON VALLEY: A DESOLATE GRAVEYARD FOR LOST ART Technology leaves opera, impressionism and architecture in shadows Last weekend, I went to the opera. Yes, you read that right, the opera. If I recall correctly, I was the only member of the audience not eligible for a senior discount. The opera is not where one might usually find a high-schooler — and that’s sad. In the Silicon Valley, we are drowned in technology, math and science. Many at HHS plan to major in STEM fields, while pursuing a degree in a humanities subject is almost unheard of. But that’s fine. After all, an engineering degree is more useful than a degree in medieval French poetry. What isn’t fine, however, is the commonly-propagated Silicon Valley lie that those seeking higher education in a technical field have no need for any knowledge about literature or art beyond 12th grade. The truth is that no matter the profession, humanities remain a crucial part of everyday life. Literature is what essentially makes us human, makes us feel and makes us empathetic. For instance, classical novels heighten our ability to understand by truly allowing us to be put in the shoes of characters from many different economic and cultural backgrounds. Reading description after description of various emotions teaches us to recognize them in real life, and understand the complex reasons behind them. Suddenly, we find ourselves able to relate to people we otherwise

Illustration by Anastassia Dardenne

By Anastassia Dardenne

IN THE SILICON Valley, technology has taken a front row seat, pushing humanities to the background.

would find a hard time relating to. According to the Stanford University website, humanities hold an even more important role. “Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures,

about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past, help us understand the world we live in and give us tools to imagine the future,” accord-

ing to the Stanford Humanities Department. Everyone knows that to become proficient in a language, or any topic, it must be practiced extensively. It should therefore be no surprise that to learn to be

empathetic, one must practice it over and over. And there is no better way to do just that than to listen to music or admire art, both of which are often full of meaning and emotion. It doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes, and can have life-long benefits. Those benefits are far-reaching and completely overlooked in the Silicon Valley. Because the focus today is on being capable of solving math problems at the speed of light, students are not taught the values of having a broad and wide-reaching general education, the way they were in the past. According to the Washington Post, there has been a drastic 10 percent decline in humanities majors in just the past five years. While excelling in technical fields pays more in the professional world, having general knowledge of various artists, musicians and singers is arguably more valuable in social situations. Besides, dressing up to walk the fancy and luxurious halls of the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco can be enjoyable. It may not be as moving for others as it is for me, but it still appeals to the emotions more than programming or physics do. You don’t have to enjoy it or ever go back, but knowing what it is like and ultimately finding a humanities subject that does speak to your emotions is not as useless as it may seem. PAGE BY ALFONSO PITCO III

Opinion

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

STAFF NEEDS MORE DIVERSITY TO FURTHER ENRICH STUDENTS’ LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Lack of diverse teachers inhibits students’ abilities to understand inclusion, make connections By Shruti Magesh As a South-Asian student, I have not seen many Asian teachers at HHS. It makes me wonder how students are expected to learn about the principles of diversity and inclusion if the people teaching them lack diversity. At our school, 75 percent of the staff is white, 10 percent is Chinese, 10 percent is Latino and 5 percent is other races, Principal Greg Giglio said. The staff is not an accurate representation of the student population, as only 30 percent of the student population is white, 43 percent Asian, 16 percent Latino, 8 percent two or more races and 1 percent AfricanAmerican, according to Giglio. A more diverse staff will result in better enrichment and learning opportunities for the students. While Giglio said teachers are hired based on their qualifications, and not on what race or gender they are, the most qualified people may not always be the ones who teach morals or diversity and inclusion, which

Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

A MORE DIVERSE staff will lead to exteneded benefits for the students, including learning about principles of inclusion and diversity, and being motivated to their full potential.

can be detriemental to students. Diversity in the classrooms is crucial to students’ education. Minority students with teachers of the same race often find themselves encouraged to give their full effort, and are more motivated to attend college, according to The Brookings Institution. Moreover, teachers of color

are more able to culturally empathize with minority students and present curricula that they can relate to. For example, African-American females are encouraged and inspired to attend institutions of higher learning, such as universities, by African-American female teachers. Their similar struggles and mindsets allow students to

connect with the teacher better, and to understand that success is not just applicable to white people. Similarly, it’s crucial for students who are not affected by racism and stereotypes to understand everyone is equal despite their appearance. Stigma and ideals around “acting white,” or adhering to the standards society sets on culture, may be erased by teachers who represent an underrepresented community. After all, in many of our major metropolitan areas, there is a large amount of Asian and Hispanic groups, whereas the suburban area consists largely of white families, according to The Century Foundation. This racial segregation leads to common stereotypes held by both groups. But diverse teachers can work to integrate cultural diversity into the curriculum, and spread the beauty of inclusion in the classroom. Thus, teachers should be hired not only based on qualifications, but also race, to ensure that students are well-represented, and are taught morality.

COLUMBUS DAY AND THANKSGIVING SHOULD STILL BE CELEBRATED, BUT WITH CAVEATS The two holidays should be celebrated as milestones in Western exploration and expansion By Patrick Yu All across America, students have had their Thanksgiving and Columbus Day breaks, gathering with their family members and enjoying traditional holiday customs. However, many are claiming that it is unnecessary — even insulting — to celebrate holidays that mark the widespread death of the Native American people. In fact, according to Newsweek, only 44 percent of people believe that Columbus Day should be celebrated. A new holiday, “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” has been offered as an alternative to Columbus Day, and according to the Smithsonian Magazine, six states have already made that replacement. While there is no doubt that European settlers committed violent and cruel acts, Columbus and Thanksgiving Day commemorate landmark moments that contributed to the expansion and growth of America. These holidays should continue to be celebrated. According to History.com, Columbus’ voyage to America opened a new era of European expansion. Of course, this expansion was both a blessing and a curse also, Columbus’ discovery led to the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade.

A common argument against Columbus Day and Thanksgiving according to Debate.org, would be that there is no real accomplishment or new discovery that took place. It is widely stated that Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer, set foot in America before Columbus did. While that may be true, Erikson had little to no impact on the growth of America. According to History.com, Erikson arrived at a region in North America which he named “Vinland.” However, it is unclear exactly where Vinland was, nor is it clear if Leif Erikson made any notable establishment(s) there. According to the article, Erikson likely set up a base camp, although after he left Vinland, he never returned. From an American perspective, his discovery means hardly anything, especially compared to Columbus and Thanksgiving, which had profound effects on the birth of this nation. Another argument is that Columbus poorly managed his crew and barely got to the Americas alive, only to then brutalize and enslave the natives. As a result, others argue, he deserves no glorification, as he was similar to every other European conqueror. That is entirely true. However, Columbus’ discovery also allowed Europeans to plant

the seeds of modern American society. As it stands, Columbus did both good and evil deeds. In that sense, while Columbus himself should not be glorified, his discovery and the subsequent Western expansion should. Thanksgiving is fairly similar to Columbus Day; while it does indicate the dark chapters of slavery and exploitation, it also marks the start of

America’s growth. As Americans, we should celebrate the birth of our country — or rather, the landmark moments that led to it. Contrarily, Indigenous Peoples’ Day should not replace Columbus Day. Columbus Day exists to highlight the milestone in European exploration and their subsequent effects. While the Native Americans had a vast, diverse culture that certainly is a significant part of American history, their culture arguably did not contribute much to the founding of modern America. However, their culture is still worth celebrating, but should not replace Columbus Day. A reasonable solution is to create a separate holiday dedicated to the indigenous people. Therefore, while Thanksgiving and Columbus Day are indicative of the evils that occurred during European exploration, they are also celebrations of the start of American society, and thus, should be kept.

Illustration by Jacqueline Beaufore

MANY ARGUE THAT holidays such as Columbus Day and Thanksgiving insult Native Americans’ culture.

THE MELODIC LINE

By Melody Chen

My grandmother gives gifts because she doesn’t expect anything in return. She assures me that every gift holds a value, and once you give something, the recipients — whether they be friends or families — will return a bout of laughter and hugs. The holiday season is heading our way and gift ideas have been revolving in our minds. As we stroll past shop windows, we see ornaments scattered in every nook. The alluring brightness of red and green and the uniformity of snow globes lining a shelf makes our eyes flicker from item to item. Many holidays are created just for people to spend money. We have Black Friday hours after we are thankful for what we have. Cyber Monday emerges merely three days later. Following that, we have the entire month of December to prepare for more giftbuying. Have we shopped enough? According to Gallup, the average American plans to spend $885 on gifts this holiday season. While these consumerist months can overwhelm us, research shows that these tangible gifts won’t leave a lasting impression. Cindy Chan, an assistant professor at University of Toronto, said gifts that involve experiences induce stronger emotions that can be more vivid than the reactions material gifts would evoke. A sincere moment spent with families and friends is priceless. You cannot buy the rare experiences of life. The actual experience of a family vacation and the nostalgic memories the trip make are worth more than a sweater you could wear for a couple of years. Since the holidays matter more when you spend time with your loved ones, a gift that reflects that principle is irreplaceable. Gift-giving is not about the gift itself, but rather the happy life moments we share with our family and friends. PAGE BY STEVEN LEFAIVE

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX (EDUCATION)

Opinion

Reproductive education has failed students nationwide By Batool Al-Jabiry

By Aishwarya Jayadeep Symbols are littered around the world — a square wearing a hat means “home,” a set of concentric arcs tells you how good your Wi-Fi is, the tag inside your shirt tells you whether it’s dry-clean only. But the most powerful symbols of all are people. Take, for instance, 7-yearold Amal Hussein, the Yemeni girl whose desolate, portrait, published in the New York Times, quickly became a symbol for her country’s ongoing famine. Then, after garnering international awareness and heartbreak, Hussein died, according to CNN. Just as Hussein herself turned into an emblem of the toll Yemen’s civil war has taken on its people, there are a myriad of other issues that are represented by a single “poster child.” People become rallying points largely because of the power of our own heartstrings to tug our attention in their direction. After all, we don’t understand cold statistics, we understand each other. And that knowledge is powerful when trying to generate a call to action for such urgent issues. Yet it’s much too easy to translate a person into an image that means “x crisis” and reduce their existence into that single snapshot. We have to remember that there is a life in need behind whatever photo is being shared on Facebook, and those lives must be treated with importance even before disaster strikes and turns them into our next rallying point. Tragedy cannot be the sole catalyst of our caring. Moreover, it’s not enough to just be aware of something; action must be taken. Whether it’s further spreading the message so it reaches people in power or whether it’s making a donation, we cannot treat our symbols as interesting relics to gawk at for a few seconds, easily forgotten. So the next time a person in the news catches your attention because they’re drenched in tragedy, remember they’re not just a human-interest story. Not just talking points for idle conversation. Not just disposable martyrs. They are lives in actual need, too.

TKTKTK caption

Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

THE MORE AWARE students are of the repercussions of sex, the safer their experiences will be.

Another issue with sex education is that there isn’t enough emphasis on the topic of consent. We need to be teaching youth

better as they approach college, where the party culture contains more instances of sexual assault and rape. According to Vox, 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted on

a college campus. It’s inevitable that high school students will have sex. Sex education needs to be more comprehensive.

WHY YOUR VOICE MATTERS IN POLITICS

A lack of interest in politics does not dampen the importance of voting

Infographic by Katelynn Ngo

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

“Don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant and die!” Although “Mean Girls’” Coach Carr’s approach to teaching sexual education is unusual, most students find the sexual education unit to be a laughing matter. As young freshmen, we giggled as our teachers lectured about genitalia, and many students found it an opportunity to use the word “penis” openly in the classroom. However, it isn’t the freshmen’s fault for not taking the unit seriously. Only as students get older does hookup culture become more prevalent among their peers. The average age students start having sex is around 17, according to Planned Parenthood. Having one unit on the topic of sexual education our freshman year is not enough. Young people should be continually educated about the risks and complications that come with having sex. The younger someone has sex, the more they are at risk for pregnancies and STIs. According to the CDC, people aged 13 to 24 accounted for an estimated 21 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2016, and nearly 210,000 babies were born to teen girls aged 15 to 19 in 2016. The problem isn’t that young people are having sex: it’s that they aren’t having safe sex and aren’t educated enough on the matter to make responsible choices.

RECENT MIDTERM ELECTIONS showed a noticeable difference between younger versus older voters.

By Katelynn Ngo I’ve never really been interested in politics, and usually, I avoid the topic whenever it comes up at the dinner table. Politics has always been a topic that’s been confusing to me, and I shied away from the heated conversations that I knew could result from it. But recently, during the midterm elections, I found myself unable to avoid politics. Every day, there was an endless influx of posts and tweets encouraging people to go vote, and I can say

for sure there wasn’t a shortage of “I voted!” stickers on social media. An example of this was a post on Instagram by Taylor Swift, who had previously been relatively quiet when it came to politics. With a follower count of 113 million, Swift’s reach among Americans, especially young people, is tremendous. “We want leadership, not fearbased extremism,” Swift wrote in the post’s caption. “Early voting goes till Thursday and Election Day is November 6. Please don’t sit this one out.”

If someone as politically closed-off as Taylor Swift was speaking out about the elections, I assumed they must be important. But I did not know much about the voting process. Was I even old enough to vote? How would I even go about registering to vote? According to the California Secretary of State website, at 16 years old, I could pre-register to vote online. When I turn 18, I’ll automatically be registered. If you’re already 18, then you don’t need to preregister. As I did my research, I realized how important it was to vote. Voting gives you the opportunity to voice your opinion in something that really matters, in a decision that will eventually directly affect you. Not to mention, voting is the basis of democracy. As high school students, we are the future’s labor force. Being able to have a say in how things will work in the future is important because our policies should fit our needs. No one else is more likely to vote in the interest of young people than young people themselves. Despite this, the young voter turnout in recent years has been relatively low.

According to the Census Bureau, people aged 18 through 24 have consistently voted at lower rates than other age groups. As Generation Z, we are next up in line to change this. Currently, the general voter turnout is only 60 percent for presidential elections, but we can increase that number greatly. It is our future, after all, so we should be the ones deciding what it looks like. Our votes matter, and a collective youth vote has the possibility to sway an election. Thanks in part to millenials, Barack Obama was elected for a second term as president in 2012, when he won 67 percent of the national youth vote, according to Politico. Although voting and politics might seem like an intimidating topic to dive into at first, young people can and should do so, because there is no legitimate reason not to. That’s why if you haven’t registered to vote yet, open up your phone or computer and do it immediately. All you need is a California driver’s license or identification card, and a desire to ensure your vision of the future becomes a reality. PAGE BY MELODY CHEN

Lifestyles

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

FWD:LOVE EMBARKS ON NEW FUNDRAISING PLAN

Club organizes events to aid others beyond school community

Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep

FWD:LOVE PLANS TO branch out from last year’s Gong Cha fundraiser and engage in more attempts to directly impact the surrounding community, as opposed to the school alone, club president junior Joyce Jeon said.

By Aarya Gupta and Aishwarya Jayadeep Bubble wrap. Stickers. Motivational notes. All of these are items students may have seen in the “Bags of Love” that pop up before second semester finals, thanks to fwd:Love. But now, the club has plans to expand its impact, president and junior Joyce Jeon said. “We started Bags of Love

and that was targeted to the Homestead population, but this year we want to experiment with the Sunnyvale-Cupertino population, the Bay Area population,” Jeon said. Junior and club vice president Riya Varma said she agreed, adding that the club’s focus has been narrower in past years.

“That was our initiative for this year, to expand fundraisers to help our surrounding community,” she said. Varma added that fwd:Love also hopes to employ more creative fundraising approaches to obtain more effective results. Initially, fwd:Love’s officer team attempted to do so by setting up a gift basket raffle to help the homeless during this

holiday season. “We were thinking of doing a donation of actual shoes and stuff like that, but I felt like at school, that wouldn’t be very effective, because it’s difficult for students to bring in those things,” Varma said. “So we were thinking about maybe extending that to workplaces outside of school, because parents and other people with things to donate are more inclined to, especially during the holiday season.” Unfortunately, Jeon said, the plan did not go through. “[The charity we chose] is a nonprofit, but not an approved nonprofit charity by the FUHSD board,” Jeon said. Despite this, their fundraising spirit remains undaunted. The club officers plan to research appropriate charities so as to hold a similar fundraiser for them during second semester, Jeon and Varma said. In fact, holding more fundraisers — not just increasing their reach — is another one of their goals. “While I’ve been part of the club, we’ve actually only had one fundraiser, and that was our Gong Cha fundraiser. We raised about $7!” Jeon said. But in the end, the officers said, impact mattered more than quantity. “That’s part of our club’s motto: ‘spread love, not only to the Homestead community, but to the community around us,’” Jeon said.

CHANGES MADE TO CLUB APPLICATION PROCESS

New procedures require more objective appraisals of clubs

By Kate Gabrielson and Dexter Tatsukawa Passionate students latch on to the opportunity to take their passions and incorporate them into on-campus organizations. These organizations then spread that passion to other students. “I play a huge role [in selecting new clubs],” ASB Vice President, Govind Menon, said. “I’m the one that’s behind the process.” This year, the process for creating new clubs has undergone several changes, Menon said. As ASB vice president, his job is to oversee and assist in enacting these changes. “A new thing this year is we’re going to have a rubric,” Menon said, “so [selecting new clubs is] less opinion-based and more factual-based: does this idea already exist at Homestead? Is it feasible? Are the events feasible? The officer team, do they seem like they can run a club?” The addition of the rubric to the application process is designed to reduce the effect that personal bias plays on which clubs get passed, Menon said. “The previous year, the problem was the opinions [of people selecting the clubs],” Menon said. “[They] had such strong opinions that swayed [them] to deny the clubs.” Menon recounted one particular issue that was encountered last year when selecting clubs. “We get a lot of clubs that are volunteer-based,” Menon

said. “For example, we had three UNICEF clubs that tried to get passed … we [ASB] felt that they didn’t have anything other than going out and volunteering, which we already had.” Clubs more likely to get passed include those with unique purposes, Menon said. This ensures that a diverse array of students are participating in organizations. “The martial arts club [was passed because] it seems like a dangerous club, but they had a lot of great ideas about [helping] with martial arts,” Menon said. “It’s a unique sport that’s not really taught here; that’s [an example of] a club that got passed which is unique.” Despite Menon’s heavy influence on the club application process, he said he has no say in the actual selection of specific clubs. “Of course, I don’t vote,” Menon said. “It’s up to leadership and admin that vote. As VP, I really want my clubs to get passed, I’m the one that’s behind the application process.” Although the new rubric will help eliminate some prejudice in the selection of clubs, the application process is still likely to be time-consuming for those students interested. Junior Lindsey Skidmore, who co-founded the Wilderness Adventures Club last year, said

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Skidmore

JUNIOR AND CO-FOUNDER of Wilderness Adventures Club Lindsey Skidmore (second from left) said the club application process, though difficult, is worth the effort.

that she believes the current system for new club applications is a hindrance to students who are interested in sharing their passions by starting new clubs. “The process is pretty difficult,” Skidmore said, “and you have to make sure that you know what you’re doing and have a clear vision for what you want the club to be.” Despite changes to the current club application process with the addition of the rubric,

Skidmore said, starting a club still requires one’s constant dedication. However, despite the all the work involved, Skidmore said she believes her efforts in helping to found the Wilderness Adventures Club paid off in the end due to the many students that it inspired. “Starting a new club is worth the time,” Skidmore said, “as long as you’re passionate about it and aren’t just starting it to cushion your college app[lication]s.”

HERE AND THERE

By Andrea Sun

Food. If we look at the 24 hours we have every day, food is one of the only constants. However, humans have taken their love for food a step beyond survival, creating gastronomy, the art or science of good eating. The criteria for “good food” is large. Today, fine dining and experimental fusion dishes seem to define “good food,” but what if we start with food that has been around for hundreds of years — food that is accessible to most people? Yes, I am talking about street food. Throughout my travels around the world, street food has become an easy and accessible way for my whole family to have a quick meal or immerse ourselves in local culture. In Singapore, hawker centers are the quickest way to grab a bite. Located in semi-enclosed buildings, rows of food stands serve a variety of dishes and desserts with each stand selling only a few dishes the chef has spent years mastering. Northeast of Singapore, the Taiwanese have homed in on a similar tradition: night markets. This time, the rows of food stands sit outside in an empty parking lot or a designated piece of land. On the other side of the Eastern Hemisphere, the Europeans have mastered many types of street food. In Belgium, lines of people wait for their carton of frites — or as we call them, french fries. Frites are eaten with more than just ketchup; the stands offer different combinations of mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce and more. 843 miles away, the Czech are setting up Christmas markets for the end-of-the-year festivities. Much like the Taiwanese and Singaporeans, each Christmas market stand sells its own specialty food, drink or product, such as the Czech chimney cake. Living in the Bay Area, we have the privilege of access to different cuisines and cultures, but the real joy is in the generations of mastery people have put into a particular dish from their home nations. Humans have truly grasped the art of food; now our responsibility is just to simply enjoy it. PAGE BY DEXTER TATSUKAWA

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Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Sexposé I

pends (42%) e D

)

No (17%)

ES P

Yes (83%) MA TIO

"Hooking up can hurt self esteem. There isn’t much substance. [It] helps with short term confidence, [but is] not as useful for long term.” -Jason Penilla [11]

Do you know anyone who has hooked up?

1-2 (13%) 3-4 (10%)

"[Commitment] shows dedication and that you really care for them, and you like them for more than just their looks.” -Nick Michelotti [10]

INF

Never (42%) 5+ (35%)

N o ( 15 %

INFORMATION FROM SURVEY OF 234 RESPONSES

How many times have you hooked up?

OM SURVEY OF 234 RESP ONS ES

No ion opin ) (10%

N FR ATIO ORM INF

"Consensual hookups give the same effect of euphoria as drugs but are less addictive and more safe.” -Niv Kavaler [11]

Yes (3

on Netflix. It was fun hanging out with him and seeing him start to feel better. Then I felt his arm wrap around me. I didn’t think anything of it. I thought he wanted to have a sense of reassurance after what he’s been through. All of a sudden, he pulled me closer and nuzzled his face in my neck. At that moment, the night started to change. Even today, that night still plays in my head. It was a fun night, but we agreed it was a “one-time thing,” and kept it that way. We are still friends, and we don’t intend on developing any further than that. It was the first time I hooked up with someone I wasn’t in a committed relationship with. And it wasn’t the last. As a teenager, it’s normal to have “strong urges.” Usually, when I hook up with someone, I’m only looking for intimacy, nothing serious. Of course, I would never force someone to fulfill my needs, only if they give or ask for my consent. However, sometimes I do hope for commitment. After a hookup, I ponder if I have feelings for the person, or vice versa. I contemplate if whatever relationship we have will develop into a meaningful, committed relationship, and if it’s something I really want. But I just have to ask myself, “Do I want to be in a relationship with this person because I feel a strong connection, or because I just want someone to fulfill my needs?” All in all, I don’t think hookups should be looked down upon. As long as you’re being safe and not having them get in the way of your life or other relationships, it’s normal for teenagers to engage in intimacy. There’s nothing wrong with having sexual urges, exploring your bodies or discovering what you want, it’s part of growing up, despite how taboo it is. Just make sure to stay smart, safe and respectful.

hadn’t been acting like himself. He usually talked loudly, but he was being quiet and distant. He wasn’t like the fun and energetic person he normally was. I felt something was wrong, but I was too hesitant to confront him. I was resting on my couch, when I heard my phone ding. We started having a friendly conversation, but he finally admitted he hadn’t been feeling well lately because his boyfriend ended their relationship. I wanted to comfort him, so I told him I was willing to keep him company for the night. He picked me up and we drove to his apartment. We went into his bedroom, sat on the bed and started talking about other topics so he could take his mind off the breakup. Later, we watched movies together

At the end of the night, he offered to bring me home. We drove in his car through the heavy rain. As I sat silently in the passenger seat, thoughts kept racing through my mind. What just happened? Was it worth it? Did I have feelings for him? Once he dropped me off, I hugged him, snuck inside, took a shower and laid in bed. That night replayed in my head like a broken record. We were good friends. He was a great person to talk with and we had the same interests. He had a fun and energetic personality, but I never saw him as more than just a friend. He had a boyfriend, and I thought they were a cute couple. He would talk about him and the moments they shared. They were like two puzzle pieces that fit together, but it wasn’t meant to be. I noticed he

Hookups: Good or Bad?

By Alfonso Pitco III

)

POV : Pillow Talk

Infographics by Katelyn Pan

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 telyn by Ka n o i t lustra

Pan

Hookups, line and sinker By Katelyn Pan “Sliding into the DMs” is a phrase commonly used and heard by teens, to express the ease of messaging someone they have romantic interest in. Today’s digital age has heralded a flock of social media platforms and dating apps that allow teens to flirt behind a carefully cultivated profile. On an app like Tinder, where 7 percent of its users according to a Tinder report are between the ages of 1317, users can swipe right or left based on the profiles of others, a process dependent on a maximum of six photos and a biography with a 500word limit. It’s a perfect metaphor for hookup culture, boiled down to a sexual encounter with none of the emotional strings that can come attached to long-term dating. But with the ease of

communication comes a consequence: according to an MSNBC report, teens are not dating much anymore. Hooking up has eclipsed the more timely process of courtship in favor of an era of physical benefits. According to a 2013 study by the American Psychological Association, 61 percent of sexually experienced teens reported a sexual encounter outside a dating relationship. The hookup phenomenon has not made dating obsolete. It has, however, created a new norm for adolescent relationships — or the lack thereof — and pushed the envelope in terms of acceptability in the sex lives of teenagers. English teacher James Ratti noted that the sexual lives of adolescents have not changed, but that media has helped fuel their efforts.

“[Hooking up] has always been happening; I think it’s easier now,” Ratti said. “With Tinder and Grindr, you literally can just order a sexual experience to come to your door, and that is different tvhan it has been in the past.” Although teenagers might enjoy the physical satisfaction of a hookup, the practice raises questions of its consequences. Hookups, like turning your head too quickly, can result in something akin to emotional whiplash. “I think the only thing that’s really ever bothered me, and that’s somebody who has participated, is the lack of communication,” Ratti said. “I think that a lot of people seem to forget the talking to your partner about, ‘hey is this just for funsies [sic], do we like each other, where is this going?’”

How teens became perverted animals By Lyndon Lee A

Hookup culture has plagued the youth of the nation, from college students to teenagers. Hooking up is promoted as a way to reduce stress and fulfill your sexual fantasies without the burden of responsibility that comes with a relationship. Teaching kids that sex is not exclusive to a relationship makes them irresponsible with their sexual desires, having explored their sexual fantasies much before being circumstantially or socially capable of maintaining a committed relationship. This irresponsibility manifests itself in poor decision making, which results in unwanted pregnancies and regret. As attractive as the idea sounds, the results have damaging effects on its participants. Hookups involving substance use and the lack of protection only increases instances of sexual assault and STIs, according to a 2013 study by the American

Psychological Association, as high levels of trust and commitment are not required. Toxic behavior within men surges when men are taught that it is acceptable to have sex with various individuals, and that they should not feel any remorse for it. Society should not hold the double standard that hookup culture is a progressive social reform, while telling men to stop desiring sexual intercourse with multiple women. Miscommunication is also a damaging factor, as the level of feelings differs with both the individuals in the pair. The expectation of a one-time thing is not always reality. Catching feelings for someone who does not feel the same towards you is devastating, and takes a massive toll on one’s emotional stability. Viewing sex as separate from relationships also prolongs the age when adults settle down and start a family,

as promiscuity becomes more prevalent than monogamy. The lack of emphasis on upholding the nuclear family replaced with emphasizing individual happiness creates negative environments for children to live in, as family is no longer the most important priority in society. This only contributes to the cycle of misguided adolescents who believe that exploring their sexuality in a reckless, liberal way is the key to self-fulfillment, and who make irresponsible choices regarding their sexual decisions. Sex has always been one of the fundamental pillars of committed relationships, which reduce the levels of bad decisions due to higher levels of trust and comfortability. The only merit to a hookup is its attraction, which draws its victim into a world of costly consequences and emotional instability.

PAGE BY LEIYONEE BOSÉ , LYNDON LEE A, KATELYN PAN, AND EDEN POLLITT

Spread

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Sexposé I

pends (42%) e D

)

No (17%)

ES P

Yes (83%) MA TIO

"Hooking up can hurt self esteem. There isn’t much substance. [It] helps with short term confidence, [but is] not as useful for long term.” -Jason Penilla [11]

Do you know anyone who has hooked up?

1-2 (13%) 3-4 (10%)

"[Commitment] shows dedication and that you really care for them, and you like them for more than just their looks.” -Nick Michelotti [10]

INF

Never (42%) 5+ (35%)

N o ( 15 %

INFORMATION FROM SURVEY OF 234 RESPONSES

How many times have you hooked up?

OM SURVEY OF 234 RESP ONS ES

No ion opin ) (10%

N FR ATIO ORM INF

"Consensual hookups give the same effect of euphoria as drugs but are less addictive and more safe.” -Niv Kavaler [11]

Yes (3

Hookups: Good or Bad?

By Alfonso Pitco III

)

POV : Pillow Talk

Infographics by Katelyn Pan

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 telyn by Ka n o i t lustra

Pan

How teens became perverted animals By Lyndon Lee A

PAGE BY LEIYONEE BOSÉ , LYNDON LEE A, KATELYN PAN, AND EDEN POLLITT

Lifestyles

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

MIDDLE COLLEGE OFFERS DIVERGENT ATMOSPHERE

De Anza experience varies in class structure, schedule By Shruti Magesh

use SchoolLoop, forcing students to be diligent in recording their assignments and homework. Students are also expected to turn certain assignments in to teachers’ personal websites, such as on WebAssign, Hu said. “The hardest part of adapting to middle college was the fact that we don’t have School Loop or other online tools, and t h e

ot Ph sy

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ou C of u

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The Middle College program is an option available to high school students who prefer a different learning environment academically, socially or emotionally, and allows students to combine high school and college classes, according to the FUHSD website. Students at Middle College take classes at De Anza College, and are required to have taken geometry in high school, junior Charles Hu, a former HHS student and recent addition to the Middle College program, said. Students are also required to take two high school courses each year, taught by FUHSD teachers on the De Anza campus, to satisfy high school graduation requirements, according to the FUHSD website. “The transition was slightly weird at first because I was taking both college and high school classes and it was kind of odd doing both at the same time,” Hu said. However, Middle College is not for everyone, and the transition from high school to Middle College is a drastic change in routine and manner for those who wish to attend,

Hu said. This is in part due to the college-like independent study atmosphere. “There’s a lot more emphasis on studying by yourself [than high school], and a lot more credit is put on tests,” Hu said. Classes begin around noon and end in the evening, around 6 or 7 p.m. This is a leap from high school schedules, which tend to run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m, Hu said. T h e Middle College schedule grants students more time for homework to be done in the morning, Hu said, but takes away time from any extracurriculars after school they may partake in. In addition, Middle College provides a cheaper path to college, as Middle College students can apply as transfer students instead of as freshmen, according to Hu. This can be viewed as a benefit to many students, according to Hu. Another distinction is that teachers at Middle College do not

DE ANZA’S MIDDLE College program integrates high school and college curriculum, and mirrors the framework of college classes..

teachers expect you to submit assignments on their personal websites or an appliance called WebAssign (or other programs) which cost a lot of money and are hard to find,” Hu said. Despite the several distinctions, there remain similarities between Middle College and high school. For the most part, the variety of classes offered at Middle College are similar to those offered at many high schools. Both tracks have dedicated English, history and math classes. There are also AP classes

offered at Middle College. according to the FUHSD website. Moreover, where friends and relationships are concerned, the environment is similar according to Hu. “Do be sure to make a lot of friends [at Middle College] because there are a lot of new people,” Hu said. “By the end of the first month, you will be perfectly friendly with everyone in the classroom, which is only true if you make the effort yourself.” Ultimately, Middle College is not meant for everyone, Hu said, and those who opt to attend should be accustomed to and enjoy the college environment and campus in order to be successful and satisfied. The campus itself is a lot bigger than normal high school campuses. Students also have oppurtunities to explore individual interests in the college enviornment, according to the FUHSD website. “[It’s] a different environment for those who enjoy learning in a college class more than a high school,” Hu said.

DEAR DAISY...

‘How do I separate my parents’ views from mine without being disrespectful?’ From a young age, we are molded by our parents —they teach us how to talk, walk, eat and think. But, as we grow older, we begin to figure out who we are and the things that we genuinely support. Your life encounters create empirical thought, or decisions based on experiments and observations. These encounters help you determine who you like, what you are interested in, and your beliefs, whether they be political or religious. Having your own thoughts and views, whether they be political, religious or sexual, are normal and are expected. Different outlooks on topics stimulate the cultural development of society. For example, those who went against the grain and expressed their thoughts about women’s equality and protested for equal rights, paved the way for others to protest along with them. There will always be a struggle when expressing different views or lifestyles but that fight to find people who accept you, makes it easier for you to be yourself. Parents are tricky: they are kind of like teens but with money. They yell, oversleep, fight with their own parents and struggle with stress, too. The best way to express your feelings is to do so when they are calm and not busy. Just tell them your opinion and explain why you have made your decision. Be sure to reassure them that you still respect their

beliefs and hope that they can respect yours as well. After all, parents want what they think is best for their children, however, what they believe is best may diverge from children’s personal interests and ambitions.Your interests are what matter to you. They may differ from your parents but that is just the way life is sometimes. When telling your parents, be aware of push back. Stay calm listen and respect their views just as you wish they would respect yours. The push back that you may encounter with your parents may be because they might not accept you for your beliefs and that is something that needs to be acknowledged. Some parents may not be okay with your choices and that is the harsh truth. You have to keep positive people around you who love and support you. Not everyone will love who you are, so you have to accept yourself. Gain your pride and have no shame in being who you are.

Illustration by Hana Baig

Struggling in school? Need advice about friends? Having relationship troubles? Scan the QR Code to ask Daisy a question! PAGE BY ANASTASSIA DARDENNE

Lifestyles

ROBOTICS

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

FOR

S E I M DUM

Robotics team works toward success throughout season

By Nicole Fuller

a Jayadeep

Illustration by Aishwary

Students know that the robotics team exists, but that’s about all they know. So what does the team actually do? The robotics team functions just like every other club on campus, consisting of officer positions including presidents, vice presidents, designers and leaders, or “leads.” “Leads are responsible for coding and electronics,” robotics vice president Jannie Zhong said. “The leads are more there to guide people, but everyone works together.” The robotics team works throughout the school year, with first semester acting as offseason training and second semester as competition season, Zhong said. “Generally, during first semester, we teach the new members from the basics up,” Zhong said. “If you

have no experience, you go to our workshops during first semester and we build up your fabrication skills by teaching you how to work with power tools, program and design.” During second semester, which is the team’s build season, members take the skills they learned in first semester and build a robot. This year, the team will be going to Flagstaff, Arizona, and will be visiting San Jose State University for two regional competitions. If they are successful, they will go to Houston for championships. Just like any sports league, competitions work in a typical tournament style, consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Each robotics team plays about eight matches and then receives an overall ranking based on wins and losses before heading to playoffs. As the team makes its way into second semester, members are not only progressing work on their robot, but constantly bonding while in the shop. Robotics team president Rohit Ghosh in particular said he is excited about how the season is going so far. Robotics is known to be very

STEM-based, which can often be intimidating for students who have no idea how coding and robotics works, but there is no need to fear, Zhong said. “One misconception is that it is really complicated and if you don’t have prior knowledge then you can’t do it,” Zhong said. “A lot of people get really overwhelmed by the general environment, but all you have to do is ask questions about what you don’t understand and little by little it becomes a lot clearer.” Even while new members rush to learn the basics of robotics and

STEM, Ghosh said there is no need to stress. Meetings usually have a relaxed, yet focused feel to them. Most of the time, team members are working on getting parts of the robot done, but there are always conversations and jokes going on in the background, Ghosh said. “There’s a much bigger sense of community in the club, and coming out of the best season of our 17-year history last year,” Ghosh said, “we’re all extremely excited and determined to do even better this year.”

Photo courtesy of Kevin Ham

THE ROBOTICS TEAM spends first semester preparing for the competitions they attend during second semester.

REALITY OF WEARING A BAND JACKET MEGAN RUPE RECOUNTS Band’s demanding time commitments DEVELOPING INTERESTS

Practices usually entail running laps, visual and music warm ups and drills to prepare for performances and competitions. “[There were] a lot of things I just had to give up for marching b a n d , ” freshman Rachel Shin Illustration by Aishwarya Jayadeep said, who has PUTTING ON A band jacket means making a been in band commitment to long hours of practice and work. since fourth grade. “I had to stop my art classes because they By Katelynn Ngo interfered with band.” Even though she had to stop Whether it’s at the taking her art classes, Shin said Homecoming parade or she still makes time for artistic during rallies, marching activities, such as drawing and band is something that has painting. always been ubiquitous on Although marching band campus. But there’s a lot might make up a large part of that goes into making these a student’s schedule, it can be appearances as spirited and handled through good time precise as possible. management, junior Aidan Lin With practices on said. Mondays, Thursdays and “It’s a challenge — it has been Saturdays, the amount for three years — but I think it of time band members teaches me to get on top of my spend getting ready for work, to do work before practice performances equates and be efficient and procrastinate to 14 hours a week, band less than I usually would,” Lin, members said. People who who plays the flute and has been may be interested in joining in marching band since freshman band should be aware of the year, said. “Really, it’s just about extensive time commitment getting a feel for it.” it requires.

Although marching band may be a big commitment, it does come with benefits, Shin said. “Some of my most memorable moments are before football games or competitions, the flutes all gather and huddle and we do this weird chant and I just feel really inspired,” Shin said. “It gives the sense that you belong somewhere.” The trips that members go on are another part of why students claim marching band is so memorable, Lin and Shin said. Band members visited Indianapolis this past November, drawing from it many notable and special experiences. “We get to compete together and practice together, and that builds community,” Lin said. “We were able to explore Indianapolis together with a group of friends, and watch other bands, too. It was just a really cool experience.” Lin also participates in different extracurricular activities outside of band. Although Lin dedicates himself to marching band, he still makes time for other hobbies, such as dancing. “Outside of marching band, I really like to dance. I’m in our school’s KREW for K-pop dancing,” Lin said. Both members said they believe that marching band has been a great opportunity, and they don’t regret joining.

English teacher shares philosophy, advice

Photo by Andrea Sun

ENGLISH TEACHER MEGAN Rupe’s favorite part about teaching literature is being able to make connections.

By Andrea Sun English teacher Megan Rupe laughs as she talks to former and current students gathered around her desk. Throughout tutorial, individual students approach Rupe for help and she welcomes them with advice. Rupe was born and raised in Cupertino and attended CHS. She later went to San Jose State University. Rupe has taught at HHS for five years, the only school that she has ever taught at, she said. Rupe said she had always wanted to be a teacher, though in the past, her passion was history. “I think the idea of teaching started circulating after the 2000 election,” Rupe said. “My parents bought me a little book of presidents and I was obsessed with it, and that is when I started thinking, ‘I’m really interested in history, maybe I will become a history teacher.’”

Later in college, though, Rupe said she realized she had already learned most things in her history classes at the college level. However, she discovered that her literature classes were more compelling. “Not to say that history is static, but literature is always changing as society is changing and I just felt that was more relevant to what I wanted to do,” Rupe said. Rupe said she believes strongly in the connection literature has with a person’s life, such as reflection on who you are, what your values are and how you operate within society. As for her teaching philosophy, Rupe said teaching is about benefiting the student. “Ultimately, I want kids to think that literature is relevant to their lives,” Rupe said, “and that those skills that we’re learning in the process of exploring literature can continue to develop over time.” PAGE BY NICOLE FULLER

Sports

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

THE ‘WRIGHT’ CHOICE FOR BOYS BASKETBALL

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: SUNNY ARATTUKULAM

Boys varsity basketball head coach Matt Wright wasn’t originally a basketball person. “I played football all four years of high school, at [LHS], and as weird as this is, my football coach was [former boys varsity basketball head coach Shawn Hook],” Wright said. “He convinced me to come out and p l a y o n e year o f oto

By Eden Pollitt

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BASKETBALL PLAYS A major role in senior Sunny Arattukulam’s high school experience.

Photos by Nicole Fuller and Izzy La Rue

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more consistent in those areas],” Arattukulam said, “I can become a weapon.” Though wanting to still grow his capabilities, Arattukulam admits he calls players out to keep everyone level-headed. “I don’t think of myself as greater than anyone else on the team and I make sure none of the other guys do either,” Arattukulam said. Arattukulam said his leadership skills are what allow him to stand out. “He’s someone who’s not afraid to call out his teammates and set the team in the right direction,” Wright said. “I really appreciate that he’s kind of like an extra coach on the court at times for me.” Overall, Arattukulam said he looks forward to leading the varsity team to a victory over Mountain View High School. “Everyone thinks they already have the league won but I want to show them a wake up call,” Arattukulam said. He is also determined to win CCS this year, he said. “...If I can contribute to a win then that’s probably what I care about the most,” Arattukulam said.

JV basketball just to stay in shape for football. It was one year of JV basketball and that was it.” But while basketball wasn’t always his forte, Wright said, coaching has always been one of his passions. As a football player, he assumed if he ever went into the field, he would coach football. After earning a minor from UC Santa Barbara in athletic coaching, that plan seemed secure. “But then I had a connection with Coach Hook here [at HHS], who was coaching basketball,” Wright said. “I didn’t know much about the sport, but I picked it up just from hanging out with him and coming to his practices.” Over time, Wright became steadily more involved in HHS’s athletic program. Since 2013, he said, he’s been working in the basketball program in roles from assistant coach to JV head coach. Watching the triumphs of the teams he’s coached is one of the rewards of being involved. “One of my favorite memories

was as an assistant coach to varsity,” Wright said. “In 2014 we went to CCS, and we upset Piedmont Hills High School in a massive upset in the quarterfinals. We were the big-time underdogs able to knock them down.” As head coach for varsity now, Wright said he plans to make more memories, hoping to take the first steps towards that goal at the upcoming December 14 game at FHS, where the varsity team also has a new head coach. “We’re hoping to start a new tradition, a new rivalry ... and a trophy that’ll be exchanged each year with the winners,” Wright said. “We haven’t decided what we’re going to call it yet, because we’re not gonna call it ‘Battle of the Bell.’” Of course, Wright also anticipates seeing the varsity team in action, he said. “We’ll see what happens this year, but I’m hoping it’ll be a successful year,” he said.

“ONE OF MY favorite memories was as an assistant coach to varsity,” boys varsity basketball head coach Matt Wright said. “In 2014, we went to CCS ... the furthest Homestead had ever made it before.”

AIR QUALITY TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS ATHLETICS Photo by Kate Gabrielson

Senior Sunny Arattukulam’s hard work and determination has paid off, as he is now captain of the boys varsity basketball team. Arattukulam started his basketball career in second grade. He has continued by playing on the HHS basketball team all four years. Arattukulam said his experience with basketball goes deeper than the superficial appearance of playing on a high school team. “When I was a kid, I was going through some rough family situations and a lot of times I depended on basketball to get me out of it,” Arattukulam said. “I had a lot of friends who were doing drugs, so basketball was the only thing that really kept me away. It kept my head straight.” In addition to personal trials and tribulations, the transition from sophomore year to junior year also proved to be a trying task, he said. “Sophomore year he was a starter for me and then last year he was on a team that was stacked with talent and a lot of senior players,” head coach Matt Wright said. Despite his lack of playing time junior year, Arattukulam said he continued to work hard at practices and trained on his own time at the gym. “I know that’s a struggle because it’s hard to get yourself to practice and give 100 percent when you know you may not play,” Wright said. “But he understood that the work he was putting in was going to benefit him down the road.” Arattukulam said he is not done putting in work this season, and he hopes to improve his offensive versatility and shooting. “[Once I become

By Aishwarya Jayadeep

Dependent on the game

New varsity head coach discusses journey

The winter s p o r t s season has gotten off to a slow start. Due to the dangerous air quality resulting from wildfires, practices have been put on hold for weeks. With league games about to begin, the lack of practice time has been a setback for teams. The district decides whether or not practices, conditioning and games are allowed on certain days of the year at the five school sites, Athletic Director Steve Lavelle said in an email. If the district passes a ruling, it is the decision of each school’s principal. Some teams, including the boys varsity basketball team and the girls varsity soccer team, met during their allotted practice times, despite unhealthy conditions. “We have had some indoor practices where we played indoor

Seasons put on hold as fires burn in Northern California By Nicole Fuller and Kate Gabrielson soccer, and one practice we had a team meeting in the P.E. classroom,” varsity soccer player and senior Ali Ambach said. The canceled practices are taking a toll on teams considering that indoor practices are not typically part of their seasons, Ambach said. “Not practicing definitely made our team rusty,” Ambach said. “We practiced on Wednesday and a lot of us seemed to be less prepared for soccer than we have been.” Similarly, the boys basketball team held an indoor meeting and took the opportunity to discuss past games and strategize without physical activity. “Wednesday they said it was canceled but we still decided to watch game film from our scrimmage on Tuesday night,” boys varsity basketball coach Matt Wright said. The team scrimmaged the following night against Washington High School and Wright made “heavy rotations to

keep kids fresh,” since they hadn’t been able to practice. “It’s pretty tough when guys can’t continuously keep their cardio going,” Wright said. Senior Sunny Arattukulam agreed that the lack of practice has been hard on the team. “Not being able to practice or play because of the air quality has been really tough for the team and I because all of us are so committed to winning the league championship and CCS ... we feel like it’s getting between us and our goal of bringing a championship to Homestead,” Arattukulam said. Now that the air has cleared up, the team is working hard to get back into shape and prepare for the rest of the season. “Despite not being able to practice or play for a full week we got one practice in and won our first game that goes to our record this season,” Arattukulam said. “Hopefully this is the start of many wins this season.”

UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY as a result of the Northern California wildfires has put winter sports teams’ seasons on hold for weeks, and they have been forced to find ways to make up for a lack of crucial practice time. PAGE BY HARLEY ANDERSON

Sports Wednesday, December 5, 2018 15 THE REALITIES OF SEXISM IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS From uniforms to practice times, girls feel marginalized

By Nicole Fuller The fight for equal rights in sports continues, even in high school, where there are students who are skeptical of sexism on campus. “[We] work hard to have equity throughout our sports programs here at Homestead,” Athletic Director Steve Lavelle said in an email. But within the athletics community, intentionally or not, there have been several concerns among female athletes in regards to male athletes receiving better treatment. The students involved said none of these concerns were ever brought to the coaches or athletics directors, so no action was taken on any of the following matters. The cross country team encountered a dress code issue during the 2017 season. “Early during cross country season, it was hot so my teammates and I would usually just wear sports bras during our runs because it’s more comfortable,” senior Sophie Jacquemin said. “The entire team was told that we aren’t allowed to take our shirts off and that the girls on the team weren’t allowed to have our sports bras showing when we were racing.” Uniforms provided by the school are made to fit the dress code, but what the athletes wear to practice has always been up to them. “The dress code for sports

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teams should follow the district a n d school dress code we currently have in p l a c e , but also with the concession that athletes need to dress in appropriate active wear that helps them perform at their best while either on or in the field of play,” Lavelle said. Even with both girls and boys being reprimanded about the dress code, Jacquemin still was bothered by the situation. “I was upset because it was not only unreasonable but basically

impossible to meet since our uniforms are racer backs. I do not believe that a bra strap is something that should be hidden because it is a necessity to perform,” Jacquemin said. “Isn’t it sexist if girls are asked to act, behave or wear something differently just because we’re girls?” Senior cross country runner Sahil Morchi was present during the team meeting where the dress code was addressed, and agreed that it was biased against females. “Although both the boys and the girls were told to adhere to the dress code, I felt like it was targeted at the girls. The sports

bra is an essential part of their uniform so it shouldn’t have been an issue,” Morchi said. An additional dispute focuses on the allocation of the fields that the soccer teams play on. Of course, during football season, the football teams have priority over the use of the football field, but the field is available to other sports teams while football is in the offseason. Currently, the boys varsity soccer team uses the stadium field for all their practices. The distribution of the fields is determined by the team coaches as well as Dean Steve Puccinelli. “Before every season, Mr. Puccinelli, the administrator in charge of athletics here at Homestead, holds a facilities meeting with the coaches and they work together on what fields will be used when.” Lavelle said “No team is given priority over the other. The coaches work it out.” Junior Alexa Maletis said she has noticed the trend of the boys team possibly being favored when it comes to who practices in the stadium. “[The boys varsity soccer coach] has always insisted on having the stadium because they want to be able to use the field lights to give them an extra 30 minutes of practice. He has said that we can use it one day a week but it’s pretty unfair to me,” Maletis said. “If it were up to me, I’d split the field time in half, like Monday the boys get it, Tuesday the girls and we

alternate for Thursday.” On the other hand, junior Aidan Jones, who plays on the boys varsity soccer team, said he believes it makes sense that the boys get to use the stadium more than the girls. “Even before anyone started practicing in the stadium [the girls soccer team] would end around 30 minutes sooner than we did, and the lights only come on in the stadium for those last 30 minutes.” Jones said, “I don’t think it’s necessarily sexist, I just think it’s purely based on our practice times.” Whether it’s the dress code or the distribution of fields, Lavelle said coaches and captains are trained to practice equity in roster selection, practice protocol and player treatment with disciplinary issues. He highlighted the measures that HHS and FUHSD have taken to ensure both male and female athletes are treated with respect and equality. “HHS Athletics is mandated by the California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s school sports organization, to follow the Title IX law,” Lavelle said. “For instance, we welcomed a female Homestead athlete onto the football team this year and she was treated fairly and well by her coaches and teammates throughout the season. A district coaches handbook … also outlines fair and just treatment of athletes at any high school [in our district].”

Page by Ryan D’Amour

Beomyoung Sohn (MFA 2012)

Where will your vision take you? saic.edu/ug APPLY BY JANUARY 15 CLASSES BEGIN FALL 2019 MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE SAIC ADMISSIONS | 312.629.6100 | saic.edu/ug | ugadmiss@saic.edu PAGE BY RYAN D’AMOUR

un By Andrea S

Photo courtesy of One Rent

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Last Word

Hints of seafood, mushroom and taro can be recognized in every corner of the house. A glow of bubbly warmth encircles our home as the winter chill plagues the evening. A warm stew sits in the middle of the table as my family gathers around with plates and forks in each hand. Bubbles begin to rise up the soup signaling our turn to put the food in. During the holiday season, my family prepares a steaming hot pot filled with thinly sliced meat, wontons, tofu and vegetables with rice and Shacha sauce. Hot pot is an irresistible pastime in

By Melody Chen

the h

PAGE BY MELODY CHEN, EMILY CHOI, ANASTASSIA DARDENE, IZZY LA RUE AND ANDREA SUN

be a reflection of the red and green postcard image. Christmas is unique for everyone and I celebrate the wonderful times I can afford to receive with my family.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

and his narcissistic friend Zahid. “The Twilight Zone” is a classic in every sense of the word. The series ran from the late ‘50s to the early ‘60s with creator Rod Serling writing 80 episodes over four seasons. The show is a mix of sci-fi and horror and comes with a new mystery. Each episode has a different storyline, and the black and white film of the program makes it a suspenseful watch. Similar to “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” leaves the audience feeling eerie and mind-blown from the many twists and turns. Every episode is independent from the others and is based on one of the many short murder stories invented by Alfred Hitchcock, a British filmmaker from the 20th century known for his horror and sci-fi movies. All of these TV shows are a perfect way to spend time during the holiday break. Don’t waste any time and start binge watching now!

By Anastassia Dardenne and Izzy La Rue Wayne before he became Batman, and Jim Gordon, a detective who becomes the Gotham city police commissioner. It also shows the backstory of all of the super villains. If you are a fan of Batman comic books or DC, this show is definitely for you. However, if superheroes are not your thing, consider watching the Netflix Original series “Atypical.” This twoseason show revolves around the world of Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old. The show is funny at times and heartbreaking at others. It includes a wide variety of interesting and lovable characters such as Sam’s protective younger sister Casey

adds to the spirit of the holidays. Some of these hot pot foods have important meanings behind it. Noodles symbolize longevity. A tofu knotted into a bow represents luck and fortune. Stewed in the pot, these elements come together as the hope for our family to have. The holiday season does not have to

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it to capture the very realistic and embarrassingly awkward moments of everyday life. Soon you will find yourself enjoying Jim pranking Dwight and Michael making his employees uncomfortable with his shenanigans. Overall, the show, and especially the crazy intercharacter dynamics (the friendships, the love stories and the enmity) are classic, and remain hilarious even after several viewings. If you’re tired of comedies, consider watching “Gotham,” a series about Bruce

Photo courtesy of FOX

Ta i w a n . People relish it during the winters and airconditioned summers. However, none of the hot pot restaurants beat the cozy goodness prepared on our own during Christmas Eve. My family does not celebrate Christmas with the traditional trees and lights, yet my family’s hot pot tradition blends the symbols of love and kindness that are integral during the holiday season. The warmth of being together as a family and celebrating the year that we cherished

Finding warmth in

Photo courtesy of NBC

With holiday break coming in a few weeks, students are going to find themselves with more spare time than usual. One way to fill this time is watching TV shows such as “The Office,” “Gotham,” “Atypical,” “The Twilight Zone” or “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” The one show that everyone should watch is “The Office.” The show is full of iconic dry humor perfectly delivered by actors Steve Carell (Michael Scott), John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute) and Jenna Fischer (Pam Halpert). The first season is by far the most boring and awkward of the nine seasons and is not representative of the show. If you stick it out, the rest is incredible and is filmed like a documentary of office life in America, allowing

Recommendations for the HULU-days

Home for the Holidays

Wednesday, December 5, 2018