O RACLE the mountain view high school
IN-DEPTH p8-9
student newspaper
September 21, 2018 Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1
|
The stories of ELD
www.mvhsoracle.com | send letters to the editor, subscription requests, and suggestions to admin@mvhsoracle.com
District explores suspension alternatives Claire Pan clairep@mvhsoracle.com A persisting disproportionality in suspensions among Special Education and Latino students increased over the 2017-18 school year, according to the Local Control Accountability Plan presented at the June 11 board meeting. The district will continue to explore alternatives to suspension, especially focusing on disciplinary programs regarding substance abuse for the 2018-19 school year. While the district’s suspension rate remains relatively low, with 1.3 percent receiving out-ofschool suspensions according to a 2015 census, that rate increased by 1.1 percent in the 20172018 school year. Furthermore, MVHS has experienced a significant jump in suspensions for socioeconomically disadvantaged and special education students, with 3.3 percent and 3.7 percent increase, respectively. Students are suspended from one to five days for violating rules in the California Education Handbook and can only be suspended for violating California Education 48900, the law that regulates school rules and discipline.
Mateo Kaiser ADMINISTRATION: takes steps to find more effective and constructive alternatives to out-of-school suspensions.
Superintendent Jeff Harding said he believes suspension does not always best serve students, saying that using suspension as a consequence rarely rehabilitates students. “Oftentimes, students who violate school rules have academic issues,” Harding said. “Keeping them out of class doesn’t necessarily improve that. On one hand, we try to minimize
District pilots new parent conference system Samir Srivastava samirs@mvhsoracle.com A new system for parentteacher conferences is being put in place this school year, allowing parents to set up meetings with teachers throughout the school year. In previous years, there were two days during the month of October in which parents could sign up to meet with their students’ teachers between 3-7pm. Parents had to request a meeting almost immediately, as most teachers would fill up their 24 slots quickly. If all slots had been filled for a specific teacher, then parents would be unable to meet with them during parentteacher conferences. The changes that have been implemented for the 2018-
2019 school year are a radical departure from the old system. The intention for these changes, according to Spanish teacher and District Teachers Association President David Campbell, is to make teachers more accessible by parents, and allow them to put in requests to meet with teachers at any point during the school year. Campbell said teachers are required to set aside one day per week in which theyNegin are Shahiar most available to meet with parents, and set up meetings from any requests they may receive. There is an online registration that is located on the MVHS website. On the left-hand side under ‘Parent Resources’, there is a ‘Parent-Teacher Conferences’ tab in which parents can request continued CONFERENCES| p. 16
In this issue
the amount of school they miss, but at the same time, we try to send a clear message when a violation has occurred.” Harding said that for different students, suspension can have varying effects; some students benefit from time apart to think about their actions, while suspension increases rebellious behavior in others. He said suspension may be beneficial
to other students who witness this behavior, as it sends a clear message that the student has crossed a line. A large problem that stems from suspension is that it prevents students from learning in a classroom environment. “The student’s academic path has been altered while they are out. It affects their education because they are not allowed to
come to school,” Principal David Grissom said. Not only does suspension remove a student from their academic and social environment, but for students with behavioral issues who already feel disconnected from school, suspension can negatively impact them as they are being forcibly removed from the community. “Think about what we’re saying when we suspend a kid. We’re saying, ‘You can’t come here, we’re not going to educate you for a couple of days, whatever the issue is.’ Personally, I think that’s a big thing to say to kids,” Grissom said. An alternative to suspension is restorative justice, a program that helps students talk about their issues so that they can reduce the number of days they are out of school, consequently helping them with the mental aspect of suspension. Restorative justice is a practice where students are able to talk to one another after an altercation, helping foster reconciliation between the offender and the victim. Though this method is effective, it is not used very often. The issue, as Grissom pointed continued DISCIPLINE| p. 16
Students engage in community and individual empowerment in Soulforce
Courtesy of Samantha Sasaki STUDENTS: engaged in a five day intensive workshop to headstart their projects.
Claire Pan clairep@mvhsoracle.com Through the Soulforce Leadership program held this summer, MVHS students have been sparked to make changes in their commu-
nity and advocate for social justice. The program, which is offered over the summer, guides students to foster love while naming injustice in their community. Soulforce’s program, a community of young leaders who take action on
local issues, works to create a community that separates everyone’s differences to create a future filled with love, equity, and justice for everyone. Over the summer, members of Soulforce focused on learning about the different facets of non violence and oppression, reading case studies and books focusing on the injustice in society. By researching this, students in the second phase of the program were able to pinpoint specific issues in their lives and implement projects for change, whether it was a personal change or an issue relating to the community. MVHS senior Samantha Sasaki, a young leader at Soulforce, applied Soulforce’s core values when creating her podcast “Thinking Out Loud.” Sasaki’s twenty to thirty minute podcast, which is yet to be
continued SOULFORCE | p. 16
NEWS 1, 15, 16 OPINIONS 2, 3 PEOPLE 4, 5 SPORTS 6, 7 IN-DEPTH 8,9 HUMOR 10, 11 ARTS&CULTURE 12, 13, 14
2011 New band 52 Prime | p.5
Sonja Parker | p.6
Global Glimpse | p.12
Artists of MVHS | p.13
2
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
opinions |
Editorial
Nisha Malley Editor-in-Chief Adri Penix Managing Print Editor Mateo Kaiser Managing Web Editor Ethan Huang Rhys Wheaton Ava Hinz Claire Anderson
External Business External Business Internal Business Internal Business
Valeria Gonzalez Samantha Fong Izzy Scotti Renée Remsberg Ana Mata Ria Saxena Samir Srivastava
Print News Print Opinions Print People Print In Depth Print Arts & Culture Print Humor Print Sports
Co inv mmu olv nit em y en t
Easier scheduling
Emma Cahill Photo Editor Julia Wagner Graphics Editor Akhand Dugar Video Editor Orianna Schwartz Abby Porter Madison Dunkle Suhail Kumar Katherine Wang Emer Martinez Reeya Vasishta Jess Gillson Navi Chawla Janya Sundar
Web News Web Features Web Sports Web Entertainment Social Media News Beat Head Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor
Staff Writers Claire Pan Marcella Sakols Aiden Stein Amy Beare Adviser Steven Kahl Teacher
O R AC L E Send letters to the editor, story ideas, comments, concerns, and inquiries about guest writing to: The Oracle Mountain View High School 3535 Truman Avenue Mountain View, CA 94040 or Email us at admin@mvhsoracle.com The Oracle does not necessarily represent the views of the MVLA Unified High School District. Oracle publications have been established as designated public forums for student journalists to inform, challenge, and entertain readers and viewers with accurate reports and thoughtful perspectives, where information has been impartially gathered and thoroughly verified. We strive for accuracy and fairness, to cover the total school population and to meet high standards of journalistic ethics. The Mountain View High School Oracle newspaper and Oracle Online are student publications whose content is chosen and whose production is facilitated entirely by students. The student editorial board makes final decisions on all content of the newspaper and website. Visit www.mvhsoracle.com for the full text of our editorial policy.
Increased school spirit
Field lights: a benefit to the MVLA community Oracle Staff admin@mvhsoracle.com The MVLA community has been in dispute over the pending installation of stadium lights on the MVHS and LAHS football fields. Neighbors have voiced concerns regarding traffic, noise and light pollution, and safety. However, we believe that through effective compromise, the installation of field lights can be a positive addition to both the school and the surrounding neighborhood. Having permanent field lights will better accommodate student activities such as sports and performing arts; however, we also recognize the importance of acknowledging arising concerns. According to Superintendent Jeff Harding, the district plans to assemble a task force, including students, parents, neighbors, and other interest groups, that will provide feedback on the installation of field lights. We advocate that this task force continue beyond
Traducción: Mateo Kaiser mateok@mvhsoracle.com La comunidad de MVLA ha estado en disputa por la instalación pendiente de las luces del estadio en los campos de fútbol de MVHS y LAHS. Los vecinos han expresado su preocupación con respecto al tráfico, el ruido y la contaminación lumínica, y la seguridad.
Creemos que los beneficios de las luces de campo los hacen una inversión valiosa y duradera Sin embargo, creemos que a través de un compromiso efectivo, la instalación de las luces de campo puede ser una adición positiva a la escuela y al
the installation to acknowledge such concerns and create strict guidelines for field light usage. In addition, we support the light installation so long as the district prohibits third parties from renting the athletic field, in order to mitigate its negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
We feel the benefits of field lights make them a worthwhile and long lasting investment MVLA remains the only high school district in Clara County without field Without lights, athletic
public Santa lights. teams
vecindario circundante. Tener luces de campo permanentes acomodará mejor las actividades de los estudiantes, como deportes y artes escénicas; sin embargo, también reconocemos la importancia de reconocer las preocupaciones que surgen. Según el superintendente Jeff Harding, el distrito planea reunir un grupo de trabajo, que incluye estudiantes, padres, vecinos y otros grupos de interés, que proporcionará comentarios sobre la instalación de las luces de campo. Abogamos por que este grupo de trabajo continúe más allá de la instalación para reconocer tales inquietudes y crear pautas estrictas para el uso de luz de campo. Además, apoyamos la instalación liviana siempre que el distrito prohíbe a terceros alquilar el campo de deportes, a fin de mitigar su impacto negativo en el vecindario circundante. MVLA sigue siendo el único distrito de escuelas secundarias públicas en el condado de Santa Clara sin luces de campo. Sin luces, los equipos deportivos deben mantener sus prácticas y juegos antes del atardecer, lo que genera conflictos de programación en el campo de césped
Julia Wagner
must hold their practices and games before sunset, leading to scheduling conflicts on the turf field between multiple teams. The time constraints also cause athletes to periodically miss their sixth period classes. Furthermore, early game times reduce spectatorship. MVHS night events made possible by rental lights have drawn larger crowds than afternoon games, as it is more convenient for most community members to attend later games. Increased spectatorship bolsters both school spirit and revenue for the school made through ticket and snack shack sales. Some in opposition to lights have advocated using temporary rental lights or host games at Foothill Community College. However, the Foothill field is not guaranteed to the MVLA district, and ideal game times are difficult to secure as the district must make reservations four to six months in advance. Foothill’s out of the way
location also discourages potential spectators.
entre varios equipos. Las limitaciones de tiempo también causa que los atletas periódicamente faltan de sus clases de sexto período.
miembros de la comunidad asistir a los juegos posteriores. El aumento en el número de espectadores refuerza el espíritu escolar y los ingresos de la escuela a través de la venta de boletas y tentempiés. Algunos, en oposición a las luces, han recomendado usar luces temporales o juegos en el estadio de Foothill Community College. Sin embargo, el campo de Foothill no está garantizado para el distrito de MVLA, y los tiempos de juego ideales son difíciles de asegurar ya que el distrito debe hacer reservaciones con cuatro o seis meses de anticipación. La ubicación de Foothill fuera del camino también desalienta a los espectadores potenciales. En general, creemos que los beneficios de las luces de campo los hacen una inversión valiosa y duradera, incluso a un precio total de $ 1.3 millones para ambas escuelas. Instamos a la junta escolar a proceder con la instalación de las luces de campo, pero también queremos mantener involucrado el equipo de trabajo para garantizar que todas las partes estén representadas y que sus inquietudes se cumplan con las medidas adecuadas.
MVLA sigue siendo el único distrito de escuelas secundarias públicas en el condado de Santa Clara sin luces de campo Además, los tiempos de juego reducen el número de espectadores. Los eventos nocturnos de MVHS que fueron posibles gracias a las luces de alquiler atrajeron a más personas que los juegos de la tarde, porque es más conveniente para la mayoría de los
MVLA remains the only public high school in Santa Clara County without field lights Overall, we feel the benefits of field lights make them a worthwhile and long-lasting investment, even at a price tag of about $1.3 million for both schools. We urge the school board to proceed with the installation of field lights but also keep the task force involved to ensure that all parties are represented and their concerns are met with appropriate action.
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
3
| opinions
A paw-sitive new policy Not the last straw Making ESAs more easily available
Jess Gillson jessicag@mvhsoracle.com
When I was in eighth grade, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Over the next year and a half, my mental health progressively worsened and I spent a lot of time unable to attend school. I often felt alone, like no one was there for me. My dog, Bailey, helped me through some of the hardest times when no one else could. When I first met Bailey, she had recently been saved from the streets of San Jose, scared and distrustful, hiding under her foster mom’s bed. We adopted her after fostering her for a week. Over time, Bailey and I developed a close bond. She is very intuitive and always knows when I am sad. She would sit on my lap in a meerkat-like position and lick my face until I smiled. Bailey may be just a pet to most people, but to me, she’s a lot more than that. Bailey is an Emotional Support Animal. As defined by the Official ESA Registration of America, an ESA is an animal that has been prescribed by a mental health professional to “provide therapeutic value to its owner.” According to a study conducted by researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD, pet owners have greater self esteem, and report being more physically fit, extroverted, and conscientious. They also report that they are less lonely, fearful, and preoccupied.
I’ve found that through our close bond, having Bailey with me can prevent depressive episodes before they occur. She keeps me grounded at times when my own calming techniques fail me.
She keeps me grounded at times when my own calming techniques fail me Being with Bailey, who loves me unconditionally, is comforting to me. Having her near gives me a sense of support. Because of her official status and my emotional needs, Bailey comes to school with me. It took a lot of hard work on the part of administration to accommodate her, and I am eternally grateful. However, MVHS’ current policy on ESAs makes it difficult for individuals who need support via an ESA to gain permission to bring their pet to school and to their classes in a timely fashion. According to district Communications Manager Cynthia Greaves, the district’s policy is to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. When an individual in the district needs accommodations, a member of
the district personnel department has a meeting with this individual in order to assess their needs and provides accommodations on a case-by-case basis. As I am the first student at MVHS to bring an ESA, I understand why the process was long and confusing at times, however, I do think that the district should create a policy to aid students in similar situations to mine. Currently, individuals who need an ESA have to wait until the school administration can check each class to see if any students or teachers have an allergy or a phobia of dogs before the ESA can attend. The process to bring an ESA to school should be made more efficient so that students can begin to bring in their ESA to all of their classes as soon as possible. This can be achieved by adding a section about allergies or phobias of dogs to class introduction notecards or surveys that are completed by students at the beginning of the school year for every class. Doing so will give the teacher a knowledge of whether or not an ESA is possible in that respective c l a s s , increasing the efficiency of the process and the happiness of all involved.
Marcella Sakols marcellas@mvhsoracle.com In the past couple months, a controversial movement to reduce plastic straw usage in restaurants and in homes has emerged. The city of Mountain View has joined the “Strawless September” movement, started by Mountain View resident Bobbi EmelWilmoth in an attempt to reduce straw usage and the consequent plastic waste this month. According to the New York Times, between 180 and 390 million plastic straws are used every day in the US and due to their small size often end up in landfills rather than recycling facilities. The straws then end up in oceans and on beaches, becoming a danger to marine wildlife. Plastic straws only make up 0.025% of our plastic waste, a relatively small amount compared to the 8 million tons of plastic going into the ocean every year, according to National Geographic. Straws still impact the environment and for most are unnecessary items that are relatively easy to cut out of daily life. On the other hand, people who are dependent on straws can use reusable, biodegradable, or paper straws as an alternative. Restaurants and bars should keep a stock of straws available only upon request to provide
accessibility for clients who need them. While the Strawless September movement is a great first step towards sustainable living and being environmentally conscious, it is critical to recognize that we need to be participating in other environmentally friendly practices in addition to limiting straw use. According to National Geographic, 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds are killed every year due to plastic waste in the oceans. If everyone lived like the average American, we would need roughly four Earths to sustain our levels of consumption, according to the Global Footprint Network. Instead of driving to work or school, students should carpool, bike, or walk to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, opening windows in cars and homes rather than turning on the air conditioning can reduce electricity use and when going to your local coffee shop, bringing a reusable mug avoids the use of disposable cups. When grocery shopping, bring your own shopping bags. Furthermore, purchasing more unpackaged produce can help to reduce waste from packaging. While implementing one change such as reduced straw use is better than not participating in environmentally conscious practices as a whole, combining these practices is the most effective way to achieve sustainability.
What’s WHAP-pening?
Perspective on recent curriculum changes
Guest Writer Brook Mangin-Hinkley Brook.Mangin@mvla.net
ManginHinkley has been teaching World History AP for 11 years. At the end of May 2018, just as we were about to begin finals, I received an email from the College Board letting me know that significant changes were being made to the World History AP (WHAP) curriculum for the 2019-2020 year. Understatement of the year. The WHAP curriculum currently begins with the changes spurred by the Agricultural Revolutions in 8,000 BCE and continues up to the present day. The College Board decided to wipe out several millennia and start the WHAP curriculum at a date of 1450 CE (that’s almost 10,000 years of lost history!!!). I don’t think the College Board had any idea of the backlash they were going to receive from outraged teachers and students.
WHAT?! Start the class in the year 1450?! That’s just at the precipice of European colonization of the Americas which is followed by centuries of Western hegemony! This is supposed to be a WORLD history class! Starting the class in the year 1450 would erase the historical examples that countered the conclusion that the West was “destined” to rise. As I processed the new changes and drank copious amounts of La Croix to keep calm, students poured into my room as they heard of the changes as well. “How do we fight this?” “How can we get the College Board to change its mind?” “Who’s going to Washington DC this summer?” “How do you feel about protesting outside the College Board headquarters dressed up as a squirrel eating an acorn?” Pause. July. College Board, “Hey hey! So, we HEAR you and we don’t like being called Eurocentric so we’ll bump back the start date to 1200 CE, but that’s it. Cool?” Well, better. Former students and I will
mourn the loss of the development of the world religions, the ability to see how local culture informs global practices, the changing relationship of humans with our environment, and the celebration of achievements of non-Western civilizations throughout the world...before 1200.
Historians carry a heavy burden of deciding which voices are prioritized But at least 1200 CE gives us a foothold in countering the notion that the West was inevitably going to “win”. Historian Janet Lippman Abu-Lughod argues that starting a world history class in the year 1200 CE is essential: the Middle East, the far East, and Europe all had dynamic civilizations that made
incredible advances in technology, trade, education, etc. No one had an edge over the other. I also have to admit that cutting the ancient, classical, and medieval history from WHAP does mean that we will have time to spend on a post-colonial world and I find this incredibly exciting. We will be able to explore countries and topics in much greater depth AFTER WWII and the Cold War, creating space for the achievements and challenges of non-Western countries that are currently rushed to bring the class up to the present day. Historians carry a heavy burden of deciding which voices are prioritized, which voices receive our attention. The further back in time you go, those voices are disproportionately those of the male elites. The advantage of spending more time in the modern era is that we have access to a staggering representation of the world’s population given the advances in technology and the myriad of ways that people express themselves. This is what excites me for
the future of WHAP. It is our responsibility to ensure that WHAP remains truly a WORLD history course and I know that the passion of the teachers and students here will guarantee that vision. So please, mourn with me for the loss of the Neo-Assyrians, the Zhou Dynasty, the Olmec, the Umayyad Caliphate, Rome, the Gupta Empire, Nubia, and countless other civilizations from WHAP. But there are new voices that will rise, and I know we want to hear them as well.
Brook Mangin-Hinkley
4
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
people |
Hinz makes cultural connections in Taiwan
photo courtesy of Zachary Hinz HINZ: goes sightseeing during his few free days on his trip to Taiwan.
Janya Sundar janyas@mvhsoracle.com Junior Zachary Hinz spent his summer walking through the streets of Taiwan, bartering for the best deals in city markets, and eating dumplings, boba tea, and seafood. Around Nov. 2017, Hinz applied to the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, a competitive program which gives high schoolers the opportunity to travel to a foreign country to learn about a different culture and language. When he got in, NSLI-Y paid for the flights, the
education at a local university, and gave him a stipend to buy food and public transport. He said he immediately connected with a huge network of other high schoolers also in the program, making new friends with people from all over the country. He left home in July, first flying to a two day orientation in New York to learn the details of their trip, then leaving for Taiwan. In Taiwan, he stayed with his host family, a retired couple, in their apartment. They helped him learn about the country by sharing cultural differences
between Taiwan and America, and making him popular foods like dumplings and pineapple cakes. Every day, Hinz took the bus for about 30 minutes to travel to the Wenzao University of Foreign Languages, where he took Chinese language classes in the morning, cultural classes in the afternoon, and speaking and listening exercises later in the evening. In addition to the classes, Hinz had homework every night to review and reinforce all the new concepts he learned. By week four, Hinz said he felt exhausted. “The cultural and language barrier was hard,” Hinz said. “I felt stupid a lot of the time. But I was improving, and everyday I could see the improvement, more or less. The program was just so intensive that I felt like I couldn’t keep doing it for more than six weeks.” His host family helped answer all his questions and learn more about the culture of Taiwan, but they did not speak much English, compelling Hinz to apply the Mandarin he learned in class each day. “Every night, I got to talk with them for an hour or two over dinner and I got to use the Mandarin that I had learned in class. And the concepts and questions about Chinese culture that I had — I got to talk to them about that,” Hinz said.
Whenever he learned a new, commonly used word, Hinz would write it down in a little notebook he would take everywhere. When he was unable to communicate with or understand someone, he would use Google Translate.
Once you start learning a new language you see how other people are able to express themselves In addition, Hinz said he felt more noticeable as a white person in a majority Asian setting, a different experience than from back home. “A lot of times when I was by myself, I felt that I got more attention just by moving and around and going about life,” Hinz said. He did not have many free days, but in his downtime, Hinz hung out with his NSLI-Y friends, went sightseeing, or explored the city. When he had free time, Hinz said he simply had to walk outside because there was food everywhere, and
he could get anything he needed cheaply. A large part of Hinz’s experience revolved around the cultural differences he noticed between America and Taiwan. “It was a luncheon for my host grandmother, for her birthday. And before we sat down, we let everyone arrive, and then we would sit the oldest to the youngest first. So it’s showing respect for your elders and for the wisdom. It’s kind of that symbolic gesture,” Hinz said. By going to Taiwan, seeing the culture, and constantly communicating in Mandarin, Hinz said he inadvertently improved his ability to communicate with others in English as well. “Learning a new language kind of destroys your linguisticcentrism, which basically is the idea that once you start learning a new language, you see how other people are able to express themselves and how different that can be from how you natively express yourself,” Hinz said. Wei Lu, Hinz’s Chinese teacher, agrees that going to Taiwan helped give him a new perspective. “He is very interested in Chinese culture and wanted to explore more, and his horizons are broadened,” Lu said. Hinz said that what he learned in Taiwan will not be forgotten, and his experience was invaluable.
Higley returns after leave of absence reflects on Marine Corps experience Janya Sundar janyas@mvhsoracle.com English Language Department and Japanese teacher Nicole Higley took a one year leave of absence last school year, spending her time running through the mountains, camping in harsh conditions, and navigating intense obstacle courses, all in pursuit of a long held aspiration to become an officer in the Marine Corps. Higley said she always knew that she wanted to be a Marine, but never found the right time
until now. Initially, she planned to take a 10 week boot camp at Officer Candidate School to become an officer, followed by a six month program at The Basic School to learn how to be a marine. Depending on her ranking at TBS, she would be assigned to an officer field and would go to Military Occupational Specialty School . After a lengthy process of training to meet physical requirements, taking medical tests, and being interviewed, OCS
photo courtesy of Nicole Higley QUANTICO: where Higley was injured coming off one of the log hurdles.
determined Higley as a good fit for the Marine Corps and she left to Quantico, Virginia to become an officer. “It’s an extremely intense looking place to train,” Higley said. “There are obstacle courses everywhere. So when you come upon the compound, you’re like, holy cow, I’m going to be climbing those ropes, I’m going to be swimming in that - you know, a swamp.” Even though the scenery was beautiful, each day was riddled with challenges and exhaustion. “You have a rifle with you wherever you go. You have to run wherever you go. You’re tired, you’re exhausted — you only get four hours of sleep each night,” Higley said. However, during week seven, Higley injured her knee while training on an obstacle course. “I was good at climbing ropes, good at doing the pull-ups part, and I was just going over the log. And when I turned and pivoted to go to the next log, my knee just collapsed,” Higley said. At that moment, Higley knew she was going home. They diagnosed her with a torn anterior cruciate ligament,
photo courtesy of Nicole Higley HIGLEY: practices tactical training exercise at her Marine Corps training.
medial collateral ligament, and meniscus, prompting her to come
when I turned and pivoted to go to the next log my knee just collapsed home to get ACL reconstruction surgery.
In order to regain mobility in her knee, Higley underwent physical therapy through September, until she finally had ACL reconstruction surgery. By December, she had nearly recovered. For the remainder of her leave of absence, Higley stayed with her grandmother in her hometown working at an Upholstery Fabric store and substituted at the local schools she had once attended. “I think I missed my calling on the Marine Corps,” Higley said, “but I still want to figure out a way to serve.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
5
| people
Q&A with new band, 52Prime same situation as Archish. I think it’s my place to go when I’m super stressed out,” Chakravarty said.
What’s your favorite part of playing music together? “When you’re in the middle of a jam, at least between both of us, there’s been several moments where we just mentally connect with each other and we know when to break,” Chakravarty said.
Ava Hinz 52PRIME: rehearses pop-rock music together in Packard Hall after school.
Ava Hinz avah@mvhsoracle.com Sophomores Archish Arun and Gaurav Chakravarty created a band called 52Prime at the beginning of summer, and have been playing together since freshman year. So far, they have been covering pop songs and have new original content coming out shortly. Their first performance is on Sept. 15 at a post wedding party in Saratoga.
How did you guys get your band name? “We added significant numbers: the year we met, the ages we met at, and the month that we started recording,” Chakravarty said.
Chakravarty said. “Same with me. I’ve been playing since first grade. I’ve been working and making more than just this band,” Arun said.
How have you guys grown together? “Well we’ve been learning how the other one thinks, how to play chords, how all that fits together, how to write stuff, what do people really like hearing in a melody,” Arun said. “We’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other,” Chakravarty said.
How has music shaped your lives? “It made me a much happier
Why is music important to person I guess,” Chakravarty said. “It’s kind of a way for me to you? “It is a very important part of my life because I have been playing music since kindergarten. I find time every day to play it,”
take a step back and relax. It’s something that I enjoy doing and enjoy making and I have something to show,” Arun said. “I think that it’s pretty much the
When her brother left for college in 2017 and found himself struggling to perform basic skills from sewing and cooking to money management, junior Tessa Cowley said she realized that high school left students unprepared to live on their own. In response, Cowley founded the Practical Skills You Can Have Club this school year to employ students with knowledge fundamental for future life. Unlike many clubs at school, Cowley said PSYCH Club does not focus on community service but
Ava Hinz COWLEY
on developing the individual. As a result, junior and club member Gray Tynfeld said that the club attracts a different type of student. “People are joining because they’re genuinely interested,” Tynfeld said. Similar to a home economics class, the club plans to teach its members first aid, how to change a tire, how to write a resume, CPR, taxes, and money management, according to Cowley. Even if students may forget the skills that they learned, Tynfeld thinks that they are still getting something very valuable from it. “I think in general, like even if I do forget the skills later on in life, it seems like that having a general knowledge in general skills can build someone’s confidence in themselves and gives them a better platform to build off of so like you can branch off into more specific and learn more about other stuff,” Tynfeld said. In preparation for the club, the board had countless phone calls together to find ways to teach the necessary skills and give valuable input on big decisions, but Cowley credits her parents most of all for
Mateo Kaiser mateok@mvhsoracle.com
What do you think you’ve learned from music? “I’ve learned how to put a lot of time into something. How to really get down and sit down in a room with me and an instrument and work until we get a result. [It taught me] creativity because it’s allowed me to be a lot more expressive and generally I’m not exactly the most outgoing person when it comes to talking in class,” Arun said. “It taught me to be a lot more creative and I feel like it’s the most creative aspect of me,” Chakravarty said.
“The transition to high school was pretty easy since we already had friends...Sticking with friends was the best route to go...[Our friends] are kind of like a second family and it’s really comforting knowing you have friends to turn to and talk to, especially in a new environment like high school.”
How have you guys improved over time? “Our styles have kind of grown and intertwined. We both progressed in the same direction. I would say that my previous song writing used to be very linear, predictable to some extent. Now that I’m working with him we can bounce ideas off of each other,” Arun said. “He’s slowly been teaching me parts of jazz and his ideas often revolve around jazz ideas, mine usually revolve around pop and when we put them together we can create something,” Chakravarty said.
Cowley teaches real world skills in the new PSYCH club Ava Hinz avah@mvhsoracle.com
Freshman edition
“Doing marching band was a big moment for me. Back in May I thought it was like a torture chamber thing when I saw them doing pushups, but then my sister got me to sign up and I think I made the right choice... they’ve helped me get an idea of high school and what I want to do.”
being a big support system. Her parents’ connections have allowed Cowley to find speakers who relate their experiences to students and detail how they have applied these skills to applying for jobs
Having a general knowledge in general skills can build someone’s confidence in themselves Looking forward, Cowley said she hopes for high attendance at club meetings, and wants to keep lessons interactive and interesting. Additionally, she said she wants to help the club continue after she graduates by training younger students to become officers each year. “We want to instill in our members that learning these skills is important, but it’s also fun,” Cowley said.
“I’m Israeli so I have a lot of stories of going to Israel, and I find it really cool to be apart of two different cultures. For example, the rules in American are a lot stricter, like you have to be home by a certain time. However in Israel, kids are told to just come home before 2 a.m. It’s cool to have the cultural dynamic between the more relaxed and the more strict, which makes a perfect balance.” Advertisement
Visiting Angels Senior Homecare is proud to support the MVHS Spartans! contact: www.carebyangels.com locally owned since 2002
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
6
sports |
Life as a student athletic trainer:
Sonja Parker tackles sports medicine
Nisha Malley nisham@mvhsoracle.com On her first day working as a student athletic trainer, senior Sonja Parker witnessed football player Josue Ibarra break his leg during a game, cutting his season short to just two weeks. Parker recalled running out to the field terrified, unaware of why he couldn’t get up and unable to understand the medical jargon Walker was using to describe Ibarra’s condition. “I couldn’t do anything,” Parker said. “I didn’t know what they were talking about – what muscles or bones were broken. I had no idea. All I remember was me being able to take off Josue’s helmet and tell him that it’s going to be okay.” While Parker described the events of that day as the worst she has experienced on the field, learning about the human body through her training has enabled her to treat and rehabilitate fellow athletes. Furthermore, Parker no longer feels frightened to handle injuries on the field, but rather rests in the confidence of her growing expertise in sports medicine. In her sophomore year, Parker injured her knee causing pain in her patellar tendon, which led her to Athletic Trainer Achilles Walker’s training room. After regularly visiting the training room to be taped and stretched, Parker gained an interest in becoming a student athletic trainer. “I really wanted to be part of a sports medicine team,” Parker said. Starting junior year, she came
to Walker’s training room almost every day after school, helping until eight P.M. to tape ankles and wrists and treat athletes for sprains, concussions, and pulled muscles. “It’s hectic. You’re going from the football field to waterpolo to volleyball to tennis,” Parker said of their fall routine. As she hustled from sport to sport and field to gym, Parker built relationships with the fellow athletes she saw and treated every day. Unexpectedly, Parker formed a strong sense of trust, community, and empathy with those around her. “I have gotten to know so many amazing people through this, people I didn’t even know existed. I’ve met so many cool athletes...
I have gotten to know so many amazing people and genuine people,” Parker said. Walker expressed how fun it’s been for him to see Parker mature and learn from her experience in high school and as his assistant, saying that, “the girl I knew years ago [and] the girl I know now are two distinct, different people.” “She’s passionate. She’s caring. She loves to help people,” Walker said of Parker. “I want
Nisha Malley PARKER: Tends to injured student-athletes; helps out with taping, physical therapy, and injury diagnosis after school.
her personality to shine all the time because that’s what helps you [with] any sort of job or any training room.” In addition, working as a student trainer has allowed her to connect with her peers on an ever higher level, whether through taping her friends before lacrosse or watching football games from the sidelines and running onto the field when the team scores a touchdown. “You hear when the coaches are screaming. You know when the play’s going wrong. You can smell the football players and they stink, [and] when they score, you feel the excitement,” Parker said, describing the invigorating experience of watching games alongside the players. “It’s like a thrill.”
But perhaps what taught her how to empathize with other athletes the most came from experiencing an injury herself. Parker faced a defining moment in her career as a student trainer when she injured her shoulder during lacrosse, requiring her to sit out for a few weeks. Being on the receiving end of an injury gave her insight into the mix of emotions other athletes may have felt about their own circumstances. “I remembered how it felt to be an athlete and hate not playing,” Parker said. “All those moments help you help someone else, because that gives you a new and better understanding of the anxiety and the stress and the frustration they’re going through.” Beyond the central community aspect of her work, Parker also
loves the educational benefits of learning from Walker and is always eager to rattle off the different bones in the human foot or identify symptoms relating to a type of injury. This year, Parker has enrolled in the Sports Medicine class taught by Walker to build upon her real-world experience of treating athletes. While she no longer intends to pursue neuroscience, as she originally sought out to as a junior, Parker continues her work for her love of medicine, the community, and mentorship from Walker. “Achilles is such a great person, and he’s become such a mentor to me,” Parker said. “Something I definitely appreciate about being a student trainer is that it’s not just a work situation. It’s definitely like a bond, like a friendship.”
Girls Varsity Water Polo acquires new coach Emily Enlow Nisha Malley nisham@mvhsoracle.com Former junior varsity coach Emily Enlow has taken over the girls varsity water polo team while her husband and former varsity coach Drew Enlow steps back in order to take care of their one year old baby/child. Senior and captain Maggie Eggleton said she felt that she and her fellow athletes embraced the coaching switch, adding that Drew still comes to certain practices, making the change less significant
than some initially anticipated. “They really make it a welcoming environment,” Eggleton said. “They just make it super fun and inclusive and they want everyone to genuinely do better.” As this year’s varsity coach, Emily said she hopes to instill the same love of water polo she has with her team and get the players in gear to qualify for CCS. Last season marked the girls water polo team’s furthest advancement through CCS, in which they lost the league finals game against
Nisha Malley GIRLS WATER POLO: Work hard during a scrimmage at practice.
LAHS, ranking second overall. According to Emily, the team is very fast compared to their competition, with many starters having previously qualified for CCS and state on the swim team. However, Emily said the team also consists of far more younger players this year, and a coaching focus for her remains training the relatively more inexperienced players.
We all want each other to do the best possible According to Eggleton, the team has grown to 21 players this year, by far the largest she has seen. With only six people in the pool at a time for games, she said the coaches have worked to ensure that players frequently substitute out for another. “Everybody loves each other,”
Nisha Malley ENLOW: Looking forward to a great season as new varsity girls head coach.
Eggleton said. “You get closer as the season goes on, but we all want each other to do the best possible.” Eggleton’s said the team’s goals include qualifying for CCS and learning to play as a cohesive team, especially given that so many new players have joined this season. “They’re all super talented, but our goal is to get the team flow,” Eggleton said. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Emily currently
travels to and from UC Santa Cruz and the high school three days a week while she obtains her PhD in electrical engineering. Additionally, Drew, who has acted as an assistant coach this season, works as an engineer as well. “They have two different lives, I feel like, and they are very committed to both of them,” Eggleton said, adding her appreciation that, “they care enough to put their entire effort into this.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
| sports
Large freshman class strengthens athletics Samantha Fong
samanthaf@mvhsoracle.com The athletic department has seen a beneficial spike in student participation, with over 600 students in this school year’s freshman class, according to Athletic Director Shelley Smith. “[Having a larger freshmen class] means more kids are trying out which increases the competition within the team,” Smith said. “They’re pushing each other to be better which overall makes the performance of our teams better.” For the fall season, the football and boys basketball teams in particular have benefited greatly from the increase in class size. According to Smith, the football team had faced a decrease in numbers in the past years. This season, however, approximately 80 students tried out for the team, as opposed to the usual 60.
Furthermore, having a large roster can minimize overall injuries, according to Smith. With only 11 athletes needed on the field at a time, players can substitute out for one another more often, allowing each team member to take more frequent breaks and prevent themselves from being pushed too hard. Doing so will lead to fewer players being overworked and therefore at less risk for injury. Despite having a larger roster, the team has still maintained a close bond, said sophomore and JV football player Josh Lillie. “I think one of our strengths is that we are very coherent,” Lillie said. “We’re a family, and we really emphasize the importance of that.” Lillie added that some of the freshmen have stepped up as leaders among the team by leading by example and verbally helping their teammates correct their mistakes. “We’re a big team, so we’re able
Spartan Spotlight:
to have backups that are ready to step up and help out the team in any way that they can,” Lillie said. Similarly, the MVHS boys basketball team has also seen a spike in numbers, with about 35 freshmen signed up for tryouts, the highest Varsity head coach Kevin Mack has ever seen. According to Mack, a larger pool of athletes will result in more cuts for sports with smaller team sizes like basketball, but it could also result in a more diverse and skilled team. “A few years ago we didn’t make any cuts,” Mack said. “This year we have a lot of kids coming out, so we’re going to have to make some tough decisions obviously and cut more, but it’s a good problem to have.” Both Smith and Mack said that they hope to see a steady increase in the skill and competitiveness of the school’s athletic programs as class size continues to grow.
Samir Srivastava JV FOOTBALL TEAM: Working on drills at the beginning of practice, looking to improve quickness and agility.
Clase grande de primer año fortalece los programas atléticos Samantha Fong
samanthaf@mvhsoracle.com
Traducción: Mateo Kaiser @mvhsoracle.com El departamento de atletismo ha visto un aumento beneficioso en la participación estudiantil, con más de 600 estudiantes en la clase de primer año de este año escolar, de acuerdo con el Director Atlético Shelley Smith. “[Tener una clase más grande de estudiantes de primer año] significa que más niños están probando lo que aumenta la competencia dentro del equipo”, dijo Smith. “Se empujan unos a otros para mejorar, lo que en general mejora el rendimiento de nuestros equipos”. Para la temporada de otoño, los equipos de fútbol y baloncesto masculino en particular se han beneficiado en gran medida del aumento en el tamaño de la clase. Según Smith, el equipo de fútbol se había enfrentado a una disminución en los números en los últimos años. Esta temporada, sin embargo, aproximadamente 80 estudiantes probaron para el
equipo, a diferencia de los 60 habituales. Además, tener una gran lista puede minimizar las lesiones en general, de acuerdo con Smith. Con solo 11 atletas necesarios en el campo a la vez, los jugadores pueden sustituir entre sí más a menudo, lo que permite a cada miembro del equipo tomar descansos más frecuentes y evitar que se los fuerce demasiado. Si lo hace, se reducirá el trabajo de menos jugadores y, por lo tanto, se correrá menos riesgo de lesiones. A pesar de tener un roster más grande, el equipo aún mantiene un vínculo estrecho, dijo el jugador de segundo año y jugador de fútbol JV Josh Lillie. “Creo que uno de nuestros puntos fuertes es que somos muy coherentes”, dijo Lillie. “Somos una familia, y realmente enfatizamos la importancia de eso”. Lillie agregó que algunos de los estudiantes de primer año se han intensificado como líderes del equipo al darles el ejemplo y ayudar verbalmente a sus compañeros a corregir sus errores. “Somos un gran equipo, por
7
lo que podemos tener copias de seguridad que estén listas para dar un paso adelante y ayudar al equipo de cualquier manera que puedan”, dijo Lillie. De manera similar, el equipo de básquetbol de niños MVHS también ha visto un aumento en los números, con cerca de 35 estudiantes de primer año inscriptos para las pruebas, el entrenador en jefe de mayor Varsity Kevin Mack ha visto alguna vez. Según Mack, un grupo más grande de atletas resultará en más cortes para los deportes con equipos de tamaño más pequeño como el baloncesto, pero también podría resultar en un equipo más diverso y hábil. “Hace unos años no cortemos a nadien”, dijo Mack. “Este año tenemos muchos niños saliendo, así que vamos a tener que tomar decisiones difíciles obviamente y reducir más, pero es un buen problema”. Tanto Smith como Mack dijeron que esperan ver un aumento constante en la habilidad y competitividad de los programas deportivos de la escuela a medida que el tamaño de la clase continúa creciendo.
Nico Trepanier
Julia Wagner
Reeya Vashishta reeyav@mvhsoracle.com A typical weekend for freshman athlete Nico Trepanier consists of volleyball practices or tournaments, a few hours of tennis, a quick run, and a 30 mile bike ride — and that’s just the weekend. This season, Trepanier is a member of the cross country team and plays for the Mountain View Volleyball Club. He also plans on playing volleyball for MVHS during the spring season. “I have been running since first grade, my dad brought me into it,” Trepanier said. “I love exploring places and finding new trails.” Trepanier said that, as a freshman who is new to the cross country team, he plans to learn as much as he can instead of worrying about his results. Although running is something that he enjoys, Trepanier said that his two favorite activities would be a tie between biking and volleyball. Biking has always been a part of Trepanier’s life, and he said that he enjoys it more than running as it allows him to exercise for a longer amount of time without growing tired. Volleyball has also become an important part of his life ever since playing on the seventh grade team at Blach Middle School. He then tried out for the MVVC team two years ago with his friend Patrick Kane. Kane and Trepanier have been playing sports together starting with their second grade soccer team up until now where they both play on the same volleyball team. According to Kane, Trepanier is always
active and practicing as well as a good team player. “He always has a positive attitude towards sports and different challenges with the sports he plays,” Kane said. “He has always been very humble and goes above and beyond when practicing, which motivates us.” Kane also said that Trepanier is a very well-rounded athlete, and added that he is also a nationally ranked tennis player.
He always has a positive attitude towards sports and different challenges According to Trepanier, the reason that he is able to adapt to different sports and play them all well is by actually being inactive. He said that watching others and analyzing the best players in every sport that he partakes in allows him to learn how to play and excel at that sport. Being involved in all of these activities, although tiring, has now become his new normal, Trepanier said. “I feel like my day isn’t quite complete when I just sit on the couch and play videogames,” Trepanier said. “Running and exercise feels like a break from reality and it’s a time when I can just enjoy myself without thinking about anything else.” Advertisement
8
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
in-depth |
English Language Developme
A look into the stories
Adri Penix | Abby Porter | Renée Remsberg reneer@mvhsoracle.com
Students Share Stories
When she first arrived from her home country of China in 2015, senior Jennifer Huan said she felt confused and alone. It was the English Language Development (ELD) program that she said helped her find her place and aided the transition from her life in China to MVHS. The ELD program, offered at four levels, is designed to support students learning English as their second language. The program also provides students and their families with mental and physical health support. Huan said that cultural differences contributes to a feeling of isolation and disconnect. Huan, like other ELD students, found that it was easiest to make friends with those in the program who shared the same native language and culture as her. “As an ELD student, I feel we’re excluded because of the culture [difference],” Huan said. “[Other ELD students] tend to have their own groups of friends and don’t want to reach out [in class].” Similarly to Huan, sophomore Daniel Gonzalez originally struggled socially, despite what he described as a welcoming community, as he feared potential bullying due to his underdeveloped English speaking skills. According to Gonzalez, many of his peers also felt hesitant to speak outside of their ELD class for the same reason, even to teachers of mainstream classes. Senior Mateo Angel Morales, who moved two years ago from Colombia, echoed this sentiment. “I want [other students] to understand that it’s not easy coming from another culture and exposing yourself to another culture,” Mateo
said. His brother, junior Samuel Angel Morales, said he remembers his initial shock upon eating an In and Out burger.
In my country it’s really different, the food, the language. Everything [here] was new to me. “In my country it’s really different, the food, the language,” Samuel said. “Everything [here] was new to me.” Bridging the culture gap between ELD and mainstream students was one of Huan’s main goals last year as the first ASB ELD Liaison. She helped organize events like culture week, a spirit week designed to raise cultural awareness, to help mitigate exclusion between those in ELD and the rest of the student body. She also created an ELD guidebook so students in the program could become more accustomed to MVHS and U.S. culture. This school year, Samuel has built upon Huan’s previous work as this year’s ASB ELD Liaison by creating posters and presentations for ELD students to inform them about on-campus activities. He said he understands how it’s easy to feel isolated from the student body and aims to create a sense of campus inclusion for his peers. By joining ASB, Huan and Samuel said they have become more involved in the school community. Many ELD students emphasized
that despite the challenges, getting involved on campus proved a major way for them to build connections with others outside the program. Both Mateo and Gonzalez advise other ELD students to push themselves and join activities around campus, as they both did by joining the soccer team. “We ELD students are the same as [mainstream students],” Gonzalez said, adding that the student body, “should get close to ELD students because it helps to create a better community. If they ask you how are you, how are your classes going, it makes you feel like they care about you. It makes you feel good.”
ELD Serves Students
The ELD program, which serves 269 students district-wide, is the primary support system for MVHS students new to the country or learning English. The program’s goal is to help students achieve grade level standards for English in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Schools are required by state law to test students for the program when they indicate on their official transcript that they are fluent in any language other than English. Students are then given a preliminary test, called the California English Language Development Test, CELDT, to determine if they need ELD services, and if so, at what level. Of the 164 students in the MVHS ELD program, about 130 of them, nearly 78 percent speak Spanish as their first language. Another seven percent speak Mandarin and four percent speak Japanese. The remaining 11 percent speak a variety of other languages including Russian, Korean, French, and Turkish. Level 1 serves students who
come to the United States with limited to no English proficiency. Students in Level 2 can understand the basic components of English and form simple sentences. Once students can comprehend 70- 80 percent of the spoken language, they are able to progress to Level 3. Level 4 is for students who are able to understand most of the spoken language, but still need support for cultural nuances, vocabulary development, reading, and writing. Students can be reclassified as proficient in English and join mainstream classes if they meet a certain GPA, score well on the CELDT, and receive a letter of recommendation from an English teacher.
I want [other students] to understand that it’s not easy coming from another culture and exposing yourself to another culture The ELD program has been at MVHS for decades. Los Altos High School had a nearly identical program, but about nine years ago the influx of EL students decreased, prompting the district to combine the programs from both schools into a single one at MVHS, which was chosen because it had more space, consolidating students, teachers, and class resources. Despite this, 30 percent, 79, of ELD students are currently at LAHS. As a result, students who live in the LAHS area but need ELD services must commute for up to an
hour, according to program director Judie Lee, to get to MVHS every morning. According to Navarro, the district helps these families with transportation by offering bus passes, but added that many students are still unable to commute to MVHS. If they remain at LAHS, they have access to a limited number of support classes in English, math, and history, designed for students not yet proficient in English in addition to extra support from counselors. Due to the low number of ELD students at LAHS the district is not planning on reopening the program at the school.
Bilingual Education
Up until 2017, California law required ELD programs to teach in English only . However, the passing of California Proposition 58 overruled the mandate and allowed teachers to teach through dual immersion, which legislators had determined would improve language learning. Despite the change, MVHS ELD classes have continued to teach in complete English immersion — meaning that the class is taught only in English, however if necessary translation is provided— which both teachers said they felt was more effective. ELD teacher Lydia Zele said that once she speaks to her students in Spanish they are more hesitant to speak to her in English, and Lee added that only allowing students to speak English helps them progress faster because the class has one common language. However in lower level ELD classes, there are several instructional assistants who aid students struggling to understand a concept by talking to them in their native language. While the assistants can aid Spanish and
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
9
| in-depth
ent:
s behind the program
Humans of ELD
Emma Cahill
“I didn’t have any friends, so I had to make friends. I didn’t know anyone here, so that’s really challenging... When you move from your country all the things are different... That’s another big challenge. You have to assimilate with other cultures and new people.”
Mandarin speakers, who account for roughly 85 percent of ELD students, roughly 15 percent speak neither of these languages. Additionally, assistant superintendent of educational services Margarita Navarro explained that Proposition 58 allows the district to create primary language classes, however MVHS is unable to due to the language diversity. This has been compensated through the use of primary language supplements in classrooms, such as worksheets in Spanish. In addition to ELD classes, the school also offers math, science, and history through a method called Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English. In SDAIE classes, content and English are taught side by side. Enrollment in a SDAIE class requires basic proficiency in English and SDAIE teachers undergo special training. “So far, the [SDAIE] program has been wonderful,” Lee said. “It took us a long time to fight for the classes in math and science and history. Now, we have them in place, and our students are much more successful academically.” Lee added that before SDAIE courses were introduced, ELD students could only take ELD, math, and PE, which led to extremely low rates of graduation. With SDAIE, students can simultaneously be supported linguistically and master content.
Outside Support
The ELD program aims to continue its recent initiatives that focus on student wellness outside the classroom, according to Zele safety and emotional support are just as much a priority for the program as academic support. One such initiative is coming
from the Ambassadors Club, a student group on campus whose goal is to increase inclusivity and integrate new students into the campus culture. The club’s ELD committee is working to mitigate the gap between mainstream students and inform them about ways they can get involved on campus. The committee, which is led by senior Annemarie Foy, holds events such as monthly potlucks and club presentations. Although the students can get information their teachers, she said the Ambassadors provide a helpful student perspective. “I thought it was a need that wasn’t being addressed by Ambassadors very much, so I decided to make sure I got involved,” Foy said.
As an ELD student, I feel we’re excluded because of the culture [difference] Both Zele and Lee said that they are grateful for the support the program receives from students’ groups such as Ambassadors. Additionally counselor David Marroquin now teaches an academic support class to help students in the ELD program to adjust to the American education system. “It’s much more than academic support, it’s also social and emotional support for students who are brand new to the country who need much more than English and math and science,” Gomez said. “In some cases, they may have left a very violent situation in the country and that’s why they’re here, so those students need a lot of support transitioning to the system.”
Graphic by Renée Remsberg
Another new initiatives that was created this year is the school’s Immigrant Support Group, which was formed to serve the needs of the immigrant population in regards to medical assistance, legal help, among other basic needs including housing and food. The group is run by several teachers and Alma Rueles, the school’s bilingual liaison. Although the group is not specifically targeting the ELD program, according to Rueles the majority of families they are assisting are those of ELD students. The district also serves the families of the students by offering ELAC, the federally mandated English Learner Advisory Council. The group teaches immigrants parents about the American school system and provides them a place to express their concerns. The school also offers workshops for Spanish-speaking families through an organization called Parent Institute for Quality Education. The workshops give a breakdown of the MVHS system, with an emphasis on how to approach teachers, counselors, and administration for help. A similar program is provided for Mandarin speaking families called Tea Time, where Lee instructs parents on the American school system. “[We are] giving them a sense of ownership, that this is their school too, and it’s a safe place to come, and it’s okay to ask questions,” Gomez said. Overall, according to Gomez, ELD staff at MVHS are set on continuing to improve the program and support for EL students and families. “By law, we are obligated to provide [ELD] services,” Gomez said. “I want to go beyond that. [Do] not just what’s legally required, but what’s ethically and morally the right thing to do to provide the services for this population so that they can achieve to the best of their abilities.”
Emma Cahill
“If you have friends you can be here. You will not be treated differently... You have to know who you want [to] be in the future… you have to have a goal. [My goal is to] be a programmer. To make my parents proud.”
Emma Cahill
“I think the program [SDAI] classes are fantastic, it took us a long time to fight for it and I think we’ve done well. Our students are much more successful, much more academic. We have higher graduation rates for our students and I think it meets their needs.”
Akhand Dugar
“I hope all the students can understand, when they are trying to communicate with ELD students, understand their condition, step into the ELD students shoes. Probably they’re scared, probably they’re nervous, just open your heart and have the correct attitude.”
10
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
humor |
BREAKING NEWS
Local Wasp Problem Has Introducing White History Lunch-Goers Abuzz Valeria Gonzalez valeriag@mvhsoracle.com
Emma Cahill FRESHMAN: Uses Raid® pest spray to remove the wasps and bravely reclaim their lunch spots in the Science Quad.
Aiden Stein aidens@mvhsoracle.com As students come back from summer vacation, many choose to eat in the science quad, one of the major hubs of lunchtime activity. Unfortunately, this spot is also home to quite the wasp population. It is unclear where they are from, as they are seen blasting out from many of the trees around the quad and around the roofs of the buildings. Unlike bees, one-sting wonders who have been characterized as making honey and talking like Jerry Seinfeld, wasps have the potential to unload a barrage of painful stings. It is very difficult to find someone who is fond of wasps, as they have terrorized many innocents in the quad. At lunch, it is not uncommon to see a student jump up and run away after a friend points out a wasp that has landed on them. “Those evil little monsters were sent from hell,” Buzz Ingly, one of
the jumpers, said. While this may be a bit dramatic, Ingly validated his reason for being afraid of these wasps: a single sting could spread all over his body, or so he says. This brings up an important potential health issue: wasp stings can cause freakish reactions from those with allergies and still cause significant pain in those who don’t. “It’s not that I think they’re going to sting me, but knowing that they could chills me to the bone,” sophomore Hunny Bunches said. It seemed very clear that whatever the reason, people want the wasps gone. When asked about potential solutions, students’ suggestions ranged from the possible to the completely unreasonable and dangerous. Some don’t find them to be much of a bother, while others would go to great lengths to destroy them. Some possible strategies for destruction include the purchasing of several wasp traps and hanging them
from trees, and another, to pay a freshman to climb up into the trees with a super soaker full of Raid®. In late summer, they reach the peak of their military strength, with up to 2,000 wasps per colony, so while some of these half-baked schemes may work, it would be safest to hire a trained professional. When students brought this problem to the attention of Mr. President, Dwight Bee Pollenflower, who seemed to agree with the students.“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And wasps. Wasps are pretty scary too,” Pollenflower said. He said that ASB will take a look and see if anything can be done through administration and the district about the insect inhabitants. A student group has created a GoFundMe to raise the money to remove the wasps. Until then, it seems, the student body will have to coexist with its wasp neighbors.
in students’ likelihood of finding parking. Parents have expressed concern that large class sizes will result in a less personalized learning environment. One parent, Apri Hension, even went as far as to create a game representing the classroom situation called ClassPop, where she claims “[Parents] have to stop the class population before the class pops.” To solve the issue of large class sizes and a limited number of desks, MVHS will be implementing the BUNK DESK 2000. These new desks will require one student to sit on the shoulders of the students at the below desks. This would make our classrooms more spacious and students’ legs will be stronger. Students who opt to be a part of the BUNK DESK
program are given P.E. credit in exchange. Admin has also created an extra period to allow for more classes and small class sizes. This new period will be Negative First Period, and will begin at 6:10am. Drissom said he sees this as a way to make everyone happy. The last change admin has announced is the senior selfie. Due to the extremely large number of students, some would have to take their senior portraits in their freshman year in order to get through everyone. Instead, MVHS is implementing the selfie method, where each senior will take a selfie and email it to the yearbook staff, allowing for an efficient collection process of pictures. Yearbook staff member Portia Rates said, “Who told you we
Last May, the College Board announced that they will be changing World History AP to White History AP in the 2019-2020 school year. The history course will focus on years 1200-present. Although the decision has been controversial amongst the community, the College Board has stood by their decision. In an official statement, College Board CEO Brad Whiteman stated, “We feel as though students are really lacking a foundation and understanding of what white history is. Therefore, by revamping the course to fit the current political climate, we are making sure that white narrative is never omitted from the school curriculum.” The curriculum for the course will include units such as Discovering America, Founding Fathers, White Saviors, The Inventors We Care About, and current events, such as The Best White Rappers. College Board spokesperson Ima Raceest said that it is crucial students understand the correct history of our world.“We were deeply offended by the meme ‘rt if you miss Pangea’ — it is clear the Americas and Asia emerged from the ocean in 1492,” Raceest said. The College Board has made it clear that such island continents had no history prior to the late 1400s. White History AP will explore the diaspora of the Europeans to see how their ideas have spread and civilized the rest of the world. Students will have the unique opportunity to measure what percent of each ethnicity they are — such as five percent Dutch, 23 percent British, two percent Swedish, 10 percent French, 30 German, and so on — how exotic!
College Board has also sent history teachers revised versions of the world map to better represent the class. The revised map increases the size of Europe and North America by the 50% and moves them closer to the equator. The map now makes all Africa and England the same size. “This new curriculum is beyond outrageous,” sophomore Inda Wright said. “It is racist and we have enough white history in our school curriculum already!” Wright said that she is not the only student who believes that the new curriculum is horrendous. Wright and other students took to social media to make their voice heard, starting the viral hashtag #worldhistorynotwhitehistory. The College Board said that they are unsure of why people are unhappy with the change in curriculum, as they have also introduced another extremely educational course called Before Civilized Living. College Board intends for students to focus on the important history of white men in students’ freshman year in order to create a strong foundation for the rest of their high school education.
Julia Wagner
Adminstration proposes ingenious solutions to growing freshman class size Julia Wagner juliaw@mvhsoracle.com
As complaints about the growing student population filled Admin’s emails and mail boxes, they release a statement intended to calm the masses outlining their expectations for the coming years. The announcement included that the class of 2024 will be the largest in Mountain View history with over 700,000 students. When asked what effects this increase in enrollment will have on student life, Admin claimed, “BPL parking might be more limited, but no extra parking spaces will be required at this time.” Admin also said that they never count the number of parking permits they sell and do not see the growing class size will making a difference
were doing senior selfies? Do you really think I want to go through thousands of emails from people filled with pictures of them in the dog face Snapchat filter? If Admin
is implementing this program, they will have to do it themselves.” Adminstration has said that they are willing to listen to complaints and complain with students.
Emma Cahill STUDENTS: Test out the new Bunk Desk 2000 in English and Math classes.
Word Search Generator VIEW :: Create your own printable word findORACLE worksheets @ A to 11 Z Teacher Stu MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL
9/18/2018
| humor
Download PDF (Free) To View PDF, Download Here
Back to School Poem Ria Saxena rias@mvhsoracle.com
OPEN
Click here to print this page without advertisement
If you have a pop-up blocker, disable it or override it by holding the Ctrl button when you click the abov
What is this high school? Back in 8th grade, I thought I was cool. Why are there so many students here, I’m very lost, I need a cold root beer.
Printing tips: You might find adjusting the page setup on your computer (changing the margins, header/footer, landscap orientation) will give you a better printout for some puzzles.
OR, you can go back and change your puzzle settings to change the grid size, font size, or reposition the w the right or bottom of the puzzle.
Sophomore year is fun— Chem labs are number one. Just chilling on campus till we can drive, Then we can be cool, we will thrive. Oh no I’m actually stressed, APs and SATs are a mess. I know junior year is demanding, But I didn’t know I was crash landing.
Create a new word search Ria Saxena
MAKE YOUR OWNNight WORKSHEETSLights ONLINE @ WWW.ATOZTEACHERSTUFF.COM “Friday (on a budget)”
Autumn word search
NAME:_______________________________ DATE:_____________
College app season has me freaking out, I’m just waiting for senior checkout. Sorry what class is this? Everything said goes in an abyss.
Ria Saxena rias@mvhsoracle.com
J W P Y N M B M W W
C I J H H E I Y R Z
E L O G I D P F E Z
Y P A L T N U S T X
O Y O E C J M P A Z
W O R I E M P A E I
M M S Z A C K N W H
S A U V H J I E S A
B M M M G N N P H K
R U P M G W T O S B
MIDTERMS PUMPKIN BASIC PIE SWEATER SPICE NAPS
Oracle Investigates:
The secret life of adminstration encourage all students who are struggling in school to drop out to become a model, because there is no greater feeling in the world than when the cameras are flashing and everyone works together to find your best angle.” This secret life was not a shock to student Unden I. Ably. “He has such a presence when he walks into morning rallies! Drissom’s walk is undeniably that of an model,” said Ably. Ably also said that she believes that Drissom is really acting as a principal hired to find students http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/word-search-maker/wordsearch.php to join the CIA. Drissom denied to comment when asked whether this was true.
Julia Wagner juliaw@mvhsoracle.com
Gavid Drissom
While many know Principal Gavid Drissom takes school very seriously, many do not know about his very zealous modeling career! Featured by Urban Outfitters, Supreme, H&M, and most recently Lululemon, Drissom has found his passion for expressing himself and showing off the newest styles while modeling. “Modeling brings out the best in me. I call this pose the principal because this is how I walk around my office,” Drissom said. “I
Billiam Wlair
Has anyone else noticed that Billiam Wlair and Hevin Keiken look oddly similar? Doppelgangers perhaps! Oracle went undercover this week to discover why no one has ever seen the two of them together. As we have discovered, Mr. Wlair left for a much-needed beach vacation to Bora Bora last June and never came back. Rumor has it that he has been living in a honeymoon suite and spending the theater department’s money on poolside massages and scuba diving lessons. Consider admin #exposed.
Feri Taught
A quick Google Search has revealed a juicy secret about Assistant Principal Feri Taught! Many students were suspicious of Taught because they claimed to have seen her in the World Weightlifting Championships, so we decided to take the investigation into our own hands. We found that she has won multiple titles for weight lifting, including the 2012 Olympic Games’ gold medal after lifting 4000 lbs. This strength led to her to
being hired as a security guard at the school, but administration decided to pretend she was an Assistant Principal to make students feel safe In an exclusive interview with Taught, she expressed extreme disdain for not receiving a golf cart like other security guards. “I don’t understand why I don’t get all that fancy gear. I’m the best guard our district has to offer. This is off the record, right? Students aren’t supposed to know,” Taught said. Oops, looks like the secret’s out.
Garmen Comez
Those who know vice principal Garmer Comez know her to be a hard working staff member who will do anything to help students. Oracle had only one question: how is she so willing to bend over backwards to get things done? We accessed security footage from around MVHS and found Comez walking into the storage closet in the 300 wing every day before school, during lunch, and after school. As it turns out, Gomez has turned the storage closet into a yoga room and instructs classes three times a day! We weren’t surprised to realize she’s flexible in more ways than one.
12
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
arts & culture |
Students get a ‘Global Glimpse’ Madison Dunkle
madisond@mvhsoracle.com From teaching locals English to helping out on a farm at sunrise, Global Glimpse offers students lifelong memories while teaching valuable lessons about real world issues. Founded in Berkeley, California, Global Glimpse is a selective, non-profit, service-based program. Each summer, 25 students from roughly 30 schools travel to Spanish speaking countries such as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. Spanish teacher Lauren Camarillo and math teacher Annie Lu, two Global Glimpse leaders, travel with Mountain View students and partake in many of the program’s activities. “Global Glimpse tries to give hands on, immersive experiences so students don’t just see what poverty looks like, but they can live with a family in poverty and connect with them on a personal level,” Camarillo said. “The focus is global mindset, global education, and what you cannot learn within four walls of a classroom.” Camarillo said she appreciates Global Glimpse because it is not like other study abroad programs; the program covers almost all costs for students who qualify for income support due to the extensive fundraising Global Glimpse does. She said Global Glimpse is extremely safe and shorter than
most other programs at only two and a half weeks, making it convenient for more students to attend. Although she acknowledges that studying abroad can be a risk, she emphasized its importance because lessons regarding subjects ranging from poverty to culture are more easily understood outside “the confines of a classroom.” “I really do think that in order to be a well rounded human and citizen of the world, you need to have a global experience,” Camarillo said. “If I can inspire any students to get to know a developing country, do service, or even just travel to get to know somewhere that’s not the US, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
I learned from my students and they learned from me A highlight of the trip is “Live like a Local” day, in which students are assigned to an individual and must wake at the same time and complete the same tasks. Though jobs differ based on country, some include farming, working in marketplaces, or fertilizing coffee beans. Seminars follow, in which
photo courtesy of Alannah Walsh GLIMPSERS: interact with the local children and play on a play structure together in the Dominican Republic.
students learn from political advisors, revolutionaries, or community members. Students are then expected to lead English classes to locals in the afternoon. Alannah Walsh, a senior who traveled to the Dominican Republic this past summer, explained that her experience teaching English resulted in a greater appreciation for teachers. “At first I was really scared to teach because it was a beginners English class and I had to talk in Spanish the whole time,” she explained. “My students were also 20 and up, which was kind of intimidating.” However, despite Walsh’s initial
nerves, she said she holds this experience in an extremely high regard now. “I learned from my students and they learned from me,” she said. “We formed connections that I loved.” Now, Walsh serves as a Global Glimpse ambassador, preparing future “Glimpsers” for their trips. Like Walsh, senior Davina Reed also traveled to the Dominican Republic and stayed at a local orphanage, forming meaningful relationships with both the children and staff. Reed said she enjoyed learning about history and dance and visiting museums and coffee bean farms.
She said she believes that the real world problems she witnessed, from environmental concerns to issues regarding labor, equipped her with leadership skills that she directly credits to the Global Glimpse program. Reed believes it is vital for Global Glimpse students to take action on issues that they are exposed to. “Once you learn this information, just get out there,” she said. “You kind of have no excuse now. Maybe you were uninformed before, but after this trip, you have to use that knowledge to fix situations, whether that’s in a community in the Dominican Republic or our own community.”
Estudiantes reciben un ‘Global Glimpse’ Madison Dunkle
madisond@mvhsoracle.com
Traducción Mira Kaiser mirak@mvhsoracle.com Desde enseñar inglés a los lugareños a ayudar en una granja al amanecer, Global Glimpse ofrece a los estudiantes recuerdos de toda la vida mientras enseñan valiosas lecciones sobre problemas del mundo real. Fundado en Berkeley, California, Global Glimpse es un programa selectivo, sin fines de lucro, basado en servicios. Cada verano, 25 estudiantes de aproximadamente 30 escuelas viajan a países que hablan español como Nicaragua, República
Dominicana y Ecuador. La maestra de español Lauren Camarillo y la maestra de matemáticas Annie Lu, dos líderes de Global Glimpse, viajaron con estudiantes de Mountain View y participaron en muchas de las actividades del programa. “Global Glimpse trata de dar experiencias inmersivas para que los estudiantes no solo vean cómo es la pobreza, sino que puedan vivir con una familia en la pobreza y conectar con ellos en un nivel personal”, dijo Camarillo. “El enfoque es la mentalidad global, la educación global y lo que no se puede aprender dentro de las cuatro paredes de un aula”. Camarillo dijo que aprecia Global Glimpse porque no es
como otros programas de estudio en el extranjero; El programa cubre casi todos los costos para los estudiantes que califican para el apoyo de ingresos debido a la amplia recaudación de fondos que hace Global Glimpse. Ella dijo que Global Glimpse es extremadamente seguro y más corto que la mayoría de los demás programas en solo dos semanas y media, por lo que es conveniente que asistan más estudiantes. Aunque reconoce que estudiar en el extranjero puede ser un riesgo, enfatizó su importancia porque temas como la pobreza y la cultura se entienden más fácil fuera de “los confines de un salón de clases”. “Realmente creo que para ser un humano completo y ciudadano del
photo courtesy of Alannah Walsh ESTUDIANTES: interactuan con los niños locales para el programa de Global Glimpse en el Republico Domincano.
mundo, debe tener una experiencia global”, dijo Camarillo. “Si puedo inspirar a los estudiantes a conocer un país en desarrollo, hacer un servicio o incluso viajar para conocer un lugar que no sea Estados Unidos, siento que he hecho mi trabajo”. Un momento destacado del viaje es el día de “Vivir y trabajar como un local”, en el cual los estudiantes se asignan a un individuo y deben despertarse al mismo tiempo y completar las mismas tareas. Aunque los trabajos difieren según el país, algunos incluyen la agricultura, el trabajo en mercados o la fertilización de los granos de café. Los estudiantes también asisten a seminarios para aprender de asesores políticos, revolucionarios o miembros de la comunidad. Luego se espera que enseñen clases de inglés a los lugareños por la tarde. Alannah Walsh, un estudiante del cuarto año, viajó a la República Dominicana el verano pasado, explicó que su experiencia en la enseñanza del inglés resultó en una mayor apreciación para los maestros. “Al principio tenía mucho miedo de enseñar porque era una clase de inglés para principiantes y tuve que hablar en español todo el tiempo”, dijo Walsh. “Mis alumnos también tenían 20 años o más, lo cual fue algo intimidante”. Sin embargo, a pesar de los nervios iniciales de Walsh, ella dijo
que ahora tiene esta experiencia en una consideración extremadamente alta. “Aprendí de mis alumnos y ellos aprendieron de mí”, dijo Walsh. “Formamos conexiones que me encantaron”. Ahora, Walsh sirve como embajador de Global Glimpse, preparando futuros “Glimpsers” para sus viajes. Al igual que Walsh, un estudiante del cuarto año Davina Reed, también viajó a la República Dominicana y quedó en un orfanato local, formando relaciones significativas con los niños y empleados. Reed dijo que le gustaba aprender sobre la historia y baile y visitar museos y granjas de café. Ella dijo que cree que los problemas del mundo real que ella presenció, desde preocupaciones ambientales hasta problemas relacionados con el trabajo, le dotó habilidades de liderazgo que ella acredita directamente al programa Global Glimpse. Reed cree que es vital para los estudiantes de Global Glimpse tomar medidas en asuntos a los que están expuestos. “Una vez que aprendes esta información, simplemente ve a hacerlo” dijo Reed. “No tienes excusa ahora. Tal vez no estuviste informado antes, pero después de este viaje, debes usar ese conocimiento para solucionar situaciones, ya sea en una comunidad en la República Dominicana o en nuestra propia comunidad.”
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
13
| arts & culture
Samantha Evans dabbles in the art of directing
Emma Cahill EVANS: directs her fellow students in preperation for “Dog Sees God.”
Madison Dunkle
madisond@mvhsoracle.com “Dog Sees God,” is currently being directed at Upstage Theatre by senior Samantha Evans. The play follows the original Charlie Brown characters as modern teenagers, facing issues from drug abuse to eating disorders. Evans began acting in elementary school and began to fully realize her potential after being cast in her first lead role as Viola in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” at a summer theater camp. After being cast in the fall play “Almost Maine” as a freshman, Evans fell in love with the school theater department and has participated in 10 school productions since. “I love storytelling. I love finding the message in a story, and then hoping that the audience gets it. I love hearing the audience laugh,” Evans said. Drama teacher Emilia Pena said that Evans’s ability to “light up the stage” has allowed for success during her four years with the theater department. “She just has this presence about her that I think is dynamic and
fun to watch,” Pena said. “I know that I can rely on her for a lot of things. She’s really trustworthy and passionate.” Pena added that Evans has talent in making smart choices in both acting and recently, directing. Last year, Evans took on the challenge of directing “21 Chump Street,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, for the school theater showcase. She said that her experience directing has been “eye opening” to how talented her fellow peers are. By offering constructive advice, she said she has been able to witness growth in each actor with whom she has worked.
when you’re directing, you have to be the one that has all the answers For Evans, directing has allowed her to create her own vision
for a production, which entails additional responsibility. “When you’re acting, so much has to come from your own creativity,” Evans said.“When you’re directing, you have to be the one that has all the answers and let everyone run with it.” This year, Evans applied to direct for Upstage Theatre, a Bay Area teen run theater company, and was successful. She had only seen a few shows at Upstage before, but was immediately drawn to their style. “They do really risque type theatre—basically things that couldn’t normally be performed at a high school due to swearing or mature content,” Evans said. “But they show really important stories that need to be told.” She said she was especially drawn to “Dog Sees God” because of its message.The importance of kindness, hope, and helping out others, especially in high school, were among the themes Evans found inspiring. Because the play is produced and directed by teenagers, Evans said she believes the plot and problems are “relatable to our generation,” even if not frequently discussed. “I wanted to do this play because it tackles so many issues that we have in the world right now,” Evans said. “It tackles bullying. It tackles homophobia. It tackles how kids are with alcohol and drugs. I think it expresses really well what teenagers do.” “Dog Sees God” is scheduled to run at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts on Oct. 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 p.m. Evans is also working as assistant director for the fall play “Secret of the Wings,” shown on Nov. 8, 9, and 10 at 7:00 p.m in the theater.
Artists of Mountain View:
independent edition Izzy Scotti
isabellas@mvhsoracle.com
photo courtesy of Lydia Lam @LYDDRAWS: is Lam’s art instagram account handle
Senior Eric Rahn focuses on art that uses spray paint and the layering of masks, which serve as stencils to create a variety of shapes with different colors. Rahn said he paints because it’s something that he can feel proud of and doesn’t take up too much time. According to Rahn, the structure of a classroom setting defeats the purpose of individualistic art, and this why he isn’t enrolled in a art class at school.
Madison Gubser
Suhail Kumar Suhail Kumar
“I like to make what I wear a super interesting part of my personality, and so that I’m recognizable.”
“I really like Brodie Dale, she’s one of my favorite singers from The Distillers. I’m seeing her tonight, and this is my outfit.”
photo courtesy of Eric Rahn RAHN: spray paints a moon over the ocean with the help of masks.
photo courtesy of Leign Ann Bardman
BARDMAN: draws inspiration from her family.
OUTFIT LOOKBOOK Jehan Rasmussen
Junior Lydia Lam initially started doing art because of her older brother, who served as an inspiration for her. According to Lam, school takes up a lot of her time and art is hard to fit into her schedule with required classes but she manages to make time for her 2D drawing as a break from work. “It’s just nice to take a break from [work] and do something that I really enjoy doing, even if it’s something I might not pursue in the future,” Lam said.
Junior Leigh Ann Bardman grew up immersed in art. Her mother, an art teacher, taught her to appreciate it and encouraged her to begin drawing at a young age. Bardman creates paintings both digitally and on canvas, taking inspiration from her family. She said she tries to set aside at least an hour each week for her art, which she uses as an outlet to get away from the struggles of daily life.
Suhail Kumar
suhailk@mvhsoracle.com
Jayme Albritton
Suhail Kumar
“I wanted to dress like a school girl.”
14
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
arts & culture |
Spartan Dance Club: a safe space on and off the dance floor
photo courtesy of Samantha Wray SPARTAN DANCE CLUB: performs at annual Dance Spectrum show in May.
Suhail Kumar suhailk@mvhsoracle.com With just shy of 40 members, the Spartan Dance Club is quickly becoming one of the most popular clubs at MVHS. The club’s original focus was to encourage students to begin dancing and spread its joy around campus by making the practice more accessible to students who are unable to participate in Dance Spectrum because of full schedules. It has since evolved into a community fostered by their shared interest in the art. The club is a space where students can feel safe and have a voice, both on and off the dance floor, according to club co-president Kylie Mullenex. The club emphasizes the importance of togetherness and family and pushes for its members to be accepting and friendly. The Spartan Dance Club is composed of members of all skill levels and even students with no prior experience are encouraged to join and try their hand at dancing. Club leaders and those with experience in dance assist
newer dancers in learning moves, choreography, and technique. “Kids who had never set a foot on stage or danced before at all are now trained and able to teach people techniques,” Mullenex said. Co-president Sammy Wray explained that Dance Club provides an alternative to Dance Spectrum for those who feel unprepared for the class or are unable to fit it into their schedule. Wray expressed that although many believe they don’t possess the ability or talent to dance, with training from the Dance Club, nearly anyone can become a dancer. “The biggest thing we hear when telling people to join is ‘but I can’t dance,’” Wray said. “But you can.” Sophomore Sophia Arellano has been part of the club since her freshman year, and before joining the club had had no prior dance experience. Arellano explained that before joining Spartan Dance Club, she had “two left feet”. However, the support she has received from the club has been invaluable in developing her dancing ability. Not only has she
seen growth in her dancing, she has also seen immense personal growth. She explained that prior to joining the club, she was a “shy, quiet freshman.” Upon joining the club, she has watched herself become increasingly confident and outgoing. “After dance club, I completely came out of my shell,” Arellano said. Dances are choreographed by the club’s advisor, Spanish teacher Lauren Camarillo, as well as the club’s board members and founders. The club performs at school rallies, the annual May Dance Spectrum Show, and occasionally local elementary schools such as Oak Elementary School. This year, the club is looking to involve itself in the community outside of school by holding more events at elementary schools and hosting dance workshops, according to Mullenex. The club meets for an hour on Tuesdays after school. A standard meeting involves ice breakers, where the club can introduce new members; a warm-up, which typically involves dancers moving across the floor; and ends with students working on various techniques and choreography. The members have expressed a sense of satisfaction that the club has seen immense growth since its start when it only consisted of eight members. According to Mullenex, current junior board members are being trained to take the reigns starting next year as the senior founders graduate. In coming years, Mullenex said she hopes to see the club grow even larger in size and continue to spread the values of a strong community through dance.
Oracle Reviews: where to study Ana Mata anam@mvhsoracle.com
Dana Street Roasting Company 744 W Dana St, Mountain View, CA Dana has always been my go-to cafe to complete homework or study for a test with friends because of the warm atmosphere and delicious cheap coffee and pastries. Although they have had some issues with their wifi in the past, it does seem to be functioning much more consistently now, making it perfect to do school work. It’s
important to note that they are cash only, but they do offer an ATM if you come unprepared. The size of their tables are on the smaller side so bring as few materials as possible. Dana’s hours are a little restrictive, closing at 5pm on Sunday and Monday and 6pm for the rest of the week, so make sure to get there early enough after school to maximize your time. Dana is a study-friendly environment as most customers are reading books, working on their laptops, or casually hanging out with friends.
Ana Mata DANA STREET ROASTING COMPANY: is a warm and friendly environment.
Happy Donuts 3916 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA This 24/7 donut shop on El Camino Real in Palo Alto is the perfect place for your late night studying or a much-needed break from work. Happy Donuts is always filled with late night study-ers and college students so it’s an ideal location to get work done. The donuts are personally a favorite and their drip coffee is cheap and definitely helps keep you awake. It is geared towards
students so the internet is always fast and accessible. Happy Donuts is about a 15 minute drive from school which can make it a less appealing place to study for students but this shop always has plenty of seating and table space for you and your friends to have study group together. Whether every other place is closed or you just really want a quality donut with your homework, Happy Donuts is a great place to get your work done.
Advertisement
Ana Mata HAPPY DONUTS: is a hub for local students to enjoy cheap donuts and work.
Mountain View Library 585 Franklin St, Mountain View, CA The Mountain View Public Library is a prime location for your studying this school year. The library is probably the most reliable place to study if you need a quiet and workoriented environment to perform your best in school. They are conveniently open until 9pm from Monday to Thursday so it is very accessible to students during the week with plenty of time to study after school. Unfortunately, they are only open from 10AM to 6PM on Friday and
Saturday and from 1 to 5PM on Sunday. Although the weekend hours are restrictive, the library provides great resources for any student, especially those with a library card because then you can reserve a study room for an hour at a time and have access to whiteboards and a quiet place to study. The staff at the library is also super accommodating, as they will referring you to any available resource needed. The Mountain View Public Library is the perfect place for those in need of some very focused, quiet work time.
Ana Mata MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY: is an perfect location to quietly study.
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
| news
continued CONFERENCES | p. 1 to meet with any of their student’s teachers. “Around the time of the first quarter grades, there will be information in Grissom’s Gazette about the new process and procedure for parentteacher conferences,” Campbell said. “We also will reach out to the E-lists, and hopefully teachers will be sending out information to parents as well through their personal communication methods.” The new system is a two year pilot. After two years, teachers and administration will decide whether to adopt the new model for parentteacher conferences permanently. Superintendent Jeff Harding believes that the new system for parentteacher conferences will be beneficial to the students, and allow faculty to work with MVHS families to meet the specific needs of each student. “High schools in California don’t tend to have parent-teacher conferences at all, but we believe that they are important, and we want to be an exceptional school district,” Harding said. “This is one way that we can set ourselves apart.” While the changes are being continued SOULFORCE | p. 1 released, is about the intersection of the arts and social justice, specifically about how literature connects to the world and argues for different issues in society. “I think art is inherently political,” Sasaki said. There is a lot of overlap between art and social justice because art is not always objective, and often criticizes and draws attention to specific, negative aspects of society.” Besides writing and producing her own podcast, Sasaki, who is an active member of Madrigals, focused on using her voice to foster change. Through singing and with guidance from her Soulforce mentors, Sasaki discovered music’s impact and its message about social justice. Sasaki arranged music to emphasize using it as an instrument for social change, and even composed her own pieces. Looking into the future, Sasaki plans to put together a feminine
implemented for the 2018-2019 school year, creating the new system has been a several year process, according to Campbell. The initial push to change the system was from the results of a survey from a few years ago.
“We, the DTA, negotiated with the District to make these changes,” Campbell said. “This is something that we pushed for, and the District worked with us to come up with a model that they felt was meeting the needs of the parents, students, and teachers.”
Campbell stresses that he, as well as the others teachers, believe that this revised parent-teacher conference system will be in the best interest of the students, and hopes that this will help improve academic achievement down the road. “Research shows that the more involved parents are in their child’s education, the more successful the child is,” Campbell said. An additional benefit to allowing parents to more easily communicate with teachers throughout the school year, according to Harding, is that parents and teachers can utilize different methods of communication depending on the size of the issue or concern. This was one of the major flaws with the parent-teacher conference system from previous school years. “The old system demanded that parents sign up rapidly,” Harding said. “And they only got 10 minutes face to face, regardless of what the issue was.” Now, with teachers for accessible to parents, communication can consist of a quick phone call, an email, an face to face meeting, or any method that seems necessary.
health care initiative to eliminate the stigma around talking about feminine health. “Society doesn’t let us talk about feminine health very much, and I want to bring better awareness surrounding the topic,” said Sasaki. Like Sasaki, others are stepping up to the plate and helping make a change in society. Freshman Nakai Brock started going to protests when she was in sixth grade, and has been to marches such as the Women’s March and protests opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline, protests that she has a personal connection to since she is a Native American female. Brock started her week long fellowship with Soulforce this summer, and has been fighting for nonviolence and human rights by creating her blog, called Time for Change. So far, Brock has written about the family separation policy, and writes to bring awareness to different issues and speak freely on
her on platform. Through Soulforce, Brock has learned about respecting different perspectives. “I’ve started listening to both sides of an argument, other than just my own. Soulforce brought me a sense of community, and it’s nice to be with others who have similar interests as me. We can all talk freely together.” Over the summer, students at MVHS helped raise awareness for different issues that they were passionate about and helped as a stepping stone to help guide them to serve as leaders for the community. Sasaki described Soulforce’s impact on her, saying, “Before soulforce I had a lot of things I cared about and issues I wanted to talk about, but didn’t think anyone was there to listen. I knew what my message was, but I didn’t know how to say it; through Soulforce I got that clarity. I finally know what I want to do, and even if only 3 people are listening, it can still make a difference.”
the more involved parents are in their child’s education the more successful the child is
15
Waterbottles and backpacks banned at Aqwafina sports games Claire Anderson clairea@mvhsoracle.com At the beginning of the 20182019 school year, a policy was implemented preventing students from bringing water bottles and bags into sporting events. This policy was created to keep students safe while attending games. David Grissom, the principal of Mountain View High School, commented on this decision. “We had heard rumors at the end of last football season in particular that students were sneaking things in through water bottles,” Grissom said. “I don’t think we ever caught anybody doing that, but we had heard rumors of that.” continued DISCIPLINE | p. 1 out, is that restorative justice is a time intensive program. “We believe that it is a good avenue and a good way to deal with discipline issues, but our struggle quite honestly is the amount of time it takes,” Grissom said.
We believe that it is a good avenue and a good way to deal with discipline issues The number one reason for suspension at MVHS is drug and alcohol abuse. Consequently the board stated that one of their greatest focuses for the 2018-
This policy is not brand new to MVHS, as it is already implemented at school dances. Students are not allowed to bring water bottles or bags to dances, and MVHS will now have this same policy for sporting events. “Seemed to make sense,” Grissom said. “A policy that we already have elsewhere, so why not create a venue that is safe for all.” Although there has only been one football game at MVHS this year, the new policy appears to be effective. “Anecdotally, I can say that what’s gotten back to us is that it appears to be a good policy,” Grissom said. “The policy was [made] to create a safe environment for our students,” Grissom said.
2019 school year was to integrate practices that could be effectively used as alternatives to suspension. Instead of suspension, MVHS has created new policies where students who violate rules pertaining to drugs and alcohol can be referred to counseling programs, shortening their suspension and getting students back in school faster. The school has referred students with drug and alcohol offenses to brief intervention programs where students can discuss their issues with counselors. In the brief intervention, students address their behavior and learn how to make conscious decisions that they can implement in the future. These are rarely used due to low suspension rates. “By and large, our students make pretty good decisions here. There are moments where we all lapse in judgement, but in general, our students behave very well,” Grissom said. Advertisement
16
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL ORACLE
news|
Amanda Terry hired as Lab Technician Homecoming preview Nisha Malley nisham@mvhsoracle.com Amanda Terry was hired to fill the newly created position of Science Lab Technician for the 2018-19 school year. Terry will assist both MVHS and LAHS science departments with lab setup, maintenance of equipment, and chemical inventory, storage, and waste. Terry has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina and 13 years of relevant laboratory experience.
Terry said she felt incredibly welcomed by the science department and looks forward to support student learning, especially since she has long held a passion for education. “I’ve been in the corporate world, I’ve done government work, and this is academia,” Terry said. “I feel like I’ll be giving back a little more to the community instead of trying to do things for the dollar.” The MVLA Foundation funded the new position with a special grant. According to the MVLA Foundation Co-Executive Director Laura Roberts, science departments needed the support of a lab
Nisha Malley TERRY: works with MVHS and LAHS science departments to maintain equipment.
technician as setting up labs proved very time consuming for teachers. “We would like the teachers to be able to focus on teaching and not in maintaining the labs,” Roberts said. Science department coordinator and physics teacher Gina Dunsmore expressed her excitement for the new position. Her longest lab, which applies students’ understanding of Newton’s Second Law, requires two hours to assemble and involves the use of air tracks, pulleys, photogates, carts, weights, strings, LabQuests, and Logger Pro software. According to Dunsmore, science teachers often stray from having Student Teacher Assistants help with lab set up, as some can involve hazardous materials. “We can’t have Student TAs helping with dangerous chemicals, and some of our physics equipment deals with a lot of electricity and water,” Dunsmore said. With assistance from Terry, Dunsmore may no longer have to use her preparation periods and time after school for longer lab set-ups. “I can focus on lesson planning,” Dunsmore said. “I can focus on grading. I can focus on helping students understand the concepts over then just setting up and taking down equipment.”
Claire Anderson
clairea@mvhsoracle.com Homecoming week is starting Monday the 24th. This year’s theme is Through the Decades, with spirit days representing the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Introduction videos to the court nominees will be based on classic movies from these years. During lunch on Tuesday, court nominees will play Court Paint Twister and will play music on Thursday at lunch. At the end of the week on Friday, September 28th, the homecoming picnic, parade, and football game along with voting for the Homecoming Court Royalty will take place. Throughout the week, students
will have the opportunity to show their school pride with spirit days. Monday: Students will wear their class color. Freshmen wear yellow, sophomores wear green, juniors wear purple, and seniors wear blue. Tuesday: Students will wear tie dye to represent 1960s hippies. Wednesday: Students will represent the 1970s blackout/ whiteout trend with underclassmen wearing all white and upperclassmen wearing all black. Thursday: Students will blast to the past by wearing 1980’s neon clothing. Friday: Students will show Spartan Pride by wearing the school’s black and yellow signature colors.
Hallie Olson HOMECOMING: parade will feature various preforming arts groups and clubs.
Distrito encuentra nuevo metodos de disiplina Claire Pan clairep@mvhsoracle.com
Traducción: Mateo Kaiser mateok@mvhsoracle.com Una desproporcionalidad persistente en las suspensiones entre los estudiantes de educación especial y latinos aumentó durante el año escolar 2017-18. Este esta de acuerdo con el Plan de Responsabilidad de Control Local presentado en la reunión de la mesa directiva del 11 de junio. El distrito continuará explorando alternativas a la suspensión, especialmente centrándose en programas disciplinarios relacionados con el abuso de sustancias para el año escolar 2018-1919. Mientras la tasa de suspensión del distrito sigue siendo relativamente baja, con un 1.3 por ciento recibiendo suspensiones fuera de la escuela según un censo de 2015, esa tasa aumentó en un 1.1 por ciento en el año escolar 2017-2018. Además, MVHS experimentó un salto significativo en las suspensiones para estudiantes en desventaja socioeconómica y educación especial, con un aumento de 3.3 por ciento y 3.7 por ciento, respectivamente. Los estudiantes son suspendidos entre uno a cinco
días por violar las reglas en el Manual de Educación de California y solo pueden ser suspendidos por violar la Educación 48900 de California, la ley que regula las reglas y la disciplina escolar. El superintendente del districto Jeff Harding dijo que cree que la suspensión no siempre sirve mejor a los estudiantes, diciendo que el uso de la suspensión como consecuencia rara vez rehabilita
la trayectoria académica del estudiante ha sido alterada mientras están fuera a los estudiantes. “Muchas veces, los estudiantes que violan las reglas de la escuela tienen problemas académicos”, dijo Harding. “Mantenerlos fuera de clase no necesariamente mejora eso. Por un lado, tratamos de minimizar la cantidad de escuelas que pierden, pero al mismo tiempo, tratamos de enviar un mensaje claro cuando se ha producido una violación”.
Harding dijo que para diferentes estudiantes, la suspensión puede tener diversos efectos; algunos estudiantes se benefician de un tiempo aparte para pensar en sus acciones, mientras que otros aumentan el comportamiento rebelde. Dijo que la suspensión puede ser beneficiosa para otros estudiantes que tienen este comportamiento, ya que envía un mensaje claro de que el estudiante ha cruzado la línea. Un gran problema que surge de la suspensión es que impide que los estudiantes aprendan en un ambiente de clase. “La trayectoria académica del estudiante ha sido alterada mientras están fuera. Afecta su educación porque no se les permite venir a la escuela “, dijo el director David Grissom. La suspensión no solo elimina a un estudiante de su entorno académico y social, sino que para los estudiantes con problemas de conducta que ya se sienten desconectados de la escuela, la suspensión puede afectarlos negativamente a medida que los sacan a la fuerza de la comunidad. “Piensa en lo que estamos diciendo cuando suspendemos a un niño. Estamos diciendo, ‘No puede venir aquí, no vamos a educarlo durante un par de días, sea el que sea el problema’. Personalmente, creo que eso es algo importante que decir a los niños”, dijo Grissom.
Una alternativa a la suspensión es la justicia restaurativa, un programa que ayuda a los estudiantes a hablar sobre sus problemas para que puedan reducir el número de días que están fuera de la escuela, y así ayudarlos con el aspecto mental de la suspensión. La justicia restaurativa es una práctica donde los estudiantes pueden hablar entre ellos después de un altercado, ayudando a fomentar la reconciliación entre el delincuente y la víctima. Aunque este método es efectivo, no se usa con mucha frecuencia. El problema, como señaló Grissom, es que la justicia restaurativa es un programa que
hay momentos en que todos fallamos en el juicio, pero en general, nuestros estudiantes se comportan muy bien requiere mucho tiempo. “Creemos que es una buena avenida y una buena forma de tratar a los problemas de disciplina, pero nuestra lucha honestamente es la cantidad de tiempo que toma”, dijo Grissom.
La razón número uno para la suspensión en MVHS es el abuso de drogas y alcohol. En consecuencia, la junta declaró que uno de sus mayores objetivos para el año lectivo 2018-2019 era integrar prácticas que podrían utilizarse eficazmente como alternativas a la suspensión. En lugar de la suspensión, MVHS ha creado nuevas sistemas donde los estudiantes que violan las reglas relacionadas con las drogas y el alcohol pueden ser referidos a programas de asesoramiento. Esto acortara su suspensión y haria que los estudiantes volverian a la escuela más rápido. La escuela ha remitido a los estudiantes con delitos de drogas y alcohol a programas de intervención breves donde los estudiantes pueden discutir sus problemas con los consejeros. En la breve intervención, los estudiantes abordan su comportamiento y aprenden a tomar decisiones conscientes que pueden implementar en el futuro. Rara vez se utilizan debido a las bajas tasas de suspensión. “En general, nuestros estudiantes toman decisiones bastante buenas aquí. Hay momentos en que todos fallamos en el juicio, pero en general, nuestros estudiantes se comportan muy bien”, dijo Grissom.