Issue 1 - October 2019 by The Prospector

FRIDAY, OCT. 4, 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

news Cupertino Housing Policy Lawsuit.................................. 04 Via-Cupertino: New On-Demand Shuttle................................... 06 CHS Environmental Club Forms Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team...................................... 07

features Unconventional Artists at Tino.. 08

opinions

08: Unconventional Artists At Tino

sports Athlete of the Month: Volleyball Player Kristine McLaughlin........ 24 The Uneven Distribution of Money in Sports................................. 26

Representation for Janitorial Staff ..................................... 12 Lax Repercussions for “Academic Dishonesty” at Tino ................ 14 Getting Ready for Sports Season................................... 27 lifestyles

Cyclical Trends and “Comebacks” perspectives in Pop Culture......................... 16 A Break-Up Letter to Environmentalism in Popular CollegeBoard........................... 28 Music..................................... 18 Cupertino’s STEM vs. Humanities The History of Tattoos in courses in 25 years................. 29 Society................................... 19

investigations

postscript

A Letter to Our Childhood Innocence............................... 30 The Lehigh Cement Plant and Environmental Concerns.......... 20 Column: Amir the Entrepreneur.. 31

THE PROSPECTOR

STAFF 2019- 2020

editors-in-chief Aashna Shah, Ashley Kang, Kavya Gupta page editors Alexandria Hunt, Angela Ma, Darshini Vijayakumar, Keerthi Lakshmanan, Kenneth Jeon, Sanat Singhal, Sarah Pollans, Stella Jia, Taha Shafiei copy editors Ariana Fahri, Darshini Vijayakumar, Lawrence Fan photo editors Ariana Fahri, Sydney Liao online editors Anthony Zhu, Jeffrey Xiong, Sydney Liao business manager Lawrence Fan writers Amir Iravani, Ankita Acharya, Avinash Pandit, Calvin Anderson, Henry Ma, Jenny Wu, Joan Thyagarajan, Juliet Shearin, Krithika Venkatasubramanian, Maia Matsushita, Megumi Ondo, Nikita Srinivas, Rachel Park, Sohini Karmakar advisor Ann Peck Editorial Policy “The Prospector” is an open forum of expression for student editors to inform and educate their readers. It will not be reviewed by or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisors may and should coach and discuss content during the writing process. The staff of “The Prospector” seeks to recognize individuals, events and ideas and bring news to the Cupertino community in an accurate, professional and unbiased manner. “The Prospector” will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy. If you believe an error has been made or wish to have your opinion expressed in “The Prospector,” please contact us via mail or email. Letters sent become the sole property of “The Prospector” and can be edited for length, clarity or accuracy. “The Prospector” editorial board reserves the right to accept or reject any ad in accordance with its advertising policy. Contact Us The Prospector 10100 Finch Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 prospector.chs@gmail.com

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Dear Reader, We currently live in a time of great volatility. As the countdown to irreversible environmental damage ticks and our student body is made to contend with corruption in our policy for academic dishonesty, it falls onto our shoulders as a generation to tackle the problems that threaten our future. The imperative state of the world and a looming sense of panic demands that we take measures to cope with the hand we’ve been dealt. Whether it be through finding beauty in discarded items (Recyclable Art, page 8) or imbuing music with messages of activism (Environmentalism in Music, page 18), we can make small decisions that either aggravate or contribute to solving the problems at hand. Cupertino’s Climate Youth Action Team, for one, has committed itself to increasing awareness and invoking our local government to address climate change (Climate Action Team, page 7). Staffers Sanat Singhal, Amir Iravani, and Nikita Srinivas also take on the Permanente Quarry (Lehigh Cement Plant, page 20), owned by Lehigh Southwest Cement, the biggest polluter in Santa Clara County. On page 14, we criticize the administration’s lax system of discipline towards academic dishonesty at Tino and its contribution to the rationalization of cheating in our hypercompetitive environment. The extreme measures students take to ensure academic excellence are exacerbated by their complacency to corruption in upper levels of power. However, teenagers alone cannot bear the weight of radical change against the inflexible status quo; the least we can do is make our voices heard. This issue, our message to you is to speak out against the injustices and wrongdoings you see occurring around you. As said by climate activist Greta Thunberg, “change is coming, whether you like it or not.” Warmly, Ashley Kang, Aashna Shah and Kavya Gupta

4 | DESIGNED BY STELLA JIA

NEWS

Due to the surplus of new jobs in Cupertino, the city has failed to reach housing requirements to satisfy the job growth.

AVI PANDIT writer

and try to incorporate office space and even more retail commercial shops and restaurants. The mayor has also advocated stopping the uncontrolled growth that the Bay Area is going through, claiming that growth in Cupertino has infiltrated its schools and caused chaos. When asked about the “uncontrolled growth” Mehta said, “Well, there is some truth to that because at our school we are always at full capacity because there are a lot of people. The word “infiltrate” is kind of aggressive, and I don’t think it’s that bad.”

IF CUPERTINO DOES NOT CREATE AROUND 1,000 NEW HOUSING UNITS BY 2023, THEY COULD BE HIT WITH A LAWSUIT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. tion, a new city hall, and most importantly 2,923 new housing units, many of which were BMR (below market rate). Scharf has commented on how the new housing units would not be suitable for families. With homelessness on the rise in Santa Clara County, both moves seemed classless by Cupertino. Unfortunately for the Council, under the SB 35 law, Vallco must have 1,203 BMR housing units once it is overhauled. On the other hand, Stephen Scharf and the Cupertino City Council have claimed to look into several projects with developers like Sand Hill. The Council claims that the developers become too greedy

NEWS | 5

veryone raised in Cupertino remembers the days where Vallco Mall was the place to be. There used to be movie lines that stretched for what seemed like miles, high-class shopping outlets, an ice rink and great options for all sorts of food. People traveled across the Bay Area to check out the wonders of Vallco. Despite all of its success, Vallco eventually vanished to become a virtually dead lot avoided by most. The addition of Main Street helped heal the wound, but Vallco remains to be a desolate void. Cupertino recently received a letter from the Department of Housing and Community Development warning them of the consequences of not creating enough housing to support its workforce. If Cupertino doesn’t create around 1,000 new housing units by 2023, they could be hit with a lawsuit by the Department of Housing and Community Development. Vallco, a large unoccupied space located just near Highway 280, is a perfect spot for Cupertino to adopt a plan for housing, but Cupertino’s City Council has been hesitant to do so. Since California is in the midst of one of the most major housing crises, state governor Gavin Newsom has made affordable housing one of his top priorities by introducing over 100 new bills dealing with housing issues to combat the dwindling housing market. Cupertino, home of the new Apple Spaceship, one of the densest employment centers, has created many new jobs but minimal housing. So far, the main problem has been that Cupertino’s City Council and residents have been quite reluctant to build homes around the area for new workers. According to the California Department of Housing and Commu-

nity Development, Cupertino must shape up its housing efforts or face a lawsuit by the state of California. The current state of Vallco has not pleased Cupertino High School students, who feel that the City Council should act on it. Said Cupertino High School Sophomore Sujay Mehta, “[Vallco] is just pretty useless, and it’s not really contributing much to our city.” When asked if the Cupertino City Council was doing an adequate job with Vallco, Mehta’s answer was straightforward, “No.” On May 29, the mayor of Cupertino, Stephen Scharf, and the Cupertino City Council rescinded a vote on Vallco, rather than putting it up for vote like they had promised. This plan included traffic mitiga-

ON-DEMAND SHUTTLE LAWRENCE FAN

6 | DESIGNED BY STELLA JIA

business manager/copy editor

On June 18, 2019, the Cupertino City Council approved funding for an experimental, on demand shuttle service with the objective of reducing traffic and air pollution. Set to begin in the fall, this pilot program will provide citizens with accessible and affordable transportation across the city. With the initial one-way fare of $5, the shuttle service is operational anywhere in Cupertino, including the McClellan Ranch Reserve area, and also serves several locations outside of Cupertino, including the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station and the Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara. Weekly passes will be available for frequent commuters, and students, seniors, and low-income riders will be eligible for discounts. Service hours are 6am to 8pm on weekdays, and 9am to 5 pm on Saturday. The cost of this program is currently expected to total $1.16 million, but if the demand for this service is low, the City may lower the price of rides. This may drive up costs up to $1.75 million. After 18 months, the city council will evaluate the program’s success and discuss options moving forward. The City is partnering with the company Via, who will provide both the vehicles and operations of the program. Via was chosen over competitors because it is the only vendor that offers both the on-demand technology and management needed for shuttle service. Councilmembers considered partnering with Uber or Lyft, but nega-

CHS students react to City of Cupertino’s new on-demand shuttle

tive feedback from the Mountain View Transportation Management Association deterred them from doing so. Since residents as young as 14 can ride the shuttles, Cupertino High School students can potentially benefit from the program. Students who currently use Uber or Lyft for transportation may now have access to a cheaper and safer alternative, and will allow students to travel far distances with ease. Many students at Cupertino are optimistic about this service, and see it as a benefit for the city. “Unquestionably, I think it’s up to snuff, it’s very shipshape and gnarly because I am [partial] to it because it’s very serviceable,” said Junior Alex Zhang, who often walks for his commutes. However, there are also potential drawbacks of this pilot program. One potential problem is that service hours are limited, so late-night and weekend commuters do not have access to the service. On top of that, the shuttle service only serves within the boundaries of Cupertino, with the exception of a few locations. This means that residents with further destinations can not use this service. Said Junior Rikhil Konduru, “To be fair I personally wouldn’t use it but I think it has a lot of genuine benefits but the thing is biking is more fun so hit me up on the bicycle.”

$5 PER RIDE

—

$1.16M IN THE MAKING

YEARS OR OLDER

YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION TEAM CALVIN ANDERSON writer

On Aug. 6, the Youth Climate Action Team brought initiatives for the Cupertino City Council to endorse resolutions targeted toward climate change. Consisting of students from Cupertino High School, Monta Vista High School, and Harker High School, the action team hopes to mitigate the effects of climate change before it is too late. It started with a follow up of the Green New Deal, a bold legislation

Cupertino Youth Climate Action Team presents four environement intiatives to Cupertino City Council

took off. The enlarged community brought more ideas, eventually developing the Reach code amendments. Although the state government can enforce building codes, they can only change it to a certain extent. Reach codes describe what local cities can amend to building codes that state or nation level can’t impose. The reach codes amendment relates to the building of all-electric buildings. This initiative means appliances like stoves and solar panels will come into significant play which ties into Natural Gas Ban. The use of stoves run-

“WE ARE MAKING A CHANGE, AND IT’LL ONLY COME BACK TO YOU. IT’LL HELP YOU OUT; YOUR SCHOOL WILL BE A BETTER PLACE AND OUR ENVIRONMENT WILL BE A BETTER PLACE.” - Junior Nitya Devisetti that hones in hard on climate change. When the CHS Environmental Club picked up on the news, they kicked off a plan to make Cupertino City Council endorse this resolution. “It was a bit daunting,” said Sophomore Gwyn Azar, founding member of the action team. “We didn’t have as much guidance [so] we were a bit lost.” Realizing they needed guidance, the team sought for help in a local climate summit meeting. The action team drafted four initiatives that would make the biggest impact on the environment: plastic reduction, natural gas ban, reach codes amends, and fossil fuel divestment. Fossil Fuel Divestment is an act to cut fossil fuel investments as an intentional mark of faltering support. After this event, the Climate Action Team

ning on natural gas is inefficient and more harmful to the environment as compared to its electric counterparts. The fourth reform is a plastic reduction, ending the use of single-use plastics like plastic spoons and ketchup packets. Students can play a part in this. Not picking up the plastic bottle on the street the other day could become fish food and end up on your plate one day. “A small change makes a big impact… Those are our four main goals but we are definitely striving for bigger things,” said Junior Nitya Devisetti, a member of the Action Team. “Climate Action Team doesn’t only affect Cupertino High School; it affects our entire city. [...] We are making a change, and it’ll only come back to you. It’ll help you out; your school will be a better place and our environment will be a better place,” Devisetti said.

FEATURES

t r a l a n o i t n e v n co

8 | THE PROSPECTOR

kathy lou hydroflask painting STELLA JIA news editor

Painting is a medium of art often expressed on paper or through murals. However, recent trends have led to a new form of painting displayed on water bottles, specifically on Hydroflasks. As you walk the busy halls of Cupertino High School, blurs of flowers or assorted patterns on Hydros can be seen slung through student’s fingers or harnessed onto the side of backpacks in the bottle holders. Hydroflasks have become a staple item for many students. Regardless, one would usually find it hard to believe that painting on day-today items like water bottles would become a trend.

Senior Kathy Lou is one of the many students on campus who enjoy the unique art of Hydroflask painting. Lou has been an avid artist, having taken art classes for close to ten years before recently getting into Hydroflask painting. Prior to Hydroflask painting, she has worked with a variety of art forms, including oil painting, sketching, and graphic design. Said Lou, “It’s something different because everyone nowadays has a Hydro but having a painting on it that’s unique to every person is new. With stickers, a lot of people could have the same kinds of stickers, but Hydro painting has a more custom feel.”

lowing this first request, she began receiving commissions from her friends that asked for more elaborate designs including koi fish, waves, and flowers. With her prior knowledge, Lou is more familiar with painting on canvas-

“With stickers, a lot of people could have the same kinds of stickers, but Hydro painting has a more custom feel” es, so the switch to Hydroflasks provided new factors to consider. Said Lou, “The thing with a Hydro is that before you paint anything you need to paint it white because say if a Hydro were a bright blue color; the paint would be too transparent just to be applied on directly.” Hydroflask painting provides a unique outlet for her artistic instinct that differs from conventional art forms. So far, Lou has been commissioned to paint five Hydroflasks and looks forward to more opportunities in the future.

FEATURES | 9

Her participation in this art began fairly recently when one of her friends asked for a simple request. Said Lou, “I had the idea last year, but never really got the time to start. One of my friends wanted to paint the Hydroflask logo black, but it ended up getting messed up, so he me asked to paint over it.” After her friend requested a paint job for their Hydroflask, Lou started to become more invested and interested in experimenting with it. Fol-

A I T LY N K H N C U G

recyclable art

JOAN THYAGARAJAN writer

Around the world, people embody their creative sides and express themselves in their own unique ways through art. While some might choose the path of traditional art, there are those who take art and morph it into new, fascinating embodiments showcasing the diversity of this world. Sophomore Kaitlyn Chung has taken art off the canvas and put it in a new substance: cardboard. Chung started working with cardboard at the age of six, when she moved into her new house and her toys had not yet arrived. “Nothing was there except boxes and paint. [My parents] didn’t let me touch the paint so I

went with the cardboard,” said Chung. This activity soon turned into a significant pastime for her and she began to move onto more astounding feats of engineering. The construction begins by printing out blueprints of the object she plans to recreate and then cutting out the necessary cardboard pieces after several measurements. After preparing materials, the pieces are carefully glued together. Chung builds these artistic creations with a different process each time, making every piece one-of-akind. However, there are some key steps that remain consistent throughout her motley collection. “You need an idea,” Chung said. Ideas can come from anywhere and be anything. After inspiration comes the mathematical calculations for making the diorama, which is then ensued by building the model and a myriad amount of trial and error tests to grind out the finer details. Although Chung goes through a laborious process to build these models, she keeps the atmosphere light-hearted by creating elaborate contraptions called Ruth Goldberg machines to solve simple problems. For example, she created a pulley system for her door

solely because everyone kept opening her door. She keeps this cheery and effervescent attitude throughout and as a reward, she gets a new addition to her diverse repertoire. Over the years, Chung has dabbled in several different art forms, but she has always stuck with this unique 3-D art because “it’s easy, its accessible, and you can turn it into anything you want. It’s like a moldable LEGO cube,” Chung remarked. She claims that 3-D art is better suited for her and the satisfactory response it brings is the reason why she has stuck with it for almost a decade. Chung’s fondness for creating contraptions expands beyond just building models. “Cardboard’s a hobby that leads toward engineering,” she explained. Chung hopes to take her creative talent into the engineering field and in due time, advance past cardboard. No matter how far she goes, she will forever be the little girl with a big imagination.

cop

er j

ewe lery

JENNY WU writer

Hoop earrings and charm necklaces are just a couple examples of jewelry students at Cupertino High School are proud to display as their fashion statement. However, Sophomore Tanisha Asrani has made it her hobby to fashion jewelry from scratch, turning it into a unique form of art. Said Asrani, “I’ve always loved creating ever since I was young, and although traditional art like painting and drawing holds a special place in

her collection of scraps or goes to the craft store, and hand selects her options. She then puts her own creative twist on the piece. With the 90’s trends coming back in style, a lot of her jewelry is inspired by that time era. “I feel like in the ‘90s, everyone was just not afraid to be themselves, and everything was so unique and funky,” Asrani said. Over the summer, Asrani decided to start a business selling her jewelry and other accessories on Instagram to combine her passion for art with business. With a dad who went to business

“All I had to do was just put my mind to it. I think that it’s really important if you have a goal, to just do everything you can to reach it” - Tanisha, @scrunchiepeach my heart, making things that are functional and help express my personal style never gets old and makes me really happy.” Asrani finds inspiration from a variety of sources online, including Pinterest. Once she finds a post that resonates with her, she looks through

school, she was inspired and had somebody to look up to. By posting her products on Instagram, Asrani has successfully sold over a hundred of her accessories for affordable prices that account for the time she puts into her work. Most of

sha

ani

her products sell out within minutes of posting. With the success of her new business, Asrani has grown as an entrepreneur. “My most memorable learning experience is that I figured out not to wait. I’ve been wanting to make a business for years, and I just never done it. But I was able to do that in two days. And all I had to do was just put my mind to it. I think that it’s really important if you have a goal, to just do everything you can to reach it,” Asrani said.

OPINIONS

MORE ROOMS MORE RESPONSIBILITY CHS needs more custodians to keep up with its rapidly growing campus RACHEL PARK writer

12 | THE PROSPECTOR

Over the past few years, Cupertino High School has notably expanded, with over 2,000 students, 22 buildings, 100 classrooms, and 10 bathrooms. Having such an expansive campus, it is close to impossible to not require any maintenance or management. Our school is cleaned and cared for by a custodial staff, and with their consistently increasing responsibilities, the Cupertino High’s custodians deserve more control and authority over how they go about their work; they deserve to have their requests met. The night-shift custodians take care of maintaining the cleanliness of all the classrooms and buildings of Cupertino High. However, despite the immense scope of our school, there are only five night-shift custodians. Working from 3:00 PM to 11:30 PM, they manage to clean our school every day. With the recent opening of the new building, the number of facilities that they need to take care of has significantly expanded. “The workload is increasing more and more. We have had more students, and the school has been growing and growing with all the construction. I mean it is a lot of students. For three years its been growing a lot. Of course, it’s going to be messier [especially the] bathrooms, the quad, and more,” said a night-time custodian who wishes to remain anonymous. He indicated how the opening of the new building and the increase in the number of students has increased the number of tasks they need to do. Another anonymous custodian also confirmed that the workload is strenuous. He said, “There is much more work to do now with the new building. The school keeps on getting bigger and bigger.” He admits that their duties have increased significantly with the new building. “We work from 3:00 to 11:30 PM. We get an hour and a

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“We just do what we can, and sometimes we just don’t get it done; there’s too much work. This school is huge. We cannot finish. We just do what we do, what we can.” – Anonymous Custodian half break for dinner. That is eight hours there,” he explained. Custodians spend most of their time on their feet, pushing and lifting heavy items. Even with their long working hours, it is hard to take care of their whole school. Furthermore, the new building has impacted the custodians’ summer tasks. Throughout summer vacation, the custodians do a thorough cleaning of the classrooms: deep cleaning the carpets, vacuuming the floors, wiping the whiteboards, and more. However, due to the recent construction, a considerable amount of area to cover has been added to their workload “We just do what we can,” he said. “Sometimes we just don’t get it done; there’s too much work. This school is huge. We cannot finish. We just do what we do, what we can.” Undoubtedly, the amount of work that the custodial staff has to finish is unreasonable. A reason why the custodial staff has an immense workload is the size of the crew remains the same, while the school steadily grows. Despite the considerable growth of our school, the nightshift custodial staff still only consists of five people. To lighten the amount of work, the custodial staff requested for another custodian. “We were fighting to have another custodian when we saw that there was more construction, and this building [was going to be] two-stories,” he explains, “but they decided not to because they said they don’t have money, so we said okay. We could work a little on the weekends.” The custodian expressed how they would appreciate more staff to lighten their current heavy responsibilities. He

explains that if the school continues to grow, they would have problems managing it. “We are in big trouble with only five [custodians] if [the school] keeps on growing with the construction.” One custodian

the custodians will divide out the work, not on if they are comfortable with also managing the new building with the current staff. As an essential part of our school, they should be represented and have a voice in how they go about doing their work. Without the custodial staff, our school would be dirty and disordered. Custodians do not merely clean the mess that we make every day. They also change “We are in big trouble with only five [custodians] if light bulbs, keep a lookout for safety hazards, and lock all the build[the school] keeps on growing with the construction. ings. They are the first to arrive in the morning and last to leave at night. With all the work that they do, the district should provide the We ask for another guy, but they always tell us next custodial staff additional assistance. year.” Despite the arduous work that they do every day, the custodi– Anonymous Custodian ans are always friendly and kind. “The good thing is that we have you guys. I mean we have good explains, “We ask for another guy, but they always tell us next year.” kids,” the custodian concludes. He thanks the students for being Not being able to receive additional help, the custodians requested polite and organized. the school to “help [them]” by asking the students to “not eat or The custodial staff is among the most crucial staff at our school. drink [in classrooms] to help [them] clean a little.” They are silent guardians who come when everyone has left to clean The school added the challenging management of the new up our mess and prepare our facilities for the next day. building to the custodians’ duties without much agreement from The night-shift custodial staff deserves to have another custodithem. an. The district should recognize the unreasonable amount of work He said, “The school didn’t ask us about the new building. One that the night-shift custodial staff has to do every day and provide day they just tell us [to] go clean the new building, and we do. We them another custodian. Furthermore, for the sake of the school’s alternate cleaning the new building to meet the workload.” cleanliness and a better environment for the students, another cusOne custodian, agreeing with the other, said, “Well, that’s right. todian should be hired. The current staff is barely able to manage They told us we have to take care of it, so we do it.” the whole school and is short on time with the large area they need The custodial staff does not have much say in their work. They to cover. To keep the school clean and well-maintained, the school had a meeting with the school to talk about the responsibilities of should hire another staff-member. the new building. However, the discussion mainly focused on how

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DISINCENTI

CHS NEEDS A STRICTER CHEATIN KAVYA GUPTA editor-in-chief

14 | THE PROSPECTOR

Few in our school are strangers to the whispers of rumored cheating slipping through the crowded hallways. However, as quickly as it’s born, the speculation dies down, often with no ensuing result from the accusation. In the past couple years, several scandals have arisen, but for the most part, the accused students come out relatively unscathed, much to the frustration of their peers. Thus, the question remains, what’s the harm in cheating? On the outside, the administration has appeared to uphold a lax system of consequences for cheating, as repercussions seem to be minimal. Let’s make a cost-benefit analysis: the benefits of academic dishonesty include improving one’s grades, and in turn, GPA. The drawbacks typically comprise of the implication of oneself as academically dishonest on their college transcript, a zero on the assignment, or in the class itself, loss of privileges such as participation in school events and in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion from the school. However, at Cupertino, not only is the incriminated student allowed to continue their education in the specific course, but they’re permitted to proceed with their school life equally intact to what they had before the incident. More often than not, we hear the most baffling element of the story: the incident will be removed from the student’s transcript. Regardless of the degree to which a student cheated, as long as it’s the student’s first misde-

meanor, the incident is not reported to college admissions officers. Apart from the nuisance of being ostracized by the students in the respective department, with the approach the administration takes to handle academic dishonesty, cheating appears as a sound and rational method to improve one’s chances of receiving admittance to a respectable college. Therefore, the problem seems to be that Cupertino’s administration currently comes short of its expectations to discourage cheating. They fail to enforce their spoken disciplinary punishments and neglects their responsibility to implement cheating-prevention methods in test-taking environments. Our society seems to promote that one should do whatever it takes to be successful. In our school, a typical mentality our student body fosters is that the administration doesn’t care what you do to get good test scores. In the end, as long as the crisis is shrouded, the only thing an outsider sees is the excellent reputation the school has for top-notch students. When grades do not commensurately represent learning, students rightly feel cheated by the system and become apathetic. Expecting students to maintain academic integrity in the highly competitive environment enveloping the Bay Area is offensively disingenuous and hypocritical. Students are willing to take a chance when they think they can keep up the ruse, and they’re more inclined to believe they can get away with it. Therefore, it falls on the administration to discourage such behavior with consequences that genuinely threaten the same

factors that incentivize students to cheat. The term ‘consequences’ includes more than a two-day suspension from class — such behavior should be explicitly stated on college transcripts, and the dropped course should appear as an F in the grade book. High school is meant to prepare students for possible further education in college; if that’s the case, our school’s system for disciplining academic dishonesty should match the level

“Expecting students t integrity in the highly environment envelop essential.”

of consequences administered by most colleges. In the case of egregious cheating, students can be placed on academic probation, or in harsher situations even suspended or expelled from the school. Students who steal other people’s copyrighted material may also face legal action. At the same time, targeting smaller habits that don’t demonstrate academic integrity backfires, damaging the administration’s credibility. Punishing something as small

IVIZING DISHONESTY

NG POLICY TO PROPERLY UPHOLD ACADEMIC INTEGRITY as copying an answer to homework off of a friend’s paper during tutorial comes off as a pretense to show students that something is being done about the cheating problem at school. Meanwhile, legitimately harmful instances like participation in systematic cheating rings go unpunished. When the student body implicates more than one student, the excuse that there isn’t enough evidence to appropriately punish them no

to maintain academic y competitive ping the Bay Area is

courage cheating, the first of which is to create a school honor code that clearly spells out ethical behavior and defines academic misconduct while keeping in mind that taking pictures of a test will result in much harsher consequences than copying off a friend’s homework. This requires establishing specific penalties for those who plagiarize or cheat on exams. These penalties can include written reprimands on records, a failing grade or zero on the assignment or test, a failing grade or dismissal from the course, loss of privileges such as participation in school sports and events, suspension, or academic, disciplinary or athletic probation. The most important objective is for the administration to follow through with their threats. Letting students get away with academic dishonesty damages the school’s credibility. If Cupertino High School wishes to uphold its reputation for molding stellar students, the responsibility of maintaining academic integrity falls not onto the already-overburdened shoulders of the students; rather, it falls to the administration to address the concerns appropriately. For every accused cheater who, for the most part, has proven to be guilty to the student body that seemingly gets away with academic dishonesty, several more students fall into the mentality of being capable of cheating without suffering consequences perhaps to gain an advantage. It is undoubtedly impossible for the administration to catch every cheater in our school, but by being stricter and tougher on the cheating policy, the allure of cheating is severely diminished.

OPINIONS | 15

longer stays valid. The fact that more than one student is associated with the scandal is evidence enough. The student body is collectively, if not individually, aware of every participant affiliated with the original suspect; suspending the first offender isn’t enough. Instead of the singular suspension serving as a future deterrent, it instead warps the common mentality into insuring an existence of a scapegoat for a group’s actions.

Furthermore, teachers are often unaware of the cheating scandals that occur in departments that aren’t their own. Even if the incident is taken off of someone’s transcript, all teachers should be informed so they can take precautions for their classes. If a student is cheating in one class, there’s a high chance they are cheating in another as well. The student who cheated is not dropped from the course, nor are they given different test versions or a change in seating. If it’s someone who peeks over at a partner’s paper, an accommodating change is customary. Cheating prevention methods aren’t strictly enforced in every class. When a teacher doesn’t go out of their way to create several versions of a test or separate desks during a quiz, it becomes easier to cheat and even encourages it since the lack of attention to detail appears as apathy. Admittedly, the frustrations of a student body when another instance of academic dishonesty goes unpunished can be countered with the statement that sometimes rumors are indeed just rumors. Even if they aren’t, if the administration doesn’t have enough evidence to implicate a student, nothing can be done. However, it doesn’t really matter what actually happens to one student when the outside perception that other students have of the penalty system is so amorphous and confusing. The key is transparency; as long as the student body is kept in the dark about why a student goes unpunished, the rampant rumors will only stir more resentment for the administration and growing incentive for cheating. There are plenty of simple techniques the administration can implement to dis-

LIFESTYLES

environmental ACTIVISM in music

KENNETH JEON

16 | DESIGNED BY ALEXANDRIA HUNT

opinions editor

1980s, the decade often remembered exactly for its indulgence in consumerism and materialism. Mitchell’s lyrics, “They paved paradise / And put up a parking lot,” mirror those of David Byrne in his 1988 satire, “(Nothing But) Flowers”: “If this is paradise / I wish I had a lawnmower.” The 1980’s increasing demand of more intense genres like metal and hardcore punk also helped bring in a more direct, aggressive tone to environmentalism, something that would last into the 1990’s. While usually not directly aimed at issues surrounding the environment, hip-hop took on a similar spirit, using its signature confrontational tone to address relevant political topics. Today, with near daily reminders about the quickly declining state of the Earth on the news, it’s no surprise environmentalist music now seems to have taken a darker, bleaker turn, especially in the more alternative, independent genres. Artists like Radiohead, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Bon Iver detail the instinctive dread that accompanies the catastrophic consequences of climate change, closely relating these fears to social class struggles. A pervasive pessimism has largely replaced implicit calls to action. The calls to action that remain are instead about political revolutions, with King Gizzard going so far as to detail a heightened story of upper-class migration to Mars in their latest project, “Infest the Rat’s Nest.” Of course, more mainstream genres have also seen this theme arise with certain artists. Certainty of the apocalypse is prevalent in several albums from rapper Kendrick Lamar, who openly discusses both in and out of his music about his predictions of violent rebellion after peaking global frustrations. Childish Gambino’s “Feels like Summer” talks about rising temperatures, subversively using the traditional summer pop sound much in the same way as the Beach Boys, but this time going beyond unsettling hints and full forming the raw, oppressive nature of heat through music. More than anything, modern music seems to approach the topic of the environment with fear and existentialism. Accepting climate change is dominating problematic presence in the near future.

LIFESTYLES | 17

usic has had an inclination towards the concept of nature for almost its entire history, but in the past few decades, artists have begun exploring a specific aspect surrounding nature: its preservation. Following rising concerns about the exploitation of natural resources, popular music has similarly seen the theme of environmentalism come into the forefront of musical subject matters. But musical environmentalism has never stayed the same; the way artists have approached the topic has shifted in accordance to various political focuses and attitudes over the decades. If expressing admiration for nature counts as environmentalism, there are countless examples far older than anything from the past century, from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to ancient Egyptian songs honoring various gods. But in regards to recent history, it wasn’t until the social movements of the 1960s that artists brought a widely identifiable political edge to popular music, channeling this broad artistic love of nature into a definitive and defiant rallying cry. While not yet quite as fearful of climate change phenomena like melting ice caps and the greenhouse effect, society in the 1950s and 60s still had its own apocalyptic worries to confront, with mid-century fear of nuclear annihilation quite literally seeped into the subject of environmentalism. As a result of nuclear testing, traces of radioactive isotope Strontium 90 were making their way into the air and water, inspiring songs like “What Have They Done to the Rain” by Malvina Reynolds and “Mack the Bomb” by Pete Seeger. As time passed, artists branched out into a variety of different environmental issues, as it was cool to be political. Even the happy-go-lucky Beach Boys, after years of glorifying California beaches, decided to open their 1971 album “Surf ’s Up” with the track “Don’t Go Near the Water,” a song about the chemical contamination of waterways. Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” in particular foreshadowed the rising trend of juxtaposing elements of nature to signifiers of consumerism, something that would become very common in the

CYCLICAL MAIA MATSUSHITA writer

18 | DESIGNED BY ALEXANDRIA HUNT

f one looks up “vintage” on Pinterest, pictures of Volkswagen buggies, typewriters and record players will come up. This aesthetic is never ending; some products and fashions rise back into popularity because they are photogenic. This “comeback” in trends can be seen through multiple aspects in culture, especially in fashion. Vintage fashion is a trend that doesn’t die down; new styles are being added every month. Scrunchies, a recent development in this “comeback” trend, decorate wrists as if they are bracelets. The decorative hair accessories were extremely popular in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but died down in the 2000s as the followers of this fashion grew older and affiliated scrunchies as a childish, outdated trend. However, they have cycled back as a fixture in fashion today. Similarly, mom jeans, high waisted jeans that provide a relaxed fit, were fashionable in the same time frame that scrunchies were popular. Eventually this style became outworn in the 2000s when low waisted jeans became the fashionable trend, in turn creating a stigma that these loose fitting jeans were worn by middle aged women, or “moms”, thus its namesake. Today, the younger generation has embraced this style and customize their jeans as well, by hand-making rips or by ironing on patches on the denim. Graphic T-Shirts with depictions of

trends

decades-old pop culture references also are part of this vintage-esque style; shirts with the cover for The Beatles’s album “Abbey Road” is an image many millennials can envision. Other fashion items that have gone through a cyclic trend include fanny packs and crop tops. Hollywood is another aspect of culture that goes through cyclic trends. Shows have the potential to grow popular due to a vintage aesthetic they use for the setting. Stranger Things, a Netflix series that rose to fame due to its supernatural plot and ‘80s setting, is an example of a cyclic trend. While the ‘80s decade was a reality thirty years ago, it is now seen as an ornamental concept, used to attract and promote shows through its vintage aesthetic and nostalgic environment. Fans of the show are inspired by the fashion and the props used to enhance the ‘80s aura, which deepens the process of the cyclic trend. Spinoffs and reboots of television shows are also part of this “comeback” culture. The spinoff to Full House, Fuller House, was created in 2016; the original sitcom was a hit sensation in the ‘90s. There were also talks of a Gossip Girl reboot, a show that was aired in the late 2000s to the early 2010s. These shows are able to be brought back in modern day times for the sake of nostalgia from the cyclic trend. Businesses use these comebacks in culture to sell

“the comebacks for older, sentimental products continue to remain a mainstream aspect of culture.”

merchandise and products, allowing for the cyclic trend to carry on. Coca Cola launched a campaign alongside Stranger Things to revive their “New Coke” recipe for a limited supply this spring. This new, sweeter recipe replaced the classic one in 1985 but was quickly ended after national outrage over the change ensued. The McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce from 1998 was also brought back for one day due to its referral in Rick and Morty. This marketing tool to bring back this product, in addition to promoting with a television show set in the same year, creates a sense of urgency for individuals to buy the product due to limited quantities. Through these revival tendencies by businesses, the comebacks for older, sentimental products continue to remain a mainstream aspect of culture. How are outdated products and aesthetics brought back and rebranded to fit another generation? In the Atlantic article titled “Scrunchies Are Little Rainbow Reminders That Millennials Are Old”, Nancy Deihl, a fashion historian and professor from New York University, says that some trends circulate through a 20-year cycle in which they rise and decline in popularity. This 20-year cycle can be seen in scrunchies, Stranger Things, and “New Coke”. Through these years, old trends start to look new and fresh to the younger generations who wrap up these vintage products into their own aesthetic; the older generations can reminiscence over their childhood commodities that are now popular again. Fashion generally doesn’t seem to derive from original ideas within the masses, as trends get reused over and over again through the 20-year cycle. It’s hard to define vintage nowadays, with fashion, entertainment, and businesses continuously reviving older trends, but one thing is clear: the vintage aesthetic on Pinterest boards will stay outdated as long as products keep coming back, perpetualizing this cyclic trend of products and services.

HISTORY of tattoos DARSHINI VIJAYAKUMAR sports editor/copy editor

1891 Tattoos are viewed as for lower classes and are not advertised publicly. Although they are not common, cosmetic tattoos are decently popular among women.

1936 Tattoos are commonly associated with delinquents and gang members, and a hepatitis outbreak causes the popularity of tattoos to plunge.

1970 A study conducted finds that in America, 36% of tattooed individuals are between the ages of 18 to 29.

2010

Samuel O’Reilly’s tattoo machine gets patented and tattoos become more popular to public, but they lose their upper-class status symbol.

1900 Life Magazine’s article shows that only 6% of the population are tattooed. Individuals with tattoos commonly work at circuses and freak shows.

1950 The tattoo industry rebirths, as the surge of feminism and the hippie movement pushes more females to get tattoos and the art becomes more common.

2006 A revisit of the study shows an increase of percentages, as 40% of tattooed individuals are between the ages of 18 to 29.

INVESTIGATIONS

the permanente quarry SANAT SINGHAL investigations editor

AMIR IRAVANI writer

NIKITA SRINIVAS

20 | DESIGNED BY TAHA SHAFIEI

writer

Introduction

he Permanente Quarry is a limestone and aggregate mining operation and cement plant, located in the unincorporated foothills of Santa Clara County, Cupertino . The quarry is owned by Lehigh Southwest Cement, and produces roughly 70% of the cement in Santa Clara County and half the cement in the Bay Area. The quarry has faced staunch opposition from residents concerned about its environmental and household impacts. “We were promised no new noise when the new smokestack was erected, but all of a sudden Cupertino residents lost sleep,” said Rhoda Fry, a resident who has been active in her opposition of the Quarry. “It took years of citizen effort to improve the noise level. As to dust, one study showed that limestone could fly up to 4.3 miles. Nearby residents report that they need acid to clean their cars, it “snows” in their yards, and their homes are dusty.” Lehigh Cement is the biggest polluter in Santa Clara County and the third biggest in California. It produced 831,772 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2017. In May, Lehigh applied for a new quarry above the Stevens Creek Reservoir in addition to a more extensive mining area at the protected ridgeline between the large Quarry and Rancho San Antonio. The Quarry, already a source of concern for residents, has received further pushback for this move. The City of Cupertino does not

have direct jurisdiction over the Quarry because the facility is not located in the City. Still, The City pays attention to it as it may impact the health and safety of residents. The Cupertino City Council wrote a letter of protest on July 3 directed towards the Santa Clara county board of supervisors. The letter expressed concern over emissions, seismic stability, and ridgeline protections and the view. It especially objected to the traffic and pollution from the 200,000 trips that transporting the soil for the quarry would require. Lehigh Cement claims that its Quarry and the expansion plans are beneficial to the environment and industry. It states in their application for the reclamation plan amendment that its “unique local supply provides regional economic and environmental advantages by reducing travel time and vehicle miles traveled, which reduces air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.” It also stated that the quarry “would stabilize areas of erosion and improve the aesthetic quality of the existing quarry.” In addition, Lehigh received two Notices of Violation from the County and the Water Boards, filed in June and July 2019, pertaining to an allegedly unstable mountain of mining waste depositing sediment into Permanente Creek. Despite this, Lehigh Southwest hasn’t indicated any change in their usual activity.

INVESTIGATIONS | 21

PHOTO BY DICK LYON (https://tinyurl.com/y3kjanz8)

Enviromental Impacts

22 | THE PROSPECTOR

ehigh Cement has long been a point of great contention in Santa Clara County and other cities around it because of the water and air pollution. They have been fined for millions of dollars over the past decade but have continued with their dangerous practices. According to Baykeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pollution mitigation in the San Francisco Bay, Lehigh emits approximately 88 pounds of mercury from its smokestacks each year, making it the largest source of mercury pollution in the Bay Area. In an interview with Rhoda Fry, the director of the Bay Area Clean Environment organization, she said, “Lehigh is able to pollute the air, water, and land without repercussions because the regulatory agencies are understaffed and their actual goal is not to regulate but to keep them in compliance.” As an example, she cites that the Stevens Creek Quarry Conditional Use Permit expired in 2015 but the County allows them to continue to operate. This year, Lehigh faces county violation of the unwarranted waste rock dumping in Permanente Creek, which runs from Los Altos to Mountain View. The Yeager yard, northwest of the creek, located in the hills of Santa Clara County west of Cupertino, is used to store wasterock excavated from the nearby limestone quarry. However, the waste rock has seeped into the creek and led to an increase in selenium pollution which could pose a threat to aquatic life. Among the many problems Lehigh faces, the cement company violated agreed-upon boundaries

Total Bay Area Airborne Mercury Emissions

71%

29%

The cement plant at the quarry has been fueled by petroleum coke since 2007. Petroleum and limestone, itself is a major source of mercury emissions. The cement plant is responsible for 29 percent of total Bay Area airborne mercury emissions and was shown to impact a rural site, Calero Reservoir, 20 miles (32 km) away. Source: Sarah E. Rothenberg, Lester McKee, Alicia Gilbreath, Donald Yee, Mike Connor, Xuewu Fu (March 2010). “Evidence for short-range transport of atmospheric mercury to a rural, inland site”. Atmospheric Environment.

by expanding a road without County permission. This has drawn ire from residents that Lehigh has unlawfully done this and leads many to question what else Lehigh has done. Additionally, the company has filed to lower the ridgeline of the quarry by 100 feet, past the 3000 feet limit. However, the County Board of

Supervisors must first agree to change the 1972 ridgeline easement, which set the boundaries for Lehigh. The cement plant first gained attention from residents with truck traffic being sent through city streets, especially when Cupertino found that Lehigh had been widening a fire access road unauthorized to transport materials. Noise and dust pollution played a part in numerous complaints. In their request to erect a new smokestack, Lehigh promised that noise and pollution would be kept to a minimum for nearby residents, however, it has significantly increased, prompting many meetings, forums and investigations into Lehigh’s practices. Furthermore, according to Fry, the fact that Lehigh is “owned by one of the largest building materials companies in the world, HeidelbergCement Group of Germany, they haven’t been able (or willing to) figure out how to get their facility into compliance with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.” This poses a major problem since the company is international and it is hard for them to directly enforce their plant to cooperate; it would need the plant itself to do that. She also added that “The Bay Area does not need a cement plant. California has 8 cement plants. 16 States in the United States do not have cement plants and they make do.” Lehigh did not respond to requests for an interview however, a recent televised meeting in Cupertino was held regarding truck traffic and pollution.

Legal History

lobbying group for the city of Santa Clara and has met with officials five times in the past two years. Their meetings have consisted of facility tours, discussions regarding the plant’s operations, reclamation plan amendments, exploring greenhouse gas reduction projects, and updates about their services. In March of 2019, the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors (representing the city of Cupertino) conducted a public informational meeting to review local, state and federal agency oversight and permits for the

“Without the knowledge of the Board, Jack Broadbent and Lehigh entered an agreement in which Lehigh would be permitted to exceed the pollution limits as long as they pay extra fees to the BAAQMD. That year, Lehigh was able to exceed its [pollution] quota by 11,000 tons.”

Head of Bay Area for Clean Environment, Rhoda Fry

Lehigh Cement Plant and Quarry. In the Board’s official press release, they have announced their decision to increase oversight funding for the Lehigh Cement Plant and Quarry in the Cupertino Foothills. Their chief motivation in doing so has been Lehigh Hanson Cement Company’s decision to file for a second mining pit. Board President Joe Simitian says that “A project of this size and scope requires particular care, which is why we’ve increased our investment in expertise.” He further elaborates by acknowledging that because “at least eight regulatory agencies have a role to play at the site, it’s particularly

important that [the board has] the expertise available – right from the start – to ensure a thorough, comprehensive review.” Lehigh Southwest Cement Company will reimburse all increases in funding. The press release also includes an update that the company’s application for a second pit is currently under review by the County’s Planning Department. Past regulation over Lehigh has been lax and at times deceptive, according to the head of Bay Area for Clean Environment, Rhoda Fry. “In 2013, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) finally established more stringent regulations, especially for mercury pollution.” Under these new provisions, Lehigh would have to reduce its production to avoid exceeding the limits. The BAAQMD’s CEO, Jack Broadbent, even vowed to shut down Lehigh if it failed to comply with the new laws. Fry then said that “Jack Broadbent and Lehigh entered an agreement which permitted Lehigh to exceed the pollution limits, as long as they paid extra fees to the BAAQMD. That year, Lehigh was able to exceed its [pollution] quota by 11,000 tons.” Neither parties notified the Board nor the surrounding community of the agreement. There is currently a strong market demand for locally sourced cement, and Lehigh Cement Company is running out of materials in its existing mining site. Simultaneously, there has been an exceeding amount of concern from the community over Lehigh Cement Company’s integrity and willingness to comply with the law. Ultimately, the County of Santa Clara will have the final decision on whether to grant the company’s request to build a second pit.

INVESTIGATIONS | 23

he Lehigh Hanson Cement Company has been in and out of lawsuits for years. In 2013, subsidiary Hanson Permanente Cement Inc. was sued by the Sierra Club for its failure to report emissions in Cupertino. The environmental advocacy group mainly focused on the company’s release of selenium into the Permanente Creek’s water supply in violation of the Clean Water Act, and the subsequent damage to the creek’s ecosystem. The two groups later settled under the provision that Lehigh Hanson Cement Company allocate at least $10 million of its future budget towards implementing a water treatment system. In 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sued the owners of a plant operated by Lehigh Southwest Cement Co, for not reporting their pollution of toxic chemicals in Cupertino. Investigations proved that the company had been producing thallium, lead, nickel, and mercury compounds at levels that exceeded the federal maximums. In their list of grievances, the EPA highlighted Lehigh Southwest Cement Co.’s illegal dumping of millions of gallons of industrial wastewater into the San Francisco Bay near Cupertino. The waste included selenium and other metals, and the plant was ordered to spend $5 million in wastewater treatment and to pay a $2.55 million fine. These are a few of the many legal petitions that various groups have filed against the company. In 2016, as a result of the 14,000 pending lawsuits based on asbestos-related bodily injuries, their parent company HeidelbergCement AG officially filed for bankruptcy. Lehigh is listed as an official

24 | DESIGNED BY DARSHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

SPORTS

KRISTINE

MCLAUGHLIN PHOTO BY ARIANA FAHRI

A STORY OF DEFEAT AND RE TURN

the recovery from a devastating ACL injury ALEXANDRIA HUNT lifestyles editor

Athletes are often susceptible to injury, but it is rare for athletes to face injuries that do not allow them to regain their motor skills. One athlete who has come across this fate is Kristine McLaughlin, a junior at Cupertino High School on the girls’ varsity volleyball team. She previously tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a knee ligament, and has overcome many difficulties during her recovery to get back into playing volleyball. Kristine McLaughlin began playing volleyball when she was in sixth grade because she wanted to emulate her sister, who played volleyball as well. In middle school, she played on the school and club teams, traveling to areas such as Minneapolis, Minnesota for tournaments. As a freshman, McLaughlin joined the junior varsity ( JV) volleyball team. However, in January when her club season began, Kristine tore her ACL after landing on her left knee and falling to the ground after trying to hit a volleyball. Describing how she felt immediately after getting injured, McLaughlin states, “I knew something was wrong but I didn’t think it was a big injury because of the adrenaline of the moment. I didn’t expect to be on crutches that night.” Following the injury, Kristine did not seek the

help of a doctor and merely iced her knee. When her knee injury failed to improve and she could barely walk, she went to the emergency room. The doctor took an X-ray of her knee and redirected her to another doctor to take her MRI. A few weeks later, the doctor informed her she tore her ACL. Around two months after her injury, the day of her surgery arrived. To mend her torn ACL, doctors removed and replaced the torn ligament with a piece of tendon from her hamstring. After her surgery, McLaughlin says, “I started to fall behind on my school work a little bit because the pain in my leg was so bad that I couldn’t go to sleep at night… my mobility was also very limited and made it difficult for me to do everyday tasks [such as] going to the bathroom and getting into bed.” To regain her strength, Kristine attended physical therapy sessions, where she started with small leg movements and exercises and then moved her way up to a bike and later a treadmill. Her injury came with emotional difficulties as well. She states, “I was almost traumatized from my injury and the long recovery process. It took me a while to get to that psychological state where I was confident to play [volleyball again] without hesitation.” Luckily, McLaughlin had a variety of supporters along her way, including her parents, friends, therapists, doctors, and old volleyball team members.

The year she got injured, the club team she was on traveled to Colorado for a volleyball tournament, and they brought a sweatshirt back for her. It made her feel grateful that people were thinking of her during her injury. Kristine also notes, “I definitely realized who my close friends were because it’s not [easy] to stick by someone while they are recovering for nearly a year.” Six months after her surgery, she was cleared for light volleyball, but she did not play until nine months later, slowing her recovery process. Says McLaughlin, “Right when I [got back into volleyball], I didn’t feel that comfortable. I was very nervous because I was scared of getting injured again.” Although she missed out on playing on her school team during her sophomore year, McLaughlin returned to playing volleyball during her junior year. She notes, “[I went back to playing volleyball] because I wanted to do something that was purely for fun and not for college applications or other people, [and] because I love the sport.” Although her journey came with many difficulties, McLaughlin believes she learned a lot from the experience. She says, “While making my decision about going back to volleyball, I made a pros and cons list, which made me realize my motivations on why I wanted to do the activities I did. I realized that my life and childhood should be more than just school.”

SPORTS BUDGETING breaking common misconceptions of Tino students KRITHIKA VENKATASUBRAMANIAN

26 | THE PROSPECTOR

writer

Fueled by the competitive nature of sports at Cupertino High School, rumors that individual sports teams are favored over others have been spreading around the student-athlete population. To specify, the perceived difference between funding received by our teams, especially in regards to the football team, has been subject of controversy. However, James Gilmore, Cupertino High School’s athletic director, says this perception isn’t accurate. “I understand that people think that football gets everything, but that’s really not the case,” stated Gilmore, explaining, “This year, the golf team asked for $1,200 to fund the entire team. And there are only nine people on the golf team, so that seems pretty expensive. When you look at football, it probably gets around $10,000. But there are 80 people on the team. [...] When you look at the price per athlete, it’s actually pretty comfortable.” This same belief holds for the cheer team as well, but Junior Darya Abtahi, a team captain, sheds light on the matter. Said Abtahi, “Cheer itself is about $1300 to get into. That’s generally used for our uniforms, because they are custom fit [...], but we are using a lot of out-of-pocket money. [...] There’s been a lot of trouble with the cheer budget; [...] we struggled a lot for getting money for mats.” Another belief that students hold is that money spent on uniforms is skewed

the athletes’ fundraising. Said Oswald, “We easily fundraise about 99 percent. It costs us $15,000 just to be a football team. [...] We raised $12,000 to get new uniforms. [...] The kids raised every penny of it. Why do they have great uniforms for homecoming? Because they fundraise for it. [...] Our kids have raised [...] probably close to $100,000 by now.” Oswald clears up the misconception that football gets the proceeds from ticket sales. “Five home games, each of the last two years, it’s over $20,000 in profit for ticket sales. Soccer, baseball, softball: not a penny charged to get in. Who pays for the officials? Football does. [Money from ticket sales] goes into the ASB, and football gets none of the money,” Oswald says. Despite the common misconceptions present throughout the school, it is essential to keep in mind that the budget cannot be compared or viewed without taking into account factors, like sports needs and team size. For a long time, football has been the scapegoat of students’ budget woes, but it is time for everyone to take a step back and evaluate *2018-2019 school year the validity of these rumors. Oswald remembers, “We saw a picture about seven years ago in the that the [football team] gets more mon- school newspaper, with a football player ey. They probably get the highest amount sitting in a hot tub on the pool deck. And of money, but they also have the highest someone was serving his champagne number of players. [...] To say that the while a swimmer was standing outside. other teams don’t get money is not accu- And that is the farthest thing from the rate,” Gilmore said. truth I have ever seen. [...] But that’s the Chris Oswald, the longtime coach of perception in reality, and it sucks.” the football team, adds that most of the team’s funding comes from the efforts of wildly in favor of the football team. However, Gilmore feels comparing the funding for each team without taking into consideration external factors that contribute to the budget is unfair. “[For example], tennis doesn’t cost a lot of money to run. And they buy their uniforms themselves. It’s also not a contact sport, where uniforms could get beat up. So it’s a shortsighted argument to say

*Beginning Balances: Football: $3,154.58 Boy’s Basketball: $14,917.19 Wrestling: $20,815.65

GETTING READY FOR THE SPORTS SEASON ARIANA FAHRI photo editor/copy editor

get inspired: In order to focus on your sport season preparation, unfollow all the people who don’t inspire you to keep up that daily grind or remind you to work on your biceps. Serious athletes cannot afford distractions about boba drinks and friends. #Sorrynotsorry. Post motivational captions on all of your photos. Athletes preparing for their new sports season too will be grateful for your posts and reciprocate by doing the same. Soon, your entire feed will be about getting in shape and fitness hacks.

motivate yourself: Yell positive words at yourself in the mirror, frequently and aggressively. For example, phrases such as, “I can do this! Nike!” repeated in the bathroom has been proven to increase athletic abilities by 10% according to some Reddit sources. Watch workout videos regularly every 24 hours. Real athletes deserve real entertainment, not any of this Tiktok nonsense. If you binge watch fitness videos, you are all but guaranteed a spot on the team.

stay fit:

finally, relax:

Doctors recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses a day for the average person but as an athlete, just the hint of mediocrity is insulting. In order to become better than the average person, drink more water than the amount advised by doctors who do not understand the grind.

Relax after practices! Save energy when not working out. Walking and breathing excessively wastes valuable athlete mojo and decreases energy for practicing.

SPORTS | 27

Cancel all activities not relating to getting fit and practicing. If you are doing homework, obviously you are not committed to being a star athlete. Go practice!

Why walk home when you can Uber and solve that issue? Why answer the doorbell when your parents can get it? Remember the path to being a star athlete is not easy, but life outside of working out should be.

PERSPECTIVES

CHS

a comic about the necessity of the humanities

FUTURE hi

Cupertino High School 2045-2046 1

AP Artificial Intelligence

Civil Engineering EMPTY

Biochemistry

Computer Engineering

Multivariable Calculus

Words

AP Artificial Intelligence

Civil Engineering

EMPTY

Biochemistry

Computer Engineering

shut up hahah

this is our engineering building

sorry, you need your humanities credit

this is our science building

AP Artificial Intelligence

28 |DESIGNED BY KEERTHI LAKSHMANAN

Words

Cupertino High School 2045-2046

blah blah blah

orientation Day...

this is our math building

and our humanities building

Civil Engineering

First Day... Biochemistry Multivaribale Calculus

words

help us

we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we write for learn anything biochem anyway

zzz

Computer Engineering

no more word

we use them

Cupertino High School 2046-2047

We Petition to get rid

of the humanitites

Linear Calculus

requirement. It is already

Software Basics

integrated within all of

EMPTY

our STEM classes. We

Hardware Basics

students find it a waste

of time.

Computer Security

Information Systems

Research Lab

comic designed by Angela Ma, Features Editor

Hey, Student. Welcome to the College Board. We can help get you started on the longest road you’ll ever take. Don’t have stress? Sign up Home / SAT / Practice / Self-Doubt

Dear College Board, I’m Breaking Up With You

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Find Out Why Parents Expect So Much From You

High school, since the very beginning, since I sat in the gym during freshman orientation, has done nothing but fill me with despair and crippling self-doubt. I am now less sure about who I am and what I want to do than I was when I first walked on campus. And for your credit, you have accompanied me every step of the way, a constant reminder of my impending future. You started with the PSAT, which in all seriousness is entirely pointless your goal is to gain the coveted title of National Merit Scholarship finalist, the equivalent of reaching the final round of who wants to make their identical college applications stand out (bay area edition). If I’m going to be honest with myself, I was quite charmed by you in the beginning. Your professionalism and warmth, all under an inviting acorn logo. You were beautiful, simple and perfect. But the few $64.50 and a couple of $22 and hundreds I spent on you to express my love began to add up. And now, after dozens of calls from my bank, you ask me for more? You ask me to pay to send the results of tests I already paid to take, and unbelievably, you act as if you did nothing wrong. Like I should have known what I was getting myself into? And while I’ve made it sound like this will be the last time we meet, rest assured! This isn’t. In 70 years, expect to receive an invitation to my funeral because there is no one else I want to let me down one last time.

Talk to you never,

Taha Shafiei, investigations editor

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Search college by your parents’ expectations

PERSPECTIVES | 29

I don’t know if you were expecting to hear from me again, but I just wanted to get this off my chest, so I can finally move on. I know you’re doing well with the path that you chose, but quite frankly I am not happy for you. And I would like you to know, if you ever cared at all, I am not happy for myself either. I don’t understand why you decided to use me at the time when I needed you most, why you thought to abuse my trust. I have to admit, I cried a lot. Years of stress, of pain. Summers wasted on useless prep courses and hundreds of dollars squandered on the actual tests that are as useful as knowing all of the functions of cell organelles other than mitochondria. But for what it’s worth…I thank you for your constant “genuine” concern and your “free” help for your exams. I’ll make sure to file it away under “L” for “Litigious ‘nonprofit’ organization that only pays its CEO, David Coleman, $750,000 a year.”

POSTSCRIPT

04 October 2019

30 | DESIGNED BY SARAH POLLANS

: e c n e c o n n I d o o h d l i h C y M To

in t by my side, hand gh ri e er w u yo y just yesterda my hand, I u go? It seems like the emptiness in yo d om di fr re t he bu W g, ? in go av e member you le W here did the tim ly, I don’t even re nt le si so ay aw d h at the picnic hand. You slippe ound, eating lunc gr ay pl e th . on w ss no u were ce ne middle school, yo together. Ever y re t of am sure you are go en g sp in e nn w gi e be tim e e th e l of th kindergarten to . You stuck with m om ck Fr I still remember al ro s. y as m cl e e er th w of u ading the back t happened; yo all good. I benches, quietly re made ever ything life no matter wha y u m yo e in us nt ca ta be ns d co sune only e rarely ever any ba ns into a beam of ar io es at there. You were th tu tim si of gh st ou or th w and the bad, turn even the through the good w you managed to ho : at th d di u arer. yo how future is getting ne e th always wondered r; he y. sk ug st to g ca in er ugh the ov ade; it’s like a . School is gett light shining thro ress cannot be m any more worries og m Pr so . et ve m ha I be ; w to they often fail Life is harder no exponentially, yet ng not si ea cr in e ar . Sometimes I do up g Expectations lin pi y kl ic . ad qu ock in my he will never, I her worries are permanent roadbl know it probably d a plethora of ot I an gh T ou SA th e th nd s, A . se ould go away Deadlines, AP clas e, and I wish it w or ym an it ke ta n . ed if you were even know if I ca ould have happen , and I keep hoping w ss t ne ha nd W ki d. d te an is aceful m ex is ver e world is not all pe th think of your optim ld be like if you ne at ou th w e ed lif iz t al ha re w t ve ou rfectly I planned it pe ow early would I ha H I always wonder ab as ? go de t ca no de a es of do lf , should the better ha sometimes life to these questions not by my side for dawn on me that s it er ld sw an ou w e th on so ow d? How that I don’t kn like I once believe rts? I am grateful hu ly al re e lif es im d joy were to and that somet tears of laughter an e th ll A e. m r fo y life d. ne I di stuck by me, for m ything you have do ve er my life be worse if ha ev u r yo fo nd bt co de se ur in yo ent, ever y single I feel I am forever y day, ever y mom er ev r fo u yo k an together Th the time we spent l all thanks to you. al u. at yo t ck ou ba ith ok w lo e n. will the sam ories do you remai Maybe someday I em e. m m y would cease to be m to in ck ly ba e on m d u will co long gone an thing less. Maybe one day yo you could and no ut for now, you are B . ng ys hi yt da d er ol ev e od m ing go ve t the s remember you be I know that you ga ay w u. and reminisce abou al yo ill w om I fr t e, lo tim a arned ht be the last I know that I’ve le well for what mig re fa u yo d bi I gh thou And I know that al nd in hand. ha , right by my side

self, Goodbye my dear

Sarah Pollans (postscript editor)

FROM BOOKS TO BUSINESS

what i learned at an entrepreneurship program AMIR IRAVANI writer

Was there ever a time when you had an idea and wanted to start a business? Or wondered how interesting it would be to start one? Well, I did just that over the summer — I made an idea into a real company. Leangap, a high-school startup incubator, located at UC Berkeley, is regarded as one of the most prestigious programs among other incubators, such as MIT Launch. Despite its distinction, it had a few questions to be completed half-a-year before the program. Of the many students that apply, forty students are selected each year. Fast forward to the day it started, June 24. We met our advisors and classmates and got to know each other. What shocked me most was the diversity in our group. There were students from China, Italy and Africa, to name a few. Although we were from around the world, we had many similarities, but also differences that made each of the students engaging to talk to. The first

day of instruction was a pitch day where everyone presented their business idea. Three advisors with extensive experience in business, having founded multiple successful companies, judged and gave suggestions. Six ideas were chosen and we formed teams of five to six students. My team consisted of students from Canada, Seattle, China and Indonesia. The rigor started right away. Within the first week, we were expected to create an MVP, or minimum viable product, a strippeddown version of our final version that would be rolled out to consumers. Our idea was an e-commerce website that sold unique and useful products from Asia. It was fairly simple to create, yet hard to source the products from China and Korea, especially since it was hard to get manufacturers to buy into the platform. After much testing, speaking to students on the Berkeley campus and advertising our products, we got our first sale. It was euphoric; after countless hours of work, someone had believed in our products and bought one. It’s hard to think

past your next test, the next homework assignment, but there is so much more outside of school. Although I knew what career I wanted to pursue, Leangap gave me an insight that there are different paths and that you don’t have to have a desk job at tech companies that many of us want to work at. There are numerous opportunities and people to learn from, a whole world to explore. We must always keep an open mind, think

“In the end... what mattered most was what we learned.”

POSTSCRIPT | 31

big, and execute. In the end, albeit we did create our startup idea, what mattered most was what we learned from creating and applying it. We became more confident and learned invaluable life skills--something school does not teach but comes through exploring the real world. I’m glad to have attended Leangap; it taught me that there are endless possibilities, relationships to be cherished and so much to learn--not through books, but in doing what you desire most.

COVER DESIGNED BY ASHLEY KANG AND KAVYA GUPTA