Senior issue 2015

The Prospector dustythepioneer

6min

dustythepioneer

6min

509 Likes dustythepioneer Senior Issue 2015 #throwbackthursday

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The Prospector

May 28, 2015

Welcome to Instagram. It’s a fun and quirky way to share your life through photos.

Want to view the Class of 2015’s profile? Read on.

NO 35%

YES 65%

OK

NO 35%

YES 65%

Mrs. Nic ole

average hours average hours spent watching spent watching Netflix per week Netflix per week

OR5.556 STATS 4.200 5.556 4.200 average hours of sleep per night

average hours of sleep per night

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NO 48%

YES 52%

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Mr. M ar k

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200 2.460 3.500 3.200 2.460 3.500 average number of AP tests taken

average number of AP tests taken

2015 by the numbers

Favorite

TEACHERS Do you eat

SENIOR STATS

BREAKFAST?

The Class of 2015 by the numbers NO 35%

YES 65%

Have you

Seniors’

HAD A JOB 3.200 2.460 3.500 average number of clubs participated in

average number of all-nighters per year

during high school?

average hours spent watching Netflix per week

Most Popular....

5.556 4.200

NO 48%

average hours of sleep per night

TV Shows: 1. Game of Thrones 2. Parks and Rec 3. Breaking Bad 4. Modern Family 5. How I Met Your Mother

YES 52%

average number of AP tests taken

2015

1. The Avengers: Age of Ultron 2. Furious 7 3. Pitch Perfect 2 4. 50 Shades of Grey 5. Ex Machina

2013

1. Frozen 2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 3. Iron Man 3 4. Wolf of Wall Street 5. Monsters University

MOVIES

BY YEAR

1. Big Hero 6 2. Interstellar 3. Guardians of the Galaxy 4. Kingsman: Secret Service 5. 22 Jump Street (tie) 5. The Imitation Game (tie)

2014

1. The Avengers 2. Pitch Perfect 3. 21 Jump Street 4. The Hunger Games 5. The Dark Night Rises (tie) 5. Life of Pi (tie)

2012 NO 35%

YES 65%

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The Prospector

May 28, 2015

Final Word s from

#nofilter We asked seniors for their unfiltered, anonymous thoughts on high school, college, relationships, their time at Tino, the future and life in general.

This is what they had to say. unimpressed “The basis of our high school experience was waiting for our new cafeteria to be built and then waiting for CREAM to open.”

Your Class President Dear Class of 2015, Well, we finally did it! Four years of high school and it ends in just a few short weeks. It's been a bumpy ride full of late nights and early mornings and unforgettable memories. I'm going to be honest; senior year hasn't been the easiest for me and I struggled a lot with time management, school, and friendships. It definitely did not make it any easier trying to plan out rallies, homecoming, powderpuff and prom. But y'all made it all worth it every time I saw your spirit and excitement.

We won homecoming and powderpuff, and we had the biggest turnout for prom in almost a decade. I’m so honored to have been a part of this amazing class and I can't wait to see all the incredible things you guys will do.

Sincerely, Nellie Niu

Your Class Advisers Dear Class of 2015, Contained inside this year’s final senior issue of The Prospector are many, many layers—both physical and intangible—of history and community. These layers of pages, though freshly printed just for you, just for this year, don’t only tell your stories, though; they also carry with them a little bit of nostalgia and a little bit of forward-thinking. Your graduating class and all it has accomplished, all it has seen, and all it has yet to contribute to the world beyond Finch Avenue makes up one freshly woven layer in the fabric of what CHS is all about.

Congratulations on graduating, and as you all depart and head in your separate ways to engage in your separate endeavors, may you never forget that you are forever part of one small but important layer in this proud Pioneer community!

Mrs. Avvakumovits & Ms. Stavis

Your Administrative VP This is now my 8th year of what I loosely call “advice” to the graduating classes from Cupertino High School. In years past I included song lyrics, poems, and in a controversial move, the combination to the ASB safe. Apparently my piece is not widely read, as the ASB safe remains safe and secure.

As you move on from Cupertino, I humbly ask that you make sincere attempts at interacting with those different than yourself. Have the courage to ask people about their hometowns, interests, areas of study, family background - anything that allows you to grasp a wider understanding of our non-Cupertino world.

Our natural default mode is a peer group of people that look like us, talk like us, and think like us. In my years as a student (both college/high school), and then as a professional, I discovered that the people who truly pushed me to greater lengths as a person and as an educator, were those who came from widely different places than myself. These people forced me to evaluate ideas/concepts I accepted as truth, when in reality they were at best flawed, and at worst, just plain wrong.

Seniors, good luck in all your endeavors, and when sharing that awkward lunch with a stranger in the dining commons, take it as an opportunity to create a minilearning moment.

Andy Walczak

thinkdeeper “This place isn’t perfect, its human.

The humans are the best thing about it. The people we meet at Tino, the friends, the teachers, the crazy teammates and entertaining club advisers and coaches - the people make it worth it.” poetic.senior “It’s sunshine and dew drops at Tino, but I’m a little scared of facing the rain.” senior_in_tears “This has been the best four years of my life and I will honestly never forget what has happened and the goals we have accomplished together as a class and a school. I look forward to the time I return as an alumni as this place will always be in my heart. Keep it gucci.” wordsofwisdom “I never knew there could be a place where imperfections, whether they were mine or somebody else’s, were something to love. But I have come to learn that imperfections are what make life amazing, they are what make us who we are, and they are what take us places in life. I can accept myself and others because I know this.” pastfears1997 “I remember the summer before freshman year, I was so scared of going to high school because I was afraid it was going to be similar to the movies, where everyone is in cliques and only the cool people did cool things.

But coming to Tino, I realized none of that is true.” reflective “Here’s some advice to underclassmen or incoming freshmen: Get involved in clubs.

I joined NHS and [...] whether it was cheering on runners in a marathon or packing food for the homeless, I had a great time making countless new friends which to this day I still talk to. Go find a club that you are interested in and stick with it it will be worth your while.” questionsquestions “Why is it warmer in New York than it is in Cupertino? That doesn’t make sense. Also, I’m so ready to graduate. It’s not that high school was bad per se, but I just can’t wait to move on to bigger, better things.” whatmattersmost “School lunch food sucks.” pragmatic.person “People at Tino need to loosen up a bit. That sounds kind of bad, but really, life isn’t all about grades. You shouldn’t have to drown yourself in work. Try to stop and really LEARN sometimes, not just try to get an A. It can be more rewarding, even if it may not seem like that at first.” long.goodbye “It’s nearing our time to leave, but thank you, Tino, for every little piece of perfection until then.” no_words “Solid.”

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The Prospector

May 28, 2015

#dual #degree Choosing majors for college is highly conflicting for many seniors filing their college applications.

While many choose a major from a subject that they love, others take into consideration of the job opportunities, expected income, and external factors that may result from choosing other competitive majors.

The choice torns some students. Many are forced to choose between a major from a subject that they love and a major that will probably result in a better, more comfortable future.

Jonathan Mo and Marshall Pangilinan, however, are seniors who decided to make no compromises in chasing deeper into subjects they loved - they are some of the few students from CHS choosing double majors in college.

For Pangilinan, his interests in theater and mathematics have always been clear from the beginning.

“Mathematics and theater are definitely my favorite subjects in school,” Pangilinan said. “I enjoy being in the center stage, taking the spotlight, and bringing smiles to the audience. I am also deeply curious in the field of mathematics and I wish to explore it further during my time in Sarah Lawrence College.”

Pangilinan emphasizes his dedication to all of his interests.

“When I needed to make a choice between theater

and mathematics, I decided NOT to make a choice at all - I did not want to give up on myself and my interests,” Pangilinan said.

Although double majors have their advantages in that students can further their knowledge in two fields of expertise, double majors are also notoriously challenging. ¨From past participants in dual degree, I have been told that it’ll take me about 5 years to graduate," said senior Jonathan Mo, who is double majoring in neuroscience and music at Johns Hopkins University.

For most students, a double major means double the coursework and less time to engage in other electives. It requires time-management skills, a detailed plan for graduation, and an understanding of one’s limits and capabilities. Jonathan, however, is ready to take on this challenge. ¨I don’t doubt that the dual degree will be a lot of work, but I hope that my being able to juggle these two interests in high school will better prepare me for the workload I’ll have in college," said Mo. ¨Additionally, I’ll be majoring in subjects that I enjoy, so hopefully that’ll make everything that much less daunting.¨ Whatever the future holds for Pangilinan and Mo is still uncertain. But one thing is for sure - they will always hold true to themselves, and refuse to give up on what they want to accomplish.

#throwbackto

#military #might Students at Cupertino are often collectively branded and packaged as a single mass with no interests other than the conveniently grouped science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Despite this stereotype, Cupertino-based schools consistently produce some of the most aspiring students in all fields, whether it be in the form of English majors, psychology majors, or in some rare cases—military pursuers.

“Enlisting in the military was a crazy and spontaneous idea. Having been accepted to two out of two universities for a business major made me realize that I was able to take the college route, but my willingness to go back to school right away was my final determining factor on declining,” said Brittney Wilkerson, a senior currently scheduled to be enrolled in the U.S. Navy after high school.

While non-STEM oriented fields are often debased a s being unprofitable, rarely considered paths, such as the military, can open doors and

connections that would otherwise be unobtainable.

“I am honored to have been accepted [into the Navy] and on top of that have one of the highest security clearances as well,” Wilkerson said. “It gets me one step closer into hopefully being a CIA or FBI agent like I’ve always dreamed of.”

Set to serve thousands of miles away, Senior Laura Golub has already enlisted in the Israeli army, while setting aside her future college aspirations for the time being.

“I really want to do this to give my time and dedicate to Israel because my family is there, and I want to call myself an Israeli in the future,” Golub said. “I feel like if I don’t join the army, I will regret it. College can always come after.”

FUTU

seniors will be a

American River College Brown University Cabrillo College California College of the California Institute of Technology California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Chico California State University, East Bay California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Monterey Bay California State University,

Stanislaus Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Cornell University Dartmouth College De Anza College DeSales University Dominican University of California Drexel University Duke University Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles Foothill College Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Loyola Marymount University McGill University Mission College

Molloy College Monterey Peninsula Colle New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College Ohlone College Parsons The New School Design Pennsylvania State Univer Schuylkill Pennsylvania State Univer University Park PESIT Institute of Technolo Portland State Universit Princeton University Purdue University Queen’s University Regis University Rice University Ringling College of Art an

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The Prospector

May 28, 2015

#medical #mission

STEM (44%) Arts and Humanities (17%) Health and Medicine (15%) Business (11%) Public and Social Services (4%) Social Sciences (3% Trades and Personal Services (3%) Animal Science (1%) Interdisciplinary Studies (1%) Music (1%)

Despite a dwindling acceptance rate of under 5 percent each year for accelerated BS/MD programs, seniors Gopika Hari and Sravya Koduri have been successfully admitted and committed to Virginia Commonwealth University and Drexel University respectively; Hari will participate in an 8-year accelerated degree program, and Koduri a 7-year program.

With these accelerated programs, Hari and Koduri are guaranteed medical school acceptance. Traditionally, students who strive to follow a pre-medical track need to complete four years of undergraduate with certain prerequisites, take the Medical College Admission Test

#major #decisions

What will the class of 2015 be studying?

(MCAT), apply to medical school, and then complete four years of medical school, followed by several years of residency, fellowship, and further specialty schooling.

“I wanted to make sure that I didn’t spend my undergraduate years following the traditional path and spending all my energy trying to get into medical school, but rather exploring different things as an undergraduate student,” Hari said. “It’s a huge stress reliever and in some cases it also allows you to do your undergraduate [work] quicker, which alleviates a lot of tuition problems.”

Another advantage of participating in a BS/MD program is the resources that are available to its students. “[In addition to the hospital opportunities surrounding the school,] BSMD students also sometimes get priorities with researchers and other opportunities because there are very few people in the program,” said Koduri.

While these prospects are certainly appealing, admission for these programs is exceedingly difficult.

“Interviews are based on cuts, unlike undergraduate schools. If you get an interview, you fly out to interview and they can have several rounds of cuts, so the application process was actually pretty difficult,” Hari added.

Hari and Koduri have yet to begin their studies, but their preliminary displays of dedication will likely serve as an indicator for their future success.

#OTP #onetruepair Q: What was it like when you two first started Annabelle: That hasn’t really changed much. dating? Henry: No! I think I’m more controlled goofy… not Henry: It started in middle school, so that should speak wild and stupid. for itself…

Annabelle: Like sophisticated goofy.

THE

URE

Annabelle: In middle school, you ask someone out Henry: I’m just not as… dumb. but you don’t really do much together. You just sit awkwardly together at school while all of your friends Annabelle: Also, once you get out of middle school, the conversations you have with people—not just your giggle in the background. significant other—become more meaningful than they Henry: It really was just middle school, but now, we’ve were before. I mean now we talk about… the shortfalls matured! of a capitalist system.

Q: How have things changed since then? Henry: And analyzing N i c k i

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Design Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rutgers University, New Brunswick Saint Louis University Saint Mary’s College of California San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Jose State University Santa Barbara City College Santa Clara University Santa Monica College Sarah Lawrence College School of Visual Arts Seattle University Sierra Nevada College Smith College Sonoma State University St. John’s University, Queens

Annabelle: Well Henry’s still goofy as ever so—

Minaj lyrics.

Henry: I think I’m less—

Annabelle: Yeah, so, obviously we’ve come way.

Syracuse University The Ohio State University The University of Arizona The University of Texas, Austin Tufts University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Chicago University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Michigan University of Nevada, Reno University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of the Pacific University of Washington Virginia Commonwealth University Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis West Valley College Willamette University

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The Prospector

flash

May 28, 2015

DIANA KRUZMAN editor-in-chief

“Is being Presbyterian a dietary restriction?”

60 years from now, when I’m old and feeble and Twitter has far surpassed the New York Times as the media outlet of choice, I’ll think back to my three years in journalism and remember the Quote Board. It’s a motley collection of words, phrases, drawings and semi-coherent sentences, written with pens of all different colors and in handwriting ranging from Helvetica to barely legible. Its sacred duty is to record the thoughts, actions and ridiculous phrases of our journalism class, from #feministfridays to one person’s strict conviction that Vermont should not be a state.

For me, the quote board represents not only the collective musings of our class, but the growth and development that each of us has experienced.

Journalism has shown me that interviewing someone over Facebook usually doesn’t end well, that an Oxford comma must be swiftly annihilated and that Comic Sans is not an appropriate font to use, anywhere, at any time, ever. But more than that, it’s shown me the value of family and the difference that an incredibly diverse group of people can make by bouncing their ideas, experiences and opinions off of each other. Coming from different backgrounds and having different ways of looking at the world, far from dividing us, makes us stronger.

Far in the future, when I think back on my four years in high school, I’ll be grateful to my parents for their neverending patience and my teachers for their wisdom; but above all, I’ll never forget the people I’ve met in journalism. Thank you for the memories, the laughter and the learning. Stay cruspy, my friends.

back friday Thoughts on journalism, high school memories, future possibilities, and life from our senior staffers

ANISHA DANGORIA opinions assistant

The Beatles were on to something with “Hello Goodbye” – Cupertino High School, I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello.

There is a certainty in the fact that we are leaving high school in a matter of days. And there is a strangeness in the knowledge that, after this point, if we wish to walk the halls we bustled through, we must do so adorned with a visitor’s tag. Yet, for all that we leave behind, it is impossible not to acknowledge the possibilities that we will meet, the things we will see, and the mistakes that we will inevitably make (and subsequently add to our arsenal of experiences). If for every door that closes, another opens, why can’t it be said that for every “goodbye”, there is a “hello” waiting to happen?

Why should we say goodbye to the friends we made here, when we know that they will be there for us when we ask them to be, and when we know that we will say hello to the friends we make for the future? Why should we say goodbye to the things we learned in a school that was a second home when those experiences will always be a part of our character, and when there are infinite hellos to be said to the experiences that will shape us in the future.

To my friends, the class of 2015, I ask, why goodbye? This is simply one of many hellos.

NEIL MCCLINTICK news assistant

I have been given this rare opportunity to write a generic memoir that makes sure to utilize the basic tenets of all farewell cliches: beyond clever incorporation of an introductory quote, an overly-saturated, rose-tinted recollection of high school—like something out of the Totoro universe—, and the cherry on top in the form of an optimistic statement about how, as authentic pioneers, we will all succeed because we are all beautiful and unique snowflakes.

Unfortunately, claiming that these parameters accurately portray my high school career is basically tantamount to forgetting that high school happened at all. Truthfully, my fellow overly-competitive students were willing to do anything for college, even if it came at the cost of cheating, lying, or cannibalizing the competition. I was graded on my ability to draw colorful butterflies in World Core. I probably ended up on numerous teachers’ hit lists after creating a petition against the Spanish department during junior year. I watched my friends shadily make drug deals during lunch, all the while merely propagating an underground weed market that really isn’t all that underground. This may not be nearly as picturesque as what you will hear during graduation, but really it’s just part of what makes the high school years so memorable.

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The Prospector

May 28, 2015

JESSICA SHIN editor-in-chief

As a kid who grew up watching tons of dramas, I imagined high school to be very different from what it actually was and is like (since I haven’t graduated quite yet). Even though I had imagined so much more drama and so much less homework, I wouldn’t want my years here to have been any different. I walked in as a fob who didn’t know what the word “hella” meant, but I’m walking out with a brain full of amazing memories that I will cherish forever. From rolling on the ground with friends and laughing for three hours straight to ranting about the long lines at every store during lunch, I have become so attached to this wonderful place I have called home.

My journalism family has definitely been a source of a lot of the memories that I will carry with me everywhere I go. From the hilarious quote board to surprising everyone on their birthdays by starting out with “We have some bad news…”, I enjoyed every minute of working with this amazing group. Walking into a classroom knowing that you are going to have another great day is such a blessing and I will miss it so much when I leave the Cupertino nest.

Before I go, I want to give a shout out to everyone who has dealt with this weird and annoying little person and for making high school better than any TV show could ever make it seem. Thank you.

SERENA NGAN photo editor

To be honest, I’ve been anticipating senior check-out day for the entirety of senior year; however, now that the time has come, I’ve realized just how much I’m going to miss this place I’ve called home for the past four years.

But what I’m going to miss most is you – the people of Cupertino High. As cheesy as it sounds, at the end of the day, it’s not the GPA I’ll remember, or the ACT score, or the officer positions, or my first F in AP Biology. Instead, it’ll be the all-nighters I pulled with my FBLA baes to practice for a competition, the moment when my date and I did the Macarena during prom, the times when my friends and I bonded over serving people in Haiti, the “band” that was formed and named after a special someone, the friends that stuck with me during the worst of times, and how these friends stuck with me despite how much they were going through personally.

It will be the relationships I made at Tino that I will most clearly remember five years from now, 15 years from now, and 55 years from now - because it was these very relationships that helped me become who I am today.

THU DAM photo editor

This it it. This is the end of bottom lockers, block days, and admin yelling at you to get to a classroom during tutorial. This is when we all prepare to part ways and hope that somehow, we can all still keep in touch.

It is undeniable that we are an extremely driven, hard working, goal oriented class, but what is so special to me is how we drive, work hard, and orient our goals together.

Through my safety goggles in the lab, behind the lens of my camera, or during all the late night video chats to stay awake, I’ve gotten to know people’s stories and how they have gone through so much, but continue to push through.

These are the people I always sacrifice time for when they need to talk, because I know they would do the same for me, even when we have a lab due at 9:00 pm.

And it’s 8:30 pm. Because we know that each others’ well-being is more important than any deadline.

I’m honored to call these people my friends.

Thank you, 2015, not only for sharing your stories with me, but also for helping me write my own.

MYUNG JU SONG news assistant

I wonder if anyone remembers their first day of high school. I certainly do. I still clearly remember the lightheaded anticipation and the tinge of uneasiness of entering high school: excited to meet new people but also nervous that I would manage to do something stupid on the very first day. Looking back, I think everybody was a little bit giddy and apprehensive on that day.

Almost four years later, it is funny to think that I accomplished everything that I had been anticipating that day. I got to meet interesting new people (hi guys!) almost every single day and I have ALSO managed to make a stupid mistake almost everyday as well (ugh cringe). I made unforgettable friendships and memories in high school that I will certainly cherish throughout the rest of my life, which reminds me that...

Yes. We have barely started on the remarkable journey of life. There is still so much left to explore in our lives, so much left to be discovered. We, the future pioneers, only barely scratched the surface - our greatest achievements cannot be behind us, because our destiny still awaits us. I will never forget my incredible memories in CHS, and thank you Class of 2015 for helping me make the best out of my high school experience!

EXPLORE EXPLORE

#tbt #throwbackthursday

#tbt #throwbackthursday