The Epitaph Volume 62, Issue 6, 2024-25

VTA strike impacts community VTA strike impacts community

Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority workers walked out in strike due to differences in contract negotiations between the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 and the VTA starting on March 10, fare inspector Mark Nevill said.

However, the VTA refused to meet the union’s demands, leaving many students and community members across Santa Clara county without a means of transportation, Nevill said.

The differences in contract negotiations primarily stemmed from issues regarding the union’s arbitration process, Nevill said. The union is fighting for their right to have any grievances against the VTA resolved through a third-party arbitrator, but the VTA refused to meet this demand, he added.

“[Another] reason we’re striking is our pay because the VTA is offering very little in raises,” Nevill said. “With the price of living being so high, a lot of us are living in our cars. We’ve got families to take care of, so we need a little more pay to survive in this county.”

Following the start of the strike, many students voiced concerns about getting to and from school, requiring school and district officials to quickly come up with solutions to accommodate such issues, principal Denae Nurnberg said.

Several solutions were swiftly put into place to assist students, such as keeping the library open until 5:30 p.m, as well as chartering buses and creating interim routes to get students to and from school with ease, Nurnberg said.

The bus system was created to support more than 200 students from FHS and HHS. There were two routes, one that served exclusively FHS and one that served both HHS and FHS, director of human resources Greg Giglio said.

“People in our district office took a look at

where most bus riders came from and then copied some of the VTA stops that would most likely pick up a bunch of different kids,” Giglio said. “We created four stops and tried to time it so we could pick up as many kids as possible to get to and from school.”

Nurnberg said FUHSD worked to perfect the bus lines and schedules, which increased efficiency and decreased the financial burden of maintaining the system. These changes were necessary because some stops lacked sufficient ridership, causing the obsolete schedule to suffer from inefficiency, Nurnberg added.

Senior Kieu-Vi O’Brien said she was heavily impacted by the strikes because she depends on the VTA buses as her main form of transportation.

“On the Monday morning of the strike, I was struggling to figure out what to do because my parents weren’t available to take me to school,” O’Brien said. “I’m really lucky to have a lot of people I can rely on to get to HHS, but I know there’s a lot of people who don’t have those options.”

Although the revised bus route was effective at helping some students, O’Brien said she still wished the system provided more stops. Many stops were far away from students’ homes, and four stops alone were not enough to serve all student riders, O’Brien said.

“It’s definitely nice to see the school take action quickly, but having so few stops makes FUHSD seem out of touch with students who actually use the bus,” O’Brien said. “If the district checked in with more students, they could have changed the bus line to directly benefit more students who rely on it.”

Given the difficulties students and community members experienced as a result of the strike, union members wanted to thank community members who have been negatively impacted by the strike for their understanding and support, another VTA employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

“We’re sorry that we had to do this, but I believe it was for the greater good,” the source said. “We thank everybody for their patience.”

Union executive board officer of operations Armando Barbosa said the strike would continue until the VTA agrees to negotiate terms of the contract with the union.

“It’s difficult for workers to walk away and strike, especially since many live paycheck to paycheck. But we also understand that if we gave in to the VTA’s demands, we’re going to suffer even further down the road,” Barbosa said. “We either stop the contract now, or we lose it all.”

However, on March 28, Santa Clara County superior court judge Daniel Nishigaya granted an injunction, ordering all strikers back to work.

The ruling was made in an attempt to bring the ATU to ac cept the new contract, and all bus service in Santa Clara County was reinstated on March 28, according to the VTA website.

Nurnberg said she is glad the strikes have come to an end, and FUHSD has planned to end the interim bus system by March 31, when the VTA’s regular service re sumed.

Although the district was faced with unexpected circum stances during the strike, the community ultimately came together to develop effec tive solutions that could be implemented quickly, Giglio said.

Varsity girls soccer scores CCS win

Abraham and Henry Hu

Varsity girls soccer won the Central Coast Section Division 2 tournament for the second year in a row, coach Raquel DeJesus said.

Despite the memorable victory, DeJesus said the start of the season was filled with ties and losses as the team struggled to learn how to play with each other.

“We had somewhat of a new team this year,” DeJesus said. “We lost 11 seniors last year, [and] most were starters, so [we were] developing a new team. Preseason was when we were trying to figure out how to play with each other.”

Despite the initial challenges, right winger, senior Maya Brower said the team significantly improved throughout the season. The team, seeded eighth, entered CCS Quarterfinals on Feb. 22 and beat Aptos

“The strike just showed what our district can do when there’s an emergency situation,” Giglio said. “We’re willing to sit down and do what’s needed to help everybody out.” High School 2-0, which was seeded first, Brower said.

“People went into the game thinking that we would lose because their record was better,” Brower said. “Once we won, we were more confident that we had a chance at CCS.”

Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd,

Annika

Nelson (11)

— Shelly Yusim (9)

“The Fremont Union high school district office put in a temporary bus solution to accommo-

Principal Denae Nurnburg

The team worked on communication and reviewed film to improve their performance, Brower said.

Photo courtesy of Maya Brower

Photo by Olivia Levesque Ouellette

Photo by Kevin Miao

Illustration by Annie Guo

Photos by Kevin Miao

The VTA strike, which halted all public transportation in Santa Clara County, placed significant strains on students.

Photo by Kevin Miao

State enforces new CAST policy

Administration discusses shift in CAST requirement

Annika Abraham and Selina Wang

California introduced a new accountability measure regarding CAASPP testing this year, requiring high schools to achieve a 95% participation rate in the California Science Test to avoid lower performance scores, principal Denae Nurnberg said.

This shift stems from the addition of the CAST, the science portion of the CAASPP test, to each school’s public dashboard, which already displays their students’ math and language arts performance to the public, assistant principal Nico Flores said.

“Anyone can look up HHS on the dashboard and see how HHS is doing in science in general and how HHS is doing in science

compared to other schools in the state,” Flores said.

If the school does not reach a 95% participation rate, they are assigned the lowest possible score in the CAST section for each student below that percentage, impacting overall averages displayed on the dashboard, FUHSD coordinator of data and assessment Brooke Chan said.

“Not only does the dashboard inform the public of how a school is doing and impact the perception of a school, but it also informs our teachers and our staff [about student performance],”

Chan said. “[The score influences] our action plans, how we decide our resources and what our professional development looks like for teachers.”

However, the loss scores are not assigned to specific students who opted out. They are simply included in the final calculations of the schools average performance, Chan said.

“[For example, if] we have 90 students out of 100 take the [CAST] test, the five students that

it would take for us to get to 95 would be assigned the lowest obtainable scaled score and get averaged with the other 90 students,” Chan said.

Flores said seniors who did not take the CAST last year have their only opportunity this year to take the test before it reflects on the dashboard, leading administration to target them to avoid loss scores.

Students who opted out of CAST last year received emails asking them to take it this year, senior Rishika Jain said.

“I don’t know why I was required to take it this year,” Jain said. “I did standardized testing in Virginia, and now, I come here and have to do California’s standardized testing because it didn’t transfer over.”

The averages displayed from CAST testing also impact the resources and support HHS receives, possibly prompting the county to investigate the reason behind low average scores, Chan said.

“[Extra support] could be in the form of meetings, providing more data or interviewing the students to figure out why they didn’t take the CAST test,” Chan said.

Flores said taking the test, even with the option of opting out, allows students to help improve and elevate their community.

“I think the idea of opting out is something that [students] should not do, not because of the 95% participation requirement, not because of the dashboard or because it’s the right thing to do, but to do it to give back to our community and to give back to yourself,” Flores said. “I think that mindset develops citizens that will make HHS better, our community better, our state better and our world better.”

Staff members recognized for work

Graeme Logie, Luis Carlos honored for their efforts

Parth Dhaulakhandi, Danielle Feldsher and Adam Orrin

The annual Teacher of the Year (TOTY) and Classified Staff of the Year (CSOTY) awards were given to business teacher Graeme Logie and skilled maintenance mechanic Luis Carlos, respectively, on March 21, executive assistant Tricia Crane said.

Business teacher Graeme Logie:

Business teacher Byron Lee, who has worked with Logie for 24

years, said he was one of many teachers who nominated Logie for the award.

“[Logie] is one of these people who has always improved his practice professionally and always taken steps to reexamine what he does to improve it,” Lee said. “He has been an amazing leader not only at HHS but also in FBLA.”

Logie said resilience and perseverance are major ideals he values.

“My Chinese [zodiac], by birth year, is the ox, and ox are known to be hardworking people,” Logie said. “That definitely describes me, as I’m always trying to improve.”

When Logie first interviewed to become a teacher, he said Lee conducted it, shortly after winning the 2001 TOTY himself. Upon receiving the award this year, Logie said his goal of getting the TOTY, which had been at the back of his mind since that interview, was finally fulfilled.

Behind the scenes of Battle of the Classes

ASB shares planning process, reflects on week

Annie Guo and Vivian Kim

Carrying on the annual tradition of Battle of the Classes, ASB planned a lineup of events that took place from March 14 to 21, social manager, junior Agnes Ko said. The event was hosted with the goal of fostering unity and school spirit, class cabinet member junior Sophie Xing said.

The week featured events like a hygiene drive, a boat race, flag football and a dance battle, Xing said.

“It’s a spirit week where each class gets to unite and battle each other for points,” Xing said. “It’s kind of like Homecoming, but it’s more centered around classes individually.”

The planning process started around one month before the week took place, with ASB class cabinet members taking on a plethora of responsibilities ranging from recruiting people for flag football team to building boats for the boat race, Ko said.

“Social managers plan Homecoming and BOTC. It’s our job to plan such events because this event is much smaller than Homecoming,” Ko said, “The games or activities, such as the boat race or [flag football], required waivers, referees and a lot of adult supervision.”

The BOTC rally concluded the week, with seniors winning with a total of 725 points, Xing said. Reflecting on the rally, rally commissioner, senior Parnika Kotamsetti said although they faced challenges, the rally still went smoothly.

“You feel pretty good when you’re honored by your colleagues like this,” Logie said. “It’s something you only get one chance to get in your career. My family was happy to hear that I got it, and they are proud of me.”

Skilled maintenance mechanic Luis Carlos:

Facilities manager Elder Fagundes, who has been at HHS for almost three years, said Carlos has played a vital role in maintaining the campus and is ready to help address emergencies like last month’s fire at a moment’s notice.

“Carlos, being an 18-year veteran of this campus, has been tremendously important for me as the facilities manager because he has taught me all the ins and outs about the campus,” Fagundes said. “Carlos plays a huge role as the skilled maintenance technician at HHS.”

Carlos said he has worked at HHS for 17 years, primarily focusing on electrical jobs. In a meeting before receiving the CSOTY award, Carlos said he heard people discussing it.

“They were talking about employee of the year, but I never thought it would be me,” Carlos said. “When the screen came down and I saw my name [listed as] employee of the year, I started crying. It was a shock.”

Upon receiving the award, Carlos said his win was met with a variety of passionate and motivational comments from the staff.

“I went to the front, and they started asking me questions and [saying] congratulations. I said: ‘I love you guys, and thanks to the ladies for voting for me,’” Carlos said. “Thanks to everyone. I love you guys. I do my best for the kids, and I love the kids at HHS.”

Despite the success of the event, one challenge the social managers faced was communication between the planners for the event, social manager, sophomore Maya Power said.

“Overall, there’s a lot that could have been improved,” Power said. “We misinterpreted how long it would take and all of the smaller details. The main struggle was getting the planning started, but once it got started, we were all good.”

The turnout for the class dances exceeded expectations and school spirit was a lot higher compared to previous years, Power said.

“This was a bit surprising, but the class dances got a lot of participation, both from the people performing in the dances and from the people watching, especially for the seniors,” Power said. “I looked out from the music room, and I saw a lot of people coming to watch the dance. This year, more people knew about it and were excited to watch it and join in.”

Senior class dance captain Kieu Vi O’Brien said despite having the fewest number of dancers, the seniors’ performance was an astounding success.

“I’m not a dancer myself so it was the first time where I could try doing choreography, and it was definitely stressful at times,” O’Brien said. “But because of that, we got more creative. We were able to use outside sources. The umbrella dance was inspired by Tom Holland’s Saturday Night Live skit, and it ended up working out really well. Being captain also made me feel very proud of what we were able to accomplish together.”

Looking back on the week, Power said BOTC was effective in increasing participation and fostering school spirit.

“We had issues with getting performers to have a rally rehearsal because we didn’t have supervision in the morning, but it went really well,” Kotamsetti said. “The games were really good this time, and the audience was really engaged with the rally.”

“We really succeeded and were able to achieve our main goals,” Power said. “A lot of people participated and were able to watch their classes, and I also saw a good amount of participation with the spirit days, especially with Adam Sandler day.”

Administration emailed students who opted out of CAST testing last year to increase participation and avoid loss scores, Flores said.

Photo by Selina Wang

Students engaged in Battle of classes activities such as flag football, boat races and class dances to foster school spirit, Ko said.

Business teacher Graeme Logie (left) and skilled maintenance worker Luis Carlos (right) win awards for excellence.

Photo by Adam Orrin

Photo by Parth Dhaulakhandi

Photo by Isabela Guilardi

Photo by Kaylin Yi

in a minute

Kevin Miao

Local: 23andMe files for bankruptcy Bay Area-based genetic testing and biotechnology company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on March 23, according to NPR. The decision came after months of financial struggles, and the company laying off 40% of the workforce in November, according to CNN. The company has not made a profit since becoming public in 2021, according to CNN.

The bankruptcy sparked concerns around the genetic information of over 15 million customers, according to ABC News. The current privacy policy will be kept

when the company is sold, according to ABC News.

National: Senate minority leader refuses to step down Democratic party leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash from his party after not blocking a Republican government funding measure, according to BBC. The bill included cuts to non-defense funding and a minor increase in defense spending, according to PBS News. Schumer refused calls to step down on March 23, defending his decision to vote for the measure, according to NBC News.

The vote sparked major dis-

agreements within the party, increasing the divide between Democratic party members, according to BBC. Schumer defended his decision with the argument that blocking the measure would have led to a government shutdown, which gives Trump more power than passing the bill, according to NBC News.

International: South Korean prime minister reinstated as acting president

The impeachment of South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo was struck down on March 24, allowing Duck-soo to return as act-

WASC concludes six-year accreditation cycle

Committee visits campus, validates school performance

Sachin Chandran, Ethan Xue and Alan Zhang

The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges visited HHS from March 24 to 26 to evaluate educational standards and identify areas for school improvement, principal Denae Nurnberg said. Specifically, a volunteer committee validated a self-study performance report submitted by HHS administration on Feb. 10 by interviewing members of the community and attending several classes on campus, WASC committee chair and Marshall Elementary School principal Mistee Guzman said. Through validating the selfstudy report to find areas of success and areas for growth, WASC guarantees that schools have the proper support, resources and education they claim to offer, Guzman said. Furthermore, it ensures that curricula cover the proper

content and information necessary to prepare for college, English teacher, WASC school co-lead

Christina Graham said.

“[WASC] is an outside organization verifying that [HHS] is doing what we are supposed to in terms of educating students,” Graham said. “What you do not want to have happen is where we are off in our own world, and our education is no longer relevant to students.”

Concluding a six-year review cycle, the recent WASC visit involved much more extensive investigation into school matters compared to the shorter, triannual midterm review visits, Nurnberg said.

During the three-day review, the committee held several meetings to evaluate the self-study report, Nurnberg said. Committee members interviewed students, parents and staff to triangulate details and findings on the report during the review, Nurnberg added.

In preparation for the visit, staff drafted a self-study report within focus groups that began meeting at the end of last school year, assistant principal Terri Hannigan said. In the focus groups, staff investigated five performance areas, and wrote out their findings in the

self-study report, Hannigan added.

“We typically start preparing a year in advance. First, we have a teacher volunteer as the school lead, who oversees the process for staff, and then we get focus group leads,” Hannigan said. “There are five different [focus] categories that we have: ‘organization, vision and purpose,’ ‘curriculum,’ ‘learning and teaching,’ ‘assessment and accountability’ and ‘culture and support.’”

During the focus group meetings, staff reflected on findings to create an action plan that aims to achieve school goals focused on ensuring students gain a comprehensive education, Graham said.

After the review visit, WASC committee members held a meeting with staff to discuss their findings over the past three days, Nurnberg said.

During the meeting, Nurnberg said WASC made three key suggestions on what to add to the action plan: actively soliciting feedback from the school community, developing a schoolwide instructional focus and

improving culturally responsive teaching.

“The real work comes into play in planning for staff development, changes and updating chart programming as a result of the progress report,” Nurnberg said. “That’s something that we’ll do as a whole staff over the course of the next six years.”

Aside from the accreditation itself, the WASC visit also allowed

ing president, according to BBC. Upon returning to his position, Duck-soo vowed to maintain a stable government amid the political turmoil in the country, according to Reuters.

Duck-soo was impeached in December for blocking the appointment of new judges after becoming acting president due to president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, according to BBC. The impeachment was overturned in a 7-1 vote in South Korea’s constitutional court. The court is currently preparing to vote on the impeachment of Yeol, but a date has not been set yet, according to BBC.

staff to reflect on existing progress and set specific goals for future improvement, Hannigan said.

“To write the self-study [and] prepare for and engage in the visit is a great opportunity for the school to reflect on where we’ve been and where we want to go, much like charting our path,” Hannigan said. “It’s a wonderful process, even though it’s a lot of work.”

Multicultural week celebrates student diversity

Annual event brings various cultures together

Isabela Guilardi, Henry Hu and Madeleine Yee

In celebration of school diversity, the English Learner program will host their annual multicultural week, featuring various activities from different cultures. The events take place during brunch and lunch from March 31-April 4, EL commissioner, junior Mackenzie Murray said.

Multicultural week consists of interactive cultural activities, performances, fundraising and showcases of the diverse heritages on campus, Murray said.

In addition to honoring students’ heritage, leadership teacher Hector Almendarez said the event encourages students to join some of the numerous cultural clubs on campus.

“A large part of this is trying to expose more of the community to these different cultures, beliefs and ways of thinking,” Almendarez said. “We really are [a] cosmopolitan, multicultural community.”

Beyond the cultural aspect, multicultural week is also an amazing opportunity for cultural clubs to grow their membership, Almendarez said.

“[Multicultural week] also raises awareness for various other cultural clubs that maybe don’t get as much attention,” Almendarez said. “We’ve got a few new ones this year that just started, like Filipino Club and Tamil Club.”

The EL commissioners, in coordination with ASB, played a signifi-

cant role in planning multicultural week, Almendarez said.

The initial planning began in early February, when the EL program and leadership students reached out and coordinated with the clubs and outside vendors taking part in the event. One major obstacle encountered while planning was finding the student performers and vendors, Murray said.

“We’ve been figuring out budgets,” Murray said, “Getting in contact with the vendors is hard because you have to go through figuring out all the contracts.”

This year, the EL department and ASB are trying to put more emphasis on the week as a whole rather than just multicultural night. The goal is to draw focus to the event’s purpose, rather than complicating the activities, Murray said.

“Similar to the last few years, we’re trying to implement the fashion show, a photo shoot and a lot of the cultural booths,” Murray said. “We’re having passport activities where people can go around and answer questions. We’re just taking a step back, focusing on how we can improve the event altogether instead of just creating activities.”

National Chinese Honor Society, a cultural club participating in multicultural night, began preparations well ahead of the actual event, junior officer, sophomore Tina Yu said. Many other featured clubs have also

begun preparing their booths by putting together their themes and decorations, Yu added.

“We hosted a social where we made tissue paper flowers, [which] was part of our planning in preparation for multicultural night, decorations,” Yu said.

Attendees come for the food but stay to learn about the significance of diversity on campus, Yu said.

“Multicultural night is a good way for us to show aspects of our culture and share them with other people,” Yu said. “When people come to our booth and try our foods and snacks, it makes them more curious about our culture.”

Overall, multicultural week is an opportunity for students to get together and learn about each other’s lifestyles and cultures, Almendarez

said. It’s a community event, not just an HHS event, Almendarez said.

“[We] bring all these different cultures and different ideologies to have one massive, week-long event, capping it off with multicultural night,” Almendarez said. “A large part of this is trying to expose more of the community to different [cultural] ways.”

Multicultural week activities

March 31 to April 4

WASC used volunteers from regional schools to form the accreditation committee, Guzman said.

Photo by Alan Zhang

“Indopak is performing. We’re also having some outside vendors coming. We have a mariachi band and a lion dance [this week].” - EL commissioner Mackenzie Murray (11)

“Last year, Hong Kong Student Association, during multicultural night, sold snacks and drinks. We didn’t have a big activity, but this time, we’re planning on doing checkers as our main activity.”

- HKSA social media manager Clara Chau (10)

week, Kwei (left) said.

- Japanese National Honor Society President Ramaa Saban (12)

Infographic by Isabela Guilardi, Henry Hu and Madeleine Yee

Photo by Henry Hu

Editors-in-Chief

Opinion

Cheating policies need clarification

Issues of academic dishonesty are rising, driven by new problems like generative AI alongside traditional methods of sharing test information. Despite numerous measures to prevent cheating, it continues to impact teachers and stifle learning for students. While cheating is not a new problem, it has been exacerbated by the academically stressful environment of the Bay Area. Many students feel pressure to achieve high grades in order to compete for college acceptances, which can lead to them making un-

While there are general guidelines explaining consequences based on a student’s number of offenses, students remain oblivious to the severity of the punishments for their actions. Additionally, the lack of clarity in punishments for cheating can lead to students misunderstanding the outcome of their actions, which causes some to feel more tempted to cheat. Even when students are caught, they may face inconsistent consequences dependent on their teacher’s individual assessment of the situation.

lose study skills or are stuck in a position where cheating is impossible, Giglio said.

Additionally, the issue of one student cheating can impact an entire class, as student performance helps teachers determine lesson effectiveness and class understanding, Giglio said. Through academic dishonesty, students skew the results, leaving teachers with a faulty understanding of students’ progress.

To address this, FUHSD must implement a uniform cheating policy that clearly outlines one specific punishment for instances of academic dishonesty. Additionally, teachers must enforce these punishments regardless of

History is not just fact Critical thinking, bias detection belong in curricula

gle, preconceived narrative but a dynamic collection of diverse interpretations and perspectives — a critical concept that our current history curricula fail to expose students to.

For example, a student cheating on their homework should result in a zero on the assignment, but a large cheating scandal warrants grade reduction and a referral to deans. Continued instances

of cheating deserve a note in a student’s college recommendation letters, highlighting instances of academic dishonesty and thereby discouraging it.

By clearly outlining punishments, students would be better informed of the consequences of academic dishonesty, making them feel less tempted to cheat in the future.

Moreover, this initiative must also expand to policies regarding AI usage.

Currently, the policies in place state a teacher’s professional, case-by-case judgment determines how strictly regulations are followed. However, the district needs to implement an overarching policy addressing the acceptable ways to use AI so students are not unknowingly committing academic dishonesty.

Taking the key step of clarifying policies could minimize academic dishonesty. Our current school environment and lackluster regulations prevent learning. By embracing stricter, more explicit policies against academic dishonesty, FUHSD can create better learning environments that foster fair advancement.

heyy what’s the answer to #4??

yo what was on the

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Thank You to Our Donors & Supporters

Semele Heller

FUHS Foundation Homestead PTSA

“History is written by the victors.” This renowned phrase underscores a powerful truth: history is shapeable. Yet our current history curricula fail to convey this reality, leaving students with an incomplete and misleading understanding of the past and the world around them.

When I applied for the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute during my sophomore year, I was eager to explore history, literature and philosophy, expecting tougher textbook reading and more thought-provoking questions.

However, upon entering the program, I was shocked. Learning was solely based on primary sources and class discussions, both concepts I rarely experienced in my prior history classes.

In a discussion of John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government,” a single quote sparked 10 different interpretations. The diversity of thought was refreshing, and I soon realized that history was not a sin-

With a lack of emphasis on class discussions and the reading of primary sources, our curricula heavily rely on textbooks, lectures and structured activities. Such forms of learning present information that is already curated in the form of an other person’s understanding, fail ing to provide students with the op portunity to form their own unique conclusions.

In AP courses like AP U.S. history or AP U.S. government and politics, the focus is primarily on AP exam preparation, which emphasizes content memorization over intellec tual growth.

With such curricula, students lack the opportunity to think inde pendently and develop their own perspectives. It is ideal for students to read directly from a primary source so they can make their own judgments about what is happen ing, social studies teacher Nicholas Neese said.

Therefore, to address such issues, history curricula must establish a number of primary source readings and class discussions, which would teach students how to learn critically and think inde-

pendently — skills that should have been the priority in the first place. However, this issue goes beyond incorporating primary sources. It is also about teaching students that history, and information in general, can be biased and shaped by various factors.

For instance, “The Lost Cause,” an interpretation of the Civil War that seeks to preserve the honor of the South by downplay

to the world history curriculum, teaching students how history is constructed and how to detect bias. This foundational knowledge would not only benefit them in their future history classes but also equip them with the critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their educational journeys and beyond.

In today’s age of mass misinformation, the ability to evaluate sources, detect bias and develop

Evelyn Wang

With a lack of emphasis on class discussions and primary sources, our history curricula fail to foster critical thinking skills.

To combat the prevalent issue of cheating, there must be a strictly enforced set of punishments.

Illustration by Annie Guo

test?

IllustrationbyEllaChan

Illustration by Danielle Feldsher

It’s the thought that counts

Outburst had right cause, wrong approach

Jonathan Xue

COLUMN — Presidential addresses are boring, drawn-out events that nobody really listens to. But on March 4, during president Donald Trump’s inaugural address, a sudden outburst made his unremarkable speech much more interesting.

After Trump mentioned a mandate to cut Medicaid, a national health insurance program for low-income individuals, Rep. Al Green, stood up and continually yelled he had “no such power,” according to AP News. Green, a Democrat who represents Tex as’s ninth congres sional district, was promptly escorted out of the chamber. Afterward, House Republicans and a few Democrats voted together to censure, or publicly criticize, Green, according to ABC News.

moval after he refused to do so, according to AP News.

Respecting the rules of speeches is an integral part of running an effective democracy, and Congress must not devolve into constant disruptions by either party during opposing speeches.

However, this standard must apply equally to all politicians.

In March 2024, a similar moment occurred when Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene interrupted then president Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to heckle him over illegal immigration, according to NYT.

Unlike Green, Greene faced no punishment for her actions, which highlights the unfairness of removing and censuring Green. If decorum is to be enforced, it must apply regardless of party affiliation. Additionally, Green’s actions were not based on pure heckling.

Although removing him from the chamber was reasonable, Green should not have been censured because he was only standing up for his constituents.

Speaking out during the speech was an issue of decorum. In fact, the Speaker of the House warned Green to stop disrupting the address, and this led to Green’s re-

His outburst was sparked because many of his constituents depend on Medicaid, and he believed Trump’s plan was unfounded, according to AP News.

Representatives like Green must not be silenced or berated for their disapproval. However, they must use other ways to voice such disagreement.

Progress cannot be made through heckling contests, but democracy fails when we silence opposing voices. America needs more politicians with the internal drive of Rep. Green, but we do not need any more outbursts.

Unreasonable tariffs destabilize economy

Trump’s trade wars do more harm than good

Jason Lai

Since president Donald Trump was reelected in January, one of his biggest goals has been enacting tariffs on the United State’s biggest trade partners like Canada, China and Mexico to grow the American economy, according to Time. However, Trump’s trade wars with other countries are another foolish act that will harm Americans by increasing prices.

Tariffs are high taxes charged on imported goods to protect U.S. companies by making domestic goods cheaper than foreign products. In response, foreign businesses will raise the prices of their goods to combat the money lost to tariffs, ultimately increasing the prices American consumers pay, according to BBC.

Although Trump claims only foreign nations will pay these tar iffs, these regulations only inflate prices for Americans and decrease purchasing power.

For example, one of Trump’s most recent tariffs was enacted on March 12, when he placed a 25% tariff on all imports of steel and aluminum, ac cording to BBC. Since Trump proposed these tariffs, Cana da has proposed 25% retalia tory tariffs on over $20 billion in American goods, and China has placed tariffs on many American agricultural products, according to NYT.

Make field trips the norm

School trips provide unique learning opportunities

Kevin Miao

Every day, I wake up and go to school just to sit through classes that lack engagement. The long lectures, boring slides and piles of worksheets are rarely effective and fail to capture my attention. However, on field trips, I experience exciting lessons and learn more than I have during the entire semester in class.

However, only a few classes at HHS provide field trips as part of course material, and classes must consider expanding their curriculum to provide more field trips. Currently, only eight courses of the over 100 courses offered at HHS include field trips, Patri cia Houe, AP Secretary to Nico Flores, said. Such field trips range from exploring the culture in San Francisco for Inter national Business to gaining in sights for their future during a college visit in AVID. Both trips provide unpar alleled learning opportunities that surpass teaching in any regular class period. Personally, I had the oppor tunity to expe

rience these benefits at the NSPA National High School Journalism Convention through my journalism class in November 2024.

The convention not only allowed me to explore a new city in Philadelphia but also taught me various skills in journalism that I would not be able to learn in class through simple slideshows. Sessions consisted of experienced journalists sharing their experiences and hundreds of workshops, such as how to cover deaths, that were unique to the convention.

I was also fortunate enough to attend the Law field trip to Alcatraz last year, which was an eye-opening experience. I saw the successes and failures of the United States judicial system firsthand in an engaging manner that a lecture or textbook could never mimic. It allowed me to connect what I learned in class with the

For the upcoming school year, teachers must consider integrating field trips similar to the journalism convention and law trip into their curriculum, which will increase the interest students have in the course and advance their learning.

For example, science courses like AP environmental science should offer trips to Alviso Marina County Park or Shoreline Lake to immerse students in nature, where they can apply environmental knowledge learned in class to real scenarios. On the other hand, courses like Intro to Programming could take a trip to the Tech Interactive to discover the applications of STEM technology.

Field trips are an essential tool for learning, and all students should be given the critical opportunity to experience their benefits. Do not miss the bus to the benefits of field trips.

No screens behind the wheel Measures must be taken to prevent traffic accidents

Kaylin Yi

our economy, as people in foreign countries will now be encouraged to buy goods from other countries, causing American businesses to lose customers. As businesses lose profit, the economy will crumble, and Americans take the fall.

Furthermore, international relations with our biggest allies will be severed because of these tariffs.

It is clear Trump’s priorities are not keeping foreign countries as allies as he places selfish motives over beneficial relationships. By imposing tariffs, he risks alienating trade partners, such as Canada.

In response to Trump’s harmful tariffs, we must protest against tariffs and vote for politicians who are educated on the economics of tariffs to save our economy, so Americans can truly benefit.

Additionally, Americans must oppose Trump’s tariff policies by supporting organizations, such as Farmers for Free Trade, and politicians who work to fight against these tariffs.

Americans must realize Trump

Sitting in the passenger seat, I am struck with anxiety knowing that in just a few years, I will be the one behind the wheel. However, while even the simple act of driving can be nerve-wracking on its own, watching out for oblivious pedestrians and distracted drivers adds another level of fear, especially as dangerous driving due to screens becomes more prevalent.

Although texting while driving is technically illegal in California, the law does not stop drivers from sneaking in the occasional peek at their screens, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.

In a survey by Groth Law Firm, 27% of respondents admitted to texting while driving because they believe checking a message only takes a few seconds, according to Groth Law Firm. This action is rooted in the false idea that it is safe to glance away just long enough to respond to a quick text. Unfortunately, a quick look away from the road is all it takes to lead to an accident. 80% of car accidents are caused by distracted driving, and 14% of distracted driving is due to the use of cell phones, according to Groth Law Firm. These statistics further illustrate that the use of mobile devices on the road are a main contributor to car accidents, and a solution present ed by HHS is necessary to maintain the safety of the

Such revenge tar iffs will destabilize

While HHS has attempted to ad-

dress this issue, the results are far from effective. The extent of the solutions offered are an occasional school-wide message reminding students and staff to be safe when driving and biking on a case by case basis, principal Denae Nurnberg said In addition, the pedestrian scramble in front of the school helps prevent unnecessary collisions, Nurnberg said.

While a pedestrian scramble and reminders about the consequences of unsafe driving are helpful, they alone are not enough to solve the bigger problem of distracted driving. A traffic scramble will fail to get a distracted driver off their phone, and mass emailed school messages are easily ignored.

Ultimately, the people behind the wheel are responsible for keeping everyone safe. To combat the possibility of car accidents, HHS must educate students and staff about the dangers of distracted driving because it poses a significant risk to both drivers and pedestrians.

Instead of setting up another street ornament and call-

ing it a day, HHS has to put more emphasis on the importance of putting down screens while behind the wheel.

To do so, it is crucial to educate the community about the consequences of getting into accidents caused by screens through advisories and health classes.

As a deterrent, HHS can implement consequences for students caught by deans for using mobile devices behind the wheel on school grounds, such as suspension or recommendation of expulsion. With the threat of marks on the permanent record, students are far more likely to follow traffic rules.

Furthermore, the addition of crossing guards can promote safe behavior and reduce the risk of accidents, according to the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals. While there are usually crossing guards stationed around local middle schools such as Sunnyvale Middle School, the absence of traffic supervisors around high schools leaves older students in added danger.

Crossing guards are essential for high school students, especially as many tend to cross the street with their eyes glued to mobile devices and earbuds blasting music.

Having crossing guards monitor the street during busy hours helps guide pedestrians and enhances driver awareness by acting as high visibility reminders to drive safely.

While the occasional emails and additional traffic scrambles are not the most effective way to limit the use of mobile devices while driving, educating students and staff about the severe consequences of distracted driving and hiring crossing guards to keep new drivers in check is a much more effective alternative to keep HHS a safe place for everyone.

Americans must educate each other about the downsides of tariffs.

Mobile device usage behind the wheel increases collision risk.

Illustration by Amanda Boles

Illustration by Kaylin Yi

Debate does not need to be heated

Engage openly, but know limits

Mackie Vu

Arguments are inevitable, especially when you are surrounded by peers on a daily basis. Whether big or small, disagreements can be frustrating, but they can also offer opportunities for growth. The key to such arguments is recognizing the difference between a debate that broadens your perspective and one that makes you fundamentally uncomfortable.

Debates, especially political ones, often stem from beliefs shaped during childhood. In fact, much of an individual’s political socialization, factors that influence political values, lie in the formative

years of a child with their parents, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Despite these rooted beliefs, having discussions with those who have differing perspectives can provide valuable insight, as they can expose you to different ways of thinking.

For instance, an experiment involving 526 Americans with opposing political views found that while debates rarely changed minds, they increased mutual understanding and acceptance, according to NYT. By engaging in friendships that offer different political viewpoints, it is easier to cultivate empathy for both parties.

Although broadening perspectives to increase compassion and diversity of thought is important, doing so should not come at the expense of your emotional well-be-

America, the beautiful

National parks must be protected

Malar Raguraman

Campers share scary stories around a glowing fire. Kids skip stones across a clear lake. An old couple watches for birds under a canopy of leaves. To most, interacting with nature is more than recreational. It’s a way to spend time with loved ones. National parks help make these things a reality for all Americans.

In fact, National parks reached record-breaking numbers of visitation in 2024, according to CNN. Despite this clear signal of growing demand, the federal government fired approximately 1,000 National Park Service employees this year, according to the Washington Post.

With even more employees terminated from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service, mass firings from National park staff reflect a larger movement in the Trump administration to cut down on federal jobs for improved efficiency.

These large layoffs will prevent National parks from performing responsibilities like fee collection at

entrances and visitor management.

Additionally, in the face of spikes in visitation during spring and summer break, these firings can lead to National parks reducing their opening hours and closing down operations, such as guided tours and visitor centers.

The educational programs and safety provisions provided by national parks make natural landscapes accessible to Americans through the medium of federal employees. These National parks have become critical to how every person, regardless of identity or belief, interacts with the awe-inspiring natural realm of our country.

Additionally, such resources in spire younger generations to dedi cate their careers to protecting na ture, and HHS students may find themselves discouraged from pur suing these jobs that are threatened by the federal government.

In a world of social media and stress, the U.S. government must preserve what allows people to “touch grass” and experience the world around them.

These firings not only im pact humans but also desecrate the environment. Habitat restoration, waste pickup and wildlife protec tion are all responsibilities of the National Park Service, according to The Washington Post.

ing. While political arguments can be productive, it is essential to assess if a debate feels intellectually stimulating or personally harmful.

For example, one of my core be liefs is that people should be treated equally no mat ter their race, sexuality, gender or religion.

So, when a past ac quaintance revealed she was homopho bic, rather than attempting to per suade her, I de cided to distance myself from her out of dis comfort. I made this decision because I knew if I stayed

friends with her, I would suppress my discomfort and compromise my values. Having friends with differing

beliefs. Find people that challenge your perception of the world, but also know when you have to walk away.

Park rangers protect wildlife from hurting visitors but also prevent visitors from destroying the parks. Preserving our natural resources and symbols must remain a priority but will be limited by smaller teams, less waste reduction and worse wildlife protection.

As students, campaigning against federal irresponsibility and joining interest groups such as National Park Friends Alliance is critical to furthering such activism and preserving National parks.

Whether it’s the waterfalls of Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, National parks are part of the American identity. We must fight against

Military aid is not leverage

Government endangers Ukrainian lives

DOGE is dodging the budget

Trump must cut military spending

Adam Orrin

The Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to reduce government spending and cut unnecessary programs, has set a goal to cut $1 trillion, according to NPR. While DOGE has begun to cut from various government departments through layoffs and program terminations, DOGE has refused to cut from the largest culprit of outrageous government spending: the military.

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, has cut a total of $115 billion in gov ernment spending from all de partments so far, according to Fox Business. At first glance, this may seem like a dent in federal spend ing. However, on the federal lev el, it hardly scratches the surface when compared to the proposed defense budget of $849.8 billion for 2025, according to the Department of Defense.

The consequences of the mil itary’s current spending habits are far-reaching. When the gov ernment increases the amount of money it allocates for military spending, it increases inflation, af fecting the prices of goods bought by all Americans, according to the Stimson Center.

It is unfair how DOGE contin

ues to boast about these budget cuts, despite not cutting much from the military. Instead, these cuts have been mostly accomplished through gutting government sectors like the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, both of which deeply benefit Americans on a daily basis.

For example, DOGE has chosen to go after critical government bodies like the EPA, which currently has less staff than it did under former president George W. Bush despite the growing climate crisis. Under Trump’s proposed budget, the agency will take a 65% budget

just another example of the lack of efficiency in the government body meant to promote it.

If DOGE wants to start living up to its promise to the American people, it can start by protecting the funding of agencies that are critical to Americans and targeting the unnecessary amounts of money spent on defense.

As Americans, we can start by holding the Trump administration accountable to cut national spending. We must contact representatives, raise awareness and challenge the notion that DOGE will accurately cut funding for unnecessary programs

At its core, DOGE is not an agency built to protect the interests of the American people. The department is a tool for the Trump administration to push its policies on government agencies without facing backlash, which is made possible under the guise of efficiency.

It is long overdue for Americans to call out DOGE for what it truly is: a department of gross exaggeration that hides its intentions while scamming us of meaningful services.

A shocking event in geopolitics occurred on Feb. 24, 2022: Russia invaded Ukraine. This invasion sparked a war that continues to rage on. Since then, the United States has heavily supported Ukraine, providing them with supplies and money to fight against their aggressors, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Unfortunately, the new administration under president Donald Trump paused all financial and military aid for Ukraine for a week following a series of international disagreements, according to CNN.

This pause of United States aid to Ukraine came with an explosive disturbance, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the White House following a heated conference with Trump on Feb. 28, according to AP News.

The conference featured Trump and members of his cabinet, who all berated Zelenskyy for not seeking peace with Russia. These comments were made because Zelenskyy refused to sign a peace deal that would give the United States a large portion of Ukraine’s natural resource revenue, an essential part of their economy, in exchange for no security guarantees, according to CNN.

This deal would cripple Ukraine financially, and it comes with no U.S. commitment toward the future of Ukrainian peace. Since Zelenskyy did not agree to the deal, the United States paused all aid for one week until Zelenskyy agreed to sign a ceasefire deal on March 11, ac cording to PBS News.

pause led to Ukraine losing military intel ligence from the U.S., which is critical to their defense efforts against Russia. Other allies like the European Union have worked to compensate by

providing monetary aid, according to Reuters. However, the pause led to hundreds of deaths along the Ukrainian frontlines, according to Time.

This unfair deal highlights how our government is willing to use military aid as leverage, regardless of how it negatively impacts Ukraine or the other nations that depend on this aid. Innocent people were put in danger because of our government’s shortsightedness. Instead of using people’s lives as bargaining tools, the American government must realize they can not put policy and money above human lives.

As if the pause of aid isn’t damaging enough, Russian president Vladimir Putin was offered concessions during peace negotiations with Trump, all while our government remained adamant with their demands of Ukraine, according to CNN.

Trump’s willingness to deal with a dictator while shutting down any negotiation from Zelenskyy is incredibly concerning. Our current government has decided to side with the aggressor in a conflict rather than offer aid for an ally to protect their country.

To avoid similar incidents in the future, members of Congress must push for an agreement between the United States and Ukraine to guarantee long-lasting support. It is their responsibility to ensure our administration will never be able to use lives as a bargaining chip again.

Even if our federal government views a war-torn country as leverage, the American people must realize that our help is much more than that. Individuals are dying every day, and we must aid them

The Trump administration endangers allies for their own benefit, giving concessions to dictators.

DOGE goes after critical agencies while ignoring the biggest offender.

National parks are a keystone in American culture.

Although it is important to engage with others who hold different political perspectives, it is equally important to know when a personal boundary is being crossed.

Illust ration by V ivia n Kim

Illustration by Elena Shim

Sachin Chandran

Illustration by Aashka Nagarkar

Lifestyles

Senior essay contest recognizes student voices Students weave through paychecks and gradebooks

PTSA discusses prompt, contest

The senior essay contest is an annual PTSA-hosted program in which seniors can submit an essay that responds to a prompt for an opportunity to earn prize money and recognition, PTSA president Manuela Silveira said.

“The senior essay contest is one of our yearly programs under student programs, and it’s dedicated to our seniors,” Silveira said. “We invite all of our seniors to participate in this contest, and then the board officers will be the ones that review all the submissions.”

This year’s prompt, “What do you think your generation needs to teach the world and why” was carefully chosen by the PTSA board, and it encourages students to think about their place in the world, Silveira said.

“It is a very inspiring [topic],” Silveira said. “This one was very much about giving back, so it is very important.”

The essay, due on April 30, should be between 500 and 700 words, and the PTSA will reward a total of $3000 to winners, vice president of student programs Preethi Ramaiya said.

“We want to recognize the creative talents in our school in

different ways, and writing is one of them,” Ramaiya said.

The winners will be announced at the PTSA’s general meeting in May, principal Denae Nurnburg said.

Submissions will be evaluated by PTSA board members, who will use a scoring rubric, Ramaiya said. The number of winners varies each year, but the total prize money remains consistent, Ramaiya added.

“Some years, there are two [winners], and some years, there is only one. It depends on the submissions and how they come out,” Ramaiya said. “[The PTSA board] scores the essays with a rubric and a scoring system and last year, there were 20 or 30 submissions.”

Silveira said she encourages students to participate in the contest, as it is a unique opportunity because it is completely writingbased.

“If you are a student that has an appreciation for writing, whether it’s journalistic writing or literature writing, it’s an opportunity for you to show your voice, be an active member of these programs and shine in something that inspires you,” Silveira said.

While celebrating students is the main objective of the contest, the PTSA also views it as a way to increase student engagement, Silveira said.

“Our goal is to engage the student community by creating opportunities for belonging, opportunities for students to shine in different areas and ways to celebrate the diversity of HHS,” Silveira said.

Beyond the financial award, Silveira said the contest also helps students build confidence and develop skills for the future.

“It is rewarding because [it allows you to] challenge yourself, put yourself out there, make yourself vulnerable and give yourself the opportunity to reap the benefits of your hard work,” Silveira said. “Additionally, you can gather feedback on things that you can improve on.”

Student workers share job experiences

For many high school students, having a job is a key step toward independence and personal growth, school counselor Derek Chan said. Specifically, jobs encourage students to develop valuable skills such as time management, people skills and communication, Chan added.

“I’ve seen it go both ways. Students really learn more [about] how to be better individuals when it comes to school and work [and] balance that,” Chan said. “I’ve seen students prioritize things that are going to matter most to them, which may not always align with putting school first.”

Ultimately, each student’s experience with working is unique to the way they organize themselves and their priorities, Chan said.

Tennis coach, senior Zoya Lou: Lou, who works as a tennis coach at recreation center Lifetime Activities, said she coaches kids from ages five to 12. In particular, Lou said she enjoys interacting with kids.

“The kids just tell me about their day and they just say the most out-of-pocket things but I think it is really funny,” Lou said. “The fact that I’m helping shape these kids’ tennis skills is really fulfilling.”

With the money she earns from working, Lou said she primarily saves up for future expenses.

When she first started coaching, Lou said one challenge she faced was taking charge of her students. However, overcoming such obstacles has helped her gain confidence in other aspects of her daily life, Lou said.

“It was hard to get the kids to listen and have an authoritative voice, but after a while, I got used to it and was able to do it pretty easily,” Lou said. “Teaching is a pretty valuable skill. It has also taught me patience because younger kids don’t really like to listen.”

As a student, Lou said she has to learn how to manage her time wisely between school and work. Specifically, Lou said she plans her teaching sessions around busy times such as AP and sports seasons.

“I signed up for more sessions at first. But then I learned how much I could balance, and after a year, it got pretty easy,” Lou said.

Having a job is not only a way to gain financial freedom but also a way to prepare for future endeav-

ors in the workforce, Lou said.

“In general, having a job is a good experience for high schoolers, and learning how to navigate the work environment gives me insight for future jobs,” Lou said.

Barista, junior Anya Klingner: Klingner, who works at Teazzi, a boba shop in downtown Sunnyvale, said she initially applied to earn extra spending money and work experience. Despite being 15 when she applied, Klingner said she was lucky and got hired as a result of being the first applicant for her job.

Working as a barista comes with challenges like dealing with demanding customers, Klingner said. Since Teazzi is relatively popular, the busy hours can be especially taxing, Klingner added.

“Some customers will just stand in front of the counter the entire hour, and it gets really full and busy,” Klingner said. “I have a lot of [customers] making demands that I really can not meet, so sometimes that can get a little overwhelming.”

Through working in a fastpaced environment, Klingner said she has learned a variety of important life lessons.

“The biggest thing is just to be nice to people,” Klingner said. “In the future, when I get impatient with people, I need to try my best to be patient to avoid further escalating the situation.”

Klingner said another valuable aspect of her job is the connections she has made with her coworkers.

“When [business is] slower, it’s really nice to chill and hang out with your coworkers,” Klingner said. “It’s cool because I get to make friends with older people. There aren’t many chances to do that in high school.”

Ultimately, Klingner said she is especially grateful for her job because of the financial benefits.

“You get to build savings for as close as college but even as far out as retirement. This is important to me because financial independence is something my mom has always reminded me to have throughout life, so I’m not living off someone else,” Klingner said. “I don’t want that someone else to be my parents or anyone else.”

Tutoring program helps students reach their potential

ESTP takes unique approach to oneon-one

tutoring

To address the learning gap that widened during the pandemic, junior Evangeline Park said she created Every Student Tutoring Program, a nonprofit that provides free tutoring in math and English for elementary students around the Bay Area. Since its creation, the program has grown substantially, with around 50 high school student tutors meeting with about 200 elementary school students every week, Park added.

Unlike traditional tutoring programs, ESTP emphasizes interactive learning, Park said. Her interest in education policy and curriculum development led her to design a program that fosters deep engagement, Park added.

“Ever since seventh grade, I got really interested in Montessoribased learning and play-based learning,” Park said. “In ESTP,

students can engage in handson learning as opposed to just worksheets, which is typically done in school up to the fifth grade.”

To maximize student understanding, ESTP uses Bloom’s taxonomy, an educational theory that was developed to help educators create and assess learning objectives and assist tutors with lesson planning, director of tutors, junior Shannon Kunz said.

“At school, you learn how to apply concepts, but at ESTP, we try to ‘create’ so [students] actually have a deep understanding of the concept instead of just memorizing how to solve a problem,” Kunz said. “[This way] kids understand why something works, instead of just how it works.”

Unlike other tutoring programs, ESTP focuses on helping students enjoy the process of learning, student operations director, junior Amy Li said.

“I like how most of ESTP makes the students’ experience very enjoyable by creating a creative setting for education,” Li said.

“Rather than the typical education where you have tests after learning a concept, we try to make our

lessons fun and engaging for the student.”

Freshman Swarnima Gupta, an ESTP tutor, said tutoring students has made her feel like she is able to impact others.

“Whenever I tutor them, we like to play games,” Gupta said. “If I ask them about things, I see that from when we started, they get more comfortable and are more open to asking questions.”

Similarly, Kunz said she feels a sense of accomplishment when a student takes what they learned during the tutoring session and goes on to apply it to real life scenarios.

“I’d only had my student for a little bit, and I was worried what I was saying wasn’t getting to him,” Kunz said. “[However], his mom told me he walks around and will point out the letters I’ve been teaching him. He’s always really excited, and that makes me feel really good.”

This year, ESTP began expanding out of Cupertino and Sunnyvale to chapters in Milpitas and Santa Teresa, Park said. Through ESTP’s chapter system, students from other areas can start their own chapters of the program, Park said.

Reflecting on her experience as a whole, Park said ESTP has deepened her interest in education and encouraged her to pursue it in the future.

“I always tell people that ESTP is like my baby,” Park said. “It feels unreal because, when I started it in seventh grade, I didn’t imagine it growing to this size.”

Jason Lai

Helen Tam and Mackie Vu

Aviv Matas and Catherine Yang

Junior Shannon Kunz (right) said students enrolled in ESTP are exposed to an open and collaborative environment, which leads to a focus on personal growth.

Klingner said working has taught her important skills like being patient with customers and managing her time wisely.

Photo from ESTP website

Photo by Mackie Vu

Scan here for the essay contest submission form

Moving to a new country involves adjusting to a new way of life. Students share aspects of American culture that surprised them after immigrating to the United States.

“We don’t have pronouns in Israel, we’re not that progressive. So basically, I thought pronouns was the pronunciation of a name. I wrote how you pronounce Tal for my [literature] class … [I thought] ‘Why do you want to have a cute name for me?’ Later that day I came to my mother and I was like ‘Mom, there’s a teacher in literature who wants to have a cute nickname for me.’ I later discovered what pronouns are.”

— Tal Yusim (12), Israel

Across the

ELD students from across the world reflect on and how they compare to their home

Culture SHOCK From around the globe

“There was more of a car culture here. Especially in Delaware, where my family first moved to, everywhere was so far away that we had to drive, whereas in Santiago, we still drove a lot of places, but there was a lot more public transport so we weren’t as dependent on the car.”

— Jose Gonzalez Alliende (11), Chile

“In Colombia, everyone in the classroom talks to each other, like everyone is a friend, but here it’s not [like] that. What I see is that it’s just a [certain] amount of friends, and that’s it.”

— Jorge Cardenas (11)

“The clothing here surprised me because when I was in India we were not allowed to wear clothes like that. The whole school wore the same uniform. So when I came over here and we could wear anything we wanted to school, it was like, ‘Wow, we have so much freedom, we could just grab whatever we wanted and we wouldn’t be judged for it.’”

— Harshitha Sundarrajan (10), India

“Every year or two years, I visit one side of my family. This winter was the first time I went to France during the holiday break. I went with my family to western France, and we spent the New Year together for that, which I hadn’t done since I was two. It was a fun experience.”

— Arthur Bray (10)

“American teachers don’t care [as much] about students. In Korea, if you don’t do your homework or have a bad attitude, [the] teacher is free to send an email or call [your] parents. On the other hand, parents can also ask the teacher for a [meeting] about their child’s attitudes or studies.”

— Hyunjae You (11)

Staying connected

MEXICO

Preserving aspects of one’s cultural identity can be difficult in the United Students share how they maintain traditions and relationships with relatives F R A N C E

“My whole family is in Mexico, and I only have one aunt here who also immigrated from Mexico, but everybody else is over there. Majority of the time, we just call and check in on each other. It’s rare that I go, but when things are calm, I do go and visit … We like to cook a lot at the house and go see the city at night with all the lights.”

globe

the map

Around one in three Bay Area residents is an immigrant, according to Bay Area Equity Atlas, and immigrants have a large presence in the school community. Students share their journeys living in the U.S. as first- or second-generation immigrants.

on their experiences in the U.S. home countries.

Students grapple with unfamiliar educational landscape

Students, staff discuss navigating U.S. school system

Ethan Xue, Catherine Yang and Kaylin Yi

Facing an unfamiliar college application system, first-generation U.S. college applicants and immigrant students cannot always look to their families for guidance, college and career adviser Shay Bellamy said. However, by receiving additional support from peers and school resources, these students can better acclimate to challenges posed by an unfamiliar admissions landscape, Bellamy said.

As the oldest child and first prospective U.S. college applicant in her family, sophomore Sufee Kathane said explaining college application steps to her family has been difficult. With her parent’s educational experience coming from only India, Kathane said they are inexperienced with the U.S. system.

people who are in the same boat as me, so I don’t feel alone,” Kathane said. “Being able to talk to different people in different situations really helps me understand mine better.”

To better support first-generation applicants, Spanish teacher Matthew Yale said he makes an effort to personally connect with such students.

“What I would do in my classroom is, if I come across an immigrant student, I try to make an instantaneous connection with them,” Yale said. “I spent time living with an immigrant family in my earlier adult life, so it speaks to me in my heart. I’m always here as an extra adult in the room to help them.”

Bellamy said she makes an effort to highlight various resources ranging from language classes to scholarships to support students through the college application process.

understanding of the application system, Bellamy said.

Even so, Kathane said she hopes to see more support provided for first-generation U.S. college applicants by introducing more specific guidance resources.

“[I’d like to see] things on what I should do to get into college, when should I start [writing] essays, what do I have to consider, drafting college lists and what do colleges need that I should probably do ahead of time,” Kathane said.

Similarly, Yale said he aims to provide more dedicated, personal support for immigrant students because supporting them is key to uplifting the school community as a whole.

“This sub-group of students, they’re a part of our community like everybody else, so they deserve just as much attention and care,” Yale said. “We want all of our students to succeed, regardless of what their background is, and they [should] seek help and guidance that can make a big difference in their future.”

— Nagisa Yoshida (11) much] do [the] [your] can about (11) connected United States. relatives abroad.

“I really love watching baseball games at the stadium and one of my favorite memories is watching other people cheering for the same team and clapping when their team got the point. This is a very [unique] experience for me, because [in] Japan people don’t do that.”

“Since I’m the oldest kid in my family, I’m having to figure this out all on my own,” Kathane said. “[I have to] explain concepts like ‘this is a college application letter’ or ‘you actually have to do extracurriculars because colleges look at that.’”

Nevertheless, Kathane said connecting with peers has greatly reduced her anxieties and helped her navigate the application system. For instance, upperclassmen have offered guidance on course selection, useful activities based on her interests and standardized test-taking strategies, Kathane added.

“Thankfully, there are so many

“Affording college is expensive, and especially if a [student] has just gotten here, they don’t get financial aid,” Bellamy said. “[I help] them find resources and scholarships that are specifically for first-generation or immigrant students, although there are few, that [they] could benefit from.”

Additionally, the college and career center has been hosting workshops and sharing online resources on

CHINA

JAPAN

“[My family and I] go to the shrine and buy [omamori] … It’s like a good luck charm, and it basically has a god inside and it protects you from all the weird stuff. So there’s a study good luck charm, familial relationship or love relationship, that kind of stuff, and you just buy those. We do that every year.”

“Since my extended family lives in China, the easiest way to reach them is usually to FaceTime them. So every night, my mom usually FaceTimes my maternal grandma and grandpa. I pop in and say hi, [and] talk about how life’s going over here … [FaceTime] is one of the only ways I can reach them regularly because it’s very difficult for my family to physically visit China. Trips are very expensive, [and] my brother and I are usually very

— Leyna Matsumoto (11)

As the first U.S. college applicant in her family, Kathane said she must plan her education by herself.

— Rachel Chen (10)

Photo illustration by Amanda Boles and Aviv Matas

The Epitaph

A passion for the arts grows into a lifestyle

Kiki Yoshimoto shares passion for creativity

Olivia Levesque Ouellette

Growing up surrounded by art supplies, sophomore Kiki Yoshimoto said she always knew the arts would play a major role in her life. From starting dance in kindergarten to taking piano lessons in first grade, Yoshimoto said she finds comfort and stability in the arts.

Yoshimoto said she began dancing in third grade, competing in hip-hop, contemporary and jazz. Other than dance, she has also pursued painting and drawing, recently discovering a passion for abstract art, she added.

Furthermore, she also knows how to play multiple instruments and even taught herself the bass, Yoshimoto said.

Yoshimoto said each medium of art allows her to express herself in a different way.

“People know colors are linked to different emotions,” Yoshimoto said. “When I can link my emotions to colors while [making art], it helps me focus [and] clear my mind. For dance, I really like hiphop [because] it always brings my energy up, and with [the band], I can choose what songs to play rather than forced lessons.”

Over the years, Yoshimoto said she has dedicated her time to learning more about the different art forms she partakes in, turning her passions into a lifestyle.

“I learned the bass by [teaching] myself with YouTube and using my previous knowledge from piano,” Yoshimoto said. “Being able to do that with the rest of my busy schedule is something that I’m really proud of.”

As Yoshimoto’s friend since second grade, sophomore Tina Yu said she is inspired by Yoshimoto’s versatile skillset within the arts.

“I think [Yoshimoto] is really well rounded because she does so many things,” Yu said. “She plays the bass, electric guitar and piano. She also does art, like drawing, painting and collages. I feel like she just does it all, and that’s really inspiring because I want to be as well rounded as she is.”

Inspired by her parents’ artistic hobbies,

Students band together at Sonoma

Band, orchestra perform at Sonoma music festival

Kaylin Yi

Orchestra and wind ensemble attended the Sonoma music festival at Sonoma State University on March 14, where they performed in front of an audience and a panel of judges and received feedback in a workshop, band and orchestra director John Burn said. The change of scenery added to the difficulty of the performance due to differences in acoustics and spacing, but ultimately, it was a beautiful experience, Burn said.

“This is my last year at HHS, so I’ve been looking at my favorite pieces I’ve done through all my years,” Burn said. “[I’ve chosen] bucket list pieces I want to do one more time while I still have an orchestra in front of me.”

Violinist, junior Alexander Regidor said performing in the concert hall was more nerve-wracking than the average performance, as the sizable distance between each musician made it harder to maintain the beat.

“It’s harder to grab the tempo of the violin around you because they’re not as close to you,” Regidor said. “Since you’re farther away from everyone else, you’re going to be a little more on your own.”

Additionally, tenor saxophone soloist, senior Andres Turullols said he plans to take the feedback

incorporate it into his practice to improve for upcoming performances.

“One of the judges told us we should try to immerse ourselves in the history of the music more when we play,” Turullols said. “I’ll go out of my way to listen to more African American gospel music, so I can implement some of that stuff because one of our pieces is derived from gospel music.”

The judges’ feedback was positive, and the judges helped to bring the ensembles to the next level, Burn said. Getting the ensembles to play more musically rather than only focusing on playing the correct notes is a new focus, Burn said.

“The orchestra judge who worked with us was great at getting us to take it to the next level,” Burn said. “[He helped us] in terms of playing musically and not just being robotic and getting the right note in the right place, but also making longer phrases. So I

thought that was really great.”

To further improve their performance, the ensembles will take the comments from the judges and work on implementing them into their performance for the California Music Educator Association festival in two weeks, where they will be playing the same music, Burn said.

“We’ll definitely practice more in between rehearsal, listening to professional recordings of the music, to really get an idea of the phrasing,” Burn said. “[We’ll work on] taking it to the level, where we’re really making music and not just playing notes.”

Having recorded the judges’ commentary, Burn said he plans to play it over for the students to listen to and make note of before putting the advice to action for improvement.

“I am really proud of the HHS wind ensemble and orchestra today,” Burn said. “It was a really fun day, and we made great music.”

Yoshimoto said she would like to further pursue the arts in the future by working in the entertainment industry.

“My parents and I watched movies about animation, and I thought the process was super interesting,” Yoshimoto said. “That really inspired me to think that I could [actually] do art as a fulltime [job].”

In art class, Yoshimoto goes above and beyond to create original pieces, art department lead Tyler Cripe said.

“I think what stands out about [Yoshimoto] is that she would work outside of the assignments,” Cripe

said. “She’d make two of a project, or [if] she finished something earlier, she’d work in the back of the room on an easel. I knew that she was an artist, not just an art student.”

In the future, Yoshimoto said she hopes to leave a lasting impression on others with her contributions to the arts.

“My main thing is being able to influence people in a way so that they think about something differently, as if it’s a gift to them that they can appreciate,” Yoshimoto said. “I want to be able to have an effect on people that’ll impact their [perspective].”

Singular teacher leads AP chemistry

Jade Herbst navigates teaching rigorous course

Brian Ling and Elena Shim

As the only AP chemistry teacher, Jade Herbst said they face a challenge in teaching a rigorous science curriculum. To balance the heavy workload, Herbst said they utilize established course resources and work through breaks to ensure students receive the best instruction.

Beyond provided structures, Herbst said they often work closely with students to improve their teaching style. However, despite this approach, they said it is still difficult to handle all the students by themselves.

“It’s exhausting, but it’s also a lot of fun,” Herbst said. “Teaching AP chemistry alone means it’s my vision and my pride of ownership. It also means there is no one to bounce ideas off of or lean on when things get tough.”

To provide students with adequate support, Herbst said they prioritize communication. If everyone feels heard, it makes it easier to pinpoint skills students may be struggling with, Herbst said.

“The most important thing for me is that everyone feels welcome, that they belong here and that they are going to be supported in this class,” Herbst said. “It’s not easy, but it’s my goal to make sure each student knows I will tailor things as best as I can to their needs.”

Junior Jessica Lwin said Herbst’s willingness to answer questions helped her navigate academic challenges.

“Herbst is really caring,” Lwin said. “They

have this deep understanding for students and know when we’re struggling. I can always feel comfortable going to them to ask questions to learn more.”

Reflecting on Herbst’s efforts, science teacher Samuel Fung who formerly taught AP Chemistry said although Herbst may not be as experienced in teaching the course, they dedicate themselves to providing the best for the students.

“They try to develop [the course] and always have a solid idea of how to improve the class so that students can benefit,” Fung said. “From what I observe, they definitely bring in their vision of how to grow the course.”

Herbst said the experience of teaching AP chemistry has been their biggest journey of growth as a teacher.

“I have a lot of fun with this class, and that feels really good when working with the content that I’m passionate about and enjoy teaching,” Herbst said. “It’s rewarding to work with students that trust me, and I am going to always do my best for them.”

Class of ‘27 - 614

Class of ‘28 - 554 pts Class of ‘26 - 549 pts

The repertoire consists of bucketlist pieces to perform with the or-

Herbst said they rely heavily on working with students to guide their teaching.

Yoshimoto said the arts helped her make friends, learn life skills and embrace who she is.

Photo courtesy of Andy Collinsworth

Photo by Elena Shim

Photos courtesy of Kiki Yoshimoto

“We did pretty well. We built the boat ourselves, and I’m proud of us. Last year, we didn’t win, so we thought about how to counterweight the boat since my partner is a little heavier than me.” Keshav Gupta (11)

“I had a great time performing. It’s a lot of fun to be able to go and express myself in front of the school, even if it’s a slightly silly way of doing so.” Andrew Wehbeh (12)

“We have a great group of girls that have been showing up and put in all their dedication and time into this. We only had two practices over the past week, and it just feels great because the senior class, has not won in four years.” Paige Leone (12)

Infographic by Amanda Boles and Catherine Yang

Photo by Amanda Boles

Photo by Amanda Boles

Photo by Malar Raguraman

Photo by Catherine Yang

Unexpectedly, constraints can spark creativity

Guidelines encourage new approaches to work

COLUMN — The “Tabasco Shrine,” an amalgamation of paper scraps and googly eyes, was a project I put together in my 2D art class during freshman year. It featured a personified hot sauce bottle, with two human onlookers bowing toward it in awe, surrounded by an icy blue setting.

I never would have created such a magnificent abomination had it not been for a paper collage as-

signment that limited me to a box of magazines and elementary-level craft materials. For this reason, I have come to welcome restrictions when I carry out a task, believing they often push me to find creative workarounds.

With my Tabasco piece, I was forced to use seemingly random scraps to create a scene with a clear foreground and background, which was confusing at first. However, as I moved the scraps around on a cardboard sheet, I found myself drawing connections between textures and colors, eventually creating a cohesive picture.

Although rules may seem ar bitrary and frustrating at times, understanding how they can be beneficial is important for improve ment. Experiencing too much free

dom from having no rules can almost paralyze my thought process. By embracing guidelines, I can focus on my creative approach to a project, rather than spending hours deciding on which materials to use or other trivial details.

Additionally, even in other endeavors, embracing guidelines has

For instance, most school assignments come with instructions that are not the most appealing due to their uninspiring prompts and lack of relevant topics, and I would rather do anything else.

Consequently, I try to find ways to insert my creative style while remaining within the provided guide-

Cutout circulates among classrooms

Students, teachers bond over cutout of English teacher

Aashka Nagarkar and Malar Raguraman

As students enter their English class, they are greeted by a life-size cutout of English teacher Megan Rupe animatedly shrugging. She wears sunglasses over her eyes, balances a paper crown glued on her head and holds a long sword in her left hand. In the other, she carries a mug labeled “tears of my students.”

Since its creation by Polina Terekhina, a senior in Rupe’s contemporary literature class, the model of Rupe has been moved through many classrooms in the English department, Rupe said.

“We’re definitely having fun with it. She’s acquired some accessories,” Rupe said. “We have a text chain, so whenever somebody discovers it in the room, they’ll send a text message.”

Terekhina said her choice to make the cutout of her teacher was a spontaneous decision. Previously, Terekhina had created similar cutouts of anime characters, but she chose to make one of Rupe because she thought Rupe would find it amusing, Terekhina said.

“[Rupe is] on the same wavelength as her students, and I like that,” Terekhina said. “She seemed chill [and] funny and would understand and like the cutout.”

Getting help from her dad, Terekhina said the cutout was created using a wooden board and a printed photo of Rupe that was taken during a fire drill. As a senior, Terekhina said she saw the cutout as an opportunity to go all out and leave a lasting impression.

“I definitely do not regret doing this,” Terekhina said. “Even if it hadn’t traveled around, I would still be proud of my work and saying, ‘Oh yeah, I did this for you. Now you can remember me.’” While Rupe now finds the cutout amusing, she said she was initially terrified by the life-sized replica of herself. As a prank, she placed her cutout in the classroom of English teacher

James Aguirre to scare him, his students and his student teacher, Rupe said.

“[Terekhina] is a little unhinged and created the cutout for her own amusement,” Rupe said. “Perhaps it may be a torture device. Maybe she is seeking to scare people on campus with my presence. At the end of the day, no one truly wants it in their classroom.”

English teacher Ed Riley said his students have had mixed reactions toward the cutout, which currently resides in his class.

“People obviously react a little differently, but I think they had a similar question: ‘Why?’ My simple response is: ‘Why not?’ It’s good to have a co-teacher,” Riley said.

Ultimately, the English department has embraced the model of Rupe as a running joke between teachers, and the warm reception of the cutout reflects the department’s fun working environment, Riley said.

“We take our job seriously, but we like to have fun once in a while,” Riley said. “Rupe is good-humored, and she has not minded the tour around the English department. [We’re] hoping we can branch out and bring other departments in.”

Seeing as her dad originally doubted that the cutout would be worth making, Terekhina said its success turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

“When he was helping me with the cutout, he was like, ‘Polina, this thing is worth like $200. It’s just not worth putting in the classroom,’” Terekhina said. “So, when I came home and I told him, ‘Hey Dad, they made an inside joke out of it, and it traveled around the classrooms,’ he was really proud.”

In writing assignments, for example, I try to reference niche jokes or approach them from an angle where I can explore my current interests. The result is usually snicker-worthy or contributes to my knowledge of relevant topics, which makes the assignment worthwhile.

Rather than viewing rules as an obstacle, I have

learned to see them in a new light — one where they foster originality.

Junior works toward dream of becoming commercial pilot

Student pursues childhood passion for aviation

Parth Dhaulakhandi, Evelyn Wang and Veronica Zhao

With heavy crosswinds violently rocking the wings of his airplane, junior Russell Wong said his first time independently landing a plane was difficult yet exhilarating. Through rigorous flight training, Wong said he is preparing for a future career in aviation, hoping to eventually become a pilot for United Airlines.

Growing up, Wong’s frequent exposure to aviation likely fed into his vision of professionally pursuing the field, Karen Wong, Wong’s mother, said.

“[Russell’s] father travels for business quite a bit, and we were able to take some vacations together,” she said. “His dad, being a frequent flyer, was able to get us access to talk to the pilots in the cockpit, and that kind of grew his interest further.”

Wong said he obtained his student pilot certificate on Feb. 28 at 16 years old. His flight instructor, Huiru Zhang, signed him up and sent his application for review from the Federal Aviation Administration, Wong said.

“I felt like I achieved something very little, but at the same time it was very big for me,” Wong said. “It’s one of the key steps to becoming an airline pilot, which is [my] ultimate goal.”

To gain knowledge about life as a pilot, Wong said he watches videos from channels like 74 Gear and Fly With Owen.

“I follow a bunch of YouTubers on aviation, [and] they talk about a day in the life of their career path,” Wong said. “I learn from them, and they motivate me.”

Additionally, Wong said he spends nearly five hours a day on flight simulators, practicing his skills with the broad selection of aircraft available in a virtual environment. Wong pairs this with other resources, such as tutorials sent to him by Zhang, to learn the basics of aviation, he said.

Zhang said Wong is one of two high school students she teaches. Wong’s firm decision to pursue aviation, along with his early start and enthusiasm for learning, gives him an edge over other students, Zhang said.

“He’s one of my favorite students because he listens. He grasps

everything I teach, and he asks questions.” Zhang said. “He listens, he studies and he applies [skills] quickly, [which is] everything I could ask for from a student.”

This eagerness to learn is a trait resource teacher Eileen Jones, who formerly had Wong as a student, said she also observed.

“He just really showed such a passion for wanting to know more about what it takes to get into pilot training and aviation, and he did so much research on his own,” Jones said. “He hasn’t changed from his original idea that [aviation] is what he wanted to pursue, and he’s taking very specific, active steps to make that happen and to realize that dream.”

Wong’s steps along the journey to becoming a pilot grew larger and more action-oriented when he joined the future pilots club in his sophomore year, club founder, Cherish Wurts ‘24 said.

“The future pilot club’s aim is to inspire and support students to take on their aviation dreams,” Wurts said. “Russell is making use of [the club] to the max and taking steps forward to his dreams, which is very inspiring to everyone.”

Since then, Wong said he has further involved himself in aviation by gaining flight hours, hoping to eventually obtain a private pilot license.

“I want to fly Asian routes like from San Francisco to Hong Kong,” Wong said. “I go to Hong Kong a lot, and I have family in Hong Kong, and I really like traveling to Asia. I also love the scenery when you’re flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong.”

Once he has accumulated enough experience and flying time, Wong said he hopes to teach other aspiring pilots in the same manner Zhang taught him in order to cultivate an interest for aviation within them.

Looking forward, Wong said he will continue to immerse himself in the aviation community and utilize the resources it provides to his best ability.

“I will try to talk to more people who are in the field, try to get internships and look for more colleges that provide aviation programs and degrees,” Wong said. “The community around aviation is great because they’re so nice and welcoming to people who are new.”

Amanda Boles

The “Tabasco Shrine” was an unforeseen success.

Wong said he has over 12 hours of flight time, in which he used his skills from flight simulators to fly an actual plane.

The cutout of Rupe passed from classroom to classroom in the English department, Rupe said.

Photos courtesy of Russell Wong

Photo by Malar Raguraman

Photo by Amanda Boles

‘Snow White’ bites into the apple of controversy

Film portrays childhood favorite with modern twist

Blinded by nostalgia and overwhelmed by a storm of negative reviews, many movie enthusiasts like myself found themselves hesitant to watch the new “Snow White” live action film. Released on March 21, the film exceeded my expectations, delivering an engaging story for a younger audience despite the alternative plotline.

with a whirlwind of preconceived ideas, the film still managed to capture my attention. Although it strays from the original

plot, director Marc Webb’s “Snow White” offers a modern take on the classic fairytale.

One notable change in the film is the difference in the male supporting character, who, instead of being a handsome prince, is a thief. This modification is a refreshing addition to the storyline, as it deviates from the stereotypical prince lead in princess movies.

Although many expected a classic “knight in shining armor,” the new character allows Snow White to be the hero in her story, reinforcing her independence.

Another polarizing aspect of the movie are the changes to Snow

explains that she was only named Snow White because she was born during a snowstorm. Snow White’s skin plays no integral role in the movie, and the film’s decision to reimagine the role challenges the outdated norms of the original movie.

By not using her skin color as a defining characteristic, the film offers a fresh take on the princess, as she is seen for other characteristics, like her kindness.

The film is also controversial due to Zegler’s voice, since Snow White is traditionally known to be soft spoken, yet Zegler’s vocals align more with opera.

a journey of self-discovery as her vocals carry the strength and determination that suits the reinterpreted character. Although different from the original, Zegler’s voice captures the same resilience.

Despite Zegler’s stellar singing, as her skills are lackluster

Fashion Flashback

Skinny jeans:

A style that is reminiscent of the mid-2010’s has reemerged within the past year, as skinny jeans have become a rising trend within women’s fashion. They contrast the baggy aesthetic that many people have been wearing recently and provide a fresh addition to women’s clothing.

Old trends make a resurgence

These shoes have a rich history, as they were invented during the 1500’s in Japan and worn by common workers. The split design was said to prompt balance within an individual due to

the separation of the big toe. The split toe design is incredibly unique and can be used with many types of outfits.

Naan-n-Masala: an overpriced disappointment

New restaurant serves shallow, inauthentic flavors

On the insistence of a friend, I have been trying and falling in love with Indian food over the past several weeks. Naan-n-Masala, a restaurant that opened on Jan. 24 in downtown Sunnyvale, presented an exciting opportunity to further explore the cuisine. However, after experiencing its inconvenient service and mediocre dishes, I left disappointed and with a huge dent in my wallet.

Despite the restaurant’s small size, the neatly arranged tables, plant wall decorations and floral

paintings give the dining area an elevated, classy atmosphere. However, with no other customers and no music, the place felt completely empty, so the open air and pleasant view made the few tables outside a much more enjoyable dining experience.

When I ordered, the service was rough. Both waiters had unenthusiastic attitudes, so the ordering process lacked the element of social interaction that elevates a restaurant experience. Additionally, the waiters didn’t know anything about the dishes themselves, so my questions were left unanswered. To get the fastest service, customers need to take a leap of faith with their orders.

In regards to food, the bread items are evidently not made fresh. Despite the naan being doused in garlic and the Paneer Kulcha be-

rounding this film and its deviance from the original, I recommend es. While it may not satisfy classic

es viewers to be resilient and

These denim jackets have become a staple for men’s fashion within the past year. They provide a style that looks classy while still remaining casual. The versatility of these jackets makes them a welcome staple,

and any masculine dresser looking to add to their wardrobe this year should include them.

ing stuffed with paneer, they lack any hint of flavor. The Naan is thin and doesn’t have the traditionally chewy texture of fluffy Indian flatbread, while the Paneer Kulcha tastes similar to how regular naan should, instead of having a flavored kick.

The Lamb Palak and Matar Paneer pack no punch despite their promising aromas and sauce colors. Both dishes had almost the same boring, salty taste and lack the unique, bold flavor profiles I love in Indian cuisine.

Additionally, much like a potato chip bag, the amount of food served is disproportionate to the curry. I dug through both plates of food to discover that only half of each portion contained the actual lamb and paneer.

Even the mango Lassi manages to disappoint. With a runny consistency, absurdly sweet taste and artificial mango flavor, it tastes like children’s medicine pretending to be a beverage. After just a few sips, I abandoned the lassi in favor of plain water, which at least remains authentic to what it is.

As I walked up to pay, my heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw the receipt. The price of my mediocre meal came out to more than $30, an outrageous amount for the portion size and flavor I received.

Strolling down Murphy Avenue, I noticed there are far better restaurant options than Naan-n-Masala. Do not be fooled by its welcoming appearance or risk making a hole in your wallet more difficult to swallow than the food.

Restaurant: Naan-n-Masala.

Grade: C-. 161 S Sunnyvale Ave., Sunnyvale.

The hidden

cost of nostalgia

Sustainability is more important than aesthetics

Ella Chan

In my freshman year, my friends and I started to collect vinyl records of artists we admired after vinyls became popular through social media promotions. However, despite their nostalgic appeal and aesthetic appearance, the resurgence of vinyl records has a detrimental effect on the environment, and consumers must opt for alternative options like digital music.

Vinyl records are made from a material called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which is a type of plastic that releases a significant amount of fossil fuels during production. In addition to the harmful chemicals released, PVC is not biode gradable and releases toxic chem icals during decomposition, according to Nivessa. However, de spite environ mental con cerns, vinyl sales have out sold CDs for the first time in many decades. They are making a come back due to the support they have gained from social media

trends, influencers and retailers, according to BBC.

Many artists I listen to, such as Billie Eilish, only produce certain vinyl versions of their albums, which encourages me to indulge in limited edition releases like multiple extended songs.

While vinyl is appealing, listening to digital music is a better alternative for sustainability. Digital music stands out compared to vinyl as being more eco-friendly because it produces less plastic.

In addition to sustainability, online music is also more portable, as people can access their songs from anywhere at any time. For example, one subscription to Spotify allows you to access any artist, song and even podcast, according to Spotify.

While I appreciate the efforts to feel nostalgic and old-fashioned, consumers must realize that it is much more beneficial for the future of the planet to revert back to digital music. Before you buy another vinyl to follow a trend, think

Annie Guo

“Snow White” delivers a memorable story while challenging outdated norms.

Ethan Xue

With boring flavors and underwhelming servings, Naan-n-Masala robbed me of my money and my time.

Photo by Ethan Xue

Although vinyls can be sentimental, their environmental impact cannot be ignored.

Photo from Disney

InfographicbyAnnieGuo and Sachin Chandran

Carhartt jackets:

Tabi:

IllustrationbyElla Chan

Lady Gaga unleashes ‘MAYHEM’

Lady Gaga steps back into the pop world with a bang

Isabela Guilardi

Lady Gaga is pretty strange, to say the least. Everything from her fashion choices to her crazy performances and eccentric interview responses display her authenticity and creativity as an individual. Released on March 7, Lady Gaga’s latest album, “MAYHEM,” truly embodies her boldness and chaotic artistic style.

“MAYHEM” is Lady Gaga’s dramatic entrance back into the pop scene. Her songs resemble her first album of her career, “The Fame,” tying her back to her original roots as an artist.

The style of the album is eccentric and electrifying. With the bass and synthesizer being emphasized in songs such as “Disease,” “Abracadabra” and “Garden of Eden,” she portrays an electronic and villainous energy.

On the other hand, “MAYHEM” also consists of theatrical and bold ballads such as “Vanish into you,” “Blade of Grass,” “LoveDrug” and “Die With A Smile” while still carrying the electric feel throughout. This mix of sentiments conveyed through lyrics of love, confidence and grief is an interesting representation of the emotional chaos and turmoil Lady Gaga tries to portray.

However, in terms of musical enjoyment, this album isn’t something I would listen to on a daily basis. The songs are great for a moment of dancing but don’t appeal to my taste when it comes to my daily playlist.

Some songs are too busy, while others too noisy and intense. A few are laced with an underlying feeling of sensuality that feels a bit uncomfortable, such as the song “Killah” featuring Gesaffelstein.

Although the majority of Lady Gaga’s songs stay true to the album’s concept, it simply is not my cup of tea. Lady Gaga is known for unapologetically speaking her mind, but the song “Killah,” filled with aggressively sensual references, made me feel somewhat uneasy. The lyrics “I’ma be your full-time bedroom demon” leaves quite the distasteful statement, and it left me feeling slightly uncomfortable.

With that aside, “MAYHEM” was designed with plenty of musical intention and is very well produced, featuring beautifully melodic songs and lyrical value, as well as intense and somewhat

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ displays tragedy, despair

Newest installment explores effects of grief and trauma

Aviv Matas

Suzanne Collins, the author of the “Hunger Games” trilogy, once promised she would not write a new book unless she had anything worth saying. When she announced a new installment to the series, “Sunrise on The Reaping” on June 6, I was worried she was writing it for all the wrong reasons. Luckily, I was mistaken.

The “Hunger Games” series is a trilogy set in the dystopian country of Panem, which features one omnipotent Capitol alongside the 12 districts it tyrannizes. Each year, the Capitol “reaps” teenagers from each district into a battle royale they call the Hunger Games.

Released on March 18, “Sunrise on the Reaping” is set 24 years prior to the events of the first “Hunger Games” novel. It details the experience of 16-year-old boy Haymitch Abernathy as he is sacrificed as tribute during the 50th Hunger Games.

Haymitch was initially introduced to the “Hunger Games” series as protagonist Katniss’s mentor, who later becomes a close ally. Despite playing a vital role in these earlier books, readers have only ever known surface level facts about Haymitch’s backstory.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” offers a much more complete view of Haymitch’s character. The book

reveals that unlike the drunk mess readers meet in the original series, Haymitch was once an astute, sober young man who was ultimately ruined by grief.

The intense contrast Collins develops between young and old Haymitch makes each pivotal scene hit harder, as I was ever-aware of the toll the Hunger Games took on Haymitch.

Another aspect that makes the book shine is the array of similarities between Katniss and young Haymitch. Both are kids from Seam, the poorest region of District 12, providing for their families, and both characters feel an obligation to protect children.

By drawing these parallels, “Sunrise on the Reaping” shows how Haymitch is essentially an “unlucky” version of Katniss. His story becomes even more tragic because his dreams of taking down the Hunger Games are executed much later by someone who simply had better timing

Additionally, “Sunrise on the Reaping” reveals new facts about Haymitch’s Hunger Games that were initially concealed by the Capitol, a major theme throughout the story. For example, his admirable acts of resistance are not televised by the Capitol, and when he sacrifices himself to save others, it is edited to be misleading.

This commentary on how easily a narrative can be twisted through propaganda allows “Sunrise on the Reaping” to be relevant and

grounding. It gets to the heart of one of the largest and most prominent issues in modern politics, especially when bias runs rampant in modern media.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” adds depths of tragedy to the “Hunger Games” while offering a more intimate understanding of Haymitch’s character. Despite my initial reservations, Collins manages to add a new perspective to the “Hunger Games” for all the right reasons.

Book: “Sunrise on the Reaping.”

Grade: A-.

Author: Suzane Collins.

disturbing electronic pieces. The album is multifaceted, incorporating so many different moods and feelings that all came together to make a strangely enticing piece of art.

Although I do not exactly see myself listening to this album too often, I must applaud Lady Gaga for once again showcasing her performative talent.

Album: “MAYHEM.”

Grade: B.

Artist: Lady Gaga. Listen on Spotify.

Disney remakes ruin classics

Live action remakes are unnecessary

Danielle Feldsher

As my five-year-old self was scrolling through movie options, a specific genre always kept me coming back for more: princess movies. The classic charm and the dreamy setting of memorable characters are ingrained in my recollection of a magical childhood.

The nostalgic feeling I get from animated princess movies fails to be reflected in their live-action remakes. Current remakes lack proper casting by forcing diversity in an attempt to push for a more “woke” film, but directors would be better off creating an entirely new movie.

From the scalding reviews of the recent “Snow White” plot rewrite to the 2019 “Aladdin” remake that heavily altered Jasmine’s storyline, many people agree that live adaptations fail to capture the familiar magic of the original film, and I could not agree more.

Producing remakes of Disney films with different storylines compared to the original is a waste of money that can be better spent on new films with fresh plots. As I watch these live-action adapta-

tions, it is difficult to ignore their missteps.

For instance, “Snow White,” released on March 21, faces criticism for its modern rework of the plot. The original 1937 film explored the story of Snow White being saved by the prince, while the live-action abandons the romantic aspect for a feminist approach in which she leads the dwarfs to overthrow the Evil Queen.

With Snow White being the first feature length animated film, it stands on its own as a historical pillar of innovation in animation. The remake discredits the social influence of the original by completely altering the plot to fit modern expectations. Although it is important to portray feminist perspectives in media, it should not come at the expense of changing an already adored film.

Instead of forcing “Snow White” to be a feminist reimagination, Disney would be much better off crafting a new princess story that features a different plot driven by independence. Not only will this lead to a broader range of movies for young people to resonate with, but it would also allow for films that can become future classics.

Producers must stop defaulting to animated remakes of beloved classics and instead write storylines that add to the film sphere.

‘Mickey 17’ is a clunky disappointment

Film fails attempt at thoughtful satire

Jason Lai

Following his magnum opus in “Parasite,” an eye-opening film on class divide, award-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho’s movie “Mickey 17” released on March 17. While I had high expectations going into “Mickey 17” due to Ho’s previous filmmaking success and the casting of star actor Robert Pattinson, I was disappointed by the movie’s underdeveloped themes and its lack of the same smart satire Ho demonstrated in his previous films.

Set in year 2054, “Mickey 17” introduces its main character Mickey Barnes, who, after falling into debt, signs up to be an Expendable. An Expendable is a test subject who

can be infinitely revived after dying repeatedly in dangerous missions through cloning technology that is banned on Earth.

On a spaceship to escape Earth, Mickey travels to a snowy planet called Niflheim with his friend, Timo, and meets his lover, Nasha.

The film’s main conflict sparks between Mickey and the dictator, Kenneth Marshall, as Mickey wants to save native Niflheim creatures from being colonized while Marshall is still determined to eradicate them.

One of the biggest issues of the

film is that it fails to accurately criticize people in power. While Marshall is intended to represent many corrupt politicians like president Donald Trump, shown through his supporters wearing red baseball caps, his character falls short, as Marshall lacks complexity.

Ho fails to describe why or how these people become corrupt, an aspect that would provide more of a thoughtful insight into our modern world. Additionally, Ho provides no insight on how to combat these politicians in our society.

While Ho is known for his excellent satire, “Mickey 17” is hypocritical and predictable, not smart. Just as he did in “Parasite,” Bong critiques the upper class, but he does not provide any lesson or profound meaning that viewers can take away from the film. It ends in a cliche finish with the “good guys” saving the planet, making the film lack any depth.

While “Mickey 17” has many

faults, Robert Pattinson’s performance is a highlight when he plays two alternate versions of himself. Pattinson’s humor and depth in this movie solidify Mickey’s role as a strong and well-developed character. Through his voiceovers and commitment to adapting to the two different versions of Mickey, Pattinson embodies the film’s satire and manages to make the movie somewhat entertaining. Although “Mickey 17” attempts to incorporate unique satire, it fails to convey insightful ideas that can spark change in the world around us.

For a fun ride into outer space, this movie is interesting, but if viewers want thoughtful social commentary without hypocritical junk, they are better off rewatching “Parasite.”

Movie: “Mickey 17.”

C-.

Lady Gaga reenters the pop world with a bizarre album.

“Mickey 17” is predictable and follows a typical class conflict storyline.

“Sunrise on the Reaping” balances political critiques of misinformation with a tragic character arc.

Photo from Barnes and Noble

Photo from Wikipedia

Grade:

Rated R. Watch in theaters.

Beloved animated movies are better off left untouched.

Photo from Warner Bros

Photos from USA Today

Father-daughter duo connect on JV softball team

Bryan and Nathalie Devert shares softball experiences

Maya Dutt, Elena Shim and Kaylin Yi

Having family on a sports team can help build a sense of cohesion and camaraderie, a principle that holds true for the father-daughter duo on the JV softball team. Coach Bryan Devert said he is returning to coach JV softball this season, the same team his daughter, sophomore Nathalie Devert, plays on.

Bryan Devert said his relationship with Nathalie Devert and his oldest daughter, Kaylie Devert, was strengthened when they began to play softball in elementary school. Although he originally coached soccer at a local club in Sunnyvale, he started coaching softball after both of his daughters switched to the sport.

“I wanted to be involved with

my kids and be a contributing parent, and soccer didn’t fit very well for either [of] them,” Bryan Devert said. “Then, my daughters started softball, so I just started helping parents [organize] events. After a year, some parents approached me about coaching, which is how I got involved.”

Despite attempting track and field after starting high school, Nathalie Devert said she ultimately returned to softball due to the team’s player shortage.

Nathalie Devert said having her dad as the coach on the team helped her feel more welcome, especially due

to the daunting nature of joining a new team at a new school.

The father-daughter relationship not only impacts Bryan and Nathalie Devert but also influences the rest of the team’s dynamic, third baseman Sadie Collins said. Their relationship further motivates Bryan Devert to treat all

Badminton advances to new heights

Team reflects on league promotion

Kevin Miao, Mackie Vu and Catherine Yang

After advancing from the El Camino to the De Anza division due to an undefeated season last year, the JV and varsity badminton team have adapted to more experienced opponents and an increasingly competitive environment, badminton coach Jack Ip said.

Despite initial excitement due to the division advancement, the team was met with more diffi-

culties than expected, JV singles player, sophomore Ava Fardid said. Players must continually work to improve their performance in the more competitive division, Fardid said.

“I thought [the promotion] would be fun because we would get to play against harder schools,” Fardid said. “Now, it’s tough because we have lost against [four] schools, but we’re still pushing. We have to push harder. We have to practice a lot more than we did last year”

By focusing on more specialized training, Ip said he helps players improve on individual weaknesses present in their gameplay.

“We have team warm-up and team training, and later on, I will pull some people aside and do some specific training as well,” Ip said.

succeed.

Despite the increased training, losses were expected going into many games, Ip said. Games against LHS and Milpitas HS were a long shot, since they have historically dominated

the league, Ip said,

“We knew coming into playing them in an official game that it’s gonna be tough, and it was tough,” Ip said. “Most of their kids have trained at clubs since they were seven years old, and you can’t compete with those kids that go to junior nationals and are almost professionals.”

Despite the tough competition, team captain, senior Jenny Lyu said she is proud of the team for continuing to do their best and push through difficult matches.

“I was not disappointed [by our losses]. I feel like our team has the potential to do better, and I am proud of our team for trying the best, even if there was a really big difference in scores,” Lyu said. “One team has a guy that has been training since he was five years old, but our players just started in freshman year. They’re still trying, so I’m really proud of them.”

As the season continues, Ip said he hopes facing experienced opponents will push the team to advance their technique and inspire players to train during the off-season.

“This is our first year in the upper division, so it’s definitely a learning experience for everybody,” Ip said. “Losing is good because it only makes us better.”

Equestriettes shimmy to second place

Team succeeds in hip-hop category at nationals

Alicia Liste and Olivia Levesque Ouellette

With a dynamic and crowd-pleasing performance, the Equestriettes placed second in the extra small hip-hop category at the Contest of Champions Nationals competition on March 2, Equestriettes adviser Sara Frausto said.

“We competed at five regional competitions this year, and [the hip-hop routine] has placed at every competition,” Frausto said. “All along the way, we’re getting feedback from different judges with different perspectives. The routine that hit the floor at Nationals was not the same routine that we learned back in August. It’s constantly changing from seeing what’s working, seeing

what’s not and making sure that it’s the best version it can be.”

Preparing for the competition required rigorous practice, sophomore Emily Liu said.

“We practiced three times a week, and during competition season, which was most of the year, we had Saturday morning practices. Those [practices] are usually what we spend the most time on [as well as] mentally preparing,” Liu said. “We do a lot of bonding activities and make sure we get to know and trust each other. Before we go on stage, we always have a little huddle just to get us in the zone.”

Although the team competed in multiple divisions and styles, each involved a different number of dancers. The successful hiphop routine, which Equestriettes alum Leah Jang choreographed, was especially significant because it was the only routine that included all nine dancers on the team, Frausto said.

“It’s a girlier style hip-hop routine,” Frausto said. “We looked at all the dancers’ strengths, and we

players with kindness, Collins, a sophomore, said.

“He treats everyone the same and does not have favoritism just because [Nathalie] is his daughter,” Collins said.

felt that this was going to best suit them. It definitely has some fun, playful moments and focuses on clean lines [with] high energy. We capitalized on some of the dancers’ acrobatic strengths, as well, to make sure it had a lot of variety.”

The Equestriettes’ successful placement in the hip-hop category was an unexpected surprise, especially considering the team only began performing the style last year, Liu said.

“We’ve worked on that dance very hard throughout the year, and hip-hop was a new style for the team,” Liu said. “It was fun seeing us succeed in something where we weren’t feeling super confident in the beginning of the year or even last year, when we first started doing hip-hop. It’s been fun to see how [the team] grows.”

As the Nationals competition concludes the season, captain, Maika Bracken said performing was an emotional experience, especially as a senior.

“Once we all came off stage,

Reflecting on his time coaching the team, Bryan Devert said he appreciates how he can maintain his close connection with his daughter even in her high school years, as such bonds are rare.

“It’s more common for parents to be involved with their kids at a younger age,” Bryan Devert said. “Being able to maintain that dynamic with Nathalie in this later stage of her life is nice. It’s going to be a lasting kind of bonding dynamic that we can reflect on.”

Varsity girls soccer

Continued from page 1

“A lot of people went into the [first CCS] game thinking that we would probably lose just because they were the first seed. We were the eighth seed, and their record was a lot better,” Brower said.

“But once we won that game, I feel like our team gained momentum, and we were more confident that we had a chance at [winning] CCS.”

After their motivating victory over Aptos HS, they won in the semifinals against Branham HS on Feb. 26, securing the team a spot in the finals, captain, junior Selene Bruyere said.

After advancing to the championship game, the team won 1-0 on March 1 against Salinas HS, a team they beat in the first round of CCS last season, DeJesus said.

“The beginning of the game was rocky,” DeJesus said. “They had more shots on goal than we did, but [after] talking at [halftime], we knew we could beat this team. We just had to believe in ourselves, go back to everything we’ve been working on all season, and bring that for the second half of the game. And we did.”

Reflecting on the progress made in CCS, Brower said the team strategized by watching videos of their opponents’ previous matches to better target their key players.

In addition, the team worked on areas where they felt they needed to improve, including shooting and communicating on the field, Bruyere said.

“We have a couple players who shoot a lot, but it doesn’t always go in. Then we have others who have the opportunity to shoot but don’t take it,” Bruyere said. “So [in practice], our coach was trying to build our confidence in taking shots and also aiming.”

After winning CCS, the team went on to NorCals on March 4, where they lost the first game to Granite Bay HS, ending their season, Brower said.

“That game was an unfortunate loss because I felt like we were definitely the stronger team,” Brower said. “They happened to get a goal, and then they put everyone on defense. So, after they scored, it was very difficult for us to get the goal back.”

Looking back on the season, DeJesus said she is proud to take home this championship win and hopes they can continue striving for similar achievements in the future.

“I would like to see a threepeat,” DeJesus said. “I know that a lot of [the players] want to win again, and what this means moving forward is we just have to continue to work as hard, if not harder, to win it.”

we all started crying because it was our last time competing all together as a team,” Bracken said.

“I feel like we all got closer together as a team. Nationals made me feel really grateful for all the experiences that I’ve had during the past three years on the dance team. It was really sentimental.”

In addition to placing second at nationals, Frausto said the competition felt extra special as it was her final season as adviser.

“After 15 seasons, it would have been really disappointing to come home with nothing, so it’s just the icing on the cake and the end of a great competition season overall,” Frausto said. “We always hope to come back with a win, but it’s never something that is guaranteed at all. It was the best performance of the season, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach. But, then again, a trophy is nice.”

the Equestriettes’ award winning routine showcased the dancers’ strengths.

Photo courtesy of Sara Frausto

Frausto said

Throughout the season, the team prioritized communication and reviewing gameplay film to improve their performance, Brower said.

Devert (right) said she appreciates having a familiar face on the team with her dad as coach.

Ip said that moving to a higher league has caused the team to work harder to

Photo courtesy of Maya Brower

Photo by Catherine Yang

Photo by Elena Shim

Reaching for the stars

Professional athletes are often inspirations for many student-athletes, guiding dreams and setting examples through their hard work. Five student-athletes explore how their sports idols have influenced their approach to their athletic journeys.

Swim AND dive

“My swimming idol is Caeleb Dressel because his skills are incredible and his [swimming] records are just out of this world.”

— Connor Monsen (12)

“A player who [inspires] me is Jordan Spieth. When I was growing up and getting started with golf, he was in his prime. Watching the way he played was motivating.” — Jenner Beitel (10)

Howard Cheng hits a home run as Athlete of the Month

Junior

contributes to success of varsity baseball

To be a successful teammate, it is necessary to strike the right balance between mental and physical strength. Luckily for the varsity baseball team, second base, junior Howard Cheng possesses both skills necessary to thrive, coach Travis Sunseri said. Cheng said he started baseball through his father’s encouragement and has grown to enjoy it due to the sense of camaraderie he developed on the team. As a result, baseball has become an essential part of his life, Cheng added.

“Baseball is very communicative and is a team game,” Cheng said. “Being with friends and being able to win and lose with them is very fun. I like the slow pacing, since baseball requires less [physical strength] and more technique. If you practice hard enough, you can be better than someone who is bigger and stronger than you.”

Initially, Sunseri said Cheng did not possess much self-confidence when he joined baseball. However, throughout Cheng’s athletic career, he has grown into a capable leader as he continually improves his communication with the team, Sunseri added.

“This year, [Cheng] has been able to vocalize a lot of things that he hasn’t been comfortable with in the past,” Sunseri said. “He’s guided the younger guys in the right direction and leads by example.”

Outfielder, junior Jaden Duong said there are numerous aspects of Cheng’s optimistic personality that he noticed when they first met.

“He’s really funny and nice,” Duong said. “He has a very good attitude toward baseball, and he is very motivated. Howard always wants to be his best every day.”

Cheng consistently takes this positive attitude and applies it to baseball, which shines through in his performance on the diamond, leading to much success, Sunseri said.

“His biggest strength is not letting little things phase him,” Sunseri said. “He has the mindset to be really good [at baseball], and he understands what it takes. If something bad happens, he doesn’t let that [affect] him.”

While Cheng has clearly displayed his diverse skillset on the

field during his two years on the team, there is still more he seeks to accomplish during the coming season, Cheng said.

“I’m putting in more work on

the stuff that I’m weaker at and [trying to] improve,” Cheng said. “I want to help my team as much as possible, and hopefully, we can make a good run this year.”

PAGE DESIGN BY MACKIE VU AND MADELEINE YEE

Cheng’s main skills are his hitting ability and pitching, both of which benefit the team’s performance, coach Travis Sunseri said.

Photo by Sachin Chandran

Sachin Chandran

Photo by Henry Hu

A mural of pride

It’s time to hear queer stories

“When I was picking [colleges] to apply to, I definitely considered their locations in terms of how LGBTQ+ friendly those places would be. It’s a completely new environment, and you just don’t know how people are going to react to things. So it’s definitely something you have to consider.”

“The people [in pride club] are nice. Meetings are regular, and they keep us up to date on important information like legislation and things that could be dangerous to us. There are a lot of queer kids here, so I have a good support system. People don’t come after me for being queer. Some people make comments, like calling things ‘gay,’ but it’s pretty good [at HHS].”

While creating change or breaking down boundaries, LGBTQ+ students and teachers discuss experiences, advice and anecdotes about acceptance and growth.

“Listening to queer students and taking our con cerns into consideration is a necessary step HHS needs to take toward improvement. Every time we have a concern, admin makes us sit with the person who harassed us and explain why we feel bad. It’s mentally draining to have to explain ourselves over and over about something that we shouldn’t have to explain. I’ve heard many people say that it feels like a confrontation. It sucks that we’re the ones educating students on why it’s wrong to be homophobic and transphobic when, in reality, it should be admin’s responsibility.”

said he illustrated LGBTQ+ themed coloring pages for the

“It's important because we need to normalize [queer relationships],” Zafra said.

“There's still these social stigmas around LGBTQ+ couples. Why can't two guys or two girls just hold hands in public without being judged? Gay couples are not just about being gay. It's just about loving someone, no matter what their gender is. It's about expressing yourself as you are.”

Alejandro Zafra

student-led nonprofit Color4Charity during Pride Month.

Senior Ciara Begley, junior Shaurya Prayag and freshman Maxwell Zheng share their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

– Ciara Begley (12)

– Maxwell Zheng (9)

– Shaurya Prayag (11)

– English teacher Shawnee Rivera

– English teacher James Aguirre

Whether on the stage or the page, students are creating LGBTQ+ art that authentically expresses their identities. Senior Rowan Broadwell and senior Alejandro Zafra express their LGBTQ+ identity through directing a play for One Acts and creating pride-themed coloring pages, respectively.