aquila
University Preparatory Academy’s
Volume VI, Issue III
www.upaaquila.org
April 5, 2017
‘Who Run the World? Girls!’
By Jacalyn Trujillo
Women from around the world took the day off on March 8 for “A Day Without a Women” by wearing red, participating in marches and cutting out shopping for the day to demonstrate solidarity and the women’s movement. In the Bay Area, marches took place in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco, where several hundred people attended carrying posters promoting the idea that the world would not succeed without women and their contributions. Junior Prajesh Sharma is a strong believer of gender equality and an active member of Girl Up. “This day is important because women make up a high percentage of the workforce, and if they leave, they’re basically taking away the economy,” Sharma said. Supporters took the day off and cut spending which received attention. An Oakland cafe, Donut
Savent, closed for the day in support of the strike. A seventh grade student, Sofia Aladjoff, is aware of what is happening in her community and keeps tabs on current events due to her involvement in Girl Up. “If we have this day to really think about women and what rights they don’t have, we have to step back as a community to see what we can do” she said.
Aladjoff plans on raising more awareness locally by taking a stand similar to the 43 staff members that took the day off at Palo Alto High School. “People can put up signs that say something they’re passionate about or put up a law that only men can do and say women can do it, too,” Aladjoff said. Increasing awareness about gender inequalities can be done by wearing red for solidarity, refraining from making purchases from brands that don’t support the movement, or simply speaking up. UPA alumnus Saron Tedla believes that events like the strikes can bring awareness to the community concerning equality. “Talking about it can sometimes not be enough, we have to educate ourselves of what is happening,” Tedla said. Companies also encourage awareness on social media, for example, the CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, made his profile red for the movement and spoke out about the importance of this day. Eighth grade student, Emily Bautista, realizes the significance of the role women play in society today. “Without them,” Bautista said, “there would be a huge shortage of employees in specific jobs. We might lose an important factor in our community if we don’t take initiative.”
AP Capstone Set for ’17-’18
By Angelo Bautista
University Preparatory Academy recently opened its gates to AP Capstone, a two-year College Board program designed to equip students with skills that today are increasingly valued by colleges. The program includes AP Seminar and AP Research, two one-year long courses that allow students to build upon their critical thinking skills through research, presentations, and papers. The latter course, which requires passage of the AP Seminar test with a score of 3 or higher, involves a yearlong investigation on a chosen subject, culminating with a 5,000-word academic thesis paper and a public presentation. UPA English teacher Sandra Trotch said the school first considered and applied for the program two years ago for the 2014-2015 school year, right after the program’s official launch in fall 2014, but resulted in needing to reapply later due to not meeting the deadline. “We were accepted within about a month this year when I applied for the course,” Trotch said. With the course now approved, UPA administration is currently looking into using AP Capstone as a hasslefree way to incorporate its famous rite of passage: the senior project. “[We want to use it so that the senior project] is not an added stress for students but is more guided as many of the requirements of [AP Capstone] are the same as our senior project,” Trotch said. Individuals interested in AP Capstone may consult the UPA course catalogue for more information.
Photos by Juli Rendler Flooding in downtown San Jose on Feb. 21 blocked off both William Street Park and homes on nearby streets.
Floods Displace Community By Angelo Bautista
As heavy rains completely filled Anderson Reservoir, causing downstream Coyote Creek to rise 4 feet above flood level on Feb. 21, an estimated 14,000 residents would soon be forced to evacuate from their inundated homes. These homes would soon become part of an estimated $73 million in damage to public and private property. Junior Laura Hinman said that although the waters did not reach her street, which is directly across from Coyote Creek, she was still personally impacted by the flooding.
She and her family witnessed others who were on the short end of the stick, however. “Many of my neighbors actually did have to evacuate and [my family and I] watched them move their belongings into cars,” Hinman said. Junior Emily Butler, who lives on Hinman’s street, said the close-knit neighborhood had the advantage of active contact. “[My family’s] neighbors called and texted us to keep us up to date with the flooding and to let us know if we would be affected by it,” Butler said. “There’s an email list that nearly all the parents are on.”
Such contact directly contrasts the miscommunication between city officials that led to late evacuation warnings and resultantly infuriated victims, many of whom still reside in flood shelters, unable to return home. Property owners interested in providing housing options for flood victims should visit www.SCCHousingSearch.org or call 1-877-428-8844 for more information. The San Jose Flood Victims Relief Fund is also currently accepting donations to support non-profit organizations helping those in need.