Aquila March 2018 (Vol. 7, Issue 1)

Volume VII, Issue I March 19, 2018

Aquila

University Preparatory Academy

letter from the editor

Dear reader,

At the beginning of August 2017, we had a distant vision: to revamp Aquila, the school’s student newspaper, into a newsmagazine. As the year progressed, that vision started becoming a reality. We pitched content for this first issue, designed layouts for our pages and founded our new journalism club, Freelancers, where, for the first time, middle school students had the opportunity to join our team.

Despite the challenging process to produce this newsmagazine with only 10 staff members in fifth period journalism, we decided this would be the opportune year for a redesign. Fortunately, with the commitment of 11 additional members from Freelancers—three middle schoolers and seven high schoolers—there were no limits to producing our ideal newsmagazine. Through teamwork and determination, and after lunchtime planning meetings, after-school club meetings, and production nights, we have molded our ideas and creativity together to bring the best possible first edition to our readers.

Since September, we have been covering newsworthy events via digital media.

News articles are published on our website at www.upaaquila.org and more timely events are covered on our Instagram page, @upa_aquila.

And while technology brings the advantage of efficiently delivering news to our audience, I believe a tangible product still holds the most beauty and meaning. We strive for all original photos and illustrations, and every page is skillfully crafted by our page designers to reflect the content of the articles. It is our hope this newsmagazine provides a space for stories that represent the many parts of our diverse culture and community. Furthermore, we hope our illustrations, photos and articles connect with our audience and allow a break from the rigors of daily life.

Emily Nicole Rendler Hung Managing Editor-in-Chief Editor

Adam Lawson Staff Writer

Aixa Quintero Staff Writer

Annie Zhang Fun & Games Editor

Bianca Lang Social Media Manager

Cameron Wallace Staff Writer

Kristian Crowther Eagle Life Editor

Natalia Alvarez Staff Writer

Ruchika Amy Singla Chattaway In-depth Editor Page Designer

Annelise Kamm Page Designer

I would like to personally thank everyone who contributed for their dedication in making this first issue possible. To those from UPA’s Art Club, you have made “Perspectives” on page 14 possible with your work.

Aquila looks forward to your feedback on this first edition. The best way to reach us is through the “Contact Us” section on our website and filling out the feedback form.

Annie He Graphic Designer

Annie Tong Graphic Designer

Camila Sandoval Photographer

Janessa Ulug Photographer

Lawrence Nguyen Photographer

Paj Thao Copy Editor, Page Designer

Talia Ybarra Photographer

Thomas Laura Kamm Gordon Reska Page Designer Adviser

Please enjoy issue one of the Aquila.

Sincerely,

Emily Hung Editor-in-Chief

About Aquila Aquila is a student-produced, student-edited high school newsmagazine.

It serves as a designated public forum for student expression. We aim to reflect the diversity of our community and build unity through true and accurate reporting, in hopes that each of our readers will find an article they can connect with.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 09

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01 05 09 14 16

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EAGLE LIFE IN-DEPTH ARTS & CULTURE PERSPECTIVES FUN & GAMES

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EAGLE LIFE

The Great outdoors

By Cameron Wallace Almaden Quicksilver County Park consists of historical mining structures and more than 37 miles of hiking trails.

It has three entrances: Mockingbird Hill Lane, Wood Road and McAbee Road. The park is open year-round from 8 a.m. until sunset, allows dogs on leashes and has benches and picnic tables. Almaden Quicksilver also has a variety of wildlife including deer, birds, li ards and a da ling wildflower display in the spring.

The uadalupe Trail goes through grassy fields and the San Francisco South Bay hills.

The trail starts by going up a tree-covered hill, but when the trees start to thin, it offers an incredible view of the Bay Area, eventually leveling off.

After a short while, the trail starts to decline, and the Bay Area slips out of view. The path descends onto a beautiful grassy countryside.

Try this trail if you want a short hike with a great view of the Guadalupe Reservoir. As the trail starts to decline, views of the thickly forested Santa Cruz Mountains appear.

The trail then begins a gradual climb.

Toward the end of the trail’s final climb, the uadalupe Res22ervoir—one of the original reservoirs in Santa Clara County constructed during the 1930s—slips into view.

However, due to the quicksilver or mercury mining nearby, the reservoir was contaminated.

Know Before You Go The Guadalupe Trail is an easy/intermediate-level 2.4 mile long hike that splinters off the Mine Hill Trail.

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Guadalupe Trail

The Mine Hill Trail goes right through the center of the park and has other trails that lead throughout the park.

It was originally used as a path to link mines and furnaces before the furnaces were built closer to the mines. This trail also links to many other historical sites in the eastern part of Almaden Quicksilver, such as furnaces, mines and mining equipment.

Try this trail if you want a longer hike with a variety of historical pit stops along the way. The Mine Hill Trail and the paths that splinter off of it are littered with historic mining equipment.

The April Trail Loop splinters off the Mine Hill Trail, which leads to the April Mine entrance, with the remains of a minecart and a restored power house that once provided power to build more mines and shafts.

Another side path is the Castellaro Trail that gradually descends past a number of mining ruins that can be reached by short side trips.

Know Before You Go This trail is an intermediate-level 7.1 mile hike that can be accessed from the Hacienda entrance.

Mine Hill Trail

The New Almaden Trail snakes across a tree-covered valley and crosses over a few seasonal streams, with bridges stretching over the larger streams.

After a short, gradual climb, the path crosses over the Mine Hill Trail. Then, the trail follows a tree-covered hillside and when the trees thin, it offers views of the South San Francisco Bay Area and the South Bay hills.

Try this trail if you want to see impressive views of the Bay Area. At the end of the New Almaden Trail, the terrain becomes more rugged. The hills and slopes become steeper, and the ravines are deeper as the trail goes along tree-covered hillsides.

This part of the trail is better for hikers looking for a bit of a challenge. After that, the trail goes down and ends at the Mockingbird entrance to the park.

Know Before You Go The New Almaden Trail is a 6.2 mile intermediate-level trail that can be accessed from the McAbee entrance.

New Almaden Trail

Photos by Cameron Wallace

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REMEMBERING THE GOOD OLD DAYS

By Aixa Quintero In their four years of high school, the Class of 2018 has gone through struggles and successes together.

Four members of the senior class highlight their most memorable moments after spending about 185 days in school each year.

“During hard times, Ms. Poltorak has always been supportive and has helped me whenever I needed it. With a problem, school-wise or personal, she is the first person I go to. or e ample, last year I had a problem with one of my friends and I went to her to talk about it and she was super helpful by talking to my friend and fi ing the problem.”

— Neha Bansal

“In middle school when Mr. Yau was still teaching, he sat everyone down and gave us a long speech on how high school is a clean slate and you could do anything you wanted as well as be anything you wanted, and how every action you make has consequences. [He] warned my class not to do anything bad and think about our futures, and that always stuck with me.”

— Alana Beltran-Balagso

THE CLASS OF 2018 “Rallies have been memorable because my friends and I love cheering for the people competing in our class. During the rally [on Jan. 26], we went up against the teachers in the tug-of-war. We had very strong seniors pulling the rope and we could have won fairly, but the majority of the senior class ended up running to grab and pull the rope to secure the win.”

— Maher Osman

“[I have enjoyed] hanging out with friends during lunch ever since freshman year. Playing music, [planning prom and] our junior trip. When I was struggling, Mr. Prizznick helped [me] with schoolwork and pushed me to my full potential.”

— Laney Gutierrez-Nieves

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Photos by Aixa Quintero Illustrations by Paj Thao

By Annie Zhang

“She always went for it no matter who she went against.”

The stadium roars with approval and disagreement as two opponents in a ring fight, as if it were a life and death situation.

The tense atmosphere is filled with the smell of sweat and the sounds of punches and kicks finding their target. ophomore iana a ui, who spent a decade in i ed artial Arts A a full combat sport that invovles using techni ues from coombat sports and martial arts—has earned two black belts and was about to get her third.

Saqui recalls her beginnings and muses on what motivated her to join MMA. Five-year-old Saqui and her dad were walking by the studio to get ice cream when she saw the sport that would change her life.

“I didn’t know it was. I thought it was like a playground,” Saqui said. “So I guess it was accidental.” a ui’s father, udy a ui, who has participated in A for 1 years, had an une pected reaction when he found out his daughter wanted to join MMA. “I was actually very surprised,” he said. “ iana was a very outgoing girl, but I never e pected her to do A at all.”

Her teammate, Matthew Suyetani, recalls working with Saqui around three to four years ago.

“It was great working with her because she was always energetic and helpful,” Suyetani said. “She always went for it no matter who she went against.” owever, a ui did not like attending A at first as she was young and did not enjoy the idea of being hit or hurting others.

“There were a few times when I wanted to quit, but my parents encouraged me and said if I continued, I would enjoy it more—and they were right,” Saqui said. he also mentioned her dad was one of her main influences behind participating in A. “ ometimes you’ll be sparring against adults,” a ui said. “ At my first tournament , I was very nervous. I wasn’t really nervous about fighting the adult, I was more nervous about my dad—not because he is a bad person, he’s a great dad—judging me because he has been doing MMA for a long time.”

Unfortunately, now that Saqui attends UPA, she has stopped attending her MMA studio.

“I was about to get my third [black belt], but since I go to UPA now,” Saqui said, “I got stressed a lot, and there was a lot of stuff I was juggling so I had to quit.”

Saqui’s father had gradually noticed how overwhelmed Saqui was becoming.

“I knew she loved [MMA], but the workload from school was starting to become too much, so I told her to take a break and focus on school,” he said.

However, Saqui is planning on returning to MMA this year, though she will be attending a new studio.

“I want to go back,” she said. “It definitely had a lasting impact on me. MMA has let me become more competitive and bolder in trying new things.”

a n a i k

kickin’ it with

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IN-DEPTH

Something Do

By Ruchika Singla

S

ir ohn . urdon, a obel Pri e winner in the field of medicine and physiology, ranked last in a biology class of 250 students with a grade of 42 percent.

Steven Spielberg, director of movies such as “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park,” was rejected by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts two times.

Even Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the U.S, had an SAT score of 1032 out of 1600.

While students are primed to believe that their academic statistics are an accurate measure of success in life, grades, PA and critical e am scores do not measure a student’s potential and cannot predict their future.

More often than not, when teachers return graded work, a chorus of students asking, “What did you get?” rings through the class, promoting unhealthy comparisons and fostering an environment of competition.

In an increasingly competitive society, a culture of developing the best and brightest children has permeated the fabric of education, building pressure on unassuming children at a young age.

College counselor andra Trotch e plains that e ternal factors contribute to the pressure UPA students feel in school.

“Partly I feel it’s the area we live in,” she said. “We have a lot of parents that work for high-tech companies. Most of them have [a] college education, and they see who they work with and where their education may have come from. They feel that in order to be able to be successful and work for high-tech companies, their children need to have that also. It filters down.”

Parents spend thousands of dollars to ensure their children score the highest, make the 99th percentile and rank in the top 10 of their class.

Children are taught that receiving good grades and test scores leads to admission into a prestigious college, which leads to getting a high-paying job, which leads to success.

However, academic success, at least in the UPA community, does not always automatically equate to happiness.

In fact, this type of straightforward thinking cultivates performance an iety in schools, which ironically can negatively affect academic performance.

“For those that don’t have the proper skills or are truly overloaded by more than they can manage, the stress can certainly take a toll on one’s ability to care for themselves,” middle school counselor Jill Buensuceso said. “It can completely paralyze somebody, and they use avoidance as an unhealthy coping mechanism.

This can really hurt somebody academically or in daily living.”

The need for success can be both internally and e ternally fueled, as students can feel pressured to maintain both personal and environmental standards of achievement.

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Illustrations by Annie Tong

oesn’t Add Up “I feel pressured by the school’s levels of e pectations,” senior Paj Thao said, “but for me it comes not only from the school’s e pectations, but also my personal e pectations for myself.”

Combatting the malicious quest for good grades and scores requires a balance of academic intelligence and emotional intelligence.

To many students, emotional intelligence is a foreign topic, as it is not actively taught in most schools.

In fact, compared to traditional grading results and a student’s statistics in early education, a student’s emotional intelligence can be a better measure of success.

“So-called noncognitive skills—attributes like self-restraint, persistence and self-awareness—might actually be better predictors of a person’s life trajectory than standard academic measures,” according to The New York Times.

Along with teaching emotional intelligence and learning personal limits, learning about the reason for the e istence of a grading system can also remove the pressure associated with earning a certain grade or score. rades themselves simply measure a student’s academic performance they do not define a person’s abilities or quantify what he or she learned.

Instead of viewing grades as an absolute definition of a student’s performance and potential, people should consider grades as guidelines, a reflection of learning, which should be the main motivation behind successful educational performance.

“You are most likely to receive good grades when you are so focused on learning that grades have ceased to matter,” Dr. Afzaal Ahmed said in his article “Grading and Its Discontents.” “It is impossible to reduce the full richness or value of a genuine learning e perience to something as bland as a letter grade.”

Rather than focusing on grades, students need to look at their lives holistically, managing not only academic performance, but also unique mental health conditions. “ tudents really have to figure out what they can do mentally themselves plus get enough sleep plus be happy and not make the grades be how they feel that they are successful,” Trotch said. “Everybody’s different.

Everybody learns differently.”

A number is just that: a number.

No number can encapsulate a student’s worth, as skills and traits important to developing a well-rounded individual often cannot be uantified.

A child is not defined by his or her grades, scores or rank.

Once students internalize this, they can focus on learning and self-improvement, the right step toward success and ultimately happiness.

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COMPETITIVE GAM

By Kristian Crowther When you hear the word sports, an image of Oracle Arena’s shimmering court or the dusty ground of AT&T park will probably appear in your mind.

Now think of “esports.”

You could be thinking of games like FIFA or Madden, or you could be thinking of stadiums packed to the brim with thousands of spectators, alongside millions online, eager to watch the best video game players from around the world compete for millions of dollars in prizes.

But there is a high chance the latter never crossed your mind.

Competitive gaming has become one of the largest spectator events ever conceived.

With viewership numbers into the millions and big name companies such as Audi and Visa sponsoring teams, esports has grown from a niche hobby into a rapidly growing industry, even starting to be aired on channels such as ESPN. “I think esports will keep growing. Right now it is the [highest] it’s ever been,” said sophomore Luca Scarra, who watches professional matches of Counter-Strike, a first-person shooter game for the PC. “With hundreds of thousands tuning in to watch, and it being on live TV, esports will do nothing but grow.”

Games like League of Legends (an arena-based PC game), Counter-Strike and others have cemented themselves in being the largest spectator events in the world, where millions of casual gamers and people who do not even play games are able to watch professional players

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compete.

“I like watching the League of Legends players,” said Alec Blackwell, a senior who has been watching competitive League of Legends for four years. “[I like seeing] their mechanical skills and prowess; it’s really cool to compare yourself to them, and try to be as good as them.”

Professional gamers compete under organizations in various leagues and tournaments and are paid monthly in addition to tournament winnings.

For example, Cloud 9, a popular North American esports organization, runs and pays a multitude of teams for various games such as Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2.

While the salaries of players are often undisclosed, the number has been rumored to be roughly $7,000 to $10,000 per month, and wealthier companies can pay their players up to $17,000 per month.

Although some tournaments take place online, others are played in a large venues with PCs or consoles supplied by tournament organizers.

With players on stage, whether in the back or the center of the stadium, large television screens broadcast the games live for the crowd to see with professional commentators talking about the match, just like in traditional sports.

“I’ve always wanted to go to an esports event,” Scarra said, “just so I can hopefully meet the players.”

The ELEAGUE Major (world championship), a heavily anticipated yearly event for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, took place in Boston, Massachusetts during the week of Jan. 22, when 16 of the best teams

MING ON THE competed in a week-long tournament.

Cloud 9 took the championship trophy and $500,000 in prize money supplied by sponsors as the first North American team to win a major tournament.

The final match between the teams—Faze Clan and Cloud 9—at the Agganis Arena had a peak viewership of 1.8 million viewers across the streaming platform Twitch.tv and was even distributed by cable channel TBS. Even so, there are reasons why we do not see games like Tetris or Mario Kart as esports titles.

The reason games like Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2 have become popular is they have a few key elements: How easy can the spectator follow what is happening? Is there tension? And is the game balanced?

Most esports have all three.

Teams are always small, meaning the observer (the equivalent of a cameraman) has fewer people to track, so everything is being covered.

An audience can feel a heightened level of tension because all matches have tight situations, such as a one versus one scenario where the best player of each team is in a standoff.

Characters, items and maps are also balanced to some extent, so it is similar to chess: the better player will win, most of the time.

These elements combined make esports an exciting experience for fans and newcomers alike.

As it continues to grow, esports has started to gain traction over traditional sports.

For example, at IEM Katowice, a massive esports

RISE

event held in Katowice, Poland, three different games were played at one arena with a combined 41 million people watching online and live.

In comparison, game seven of the NBA finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a peak viewership of 20 million.

Even then, esports is still challenged by people in the sports industry as it continues to gain viewership.

Colin Cowherd, sports host for ESPN’s “The Herd,” expressed his disapproval for showing video games on a sports network when TBS announced the airing of a Counter Strike Tournament on its show ‘ELeague’ in 2015.

After all, esports is just watching another person play a video game, right?

But by that logic, why do we enjoy traditional sports?

If on the surface esports is just a person playing a video game, then hockey is just watching people play with sticks on an ice rink.

Both sports and esports have their own quirks that make them separate, enjoyable forms of entertainment.

Someone who avidly watches sports or someone who avidly watches esports might just discover something of interest in the other genre.

If you are someone who plays games regularly, someones who enjoys watching good competition, or someone who has just heard of esports now, then sit down, relax, load up Twitch.tv, and experience the hype for yourself.

Who knows?

You might enjoy it.

Illustrations by Annie He and Annie Tong

Scan our QR code to access a video on esports

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ARTS & CULTURE

By Annie Zhang Calligraphy takes a lot of practice to master. Using these steps will be a great start for a beginner trying calligraphy out for the first time. Looking up guides on YouTube or searching for images of different calligraphy styles can help bring inspiration. o not worry if it is not perfect the first time. The most common struggle is getting the flow smooth and making sure each letter is distinguishable. The best way to overcome this is purely through practice. o not be discouraged if you do not get it the first few times.

Hopefully, this guide helps you develop your calligraphy style.

Materials Any paper Suggested pens/markers: • Beginner: Crayola SuperTips/markers • Intermediate rush pens huhu etallic works well • Advanced ountain pens ome can be very e pensive and it takes a lot of e perience to master using them Instructions 1. Get to know the tip and side of your pen/marker.

• The tip produces a finer line while the side produces a thicker line. Apply more pressure on the side than the tip as putting more pressure on the tip can damage the pen.

• Start with a beginner pen like Crayola SuperTips. They will help you with control and spacing. They also come in packs of 50 with multiple colors.

2.

Hold the pen at the angle you would hold a pencil, resting the pen on the side.

• The trick is to not have a tight grip. Instead, rela your hand and wrist.

• Try not to constantly use the tip; instead, apply more or less pressure on the side to create a gradient from thin to thick.

• Aim for a smooth, gradual increase/decrease in pressure.

3.

Use less pressure for upward strokes. This will help distinguish the letters from each other.

4.

Use more pressure for downward strokes. This will create the body of each letter.

5.

Spacing is key.

• Depending on your style, using smaller or larger spacing can determine the legibility of your calligraphy.

• It is very important to distinguish the body and the tail of each letter. Without it, the letters will look clumpy.

6. Connections are important for flow.

• Try to write the letter in one stroke and start the ne t after you have ended the first on an upward lighter stroke.

• Without flow, the letters will look choppy, and the calligraphy loses its elegance.

7.

•

Practice.

Write the alphabet in capitals and lowercase multiple times to gain speed and fluency.

• Then, try to string together two letters. Once you have gotten the hang of the basics, try to vary the height and bases of some letters. Writing in a straight line conveys elegance.

8.

Play with the height and base of the letters by spacing them higher or lower. For e ample, writing the letters in a wavy fashion creates a playful or cute effect. Having a more blocky and straight style has a royal effect.

9 Photos by Cameron Wallace

KPOP article headline

By Natalia Alvarez The crowd waits in anticipation as the lights shut off and the first beat of the song drops.

Immediately, the audience goes wild as the massive stage lights up, spotlighting their idols as they begin to sing.

Fans from all over gather to see their favorite groups perform, having prepared lightsticks and memorized chants of the members’ names for the e hilarating moment of being a part of the live performance.

K-pop, a broad genre of music that originated from South Korea, involves varieties of hip-hop, pop, electronic and R&B songs that solo or group acts produce and perform.

It has been gaining popularity around the world with the appearance of Korean idols on well-known television shows such as “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” or “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and through international performances.

To some, this genre of music resembles that of American pop, but in reality, the way orean artists are trained to e press themselves through their music is different from that of American artists.

Math and computer science teacher Nicole Sebek, who has had an interest for K-pop since 2010 when her students introduced it to her, described how orean artists train and are e pected to prepare differently for their debut. “ W hat most orean artists are e pected to do that other artists [such as the American singers] I’ve seen aren’t is [that] they’re supposed to demonstrate how hard they’ve worked… before they’re even given time to perform,” Sebek said.

Unlike American artists, when Korean idols are on stage performing, they sing, dance and keep facial e pressions with intensity throughout their performance, displaying a high level of mastery.

In America, famous musicians or entertainers are called pop stars, while in Korea, they’re referred to as idols.

As ebek noticed, although hard work is e pected from these young idols while they write music or are involved in music vid

eos, they also present their culture through their lyrics or actions in the videos.

Science teacher Christopher Lucas, who lived in South Korea from 2008 to 2013, was introduced to K-pop while living there.

He noticed that along with this genre of music comes very dedicated and involved fans both in and outside of Korea.

“It is pretty impressive that it appeals beyond language,” Lucas said. “It just means [international fans] are able to respect something that is not necessarily part of their culture.”

Besides the fact that K-pop offers fans catchy music and attractive idols, there is also another perspective given to listeners through inspiring messages in the lyrics.

Sophomore Betty Nguyen, a K-pop fan since 2015, recalls that the first boy group she listened to was the international sensation, BTS. “I like how orean idols e press their feelings and they share their messages across in their songs [to raise] awareness about suicide or depression,” Nguyen said. ome musicians who have dealt with difficulties or insecurities and have written inspiring music are Jonghyun from SHINee, Suga from T , ei e, ragon from ig ang and Amber from f .

BTS, arguably the most popular male K-pop group, has received worldwide fame after receiving the Billboard Music Top Social Artist Award in May 2017.

BTS, which debuted on July 12, 2013 with a total of seven members, has been able to tell stories of their lives before fame and form friendly relationships with their fans who call themselves “ARMY.” Freshman Annalisa Kim, an ARMY, developed her interest for pop in si th grade as she felt it embodied the culture and music of her ethnicity.

“I listen to BTS a lot because their music is very different from other bands—like the meaning behind their lyrics is very philosophical,” Kim said. “Their album ‘Young Forever’ is the most beautiful album in the world and it’s just like, wow!”

welcome to the world of

K-POP BTS dances before a sea of lights at their final performance of “The Wings Tour” at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 10, 2017, with more than 60,000 fans in attendance.

Courtesy of the BTS official Facebook page.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Thrifting Suggestions on shopping for styles at a discounted price

By Adam Lawson School breaks are a joyous time when students escape the stress and rigidity of school, but as these times come around, some students are left with a closet full of uniforms, outdated clothes, and no desire to spend a hefty sum on brand new clothes they can only wear outside of school. Thrift shopping is an alternative for students to buy gently used clothes for an ine pensive cost.

Thrift shops synthesi e different eras of clothing for e ample, some stores have clothing styles that range from the ’60s to the present. Thrift shopping is relatively simple, but can be more difficult than shopping at a department store.

When thrift shopping, most of the clothing is different and almost always no two items will be the same. This means that taking the time to slow down and look at every piece of clothing can produce une pected results. omething might not be eye catching at first, but upon a second glance could be an une pected beauty.

It is much more fun to thrift with a friend, especially one of a different size or style.

A friend can liven up the e perience and pull pieces that were overlooked, but are actually true gems. Thrifting can also be just as enjoyable with a pair of headphones and a playlist of songs. The most important tip to remember when thrifting is to keep an open mind. Sometimes having a general theme of clothing to look for can be helpful, but when keeping an open mind, the possibilities become endless, and there is no stress on finding a specific item that might not be there.

There are a few specific thrift shops close to UPA that cover a wide range of styles for less. ope Thrift is a newer thrift shop in close pro imity at around eight minutes by walking. However, because Hope Thrift is more modern, its clothes can be more e pensive, although still budget friendly.

Savers is also a large second-hand store with a wide selection of older clothes from different eras and clothes that are typically cheaper. The store is about eight minutes away from UPA by car. Like Savers, Goodwill stores are also a non-uniform chain; some stores are larger and some are smaller. The selection of clothes and prices, like at Savers, varies in different areas. The closest Goodwill to UPA is about 12 minutes away by car. inally, when thrifting for a look that suits you, the key to finding something that works is e perimentation. tores like ope Thrift and avers are a good fit for new thrift shoppers, but a store that works for one student will not necessarily work for another. If the first store does not work out, there are a multitude of other options with styles and prices to work for anyone.

Even with the knowledge on how to thrift, getting clothes for outside of school can be a difficult task without inspiration. This look book is composed of thrifted items, chosen by an e perienced thrift shopper.

Photos by Adam Lawson

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Opposite page: Freshman Haley Roberts models thrifted looks. .

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Just Keep Marching, Just Keep Marching

By Nicole Rendler

As the second annual Women’s March—a public event for all who believe in equal rights—passed through San Jose on Jan. 20, thousands of activists and protesters took to the streets of downtown to share their stories and use their voices. But when a protest is over and all go home, participants might not know how to continue the momentum and energy they felt while attending the event. Here are some tips and ideas for younger or new activists and even e perienced protesters that can help keep the feelings and motivations for the march in people’s mind until progress is made.

Photos by Emily Hung Activists protest in San Jose to protect Dreamers, women’s reproductive rights, the environment and other issues.

Talk About It Though a valuable first step, posting on social media about your attendance is not enough.

Share your story and what the march or protest meant to you. This could include the ideas, e periences and lessons you gained from participating in the event.

Keep the conversation going by answering questions, telling stories and continuing to mention the e perience even when others go quiet and the publicity dies down.

That is when it is most important.

Post a si month anniversary photo of the march or share a new insight that has come to you in the time since then.

Do not allow the importance of the event to slip too far from people’s minds.

Get Involved In most cases, the event or host group will have an official webpage that you can peruse and interact with.

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The Women’s arch womensmarch. com website actually outlines steps protesters can take after the event.

Some suggested steps include organizing your own events, reaching out to local government officials through phone calls or emails, or donating time or money to the cause.

Contacting the event coordinators for information about upcoming events or advice for planning your own is also a way to be a part of the movement and stay connected.

The Women’s March website and those for other marches have the option of signing up for an email newsletter, which allows participants to be updated with news. ou also might be able to find the acebook or Instagram page of the march you attended and follow that account in order to stay connected.

Another idea is to join a club or group that deals with the same social issues you

are interested in. or e ample, UPA offers irl Up club, which gives students a chance to collaborate with others around a common cause.

Plan Your Own Getting together and being engaged with like-minded people can be empowering.

Host an event—small or large—with some friends or allies to your causes.

Whether it be answering questions for neighbors over dinner or sending letters to your local representatives, planning an event is an interactive way to keep the momentum going after a march or protest.

When you plan your own event or meeting, you and fellow participants have all the control to focus on specific issues you care most about and to spend as little or as much time on it as you wish.

Illustration by Annie He

PERSPECTIVES

Blue Inferno

This digital drawing, by freshman Kaitlin White, is based off a character from the popular series “Black Rock Shooter.”

Three Mini Burgers “What’s better than food? Miniature food, of course! These burgers were crafted with polymer clay, chalk pastels, and gloss glaze. Each one is less than an inch tall, which is what makes them so challenging and fun to sculpt. I also have an Instagram account (@crystal_polymer) where I post more of my miniature creations,” sophomore Dana Feng said.

Illustration by Annie Tong

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Wanted:

Library on Campus

By Bianca Lang very UPA student would benefit from having a library on campus because they would benefit from a uiet place to study, to do homework or cut out the commute to the public library every time a teacher requires a physical book for a big report.

And the bookworms of UPA would appreciate easier access to new reading material. or e ample, while completing research for a big term paper, a student might use one of UPA’s e cellent research databases, such as Gale

15

Group, for recent essays, news articles and publishings from scientific journals.

If students wanted to use a physical book for research, they would have to check one out at the public library, yet the nearest library can be far away and impractical to reach when a student wants to quickly look into a topic.

“If I had the ability to [create one], I would want a library,” senior Joshua Villarin said. “Personally for me, I can never find a uiet place to do my homework and I hate when people bug me when I’m doing homework.”

Fortunately, UPA already has one of the benefits of a school library an area where students can gather and do schoolwork.

And while the Media Center offers Chromebooks, desks and a printer intended for student use, it is also used as a meeting room for staff and an area to hold students during detention.

But, the Media Center does not have books.

“Outside of reading material, we don’t provide books for students so they would have to go to the San ose Public ibrary, for e ample, if they wanted to get books,” Media Center Technician Edward Voss said. “With a [designated] library on campus, we would be able to stock some amount of books to provide for reference

material or leisure.”

As for reading material, there are books on campus—they just are not kept together.

English classrooms such as Cal Poly, Howard, Johns Hopkins and Yale have bookshelves—one or two—where there are young adult novels and other books to borrow.

These books are painstakingly gathered

by English teachers through donations, contributions from their own private libraries at home or bought specifically for their class shelves.

Elizabeth Pettit, a middle school math teacher, is the adviser of UPA’s book club.

Her “mini-library” has the most recently published books on campus, with series like “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater.

She, along with every other English teacher at UPA, has had to work very hard to collect these books for our enjoyment.

“I think one the greatest benefits is that it would give students an opportunity to have access to hard copy books, as opposed to media based te ts,” Pettit said.

My proposed solution: to gather all the books already on campus, and create a catalog so students know what is readily available and what is not.

Students would use their UPA IDs as library cards.

The Media Center would be the most practical location, as students could come and go during any open period and lunch without worrying about disturbing any classes.

Illustration and photo by Annie He

FUN & GAMES

Guess That Teacher Across 4. This staff member previously taught English.

7. This teacher used to live in South Korea.

9. This teacher has a doctorate.

10. This teacher’s favorite animal is the giraffe.

Down 1. This teacher is passionate about dinosaurs.

2. This teacher thoroughly enjoys traveling.

3. This teacher used to be a model.

5. This staff member rides a motorcycle.

6. This teacher attended Cornell University.

8. This teacher is vegan.

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