FROM THE EDiTORS After the departure of Nicole Rendler and Emily Hung in 2019, we knew we had large shoes to fill. With the continuation of Aquila at University Preparatory Academy, our core values—accountability, responsibility and fairness—will remain at the forefront of all we do. But most of all, under new Aquila leadership, we will continue to tell stories that represent the vast diversity of the school population and ensure that from the sports fans to K-pop stans, Aquila has something for everyone. We are proud to present to you the first issue of Volume IX of the Aquila newsmagazine, which is our largest edition to date at 32 pages. At the root of journalism is storytelling, and with the unique opportunity we have been given to oversee Aquila, we hope to do justice to the stories from our community. Editor and Assistant Multimedia Manager Katherine Nguyen came to us with a request to tell the story of our custodial staff. Telling such a story has been attempted but never successfully completed for Aquila before because of factors like language barriers and a lack of adequate time to do the story justice. But Nguyen was motivated. Seeing her collaboration with reporter Evelyn Rameriez to interview and tell the stories of multiple behind-the-scenes custodial staff members has been rewarding to say the least. The mere feat of transcribing their interviews took weeks and fact-checking those stories was even more difficult, but at the end of the day, the realities of the custodial staff have been told. Web Editor Aaron Janse fell down a different rabbit hole and now shares the story of Wikipedia’s ban of UPA student editors on its site. For years our English teachers have implored students to avoid Wikipedia at all costs, and now it seems Wikipedia is telling UPA students the same. Watching his article become more and more accurate by the day reflected not only his keen eye for detail but also the cumulative efforts of our entire editorial staff, asking question upon question to narrow down the facts to just the facts. We have been inspired by major press organizations and award-winning high school publications such as Palo Alto High’s C Magazine (what we now nickname “The Holy Grail”), and have learned from industry professionals and high schools across the nation at the annual NSPA/JEA National High School Journalism Convention held in Washington, D.C. last fall. Aquila aims for excellence in our artistic design and storytelling, but above all else, we strive for diversity in content because everyone has a story to tell and every story matters. By covering as much of those hidden tales as possible, Aquila hopes to be not just be a news publication that covers stories, but a testament to our community and a beacon to the diversity we are fortunate to possess.
Kristian Crowther and Alexandra Rozmarin
Washington, D.C., 2019 1
PHOTO BY ARIANA RODRIGUEZ • DESIGN BY ARIELLE ROSE-FINN
Kristian Crowther Editor-in-Chief
Aaron Janse Web Editor
Joe Shem Editor
Emma Fulton Reporter
Alexandra Rozmarin Editor-in-Chief
Luca Scarra Social Media Manager
Janessa Ulug Greg Haessner Katherine Nguyen Betty Nguyen Managing Editor Creative Director Multimedia Assistant Manager Multimedia Manager
Arielle Rose-Finn Akshara Kollu Copy Editor Copy Editor
Vidya Achar Akhila Ayyadevara Alyssa Garcia Reporter Reporter Editor
Evelyn Ramirez Reporter
Mia Guevara Reporter
Faith Montes de Oca Reporter
Jenna Mi Reporter
Romita Pakrasi Sheyla Escalante Reporter Reporter
Jenna Plasschaert Publicity Manager
Chelsea Nguyen Photo Editor
Desiree Pekar Editor
Dylan Ziegler Editor
Ayush Rai Reporter
Britney Stout Reporter
Devon Bargas Reporter
Julia Wong Reporter
Kevin Benjume Reporter
Melanie Rayas Reporter
Tiffany Tran Reporter
Laura Gordon Reska Adviser
AQUiLA STAFF 2
ABOUT AQUILA Mission Statement
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.
Aquila Broadcast
@upa_aquila
upaaquila.org
upaaquila
Aquila Podcasts
“SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS” This is what we aim to do. From the shift of a black and white newspaper to a vibrant newsmagazine, to a broadcast channel and an active Instagram presence, we continue to innovate the way we tell stories and bring our publication to new horizons. We do this not just because we are student journalists, but because reaching for success is what it means to be a member of Aquila.
Share an Idea Have a story to share? Scan the QR code to submit your suggestions or email us at aquila@upatoday.com
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On the Cover The front cover, created by Kristian Crowther, showcases ghost-like outlines cleaning a classroom and represents the behindthe-scenes work of UPA’s custodians. See Katherine Nguyen’s “After Hours” on page 9 to learn more about the people who keep our campus clean.
NEWS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 WiKiPEDiA BANS UPA 6 NEW LEAGUE, MORE PRiDE
FEATURES
7 MEMORY iN THE MAKiNG 9 AFTER HOURS 13 ACKNOWLEDGiNG ANXiETY
IN-DEPTH
15 THE JOURNEY UP AND DOWN HiLLS 17 REAUTHORiZED 21 NOT YOUR MOTHER’S TONGUE
A&C
24 PiZZA HOT OFF THE PRESS 25 WHAT iS YOUR FAVORiTE CHiLDHOOD TV SHOW? 26 ART SHOWCASE
FUN & GAMES
27 2020 ViSiON OF RALLiES 29 MS. INTERPRETATiON 30 WHAT DO YOU KNOW? 4
Article
Talk
Read
Edit (banned)
View history
UPA’s Wikipedia Editing Privileges Revoked ARTICLE BY AARON JANSE • ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA FULTON Coordinates:
Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia Wikipedia store Interaction Help About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact page Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Wikidata item Cite this page Print/export Download as PDF Printable version Languages Add links
Verbal attacks, foul language and homophobic slurs have University Preparatory caused Wikipedia to ban University Preparatory Academy stuAcademy dents from editing Wikipedia until October 2020. “We do kind of deserve it,” junior Ishan Madan said, mentioning a history of vandalism and inappropriate jokes on the Wikipedia page for UPA. “I think it’s justified.” UPA has a long history of unconstructive edits to Wikipedia pages, although most have been benign and limited to UPA’s own page. UPA was first banned in December 2018 for three months. Four days after that ban ended, UPA was banned for another six months. A month after that ban ended, it received its most recent ban, lasting a full year. Each of these bans occurred due to vulgar defacement of the Wikipedia knowledgebase. Address Despite students’ poor reputation as Wikipedia editors, 2315 Canoas Garden Avenue moderators of the site have given the school much lenience. California Silicon Valley An IP address shared by UPA, 24.104.64.50, was warned sevSan Jose, Santa Clara, California 95125 eral times in advance before each of the bans, which have been United States enacted by Wikipedia users Widr, Ohnoitsjamie and MaterialCoordinates 37°17′30″N scientist. 121°52′29″W While UPA has had its editing privileges revoked, WikipeInformation dia has a strong policy against censorship, so it still provides School type Charter School read-only access to UPA students. Wikipedia’s refusal to retract Founded 2007 reading privileges from anyone aligns with UPA’s stance on Opened 2007 technology and freedom of thought. Founder Daniel Ordaz, Jacklyn “Technology on campus is designed to increase levels of Guevara, Dorothy understanding and increase levels of inquiry,” Technology DiWesterhoff, Kurt Foreman rector Tom Guevara said. “I want technology to be something CEEB code 054245 that spurs curiosity.” Grades 7–12 The blanket ban on UPA’s editing privileges has halted not Student to 20:1 teacher ratio only malicious editors, but also editors with good intentions. Color(s) Some UPA students have made legitimate edits to the encycloGold and blue pedia, such as fixing typos or improving formatting. If these Mascot Glen the Golden Eagle students desire to continue to edit Wikipedia, they must create Accreditation WASC a wiki account at home. Information (408) 723-1839 Madan predicted that the new limits will probably be “a fairWebsite www.upasv.org ly effective barrier” to UPA students’ temptation to harm the website. “[Students here] are surrounded by friends, making them much more likely to vandalize,” Madan said. “I [vandalized Wikipedia] to impress a girl,” a senior at Willow Glen High School said, demonstrating Madan’s point. “That’s all there was to it.” As for why the bans have not happened until 2018, Guevara has an explanation. “UPA classrooms are featuring laptops increasingly often, allowing students to have more time to make these edits,” Guevara said. Most malicious edits, although offensive, were too minor to warrant any disciplinary action. Some edits, though, used Wikipedia as a platform for cyberbullying, which is not tolerated at UPA. “I can track those things,” Guevara said. “There’s no reason I shouldn’t investigate.” Categories: High schools in San Jose, California
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37°17′30″N 121°52′29″W
Wikipedia
Vandalism
New League, More Pride ARTICLE BY MIA GUEVARA • PHOTO BY CHELSEA NGUYEN • DESIGN BY EMMA FULTON Initially, UPA’s main focus was tied to academics, but after 12 years, the school has begun to prioritize the sports program and its development. With new Athletic Director Tommy McMahon, the sports teams have transitioned into a more advanced league of play and now have the opportunity to face more challenging teams and better competition. “It’s settling into a nice spot where there’s pretty good competition,” McMahon said. “There are multiple divisions for some of our sports, which is just another sign the league is growing; it’s getting more competitive in certain aspects, so the league’s developing based on talent, not just location now.” This change in leagues means playing more competitive schools that have JV teams, prompting the reintroduction of UPA’s own JV teams. “With the addition of junior varsity, we’re now able to grow leaders from within the program earlier to develop leadership at the freshman and sophomore levels so that it’s more mature leadership by the time it gets to varsity,” volleyball and basketball coach Tom Guevara said. The school started out in 2007 with only JV teams because the school’s only students were juniors. The JV program ended when more grades, as well as a varsity program, were added and UPA was unable to keep up with both teams, ultimately choosing to keep varsity. “Many kids, especially underclassmen, were hesitant to try out and compete for a spot on a varsity team,” Guevara said. “and with the increased opportunities, a lot of people are more comfortable learning, growing and trying out for a sport.” In past seasons, players paid for their own sports apparel, such as sweatshirts and warm up T-shirts. However, this year’s
varsity volleyball and basketball teams had apparel paid for by the school. This prompted more student-athletes to wear apparel around campus and publicize the sports program to the entire school. “We get a certain amount [money] per year, and then basically it’s up to us to fundraise as well as use the money that’s allotted to our athletics budget to be able to cover the cost of a program,” McMahon said. “That goes into the cost of tournaments, referees, equipment and apparel.
with sports and are excited to watch upcoming games. “Getting new apparel and wearing it around motivates kids to tryout because we have such a limited wardrobe,” senior varsity volleyball player Chanelle Snead said. Changes to the sports program have also affected school spirit. “Based on what I’m used to seeing, as a coach, there’s a lot more students in the stands in the last three or four games here than I’ve seen in my 15 years of coaching, so I would say there’s a strong spirit of wanting to support each other,” Executive Director David Porter said. The UPA environment has slowly been shifting into a more sports-oriented school. “We’ve seen increases in people attending the games and cheerleaders are getting involved, and I’ve seen people really enjoying themselves at some of the volleyball contests,” Snead said. Now that the sports budget has been taken over, new sports are being added to UPA. The next expected addition will be track and field. Details regarding the new sport were discussed in an open meeting on Jan. 26, some of which included start dates, official practices and gathering an official team. “Having the school play a more visible and vital role in athletics, making athletics more of a priority, [impacts] school culture and climate, and I think that’s great for the long term,” Guevara said. Chanelle Snead loves wearing the new UPA apparel rather than the uniform, and her favorite is the grey quarter-zip jacket that says Girls Varsity Volleyball. “I’m a Golden Eagle!” Snead said proudly.
“We’re now able to grow leaders from within the program earlier...” - Tom Guevara Before the school took over athletic funding, sports teams relied primarily on TeamSnap, a fundraising app, to earn money. Although they still use TeamSnap, the costs now are primarily covered by the school. In the beginning, UPA’s only source of funds for athletics came through the PTSO and parent-student donations, but this year the school has taken over budgeting for all athletics in the interest of growing the sports program. “As a public institution we have to provide everything for students and it has to be free,” Porter said. “The cost of hiring coaches and paying for referees, like the human resources costs, have been removed from the expectation that [sports] boosters have to fundraise for that. What that means is that any dollars raised by the boosters or by a team go directly into that team.” Recently, more kids are getting involved
Photo: Eryn Duong (12) jumps up to tip a volleyball over the net. 6 | NEWS
Memory in the Making How the brain makes memories and its impact on student lives ARTICLE & ILLUSTRATIONS BY DESIREE PEKAR • DESIGN BY TIFFANY TRAN The hippocampus: the part of the brain that gives answers to all of those test questions. Or sometimes does not give said answers to those questions. All of those answers are not just found in the hippocampus, but rather in our memory. Memory is the core of learning and studying, as both activities are done daily by students. The act of remembering is a complex system that takes place in the temporal lobe of the brain, which houses the hippocampus. The hippocampus is where information is brought up from storage. Although the hippocampus is one source of where memories are stored, there are other parts of the brain used for different types of memory. Dr. Valerie Carr, the assistant professor of psychology at San Jose State University, explained that there are multiple memory systems. “For example, your prefrontal cortex helps to support working memory, which refers to actively holding information in mind over a short period of time, such as when you repeat a phone number to yourself before entering it into your phone,” Dr. Carr said. “A different part of the brain, the medial temporal lobe, supports [the] formation of long-term episodic memories, which are memories of events and episodes from your life, such as your 16th birthday. As a final example, the basal ganglia supports skill learning, such as how to play a musical instrument.” Science teacher Loren Schwinge said the ability to memorize information has to do with certain factors of sleep, A PROFESSIONAL VIEWPOINT: how often one repeats the information, food and opinion. Using your memory most effectively The amount of sleep and a person’s opinion on a topic will influence one’s ability to memorize information. Don’t multitask: Only focus on studying, “You get less than five hours of sleep, the stuff you learn which means stay away from your phone. the day before is in your short term [memory] and your working memory does not get consolidated into your long Repeatedly study certain material. term,” Schwinge said. “So if you pull an all-nighter, and wake up the next day or have a 20-minute nap before Don’t cram: Space out your study time. you wake up, all that stuff you did didn’t get put into your long term.” Create your own study materials: Making Dr. Carr recommended that instead of cramyour own memory devices will help you. ming during an all-nighter, it is best to space out your workload. Test yourself: Have somebody test you so “Don’t cram for several hours the day before a test/ that your memory is strengthened. quiz. Instead, space out your studying across several days, for a shorter time period each day,” Dr. Carr said. Don’t pull all-nighters: Sleep is essential “Don’t pull all-nighters or stay up late studying. Sleep to your memory. is incredibly beneficial to memory, and although it might seem more advantageous to stay up late and cram more material, you will do better if you simply allow yourself to sleep.” Kathy Ngo, a senior currently taking AP Psychology, has had her fair share with a lack of sleep affecting her memory and ability to take tests. “I was taking notes and I wrote something down, and just about an hour
7 | FEATURES
ago, right before the test started, I was reviewing my notes. I was looking at them like, ‘What does this mean?’ or ‘What event?’ So if I don’t get enough sleep, I just straight-up forget,” Ngo said. Another aspect that heavily affects memory and ultimately impacts how well someone remembers information is an opinion on a topic. “It’s more what your brain is most interested in. I try to tell my students that your brain is like a toddler. It likes pretty. It likes bright. It likes loud. It likes weird,” Schwinge said. “ If it doesn’t fit any of those categories, your brain gets bored. So you have to find ways to make [the topic] interesting.” One of the dangers that haunts students when taking tests is misremembering information and the brain changing the information in some way. Schwinge explained that every memory is changed in a microscopic way. It is such a tiny change that one will possibly never notice that it has been changed, like the color of a background object changing. Ngo also discusses how making associations can contribute to misremembering facts. “Whenever you do things and you learn things, you make associations, but sometimes when you make an association that can easily be associated with something else, you might mix that up. Or remember something else instead of what you mean to remember,” Ngo said. Schwinge elaborated on how making associations and connections can benefit students. “A lot of teachers like having kids use analogies because it forces your brain to make a connection that was not naturally there,” Schwinge said. “That connection is what outlasts the fact and lets you bring the fact back when it disappears.” Ultimately, playing with our minds to make a topic interesting can help with remembering answers to the hardest questions. “So what you have to do as a learner is make things that you find uninteresting, you have to trick your brain and make it interesting,” Schwinge said.
“I try to tell my students that your brain is like a toddler. It likes pretty. It likes bright. It likes loud. It likes weird.” —Loren Schwinge ILLUSTRATION BY DAKOTA PEKAR
Prefrontal Cortex
Basal Ganglia
Cerebellum Medial Temporal Lobe Pitutary Gland Brain Stem
Hippocampus
FEATURES | 8
after hours Custodians share their experiences taking care of the school campus ARTICLE BY KATHERINE NGUYEN • DESIGN BY EVELYN RAMIREZ COVER PHOTO BY KRISTIAN CROWTHER • PHOTOS BY KATHERINE NGUYEN
9 | FEATURES
FEATURES | 10
I
t is an hour after school has ended. Hallways once flooded with laughter and the chatter of students have gone quiet. What remains on campus is the trash they leave behind. Since the establishment of UPA, the custodial staff from the Cathedral of Faith has cleaned the school campus in the mornings and after school hours. Rocio Cermeño, a custodian who has worked for 14 years, cleans both buildings. ¨It affects us physically because we have to do it twice and we go out more tired,” Cermeño said. Brian Rodriguez, a custodian who has worked for a year and a half, was invited by his supervisor, Cesar Cruz, to work for the church. He took the job opportunity as a means of supporting his family living in Mexico. “I can [work] from Mexico, but it is not the same as living here for a year and going to [work in] Mexico for two weeks,” Brian Rodriguez said. “All I can do is work as much as I can.” His schedule consists of cleaning the first floor in the Horton Youth Center from Monday to Friday. He generally avoids engaging and conversing with students as much as possible. “I don’t get involved. It’s like a rule,” Brian Rodriguez said. “Not to speak with the people much because you can interpret things wrong.” Solis Yesenia is another custodial staff who took the job opportunity after leaving her former employment as a restaurant waitress where she worked in a pressured environment. “[Over here] you don’t have a boss behind you,” Yesenia said. “You do the job yourself and no one tells you to do it.” Since coming to work for the Cathedral of Faith, she has encountered difficulties when engaging with the UPA community. “The truth is that there are many people who are not friendly here or even teachers that I have seen that I would like to be nicer,” Yesenia said. “You say ‘hello’ and they don’t answer you.” Although most students are well behaved, she hopes that UPA students will become more aware of keeping their surroundings clean. During the 15 months that she has worked so far, Yesenia has witnessed the aftermaths of property damage by the students. “They throw wet paper on the ceiling, scratch the walls, break part of the wall—they made a hole,” Yesenia said. “They took the dumpster out of the bathroom, and dumped soap all over the floor [too].” Social science teacher Ariana Rodriguez frequently arrives at school early and stays late, often seeing the custodians at
work. In the past, she has observed students who carelessly create messes, relying on the custodians to clean up for them. “I think that it’s their job to a degree, but for the most part, the students should be responsible for cleaning up their own garbage,” Ariana Rodriguez said. “It shouldn’t be their job to have to pick up after our laziness.” Another difficulty custodians have faced is their long schedules. As soon as they start cleaning after school, their work can last up to midnight, depending on how late events end. Custodian Flor Torebeo, who has worked for two and a half years, feels the late hours have affected her relationship with her family. “We can’t see our children during the day,” Torebeo said. “They’re at school in the morning and then they come [back home] and we’re going to work.” Although the custodians share their complaints about their work, they also enjoy certain benefits they receive. “The benefits [make] the difference. The insurance and the [paid time off] vacations that pay [us],” Cermeño said. The custodians are not the only ones that receive benefits. According to journalism teacher Laura Gordon Reska, the custodians’ work has relieved the responsibility of cleaning her own classroom. “When I came to UPA, I was amazed at the fact that someone would wipe down my desks for me, and that they would dust my bookshelf, instead of [leaving] a one-inch layer of dust,” Reska said. However, not all of the staff plan to work for the Cathedral of Faith forever. Yesenia aspires to start her own business to manage her own hours while other custodians wish to learn English to avoid language barriers. “I’d like to start selling food, something small,” Yesenia said. “Like a store, with juices and fruits and all that.” Despite working late hours and dealing with property damage, the custodial staff continues to maintain a sanitary environment where students can learn better. “It’s like they’re the unsung heroes, I guess you could say, because they work behind the scenes,” Ariana Rodriguez said.
“La verdad es que hay mucha
gente que no es amable aquí o incluso maestros que yo he visto, que me gustaría que fueran mas amables. Les dices hola y no te contestan.”
—Solis Yesenia
11 | FEATURES
Cover: Solis Yesenia cleans a table in the Santa Clara classroom. Upper Left: Brian Rodriguez takes out the trash outside of Horton. Upper Right: Maria Gerbeceo vacuums the Carnegie classroom. Far Right: Cesar Cruz replaces a trash bag in the Princeton classroom. Opposite: Flor Torbeceo and Rocio Cermeño work together to clean the second floor of the Family Life Center.
FEATURES | 12
ACKNOWLEDGING ANXIETY
E
ARTICLE, PHOTO & DESIGN BY JENNA PLASSCHAERT
veryone feels anxious at some point or another. Maybe Sometimes I will even get nauseous and almost pass out.” it is a big test or performance. Maybe bills are piling Those with anxiety disorders also have responses to anxiety up or your significant other is mad at you. Whatever that are disproportionate to the stressors. Having to speak in the cause of stress may be, is temporary—unless you front of a crowd may cause someone to feel anxious for weeks have anxiety. beforehand, experience intense symptoms or even become Living with anxiety is like watching a scary movie and wait- paralyzed with fear. ing for something to pop out and scare you, but it never does, so “It was like my world was ending everyday,” junior Anneke you are left just waiting for it to happen, but all the time. It is not Nijmeijer, who has been formally diagnosed with anxiety, said. always due to a specific reason, but it is consuming and hard to “Not fun.” escape. This is the case for senior Rasleen Saran, who has been Apart from just worry or stress, anxiety involves racing negformally diagnosed with anxiety. ative thoughts, an increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, cry“Anxiety is a lot to handle,” Saran said. “You want to put it ing, trembling and dizziness, all of which hinder one’s ability to aside, but you can’t. It is like a shadow, it is always there no participate in normal daily activities. matter what and you can never get rid of it.” Seemingly simple activities that most people do without Anxiety—whether thinking such as eating Post-Traumatic Stress in public, writing probDisorder (PTSD), Oblems on the board in sessive-Compulsive class or ordering food Disorder (OCD), Social at a restaurant can be Anxiety, Panic Disorexcessively daunting der, Separation Anxiety and triggering to those or Generalized Anxiety struggling with anxiety, Disorder (GAD)—is including junior hard to live with, and Alexander Pantoja. can become more chal“[Having anxiety] lenging when others do has definitely prevented not understand it. me from doing certain “It’s easy to judge things,” Pantoja, who someone as just behas been formally diaging extra sensitive and nosed with anxiety, said. over dramatic,” science “Even when it comes to teacher and academic having a conversation counselor Jill Buenwith someone and suceso said. “When a wanting to make a joke, person’s anxiety is trigbut I don’t know how Photo Illustration of Rasleen Saran gered, they can become they’re going to react; I paralyzed with fear and experience real physiological responses don’t know if they’re going to think I am weird. It can even get that they can’t control.” to the point of not being able to sharpen a pencil in class. I don’t Feeling anxious from time to time is a normal human want people looking at me.” response to stress and is not equivalent to having an anxiety Furthermore, someone who has anxiety might feel anxious in disorder. According to licensed therapist Theresea Alloco, situations that appear fairly calm due to high amounts of people who qualify for a diagnosis, in terms of anxiety, are cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released into the brain during experiencing a certain level of anxiety, regardless of a particular stress. stressor, that interferes with their functioning. “When someone has had a pattern of stimuli in their “Honestly, anything can trigger my anxiety,” Saran said. “I’ll environment that causes them to be anxious, their body is used just be doing whatever I need to be doing and then randomly my to producing a certain amount of cortisol in their system,” heart starts beating really fast, I get very tense, my palms get Allocco said. “Their baseline is different than other people’s. very sweaty and I get really hot, even if it is cold outside. Even in a peaceful situation, they are more likely than someone
13 | FEATURES
else if a book falls on the floor, to jump.” According to the Alvarado Parkway Institute, a center for mental health and addictive disorders, these high baseline levels of anxiety can develop from a multitude of environmental, genetic and medical factors. Depending on the person, anxiety can begin with a genetic predisposition, childhood trauma, medical conditions that produce certain hormones, abusive relationships, long-term stress or a combination. Nijmeijer developed intense anxiety during her middle school years due to the combination of moving to a new school, friend group fluctuation and academic stress that is a part of growing up.
“You want to put it aside, but you can’t. It is like a shadow.” —Rasleen Saran
18.1% of the population struggle with anxiety disorders each year _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
6.8 million
2.2 million
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Panic Disorder
7.7 million
6 million
Social Anxiety
15 million
Phobias
19 million
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
children are diagnosed with anxiety disorders
_______________________________________________
“My anxiety was genetically predisposed,” Nijmeijer said. “I also struggled with perfectionism for a very, very long time, which was not helped by the academic rigor of our school.” A common misconception people have is that avoiding stress will cure anxiety. This is not only not true, but also unrealistic because, as in Nijmeijer’s experience, balancing academics, personal life and work is bound to get stressful at some point or another. Avoiding anxiety-inducing situations can exacerbate the problem because one is not using any tools to process emotions and overcome them. The saying “face your fears” applies because the more someone avoids their fears, the bigger they become. People experience and manage their anxiety differently. Nijmeijer finds comfort in journaling about her feelings and the positives in her life as well as keeping a clean room. Over the years, she has acquired beneficial tools to calm herself in stressful situations such as a method called grounding. “Notice three things you can see, three things you can touch, three things you can hear and three things you can taste,” Nijmeijer said. “Something to put you in your environment.” Similarly, Saran shared that suppressing one’s anxiety can actually make it worse because it bottles up and creates more stress. Accepting the situation and waiting for the storm to pass can quicken the recovery and ultimately help one to feel more peace in the end. “It is OK if people see you crying because your mental health is more important than what other people are thinking about you,” Saran said. Associating anxiety with weakness is one reason why people can be hesitant to be vulnerable about mental health struggles. This lack of communication creates a lack of understanding, which promotes the stigmatization of mental illnesses. Switching the discussion of mental health from a shame-based way to a compassionate way can encourage more people to speak out about mental health and help those who are suffering. Pantoja feels that having more people with a greater awareness of anxiety and its effects would benefit him. “I would feel more comfortable doing certain things because
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States
Anxiety rates are significantly higher in women than in men
23.4% 14.3%
Men
Women
Compiled by Jenna Plasschaert Sources: https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics https://www.mindfulsearching.com/anxiety-statistics/ https://adaa.org/find-help-for/women/anxiety
people would understand why,” Pantoja said. “In the case of sharpening a pencil, people will think, ‘He doesn’t like being stared at. Maybe I shouldn’t do that.’” As the talk of mental health and anxiety increases, those struggling will be more likely to reach out for help, whether that is from friends, family or licensed professionals. Nijmeijer and Saran have both experienced growth after attending therapy and feel they have better control over their anxiety. When asked if there was anything else they wanted to share, Nijmeijer and Saran both answered the same way: “It gets better.” FEATURES | 14
The Journey Up and Dow n Hills A Varsity Cross Country Experience ARTICLE, PHOTOS & DESIGN BY CHELSEA NGUYEN At the final mile of her last league meet, senior Jovita Mi found motivation to sprint towards the finish line by asking herself how deeply she yearned to qualify for Central Coast Section (CCS), her goal since sophomore year. Mi’s hard work in the meet resulted in her being one of the two UPA cross country athletes eligible for CCS since she placed No. 12 out of 49 female runners with a timed run of 23 minutes and 38.1 seconds at the Crystal Springs Course. “This year, I took the meets very seriously [because] I didn’t want to miss any opportunities to improve and get new personal records,” Mi said. Her passion for running sparked at an early age, and she began practicing for team tryouts her sophomore year. This school year, Mi became one of the four senior captains on the UPA cross country team. There are two male and two female captains since the meets are categorized by gender, but the team trains together. Coach Eugenia Rendler gave Mi the position of co-captain because of her consistency and organization skills, such as constantly practicing during the off-season and organizing the annual cross country sweatshirts. “Every year, she sets herself a new goal and she’s our fastest girl runner,” Rendler said. At meets, Mi competes against her teammates and athletes from the league, but maintains a positive attitude because the athletes are running the same trail and experiencing a similar mentality. She memorizes the entire course, so she knows where to use and conserve her energy. “My favorite thing about cross country is the sportsmanship because even if you’re on a different team and you’re running with someone for the whole trail, you develop a bond and you feel each other’s pain,” Mi said. In the penultimate meet, Mi achieved a new personal record of a minute faster than any meet she previously ran and placed fifth in the girls’ varsity cross country section. “There wasn’t one moment when I thought to slow down, to catch my breath or rest,” Mi said. “When I felt tired, I ran faster to prove to myself I can still do it.” Senior Meera Zalavadia, Mi’s co-captain for the girls’ varsity cross country team, has seen Mi’s journey through the sport in the past three years and the improvement in her timed runs.
“Without willpower, running is impossible.” —Jovita Mi 15 | FEATURES
“She has definitely gotten faster and her work ethic has grown because she practices a lot over the weekend and she prepares a lot for each meet,” Zalavadia said. Running has increased Mi’s dedication and self-motivation because it requires an extensive amount of physical and mental strength that forces her to run faster and finish the meets. In addition to UPA practices after school, Mi trained at her local gym and park and researched the 2018 CCS records to aim for a qualification for California state championships. “I prepared myself mentally [for CCS] by assuring myself that I could do it,” Mi said. “I just wanted to do my best and made the most out of the last time I competed on the Crystal Springs course.” On Nov. 16, Mi competed at CCS, placing No. 43 out of 49 female runners, with a timed run of 26 minutes and 3.74 seconds for 2.8 miles. She was surrounded by competitive athletes, who she thought lacked sportsmanship. “Running [at] CCS taught me running truly takes both mental and physical strength because [I had to strengthen] my muscles and endurance for three whole months,” she said. “Without willpower, running is impossible.” Photos: Jovita Mi (12) trained for CCS with teammate Emma Fulton (9) by doing leg exercises, warm-ups, and laps around the parking lot near the amphitheater and Cathedral of Faith. She wore a pink Kinesio Tex Tape to prevent pain from running with shin splints.
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reauthorized UPA approved for 5 more years with a 6-1 vote by the Santa Clara County Board of Education
ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN • PHOTOS BY KRISTIAN CROWTHER As Executive Director David Porter walked through one of English teacher Andrea Aquino’s classes on Nov. 5—the day before UPA’s final reauthorization meeting—he was taken aback. Despite the fact that he had walked into an English class, Porter saw students working through a math problem together on the board. “And it was that moment that really crystallized everything that we’ve been working toward,” Porter reflected.
Preparations & Introductions For more than two months, the UPA administration, staff and faculty had been working on the school’s third reauthorization. Being a county-wide public charter school, UPA must petition for reauthorization every five years. During this reauthorization process, the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) analyzes UPA’s inner workings and determines whether or not the school should continue to exist. Since being approved as a charter school on Aug. 28, 2006 by the SCCOE, UPA has
lived through two other reauthorizations in 2010 and 2015. For the most recent reauthorization cycle, UPA submitted its petition on Sept. 9, 2019 for the reauthorization period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025. At the final reauthorization session on Nov. 6, SCCOE’s Director of Charter Schools Michelle Johnson opened the meeting by recommending UPA be renewed for another five-year period. The meeting continued with a 10-minute presentation by Porter in which he introduced various aspects of UPA’s academic and campus life, such as student and teacher demographics, math and ELA comparisons, reasons for student withdrawals and board improvements. “As we look beyond our current successes, we are committed to building a more inclusive and responsive pedagogy in order to improve the learning outcomes for all students,” Porter said in his presentation remarks. After a suggestion by Assistant to the Executive Director Emma King, each of the topics in his presentation were specif-
ically crafted in response to SCCOE board members’ questions and concerns shared at the previous meeting on Oct. 2. “I have found UPA to be exactly what charter schools were designed to be—an incubator for academic inquiry and innovation. Our successes and challenges are open for all to see, and we are more than willing to share,” Porter said as he concluded his presentation. UPA staff and students proceeded to rally in support of the school during the public comment portion of the meeting. Lisa Martin told her son’s story of finding his place at UPA. “In the time it took him to tour the school, he went from ‘They do this here’ to ‘I’ll do this here,’ and he has,” Martin said, choking up. “He’s delighted to have found a community of kids that don’t look down on being smart and instead mentor and encourage each other.” Senior Carmen Canas also wanted to express her gratitude for the opportunities UPA has provided her over the past six years. She spoke about the school’s rigor and the compassion she has seen from teachers, mentioning she saw it as a “public school with a private school level of education.”
VS. private education PUblic vs.
Jagraj Pandher (7) speaks about the different facets of the school he participates in during the public comment section of the meeting. 17 | IN-DEPTH
Trustee Anna Song (Area 5) took issue with Canas’s comparison of UPA to a private school, finding the comment disrespectful toward public education. While Song openly endorsed UPA’s mission, she urged UPA to reevaluate how it communicates that mission. “Public education: we may be bottom in funding, but public school teachers are educating everyone that arrives to this state, no questions. No question of income, no question of eligibility, we educate everyone,” Song clarified. “I myself have been an immigrant and my mom to this day doesn’t speak English, but I have been able to learn English, finish college and be elected. I think our trustees share similar stories. That’s public education.”
tages of UPA’s small population size. “There was a point where I think I knew the name of all the kids at school and they knew who I was, and you don’t see that at a big public school,” Mastrogiacomo said.
that asterisk that speaks out and calls out to ask you to reconsider your model,” Rossi said. “If you’re not serving foster youth, if you’re not not serving English learners that have not been reclassified, if you’re not serving that new arrival from GuatemaRossi’s “no” vote la who is living with their aunt and uncle Song was not the only board member because of your requirements, then you’re with concerns at the meeting. Trustee Clau- not serving underrepresented students, and dia Rossi (Area 7) demonstrated her dedi- that was part of your initial introduction as cation to underprivileged students early. one of your goals. I just want to explain to During the portion of clarifying ques- you why as a Latina, as an English learner tions, Rossi asked about special education and as a parent of a special ed student, I students who have Individualized Educa- cannot vote ‘yes.’” ANNA SONG tion Programs (IEPs). Rossi communicatRossi went on to explain that her intenIn January 2020, Porter acknowledged ed her worry that even though annual IEPs tion behind the “no” vote was not to close Song’s point and noted that her person- are legally mandated to have exactly one the school. Very few charter schools in the al experiences and the constituency she meeting a year and UPA allows for extra Santa Clara County are shut down, Accordserves influenced her interpretation of the meetings based on parent requests, this fre- ing to the SCCOE’s 2019 Charter School comment. quency of meetings was insufficient and Report, over the past 16 years, approxi“Education is one of those things that does not allow students’ progress to be vig- mately only 18% of reauthorizations were everyone participates in so everyone denied, with nine of those 15 charknows it more deeply and knows ters being permanently closed. it more emotionally than almost “I agree, fundamentally, that any other field,” Porter explained. we have work to do,” Porter said “Education is one of those “We’ve all been patients, but we’ve retrospectively to Rossi’s point. “I never been doctors.” things that everyone could show you tons of data that we He continued by emphasizing participates in so everyone bring to the board every month sayUPA’s commitment to teaching all ing that there are students who are students no matter their background knows it more deeply and struggling at UPA, and we want betand felt he should have made that knows it more emotionally ter results for them. I think it comes point more clear during his presenfrom a genuine, authentic and caring tation before the SCCOE board. than almost any other field. place.” Although UPA does not handPorter did not, however, agree We’ve all been patients, but pick its students, it does share certhat requiring AP classes for graduatain advantages with private schools, we’ve never been doctors.” tion is discriminatory. such as a smaller population of stu“It now creates space for adults dents. Therefore, UPA can respond to withhold energy and creativity in to individual needs of students with developing and dedicating resources more ease. to all students, and it allows students “That’s a societal issue, the fact that we ilantly tracked. to opt out,” Porter said. “Failure becomes don’t fully want to subscribe to supporting Porter explained that UPA partners with an option.” education as the No. 1 product that we do the Santa Clara County in order to have a CLAUDIA ROSSI as a shared society,” Porter said. “If we’re manager that closely monitors IEPs on a truly dedicated to that, then every school regular basis and one full time special eduwould have many more employees and cation teacher, fitting in with normal ratios. many more vehicles and systems for being “As the IEP is functioning to meet the able to respond to each individual need.” student’s needs, we’d like to have them in Director of Special Programs Jean Mas- the least restrictive environment possible,” trogiacomo has been a part of UPA since Director of Curriculum and Instruction its second year of operation, approximately Matt Daugherty said. “And so we do IEPs a decade longer than Porter. She remem- as called upon by the law.” bers the “private school at a public cost” Beyond IEPs, Rossi felt UPA’s graduaslogan being more popular during UPA’s tion requirement of passing two Advanced early years but believes it is now used less Placement (AP) courses discriminated frequently. against students without stable housing or Mastrogiacomo interpreted the com- the ability to focus completely on school. ment similarly to Porter in that the motiIn the end, Rossi was the only “no” vote vation behind the phrase was not to belittle of the night. public schools but rather explain the advan“My vote of ‘no’ is because I want to be
—David Porter
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Trustee Rosemary Kamei (middle) speaks directly to UPA administrators while SCCOE Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan (left) and Anna Song listen.
Define Define Descrimination Descrimination The ethics of requiring AP classes for graduation is not a new debate; the board pondered the implications of such a requirement during the original petition of the school in 2006. Song noted the motivation behind the requirement was to prove that students from all zip codes, even socioeconomically disadvantaged ones, could take and pass AP courses. Song recalled that one SCCOE trustee, whose term has since expired, jokingly accused the school of being communist for that requirement. At the November meeting, Song called on one of the only other people present for that original petitioning, founder Kurt Foreman, to comment on that debate. “The high expectations at UPA and our staff really lift the kids’ expectations of what they can do for themselves, and I think that’s what’s made UPA such a wonderful success,” Foreman said. Comments Song and Trustee Joseph Di Salvo (Area 4) made at the meeting reinforced their beliefs that UPA could do more to recruit socioeconomically disadvantaged students to their school, as most of those students do not necessarily see themselves as college bound or have the desire to take AP classes, and will thus not seek out schools with those requirements, echoing Rossi’s point. “The recruitment of those children who need seventh grade in a uniquely different way from your sister traditional pub19 | IN-DEPTH
lic school would show this board that you mean business,” Di Salvo said that November night.
The The Final Final Minutes Minutes
Other board members voiced concerns about data showing test scores plateauing, vaping on campus and UPA’s board lacking transparency. A common trend among the questions was the topic of student withdrawals, specifically regarding the 9.1% of student withdrawals due to grades in 2019. Both Trustee Peter Ortiz (Area 6) and Trustee Rosemary Kamei (Area 3) wanted
to confirm that the decision to withdraw because of grades was being made by the families themselves. “We commit to working with students no matter what their struggles are, but there have been times when students have decided that our program is too difficult and they opt to go somewhere else,” Daughtery replied. Kamei specifically requested constant communication between the board and UPA in order to better keep track of student withdrawal data. Di Salvo requested that UPA share its best practices with surrounding school districts in order to better their systems. “The charter school law that was created in 1992 was to use public dollars to leverage the fact that you don’t have the same regulations traditional public has to follow, and then to innovate and spread your best practices so everybody could learn,” Di Salvo explained. Di Salvo will not be part of the board the next time UPA is reauthorized, but expressed his hope to hear news of correspondence between UPA and a comprehensive public school when he watches the next reauthorization’s live stream. Not all comments from board members were negative. In fact, Di Salvo prefaced his point by revealing his “yes” vote. Ortiz also spoke openly about his “yes” vote during the question section of the meeting. “Full transparency: I do support your school, the work that you’re doing,” Ortiz said. “I ask these questions because I think we can always constantly improve and
2018-19 Enrollment by Ethnicity
According to DataQuest, the state of California’s official database for publically reported information about schools, the major ethnicity of UPA’s population is Asian whereas Santa Clara County’s (SCC) is Hispanic or Latino. The SCCOE continues to implore UPA to bring its proportionality up to that of the wider SCC demographics.
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move toward a goal that’s best for our kids and the entire county.” Porter appreciated the outspoken support and felt a partnership between UPA and the SCCOE board in those moments. For him, those were the most rewarding parts of the reauthorization. “Some charters act as if they are separate from the educational fabric when, for me, the reality is that we’re all living in the same community,” Porter said. “We’re all going to the same malls, and we’re going to the same stores, and we’re driving on the same streets; we have a responsibility to be part of the community.” By the end of the meeting, the SCCOE board reauthorized UPA with a vote of six to one.
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Looking ahead, UPA will experience both systematic reforms and ones that dive deeper into how teaching is structured. Beyond HR improvements like updated retirement plans and the expansion of the board, Porter hopes to continue to refine the teaching and learning at UPA to be even more inclusive by supporting teachers in fostering culturally responsive teaching across campus. This includes making student learning goals more explicit in order to allow diverse students the opportunity to adapt to their educational environment. If a student grew up in a loud, collaborative family, the implied expectation of being silent when others are speaking may not be ingrained. Students who grew up learning these unspoken rules of educational culture end
up setting expectations that culturally diverse students were never given the tools to achieve in the first place. “That’s not fair for those students who want a piece of opportunity but don’t know how to attain it because they don’t know the secret rules,” Porter said. In a final analysis, all the debates about the ethics of education and best practices in schools have one underlying cause: a dedication to providing students with the best education in order to allow them to take control of their lives. Depending on experiences, personal values and philosophies, the path to this goal might look different for each person, but the goal of fostering a climate conducive to learning for all students never changes. “You have to have an environment that allows for people to grow,” Porter said, emphasizing that this can even mean working on a math problem during English class or playing the oboe during world history. For him, the most important aspect of a school is letting students know that it is OK to be passionate about learning. “As someone who liked learning, I didn’t want to show that I like learning. Now, I know what I missed in high school,” Porter said as he lamented about having to hide his passion for politics and debate in high school. He is in awe of the passionate exploration he witnesses every time he walks into a classroom at UPA. “That’s what the reauthorization is really about,” Porter said, “that are we creating an environment for students to be who they are.”
O R T I Z David Porter, UPA founder Jacklyn Guevara and UPA Board President James Romero wait for the SCCOE Board to come out of closed session. IN-DEPTH | 20
Not Your Mother's Tongue Navigating Language as a Hyphenated American
ARTICLE & PHOTO BY JANESSA ULUG • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY BRITNEY STOUT
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enior Rasleen Saran embraces her aunt who has come to visit from Punjab, India, smiling warmly as they exchange greetings in Punjabi. In the initial stages of the conversation, Saran feels at ease, but soon enough, the conversation delves deeper, and she can only manage short answers, failing to express her feelings or engage in a meaningful interaction. “Yes.” “No.” “School is good.” I’m acting like I don’t care, she thinks, grimacing. Frustration runs through her veins; she understands everything that is being said and scours her mind for a response, but just cannot find the words. Sophomore Nahum Hintsa plops down on the couch beside his Eritrean grandfather. “Hello!” Nahum’s father says in Tigrinya. “Hi!” Hinsta replies. Foreign noises come out of his grandfather’s mouth in response. Foreign… but the sounds—the way they flow off the tongue—they feel so familiar, like home. As words removed of their meaning enter Hinsta’s ears, bearing only the feeling of love associated with the people who speak them, a puzzled expression settles on his face. Hintsa listens blankly, hearing but not understanding a single word. Eventually, he thinks of an excuse to get out of the now-uncomfortable situation and ends the conversation with, “Bye, Grandpa!” For first-generation immigrants, situations like these can be the realities of everyday life. 35 of 56 UPA students surveyed, 34 of which were first-generation immigrants, reported possessing only a basic, conversational or intermediate fluency in their first language.
This low-level fluency can greatly affect family life, cultural identity and communication. In fact, 39 of the students surveyed reported that fluency in their first language has affected communication and relations with family “somewhat” or “greatly.” “It takes me a really long time just to form a whole conversation with someone. I think it’s hard because a lot of people want to have a conversation with me in my family especially since I haven’t seen them in such a long time,” Saran said. “There’s that barrier. Even though Punjabi was my first language, it’s still very difficult. Although I do understand it, I can’t give you what I’m feeling or what I want to say to you.” Senior Kathy Ngo, who speaks Vietnamese, finds that when she has to switch to English to contribute to a conversation, she is not taken seriously by family members. “There was one time we were trying to have a serious discussion and I was trying my best to keep up with it in Vietnamese, but then at one point I had to switch over to English to express what I was truly feeling,” Ngo, who did her senior project on cultural identity, said. “And then, I don’t know why, but my uncle just thought that was amusing so he sat there and laughed.” Saran’s relatives have also voiced their opinions on her fluency reduction, and she has experienced teasing from other Punjabis for the way she speaks the language. “I feel really dumb because I’m just like, ‘I grew up learning this language,’ and now I don’t,” Saran said. “Now I don’t understand or can’t say something of these words. It’s just this disconnect I have with people. Because I know some relatives that I
Graph: Statistics of 56 UPA students’ answers to the question “Do you feel your fluency in your first language has decreased over time?” 21 | IN-DEPTH
talk to now, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you still speak really good Punjabi but you were a lot better back then; now your words are broken.’ And I’m just like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ you know, ‘I’m trying.’ It’s just different.” Hintsa, who possesses basic fluency in Tigrinya, often finds himself avoiding conversation in Tigrinya or having to rely on his parents to understand what relatives are saying, something that was glaringly evident during his trip to Eritrea in the summer of 2019. “When I saw my grandpa for the first time, I wanted to speak to him, but he only knows Tigrinya, so I barely knew what he was saying, and then I had to ask my parents or anybody around me what he was saying,” Hintsa said. “It sucks because I want to listen to what they have to say because it’s the first time leaving and visiting family.” Senior Kevin Tong describes situations where he has to communicate with his grandparents in Mandarin rather than English, which they are not fluent in, as uncomfortable. “This is very stressful and I often just try to avoid conversation with them at some point in fear of unintentionally saying something disrespectful—cultural differences—or not making sense,” Tong said in a survey response. Aside from difficulties in family life and communication, Saran
Such experiences can cause feelings of disappointment and doubt in one’s own cultural identity. “I feel kind of like it’s not normal to not be fluent in my native language since I know so many people who are,” sophomore Joann Jaison, who speaks Malayalam, said. “And then it’s kind of weird, but I kind of feel more embarrassed to bring it up because I feel like I’m not authentic enough because I don’t know my language.” THE INHERITED LANGUAGE In what is seemingly a contrast to the aforementioned experiences, the UPA survey revealed 34 of the 56 students surveyed speak their first language at home “often” or “always.” What prevents these students from achieving full fluency in their first languages? This is where the term “heritage language” comes in. A heritage language in the U.S. is a language other than English. For example, although languages such as Hindi or Korean are not official languages of the U.S., they are familiar to individuals and communities in which they are spoken, understood, read, written or simply heard. These languages are learned at home during youth, but never completely developed due to insufficient linguistic input outside the home. In the U.S., speakers of heritage languages grow up in an environment where English is the dominant spoken lan-
Nahum Hinsta (10) wants to be able to communicate with his grandfather in Tigrinya. believes that a lack of first language fluency can also affect a person’s connection to their culture. “Especially when I go out to festivals, there’s the speaker and I can understand parts of it, but she’s speaking words I’ve never heard of and people are laughing at the jokes and I’m like, ‘I don’t understand what you’re saying.’ I would love to [understand].” According to Saran, in scenes such as family parties, this cultural discord is especially apparent. “You just feel like a foreigner in your own language, your own region,” Saran said. “It’s just a weird feeling.” Ngo agrees, citing newer slang and literature as examples of Vietnamese culture that she cannot access. “Being able to speak with family members, being able to consume a whole other culture of experiences and literature [are reasons why I wish I was fluent],” Ngo said. “It’s like I know well enough to know I’m missing out on something but not well enough to actually understand what I’m missing out on.”
guage, which they eventually gain greater fluency in. As a result, the linguistic history of first-generation immigrants can follow a common thread: up until a person enters school, first language development is advanced or native, but once formal education begins, first language fluency decreases until English replaces it as the principal mode of communication. “Once I started learning English through TV and going to preschool, elementary, my need to use Vietnamese sharply decreased, while my need to use English sharply increased,” Ngo said. “And when you’re a kid, when you stay home and you only use one language at home, so it’s hard to build your vocabulary for that.” Oftentimes, heritage language speakers’ skills are limited to those they acquired as children—elementary grammar, household vocabulary and basic conversational skills. “When I’m talking, it’s like, ‘Hi, my name’s Kathy,’ and my Vietnamese-speaking abilities are those of a second grader,’” Ngo joked. Continued on next page IN-DEPTH | 22
First-generation immigrants typically struggle more with reading, writing and speaking skills than with listening. LANGUAGE & LIFE The dominance of the official language can also come in the form of external pressures on first-generation immigrants to abandon their first language in favor of English. Saran was required to take several English Language Development classes, stay after school and skip classes to complete extra readings and writings until the sixth grade to improve her English. “They would tell my parents I need to practice more English at home within the family, so I need to stop being around the Punjabi language,” Saran said. “I think that’s what ruined it because I spent so much time trying to speak English that I forgot how to speak Punjabi.” Internal pressures, too, can diminish fluency in a first language. The effect of a racially homogeneous environment can manifest as a will to learn more English while abandoning one’s mother tongue. “I was super fluent when I was little and then I went to school,” Jaison said. “My school was predominantly white and Asian so I wanted to be more like them, so I didn’t really bring up my language much. I wasn’t too proud of it, either. I kind of put it to the back and just wanted to fit in with my friends. I was more proud of being fluent in English so that was my first priority and now I’ve kind of lost [Malayalam].” Other causes of language attrition include the tendency of immigrant parents to encourage their children to assimilate and Americanize. According to a 2010 paper by Deanne S. Puloka of McKendree University, “due to the negative attitude U.S. Americans have towards multilingualism, many immigrant parents choose not to teach their child their heritage language or culture.” The linguistic and cultural tug-of-war that arises when a person
leaves their home country along with ethnocentrism-based discrimination compound this effect. “One of the main reasons my dad wants me to ‘Americanize’ is he experiences a lot of workplace discrimination when it comes to his language,” Ngo said. “When my dad had a job, people tended to underestimate and undervalue my dad at work because of his [non-native] English, despite him working harder than his coworkers. He doesn’t want me to experience the same difficulties he did because of his language difficulties.” Language is what differentiates humans from other species and establishes individuals as members of distinct communities. According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, language can even affect the way individuals of different linguistic groups behave and experience life. “It’s that sense of how Vietnamese I am or how American I am if I don’t know how to speak these languages as well as other people my age who are full-blooded Vietnamese,” Ngo explained. However, the first-generation immigrant experience is a linguistic and cultural experience in and of itself that comes with obstacles and privileges unique to the group. Despite the struggles with cultural identity that first-generation immigrants might face, these circumstances grant them access to a community of hyphenated Americans. “The way I speak Vietnamese specifically is kind of my link with other Vietnamese-Americans too,” Ngo said. “Like oh, this is something we share in common, this semi-fluency in the language that we first learned.” One of the defining characteristics of being a first-generation immigrant is experiencing the blending of two worlds. For some, it is a unique privilege to experience two cultures in one lifetime. “No one likes not understanding, but at the same time, these are my experiences,” Ngo said. “The whole part of the Vietnamese-American experience is kind of being caught a little bit in both languages and both worlds, you know?”
“It’s like I know well enough to know I’m missing out on something but not well enough to actually understand what I’m missing out on.” —Kathy Ngo
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Free
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020
Volume IX Issue I
PIZZA HOT OFF THE PRESS 1920s style meets 2020s service ARTICLE, PHOTOS & DESIGN BY BETTY NGUYEN
At Eastridge Center’s Pizza Press location, Co-Manager Duy Tran (right) rings up customers.
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s a journalist, I usually contribute to publishing articles. It is not every day I get to “publish pizza.” Pizza Press, a 1920s-themed pizza chain with locations around the U.S., opened a new location at San Jose’s Eastridge Center mall on Aug. 27, 2019. Centering its theme around newspapers from the Roaring ‘20s, Pizza Press prides itself on giving customers the unique experience of “publishing” their own pizza. At Pizza Press, visitors hungry for a slice get to step back from their daily occupations and become writers of sorts. With the help of employees, who are called “editors” and wear 1920s newsboy caps, customers are guided along the process of personalizing their individual 11-inch pizza. Prices for individual pizzas can vary between $12-$15. Pizza Press also offers a Student Deal: a signature or published pizza with one fountain drink for $11.50, and the “Jr. Editor” deal: a six-inch pizza with
up to two toppings, a cookie and a small fountain drink for those 12 years and under. The process of watching pizza being made almost parallels watching a newspaper going through a vintage assembly line. The dough resembles a blank sheet of paper and toppings like meats, vegetables and cheeses are the words that add depth to the story that is unfolding. While there are more than 40 toppings a customer can choose from, Pizza Press offers some that are not commonly found in other parlors. The “Pink Sauce”—a mix of alfredo and tomato-based sauce—and light barbeque sauce can be drizzled in thin spirals onto a published pizza. For those who do not want to publish their own pizza, they can choose from among Pizza Press’s selection of seven Signature Pizzas, named after familiar publications such as The New York Times and The Tribune. These pizzas can appeal to
meat lovers, veggie lovers, and even pineapple-on-pizza lovers. Aware that customers can come from any age group and have individual tastes, Pizza Press aims to be inclusive to all their patrons. This includes providing gluten-free pizza dough (an extra $2 on any pizza), and salads and wings for those who might not want pizza. Desserts such as cookies and ice cream can be seen on the menu for those who lean more on the sweet side, and 20 types of craft beers on tap are provided for adult customers who simply want to enjoy a sports game on one of Pizza Press’s television screens. To some, it might seem confusing to have a multitude of food options and services at a place that is supposed to be mainly about pizza. At the end of the day, Pizza Press serves the story of the community through individuals’ diverse tastes.
The Pizza Press process: From being greeted by the editors to publishing a pizza. 24 | A&C
‘Victorious’ is ready to ‘Make it Shine’ After a decade, “Victorious” streams on Netflix
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TV SHOW?
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY ALYSSA GARCIA
Pictured: Robbie Sharpio (Matt Bennett), Jade West (Elizabeth Gillies), Andre Harris (Leon Thomas III), Tori Vega (Victoria Justice), Cat Valentine (Ariana Grande), Beck Oliver (Avan Jogia) and Trina Vega (Daniella Monet). Photo courtesy of Aaron Warkov/ Nickeloedeon
It’s 2010. With silly bands on her wrist and a McDonald’s Kids Bop CD in her hand, freshman Reya Yeddula turns on the TV to find Tori Vega on her screen dancing on stage at Hollywood Arts. Now, it is Nov. 2019 and Yeddula opens her phone and finds Victorious on her Netflix home page. Suddenly, Webkinz and happy meals do not seem so far away. On Nov. 4, 2019, three seasons of Nickelodeon’s hit TV series “Victorious” debuted on Netflix. All of the episodes of the show were not available prior to Netflix’s reboot of the show. It immediately struck the interest of viewers in over 190 countries. “Victorious” stars 16-year-old Tori Vega (Victoria Justice). She has been invited to attend a performing arts school, Hollywood Arts. While the invitation came as a surprise, Tori needs to adjust to her new environment through unnaturally choreographed dances and upbeat bops. “There was no work in the show, it was just all performances, but in real life, there is a lot of work and homework and tests,” Yeddula said. Yeddula reminisces about her days of watching the show. But, she realizes Hollywood Arts is not an accurate representation of high school. High school is not improv classes taught by barefooted hippie teachers. “It’s nothing like high school,” Yeddula said. “Everyone in the show sings and dances, but in reality, it’s not like that.” Check out the rest of this article at upaaquila.org! 25 | A&C
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
THE MAGIC SCHOOLBUS
“It was the first show I understood, because the English was easy to learn.”
“I like science and it was educational. It introduced me to a ton of different science topics.” Robert Rozmarin (8)
Charles Astrologo (7)
REGULAR SHOW
JESSIE
“I remember when Pops died and that kind of scarred me. But other than that I loved Mordecai, and Rigby and that was pretty cool.” Brandon Tran (9)
“I watched it with friends and we laughed, I liked the plot and it was funny. Luke was my childhood crush.” Sofia Aladjoff (10)
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS
CURIOUS GEORGE
“Bright colors. It was funny. And that was the most available show. It was on constantly so I was able to watch it.” Diego Arreola (11)
“It taught me a lot of math and I like the color yellow. I thought The Man in the Yellow Hat was cute. I mean cute personality, what else were you thinking?” Jovita Mi (12)
REPORTING & DESIGN BY GREG HAESSNER
“[Harsimran Dhaliwal (10) and I] wanted to create a really popping background and we wanted to make it really colorful just to represent diversity and make it about global issues. So, we were using colors to represent different people, places and all of the diversity around them and when blending them together to show how people can work together to overcome issues in society.”
—Ishita Patel (10)
“‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ is one of my favorite films. I just love Studio Ghibli films in general but this one and ‘Spirited Away’ is my favorite. So, since that one was also an anime choosing different [images] from other anime, helped make it look more cohesive.”
—Julia Dinh (11)
Want your art showcased in Aquila? Contact Co-Editors-in-Chief Kristian Crowther & Alexandra Rozmarin.
ARTS & CULTURE | 26
The Class of 2020 cheers for Aneerudh Venkatraghavan (12) during the PIG basketball game. Venkatraghavan made three shots in a row.
PHOTOS & DESIGN BY CHELSEA NGUYEN
27 | A&C
Nur Ambaw (11) plays Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Paolo Dimacali (12) performs with the Singing Club.
Executive Director David Porter and Glen the Golden Eagle participate in the three-legged race. A&C | 28
Ms. InterpretatIon
REPORTING BY AKSHARA KOLLU • PHOTOS & DESIGN BY JULIA WONG
Upa teaCHers atteMpt to Interpret teen sLanG
Esther Chen
Nico Mendoza
Kristin Moore
Reo Sato
Aimee Verapinto
Anne Wustrow
That’s on period
Ship That’s what we would expect.
Have a bon voyage.
I sure as heck like this.
No cap
That idea is so great, end of discusion. On task; cool.
Get this bread
The sky’s the limit.
Let’s go eat. The pen has no cap.
Fit
No words are necessary because you don’t need a caption to describe it. There’s no cap on it.
Yeet
You look good. Check out this video.
Don’t trip
An expression of amazement.
Watch what you’re doing.
Is it an acronym of some sort?
Don’t make assumptions.
It’s like a sound you make or something you just say to be cool.
29 | FUN AND GAMES
Don’t worry ‘bout it. Don’t worry yourself. Don’t get too excited. Just calm down.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Mrs. Wustrow’s favoriote question!
INSTRUCTiONS: Read all the articles in this issue to solve the puzzle. The first person to solve the puzzle and bring the completed puzzle to one of the Co-EICs or Mrs. Reska will receive a $10 Starbucks giftcard.
ACROSS:
DOWN:
1. Custodians sometimes work until _____. 4. Access to more _____ is one of the causes of vandalism. 7. Pink Sauce is a combination of _____ and tomato base sauce. 8. Hintsa’s Eritrean grandfather only speaks _____. 9. Reauthorization is a chance to _____ an environment that supports a passion for learning. 11. Without communication and understanding, _____ can develop. 12. _____ was one of the Wikipedia users that warned a UPA Wikipedia vandal.
2. The _____ is one place information is stored in the brain. 3. The purpose of making a JV team was to help younger athletes become more _____ playing sports. 5. Board Members have found that the board is not ____. 6. Running requires _____ and self-motivation. 10. _____ percent of all reauthorizations have been denied by SCCOE since 2004.
REPORTING AND DESIGN BY JOE SHEM 30 | FUN AND GAMES