The Aquila Dec. 2014 (Vol. 4, Issue 1)

Aquila

December 15, 2014

Volume 4, Issue 1

University Preparatory Academy

Charter Renewed For 5 More Years Concerns about low socioeconomic students arise, but do not keep UPA from gaining the SCCOE’s approval.

By Emily Massiello

Photo courtesy of Mikaela Elardo UPA’s cheer team performs at Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes on Oct. 19.

Cheer Makes Big Debut

By Sahana Bhargava

Bright orange bows with white diamonds sparkled as the smiling girls took center stage during Back to School Night this past September.

It was their debut as UPA’s first Cheer Team.

“When we get on the stage, it’s almost like a rush of excitement that gives me the energy to perform,” said freshman Cheyenne Mungaray, team co-captain.

The story for the UPA Cheer Team dates back to before they started competing and performing.

The team was created last year as a result of inquiries from individuals at the school, followed by a meeting with coach Tiffany Chambers and her staff team at Almaden Spirit Athletics.

The campus buzzed with excitement as girls practiced their cheer tryout routine in the bathrooms and in front of the Horton.

After cheer tryouts, the girls attended JAMZ Summer Camp in

the summer of 2014, where they learned various cheerleading skills and stunts.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life. It was a great opportunity for me to develop my skills. We didn’t feel like an outcast team anymore because we had made connections with other teams,” said Katherine Hatrich, junior and co-captain.

Once the 2014 - 2015 school year began, the UPA Cheer Team performed at Back to School Night, the PTSO Barbecue, the Neon Homecoming Rally, Almaden Art & Wine Festival, at the Halloween Rally, and in multiple competitions.

In the Dec. 6 JAMZ Slam City competition at Cow Palace in San Francisco, UPA’s cheer team placed second.

The team has recently been working on the cheer part of the routine, which entails a loud cheer and simultaneous stunts.

Many members of the team have some dance experience, but no tumbling experience.

“We have to remember a routine, hit stunts, chant a cheer, and look good while doing it. It is one of the hardest parts of the routine, something I wasn’t expecting because when I tried out for cheer. I thought it was going to be easy and just a team bonding experience,” Mungaray said.

After countless hours practicing they have finally memorized their routine, mastered their stunts, and performed the loudest chant they could in order to be competition-ready.

The team’s upcoming competitions are at USA Cheer Competition in Antioch on Jan. 17 and Cheersport Competition in Stockton on March 1.

The team is already beginning to visualize goals for the next season.

“I plan to increase the number of participants for the next season, create a JV and Varsity team--possibly even a 7th and 8th grade team, and see the girls at the Nationals next season,” coach Chambers said.

By Lucy Yepiz

This year’s 3-D Art class is creating small sculptures that depict various social issues, including fat-shaming, self-harm, global warming, and suicide.

The students must collaborate with each other and create a four-by-four inch piece that will be displayed in 12 classrooms around the school.

“It’s the process of making art about ‘something’ besides aesthetically pleasing landscapes, portraits, etcetera.

All that is good too, but going beyond that is what we do in 3-D art,” said Karen Crump, the 3-D art teacher.

These thoughtfully made works of art aim to bring attention to common issues that people in today’s society face.

“Our society is built

to cater to men, and men just have more conveniences and opportunities,” said Khanh Phu, junior, regarding her project on the disadvantages that women face in society. She expressed her need to speak up and send a message about all the obstacles that women face through her sculpture.

Raelene Wolf, senior, highlighted the issue of domestic violence in her sculpture. She was inspired to choose the topic of violence and abuse that can be present in a seemingly loving relationship after asking math teacher Mr. DeVaul what social issue was closest to his heart.

Domestic violence is especially prevalent in our society as we observe an increasing amount of controversial abuse cases in the media, and awareness is paramount to help people

stay safe from this ever-growing threat.

“The idea that you don’t have to look at yourself and judge yourself based on your skin color” was the main message that Sitara Bellam, junior, tried to convey through her piece on racism and discrimination.

This multitude of projects is meant to educate the students of UPA on problems that they might have not sincerely noticed before, and to “strike a chord” in everyone in the hopes that they will stand up for a cause and strive to end the injustices that are happening every day.

Awareness needs to be raised and actions need to be taken. Mrs. Crump and her 3-D art class are actively working towards taking these measures and creating artwork that aims to emphasize major issues in society,

On Nov. 5, the University Preparatory Academy founders met with the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) in order to finalize the renewal of UPA’s five-year charter.

The petition to renew, having met all qualifications, was approved by the SCCOE.

The new terms of the charter will begin on July 1, 2015, and end on June 30, 2020.

During the SCCOE meeting, conflict arose regarding the school’s lack of inclusion of low socioeconomic students and progress closing the achievement gap.

Though the charter was approved, SCCOE Vice President Darcie Green said she was “uncomfortable” with renewing the charter for five years and wished she could renew it for fewer.

She expressed her concern for the lack of progress toward the inclusion and performance of low-income, ethnic minority, and English language learner students within the UPA student body.

UPA is the only charter school in the area with a lottery system that has such low percentages of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, Green said at the meeting.

SCCOE Board Member Joseph Di Salvo said that in 2012, 15 percent of UPA students were

considered to have low socioeconomic status, as opposed to the 49 percent of students considered to have low socioeconomic status in San Jose Unified School District.

UPA Founder and Executive Director Daniel Ordaz, Sr., stood in front of the board to address the complaints, reiterating that UPA’s admissions are based on a lottery system and that the profiles of chosen students are only revealed after all students have been selected.

Ordaz also said that in an attempt to be more inclusive to socioeconomically disadvantaged students, UPA will now focus recruitment efforts on certain areas of San Jose. Ordaz himself plans to attend various community meetings in the area to encourage a wider variety of students to apply to UPA.

After the charter renewal was approved, Ordaz said the issue of the achievement gap at UPA is “all a matter of context.”

Ordaz explained that one of the criteria for reauthorizing the charter was for low socioeconomic students to score better at UPA than they theoretically would in their home school district, which for most UPA students would be San Jose Unified School District.

State testing results from the 2012-2013 school year show UPA students classified as having a low socioeconomic status scored an average API of 822, while the entire school scored an average API of 895.

In comparison, the state average API for the low socioeconomic population is approximately 743.

3D Art Students Showcase Social Justice Issues

Photo by Lucy Yepiz Art by sophomore Alex Ruiz aims to discourage deforestation. so that we can better ourselves and gain a new perspective.

“I’m really excited about these projects, I think it’s a really rad concept,” said Jordan Byler, junior.

The students are enthusiastic about the help that they’re providing for victims of these social issues and for UPA as a whole. Raising awareness

and speaking up about these injustices in creative ways creates a sense of an innovative and progressive movement happening within the school.

“Art students take a stand about a problem, get inspired, think deeply about it, make interesting art. That’s the goal,” said Crump.

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News

Crossing the Finish Line: Cross-Country to CCS

By Paj Thao The very first season of UPA’s varsity cross-country began in late August this year and ended in mid-November, with fourteen close members and their good-humored coach, Lorenzo Dobson. The coach’s strenuous workout left the high-school students panting. However, they saw an extent of improvement as the season wore on.

Junior Arianna Kotlier strongly agrees.

“Every time I came to practice, I felt stronger, even if my legs felt like lead,” she said.

“It was very rewarding to come to practice and do the same exercise you did a few weeks ago and be able do the exercise until the timer runs out.”

During the season, the team practiced for and participated in four local competitions.

UPA’s girls’ varsity team placed

second in two of these. Additionally, on November 6, the girls learned that they had made it into the California Interscholastic Federation’s Central Coast Section Cross-Country Playoffs, which took place on November 16.

“I think it’s safe to say that we were very excited to know that we made it into the playoffs,” freshman Amrita Sivia said. “We were also pretty ecstatic and surprised to know that we were the first UPA sports team to make it to CCS.” Kotlier, the team’s most experienced and best runner, hurt her calves a few days before the Saturday meet. “Overall the race was not my best, but racing while not feeling my absolute best made me appreciate athletes who frequently compete with serious injuries,” she said. “I placed 16th out of 63 girls at the meet, and was a few places away from qual-

ifying for state championships.”

The boys’ team hasn’t placed as high, but they have had a fun season.

“Well, to be honest, we’ve come in about last place in every single meet so far,” freshman Daniel Shin said.

They have, however, been slowly moving up the placement ladder.

“I’m glad that most of us tried our best, and that all of us somewhat improved,” Shin said.

“Despite the statistics, I think that this first season has been relatively successful.”

Regardless of all the difficulties, physical or competitive, the members were able to face them together. The team and coach have formed a close bond over the course of the season as they shared time and experiences with one another.

“When you’re out there, and you’re running at the meets,

Photo courtesy of Lauren Hernandez The girls volleyball team celebrates after its last playoff game.

Volleyball Competes in League Playoffs

By Eliana Batrez

After their best season to date and their first time making playoffs, UPA’s girls volleyball season ended on November 4, 2014.

The team took second place in their division and third overall in the Private School Athletic League.

During league play, the team had a record of 10 wins and 2 losses; both of these losses were at the hands of St. Thomas More, UPA’s rival volleyball team.

According to Guevara, “St. Thomas More, the second time, was our best game. The girls prepared very well and we came within two points of winning.”

The team’s biggest challenge this season was replacing the vacancies left by last years starters.

“This was an incredibly young team...there were times where the younger girls really had to step up and I was incredibly impressed when they did,” says Guevara.

Freshmen Melanie Chou and Jessica Ponce had the most playing minutes out of the whole

team with Chou playing the most minutes this season.

Another aspect of having such a young team was the need for on-floor leadership. Captains are expected to lead on and off of the floor and need to be starters.

This year’s captain, junior Emily Chou, spoke very highly of the team.

“It was really cool to watch everyone grow together and evolve as a team: skill wise, in terms of bonding and becoming a unit,” she said. “I learned a lot from Mr. Guevara and all of my teammates, and they brightened every afternoon after being at school all day.”

As for seniors Sanya Mann and Megan Holland, each brought their own flavor to the team.

“Sanya brought calmness to the team and was really funny; Megan was like the mother hen on and off court,” said freshman Lauren Hernandez.

Overall, “This was a very fun, emotional team to coach,” Guevara said, “I’m extremely proud.”

in a sense, you are alone, and you’re running for yourself,” Coach Dobson said. “But this is a team, and it’s a small community of runners. Around other people that have the same goal, you can accomplish that much more,” and it can have a bigger impact.

The first season of crosscountry has seen plenty of success in more than one way.

“I think success is ultimately determined by the bond the team has created, and not how they place,” Kotlier said.

UPA is already beginning to replace its Algebra and Geometry classes with the new Integrated Math classes, combining algebra, geometry, statistics, and precalculus. High school students will need to take 3 years of Integrated Math in order to meet the CSU/UC requirement for math.

Though some parents and students prefer the traditional algebra and geometry courses, students may forget concepts they learned in Algebra I when entering into Algebra II, which forces teachers to spend time reviewing concepts.

However, in Integrated Math the concepts students learn will constantly be built upon, preventing them from being forgotten.

Nada Bennett, the current 7th/8th grade math and Algebra II Honors teacher, is a strong supporter of the Common Core curriculum.

“I am a true advocate for the Common Core methodology

of teaching mathematics,” Bennett said.

“Incorporating deeper understanding, more inquiry based learning, and various real world applications of math has been my philosophy of teaching for years,” she added.

Jaz Dhillon, Geometry, Algebra II, and AP Calculus BC teacher, said that in Common Core there are new guidelines for math teachers, which focus on problem solving and critical thinking, and Dhillon believes that they are great guidelines.

However, Dhillon said that the lack of resources and support for math teachers makes it more difficult to teach the curriculum.

Although there might be a learning curve, due to how different these standards are from previous ones, and students may have trouble understanding the new concepts, Dhillon believes students will benefit from these standards in the long run.

at the night rally. They came up with a dance routine to a medley of modern songs.

The overall feedback from the students at the night rally deemed it a success. The night rally could very well be a new tradition at UPA.

quire their role in the play.

The overall performance of these students was consistent.

The characters were expressed excellently with an abundant amount of emotion and enthusiasm. This can be seen as the audience roared in applause at the end of each performance.

To create the setting for the play, students from the art classes helped to create the props, background and overall scenes.

One neat feature was the bubble machine that was used to replicate snowfall, as it made the play seem authentic.

Snow Angel was another fantastic demonstration by the students of UPA, and the school hopes to see them return for upcoming plays.

Math Curriculum Overhauled

By Greg Furman

Math teachers are beginning to change the way mathematical concepts are taught at UPA due to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

These new standards put more emphasis on group work, problem-solving skills and real life application, rather than simply memorization of formulae and explicit procedures for solving problems.

“These new Common Core standards are more closely aligned to the rest of world’s,” Stewart Hamilton, the UPA 8th grade math and Integrated Math teacher, said, “and are more focused on deeper thinking, rather than rote memorization of formulas and procedures.”

Hamilton also described these new math problems as “more of a puzzle than a procedure,” thus requiring students to engage in collaboration and justify answers.

In Brief

By Albert Lam UPA Night Rally On Oct. 24, UPA held its first night rally. The students of UPA wore colors according to their class and had glow sticks to light up the night.

It was a typical UPA rally, though this specific rally was presented by the senior class. The activities included the traditional tug-of-war, as well as a newly introduced game, squawktalk, where participants were required to make beats and sounds with their bodies or everyday objects.

Every year, the senior class coordinates their own dance routine to perform at the rally. This wasn’t any different

Why You Don’t Need a Bae

By Kim Do

Photo courtesy of Mandy Sivia

Fall Play: Snow Angel UPA gathered in the fall to audition for and perform in the classic play, Snow Angel. Families and friends of the student actors and actresses came to see the results of the strenuous work and dedication from the performers as they suited up and put on their characters.

The cast consisted of sixteen hand-picked students ranging from the seventh through twelfth grade, who demonstrated their best at the auditions to ac-

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Editorial

I can’t put a finger on the amount of times that I’ve walked into sobbing girls trapped between the bathroom stalls, being comforted by their best friends.

Yes, you know exactly what I’m talking about. They’re everywhere. It’s a plague—a zombie apocalypse that no Ben & Jerry can hide from.

Being heartbroken sucks.

I know, I know.

And when it happens, you can literally feel your heart strings pulling to shreds, and you “can’t even”. Whether you’re the perpetrator or the victim, the pain is inevitable.

By the time you’ve finally moved on and met another special someone, you’re much too late in realizing that it was all just another facade. And the cycle starts over.

You hear the cliché “You can do so much better” speech and spend hours deleting photos and updating your Facebook relationship status.

Now, obviously, I’m no love expert; I don’t have a single Ph.D. in Romance, but what I do know is that life—especially our short-lived high school years— should not be wasted on searching for an intimate relationship.

We do not need to sit around waiting for our Prince Charming, and we certainly do not need to waste precious time shedding tears over “somebody

we used to know.”

So instead of asking Why?, ask Why not?

As a UPA student, you know well by now that late night studying is part of your routine.

Having a partner is like adding 2 AP classes to your schedule!

Relationships are time consuming.

Chances are, you won’t be able to spend every second with your partner, and even if you could, what about Netflix?

Or that history paper still craving to be finished?

These hectic teenage years were meant to be enjoyed; play those video games, shop for those cute new boots, binge on that last Netflix episode.

You have the rest of your life to search for your soul mate; just look at Ted Mosby.

More importantly, being independent means learning to appreciate and love yourself.

It means you do not need the approval of others—especially someone you have feelings for.

Being independent means that you are content with yourself, that you are responsible for your own happiness, and that you’ve accepted that role and no longer need to be treated as a damsel in distress.

That’s not to say that you should never experience love because you should. Love is a beautiful thing, an irrefutable sensation.

Instead, I hope to deter you from believing that you should devote your time to finding and being in a relationship, and instead, encourage you to spend time loving yourself and finding inner happiness.

Good luck, Miss Independent & Mr. Singleton.

University Preparatory Academy

LGBTQ Community in Need

By Emily Massiello Approximately five years ago, a proposal for a GayStraight Alliance (GSA) club at University Preparatory Academy was struck down by the school board, and the proposition of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning) support at UPA all but died with it, leaving an entire community feeling marginalized and unsupported.

In addition to a lack of a GSA or other club targeted to LGBTQ students, only one “Safe Space” poster promoting inclusivity can currently be found in classrooms, and the few posters and pamphlets promoting a local LGBTQ Youth Space found on campus were recently introduced by myself.

The LGBTQ student community’s voice at UPA is largely stifled by fear—fear of being outed, being ostracized, or even being disparaged by a learning or home environment that shows no obvious support or acceptance of them.

For example, one bisexual student who was willing to be interviewed for this article ultimately could not have his words published, as he could not remain anonymous and he feared he could be persecuted or even disowned if his parents ever read this article.

The lack of representa-

The Aquila is a student-produced and student-edited high school newspaper. It serves as a designated public forum for student expression.

Managing Editor Eliana Batrez In-Depth Editor Juli Rendler News Editors Nicholas Castillo Melissa Drews Editorial Editor Biren Rama Features Editor Kim Do A&E Editor Meklit Moges Campus Life Editor Sahana Bhargava Copy Editors Paj Thao Greg Furman

Web/Social Media Editors Lucy Yepiz Flavio Quintero Staff Writers Osvaldo Barragan, Neha James, Sabeeq Karim, Albert Lam, Emily Massiello, Natorie Moreno, Diana Rendler, Jimmy Sran, Fetwti Tekie, Nerayo Tekie Contributing Writer Anum Aslam Advisor Laura Gordon Reska Contact (408) 723-1839 2315 Canoas Garden Ave San Jose, CA 95125 aquila@upatoday.com We encourage reader participation through Aquila’s Schoology page.

Please keep criticism constructive, avoid offensive behavior, and keep feedback relevant to the paper.

tion of LGBTQ students in UPA’s student community—largely a result of safety concerns—has led several students to believe there are so few LGBTQ students at UPA that the absence of support for these students is not a significant issue.

Accurate statistics cannot be provided to prove the existence of the LGBTQ community at UPA, as any attempt to take a census would only reflect the existence and opinions of students willing to identify as part of the LGBTQ community; many students would likely avoid identifying as part of this community for personal or safety concerns.

W h i l e determining the population percentage of the LGBTQ community at UPA has proven to be an issue, several national studies have been conducted regarding the safety risks of schools not providing support to this community.

In addition to being two to three times more likely to commit suicide, LGBTQ teens “who feel their school is unsafe get lower grades, have worse attendance records, and are more likely to drop out of school,” according to a 2011 survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

Despite the recent inclusion of more social clubs such as Girl Up, Interact, Acts of Random Kindness and the Black Student Union, UPA’s LGBTQ community continues to lack a club or space to meet. AP psychology

teacher Loren Schwinge, an avid supporter of the LGBTQ community, expressed the need for LGBTQ students to have a safe space, especially for those who do not have safe homes.

“School is often the safest place for them,” she said.

While Schwinge agreed that phone hotlines and online chat rooms are definitely beneficial options for LGBTQ students to find support, she added that “they are in no way a replacement for an actual community.”

While Schwinge has proven to be a helpful confidant to students, she does not have official training to deal with such crucial issues and cannot alleviate the absence of LGBTQ support on her own.

UPA currently does not have any mental health counselors, as well, leaving untrained staff to try and assist students.

In order to alleviate the strain on LGBTQ students, UPA should increase access to LGBTQ-inclusive curricular resources and should least promote a “Safe Space” for all students.

While a GSA or similar club will likely not be approved in the near future, it still should remain a long-term goal.

Students and faculty should also realize that inconsiderate words and actions can have a lasting effect on those around them, and that LGBTQ students are, in general, hypersensitive to the treatment of themselves and their community.

arming the staff so that they are able to fight against any potential threats.

“Teachers and parents should be able to carry the tools of self-defense in schools, so that they stand some chance at stopping crazed murderers,” Brown said.

This method would require teachers to put their time and effort into something other than education. It would be a hassle for teachers to have to worry about something as working a gun.

Their focus should be on the education of students rather than learning how to shoot armed intruders.

This method would not be the safest approach as it requires teachers to put their lives in danger while confronting armed intruders.

Instead, having guards who have experience in the field of law enforcement would be a more suitable approach.

Alternative safety precautions include locking all of the doors during class.

University Preparatory Academy has been implementing this plan ever since the events of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Prior to this event, UPA has always kept its doors open.

Now, all the doors building are locked during class time.

This prevents unwanted strangers from entering the buildings and causing harm.

Locking the doors is a great and effective method to increase the safety on campus.

Locking the doors will provide more time for law enforcement to arrive and deal with the situation.

This is a sufficient way to keep the students and teachers in the safest possible conditions without having to come in contact or confront a potential threat.

Though it may be difficult to come up with and introduce a national policy for schools regarding shootings, individual schools must take precautions and prepare the staff and students in the case of a shooting.

“...fear of being outed, being ostracized, or even being disparaged by a learning or home environment.”

School Shootings: A National Problem

AQUILA Editor-in-Chief Sydney Harder

Volume 4, Issue 1

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December 15, 2014

By Albert Lam School shootings within the U.S. raise the question of gun control throughout the nation.

They also challenge the idea of whether or not schools are prepared for such emergencies, in which the students’ lives are in the hands of the school.

There are not many options a school has that guarantees the safety of the students, but there are methods that can decrease the amount of casualties.

Schools would actually be able to defend themselves rather than just avoiding the shooter if they have the proper policies regarding shootings.

In a U.S. News article, gun rights advocate Dudley Brown mentioned the idea of

In-Depth

UPA Puts the Stress in Stress-Assembly

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Coffee by the Gallon, Joy by the Cup

By Fetwti Tekie

The effects coffee has on students has been an ongoing debate; study shows that coffee can improve memory, decrease fatigue, and improve your mental functioning, which can help students be focused and energized for their daily activities, all because of its caffeine.

Although coffee has its downfalls when it is overly consumed, there are positive qualities to it as well. Caffeine helps keep students alert and vibrant throughout the day, especially if the student has many things to study for; however, after drinking an excess amount, the caffeine can give you insomnia or anxiety.

If coffee has to be consumed at the right time. Since

caffeine is absorbed by your body quickly, your body can get rid of the caffeine even quicker.

So, consuming coffee in the morning will not interfere with your night schedule. Also, if consume a small amount a day it will not give you anxiety. Coffee can benefit students’ busy schedule with the right dosage and proper timing.

6 Reasons to Drink Coffee Everyday Antioxidants: While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.

Less stress: Those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress.

Increase energy level: This is

because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.

Lower levels of suicide: Coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

Improve physical performance: Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, causing it to send signals to the fat cells to break down body fat Keeps you alert: When you’re sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning.

Photo by Kim Do The November Stress Asembly featured presenter Joy Linn.

By Kim Do

Los Gatos Teen Therapy speaker Joy Linn presented a Teen Stress Assembly to UPA students on Friday November 21, 2014.

Linn is credited with 10 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist and has been with the Los Gatos Teen Therapy Group for 1 year.

Her presentation featured an in-depth overview on parts of the brain and techniques to relieve stress, in which she gave three recommendations to relieve stress: deep breathing, stretching, and imagining.

7th grade science teacher and counselor Jill Buensuceso revealed that in preparation for the presentation, “The coordination of the Teen Stress Presentation came about organically as

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Volume 4, Issue 1

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December 15, 2014

a result of a side conversation between UPA counselors and Alex Nielsen, a representative and MFTI from Los Gatos Teen Therapy.”

The counselors examined the program and its services to students and the community, and because the organization does not provide school presentations, both the group and UPA counselors worked to create the presentation that students attended on the 21st.

Buensuceso continued, “I feel that it is important for students to learn the reality about balance and acquire effective coping skills today that will help keep them healthy and sane when confronted with inevitable times of stress, trials, and extreme hardship tomorrow”, as junior Sam Mossadeghian expressed his concerns, “I believe most students

feel an unnecessary pressure to be a perfectionist”.

Most students had not been aware of the presentation and did not know what to expect until it was announced on the Monday prior to the event.

Mossadeghian elaborated on his expectations,”I hope that information is given out about coping mechanisms, for I’m under the impression that most high school students are unaware of how one is properly supposed to deal with their stress.”

Several students ridiculed the presentation even before the proceeding, deriding teachers for causing the stress in the first place and demanding them to “give less homework”.

Following the presentation, most students responded with opposition. Senior Natorie Moreno claims, “A lot of the stu-

dents here are very understanding of higher quality education and are educated in that manner. A lof of the stuff that was presented, we already know. I think we should have went about it as a way to prevent it and make better decisions”.

Students were gifted with “stress toys”, elastic orange bands marked with “UPA- Bend Don’t Break”, as UPA’s efforts to promote stress relief in a the hectic student climate.

On behalf of the administration, Buensuceso assures students, “As counselors and teachers, we recognize the immense pressure and strain our students are under to achieve academically and perform well in every endeavor by parents, teachers, peers, society- not to mention the pressure students place on themselves.”

A Chill Playlist for a Chilly Season: Stress Reduction Edition

By Lucy Yepiz

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Cartoon by Sabeeq Karim

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Added Pressure: Are AP Classes Worth It?

By Melissa Drews According to College Board, 500,000 more students have been taking AP exams since 2003.

With so many students taking advanced classes, the benefits of taking APs must outweigh the bad, right?

Yet the answer to this question might not be as simple as one might think, especially at UPA, where students are required to take two AP classes to graduate.

While APs are extremely helpful to students and do prepare them for college, they definitely should not take multiple just because they can; they should take APs that interest and benefit them and they will enjoy, because despite their benefits, AP’s are stressful, time-consuming, and demanding, and often cause great amounts of stress on a student’s brain, whether it is their first or tenth AP class.

“These classes should be meant for people who want [a particular] subject in their lives in a major way and who already have accelerated knowledge of the topic,” Teen Life blogger Evan Berkowitz said in his post, “Why I Didn’t Take Advanced Placement (AP) Classes”.

And though many think

APs are extremely valuable and give students better opportunities to attend the best colleges, the stresses of APs seem to be getting way too high.

“You can just feel the pressure from all the students around you,” junior Emily Chou said.

Senior Megan Holland added, “The AP-centered environment at UPA is very competitive since everyone is always trying to do better than the person next to them, plus some people are harder on themselves...to do well and get the best grades possible.”

Chou took AP World History last year and is currently taking 4 APs: Calculus, Biology, Literature, and U.S. History, and Holland has taken the last three; she is currently taking AP Psychology, Language, and will take the required AP Government next semester.

“I wanted to see how much I really could do,” Chou said, later adding that she loved math, science and english, also reason for her taking those classes.

Chou recalled, however, that sophomore year was incredibly stressful, and Holland also recalled her junior year to be incredibly unreasonably rigorous, saying there was “an unreason-

able amount of work”.

Also, Chou still often does not get all her homework done in a night, and sometimes gets so stressed she just takes a break and relaxes, also accounting for undone work.

She said there is healthy stress and unhealthy stress, but noted that at UPA, there is “more unhealthy stress than healthy stress.”

Students should keep in mind that APs are not the beall-end-all; they are not the only and most important way to get into college. While taking them will get you credits and prepare you for college level work, there is also a large amount of stress and homework involved, and it tremendously impacts a student’s life both academically and socially.

AP students from last year may remember often hearing the quote “You have to choose your battles if you want to win the war.”

APs are definitely a big challenge, and it can be incredibly difficult to learn how to handle the stressful course load and pace of classes; just because it is “Advanced Placement” does not mean it’s the best way to the “best” college.

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Photo by Neha James Junior Sam Mossadeghian takes a de-stress break while studying for finals.

How many hours of sleep do you get per night?

229 students polled

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Sleepless Nights, Tired Teenagers

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By Neha James

How many nights have you spent staying up past midnight, fighting that drowsy feeling of your eyelids drooping?

Do you regularly “zone out” during the day? Is waking up in the morning difficult? These are signs of sleep deprivation, which is derived from irregular sleeping patterns or a lack of sleep overall.

Many people do not realize the importance of sleep in regards to the serious effects it has on the body. With multiple AP classes and other rigorous courses, cramming for next upcoming unit exam or hurriedly finishing that project which was assigned weeks ago takes priority over sleeping. As a result, many students lose precious hours of sleep, that have a greater impact on their bodies more than they realize. At night, the body is repairing and restoring itself on a

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cellular level. The mind reviews and stores memories for long durations. Without the time to recharge, the mind is severely affected in terms of learning abilities and memory.

The typical teenager should be getting 8 hours of sleep on a daily basis in order for them to function at their best. In a 2006 survey held by the National Sleep Foundation, only 15% of teens said they managed to get this much sleep on a school night.

Not only does this affect the quality of sleep but also slows down thought processes.

A lack of sleep hinders the ability to pay attention and remain focused throughout the day.

This can be especially problematic for students trying to concentrate and learn in the classroom environment.

Sleep deprivation also impairs memory—as the inability to concentrate results in an

individual becoming increasingly forgetful and distracted. Consequently, learning becomes increasingly difficult since students begin to lose focus easily— in turn decreases diligence and productivity.

A lack of sleep also affects mood and overall mental health. Sleep deprivation increases irritability and anger that causes aggressive behavior. Less sleep can even weaken one’s ability to cope with stress and sense of judgement. Functioning on less sleep hurts the ability to make sound judgements and assess situations accurately. Although a few hours of sleep may seem sufficient, this could be the result of poor judgement.

At this age, students should not have to deal with these repercussions yet it can lead to more serious health problems as they grow older. So close that AP textbook and hit the hay.

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“Superstar” by Sonic Youth “Badfish” By Sublime “Skinny Love”

by Bon Iver “Sea of Love” by Cat Power “Imagine” by John Lennon “Baby I’m Yours” by Arctic Monkeys “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat The World “Strawberry Swing” by Frank Ocean “Bros” by Panda Bear “This Charming Man” by The Smiths “Hem of Your Garment” by Cake “Californication”

by Red Hot Chili Peppers “Oceans” by Pearl Jam “About A Girl”

by Nirvana “Stop the Dams”

by The Gorillaz “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd “Habits (Hippie Sabotage Remix)” by Tove Lo “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES “Cold Coffee”

by Ed Sheeran “Shake It Off”

by Taylor Swift “Sober” by Childish Gambino [explicit] “Doses and Mimosas” by Cherub [explicit] “1977” by Anita Tijoux “Gin & Juice”

by Snoop Dogg [explicit] “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin

A&E

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The Star Behind the Magical Book Series

Kim’s Declassified Holiday Survival Guide

By Kim Do

The Holidays: the time of year to cuddle up by the fire, sip on mouth-savoring hot cocoa, and of course, endure the calamity of your family members. Luckily for you, I’ve compiled an A-list survival guide to keep your sanity.

“Chef Maniac” aka Your Mom: After ravaging for the last pumpkin pie at Costco and nearly burning her hands on the oven, the Chef Maniac’s inner Godzilla will unravel.

She’ll have too much pride to ask for help at first, but by a quarter past “I’m tired”, her dinner-menopause will commence, and your #1 goal is escape her wrath.

This is when you put on your football gear and get ready to run quarterback around

kitchen counters following military orders. Setting the table is bare minimum to satisfy her, so I recommend going the extra mile to pour glasses. Your #2 goal of seeing her contented smile will have been achieved.

The “Relationship Hunter”: She’s the one relative that has a profound obsession for romance gossip and spending leisure time embarrassing you just for giggles. You can spot her in her cat-eye-framed glasses and untamed, bright lipstick, chatting it up with adults.

You’ll be mid-bite on your turkey leg when you get attacked with the “So… do you have a boyfriend yet?”, or even worse, she’ll interrogate you about about your ex.

Five words: Keep calm, and carry on. Adults have a sixth sense for anxiety.

Nervous denial can only worsen your situation.

Crack a joke by responding, “Oh! Channing Tatum is fine.

He sends his greetings,” to alleviate parental suspicion.

The “Better” One: The sibling or cousin you never talk to but secretly despise the most because you’re forced to fake a smile to hide your cringing as your parents always compare you to them—praising The Better One and disowning your flaws. So what do you do to prevent a homicide? Look out for the phrase “So Jane, you’re a junior now, huh?”.

That’s your cue to excuse yourself to the kitchen for an extra glass of water—or a bit of champagne if you need it. Rest assured, these tricks are fool-proof. Good luck, from my family to yours.

But Mom, All the Cool Kids Have a Tumblr

By Fetwti Tekie

Social media is a great way for teens and others to browse and communicate.

However, Tumblr has become a great interest for teens for having control of what they say and sharing your interests with others who have a similar blog to you.

For those who do not know, Tumblr is a social media website where you can make your own personal blog. Tumblr brings positive effects, especially to teens.

The inspirational and uplifting quotes posted daily encourages and motivates teens to be better. Tumblr has helped shaped teens to be happier, even when times are tough. The eople are very up-lifting and caring, since you are in control the types of people/blog you attract.

If you are positive or negative on Tumblr, many people

Photo courtesy of launch.co

1. You can post/reblog whatever you want.

2. It is a great way to vent or jour-

nal your experiences.

3. You’re able to communicate with others who have similar blogs as you.

4. You are in control of the privacy of your blog.

5. You choose what you want censored; if you do not want to see certain things on your newsfeed, you are able to censor the whole area.

Although it isn’t the best way to interact with others, Tumblr is a great place to be yourself through your collage of photos and posts.

My freshman year I was a mess. One day, a person who I had a couple of classes with asked me if I was OK. I was as far from OK that day as it is possible to be—but until that point, not one person had asked me if something was wrong.

She became one of my closest friends. I would not be who I am today without her. We are all waiting for the day we can change the world, and in waiting, we fail to notice the moments when a kind word could change someone’s world.

Junior year, a serious rift began forming between us. Your friends will be difficult some weeks, some months, maybe even for an entire semester. Even when you are feeling hurt and betrayed, these rifts became apparent.

Do not throw away the friends who have stood beside

you in the best times and pulled you through your darkest days.

In the time that followed, the friend who had gotten me through my worst days was the one who needed help, but had I thrown our friendship away over any one disagreement.

Do not throw away a friendship or allow disputes to fester. Learn how to apologize, because even when you win an argument, you slowly poison the friendship.

Swallow your pride— most relationships can be repaired with a few kind words, and your true friends are worth infinitely more than your ego.

You will never be able to replace a friend.

Evaluate what they say objectively anyway, and do not make snap decisions based on your resentment in the mo-

who have similar taste and content will be attracted to your blog.

Tumblr can be used as a personal blog, where no one has access to your blog, or it can be a specific blog for certain people with similar interests to follow. It is up to the blogger what they see and who they want to see, unlike Facebook.

Top 5 Reasons to Have a Tumblr

Photo courtesy of Tymkrs.com DNA is pipetted into the docs on the agarose gel, the fourth step in running gel electrophoresis lab in PLTW course.

Students in UPA’s Medical Intervention class are performing the same gel electrophoresis labs you would see on a crime TV series.

Gel electrophoresis is used to separate different strands of DNA and identify them; the DNA is placed in a jelly-like substance, agarose gel, and run through an electrophoresis chamber, using electrical currents to move the DNA strands.

The smaller strands move farther than the larger strands; creating bands of DNA across the gel that can be compared to a known sample to identify the DNA. “This class is helpful to anyone going into the analysis or forensic fields,” said Chris Weitzel, the Medical Intervention teacher. “Any students who are going into biotechnology have to determine, isolate and treat genes” and this method is “used a lot in trying to determine genetic make-up.”

This lab focuses on helping the students gain practical experience by involving them in every step of making and running the gel just as it is in the workplace.

“These tools and technology are used in all genetic and forensic science labs,” Mr. Weitzel said.

This lab teaches the skills required in the work field

and adds to the curriculum of the class.

It is a hands-on activity that helps the students obtain a more solid understanding of the topic.

Despite its benefits -- increased understanding and practical experience -- it is a complicated lab, without much room for error.

This lab is “sink or swim,” said Jessica de la Paz, a junior in the Medical Intervention class.

“There are so many [important and detailed] steps,” said Nivi Lakshminarayanan, also a junior in Medical Intervention.

Because the process is very complicated, the students are required to concentrate more and have little time for chit-chat.

“Everyone was very on task,” said Loren Schwinge, who teaches of Principles of Biomedical Sciences.

However, not all of the effort-filled experiments obtain successful results.

They talked about the failed attempts to load the DNA into the docs, holes in the agarose gel, and failed experiments ending in a lack of results.

De la Paz and Lakshminarayanan later talked about how gel electrophoresis becomes “a second nature” in junior year, after having done the lab six times, twice in each year of the class.

Even the pipetting gets easier, they said.

An Open Letter From a Senior: Lessons Learned in High School

By Anum Aslam

Look at the people surrounding you. I have found some of my closest friends in people I didn’t originally like, and met people who possess qualities that remind of past versions of myself, and others who epitomize qualities of the person I want to be.

Know that you are often more similar to sworn enemies than close friends. Give everyone a chance to prove their value, otherwise you may miss out on some of your closest friendships.

Your friends will get you through high school. They will laugh with you until you are speechless, they will cry with you when you’re down, they will commiserate over your immense workloads, and they will get you to come to school when you are ready to give up.

By Diana Rendler

PLTW Students Take On CSI

By Diana Rendler

ment—feelings change, and not one of us is perfect in every way. Value the friends who patiently watch you become a better person after they’ve pointed out your shortcomings—they are your true friends.

If you find yourself on the other side of this equation, be gentle and genuinely listen to the other person. If it is your intention to avoid irreparably damaging the friendship, the balance between those three variables will determine whether you are successful or not. A single flippant or callous remark will be remembered, and will doom your efforts.

In the past year, I have found myself on both sides of this equation, and while I am incredibly lucky to have exited both versions with my friendships in-

tact, I have come to realize that these situations are so precarious that it is better to avoid them entirely if possible.

You will learn more from your teachers about life than you will ever learn about their subjects.

They have perspective that students simply don’t; nothing breaks me out of my own tunnel vision more completely and provides some respite than talking to Mrs. Padilla, Ms. Schwinge, or Ms. Sanine.

You won’t find answers in a teacher’s advisory lessons or in the artificial construct of a classroom, because real human connection cannot be contrived.

The genuine conversations you have with your teachers—and with your friends—will teach you more than most of your classes ever will.

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Volume 4, Issue 1

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6 Feat ures

December 15, 2014

Photo courtesy of Ari Marcopoulos Kendrick Lamar pauses during his performance in New York City for the Yeezus Tour.

New Hip-Hop Takes Over

By Flavio Quintero

Hip-hop has emerged as one of the biggest, innovative music genres in the world, and is one of our biggest pop-culture phenomenons - the simple blend of rhythmic delivery and rythmatic music that appeals to all.

All people have at least heard a hip-hop song once in their life, and proclaimed “hip-hop heads” are in love with the genre and the artists created in the 40 years since the genre has been around.

And hip-hop isn’t excluded from the old discussion about music in general: Is modern hip-hop stale, or becoming stale?

To answer this question, it’s important to look at what makes hip-hop “hip-hop,” and one important aspect is the rapping, or delivery.

“Baby-bubba to the boogedy-bang-bang the boogie,” the Sugarhill Gang raps in

their classic “Rapper’s Delight”, released in 1979, and while the song does have it’s place in history, it’s lyrics read like nursery rhymes in the modern framework of hip-hop today.

“Some people like the way it feels, some people wanna kill their sorrows, some people want to fit in with the popular, that was my problem,” says Kendrick Lamar on “Swimming Pools”, a song that details his own personal experience as a youth regarding alcohol.

In analyzing the verse, Lamar does not glorify alcohol nor does he immediately veer off into the territory of a cheesy public service announcement, but he analyzes the role it played in his life with peer pressure and self-indulgence with maturity, the topic itself that is completely relevant to today’s youth.

“They’ll be shooting whether it’s dark or not, I mean, the days is pretty dark a lot/Down

here, it’s easier to find a gun than it is to find a [expletive] parking spot,” raps Chance the Rapper on “Pusha Man/Paranoia”, referring to the nature of violence in Chicago (where he himself lives becoming more widespread amongst the youth, something that is extremely topical for those actually living in Chicago and youth violence in general.

Both Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper are improving upon the foundations of hip-hop while keeping it relevant to today’s audience, always advancing as the world around them does, So, to answer the question posed previously, at the lyrical level, no.

Modern hip-hop is not only equal to it’s precedent, but it is improving and building upon the foundations of the past and creating timeless classics for time to come.

Last year Archbishop Mitty High School and Lincoln High School won 1st and 2nd place, respectively.

Bellarmine High School’s tree was placed next to last year’s 1st place tree and was no competition for Mitty High School as it lacked in decor.

The windy path slowly brings everyone back to the center of the park which contains the main lighted tree with a gold shining star on the top, lit on November 28, 2014 at 6 p.m.

As the tree was lighted the Silicon Valley Orchestra played classic holiday songs.

Between the decorated trees and main tree are snapshots of ideas which represent Christ-

mas such as elves working on presents, Santa’s sleigh, and reindeers prancing.

Many vendors station themselves near the entertainment enticing customers with samples of apple ciders, hot chocolate, melted chocolate chip cookies, and even macaroons.

The most popular food vendors have long lines and offer Gourmet Hot Chocolate, Mexican Food and Desserts, and Sweet Hot Dogs.

The park also includes many rides and rollercoasters, ranging for all ages of kids.

The last attraction of the park is the ice skating rink located near the Fairmont Hotel.

Christmas in the Park is

Even though J.K. Rowling is no longer in the spotlight after the last movie adaption of her Harry Potter books came out, she continues to write and publish new books.

J.K. Rowling stands for Joanne Rowling, but the “K”is not part of her real name; she borrowed her grandmother’s middle name to form her pen name.

Her new book, Cuckoo’s Calling, was written under a different pen name, Robert Galbraith, to avoid the response from the public that comes along with her publishing new books.

“Being Robert Galbraith was such a liberating experience.

It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation, and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name,” she said in an article in the New York Times.

Over the years, Rowling has been giving away her fortune; being richer than the Queen of England was not in her comfort zone.

“You don’t expect the kind of problems wealth brings with it. You don’t expect the pressure,” she said according a biography.

She founded a charity in 2005, called Lumos, to help end the institutionalization of children worldwide. This charity received profits from Rowling’s book sales and has decreased child institutionalization in Moldova by 70%.

“The power of one per-

Photo courtesy of Carlo Allegri JK Rowling poses for her New York Times interview. son to change things is incredible,” said Vicky Gillings, a spokeswoman for Lumos.

“The power of one person to change things is incredible” said Vicky Gillings, a spokeswoman for Lumos.

Much of Rowling’s fortune came from her record breaking Harry Potter series. When the fourth book came out in July 2000, it was the fastest selling book in history.

“For a few years, I did feel I was on a psychic treadmill, trying to keep up with where I was. Everything changed so rapidly,” Rowling said. “I knew no one who’d ever been in the public eye. I didn’t know anyone to whom I could turn and say, ‘What do you do?’ So it was incredibly disorienting.”

For the next seven years, Rowling’s books continued to reach new heights; her sixth book saw the biggest opening in publishing history, selling 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours.

“Whatever money you might have, self-worth really lies in finding out what you do best,” said Rowling in an article by Mental Floss.

Let’s Take a Stroll Through the Land of Snow

By Sahana Bhargava

Christmas In The Park is a winter wonderland decorated with thousands of glimmering lights located in San Jose’s Downtown Plaza.

Upon entering the park, there are huge ornaments where many take sleigh ride portraits, available for sale near the stage.

Then, a windy path on the sidewalk allows visitors to view all the Christmas trees decorated by high schools, including Girl Scout Troops, and companies.

Many high schools in the area decorated their tree with school colors in hopes of winning the annual contest.

Photo by Sahana Bhargava The main ornament at Christmas in the Park attracts admirers. a free family event which is open to visitors until the end of December.

Throughout the month of December the park will hold different giving drives such as the Harvest Food Bank, Clothes for

Tots, Breakfast with Santa, and the Santa Run. It is a perfect way to spend an evening with your family during the holidays while experiencing a part of the North Pole in your backyard.

8 Campus Life

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December 15, 2014

Senior Rite of Passage

By Biren Rama

Senior projects have been a tradition at UPA since it’s outset.

Seniors work the community to slowly learn about a field until sufficient enough to present an entire year’s work to the school.

For most seniors, the projects cause stress and pain, but also enhances experience and awareness of the world around them.

The projects present many obstacles to the seniors, which included research and wrorking in partnerships. Ravi Chachad and Joshua De La Paz worked on different aspects of their project about the causes of homelessness simultaneously despite being partners.

Current seniors also find the amount of time given to work on the project troubling.

Although they have been working on it since January, many of the formative months were spent on community service and research.

There are deadlines in place for most elements that go into the project.

“So far, the drafts due have been rushed, but it gives you an incentive to start,” said senior Alexis Atwal.

These drafts keep the seniors in check and make sure everyone is on pace.

This project has a huge impact on grades as well, totaling 10 % of the seniors’ english grade, and each individual draft goes into the gradebook, leading to greater significance.

Another difficulty is community service. Finding a opportunity that is relevant to your project, as well as misunderstandings about community service advisors roles lead to many problems.

The advisor’s job is to contribute guidance and support for the students.

“Find people with experience in the topic to be your academic mentor,” said Ramsee Chand.

However, there is only so much advisors can do,

When asked what the advisors expect of the students, Wustrow replied, “What I’m looking for is growth, I want to see that is was researched properly, and has a good presentation.”

She wants the project to be relevant to UPA students as well, so that it has an impact on the underclassmen.

Wustrow also said, “The senior project prepares them to be freshmen, next year they’ll be in college.”

Andrew Lin: Winning It All

By Osvaldo Barragan

Andrew Lin, an accomplished 10th grade sophomore, goes the extra mile in order to achieve his dreams of entering some of America’s top universities to become an engineer.

Besides his already excellent study habits, work quality, and overall grades, Lin does not find that this alone will make him stand out amongst the rest of his peers.

So he does anything that might make him stand out including, American Mathematics Competitions testing or AMC testing, which is an annual test that happens between the months November and February that poses mathematical questions that vary in difficulty.

The 25 question AMC

test is based on grade, the AMC 8 is taken by 8th graders and below, the AMC 10 is taken by 10th graders and below finally the AMC 12 is taken by 12th graders and below; to add to that the difficult test is timed so speed and accuracy are everything.

When approached with a difficult question Andrew said “ Well if a question takes me too long I’ll move on and get back to it later” he said. This way at the very least he can complete the rest of the questions.

Although the test isn’t a competition in itself, to Lin “the AMC isn’t a direct competition but it can be considered competition in terms of test scores”, Lin said, basically depending on how many the student gets right on the AMC dictates who maybe a better candidate for universities around

America.

The process of the test is relatively short since the student is taken out of their typical school class schedule at any given moment, then are to be placed in a room with 75 minutes to complete the AMC and are simply tested there until the AMC is over ,and then the student continues on their daily routine once again.

It is this lack of time that makes AMC test taker Andrew Lin study vigorously” sometimes I have my parents quiz me on some of the questions” Lin said “ I also revise my previous AMC tests” which helps him with the key information he might need.

Although some of his advantages lie not only in his study habits, but his experience of AMC testing since Andrew has been doing the test since 7th grade and

Photo courtesy of Andrew Lin Sophomore Andrew Lin shares a picture from his Schoology account. knows the ropes in what allotted time he as for each question and to keep calm when testing since for rushing or panicking will only make the test more difficult.

It is through all these strenuous measures that Lin has achieved being in some of the small percentage of Americans that have the highest test scores.

New Teachers Inspired

By UPA Students

By Jimmy Sran and Neha James KATHERINE SANINE

Ten years ago, UPA’s economics teacher, Katherine Sanine, did not know what her career would be, “I definitely never expected myself to be a teacher,” said Sanine.

She was afraid of public speaking and thought of herself as very shy.

All of that has changed now as she has her mind set to beat the statistic, “Half of new teachers quit in the first five years of teaching.”

She was motivated to beat the statistic and remain a teacher because of her students.

Helping students is her passion, and thus she hopes to pursue further in this career and help more students.

Although a teacher now, Sanine misses her days as a student.

“I’m jealous as I watch students go from class to class. As a teacher, I want to improve in my teaching style, and that is why I observe other teachers hoping to learn new things which can be implemented in my classroom,” Sanine said.

MARK KENT

Twenty years ago, science teacher Mark Kent expected himself to be a process chemist

Photo by Neha James Teachers pause for a picture in the midst of lesson planning and helping students. New French teacher Mariangela Parenti was unavailable for an interview for this article and is not pictured.

From left to right: Katherine Sanine, Mark Kent, Kimberly Gavin, and Nicole Sebek. for the rest of his career, since he that was what he was doing at the time.

But Kent has always been something of a teacher, even when he was an industrial chemist.

“I can’t count the number of my junior chemists and technicians that I taught while they worked for me.

I taught them chemistry, safety, and all of the other concepts that they needed to do their job correctly,” he said.

When teaching, he enjoys seeing the “aha” moment when a student suddenly gets a concept with which they have been struggling.

He ultimately made the decision to teach because he wanted to be in a place where he could start passing on some of his knowledge.

“Hopefully I can be a good influence on youngsters as they learn,” Kent said.

KIMBERLY GAVIN

When Kimberly Gavin arrived as a new teacher at UPA, she noticed that the students re-

mind her of herself when she was a student in high school.

“When I was in high school, I took almost every Honors and AP course available (passed four exams), played two sports, and almost always was busy,” she said.

The determined and ambitious nature of UPA students remind her of her past life as a student.

Gavin understands the difficulties of high school, but thankfully she had her AP Government teacher as a mentor.

“My AP Government teacher not only helped me to pass the AP test, but once I graduated from UC Santa Barbara, I student taught with him during the teaching credential program at CSU Stanislaus,” she said, “and he helped me become a swim coach as well.”

She is glad to have had a supportive teacher who aided her in pursuing her goals, and does her best to aid her current students as well.

“I am driven by my students and admire their motivation to do well,” Gavin said.

NICOLE SEBEK

Nicole Sebek, before working at UPA as a Algebra 2 teacher, was an engineer for fifteen years.

Her teaching interest began when several co-workers asked if she could help their kids with higher level math.

Sebek said that “most of the students [she] was helping had a very high math anxiety.”

She realized that she enjoyed tutoring and helping students with their math problems more than trying to solve problems designing ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits).

“I enjoyed tutoring the students and was asked if I would like to volunteer at Metro Ed with the Adult students trying to get their GEDs,” she said.

Sebek started volunteering to help one night a week and more and more students asked if they could come multiple nights a week.

These adults started asking her if she could help their kids and eventually she was tutoring all of her free time.