Aquila Eagles Soar During Spirit Week Volume 3, Issue 1
Nov. 5, 2013
University Preparatory Academy
From Left to Right: Taylor Westover, Amanuel Bizuneh, Christina Luu, Naomi Sengal, Jackey Contreras, Khanh Phu, Saron Tedla, Stephanie Umali, Jennifer Nguyen, Rasmeet Dhillon, Raelene Wolfe, Shane Maze, Katarina Cupich, Lorna Haworth, Rachel Zody, Barkoat Moges, Joy Montes de Oca, Brieanne Scott, Alex Munoz, Sheenu Kaur, Hailey Allen, Freshmen Class. Photo by Akeiylah DeWitt
By Sydney Harder With widespread participation and a renewed vigor to win a chance to plan the next spirit rally, UPA students participated in their first spirit week of the school year during the week of Oct. 14. The senior class planned this spirit week, which featured themed dress days such as artsy, punk-rock, and jock. The seniors also organized the end-of-theweek rally. Intense games like
musical chairs and relay races took place, in which all grades participated in- individual participants and audiences alike. With hundreds of pairs of hands in unison, the famous “We Will Rock You” beat echoed throughout the gym, as students cheered on their classmates. Unique posters that represented each grade radiated the same energy and spirited vibe that the students exemplified. “We wanted to create fun games to incorporate everyone,” senior Charles Wei said.
Most students felt that the spirit rally was a major improvement from previous rallies, partly because it was more engaging and the seniors’ amusing dance performance was the highlight of the rally. “The senior dance was definitely the most entertaining,” freshman Maria Altube said. The determined seventh graders won the rally with more than 600 spirit points. They demonstrated the most spirit throughout the week, as the ma-
jority of their class participated in the theme days. The seventh graders also won most of the rally activities, though they lost their lead. However, they managed to have a come-back victory. “I didn’t doubt my class,” seventh grader Allie Brady said. The generally spirited sophomore class came in last place with a mere 350 points. “They definitely lacked enthusiasm,” 10th grade advisor Chris Weitzel said. Overall, students were
satisfied with the year’s first rally. Eighth grader Stephen GongGuy and junior Taylor Westover both agreed that the theme days were simple and easy to dress up for, which likely prompted an increase in the general school involvement. “Usually people are so focused on grades at UPA. It was good to see everyone’s personality come out,” junior Julianna Flores said.
Fate of Junior Trip Announced: Annual Trip Saved
By Akeiylah DeWitt One of the most anticipated events of the year at UPA is the junior trip. In recent weeks, many rumors regarding the fate of the trip have been circulating; word has had it that this year the trip will be cut due to a new California law prohibiting schools from charging students for activities. At the junior counseling meeting on September 12th, the long awaited verdict was handed down: the trip has been saved. As any UPA student knows, UPA’s culture is all about going to college. Executive Director Daniel Ordaz began the discussion on the fate of the trip with a personal anecdote to highlight the importance of seeing colleges up close. He spoke about attending Lowell Elementary and being exposed to SanJose State University, particularly to the school’s Spartan Stadium. In second grade his class took a field trip to visit the school, and his teacher told them that one day they would attend school there. Ordaz went on to be the first in
his family to attend college, and now helps run UPA. Ordaz stated, “[Our] mission says we’re going to produce students that go to the finest colleges and universities.” He declared that UPA’s advisors, especially UPA’s College Counselor Sandra Trotch, were the first to question the decision to cut the trip. As Trotch explained to the parents, the students need to see the campuses, as merely visiting college fairs isn’t enough. Mid-week before UPA’s February recess, all juniors on track to graduate the following year board buses to Southern California, where they tour a number of colleges and universities. Students participate in organized tours by the schools, are exposed to the various departments and majors, and learn about the application process. Students choose hotel rooms in groups of four, while chaperones patrol the corridors. All expenses are paid for—except for the college sweatshirts. Last year seventy-two
juniors went on the trip. During the meeting, Trotch discussed parts of last year’s trip that impacted the students, including the fact that clubs and organizations at Loyola Marymount University came and talked to the students, and a business professor at University of San Diego who spoke to the students left many of them considering studying business. In previous years, the last day of the trip involved a day at Disneyland, but this year, to save the trip, the day at Disneyland has been omitted. Then the most stunning piece of information came down: UPA is willing to bear the entire $30,000 price tag for the trip. According to Ordaz, this works out to about $350 per student; $5000 will be coming from UPA’s PTSO and another $5000 from the school budget for trips. Finally, Ordaz explained to the students and parents at the counseling meeting that while the school is prepared to foot the entire $30,000 bill, donations are welcome. After a
vote was taken, parents and students agreed to make December 1 the fundraising deadline. Those who wish to make a contribution can turn in cash or a check to the front office along with the reason for their contribution. Ordaz emphasized that, “Students and parents who can’t aford it [the trip] get to go anyway…a California public education is free.” Students don’t seem to mind that the last day will not be spent at Disneyland—most simply seem relieved that the trip will continue. Junior Gulshan Chahal stated, “Talking to seniors who went on the trip before, it seems like the general opinion is that the university touring part of the trip is more enjoyable than Disneyland anyways. Just the fact that I get to spend time with my friends while discovering new places where my future may take me is adventure enough!” In addition, Junior James Teso stated, “…I am so excited for the trip. They talk about
the transformations they see students go through in a period of four days and I’m just super excited to hopefully be one of these kids. I’m okay with not going to Disney because that’s not why the trip is fun. The experience of going school to school and city to city with your closest friends is why I personally am excited that the trip is back on.” Chahal’s and Teso’s statements tally with some of the closing remarks about the importance of the trip, as the junior counseling night is UPA’s main opportunity to convince parents to send their students on the trip. Junior and Senior Counselor Sandra Trotch explained to the parents, “Something magical happens on the trip…they understand that could be them [college students]…[they] see the picture of themselves in two year’s time. We try to do everything. They may not apply to the schools they visit] but they start to see themselves in two year’s time.”
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Nov. 5, 2013
News
Annual Senior English Turns From Books to the Big Screen Manley tor and teacher, Galen Rosenberg. in the film analysis class. You can ing then AP English. “A little Club Day By EmilyEnglish 12 changed the Film can give us in- learn so much from the class. It more interesting than a regular curriculum. This year students sight into the human experience might seem like all we are doing is English class is”, said Manson. study American films and in a more immediate way that watching movies but we are actu- Senior Herman Kaur P r o m o t e s will learn the elements of film sto- combines multiple art forms. ally they are doing so much more. is in the film analysis class. ries, characterization, theme, This class includes a bit of the- He wanted to know They are going to be watchSpirit cinematography, art direct- ater, visual arts, poetry, litera- about the ratings. “Being able to ing films and they will also be By Elizabeth Wallace On Friday, Sept. 27, University Preparatory Academy held it’s first ever Club Day in the Horton Auditorium during lunch. This event was an opportunity for students to find out more about the many clubs offered at UPA. All of UPA’s pre-existing clubs were represented, as well as a few new clubs which are just starting out this year. Students were able to find out about all of the clubs and groups available on campus Among the new clubs this year are Art Honor Society, Teen Psychology, Spirit Club, Music Club, Poetry Club, Spanish Club, Computer Science, and Community Service Club. There were also many returning clubs, such as CSF, Green Team, Dance Club, Science Olympiad, and Speech and Debate. The event was a great success, with all of the clubs gaining at least a few more interested members and a lot of publicity. Candy and treat hand-outs from the booths added some sweet motivation to join certain clubs.
New Clubs On Campus Art Honor Society Teen Psychology Spirit Music Poetry Spanish Computer Science Community Service
ing, editing, and film analysis. A variety of articles and use the textbook called The Art of Watching Films. ¨Second semester we will be watching documentary, foreign, animated, experimental, and horror films¨, said instructor Kristin Tillim. Students will also work on writing and filming their own short films. ¨I am hoping to have a student festival at the end of the year” said Tillim, who has always wanted to teach film at UPA. Tillim taught film analysis during her first year of teaching at Los Altos high school. the program was developed by her men-
ture, and music. “Teaching film is unlike teaching most classes because all students have grown up watching and consuming films. There is a familiarity with films that students have coming into the classes that they don´t necessary have with literature or science or math”, said Tillim. The class will teach the students how to determine the purpose of films and how all the elements of films come together to enhance and develop that purpose. ¨We take many analytical tools from the English classroom, but also learn new ones”, said Tillim. Senior Dallas Manson is
By Selena Razo On Tuesday, August 20, band teacher Jemal Ramirez held a meeting from 3-5 for anyone who wanted to join colorguard. Along with the new team, 7th period band class is also becoming UPA’s new marching band. Colorguard is the art of flag spinning usually seen alongside marching bands. Both marching band and colorguard are run by Ramirez. Anyone can sign up for colorguard, however, marching band is only available to those in 4th and 7th period band. Not only is Borrego leader of the colorguard team, she is also a part of UPA’s marching band. She expresses an interest for marching band, stating that it will be fun to wear cool costumes and marching around with her friends. Another band member, sophomore Sam Mossadeghian, says that while the songs are fun
and cool to play, it will be different from regular band since more time will be invested into marching band. “As a kid, I enjoyed the movement of any flag or parachute,” sophomore Emely Zamora said. As a member of the color guard team, Zamora said she joined because the idea of flag twirling sounded really fun. Having only around 6 to 8 people, Zamora mentions how she would like more people to join, seeing the team as a way to meet new people. Though not an actual member of the team, sophomore Christina Ha expressed interest in the new addition to UPA, but also mentioned that she wants to see that the members themselves are interested in what they are doing. Colorguard practices are every Wednesday from 4-5 and also during some advisories.
UPA Paints With all the Color (Guards) of the Wind
Students Lament as UPA Adds Zero Period to Schedule By Jake Spikes Sleep is about to become an even scarcer resource at UPA as zero period classes become reality. AP Biology and AP chemistry now require enrolled students to come to school at 7:15 two days a week. With UPA’s student population now over 500, classroom scheduling has become a much greater challenge, said senior counselor Sandra Trotch. UPA’s decision to add a zero period was primarily fueled by the demand for science labs. Adding a zero period was the easiest way to schedule these labs, and “most of the labs are used
all eight periods,” said Trotch. Zero periods will not be a permanent part of UPA sched-
“They start too early. I don’t even have enough time to eat breakfast in the morning.”
uling, however. A new building of science labs in slated for construction by 2015, and
should remove the need for a zero period. That said, “we’re still looking at another year of zero periods.” said Trotch. Students enrolled in these classes are less than pleased at their new schedule. In the words of an anonymous Senior, “They start too early. I don’t even have time to eat breakfast in the morning.” Senior Pranshu Mishra, however, said that zero periods “may not be convenient, but after looking at the alternative,” which, he clarified, is giving these classes only one period of instruction per day, “zero periods are definitely preferable.”
understand why films have a certain ratings”, said student Dallas Manson. There are so many rating and he just wants to learn more about them and why there are so many different types of ratings. There are five types of ratings. The types of rating are G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. They each are for different types of films. These types of rating are important for kids because it shows what films kids can watch. There are two different English classes and I wanted to know why he picked film over AP English. He thought that the class would be for exit-
writing an analysis about the films that they watched in class. “Knowledge about films and filmmaking”, said Herman Kaur. She wants to know about films and filmmaking. She wants to get to know the class a little better. Films and filmmaking are different. Films are the movie and filmmaking is the director making the films. There are two different English classes and I wanted to know why she picked film over AP English. “To learn more and get a new experience”, said Kaur.
Photo by Selena Razo Students stay late after school to participate in color guard practice, in preparation for their upcoming preformance on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Web Exclusives Coming Soon Broken Badge Review Math Problem of the Month PTSO Back-to-School Girl’s Volleyball Boy’s Soccer Junior Night New Campus Supervisors One Direction: “This is Us”
3 PowerSchool Murdering Students’ Sanity By Morgan Luu
Since UPA was founded, SchoolLoop had always been a student’s main source of com-
munication and way of finding homework. This year, however, the school has transitioned from SchoolLoop and deviated to PowerSchool, subsequently making a terrible mistake. UPA students that are accustomed to SchoolLoop struggle to keep up with the new format of the unfamiliar website. The outline of PowerSchool is unnecessarily complicated while SchoolLoop was much more straightforward and user friendly. Finding homework becomes arduous, result-
ing in missing crucial assignments and bad grades. Because the new site is so confusing, many students either refuse to use it or simply can’t find the homework assignments despite their efforts. For example, many of
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
the students are not sure how to use the “subscribe” button in order to see the homework online. Students and teach-
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Editorial
Volume 3, Issue 1
ers also have a difficult time communicating with one another for assistance as many of the teachers don’t know how to use the site either. The school was paying for two websites but needed to save money, therefore discontinued the use one of the websites. That I understand; however what I don’t understand is why the school board didn’t decide to use SchoolLoop, which the majority of the students were used to. The sudden change took the students by surprise, causing an uproar.
Regarding this issue, Nikko Montour, a senior, said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Many school students and staff members that used SchoolLoop would agree with Montour, and say there was nothing wrong with SchoolLoop so it should have been kept. The change from SchoolLoop to PowerSchool has left many floundering in confusion. Switching back to SchoolLoop would make many happy and lessen the panic of not knowing what tomorrow’s homework is.
and embarked well on its way to a market monopoly. In 2001, when Apple inc bought PowerSchool for $62 million, it became a different program altogether. Under the leadership of Apple and its current owner, Pearson School Systems, it grew into a name known globally. By 2006, over 100 million students had come into contact with it across over 65 countries. PowerSchool’s success can mainly be attributed to its two major pros. Its ease of accessibility lets you see your updated grades from any device connected to the internet, and its simple, logical layout allows for easy navigation through any jungle of homework. One of schoolloop’s worst aspects was its lack of a mobile version. If you ever needed to check your grades on the go, you would have to wait until you could use a computer.
The more modern PowerSchool has a sophisticated mobile app for android that can be used without logging in. P o w e r S c h o o l is also a guardian o f privacy and a paladin of time. Oftentimes using schoolloop, students may inadvertently log into their account in front of their friends or parents, and those “straight As” people had been assuming they had would vanish into thin air. PowerSchool’s smarter layout saves you the hassle of rushing to cover your massive computer display with its elegantly styled layout. Its simple design ensures that no distractions can arise and saves you valuable time. Schoolloop’s cumbersome and frivolous details are not included in PowerSchool, proving it a far superior alternative. PowerSchool is the future of learning.
Smart Choice Advisory PowerSchool: The Future of Learning Not a Bad Choice By Taiyo Hokari
By Akeiylah Dewitt Smart choice advisories are a great chance for students to take time for themselves to accomplish tasks that they don’t have after school time to finish. Last year, clubs had difficulty with finding a time to meet during school, as after school conflicts were a bigger problem. Smart Choice Advisory is a time to meet with club members and further their club development, and even promote the club to other people. Students in clubs no longer have to worry about clubs interfering with their after school schedules and having to drop the club entirely because of after school conflicts. Students who are struggling with classes or need to catch up on work utilize smart choice advisories to finish their homework assignments that are late or
missing. Many students choose to study with friends and take the time to work on assignments that take up more time after school. Some students even use the time to get ahead in their workload and plan out when they will finish work. Teachers who also have advisories with Smart Choice are given the ability to work for and hour and get ahead in grading. Many teachers take the time to meet with students who are struggling, which is an activity that is usually meant for after school time. Though Juniors and Seniors may not appreciate this time to focus on schoolwork, meet with clubs and with teachers, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade utilize and appreciate Smart Choice Advisory and get a lot more done in the school day than usual.
By Vincent Garcia
and senior classes where advisory is a necessary time to plan for the most important part of their high school education. The truth is some students may be more inclined to just take the time to relax and eat lunch for an hour. Not every student is behind on work or has a place to be during Smart Choice. Because students are given smart choice on separate days of the week and teachers could be busy with other students. Since the school has grown to over 500 students, UPA is more crowded than ever. With so many students looking to speak to a certain teacher at a certain time, there is no guarantee that one will be able to speak with his or her desired teacher in any reasonable amount of time. If Smart Choice is meant to give students a chance to catch up on missing assignments,
The familiar face of schoolloop many of us so treasured is gone, but has been replaced by an evolved version of it. The student information system (SIS) called PowerSchool is designed allow teachers, parents, and students alike to enjoy a stress free school experience. As reported by Pearson Education and Apple, PowerSchool was founded in 1997, and did not initially gain any significant number of users. However, it gradually gained momentum
Smart Choice Advisory: Not That Smart
The recent addition of “Smart Choice Advisory” is actually not a smart idea. In an attempt to provide students with time to study or catch up on assignments, UPA has given them one day a week to enjoy an hour-long lunch and socialize with their friends. While it doesn’t sound negative, for an academically focused school like UPA, Smart Choice Advisory is potentially wasted time, particularly for the junior
then what about the students who have nothing to make up? If a student really needed to speak with someone else, he or she could speak with the advisory teacher to make the arrangements; no special day of the week is necessary. UPA should focus on making advisory more open to being able to go speak with teachers because for juniors and seniors, waiting until Thursday to make up an assignment may be too late. Students should be able to use advisory as a time to speak with teachers and make up assignments throughout the entire week, not just a single day.
Got opinions? Email The Aquila at aquila@ upatoday.com
University Preparatory Academy
AQUILA
The Aquila is a student-produced and student-edited high school newspaper. It serves as a designated public forum for student expression.
Editor-in-Chief Akeiylah Dewitt Managing Editor Morgan Luu In-Depth Editor Vincent Garcia News Editor Lizzy Wallace Opinion/ Editorial Editor Sammy Cardoza Features Editor Taiyo Hokari Entertainment Editor Selena Razo Web Editors Heriberto Alcantar Nicolas Sarabia Contributing Writers Anum Aslam, Eliana Batrez, Jacob Spikes
Staff Reporters Heriberto Alcantar, Sammy Cardoza, Akeiylah DeWitt, Vincent Garcia, Sydney Harder, Brooke Headley, Taiyo Hokari, Sam Leath, Morgan Luu, Emily Manley, Gabriela Munoz, Serena Quezada, Selena Razo, Nicolas Sarabia, Lizzy Wallace Adviser Laura Grodon-Reska Contact (408) 723-1839 2315 Canoas Garden Ave San Jose, CA 95125 aquila@upatoday.com We encourage reader participation through comments to The Aquila. Please keep criticism constructive, avoid offensive behavior, and keep feedback relevant to the story. aquila@upatoday.com
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From Talking to Texting to ‘Eww, people’ By Morgan Luu Communication is essential to life. Everyone has to talk to each other to get through the day; however, social interaction methods are slowly, but surely, changing. Before the phone and Internet were invented, communication was exclusively face to face interaction. The only means of communication was through physical interaction; therefore, if anyone had contact another, they had to be with the other to talk. Then came the invention of the phone, a revolutionary mode of communication. This made it easier for people to talk to others that they would normally be unable to reach. Communication increased, yet the phone would be the beginning of how people changed their social interaction permanently.
As technology improved, the internet was created and e-mails were introduced. Through this, many were able to instantly message other people, rather than having to go find the person, or waiting for them to receive a letter that was written several days before. Though convenient, the decaying of social skills significantly increased since they did not need another person to be talking with them, with no physical interaction made. Physical interaction trains how people communicate with others through body language and verbal exchange. When the phone became a more mobile and intelligent, texting was developed, and instant messaging became available even on the go. This created the opportunity for people to communicate without being rooted in their home where their phones were grounded,
Teens Cut Corners Online on worksheets. According to By Selena Razo
Sometimes, homework is challenging to complete nowadays. For example, sometimes students need to fill out the answer to a question but they can’t figure it out. What better way to get help than the Internet, right? Wrong.
British website The Telegraph, six out of 10 students have admitted to using the internet as a way to cheat on homework.
Using the internet is a fast means of completing work, but at the same time a student does not learn as much as they would if they did the actual work.
Unfortunately, students have begun to use the Internet as a means of finding the answer to their homework rather than using their books or calculating the answer themselves. Teens have become accustomed to using the internet for simpler activities such as communicating with friends through social media, that they have begun a new habit of using the internet for homework also.
Using the internet isn’t always a terrible thing though. Students can also use reliable resources on the internet for assignments such as research papers. It is much more convenient to be able to find information on a website, than having to trudge down all the way to library and find a book with that information.
For cass assignments ,such as reading chapters of a book, a student might log-on to a website like Sparknotes.com and read the chapter summary. While chapter summaries are helpful if a student does not understand what is wholly going on, they should not use a shortcut for “reading” the chapter.
Using the Internet to find information for assignments such as research papers is fine, however using it for simpler assignments such as worksheet is not.
There are also websites that students can use to find answers to questions
When the day of the test comes, students are not going to have the internet to help them, but only what they remember from when they were supposed to have looked at in the book.
Art By Vincent Garcia
causing a person to not actually require the physical appearance of anyone but still communicate through reading a little screen on their phone. The significance of social interaction declines as everyone resorts to some form of technology to communicate. With the more advanced technology today, the decline of social skills continue as people find new ways to talk without talking. If no one face to face with another person, how can social skills be developed? Younger generations are given many opportunities use electronics at the cost of their social skills. As they socially deteriorate, many avoid human interaction, causing communication to grow outdated and less preferable to a text message.
Art By Vincent Garcia
The Devolution Of Man
Technology In, Innocence Out By Heriberto Alcantar More and more kids are being exposed to ideas they should be learning later in their life. What has contributed the most is the Internet as well as parental relationships and who their children are friends with. With a simple google search a person can get an answer to anything, and unfortunately children using the internet are likely to abuse it. They will most likely search what their curious about which can not always be good. What is also affecting kids a lot are parents. Throughout the years, more and more parents are having family issues, and even though they try to keep the problems away from their children, it is really difficult to do so and children end up finding out. Even if the parents hide it from them there are still other
children in school that are talking about what happens to them. There was an article written by a mother of a son who went out to play with a new neighbor and came back crying. This happened because he found out that the parents of the other children were different from his parents. The two women explained this to the kid and it was really hard for him to understand what it met. Now that the seven year old found out what that is homework will no longer feel uncomfortable when the other students talk about it but he is still at a very young age and this is affecting since they can tell other younger children what that is and it just keeps going. Some parents are really worried about what happens in their children school and
end up homeschooling them. This even though is a good strategy is impossible to keep them from the world’s perversion. There is also another theme that has been going through children which accelerates what they learn. The theme of growing up fast is affecting many since they want to learn everything and grow up fast, and now a days the parents are letting their children see movies that are not really appropriate for their age. They don’t respect the movie ratings and the children and up watching what they’re not supposed to. If parents were just a bit more careful with what they showed their children, who they hang out with, and not alarm them with their problems this would be reduced to a small scale instead of how it is today.
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Depth
Attention Span of Goldfish, teenagers near equal By Brooke Headley Short attention span is sometimes confused with ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to WebMD, ADHD symptoms include the inability to pay attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. The inability to pay attention means not being able to listen, follow directions, and making careless mistakes, which usually involves avoiding activities that take a lot of concentration or seem dull. Hyperactivity means that children are always moving, talking excessively, or find it hard to play or work on homework quietly. Impulsiveness includes interrupting, blurting out, or answering a question before a teacher finishes reading it aloud. This part of ADHD
makes it difficult to wait or think before acting. Due to these issues, Phil Hophan says “We have what is called a 504 Plan for those students which included accommodations that “level the playing field” with other students who do not have that disability.” According to MentalHealthAmerica.com, one in 20 children have ADHD, but everyone suffers from a short attention span every once in awhile. A natural part of the 21st century is being easily distracted with all the technology that lights up or makes a noise when something happens, people are bound to be inattentive. According to Statistic Brain.com, the average amount of times a person checks their email at work is 30 times an hour. The average length of watching a video, if not stopped in the first 30 seconds, is three minutes.
The average span of a teenager in class sitting completely still is eight seconds, whereas in 2000 it was 12 seconds. In 2012, the average teenagers’ attention span was eight seconds. The attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds. ADHD changes the way some teachers plan out their classes. “ADHD is really different per student,” said Sandra Trotch, longtime teacher and the junior and senior counselor. “With a student who really has a bad case, I used seating and redirection to refocus the student. Using activities, group work where the student takes an active role such as acting as scribe, rather than lecture is best for students who can focus for short periods of time.”
Nothing New Coming to a Theater Near You By Lizzy Wallace
Selfies Support Narcissism By Eliana Batrez If you are a teen, chances are you have a Facebook or an Instagram account. If you do not, good for you! If you look at photos, posted by you or others, what type of pictures do you see? Family photos? Pictures of food? Memes? Quotes maybe? Depending on the type of person you are, your answer might vary to include one or all of the options listed above. What type of pictures do you most commonly see? Selfies you say? No surprise there. Teens and preteens today are narcissistic like never before. Although people commonly believe narcissism entails loving oneself, it actually means to be self absorbed with yourself to a point that nothing else matters. In a cultural context, being narcissistic means to be so self absorbed that all they do is talk about how good looking they think people are and act like they are the greatest thing to bless this planet earth. But why? Why do teens act like this? How
have teens evolved to become these self absorbed entities that make people see our face with the caption “bored” or a cheesy quote? Sure, you might look nice one day and want to share your face with all your friends or followers, but the truth is that there comes a point where no one really wants to see your face anymore. Everything in moderation, please! If you are going to be taking selfies that are admirable in your eyes, please have the decency to space them out- no hourly selfies, no bihourly selfies, no daily selfies. Please. Post other pictures, maybe of your pet, a quote (but do watch which quotes you’re posting, the cheesy common ones are becoming played out, trust me), your family, you and someone else, nature, a funny meme now and again, or even food. Everything in moderation is OK, so don’t make it look like all you do is post pictures of yourself. A word to the wise, if you constantly post selfies, you will lose both friends and followers.
Art By Joan Stephenson
While remakes of book, movies, and other media might seem like an unimportant issue, it actually represents a very serious dilemma that the human race is beginning to face: running out of ideas and losing creativity. Although special effects nowadays are absolutely stunning, how often is a movie released that doesn’t at least vaguely resemble another? Even if certain aspects are different, movies often seem to do nothing more than dissect and reassemble other works, which is truly a terrifying thought. If the media doesn’t
begin to come up with fresh ideas soon, there will be so many remakes and do-overs of movies that the originals will lose any intrinsic value that they once held. Take the movies “Mirror Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman”, for example- within a year of each other, two extremely similar movies based off of the same fairy tale with more in common than not were released. Nobody seemed to question it, however, because it has become more of a norm in our society than something to be surprised at. Despite the fact that many people may believe movies are ‘just fictional works’ or that they ‘aren’t worth putting
so much time into’, this issue spreads far deeper than simply movies or books resembling each other. When people reconfigure other ideas instead of coming up with their own, it leads to laziness and less effort given. If people stop coming up with truly innovative ideas for entertainment, humanity as a whole will move toward a total productivity standstill, similar to the movie “Wall-E” or the book “The Giver”, in which people lose all sense of creativity or originality- or, in essence, humanity.
Art By Vincent Garcia
6 Entertainment
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Nov. 5, 2013
Attack on Titan
An Interpretation of Reality By Taiyo Hokari A radical new show is taking the anime world by force. “Attack on Titan”, written and illustrated by Hajime Kusajima, debuted in 2010 as a manga (comic) and its first animated episode rolled into production in April this year. Both the manga and the anime versions have been immensely successful, becoming both critically acclaimed and lauded by consumers. “Attack on Titan” takes place in a dystopian parallel world, where human beings cower in constant fear of a race of giant humanoids called Titans. What remains of the human race hides behind a set of three impassable walls,
and manages to survive. One day, a massive 175 foot tall Titan appears with an army of “regular” 10 to 50 foot tall Titans, and smashes through the first wall before mysteriously disappearing again. Eren Jäeger, a young boy who lives near the outermost wall, witnesses his mother become trapped under the rubble of his house and crushed between the massive jaws of an invading titan. Inspired to take action, Eren joins the national army to avenge his mother’s death and to extinguish the threat to humanity. “Attack on Titan”’s universal message of trust and perseverance against the injustice of
the world stems from the imbalance of power in reality. Although Kusajima has not mentioned particular inspiration for his hit series, it is widely speculated that he based it on a belief of political and military inequality in the past and present. The Titans represent an unwieldy, unfeeling, and powerful entity, while the valiant and scared among the humans represent an oppressed minority. Eren Jäeger’s chivalrous aspirations beautifully portray children reacting to an unexpectedly cruel world, and will undoubtedly prove an engrossing source of entertainment for all.
‘Doctor Who’ Hits 50 years By Brooke Headley “It is a secret he will take to the grave, and it is discovered,” said Madame Vastra, in “The Name of the Doctor.” “Doctor Who” is a British science fiction television series about a man who travels through time and space. He saves civilians, helps people, and get aliens off of planet Earth, usually with the help of a companion. They travel in a blue police box named the TARDIS (time and relative dimensions in space) that can go anywhere in time and space, as the name suggests. Some people have explained “Doctor Who” as the scifi “Monty Python” or “Batman” for geeks. “It’s all about the next 50 years, not about the last 50 years. If you start thinking it’s all about nostalgia, then you’re finished. It’s about moving forward.” said Steven Moffat, showrunner of Doctor Who and character killer. For the last 50 years, the world has followed 11 incarnations of the Doctor, and in 2013, two more were introduced: John Hurt and Peter Capaldi. In the seventh season finale, a new Doctor, played by Hurt, was introduced. Hurt did not keep the name “Doctor.” He broke the promise to stand for all the Doctor is.
The “Doctor” stands for hope and justice. Whovians, who are Doctor Who fans, should prepare to run through all of time and space with the Doctor on November 23, the 50th
anniversary. ‘The Day of the Doctor” will air on BBC and has been described by series producer Marcus Wilson as a “love letter to the fans.”
Photo by Kodansha
‘The Conjuring’ Promotional poster for “Attack On Titan”
By Samantha Cardoza Based on a true story, the horror film “The Conjuring” received a large audience with more than $100 million in profit this summer when it was released on July 19. T h e story takes place in the 1970s in Rhode Island. When a family moves into their newly bought house, they discover the gruesome past behind it. They seek help from supernatural investigators in hope that they can live in peace [without the disturbance of a strong spirit]. Directed by James Wan, and starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson the supernatural thriller gained exactly $285,407,598 in profit since the release date, July 19. I enjoyed the movie, because it was a true story. This alone seemed to attract many people. True stories tend to interest people more than fictitious ones because of the thought and realness of something similar happening to them. Whether you believe in the supernatural, “The Conjuring” seemed to open
eyes in the minds of skeptics. The movie is an informative story on what can happen when you call or attract spirits. In this case the spirit was already in the house, and goes to show that some things are hidden for a reason. I find it interesting that real investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were actually trying to make the movie happen for 14 years, and finally got the chance to help make the film with Summit entertainment and New Line Cinema. Ed and Loraine Warren locked this story away for many years and finally decided to show the world one of their most disturbing cases. Being so, the movie was the scariest movie I have seen yet. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good scare, however the movie definitely isn’t for kids. Your typical scary movie takes place during the night, the fact that the movie took most of its place during the day made it so unique from other scary movies. You can say “The Conjuring” definitely conjured a large audience profit, and good ratings.
al many of her songs are, she is such an inspiring person to many of the young girls out there. Most fans love her album due to them being able to relate to many of her songs as they are talking about heartache and love. “Fans can expect from my album a lot of great music, its going to be like pages lifted
from my diary” said Grande on an interview by MTV. The second day her album was released, it shot up to become number one on the iTunes App Store. This is my favorite album by far this year, I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of R&B and pop songs.
“...some things are hidden for a reason.”
Photo by BBC
Official promotional poster for “Doctor Who” 50th anniversary television special.
‘Yours Truly’: An Honest, Personal Album By Gabriela Munoz “Yours Truly” is the newest studio album by recording artist Ariana Grande, released on Sept. 3rd through Republic Records. Grande began working on her album in June of 2011 and since then “Yours Truly” has broke records as it became number 1 on “Billboards 200”
the first week it was released. Her two hit singles “The Way” featuring Mac Miller and “Baby I” got an astonishing number of hits as a result it got a spot on U.S Billboards Top Ten Hits. Her album was originally named “Daydreaming” but later changed to “Yours Truly” as she began singing
songs about now ex-bofriend Jai Brooks. Grande’s new R&B and pop album has gotten nothing but positive feedback, mainly due to her vocals as they are constantly begin compare to Queen of Vocals Mariah Carey. What makes her album great is how honest and person-
Feat ures 7
Volume 3, Issue 1
Guerrilla Tactics: The Defeat of Honor
statistical advantage, with three times as many soldiers, 30 times as many aircraft, and more than a 100 times as many tanks as Finland. However, when the war ended, the Soviet Union had lost five times as many soldiers, and had their tanks nearly wiped out. This rift can be attributed to superior Finnish technology, higher morale, and its army’s many experienced snipers. In previous conflicts, the only real factors determining the outcome of a battle were the mettle of the soldiers in the face of gunfire. The concept of hidden warfare first came into widespread use in the American Revolutionary War, when British forces superior in number, technology, and training fought untrained farmers and citizens in an unfamiliar terrain. American troops sabotaged lengthy and sporadically protected supply lines and targeted unsuspecting British soldiers from hidden positions. Since then “guerilla warfare” has been adopted by many in the face of overwhelming odds. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq undertaken by American and allied forces, Iraqi national forces were subdued quickly in the open battlefield, but long after their official surrender, straggling patriots and insurgents continued to attack U.S. outposts using low-tech weapons, such as small arms and suicide bombers. Resistance after acknowledging official surrender is breaking one of the chief rules of warfare, as the enemy has no way of ensuring your complete abdication. Ancient codes of conduct, such as the samurai Bushido that dic-
Courtesy ceskapozice.cz World War III seems imminent, and when it does happen, it will more than likely involve nuclear, chemical, biological and digital weapons, with irrevocable repurcussions.
By Nico Sarabia From models to features, cars have devolved greatly in class and style to comply with federal regulations. During the golden era of automobiles, cars became a symbol of class differentiation, separating the successful middle class from those who could not yet afford a vehicle. According to Daimler, a well known auto news site, the first streetable car used Gottlieb Daimler’s lightweight high-speed four-stroke gasoline engine, which served as a universal motor for other machinery such as coaches, locomotives, airships, and boats. Karl Benz’s specially
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By Taiyo Hokari The sun is bright and not a cloud is in the sky. Nearly 2000 men in red uniforms march across a grassy field, each wielding a long brown musket with a silver bayonet attached. They drag behind them hundreds of cannons; their muzzles shining a deadly black. From the opposite end of the field, an equally equipped and even more gargantuan army dressed in blue approaches. Orders are shouted by horse mounted generals, and the two massive armies come to a stop, facing each other grimly with tacit acknowledgement of each other’s power. The first three rows of each army raise their muskets and take aim. This scene from the Seven Year’s War fought mainly between France and England displays an antiquated form of warfare. Before the war for American independence, battles between European powers were fought honorably, in plain view, with neither side exerting any predetermined advantage over the other. Battle sites were agreed upon prior to any conflict and firing would begin only when both sides agreed. The art of war has changed, and is far more complicated than ever before. Factors such as snipers, tanks, chemical weapons and missile strikes turn war into an ever evolving creature, where death can come quickly from anywhere, at anytime. The Winter War of 1940 between the Soviet Union and Finland provides a prime example of the role of technology and modern tactics. The war began with the Soviet Union having an overwhelming
Courtesy iki.ru, fas.org, ar15.com, brahmos.com, snipercraft.org, inright.ru, tt.mop.com, bluenc.com Clockwise from top left: Samurai Armour, Firing T-90 Tank, Finnish Sniper, Subramine Launched Ballistic Missile, Sniper’s Crosshair, Suicide Bomber Apparel, Greek Phalanx, British Redcoats.
tated honesty and integrity in war have been rendered obsolete, and given way to less honest and fair methods of warfare. The modern battlefield varies greatly from country to country, and the difference in technological advancement of countries is clearly visible, as are its effects in war. Third World conflicts oftentimes boil down exclusively to small arms combat, such as rifles and blades. More modernised countries have far more efficient methods of killing, and their battlefield can compose of nothing but a sterile room with a digital map of the target, a computer and a few people who have the power to decide when, where and who will die on any given day. Such a style of warfare involves very little effort to destroy, but far more to defend. In a classic pistol duel, two contestants line up with only a single bullet loaded in their pistol, so that each has an equal chance to inflict and prevent injury. A missile speeding towards a target at over the speed of sound is a much more difficult attack to prevent, giving an advantage to whoever decides to betray a treaty or declare war. A person cannot
bring a knife to a gunfight and possibly expect to live, and the same applies to any kind of fighting. The Syrian Civil War that first broke out in 2011 is an exemplary model of the concept of dirty fighting. The Syrian Civil War is a war between the national forces of Syria and Middle Eastern militant fighters mainly from Syria. Syria contains the last foreign Russian military base, and receives heavy Russian support as a result. Well equipped armies under President Bashar al-Assad have slaughtered innocent civilians not involved in fighting in an effort to flush out and prevent more rebels from joining the fight. Now, due to the rumoured use of chemical weapons by Assad, World War III looms visible on the horizon. If the U.S. decides to declare war on Syria, Russia will inevitably reciprocate. Internationally, the United States is not a well liked country, and will face many hardened opponents in the event of a third World War. The last World War introduced nuclear weapons, an all-consuming artificial holocaust that leaves no chance for escape. Inexorably, any major conflict between powerful nations will unleash an apoc-
alypse that will leave no path for human survival. Nuclear weapons are the epitome of the selfish “If I can’t win then no one can” ideology, because a nuclear missile is the most unhonorable “hack” of war, an abortion that will eliminate not only yourself, but all of mankind. From the dawn of man, and even before, people have loved to kill each other. Out of all animals yet discovered, humans have shown the most hostility to others of their own kind. But warfare has changed; it is no longer a survival of the fittest, or smartest, but of whoever decides to betray the other’s trust. International committees like the United Nations help to prevent war, but in the end, not everybody heeds to the demands of others. Dishonest tactics like unpredictable missile strikes or undetectable sniper shots rob battle of the skill and integrity it once promoted. The advance of technology is an unstoppable force, and in its eternal attempt to move forward, it has steamrollered long respected virtues of war. War has always been the final solution, the one answer that all must answer to and never deceive the enemy at. Now, when anyone seems willing to undermine each other’s’ trust, it raises a terrifying question. If friends can turn on friends as quickly as can an enemy, who can you trust? Why?
than a solid steel car frame. Cars designed in the 21st century are increasingly relying on cheap plastics and aluminum parts. These cars, though boasting re-
markable fuel economy, cannot compete with the excellence of an original American muscle car. Import cars have made a successful debut on the street racing
circuit as some of the fastest cars ever made, but as previously mentioned, they are unsafe and cannot handle like true American muscle. These stepping stones to fuel efficiency, though invaluable in the fight against global warming, are making cars an unattractive and common sight, as automakers are increasingly assimilating their designs into amorphous and undesirable clumps of cheap plastics and aluminum. There is also no longer an indentifiable class separation when all the cars everyone owns are so similar and when there is such little variety, and there is no longer a need for the art of the automobile.
“Death can come quickly from anywhere, at anytime.”
Devolution of the Automobile
designed three-wheeled chassis compatible with the Daimler engine design in 1886 was awarded the first automotive patent. Though car manufacturing was initially expensive, a growing economy provided an ample audience of Americans looking for their perfect car. Autoevolution informs that the 1960s and 1970s saw the first American muscle car, the Pontiac GTO, (Gran Turismo Omologato) be released and instigate a drive for attractive cars that is still a part of American culture. Now, eco-friendly and safe cars are gaining momentum, but there is nothing safer
Courtesy musclecarthailand.com The iconic 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback
8 OnCampus
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Nov. 5, 2013
New Teacher Profiles Olivia Jenssen By Vincent Garcia
Olivia Jenssen joins the UPA staff this year teaching a new yoga class. It is an alternative P.E. class called “Breathing and Stretching.” Her class is first period only because of her schedule. “There is not a day off from yoga” she says. Jenssen also teaches a yoga class at a studio in Campbell. Jenssen grew up in Hawaii and resided there before moving to California when she was a teenager. She has lived here ever since and has prior experience teaching yoga classes. She has taught yoga for 9 years and has been practicing it for 15 years. Jenssen described the type of yoga she teaches as “Restorative, it is a more therapeutic, healing style.” “I believe yoga makes the impossible possible,” Jenssen said. “If you work hard enough, you can change [every part of the body.]” Jenssen understands that high school is a challenging time both physically and mentally, “[She wishes that she] had
yoga in high school” because it is beneficial to to the age group. She says yoga is helpful through regular practice and it “can balance their hormones, reduce stress and tension, have more restful sleep, and feel happier and healthier everyday.” “I believe yoga makes the impossible possible,” Jenssen
said. Jenssen has enjoyed her time at UPA, she shared her experience saying “I love California and I love this school…Everyone has been so warm and welcoming to me and I enjoy the feedback I’ve received from students and parents.”
Ariana Rodriguez By Akeiylah Dewitt
Ariana Rodriguez, a new to the UPA staff, teaches World History. Prior to working at UPA, Rodriguez taught at multiple high schools in the Bay Area, including Newark Memorial High School in Newark and Mount Eden High School in Hayward. After growing up in San Jose, Rodriguez is native to the area and appreciates it. As a family-oriented person, being close to the places where she grew up is an advantage. Rodriguez enjoys camping, attending sports games, and spending time with her friends in the outdoors. She has two nieces, ages 15 and 6. Rodriguez enjoys spending time with them and being able to seen them more now that she lives closer.
Laura Gordon Reska By Eliana Batrez
The newest addition to UPA’s faculty, Laura Gordon Reska joins the 2013-2014 school year as English teacher and Journalism advisor. Before coming to work at UPA, Reska worked in San Bernadino County as a middle and high school teacher. Born in the Orange County, Reska enjoyed a laid back middle and high school experience. In middle school, Reska was part of her school’s colourguard and enjoyed dancing in high school. Her reference for journal-
ism and writing over sports have guided her career into where it is today. A staff writer all four years of high school and a feature and news editor junior and senior year, one of Reska’s biggest life lessons came to her her last year writing for El Galiván, her school paper. Having been a member of the journalism staff for all four years, Reska would have automatically been promoted to Co-Editor-inChief her senior year. However, a change of advisors brought something Reska had not expected: a
formal interview for the sole position of Editor-In-Chief.Unfortunately, Reska did not qualify for the position. Looking back, Reska says “when I didn’t get the position, I learned passion alone can’t carry you to your goals, hard work and preparation will.” After graduating high school, Reska went to cal State Fullerton, where she majored in journalism and worked as a staff writer and feature editor at the Daily Titan, Fullerton’s newspaper. Reska cumulatively devoted more than 10 years of her life to a career in journalism. During these ten years, Reska worked at Hot Rodding magazine, copy edited for various automotive magazines, and worked as managing editor at the Claremont Courier. Then, in 2008, Reska’s experiences in journalism inspired her to pursue another career in teaching. At UPA, Reska has enjoyed her experience thus far. She is impressed with the staff and the way they have professional relationships and the way the students take initiative to be successful. In her free time, Reska enjoys watching documentaries, going to film festivals, and reading about all things Africa.
So far, UPA has been full of “nice surprises.” Coming from a public school, she says that “the environment at UPA is completely different from what was expected.” “UPA is more academically driven...I have higher expectations for the students...they actually want to be here, which is different...at my past schools the [students] didn’t want to be there...they were only there because they had to be,” she said. Rodriguez hopes to evolve as a teacher and has high expectations for her students. For her, working at UPA has given her a completely different perspective on teaching, and gives her the opportunity to learn more about herself as a teacher.
Claire Westwood
By Taiyo Hokari UPA is renowned throughout California for its intelligent students and competent faculty, and this year, we have the privilege of being able to welcome a new teacher, Ms. Claire Westwood. Ms. Westwood is new to UPA, but hardly a rookie when it comes to teaching. With many experiences as both a student and a teacher under her belt, she will no doubt be able to communicate efficiently with students. Before coming to teach at UPA, Ms. Westwood traveled the world completing her education and gaining experience. In order to obtain the necessary credits to become a teacher, she
first worked as an intern at Orange High in Orange County, California. To support herself financially, she took up the job of a private nanny, beginning her career in caring for children. After she graduated from Chapman College, she moved to Britain to finish her education. At Oxford she received her Bachelor’s Associate in English Literature and a minor in psychology. Once she graduated, she spent two years overseas teaching at an international school in Kenya. For Ms. Westwood, teaching runs in her blood, as she is following in her mother’s footsteps. Her mother taught as a Biology and Math teacher, before joining her husband in his work at medical consultancy firm, Pyxera. Her two younger sisters have found jobs and education in marketing at George Mason University. Ms. Westwood has a love for animals, especially dogs, and has a sweet golden retriever named Lainey. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in parks with Lainey, cooking, and baking. She devotes herself to her newfound work as a teacher at UPA and earning her graduate’s degree.