News

University Preparatory High School's Winter Music Performance

By: Delilah Padilla

18 December 2024

On Monday, December 16th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) had its annual winter concert. The concert was held at Gateway Church at six in the evening. This performance was an amazing way to kick off the holiday season! It allowed students in the audience and the performers to take a break from the stress of finals and enjoy some festive music, while also appreciating the performing students’ hard work. Gateway church was decorated with beautiful wreaths on the walls and many Christmas trees covered in beautiful, twinkling lights. The decor added to the comforting atmosphere of the event. 

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A Wonderful Evening at the UPHS Semi-formal!

By: Camilla Wang

18 December 2024

From 8-11 p.m. on Friday, December 6th, students spiffed themselves up to attend the annual “Winter Wonderland Semi-formal” at The Lakes Banquet Hall Hosted by University Preparatory High School for a magical evening. The decor fit the theme with a dark atmosphere, decorated tables with snowflakes and festive table decorations, and of course, winter-themed treats and drinks. Many would say this night went off without any hiccups, especially with the excitement of the new meeting area. Those who attended will certainly attend again. 

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Veterans Day!

By: Bradyn Thiessen

18 November 2024

November 11th is a national holiday called Veterans Day. Veterans Day is to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security, freedom, and saving other innocent lives from wars are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served have sacrificed and done their duty. 

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Election Day!

By: Ethan Gan

7 November 2024

November 6, 2024, is the day the presidential candidate for the next four years is selected, which is the name of election day. It is an important day for the country, for the new generation is getting older, which means they can vote. The two primary candidates are the Democratic Party’s Kamala Harris and the Republican Party’s Donald Trump. 

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UPHS's Fall Carnival!

By: Ethan Gan

28 October 2024

On October 26, 2024, students and faculty of University Preparatory High School (UPHS) woke up bright and early to drive to and set up in the UPHS quad. Many brought tables, games, popup canopies, and anything necessary for a successful and comfortable day. Then, at 12:00 PM, the annual Fall Carnival commenced.

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A Successful Red Ribbon Celebration At University Preparatory High School!

By: Camilla Wang

28 October 2024

Last week, University Preparatory High’s (UPHS)  Leadership team designed a wonderfully fun and interactive week and rally honoring a pledge to live drug-free. The week was filled with multiple lessons warning of the dangers of substance abuse and encouraging students to dress to the theme and wear their wristbands to signify their pledge to remain drug-free. This week was created in remembrance of Special Agent “KiKi” Camerina and his sacrifice for justice when he lost his life trying to apprehend drug traffickers in Mexico. 

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College of The Sequoias Orchestra Festival

By: Delilah Padilla

23 October 2024

October 18th was the College of the Sequoias (COS) Orchestra Festival, where many different high schools performed. One of the orchestras that performed was our very own University Preparatory High School (UPHS) symphony! The festival had three professional musicians adjudicating the event. There were no scores given, only critiques and compliments. 

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Nightmare on Naz Street: Halloween Dance

By: Bradyn Thiessen

23 October 2024

On Friday, October 18th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted its annual Halloween dance at the NAZ church. The church was decorated with a spooky atmosphere which was supported by both the Leadership Team and the PSO. The event had numerous activities, so there was something for everyone to enjoy. Some activities included dancing to epic music, video games, card games, a costume contest, and amazing food. The dance had tacos, candy, soda, and other snacks.

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Engage In Culture at COS’s Multicultural Fair

By: Delilah Padilla

30 September 2024

Last Thursday, September 25th College of the Sequoias (COS) hosted its 38th annual Multicultural Fair! The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) set up the fair and was the actual host for this event. There was beautiful cultural decoration, and tables set up with flags to represent other cultures. 

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UPHS’s Senior Lunch!

By: Ethan Gan

20 September 2024

On Friday, September 20, 2024, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held the ‘Senior Lunch.’ It was the same day as the Academic Assembly, but that’s a different article. Its duration lasted from 12:20 PM to the end of the school day!

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University Preparatory High School’s Club Rush!

By: Delilah Padilla

16 September 2024

UPHS (University Preparatory High School) hosted its annual club rush on September 13th, last Friday. Pandas were let out at 12:20 PM to engage in the event. Club booths were set up by leadership and also the club leaders. The booths were beautifully decorated and in theme with each of the individual clubs. Club Rush is one of UPHS’s many events meant to get students to feel more at home and involved in school!

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Pandas Show Their Kindness!

By: Ethan Gan

16 September 2024

‘Pay It Forward’ week started on September 8, 2024, bringing forward good acts from people, and as a remembrance for the lives lost on September 11, 2001. University Preparatory High School (UPHS) participated in the week by allowing the leadership members to guide the homeroom and encouraging others to engage in kind acts. 

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The Day of Reckoning: 9/11

By: Bradyn Thiessen

16 September 2024

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 both took off from Boston heading to Los Angeles. At exactly 8:46 AM Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Everyone was shocked and confused, most people believed that there must have been an accident. Not even 20 minutes later, at 9:03 AM Flight 175 had struck the South Tower.

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Life Beyond Senior Year: TCOE College Night

By: Bradyn Thiessen

11 September 2024

On Tuesday, September 10th, TCOE hosted its annual College Night. Approximately 80 colleges from around the country set up booths where students of all ages around Visalia could start looking for new college options or learn more about where they want to go. College night was a free come-and-go event at the Visalia Convention Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

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The Journey of Kevin Hines: A Story of Survival and Hardship

By: Camilla wang

3 September 2024

Kevin Hines is a 43-year-old author, filmmaker, and activist for mental health. His best-selling memoir, Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt, his 2018 multi-award-winning documentary Suicide: The Ripple Effect, and his awards such as The Clifford W. Beer Award from Mental Health America 2016 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Behavioral Health while in a partnership with Eli Lilly. Though these factors are prevalent in Hines’s career, he is best known for speaking about his survived suicide attempt. 

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UPHS’s Senior Santa Cruz Trip

By: Ethan Gan 

23 August 2024

On Friday, August 23, 2024, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted the annual Santa Cruz trip for the seniors. In the morning, all students and faculty participating in the trip arrived outside College of the Sequoias'  (COS) Porter Fieldhouse at 6:30 AM for attendance. At 7:00 AM, two charter buses arrived at the loading zone, picked up the group, and started the four-and-a-half-hour trip.

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Break The Ice with UPHS Pandas!

By: Delilah Padilla

21 August 2024

Last Friday, August 9th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted its annual Icebreaker Dance! The spectacular dance took place at the Naz Youth Center and included something for everyone. This was the first dance of the year, it allowed everyone to socialize and break the ice. There was delicious food for everyone to eat and enjoy downstairs, while the dance floor was lively upstairs. Downstairs there was the gamer room and an area for everyone to socialize for those who did not want to dance. Many pandas could make new friends and get to know each other while listening to awesome music!

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UPHS’s Icebreaker Rally 

By: Camilla Wang 

21 August 2024

Last Friday, August 16th, was the annual Icebreaker Ralley! University Preparatory High School (UPHS) has once more pulled off a successful rally to kick off the beginning of the school year. The rally was held in the Moro Gym on the COS Campus and within the gym, students were met with applause by the leadership team and banners showing them exactly where to go! The rally was filled with cheers for classmates, music, games, our very own mascot, and fantastic dancing from the UPHS dance team organized by Mrs. Block! 

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Back to School Night at UPHS!

By: Catherine Weigel

21 August 2024

Last week University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual Back to School Night event! This event took place at 5:00 pm last Thursday, August 8th. Teachers held 10-minute class presentations to discuss their curriculum. Teachers discussed with parents and students UPHS’s Panda Path Maxims, –which are maxims to guide students through high school–their expectations for learning within their classrooms, and how UPHS families can support their children and our school! 

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The First Light: UPHS’s Senior Sunrise 

By: Bradyn Thiessen 

21 August 2024

On Friday, August 9th, of the 2024-2025 school year, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted its annual Senior Sunrise. Senior Sunrise is an event for seniors, which usually takes place on the first Friday of school. The event began with seniors going to the College of the Sequoias’ (COS) football field early in the morning, bringing breakfast, blankets, phones, and memories to make. As for UPHS, the senior experience was a tad different, but there were still awesome memories to cherish!

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Prom: Under the Tuscan Sun 

By: Isabella Seechan

6 May 2024

On Friday, May 3rd, 2024, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual prom. The location of this year’s prom was the Merryman Station, located in Exeter. Around 5 PM, students headed to the Porterfield House Gym to check in, meet their friends, take some pre-prom pictures, and get in the queue for the two buses transporting students to the venue. The bus departed the school sometime around 6 PM.

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UPHS Talent Show 

By: Alexander Hernandez and Merrick Vargas 

8 April 2024

On Friday, April 5th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual talent show. This is where students can showcase their talents to the whole school.  With over half of the students being in musical-oriented classes, it is unsurprising that so many students came out with unique and interesting performances. This event allowed students to leave their comfort zones and receive support from the whole school.

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“Panda Goes” to the Dance!

By: Catherine Weigel

28 February 2024

This last Friday, February 23rd, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual Panda Goes Dance! Our dance took place at the Naz Youth Center, and was beautifully decorated to the theme: Masquerade! UPHS’s leadership team, who chose the prompt, was responsible for the decorations, which brought the student-selected theme to life. Leadership also had masks available for purchase, which many students purchased to complete their masquerade costumes! 

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Kindness Around UPHS 

By: Alexander Hernandez

28 February 2024

Visalia, Calif– Beginning the week of February 12th, University Preparatory High School started its week of Kindness. This entailed a whole week of fun dress-up days, kind acts, and an overall positive mood. It was kicked off with the dress-up theme: Cuddled Up for Kindness. People were allowed to bring their fuzzy friends to classes, adding to the overall positive mood of the week.

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UPHS Community Service Club: Changing the Community One Step at a Time

By: UPHS Newspaper Team

12 November 2023

On Saturday, November 11th, University Preparatory High School’s (UPHS) Community Service Club (CSC) hosted another successful event! Organized by club president, Sophia Weber, students gave up their Saturday afternoon to interact and engage with the unhoused community of Visalia. The event took place at The Warehouse Church. Although the church is closed on Saturdays, Christy Bergen, the owner of the church, was kind enough to host the event and promote the event throughout Visalia. 

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Halloween Rally and Dance 

By: Sophia Weber 

29 October 2023 

Visalia, Calif– On Friday, October 27th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual Halloween Rally and Dance. The Halloween Rally took place in the Yokut Quad. After opening with the UPHS chant, the rally moved on to fun games. A student favorite was the donut eating competition, where different grade levels had to eat a donut off a table without using their hands. Another student favorite was the Pumpkin Summo game. Here, two people from each class level tried to knock each other out of the game’s boundaries. Towards the end of the rally, many students came forward to perform the iconic Thriller Dance. 

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White Lies Dress-Up Day

By: Merrick Vargas 

2 October 2023

On Friday, September 29th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) students had the opportunity to create and write a white lie, a harmless lie, onto a white shirt. Students were able to purchase a plain white shirt from Mrs. Block for two dollars or use one of their own to display the white lie. Some students even wrote on a piece of paper and taped it to their shirts. This dress-up day allowed students to express themselves and share more about themselves in a creative and amusing way. 

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Club Rush

By: Merrick Vargas

20 September 2023

Visalia, Calif– On Friday, September 15, 2023, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) students were given the opportunity to join a variety of clubs through their annual Club Rush event. Leaders showcased their clubs in Moro gym. Here, students could visit each booth and sign up for clubs that appealed to them. The event brought together those who share similar interests. 

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Kindness All Over UPHS

By: Alexander Hernandez 

18 September 2023

In the second week of September, University Preparatory High School saw numerous kind, genuine, and loving acts all over the school! This was thanks to the promotion of Pay it Forward Week, which encourages students to get out of their comfort zone and help those around them. It pushes students to lend a helping hand to others and pay this act of kindness forward. 

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9/11 Memorial Dress-Up Day

By: Alexander Hernandez and Merrick Vargas

13 September 2023

On Monday September 11th, University Preparatory students were encouraged to come to school dressed in red, white, or blue. The dress-up day served as a day of remembrance for the tragic event that occurred on September 11, 2001 also known as 9/11. Many people were affected due to the attack on the United States. The attack consisted of planes that were hijacked and targeted New York’s Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and a failed attempt of the white house. As the impact of 9/11 was spread over the world, many different countries showed support and a multitude of people gathered together. It showed that in times of adversity America still stood together, stronger than before. Today, there is a memorial in New York where the Twin Towers once stood to mourn the people who lost their lives due to the attack. 

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“BookTok” and Overconsumption

By: Isabella Seechan

6 September 2023

“Booktok,” a subsection of the popular social media app, TikTok, has amassed over 174.9 billion loyal viewers. The content posted under the “BookTok” hashtag ranges from reviews, recommendations, and commentary. “Booktok” is every retail bookstore’s saving grace from declining rates of people’s interest in reading. “Booktok” thrived during the pandemic, forcing people to readjust their lives and pursue new hobbies. People actually had time to read and flew through many novels. After people completed the books they had lying around the house, they bought books online. The problem was people bought more books than they could finish reading.

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Barbie vs. Oppenheimer

By:  Alexander Hernandez

6 September 2023

On Friday, September 1, 2023, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) saw a clash between two massive films that have rocked the cinema industry. The Barbie movie and Oppenheimer, which have been highly anticipated films for months, made their way onto the UPHS campus! Students were encouraged to dress up as their favorite of the two movies and show their school spirit! There were many different costumes that showed creativity, talent, and resourcefulness. 

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Back to School Night

By: Sophia Weber

30 August 2023

On Thursday, August 10, 2023, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) hosted its first big event of the year, Back to School Night. This event serves as a time where new and returning students can learn more about life at UPHS. 

Both parents and students attended this event. Parents got to know the staff and faculty at UPHS. They had opportunities to talk with teachers about their student’s classes and understand what exactly would be taught, the teacher’s teaching style, etc.

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Icebreaker Rally and Dance

By: Isabella Seechan

28 August 2023

On Friday, August 18th, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) held its annual Icebreaker Rally and Dance. The Icebreaker Rally took place in Morro Gym during school, while the Icebreaker Dance was hosted at the Visalia Nazarene Church (the Naz) after school, from 7 PM to 10 PM. The rally introduced new students to the traditions and customs of UPHS, while the dance was a way for students to fraternize with their fellow classmates outside of school. 

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The Past Returns!

By: Isabella Seechan

23 August 2023

On August 11, 2023, University Preparatory High School (UPHS) Alumni returned to the school to speak to the current UPHS students. Alumni gave current students advice and shared their life and college experiences after graduation. Unlike the past alumni days, alumni rotated to each homeroom, instead of students moving from classroom to classroom to listen to new speakers. 

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