May 2020

School Events

FAREWELL TO THE CLASS OF 2020

Kimi Galang Villegas 2020

To the Class of 2020:

This was not the way we imagined our Senior year to turn out. We will not get to walk altogether for Graduation. Yet, everything we have accomplished means so much more than a grand ceremony with all of our friends. The administration sincerely sympathizes with us and has been working to produce a special graduation program to commemorate us individually. While this event is different from past graduations, it is something we should be looking forward to as we celebrate with our family members and loved ones.

Over the past four years, we have endured and grown so much together. During Freshman year, we were all naive teenagers just trying to find where we fit in and develop good study skills. We made egg aeroshells in Physics, we filmed cringey but fun Myth Movies in Latin, and we acted out scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Sophomore year came along and we took our first college course at Fresno State, wrote our Roman Research papers, and each took a step in making beneficial change in society with our Injustice Projects. Junior year was very hectic, yet we managed our rigorous course load with taking the SAT/ACT and participating in a myriad of extracurricular/volunteer activities. We survived the Shark Lab (although the scent was pungent) and felt the stress of reading great works of literature in AP Comp, but later felt affirmed when we were awarded with bell dings. Just like that, Senior year rolled around. We kicked it off with Senior Sunrise and Changemakers Day. In communication with our peers, we were all pushed past our comfort zones and forced to be vulnerable with one another. We exchanged significant life stories and learned to be more empathetic human beings. The bulk of our first semester was consumed by college applications, but our hard work paid off.

Before quarantine and after finishing college applications, I had definitely taken the time at school I had for granted. My case of senioritis was progressively worsening, and I was looking forward to the end of the school year, not realizing within a few days, I would never get to see the whole UHS student body in the same place again. This quarantine has opened my eyes to appreciate the simple things in life that can easily be taken away from me in an instant, and I hope it has had a similar effect on you as well. Time is a precious thing and we must use the time we have to live fully, love others, and make change.

The greatness we have achieved at UHS is what we will bring out into the world as future doctors, engineers, lawyers, medical professionals, performing artists, and more. Let us not let go of the values UHS has bestowed upon us. As we step into the wide world of possibility, we must remember to do everything with love, to serve others and ourselves, to make our mark on humanity and leave this Earth better than we found it. I am so proud of each of you and your accomplishments, as well as staying optimistic in the midst of a global pandemic. I cannot imagine a better group of people that I would want to have shared the past four years with. Thank you, Class of 2020.

Your Classmate,

Kimi Galang Villegas

Current Events

AP TESTING DURING A PANDEMIC?

Mohammad Al-Saber 2023

Education institutions all across the nation shut down for the academic year on Friday, March 13, 2020 from fear of the spread of COVID-19. At this time of year annually comes AP tests, exams that students can take in order to gain college credit. Numerous high school students across the globe have taken the AP tests for the 2019-2020 academic year, despite COVID-19 ravaging throughout various nations. Changes to these standardized tests may take months or even years to formulate and announce; nevertheless, a pandemic does not stop the College Board, the non-profit organization behind these tests. They released details on Friday, April 3, 2020 in regards to how students will be taking these rather strenuous tests, and the reaction from students, parents, staff, and administration across the United States and foreign students were mixed.

Instead of the usual three hour AP tests the College Board creates annually, this year’s AP tests took only 45 minutes and were all free response questions, commonly known by students in AP classes as FRQs. Rather than completing them in school auditoriums, gyms, or classrooms, this exam can be taken from the comfort of students’ homes. This one- or two-question exam can be completed online using a unique code, or E-Ticket, as the College Board calls them, which was emailed to students two days before the exam date and time. These exams, beginning on May 11, and lasting through May 22, were taken all across the globe at the exact same times, as students in Hawaii, for instance, begin their exams at 6 A.M., while students in New York state taking the exact same exam begin at 12 P.M.. Unlike previous years’ AP tests, this year’s was open notes and open book, but students could not, by any means, consult or browse the internet during the exam. The biggest question, above all others, was whether colleges would accept the credit these exams are giving. College Board’s statement concerning this topic was, “We’re confident that the vast majority of higher ed institutions will award college credit as they have in the past. We’ve spoken with hundreds of institutions across the country that support our solution for this year’s AP Exams.”

Outlooks on taking these exams amid a global health crisis were extremely varied. The College Board, saying in part that they have surveyed over 18,000 AP students and the vast majority agreed to taking these exams for higher ed institution credit, was the first sign of trouble for many students. After some digging, internet and social media users have come to a conclusion that there are about 1,600,000 students enrolled in AP courses, and taking that little amount of people’s judgments was a fault of the College Board’s. The College Board assured students, before the testing window opened, that very few students will encounter problems in the duration of their assigned AP exam(s). Despite the numbers and words the College Board released, various students expressed their technical issues during their AP test(s). From their computer dying, to internet issues, to not being able to click the ‘Submit’ button in time, the stress was mounting on many. Despite the window of being able to turn in a Make-Up Exam form, pupils were exasperated that the course content they had learned all year was thrown out of the window due to a minor technological inconvenience. In addition, the apprehension of unfair testing advantages and testing environments was afloat, but again, the College Board reassured students that very few will encounter said problems, and they are able to retake the exam later in June. The mounting issues led students to go to popular social media applications, such as Twitter, Reddit, and others, to sound off their anger.

Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok these days can be places where users can find relatable issues people experience; however, lately, people have not been holding back at the vexation they hold for the College Board. Conspiracy theories, even, are floating about, one saying that the College Board, in a way, predicted the nation-wide school closure because they had students pay their AP exam fees in the fall, rather than in the usual spring time. Countless posts across said platforms have been a place where students can vent, but even the College Board is getting in on the action; nonetheless, it was not to do what these students are doing. During the exam window, fake accounts, such as Dinosauce313, were created to lure students into cheating, which, according to many, is a federal crime. Due to that, and technological issues, some parents have even decided to take it to the federal law and file a lawsuit against the College Board. “FairTest: The National Center for Fair & Open Testing joined the suit, which claims breach of contract, gross negligence, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment and violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Plaintiffs will seek “compensatory damages in an amount that exceeds $500 million” and “punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish defendants” and “to deter them from engaging in wrongful conduct in the future.” Plaintiffs says, “The College Board rushed ‘untested’ AP computerized exams into the marketplace in order to preserve the testing company’s largest revenue-generating program after schools shut down this spring, even though they were warned about many potential access, technology and security problems,” said Robert Schaeffer, FairTest’s interim executive director. “Even if only 1 percent of test takers could not transmit their answers because the College Board’s technology was not ready for prime time, at least 20,000 students were affected.” Peter Schwartz, the College Board’s general counsel, issued a statement earlier last week that said, “When the country shut down due to coronavirus, we surveyed AP students nationwide, and an overwhelming 91 percent reported a desire to take the AP exam at the end of the course. Within weeks, we redesigned the AP Exams so that they could be taken at home. Nearly 3 million AP Exams have been taken over the first seven days. Those students who were unable to successfully submit their exam can still take a makeup and have the opportunity to earn college credit. This lawsuit is a PR stunt masquerading as a legal complaint being manufactured by an opportunistic organization that prioritizes media coverage for itself. It is wrong factually and baseless legally; the College Board will vigorously and confidently defend against it, and expect to prevail.”

With taking these AP exams came countless, persistent matters came about by the tens of thousands daily. Stress was mounting on both ends of the situation, and, at the end of the day, these exams were extremely flawed. The words and actions of the College Board led students to believe their technology was able to handle the overflow of students on the same site, but that was not the case. Looking on the bright side, AP exams have now closed for many; nevertheless, what looms in the coming week will be stressful to those who had a minor flaw in transmitting their answers.

CELEBRATING ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH (AAPI)

Celine Irasusta 2021

Ever since the country heard about the threat of a potentially new and deadly virus, there has been plenty of controversy surrounding Asian Americans. You may have heard the common remark that “it’s all because those Asians decided to eat a bat,” or maybe about the numerous unnecessary attacks on innocent Asian Americans. Being Filipino myself, it saddens me to hear that the Asian American community must endure such hatred and inexcusable racism.

So, I wanted to take this time to put us Asian Americans in a more positive light. Since 1992, the United States recognizes the month of May as a time for celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander culture, traditions, and history. Asian Americans make up 17.3 million (5.6%) of the US population, with most of them living in California. The Asian American population grew at a rate of 46% within 2000-2010, making the Asian American growth rate the highest of all other racial groups.

In observance of AAPI, I wanted to share some interesting facts, traditions, and customs:

Sanoha Phasakda (11th) explains how in Laos, ethnic Lao and Thai people celebrate the Songkran (“Water Festival”) every year on April 13-15. To them, Songkran is a very important celebration in that it indicates the Buddhist new year. “Water is seen to carry the spirit of the world. During the festival, people will go out to public areas and will try to wet each other with water guns, hoses, buckets, and everything else that is water-related. People believe that the spirit of the world will give them a good life and good fortune in riches, love and happiness and will [therefore] try to get as wet as possible. Many people from around the world will come to Laos and Thailand to participate in this very unique cultural festival as there is nowhere else in the world where two entire countries basically turn into a water park.”

Many tourists remember quite vividly the hospitality, respect, and friendliness of the Filipino people. In the Philippines, younger individuals greet their elders with a gesture commonly referred to as mano po (Sophia Balane, 11th). This is considered a sign of respect, where one will raise the hand of an elder and lightly press it against their forehead. The Spanish word mano translates to “hand,” whereas po is a word used when addressing someone older.
In India, residents of Solapur have their own mind-boggling tradition. Parents would throw their newborn children off the top of a 50-foot high tower, symbolizing health, wealth, and good fortune. Scary, right?
Those in Korea wear hanbok, a fancy yet simple Korean dress worn during traditional festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies (Isaac Hwang, 11th). Characterized for its deep, vibrant colors, the colors of hanbok symbolize different things. For example, the common color white represents purity, integrity, and chastity. In addition to white, the upper class and court figures wore clothing dyed red, yellow, blue, and black to symbolize the elements fire, earth, water, metal, and wood.
In Japan, people celebrate Toro Nagashi, the Japanese tradition of setting lanterns afloat in rivers. The sight is indeed very breathtaking, but so is the meaning behind this tradition. Toro Nagashi represents the journey of souls to the afterlife. The ceremony celebrates the Japanese Obon holiday, a time widely believed by the Japanese where spirits of their loved ones return to the world.
Have you ever seen women in Hawaii wear flowers behind their ears? The side you put the plumeria flower on actually reveals your relationship status! If the flower is behind their right ear, they are single, and if the flower is behind their left ear, they are in a relationship.

I could list the numerous other unique traditions and social customs of plenty other Asian countries and Pacific islands, but this article would end up being extremely lengthy. I encourage all of you to dig deeper, though; there’s countless other things to learn!

I hope that after reading this, people will look past the negative stigma surrounding Asians and Pacific Islanders and instead divert their attention towards the beauty of our culture. We shouldn’t allow one bad thing outweigh the countless amazing things about Asia. Our ethnicity is not a virus. There is more to this vibrant and rich culture, and I can only wish that we never lose sight of that, especially during this troubling time.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT

Cadence Dooms 2021

Mental Health Month has been a tradition celebrated each year in the month of May, since 1949. It stands as a reminder for people everywhere to take care not only of their bodies, but also provide the same level of care to nourish and be kind to their minds and souls. In America, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness at some point in their life- including ADHD, Depression, PTSD, BPD, OCD, Schizophrenia, or Anorexia Nervosa. While these issues may not be relevant to everyone, every person deserves access to various mental stimuli in order to maintain their mental health. Some of the top recommended practices for maintaining this health include:

Staying Active

While participating in sports or physical activity may not seem to appeal to the mind as much as the body, exercise has been proven to release neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin- all of which make us, in short, happy.

Eating Well

On the same level of staying active, fueling your body with nutrients is a key part to maintaining a healthy mind. While comfort foods have been proven to release serotonin, again the “happy drug”, other foods such as oranges have been proven to reduce cortisol levels in the body, a common stress hormone, and adrenaline- a hormone which increases blood pressure, heart rate, and causes spikes in energy levels.

And most importantly...

Talking About Your Emotions

While talking about your emotions and reactions may seem scary- it is one of the most relieving tasks. Simply speaking about any recent problems or actions has been proven to alleviate some of those symptoms that come with an unhealthy mindset, but also to help resolve that inner turmoil that comes with being unsure.

Overall, there are many activities and ways to boost your mental state and maintain a healthy mind, so be sure during this month, and all coming months, to be aware of your needs and continue being healthy, in the midst of all this chaos.

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER'S DAY

Ryan Titapiwatanakun 2023

Mother’s Day is an annual holiday that recognizes the significant role of mothers in our society. However, the founding of this festivity has had a blurry history concerning who created it. According to most sources, Mother’s Day was brought into view during the 1900s by Anna Jarvis. She advocated for the celebration of Mother’s Day the same year her mother passed away, 1905. As time passed, Anna Jarvis had increased this holiday’s popularity. At last, in 1914, Mother’s day was named an official holiday by the president. This national celebration was decided to take place on the second Sunday of May. Addressing this holiday’s name, it was decided that the apostrophe in “Mother’s” should be singular. This was chosen to appreciate everybody’s mother. Looking back through history, this holiday has had different views from Anna Jarvis and commercialized companies. This dispute nearly made Mother’s Day removed from calendars. However, at the end of the day, this holiday still fulfills the purpose that it was intended for: to appreciate all mother’s in our nation. With the extensive background that this appreciation delivers each year, I hope that everyone will have a delightful Mother’s Day!

HOROSCOPES

Rachael Rivera 2023

Some point in your life, you’ve probably heard the term “horoscopes”, and if you have then you also probably have an idea of what they are. But there’s far more to understand about horoscopes that reading in the backs of newspapers and magazines doesn’t tell you. Astrology is far more dimensional than just being described as “moody and overly sensitive”, but can be tricky to understand. The map of the sky at the moment of our first breath is our birth chart, which by reading ours we can understand more about how we think, act, relate, and love. The basic building blocks of astrology that are necessary for reading birth charts are the planets, signs, houses, and aspects, but in this article I will only be discussing the signs.

The twelve signs of the zodiac are the foundation of astrology, and represent the archetypes, of personalities, present in human nature. Since there’s a lot to cover about each of the individual signs, I won’t be going over each of the small details regarding each one, but feel free to do some discovering on your own based on what I have to teach you. While most of us know our Sun sign, our personalities include all twelve of the zodiac signs in some way, but there are some that hold more weight for us than others depending on the planetary positions when we’re born. For example, if many of our planets fall in Aries, that sign would be more dominant in our personality. We each have a Sun, Moon, Ascendant (or rising), and eight additional planets, all of which fall into different signs that reveal layers of our distinct personalities. To understand the placement of any of our planets, it’s important to become familiar with the signs, deepening our understanding of their unique energies and characteristics.

The signs operate in a cyclical pattern, starting with Aries, the trailblazer and baby of the zodiac; followed by Taurus, who unleashes our body; Gemini, who unlocks our intellect; Cancer who connects us with emotion; and Leo, who reveals our creative expression. The signs become increasingly more complex (Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius,) until we end with Pisces. Pisces represents spirituality, transcendence, and oneness. As the final sign, Pisces encompasses all the signs that came before. After Pisces, we jump back into our bodies and begin with Aries again; sign of birth, freshness, and spring.

The signs can be grouped into three significant groupings, which help us better understand them. First there are dualities, with each sign categorized as either masculine or feminine. Masculine signs include Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius, and are direct, outgoing, and energetic. Feminine signs include Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces, which are more receptive and self-contained. Then, we divide the signs according to their elements and qualities, also known as triplicities and quadruplicities. The elements (or triplicities), are fire, earth, air, and water. Fire signs include Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, and are known as enthusiastic, spontaneous, and inspiring. Earth signs include Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, and are stable, slow, and pragmatic. Air signs include Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius, and are intellectual, social, and communicative. Water signs include Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, and are known to be sensitive, intuitive, and emotional. The qualities (or quadruplicities) represent the three basic conditions in life: creation, preservation, and transformation. Cardinal signs are connected with creation and the beginning of each season (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn). The fixed signs embody qualities of preservation, stability, and dependability, and mark the midpoint of each season (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). Mutable signs have to do with transformation; flexibility, change, and adaptability. They show up at the end of each season (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces).

As Dane Rudhyar says, “Astrology is a language. If you understand this language, the sky speaks to you.” Feel free to start your own zodiacal journey and examine each sign. Learning about the zodiacal elements of each sign can further unlock your understanding of each sign, grounding the concepts into earthly metaphors. Most importantly, have fun while you discover more about yourself and the stars. There’s much more to astrology that there is to learn, but I hope that I was able to teach you something new and interesting. As always, stay safe and have a good day!

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH

Terralynn Datrice 2021

With many gyms and schools closed, students have had to find a new form of physical activity. During the month of May, we celebrate National Bike Month, a month dedicated to the benefits of bike riding and encouraging more people to become a part of the cycling community.

Biking has made a major comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring people to exercise outside. According to the League of American Cyclists, here are some basic guidelines to follow when biking in public:

Follow Traffic Laws

When biking on roads or streets, it is important to ride in the same direction that traffic is flowing.

2. Signal Movements

Using signal movements are important so people around a biker can see where they are going. With this, it is suggested to make choices that are predictable and avoid confusing others in order to prevent putting people in danger.

3. Wear a Helmet!

California law states that any minor under the age of 17 is required to wear a helmet on public streets. For a rider's safety, it is suggested that all bicyclists wear a helmet to avoid critical injury if something unexpected or unpredictable may occur.

4. Make Room for Others!

When riding on paths, it is important to leave room for people to pass on a path. This will avoid collision and promote safety. Especially in times of COVID-19 it is polite and healthy to leave 6 feet in between riders.

Biking is a great way to stay active in quarantine and is a healthy lifestyle choice. With the encouragement of National Bike Month, let us all enjoy the outdoors in safe and courteous manner.

Reviews

WANT TO FIND YOUR OTHER HALF?

Emily Al-duais 2021

The idea of our other half, while it either consumes or barely occurs to one, it has crossed everyone’s mind. Is it true that we have a soul mate somewhere out there, waiting to be found? The Half of It on Netflix , a new coming-of-age story, dives into different layers of love and relationships. Ellie Chu is a quiet girl who helps Paul Munsky, a jock, write a love letter to a girl that Ellie Chu also begins to grow feelings for. It’s a simple storyline that exposes the complex crevices and folds of love.

Directed by Alice Wu, the film embodies diverse qualities. Ellie Chu is played by Leah Lewis, an Chinese-American actress. While many films shy away from unconventional races, Alice Wu embraces Chinese-American culture through Ellie Chu. Ellie Chu speaks of her past experiences in America as an Chinese-American and embeds Mandarin throughout the story. The movie includes a girl-girl romance that explores the complications of what it means to love differently. The LGBTQ representation was done beautifully and it was genuine with subtle references to societal standards. While these may be only a few diverse qualities, they were expanded deeply.

Although the film had diverse traits there were many familiar characteristics. The story follows high school students and their journey to self-discovery. Being at UHS, we are surrounded by the most loving and gentle community of human beings. However, one always experiences a time of isolation and seclusion.

Ellie Chu and Paul Munsky both encounter this feeling in high school at different spectrums. Paul Munsky particularly struggles with words and communication is a significant part of life that Alice Wu highlights through the ‘jock’. The idea of being just a pretty girl is illustrated through Aster Flores, the girl caught in the middle. She vulnerably expresses frustration toward the conventional restraints on women and beauty. The arts are a significant element throughout the story. Music impacts many of the character’s lives. Painting is seen as a lost thread in Aster Flores’s life. Philosophical ideals on love and relationships are strong influences alongside many ancient concepts and beliefs.

Relationships whether meaning friendships or romantic relations, they play substantial roles in everyone’s life. Ellie Chu was quite isolated and introverted before Paul Munsky came around. She removed herself from her peers at school and besides her father, she had no other relationships. Her and Paul Munsky’s relationship started out as a transaction and then bloomed into a true friendship where they could become vulnerable and open up old wounds. While their two characters are drastically different they come to understand each other. Through Ellie Chu and Paul Munsky the audience believes in finding someone that perceives you through glass that isn’t shattered or stained; but instead they see you clearly.

Overall, this new diverse take on love is a phenomenal movie. Although it deals with serious discussions as love and relationships, it doesn’t forget to include humor. While watching this film be prepared to cry and laugh. The humor gives all the philosophical beliefs and abstract ideas a light tough. Personally, a film that can hit all the fields is a very well-rounded movie.

Love is an abstract concept that every person tries to wrap their mind around. Many romantic films have the same storyline and same happy ending to where the movies have become trite. In The Half of It the story takes a unique perspective on love. At the start, Elli Chu is cynical about love and love is thrown around as just this unattainable conceptualization. What does it mean to actually be in love? Should love be patient and kind? These are all questions that arise through the film and through the character’s self-discovery. The difference with this film to other romantic films is that The Half of It shows how love at its worst can also be at its finest. That love must run its own path, whether it is pretty or not. Most films draw love as this beautiful fairy tale story to satisfy the audience but that isn’t realistic. Love comes at its own time at its own pace with its own path. The Half of It portrays how, “Love is messy and horrible and selfish… and bold” . So grab you tissue box and popcorn, get cozy and enjoy The Half of It during your quarantine.

Student Life

WHAT ARE UHS STUDENTS UP TO AFTER SCHOOL ENDED?

Praise Okoli 2022

School is over, all of the grades are closed. UHS students are no longer taking classes in the 2019-2020 school year. With all of the different changes and challenges they had to face, students were still able to finish out the school year, complete the many assignments needed to be done, and to use Zoom to continue to learn in their classes. It was a stressful time, but now students have the opportunity to rest and focus on other activities, such as spending time with family, baking, or swimming. I asked some students how they are doing after school has ended. This is what they said.

Many people felt relieved. They have been able to get some rest, watch some movies, and enjoy nature (Aria Delgado, Alexander Vang, Lena Roberts). Some students feel unproductive (myself included) due to the lack of deadlines and assignments that were given during the school year (Jeslyn Chinnapha, Kimi Villegas, Allison Vang). Some students are losing track of time as the virus persists and they continue to self quarantine in order to stay safe (Evelynn Her, Dylan Cruz, Francesca Abiera). Others have found hobbies and are just enjoying the time that they have before school (and summer homework) starts again (Ionemarie Latorraca, Emma Woodward, Alexander Vang, Kylie Carr, Ashleann Chen, Lauren Kong, Ariana Mohebbi). Seniors are getting ready to graduate on June 5th and continuing to stay in touch with their friends. Overall, most UHS students are using this time to rest and recover from this school year and to prepare themselves for the next one.

This school year has brought many challenges, but UHS students were able to overcome each and every one of them. As we continue to social distance and miss our friends, do remember that there’s always next school year and everything will be ok in the end. Please get some rest, take some time to find a hobby, go and explore nature, or find a really good show or movie and have some time with your family. Remember to stay safe, continue to social distance, and always watch the news to see updates and changes that are happening in our county, in our state, and in our world. Stay close to your loved ones, keep in touch with your friends and have a great summer everyone!

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