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Baseball team continues to swing through season

By Bernice Ou-yang

The PHHS Baseball team started their conditioning in January, held tryouts in February and began playing in early March.

“(The coaches) push us pretty hard, but sometimes they give us a little bit of a leeway,” said pitcher Daniel Bobias. “If they see that we are pushing really hard, they will give us a little break or cut down (on the conditioning) or they’ll give us a fun day.”

The team worked and trained hard everyday after school. Its goal is to win as many games as possible and to get to CCS (Central Coast Section).

“I think that (the coaches) are one of the main reasons that we are where we are now and they are why we are going to be successful later on,” mentioned outfielder Jose Renteria.

The coaches, Bill Kennedy and Alex Flores, started off the team’s training with some stretching and  throwing, then they would move on to practice defense drills and others.

“Since we lost five guys last year, I’m actually pretty proud of how we are doing this year,” admitted starting catcher Collins Mcevers. “(The training) is pretty difficult. It’s especially tougher for the people who don’t play often or just started playing not too long ago. We just have to be strong mentally and overcome all the obstacles together.”

The Varsity Baseball team lost the home game against Oak Grove High School this Wednesday, with the score of 5-3.

Both the Junior Varsity and the Varsity Baseball team have played about nine games so far and are feeling optimistic.

The Junior Varsity Baseball team’s current record is 3-5 overall and 2-1 for league. The Piedmont Hills Varsity Baseball team’s current record is 5-3 overall and 4-1 for league.

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Badminton smashes to success

By Erica Xie

The PHHS Badminton team has been successful throughout the season so far with a score of 9-2.

In their recent game against Independence High School they scored 12-3.

The team won every game so far except against Evergreen Valley High School team, where they lost 8-7 and 9-6.

“Our team has been doing well against other schools, and my personal goal is to stay undefeated,” said Captain Anthony Qiu.

They still have a few games to play with the season ending in late April, but their opponents are tough.

“We’ve been making some mistakes recently and there are close games that should be easier,” explained Assistant Coach Van Pham. “We have a lot to improve on, but we have a couple of talented freshmen this year.”

The line up for each game is decided based on which school the team is playing next for the optimal chance at winning and helping players find opponents that challenge them.

“Every year, Evergreen, Leland and us fight for the top three places in League,” commented Coach Pham. “We want to get first place this year.”

The badminton team practices on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. JV is from 5pm to 7pm and Varsity is from 7pm-9pm.

“As a Captain I have to stay for the whole four hours, and I help the team on drills,” revealed Captain Nicky Nguyen.

Outside of games, the team is also planning to participate in tournaments at other schools, outside tournaments and individually compete in CCS (Central Coast Section).

“We recently had a Frosh/Soph tournament where freshmen and sophomores competed and our players scored pretty well,” said Nguyen. “And I hope to make it to CCS this year because I didn’t make it last year.”

On March 28, the team held an alumni game where previous graduates came back and played a game against the current varsity players.

“It was fun playing against the alumni” exclaims Varsity player Cindy Ke. “It was a close game. We lost 8-7.”

Senior Night for the team is this Friday as they play against Leigh High School, a game they expect to win.

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Boys’ Tennis team reflects on season

By Sean Tseng

Although the Boys’ Tennis team was unable to reach CCS (Central Coast Section) this year, the members are still keeping their heads up and looking back on all their work throughout the season to hopefully better their performance next year.

The 5-2 loss against Prospect High on Wednesday and 4-3 loss playing Westmont High on Monday meant the team’s ranking within the league fell to fifth place. Such a ranking removed the chance for them to enter CCS, regardless of the outcome of their final game of the season against Silver Creek High yesterday.

Though they had been projected to take third or fourth place after starting the season off well, the team ultimately underestimated their opponents.

“At the start of the season, we had a strong opening where we beat one of our top competitors,” recounted senior and Varsity Doubles One player Evan Sum. “However, we got (overconfident) and ended up being unprepared against a team that (had) moved up from B-League.”

The lesson is a disappointing one to face, especially for the graduating seniors. Still, the team is determined to use the losses as perspective on how to improve performance in the future.

For one, the members themselves believe there is room for growth and opportunity for improvement in the daily practice matches and drills.

“I think that practices (could) be more serious and less playful,” described Sum when asked about changes from which they could all benefit. “Next year, I hope the captain plans on being stricter.”

With yesterday also being the team’s Senior Night, the future of the team has now been passed on to the underclassmen members. The end of the season is bittersweet, but not even losses can taint the countless memories shared between the players.

“Although in the end we didn’t make CCS, we tried our best and most importantly had a lot of fun,” reflects captain Ryan Tran. “I’m super grateful to all the guys for making my last season with them the most memorable of all!”

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Swim team aims for the A-League

By Leiana Baclig

Beginning their season with success, the Piedmont Hills swim team continues to do well throughout the year.

The swimmers practice five days a week, Monday to Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at Independence, only occasionally getting a day off.

The team has some weaknesses, in which they are working to overcome when they are at practice.

“Some of our major struggles happen within practice,” mentioned Varsity swimmer senior Diane Tabilas. “There are several instances in which we tend to slack off and not practice with the intent to improve. In order to improve we need the mindset of one wanting to be a better swimmer instead of just going through the motions.”

Despite their weaknesses, the team has vastly made some improvements from the beginning of the season that they are proud of.

“At the start, everyone was very slow and rusty, as if we had forgotten our feel of the water. But now there is noticeable improvement,” commented Tabilas. “We have improved not only with our times, but also our endurance, technique and cohesion.”

The team’s biggest strengths are winning their meets and working together as a team.

“We are finally winning some meets compared to previous years,” stated Varsity swimmer senior Julia Krowicki.

By working hard during practice and doing their best to win every meet they possibly can, the swimmers believe they will reach their team goal.

“Our team goal is to win everything and get league champs for B-League,” revealed Varsity swimmer senior Kendrick Cheung.

With all the hard work, dedication and greatly starting off the season, the PHHS swim team strongly believes they can move back into A-League.

“I think we have a very good chance to go back to A-League especially since we have very strong swimmers and have each other for support,” claimed Krowicki.

According to Tabilas, the team is very strong, and the underclassmen are extremely talented and hardworking.

Several swimmers have already qualified for CCS (Central Coast Section) for this season. The swimmers who have not yet qualified will train and focus on their individual goal in order to qualify.

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Pirate of the Issue: Janet Tran

By Emilie Chau

Since she was five years old, senior Varsity swimmer Janet Tran has been a passionate swimmer.

“I started when I was five because my mom got this flyer from her co-worker,” explains Janet.  “I didn’t really think much about it at the time—I thought it was just some extracurricular activity I could do in my free time—but I grew to really like it.”

Janet competes in the 200 free, 500 free and 100 fly.  Her fastest times so far are 1:52.70 for the 200 free, 5:03.04 for the 500 free and 56.5 for the 100 fly.  Janet is also currently ranked 82nd in California among women her age.

She continues to swim because of the people surrounding her and the joy she gets from helping others improve their strokes.

“Well, I didn’t really try any other sports,” laughs Janet on why she stuck with swimming. “I also really like being able to race other people and swimming is a kind of close community so we can all relate to each other a lot. Also, most of my friends are swimmers.”

Another aspect Janet loves about the team is the tight-knit community among the athletes at Piedmont Hills.

“I love how the (swim) team is so supportive of one another,” expresses Janet.  “We are always cheering for each other and that’s kind of rarely seen from other school so I really appreciate that.”

Her favorite event to swim is where there is no pressure to meet a certain goal or expectation.

“Actually, I like swimming in my off events because there are no expectations for me to go really fast or to get records,” confesses Janet.

For those who are considering to take up swimming as a sport, Janet encourages taking a chance with swimming.

“Just go for it,” motivates Janet. “It’s a really good experience and it looks good on college apps.”

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Raising money to moo and waddle

By Mae Castellano

Two Piedmont Hills Pirates walked through the halls wearing costumes mooing or waddling two weeks ago. Because of Interact’s annual fundraiser, Make Your Pirate Moo and Waddle, a staff member and student has to go through a whole school day in a penguin or cow costume.

“(Make Your Pirate Moo and Waddle) started as a tradition, I think, a couple years before I even came to PHHS,” recalls Interact Co-President Jaria Jaug. “It’s more recent though to have both students and teachers participate.”

Make Your Pirate Moo and Waddle is an annual event where students are encouraged to donate into jars. These jars are appointed to specific teachers and students, and the teacher and student who collects the most money in their jars wins; they have to wear a costume and moo or waddle.

“It’s kind of weird for me to yell at my students to put money in my jar,” laughs Physiology teacher David Vasques. “It’s like a fun battle between classes to try to motivate people because it’s all for charity.”

The money raised will be going towards Interact’s international project “Me, the Human,” where the money raised will go to help Syrian refugees with supplies, medicine and proper relocation care.

The winners of the week long fundraiser are Forensics teacher Nivetha Joseph and freshman Danny Hinh, both raising a little above 100 dollars.

“I aspired to raise an extreme amount of donation funds for the good cause,” provides Danny. “To raise an extreme amount of donation funds, I had assistance from a few friends.”

The winners wore their respective costumes on March 30, with Ms. Joseph as a penguin and Danny as a cow.

“Winning was bittersweet. I was happy that I won, but not too happy because I had to wear a costume, though it wasn’t embarrassing at all,” says Ms. Joseph.

“I enjoyed (wearing the costume) yet found it to be uncomfortable as a few students grabbed my udders,” comments Danny. “A few people wanted to take a photo with me because they thought it was funny.”

In the end, Make Your Pirate Moo and Waddle raised around $500 in one week.

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Red Cross holds annual Spring Blood Drive

By Sophia Xiao

Continuing with tradition, Red Cross held its annual spring blood drive on March 24.

Throughout the school day, the library bustled with nurses, blood donors and busy Red Cross members.  The club almost met its goal of 100 donors, with 97 people ultimately deciding to donate blood.

“I think it was really successful because we had a lot of signups and walk ins, and I know that there were t-shirts this year so that was a pretty positive thing about our blood drive,” expresses Historian Cindy Nguyen.  “It was just really heartwarming to see all these people sign up to donate.”

There are a lot of incentives for eligible people to donate blood to Red Cross.

“I decided to donate because I’m trying to be a good citizen.  I want to be able to save some kid’s life,” explains sophomore Aaron Jiang.  For him, it was a spur of the moment decision to help give to others.

While the donation is a simple and safe procedure, Red Cross advises donors to follow certain precautions before and afterwards to prevent injury.

“They highly encourage hydrating, feeding yourself a lot…  getting a good amount of sleep and also just (maintaining) a positive attitude to donate and save lives,” comments Cindy.

Each donor received a Golden State Warriors themed t-shirt with the phrase, “The Heart of a Warrior Never Quits,” as well as free snacks to help replenish lost iron and vitamin stores.

According to their website, nurses take one pint of blood and additional sample test tubes from each person.  Then, the blood is labeled, stored and sent to a Red Cross National Testing Laboratory to test for disease and blood type and to perform lab work.

Finally, it is shipped off to hospitals where each pint of blood may save up to three lives!

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NHS imparts sage wisdom upon underclassmen

By Tyler Vu

NHS (National Honor Society) held its annual Advising Day on Mar. 30. This yearly event offers the underclassmen opportunities to consult high-achieving members of the student body about academic concerns.  It was held during third and fifth period and required NHS members to give up one period of their day. Members advised the underclassmen in pairs, discussing topics on college, classes, extracurricular activities and overall school concerns.

“We had around 30 sign ups this year,” said NHS President Brandon Dimapasoc.  “It was very fun to share our experiences as seniors with underclassmen.”

According to many NHS members, the questions they received were fairly straightforward, pertaining mostly to college and time management.

“I had a sophomore ask me about college applications,” mentioned member Zoe Adams.
Often, the topic of college applications is most popular for its looming presence on senior year. Students may not fully understand the ins and outs of the application process, which makes Advising Day all the more useful.

“I got advice on the NHS application process, study tips for the SAT and personal statements,” said junior Annie Do.  “They also gave me some tips on how to avoid a stressful year.”

The advice the underclassmen received will hopefully help them navigate through the rest of their high school careers.  One NHS member recalled a time last year when he received advice from previous seniors.

“All of it was spot on, even if I didn’t listen to any of it,” member Evan Sum laughed.

“They told me not to take a lot of AP classes, and that’s what I did.  They told me not to stress about college, but here I am.”

Though the stress may be inescapable as the underclassmen pass through each year, NHS maintains Advising Day in hopes of providing as much guidance as possible.

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Music Department celebrates to the tune of success

anaheim courtesy of francis
APPLAUD! Vocalist Catherine Tran (12) and Fluatist Stephanie Zhu (11) receive recognition for their spectacular performances. PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCIS RAFANAN

APPLAUD! Vocalist Catherine Tran (12) and Fluatist Stephanie Zhu (11) receive recognition for their spectacular performances.

By Tyler Vu

Last Saturday, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir and the Treblemakers all performed in the Anaheim Music Heritage Festival.  The festival serves as a place for students from around the world to showcase their hard work.  Students left last Thursday, performed on Saturday and came back exhausted the day after.

“It was great to have some time away from school,” admited cellist Jeffrey Chang.

The music department participates in this annual festival every other year.  This year, groups performed in either Fullerton College or the Rose Center Theater.  After performing three pieces they were scored based on tone, intonation, technique, balance and interpretation. The groups were then awarded appropriately at Disneyland, and individual awards were given to particularly outstanding members.  Every group in the music department scored in the 90-100 point range, earning all gold ratings.

“Going through the hard work of preparing for the competition was stressful, but it was well worth it in the end,” said tubist Christina Vu.

The Treblemakers started off the event with a performance at Fullerton College.  The Vocal Jazz group performed “Moondance,” “Virtual Insanity” and “Waters of March.” Not only did the group place first, vocalist Catherine Tran in particular received a Maestro Award.

“It’s an honor to have been recognized by such renowned musicians.  I’m glad I was able to grow as a musician in my past four years with the PHHS Choral Department,” said Catherine.

Next, Concert Choir followed with their performance of “Feller From Fortune,” “Soneto de la Noche” and “O Meu Maracatu,” scoring second of all the groups present.

“We performed against a few other schools and although we didn’t win, we still had a lot of fun,” expressed vocalist Mabel Orais.

After the previous performance, all the groups moved to the Rose Center Theater to watch Symphony Orchestra play.  The group performed “Petite Suite Movement for-ballet,” “Pavane O.p 50” and “Symphony No. 4 Movement 3,” netting an award for the highest scoring orchestra group present, among other accolades.  In addition to the myriad of ensemble awards, flautist Stephanie Zhu also won a Maestro Award.

“I’d like to thank Ms. Ray for helping me improve,” beamed Stephanie

Finally, Wind Ensemble capped off the festival with “Third Movement of Satiric Dances,” “Sicilienne” and “The Klaxon,” scoring the second highest of all the groups present.

“We’ve been practicing since November,” explained flautist Cindy Do.  “We really wanted to represent the Piedmont Hills music department after four years of being here.”

The next day the groups returned on various busses, tired and accomplished.

“I’d like to thank all the students for managing to put on such a good performance even after the tiring schedule,” praised orchestra teacher Ms. Ray.

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District examines consueling funds

By Jen Luu

Piedmont Hills held its first parent meeting, “The Sky’s the Limit,” regarding funds for counseling and guidance last Tuesday in the L-Building. Students were highly encouraged to attend as well.

The meeting primarily discussed the usage of LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) fund.

“LCAP funding is additional funding that would come into our district to be used as deemed necessary. The district was trying to gain some input from different stakeholders at our school to see how this extra money should be utilized,” explained counselor Jennifer Cody.

Members and attendees advocated for more support towards the school’s counseling program. A possible goal in the future is to expand the amount of the faculty.

“To have four counselors for 2,200 students is a very high case load. For us to feel like we’re effective and able to help, we would like to have more counselors so we can have more time with students. I also think it would be great to see an increase in social workers here,” expressed Ms. Cody.

The low ratio of students to counselors and social workers is detrimental to some who cannot obtain resources elsewhere. This only magnifies the importance of more funding towards the counseling program. After all, counselors assist with various issues like emotional health, college applications, class decisions and financial situations.

“We’re trying to help students (plan) for their future. If there’s more of us, then we can better serve students so that you guys can do your post-secondary planning. Not only that, we can also monitor students that are on track for graduation and for going to a four-year college,” responded Ms. Cody.

An increase in support towards social workers at Piedmont Hills can only yield beneficial results.

This year, to increase attendance, some students encouraged their club members to come.

“It’s their chance to improve the school and make a lasting impact,” said senior Brandon Dimapasoc.

For the sake of future generations, it is crucial for people to participate in these matters now.

“It was a really uplifting and eye-opening experience,” said senior Jaria Jaug.

The combined effort of parents, students, counselors, and teachers reflected a strong sense of unity.

In contrast to last year’s lack of attendance, this year’s meeting had a much more positive outcome.

“I think maybe two hundred and some people attended, which was a major difference from last year’s. A lot of the parents’ concerns and what they wanted this funding to be utilized for echoed some of what we think too. I was really pleased to see the turnout. It seems like parents have a number of different things they are hoping to see the money be used for,” said Ms. Cody.