thelegendonline Sports

Wrestling team gears up for first dual meet

Wrestling team gears up for first dual meet

By Justin Wang

The wrestling team gears up for their first upcoming dual meet against Branham High School at PHHS on Jan. 3, 2019.

“Our dual meet is in early January, BVALS is the first week of February and then CCS is the second week,” explained Wrestling Captain junior Aaron Lee about the schedule for the wrestling season.

All dual meets are set to occur throughout January.

“And first we weigh in and then we wrestle by weight, like lightest to heaviest,” said sophomore Eric Bustos

The wrestling team is being led by three coaches this year, named Coach Mefi, Coach Caleb and Coach Alexis.

“An alumni is our coach and he’s doing a good job mixing in conditioning and techniques,” said Lee, in reference to Coach Caleb.

This year the wrestling team dropped from A-league to B-league, but the wrestling team won’t let that deter them.

“In A-league it was pretty hard for me, but now I’m on the older side, I’m bigger, I’m just more developed than the other people and I’ll probably do better this year,” said Lee when asked about how he thinks he’ll fair this season.

However, there seem to be some concern stemming from the number of people on the team.

“It’ll be close, we might have some overlap, but out of the consistent people there are people of the same weight, so some of the weight classes will have like two people in them and then they might have to drop down or go up,” said Lee about the number of players.

Nonetheless, that seemed to be the only concern the team has.

“It’s just that we need better attendance, just more responsibility,” said Arriaga about any of the concerns he has.

The players who are participating in the wrestling team will be staying in high spirits.

“I’d say with our selection of people, since our conditioning is a lot earlier than when the season starts, we have a good chance at making some good players, so I have a good feeling about it,” said Arriaga.

With how positive the wrestling team is, one has to wonder what keeps the hard working students on the wrestling team tick.

“I mostly want to get fit, it’s fun to like be with other people, socialize. It’s mostly for something like a sort of sense of teamwork. Because that’s really what wrestling is, we all put our individual effort in to win,” said Arriaga.

Arriaga recommended his friends to come out and join wrestling with him.

“I’d say that wrestling is a really good sport for people who aren’t confident enough to try football, because wrestling definitely is underappreciated especially considering what sports people think are really cool and all that stuff. Well yeah, I’d just say that wrestling is really fun and I’d invite my friends to come out and do it,” added Arriaga.

thelegendonline Centerspread

Remembering Toys, how they changed and what they say about us

Remembering Toys, how they changed and what they say about us

By Justin Wang

Final Draft

The toy   it can just be something given to children on Christmas time, something wanted or unwanted. Or it can be a reflection of the root desires of the human mind: the desire to be entertained. The significant nature of how we fill that desire is shown quite clearly in how we play or remember toys.

With new advancements in technology like the internet leading to easy access to media designed for children, the toys children play with has changed and there we see a part of human psychology that has wide-reaching implications.

Toys have come in a variety of forms and throughout history there have been toys that require less imagination than others, ones that are more games or media than toys, and kids may be gravitating more towards the less imaginative side of the spectrum when it comes to toys.

These days, the trend is for a child to have a focused interest on a few specific brand of toys, but not a lot of a variety of different random toys; the reason being the recent ease of access to entertainment on demand.

This trend has a lot of implications and shows how people, at the root level, often desire convenience over quality.

To try to see if that patterns holds true for students here at PHHS, I conducted interviews, asking people what toys they played with or did own, and I found recurring elements and patterns in the type of toys they had.

“I had a freaking Buzz Lightyear, bro,” said junior Matthew Cruz, started off an interview.

“I have no idea,” Matthew responded when I asked about what other toys he remembered.

“I think it was purely Legos and stuffed animals,” said Matthew after a few moments of recollection.

“No, I did not.” said Matthew after I pressed him for any other toys he may have had like the Furby, Tamagotchi, slinky, or a pop-up flipping frog toy.

“Yes I did, but I primarily used Legos. For all cases I used Legos.” said Matthew after I decided to ask if he had an Etch A Sketch.

Near the conclusion of our interview, I asked about Beyblades and Matthew said “Beyblade, yes, I had a lot of. A lot of Beyblade.”

Beyblade being a spinning top toy played with various types of tops, usually metal and plastic.

For the most part Matthew exemplified picture of children having a lot of toys specifically from franchises like Lego or Beyblade, but had little interest elsewhere.

It was not just a one-time case either.

“I played with Beyblades, B-Daman, Bakugan. I’ve had a slinky, I wouldn’t really consider it a toy, really; I just kind of tangled it and like left it alone.” said junior Justin Hong, Bakugan being a toy and card game.

“I did not have a Rubix Cube, I did not have a kendama. I did not have a Buzz Lightyear. I did not have a Thomas,” said Justin responding to my questions.

Here too I saw specific areas of interest in game like toys like Beyblade or Bakugan with little interest elsewhere.

Beyblade, Bakugan, Legos   all toys which don’t often involve imagining or interacting with a character.

For me at least, I watched a lot of Youtube and played a lot of games so I went with the more convenient form of play, one that takes less imagination and effort, available with minimal movement.

Convenience dominates our lives, and even now it is harming us, most people know they have insecure passwords, they know that they probably should have read all those terms of service, yet they don’t do anything about it.

We risk and sacrifice security, privacy and safety for small conveniences.

But that’s just now, we must think of what happens when technology advances to the point where what we can be sacrificing is liberty, individuality or free thought, whether that be by A.I. robots, the ability to read thoughts, change thoughts or what else.

I’m not saying that such a grim future is guaranteed, what I am saying is that we must tread carefully and we must not lose sight of the downfalls and benefits of convenience, else we might be end up being more observers than controllers of our own lives.

But people didn’t always value things like freedom or privacy, there is evidence that modern privacy is a relatively recent concept; perhaps everything that we value is just a product of our specific time.

I have doubts that we’ll maintain even a sense of value in being well-fed, some today people will forego meals if they find it inconvenient, much like sleep.

So perhaps sacrificing what we value isn’t such a bad thing because we’ll just change our values.

Maybe we should all just get over it and move away from toys, keep that password, let your thoughts be controlled or get rid of emotions; after all, emotions can be rather bothersome, thinking is rather inconvenient, a password can be hard to remember and it’s easier to watch than to play.

thelegendonline Centerspread

Winter Activities

 

By Sarah Shafaeen

While San Jose is not known for its traditional white winters and the many activities that go with that, there are many other fun things to help you enjoy the Holidays. Here are five ways to have a blast this winter without leaving the city.

  1. Visit downtown. Downtown San Jose has many fun activities just for the holidays. Go ice skating at the Circle of Palms Plaza and grab some steaming hot chocolate when you finish. Visit the annual Christmas in the Park at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez to admire the musical and animated exhibits, glittering lights and the 60-foot Community Giving Tree. Or you can go to the Winter Wonderland, consisting of carnival rides, food, games and more sprawled across Park Avenue.
  2. Stay inside. Who says you have to go outside this winter? Enjoy the great indoors by cozying up in front of an roaring fire and watching the flames, wearing fuzzy slippers at home, curling up under a blanket with a good book, wearing flannel pajamas, shopping after-Christmas sales (online, in your PJs) or completing a jigsaw puzzle. You can successfully avoid the outside world but still get into the holiday spirit with these wintery things that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
  3. Decorate your house. The holidays are an aesthetic. Get in the spirit and have some fun by setting up ornaments, twinkle lights, wreaths, paper snowflakes, pine cones and anything that goes with your theme. This can also be a fun family activity. Do not be afraid to try something new or make something yourself. Make your home feel warm, cozy and inviting so you’ll have the perfect place to relax when the cold weather arrives.
  4. Bake. There are many fun and festive foods that are easy to bake and share with loved ones. This year, bake cookies, pies and cinnamon rolls. If you are up for a challenge, try to bake and decorate a gingerbread house. These toasty foods will help keep you warm and spread the holiday cheer.
  5. Just Because. Finally, some extra things you can do this season are mail a handwritten card to an old friend; cup a steaming mug in your hands on a cold day; donate food, toys or clothing to a local charity; wear something red; go on a hike; help clean up trash around parks; volunteer at a soup kitchen.

The holidays are a stressful time for many, but these activities are a great way to just relax and enjoy your holidays with friends and family!

thelegendonline Centerspread

World Celebrations during the winter

By Devonna Dang

 

A multitude of holidays are celebrated in winter in different regions. Each holiday has their own purpose, traditions and festivities.

HANUKKAH

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated mainly by Jews. For eight days each November or December, they light a special candle holder called a Menorah. They do it to remember an ancient miracle when one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days in the Holy Temple. During this holiday, many eat latkes or special potato pancakes, sing songs and spin the dreidel, a top to win chocolate coins, nuts or raisins.

                THREE KINGS DAY

                At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes the Epiphany or Three Kings Day on Jan. 6. This holiday is celebrated in Spain, Latin America and across the US by Latinos as the day the Three Kings first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children receive their presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on Jan. 5, parents leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious King cake is baked where a coin, jewel or little toy will be hid inside.

                KWANZAA

                Kwanzaa, which means “First Fruits,” is based on ancient African harvest festivals, celebrating ideals such as family life and unity. It is a celebration held in the US and in other nations of African diaspora in the Americas. It is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables, and light a candle holder called a kinara.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

                This holiday falls on different dates each year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, celebrated in many Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Singapore. While all celebrate it in their own way, all of their celebrations are linked by a commonality: family reunions and a lot of red—a symbol of good luck in Asian cultures.

  1. LUCIA DAY

                This holiday is celebrated in Sweden, Norway and Swedish-speaking areas around Christmas time in Sweden on Dec. 13. The celebration originated from stories told by Monks who were the first to bring Christianity to Sweden. As the story goes, St. Lucia was a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith. Many girls dress up as “Lucia brides” in long white gowns with red sashes and a wreath of burning candles on their heads. They wake up their families by singing songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called “Lucia Cats.”

thelegendonline Sports

Girls Soceer

 

By Mansi Patel

 

On Dec. 1, Piedmont Hills Varsity Girls’ Soccer kicked off the start of their new season with a 2-1 victory against Carlmont while JV Girls’ Soccer kicked off their season with a victory of 3-1 against Scotts Valley.

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer team has been having a powerful season with three victories and one tie. JV, on the other hand, has been having a challenging season with three loses and one victory.

For the last few games, Varsity has been doing relatively well while JV has been struggling. Last Tuesday, Varsity defeated Milpitas High School with a 2-0 victory. However, JV lost the tough fought game 2-1 against Milpitas.

Girls’ Soccer, both JV and Varsity, had their first game on Dec. 1, where Varsity won by one point and JV won by two points. So far, the season for Varsity has been going well, which has shown in the results of the game, but for the JV team, it has been tough because of the new freshmen who have come in and need to be trained.

“In JV, you might get girls that have played and girls that just barely played in middle school. Some of the girls are not as tall or as big as some of the other teams we have played, so the style we play is fast paced, touch and move,” said JV Coach Joey Jaramillo.

For Varsity Girls’ Soccer, the team lost up to ten seniors this year, making it a bit of a challenge for the team to play well. However, despite changes in the team, the girls have been doing very well and are improving with each game.

“Last year, ten seniors graduated, so we have an almost brand new team. Ten seniors, eight of them were starters, so in terms of starting off with a brand new team and the challenges of those girls meshing quickly to form a varsity team,” said Varsity Coach Fred Espinoza.

This season started with a rough start, mostly due to the change in practice locations. With the rainy weather, practice days often change in order for the girls to get all the practice they can.

“With the rain, we still practiced through it, it’s tough, it’s windy, it’s cold, but we have to get through it to prepare for the season,” said Midfielder Maia Quan.

With the Piedmont Hills High School turf being closed off, the girls had to practice at Independence High School late at night, starting around 8 p.m., which was inconvenient for some of the girls.

“Practice is kind of the same, but it’s a little harder to get to practice and back because it’s further and at any time, there could be traffic,” said winger Jasmine Trinh.

Not only did the rainy weather affect the practice, but the bad air quality last month restricted outdoor practicing.

“With the smoke, we didn’t really get the opportunity to practice (as much). If we did practice, it was in the gym,” said Quan.

Despite the tough practice schedule, the team is sticking together and striving as a team.

“I am looking forward to building new friendships with the new girls on the team and improving on my skills,” said Central Midfielder Vanessa Castaneda

The Girls’ Soccer season has just started, and there is still more to come for the rest of the year. Despite the challenges, the girls are willing to fight as a team and do their best.

thelegendonline Centerspread

Wood vs. Plastic and Other Alternatives

By: Rose Lu

 

When it comes to Christmas, there are lots of factors in deciding the right tree. Wood vs. Plastic always seems to be the one of the most debated questions throughout the holiday season. Wood trees require lots of pesticides and land, as well as fuel to pick up the tree and transport it however, they are biodegradable.

Plastic trees are not biodegradable. However, if it’s used for four years or more, it would save more money and resources than buying a natural tree every year, according to a 2010 Study by PE International. A wooden tree is the better choice if a family wants a tree for only a year, as long as it’s from a local source and not a far-away farm. Plastic trees are better for families who live in the city, want a long-term tree, and don’t have access to farms. They are also much easier to assemble, store, and can be reused.

There are some ways to reuse a natural tree as Bock of Cal State Fullerton, suggests a way to preserve wooden trees, is by buying a potted tree and replanting it in a garden.

It ultimately boils down to convenience and what families are looking for during the holidays, whether it be the coloring of the tree or the natural pine smells. Some families however, do not use trees and rely on alternatives for the Christmas spirit.

Merry Mirror:  Stack green books, binders and other household items in a pyramid-like manner against a mirror. The mirror creates a reflection effect for the full tree. This fun, functional tree can save space and add Christmas spirit to many households and bedrooms.

Chalkboard tree:  Many households can transform their unused chalkboards into a tree, simply by drawing a design on the chalkboard and using magnets to hang Christmas lights or tinsels.

Ladder Tree: Transform an unused ladder into a Christmas tree by hanging lights and tinsels from the steps and wrapping Christmas lights around it.

Christmas Tree made out of Books: Books that can’t fit into a bookshelf can fit into a tree, by creating layers of books stacked upon each other. Be cautious of LED lights, get the ones that don’t get hot and burn.

Present Tree: Make a tree out of presents! They can be empty or filled, just make sure that the placement of the presents emulate a tree. It is also possible to make this an advent calendar tree for 24 days, each with a present or surprise in it.

Nature Inspired Christmas Tree: This tree consists of nature and other items made of paper, such as evergreen branches, book pages, old photographs and masking tape. Simply tape the branches, book pages etc. onto a wall in a tree-like pattern.

These are just a few suggestions for every family to add holiday spirits to their households and some quick advice for last minute tree shopping. Most of all, have fun and enjoy the holidays!

thelegendonline Centerspread

The Best Christmas Flicks

By Harleen Kaur

 

Looking for a more perfect way to unwind and relax after taking your finals? If so, the Legend has some suggestions to watch some of these festive movies to get into the Christmas mood.

If you want a good laugh while soaking in the jolly feeling here are some comedic Christmas flicks.

Elf

One of Santa’s elves learns that he is actually human and decides to make a voyage to NYC where he struggles to fit in with the humans.

The Santa Clause

An ordinary dad accidentally makes Santa fall of his roof, so now he takes it upon himself to deliver gifts and become the new Santa.

Home Alone (2 and 3 included)

Kevin’s family leaves him home alone when they leave for a Christmas vacation. Kevin has to protect his home and fend off the Sticky Bandits. What type of family leaves the same kid home alone three times?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Clark Griswold has some very bad luck but tries to make up for it by holding some Christmas activities with all of his family.

 

If you love sappy Christmas romance stories, don’t fret we also have a few recommendations.

The Holiday

Two women switch homes after meeting online on a home exchange website where they realize the life they live is not the one they want. They stir up new romance in their new homes.

The Holiday Calendar

A Netflix original, where a photographer finds an antique advent calendar that predicts a new romance.

 

These are some Christmas Classics that you should watch with your younger siblings or cousins to get them in the Christmas Spirit.

The Muppets Christmas Carol

It’s the story of Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future teaching a lesson to Scrooge, but this time less scary and with your favorite Muppets character.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (1964)

The original adaptation of a special reindeer who was bullied all his life for his shiny bright red nose but was finally accepted and appreciated for who he was, once Santa specially asked for his help.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)

If you don’t want to spend money and watch the new adaptation in theaters, I recommend revisiting this classic tale of a Grinch who learns the true spirit of Christmas after trying to ruin Christmas for the civilians for Who Ville.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Why not combine everyone’s two favorite holidays of Christmas and Halloween into one movie? Well this classic can be watched year-round where the king of Halloween town, Jack Skellington accidentally finds Christmas town and tries to bring  their Christmas to Halloween Town.

Polar Express

This movie tells a tale of a train that travels all the way to the North Pole the night of Christmas Eve so that children on board can see the kick-off ceremony of Christmas and catch a glimpse of Santa.

Santa Buddies

If you love dogs, you will swoon as these talking puppies try to help return Puppy Paws (Santa’s helper) to the North Pole in order to save the Christmas Magic.

thelegendonline Fun Page

Christmas resolution

 

Andrew Nguyen (11): To get straight A’s

 

Justin Dong (11): I wanna actually get some good sleep next year

 

Tony Hong (11) : An A in Calc

 

Jerry Xu (11): I don’t have a New Year’s Resolution, I’m perfect as I am.

 

Ashley Huynh (11): Finish junior year

 

Clarys Paragas (11): To be happier than now

 

Mary Nguyen (12): I need to stop procrastinating because it’s making me stay up really late

 

Ms. Lee: To have better boundaries and be meaner to students

 

Stacey Thai (12): To start caring more

 

Emily Vu (10): To stop procrastinating

 

Samuel Dai (12): Watch every GOT7 video

 

Benjamin Chen (12): Do really well in all my classes!

 

Paul Vo (9): To be a better person

 

Allison Nguyen (9): To get a dog

 

Cindy (9): To drink more water

 

Emily (9): To save more money

 

Andy Ho (11): To be the best twitch streamer in the world!

 

Maya (11): Stop rewatching netflix shows and watch the ones on my list

 

Karelly (11): To get closer to my religion, I’m Catholic

 

Madison Tran (10): To sleep more, cos i haven’t gotten enough sleep

 

Christina Tran (10): To do better in school and go out with my friends more

 

Isaac Wen (11): To get my life together and not die

 

James Savella (11): I wanna be 6’3” by the end of next year

 

Kayla Hua (11): To start caring more about my grades

 

Ethan (Eto) Nguyen (10): To do better in school and make everyone happy

 

Yenvy Truong (10): Make new friends, and go out and explore more and have new experiences

 

Lilly Liu (12): To get into a good college and begin having a good life

 

thelegendonline Fun Page

CSF’s annual Christmas Carnival

By Divya Verma

 

On Wed., Dec. 5 CSF (California Scholarship Federation) held their annual Christmas carnival at San Antonio Elementary that took place during the school day in hope to spread Christmas spirit to the students.

“San Antonio Elementary School is located in a low-income neighborhood and their students may not be able to enjoy the Christmas experience. CSF aims to bring them the experience so they may have the opportunity to (enjoy it),” said CSF Publicist Samantha Tran.

“This school is also really close to the local women and children homeless shelter so many of the kids are currently living at the shelter,” added on Sophomore Representative Siobhan Murphy.

The four major activities that were held at the Christmas carnival this year were games, arts and crafts, snacks and a Santa room that were held in separate locations.

“We had a variety of games like (the) bean bag toss and let it snow where kids would race while holding cotton balls on a spoon,” explained Sophomore Representative Iris Do.

The arts and crafts room included activities such as making paper plate snow globes, paper angels and cotton ball launchers made from cotton balls and plastic cups.

“I’ve been in crafts twice and we basically make our own cute little DIY crafts with the kids! Since making the crafts takes up a good amount of time, CSF members and officers work together to make simple template for them to trace or follow,” described Co-president Alexa Follante.

“We will be making ornaments and mini snow globes. We also have creative snacks for them to make and enjoy,” continued Siobhan.

The snacks room will have Rice Krispie treats shaped as reindeers that the children can decorate. The Santa room will have a Santa and elves, the Santa was math teacher Kevin Murphy. The children also got to meet the Grinch, played by senior Jorryn Amador, who visited the different rooms.

“The students usually (send) letters back to us after (the) Christmas Carnival, and it genuinely warms up all of our hearts to know that we brightened up their day as well,” said Alexa.

“It’s really heartwarming to know that you’re making a kid’s day just by playing bean bag games or making paper angles with them,” said Samantha.

The CSF officers encourage people to attend the Christmas Carnival next year because it is a great experience where high school students have the opportunity to spread Christmas cheer to the elementary students and make the holiday season feel special.

 

thelegendonline Fun Page

Clubs Deck the Hall with Christmas Trees

By Katie Tran and Mason Sandoval

 

On Fri., Nov. 30, students and teachers gathered together to kick off the holiday season by decorating Christmas trees in the main hall.

“Decorating trees kinda just helps everyone get into holiday spirit and is just a fun way to get through finals,” says club commissioner Megan Dang.

There are about 25 trees set up, each with a specific theme, typically pertaining to the club or class themselves. Each class decorated their own tree as well as clubs. Students were not the only ones who set up trees, however, as the teachers had their own tree as well. Their tree was the first one up as they decorated their tree before other students.

This year’s decorating was a success as the hallways are certainly looking very festive. Walking through the hallways fills students with holiday spirit and serves as a reminder that Christmas time is near and finals will be over before they know it.

“I like seeing the tree out in the hall, they’re a lot of fun look at. I wish we had them up all year round,” says junior Joey Orzoff.

The Christmas trees, however, aren’t just for viewing purposes as they are also a part of a contest between those that participated in decorating.

There are usually around the same number of clubs that sign up to set up a tree each year as there is no set number but clubs must provide their own trees so a club that participates one year typically participates every year since they have the materials needed to do so. The clubs were given about two to three hours to finish setting up their trees.

Set up went smoothly this year with no problems with any of the trees and everyone finishing on time. Don’t miss out and take a walk through the main hall to catch a glimpse of these trees.