thelegendonline Opinions

Star Bucks

by Megan Laser

 

And alas, the holidays are over and baristas around the world are able to take a breath and mumble the words “we did it.” January is rumored to the month where business really slows down and baristas, like myself, are able to finally settle down after the crazy workloads that the holidays brought. But even with business slowing down, Starbucks will always have new drinks, ready and available for you to enjoy.

 

BWM (Black and White Mocha)

The BWM, also known as the Zebra Mocha, is a common drink where you have a mixture of regular mocha sauce and white chocolate mocha sauce. The drink can be made as either an espresso drink or hot chocolate, filled to the top with steamed milk and topped off with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The drink can also come as either an iced drink or a blended frappuccino but nevertheless provides us with that same chocolatey taste that we didn’t realize we were craving all winter.

In my personal experience, the mocha at Starbucks has proven to be too chocolatey and too sweet for my liking. Even with drinks like the Peppermint Mocha, I always felt that the chocolatey taste from mocha was overwhelming. So if I were to customize the drink to my personal experience, I’d take it down a notch with the number of mocha pumps, and increase the amount of white chocolate sauce in the drink. And as always, whipped cream is a no for me.

Rate: 6/10

 

CSL (Cinnamon Shortbread Latte)

The CSL is a new drink that was released sometime earlier in the month of Jan. It’s made with a shortbread syrup and espresso, filled with steamed milk and topped off with nutmeg and cinnamon powder. This can come as both an iced or blended drink, and even as a hot chocolate.

Yet to try

 

Now that I’ve gone over the brand new drinks, let’s talk about a few fan favorites.

 

Honey Citrus Mint Tea

Also known as the cold buster or sick tea, this brewed green tea comes with one tea bag of Jade Citrus Mint tea and another teabag of Peach Tranquility tea. Inside, some customers add either more or less, but the drink comes with two packets of honey, hot water filled ¾ of the way up, and the last quarter is filled with steamed lemonade. This is a very popular drink come winter, due to the fact winter is commonly associated with the term flu season.

Personally, this is probably my favorite tea ever. Drinking sick tea for me always somehow made my throat tickle, even if I wasn’t sick. It made me feel like I was genuinely feeling better, even if the ingredients inside didn’t really do much for me with that. The citrusy flavoring from the lemonade really stands out compared to if this drink were to have just been made with hot water. This is probably one of my favorite drinks, but I strongly recommend it.

Rate: 100/10

thelegendonline Sports

Girls Soccer

 

By Christine Do

 

The Girls’ Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity soccer teams have kicked off this year’s season strong.

“We started off good. Overall, I think we’re in a two to one right now. We’re starting kind of slow because we’re still getting used to being put into new teams but we’ll get better over time,” said Varsity Forward Emilet Ramirez.

As always, with new captains and new teams, the season is definitely different for the players.

“You have to be a good role model and have good execution for game plans. As a captain, it is important to guide the team and have the ability to empower others,” said JV Captain Mahik Kaur.

Despite not being the most experienced, the girls have built on their skills since day one of tryouts in Nov. of last year. The soccer players have practice on the days they don’t have games so essentially, they’re always practicing and learning. With more training, the girls are able to work on their skills and build stronger bonds with each other.

“We’re not the best with skills but we’re good with working together and improving,” said JV Goalie Gurkiran Braich.

This year was the first year that the soccer teams have had a preseason tournament, where the teams played three games as practice for players to evaluate themselves and to see which areas they lack in.

In their first few practices, the girls focused on the mistakes they made during preseason. With the turf under reconstruction, this year’s practices were always held at different locations, and thus occasionally being cancelled. Like any team, there is always room for improvement.

“I think we need to work on talking more on the field to be able to improve in our games,” stated Ramirez.

As a team, the most important factor during a game is communication. Players have to know where their teammates are. If in possession of the ball, the aim is to pass it to the other players and get it safely into the goal.

“Every time the team loses a player, it is hard for them to lift that weight and to balance each other out,” said JV Left Defender Ishika Pol.

“I think we need to work on talking more on the field to be able to improve in our games,” stated Ramirez.

The girls are continuing to work on their skills as the season progresses. The next game will be next Wednesday at Santa Teresa High School, so come support the girls as the season comes to an end!

thelegendonline Centerspread

Bathroom Reviews

By Terry Tang and Trisha Trinh

 

The new buildings have just opened at the start of the second semester, bringing with it new bathrooms. There are shiny new toilets, glistening sicks, and glossy new hand dryers. There are no more nasty stenches disturbing the air and no more waste on the floor.

“The new bathrooms look much cleaner, and they have a Dyson hand dryer so that’s pretty cool,” said junior Frank Yeung.

The new bathrooms aren’t just nice and clean, they are different colors than the hallway bathrooms. Instead of the usual maroon stalls and white walls, they are a deep rich stone gray. Many students agree with Frank that the new bathrooms are so much better than the hallway bathrooms. The new bathrooms may be smaller, but have a bunch of new updates. For example, in the boy’s bathroom has dividers between the urinals and the girl’s bathroom has a different color for the stalls.

“It looks the same as the bathrooms in the halls, but just with a newer and fresher feeling with a scent of disinfectant,” said senior Christine Vu.

However, there are also some concerns that the new and shiny bathrooms will turn disgusting like the old bathrooms in the hallway overtime.

“More people vape now and have worse aim, so pee and trash are tossed everywhere in the old bathrooms,” said Frank.

Senior Thinh Le proposed an idea on how to keep the bathrooms well maintained and clean so that future students can still use the bathroom and not be disgusted by it.

“I think one way the admins can maintain the new bathroom is to clean the new bathroom daily and remove and replace graffiti that may occur during the school year,” said Thinh.

The old hallway bathrooms still have graffiti all over the stalls not appropriate for school, as stall doors often have sexual content and curse words decorating their interior.

“The bathrooms would always have graffiti about people hating others, and it’s sad to see what is left behind on the stalls,” said senior Tammy Ngo.

Students should also do their part to help clean the bathrooms as the administration cannot do everything by themselves.

“I think the students could be more mindful about maintaining the school property by cleaning up after themselves and causing damage upon the new equipment,” said Thinh.

There are also some questions about the convenience about the new bathroom locations.

“I think that the new bathrooms would be overcrowded since they’re brand new, whereas the hallway bathrooms will continue to be trashed until someone does something to change it,” said Tammy.

Overall, the new bathrooms are a great addition to Piedmont and hopefully students and staff will help keep it clean!

thelegendonline News

Teacher talent show

By: Rose Lu

 

This year, ASB and faculty banded together to host a staff talent show that took place on Jan. 24 at the L-building. The show showcased the teacher’s talents including acting, dancing and singing and with some of the cultural clubs.

“ASB had a goal at the beginning of the school year and that was to get staff more involved in student activities,” said ASB Treasurer Chloe Nguyen.

Admission was a dollar or a can of food. ASB and faculty added the form of payment as it can benefit others.

“We wanted to promote service and have an outlet for us to give back to the community,” explained ASB Secretary Tommie Huynh, “We realized that profits don’t outweigh our mission to give back to the community!”

Both PHHS staff and student clubs, including Las Mariposas, Bloomers, Indian Club and VSA, participated in the show.

“I’m participating in the talent show because I feel like it is very important for the teachers to see the other side of the student’s lives and how creativity and dance and the arts really affect them,” commented Sofi Jaquez, Las Mariposas president.

Staff also showcased their talents.

“I connected with the students on a different level because it isn’t just teachers going up there by themselves but you’re connecting with all these different groups,” remarked English Teacher and participant Michelle Flores. “It’s fun to see students in a different way than just academically.”

On stage, history teacher Jeffrey Loggins and Pep Commissioner Liana Annable teamed up to introduce all the acts and the teachers.

“The reason why I like hosting is that I feel really comfortable with it and that I’m very good with making a connection with the audience,” shares Mr. Loggins, “I feel like that’s my strong suit and that I’m comfortable on stage doing it.”

Psychology teacher Melanie Neethling played the piano and sang along with it, and English teacher Tricia Bolster sang a solo act.

“I’m a showoff and I have no pride,” shared Ms. Bolster, when asked about her reasons behind performing.

AP Honey Gubuan, social worker Yvonne Gunther and counselor Justine Kunkel also danced and had fun lip syncing and dancing to songs like Cardi B’s “I Like it.”

In the end, all teachers and cultural clubs that participated in the show gathered together to perform an end-of-the-show dance for the viewers.

“I really enjoyed seeing teachers and students come together to put on such performances,” expressed Chloe, “I hope this staff talent show becomes a Piedmont Hill’s tradition!”

thelegendonline Sports, Uncategorized

Super Bowl running in

By Drew Olvaino and Vincent Hoang

Tension was high throughout the arena. It was going to be a tie. Defense and offense clashed against one another, seemingly on equal terms. It was the fourth quarter, and seven minutes were remaining on the clock. No one knew who was going to win. Would it be the New England Patriots, or the Los Angeles Rams? Time was running by quickly and the winner was undetermined until—touchdown! Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady punted the ball to running back Sony Michel who drove into the end zone. The lead jumped up drastically, and the Patriots, fans and players alike, jumped out of their seats. The winner of the game was certain.

 

Super Bowl LIII, or the 53rd Super Bowl, was hosted in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta last Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Six-time Super Bowl champions New England Patriots were against the one-time champions Los Angeles Rams in which the Patriots won 13-3.

 

Unfortunately for many who watched the game, Super Bowl LIII did not break a record by having the game reach overtime, as many had hoped. Both the Rams’ and Patriots’ past games concluded with a win during overtime.

 

Nevertheless, plenty of records were set during this year’s Super Bowl. The record of the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever was perhaps the most significant. The Rams individually made a record for the longest punt kicked off at a high record of 65 yds by Johnny Hekker during the third quarter. On the sidelines, the first time in football history, the very first male cheerleaders Napoleon Jinnies and Quinton Peron performed for the Rams during the game.

 

The first half of the game ended with the Patriots leading 3-0. Both teams had yet to score during the first quarter and had trouble during the second quarter until the Patriots kicked the ball into the goal post.

 

When the first two quarters finished, the halftime show begun with the appearance of Maroon 5. They dominated most of the show with appearances such as Travis Scott and Big Boi who performed alongside lead singer Adam Levine. Maroon 5 dominated the stage, performing “This Love,” “Girls Like You,” “Sicko Mode,” “I Like the Way You Move,” “She Will Be Loved,” “Sugar” and “Moves Like Jagger.” There was criticism about how Levine had taken over the halftime show and took his shirt off during the performance. Celebrities such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and various news outlets had criticized Maroon 5 for having an uneven schedule and flow.

 

After halftime was over, the Rams tied the game with a kickoff at 3-3. They remained tied throughout the rest of the third quarter, despite Patriots’ strong safety Patrick Chung having to leave the game due to a right arm injury. The Patriots won the game by outscoring the Rams with a touchdown during the fourth quarter. This touchdown was made by tight end Rob Gronkowski who caught two of the Rams’ footballs. This led to the Patriots’ victory and wide receiver Julian Edelman was named MVP for this year’s Super Bowl.

 

Despite being called one of the “worst” and “most boring” matches in Super Bowl history, records were set and the Patriots got another championship ring and trophy for their well-deserved performance.

 

thelegendonline Sports, Uncategorized

Boys’ Soccer Scores

By Sarah Shafaeen

In the middle of a particularly challenging season, the PHHS JV and Varsity Boys’ Soccer teams are working hard to qualify to compete in CCS (Central Coast Section).

“I do (believe we can go to CCS) as long as everyone works hard on and off the field,” said Varsity Forward Saranjit Singh.

“We’re working very hard during practice and we’re taking things very seriously. We have to finish all of our games with pride and put all of our effort into the games to make sure we’re qualified for CCS,” stated Varsity Left Wing Back Isaac Padilla.

The CCS is the governing body of public and private high school athletics in the portion of California encompassing everything from the San Mateo County to the Monterey County. The latest date by which the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team will discover if they have made it to the CCS play-offs is Sat., Feb 16.

The outcome of this season is difficult to determine due to the success of the new techniques implemented by the PHHS team and equally qualified opponents.

The team acknowledged its challenges well and the players actively worked together to overcome them.

“I believe that the season is going well because the team is working hard and together, although some improvements include having to keep working together and being there for one another,” informed Varsity Midfielder Oscar Diaz.

The Varsity Soccer team are having a successful season with eleven wins, three losses and three ties. The Junior Varsity team is going through a very challenging season with three wins, eight losses and two ties.

“The season is picking up. We were not doing so good at the beginning of the season but we’re doing pretty good now,” declared Junior Varsity Goalie and Midfielder Santana Sila.

The junior varsity team faced a unique situation with the team having trouble working together but are slowly improving.

“I think we’re getting better as a team, we’re learning how each other play,” stated Sila.

Overall both teams are feeling confident about their ability to work together and compete.

“The overall season is going well. The team does have its ups and downs but we work together and stay composed,” said Singh.

The latest game this past Monday against Oak Grove ended in a win for both Junior Varsity and Varsity with the final score being 3-0.