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Staff advice

SP.05 Staff Advice to Seniors

Compiled by Victor Xie

 

“Don’t be lazy. Many kids enjoy doing what they’re successful at but growth is only going to happen when they try the things they’re not good at.” -Ms. Lee

“Be yourself! Do not follow the crowd, but rather lead the crowd!” – Mr. Loggins

“So my best advice would be to save money. If you save money, money will save you. Also, don’t open up a ton of credit cards and make sure that you practice good financial habits so you’ll have good credit when you graduate college. If you have bad credit, you won’t get that dream job you went to school for. -Ms. Mitchell

“My advice is to take advantage of all the opportunities college has to offer, because college is a once in a lifetime opportunity you’ll never get back. I also advise that students take themselves out of their comfort zone and again take advantage of opportunities and experience that they might not otherwise have experienced in high school or beyond. Work first and play later!” – Ms. Kunkel

“Stay true to your goals and don’t lose sight of what they are. There will be a lot of distractions but as long as you stay true to what you want to do, you may change your mind, that’s ok, but just stay true to having a goal and seeing it through. Four years may seem like a lot of time, but really it’s not. Also, travel. I think it’s important to see the world from a different perspective.” – Ms. Pereira

“Now is the time to work hard. Enjoying life is great, but you’ve got to work hard now so later in life, you don’t have to work as hard.” – Ms. Lujan

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and go a different path than you thought you were supposed to go.” – Ms. Davis

“Don’t sell yourself short. Go for opportunities even if they seem to be more difficult than you’d like. And remember that most things require hard work and great time management.” – Ms. Murray

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Class Choices

By Andrew Wong

Freshman year for me was the year I began meeting new friends and learning among st them. For most people, freshman year stands out as an easy year; but it didn’t turn out the same way for me. For me, I was supposed to be placed in Math 1, like every other freshman. But in mistake, the school mistakenly skipped two math levels for me and placed me into Algebra 2. At the time, I felt good about myself being in a higher math level than most of my peers; and because of that, I chose to stay in that level even when offered to move back into Math 1 where I supposedly belonged.

Algebra 2 became one of my biggest struggles for me as a freshman because of my lack of knowledge of the previous 2 levels. Miraculously, I was able to pass the course and move onto Pre-Calculus, and then Calculus in the following years. My ego grew as I advanced onto these classes, making me feel that I was smart and my social stance among peers grew positively because of these classes. I became so egotistical that I even signed up for more honor courses such as English 2A and AP Psychology. I didn’t think to consider about how hard these classes can get and the workload that would stack me for hours, and eventually I did pay that price. Being too much to handle, my GPA suffered and I spent countless hours studying for them.

Of course, my ego wasn’t the only reason for me signing up for honors/AP courses. Many classmates and friends whom I associated with commonly signed up for these classes. As a freshman, I was highly encouraged to sign up as I learn and work alongside my other fellow peers. Although I did get what I wanted, the aftereffects was too much for me to handle as either the workload was very heavy, or it was something I struggled to get good scores on.

Four years after these events occurred, senior year has finally come to show itself. Entering into this domain, I’ve learned from these mistakes and chose a lot of less challenging classes for myself, to ensure a relaxing and comfortable year without stress. With easy classes, came an easy life, most of my year ended up being me relaxing at home and mostly working on other responsibilities outside of school. Of course, I have times where I had a lot to do for school and homework stacked upon me, but they never felt too much of a challenge compared to what I had the previous years.

The facts do stay true that taking honors and AP courses benefit for your educational skills and help with your college applications/courses; and personally I do encourage this. However, I believe that honors/AP aren’t necessary to your future, and there’s nothing wrong with an easier route. Take courses to improve your academic understanding instead of your social life. Because in the end, you’ll still have end up in the same route where you’ll pursue in a famous university or any kind of university you want to set yourself into.

 

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What it’s like being 4’11 at Piedmont Hills

by Drew Olaviano

 

Hello! My name is Drew, and I stand at 4’11. Of course, being 4’11 often garners some unwanted attention, especially from those taller people. My height becomes even more distinctive now that I’m a senior. So, being at Piedmont Hills, a campus filled to the brim with my average heighted peers and taller peers, what’s it like? Well, let’s see.

Being inside of the school building with over thousands of students and staff bustling about each passing period, it’s obvious the shorter people suffer the most. I can attest to this, being a victim of constant shoving and pushing and backpacks slamming straight into my face. People bustle about and move constantly from place to place. Some stop to gossip and chat about life and whatnot, and then some turn—and as a result, run into me, who is unnoticeable to the naked eye is caught in the crossfire. They do not see the little me, and I get nudged as a result.

That’s not the only problem though. Other than how unnoticeable I am, people tend to have this need to tease their shorter peers. Anyone who is shorter than the average person can easily relate to these few phrases: “Hello, what’s up, midget,” “You look like a middle schooler” and “Where are you? I can’t find you!” I try to ignore them, but usually they end up being elbowed straight into the hip. I do not condone this though, I assure you. I’m just too short to not hit someone while walking, I’m sure.

The worst thing about being short, in my opinion, is that they still think I am in middle school, or even elementary school for that matter. Some people excuse it by saying that it is because I have a baby face or something similar, but I always believe that isn’t true—short people are usually attributed to younger people, especially kids. I was fine with it when I was a freshman. Freshmen came out from middle school and have to get around high school life. As a senior? I’m still being labeled as a middle schooler, and I have a hundred percent confidence that people will mistake me as a middle schooler when I’m in college in a few months. Is it the baby face? Possibly. Is it the short height? Oh, most definitely!

However, I know that being short shouldn’t matter that much to me. There are plenty of advantages to being short, after all! For one, being short in PHHS, and in general, means I can easily slip through crowds in the hallway. While all those tall people suffer trying to get through people, I can easily pass by them and get to my class. I won’t be blocked by all those bodies!

I can also bother people easily with the excuse that I can’t reach for a certain book or object. Being short does give you a legitimate excuse that you cannot grab something and you need to ask for help. While every other person cannot ask people to grab objects and do chores for them, I can, and that makes me satisfied for my height by its lonesome.

Well, as mentioned before, height should not matter; not to me, and not to you either. There are obvious disadvantages to being short, and there are disadvantages to being tall as well. To me, height shouldn’t matter to people much in comparison to people’s behaviors and how they treat one another. Every person is still an individual, and that’s all that should matter—how you treat one another, and how you behave.

 

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Varsity Softball home runs into CCS, JV finishes league strong

By Harleen Kaur

 

Varsity and JV Softball finished off the regular season strong; Varsity with a record of 9-3 and the JV team ended with a final record of 7-0.

Varsity faced a challenge when they played against Prospect and lost with a score of 8-6.

“We hit really well in the first inning and we started out really strong but we hit a road bump,” said Varsity Outfielder and Catcher Kylee Nielsen.

Meanwhile, the JV team’s last game was against Gunderson and the game ended with a victory for the Pirates with a score of 10-0.

Varsity made a comeback after a losing streak with a win against Willow Glen with a score of 10-2.

“This was a really important win because (Willow Glen’s) coach happened to be our old coach,” explained Varsity Pitcher Kailani Medina.

Both teams practice two times a week in preparation for two games a week.

“We practice hitting and situations that would happen in games to prepare us for when they actually happen during games,” said JV Catcher and Right Fielder Emalina Martinez.

Varsity has been practicing very hard in order to make it into CCS (Central Coast Section) playoffs.

“I’ve been working hard to fix my mistakes because I make them a lot but I’m learning how to get over them and grow to become a better player,” said Varsity Right Field and Pitcher Miranda Torres.

After the outcomes of Varsity’s last few games, Varsity made it to CCS playoffs.

“I’m very proud of us making it to CCS and hope we do well even though we have to go to Palo Alto,” stated Nielson.

Many players enjoyed playing at various games but some games stood out more than others.

“The game against Westmont has to be my most memorable of this season since it was in the rain and it was a challenge,” shared Martinez.

The Varsity team shared their aspirations and goals for next year’s season.

“I would want to make sure more often that everybody knows that they are a part of the team and that everyone plays a part,” explained Nielson.

The softball girls also expressed a grievance.

“On a less serious note, I would like it if we wore less white pants at games because they are so hard to wash,” said Nielson.

Many girls hope to train harder to improve for next year’s season.

“We compare ourselves to other girls but in a sense where we tend to look up to each other and want to be like each other,” stated Martinez.

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CCS championships for swim

By Divya Verma

 

On May 3, the swim team competed in CCS (Central Coast Section) at the George F. Haines International Swim Center. Warm-ups started at 12 p.m. and the meet began at 2 p.m. for the CCS championship. There were many different schools that came together to participated in CCS.

“Numerous swimmers from public and private schools in five different counties, and some even in San Francisco come to compete in this highly competitive and exhilarating championship,” said Ariel Pham.

The boys that participated in CCS were Andrew Hoang, Andrew Nguyen, Jonathan Nguyen, David Tabilas, Eric Tran, Steven Tran, Louis Santos, Matthew Santos, James Savella and Chris Yi.

The girls that participated were Michelle Komet, Lilly Lui, Megan Nghiem, Ariel Pham, Elise Pham and Kimberly Pham.

“I feel like the team is a lot stronger compared to all the other years I’ve been at Piedmont. There were a lot of fast incoming freshmen this year and the team we are bringing to CCS will be the biggest it’s been in a while,” said Eric Tran.

This year’s CCS team consisted of swimmers from both the swim team and swim club. For some events, swimmers competed as individuals and for others, as a team.

“I like to participate as a team because we all recognize each other’s goals and we push each other to achieve them on the days where people show up to practice,” said Andrew Nguyen.

CCS swimmers have been practicing for CCS since the beginning of the season through going to meets. Boys ranked 16th place and the girls did not have an overall ranking.

“Some important results that came out of the meet were that boys placed 14th in 200 medley relay, 11th in 200 free relay and 11th in 400 free relay. The boys placed 16th overall, which was the CCS finish in school history and the first state championship consideration time for a relay (200 free) in school history,” said Pham.

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ESUHSD hosts Very Special Prom and Jogathon

By Katie Tran & Nghi Nguyen

 

ESUHSD’s (East Side Union High School District) speech therapists host annual Jogathon on April 19 at Overfelt High School and Very Special Prom on Fri., May 10 at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.

The Jogathon is an adaptive PE (physical education) event, one of the Special Education program’s major fundraisers where family and friends of students pledge a donation for every lap they are able to run.

Prom is an event that can be seen as an exciting event to many high school students. It can also be seen as the highlight of their high school careers.

“The event is (about) giving our students with disabilities the same opportunities that their regular peers experience as a high school student, including social events such as prom,” says Special Ed teacher Maria Casiano.

Through Jogathon, students feel a sense of pride and accomplishment because they are able to show their families all their hard work and determination in running laps.

“With perseverance and hard work, you can do anything regardless of whether you have a disability or not,” says Special Ed teacher Ethyl Santos.

The Very Special Prom had the theme of Hollywood Stars. It consisted of dancing and eating in fine dining setting.

“The best part about this event is that our students dress up, and they can have a good time with their peers,” states Special Ed teacher Rowena Vocal.

About 100 teachers and staff from Piedmont Hills, Overfelt, Silver Creek and James Lick were in attendance for Jogathon. Other schools that participated in previous years include Santa Teresa, Yerba Buena and Evergreen, although they didn’t attend this year.

“With this event, students increase their gross motor skills, as well as social skills as they are able to meet other students from the other schools which have the specialized program,” says Mrs. Vocal.

A total of of about two-hundred students and staff came to the Very Special Prom from different schools that have specialized programs such as Silver Creek, Overfelt, James Lick, Yerba Buena, Santa Teresa, and Evergreen high school.

“We are hoping that this social event will continue year after year,” says Mrs. Casiano.

Shirts for the Jogathon event are donated by our very own Insane Ink to runners, which they’ve been doing for the past few years.

The importance of the Very Special Prom and Jogathon can be seen from the students that attended.

“I really loved going to these events, because I could be with my friends,” states Freshman Nevaeh Ortiz.

 

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Where do you see yourself in 10 years

SP.07.Where.do.you.see.yourself.in.10.years

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

By Divya Verma

 

  • Baron Lee
    • “I wish that I would be a music teacher in 10 years”
  • Eric Chau
    • “If all works out, I’d be a Captain in the United States Army. Hopefully, I’d be serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment with some of the finest soldiers in the country.”
  • Shawn Hong
    • “I’d say I see myself in my career (physical therapy) and hope getting to a place where I can live comfortably and maybe a wife and kids” (photo taken)
  • Jessica De La Cruz
    • “I see myself having a stable job and having my own house”
  • Stacey Thai
    • Ten years from now, when I’m 28, I see myself living somewhere out of the Bay Area such as Oregon. My home would be cozy and be full of my life. I’d like to live with a few dogs, a snake, or maybe a few chickens. By then, I’d like to have earned my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. If I don’t get too tired of school, I’ll get my Master’s Degree for Physical Therapy. I would like to coach sports teams or do PT to support myself when I’m an independent adult.
  • Raymond Phoung
    • Working at AT&T full time with a very nice sports car with tons of anime stickers over it. I also see myself being in a car enthusiast group. I will also be drinking nonstop milk tea. Boba for life.
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How to stay cool

By Justin Wang

The first technique is to be grateful.

Smiles go for miles; realize that it definitely gets hotter than the San Jose heat and you most likely have access to the wealth and the materials needed to cool yourself. Welcome to the club, you just got to try a little bit harder and play the game, smarter.

Technique number two is to find cold water.

To cool down you’ll need to find something colder than you.

The good news is that most showers can trickle onto you a barrage of cold water, ready to transfer heat away from you and into the drain.

Alternatively, fill up a bath with cold water.

Being naked for this technique is recommended, but if you want to take some of the water with you when you get out, you can let your clothes absorb the water for an extended time of coolness.

For a more social alternative, a trip to the local pool or beach can allow for enjoyment of the sun and the water.

Cool down with your friends or just enjoy the outside and connect with marine life.

Also try drinking cold water and hydrate yourself.

The hydration can help your body to produce sweat.

Sweating is a hassle free method to get water on your body if you let it evaporate.

Technique number three is to replace the air around you with cooler air.

If the air around you is hot, try circulating it with a fan or alternatively a mist fan.

If you opt for a mist fan or to get water on you by using things like a spray bottle or just wet clothes, the water and air will work in tandem to cool you down.

If you have air conditioning, turn it on, but even if you don’t there’s still hope.

The last technique is to go somewhere else.

Take a trip to the local library, museum or refrigerator section of your local grocery store, there’s likely to be an air conditioning system there.

While slogging through the summer heat, you may begin to wish for a world without summer. If you truly desire it, the last technique is to take a trip to a suitable country in the Southern Hemisphere. For example, from June through Aug. it’s winter in Australia.

So if you time your trips just right you can avoid the summer season for the rest of your life.

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Summer full of style

Schools out and so is the sun. This summer, get ahead of the trends and explore your style.

Some current trends this summer are neon colors (green, yellow, pink), animal print, bohemian style, big brim hats, sunglasses, open back or strapless tops or dresses. A rule of thumb is if at least ten people don’t absolutely hate your outfit, it’s not worth wearing because you’re not taking enough risk.

You can even put yourself out there and start your own trend for the upcoming summer. You can always add an oversized denim jacket to any outfit. Denim jackets are lightweight so you won’t overheat, but it also goes with anything. Pair it with denim jeans and add a pop of color with a solid color tank top or t-shirt. Denim jackets also go great with dresses and shorts.

You can also keep it simple with a t-shirt and jeans, but to make your outfit stand out rip a couple holes in your t-shirt. You can either rip the holes in the back of the shirt to give you an open back or in the front of the shirt to give you a more relaxed and edgy vibe. Your ripped t-shirt would also go great with overall shorts. They are cute and perfect for the summer. Then, if you’re a hat lover, you should think about getting a baker boy hat. You can practically wear them with anything like a summer blouse and jeans or a t-shirt and shorts.

Summer is a time when you are essentially trying to wear things that will not make you want to take off your entire outfit because it is so uncomfortable having to sit in your own pile of sweat. Some things that can help you be comfortable in the summer is wearing loose clothing. The loose and textured fabrics is guaranteed to keep you cool in the summer. With loose clothes flowing around your body compared to clothes sticking to you, it will promote more air circulation. This statement is also true for textured fabrics such as linen and seersucker. These fabrics only touch parts of the epidermis, allowing for air channels to open up.

Another method to stay cool is by wearing light colors. It’s no question why people do not wear black to stay cool in the summer: the color absorbs more heat. By wearing lighter colors, light is reflected rather than absorbed, keeping you cool.

There are so many places with amazing sales going on where you get new clothes for the summer. H&M has a 15% discount off your entire purchase plus free shipping, Forever 21’s entire store is 30% off and Tillys and Zumiez are having a deal where if your purchase is over $49, shipping is free.

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Local Summer Shenanigans

By Devonna Dang

 

If you’re looking for a summer adventure but don’t have much money, you’re in luck! Here in the Bay Area, there is so much to explore.

First, let’s discuss how to get from location to location. Our very first option is public transportation if you currently do not have your own car. Luckily, again, the Bay Area has an amazing public transportation system. If you’re looking to go anywhere from Fremont, Downtown San Jose, Palo Alto or San Francisco, you’re covered. Some local transportation systems are the VTA buses, the VTA light rail, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and Caltrain.

Public transportation is very affordable. For the youth, a VTA bus fare is a discounted $1.25 and Caltrain and BART also offer a discounted fare.

Currently, the closest working BART is in South Fremont. However, a Milpitas BART is having an opening in November 2019.

A place that is calling for adventure and is only a $10.50 Caltrain fare ride away is San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is a great place to visit in San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park is a large urban park consisting of 1,017 acres of public grounds. Some establishments that should be visited is the Japanese Tea Garden, the DeYoung museum, Conservatory of Flowers and Cal Academy of Sciences. There is much to explore and to appreciate when you are there.

The Bay Area is also a great place to go hiking. Some hiking places include Mission Peak (10.4 miles from school), Sunol Regional Wilderness (24.1 miles from school) and Alamere Falls (88.7 miles from school). Mission Peak is a six mile hike that has a poll at the top to signify your hike’s success. Sunol Regional Wilderness is a great place to hike if you are on the pursuit of finding a waterfall. Despite the distance, Alamere Falls’ scenery and experience you get is quite worth it.

Another great way to spend summer is exploring museums. Some museums to visit include the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Exploratorium, San Francisco Museum of Art, Asian Art Museum, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Cable Car Museum and the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

There’s no better time to do something you never do than in the summer. Go zip lining in the redwoods, complete a 5k or do some rock climbing. All in all, the Bay Area has adventure everywhere. If you’re free in the summer, get on a transit and explore what is out there for you.