Category: News

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.

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.

By Erica Xie

PHHS FANTASTICS (Fun At Night Through Athletic Sports To Increase Class Spirit) is happening today from 7pm to 10pm at the Big Gym.

At this event, all the grade levels gather to play sports and have friendly competition.  Everyone shows up donning their class color, preparing to cheer as loudly as possible.

“FANTASTICS is really great because lots of people who aren’t (as) into school spirit all come,” reveals Sophomore Class Publicist Emily Liu.

Every class has skits and decorations based on their theme.  This year, 2017 is breaking out of jail, 2018 is bouncing to the classic Space Jam, 2019 is racing to the top with Maze Runner and 2020 is starting their journey with Toy Story.

“I’m really excited for my first FANTASTICS and I hope everyone likes our skit,” comments freshman Victor Xie.

Class officers have been prepping for the event with sports practices, skit rehearsals and decoration making.

“While it’s one of the most fun parts of the year, it’s also the most stressful because you have to get everything together in such a short amount of time,” explains Emily.

To win, a class must earn the most points based off skits, sports, deco, ticket sales and class spirit.

FANTASTICS is a fun way to bring the school together for a night of fun.

“I’m so excited for the school to just get together and feel like a family.  Even though it’s a competition, in the end it’s all about school pride,” says Senior Class President Jennifer Lai.

By Syed Rahim

On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that shocked the world.  Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry To The United States,” barred the entry of passport holders from seven countries into the United States.  Those countries, whose populations are majority Muslim, included Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Overnight, dozens of tourists, refugees and immigrants were detained at airports and threatened with deportation.  Protests were mobilized through social media and held at airports across the nation. Teams of dedicated lawyers, with support from groups like the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) organized at airports and began offering legal aid to the detainees.

Throughout the ordeal, the administration maintained a positive attitude toward the ban.

“I think it’s a shame that people were inconvenienced, obviously, but at the end of the day, we’re talking about a couple of hours,” said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

“Being able to come to America is a privilege, not a right,” Spicer emphasized.  “We have to wait in lines, too.”

Though the ban had been temporarily blocked by the US District Court, the U.S. Government filed an appeal.  On Feb. 9, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of

Appeals ruled against reinstating the ban.

“SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE,” furiously tweeted President Trump in response to the decision.

Rather than further the original ban in court, Trump has responded by writing an entirely new, revised executive order.  Though the new order was expected to be signed on Feb. 23, it was delayed by a week to ensure its quality.  Then, when the ban was to be signed on Mar. 1, the ban was further delayed in order to maximize on good press from the president’s well received address to Congress.

Legal experts countrywide are voicing their opinions on the ban. “The court agreed that the president and Congress have significant power in this area, but that whenever constitutional rights are involved, courts have the authority to review the government action,” commented US History teacher John Holly, who has been an active member of the California Bar since 1981. “This idea is critical to the separation of government power, which is designed to prevent tyranny.”

Though the future of the travel ban remains unclear, the present reality is certain.  Americans nationwide are directing their anger at the president and his administration for arguably executing an order that unfairly targets a certain religion.

“When the government treats people differently based on religion, the government has a heavy burden to prove that discrimination is necessary to promote an important interest,” said Mr. Holly.

“Personally, I think that the executive order was hastily constructed, and I think it unfairly targeted countries that are majority Muslim,” commented World History teacher David Andrews. “America is a country comprised of immigrants. I think that it’s the wrong approach to attempt to keep our country safe.”

By Trevor Glassey

The United States swore in its 45th President on Jan. 20 when Donald J. Trump was inaugurated into office. After winning the presidential election on Nov. 8, 2016, the Republican nominee took office three months later, and started writing out many executive orders.

Inauguration Day was marred by controversy regarding the new president. Sixty members of Congress boycotted the inauguration, while many musical artists declined to perform. Furthermore, the morning of Inauguration Day saw riots in Washington DC near the parade route. In the midst of the protests, four presidents – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – attended the inauguration. Numerous marches in protest also rose up after the event.

The swearing-in ceremony began at 11:30 am (EST) when Mike Pence took the oath to become the new Vice President of the United States. Trump followed as he was sworn into the presidency by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. A number of students were allowed to watch the inauguration in their US government or economics class.

“I don’t think Trump will do as badly as people think,” expresses senior Jay Tat. “We should remain optimistic and keep an open mind.”

In his inauguration speech, Trump envisioned an “America First” policy; he focused on providing jobs for Americans, criticizing American support of other nations while not providing such support for the country itself. He vowed to make decisions that would benefit Americans in topics like foreign policy, commerce and taxes.

“Together, we will make America strong again, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America proud again, we will make America safe again,” concluded Trump. “And yes, together, we will make America great again.”

With President Trump finally inaugurated, the question of what will he do with this new power was quickly answered. Many in the Bay Area fear what has happened, in outrage at his recent actions. One of Trump’s first actions was to roll back ObamaCare, taking out key provisions, but still leaving it partially intact. He then moved on to leave the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership), a move which some feel gives China too much power in the region, and will hurt the American economy. Soon afterwards, he signed in executive orders to begin construction of amount of border walls and to increase the number of people deporting immigrants and the criteria for being deported.

On Fri., Jan 27, Trump signed an executive order that stopped refugees in general from entering the US for 120 days, and from Syria until the Trump administration deems it safe. He also banned entrance by people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia. This ban was vilified upon its release, with protests spawning at airports around the country, opposed to the ban and the effects it had. Many people from these countries with valid visas were detained on arrival or prevented from boarding when the order was signed into effect. Iranian National and english teacher Babak Shahrivar heritage heard of the ban on his way back from Canada.

“I was very nervous. What does this mean when I get married? Can my family not come?” lamented Mr. Shahrivar. “My fiancee Rachel and I were planning on going to Iran — can we not anymore?”

The ban was set into place to prevent Islamic terrorists from entering the country, yet of the Muslim majority countries ban, no major terrorist attacks have come from these countries. That said, the ban has heavily affected many people living in the United States who have family living in countries like Iran.

“We have a really multicultural campus, but we don’t have a strong Muslim presence,” explains Mr. Shahrivar. “I encourage people to engage with people who have friends and family in these countries. It’s important when things like this happen for people to be educated, so their ignorance can’t be taken advantage of.”

Trump’s most recent major action was to nominate federal appellate judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Neil Gorsuch is known as being being a conservative judge against judicial activism and in favor of strict construction. That said, he is called a fair judge by a number of people, and they hope he will aid as a bulwark against some of Trump’s more extreme actions.

The Trump administration is lacking quite badly in terms of popularity. According to five different polls including the Washington Post, NBC News and CNN, Trump has on average only 41% approval for his transition into presidency with an average disapproval rate of 52%, lower than even Bush’s approval in his transition during the 2000 election.

“The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls. They are rigged just like before,” said Donald Trump on Twitter.

While the polls did end up being wrong during the election, it is important to realize that statistics come with a margin of error and the polls did give Trump over 33% chance of winning. Whether or not they’re perfect, the polls still offer insight into the opinions of the population.

Here at PHHS, many people fear Trump’s election. Social Science teacher Frank Cava doesn’t believe that Trump will do anything important, lacking both political background and the popular vote.

“He has no ideas of substance,” asserts Mr. Cava. “(He) will defer to the hard right conservatives to set (policies).”

Some students are uncertain of what to think of Trump’s plans, given how few he has actually announced

“He has yet to outline any concrete plans for the country’s internal affairs,” states senior Noah Galvan. “His foreign policy is not something I look forward to.”

While some may hope he will be unable to enact his more extreme policies, his coming to power is a historic event, as this is the first time a celebrity with no political or military background has been elected. This ends up being both a point for and against him as some praise his lack of career politics.

“He’s not an establishment candidate,” points out senior Andrew Giluso. “He can relate more to the public.”

To his supporters, Trump is an outsider of the political system able to focus on helping the American people. To his detractors, he is a loud-mouthed incompetent unable to serve the country’s needs. Either way, these next four years under Trump will be an important presidency.

By Anthony Ta and Syed Rahim

As winter breezes through the school, spirit week, Winter Rally and Winter Ball come to life once more.

Last Friday, the annual winter rally took place in the big gym with several performances from dance clubs, a skit from ASB and a segment recognizing sports captains. Spirit week—from Mon., Dec. 5 to last Friday—ignited the winter spirit throughout the school with holiday-themed activities and inspired many to share the joy of the holiday.

Due to a lack of publication and low ticket sales, ASB decided to cancel the winter ball.

“ASB will work harder for Sadies to happen,” states 2017 Vice President Jaria Jaug.

ASB started the rally off with a skit revolving around an elf trying to find his place in Santa’s workshop. After many failed attempts at finding his expertise, the elf—played by junior Howard Tong—runs to the center of the workshop upset. This does not last when the elves exchanged gifts. Howard receives a light-up Christmas sweater, which brings joy to his heart.

After ASB’s skit, juniors Taylor Dutra, Kayla Suoto and seniors Isaiah Gonzalez, James Grier were all recognized as captains of their respective sports teams. With the recognition of sports students, several clubs shook up the big gym with their respective dances. The performing clubs were Indian Club, PXM (Paradox Motion) and SXC (Seoul Xtreme Choreography).

“I think (Indian club members) really pulled it off. We know we pushed them really hard, but I think they did such an amazing job today and we are super proud of them!” exclaims Indian Club Vice President Namrata Shetty.

“I thought we did really good,” beams PXM President Justin Ho. “This is our first rally performance here and I’m just happy with the outcome.”

“The members worked really hard, and the effort matched the performance. There could be some things that we could fix in terms of formations and outfit malfunctions, but other than that I think it went really well,” joyfully expresses SXC President Angela Lam.

This time, the alma mater did not conclude the rally to ensure attendance for the class call.

Spirit week for this chilly season included Monday as Cozy Day, Tuesday as Ugly Sweater, Wednesday as Swinter, Thursday as Character Day and Friday as Snow Day with Class color accessories.

By Jen Luu

Last Thursday, a fire broke out in the boys’ bathroom located in the Junior Hall during the beginning of 4th period. Senior Richard Espinoza was the first person to discover the fire.

“When the fire alarm went off, I thought it was just a drill. So since my class was close to the bathroom, I just went,” recalls Richard. “But when I opened the door and looked in, there was a fog. From the smell of it, I knew there was an actual fire.”

After the fire alarm sounded, students and teachers evacuated to their designated areas near the tennis courts and school parking lots. Staff members put out the flame with a fire extinguisher, while firefighters from the San Jose Fire Station No.19 came to ensure the safety the students and faculty.

Students expressed various reactions to the sudden alarm. The prevalent attitude among most people was unconcern. At the same time, some students cheered while others groaned. The evacuation lasted for approximately half an hour.

“After a while, our teacher tried teaching a lesson. She was helping us prep for our upcoming poetry test,” recalls senior Jason Vu.

Although many find it inconvenient to follow through with fire drills so often, it was a good precaution that day.

“I’m glad that our fire alarms work because I know there are a lot of false alarms. This time, they protected us because there actually was a fire,” says Assoc. Principal Jacqueline Ng.

After the smoke cleared and staff members handled the crisis, class resumed. Official details of the event are not disclosed because they are still under investigation.

By Ashliana Rodriguez

On Fri. Dec. 2, the Drama department presented “Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal.” A spinoff of Home Alone, the play revolved around Kelly McCallister, played by senior Tresea Rullamas. Just like in Home Alone, there is a power outage that restarts the family alarm clocks and makes the family late for its trip to Paris. As a result, everyone leaves Kelly behind. Kelly fights off two burglars and keeps Old Man Marley, the creepy neighbor next door, away.

“It follows the story (of Home Alone) but adds some quirky characters,” explains Drama teacher Ms. Woods.

“We were able to give the people a small break from life and a quick laugh before finals and the holidays,”comments junior Rae Laguna-Carona who plays Helga.

Ms. Woods’ Advanced Drama class put together the show by producing, directing and creating the set. This show took a lot of work to put together since the students were only allowed to rehearse during class time. This plot was chosen because they enjoyed the way how last year’s show went when they performed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

“We created a show that would give the audience a break from the real world and feeling warm for the holidays,” states senior Tresea Rullamas, who plays the lead role in the play, Kelly McCallister.

The cast was made up of students from Advanced Drama class. For some, this was their first show performing in front of an audience.

“It was a really great experience,” said junior and Prop Master Alyssa Severance. “It was really great being apart of tech crew.”

For cast, the production was stressful at times but they pulled it together to present an amazing show for the staff and students.

By Emily Zhao

After a year without Speech class in the school curriculum, English teacher Babak Shahrivar will once again teach the class throughout the 2017-2018 school year.

The class will be available for upperclassmen and will count as an elective rather than as an English course. Thus, students interested must take Speech class concurrently with another English core class.

Contrary to popular belief, this course neither requires exceptional English skills nor speaking expertise. With no prerequisites, any upperclassman interested will be able to improve their skills.

“In the past, I’ve had students that just started learning English (take) the class, so it’s really just a class for anyone who’s really interested in improving their public speaking and confidence,” emphasizes Mr. Shahrivar.

Students who take the course will have the chance to participate in out-of-school speech competitions, like the annual Rotary Club of San Jose and Lockheed Martin contests. In the past, Piedmont Hills students have been extremely successful in speech competitions, winning first, second and third place in the annual Rotary Club contest.

“Also, I’m asked for (the Lockheed Martin) contest as a speech teacher to pick a student that would participate in that one. So, the only way of getting into that contest would be to (take the class). There was actually a student that I coached who won first place and was flown out for free to Washington State and compete at the higher level,” acknowledges Mr. Shahrivar.

Because Speech will most likely account for only one period, both students and teacher have a lot of freedom in how they want to run the curriculum.

“Every single year that I’ve taught the class, I’ve had them pick and choose what kind of unit they want to do. Last year, they actually did a parody assignment, where they got to prepare videos. They did a comedy unit, and actually a lot of students ended up doing stand-up comedy which was really funny,” laughs Mr. Shahrivar. A few students loved stand up comedy so much that they continued their practice at a local club.

“(Speech) is one of my favorite classes to teach because the whole class is like a family, I know that sounds cheesy, but everyone gets to know each other,” reminisces Mr. Shahrivar.

Not only is he eager to teach the course next year, students are enthusiastic as well.

“It was definitely a class worth taking, (and it) helped us develop valuable public speaking skills. We also made fun and wonderful memories together, and the class was a really safe and supportive community!” exclaims senior Jason Vu.

By Sean Tseng

Just before midnight on Tues., Nov. 8, Donald J. Trump won the 2016 presidential elections in a turnout that shook Americans all across the nation.  The result elicited emotions from heartbreak to elation, but perhaps the most immediate reaction was surprise.

Leading up to Election Day, renowned pollsters like The New York Times’ Upshot.com had projected an 85% chance of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton winning. With the media all but calling the election days before, one could easily have felt blindsided when the electoral votes for Trump broke through the majority threshold of 270.

While many factors likely contributed to the shocking result, political pundits have already begun zeroing in on what exactly led to Trump’s victory.  NPR lists several reasons, one of which being Clinton’s failure to obtain the amount of votes President Barack Obama had four years ago.  The Los Angeles Times also points to the state of the economy.  According to reporter Brad Schiller, if the economy is healthy, voters are likely to support the party currently in office.  However, if voters find the economy unsatisfactory, they tend to vote in the opposing party for a change in political pace.

“Every percentage point of inflation…is a negative for the incumbent party,” states Schiller.

Whatever allowed Trump to win, his victory means new realities for Americans in the coming months, the most imminent being the onslaught of protests spawning across the nation.  Almost immediately after Election Day, anti-Trump protesters took to the streets to challenge the results.  These demonstrations have spotlighted both the new threats that minorities now face and the unfairness of the Electoral College system.  With Clinton’s lead of over a million popular votes and counting, as reported by The Nation, her supporters are objecting fiercely to Trump’s victory and the entire electoral system.

As these protests play out across the nation, they are also occurring much closer to home.  The controversial outcome sparked volatile emotions, and the East Side district has felt firsthand some of its effects.  Students at Milpitas High School led a walk-out on Thurs., Nov. 10 to protest Trump’s victory.  According to The Mercury News, the protest gave a chance for students to share their concerns regarding the election, and many spoke of their fears as minorities or members of the LGBTQ community.  Their principal also spoke out, though he was consequently put on administrative leave for using profanity in a closing comment about Trump.  During his leave, students took it upon themselves to create a petition via Change.org calling for his return.  He was allowed to return to campus last Tuesday.

On the same day of the walk-out, Superintendent Chris Funk sent out an email to reassure families of the district’s goal of inclusiveness and safety for all students.

“The President of the United States has no authority over our schools and how we run them,” he writes in the email, emphasizing the core values of the district.  He also calls for students and families to find common ground as the transition of presidential power takes place.

Undoubtedly, as the election continues to drive people toward opposite ends of extremes, this election will go down as one of the most divisive and disconcerting in American history.  In its aftermath, San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo has issued a statement via Medium.com to quell the fear in many diverse neighborhoods and reinforce the city’s commitment to protecting its residents.

“I have sought…to convey a simple message to our wonderfully diverse community,” he expresses to those in fear or distress.  “We’ve got your back.”