thelegendonline News, Uncategorized

Art season is back

By Janelle Perez

 

The annual Downtown Doors competition brought artwork from San Jose high schools to the streets of downtown and presented the students’ awards on May 9th at the San Jose Museum of Art.

The annual Piedmont Hills Art Faire was also held this week outside of the art buildings and showcased art made by students throughout the 2018-2019 school year.

Downtown Doors is way for students from San Jose high schools to publicly display their artwork. This year’s 16th annual competition included over 200 submissions from over 20 schools. Selections vary from ten to thirteen pieces, which are then transferred onto a big poster to be displayed on a door downtown.

The art faire included pieces from students in digital photography, sculpture and drawing and painting.

“I think the art show is great because it shows how hard we (students) have worked throughout the year to create these pieces,” said senior Nicole Ortiz.

This year two Piedmont Hills seniors, Diego Papa and Abigail Tecson won a spot on a door downtown. Downtown Doors winners were presented the awards to commemorate their talent.

The annual art faire included detailed sculptures and paintings as well as variety of printed photos, while Downtown Doors only showcased the works of few students.

“I really wanted to do a piece with bold colors and I took ideas from both desert martian landscapes. I’m proud that people thought it was worthy of a spot downtown,” said Diego.

Abigail submitted a double exposure piece from her digital photography class, which includes architecture from Paris.

“At first the idea of blending the architecture came from when I was going through Pinterest,” said Abigail.

The Piedmont Hills Art Faire submissions were chosen by the students themselves, which consisted of their best piece from the school year.

“I submitted my favorite photo that I took from this year and I’m really glad people are going to be able to see it and have a positive reaction to it,” said senior Kaitlyn Seawright.

Both Downtown Doors and the Piedmont Hills Art Faire will be held again next year and students will be able to admire the work of their peers and art students will be able to submit their work to be shown.

 

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thelegendonline Features, Uncategorized

Senior Honor/Avid Night

By Julian Rosete and Sophia Xiao

Senior Honor Night was held on May 1 in the L-Building to celebrate the academic accomplishments of seniors who are graduating with magna cum laude (a GPA of 3.51 or higher) or were honored with a department award. Similarly, AVID Senior Night was held on April 18 in the L-Building to celebrate the AVID seniors and their four-year journey in AVID.

Both honor nights were formatted like a more intimate version of graduation, where seniors were called up one by one. AVID seniors received a certificate and a stole, while senior honorees received black chords.

“Besides graduation, (Senior Honor Night) is one of our final celebrations for seniors before they leave, and so it’s nice for their parents to get a chance to see them being acknowledged for all their hard work,” says Head Counselor Jill Shoopman, who organized the event.

AVID Senior Night was a night to appreciate those students that have committed to AVID for all four years. Each senior received a certificate and an AVID stole upon getting their name called.

“AVID honor night was a great experience especially when we were recognized for being in (the same) class together for the whole four years. Though there were a lot of ups and downs, we finally made it to the point where we move on (from our close peers and classmates),” says senior AVID student Jameena Sampan.

As per tradition, Senior Honor Night opened with a musical solo by senior honoree Nicholas Lam, who played the fast-paced “White Knuckle Stroll” by Casey Cangelosi on the marimba.

“It was nerve-wracking; actually I checked my heart, and it was 172 beats per minute,” said Nicholas. “I was surprised at myself because I thought I would mess up more by either getting lost or lose the rhythm, but I did the best I could in front of a crowd.”

At both nights, students were given the chance to dedicate a rose to someone who always supported them or was a role model to them. At AVID Senior Night, students were also given the chance to give a small speech thanking that special someone.

“My favorite part of the event was dedicating the rose to my family. It felt nice to show appreciation to them, since they’ve always supported me throughout my high school career,” says senior AVID student Allan Vien.

New this year at Senior Honor Night was the Eunice Jackson Scholarship Award, which was given to seniors Janelle Perez and Kelly Thich.

                AVID students also received a certificate from the Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez

“(It was a) heartwarming experience that really motivated us to take what we’ve learned in AVID and use it in our next journey in life,” shares senior AVID student Angelo Payavala.

Senior Honor Night was organized by the counselors along with several junior honorees, who helped run the event. Similarly, AVID underclassmen honorees supported the seniors at AVID Senior Night, greeting parents at the entrance, helping to pass out certificates, handing out snacks and cleaning up afterwards.

“You know it’s probably been a rough four years trying to maintain their grades, so (Senior Honor Night is) kind of just to let them know that we appreciate all their hard work for their parents to be able to join in that celebration,” says Ms. Shoopman.

 

thelegendonline In-Depth, Uncategorized

Senior Advice to Underclassmen

By Mason Sandoval

“Don’t care about what other people care or say about you. Also, know what classes you want to take before you enroll in them.”

~An Truong

 

“Start thinking about college early. Start exploring different classes too, so you figure out what you want to do in college before you apply.”

~Mike Guo

 

“Don’t take AP classes just so you can say you’re taking AP classes.”

~Christelle Suarez

 

“If you’re not enthusiastic about doing something, quit before it’s too late. You don’t want to be stuck doing something you don’t wanna be stuck doing. Be sure to expand your horizons and try as many things as possible during high school. And respect your teachers.”

~Brian Robertson

 

“Don’t get peer pressured into anything you don’t you don’t want to do. Do whatever you want to do, not whatever they want you to do.”

~Jameena Sampan

 

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thelegendonline Cultural Corner, Fun Page

Summer recipes

By Henry Zheng

Summer is right around the corner, and along with all the amazing weather, sunsets and free-time you’ll most likely cherish, summer time food is something we all look forward to, from its freshness to its use of seasonal foods.

From brunch to dinner, we have compiled a bright summer recipe list, perfect for all your summertime needs.

  1. Brunch:
    1. Eggs Benedict
      1. A perfect blend of hollandaise, fresh dill and bright capers, this dish is bound to impress any of your friends and is perfect for any bright, sunny day. Just be warned that hollandaise is a bit tricky to prepare and only practice makes perfect.
      2. Ingredients: 1 tbsp. capers, 5-10 slices of smoked salmon, 2 English muffins, dill, 2 eggs, 3 tbs. butter, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp. vinegar, 1 shallot.
  • 2 Servings.
    1. In a bowl, separate one egg yolk out from an egg. Place into a clean metal bowl and drop in your chopped butter along with a squeeze of lemon juice.
    2. Either over very low flame, or a double boiler (over a pot of boiling water), whisk this mixture until homogenous. Add salt, capers, dill and chopped shallots to your taste
    3. Get a pot of water to a boil, then turn it down to med-low heat, and pour in your vinegar. Swirl the pot until it forms a sort of “vortex”, and drop your raw egg in. The white should begin to twirl around the yolk. Wait for about 3 minutes, then remove from water and place in a bowl of ice water. (Repeat for 2 eggs)
    4. Get a hot pan, cut and butter up the English muffins, and toast them until golden brown.
    5. To plate, place your English muffins down, follow it up with, smoked salmon, your egg (drained and pat dry), and then a hefty serving of you hollandaise sauce. Top with more dill and capers, and you’re done!
  1. Dinner:
    • .
  1. Steak
    • .Nothing is better in the summer than a nice steak on top of some fresh greens. This recipe is bound to have you hooked from the start, with the nice crisp crust of the steak to the bright greens that are served with it. Perfect for outdoor parties, beach barbeques and backyard cookouts.
    • Ingredients: Steak of your choice (Use NY strip preferably, but flank works good too), butter, chopped garlic, shallots, arugula, various greens of your choice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil.
    • 1-2 Servings.
      1. In a pan pour some olive oil and your chopped garlic. Let that sit on very low heat for about 6-10 min until garlic has turned golden brown.
      2. Season your steak with salt and pepper as needed. Get a pan ripping hot (either stainless steel or cast iron), add some canola oil (or grapeseed), and place down your steak.
      3. Let the steak sit for 5 min to develop that crispy crust, then flip it over and repeat. Lower the heat, and add butter and 2 whole garlic cloves, along with some rosemary if you have some. “Base” the steak (use a spoon to constantly spoon hot butter over your steak). Usually for thinner steaks you would be done at this point, but if you steak is thicker you can stick it into a 425 degree oven to continue cooking (about 5-6 min, depending on your steak).
      4. Let the steak rest for 10 min. On the side prepare your dressing: olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Swirl and set aside.
      5. Cut up your steak, plate it on your greens, and top it off with your dressing! Super easy and yummy.
  1. Dessert
    • . Fresh Berry Ice Cream
      • .This ice cream contains all you could ever want in a dessert – soft, smooth cream and fresh, bright fruit. Seasonal berries are in their peak season, but feel free to include any other fruits such as plums and peaches into the mix.
      • Ingredients: 4 cups heavy whipping cream, sugar, 2 tbsp. vanilla extract, seasonal fruit, 1 can condensed milk.
        1. In a pot, place your cut, seasonal fruits and add a bit of sugar. Simmer on medium/low heat until fruits have significantly shrunk or start to have a syrupy consistency. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
        2. In a cold bowl, whisk together your heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Stop until it resembles very thick shaving cream.
        3. Add in your condensed milk.
        4. Pour your ice cream base into some tubberware, alternating between layer of ice cream and fruit.
        5. Freeze, and enjoy! (No churning needed for this recipe)
  1. Seasonal Berry Granita
    • This smooth ice granita topped with fresh whipped cream is bound to have you hooked, from the start.
    • Ingredients: ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 5 tbsp. sugar, 1 cup seasonal berries
      1. Put your berries in the blender with a 4 tbsp. sugar and about 100 ml of water.
      2. Blend until the consistency is like a thick smoothie, or runny cake batter.
      3. Pour into a thin sheet pan, and place into the freezer.
      4. Stir the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes to ensure no huge ice crystals form.
      5. After 4-5 hours, get a clean bowl, pour in your heavy cream and rest of the sugar and whip until the consistency resembles thick shaving cream.
      6. Serve your granite in small bowls or cups, and top them off with the whipped cream you made. Enjoy!

From steak to granitas to fresh fruit ice cream, these recipes are a sure-fire way to impress any of your friends and make your summertime hangouts just that much better.

thelegendonline Captain's Log, Features, Uncategorized

Interesting holidays

FUN.03 Interesting Holidays

By Devonna Dang

 

May 19 National Endangered Species Day Vesak
May 20 National Be a Millionaire Day
May 21 National Waiters and Waitresses Day
May 22 International Day for Biological Diversity
May 23 National Taffy Day
May 24 National Sunscreen Day
May 25 National Wine Day
May 26 National Paper Airplane Day
May 27 Memorial Day
May 28 National Brisket Day
May 29 Learn About Composting Day
May 30 International Hug Your Cat Day
May 31 National Macaroon Day World No Tobacco Day
June 1 International Children Day Global Day of Parents
June 2 National Pineapple Day
June 3 Repeat Day
June 4 National Cheese Day
June 5 World Environment Day
June 6 National Yo-Yo Day
June 7 VCR Day National Doughnut Day
June 8 Best Friends Day
June 9 National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day Donald Duck Day
June 10 Herb and Spices Day Iced Tea Day
June 11 National Corn on the Cob Day
June 12 Red Rose Day National Peanut Butter Day
June 13 Sewing Machine Day National Weed your Garden Day
June 14 Monkey Around Day Flag Day
June 15 National Hollerin’ Contest Day National Nature Photography Day

 

thelegendonline Fun Page, Uncategorized

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.

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.

thelegendonline News, Uncategorized

Interact and Business Minds/Multi-club Lunch with Special Ed Kids

By Sarah Shafaeen

 

Last Thursday, the PHHS Special Education students attended a luncheon in the PHHS library organized by ARK (Acts of Random Kindness), Interact and Business Minds.

The event is highly anticipated by the Special Education students and ARK members because it is an opportunity to get to know each other.

“The luncheon is very nice because it is an opportunity to mingle and have our kids interact with the general education kids,” said Nonglak Prasopsook, Special Education teacher.

It is difficult to organize an event this big, so ARK usually teams up with other clubs and tries to choose easy themes. This year they decided to hold a Hawaiian-themed pizza party luncheon because it’s a cute tropical theme and pizza is easy for the members to prepare and work with.

“ARK came up with this idea about 3 years ago, when we collaborated with Bloomers Club. ARK has been organizing this event ever since 2016, but we did not hold the event last year because of conflicting schedules. Business Minds reached out to Interact and ARK who typically organizes this event every year. This is ARK’s first year collaborating with Interact and Business Minds for this event,” informs ARK President and Interact YouthAct Coordinator Janeene Yeh.

The ARK students worked hard to host the luncheon and were rewarded by the joy it brought all of the students.

“Our main message in ARK is to spread kindness and positivity to high school students and staff. A big part of the student population is the Special Ed students so we thought this luncheon would be a great way to show our appreciation to them and let them know that they have a friend in us,” reveals ARK Historian Anamika Bisen.

With all the planning, preparing and execution of the luncheon ARK determines the success of the event based on the response they receive from the club members and students.

“Our club expectations are making sure that each of the 30 Special Ed students are paired up with an Interact or ARK member/officer and that we all have a good time together,” states Janeene.

The luncheon is something ARK wanted to make an annual event and has been working towards making that vision a reality.

“We definitely are trying to make this an annual thing. Last year, with work to rule we were unable to completely plan out the event so it was cancelled but this year we are back and ready to make this event a successful one!” exclaims Anamika.

thelegendonline Features, Uncategorized

Strong Girls Strong Women Conference

By Terry Tang

Santa Clara County hold its seventh Strong Girls Strong Women Conference (SGSW) geared towards high school students and their mothers on Sat. March 9th from 9 a.m to 2:30 p.m. This event was hosted to help bring awareness to topics like self-identity and stress awareness. This year they hope to at least have 500 people attend.

The event encourages attendees to bring unused socks to the event to help donate to the homeless who need it more than they do.

“The socks will be donated to homeless youth in our community. One of our Girls Advisory Team meeting this year was at the Will Bilson Center, a homeless center in San Jose. We learned about the root causes of being a homeless, which are not always drug related as many people imagine. This expedition into the real world encouraged us to help homeless youth by at least providing them with warm socks, especially during this time in San Jose where it rains often,” said senior Karla Manzanares

The reason this event was started was to help raise awareness for women and prioritize needs of young women who are working with the Office of Women’s Policy (OWP). The OWP is a special department within the Office of the County Executive’s Equity & Social Justice Division that helps make sure that women and girls have a say in local decision making.

“The event brings empowerment to all women. It covers mature topics and all the hardships in which women face today. It’s truly a once in a lifetime experience,” said Angela.

There are many various problems that women face in today’s society like gender inequality and domestic violence.

“Women’s issues today regard the wage gap, homelessness, violence, etc. As society, we can support women by viewing them as an equal status to the male gender,” continues Tostado.

This event is considered a big occurrence to many people because it allows women to have a bigger say and allow their voices to be heard.

“I’m looking forward to hosting my very own workshop on healthy relationships. This is such an important topic to me because you may not be aware of the signs to an unhealthy relationship with friends, significant others, family, etc. The workshops provide resources and information,” said Tostado.

The SGSW is a big event which receives recognition every year for its efforts to improve society for women.

thelegendonline Features, Uncategorized

PHHS Music Performs at Disneyland

By Sarah Shafaeen

The PHHS music students left for their Disneyland trip last Friday. The trip was meticulously planned and the music students have been working hard to be ready for their performances.

“The Disneyland trip is usually planned by Mr. Ellis and Mrs. Ray. They organize the itinerary and contact the festival organizers. In instrumental council, we also help with the process by filling out paperwork and letting that music students know what’s happening regarding payments and fundraisers,” informs senior Symphony Orchestra member Asher Twu.

Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble performed “Ave Maria” composed by Franz Schubert, “Rumble on the High Plains” composed by Michael Sweeney, “Festivo” composed by Vaclav Nelhybel, the third movement from George Bizet’s Symphony, “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia” composed by Aram Khachaturian, and “Danse Espagnole” composed by Tchaikovsky.

The event is something the music students really look forward to.

“I’m excited to go on this trip because it only happens every two years and it’ll be a fun experience that I’ll be able to share with my friends in my last year of high school. Also, I’m looking forward to eating dole whip again,” states senior Varsity choir member Samuel Dai.

The choir classes will perform the traditional Indonesian song “Hela Rotan”, “Good Night Dear Heart composed by Dan Forrest, and Canticum Novum composed by” Ivo Antognini.

Many students were excited about all the activities and fun events that have been planned.

“We will leave on Thursday for Disneyland and arrive near evening. The performance itself is on Saturday, so we’re going to Disneyland on Friday. We’re also planning to watch the Aladdin musical and we’re visiting a university for an organized lunch one day. On Saturday, after the performance, there is an awards ceremony. We arrive back in San Jose on Sunday in the afternoon,” discloses Asher.

Others were eager to visit Disneyland itself because the park is where they will make long lasting memories.

“I don’t go to Disneyland often so I’m just looking forward to exploring the park with my friends and then performing,” comments senior Wind Ensemble member Neha Kaza.

Many of the students were ready to see all of the hard work and effort put in throughout the year pay off through the performance.

“I’m sure all music students are excited and nervous for the music festival, including myself. The Disneyland trip itself will be fun, but we’ve put in a lot of practice for the performance, so we’re hoping to be able to pull off all the pieces we’re going to be performing. While Disneyland is sort of a reward for performing, the performance itself is exciting. There are four rankings: superior, excellent, good, and needs improvement. We always aim for the superior, and first place if we are competing with other schools,” states Asher.

The Treblemakers, performed “Voice Dance” composed by Greg Jasperse, “Bumblebee” composed by Anders Eroth, and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” composed by Manning Sherwin.

thelegendonline Features, Uncategorized

Take a Teacher to Lunch

by Devonna Dang

 

CSF will hold its annual Take a Teacher to Lunch at the PHHS Library this Wednesday to recognize all of the talented and dedicated staff on campus. All teachers and staff are invited to this event.

“We want as many teachers to come, because they have all done amazing things for the students at school, so we usually hand-deliver invitations to teachers and staff,” says Co-Publicist Lauren Lin.

CSF provides the main course. This year’s main course is from Jade China and includes Chow Mein, salad and Egg rolls.

The students who volunteer to participate in the event get split up into groups. Each group has a theme and is responsible for providing any decorations, appetizers and desserts. They decorate the meal based from a theme of their own choice.

“These themes are entirely up to them and often people have fun themes like Hawaiian, Disney, etc. The main goal of this event is both to thank our teachers and get to know them outside of a formal environment,” said Tech Chair Jerry Xu.

This tradition has become the heart of CSF, as the club revolves around academics and education.

“My favorite thing about Take a Teacher to Lunch is the fact that this event is a chance to say thank you to your teachers and really get a chance to know your teachers outside of school,” said Co-Secretary Ritika Randhawa.

“I probably don’t say it enough but I do appreciate everything my teachers do. They have all pushed me to be better and didn’t focus on getting only good grades but actually learning and retaining valuable information,” said Lauren.