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San Jose Youth Advisory Council of District 1 Newsletter
Fall 2012 Volume 4, Issue 1
1 Voice
Hey everyone! I hope
you all have been enjoying the first
few months back in school. I know
that stress is probably mounting,
but with Thanksgiving just around
the corner, I encourage everyone to
keep up their hard work for just a
few more days.
The Youth Advisory
Council of District 1 (YAC) has
been particularly busy this season as
well. From starting our Overture
Literary Magazine once again to
securing representation in our YAC
from Prospect and Westmont High
School for the first time, YAC is
committed to continuing to serve
the youth in District 1 to the best
of our ability. This is my first year
on the San Jose Youth Commission
as well, and I am incredibly humbled
to be given the honor to represent
so many diverse students and inter-
ests. This newsletter is compilation
of some of these students' best
work. I hope you enjoy!
Message from Youth Commissioner: Kimberly Tan
Recap Event: Community Policing Forum
By: Aishwarya Nene
On September 13th of 2012,
YAC District 1 of San Jose was able
to participate in facilitating discus-
sions on community policing at the
Teen Police Forum. We were able
to meet with other YAC members
from other districts who also
helped facilitate discussions, as well
as students and members from a
wide array of communities with
different backgrounds.
The event was held by the
Community Advisory Board with
some main goals including:
1) Developing a mutually
respectful relationship between the
department and the community; and
2) Establishing clear, viable,
and ongoing communication ave-
nues that serve to educate, pro-
mote, critique, and evaluate our ef-
forts. The CAB wanted to get input-
tension between the youth and the
police department. We had to go
through training prior to the event,
where we were able to gain insight
on the goals of the program and
better learn how to facilitate the
smaller group discussions.
The event began with an intro-
duction of CAB members and the
purpose of the forum.
Inside this issue:
Message from the Youth
Commissioner 1
Recap Event: Community
Policing Forum 2
Legislation: Social Host
Ordinance 3
Facebook: Not Just for
Instagram and Network-
ing
4
Teenage Vaccinations: Are
the Needles Worth the
pain?
5
EBook: Convenient or a
Con? 6
2012 Election: Mudslinging 7
Featured Youth 8
Art and Poetry 9
Upcoming Events 10
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Kimberly Tan
Clarence Tan
Sachin Peddada
MEMBERS
Aishwarya Nene
Aneesh Chona
Angela Kong
Claire Liang
Connie Li
Dana Lin
Hana Kim
Henry Shangguan
Hima Rajana
Jacob Antony
Katie Gu
Michelle Su
Nathan Dalal
Nihar Wahal
Rishabh Jain
Scott Raine-King
Somya Khare
Sonia Raghuram
Tara Pichumani
Tiffany Chao
Valerie Tan
Zareen Choudhury
from the students on what the
police department could do to
better relations with the youth and
so that the youth would be more
willing to approach the police offic-
ers. Our main goal was to com-
municate with the youth in smaller
groups during the course of the
event and get their feedback on
some of the issues regarding
Student
Facilitators
from District
1 YAC
Page 2 1 Voice
It was clear that the main goal of the
night was to help improve the community and
police relations and we had to do so by inter-
acting with people from various parts of San
Jose. We then were able to participate in an
icebreaker event where we were able to
connect with the students at our table and
see the differences and similarities we shared
through a couple basic questions. It was amaz-
ing to see the diversity in the backgrounds of
students even though everyone came from
within the same city.
The icebreaker also served to see what
activities the youth were participating in and
what form of media they used, so that the
police department could relate or better
understand the youth. We then broke up into
small group discussions which was probably
the most rewarding part of the evening where
we brought up questions to the other stu-
dents such as:
a. Is your neighborhood safe? How
welcomed do you feel in your school or
neighborhood?
b. Do you feel comfortable approaching
or talking to an officer? Why not? How cans
that change?
We were able to take notes on what
the students said and were able to then relate
this information back to the CAB members
who would then use it as constructive criti-
cism to improve the police department rela-
tions.
This portion of the evening was insight-
ful because we were able to recognize how
differently some thought about the police
department or see that some people felt the
same way on certain issues. It was eye-
opening and we were able to get a lot of
feedback from the people that had come.
We all then convened to share what we
came up with in the discussion and conclude
the evening with a reflection on what we all
had learned. After this, it was revealed that
there were some police officers within the
different smaller groups, which came to a
surprise to most people.
They were able to communicate with
the police just as with any other person. It
was enjoyable to see the different reactions
to this and diverse backgrounds of the police
officers.
Students were then given surveys re-
garding the forum and flyers on any questions
they may have had on the forum so they
would always have resources available to
them. Many students left with a smile on their
faces as they knew that they have learnt a lot
from this forum and gained a better under-
standing of the police through their peers and
police officers themselves.
The event concluded successfully with a
lot of advice from the youth to better im-
prove the community and police relations.
Recap Event: Community Policing Forum (cont.)
Members of the San Jose
Police Department with
Lord Mayor Emer Costello
Page 3 Volume 4, Issue 1
group discussion and helps questions get
answered faster.
W h i l e
most students are
part of student-run
class Facebook
groups, some teach-
ers are taking it to
the next level by
starting their own.
“I use the Facebook
group because I feel
like… it’s just an
easier way to com-
municate,” said Lynbrook High School litera-
By: Hima Rajana
The average high school student’s
after-school routine doesn’t vary much. After
we get home, we dump our backpacks and
books on our desks, grab something to eat,
and settle down at the computer to check
Facebook, Tumblr, Gmail, and whatever
other social networks keep us connected.
After twenty to thirty minutes of aimless
surfing, we finally crack our textbooks open.
But what if Facebook’s role was
different? What if Facebook wasn’t just about
posting pictures and sharing, but also part of
school? Social media can be utilized in school
as a supplement to class, as it enables large
ture teacher Nicole Gordon. “It’s a good
opportunity to
extend material
from class. “
Since students
already spend so
much time on
Facebook, add-
ing an element
of schoolwork
can be beneficial
because it makes
for an easy tran-
sition from the
fun, time-wasting side of Facebook to getting
By Michelle Su
On May 15, 2012, the City Council
of San José engaged in a 45-minute discussion,
after which the Councilmembers voted unani-
mously to pass the Social Host Ordinance,
which will be a big deal for the youth of San
José.
The Social Host Ordinance,
an initiative started by Voices United (a
non-profit group that focuses on sub-
stance use and addiction), is an ordi-
nance that will help to prevent the
illegal consumption of alcohol by mi-
nors. This new law declares that, in the
case of drinking in a gathering of four
or more underage people, the owner
of the property will have to pay the
fine.
The ordinance is a big step
forward to prevent youth misconduct.
The goal of Voices United is to start
discussions between teens and adults
regarding alcoholic consumption, and
to show minors that drinking is very
hazardous to them, especially to their
brains.
With this ordinance, adults
will be able to not only know when their
children are consuming alcohol, but also be
able to talk about this consumption, helping
solve the problem of underage drinking. And,
underage drinking, in addition to being very
hazardous to the health of the teenagers who
do the drinking, has caused several deaths,
such as in car crashes, in the city of San José
over the past couple of years. Additionally,
this Ordinance also benefits the community
as a whole.
Tighter monitoring of teenage
behavior will decrease the amount of under-
age drinking, promoting more public safety
for those who live in properties near those
gatherings, as well as protecting potential
victims of drunk driving accidents.
Moreover, the law will reduce the
cost of emergency services that would origi-
nally have to stop these gatherings by impos-
ing a penalty fee on the adult who owns the
property on which a minor had consumed
alcohol.
With the ordinance in place, legal-
ly responsible adults will now be charged for
minors’ consumption of alcohol; this will
provide an initiative for the adults
of San José to make sure they
supervise the activities of their
local teens. No parent, for exam-
ple, would want to allow his or her
child to be
drinking,
nor would
he or she
want to
pay fines
for said
drinking. Consumers of alcohol
under age 21 are simply too sus-
ceptible to alcohol addiction, so
this ordinance will effectively re-
duce the number of cases of un-
derage drinking. Additionally, it is
only logical that parents should be
responsible for what goes on in
their households.
The Social Host Ordinance will
now send clear signals prohibiting underage
drinking, greatly benefiting the youth of San
José.
Legislation: Social Host Ordinance
Facebook: Not Just for Instagram and Networking
Parents will be
fined if underage
drinking occurs in
their household.
Page 4 1 Voice
the real world by mandating that they write
professionally and contribute to the group
environment in a positive manner.
On the other hand, some say
adding Facebook to the mix may not neces-
sarily be beneficial. “The amount of research,
planning, thinking, organizing that a teacher
has to do is extremely difficult,” said Maggie
homework done.
Students can also post links to
relevant videos to extend learning and to
further discuss issues
brought up in class. Reading
and commenting about seri-
ous material in a Facebook
group not only entertains,
but also provides us with
experience on acting in a
professional environment. In
a world where employers
routinely communicate with
overseas employees online.
learning early can be benefi-
cial.
Most online com-
munication in high school is
casual so students cannot be
expected to conduct them-
selves formally when online if they enter the
real world without practice.
Teachers who have Facebook
groups for classes are preparing students for
Welsh, Lynbrook literature teacher. “Then,
you have to worry about… something like a
social media site. It seems daunting, and I
don’t see the necessity.”
No doubt, teachers are some of
the hardest workers out there.
However, while maintaining a
Facebook page can take a fair bit
of time, it is definitely more
efficient than responding to
several e-mails on the same
topic. “One person’s answered
question is probably five peo-
ple’s unanswered question,” said
Lynbrook history teacher Esther
Lee. “It just makes it a lot faster
to get information out to stu-
dents.”
Clearly, Facebook is an effective
supplementary tool for both students and
teachers, and should be implemented in the
future as a forum for students to discuss,
clarify and extend issues brought up in class.
Facebook: Not Just for Instagram and Networking (cont.)
educational curriculum, they are not being
exposed to some of the key topics the world
revolves around.
By not properly exposing these
children to the arts and sciences, we are
jeopardizing their talent and abilities and in
some cases, preventing them from doing what
they want. We are only putting our country
in risk in the future, which will only lead to
downfall. The U.S. will loose its post as one
of the few key countries in the world. Instead
of other countries looking at America as a
role model, we will be looking at others, in
order to figure out how we can be like them.
All this from limiting students’ education.
Education is something very noble,
which should be independent of politics and
government decisions. Children have a right
to a proper education, thus it is not fair to
deprive them of that right. Instead of cutting
school funds, there must be some alternative
to save money.
By implementing these budget
cuts, we are only preparing our country for
its downfall. Ultimately the students who are
suffering from the budget cuts are the ones
who are going to be leading the country in
the future. If we limit and, in some cases,
hinder their education, we are taking the
wrong decision. Instead of taking a step for-
ward, we are taking multiple steps back.
A possible improvement to the law
would be to add important moments in the
Gay Rights Movement such as the Lavender
Revolution and Stonewall, and key propo-
nents to the LGBT community such as the
Bay Area’s very own Harvey Milk, to whom
students currently get little to no exposure.
Though we may be a long way from achieving
equality for all in this country, the Fair Educa-
tion Act is certainly a step in the right direc-
tion.
By: Vedant Thyagaraj
Budget cuts is one thing that is
severely hurting the future of America. For
quite a while now (a couple years or so),
budget cuts have been prominent. They have
been issues all over the country, particularly
in the Bay Area. Public schools here barely
have any funding. Thus, they are required to
discontinue some courses, layoff teachers,
and prevent students from getting the educa-
tion they should be able to have.
Children should have the oppor-
tunity of a great education, as they are the
future of America. They are the ones who
are going to carry the country forward and
they are the bright minds of the future. By
cutting them off from the education they
could benefit from, we are limiting their abil-
ity to learn. By limiting their ability to learn,
we are not advancing our country, we are
only hindering its progress. If things such as
science and arts are cut off from students’
Problems of Budget Cuts
Page 5 Volume 4, Issue 1
By: Aneesh Chona
A rising concern in today's society
is that over the past couple of years, many
studies have shown that not enough teenag-
ers are getting vaccines. Due to the result of
some studies that have linked certain vaccina-
tions with autism -- although later shown to
unfounded -- many teenagers have opted out
of vaccines in fear of contracting autism.
Although the decision to not vac-
cinate may seem like a personal choice, on
net it has many individual and societal harms.
For example, an empirical analysis by the
University of Washington found that opting
to receive vaccinations is “one thousand
times safer than running the chance of con-
tracting the disease itself.” Thus, teenagers
need to start making better decisions by
choosing to vaccinate in order to protect
themselves.
In addition to individual protec-
tion, choosing to vaccinate benefits the entire
community. This phenomenon is known as
herd immunity, of which if enough people in a
community vaccinate, the disease the vaccine
is preventing will no longer be able to thrive
in the community. In other words, as enough
people are immunized, those who do not
vaccinate or those who are not able to vac-
cinate because of complications such as aller-
gic reactions will be protected. Therefore,
teens should choose to vaccinate themselves
in order to create herd im-
munity and protect the subset
of the population that cannot
protect themselves.
Unfortunately, the
theory of herd immunity
opens up the door to the free
rider problem, which explains
that because many teenagers
assume others are vaccinating,
they themselves do not both-
er vaccinating as they think the community is
at the herd immunity threshold. In order to
prevent this issue, more awareness needs to
be spread about the individual benefits of
vaccines, so that increasingly great amounts
of people will choose to vaccinate, therefore
guaranteeing the herd immunity threshold
will be reached.
Finally, the economic benefits of
vaccines is an important factor to take into
consideration. The Center for Disease Con-
trol conducted a cost-benefit analysis and
found that after taking into account direct
and indirect costs saved by vaccines, the
economic multiplier of
vaccinations is 18.4.
Thus, “every dollar spent
on immunization saves
$18.40,” amounting to a
“societal aggregate sav-
ings of $42 billion.”
Ultimately, because of
the individual, societal,
and economic benefits,
more and more teenagers should vaccinate.
As for those teenagers who make the choice
to not vaccinate, all society requires is a
legitimate reason that is based on proven fact.
I am not saying everybody should run to the
hospital this instant and vaccinate themselves
in every limb of their respective bodies.
Teenage Vaccinations: Are the Needles Worth the Pain
By: Zareen Choudhury
An inconspicuous video is posted
on March 5, 2012. As the first few viewers
watch the heart-wrenching half-hour film on
the plight of children in Africa, they share the
link on Facebook. Within a day, millions of
people across the world have seen the same
video, changed their profile pictures, or up-
dated their status to mention it. But a few
days later, the tides reverse as hate mail,
polarized debates, and infuriated Tumblr
posts deluge the Internet. By April 20, 2012,
barely a soul remembers the event originally
publicized by the film.
Sound familiar? KONY 2012 is a
classic example of rash decision-making on
the Internet. Millions of people used social
media to advertise a cause they hardly under-
stood. A few days later, when critics found
inconsistencies and exaggerations within the
KONY video, people accepted the criticism
as truth and yet again switched their opinion
without digging into the facts. This phenome-
non, however, was not an isolated situation,
for similar incidents occur frequently. Nearly
every day, youth across the world make
hasty, impulsive actions on the Internet.
With the advent of social media, a
plethora of ideas, opinions, and criticism zip
around the globe faster
than ever. While this influx
of information is a valuable
tool to make us mindful and
global citizens, it also fos-
ters rash decision-making.
Features such as status
updates, “likes,” and shares
facilitate the expression of
one’s ideas through social
media. However, this ease
of accessibility also allows the spread of false
information. Most youth would concur that
not everything on the web can be accepted as
true, yet their actions do not reflect this
notion. The blind sharing of the KONY video
and other extreme articles, statistics, and
pictures are evidence of the often impulsive
approach youth display towards social media.
How can you prevent yourself
from falling into the trap of thoughtless deci-
sion making on the Internet? The first step is
to be conscious of implications of social me-
dia. Be aware that peo-
ple’s actions on Face-
book, although seeming-
ly harmless, reflect on
them more than they
may think. Carefully
consider the posts that
you see. Do your re-
search and investigate
the facts before liking or
sharing them. More importantly, resist the
influence of popular appeal. Even if all five
hundred of your Facebook “friends” are
posting a certain status, that does not verify
its validity or veracity. Remember, the inter-
net is not a carrier of truth.
The Internet: Half True or Half False?
Page 6 1 Voice
By: Katie Gu and Connie Li
Imagine if, instead of back-
packs full of books, today’s students
simply carried around lightweight devic-
es with any book they could possibly
need. Imagine students poring over
laptops and iPads in libraries, instead of
heavy textbooks. Imagine these situa-
tions becoming today’s realities. Re-
cently they have, as seen in the changes
in the curricula of several local high
schools. Are these changes for the best,
and are eBooks really as useful a learn-
ing tool as they are made out to be?
Already, many schools in the
Bay Area have implemented school-
wide policies that make use of iPads,
Kindles, and other electronic reading
devices. In particular, Harker Lower
School and Archbishop Mitty High
School, both located in San Jose, have
initiated programs that provide students
with iPads to use for classroom purposes. For
Mitty, these iPads are used by the students
throughout their high school careers, including
the summer, but are returned to the school by
the time the students graduate.
The convenience of eBooks and
iPads seems to a benefit that many students
find particularly useful. With just a touch of the
finger, any unknown word can be instantly
defined; compared to old-school indexes and
tables of content. The new search functions
also make finding specific excerpts incredibly
easy.
Mitty sophomore Claire Wang finds
it “convenient to read any textbook when
you’re on the way back from [sports] practice,
when it’s dark,” as the backlighting built into e-
readers eliminates the problem of sufficient
lighting.
Most importantly, e-readers and
laptops are many times lighter than textbooks.
For instance, Presentation High School junior
Phoebe Coffin “prefer[s] [computers] over
carrying textbooks everywhere.”
However, while some students may
appreciate the convenience of being able to
carry nearly weightless files instead of several-
pound-heavy books around, other students
express dissatisfaction with the inability to high-
light quickly, take notes, and switch between
pages.
So is using iPads or other e-readers,
in school, actually cheaper to the alternative,
traditional textbooks? Some ebooks are still
expensive–for instance, Mitty sophomore Claire
Wang said that the most expensive eBook she
bought cost around $120, and the new iPad
program cost Mitty students an additional $700
in tuition.
Another item to consider is that
traditional books are also far more durable than
and more appropriate for clumsy students than e
-readers are, in that dropping or spilling water
on an iPad or Kindle can potentially destroy it.
Furthermore, as many teachers like
to say, “Technology is nice, when it works.”
Any technical difficulty with e-readers, like
low battery power or glitches, could definitely
present a major obstacle to teachers trying to
use class time efficiently. Some students pre-
fer traditional books over e-readers, like
Harker junior Jerry Shen who just “enjoy[s]
the feel of normal, physical pages.”
Nothing has been quite so revolu-
tionary in the methodology of passing infor-
mation since the likes of Gutenberg’s printing
press, but do the benefits of eBooks really
outweigh the costs?
Although on the surface, e-readers
are a shiny and attractive way to help students
learn, the benefits, comforts, and reliability of
traditional textbooks far outweigh those of e-
readers.
EBooks: Convenient or a Con?
Page 7 Volume 4, Issue 1
should have other qualities and skills that
appeal to the public,” said Saha. Lynbrook
ASB President senior Stephanie Hahm
agreed: “They should be higher than that.
If they want to lead, they should show
leadership qualities. A lot of people are
looking up to them.”
Nonetheless, our politicians are
not the only citizens at fault. Negative
campaigns thrive on ignorance and ac-
ceptance. To frame ourselves as helpless
to these candidates’ indoctrination or
powerless to compel our candidates to
speak candidly about the issues, would be
inexcusable. Our negligence of finding out
the truth and questioning the politicians’
statements has been our own doing.
As constituents, it is our civic
responsibility to take a stand against this
By: Henry Shangguan
Romney Hood? Obamaloney?
The presidential election is less than 40
days away, yet the back-and-forth be-
tween President Obama and Republican
Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney re-
sembles more of a childish playground
dispute than a respectful debate between
two mature men vying to head a country.
High school students and their
fellow constituents deserve a higher level
of dialogue between their two presiden-
tial candidates: more time and focus on
the issues, like how to revamp our strug-
gling economy, and less time Tweeting
snide remarks about each other.
Both Obama and Romney have
sunken to new lows of “mudslinging,”
utilizing insults and lies, each in an at-
tempt to get a leg up on his opponent.
The 2012 Presidential Race has become
less about showcasing policies and more
about sullying the opponent’s reputation.
For example, the Romney Cam-
paign’s claim that Obama’s new welfare
plan would allow recipients to collect
checks without working is a wild distor-
tion of a plan which aims to do the oppo-
site. A pro-Obama ad implying that Rom-
ney holds responsibility for a woman’s
death from cancer after his company
shuttered her husband’s factory is equally
unreliable.
Familiar with the realm of high
school politics and campaigning, Lynbrook
ASB Secretary junior Divya Saha believes
mudslinging has no place in any election
effort. “Mudslinging should not be your
way of getting the upper hand. You
national deterioration of campaign politics.
The easiest solution is to take a few
minutes to check facts and question the
media. Free fact-checking websites such as
Politifact.com are great for verifying our
candidates’ claims.
Secondly, take a few minutes to
make your voices heard and write a letter,
tweet your district representative; start a
group, start a movement. Lastly, for those
who have come of age, get to the polls.
“Young people have the biggest
opportunity for change,” said Lynbrook
Senior Harish Rajaram. “Young people can
go to the booth and vote and stop mud-
slinging from continuing.”
It’s time to take action. After all,
if we don’t take a stand, who will?
2012 Election: Mudslinging
Page 8 1 Voice
Featured Youth: Yaoyao Pei
By: Sonia Raghuram
In a society where art comes second
after almost everything else, it is rare to see a
young person who truly follows his or her
passions. Yaoyao Pei, a photographer and styl-
ist, is one of these people. She and a few other
Lynbrook sophomores manage a blog where
they post photos and experiences, mostly fo-
cusing on fashion.
She doesn’t design clothes, but she
enjoys “the art of putting pieces of clothing
together to form something really unique and
beautiful.” Her interest in photography is evi-
dent throughout her work. She sets up photo
shoots at magnificent locations and spends time
perfecting the makeup and the often intricate
hairstyles of her models. Yaoyao specializes in
styling for her models, choosing clothes which
represent her innate sense of style, as well as
taking pictures, displaying an aptitude for pho-
tography. The best angles, the best poses, and
amazing artistic talent create beautiful images,
their own unique style of art.
Inspiration can come from many
places: celebrities, other artists, and even
friends. It is different for everyone, so how did
Yaoyao discover her interest in art in the first
place? “A few years ago, my family went on a
road trip to a bunch of national parks around
the Utah area. My dad had just bought a new
camera, a dSLR, and I just started playing
around with it. I found it to be really fun, like
looking at different angles and experimenting,
and through this, I could really see the beauty
of nature. As for styling, well, a lot of the influ-
ence came from Tumblr and a website called
lookbok.nu where there are some really stylish
people,” Yaoyao reminisces. “I was also really
inspired by Audrey Hepburn. She was an old
actress, and I guess almost everything about her
movies, like the costumes, is really inspiring to
me. Art is a form of self-expression for me. I
mean, inside, I have a lot of ideas that I would
like to put to good use.”
Yaoyao also hopes to take her art
into her career. “I like the field of advertising,
and even graphic design. And maybe I could
also incorporate photography in it, as well as
my passion for fashion. Whatever it is, I defi-
nitely hope to continue into the future.”
Yaoyao is a great inspiration to those youth
who are too afraid to follow their passions.
Despite the abundance of other
commitments, she still dedicates sufficient
time to her first love of fashion and photog-
raphy.
Featured Youth: Brian Tuan and Christophe Pellissier
By: Kacey Fang modified by Connie Li
While Katniss Everdeen of The
Hunger Games displays her finesse with a bow
and arrow on the big screen, students at the
Harker Upper School participate in archery in
the real world, both for recreation and compe-
tition.
Brian Tuan (10) and Christophe
Pellissier (12) are each experienced with a bow
and arrow. They believe that archery has a
unique appeal, different from any other sport.
“It’s not only just a physical sport, but there’s
also a lot of mental game to it. The more you
actually learn about the mental game, the more
interesting the sport is,” Brian said.
Brian has been doing archery com-
petitively for nearly two years. As a dedicated
archer, he competes in state and national tour-
naments and plans to start participating in inter-
national competitions. In the 2012 Indoor Na-
tionals and JOAD Nationals, Brian placed 15th
among the “Male Cadet Recurve” division.
Currently, Brian has reached what he calls a
“performance plateau.”
“It’s really just a frustrating moment
where you don’t see any marked improvement
no matter how much you do,” he said. “I think
one of the biggest challenges [in archery] is
actually breaking through that plateau.”
Unlike Brian, Christophe became
familiar with the sport when he attended the
Harker Lower School’s summer camp in third
or fourth grade. Later, he also discovered that
his father used to be a semi-professional archer,
and has remained interested since.
Christophe also disagrees with the
notion that archery may require less exercise
than other sports. “There’s a repetitive motion
that is completely exercise in archery,” he said.
“Small variations in your form can change the
entire shot, so it really does bring attention to
detail in your entire body.”
Like Christophe, Brian also finds it
difficult to weigh his other activities with his
interest in archery. “[Archery is] one of those
sports where if you don’t shoot for a few
weeks or so, you pretty much lose everything,”
he said. The equipment required for archery is
also expensive as various components besides the
bow are required to improve the accuracy of the
shot.
“[When] getting my bow, the base
cross was $200 which isn’t much, [but] once you
add the whisker biscuit which holds the arrow,
peephole, sights, all kinds of things, [...] that’s
another $200 of add-ons,” Christophe said.
Although time and price may be incon-
veniences, both students expressed that archery is
a fun and unique way to spend time. While Brian
hopes to start competing in world tournaments
sometime near the end of the year, Christophe
simply wishes for more free time to allow for
consistent practice.
Page 9 Volume 4, Issue 1
Featured Artist: Tiffany Chao
Poetry by Anonymous
it goes riding, riding
down to your families
our lives pinned down by receipts
generation of excess, generation of
green,
never looking at what life really
means
the vampires bite the silver bullet
america going down uncertainty's
gullet
preach to the believers
hate the others
hate in the speakers
causing pain causing death
until there's no pain left.
i frame pictures in my mind
memories left for myself to find
but when i look back on this time
i think of how much people were
lying.
Photography by Yaoyao Pei
The Youth Science’s Institute’s WILD-
LIFE FESTIVAL
What? Get the opportunity to interact with
several animals, such as owls, snakes, and
even mountain lions! Enjoy food and fun the
entire day, with activities such as wildlife
programs, hands-on science activities, and
arts and crafts.
When? Sunday, October 7th from 11:00 AM
to 4:00 PM
Where? Alum Rock Park in San José
Disney on Ice; 100 Years of Magic
What? Join the celebration as 65 of Disney’s
unforgettable characters come to life in Dis-
ney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!
Join the one and only Mickey Mouse, Minnie
Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket,
Pinocchio, and all the Disney Princesses in a
skating spectacular you’ll remember forever.
When? Any day between Wednesday, Octo-
ber 24 and Sunday, October 28
Where? HP Pavilion, San José
Habor Village Pumpkin Patch
What? Harbor Village will have pumpkins,
family events, fundraisers, foods, live music,
and many fun activities, such as pumpkin
decorating and smashing, in the month of
October! Every Saturday and Sunday: pony
rides and petting zoo; October 21 and Octo-
ber 28: rock climbing, zorb balls, and slack
lining; October 7 and October 14: zip lining.
There’s fun for everyone! en? Saturday,
March 24, 12:00-2:30pm
When? Any day in October, 10:00 AM to
9:00 PM
Past Events
Upcoming Events: Family Giving Tree
By: Angela Kong
With the last days of summer
slipping away and the cold weather seeping
in, the wintry winds herald the arrival of
every privileged child's favorite holiday —
Christmas. This festival evokes many warm
images, most commonly of hot chocolate, a
hefty pile of presents beneath a large
Douglass Fir lavished with colorful baubles,
and a stout but smiling Santa Claus, imagi-
nary or not.
Although, not every child is able
to grow up with such privileges — for
many, presents have been nonexistent as
their family's income is hardly able to keep
up with day to day living, let alone often
expensive gifts. Thankfully, the community
is stepping in to help bring a bit more cheer
into the holiday season for these less afflu-
ent families. This December, the District 1
Youth Advisory Council (D1 YAC) is once
again partnering with Community United to
host the Starbird Family Giving Tree on
Wednesday, December 21st from 4:00pm -
6:00pm at Starbird Teen Center on 1050
Boynton Avenue.
At the event, members of the
Youth Advisory Council and volunteers will
help wrap presents to give to under privi-
leged children. Games, food, arts and crafts
will also be provided at the event for chil-
dren to enjoy, as well as a costumed Santa
Claus granting wishes, handing out candy
canes, and posing for pictures.
In the past, YAC District One
has donated gifts to over 100 youth and
made personalized holiday greeting cards
for every teen attending the Starbird Teen
Center. Not only does this event bring out
the brightest smiles from these less privi-
leged children, but many YAC members
have claimed that helping out other children
has been one of the best annual community
service events they have volunteered at.
This event will
help to con-
tinue
strengthening
the bond
between YAC
members and
the San Jose
youth as they
congregate
together for
an evening
filled with
casual dining,
craft-making,
and gift ex-
change.
Pictures of past
Family Giving
Tree events at
Starbird Youth
Center
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