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Photo Credit: Kaylee Miu
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March 30, 2010
Alex Tyler
ASB members redistributed large planters filled with an assortment of wildflowers around campus over the past few weeks.
The students put in a brick pathway outside of the Eggers building, and they also trimmed plants around school, with student activities director Helen Paris wielding an electric edger.
These efforts are appreciated, but some students feel the money should go to school improvements, such as new books and bathroom locks. However, ASB isn’t authorized to use student funds on such items.
Senior John Rasure said although the improvements are helpful “they should have done this a long time ago, at this point the money could be better spent elsewhere.”
Paris thought of the idea to move the planters from their original position near the Eggers building because she thought that students were not noticing them. So ASB moved the planters to more noticeable areas, and work during fourth period to water the new flowers and make sure the additions maintain their beauty.
Junior Julien Malard, president of the New Leaf Club, said their club submitted a plan to ASB to place plants around school throughout the year, but then ASB moved ahead with this project separately.
“I first was a bit disappointed because I wanted our club to do the planting,” Malard said.
However, ASB agreed with the New Leaf Club to continue adding flowers, trees and other plants around the school with the help of the club. They will plant to celebrate Earth Day, April 22.
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March 2, 2010
Paige Castren and Christelle Xu
ASB held a lunchtime barbecue Feb. 23 to celebrate the advancement of both the boys and girls basketball teams to NCS.
“It’s been roughly 10 to 15 years since we’ve sent both boys and girls basketball to NCS together,” activities director Helen Paris said.
The funding came from ASB, athletics and the money initially meant for the “Up Yours” lunch. Leadership decorated eaves with paper replicas of team jerseys, each personalized with players’ last names and numbers.
“It was great for ASB to put on the barbecue for basketball and to show support for the team,” senior John Songponnopachon said.
ASB made the decision Feb. 22 to put on the barbecue; they set up posters and announcements around school by first period Feb. 23. Despite the unexpected rain, ASB fed over 300 students.
“The price and food was good but there was a really long wait to get the food. It took like 20 minutes,” junior Andrea Bonilla said.
ASB members began turning students away so they would have enough time to clean up, not because there was a lack of food.
“One lesson I learned was that I should do every barbecue in the rain; everybody stays on campus,” Paris said.
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January 28, 2010
Anterpreet Kaur
WHS alumni Max and Kayla Broun lost almost everything when their house burned down. The Broun family actively participates at WHS activities, such as PTSA, leadership and grad night. When activities director Helen Paris found out about the incident, she went there immediately and stayed with the family for most of the night. The Broun family stayed in their neighbor’s home.
“This is one of the most giving families I have known,” Paris said.
The leadership class is putting forth the utmost support to help with difficulties that the family may encounter.
“At first, we were planning on fundraising, but then we found out that the family has insurance and is going to get 100 percent back,” junior Manmeet Dhillon said.
Some students went to the burned house to retrieve items that weren’t damaged. Leadership will replace any of the Brouns’ WHS memoirs, like the yearbooks, if damaged. The class is also trying to find any clothes from Max’s year at WHS to return to him, since his clothes were lost in the fire as well. So far, leadership has gathered husky clothes and has donated them to the family.
The goal is to relocate the family in their home by the end of the school year.
“If the Broun family needs help with anything, WHS leadership is here for them,” senior Cindy Chen said.
If there is a home that is available to be rented in the Glenmoor Community, leadership would like to be informed.
Photo Credit: Raphael Ghieuw Sien
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December 19, 2009
Nicole Pham
Students packed the gym for the winter assembly Dec. 18, but the annual event was cut earlier than in previous years. Student activities director Helen Paris released students ten minutes before first period was scheduled to start, explaining the gesture as a type of holiday reward.
The assembly, though shortened, maintained its usual sequence of events. Athletics director Mike Tripp announced the $2,500 check awarded to the football team for their entry in a video contest. Balancing athletics with academics, vice principal Lance Miller acknowledged those with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
After the administrators’ announcements, the festivities began with senior Kimberly Chatterjee singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Sports team members and teachers appeared as Chatterjee sang about each “day”. English teacher Debi Pavlecic (pictured) was among the six teachers acting as the “geese a-laying”. Students played games with seasonal themes, competing within classes. The school band, conducted by senior Christopher Valdez and band teacher Duane Mitchell, played sets of holiday music between the various games.
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December 15, 2009
Christelle Xu
Despite activities director Helen Paris’ request to have WHS apparel removed from Wal-Mart’s shelves, the Fremont store manager refuses to comply. The two Wal-Marts located in Fremont are the only ones that sell WHS Husky gear.
The Wal-Mart manager claims that a program launched in October donates a percentage of its profits to the school.
“If [Wal-Mart] were to give, say, 10 percent back of what their profits are, in no way would that be justified in terms of what we can do here,” Paris said.
California law says the school is allowed to have a student store to learn marketing and strategies. In terms of Washington High School, ASB serves as the student store.
The corporate decision to sell spirit wear was left to the discretion of the Wal-Mart store manager.
“I thought it was a better decision to leave [the product] up so that the schools could benefit,” store manager Mark Blome said.
The Washington logo is not copyrighted, thereby making it legal for Wal-Mart to sell generic Husky products.
The incident is not isolated. Pel Athletics creates generic clothing that is altered to fit the name and mascot of schools throughout the nation.
“Parents were contacting me asking why Wal-Mart stores didn’t offer professional spirit wear,” Blome said.
Rite Aid, Lucky’s and Raley’s, each removed WHS spirit wear upon request.
“I don’t think it’s right to be selling Husky gear at other places when not 100 percent of the proceeds go to us,” junior Kyle Plant said.
Blome claims FUSD superintendent Milt Werner authorized him to sell Husky apparel.
“I have not talked to anyone at Wal-Mart while I have been in the office of superintendent,” Werner said in an e-mail.
Blome could not be reached for additional comments.
Photo Credit: Reggie Quero
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December 14, 2009
Htoo Htoo Lu
Laughter. Hugs. Enthusiasm. Team work. There was a sense of unity as ASB leaders bonded with special education students by decorating cookies together. Rather than baking cookies during the allotted time, the sweets were prepared beforehand to give students more time to decorate the treats. During the holiday celebration, they also made Christmas tree ornaments out of paper.
“We are trying to establish a relationship with these special education kids by recognizing them more,” activity director Helen Paris said. “It’s like Link Crew, except ASB is linking with special education kids.”
ASB held the Christmas feast Dec. 10 as a continuation of their efforts to reach out to special education students. Instead of wearing the usual Thursday business attire, ASB students wore red and green.
“It was wonderful. [ASB students and special education students] all got to know each other really well,” special education teacher Mary DeLeon said. “Now they would greet each other even outside of classroom.”
Since the feast, special education students have been dropping by the student center and helping around on occasion. For example, they helped clean the student center and around the campus.
“When the sprinklers near the amphitheater were broken, they watered the plants by hand so that the plants won’t die,” Paris said.
Special education students showed their appreciation for this feast by making placemats and thank you cards for the ASB leaders and teachers who helped make the event possible.
“I loved the feast. I loved them. I can’t wait to see them again,” senior Alex Haro said.
ASB began this tradition four years ago as a way to reach out to special education students.
Often times, special education students do not have the chance to participate in any clubs, sports and other extracurricular activities. Until four years ago, this feast has always been held in the student center. Over the past four years, the feast has expanded and moved into the cafeteria.
In the future, ASB plans to get an ASB-special education wing on the campus in which both the ASB leaders and special education students will work together to grow plants and flowers.
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November 13, 2009
Htoo Htoo Lu
Major changes in the content of the vending machines have taken places in all high schools across California since the beginning of this school year.
Large Gatorade bottles have been replaced by smaller, more expensive ones; healthier fruit juices have taken the place of sodas; and only healthy snacks are now available.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, set healthy standards for foods sold in California public schools. This bill went into effect for all beverages July 1, 2009.
As a result, it became required that all beverages sold on the school campus be one serving size, making the containers smaller and more expensive.
It is cheaper to package something bigger; as more material is used, the price of the material decreases. Also, prices for the beverages raised to a minimum of $1.25 In addition, the school is not to sell any snacks or sodas that are not in compliance with the law within 30 minutes of before and after school.
The law states that schools can still have vending machines, as long as soda isn’t sold during school hours and the 30 minute periods before and after school.
In order to still offer alternatives to the students and still be in compliance with the law, soda machines are to be added near the drama department and the gym in the future.
Activities director Helen Paris plans to put timers in the soda machines so that people can’t buy soda until thirty minutes before and after school. However, soft drinks are still available to students throughout the whole day.
More snack varieties have also been added to the vending machines, giving students more choices despite the restrictions. New varieties include apple juice, V8, yogurt pretzels, Fruit by the Foot, Cliff bars, Odwalla bars, healthy chips, etc.
“I’ve done everything I can to honor the law and offer alternatives to students at the same time,” Paris said.
The school only makes around $1000 per year through these vending machines, receiving a 15% commission off of the food and drinks sold.
Even though the school receives little profit from the products in vending machines, the school continues to offer these services to students.
“Everything we do here is not for profit, but for service,” Paris said.
As of right now, the school has eight vending machines all over the campus. However, Paris is planning to add more varieties of vending machines such as a Slurpee machine and a frozen yogurt machine to the school campus.
by Nicole Doan
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November 13, 2009
Keerthika Ramakrishnan
The amphitheatre packed 500 to 600 students for the Halloween rally, and almost 800 students and faculty members were fed.
“The Halloween rally at lunch on October 30th attracted the biggest crowd I have seen in all my years at Washington,” activity director Helen Paris said.
There were barely any seats available for students who came late to rally. The Halloween rally has been a tradition at Washington High School for the past 20 years.
Unlike other schools in Fremont who usually have international kitchen for a week, Washington hosts barbeques throughout the school year. The rally is funded by money from ASB cards. Most of the money collected through the buying of ASB is returned to students in the form of rallies. Students purchased food for a $1.00 without a costume and $.50 with a costume; teachers in costume got food for free.
In general, the Halloween rally usually consists of a costume competition, pumpkin carving and bobbing for apples.
The Halloween costume contest contained a wide range of costumes, from a Roman goddess to Po from Teletubbies.
First prize for pumpkin craving went to junior Kaitlin Loob, and senior Alex Tyler won first prize for apple bobbing.
The funniest costume went to the costume group, “Irony,” with two prisoners and a cop.
The most creative costume was sophomore Alex Rich’s hitchhiker.
The spookiest costume award went to the mimes, senior Emily Ives and senior Dylan Jarvis.
For the first time at lunch time, there was a live performance by a new R&B group called New Era who sang a couple songs to end the largest Halloween rally in Washington history.
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November 10, 2009
Paige Castren
ASB is selling Christmas trees to generate money to buy a color marquee. Activities director Helen Paris found out about this idea when she went to a leadership conference. The long-term goal is to have a color marquee installed within four years. With a color marquee, ASB would have the opportunity to display ads and pictures; now the marquee can only display word messages.
“It will let us do so much more than what we can do now,” ASB president Seth Neumann said.
Leadership students have spent the month of October spreading the word through posters and the daily bulletin.
“Everyone we’ve talked to seems really interested,” Neumann said.
Students have to order the trees by Nov. 18. The different types of trees include Douglas, Noble and Grand ranging in price from $40 to $85. ASB is also selling wreathes and garlands. The trees are from Oregon and will be cut 48 hours before delivery. Students will be able to pick them up Dec. 5 from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. in the senior parking lot.
Even though not everyone celebrates Christmas, Neumann believes this an appropriate fundraiser “because it has a potential to make a lot of money which will benefit students.”
ASB does not have any other fundraisers planned at the moment for the marquee.
Photo Credit: Majelet Linsao
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October 19, 2009
Briana Terry
At a goal of raising $4,000 to donate to the HERS Breast Cancer Foundation, our school gathered the community and its students together to spread the awareness of breast cancer.
ASB secretary and senior Lauren Floro came up with the idea of walking for breast cancer. She was inspired by “Relay for Life,” an event that gives people around the world a chance to celebrate individuals who have been directly or indirectly affected by cancer.
Floro asked activity coordinator Helen Paris for her opinion on hosting the event; Paris thought it was a great idea.
Paws for a Cause is a non-profit charity walk in honor of national breast cancer awareness month, which would be a new tradition at our school.
As participants for the charity walk lined up to sign in, others lined up to get “paws” to show which individuals affected by breast cancer they were walking for. The paws represented lost, love and awareness of breast cancer.
“I lost two of my grandmas, from breast cancer, leaving one with one breast. Before it could spread they had to cut one of my grandma’s breasts,” senior Casarah Catucci said.
At the starting line, a ribbon was shown to symbolize the beginning of our first annual walk. As the ribbon was cut, families and friends raced around campus. Most walked, while others decided to run theirs laps. Having to walk five laps, students received stamps to show their number of laps they completed.
Junior Carmelle Coleman felt the walk was a great idea to spread awareness. She came out and walked around campus for her mother.
“My mother got diagnosed with it, so she’s been fighting towards breast cancer since last June. Thankfully she’s been cured for a year now,” Coleman said.
The students and community enjoyed themselves and came together to celebrate and spread breast cancer awareness.
At the end of the day, Paris was pleased and happy with how the first annual Paws for a Cause turned out. More people than what was expected showed up to help out with the walk. The community took the time to bring success to the big event.
“Paws for a Cause will now be a tradition to the Huskies family,” Paris said.
