San Jose Youth Advisory Council of District 1 Newsletter

Winter 2012 Volume 4, Issue 2

1 Voice

Happy 2013! I hope that you all

had a relaxing holiday season, and

that you're now ready and re-

freshed to take the new year by

storm. For high school seniors, we

have finally made to the end of the

stretch and should remember to

thank everyone who helped us get

to where we are today.

For all other students, remem-

ber to keep working hard and to

live up to the lofty New Years Res-

olutions that you set for yourself.

When you find yourself with a little

bit of free time, be sure to partici-

pate in volunteer activities around

your community or take a moment

to enjoy the latest creative writing

from D1 youth

at www.overtureliterarymagazine.co

m. Below is the second issue of the

1Voice Newsletter Volume (insert

Vol. 4), which contains art, poetry,

and articles written by District 1

Youth. We hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

Kimberly

Message from Youth Commissioner: Kimberly Tan

Opinion: Calabazas Library

The Calabazas Library has been

closed since August 2009 because of

extensive renovations. Despite its

projected opening in the summer of

2011, the library is still a good six to

seven months from opening due to

a lack of funding to support the

building costs and new staff. Alt-

hough the renovation attempts are

commendable, the planning and

execution of the project was poor.

The Calabazas Library was

often a go-to place for Lynbrook

students to work on projects and

do homework. “The Calabazas

Library pre-renovation served its

purpose well: small size, local library

and can be used as a convenient

alternative to the Santa Clara Li-

brary,” said junior Michael Sheng.

To enhance the experience of its

members, the City of San Jose de-

cided to renovate the library to

in the same location; renovations

were estimated to cost $7.4 million.

The operating costs of the library,

however, come out of the City’s

General Fund, which also funds for

most of the city’s services.

Over the past decade, the City of

San Jose has been forced to cut back

on costs as a result of constant budg-

et cuts. The budget cuts do not affect

the building

of the li-

brary, but

they greatly

impact the

operating

Inside this issue:

Message from the Youth

Commissioner 1

Opinion: Calabazas

Library 2

Opinion: More Money,

More Problems. True

Statement or False Claim?

3

Legislation: Proposed Gun

Laws 4

Legislation: Illegal Immi-

gration 5

Opinion: Learning Life’s

Hard Lessons 6

Legislation: Prop 30 7

Opinion: Standardize the

System 8

Legislation: Copyrights in

the Digital Age 9

Featured Youth 10

Art and Poetry 11

Past Events 12

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Kimberly Tan

Clarence Tan

Sachin Peddada

MEMBERS

Aishwarya Nene

Aneesh Chona

Angela Kong

Chinmayi Manjunath

Claire Liang

Connie Li

Dana Lin

Hana Kim

Henry Shangguan

Hima Rajana

Jacob Antony

Katie Gu

Michelle Su

Nihar Wahal

Rishabh Jain

Scott Raine-King

Sonia Raghuram

Tara Pichumani

Tiffany Chao

Valerie Tan

Zareen Choudhury

include new technology and create a

modern feel for its members.

In November 2000, a $212

million library bond measure that

would reconstruct 14 library

branches and build six new branches

for under-served neighborhoods

was approved by voters. At a com-

munity meeting, members decided

to reconstruct the Calabazas library

Calabazas

Library during

renovations

Page 2 1 Voice

costs due to insufficient money in the city’s

General Fund.

“That is why there has been a reduction

in library hours, although some have been

restored. Besides reducing hours, one strate-

gy to save money was to delay the opening of

certain newly completed branches—

Calabazas being one of them,” said aide to San

Jose City Councilmember Pete Constant,

Jerad Ferguson. When budget cuts on the

General Fund were imposed, construction

had already begun; the city could not stop the

remodeling when the budget cuts hit because

of voter approval from a decade earlier.

“The bond measure was passed ahead of

the budget deficits and at a time where the

outlook for the city was good,” said Ferguson.

But this is not an excuse for the fact that the

city should have conducted extensive re-

search to determine whether there would be

budget cuts later on down the line. The vot-

ers who approved the renovation may not

have voted the same way had they known of

the likelihood of insufficient funds prior to

their decision. Even though the budget cuts

happened after the passage of the renovation,

the city still should have planned for a alterna-

tive back up in case of such cuts. Such a plan

could have included temporarily shutting

down construction and restarting once funds

were secured.

Had the general public known about the

insufficient funds earlier, some members of

the community could have donated money to

support the renovation of the library. The

library could also implement a small library

card fee to cover the costs of staffing and

operating hours; this money could have facili-

tated an earlier grand opening of the library.

As the reconstruction continued, the

budget deficits began to hurt the library. At

this point, the city should have gotten voter

approval to temporarily suspend the project

until the General Fund was stabilized. Since it

had become apparent that the General Fund

was not likely to be stabilized, the city should

have called on residents to vote on an addi-

tional fund, in the form of a parcel tax. This

would cover the operating costs of the library

and would also provide a safety net if some

part of the reconstruction went wrong. The

immense benefits provided by the library to

the local community should have dictated the

city to ensure the security of funds for the

reconstruction.

Throughout the Lynbrook community,

frustrations arose from the lack of updates on

the status of the library. Junior James Ma said,

“[The Calabazas Library] was so convenient

before it closed down, but now I have to go

all the way to Cupertino or Saratoga to find

reading material.” Without the Calabazas

Library around, Lynbrook students will con-

tinue to pay quite a bit of money to check out

necessary books.

As the library continues to remain closed

due to lack of funding and poor execution of

remodeling plans of the Calabazas Library,

many students who have relied on resources

provided by the library for years will be detri-

mentally affected.

Opinion: Calabazas Library (cont.)

Recap: Designing the 21st Century School Education Forum

By: Hana Kim

On November 15, 2012, a long line

formed in front of the Mexican Heritage Plaza

in San Jose. Students from all over the city

came to the education forum, to discuss

educational barriers they faced in school.

These students offered their school experi-

ences to help shape the ideal “21st century

school:” safe, motivational, and productive.

We started off with a very warm wel-

come from Dr. Xavier De La Torre, the

County Superintendent of Schools, and Chris-

tian Sanchez, City District 3 Youth Commis-

sioner. They explained that 67-78% of Latino

students drop out and that there were 4,347

suspensions in the East Side Union High

School District. Afterward, we broke up into

groups of about 10 students and 2 facilitators

who asked questions and guided the discus-

sion. The facilitators asked questions includ-

ing:

1.In what situation do you feel you learn best?

2.Do you feel safe in your school’s environ-

ment?

3.Do you see a problem with gang violence at

your school?

Our group concluded that lack of sup-

port from family and role models is a major

cause of dropouts because students don’t

have enough motivation to learn. Conversely,

teachers are a crucial element in a student’s

school performance because their help allows

students to keep pace with other students,

instead of slowing the whole class. Further-

more, we found that a student’s ability to

learn is greatly influenced by his or her peers.

If a student is surrounded by others who

are hardworking, they are more driven to

work hard in school. The main goal of the

students in our group was to graduate high

school and be accepted into college. In our

group, 8/10 students would be the first gener-

ation in their families to go to college.

Near the end of the forum, we began to

envision the improved 21st century school.

We, the students, want a school where eve-

ryone is safe, staff and family make sure we

don’t fall behind, and interactive technology

keeps students connected with their teachers.

At the end of the forum, we all understood

the importance of education and the possible

ways to could improve schools in the future.

Page 3 Volume 4, Issue 2

seasons of spinoffs and knockoffs alike. There

are more sobbing talents, more scripted

catfights, and many more idiots on television

than anyone would care or

like to see. But reality televi-

sion continues to be one of

the most profitable indus-

tries that network television

has ever seen.

And so we come to

Honey Boo Boo. Do people enjoy watching

it? I don’t think so. There’s a certain element

of spectacle that keeps audiences tuning in

week after week to watch the antics of a pre-

diabetic six year old. The outrageous hilarity

By: Jacob Antony

I was too young to notice the reality TV

explosion that took place

thirteen years ago. When

American Idol and Survivor

hit America was taken by

storm, a storm that has

raged for thirteen years

since. We loved the come

up stories of Idol, the

voyeuristic nature of shows like Big Brother,

even the sometimes harrowing survival tales

in Survivor. They were all relatively original

shows, but, like all good American money-

making machines, they spawned seasons and

of that family isn’t something audiences revel

in, but we don’t exactly condemn it either.

Why?

The exploitation of the poor for the

entertainment of the masses isn’t anything

new for human civilization. Gladiator fights in

Rome, human sacrifices in Tenochtitlan, and

more recently, the drastic “classy” makeovers

of MTV’s Trailer Fabulous-a show giving low

income households a chance to look like

upper class ones (every other problem the

family had would then magically solve itself).

But there’s something much different

about Honey, real name Alana, and the rest

By: Aneesh Chona

Teenagers may assume that the political

process is only relevant to adults, but this is

simply not true. The political process deter-

mines the representatives of the general

public, public policy, and even shapes the

views of teenagers. Therefore it affects

everybody. With the passage of the Su-

preme Court’s Citizens United decision

in 2010, unlimited spending from corpo-

rations on independent expenditures is

now allowed in our election process.

Aside from the influx of corporate mon-

ey in the election process, one conse-

quence of the decision is that it was used

as a legal precedent for other decisions

like the SpeechNow case, which created

super PACs that wealthy organizations

and individuals now use as vehicles for

spending.

One avenue super PACs have used

their funds on is advertisements. Unfor-

tunately, one study has found that

“misleading claims [are] in 85 percent of ads

produced by super PACs.” There can be

several unintended harms from this recent

phenomenon. A study by Columbia Universi-

ty found that without advertising in the 2000

election, a specific subset of voters wouldn’t

have voted and consequently Gore would

have won the presidency instead of Bush.

Thus, with deceptive advertisements now

plaguing our election process, there is a po-

tential for individuals to vote based on false

information and inadvertently elect the wrong

president. This fear is empirical proven as an

analysis by George Mason University simulat-

ed truthful and deceptive campaigns and

found that “in the deception treatment, when

information is received, there is a four-fold

increase in the likelihood of an informed

voter casting a ballot for a low-quality candi-

date.”

The study also found that informed vot-

ers abstain from voting due to not fully trust-

ing the information in a deceptive campaign

while uniformed voters begin voting off the

deceptive information. Thus, in a world

where super PACs are displaying misleading

advertisements that cause the public to vote

off false information and potentially elect the

wrong candidate, it seems that democracy

ceases to exist. However, there can surpris-

ingly be some benefits to this kind of advertis-

ing. For example, Newsweek Magazine ana-

lyzed negative campaigning and found

several benefits.

First, the press goes “into fact-

checking mode, which injects even more

information in the campaign.” Second,

they force the opposing candidate to

clarify their true position on the issue, as

candidates must respond to the false

advertisement, which creates more ac-

countability to the public. In fact, from this

inflow of information, elections become

more competitive and informative, as the

USF Law Review found that “thanks in

significant part to the [Citizens United]

decision, the 2010 elections were the

most competitive and issue-oriented in a

generation” and the Political Research

Quarterly found these advertisement

viewers are “14% more likely to know about

the election and the candidates.”

So next time you see a political adver-

tisement, be cautious that it may contain

misleading information because of Citizens

United, but the content that is now called the

“worst decision ever” may ironically be the

one thing democracy needs most.

Opinion: More Money, More Problems. True Statement or False Claim?

Opinion: Why we’ll never get over Honey Boo Boo

Page 4 1 Voice

They keep us entangled in their

spectacle and utter ridiculousness-like

the funny looking animals at the zoo.

They are the peak of the parade of the

weird. We’ve been treated to the sex

tape of Kim Kardashian and the sur-

prising boring life of Sarah Palin.

America decided that it was time to

take on something significantly weird-

er and outrageous.

And that’s why we’ll never let go

of Honey Boo Boo. Reality TV has fed us so

much over such a wide range of settings and

situations that we need to turn to the in-

creasingly absurd. Reality TV isn’t a spectacle

anymore. It isn’t voyeurism. It’s an obsession.

of her family. People like them are the butt of

jokes about the dredges of middle America,

memes about hillbillies and trailer park white

trash that the educated of the coasts can

laugh about. But Honey is a child. Are Ameri-

cans just trashy enough to be able to laugh at

someone who does and says the things she

does because she doesn’t know any better. If

Honey had Down’s or Asperger’s would we

still laugh at her the way we do?

The problem is, Honey is normal. Nor-

mal in a six-year-old sense. It’s her parents

that are the problem. Honey Boo Boo likes

junk food and soda just as much as anyone

else her age does. But the antics of her par-

ents are what keep us coming back for more.

And like a desperate crack addict, we just

keep on wanting more.

Opinion: Why we’ll never get over Honey Boo Boo (cont.)

although mentally ill people cannot obtain

firearms, they are eligible to purchase guns

once they complete treatment.

To address these concerns, state legisla-

tors have proposed an array of new laws.

Kevin De Leon (D) has led anti-gun propo-

nents by supporting stricter regulations.

Under his proposal, gun owners would have

to renew their gun permits every year from

the Department of Justice and pay an annual

fee. De Leon also proposes tougher safety

measures and background checks for the

mentally ill, as well as a clearer definition of

“handgun ammunition,” which he says is

currently ambiguous. The Gun Owners of

California has lashed out at this proposal;

they claim that taxing the right to bear arms

would be unconstitutional.

Leland Yee (D) has proposed bills

similar to De Leon’s, advocating annu-

al background checks and fingerprint-

ing before purchasing firearms. In

addition, his bill would ban all semiau-

tomatic weapons that can be easily

reloaded, in order to close the loop-

hole created by “bullet buttons.” To

ensure secure storage of firearms,

Yee would mandate all guns to have

lock triggers, as well. Meanwhile,

Senator Ted Gaines (R), would like to perma-

nently ban guns from mentally ill people and

prevent them from obtaining arms even if

they complete treatment. These proposals

and more will surface for debate in the state

legislature in the upcoming year and will

undoubtedly face fierce opposition from gun

rights advocates.

The National Rifle Association, Gun

Owners of California, and some Republicans

are concerned that further restrictions will

only limit the people’s rights and “empower

those who choose to break the law.” We are

yet to see how the proposals will play out in

the upcoming year.

By: Zareen Choudhury

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook

massacre, a devastating tragedy that sent

shock waves throughout the nation, the de-

bate over gun laws was reinvigorated. As

President Obama called for immediate action

following the event, legislators in California

likewise began to square off with various

proposals.

California already boasts some of the

most stringent gun laws in the nation. Gun

purchasers must first pass strict background

checks and subsequently wait ten days before

buying a firearm. Furthermore, gun sellers

keep records of customers, and some cities

such as Los Angeles and Sacramento also

maintain fingerprinting archives. Most im-

portantly, California has banned assault weap-

ons, or semi-automatic firearms that have

more than ten rounds of ammunition. De-

spite these regulations, though, loopholes

exist and are the source of concern for many.

While guns with detachable magazines

are illegal, the advent of “bullet buttons” has

allowed semi-automatic rifles to be used

legally. “Bullet buttons” allow new rounds of

ammunition to be inserted with the use of a

bullet, rather than one’s hand, which would

normally be considered illegal. Additionally,

Legislation: Proposed Gun Laws

Page 5 Volume 4, Issue 2

By: Jacob Antony

Undocumented immigrants who were

brought into the country before they turned

16 can now breathe a sigh of relief as Califor-

nia recognizes their right to have a driver’s

license. Previously children brought illegally

into the U.S. would be deferred by California

if they attempted to apply for a driver’s li-

cense. The only caveat to the measure is that

applicants must be eligible for a federal work

permit, an Obama administration protocol

that allows the undocumented who were

brought into the U.S. as children and are

presently under 30 to earn a living without

the threat of deportation.

The measure is part of a larger push by

Gov. Jerry Brown to push for extensive immi-

gration reform at the state and national lev-

els. "Gov. Brown believes the federal govern-

ment should pursue comprehensive immigra-

tion reform with a pathway to citizenship,"

said Brown spokesman Gil Duran to the Los

Angeles Times. Giving workers a chance at a

driver’s license is “the most obvious step.”

“For me it just feels really liberating,” says 28-

year-old Ismael Soto, speaking to KQED,

“...the amount of pressure I had every day –

like I’m gonna be picked up off the street and

sent to Mexico.”

Brown also vetoed another measure, the

Trust Act, which would have kept local law

enforcement officials from collaborating with

federal immigration officers to detain illegal

immigrants, except in cases of certain felony

charges. The measure was vigorously cam-

paigned against by law enforcement such as

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who

stated that he would defy a measure that, in

his eyes, conflicted with federal law.

The act was intended to hinder the Se-

cure Communities program, which would

have created a database between local jails

and federal offices to find illegal immigrants.

Critics of this program state that it has a

negative impact on local communities, with

immigrants having an unnatural fear of the

police and packing jails at high economic cost

with those who otherwise would not be

detained. Legally speaking, all states are a part

of this program, but they are also legally

allowed to ignore requests from ICE to de-

tain immigrants.

The Trust Act, if passed, would release

undocumented immigrants from custody if

they didn’t meet criteria or based on the

seriousness of the crime committed. Gov.

Brown wrote in a statement explaining that

although "federal agents shouldn't try to

coerce local law enforcement officers into

detaining people who've been picked up for

minor offenses and pose no reasonable threat

to their community.” it was a flawed plan.

It created a protective umbrella for all

illegal immigrants, including those involved in

criminal activities like child abuse and drugs

and weapon trafficking. "I believe it's unwise

to interfere with a sheriff's discretion to

comply with a detainer issued for people with

these kinds of troubling criminal records,"

Brown stated.

Legislation: Illegal Immigration

By: Nihar Wahal

The San Jose Police Department has

recently decided to stop responding to bur-

glar alarms. According to Jose Garcia, a

spokesman for the San Jose police, only one

percent of all alarms sounded in 2010 were

legitimate. The rest of the alarms were false

alarms.

To save money and time, the police

department has decided to not respond to a

burglar alarm unless it has some form of

confirmation that the alarm is real, such as a

call from a neighbor. Of course, there are

some exceptions to this rule. Police will

automatically respond to alarms sounded at

airports, banks, and businesses involved with

the sale or distribution of firearms or other

weapons.

Understandably, residents of San Jose

had mixed feelings about this change. Propo-

nents of the decision say that it is a good way

to save money; they argue that if a majority

of the calls are false alarms, there is no point

in responding unless police have confirmation

that the alarm is real. Additionally, they

believe officers can spend more time focusing

on more important matters.

On the other

hand, protesters

argue that protect-

ing personal safety

is not something

the police depart-

ment should be

cutting back on,

and that officers

should respond to

all alarms to en-

sure the safety of

the public. If a

family leaves home

and happens to

return during a

burglary, the robber could feel threatened

and would be more likely to attack the family.

However, if police had responded the

moment the alarm sounded, there would be

no risk of harm towards that family, as the

criminal would be safely apprehended by

officers.

Legislation: Burglar Alarm Responses

Lack of response

from burglary

alarms is causing

concerns.

Page 6 1 Voice

off and work during the weekends to earn

their pay.

There were many nights when we just

couldn’t go to bed because it was incredibly

hot and humid, and there was no electricity

to run the fans and air conditioners. The lack

of electricity didn’t seem to faze any of my

extended family members who slept through

the heat and still went about their work

cheerfully. The last time

we had a minor blackout

in the Bay Area in March

2011, traffic was a chaos,

elevators and garages

wouldn’t function, and life

became quite miserable.

Another observation,

which reinforced my

beliefs about the toughness of my relatives

living in India, was how they dealt with the

lack of adequate drinking water supply. The

reservoirs dry up during the summers, and

the groundwater in the bore wells continues

to be depleted, causing a further drain on the

By: Vineet Kosaraju

Life is not easy when you don’t have the

basic comforts. The three weeks I spent in

India observing my extended family showed

me how hardships brought out the best in

them and taught me an important life lesson:

how all of us need to adapt in the face of

adversity and take joy in whatever life has in

store for us.

It is extremely unusual

to see a blackout in the US

and to imagine that there

would be eight-hour black-

outs every day is beyond

comprehension. However,

while I was in India, that

turned out to be the situa-

tion because of the power

crisis. No new power plants are being built,

and because of the rapid industrialization and

urbanization, the demand continues to out-

race supply. Small-scale industries are forced

to shut down for two days during the middle

of the week, so the workers take those days

existing water supply. In some parts of the

country, drinking water is supplied only twice

a week for a few hours because of the scarci-

ty of rain. Water is stored in huge containers

for usage later in the week as it is quite ex-

pensive to buy bottled water.

It is amazing how my relatives did not

seem to mind at all and had figured out a way

of making the best of the situation. These

experiences made me pause and reflect on

my life in the Bay Area. To say that we live a

privileged life is an understatement. Basic

necessities such as drinking water and elec-

tricity are taken for granted. We do not have

to struggle one little bit to have these essen-

tials delivered to our houses, and yet there

are parts of the world out there which have

to struggle to get these every day.

The few weeks that I spent in India

showed me how resilient the people are

despite the adversities they face and how we

could learn from them to tackle difficulties in

life with a positive attitude.

Opinion: Learning Life’s Hard Lessons

implement an auditing program to ensure the

law was being followed.

The opponents of Measure D countered

support by using radio and TV ads to explain

their side of the story. Most voters, however,

agreed that a higher minimum wage was

needed in an area with a high cost of living.

The wage hike, which will take place in March

2013, will affect about forty thousand work-

ers in San Jose. A statement from raisethew-

agesj.com explained that “California requires

most employers to pay a minimum wage of

$8.00 per hour. It’s been that way since 2008,

while cost of living has increased 5.76%. As a

result of state and federal inaction, cities have

taken the lead to raise wages on their lowest

paid workers. San Francisco passed a city-

wide minimum wage in 2003 with an annual

cost of living adjustment, and the workers in

that city now make $10.24 an hour.”

Professor Myers-Lipton, whose class-

room was ground zero for the wage hike

movement, added to the support for Measure

D in a written statement. “It is our belief that

people who work hard and play by the rules

deserve to make a fair wage. Unfortunately,

$8 an hour is not a fair wage due to the high

cost of living in San Jose, where a minimum

wage worker’s salary of $1,280 per month

doesn’t even cover the cost of the average SJ

rent of $1,800, let alone provide for food and

other necessities.”

By Jacob Antony

Thousands of workers across San Jose

can rejoice after the passing of a minimum

wage hike in November. Fifty-nine percent of

voters approved Measure D, increasing the

minimum wage from eight dollars an hour to

ten. The idea was first propagated by San Jose

State sociology students in January, a move-

ment that eventually snowballed into a ballot

measure. The students themselves drafted the

measure and then collected signatures so it

could be placed on the ballot.

The Silicon Valley Chamber of Com-

merce and various small business leaders led

the charge to oppose the measure, stating

that if passed, the wage hike would force

businesses to layoff thousands. Mayor Chuck

Reed also opposed the measure, explaining

that the city would have to use $600,000 of

an already scant budget in order to form and

Legislation: Measure D

Page 7 Volume 4, Issue 2

By Nihar Wahal

Recently, there has been much talk about

gun control in the wake of the Connecticut

shootings. What happened was a complete

tragedy, and I sincerely hope that it will never

happen again. However, the solution that

lawmakers have brought up is to have a com-

plete ban on the sale of guns. This ban will

not work at all in stopping tragedies like the

massacre from occurring again.

Prohibiting the sale of goods has never

worked out in history. If one looks at the

Prohibition Era, when the sale of alcohol was

made illegal, one will find that much alcohol

was still being sold in speakeasies and moon-

shiners were making their own alcohol for

sale on the black market. Today, certain

drugs are illegal, such as heroin and co-

caine. Does this stop the sale of these sub-

stances?

Millions of dollars are made every year

through the sale of illegal drugs. Anyone can

buy illegal drugs. If the sale of guns was made

illegal, nothing would be changed. A black

market for guns would rise, the same way

one for alcohol did and one for illegal drugs

has done. Anyone who wanted to buy a gun

still could buy a gun. Additionally, the gov-

ernment would have less control over who

can have a gun. Currently, the government

has regulations regarding who can own a

gun. If the sale of guns were made illegal, the

government would not be able to impose

regulations on these black market sales.

Anyone whom the government deemed

unfit to own a gun would be able to buy a gun

on the black market, and this black market

only exists if there is no legal way to buy

guns. The end result of prohibiting the sale

of guns would be an increase in the number

of people whom guns will be available

to. Additionally, gun production can current-

ly be monitored by the government.

The government can make laws regarding

the specifications of weapons available to the

public to ensure maximum safety. If the

government makes gun sales illegal, they lose

control over this, and anyone can buy any

weapon, no matter how dangerous, on a

black market that will be created from this

prohibition.

One needs to see the consequences of

both sides of the gun control debate to make

an educated decision. If guns were made

illegal, the government would have less con-

trol over their sale, and the common people

would have a false sense of security that

there are no guns in the world. If nothing

was changed, the government would keep

some control over who can buy guns and

what type of guns can be bought.

I believe that if a different course of

action must be taken, the restrictions over

the sale of guns should be slightly increased

but not made outright illegal, to gain more

control without creating a black market and

losing all control.

Opinion: Should Gun Sales be Legal?

By: Hima Rajana

On November 6th, 2012, California

voters voted to pass Proposition 30, or the

Schools and Local Public Safety Act, by a

53.9% majority vote. Proposition 30 will

impress a temporary tax hike on high-income

citizens and increase California sales tax by

1% over four years in order to increase tax

revenue to the state. 89% of the tax money

generated by Proposition 30 will go toward K

-12 schools, and the other 11% will be given

to community colleges.

Only Individuals who earn $250,000 or

more per annum will be affected by the in-

come tax increase, as they will face slightly

increased taxes. The exact percentage that

tax rates increase depends on personal in-

come. For example, those individuals earning

between $250,000 and $300,000 per year will

only see a 1% tax rate increase, while those

who earn $500,000 and up will see a 3%

increase from the 9.3% that applies to every-

one earning above $48,029. For couples who

choose to file their taxes together, the same

increases apply, except that the base about is

doubled. The 1% tax increase that affects

people who earn over $250,00 applies to

couples who earn over $500,000. The in-

creased tax rate does not change the extra

1% that applies to personal income over $1

million that goes toward mental health ser-

vices in the state of California. This change

will go into effect for the 2012-2013 fiscal

year, so it applies to all taxes filed after July

1st, 2012. It will continue for seven years,

through the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

California has the second highest sales

tax rate in the United States with a statewide

average of 9.04%, coming in second only to

Tennessee, where the average is 9.44%. Sales

tax varies by county throughout the state,

ranging from 7.25% in Ventura County to a

whopping 9.75% in Fremont and in Los Ange-

les County. Over the next four years, it will

increase by 1% all over the state, going up in

increments of 0.25% each year. The new sales

tax will go into effect on January 1st, 2013.

All online stores that serve California, even if

they cater to the entire world, such as Ama-

zon.com, will also have the increased sales

tax.

Both tax hikes combined are projected

to lead to an estimated $6 billion dollars

annually in state tax revenue, which will go

toward K-12 public schools and community

colleges (together referred to as K-14 educa-

tion). The money will allow schools all over

California to have full 180 day school years,

keep art and physical education programs,

and prevent multimillion dollar budget cuts in

the near future. While it is up to each district

how the money will be used, every school

district is subject to an annual public audit to

ensure that the money is used for educational

purposes.

Legislation: Prop 30

Page 8 1 Voice

By James Wilhelmi, modified by Sonia

Raghuram

Grades exist to assess a student's under-

standing of an academic subject. Ideally, a

report card would reflect only a student's

aptitude and not be influenced by other fac-

tors. But this is not true at Lynbrook High

School. Schedule distribution on Viking Days

elicits a wide range of emotions. Students

smile if they receive an "easy" teacher, and

groan if they end up with a "hard" one.

This phenomenon exists because of a lack

of uniformity among teachers that teach the

same subject. A standard grading system tai-

lored specifically to each subject would pro-

mote fairness and allow students to obtain the

same grades regardless of who they are taught

by.

In order to achieve uniformity, a key area

to standardize is assignment grading. Essays

play an integral part in a literature class, and

each English teacher has a different rubric for

grading essays. For example, some teachers

choose to use eight-point grading scales on

essays. In this scale, a one is an F, a two is a D,

a three is a C, four to six earn a B and a score

of seven or eight results in an A.

Grading systems like these can be very

frustrating for students because the difference

in quality between two essays that receive an

identical score can vary greatly. Also, students

are left in the dark as to how much they need

to improve to get a high score. "The problem

with this system is that if you got a six, which

is considered high, you still have no idea exact-

ly how close you were to an A," said Lynbrook

sophomore Rahul Iyer. Additionally, there are

no definite guidelines as to how much weight

should be placed upon each aspect of an essay.

"I think that teachers should focus more

on the ideas presented in the essay instead of

the technical aspects of writing. They spend

too much time grading the smaller problems,"

said Lynbrook sophomore Dhruv Walia.

Both of these conundrums could be

solved by a 100-point rubric designed in col-

laboration by all literature teachers at Lyn-

brook. The rubric would allow each writer to

see how close they were to an A right down

to the percentage.

Furthermore, the allocation of points to-

ward mechanical errors would be restricted to

what it was assigned to in the rubric, allowing the

assessment of a student's abilities to develop

ideas in an organized manner to shine through in

their grade, rather than their knowledge of Mer-

riam-Webster's Dictionary.

Another realm that needs to be standard-

ized is the weighting system. In math teacher

Stephanie Wu's Pre-Calculus class, tests make up

60 percent of the grade, the final exam is 20

percent, homework is 15 percent and participa-

tion is five percent. For students in Rita Korsun-

sky's Pre-Calculus courses, tests are 50 percent,

the final is 25 percent, homework is 20 percent

and participation is also five percent. While these

differences do not seem like much at first glance,

an A in one class can be a B in the other, despite

keeping the same percentages in each category.

A possibility such as this is a reason why

teachers of each class, whether it is Algebra II/

Trigonometry or American Literature, should

collaborate and create a standard system of

weighting for their subject. It would create com-

plete equality and each student would receive

the grade that reflects their aptitude, rather than

be at the mercy of a teacher's judgment on what

types of assignments are important.

Opponents of greater standardization

argue that it is important for teachers to have

autonomy in their classroom. If they were to

be subjected to a uniform system, the belief is

that the traits that make each teacher unique

and entertaining would dissipate. These claims

are totally unfounded. Creating a school-wide

grading system would not restrain the teach-

ing itself; it would just change the grading.

Furthermore, the power of teachers in the

classroom should have limits. Teachers are

public employees of California and as such,

their salary is paid for by the taxpayers.

Therefore their teaching and grading methods

should be determined by the public's wants

and needs, rather than their personal whims.

As a public school, Lynbrook gives those

that live within its boundaries a chance to

receive an education. If this ideal of equal

opportunity is truly to be believed in, a stand-

ardized grading system should be implemented

to ensure that all students get a fair shot at

the grades they deserve.

Opinion: Standardize the System

Page 9 Volume 4, Issue 2

Other problems include: Duplication

preventing digital media is also a worrying

development. These discs can be restricted to

be playable only by official media players, not

by computers. This would stop the re-

ordering of songs that has always been consid-

ered a legal use.

This is the act of changing the way songs

play, allowing you to play more desirable

songs first, etc. “Public interest advocates also

argued that Congress had left the definition of

a protective "device" up to the copyright

holder. The DMCA lets companies "write" the

law, and then puts the power of the state

behind them.” The actions following, such as

the DMCA, nearly ended careful thought and

lawmaking in intellectual property protection

rules.

The creators were given to power to

police their works. In the future, there may be

a period where the creator of intellectual

By: Kevin Zhang

Copyright laws such as the DMCA pro-

vide artists with the tools to make a living off

their artwork but these laws are not yet

prepared for the digital age. Copyright in the

US has been argued over from the founding

of the US to now. At America's

birth, they first decided on a bill which

would encourage creation of content by

giving creators the ability to act as the sole

users of their property, allowing Congress

enforce and provide rights to the creators of

content.

The reason we need to modify IP laws is

to prevent unauthorized distribution of intel-

lectual property. In the online age, media can

be sent between people rapidly without any

licensing fees or restrictions. This is the main

problem that these laws aim to solve. Users

in the online world agree that the ability to

find and use content for free should be easy

for everyone. However, this contradicts the

opinions of the intellectual property owning

people, who demand that content should be

charged for.

Despite the fact that many owners wish

to charge for their work, some differ. These

feel that being able to show people their

creations and allow these works to be shared

takes priority over immediate profits. “They

also claimed that, in the networked world,

with expanded use of the Internet and the

broad availability of Internet access, thou-

sands of copies could be distributed around

the world with the single click of a mouse.

The creators of intellectual property com-

plained that, with the arrival of digital technol-

ogy and the Internet, their works were under

greater threat of piracy than they had ever

been before.” (Thieler 97)

Representatives of creators of intellectual

property suggested the DMCA to the US

Congress as a solution to the newest threats:

"digital technology and the Internet", which

have the potential to promote stolen works.

According to them, these would allow dupli-

cates to be completely accurate with no

reduction in quality, unlike older technology

which made inaccurate duplications.

property would be able to be the sole decision

maker in regards to the property, therefore,

blocking public storehouses of media from

lending books through justifiable usage. In-

stead, these works would only be available

through systems where you must spend mon-

ey to acquire the media, even temporarily.

The 1201(a) (1) clause, of the DMCA is

extremely worrying. It makes the bypassing of

digital locks illegal, even for non-piracy related

instances. The content creators accusations

scared Congress into accepting the DMCA

with no alterations, giving the creator com-

plete command in regard to his/her creations.

Because of these examples, The DMCA is

one of our first attempts at regulating intellec-

tual property online. However, the vague

language and unconstitutional rules make this

law unprepared for the real world.

Legislation: Copyrights in the Digital Age

Page 10 1 Voice

Featured Youth: Cecilia Lang-Ree

By: Kaitlyn Gee

During long lunch at Harker, senior Cecilia

Lang-Ree spoke to the Medical Club and other

attending students about her battle with cancer

and her experience overcoming the challenges.

Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leuke-

mia, Cecilia was admitted into the Lucile Pack-

ard Children’s Hospital at the age of four.

Although her parents expressed doubt

about enrolling her into kindergarten, they

found a way to schedule the treatment around

school. By attending school every day, Cecilia

found a way to “feel normal” despite her thin-

ning hair and regular overnight hospital stays.

Within the hospital, Cecilia found friend-

ship in her support group members, many of

whom were her roommates. “We had the

same cocktail, basically, the same doctors,

nurses, and treatment,” she said.

When looking back upon her experience,

Cecilia remembers skateboarding on IV carts

and spending time with the compassionate,

caring staff. Cecilia went into remission at age

six, and many of the side effects of her chemo-

therapy began to become more apparent.

Yet Cecilia describes herself as rather

“vindictive” after coming out of remission at

age ten.

“I wanted to make full use of what I’ve

been given. It’s a challenge to prove myself

wrong […] I want to find joy in what I’ve been

given,” she said.

Now, she reflects on her past and is star-

tled between her memory and the reality. As a

child, she found the situation “rather ordinary:”

overnight trips to the hospital were a vacation

from school; her parents called them “hospital

parties.” Distracted by new toys and paint to

decorate her windows, Cecilia forgot about the

never-ending flow of hazardous chemicals, the

constant battle with her body, and even the

chance that she might have died.

Nevertheless, Cecilia considers herself very

lucky. Of all the children in her ward support

group, only she was able to go into remission

and survive with no relapses. Moreover, she is

grateful to have been surrounded by attentive

doctors, nurses, and parents and even just to

be literate.

“They saw me as a little kid, not [just] a

case file,” she said. Each year, Upper School

vocal group Downbeat goes to Lucile Packard

Hospital to distribute toys and perform; many

of Cecilia’s past doctors are still there and see

her every year as she hugs the children, poses

for pictures, and sings.

“My mom calls it ‘being the hope’ […]

That’s something I’ve really dedicated my life

to,” she said. In the future, Cecilia aspires to

become a children’s psychologist, although not

necessarily a medical psychiatrist. While she

may not become a pediatrician, she expressed

her wish to always attend charity fairs. “[I will]

always be volunteering for cancer kids. It’s a

connection I’ll not let die,” she said.

After Cecilia’s speech, the club members

created paper cards to give to the children in

the Lucile Packard Hospital. Touched by Cecil-

ia’s speech, many of the

students created multiple

cards to send to the chil-

dren’s oncology ward.

“I was quite surprised

that there could be some-

one […] who had gone

through so much and still

have been able to go to a

school like Harker,” Samali

Sahoo (9) said. “I would

have never thought some-

one who had gone

through so much would be

able to achieve so much. It

was really inspiring.”

Many of the students

expressed similar opinions.

“I really appreciated that

she came. It’s very person-

al, and I know it’s hard to

talk about such personal

topics. I thought it was

very touching,” Medical

Club president Zina Jawadi

(11) said. “When you hear

‘cancer’ on the news,

there’s this perspective

that they put it in, but

when you hear it from

person who’s a survivor,

it’s this sad yet joyous

feeling.”

In addition, Shivani Gillon (11), a fellow

cancer survivor, found the speech incredibly

relatable. “All the experiences she had, I had

too, you know? Not going to school that

much […] It was almost the exact same

thing,” she said.

Cecilia’s speech inspired many of the

attendees, some of whom plan to become

doctors to help young patients like she was.

Throughout the week, the Medical Club is

holding a fundraiser for the Leukemia and

Lymphoma society, a nonprofit organization

built to help those with similar diseases to

Cecilia’s.

Page 11 Volume 4, Issue 2

Nothing Left to

Say by Valerie Tan

Forgotten laughter leaves still silence

only broken by darkness so bright

I know that the answer is not violence

but I cannot lose you without a fight

Broken promises and little white lies

our story is more like a tragedy

It's strange how fast seasons change

and time flies

I'm certain in our future lies jeopardy

But you will soon learn the loss you

thought was mine

is an illusion that you feed your mind

and when you realize I'm doing just

fine

you'd be but a memory left behind

Knowing that I gave 'us' my very best

try,

there's nothing left to say but good-

bye.

Featured Artist: Lydia Kassinos

The Lost Ones by

Michelle Su

Running, running, fast as they can

They hide from their problems,

Flee from crushed dreams

No one will help, no one to be seen

No more courage in this world of thieves

Stealing the lights and extinguishing flames

Of innocent fireflies who can no longer play.

Where is the love, where is the peace?

There is no more goodness left

In our world full of thieves

Bloodshed and violence prevail in the end,

The end of their journeys

Sound with a bang

Poetry by Angela Kong

How the clear lake reflects the sunrise

How the cattails sway— How the red weeds are masked in shadow By the moonlight’s fade—

How the new couple shares a blanket Till the fog is clear— Have I the blood of the Cardinal That I hold in fear?

Then, how the couple lies so still— Ensconced in the grass With intertwined fingers— crimson-- shapes—

As the sunrise passed— How the shrill cry echoes through the air

When the lake glistens

And the opaque night’s shade, fades away Runs until it opens— How it is chill—in cranny and crook—

And where was the swan Just a draft of currents was blowing into de-struction —

These are the moments flitted couple— No one—would ever—hear— The couple got to their feet and ran— Terrified with fear—

How the youthful woman cried in pain How the winter howls How the big tree is covered in snow

By the white snowflakes How her brave lover works on the tree Till his hands are numb—

Has she the courage of the eagle

That she would summon Then, how the dark descends like a cloak— Taking all her life

With a fleeting—gruesome— expression— As death took the wife

Winchester Mystery House Christmas

Tour

What? A tour showing exclusive designer

Christmas trees and decorations in the 160

room mansion. Every tree is designed to

complement the room’s character, while

reflecting its heritage.

When? Daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where? Winchester Mystery House

Downtown Ice

What? Downtown Ice has become a holiday

tradition and one of the top outdoor skating

experiences around. The opportunity to ice

skate under the stars and palm trees attracts

more than 40,000 skaters and thousands of

spectators.

When? Open from 9:00 a.m. to midnight

until Tuesday, January 1st.

Where ? Located at 120 S. Market Street

between the Fairmont Hotel and the San José

Museum of Art across from Christmas in the

Park.

2013 Bay Area Amazing Pet Expo

What? People can bring their pets or simply

go visit this expo. There are live demonstra-

tions, giveaways, low cost vaccinations, con-

tests, and more. There are also more than

200 pets available for adoption.

When? Saturday, January 12th, 2013 at 10:00

am to 6:00 pm

Where? Santa Clara Fairgrounds Expo Hall

Past Events

Recap: Family Giving Tree

By: Scott Raine-King

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 — Christ-

mas. This festival evokes many warm imag-

es, 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 step-

ping in to help bring

a bit more cheer

into the holiday

season for these

less affluent 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 pre-

sents to give to

under privileged

children. Games, food,

arts and crafts will also be

provided at the event for

children 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 privileged

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 continue

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

exchange.

Pictures of members at

the Family Giving Tree

events at Starbird

Youth Center