All Homework, No Play
February 25, 2020
In eighth grade, I stayed up until almost 1 a.m. for three days straight. I had an English project assigned and due that week. There was research to be done and a poster to be made, all the while trying to create art. This was the most important project at the time because it would impact my final grade ...
Under Pressure
September 6, 2019
On the three orange and blue plaques hung up in every UPA classroom, students are told to be honest, accountable and to persevere in all of their academic endeavors; however, there comes a point when students may feel that breaking these very values is the only option to achieve success. “The i...
Mental Health? What’s That?
Katherine Nguyen and Pallavi Rajani
June 3, 2019
“Split.” “Psycho.” “Girl, Interrupted.” Hollywood movies tend to use mental health as a driving force through their characters. Often a defining characteristic of the villain, mental illnesses such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) leave a mark on the audience—crazy people ha...
A Book Over a Cellphone
April 8, 2019
You check the time on your phone and turn on a playlist to listen to as you walk towards the doors of the library. Once inside, you put down your phone and pick up the sequel to the book you just finished. You flip to the first page and begin to read. You read until you hear on the PA system that ...
Rewinding the History of YouTube Rewind
Jacob Villareal, Reporter
February 12, 2019
YouTube is one of the key aspects in social media and trends. Anyone is able to upload videos with a diverse variety of content including gaming, appealing skits and blogging. If a video garners enough attention from viewers, there is a chance of the video going viral. Videos containing conte...
The Real Life “Crossy Road” Experience
Annie Zhang, Fun & Games Editor
July 8, 2018
People are familiar with the game “Crossy Road,” released in 2014. It is a mobile game where the player must avoid being flattened by cars while trying to cross the streets. UPA students and teachers who ride the VTA light rail encounter their real-life “Crossy Road” as they cross Canoas Garden Ave...
We’re Not Angry; We’re Just Disappointed
Ruchika Singla, In-Depth Editor
June 8, 2018
Thirteen and a half years. We had been preparing for 13 and a half years to enter the realm of adulthood by stepping into the next phase of our life: college. We crammed every bit of those 13 and a half years into a 350 word essay, a brief resume, a portfolio. We, taking information from...
No, Women Are Not Up for Grabs
Emily Hung, Editor-in-Chief
March 8, 2018
In light of increasing tension around the issue of sexual harassment, victims of harassment who have exposed their perpetrators—also known as Silence Breakers—are setting the example on an issue that could easily shame those harmed into silence. Earlier this school year, two students were disci...
Violence Warrants a Desire for Changes
Nicole Rendler, Managing Editor
December 4, 2017
Reading the news in 2017 is like watching a horror movie, seeing so many people die right in front of your eyes. With what seems to be a shooting every day, it begs the question: How many people are going to die before America realizes that gun control is necessary? Gun violence, whic...
Scouting Worlds Collide with Mixed Reactions
Nicole Rendler, Managing Editor
November 4, 2017
This will probably be the first and only time I will say this, but there is no reason for girls to be included. This was my gut reaction to the announcement on Oct. 11 that Boy Scouts of America will officially be allowing girls into the Cub Scout ranks of their organization as well as making a new...
To Pimp an English Class
Jacob Cayabyab
October 20, 2016
A communist pig with a vendetta to animals, two teenagers infatuated with each other, and a pair of best friends who work to buy land and have a farm walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “What can I get you?” They all reply, “Worksheets about what the characters felt during this scene,...
May 1, 2019
Mental Illness at UPA | Episode 2
April 27, 2019
Mental Illness at UPA | Episode 1
April 27, 2019