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Students who skip senior year

4 min read

Features

Students who skip senior year

Michael Herrera November 5, 2015

In the last two years, three juniors have decided to leave high school early.

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On Nov 21-24, the Aragon Drama department hosted t

On Nov 21-24, the Aragon Drama department hosted the musical, the Sister Act.

Check out more coverage by Yang Yang in our upcoming print edition.

Photos by Lian Wang and Darra McLintock.

On Nov 20, Aragon Biotech Club held its third annu

On Nov 20, Aragon Biotech Club held its third annual Design Competition, revolving around the theme of Health every other years, unlike last year’s theme of Environmental.

To prepare for the competition, teams had little over a month to design.

The team who won first place designed a technological aid to help a patient who has their assigned disease. They then pitched their inventions to a panel of judges made up of biotech professionals, competing for $1000, $500, and $250 for first, second and third place respectively.

Lastly, the judges announced the winners of the competition. The Asthma team won first place with the Sickle Cell anemia team taking second, and Hemophilia taking third place.

Reporting by Medha Rakesh and Angela Nguyen.
Photos by Darra McLintock and in courtesy of Ivan Hager.

The San Mateo High School Union District now offer

The San Mateo High School Union District now offers all SMUHSD students a free New York Times subscription. Swipe for instructions to gain access.

1. Visit nytimes.com/passes to activate your New York Times digital pass.

2. Check your email inbox for a confirmation message from The New York Times and claim your New York Times Academic Pass.

3. Enjoy! Download on your phone to stay informed.

Visit https://bit.ly/nytimessubscription for more information

Junior Charlie Harger first began his running jour

Junior Charlie Harger first began his running journey in eighth grade.

“I was really motivated to run because I had always been on the faster end for soccer and baseball,” Harger said. “I really wanted to see how well I would do [on] track.”

Harger joined a club team before starting high school, and continued running in high school. Last year, he won Peninsula Athletic League in the 400-meter race and placed fourth in the Central Coast Section Championship Finals.

“My success in [track] has definitely made me fall in love more with [it],” Harger said. “I used to be a little bit hesitant to go out on runs, but now, since I’ve realized my potential, I’ve become a lot more open and willing to do those hard practices.”

However, success did not come without struggle.

“Mental blocks and self doubt … were the two biggest problems,” Harger said. “I’ve really been trying to believe more in myself and not put as much pressure on myself. And one of the ways I’ve been doing that is to not compare [myself] to other people.”

But there have also been many upsides to running.

“The most rewarding part of being a runner is the happiness you feel after you reach a goal that you’ve been working towards … [And] running has definitely given me a lot of new friends, just from all the new people I’ve met at high school, meets, new teams and even summer meets,” Harger said. “I am always very nervous at meets, but the atmosphere is always very energetic and everyone there feels like we’re already a big community.”

Harger hopes to continue advancing his running career during the rest of high school and beyond.

“My goal is to go to CCS finals [again] and make it to state,” Harger said. “I definitely want to continue this in college and after college.”

Reporting by Hannah Li.
Photos in courtesy of Charlie Harger and by Anna He.

Read our reviews of Arcane season 2 acts on aragon

Read our reviews of Arcane season 2 acts on aragonoutlook.org. Act 1 is out now.

On Nov. 9, Aragon students gathered at Pinstripes

On Nov. 9, Aragon students gathered at Pinstripes in Hillsdale Mall for the annual Homecoming dance.[a] The dance featured a ‘Neon Glow in the Dark’ theme and over 1,000 students attended.

Check out the full coverage by Claire Dong on aragonoutlook.org.

Photos by Ethan Tawn.

Republican Donald Trump is the president-elect of

Republican Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States, scheduled to be inaugurated as the 47th president. The United States is seeing a shift to the right, with the Republican party winning the majority in the Senate and the House. In California, however, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. is the senator-elect and Incumbent Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif. successfully won House District 15.

To read more about what the students at Aragon think of the election, check out our upcoming print addition.

Reporting by Darshan Bal, Andrew Dong, Hannah Li and Ellen Li.

What are YOUR thoughts? #election #trump #harris

What are YOUR thoughts?

#election #trump #harris #2024election #democrats #republican #student

On Nov. 8, Aragon High School held its annual fall

On Nov. 8, Aragon High School held its annual fall rally, where the Class of 2025 won the Don Baton.

Leadership’s Rally Commission organized the rally.

“We do logistics [for] each rally,” said senior and Rally Commission member Matthew Lua. “We contact the stakeholders involved, like the principal, the participants [and] the teachers … We also plan out [what] we’re going to do for the event, [like] the games that we coordinate.”

In addition to contacting participants and planning games, there are further arrangements for rallies.

“[We] have to plan out an entire schedule about what we want [and] also get approval from [Leadership advisor Ms. Bussey] to make sure that this actually happens,” said senior and Rally Commission Head Alessandra Hernandez. “We send out announcements to get participants, and then we also advertise for the rally itself. By then, it’s about a month and a half process.”

Class councils are involved in helping plan their mascots and coordinating class anthems.

“We buy stuff to decorate on the Rally Day, … for example, today, we were just making posters for it,” said Class of 2025 secretary Olivia King. “This year, all the class councils are in the [leadership] period, [so] we can really easily talk with them and work with them.“
At the end of the rally, the Don Baton is awarded to the class that has the most spirit and loudness during the class anthem, judged by an unbiased panel of teachers.

“I personally thought that the rally was a little rigged for the seniors,” said junior Jayla Abdellatif. “I thought that the juniors were very loud, and the seniors just didn’t have the same energy.”

The next rally will be the winter rally held in February.

Reporting by Jannah Nassef.
Photos by Lian Wang and Ethan Tawn.

Over the summer, new tri-bin trash cans were insta

Over the summer, new tri-bin trash cans were installed at Aragon to encourage students to sort their trash. These new trash cans are scattered around the center court. They have 3 different colored bins each for compost, recycling, and garbage.

“This is something that’s been happening at the district level for probably the past two years or so,” said Greg Moretti, Aragon’s representative on the district sustainability committee. “The district has recognized the importance of sorting trash and reducing the amount of trash that makes it to the landfill, and in that effort, the district facilitated the purchase of a unified system of tri-bins that would be used all throughout the district.

Although they were installed to encourage students to sort their trash, some students believe they don’t help.

“It looks pretty,” said sophomore Scarlett Choy. “But I think no one really uses them or sorts out their trash. Me and my friends just throw everything in the garbage. We don’t recycle or compost.”

Other students believe the new trash cans do help a little.

“I think that, on some level, it has kind of improved things,” said senior Katya Kleinhenz. “But I mean, we’re by no means at a point where we can say that we [don’t have a littering problem].”

Some staff also believe that encouraging students to sort out their trash is difficult to implement.

“We have always had three bins, trash, recycling, and compost,” Moretti said. “But especially the compost bins looked very similar to the trash bins, and they all had big open tops on them. And so I think a lot of students just sort of tossed their trash into the nearest bin to them, without really paying attention to where it was going, or sorting their trash.”

As the school year continues, the district will continue collecting data on how much trash is going into each bin. Results will be posted on the District Sustainability Dashboard.

Reporting by Claire Dong.
Photo by Martin Zheng.

On Oct. 31, Aragon held its annual Halloween rally

On Oct. 31, Aragon held its annual Halloween rally in center court during lunch.

The rally opened with a performance from the Aragon dance program to a mashup of “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads and “Bloody Mary” by Lady Gaga.

Staff members then competed in a costume contest, presenting a variety of costumes, including Taylor Swift albums from the social studies department, the Hocus Pocus Sanderson sisters from the art department, scrabble letters from the office, cowboys from the English department and “Spa Pirates” from the wellness counselors.

The winning team was the science department, replicating the colors of a rainbow via a prism.

“I am a competitive human [and] I like to win, especially when it comes to beating the math department, so I feel very gratified,” said chemistry teacher Max von Euw. “I think it was well-deserved; we worked hard. I truly thought that last year, with our heavy metals costume, we were going to win, [but] math squeaked out with their Barbie costume, so this has been a long time coming.”

The math department came in second place, dressing up as Mardi ‘Graph,’ a play on the holiday Mardi Gras.

“I’m actually okay with [being second] because we often win, [and] the science teachers were very clever,” said math teacher Alice Hu. “ I liked their whole concept, it was different. Having a whole skit, and at the same time [teaching] an actual science lesson, was very thoughtful.”

Following the staffulty contest was the student costume contest, the winner of which was junior Shea Peni, who dressed up as TV show host Steve Harvey.

“I was a little scared to come to school in a bald cap because I thought I looked kind of stupid, but I decided to anyway because I thought it'd be fun,” Shea said. “It was very validating [though] — I look stupid for a reason. Then [it] paid off because I won the contest.”

Other students dressed up as classic monsters, TV show characters and inflatable figures.

Check out the full coverage by Yang Yang on aragonoutlook.org.
Photos by Madeline Allen and Ethan Tawn.

On Oct. 29, Aragon’s Varsity Girl’s Volleyball

On Oct. 29, Aragon’s Varsity Girl’s Volleyball team (17-16, 9-5) celebrated their senior night at a game against Menlo-Atherton, ultimately resulting in a 0-3 loss for the Dons. This game marks the conclusion of the team’s regular season. Next up, the Dons will host Willow Glen on Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.

Reporting by Felix Ma.
Photos by Felix Ma and Lian Wang.

On Oct. 19, the San Mateo Citizen’s Climate Lobb

On Oct. 19, the San Mateo Citizen’s Climate Lobby hosted their annual Youth Climate Rally. They marched through Central Park and downtown San Mateo, advocating for reducing carbon emissions and preventing climate change. The theme, “Make it Real” emphasized that climate change will affect us in the near future, but is a solvable crisis if policymakers and youth take action.

Check out the full coverage in our upcoming print edition.

Reporting by Mark Rumberg.
Photos by Victoria Santana and Lian Wang.

On Oct. 17, Aragon held its 19th annual Internati

On Oct. 17, Aragon held its 19th annual International Food Fair from 5-7 p.m. in Center Court, allowing students to share cultural dishes and bond over food.

“When there’s so many people becoming more and more concerned about their differences, this is a really important time to come together and share what we have in common,” said PTSO member and volunteer Anise Graham. “[The food fair is] a really amazing opportunity to bring the community together.”

Student volunteers helped with event set-up.

“The fulfillment of helping people and seeing everyone come together is very entertaining,” said sophomore and volunteer Francez Santos. “It makes me happy seeing my friends perform and seeing all these cultures in the same place.”

There were a variety of performances, including a snippet of the Sister Act, traditional Indian dances and guitar solos.

“[Performing is] a great opportunity to showcase your culture, your dance and your food,” said sophomore and performer Aiswarya Selvakumar. “It’s important to share our culture and … to understand how other people’s cultures work and to respect [them].”

Many parents volunteered at the event to prepare dishes, set up booths, serve food, collect tickets, etc. Some were motivated to participate in order to share their culture.

“It feels closer to home,” said parent volunteer Vaishali Nayak. “Then with my child also being part of the school, it’s good to have her see and embrace that culture as she’s growing up as a second generation [immigrant].”

In regards to next year’s Food Fair, co-chair and event coordinator Laura Lee has some plans for improvement.

“Hopefully, next year we’ll have a photo booth too,” Lee said. “I would [also] love to have a student MC … for [them] to showcase all of the amazing cultures represented in the different booths … We’re learning and improving year by year.”

Reporting by Yang Yang.
Photos by Ethan Tawn.

On Oct. 18, the Aragon music department held its f

On Oct. 18, the Aragon music department held its first concert of the year, the Fall Potluck Concert. The event was hosted in the South Gym and included different foods for the audience to enjoy. During the event, many Aragon’s music groups performed, starting with the student-led ensembles and acapella groups, before moving on to the choirs, bands, orchestras and jazz bands.

Reporting by Ellen Li.
Photos by Ethan Tawn.

On Saturday Oct. 5, Aragon music performed at Seal

On Saturday Oct. 5, Aragon music performed at Seal Point Park NAMIwalks, an annual mental health awareness fundraiser and event. Aragons’s student-led acapella group Treble With Angels and the Perfect Fifths Jazz Combo performed throughout the event, providing encouragement and entertainment to the attendees.

Photos and reporting by Lian Wang.

Senior Rocco Lamberti’s introduction to Warhamme

Senior Rocco Lamberti’s introduction to Warhammer came from online content creators combined with his affinity towards creativity.

“A YouTuber that I watched for different content, randomly made a video on it about his experience getting into it,” Lamberti said. “I thought it was super cool because I was into Legos and art. And my friend knew someone who actually played it, [so I] played a demo game, and I really liked it.”

Warhammer is a tabletop strategy game involving self-built miniature figurines. It’s similar to the popular Dungeons and Dragons, in which the game is set in a fantastical world and players agree on objectives to complete for points, often related to one’s spatial location on the map, and a set amount of points required to win.

“[Warhammer teaches] a lot of creativity,” Lamberti said. “And it teaches you some level of people skills and patience because some people are going to be less fast-paced.”

The local Warhammer community is another important aspect of playing that Lamberti appreciates.

“There’s a lot of local game stores like Gator Games, Heretic Games, they host a lot of these events,” Lamberti said. “All the communities from my experience, have always been super, super welcoming and … respectful.”

One challenge Lamberti notes with getting into the game is the inhibitive initial cost to players.

“Upfront cost is very high because there are different sizes and the most standard games can run you up to $1,000, minimum,” Lamberti said. “That varies from whatever faction you’re playing.”

“3D printers are becoming a more readily available [option] for people,” Lamberti said. “Some people will Scratch build [figurines] … I actually have a resin printer for [creating figurines]. I print stuff pretty regularly now, because it’s much less expensive and more customizable.”

Lamberti envisions himself continuing to play in the future as a supplement to other career goals he has.

“It allows me to still have a creative outlet,“ Lamberti says. Even if I go into maybe a more STEM or mathematically driven career.”

Reporting by Leah Hawkins.

On Sep. 25, the varsity waterpolo team (0-4) battl

On Sep. 25, the varsity waterpolo team (0-4) battled Hillsdale High School (2-3) and ultimately lost by a score of 7-16.

More coverage coming soon next week on aragonoutlook.org.

Photos by Darra McLintock.

On Sept. 21, Aragon celebrated the induction of fi

On Sept. 21, Aragon celebrated the induction of five outstanding athletes and one soccer team into the Athletic Hall of Fame. This ceremony honors Aragon athletes of the past and their outstanding achievements in their sports. Among the inducted were Cliff Glidden (class of 1963), James Lilomaiava (class of 1995), Katie and Laura Zasly (class of 2006), and Sam Tuivailala (class of 2010). Additionally, the 2011-2012 girls soccer team, coached by William Colglazier, was inducted.

Glidden earned his induction through his achievements in shot put, where his school record still stands today, over 60 years later. Although Glidden didn’t continue with the sport after high school, he carried his mindset into the Navy.

“It’s a scary situation, but being a sportsman and playing sports and competing against guys who were bigger, tougher, stronger gave you a kind of balance with people,” Glidden said. “Sports really give you a strong deportment, and people respect that.”

Lilomaiava earned his induction for exceptional dedication to football.

“What I remember most about Aragon is rarely losing,” Lilomaiava said. “Everything I’ve learned in the game was from coaches up here.”

The Zasly sisters were inducted for their outstanding soccer and basketball achievements. Both sisters recall their time at Aragon fondly.

“I honestly just remember the support that we used to get from the athletic department, my teammates and the entire school,” Laura Zasly said.

Tuivailala was inducted for his achievements in football and baseball during his time at Aragon and beyond. Although his talent was clear on the field, he recalls the connections he made even more.

“My talent was pretty good, but it’s the friendships and the relationships that I built, and I still keep in contact with all my friends,” Tuivailala said.

The 2011-2012 girls soccer team also earned an induction for their stellar performance.

“It was just so impressive how not just skilled they were, but dedicated,” Colglazier said. “There’s a sense of camaraderie that’s also really special.”

Reporting and photos by Adya Tewari.

From Sept. 16 - 20, Aragon hosted its annual club

From Sept. 16 - 20, Aragon hosted its annual club fair at lunch for its 84 clubs.

This is the moment for every club to distinguish themselves among the student body and to recruit new members.

“The clubs are more popular than I expected them to be,” said freshman Sara Chiguchi. “There’s a lot of people walking around and checking them out … I was at the Japanese Culture Club. They had a lot of people signing up. I see candy is a big motivator.”

Officers dedicate a period of time beforehand in preparation for this 30-minute period.

“We worked on our presentation as a club,” said junior and Music Production club secretary Gwen Johnson. “While making our poster, we went over what our main goals are … focusing on how [to] get our passions, our spirit, out to everybody in the most appealing way possible … [The prep work] is a good activity for all officers to bond together before we embark on running the club.”

Ultimately, club fair is a chance for people to share their interests and discover new ones.

“I expected my club to be too niche for a lot of people but I’m seeing a really large variety of people coming and signing up,” said senior and Mahjong club president Jonathan Wong. “It is really heartwarming knowing that my passions are speaking to other people.”

Clubs will begin holding weekly meetings at lunch next week.

Reporting by Meilin Rife.
Photos by Felix Ma, Victoria Santana, and Meilin Rife.

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