San Jose Youth Advisory Council of District 1 Newsletter

October 2011 Volume 3, Issue 1

1 Voice

related issues – the budget, educa-

tion, and the environment – I

strongly encourage all of you to

make an effort to get your voice

heard by City Hall! The decisions

that they make have a huge

impact on you and your life.

The Youth Advisory Council is

focused on making the city a

better place for the 10,000

youth in our district and repre-

senting the voices of our youth

in city government. In order to

do so, we‘ll need your input on

what you want to see in the

city. Feel free to contact me at

D1youthcommis-

sion@gmail.com with your

questions or suggestions!

Hi everybody! My name

is Sandeep Peddada, and I am now

the Youth Commissioner for San

Jose District 1. My predecessors,

Kavya Shankar from ‘07-‘10 and

Peter Tang from ‘10-‘11, did

amazing things as youth com-

missioners, and I can only

hope to lead the District 1

Youth Advisory Council

(YAC) as ably as they did.

Kavya now attends Harvard

University and Peter is cur-

rently studying at the Univer-

sity of Chicago, but their

legacies won‘t be forgotten.

This year, as the

new Youth Commissioner, I

have several new goals that I

would like to implement with

the YAC. Primarily, I‘d like

to empower more youth in

the District to make a differ-

ence in the city of San Jose.

Whether it‘s by joining the

YAC, attending our District-wide

public forums on city issues, or

participating in any of the Youth

Commission‘s three subcommittees

that focus specifically on youth-

Message from Youth Commissioner: Sandeep Peddada

Recap Event: Blackford National Night Out

By: Rishabh Jain

The Blackford

National Night Out was a

community event to help

raise drug awareness and

prevent drug use. Natu-

rally, these events are

applicable to the YAC in

allowing us to collectively

participate in San Jose

District 1 events as well

as shed light upon press-

ing issues such as drug pre-

vention. The event was held

on August 2nd in Starbird

Youth Center close to Black-

ford High School and fea-

tured numerous groups in-

cluding musicians, writers,

police officers, and a repre-

sentative from the San José

Earthquakes.

Inside this issue:

Message from the Youth

Commissioner 1

Blackford National

Night Out 1

The War on Prop 8 Still

Wages 3

Legislation: Prison

Population Reduction 4

Procrastination 5

Facebook:

Endless Escapism 6

Debt Ceiling: A Recap of

this Summers Crisis 7

Art and Poetry 8

Featured Photographer:

Alisha Dua 9

Upcoming Events 10

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Sandeep Peddada

Nina Kamath

Kimberly Tan

MEMBERS

Aditi Pradhan

Akhil Batra

Alisha Dua

Angela Hu

Anurag Makineni

Christine Wang

Clarence Tan

Darren Shim

Dwight Payne

Hansaa Gopalakrishnan

Kathy Li

Lauren Tai

Rishabh Jain

Roopa Shankar

Sachin Peddada

Tiffany Chao

Page 2 1 Voice

Before the event, sev-

eral YAC members helped setup the different

booths as well as the stage for the perform-

ers. The stage was appropriately decorated

with red, white, and blue paper, showing how

the event was connected all across America.

While we helped many of the booths setup,

more people began to show up and help

setting up the event.

The night out had started right on

time, with everything setup. Almost immedi-

ately, small children began flocking to

our YAC booth with a beanbag toss. As more

children came to the event, the police offi-

cers, whose booth was right next to ours,

began playing with the children. Not only was

this great fun for the kids, but it also got them

acquainted with the policemen of the local

San José police station.

Many people also went the YAC‘s

artwork booth. Here, the participants could

make flowers, draw, or get an elaborate face

painting. As this booth was near the entrance

of the event, many people saw this booth as

soon as they entered Starbird Youth Center.

Later, author Kathy Besser held a raffle where

ten winners received the book ―Dirt & Sun-

shine‖ signed by her. Everyone also made

sure to stop by the San

José Earthquake‘s booth.

At this special booth, a

representative auto-

graphed countless sheets

and shared information

about the Earthquakes.

Ultimately, the

events showed how most

of the district could come

together and have a great

time. Besides listening to

great music and eating

food together, the event

also helped build a strong,

safer, and more integrated community. As this

event was sponsored by the San José police

station, it showed criminals that this commu-

nity was united and strong. This great event

will only improve in the future, and will be-

come an even greater crime prevention cele-

bration.

Recap Event: Blackford National Night Out (Cont.)

After a brief introduction of re-

turning members and new faces, the YAC

kicked off the social by playing a interactive

game of ten fingers. The members found out

interesting facts about one another and even

some embarrassing ones. ―When you first

meet someone, you‘ll generally have a first

impression,‖ said Virup Gubba, a senior at

Lynbrook High School, ―but you‘ll never

expect one to do certain things just by his or

her looks.‖

Following a brief dinner and a trip

to Yummy Yogurt, members went home in

preparation for the beginning of the school

year.

By: Clarence Tan

On the weekend before school

started, a group of ten members from the

District One Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

gathered at Round Table Pizza for a summer

social. This was the last activity before the

school year began and was an excellent op-

portunity for members to bond and hang out

before the stress of school began.

During the social, members en-

joyed a scrumptious dinner while interacting

long into the night. Topics of conver-

sation varied from procrastination of

AP classes‘ summer homework to

how successful the 49ers would be

this upcoming season. Members thor-

oughly felt that they got to know each

one better. ―YAC members had the

opportunity to bond collectively,‖ said

Nina Kamath, who is the Vice-Chair

of YAC, ―and forge friendships that

will connect them for the rest of the

year.‖

Recap Event: Youth Advisory Council Summer Social

Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 1

would outweigh the input. And with this new

information, I feel that the year 2038 will

become an unbearable year as those on the

verge of receiving retirement benefits find

themselves without promised benefits. So, I

applaud Mayor Reed

by addressing this

issue, despite the

political harshness

surrounding pension

reform. And because

I‘m 16, I believe that

this generation has

the ability to change

that what is inevitable

By: Jonathon Huang

Tick tock. The small hand of a

clock quickly approaches 12. When it hits 12,

we‘ll be in another financial crisis. When I first

read about social security, I instantly knew

that it was a time bomb. Since this pro-

gram‘s inception, the federal government has

tried to make it so that the input would be

greater than the output. However, because of

the growing number of citizens in the United

States, it‘s a well known fact that social secu-

rity will last up to the year 2038. Because I‘m

16 years old, by the time 2038, I won‘t be

eligible for social security, as the output

to happen. I believe that Mayor Reed should

include this generation, because it‘s not only

an issue that concerns the present, but the

future.

By Kimberly Tan

In 2008, the California Supreme

Court ruled that same-sex couples could

legally be married in the state. As a response

to the new ruling, supporters of the ban on

same-sex marriage placed Proposition 8 on

the November ballot: a measure that, if

passed, would overturn the Court‘s ruling and

once again make same-sex marriage illegal in

California. The campaigns in support and in

opposition of Proposition 8 raised $80 million

combined, making it the highest-funded cam-

paign on any state ballot. On November 4,

with roughly 52.25 percent of the vote, Cali-

fornian voters chose to support Proposition 8

and effectively ruled that marriage was legally

between a man and a woman.

However, three years

later, the battle of same sex mar-

riage is still raging. Many individuals

have called for the federal govern-

ment to resolve this heated conflict

once and for all. Obama, who was

coincidentally elected the same day

Prop 8 was passed, seems friendly

towards the LGBT cause, convinc-

ing Congress to repeal the ―don‘t

ask, don‘t tell‖ policy and with-

drawing support for the Defense of

Marriage Act, but he still remains

ambiguous on the actual question

of the legality of same-sex mar-

riage. Obama has failed to com-

ment on his personal views of the controver-

sial issue as well, but on June 18, 2011, The

New York Times reported that White House

senior analysts are considering tactics on how

he can address the issue. At the moment,

however, Washington has left the decision up

to the states to decide.

In California, the courts are once

again dealing with gay marriage, this time

about whether the people could lawfully

reverse the Court decision. The California

Supreme Court heard arguments on both

sides of that question, arguments which could,

according to The Huffington Post, ―prove

pivotal to the future of the voter-approved

ban.‖ Many advocates of same-sex marriage

view their battle as akin to the Civil Rights

movement in the 1960s and the women‘s

rights battle from the last century. Their

comparison symbolizes the full weight of what

the Courts are deciding.

California has historically been

viewed as an exceptionally liberal state, so

having so much controversy over this issue is

sometimes rather surprising. With other

liberal and very influential states such as New

York legalizing same-sex marriage, the nation

now looks toward California to see how we

respond. If we legalize this right, we will set a

precedent for other states‘ legalization, a

snowball effect that could potentially hit the

federal courts. If we ban it once again, then

far more effort will be required to

push legalization to other states and

to the United States Supreme

Court. Consequently, though a

decision has yet to be reached re-

garding this highly controversial

issue, there remains no doubt in

anyone‘s mind that the eventual

verdict will be-

come one of the

defining character-

istics of our gen-

eration.

Legislation: The War on Prop 8 Still Rages

Legislation: Pension Reform

Many interest

groups made

“Vote No”

signs regard-

ing Prop 8.

Page 4 1 Voice

Matthew Cate says that this program is a

"step in breaking the intergenerational cycle

of incarceration" and the "family involvement

is one of the biggest indicators of an inmate's

rehabilitation." In addition, the release of

these inmates could help alleviate the State's

current budget situation; the state is expected

to save at least 6 million dollars.

In contrast to these economic and

humanitarian benefits, critics claim that this

program is a "get out of jail card‖ and that the

women released may not actually be good

mothers. For example, Harriet Salarno of

Crime Victims United argues "if they were

such great mothers to begin

with, they never would have

committed the heinous crime

that got them sent to state

prison."

In retrospect, though,

the female prisoners are not

simply being released into free-

dom. They will still be tracked

with ankle bracelets, they will

still be monitored by parole

officer, and they will still be

By: William Tsu

Due to the recent court ruling on

the mandatory reduction of prison popula-

tions, California passed a law that allows the

release of thousands of nonviolent, mother

inmates. Only mothers that have committed

non-serious and non-sexual crimes while

having only two years left of their prison

sentence will be eligible to qualify. In addition,

for a mother to be accepted, she must, along

with the countless of other inmates, compete

for a limited amount of rehabilitation pro-

grams offered by non-profit or community

organizations. The question to ask now,

though, is whether this program will be good

for California.

The answer is not a simple black

and white yes or no question. This program

has the potential to vastly improve countless

of prisoners lives in the greatly congested

penitentiaries while also helping unite moth-

ers with their children, many of which are

currently under foster care or living with

family. This reunion of families could help

hinder or even break the cycle of intergenera-

tional incarceration. State prison Secretary

expected to attend drug rehabilitation, anger

management or other programs. In turn, this

program focuses more on rehabilitation and

preventing crime. As Dona Toyama says, "It's

not like [the state] is just putting them out in

the community and saying good luck."

The program at hand has the po-

tential to help alleviate the lives of countless

prisoners and families. Nevertheless, Califor-

nia should not rush into the program brashly.

The state government can do great good with

this program, but like Christine Ward of

Crime victims Action alliance tersely says, "if

they screw up, it can be pretty bad."

Legislation: Prison Population Reduction

―We have finally over-

come a great inequity,‖ said Blu-

menfield. ―Renters want and de-

serve the same opportunities to

recycle as everyone else. Before

this bill, many renters could recycle

only by hauling their waste across

town to a recycling center. Green

living is the future and nothing is

more basic than being able to recy-

cle where you live.‖

Many people have high

hopes that this new bill will be able

to increase the rates of apartment

recycling. Yet, regardless of how

well this bill takes effect, one step

at a time, we are contributing to a

cleaner environment and due to

this many people are already

pleased and satisfied.

By: Christine Wang

In 2011, the governor of California

signed a legislation authored by Assembly

member Bob Blumenfield that established the

Renter‘s Right to Recycle Act. This will be

enforced beginning next year and will require

apartment owners to provide paper, plastic

and can recycling services to their tenants. This revolutionary Assembly Bill

(AB) 818 is a crucial stride towards protect-

ing our environment. Currently, 70 percent of

Californians living in single family homes have

access to residential recycling; however,

fewer than 40 percent of Californians living in

multifamily dwellings have such access, which

is the reason for the dreary recycling rate of

15 percent for apartments. Unfortunately, the

worst aspect of the low apartment recycling

rates is that a startling 7 million Californians

live in apartments.

Legislation: One Apartment at a Time

Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 1

By: Lauren Tai

The teenage population is evolving

fast. Whether we want to be remembered as

the generation which was passive in making a

difference or one that was active in doing so,

really, is our choice.

It is understandable for people our

age to experience breaking social rules every

once in a while. The real problems surfaces

when teenagers get themselves involved in

illegal actions. It is understandable in that no

one person is per-

fect in a way which

they have never

broken any rules.

However, if we do

not learn to not

repeat such actions

after engaging in a

shameful activity,

then that is when

our generation starts

to lose respect. In

our age pool, we

should strive to set

an example for future generations to come.

We should work together to keep ourselves

in line and make sure our influences are posi-

tive in order to strengthen our community. In

a sense, it is the teenager‘s responsibility to

pave the path for those younger than us. We

can start building the path by setting an

example.

In order to do so, we need to

make sure our voices are heard by our com-

munity and show that we care. We need to

show the world that we are not the genera-

tion which are spoiled and only absorbed in

materialistic items. Because we are offered a

plethora of resources, we should find ways to

show our appreciation. For example, involving

ourselves in volunteer organizations to go the

next step and help others is what everyone in

our generation should be doing. Doing so can

make a difference to a larger society as well

as develop our personal character. There are

endless ways to engage ourselves in construc-

tive activities. We can

start building the road

of positive examples

and influences. After

all, our age group as a

whole will only be

remembered by what

we do. So what will

you do?

What We Do is How We Will Be Remembered

By: Tiffany Chao

Procrastination is a problem every

teen encounters throughout their middle and

high school years. What is procrastination?

Procrastination is when you put an assign-

ment, essay, project, or even studying off till

the last minute for reasons such as laziness,

forgetfulness, or having ―too many other

things to do.‖ All the time, we are promising

ourselves that we will start that one project

today, but find ourselves up all night working

the day before it‘s due. It‘s absurd how we

clearly know the

consequences of put-

ting off things but we

still do it. Procrastina-

tion is due to several

things, however for

every normal teen,

the biggest problem is

probably the Internet.

Internet is the place

we all reach for when

that 10+ paged Chem-

istry Lab or essay

sounds too over-

whelming. First you

check Facebook, then

Tumblr, then Youtube. When the options are

out, you opt out for reading Yahoo Articles,

or maybe catch up on your favorite TV shows

online. The options are almost limitless, which

is why it ends up affecting the biggest thing,

our sleep. Even though those several hours

surfing the web was so promising, but once

the clock hits midnight, reality starts to sink in

and you‘re forced to accept it. Procrastination

is your mind at war with yourself. You have

two sides, one telling you that you should

really start your homework, and one that

reminds you that you need a break. It‘s your

decision. Everyday we work to fight this ob-

stacle of procrastination but it may follow us

all our life. The feeling you receive when you

finish all your homework is indescribable and

yet, some of us have not even received this

feeling. Finding self-motivation is the key to

not procrastinating because it helps you to

get started working now, instead of putting

tasks off for later.

The Teenager’s Downfall: Procrastination

Page 6 1 Voice

By: Angela Hu

Most people would agree that it is

good to stay informed. But to what extent does

that statement hold true? According to a recent

study, 48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook

when they wake up, 28%

doing so before they even get

out of bed. Teens nowadays

seem to have a constant need

to stay updated. However,

too much information and

updates can suck one into an

endless world that is hard to

escape. As soon as you log

into Facebook, you are bom-

barded by the newsfeed, an

eclectic collection of wall

posts,

statuses,

and pictures that are constantly being updated.

By the time you finish reading a post, status, or

picture a new one pops up. This constant flow

of information guarantees that there is always

something to be looking at, and it is easy to

lose a couple of hours simply keeping up with

all the funny posts or statuses being posted.

Facebook has taken advantage of teens with

its many different alerts, from the red, atten-

tion-grabbing alert icons at the top left hand

corner to the fleeting alerts at the

bottom left of the screen when

someone has responded to a post.

This leads Facebook users to start on

a cycle of constant posting, com-

menting, and reading.

Teens today are bom-

barded with this endless stream of

information and alerts. It keeps them

informed, but at what point is it

worth it to lose yourself in this world

of limitless content?

Facebook: Endless Escapism

time at a park they are not usually bothered

by garbage, but after the volunteering experi-

ence my opinion of the cleanliness of parks

has transformed. After a day of garbage pick-

up each volunteer dragged a huge bag, some-

times even two bags, full of garbage back to

the meeting place. It was truly remarkable

that in such a small area, and with so many

volunteers, each one could manage to find full

bags of garbage and still not

leave a clean park.

There are garbage

bins all over the park and it

hardly takes any extra effort

for people to show a hint of responsibility by

merely disposing of their garbage. Yet, some-

how, even adults, mature enough to under-

stand the discourtesy of littering, often care-

lessly walk away from a table littered with

By: Christine Wang

Whenever there is a social event,

whether it is a night out with family or a

picnic with friends, there is one common

issue. Littering. Ever since elementary school,

parents and teachers have been incessantly

lecturing people about responsibility, yet even

as they mature, the basic expectation of

―cleaning after ourselves‖ is often rudely

disregarded.

Start-

ing from a small

community such

as a neighbor-

hood, littering has become quite a problem.

Last year I attended the Annual Great Ameri-

can Litter Pick-Up and only after I began

searching for things to fill my bag did I realize

the true quantity of garbage hidden in such a

small area. When people are enjoying their

bottles and wrappers.

A park is a neighborhood‘s envi-

ronment, a shared environment. Therefore, it

is our responsibility, as the community mem-

bers, to concern ourselves with its cleanli-

ness. The first step to taking care of our

community is simple. Clean after ourselves.

Regardless of our age, these three words that

we‘ve heard since elementary school still hold

true.

Next time there is a garbage pick-

up day or you are strolling down the street

and you see a piece of garbage, whether the

garbage belongs to you or not, take responsi-

bility and throw it in the nearest garbage bin.

Little by little, piece by piece, with the help of

each member of a community, we can keep

our neighborhood clean and litter-free. Please

be responsible.

Please, Don’t Be a Litterbug

“It is our responsibility, as com-

munity members, to concern our-

selves with the cleanliness of our

parks and neighborhood.”

The Facebook log-in screen has

become a ubiquitous symbol of

the present generation.

Page 7 Volume 3, Issue 1

to raise taxes in order to increase revenue.

The Democrats in control of the Senate want

to protect social services and raise taxes,

instead.

Some media sources attribute the

increased vehemence of this year‘s debate to

freshman Republican congressmen from the

Tea Party caucus, who are staunchly anti-tax

and anti-large government.

After some brinksmanship between

the two sides, President Barack Obama signed

the Budget Control Act of 2011 on August 2,

the day when the Treasury would have run

out of borrowing power.

―It‘s been widely said by most

pundits and analysts that nobody won,‖ said

Richard Lui, MSNBC anchor said, in an inter-

view with The Winged Post. The deal both cuts

discretionary spending by more than $900

billion over ten years and allows the president

to raise the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion,

according to an official White House fact

sheet.

Of the $900 billion, $350 billion

will be cut from the defense budget – the first

defense reduction since the 1990s.

Another stipulation of the bill is the

formation of a bipartisan group, dubbed the

―super committee,‖ to identify $1.5 trillion in

spending cuts over the next ten years by

November 23. House Minority Leader Nancy

Pelosi announced the last members of the 12-

person mix of Senators and Representatives

on August 11.

If the committee fails to compro-

mise on cuts, automatic reductions split be-

tween domestic and defense spending will be

triggered in 2013; this measure is meant to

incentivize the committee to come up with a

better plan of its own.

While it was feared that defaulting

on debts would hurt the country‘s credit

rating, financial services agency Standard &

Poor‘s downgrade America from the perfect

AAA to AA+ on August 15, even without a

default.

The judgment was attributed to the

discord and uncertainty in the government‘s

financial decisions. Two other agencies, Fitch

Ratings and Moody‘s Investor Service, have

maintained sterling ratings.

The effects of the downgrade and

the raise of the debt ceiling are unpredictable,

according to Lui, who has a background in

business and has reported on the crisis.

A lower rating could affect the

By: Daniela Lapidous and Kevin Lin adapted from The Winged Post (Harker

High School’s school newspaper)

Turn on the television and hear

the constant narration about the ―debt ceil-

ing.‖ Flip through the newspaper and read

about ―the downgrade.‖ Ask the average

teenager about the national debt crisis and

find confusion.

Fraught with historical back-

ground, economics, and politics, the debate is

far from clear-cut; however, some simple

terms can demystify the issues for a lost

observer.

Debt is something owed, accord-

ing to Merriam-Webster. The dollar amount

that the United States owes to various credi-

tors has accumulated over the country‘s

history and grows with each war.

The debt ceiling, set by Congress

since 1917, is akin to the limit on a credit

card and defines the country‘s allowable debt.

It was increased five times between 2001 and

2008 alone and was originally intended to give

Congress an opportunity to reflect on the

nation‘s spending habits, as described in a

report by the Congressional Research Ser-

vice.

The debt is approximately $14.6

trillion, according to TreasuryDirect on the

date of publication. A Treasury statement on

July 15 noted that the existing limit of $14.3

trillion was reached on May 16; it then en-

acted measures to extend its own borrowing

power until August 2.

Thus, the government‘s vocal

debate this summer was to either raise the

debt ceiling, drastically cut government

spending, or default on obligations, meaning

not pay some bills on time. Some of these

bills include Social Security payments, Medi-

care benefits, and military salaries, according

to the same CRS report.

Both houses of Congress needed

to approve an increase to the limit, but politi-

cal differences obstructed an easy agreement.

The issue of the debt ceiling essentially be-

came a conduit for argument on the general

philosophy of spending and collecting reve-

nue, in contrast to the many previous in-

creases that passed smoothly.

Republican and Democratic Party

members used their power to block an in-

crease to the debt ceiling as leverage to force

their sides of the fiscal debate. Republicans,

who control the House of Representatives,

prefer to cut government spending and refuse

ability of the United States to borrow money

to cover debts, potentially hurting the global

economy and raising interest rates for mort-

gages and other loans. On the other hand, a

raised ceiling would only drive up the current

debt and place the burden of paying it back on

future generations.

―People will start to feel it when

they pay more for home loans, or more for

credit cards or they can‘t get loans or the

government shuts down or you can‘t go to the

library, you can‘t send mail – things like that,‖

Lui said. ―There have been guesses about how

long it will take – many just don‘t know; it

could be months, could be years, could be

never. It is really a wait and see for the United

States.‖

Students also share their opinion

on the crisis.

Laura Pedrotti (11) believes the

solution [to the crisis] is to ―stop participating

in and funding pointless wars.‖ After hearing

about Obama‘s recent deal, however, she was

happy that ―he finally did something,‖ but said

that ―there were a lot of concessions with it

and it wasn‘t what it needed to be.‖

Shival Dasu (12) also shared his

thoughts about the crisis.

―Although there is general agree-

ment that too much debt is bad, there is no

consensus on what exactly the consequences

will be to such a high level of debt,‖ Shival said.

―Specifically about the debt ceiling debate, our

generation needs to be aware of it because it

is a prime example of how broken the two-

party system is and its inability to compromise.

Speaker of the House Boehner showed this

well when he commented on how he got ‗98

percent‘ of what he wanted.‖

As Congress returns to session, the

media focus will likely be on the decisions of

the new ―super committee‖ and budgetary

debates for fiscal year 2012.

―So, you thought we had a lot of

debate just now - we‘re going to have a lot

more debate soon,‖ Lui said. Congress re-

sumes in the first week of September.

Debt Ceiling: A Recap of this Summer’s Crisis

Page 8 1 Voice

Featured Youth: Ramya Rangan

By: Sachin Peddada

Everyone has some skill in some-

thing or the other. But very rarely does one

come across someone with talent in basically

everything. Harker senior Ramya Rangan actu-

ally does just about everything, from piano to

tutoring to academic-oriented activities. And

she not only does things, she enjoys them and

shows achievement in nearly everything she

does.

Ramya has been playing piano for

about thirteen years now, and after finishing

Level 10 in her sophomore year, she continued

to learn with great dedication. After passing the

Certificate of Merit Level 10 test, she was able

to participate in the Panel Honors program,

where 30 California junior pianists who have

completed the Level 10 exam go on to perform

in a professional recital.

In addition to piano, Ramya also

enjoys tutoring, and is president of the Harker

School Tutoring Club, where she helps teach

students from Kindergarten to 12th Grade. To

her, ―it‘s not just about helping them for the

sake of helping; their gratitude and satisfaction

is more than enough credit for me.‖

Ramya also has interests that lie in

the Math and Science fields. She has partici-

pated in the Physics Olympiad, in which she

performed well. She also attends many math

contests and has qualified for the USA Mathe-

matics Olympiad three times, a nearly impossi-

ble accomplishment. Additionally, this past

summer she participated in the Research Sci-

ence Institute summer program in Massachu-

setts, into which only fifty students in the whole

country are accepted. She is also interested in

science research, and has been very involved in

it for the past two years.

She credits her success for the envi-

ronment she is put in, be it at home or at

school. According to her, ―My whole family

places a great emphasis on education, so I‘ve

been learning things for as long as I can re-

member.‖ At school, Ramya says, ―My teach-

ers are always encouraging me and pushing me

to do better than my best.‖ And confidence is

also what keeps her focused on her goals and

motivated to succeed. ―A great confidence

booster is when teachers periodically tell you

you‘re

on track.

It really

makes a

differ-

ence to

know

that your

teachers

believe

in you.‖

Photography & Poetry by Roopa Shankar

Rebirth by Roopa Shankar

Winter, and you withered,

your smile shaved by the pulses of the wind. But when you caught a butterfly on your petal, unfurled your tongue with the watermelon sun

and whispered,

"I'm alive again," I knew summer skin had held you.

Poetry by Kimberly Tan

Photography by Danielle Lerner

The river surges on

wrapping around crevices

in the mountain‘s wilted neck

time a mere constant

in its ceaseless journey.

She visits these waters each year

and lays by its rocky shores,

for even as she hears the screams resonating

from the room next door each night,

and sees the glass shatter across the wooden

floors—

she still gets that thrilling jolt of excitement

every time she plunges

her eager toes into the rushing waters.

Page 9 Volume 3, Issue 1

1. Why did you go to India? Where did you visit?

As a part of a school immersion trip I had the opportunity

to travel to India with other classmates to do community

work in villages and cities throughout the country.

2. What did you learn from your trip?

My experiences in India has taught me a lot about the world

around me. I have realized that there will always be a need

for social justice work in our world, and I have learned that

I truly enjoy advocating for those who are less fortunate

than I.

3. What memory was your favorite?

We got to play with street kids at the Don Bosco Center in

Bangalore, and even though these kids had nothing they

could play and smile like

nothing was worrying

them--it was great!

4. Would you visit

India again?

Because I'm half Indian I

absolutely love India, so

I hope to go back multi-

ple times in my future.

Featured Photographer: Alisha Dua A Look into India

By: Darren Shim

So You Think You Can Dance Tour

What? The Top 10 finalists from season 8‘s So You Think You Can Dance television series are dancing across North America this

fall as part of the show‘s 2011 tour. The show will feature this season‘s most popular routines as well as original pieces created

specifically for the nationwide tour. The line-up includes your top 10 favorites: Caitlynn, Clarice, Jess, Jordan, Marko, Melanie, Mitchell,

Ricky, Sasha and Tadd.

When? Sunday October 30, 2011. Doors

open at 6:30 and the show begins at 7:30!

Where? HP Pavilion in San Jose, California

Pumpkins in the Park

What? It's time again for Pumpkins in the

Park! Pumpkins in the Park is a celebration of the environment, the Guadalupe River, and

the fall harvest season.

Giant Pumpkin Patch

Scarecrow Row Fresh Apple Cider

Guadalupe River Education Lots of Free Kid‘s Activities

Children's Concert

When? Saturday, Oct. 8 10:00a to 4:00p

Where? Discovery Meadow, San Jose, CA

Visit www.ggrp.org for more information!

Paws in the Park

What? Paws in the Park is a pledge-driven

dog walk & community-wide animal celebra-tion that will be held on Sunday, October 2nd from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at Lion's Wayside Park in

Pleasanton. Walkers can register as an individ-ual or as part of a dog pack. There will also

be vendor booths featuring pet-themed mer-chandise and services, K-9 Good Citizen screening, low cost micro-chipping, agility demonstrations, music & dogs available for

adoption. Paws in the Park is a fundraiser for

Valley Humane Society.

When? Sunday, Oct 2 1:00p to 4:00p

Where? Lion‘s Wayside Park, Pleasanton,

CA

Price: $25 registration fee

Upcoming Events

Flashlight Safari Myths and

Legends Venture through the zoo

and learn about the noctur-

nal habits of the zoo ani-

mals and even meet a noc-

turnal animal from our Edu-

cation Animal Collection up

close!

Friday, Oct 28

8:00pm to 9:30p

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo

San Jose, CA

4th Annual Disability

Awareness Day Disability Awareness Day

is a celebration of unity,

inviting the entire commu-

nity to participate while

promoting awareness and

appreciation of people

with differing abilities.

Thursday, Oct 6

9:00am

San Jose City Hall

San Jose City Hall Rotunda

San Jose, CA

Come to these fun events too! By: Hansaa Gopalakrishnan