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Cupertino High School’s choir students celebrated Valentine’s Day by delivering messages and serenading students through...
02/17/2025

Cupertino High School’s choir students celebrated Valentine’s Day by delivering messages and serenading students throughout campus, continuing a cherished annual tradition. Along with classroom performances, the Cantabile choir entertained students in the quad during brunch.

“Choir has always been one of my favorite communities so towards the end I was happy because it felt like i’d just spent a day walking around with my best friends, all dressed up, singing and dancing and surprising our friends who were in classes,” sophomore and Serenade choreographer Tisya Pruthi said.

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A crowd gathered in the quad to watch as Juniors graced the stage on Wednesday, Feb. 12 for the Junior Prom fashion show...
02/14/2025

A crowd gathered in the quad to watch as Juniors graced the stage on Wednesday, Feb. 12 for the Junior Prom fashion show. The show featured members of the junior class council, as well as various other students from the junior class. The show demonstrated both appropriate attire for attendees — long dresses, masquerade masks and tuxedos — and inappropriate attire — wigs, tutus and snowman costumes. 2025 Junior Prom, Midnight Masquerade, will be held on March 8 at the San Jose City Hall.

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Cupertino High School’s girls soccer team celebrated their senior night on Tuesday, Feb. 11th. They faced off against Sa...
02/14/2025

Cupertino High School’s girls soccer team celebrated their senior night on Tuesday, Feb. 11th. They faced off against Saratoga High School, ultimately ending in a 4–3 loss after a promising first half. Seniors received posters, flowers, candy and appreciation from their friends and family.

“These past four years playing soccer has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said senior captain Sophie Hua. “From the people I met in my freshman year that have now become my closest friends to getting into hilarious rivalries with other schools, I cherish all the memories I have made. Soccer means so much to me and I’m grateful to have had the chance to play with incredible teammates and friends during my final season. I’ve learned that being on a team sport not only teaches you how to work with others but also teaches you so much about yourself, like your values and motivations.”

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Fremont Union High School’s Wellness Commission, partnered with the City of Sunnyvale and NOVAworks to host the Teen Wel...
02/05/2025

Fremont Union High School’s Wellness Commission, partnered with the City of Sunnyvale and NOVAworks to host the Teen Wellness Fair at Sunnyvale City Hall on Saturday, Feb. 1.

The commission organized multiple booths from clubs, community organizations, and non-profits across schools in FUHSD.

NOVAworks hosted a session on how to pitch yourself, complementing the job and internship opportunity booths that were also present.

Reflecting on the fair, Cupertino High School IDC representative and senior, Kira Liang said, “I think a decent amount of students showed up in our goal of release to make sure that, like, the students who need it, are able to access it and learn more about mental health and we think it did that job well.”

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International Club hosted the annual Cultural Music Concert in the Robert L. Gomez Theater on Saturday, Feb. 1. The conc...
02/03/2025

International Club hosted the annual Cultural Music Concert in the Robert L. Gomez Theater on Saturday, Feb. 1.

The concert opened with a performance of daebuk, a traditional Korean drumming style, followed by a flute duet and a piano piece. During an intermission, the audience gathered in the foyer to enjoy cultural food provided by International Club.

The second half of the concert featured singing, guitar, flute and saxophone performances. The evening concluded with a piece from the soundtrack of “Studio Ghibli” performed by several students from Cupertino High School’s Tri-M Ensemble.

Said senior Shiho Kim, a performer from Tri-M, “We practiced a couple of times in the Tri-M music room during lunch, a couple of times for a month. I think it was pretty fun to work with people, all together playing Ghibli songs.”

Throughout the concert, students from International Club managed the decorations, lighting and sound system to make this event a success.

“I’m proud of how we were able to scrape together the performance when a lot of technical things were going wrong early on,” said Sophie Hua, senior and president of International Club. “There was a lot we had to overcome, but everyone was able to pull through and figure out their performances to perform really, really well.”

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The third annual Tinolympics – a series of class-based athletic events – began with dodgeball, where the senior class to...
02/03/2025

The third annual Tinolympics – a series of class-based athletic events – began with dodgeball, where the senior class took the championship in the final game, on Friday, Jan. 31. The class of 2025 won first place, defeating the class of 2026 in the championship match. The class of 2027 placed third, winning against the class of 2028 in the playoff for third place on Thursday, Jan. 30.

Said senior participant Nelson Kang, “Last year, as juniors, we came a little short from first, and I wanted to get that back. Having the chance to play in this tinolympics gave me the motivation to give it a shot again and help our class achieve first place.”

“We worked together as a team while being able to have a fun time. There were also lots of cool moments such as cool catches, throws, and just good plays being made by students and I,” Kang said. “I would definitely recommend it to other students as it’s a chance to bond with others and show spirit for your class.”

Tinolympics will carry on with the next event, Powerpuff next week and other class-based events in the following weeks.

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Decorated in red lanterns and lucky characters, Cupertino High School’s quad and cafeteria were packed with students and...
01/27/2025

Decorated in red lanterns and lucky characters, Cupertino High School’s quad and cafeteria were packed with students and families who gathered for the Lunar New Year festival on Wednesday, Jan 22.

Speeches from Principal Bill Schloss and Fremont Union High School District Board member Stanley Kou kicked off the Lunar New Year festival, along with several student performances — a song sung by Lydia Liang, a karate demonstration from Matthew Hackleman and a showcase from the Dynamic Kung Fu Academy. The audience also enjoyed a traditional Chinese fan dance and a Hanfu fashion show.

Following the performances, students in CHS Chinese classes collaborated with National Chinese Honor Society and Chinese Culture Club to host booths for various activities including Chinese yoyo, calligraphy, shuttlecock, origami and knot tying. Families learned about Chinese culture and history, participating in games to earn prizes and boba.

Said Ying Jin, one of the teachers coordinating the event, “I felt so proud to see all the support from the school community and the Cupertino community, to see people just so engaged in different activities.”

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The gym was packed with spectators for Cupertino High School’s annual quad game on Friday, Jan. 17, where the four CHS b...
01/20/2025

The gym was packed with spectators for Cupertino High School’s annual quad game on Friday, Jan. 17, where the four CHS boys and girls basketball teams played back-to-back games.

After both junior varsity teams played in the afternoon, the evening began with CHS girls varsity facing Mountain View High School. Cupertino fought hard the whole game but ultimately lost 47-22.

“I’m really proud of our defense in this game because we used a new strategy and we executed it well,” junior and co-captain Jessica Shaffer said. “We definitely have a shot at winning in a lot of our later games if we play well, since we’re pretty evenly matched with many teams this year.”

Following the girls game, CHS boys varsity played against Lynbrook High School. Lynbrook took an early lead, but Cupertino closed the gap towards the end of the game and secured a 32-25 win.

“Overall, this game was one of the best we’ve played all season,” sophomore Jarett P**n said. “Starting down 0-14, there was definitely room for improvement early on, but I’m proud of how we kept our composure and came back from the rough beginning.”

Said senior and co-captain Jason Shi, “Now that we’ve set the standard for ourselves, I’m looking forward to our future games and I hope we can continue to win.”

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Cupertino High School’s Choir took the stage for their annual holiday concert on Thursday, Dec.12, and Friday, Dec.13. E...
12/16/2024

Cupertino High School’s Choir took the stage for their annual holiday concert on Thursday, Dec.12, and Friday, Dec.13.

Each choir sang renditions of classic holiday songs, including Chorale singing “Mr.White Christmas” and Cantos singing “Children go where I Send Thee.” Alongside their classic red dresses and suits, each choir performed with additional holiday props, including reindeer antlers, santa hats, fake wigs and sombrero hats.

The show featured different soloists from all choirs, and showcased acts beyond singing, including guitarists and tap dancers.

Said Julia Knodel, a senior and member of the Capella choir, “[I’m] really excited and happy that all of the hard work of the past few weeks is paying off. I’m a teacher assistant for the Cantos choir and they have been putting a lot of effort into their set. My choir had to work so fast to get ready for our gigs and I’m very proud of everyone’s work ethic. I’m sad that it’s my last holiday concert, but this makes me so excited to see what we’ll do next semester. I also couldn’t ask for a better last holiday show.”

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On Friday Dec. 13 at lunch, students gathered on the science lawn for “Coopertino Barnyard,” where they were able to rel...
12/14/2024

On Friday Dec. 13 at lunch, students gathered on the science lawn for “Coopertino Barnyard,” where they were able to relax with some fluffy farm animals and destress before finals week. Students had a fun and unwinding time petting sheep, chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Said Sophomore Neha Shaik, “I loved petting the sheep, Champ, because he was soft and fluffy. [...] I had a lot of fun at the barnyard, and seeing all the animals definitely made me less stressed for finals week.”

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With the weather cooling down and the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year coming to an end, students and staff g...
12/11/2024

With the weather cooling down and the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year coming to an end, students and staff gathered in the gym on Friday, Dec. 6, for Cupertino High School’s annual winter showcase rally. The rally featured a variety of student performances including a drummer, a singing ensemble and a band.

Senior Ajinkya Ranade, member of Cupertino’s capella choir, was part of the sextet that put on a rendition of “Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)” by 1950s vocal group The Chords. Ranade shared that the group began preparing for their performance two to three weeks prior to the rally, but have been singing together for quite a while.

“Our biggest obstacle throughout this was coordinating with everyone and arranging the piece so we could all sing, especially when transitioning in and out of the guitar solo,” Ranade said. “Learning the piece by ear was also hard.”

The Associated Student Body commissions and individual class councils also played a crucial role in ensuring the rally was successful.

“We began planning around mid November,” class of 2028 vice president Irene Yang said. “We started to get the materials for decorations and posters, and assembled the poster the week of the rally.”

Despite facing scheduling challenges with the other class council members throughout the planning process, Yang expressed excitement for future winter rallies.

“The showcases are what made this rally stand out, and I really enjoyed seeing such talented people at our school perform,” Yang said. “I am proud of our class for our class spirit, and also our council because of how smoothly the rally went by.”

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The classes of 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 collaborated to host Jingle and Mingle, a social for all grade levels on Friday...
12/09/2024

The classes of 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 collaborated to host Jingle and Mingle, a social for all grade levels on Friday, Dec. 6. The event took place on campus in the quad and cafeteria, and offered a variety of interactive activities such as slime-making and ornament-decorating. Students were also able to purchase festive food and watch a movie with their friends to end the week on a relaxing note.

Said senior and 2025 class vice president Shreya Sinha, “In ASB, all of the presidents and vice presidents wanted to do a ‘de-stress before finals’ type of event for each of our classes, so we decided to do a combined event for the whole school.”

Class officers began setting up for the social immediately after school to kick start the event. “We had a decent amount of people from all classes show up throughout the whole event,” Sinha said. “I think the gingerbread house decorating competition went really well because we had a few groups decide to sign up at the last minute and make houses with their friends, and overall the atmosphere was really competitive and fun.”

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Students and staff kept it relaxed for Mellow Monday on Dec. 2, kicking off Cupertino High School’s winter spirit week. ...
12/09/2024

Students and staff kept it relaxed for Mellow Monday on Dec. 2, kicking off Cupertino High School’s winter spirit week. From patterned pajama pants and tops to cozy slippers and blankets, the campus was ready to relax in anticipation of the upcoming December break.

Students in blue and white flooded the halls, dressed in seasonal colors for Snowed-In Tuesday on Dec. 3.

Anticipating the holiday season, students dressed in festive colors, holiday sweaters, fuzzy socks and Santa hats for Winter Wear Wednesday on Dec. 4. Students accessorized with scarves and mittens to elevate their looks.

Students wore either puffer jackets or plaid clothing on the fourth day of spirit week, Puffers vs. Plaid, on Dec. 5.

To close out spirit week on Friday, Dec. 6, students proudly showed off their class colors to the winter rally: 2025 in red, 2026 in blue, 2027 in black, and 2028 in green.

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Cupertino High School’s varsity girls soccer team played their first pre-season home game against Evergreen Valley High ...
12/08/2024

Cupertino High School’s varsity girls soccer team played their first pre-season home game against Evergreen Valley High School on Thursday, Dec. 5. CHS ultimately lost 5-2.

The game was their second of the school year, following three weeks of training.

“I think we did pretty good, but that was our second game so there was a lot of disconnect which led to mistakes,” junior Pearl Lakhani said. “We were low energy first half and second half we picked it up which helped.”

The team’s official league season will begin on Jan. 3. 

“I am feeling confident in our upcoming season! We still need to learn how to work together and fix up our rust and build new skills but we are a tight knit team and I think that if we work hard we will do really good this season,” Lakhani said.

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Cupertino High School’s varsity boys soccer team claimed victory in their first pre-season home game on Wednesday, Dec. ...
12/08/2024

Cupertino High School’s varsity boys soccer team claimed victory in their first pre-season home game on Wednesday, Dec. 4, defeating Evergreen High School in a match with a final score of 5-1.

Senior and team captain Jerald Liang emphasized that this game demonstrated the team’s young talents and its ability to stay cohesive.

Said Liang, “We have a lot more passion and heart for the last year. The first game of the season, everyone really gave everything they had and was working hard.”

The team has many experienced players who competed in club soccer, enhancing their organization and positioning on the field.

Said junior Kartik Balu, “The team played pretty well on Wednesday, especially for our first game. We were solid defensively and played with the right intensity.”

Balu highlighted areas for growth, including improving player positioning, preventing injuries, fostering team chemistry, and countering opponent strategies.

The team’s official league season is set to begin on Jan. 7, and they aim to maintain their strong performance as they face more challenging opponents.

Photos by Laura Chen
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New podcast episode out NOW. Check us out on The Prospector podcast on Spotify for our exclusive interview with the FUHS...
12/06/2024

New podcast episode out NOW. Check us out on The Prospector podcast on Spotify for our exclusive interview with the FUHSD Board of Trustees!

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, students gathered in the quad to watch the yearly winter formal fashion show. The show featured re...
12/06/2024

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, students gathered in the quad to watch the yearly winter formal fashion show. The show featured representatives from each class, demonstrating what attendees to the upcoming dance, Moon River, should and should not wear, with tuxedos and dresses for appropriate wear, and tutus and jeans for inappropriate wear.

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Cupertino boys varsity basketball kicked off the season with their first home game against Evergreen Valley High School ...
12/06/2024

Cupertino boys varsity basketball kicked off the season with their first home game against Evergreen Valley High School on Saturday, Nov. 30. Throughout the game, CHS was unable to obtain a lead, ultimately ending in a tough loss of 49-36.

Senior and captain Houma Yoshimochi reflects on the team’s overall performance and touches on improvements to hone each players’ skills. Said Yoshimochi, “We just got to keep practicing. [...] We have six days of practice a week, but even outside of practice, we have to focus on what we can do [...], how we can improve as an individual.”

Despite the loss that CHS had faced, Yoshimochi is confident in his team’s ability to improve as a whole and believes in the potential that they harness. Said Yoshimochi, “I know we have more potential than we had two years ago, so I’m more excited because I know we can get better than who we are right now.”

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HEY TINO! APPLICATIONS TO THE PROSPECTOR FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR ARE OPEN! Apply at tinyurl.com/prospectorapplication25 🥳 The Prospector is a close-knit community where staffers learn all kinds of writing, photography, videography, graphic design, podcast, and other tools. Those who take journalism can attend national conventions learning from professional journalists, gain access to Adobe Suite, and collaborate with other local publications. APPLY NOW!

HEY TINO! Issue 3 of The Prospector is OUT NOW in all classrooms! Make sure to pick up a copy next week after your finals 🥳

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Check out for the hottest new episode ofThe Prospector’s Tino Hot Ones series, featuring Principal Schloss by staffer Aaron Luc. Visit The Prospector on YouTube or the link in our bio to watch 🔥

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The Prospector is the student-run newsmagazine and online publication at Cupertino High School in Cupertino, California. We develop and distribute nine print issues every year and regularly post articles and multimedia supplements here on our page, our website https://chsprospector.com/, and our Instagram @chs.prospector.