Cupertino Has Really Changed

We went to Cupertino for the Independence Day fireworks.  Quick drive through town showed some of the changes in Cupertino.  The big one is Apple relocating to close to where we use to live, on Tantau.  There is also a new building behind IHOP.  And then the high school has a whole different look.

Pruneridge Ave. is blocked for Apple Construction.  Preparation being cone now.

The building

New building behind IHOP

Cupertino High School

New cafeteria and administration

Our old house is looking the same; roses are doing well

2013 Concerts: Starz on Stage, Cupertino Choir

Sheri helps backstage with Starz on Stage.  As such I attended the concerts.  Starz is a youth jazz dance group.  All my kids, excepting Natalia and Tony have had there turn in Starz on Stage.  They are directed by Teri Wardle Slaugh.  I stayed with Sheri after work to watch the show May 10.
In this show, the boys stole the show.  There was also a song from the young girls that was cute, "If you like it, you should put a ring on it."  It was a fun evening with seeing many old friends, The Baliguats, the Sepulvedas, and Vern and Karen and Ben and Teri and Bishop Slaugh, Fonz Allen, and many others.  Teri always has nice snack bar and this year there were lots of cookies.
Last night we attended the Spring Choir Show at Cupertino High School.  It started with the beginning women's choir Catabile.  The only thing I remember about them is how short their dresses were.  There "I enjoy being a girl" was cute.
They were followed by the men, who I felt did an excellent job interpreting a Beatles anthology.  "A Hard Day's Night" was very enjoyable, and I love "Yesterday."  They did a well deserved encore of "Twist and Shout."
The older women, Cantos, presented Sister Act.  They wore habits except the last couple songs when the wore short short.
Capella present Les Miserables.  They also did this Jeremy's senior year, and I think the fell short.  It was fun hearing Scott Dye with a baritone voice.  I was really impressed with "Bring Him Home" soloist Takuma.  "One Day More" seemed a little too difficult with many people singing solos and mixing them with the choir.  At any rate, it is hard to put the whole show into 25 minutes, which is what they did.  I would life liked to hear "Songs of Angry Men."
  Ashley Orton came and sat by us and she was able to visit with Sheri.  Nancy Orton, who wasn't there was mentioned as the costuming person even though her girls have graduated.

Mr. Aron for Teacher of the Decade

sorry, the pictures are from other concerts, but we had no camera last night

The Spring music concert is always a fun evening at Cupertino High School, and this year was no different.  The four choirs take part in a non formal entertainment, dawning costumes and dance steps.  They perform to recorded music without the voice track.  Two of me girls, Miranda and Charity, and I atended.  Caleb also wanted to be there, but had commitments he couldn't break, including his first official date.

The beginning women's choir, Cantible,  got things started.  Their soloist were very good.  They sang a set from Hairspray.  My only complaint is their costuming.  If they were singing songs from the 60s they should have dressed more modestly than they did.  Their costumes distracted from their music.

I must say the Men's Chorale (largest class at Cupertino High School) stole the show.  The sang a series of "Old and New Pop."  Their dance numbers were the cutest.  There was one choir member, whole wowed the crowd with his butt shaking.  It was very fun.  But the best part of their set was when they turned serious and melancholy with a two song set from, "Plain White Tee's."  The sang "Hey there Delilah" and "1-2-3-4."  I was totally convinced that each of those young men had a love someplace in the world they were singing to.  This is a stretch for me, but I even enjoyed the rap song they sang, "Billionaire."

We were pleased to hear a quintet not in the program sing, "Send it On."  The vocalist did a very good job and it was very pleasing to listen to.  They projected well, and it seemed a present for the graduating seniors.
 
The advanced women's choir, Cantos, sang a set of songs which had been part of "Glee."   They too sang a more mellow song, "Like a Prayer," which was very moving.  The dancing was most enjoyable for a Madonna song, "Vogue."  The young women were really in character.  The used glow sticks effectively for their last number, "Firework."  When they spun the lights in circles it created an eerie effect.

Capella did a set from "Grease."  They of course had the best vocals, singing more intricate harmonies, and reaching the farthest.  Their men's only and women's only pieces :Hopelessly Devoted" and "Greased Lightning" were not my favorite.  Their set was slowed up with too many costume changes, and too much dialogue (to facilitate the costume changes.)  The singing and dance moves for "Hand Jive" were very intricate and entertaining.  Their last number, "We go Together," was also very good.  It had lots of energy and lots of intricate vocals.


The evening included tributes and honoring of the seniors.  Had we not moved, Miranda would have been on stage and honored as a four-year senior.

The evening then ended with a traditional song for Mr Aron, "Seasons of Love" from Rent.  My girls, Charity and Miranda, who were with me, sang with the choir.  It was fun to watch as many of the choir members were in tear and could not sing.

It was a bitter sweet moment for me.  This is the first choir concert that Mr. Aron conducted at Cupertino that I did not have a child in the game.  If I am not mistaken, that is eleven years.  Natalia was already in the choir when Mr. Aron took over.  In fact, she sang many solos her senior year, and received the first vocal music award Mr. Aron gave out at he school.  There have been four concerts every year, Debut, Winter, Classical and Spring.  There have been other performances such as baccalaureate and graduation.  That means I have attended close to 50 concerts,with my children singing.  This was the first without, and it felt different.

The evening then ended with the choir members chanting, Mr. Aron, Mr. Aron, Mr Aron... as a tribute.  It is amazing how a good man, doing his best, can influence for good so many people.  Mr. Aron has had hundreds of students each year, and I know most of them will say they are better people for the experience.

The past decade has been fun.  I know, having choir as a place of refuge, has kept my children going to school, and even enjoying it at times.  Miranda, as we drove away, talked about how choir was a life saver for her.  I so I say, "Mr. Aron for teacher of the decade." 

Racket Sports Make You Smart

I attended the Cupertino High School Winter sports awards with Charity after her Senior year of gymnastics.  She was captain of the gymnastics team that had gone to the CCS (for those outside of California that is like gong to State) Championships for two years in a row, after not having qualified for a couple of decades.  They were not he best team at CCS, but they were there.
Charity was never a club gymnast, and schools like Saint Francis which could field entire squads, and alternates with club gymnast would compete for the championship.  Charity would practice during the gymnastics season with the other girls, and she improved from year to year.  But a superstar she was not.  She did have fun.
I was proud of Charity and her accomplishments.  She had been Captain of the varsity for two years, and the JV team for one year.  At the ceremony they would present each team, and then they would honor the scholar athletes.
Some of the gymnasts were also scholar athletes.  However when the badminton team was presented, a very large squad at Cupertino High School, it seems they were all student scholars.  Mighty impressive.  The only thing that was just as equally impressive was the tennis team.
After seeing so many scholars on both the badminton and the tennis teams I could only draw one conclusion, racket sports make you smart.  I don't know what it is about swinging a racket at a ball, or a birdie that increases the brain's capability.  There was no other way to explain it.
I have mentioned this to Miranda, telling her she should get into racket sports as her GPA would increase.  She was come up with other excuses.  For example a high percentage of students participating in racket sports are Asian. However the school were my children attend has a high percentage of Asian students in all sports, and it didn't help the wrestling team or basketball teams.  I think gyms that stink of sweat, might have the opposite effect, but i have done no personal observation of this.
I went to the local school to hit the tennis ball against the rebounding wall they have there.  Miranda went with me and insisted on having a turn.  I think in that five minutes Miranda increased he brain power more than she has in reading any book, or studying any algebra equation.
Because I saw all the kids, young men and young women, who participated in racket sports, and most if not all were scholar athletes, so I must conclude--RACKET SPORTS MAKE YOU SMART.
http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/06/badminton-a-game-of-fitness-and-smartness/

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/07/31/olympic-sports-ping-pong-badminton-give-brain-boost/