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THE
December 2025 VOLUME XLII ISSUE III
MHSTHEUNION.COM FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
STUDENT VOICE OF MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program suspensions lead users to seek other assistance By Harold Hong
With the recent government shutdown ending on Nov. 12, food stamps and other federal assistance have resumed. This shutdown has put a spotlight on federal assistance, specifically on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — dubbed CalFresh in California. As of May 2025, a recorded 41.7 million people in the United States receive SNAP benefits, according to the Pew Research Center article “What the data says about food stamps in the U.S.” Senior and SNAP user Adriana Vazquez gets welfare checks through the government, and has a card that gets money every Thursday, she said. Vazquez isn’t aware of any other students who rely on programs like SNAP, but knows students who do financially struggle, she said. “I haven’t sought help from food
pantries, but I know some students do seek that, and I think it’s very thoughtful that we have programs in place to help students and families,” Vazquez said.
In a recent survey conducted by The Union, 44 of 749 (5.9%) Milpitas High School students reported relying on SNAP or other federal food assistance programs. Vazquez’s family did not receive any checks for a while because of the government shutdown, she said. “I started using my paychecks from my job to help my mom pay the bills as well as groceries,”
Vazquez said. “She did tell me at some point she needed $200 to pay back something, and I gave her that money.” MHS needs a program that allows students to get more resources, Vazquez said. Vazquez knows some low-income students who are academically failing because of their home life and attempts to balance it with school, she said. “I feel like it (a school benefit program) could help students find jobs and find places where they can get income,” Vazquez said. “They (students) can start babysitting, pet sitting, applying to places as soon as they can, and also just making sure that they feel safe, they have what they need, especially if they feel like SNAP isn’t covering what they need.” Sacred Heart Community SerSEE PAGE 16
Marie De Vré | THE UNION The Accompaniment Coordinator at Rapid Response Network provides resources through a slideshow presentation to families at the Know Your Rights workshop on Nov. 20, 2025.
District policies align with statewide legislation to protect immigrant students, district states By Marie De Vré
Uyen Vu | THE UNION
The Milpitas Food Pantry is a non-profit organization that relies on community donations, like through MUSD’s Jack Emery.
Automatic admission into California State Universities changes college application strategies, opportunities By Satvika Gidvani
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 640 into law, expanding the CSU’s Direct Admissions Program to school directs across California. The California State University will make an offer of admission to certain campuses as long as the student meets certain academic standards, according to the CSU’s website. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, with full statewide participation beginning for fall 2027 applicants, according to CSU website. In order to receive an official offer of acceptance from a campus, students will still need to submit an application and pay the $70 fee, according to the CSU
website. Milpitas High School juniors may soon find the college process less stressful thanks to the new CSUdirect admissions program launching next year, counselor Julie Cler said. All school districts are supposed to use californiacolleges. edu for student transcripts, so the state of California can see which students are qualified to go to a CSU, Cler said. “The CSUs will send you an email or a physical mail saying they are offering you a spot,” Cler said. “It states that if you apply, you will get in, but you still have to apply.” The program evaluates the eligibility using uploaded student transcripts and GPA data, begin-
ning with the 2.5 minimum GPA requirement, Cler said. “Since transcripts are uploaded into californiacolleges.edu, the state can see which students qualify for a CSU based on their academic records,” Cler added.
If you are eligible for the program, all 16 CSUs will contact you, saying you will get accepted, counselor Julie Cler said.
SEE PAGE 16
In response to community concern regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the district is working to inform the immigrant community of their rights through Know Your Rights workshops, Supervisor of Wellbeing and Immigrant Support Norma Morales said. She began planning Know Your Rights workshops last school year, she said. Last year, students, especially Latino students, stopped showing up to school out of fear of ICE activity, Morales said. The fear among students and their families sparked the idea to hold Know Your Rights workshops, she said. Morales received questions from students asking how to protect themselves and their families, so she wanted them to know their rights, she added. “The reason why it’s important to teach our students is just because they remember more than an adult, and they have more time,” Morales said. “And most of the time, these students might be translating for their adult parents.” Now that students are more aware of their rights, the workshops have started teaching about a Family Plan, Morales said. The Family Plan is meant to prepare students if a family member is detained, ensuring that paperwork and legal documents are prepared, Morales said. “Sometimes you just don’t think, ‘If they take my mom and I don’t have a dad, or vice versa, who’s going take care of me?’” she said. “So that’s when you want to be proactive, just doing it right now and writing it down.” The district hires lawyers to keep watch on new legislation that affects the district’s ability to provide students with public education, MUSD Board President Chris Norwood said. The superintendent, as well as the school
board’s president and vice president, are notified of how these new laws will be enforced before the information is sent directly to school sites, he said. “The goal here is to inform and at the same time keep as many families safe as possible,” Norwood said. There is always concern based on what’s being reported in the news, so the district is always providing information to school sites about their protocol if ICE is spotted in the area, Norwood said. “We are in a constant state of alert or awareness that that could be a possibility, and we have to be prepared to respond,” he said. All of the new immigration policies passed in California are designed to protect its residents who may be subject to this current federal administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, Norwood said. MUSD SEE PAGE 16
NEWS IN BRIEF New MHS App:
The Techways Club created an app where students and staff can find all school resources. Right now, the app is on iOS, and an Android version is coming out soon. Search “MHS Trojans” to download.
Finals Schedule: 12/17 - 1st and 2nd Period 12/18 - 3rd and 4th Period 12/19 - 5th and 6th Period 8:30 am - 10:30 am Break: 10:30 am - 10:45 am 10:50 - 12:50 pm Spring semester starts on Tuesday, Jan. 6