e The Epitaph
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Volume 62, Issue 4
Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014
February 6, 2025
Band marches in internationally televised 136th Rose Parade Burn said that the marching band performing in the Rose Parade was a wonderful way to conclude his final year of teaching.
Maya Dutt, Vivian Kim and Mackie Vu
M
embers of the marching band trek forward, breaths labored and steps heavy. The grandstands rise up ahead, and finally, they turn the corner, unveiling an unforgettable sight. The parade stretches out in front of them. Floats, marching bands and endless crowds carpet the city as far as the eye can see. TV cameras sweep over the band, and that is when they feel the magic of the Rose Parade. The Tournament of Roses Parade, held annually on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, was originally created to celebrate California’s good weather and blooming flowers, director of bands John Burn said. Now, it is one of the most famous parades in the world. This year, the band marched in the parade for the first time since 2018 and played a mashup of Spongebob’s “Best Day Ever” and U2’s “Beautiful Day,” Burn said. “I was very excited [when we were accepted] because I knew what a great experience it would be for the students,” Burn said. “We provided thousands of people on the parade route and millions more with joy, and they gave it back to us with their applause and smiling faces. There’s something really magical about that.” In addition to the 800,000 spectators that attended this year’s parade, major news networks also televised the event to millions around the world, Burn said. One of the most important parts of the parade is a 110 degree turn onto Colorado Avenue, nicknamed TV Corner because major news networks such as NBC and ABC set up video cameras to stream the parade live there, visual caption head Elad Zohar said. “It’s televised and one of those moments you [have] to get right,” Zohar said. “Traditionally, a 90 degree turn is easier for marchers to visualize whereas 110 degrees is a more unique angle. People are unfamiliar with it, and it takes more time to acclimate to that degree of turning.” The process to participate in the parade was competitive, and out of the hundreds of bands that applied worldwide, only 20 were selected to march, Burn said. The application consisted of a video of the band performing and a resume of the band, which were submitted a year in advance, Burn said. However, band members only had three rehearsals to prepare for the event, Zohar said. “A lot of [the rehearsals] had to do with maintaining the shape of the block as we travel: moving together, keeping our lines straight and not rushing the step size,” Zohar said. “We trained by walking laps for a while. We walked four miles one rehearsal just to prepare.” Drum major, junior Nora Steel said she looked forward to marching in the parade because it was a unique opportunity to perform at an event on an international scale. “It’s on another level because it’s such a large event,” Steel said. “Millions of people are watching it from TV and the grandstands. It’s an amazing opportunity not just to be in the Rose Parade but also to march down Disneyland.”
See Rose parade, page 3
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Slaves to the land of the free California prisoners are abused, underpaid
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Chinese department hosts first C-Night
Event aims to celebrate Lunar New Year, share Chinese culture Sachin Chandran, Ethan Xue and Alan Zhang The Chinese department hosted its first Chinese Cultural Night, or C-Night, on Jan. 24 in collaboration with the National Chinese Honor Society, Chinese teacher Vivian Ju said. The event aimed to celebrate Lunar New Year and promote both Chinese culture and the Chinese department, Ju said. The event featured a wide variety of cultural activities, including student performances, origami, shuttlecock and Chinese checkers, Ju said. These events provided students with the opportunity to learn about and connect with Chinese traditions, she added. C-Night was initially proposed in early 2024, shortly after the near-termination of the Chinese program, NCHS activities director, senior Lindsay Cao said. C-Night was modeled after Japanese Night, which had similar goals of cultural exchange through activities, Cao said. “I was able to see the Chinese community and parents come together after we almost lost the Chinese program,” Cao said. “I was like: ‘Our community is really big. What if we could have [an event] to better establish Chinese culture at HHS?’” One of the Chinese department’s biggest partners in making C-Night a reality was NCHS, which contributed to the planning and entertainment of the event, sophomore Naveen Badrinath said. “There were NCHS members that volunteered to help host the event, and NCHS had several tables that they hosted to lead fun activities for people,” Badrinath, an MC at C-Night, said. “They did a lot of [organization] with other clubs, and I think they were really important overall in planning C-Night.”
See C-Night, page 2
Photo by CatherinePhoto Yangby Ethan Xue
C-Night showcased aspects of Chinese culture through performances and presentations, Badrinath said.
Photos courtesy of Jim Zumsteg
Sophomore carves out time for passion Self-taught woodworker talks hobby, business
Photo courtesy of Jim Zumsteg
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Bad Bunny hops genres in new album New album mixes urban and traditional styles
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PE dance offers unique fitness course alternative Students learn, perform various dance forms
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