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The Homestead Epitaph is a five decade old institution of the student press. We are a student run publication without administrative prior review, and have fought for free speech in the supreme court. The Epitaph has won numerous Gold and Silver Crown awards, and the Scholastic Press Freedom Award. The Epitaph welcomes all letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions. Lett

ers should be limited to 300 words. Please send any articles to [email protected] or drop them off in C105. Include contact information. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at hhsepitaph.

The Epitaph investigates Schoology Scraper, an online website displaying district profiles, exploring its creation, stor...
03/20/2026

The Epitaph investigates Schoology Scraper, an online website displaying district profiles, exploring its creation, story and impact on the community.

Read the full story at hhsepitaph.com

Marking the end of the 2026 Battle of the Classes spirit week, the BOTC rally begins in the large gym on Friday featurin...
03/16/2026

Marking the end of the 2026 Battle of the Classes spirit week, the BOTC rally begins in the large gym on Friday featuring games and performances of dance teams on campus,

Junior class cabinet member, junior, Sophie Enders () said that the rally featured games such as mattress races, basketball and performances from the senior BOTC team as well as the cheer team and dance team.

Apart from games in the rally and in hopes of boosting school spirit, Enders said ASB curated a cohesive color palette for all students to dress according to their respective class colors prior to the rally.

“I’m really excited for the rally,” Enders said. “I think the juniors are really happy with [their] color, so I’m just really excited to see how it goes, and to see the winner of the BOTC.”

Attendee, sophomore Roshan Dileep () said the games of the rally were enjoyable to watch.

“The rally was super fun,” Dileep said. “I really enjoyed the games like the mattress slide one because it was really fun to [watch] since one of my friends was in it.”

One of the performers in the senior BOTC dance, senior Gabriel Nelson said that although the senior team did not extensively prepare prior to the rally, performing with friends was a fun and unique experience.

“I have never performed in a rally before, so it was nice to have participated in that and have the spotlight on the group I’m in,” Nelson said.

Post by Annika Abraham (), Isabela Guilardi (.guilardi) and Olivia Levesque Ouellette (.wallet)

Seniors showed off their best moves at brunch, and proved victorious in a color-matching, cup-stacking and bottle-flippi...
03/14/2026

Seniors showed off their best moves at brunch, and proved victorious in a color-matching, cup-stacking and bottle-flipping competition at lunch, during day four of the Battle of the Classes on Thursday.

Performer, senior Gabriel Nelson () said he thought the dance performance was a vibrant opportunity for the senior class to indulge in their dancing interests.

“It’s just fun in general. This is an opportunity for people to dance without the pressure of needing to practice really hard or needing to be really good at dancing,” Nelson said. “You realize that while there’s a lot of people in front of the stage, it’s not the entire school and nobody’s gonna remember it.”

ASB social manager and one of the team members responsible for planning this event, sophomore Beatrice Lee () was satisfied with the results of the senior dance, as well as the energy and hard work performers put in to make the event possible. 

“I’ve always loved spirit days. I’ve been in leadership since middle school, and I just love the time when you can wear whatever. It’s super fun,” Lee said. 

Sophomore powderpuff team head coach, sophomore Eitan Saban () said spirit week is a good way to rekindle school spirit and  make students feel excited to go to school.

“My favorite part of BOTC week is seeing the spirit. I love seeing the dances and where it really brings everyone together,” Saban said. “It just makes our school a lot more of a fun environment.”

Moving forward, Lee hopes ASB can make spirit week even more interactive and strengthen senses of camaraderie and community on campus.

“For the spirit days that people might [find] hard to dress up for, we will give everyone a color that they can wear, instead of dressing up for that day that way,” Lee said. “Everyone’s more connected [and] it’s so much fun dressing up in things that you wouldn’t normally wear.”

Post by Alicia Liste, Danielle Feldsher (.feldsher) and Ethan Tan ()

As flag football games and dance performances take place under the blazing sun, students across all grades come to enjoy...
03/11/2026

As flag football games and dance performances take place under the blazing sun, students across all grades come to enjoy the Battle of the Classes and show off their school spirit by wearing jerseys, on Monday. 

In preparation for the annual BOTC spirit week, ASB class officer teams discussed possible themes for each day earlier in the school year and came early to decorate the campus with streamers, chalk and posters on Monday, ASB social manager, sophomore Beatrice Lee () said. 

“We wanted [today’s theme] to be easy to dress up for, but also a little unique,” Lee said. “We decided to do jersey day [today] because it’s one that everyone in the leadership class felt pretty passionate about.”

Freshman dance team co-captain, freshman Tabitha Anderson () said after two weeks of hard work choosing choreography, music and practice, the freshman BOTC dance team took to the stage to present their work. 

“Because of the time crunch, it was definitely hard for people to remember their formations and remember every detail, but we all got the [choreography] down and it looked pretty good,” Anderson said. “For my personal performance, I felt it was really good and my facials were really good. I [am] really proud of everyone for the work they put in.” 

Head coach, sophomore Eitan Saban () praised the sophomore flag football team despite having injured team members and being unable to score for the majority of the game. 

“I really wish our defense would have put more points on the board, and we didn’t get a single point until overtime, so it really wasn’t what we were looking for,” Saban said. “I love all my players, they put in so much work and I’m so proud of this team. We were communicating well, we overcame the haters and it was just beautiful.” 

Post by Natasha Bandil (), Selina Wang (.wanggg) and Kaylin Yi (.kaylin)

Vibrant fabrics twirl with a backdrop of shimmering lights as dancers showcase Indian culture and dancing at Indopak’s S...
03/10/2026

Vibrant fabrics twirl with a backdrop of shimmering lights as dancers showcase Indian culture and dancing at Indopak’s Sapnay on Saturday. 

As the event involved multiple dance teams in the area, Sapnay required extensive planning to connect all the participating dance teams successfully, Indopak co-president, junior Samik Thakur () said. Overall, Thakur said the event was successful, especially considering some adaptations to this year’s program.

“I would say the night went surprisingly well considering that there weren’t as many teams compared to last year,” Thakur said. “I feel like we did a really good job filling in those time gaps with games, like musical chairs.”

Prior to Sapnay, Classical team captain, junior Niki Lakhani (.lakhaniiii), who dances a style known as Kathak, said the preparation process for her group was highly collaborative. The group had met weekly since October, and much thought went into each aspect, ranging from choreography to outfits, Lakhani said.

“We choreographed song by song, we finished our choreography about a month ago, and we’ve just been practicing since then,” Lakhani said. “People were really nervous beforehand, but I’m really proud of everyone. It turned out really well.”

First-time attendee, junior Maya Power () enjoyed the diversity each performance carried and seeing the mix of people who attended.

“I came to watch because a lot of my friends were performing and a lot of them are officers in Indopak as well,” Power said. “I loved the different song remixes and the different costumes and colors. It was super fun [and] overall, very lively performances.”

Though performing required commitment and time, Raas performer, freshman Medhani Urs () said seeing the crowd’s positive reception was especially gratifying.

“I’m seeing a lot of schools that I haven’t seen before, and since this is my first Sapnay, it was a new experience for me,” Urs said. “I really enjoyed all the dances, the music and everything.” 

Post by Amanda Boles (.pandaa), Aashka Nagarkar () and Malar Raguraman ()

Seniors and parents gather in the auditorium to learn about community college and other opportunities for post-secondary...
03/07/2026

Seniors and parents gather in the auditorium to learn about community college and other opportunities for post-secondary schooling at the Community College Information Night hosted by the College and Career Center on Tuesday.

Attending community college Information Night was a great way to find any underlying details about going to community college that may not be obvious, an attending senior, Selene Bruyere (.bruyere) said.

“I just haven’t decided what I want to do later, so I hope that the two years that I want to take at community college will give me more time to figure that out,” Bruyere said.

Seniors attending the event also found that it provided reassurance to people considering attending community college, senior Isabel Pacheco () said.

“I’m a bit stressed out about applying to community college so this [event] gives me a lot more peace of mind of what I should do,” Pacheco said. “[Community college] is a good starting step to college without the pressure of a four year [university].”

To better support students’ choices and future planning, the event also covered California state colleges, the UC system and private schools, but it was mostly centered around community colleges and their advantages as compared to other pathways, college and career adviser Shay Bellamy said.

“Community college is becoming popular in our community because students are seeing the benefits of being able to obtain degrees while also staying close to home,” Bellamy said. “Students need to know that there are other options out there, since not every student is the same type.”

Post by Elina Li, Krist Ferreria () and Chloe Wang (). 

After alternating wins and losses in the first four sets, varsity boys volleyball loses the last set 10-15 to Prospect H...
03/04/2026

After alternating wins and losses in the first four sets, varsity boys volleyball loses the last set 10-15 to Prospect High School, ending their second game of the season with an overall score of 3-2 on Friday. 

Though the result of the game was disappointing, the team hopes to take it as a training opportunity to learn and improve, setter, junior Omer Zohar () said.

“I think you’ve got to find the silver lining, which is that we came here and we improved,” Zohar said. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as failure in sports. I think every time [you play], you improve [and] that’s a small win.”

Zohar said he hopes that one thing his team members take away from this game is the importance of communication and teamwork on the court.

“I think there were moments that we could have done better,” Zohar said.“ There were moments where we were too quiet, moments where we weren’t communicating properly, but I think [we are] improving and that’s what matters.”

Moving forward, the team needs to work on building up endurance so they can do their best in the next game, assistant coach Hannah Royappa said.

“We tried some new lineups today, so I’m proud with how the boys did,” Royappa said. “We just have to work on our stamina [because] we get tired really easily.” 

As the season progresses, outside hitter, sophomore Shourya Batra () hopes the team will be able to find morale and rally in tough moments.

“There was a section in the game where we were down six points, and intensity was low and everyone’s heads were low,” Batra said. “I think as a team, if we can bring the intensity up, even when we’re down points, then we can win any game.”

Post by Natasha Bandil (), Elina Li and Kaylin Yi (.kaylin)

Varsity baseball adds another tally to the loss column and moves to 0-2 after a devastating loss against the Leigh Leopa...
03/01/2026

Varsity baseball adds another tally to the loss column and moves to 0-2 after a devastating loss against the Leigh Leopards on Friday.

Pitcher, freshman Connor Donahue (.dony7) recorded five walks, one strikeout, gave up eight hits and six earned runs in his first ever outing in varsity and said he was feeling very emotional during the game.

“My emotions before the start [of the game were] a bit anxious, but I was very excited during the game,” Donahue said. “I was trying to keep it together and next time what I should be doing better is finding the [strike] zone.”

After a tough first appearance on the varsity team, Donahue hopes to bounce back and learn from this loss for his next pitching appearance.

“I’ll improve by finding my command and control [while pitching],” Donahue said. “So more repetition, more practice and getting used to the varsity level.”

The Mustangs had opportunities to get outs on defense but they could not do so and they hope to improve on it, catcher, sophomore Joshua Fraleigh (.fraleigh) said.

“In practice [and] in our bullpens, [we] will work on spotting up more and throwing more strikes,” Fraleigh said. “I think that was the big emphasis of our meeting after the game, was [that] we need [to] throw more strikes and then we can be more competitive.”

Fraleigh added that pushing forward as the season goes along as well as more practice is important.

“I’m just going to keep the same mentality in the [batter’s] box, but I [also] let a few balls pass me as a catcher, so I’m going to work on just keeping the ball in front of me,” Fraleigh said. “But I feel good about this season [and] I think we got a lot of good players and we have a chance to do good.”

Though a hard loss, there are still positive plays to add on to the next game, shortstop, senior Drew Hamburger (.burger) said.

“As long as we take the good [offensive plays] from this game and have the right approach every time we step up to bat, it will be a quality [play],” Hamburger said. “And that’s all we can ask for [our] next game.”

Post by Krist Ferreria (), Ivy Guo () and Ethan Xue ()

Laughter and friendly smiles light up the art classroom on Wednesday as artists share their own creations, exchange comp...
03/01/2026

Laughter and friendly smiles light up the art classroom on Wednesday as artists share their own creations, exchange compliments and receive constructive criticism at February’s art club peer review. 

Art club officers decided to hold this event to help lesser-known artists on campus get inspiration for many types of art styles, treasurer, junior Berwen Xu () said.

“A lot of art kids are afraid of showing off their art,” Xu said. “[They feel] like  ‘Am I too egotistical for showing this off?’ And [this event] gives them a reason and a less embarrassing way to get feedback.”

External activities director, senior Misha Ranjan () said that the event is a great way to meet new people, have out-of-class interactions and bond with other students over art.

“[The art club officers] wanted to create a space for people to share art that you would otherwise not see, because a lot of the art we make is not inside the classroom,” Ranjan said.

An attendee, junior Silver Yuan said they bonded with new artists, sharing portfolios with each other and receiving compliments.

“I wanted to see other people’s artwork, mostly because it’s also near [AP art] portfolio season, and we’re all trying to get everything together,” said Yuan. “It’s nice to see other people’s stuff, what they’re working on, and then maybe get some feedback.”

After holding a successful January art club peer review, Ranjan expressed her excitement for seeing new types of art at this month’s event. 

“I can definitely tell that people have certain styles [of art] and that they’re experimenting,” Ranjan said. “It’s cool, because then I also associate the creative works that this person makes with them. So overall, I really enjoyed [the event].” 

Post by Emma Chang (.n.chang), Ivy Guo () and Yichen Yao ()

club

With many friends and family coming out to support the players, varsity girls basketball’s senior night on Friday celebr...
02/19/2026

With many friends and family coming out to support the players, varsity girls basketball’s senior night on Friday celebrates the seniors’ accomplishments throughout the season.

Head varsity coach, Megan Fong, explained that she had a different game plan for the game against Saratoga and made sure that the seniors got to enjoy their last game.

“I’m really big on senior night, that I let the seniors play the whole night as long as they can, so we knew that coming into the game. Last time we played Saratoga, it was a close game,” Fong said. “It [was] closer than we would have liked so everyone was really amped up for this game and wanted to come out really big with a big showing.”

Over the years, Fong said she got to watch the seniors grow, and this final game was a showcase of the skills they’ve learned.

“In the beginning, they were very timid and were not sure what kind of player they wanted to be and I think now they all have their very unique styles and shine at their own specific things,” Fong said.

Abalos said driving with the girls while listening to music and vibing were some of her favorite memories with the seniors. Being with the seniors felt very effortless since they took everyone under their wing, Abalos said.

“[During my years on JV], they were easy to watch on the court, and whenever they’re on the court with me, I feel so safe and that I can easily rely on them, because they’re [some] of my best friends too,” Abalos said.

Power forward, captain and senior Vedhikaa Medampalli () said she enjoyed her time on the team and will miss the experience of playing competitively.

“I’s true what they say about the four years,” Medampalli said. “They go by really fast and this is the last time I will ever play basketball. So it’s a little bit heartbreaking [and] bittersweet, because it’s an end of an era.”

Post by Kanmani Raguraman (.r_2029), Julia Song and Saachi Nangare (.nangare).

night

02/17/2026

Caption: NEWS — A Choir students visit classrooms for Singing Valentines on Thursday Feb. 12.

Reporting by Sachin Chandran () and Ethan Xue ()
Edited by Jason Lai (.llai)

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