Students attend Feb. 9 District Board Meeting about football lights

On Feb. 9, students gathered at the District Office for the biweekly FUHSD Board of Trustees meeting in support of having football lights installed on the  upper field.  The support came in response to neighbors’ opposition at the Jan. 25 board meeting, where neighbors of MVHS spoke against the installation of lights.

Senior Catherine Shieh represented the student body at the meeting, following a Lynbrook representative who also advocated for football lights at his campus, stating, "There is magic in a high school football game that the…community needs and deserves."
   
In the three-minute slot she was given to present her argument, Shieh drew upon her personal experience as a four-year member of the track and field team. 

"Over the past four years [as a track and field member], I have yet to race on our track, let alone practice, because of high injury risks as a hurdler and safety issues when it gets dark," Shieh said to the board.

Currently, home football games are hosted at Cupertino High School, which in total hosts three different high schools’ home games.

"I’ve never stopped wishing to host a true home football game and find it disheartening that we have to play as the ‘home’ team at a school that we cannot call our own," Shieh said.

Approximately 20 students attended the meeting, and additional student support came in the form of 914 student and community member signatures collected primarily over two days on a student-organized petition, led by Shieh.

After Shieh spoke, a parent of alumni spoke against the installation of the football lights, due to concerns about spill light, specifically light that goes over into neighbors’ houses.

Although students who attended the meeting expressed concern afterward, there was optimism present.

"I thought his argument didn’t hold up to ours," junior Tracy Zhang said.  "Plus, it’s like 30 people living around [MVHS] versus a 2700-person student body." 

The Board of Trustees will take into account the arguments presented when making their decision.

Check back at elestoque.org for more updates on this issue.