5 FEATURE
OPINION
CLAUDINE GAY RESIGNATION
THE VOL. 59, NO. 5
9 CENTERSPREAD
DHTH: LANTERNS
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
By the NumbeRs: Digital standardized testing
“I prefer digital testing because it is easier to prevent cheating, and digital testing can also save paper that can be used for other things such as worksheets." — Evan Cai, 10
By Anandita Devata, Shuhan Jin, Michael Qu & Lucas Zhang Beginning in spring 2024, College Board will switch all SAT assessments from paper-and-pencil to a digital format, following a larger trend of an increasing online presence in education. From January 13 to January 17, the Smoke Signal conducted a schoolwide student survey with 138 responses and interviewed students and faculty to gain insight into the transition from paper to digital testing and its benefits and shortcomings.
background When the coronavirus pandemic began in 2019, numerous fields, including education, started to switch to a predominantly online setting. After a couple of years of meeting through platforms like Zoom and Google Meet, many teachers and students noticed the flexibility of conducting tests online and have integrated digital methods into their curriculum despite the return to in-person school. According to nation-wide surveys conducted by Bay View Analytics in 2018 and 2022, 67% of instructors reported requiring students to use an online homework system in 2022, a increase compared to 37% in 2018. Following nearly two years of distance learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Tokyo Academics, College Board issued a pilot project in which the organization administered the digital SAT to a select group of students in exchange for gift cards starting in 2021. In January 2022, the organization announced that the SAT and PSAT would officially switch to a new digital format soon. The first wave began in 2023, with the SAT administered digitally to international students in the spring and the PSAT transitioning to an online format globally in the fall. Starting from 2024, all SAT tests, including those in the US, will
Opposition & Support The student body is divided on the general shift to digital testing, with a majority of 50.7% of the surveyed students preferring written tests while 18.1% prefer digital tests and 31.2% have no preference. “I prefer to stick to physical tests because digitally, there are always those errors that can happen — the internet can cut out and Chromebooks can shut down,” Sophomore Daojing Lin said. The student body’s opinions on the SAT align with the general preference for paper exams. 44.9%% of students would rather take the physical SAT while 26.1%% of students prefer the digital version. Many students pointed out a concern with looking at a screen for two hours, stating that the strain made it more difficult to pay attention. "Digital testing makes it easier to navigate long passages and makes my neck hurt less from looking down, but paper testing is easier on the eyes," Senior Alyssa Chen said. Despite the general unpopularity of the digital SAT, certain aspects of the change were well-received, with 78.3% of students believing the shortened passages in the reading and writing section would improve their test-taking ability. Additionally, 53.6% of students found that the provided online calculator would improve their overall performance. “The graphing calculator they give you can help solve almost everything in the math section and is easy to use,” Junior Ester “I would [support a switch to digital standardLeng ized tests] because ... a good high school is said. going to prepare you to be successful at the college you want to go to. ... I believe that in most situations, at least in core classes, we can say that the digital classroom is something that everyone should be accustomed to and acquainted with.” — Social Sciences Teacher Keith Kottenbach
"I took the PSAT digitally and the SAT on paper. I feel like it was easier for me to concentrate [on the SAT]. When I'm reading on paper, I'm a lot more used to it than reading things on a screen. For the PSAT, I feel like it was a lot quicker to pick answers and definiteily more fast-paced than the paper test." — Aliana Wang, 10
Paper Vs. Digital Tests In regards to the SAT, the digital version is a shorter assessment than the written one, only taking around two hours instead of three, and has fewer questions as well. The Reading section and the Writing and Language section have been combined, and the Math section no longer differentiates between no calculator and calculator parts since the testing window provides an online graphing calculator throughout the section. The Reading and Writing and Math sections have two modules each, and both modules for each subject include a mix of the same types of questions. One of the most controversial changes in the digital SAT is its adaptive nature. According to a statement from College Board, students’ answers to certain problems in the first module for a subject will determine the types of questions that will appear in the following module. “The paper test is probably more accurate in assessing all takers overall since everyone gets the same set of questions. With [the] digital [test], it didn’t seem like people earned their score, but [it felt] more like they were lucky that they got easier questions overall,” Leng said. In a broader sense, paper and digital tests have always had significant differences, not just in test organization. Switching to online tests affects question variety, students’ study habits, and overall student performance. In a 2015-16 study conducted by American Institutes for Research (AIR), AIR Researchers James Cowan and Ben Backes analyzed scores of Massachusetts students throughout the state during the first two years of switching to online testing. In these two years, about half of Massachusetts students took the state test Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) online, while the other half took the paper version. Cowan and Backes found that even with the same test content and environment, students taking the assessment digitally scored significantly lower than their peers who took the same test on paper. “The students who took the test online performed as if they’d had five fewer months of academic preparation in math and 11 fewer months of preparation in English,” an AIR researcher said. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for the results, Cowan and Backes believe the primary cause is due to the difficult transition into computer-based testing, as many students and teachers were more accustomed to traditional paper tests.
Motivation for the change According to an announcement from College Board, the results of its pilot digital SAT program showed that 80% of the participants were less stressed when they were taking the digital test compared to when they took the paper-and-pencil SAT. All educators involved in the program also reported a positive experience with the new test format. The results of College Board’s pilot program showed that the new version of the test is easier for educators to administer and is more accessible to a wider range of students due to the incorporation of accommodations like a screen reader and assistive technology software. Moreover, according to a Forbes article, SAT tutors from Ivy Tutors Network who have analyzed the digital exam stated that the questions on the new version of the test more accurately reflect texts and scenarios that students will encounter in college, making the digital assessment a better indicator of student performance in higher education. According to College Board, the adaptive nature of the digital test will make the PSAT and SAT more secure by adding variety in the questions that students get on their assessments, significantly lowering the chances of students cheating on the test. Also, on the traditional exam, if one test was compromised, College Board could have to cancel scores for an entire cluster of students, which is something that the digital test’s added layer of security will help prevent. College Board states that the increased relevance in the test content and the increased security provided by the adaptive nature of the new test are some of their primary motivations behind the SAT format switch. “I think the overall technological movement has prompted [College Board] to hop on the trend and make its process more efficient,” Senior Danielle Rayne Fermin said. Following the trial run, College Board began administering digital versions of the SAT and PSAT assessments internationally starting in March 2023. The organization then started changing its tests to be digital within the US as well, beginning with the PSAT 8/9 for eighth and ninth graders and the PSAT/ NMSQT in the fall of 2023 and leading up to the SAT in Spring 2024.
how much of an increase in digital which version of the sat do you prefer? testing have you seen in your classes 19.6% over the past 26.1% few years? 5.8% 44.9%
47.8% 26.8%
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“I don’t think [the digital SAT is] equitable for the vast majority of the country. The kids in our district have a pretty good access to laptop and WiFi, but not every place has that.” — AP Coordinator Pete Vaz
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PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS
ORQUÍDEAS ALBUM REVIEW
Released weekly on Disney+, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an eight-episode TV show based on Rick Riordan's novel series of the same name. Read the Smoke Signal's review of the show on our website.
Released on January 12, ORQUÍDEAS is the upcoming fourth album by Colombian-American singer-songwriter Kali Uchis. The album will feature artists such as Peso Pluma and JT. Check out the Smoke Signal's review online.
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BRIEF Compiled by Anandita Devata, Tushara Devapatla & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers
LOCAL George Avalos / Bay Area News Group The food hall was opened by CloudKitchens, a virtual restaurant company owned by Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.
The Smoke Signal
Carrying on MLK’s Legacy: 24th Annual Stop The Violence Event PARTI’s MLK Stop The Violence Event featured workshops, speakers, and multicultural performances. By Maryam Naseer & Ethan Yan Staff Writers From 2-9 p.m. on January 13, the Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding Impact (PARTI) Program hosted the 24th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Stop The Violence Event at Napredak Hall in San Jose. Attracting many parents and students, the student-led program aimed to commemorate the life and legacy of MLK through youth leadership and civic training, speeches from community leaders, and a talent show.
San Jose’s Downtown Food Hall provides central hub for to-go orders. On January 19, San Jose’s Downtown Food Hall was opened at 82 East Santa Clara Street. While development of the hall was not spoken about to the public, opening day was available for residents to stop by. “At San Jose’s Downtown Food Hall, our mission is to become your go-to spot for to-go meals,” the hall’s website said. “From online web ordering to touchscreen kiosks, we make it easy to order from our 20+ partner restaurants.”
National Kenny Holston / The New York Times Despite opposition from several conservative lawmakers, the spending bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers.
Congress passes spending bill to avoid government shutdown On January 18, Congress passed a measure that extends government funding to the beginning of March, averting a potential partial-shutdown one day before existing funding was set to run out. Legislators worked to reach a consensus on budgetary matters, ensuring the continued operation of federal programs including child welfare services and environmental inspections. “It’s precisely what Americans want to see — both sides working together ... No chaos, no spectacle, no shutdown,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said to fellow senators.
INTERNATIONAL Korean Central News Agency via Reuters Tensions continue to rise between North Korea and US allies.
North Korea tests underwater weapons system amidst rising regional tensions On January 19, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) announced in a press release that it had conducted a test of an underwater nuclear weapons system. North Korea reported that their recent weapons test came as a response to a joint naval exercise between the US, South Korea, and Japan from January 15-17. “We strongly denounce the U.S. and its followers for their reckless acts of seriously threatening the security of the DPRK from the outset of the year,” the Ministry of National Defense of the DPRK said in a press release.
corrections for the DEC. 15, 2023 issue News Pg. 1: StarStruck should be capitalized as such. News Pg. 1: Dianne Holmes is misspelled. News Pg. 1: Lilia ten Bosch should be written as such. A&E Pg. 15: The Boy and the Heron released on December 8. A&E Pg. 15: “Youth (YUNHO, MINGI)” is misspelled. A&E Pg. 15: Lia Le-Nguyen should be written as such. A&E Pg. 17: Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is already the highest-grossing musical tour in history. Sports Pg. 18: Larry Nassar was convicted in 2017. Sports Pg. 18: the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology is misspelled. Sports Pg. 19: 21% of professional women athletes experience sexual abuse as a child in sports. Graphics Pg. 20: Pocha K is located at 39055 Cedar Blvd.
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The PARTI Program, the largest student-led organization in the Bay Area, aims to provide engaging education for youth that promote racial equity, cultural awareness, and gender equality. Their leadership programs, with the help of partnerships, educate youth on finding their voice to make an impact on community issues. “Every year we host leadership courses [and] virtual cohorts, and we go into specific schools and do bullying prevention. We also do different classes on life skills, business skills, as well as getting experts in the community and bringing them out to
speak with students.” PARTI Leadership Director Christian Hampton said. Many civic leaders were present at the workshops that started the event, such as Santa Clara Council Member Kathy Watanabe, who attended the event for the past several years, and Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who gave remarks and inspired young leaders with their experiences. “The youth here are the future. They’re the people who will be up on stage who will be politicians who will own businesses, who will go forward and lead the world. Giving them an opportunity to find their leadership skills early sets them off on the right direction for understanding the greatness they’re capable of,” Hampton said. Beyond city officials, the event also showcased many speeches, such as one from keynote speaker Tesha McCord Poe. Poe is the CEO of Joy-Raising, a nonprofit fundraising consulting company that aims to combat diversity, equity, and inclusion issues within companies. In her speech, she stressed the importance of keeping MLK’s dream alive while also combatting intergenerational poverty. “I think we can get very complacent about what he fought for and what his generation marched for and take for granted that we have [rights],” Poe said. Joy-Raising has hosted many diversity-strengthening events in the past, such as The Space, an online conversation between people of color about their experiences in the workplace. They also offered courses such as The Relaunch, that unpacked how philanthropy programs can improve inclusivity. Following the speeches, several performers took to the stage. Among these were members of two groups under the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity from UC Los Angeles and the Univer-
sity of Southern California, respectively, who performed a step show, a dance that blends African folk traditions with pop culture. The subsequent series of model walks and energetic hip-hop dances featuring local students further excited the crowd. “It’s always exciting to see the energy on their faces, having performed and having shown what they’re capable of in front of a large group of people,” Hampton said.
Overall, the Stop The Violence Event inspired many to continue what MLK fought for. “The event creates cross-cultural and generational connections — It gets people out of their comfort zone, and uses it to galvanize others to create more opportunities, more activity, and more events,” PARTI Executive Director Winston Ashby said. ▪
“The event creates cross-cultural and generational connections — It gets people out of their comfort zone, and uses it to galvanize others to create more opportunities, more activity, and more events.”
-PARTI Executive Director Winston Ashby PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS MARYAM NASEER & ETHAN YAN
Bay Area Youth Orchestra brings together local orchestras for a benefit concert With over 500 musicians in attendance, the Bay Area Youth Orcehstra Festival invited five premier orchestras to perform for the first time in four years. By Padma Balaji & Catherine Qin Staff Writers On January 14, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) hosted the Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival (BAYOF) for the first time since 2020, featuring five prominent Bay Area youth orchestras — SFSYO, California Youth Symphony (CYS) Golden State Youth Orchestra (GSYO), Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra (OSYO), and Young People’s Symphony Orchestra (YPSO), in addition to the Festival Orchestra comprised of representatives from all five orchestras for an exquisite concert. Held in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, one of the most prestigious concert halls in the Bay Area, each orchestra showcased a piece from their season’s repertoire, with the Festival Orchestra preparing an additional piece of their own. Founded in 2009, BAYOF was originally dedicated to bringing young musicians together. The festival’s host later shifted to the San Francisco Symphony and the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, now featuring a unique array of Bay Area youth orchestras each year. The festival, which is held biannually in January, is also a benefit concert for National Poverty Awareness Month. Proceeds from the concert are split equally between all five orchestras, each of which chose a charity to donate to like Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, the beneficiary organization of CYS and a nonprofit focused on ending hunger insecurity. “The purpose of getting all these youth orchestras together [is] to do something that’s bigger than themselves,” Executive Director of YPSO Nadia Liu said. At 2 p.m., one hour before the concert began, the concert hall doors opened for at-
tendees, who purchased their tickets online before the concert with prices of $25 for general admission, $70 for reserved seating, and half price for people 17 years old and under. Friends and families rushed in to find their seats as they were surrounded by the world-faFinally, to end the performance, representamous acoustical architecture of the hall; above tives from each orchestra played “Danzón No. the stage were convex acrylic reflecting panels 2” by Arturo Márquez, a lively and strong piece. and fabric banners, both adjustable to modify Each orchestra shone out in its way, whether the acoustics for the orchestra and audience. through impressive solos or vibrant musicality. “[The festival] really builds character and a sense of belonging to the whole community of students. It enhances the experience of playing in individual orchestras … I hope [this experience will] continue to push everyone to continue working hard,” CYS Music Director Leo Eylar said. The wide range of repertoire was not only livening for the audience, but a reminder of the diverse range of orchestras and musiAt 3 p.m., Master of Ceremonies Wendy cians that came together to make the festival Tokuda came to the stage to introduce the happen. “It was interesting to get to hear other youth orchestra, interviewing each conductor orchestras because I normally wouldn’t go aton their repertoire and orchestra programs. tend their concerts, so it was nice to hear them Each orchestra boasted an impressive, di- play,” GSYO and Festival Orchestra Pianist Severse repertoire, with OSYO performing nior Tiffany Lim said. “Overture to The Wasps” by Ralph Vaughan The festival was undoubtedly a success, Williams, classic pieces such as “Piotr Ilyich garnering overwhelmingly positive feedback Tchaikovsky’s Finale from Symphony No. 4 in from audience members, orchestra performers, F minor, Opus 36” performed by YPSO, and and conductors alike. What was most notable, more contemporary pieces like “Final Dance however, was the sense of unity from the youth from The Three-Cornered Hat” by Manuel de orchestras coming together. “Whether you’re Falla performed by CYS, Leonard Bernstein’s from the peninsula or the East Bay or here in “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story” San Francisco, we’re all coming together for a from SFSYO and “Umoja: Anthem of Unity” united purpose. It’s [also] very inspiring and by Valerie Coleman, a Swahili-inspired piece, empowering for young musicians to see that from GSYO. “Our performance went better they are part of a much larger community of than our last performance. Hearing other or- many other young musicians who are just like chestras play really motivated me to work on them,” SFYSO Director of Education and my playing,” GSYO Oboist Theo Lee said. Youth Orchestra Ron Gallman said. ▪ PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS PADMA BALAJI & CATHERINE QIN
Friday, January 26, 2024
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Opinion 3
SB 345 provides life-saving access to reproductive healthcare, but it’s not the end of the story By Padma Balaji, Shuhan Jin & Stella Wang Staff Writers
for victims of rape, domestic violence, and in- unjustly prosecuted, patients can more safely look people who often need it the most. “I think it’s cest, or for cases where an abortion would be for treatment. always good that we’re seeking to increase protecconsidered lifesaving. More than half of these SB 345 is only the first step tion. [But] sometimes it feels more message-driv“The passage of SB 345 is a victory for Cal- states do not provide any exceptions to abortion However, although SB 345 provides legal pro- en,” Terra Russell-Slavin, chief impact officer at the ifornians and for all people who seek access to at all, leading to cases such as that of a 10-year- tections and access to life-saving care, it is still only Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Center said. Shield laws can abortion or gender-affirming care, regardless old rape victim who was denied the right to an the first step in securing access to reproductive and boost morale, but without strong action to back the of where they call home,” Reproductive Free- abortion in her home state of Ohio. Gender-af- gender-affirming healthcare. While safe haven bills protection they aim to provide, they aren’t enough. dom for All CA Director Shannon Olivieri firming care is also significantly limited in these like this one allow people from other states to ac- Future steps for the MSJ community Hovis said. SB 345, also known as the “Shield regions. In 2023 alone, more than 100 pieces cess crucial services, they lack the power to address Though SB 345 is a positive step in an age where Law,” went into effect on January 1, and aims of legislation aimed at restricting or banning other potential obstacles within the healthcare sys- many aspects of healthcare are frequently under to protect rights to reproductive and gender-af- gender-affirming care were passed in state leg- tem. For example, in CA’s own San Joaquin Valley, attack, it does not have the power to address othfirming care by preventing the arrest of any islatures, such as SB 14, a bill signed into law the Tulare county is considered medically under- er core issues in the medical system. Similar bills medical practitioners within CA performing by Texas Gov.Greg Abbott, that completely de- served by the federal government, with just one should be recognized as temporary solutions that or out-of-state patients obtaining such legal nies gender-affirming care to minors. The lack physician for every 2,300 residents. With patients state governments have enacted in place of sweepservices. The bill is a response to statewide of access to gender-affirming care has serious re- from red states also attempting to seek out profes- ing federal changes that would guarantee healthbans and restrictions on these medical services percussions on transgender youth in particular. sionals, the strain on the already-thinly-stretched care access nationwide. While it’s beneficial for following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a According to The Trevor Project, 86% of trans- healthcare system might cause a significant de- states without restrictive medical laws to extend a hand towards civilians from states that do, longlandmark case that enshrined the right to gender and non-binary youth say debates around crease in the quality and availability of care term, sustainable change in healthabortion in the Constitution. A recent rise in healthcare had a negative impact on their mental for all. “It makes me worried about how care will only result in protections anti-transgender legislation has also put those health. Additional research from the American we can adequately meet the needs of passed at the federal level. Students seeking gender-affirming care — a broad um- Medical Association has found that access to patients and families both here in Washshould actively combat movements brella term to describe surgery, therapy, and gender-affirming care helps reduce the likeli- ington … but also so many patients and that push false anti-transgender mental health services to help one align with hood of suicide for transgender youth, a group families that are uprooting their lives and anti-abortion narratives, such their sense of gender — in danger. Although that has significantly higher rates of suicide. This to be able to continue care,” Gina Seas the rise in trans hate on social media, SB 345 is a major step towards inclusivity of suggests that SB 345, which provides access to queira, co-director of Seattle Children’s reproductive and gender-affirming rights, CA both reproductive and gender-affirming care, is Gender Clinic in Washington, a state that has also and understand the impact these narratives have enacted strong shield laws in 2023, said. on their own communities. Students can call their alone cannot shield all out-of-state individuals essential in protecting lives. Offering greater legal protection for medical Shield laws also don’t address the fundamental representatives to voice their opinions on strengthfrom out-of-state restrictions. To safeguard the rights of both individuals seeking reproductive practitioners and out-of-state patients, SB 345 inequalities in the way minorities are treated by the ening access to healthcare or join activist groups and gender-affirming care, as well as health- is more expansive than its predecessors, such healthcare system. Groups like immigrants, people such as Abortion Out Loud. Students can also join care workers engaged in such services across as AB 254 and AB 352, which only aimed to of color, and LGBTQ+ people are especially at risk clubs such as Exit Zine, MSJ’s feminist magazine, the nation, federal changes must address the protect patients’ reproductive information. Not because they may already face significant barriers to MSJ Gender-Sexuality Alliance, or healthcare-reonly does it streamline the process of accessing care such as their economic situation, a lack of pro- lated clubs such as MSJ Public Health, to advocate root causes of inaccessibility to healthcare. abortion by allowing for the use of telemedicine viders in the area, and stigma. One analysis from the for more accessible healthcare services for all. StuSB 345 is a crucial legislative milestone Safe access to reproductive and gender-af- and reducing costs for care, the bill protects American Bar Association found that low-income dents can also provide direct support by donating firming care in left-leaning states provides healthcare providers against those who may sue people are twice as likely to lack health insurance, to organizations such as the Abortion Care Neta welcome lifeline for the 36 million women them for practices that are legally protected in and as a result, women with incomes below the fed- work and Point of Pride, which help fund vulnerof childbearing age and 35.1% of transgender CA. SB 345 also prevents law enforcement and eral poverty line, have an unintended pregnancy rate able patients’ treatments. Healthcare is a human youth who live in conservative states that have CA-based companies from cooperating with more than five times higher than those of women right that should be protected at all costs, and stucompletely removed their rights to legal abor- out-of-state prosecutors working to arrest or with higher incomes. Ultimately, bills like SB 345 dents must do everything in their power to ensure tion and gender-affirming care. In states that gather private information in abortion or gen- fail to address significant problems surrounding the safety of vulnerable groups that have had their restrict abortions, few exemptions are granted der-affirming care cases. Without fear of being inaccessible, unaffordable care, especially for the needs ignored for too long. ▪ GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIE XU
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“I think it’s an unequivocally good thing that housing is being built on People’s Park. Since students that aren’t living in the new area would have to &) *+ ( live elsewhere in the city, this project would give them somewhere to live instead of People’s Park forcing them to displace local residents. Removal Especially in places like Berkeley and San Francisco, zoning laws need to be relaxed. It’s obvious to me that replacing On January 4, UC Berkeley began to close off People’s Park in order to build stua mostly empty lot, which is owned by the university, with housing for 1,000 dent housing and deter the crime in the area, a construction effort that began in students and homeless people is a positive, 2022. These plans were met with opposition from local protestors, who want to preand I hope more development happens in the future.” serve the park’s history as a site of local activism, where events such as previous protests against demolishing the area for construction and the 1990 rallies to assert to rights of the homeless community took place. On Feb. 25, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom “I don’t believe that the state should demolish People’s declared his commitment to work with lawmakers to proceed with the housing, call6 #$ 8 / 4 Park as that is considered a historic 1& ing defenders of the park “nimbys” expressing that he would not allow “a few wealthy landmark and shouldn’t be built Berkeley homeowners” to “block desperately needed student housing” on X. Do you on. I feel there are other ways to increase student housing agree with the statewide efforts to proceed with the demolishing of People’s Park? Is and deter crime through other the removal of the protestors from the area a violation of their rights to assemble and efforts. However, the removal protest? Do you believe that the state has cast a negative connotation on the protesof the protestors from the area tors’ efforts with its treatment of them, and if so, how do you think it should modify isn’t necessarily a violation as they its approach to these issues? can protest but they might get hurt )&2 1 physically in the process. This removal 0 “I do believe that the homeowners do have / is definitely unethical but I do not think $% a right to petition because the the part it is illegal. The state has cast a negative connotation that they are demolishing could be very on the protestor’s efforts to push the student housing important to their community, as they agenda. They can modify their approach by working saw their kids grow up there they have with the protestors to determine a compromise.” they have memories attached to it. But the real requirement here is to advance the 7 “I believe lawmakers should account for the living conditions of many, many students )&* opposition against constructing student and open up more slots for higher learning, housing in People’s Park because of which in advance is everyone’s education. its cultural significance to people in So I believe that Newsom is actually correct in this department, the area. The state has cast a negative because it opens up many more slots for people to achieve a connotation on the protestors’ efforts better college experience because Berkeley is one of the best with its treatment of them and should colleges in our state. So we need a lot of slots and we want a lot be more understanding of the protestors’ of people to go there and I think the Newsom should also not ... concerns. However, it is illegal for protestors remove the ability for these homeowners to petition and like look to try and block it since the park is private and speak in a way where it sounds as if he’s looking down upon property, and therefore, the removal of protestors from the them as wealthy and as if they have possession or emotion. And area isn’t a violation of their right to assemble and protest.” yes, but I think ultimately we should allow it to be demolished and PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS CHLOE GAO, ASHLEY PANG, JASON TANG, ANUSHKA VASUDEV & LUCY YAO so that student housing, more student housing can be developed.” PHOTOS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH, STAFF WRITERS RAJORSHI CHATTERJEE, HOWARD LU & LUCY YAO
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THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 59, No. 5 | January 26, 2024
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By Annika Singh & Annie Xu Opinion Editors
41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal ’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums. SCHOOL POPULATION 1800 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Karina Han, Julia Peng NEWS Vedesh Kodnani, Kaylee Liu OPINION Annika Singh, Annie Xu FEATURE Anushka Vasudev, Callie Yuan CENTERSPREAD Chloe Gao, Ashley Pang A&E Goonja Basu, Sanah Bhardwaj SPORTS Aaryan Suri, Aaron Zhou GRAPHICS Jiyun Guo, Hannah Shen WEB Waylon Li, Elton Yu TECH Keerti Koya BUSINESS Sarah Hu CIRCULATION Maryam Naseer, Vidyuth Sridhar ADVERTISING Tushara Devapatla, Lucy Yao EVENTS Anandita Devata, Shuhan Jin WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Padma Balaji, Hannah Bi, Rajorshi Chatterjee, Angelina Chen, Novak Chen, Navya Chitlur, Tanvi Deshmukh, Sahas Goli, Sally Han, Abha Kulkarni, Naisha Koppurapu, Jeffrey Li, Brittany Lu, Howard Lu, Ivy Lu, Trisha Parikh, Catherine Qin, Michael Qu, Daphne Senecal, Priyanka Shah, Arushi Singh, Stella Wang, Ethan Yan, Fiona Yang, Lucas Zhang, Alice Zhao ADVISER Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. To advertise in the Smoke Signal, email ads@thesmokesignal.org. Advertising that is included on the pages of, or carried within, the Smoke Signal, is paid advertising, and as such is independent of the news and feature content. The Smoke Signal ’s right to freedom of speech and press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. To stay updated with our online content, see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/msjsmokesignal. All policies on distribution, corrections, and bylines can be found at www.thesmokesignal.org/about.
Three years ago, we made the most rewarding decision in our high school career — applying for the Smoke Signal. We chose the path of Smokie Love, joining a community of passionate individuals who write informative articles and create intricate graphics. We spend our nights coming up with creative story ideas for each cycle, and our days are dedicated to creating spreads on Adobe InDesign that have taught us valuable lessons in creativity and organization (and how to handle corrupted files). With applications due in four days, we wanted to share the reasons why we love the Smoke Signal, and why you should too. Annika: I still remember the first time I walked into M-2 in sophomore year. My eyes were immediately drawn to the beige couch by the entrance and my ears to Billy Joel’s “Vienna” playing at full volume. Mrs. Cohen’s enthusiastic voice and genuine smile welcomed me into what would become my second family. I first discovered the paper on Instagram in 7th grade, and since then, I’d been anticipating the day I’d get to be a part of the staff. Although I read each Facebook post the staff created and diligently stalked the website, nothing prepared me for the infamous mock week, the hours spent drafting story ideas, and the community I’d find. But, that’s what I appreciate most about the Smoke Signal — it surprises you in the best way. Since sophomore year, I’ve grown into a much more confident writer and editor: one who empowers others and is not afraid to be proactive. I’ve learned so much about leadership and communication from Mrs. Cohen, the Editorial Board, and the rest of the staff. The Smoke Signal has such a welcoming atmosphere, and the lessons I’ve learned, in journalism and beyond, have influenced me inside and outside the classroom. Each comment I receive on a column I’ve written, and each discussion I’ve had, whether it was regarding world events or a vacation I went on, have given me a sense of belonging. As a part of our “well-oiled machine,” as Mrs. Cohen endearingly calls us, I’ve been given numerous opportunities to expand both my creativity and knowledge.
Over the last three years, the Smoke Signal has encouraged me, pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, and most of all, become my family. As I reach the end of my time at MSJ, I can say with confidence that applying to the Smoke Signal is the best decision I’ve made in my high school career. So, apply for the Opinion stories you’ll get to write, the people you’ll meet, and of course, the delicious bagels. Annie: In the last three years, the Smoke Signal has been my consistent anchor for personal growth in each school day. In M-2, there’s always an angle to flesh out, an interview to conduct, or a layout to brainstorm. As a staff writer, I grew to love the ritual system of drafts and edits and relish bringing my own touch to each story. Two years of attending local and school events have introduced me to an unexpected love for photography, despite having never held a camera before sophomore year. As an advertising manager, I learned to conduct myself in a professional setting and be confident in my own voice. And now, as an editor, I aspire to develop my skills as a storyteller, and be the best leader I can be. However, the most rewarding part about being a Smokie for me has always been the amazing people, many of whom have become my closest friends in the last three years. Mrs. Cohen always comes to class with thought-provoking ideas and unwavering warmth, guiding us through informative news talks and relaxing Friday morning music finds. There is always someone willing to talk over different arguments with me, someone with the vocabulary to fish out the exact word to complete a sentence I was struggling with, and best of all, someone supporting me as a friend. Although each year’s staff brings its own rhythm and energy to the paper, there is never a shortage of talent, hard work, and the motivation to make the Smoke Signal the best paper it can be. We’re so excited to see how you’ll take this organization to new heights. For exciting stories, new friends, and a monthly treat of bagels, apply to be part of the 2024-25 Smokie Family at www.tinyurl.com/smokesignalapp2425! ▪
The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board By Padma Balaji & Navya Chitlur
Importance of transparency and understanding in financial aid Since the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on Dec. 30, 2023, many seniors have run into issues with the form, reporting that the website was difficult to navigate and lacked sufficient instruction on how and when to complete the paperwork. This causes a significant obstacle for students, but financial aid forms such as FAFSA and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, and colleges, should make financial aid accessible to help students with their tuition, which calls for transparency and clarity in terms of students’ options and deadlines for paperwork. The FAFSA typically releases on October 1, leaving ample time for students in need of financial aid to fill out and submit the form. However, for the 2024-25 school year, the application was soft-launched on Dec. 30, 2023, meaning that the form was not only delayed by three months, but was also released on a limited basis for short periods of time each day, leaving “students, families, and financial aid administrators who have been waiting for this release for months are understandably frustrated,” National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators President and CEO Justin Draeger said in a statement on the organization’s website. Although the Office of Federal Student Aid made many structural improvements to the form throughout the three-month delay, such as fewer questions and lower grant requirements, many software bugs
remained. Issues such as incorrect school selection options and a confusing interface that has several known issues only added to the stress of meeting the shortened deadline. Like the FAFSA, the CSS Profile also lacks clear communication, especially for deadlines — there isn’t one singular deadline, and deadlines may differ between schools — but many students are unaware of this because the College Board did not make this detail clear on the website. Many students who depend on accessible financial aid are discouraged due to miscommunications in deadlines and a lack of transparency in form requirements. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 85% of students received some form of financial aid in 2019-20, meaning a lot of students are reliant on aid. Financial aid and scholarship organizations and colleges should communicate clearly and regularly with students about deadlines and requirements to increase accessibility to aid. Our MSJ counselors offer information about filling out the FAFSA and CSS Profile, yet students often do not pay attention and are often left uninformed and confused. Financial aid is a crucial asset to alleviating the burden of paying for higher education that many students and families face. A lack of transparency paired with unaware students leads many people to forgo financial aid and miss out on saving money in the costly higher education system. At MSJ, students rarely mention
Staff Writers
cost when discussing their college applications and acceptances, despite it being a major factor in deciding which college to attend. The struggle to get into college does not end with acceptance letters; students must manage tuition, housing, textbooks, daily necessities, and more. Students need to understand the importance of paying for college, a process that is just as important as getting accepted and one that many students will face. Students have numerous opportunities to be educated on this tedious process at MSJ. Rather than ignoring the available workshops and meetings the counselors and the College and Career Center provide, they should utilize those resources to make the financial aid application process easier. In school, students can also join clubs such as MSJ California Scholarship Federation to hear from others with experience. Financial aid remains invaluable to students as it provides them with easier access to higher education, making it all the more vital to recognize the necessity of transparency and clarity in the process. Students themselves should take the initiative to use the school’s resources, but the whole process should be revised to streamline the process of completing the forms so that students don’t struggle. ▪
STAFF WRITER PADMA BALAJI
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New Year’s Resolutions 2023l: - Get good grades
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New Year’s Resolutions 2024l: - Get good grades
12:00 a.m. STAFF WRITER NAVYA CHITLUR
Friday, January 26, 2024
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Opinion 5
Claudine gay has left, but dei should stay By Rajorshi Chatterjee, Tushara Devapatla, Keerti Koya & Arushi Singh Staff Writers
“It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor,” former Harvard president Claudine Gay wrote in her resignation letter. Defending against right-wing accusations of plagiarism and criticism of her testimony regarding anti-Semitism on campus, Harvard’s first African American president was forced out of office after just six months. By advocating for Gay’s resignation, far-right activists like Christopher Rufo — a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research known for his anti-critical race theory activism — and Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik hoped to combat the so-called “woke” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies that Gay promoted. The attacks on Gay reveal a broader political divide that places university DEI programs in the crosshairs. While it is important to acknowledge the seriousness of the allegations against Gay, arguments over plagiarism and anti-Semitism should be addressed as individual issues, instead of as a justification to denounce DEI policies. Claudine Gay was first under criticism on Dec. 5, 2023. When Gay and other university leaders were asked before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce if they would discipline students calling for the genocide of Jews, many failed to provide a direct answer. This led to calls from conservatives such as Stefanik and Rufo to remove Gay. In addition to the backlash Gay faced after the hearing, a report in The Washington Free Beacon and a post on Substack claimed Gay allegedly plagiarized portions of four academic works over 24 years, including her 1997 Ph.D. dissertation at Harvard. These two scandals combined contributed to pressure for Gay’s resignation. With her removal, conservatives like Stefanik and Rufo were able to change the conversation into an attack on DEI policies, despite no relation to Gay’s failure to condemn anti-Semitism or her plagiarism accusations. Furthermore, others advocated for Gay’s removal by suggesting her rise to the presidency was tied to ideology and not merit. For example, Bill Ackman,
“I feel like college campuses are so liberal. What happens if you're not of that viewpoint? So but to be liberal, I think you should be open to that… I don't believe they should be stifled. They should be heard. Obviously, hate speech is protected speech. It's part of the First Amendment protections but if it incites violence, that's when it should be censored or regulated.” — Civics and Government Teacher Cyril Macasero
conservative billionaire investor and major donor to Harvard, alleged on X that the committee appointing the president “would not consider a candidate who did not meet the DEI office’s criteria,” and that Harvard mainly considered Gay because she met the DEI criteria. These attacks were refuted in The Harvard Crimson, Harvard's official university newspaper, which claims that “from the moment she finished her Ph.D. in Government at Harvard nearly 25 years ago, Claudine Gay was one of the most sought-after young scholars in the country.” Her extensive academic record, from obtaining tenure at Stanford after only five years to holding two different dean positions at Harvard within three years, demonstrates that she was qualified for the role. All of these qualifications and accomplishments position the attacks on Gay as a political attack against academia, rather than as a genuine assessment of her capabilities. These criticisms bring rise to the question of whether attacks on Gay and her relation to DEI are indicative of broader resistance to diversity in academic institutions. Gay’s supporters claim her efforts toward greater diversity and inclusion at Harvard made her a target. Rufo argued on the conservative outlet City Journal that Gay’s “racialist ideology has driven her scholarship, administrative priorities, and rise through the institution.” His evidence for Gay’s “racialist ideology” was a task force she convened to rethink portraits at Harvard that only featured white men. Harvard’s Annenberg Hall displays 23 portraits, none of which depict women, and all but three of which depict white men. In an attempt to respond to the broader societal calls for racial and gender justice, Gay created the task force to address the homogeneity in campus imagery. However, Rufo condemned this change as the “banishment” of the men without proper reasoning, implying that Gay’s actions were a form of exclusion or removal, instead of diversifying visual representations. This reflects the inaccurate relationship that many conservatives believe exists between DEI programs favoring certain races and diversity in academic settings. Fueled by Gay’s short tenure, DEI programs are under further attack as a result of Gay’s resignation, by racist and reactionary elements within the Republican
party and right wing media. For example, Ackman celebrated her resignation on X as a step towards the end of “free speech suppression and the repeated career-ending accusations of racist for those who questioned the DEI movement.” This rhetoric perpetuates the spread of false information contradictory to what DEI policies truly are: a way to facilitate higher equity through the inclusion of historically and systemically marginalized individuals. DEI programs help to create a greater sense of equity in workplaces and address racist systemic inequalities. Having policies that encourage diversity and equity does not mean conservatives are stifled or restricted in their academic freedom. Rather, DEI initiatives are necessary in order to confront issues such as racial pay gaps or discriminatory hiring, both of which are issues today. Payscale, a private employment compensation data company, found in a 2019 online survey that “there is a consistent gap in earnings between Black or African American men and white men” and that “even as Black or African American men climb the corporate ladder, they still make less than equally qualified white men.” Such disparities further emphasize the need for proactive measures to address systemic inequalities, reinforcing the argument that DEI initiatives are not about restricting academic freedom, but rather about repairing imbalances that affect individuals’ opportunities based on their race or ethnic background. Many critics of DEIs fail to realize the significance that these systemic inequalities have and the necessity in fixing them. With criticisms of DEI policies on the rise, students can combat them by advocating for inclusivity to help create more equitable and diverse spaces in college and high school. Staying educated with important resources from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union can help foster open conversations and reject incorrect narratives. Students can also participate in clubs like MSJ Bay Area Student Activists, which focuses on student activism, to learn more about why DEI initiatives and other equity programs are important. Rather than getting caught up in political disputes that weaponize legitimate issues like anti-Semitism or plagiarism, we should focus on participating in thoughtful discussions, seeking diverse perspectives, challenging assumptions, and encouraging an inclusive learning environment. ▪
MSJ VOICES “While I don’t know the full story about her resignation and whether it was justified, I did see discourse in the way she was treated. Her work being checked for plagiarism would’ve absolutely not happened if she wasn’t a Black woman. Regardless of what she did or didn’t do, there’s a lot of resentment against her being a Black woman in such a prestigious position, and that in itself should be criticized separate from her actions.”— Allison Wang, 12
“DEI programs exist to counteract centuriesold segregationist and racist policies like redlining. Research has shown that while DEI initiatives have obvious pitfalls, they should be changed to assist those in worse conditions more, not removed to benefit the rich” —Vishnnu Rajaram, 11 “Universities can mitigate the risk of becoming entangled in partisan divides and heightened politicization by fostering open dialogue and academic freedom, where ideas are critically examined. Implementing transparent policies and ensuring inclusive environments can contribute to a balanced educational atmosphere, preserving the institution’s commitment to intellectual diversity and unbiased learning.”— Aasrith Dwarampudi, 9 “I think most people agree that having different viewpoints is important so we can learn from each other. In college, we are still young enough to hopefully have an open mind, so meeting people from different countries or lifestyles can really influence your outlook. It is important that universities think about diversity and how they can achieve it on campus.” — Kari Wu, 11
GRAPHICS GRAPHICSBY BYOPINION OPINIONEDITOR EDITORANNIE ANNIEXU XU
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Feature 7
BACKGROUND National Blood Donor Month was designated by President Richard Nixon in 1969, due to a request from Senate Joint Resolution 154 made in an effort to commemorate blood donors. With 45,000 pints of blood used daily, American blood banks are facing a national shortage like no other. As a result, thousands of life-saving surgeries have been postponed and many lives have been lost. Still, there are many ways MSJ students can aid in efforts to save lives via donation or raising awareness.
BENEFITS
MSJ CLUBS
Donating blood can save the life of a recipient, but it can also help the donor. Blood donations can reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks for the donor by lowering hemoglobin concentration in the blood and reducing viscosity. Regular donations help lower blood pressure and improve the vitality of the cardiovascular system. In addition to this, donors get a free health screening while replenishing the blood bank to help patients.
The importance of donating blood is relevant to both students and adults. There are clubs on campus that work to increase access to donations and awareness about blood-related conditions, such as Swab4MSJ and MSJ Relay For Life. Other clubs that spread awareness on campus include MSJ Medcorps, MSJ Public Health Initiative, and more. These clubs work to spread awareness about donations and other diseases that can be treated with blood donations. “[Blood donation] is on e of those things w look at it as yo here you can u’re now ente into society, ring and you can add value, right here an d ri of discomfort ght now with a little bit and a little bi t of sacrifice, and you’re pu tting good in to the world and entering into adulthoo d. You are serving yo ur community .” — Science Teac her Lauren Ware-Hartbec k
With January bringing in chills, flu season, and winter storms, blood drives often see reduced donations. This year, the situation is particularly dire as the American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage as it experiences the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years. Over these two decades, the amount of donations through the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. National Blood Donor Month in January serves as a reminder to continue donating blood even during months of increased sickness and to express gratitude to those who donate their blood. For this cycle, the Smoke Signal compiled organizations, blood-related conditions, and donation centers around the community in honor of National Blood Donor Month.
MSJ RELAY FOR LIFE works with the American Cancer Society, which encourages monetary, blood, and organ donations to help those suffering from cancer. This year, they have raised over $11,000 and hosted many events, such as Door-toDoor fundraisers and a Movie Night. At the end of the year, they host a twenty-four-hour event to raise money and awareness, in which participants continuously walked or ran on the MSJ track to support patients.
SWAB4MSJ works with Be The Match, a global organization that provides patients with access to marrow or blood stem cell donors. They have previously hosted donor registration drives at school and encouraged their members to volunteer in Be The Match events such as Christmas in the Park. These events have successfully donated hundreds of blood units and have saved thousands of lives.
Guide to
National Blood Donor Month By Sahas Goli, Abha Kulkarni & Trisha Parikh Staff Writers
“Blood donation is important beca use there BLOOD DISORDERS are so many pe ople out there According to the National Institutes of Health, millions of Americans are affected by blood diseases each year. With more do- who are in medical need of bl nations, it is easier to find a donor with a blood type that matches the patient. The average red blood cell transfusion is approxi- transfusions. [High schoolers] ood mately 3 units of blood. With recent studies showing that blood for transfusions are needed every two seconds in the US, it is vi- should start donating blood early so that it can be tal that blood donations increase. come part of th eir routine and pote ntially help a lo t of people over their lives.” — Nithila Chint akindi, “Even if 12 a n o d ANEMIA is a health condition THALASSEMIA is an SICKLE CELL DISEASE is the most r fo y ualif you don’t q g friends and characterized by a lack of red inherited condition of hemocommon form of an inherited blood disgin ra u o c n e tions, or those blood cells or hemoglobin to globin deficiency, and is among the most common order in the US, according to the AmerF . rt ta s t a gre ur carry oxygen to the body while genetic disorders worldwide. Particularly prevalent ican Society of Hematology. Sickle cell family is ate to donate blood, do yo g expelling carbon dioxide. The among Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Mediterradisease mutates red blood cells by who hesita d find out what is makin n ic nean populations, it has an estimated 200 million altering the shape of hemoglobin mol- research a Websites like Mayo Clin you World Health Organization esticarriers worldwide, with 42 million of those in India ecules. This results in red blood cells you resist.rd Blood Center will give nd mates that 40% of children 6–59 months of age worldwide are anealone. Blood transfusions are used to treat moderbecoming stiff and sickle-shaped in- or Stanfo er resources to understar p mic. Blood transfusions are one ate or severe thalassemia by maintaining hemoglostead of the normal biconcave “donuts,” the pro rocess!” — MSJ Relay fo the p ina c u L of the best short term treatments bin levels, but regular treatment poses an increased d causing a variety of symptoms, such as a e L Life Chair 2 1 for anemia, providing sufficient red risk of infection. A safe and stable supply of blood , frequent infection rates, chronic pain, and n a y o Ton
shorter life expectancy. With about 100,000 Americans fighting the disease, blood transfusions are an effective treatment that can provide comfort, prevent complications, and relieve pain.
blood cells and hemoglobin to patients. Unlike improved diet or supplements, transfusions act immediately. However, access to transfusions in developing areas is very challenging.
is essential to ensure that reputed healthcare providers can consistently provide access.
“For those who do get matched w tient and have ith a path e opportunity to donate , I would tell them to not be afra id of the proc ess! Donating bloo BAY AREA ORGANIZATIONS d stem cells or bone Students can also donate blood if they qualify at the American Red Cross of the Bay Area chapter in San Francisco or the Stanford marrow can be a but the outcom difficult process, Blood Center in Menlo Park. The American Red Cross of the Bay Area is a blood donation site, while the Stanford Blood Center e is it!” — Swab4M so worth pioneers methods for transfusion while serving as an automated blood collection program. Both these organizations give hospiSJ P Colleen Yu, 12 resident tals increased access to critical resources and technology to save many patients’ lives. In addition to these organizations, the
American Red Cross has
chapters in every major city, and many hospitals accept walk-
in
donors.
PHOTOS BY STANFORDBLOODCENTER.ORG, TEAMSTER.ORG, COURTESY MSJ MEDCORPS, MSJ RELAY FOR LIFE & SWAB4MSJ. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR ANUSHKA VASUDEV
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Friday, January 26, 2024
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DieHard Tr yHards
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Feature 9
: Lanterns
By Hannah Bi, Naisha Koppurapu, Maryam Naseer & Fiona Yang Staff Writers February 10 marks the start of the Spring Festival, which celebrates the start of the Lunar New Year and lasts for fifteen days. Vibrant traditional decorations like paper door banners, paper cuttings, upside-down 福 (fu) characters, and most prominently the Chinese lantern — usually painted in red and yellow — adorn people’s homes. To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, four Smokies competed to make the most exquisite and detailed Chinese lantern.
1st
2nd
4th
3rd
Fiona Yang
Maryam Naseer
Hannah Bi
Naisha Koppurapu
While this may be my first time participating in a DieHard TryHards challenge, I don’t fear failure. I know that I have what it takes to outperform everyone: determination. No matter how tired my thumbs get from creasing papers, I won’t stop, with my impeccable origami skills honed through countless shabby origami cranes (never mind the fact that I cannot even fold a proper paper airplane). Ancestors, behold! I call upon my very own Chinese lineage to aid me in this majestic feat of crafting a winning New Year’s lantern. I’ll make sure to pay my respects to the Year of the Dragon and leave victorious.
As someone who is well acquainted with the versatility of paper and has mastered the realm of two-dimensional art, I am confident that my creativity will dominate and add a new dimension to this challenge. While researching different methods and styles of lanterns, I was shocked by the intricate gold designs drawn onto the beautiful Kongming lanterns. However, with my careful attention to detail, I am confident that I will impress the judges by incorporating two-dimensional art onto the lantern with hand-drawn golden designs. Let the cutting and folding begin.
As the proud champion of the Mini Macy’s Floats DieHard TryHards competition, I am confident that I can sweep another win with this challenge. Although when it comes to origami, the most complex design I have managed to master has only been a simple crane, I am sure YouTube will illuminate my path to success. With my keen eye for detail and expert taste in design, my lantern won’t be the only object glowing by the end of the contest — my ego will also be radiating with two DieHard TryHards victories under my belt.
With my artistic abilities and drive to redeem myself from the DieHard TryHards Henna last year, I have no doubt that making my Chinese lantern will be a breeze. Although my artistic skills have let me down once, the piles of construction paper, glitter, pompoms, ribbon, and other art supplies scattered throughout my room speak for themselves. However, after conducting mountains of research on the cultural significance behind these decorative lamps and their complex patterns, I realized that my clumsy hands might be incapable of creating such intricate designs and neat folds without tons of paper cuts. But honestly, how hard can folding paper really be?
It’s an overwhelming relief that my lantern saw blazing success. After exerting too much pressure on my thumbs while folding six cardstock papers and getting super glue gel onto all my fingers (I truly did not know that it was so sticky), I am satisfied to report that I have experienced real suffering, and now I am a changed person. Another day, another success to please my ancestors. Surely I must have been promoted from being a disappointment to at least being mediocre!
Honestly, I thought I would get last place, but second is a pleasant surprise. My patience was tested as I folded 60 pieces of red paper and hot-glued them together. The hardest part was delicately arranging each individual petal into the shape of a flower. It took me a grand total of six hours and complete solitude as I shooed my family away to complete this work of art. The satisfaction vanished when my mom asked how this was a Chinese lantern. It’s okay though, I got second place and that was a win for me.
Quick, someone dial 911; I’ve detected a robbery here. My expectations — and my ego — have been crushed. Third place? How humiliating and utterly humbling. After enduring chronic back pain from the three hours of gluing 163 flimsy pieces of tissue paper together, I expected to come in second at the very least. I guess what they say is true after all: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, at least I’ll have a festive decoration to adorn my room with this Lunar New Year. I just hope it doesn’t serve as a constant reminder of my defeat.
I have come to understand that folding paper is not for the weak, and yet again I have been duped by my ego and my closet full of crafting supplies. Perseverance and overconfidence blinded my judgment, and I didn’t realize I would be competing against artists with the delicate touch of an 80-year-old knitting grandma and the ability to make such intricate folds; clearly, I am no match. Although I humbly accept defeat today, my hunger for redemption of two failed DieHard TryHards remains, and I will strive for more than last place in the next DieHard TryHards.
PHOTOS BY FEATURE EDITOR ANUSHKA VASUDEV, STAFF WRITERS HANNAH BI, NAISHA KOPPURAPU, MARYAM NASEER & FIONA YANG. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR CALLIE YUAN
10 Centerspread
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Friday, January 26, 2024
a g g e n m E e n c i t v i C By Anandita Devata, Jeffrey Li, Catherine Qin, Michael Qu & Priyanka Shah
With the 2024 Presidential Primary Election approaching, the Smoke Signal delved into what civic engagement is and provided resources for students looking to participate in community events, such as joining service clubs on campus, student-run nonprofits, and political committees.
Fremont Youth Advisory Commision
SURFBoardE
Political Boards Students United for Representation to the Fremont Unified School District Board of Education (SURFBoardE) allows student representatives from FUSD schools to voice their opinions to the district. SURFBoardE is composed of 15 students, with three representatives from each high school and one from each middle school. They meet twice a month to discuss student issues, and they also organize the District Representative Conference, a day-long event where district administration selects outstanding students from elementary and middle schools in the district, educating them and helping them develop leadership and communication skills. Students can join SURFBoardE by applying through their application on the FUSD website in Spring.
Friday, January 26, 2024
“Civil discourse is often really useful to me because it makes me a more open-minded person and helps me gain other people's perspectives on different topics. It is mostly done in a respectful manner where both groups can learn so much from the other, and can also help debunk misconceptions.” — Maryam Naseer, 12
“I think civic engagement is very important for high schoolers because first of all, it allows us to be more connected with our community and with our government system. Second of all, it also helps us gain a lot of life experiences.” — Evan Cai, 10
The Smoke Signal
“[Student activism] is important because students are the ones who inherit this society. Student activism challenges elected officials to formulate pieces of legislation that address their concerns.” — Civics Teacher Cyril Macasero
Voices from MSJ
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Centerspread 11
Outside Volunteer Organizations Friends of Children with Special Needs Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) is committed to fostering a neuro-inclusive community. Hosting activities ranging from drama camps to art classes, FCSN trains volunteers to build strong relationships with special needs children through communication and trust. Students can join FCSN by attending club meetings that the MSJ branch hosts during lunch every month. “I mainly initiate workshops that help students develop learning skills that can be applied to any new hobby or activity they want to participate in, in the future. This includes workshops like 3D printing, woodworking, basketball, and more,” FCSN Volunteer Senior Waylon Li said.
Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont
“Civil discourse has allowed me to express my opinions without feeling afraid of being judged. It has also helped improve certain situations or ideas because people actually listened to my ideas, and in some scenarios, I was able to better understand an opposing viewpoint.” — Aanya Bachamada, 11
Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF) is a nonprofit organization that gives students and adults the opportunity to tend to gardens that value regenerative agriculture and environmental education. The Students for LEAF program is a platform where students can learn about the different sustainable agriculture methods through harvesting, beekeeping, composting, herbal medicine, botanical illustration, and many more important lessons. Currently, LEAF hosts volunteer weekends that are open to the public on the second Saturday of each month.
Learnify+ Learnify+ is a nonprofit organization providing equal learning opportunities and resources to all students. Founded in 2021, the organization has expanded to conduct 22 types of free tutoring classes and more than 60 tutors. Students from grades K-12 can attend English, math, science, computer science, and language courses hosted by high school students from MSJ. Learnify+ also has a program called ProgramUP, where high schoolers also have the opportunity to start their own programs such as starting a nonprofit under Learnify+ or a new tutoring class. “My friends and I thought that we could expand tutoring so it’s more accessible to students. [We wanted] more people to be tutored in a broader range of skills,” Learnify+ President Junior Ray Zhao said.
Civic engagement takes on a different meaning depending on who participates in the activity. Individual activism includes activities such as voting and publicly supporting campaigns and causes. As a group, individuals come together to partake in public events, engagements, and discussions, known as collective action. Corporations, interest groups, and nonprofits can also advocate and support causes in their interests or the interests of others. For example, the Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of 1,317 businesses, like Amazon.com and Macy’s, encouraging corporate civic engagement and empowering US employees with resources and workplace policies that encourage civic participation. According to a civic participation study conducted by Wilfrid Laurier University Professor Emeritus of Psychology S. Mark Pancer, communities with higher levels of civic engagement tend to be correlated with lower levels of crime, happier citizens, and a growing sense of community. Youth participation in such activities is crucial in developing healthy civic habits, skills, and commitments, in addition to playing an active role in shaping the future.
Student-led Nonprofits The Fremont Youth Advisory Commission provides an opportunity for students to voice their opinions to the Fremont City Council and is open to any Fremont teenager applying. On the first Monday of each month, MSJ Fremont Youth Advisory Commission members like MSJ Sophomore Kyle Leung and Junior Justin Ho meet to discuss topics of special interest to teens and communicate those to the city. Applications are generally open for submissions year-round but will be reviewed from April to June for the upcoming school year, and all high school students can apply through their application on the City of Fremont website.
Civic Engagement Clubs MSJ offers a wide range of civic engagement clubs that guide and enable students to become upstanding citizens. Established in November 2023, MSJ Civics Club aims to discuss and increase awareness of current events, as well as get students engaged with democracy and the voting process. Not only can students learn about local government and political structures, but they can also request officers to present about certain topics in upcoming meetings, making it a highly interactive club. “High school is the best place to learn how to be a citizen,” MSJ Civics Club Co-Vice President Sophomore Ashwin Vaidyanathan said. Additionally, the Municipal Journal is dedicated to spreading awareness about local politics. Members research and analyze local and CA propositions and laws and write articles about the policies so they are more accessible and digestible to the student body. As part of a larger branch, participants in this club collaborate with other students in Fremont and San Ramon to improve their writing and analytical skills through political inquiry. “We want to make sure that not only our writers, but also our illustrators, marketers, and readers are all aware of what’s going on around us and how to formulate their ideas around it. We try to tackle different angles that people have never thought of before, hoping that people can be more open-minded and see sides they’ve never considered before and become more politically well-informed,” the Municipal Journal Editor-in-Chief Senior Lucy Yao said.
Tri-City Band Corps Founded in 2004, the Tri-City Band Corps is completely led and run by high school students. With a membership of more than 2,600 members and 1,000 alumni, this organization provides students with leadership, musical, and educational opportunities free of charge, previously performing at the 2022 Great America Parade and the 2023 CA Color Guard Circuit Tri-City Winter Show. “We want to make music accessible to everyone in the Bay Area community,” Tri-City Band Corps Deputy Director of Elementary Programs (East Bay Beg) Sophomore Guhan Gopinathan said.
Service Clubs MSJ hosts several service clubs including MSJ Interact, MSJ Key Club, and MSJ LEO. MSJ Interact, a chapter of Rotary International, is a part of the biggest Interact district in the world, actively upholding its motto of “Service Above Self.” Members take part in projects such as Stitches for Support, making scarves to donate to local homeless shelters during the winter. “No matter what we do, we try to create an environment where everyone feels like they can take the initiative to make a change,” MSJ Interact Co-President Senior Anushree Marimuthu said. Similarly, MSJ Key Club provides opportunities for members to develop their leadership skills and character through at-school and outside service events that impact the community, such as their annual collaboration with Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon where students can help maintain clean trails in the park. “[MSJ] Key Club promotes community service and outreach, while also encouraging leadership in high school students. It’s a way for MSJ students to gain experience and give back to the community as well,” MSJ Key Club President Senior Siran Wang said. MSJ LEO, an acronym for Leadership Experience Opportunities, allows students to meet new people and experience the importance of assisting those who require extra help and care. Events like the Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum Gardening offer unique experiences where students can develop new skills while making a difference. “LEO makes service incredibly accessible to students. That’s the beauty of this club: We introduce easy ways to give back to our community,” MSJ LEO Club Co-Activities Coordinator Senior Saanvi Lavande said. Students can join these clubs by attending monthly meetings hosted by officers. More information about these meetings and service events is posted on each club’s Instagram account: @msjinteract, @msjkeyclub, and @msjleoclub respectively.
Political Engagement
Political engagement refers to actively participating in political activities and events that affect policy-making decisions and governance. This allows citizens to exercise their rights such as voting and the freedom to express their political opinions. Some political engagement activities include voting at local and national elections and joining political campaigns by volunteering, making donations, and working as campaign staff to support candidates and causes.
Community Engagement Individuals engage in their community when they come together to build relationships through volunteering and participating in community projects that will have a positive impact on the local community and improve quality of life. These activities allow individuals to serve the community and promote collective community responsibility.
Civic Skills Engagement Civic skills engagement requires individuals to be proficient in navigating and understanding civic issues to make informed decisions. Civic education, such as learning about basic individual rights and responsibilities, public speaking, critical thinking, and leadership training, promotes the development of this skill set.
Social Justice Engagement Individuals can actively engage in social justice activism by addressing social inequality and advocating for change and equality. Social justice engagement includes protesting, helping marginalized groups amplify their voices, and raising awareness through education by incorporating diverse perspectives and learning from real-world problems.
GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITORS CHLOE GAO & ASHLEY PANG
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MY MISSION AS ... a Space Engineer & App Developer By Jeffrey Li & Ethan Yan Staff Writers After graduating from MSJ, Class of 2022 Alumnus Jonathan Ma has continued pursuing his interest in app and web development and space engineering as a Cornell University sophomore. He has worked on many projects while interning at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Dragonfly and Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) missions. Ma’s journey began in seventh grade with a Java code his dad showed him for Space Invaders, a game that involves shooting lasers to repel an alien threat. Ma experimented with parameters to see how changing the code affected the game, inspiring him to learn coding. Later in high school, Ma leveraged his coding skills in many projects, such as the Infinite Campus Grades++ Chrome extension he made in his senior year, which helps streamline the Infinite Campus user interface, and an automatic Rubik’s Cube solver as a final project for his Electricity and Magnetism class. Ma also competed in FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics on
Ma’s FTC team’s robot for the 2020-21 season.
the team 7303 RoboAvatars, where he applied his coding skills hands-on. “I feel like FTC has helped me in college not only because of the [computer science (CS) aspect] but also the physical aspects that directly affect real life,” Ma said.
“I feel like FTC has helped me in college not only because of the [computer science (CS) aspect] but also the physical aspects that directly affect real life.”
— JONATHAN MA
At Cornell University, Ma has been able to further pursue his interest in CS with access to more resources and opportunities. Ma participates in NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative there, in which he works with other students on a small satellite that will eventually be launched into space. With some of his friends, Ma is also working on a happiness app, which helps friends from different colleges check in with one another on their mood and happiness trends. When reflecting on his experiences in the CS and app development fields, Ma said, “The main reason why I love doing CS so much is that there are constantly new things you can learn and new things you can build.” This mindset pushes him to pursue projects in fields with modern developments, such as space engineering. His interest in CS eventually landed him an internship at the Johns Hopkins University APL and many NASA missions. For example, NASA’s Dragonfly mission involves landing a giant drone on
The CubeSat undergoing solar panel testing.
Saturn’s moon, Titan, allowing researchers to search for potential sources of life. NASA’s IMAP mission maintains a probe that studies the boundary of the heliosphere. For both projects, Ma is part of the ground systems team, which is responsible for relaying information back and forth between the satellite and Earth. As part of these missions, Ma has developed an app that allows employees to inspect binary packets of data that are sent between the drone and Earth.
“The main reason why I love doing CS [computer science] so much is that there are constantly new things you can learn and new things you can build.” — JONATHAN MA
Ma’s experiences have further cemented his belief in the value of pursuing personal projects, especially for those just starting their journey in CS and related fields. Ma cites his own experience creating Infinite Campus Grades++, which was originally only meant for a couple of friends but soon rose in popularity at MSJ. “Always try to do personal projects … you’ll learn new things, and you never know where they’ll go,” Ma said. With two more years of college left, Ma isn’t certain where his journey will lead him. However, Ma currently envisions himself continuing his passion for CS and astronomy by working at an aerospace or software company after graduation. “There’s just so many different possibilities … but I’m sure I’ll be working on interesting software and it’ll be fun,” Ma said. ▪
Completed ChipSat, which will be attached to the CubeSat’s payload. PHOTOS COURTESY JONATHAN MA. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITORS ANUSHKA VASUDEV & CALLIE YUAN, SPACE.COM
Friday, January 26, 2024
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Arts & Entertainment 13
C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R
21 Savage’s American Dream Is Far From Insano or insanely boring? A Dream By Brittany Lu Staff Writer
By Navya Chitlur Staff Writer On January 12, Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known professionally as 21 Savage, released his first solo studio album since 2018 and his third solo studio album overall, titled american dream. This album featured many artists, some of whom Savage had collaborated with in the past such as Metro Boomin and Travis Scott, as well as newer artists such as Mariah the Scientist and Brent Faiyaz. Despite the album’s personal and raw lyricism and masterfully selected features, the singer’s repetitive, dull beats and bland, unemotional singing make for an album not worth listening to. Each song is beautifully crafted to fit the collaborating artists and their style of music. From the operatic singing in the introduction of “redrum” to Doja Cat’s verses in “n.h.i.e.,” the album is softer and much more emotional than Savage’s usual style of hard rap music. The slower beat of the song mixed with Doja Cat’s style of rap — a mix of hard rap and harmonious vocals — play in the background throughout “n.h.i.e.,” making it into a more heartfelt tune. Every song on the album also features an incredible introduction, such as “all of me,” which begins with uplifting and booming vocals sung by Rose Norwalt that create a flawless and beautiful transition from the ending of the first track. However, the rest of the song is far from special, with basic and monotonous beats and vocals that bore the listener. Though 21 Savage’s album has potential to be great with its features and introductions, the rapper’s bland
ways been / For my son to become a man and live free in his American dream,” which capture the trials and the pain that the singer had to go through while chasing his American dream. Later in the tracklist, “letter to my brudda” evokes empathy from listeners as he sings, “We be forced to make decisions that we don’t even wanna make / It be about survival / At the end of the day, we be havin’ good hearts / They just be in bad places,’’ allowing the audience to deeply connect with his music by morphing a song about his tragedies into something more open and general that the world could relate to. He also raps his trademark “21” in the backing vocals of almost every song — an artistic tradition that adds a sense of connection between the artist and his fans throughout the album. Overall, 21 Savage’s american dream is an album unlike any of his past, with honest and bare tracks, ecstatic and rhythmic beats, and perfectly fitting collaborations. However, the blandness of his voice and his crude lyrics uncover the shortcomings in his production in other tracks and make the album as a whole crass and inadequate. ▪ Grade: C
January 2024 Student Faves
GAMEBYTES
MOVIE: Uptown Girls — Sophia Lodin, 11 TV SHOW: New Amsterdam — Avni Goyal, 10 ALBUM: UTOPIA by Travis Scott — Theenash Sengupta, 9 BOOK: How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino — David Kim, 12 GAME: Madden NFL 24 — Shirin Alapati, 12
By Daphne Senecal Staff Writer
Released on January 19, 2023, A Space for the Unbound is a side-scrolling visual novel game set in 1990s Indonesia, following teenage couple Atma and Raya as they navigate the end of their school lives and the world. With the power of the Magic Red Book, Atma is able to “Spacedive” into the minds of his classmates and the citizens of the town of Loka City in order to help them work through the problems they face. But as Raya, with her reality-altering powers, begins to mess with people’s memories, it’s up to Atma to uncover the mystery behind Raya’s motivations and to stop whatever unknown force is causing the sky to crack. At the core of the gameplay and story is Raya and Atma’s bucket list of things to do before they graduate. While all the items seem like normal coming-of-age experiences that many high schoolers have gone through, the game has a unique way of turning even the simplest of tasks into an elaborate adventure. One moment Atma is heading to Ria Cafe to make an ordinary cake order for Raya, the next he has to “Spacedive” into the pastry chef ’s mind to restore her love of baking by sabotaging the cooking competition taking place in her head. The game is sold at $19.99 on all featured platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Steam for Microsoft Windows. The visual novel has found success, with many loving its beautiful world-building and message on overcoming hardship. It succeeds in building sympathy in the player even with the least seen characters, making for an unforgettable story. ▪ Grade: A
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vocals and repetitive beats ruin the album and cause the quality of the production to fluctuate. Especially in the track “pop ur s***,” the only few lyrics in the song are more spoken than rapped and the lack of steady beats causes the production to be uncomplicated and spiritless. This is also the case in the song “née-nah,” which starts with Travis Scott’s compelling and enthralling rapping with uplifting and well-developed music and production, but slips back into a depressing, monotonous track as Savage begins to rap with no emotion and a quieter backing track. Additionally, instead of having well-written lines or storytelling lyrics which is preferred in most traditional rap songs, Savage attempts to capture the essence of rap music purely through the excessive use of profanities, such as his repetition of the word “p****” throughout “redrum” and “sneaky.” Still, certain songs, such as the introduction “american dream,” have poetic, emotional, and descriptive lyrics that are spoken in a soothing tone which goes straight to the listener’s heart. The song is a note from Savage’s mother, introducing his lifestyle and her feelings toward him with the lines, “But my unwavering heart remains / For all the trials and all the pain / The mission is as it’s al-
Alternative hip-hop rapper Kid Cudi is well known for his atmospheric take on melodic rap and his ability to openly show his personal struggles on record, adding a layer of authenticity to his music and setting him apart from other artists. For example, many longtime Kid Cudi fans enjoy his Man on the Moon triple album series, which contains emotional lyrics combined with a catchy melody. His new album INSANO was released on January 12, featuring a star-studded lineup of musicians, including Travis Scott, XXXTENTACION, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, and other prominent artists. While the instrumentals of INSANO are lively and exciting, the absence of lyrical creativity and his mediocre flows ruin the potential of a truly satisfying listen. In contrast to his last album Entergalactic, with its more melancholic vibe and laidback flows, INSANO features hardcore drums and distorted bass. The opening song “OFTEN, I HAVE THESE DREAMZ,” featuring hip-hop producer DJ Drama, sets the tone for the rest of the album, confirming that Cudi has traded in his usual slower, psychedelic beat production style for a more trap-influenced soundscape. Songs like “MR. COOLA” embody the more upbeat trap-influenced experimentation Cudi wants, showcasing loud hi-hats with lighthearted lyrics like “I’m cool when in front of thirty thousand people ... / I’m even cooler when I’m with your chick,” a bland repetitive theme of his success and romantic life that repeats throughout the entire one hour album. Similarly, a fan favorite, “AT THE PARTY (feat. Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott),” paints a visual of being at the party while highly intoxicated. This is one of the songs better suited to Kid Cudi’s voice, and despite the stiff hi-hats, Travis Scott’s delivery of his verses, with rhythmic
IMDB.COM
timing that matches perfectly, completely steals the show, outperforming Cudi on his own song. Still, Cudi’s famous hums and groaning melodies are shown in compositions such as “ELECTROWAVEBABY” and the stand-out track, “BLUE SKY.” These tracks give listeners a break from his mediocre bars while adding a sentimental touch to a hectic album. “BLUE SKY” features major elements like catchy melodies and a feel-good production with electric guitar. A few songs on the album also have the vaguely melancholic emotions he’s known for. For example, the loss of his father, which has been a recurring theme in Kid Cudi’s music, is revisited again in “TORTURED.” Narrating this loss and his personal experience with seeking guidance and professional help with the lyrics, “Tryin’ different therapists, they sayin’ I got problems / Voices in my head, they tryna show me how to solve them ...,” this song is a glimpse of classic Kid Cudi, from his vulnerability to the melancholic beat. Kid Cudi’s exuberant energy and deeply infectious melodies make the album enjoyable for a casual listen, but becomes repetitive as the album goes on due to the generic hooks and shallow verses. Although the album has a notable list of guest features, they don’t make up for the album’s lack of lyricism. ▪ Grade: C-
The Color Purple : a portrait of joy and brutality
IMDB.COM
By Angelina Chen Staff Writer
Stark and powerful, the coming-of-age musical period drama The Color Purple comes alive in its retelling of the joy and brutality of life in the Jim Crow era. When her husband Mister (Colman Domingo) separates the protagonist Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino) from her sister, she must contend with the long-lasting effects of trauma as she tries to construct a better life for herself. Released on Dec. 25, 2023, this film showcases insightful thematic elements coupled with a beautiful cinematography and soundtrack, which compensates for the varied actor performances. Despite being the second film adaptation of the novel The Color Purple, with a screenplay based on a stage musical of the same name, the film’s unique vision enables its plot to reach viewers through thematic serendipity and warmth. Directed by Blitz Bazawule, the film depicts the atrocities that a teenage Celie endures with grace, showcasing her inner world of struggle and perserver-
eance. Between her experiences with sexual assault and having her babies separated from her against her will, Celie perseveres through unimaginable trauma. Beyond the film’s strong thematic elements, the actors’ performances help bring The Color Purple to life. Celie’s inner world is depicted in its entirety by Barrino and actress Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who play olderand younger versions of Celie respectively. From her caution and inner thoughts to her unending resilience, Barrino and Mpasi demonstrate Celie’s multifaceted persona and growth throughout the film. Mpasi’s mesmerizing smiles and wordless expressions are especially gripping in key scenes, furthering her chemistry with Celie’s sister Nettie (Ciara). Barrino manages to balance Celie’s original childhood naivete with her growing cynicism as a middle-aged woman trapped in an abusive marriage, with discomfort palpable in her tense expressions. The strong performances of the film’s titular character are generally complemented by the supporting cast. Her husband’s lover Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson) and her daughter-
in-law Sofia (Danielle Brooks) are key parts of Celie’s support network. Brooks’ performance is enchanting — her vocal delivery encompasses Sofia’s various affectations, from outrage to sorrow. In contrast, Shug’s exuberance covers her insecurities; her defiance requires unfaltering charisma and significant depth never truly met by Henson’s theatrical interpretation of the character. Henson’s portrayal falls short of Shug’s diva-like character, with her exaggerated facial expressions diminishing Shug’s charisma. In addition to the acting, the cinematography allows viewers to experience the film as if they are living through Celie’s coming of age themselves. The camera closely follows the cast through their musical-inspired songs, which imbue the film with a thunderous energy. Paired with bright colors and realistic backdrops of the Southern antebellum plantation, the cinematography adds a lively, vibrant touch to the film. The film’s soundtrack embodies Celie’s experiences best. The piece, “Mysterious Ways,” captures the joy of congregating for Sunday worship. Women confidently strut on beat in
creamy pastel dresses complemented by stylish fondant hats, while men energetically step forward in vibrant gold-and-yellow church robes that twirl around them. In the spellbinding “She Be Mine,” Celie learns of the survival of at least one of her babies. As she twirls and sings, she embraces her role in the everyday world, symbolized by men rhythmically wielding hammers on a chain gang and women tending to their laundry against the backdrop of a rushing waterfall. The Color Purple paints a poignant, emotional portrait of an African-American woman’s comingof-age story, marred by unparalleled abuse, violence, and adversity. From the strong thematic elements to the bewitching visuals and soundtrack, the film delivers a tale of raw emotion, perseverance, and solidarity amidst mixed performances from actors. As the newest rendition of the beloved novel, the film is a testament to the legacy of Black womanhood in the Jim Crow era. ▪ Grade: A
SMOKIE PLAYLIST: AARON: “Split” by Yeat | AARYAN: “La Romana” by Bad Bunny, El Alfa | ANNIE: “Paprika” by Japanese Breakfast | ANNIKA: “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande Jubliant January | ANUSHKA: “Heaven” by Niall Horan | ASHLEY: “After LIKE” by IVE | CALLIE: “Run the World!!!” by Dayglow | CHLOE: “Perfect Night” by LE SSERAFIM | ELTON: “Happier” by Marshmello, Bastille | GOONJA: “Rollercoaster” by Bleachers | HANNAH: “Yofukashi no Uta” by Creepy Nuts | JULIA: “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter | KARINA: “Got Me Started” by Troye Sivan | KAYLEE: “Sweet Tooth” by Scott Helman | JIYUN: “Campus” by Vampire Weekend | SANAH: “End of Time” by Beyoncé | VEDESH: “Lost in Yesterday” by Tame Impala | WAYLON: “Feel No Ways” by Drake | MRS. COHEN: “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire
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The Little Mermaid
Friday, January 26, 2024
Arts & Entertainment 15
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The Smoke Signal
StarStruck delivers a shy fable like no other with
By Tushara Devapatla & Trisha Parikh Staff Writers
Between January 12-28, StarStruck Theatre performed their winter mainstage, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, at Ohlone College. With original music from eighttime Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, the musical starred Lilia ten Bosch as Ariel and Hayden Wood as Prince Eric. The play followed the mermaid Ariel as she tried to leave her home underwater to find her true love. To set the scene for the highly anticipated show, Oh l o n e College’s C. Craig Jackson main stage theatre was adorned with underwater-themed decorations, like large banners depicting marine life hung from golden curtains. Booths sold raffle tickets and light wands to wave during designated parts of the performance. Vibrant program booklets were handed to each guest as they made their way to their seats and awaited a brief speech from the director, Courtney Stokes, as well as an award given to the cast member who showed the most
enthusiasm and cooperation throughout the entire rehearsal process. Blue lights flash around the audience, and the original soundtrack for the musical played in the background as the curtains opened to show Ariel, who sang her first song of the night. From there the audience is introduced to the wide cast of characters, including Ariel’s best friend Flounder (Isabella Dong) and Scuttle (Kamran Motahari), a bird who helps Ariel navigate the above-water world. The cast moves quickly from song to song, hitting every note w i t h perfection. As the play continues, the underwater creatures launch into one of the most popular songs of the musical, “Under the Sea,” as the audience claps along with the beat. Dancers leave the stage to perform
some of the choreography on the sidelouder. The show comes to a finale as the lines, encouraging the audience music reaches a crescendo. The orchestra members to wave toys and memthroughout the play, helped to elevate the orabilia they bought for original soundtrack and lyrics, adding to the play. As Ariel finds the emotional feel of the play. Ariel goes her way to Ursula (Lici back underwater and destroys Ursula’s Carey), Ursula launches power, reeling the audience in for one into a powerful rendition of last powerful scene before the “Poor Unfortunate Souls” captivatcurtains close and the ing the audience. The song, sung by Carey, audience bursts into moves the audience as she hits all of the high applause. notes, drawing a close to the first act, with Ariel With a wonderful floating above ground without her voice. cast, stunning visuals, In the intermission, audience and a moving soundtrack, members left their seats to purchase StarStruck Theatre’s The Little food and merchandise from Mermaid managed to give the the front. The showaudience a wonderful experirunners then called ence in theater, showcasing the a raffle, in which amazing talent of the cast. ▪ winners received either tickets to the next StarStruck performance or an Apple gift card. As the lights dim to signal the end of the intermission, Scuttle humorously helps Ariel adjust to walking on land through the song “Positoovity” by flying from one side of the stage to the other. As the scenes get more and more tense, the live orchestra plays along, getting progressively PHOTOS COURTSEY OF STARSTRUCK THEATRE, GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR SANAH BHARDWAJ
Alumni Spotlight: Nihar Duvvuri By Priyanka Shah & Lucy Yao Staff Writers
As an aspiring actor and filmmaker at the New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts, Class of 2022 Alumnus Nihar Duvvuri has worked hard to land multiple acting and directing roles to break into the industry. Most recently, Duvvuri has been selected to be part of a Broadway workshop titled Smash, a project produced by Steven Spielberg. His career has been fueled by a remarkable level of effort and commitment, beginning with his high school journey at MSJ. Duvvuri consistently filmed and acted in his high school years, but attributes much of his film-making and acting experience to opportunities outside of MSJ. He began as a filmmaker by picking up a camera off his dresser and writing a script. Since then, he’s taken on directing his own projects, along with acting mostly in short films prior to and during college, such as “The Folly of Paris,” “Alone, Alone, Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea,” and “KLB2.” Duvvuri
mentions that the biggest difference between doing film in NYU compared to MSJ was in the people surrounding him. “When people [around you] have dreams that are slightly bigger, it makes it feel easier for you to also dream bigger,” Duvvuri said. Navigating the acting industry involves overcoming challenges, especially in a field with many aspiring individuals but only a few who manage to attain success. Duvvuri emphasizes the necessity of making sacrifices and exposing oneself to real-world scenarios to thrive in such an environment. In acting especially, he’s realized that going to auditions and getting rejected has taught him more about himself than he’s known before. “All you can do is show up and show them your interpretation of the work they’ve given you ... it’s your moment, you can do whatever you want,” Duvvuri said. For example, while auditioning for Smash, Duvvuri didn’t think he’d receive the role be-
Duvvuri as Paris in “The Folly of Paris.”
Duvvuri as Kaleb in “KLB2.”
cause he typically hasn’t done musicals, preferring to focus on films and plays instead. However, his manager said that the role fit him perfectly, encouraging him despite his lack of experience in musical theater. Then, one video audition and one round of callbacks later, he was officially booked. However, according to Duvvuri, he could only truly enjoy his success for a day. Not only did he have to figure out balancing his school workload with attending the workshop, but he also had to move out of the dorms at the same time because of the semester he was taking off. Duvvuri is currently working on multiple other projects at the same time. He’s constantly writing, adjusting, and formulating new ideas for screenplays. His ideas blend the sci-fi and psychological genres, with themes much more similar to movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Minari. One theme he’s constantly drawn to is salvation, which is evidently seen in his most short film titled “The Boy & The River,” co-directed with MSJ Class of 2021 Alumnus Tavish Mohanti. His dual roles as an actor and director have enhanced his performance in both pursuits. No matter what role he’s in, both positions are constantly in conversation with each other. By hav-
ing experience on both sides, he understands what each side is thinking in the whole filming process, giving him more perspective when working for either position. Even though he doesn’t always do both in a 50-50 split, this knowledge and experience remains. Right now, acting is his main focus with Smash, but he has no doubts that directing will play a big role in his future, especially with his dreams of starting his own production company. In fact, this summer he’ll be returning to directing again when he is slated to film his short film titled “Memories of My Father,” a tale inspired by the relationship between his father and his grandfather, who has been suffering from dementia. For aspiring filmmakers, regardless of their association with MSJ, Duvvuri advocates for independence and a self-driven approach. Instead of waiting for opportunities or validation to arrive to you to begin, he encourages others to follow down the same steps he took: just pick up a camera and begin filming. It doesn’t matter whether the product is good or bad, but rather that you did it yourself. “The experience is so much more valuable than whether it’s good or bad at that specific part of your [overall] journey ... you really have to be willing to do it yourself, and fail yourself,” Duvvuri said. ▪ PHOTOS COURTESY NIHAR DUVVURI
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Sports 17
Athlete Spotlight: Tiara Yu By Sarah Hu & Arushi Singh Staff Writers
Meet MSJ’s answer to the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretsky: ice hockey phenom Junior Tiara Yu — a lightning fast defender who has already competed at an international level and plays for the San Jose Jr. Sharks. After figure skating for two years, Yu was introduced to hockey when seven years old by her brother. She first joined the California Cougars, a youth ice hockey team in Cupertino, where she played on the boys team until she was 14. She currently plays for the San Jose Jr. Sharks as a defender and an alternate captain. Yu found competing with the boys team actually gave her an edge going into girls hockey. She said, “the boys are more aggressive, they’re faster. So I think that helped me improve my skill.” In December 2023, Yu won the 2 Nations U18 AA Tournament, a national championship competition, with the San Jose Jr. Sharks. Going into the tournament, she did not expect her team to get very far — After all, Canada is well-known for their love of hockey. “Hockey is like their American football,” Yu said. A team from California, where there is little snow or ice, seemed to be at a disadvantage. Despite some close calls, the San Jose Jr. Sharks pulled through placing first out of 40 teams.
As a junior at MSJ, Yu sometimes struggles to balance schoolwork and her intensive athletic career. Missing several days of school for out-of-state tournaments as often as once every three weeks became increasingly demanding as her workload increased, but Yu plans to continue her involvement with ice hockey through high school and college, both as a player and coach. She already has a job coaching kids, something that brings even more joy into the sport she already appreciates for all it taught her. Yu hopes to continue growing as a hockey player and rise through the ranks at an international level. To aspiring athletes, Yu advises, “Just don’t let what other people say bring you down or don’t let that make you give up.” Despite facing harsh criticism from other players or coaches which felt devastating at the time, Yu is happy she kept at it. “I considered quitting because I felt like it was a waste of my time. But honestly, I don’t regret it at all because it helped me become stronger and more resilient as a person in general, not just as a player,” Yu said. ▪
Yu prepares for action on the rink.
In addition to playing for the San Jose Jr. Sharks, Yu also plays for the Chinese Taipei national Under 18 team. Just this month, Yu participated in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2024 Under 18 Women’s World Championship in Jaca, Spain. Despite having fewer opportunities for team practice and fewer resources, the team draws on a strong sense of community which helps build unity on the ice. After scoring a game-winning goal against Australia, Yu was named the player of the tournament for her team. While Yu’s involvement in these competitions is very impressive, her proudest moment
as a player was when she was accepted into the 2022 USA Hockey BioSteel Player Development Camps at St. Cloud University, Minnesota. Despite being an extremely competitive program, Yu was the only player from Northern California to survive the intense tryouts, including multiple rounds of testing to demonstrate the player’s skill, in order to attend this prestigious camp. “Almost all Division 1 to Division 3 hockey coaches from the entire nation went there to help you improve and scout people too, so it was a lot of exposure to new skills and [playing at] the college level,” Yu said.
“Almost all Division 1 to Division 3 hockey coaches from the entire nation went there to help you improve and scout people too, so it was a lot of exposure to new skills and [playing at] the college level,” -TIARA YU, 11
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS SARAH HU & ARUSHI SINGH, COURTESY TIARA YU
Athlete Spotlight: Kira Clark By Novak Chen & Howard Lu Staff Writers Varsity Girls Water Polo Co-Captain Senior Kira Clark has been making a splash ever since she dove into water polo. Her four years on the MSJ Girls Water Polo team, three of them as the Varsity Co-Captain, and her tenure on the Stanford Girls Water Polo Club, qualifies Clark as one of the most outstanding athletes in MSJ. Her list of accomplishments, such as leading in nearly every countable water polo stat for four years, also make her a notable student-athlete in MSJ history. Clark was first introduced to water polo when she was eight years old through her swimming coach, who was also a water polo coach. Through those lessons, Clark was able to build her strength, work on both her offensive and defensive game, and improve her stamina in the water. “My shooting has improved a lot just simply because I’ve grown stronger as I’ve gotten older, so it’s easier to do the higher level shots that I couldn’t do when I was younger,” Clark said.
Clark’s start to her high school water polo career was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her freshman year, which was entirely taught through distance learning, only had six games, all of which were within MVAL. At the time, MSJ was still a developing team, with a 2-4 record in MVAL in Clark’s freshman year. “Kira came in and [became] the number one scorer right away, and that was what the team needed,” Girls Water Polo Coach Ryan Tang said. “Kira has been a game changer for the program and [was] a big part of why we were able to improve so much”. MSJ Water Polo has intermittent statistics on certain players before 2018. These statistics are sourced from Girls Water Polo Coach Ryan Tang, who joined MSJ in 2018. Even with a shortened freshman season due to COVID-19, Kira holds the All-Time MSJ Boys and Girls Water Polo scoring record with 287 goals, nearly 100 more than second place Class of 2015 alumni Ashvath Balgovind with 190 goals. “She has basically averaged 4 goals a game like clockwork for us since she was a freshman and she also didn’t play much in blow out games. She easily could have finished with 400 or 500 goals,” Tang said. Besides being an efficient scorer in the water, Clark also has an array of moves from which she uses to draw fouls, which she demonstrated by leading the team in ejections drawn (people fouling out trying to guard her) for four
Clark positions the ball for a shot from midcourt.
years in a row. Clark also elevated the entire team with her playmaking, which is why she led MSJ in assists for her first two years, and was second in assists her junior and senior years. Another aspect of Clark’s game is her ability to halt offenses and her defensive presence in the game. “Kira was just able to totally change the game by playing as a roaming free safety for us, usually [roaming the pool] and then just coming in to steal it when the other team tried to go into their offense,” Tang said. Clark is also the MSJ all time leader in steals at 255, more than double that of Class of 2020 alumni Aref Malek with 124 steals. Clark’s trophy case is just as decorated as her scoring sheets; en route to leading the team to the two best ever season finishes in the history of MSJ with 14-5 and 18-4, she would win four Team MVP awards and be selected to the All-League First Team three times. Her four Team MVP awards is also the most that any individual athlete has ever received
in MSJ history, since she won one every single year she was eligible for that award. Clark’s commitment to water polo longterm comes with challenges, including the difficulty of balancing sports with academics. She usually practices two to three hours a day after school, but despite these obstacles, she understands the need for strong time management to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “To balance, I can’t really procrastinate while I’m at school,” Clark said. “If I get 20 minutes in class to do the homework, I just have to do it. I can’t wait until I get home.” With a clear passion for water polo, Clark has her sights already set on continuing to compete in the sport at the college level, with her commitment to California State University, Monterey Bay just last year. “I chose CSU Monterey Bay because I really wanted to have a good balance between athletics and academics, and a D2 school like CSUMB was the best fit,” Clark said. ▪
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS NOVAK CHEN & HOWARD LU, COURTESY KIRA CLARK
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AUDITIONS 2024-2025 Be part of something great!
CALLING ALL MUSICIANS General Auditions for admittance to all levels of SJYS All levels of student musicians, grade 3 and up welcome! WE OFFER Camps | Concerts | Masterclasses | International Tour STEPS TO APPLY - BEGINNING December 15, 2023 Fill out an online application: www.sjys.org/musicians/auditions Audition dates: April 4 & 11, 2024 (Thursday 4-9 pm) April 5 & 12, 2024 (Friday 4-9 pm) April 6 & 13, 2024 (Satu (Saturday all day) The deadline for submitting audition applications is: Sunday, March 31, 2024 QUESTIONS? Reach out to sjys@sjys.org. SJYS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 91-2166427) that has scholarships and financial aid offerings available based on a showing of need.
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Sports & Photo 19
Standardization of sports punishment By Brittany Lu & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers From trivializing violent altercations to failing to address sexual assault, sports leagues often downplay the punishment star athletes receive for the harm they inflict on others. Across professional sports, recent irregular consequences for athlete transgressions have underscored the need for better standardizing sports regulations. NBA players such as Golden State Warriors Forward Draymond Green have generated intense public backlash for physical altercations on the court, including with opponents and even teammates. The NBA recently reinstated Green after a 12 game suspension for his dangerous swing that hit Phoenix Suns Center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during Phoenix’s 119-116 victory in December 2023; however, despite Green committing a litany of similar in-game offenses as far back as 2016 — the suspension (itself drastically shortened from an indefinite ban) represents the largest penalty he has received from the league. For example, despite knocking former teammate Jordan Poole unconscious in team practice during a heated argument, the only league consequence Green received was an undisclosed fine.
But league failures to sufficiently punish athlete misconduct extend beyond the NBA. Deshaun Watson, a prominent NFL quarterback, faced sexual coercion allegations in 2021 and 2022. A total of 26 women filed lawsuits against Watson, accusing him of sexual misconduct and coercion during massage therapy sessions. In the beginning, Watson denied all accusations, however was later penalized by being required to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and participate in behavioral treatment. Watson currently gets paid the highest fully guaranteed salary in NFL contract history, at $230 million, and is set to be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in this season. While his actions have led more than two dozen women to seek counseling or even new occupations outside their field, Watson’s eligibility to play remains unaffected. Recently, professional leagues including the NBA and NFL have adopted directives “that give [them] some authority to investigate and impose disciplinary action if players engage in misconduct,” USA Today reporter Kenny Jacoby said. Whilst the association deserves a say
Cleveland Browns Quarterback Deshaun Watson winds up to throw a pass.
Golden State Warriors Power Forward Draymond Green puts Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert in chokehold.
in penalizing its employees’ misdeeds, their current outsized role has enabled figures like Green to receive a sentence that may not necessarily reflect the severity of their actions. By utilizing a non-biased, external agency to determine an athlete’s guilt, leagues’ code of conduct can singularly focus on setting a standard for punishment, removing their situational bias as the athlete’s employer from the equation. Furthermore, this model of regulation has already been implemented to handle misconduct in the US Olympic and Paralympic teams — giving credence for expanding its scope to professional sports. With US sports leagues’ global importance and documented failure to reprimand its athletes, a reimagined code of conduct that reduces the league’s sway is even-more imperative. Furthermore, leagues such as the NBA need a reformed, transparent, and standardized code of conduct that justly confronts issues such as assault and sexual abuse. “There needs to be a clear place where you can report a potential violation, and clear protocols for what consti
tutes a fair investigation that are not only fair to the accused, but also to the victim. There needs to be basic principles of due process, which include notice of what the allegations are, the opportunity to respond, and some sort of report done; there should also be some sort of guideline on what appropriate [league misconduct] sanctions are,” Jacoby said. Reworking the rules athletes must follow would discourage biases such as a player’s value to their team from clouding league judgment, and promote transparency for both fans and players. Sports regulation must strive for consistency, transparency, and fairness in order to ensure accountability and discipline among their athletes as well as within teams. However, the public and consumers need to be more aware of punishment inequalities in our favorite leagues; the NBA, NFL, and other professional sports leagues must be held to a higher standard by implementing a consistent, impartial, and transparent code of conduct to ensure fairness on all levels of competition. ▪ ESPN.COM AND FOXNEWS.COM
NorCal Reptile Expo
From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on January 14, the Alameda County Fairgrounds hosted their 11th annual NorCal Reptile Expo, drawing By Rajorshi Chatterjee & Fiona Yang attendees ranging from enthusiasts to families Staff Writers seeking a leisurely weekend. Attendees toured the Expo showroom, which featured graphic and glassmaking artists, an exotic animal showcase, and other creatures such as isopods, bats, geckos, and snakes. Held annually since 2013, the NorCal Reptile Expo gives attendees a comfortable atmosphere to familiarize themselves with the diversity of reptilian animals, which are often overlooked and stigmatized as pets. Throughout the booths, the Expo showcased specimens ranging from crested geckos to boas to frogs. Many of the exhibited animals were on sale, with vendors explaining the preferred habitats and diets of the reptiles. For example, geckos need to remain within a specific temperature range through heating pads or air conditioning, and they subsist on diets of powdered insects. At many booths, attendees had the opportunity to hold spiders and turtles in their hands, experiencing the textures of each individual animal. “Reptiles and amphibians [are] the type of animal that people may not initially consider even being able to keep … and so [vendors] enjoy people being able to come and interact with the animals for the first time and realize that they’re interesting rather than scary,” Vendor Chris Dobbs said. Among petting reptilian animals and touring the booths, the main highlight of the expo was a performance including multiple restricted animals of California (animals that are illegal to own as pets in California) and endangered species such as hedgehogs, crocodiles, skunks, and alligators. In the arms of one trainer circling the crowd, the animals coolly observed the audience, while another trainer explained the creatures’ habitats and other biological features, before returning to the stage to let the creatures roam on the table. The event brought together many onlookers and reptile enthusiasts, enjoying the company of many more who shared their passion. “If you’re a hobbyist, you get what you need. You find something new…And if you know nothing about this industry…you gain a newfound respect, a new hobby,” NorCal Reptile Expo Organizer Keli’i Amantiad said. ▪
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS RAJORSHI CHATTERJEE & FIONA YANG. GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR JIYUN GUO
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By Navya Chitlur, Ivy Lu & Stella Wang Staff Writers A good museum can transport visitors through time, and with the incredible selection of museums located in the Bay Area, incredible and informative experiences are just a short drive away. Whether students are curious about mechanics, technology, or film, they’ll find no shortage of establishments capable of satiating their intellectual appetite.
37417 Niles Blvd, Fremont, CA 94536 Hours: Sat 12 - 4 p.m. Sun: 12 - 4 p.m. Entry: Free Located on a bustling antique shopping strip, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum fits right in with its historical neighbors, offering visitors a perfect window into the 1900s era of movies. The building is split into three parts: the museum, a theater in which silent movies are played, and a gift shop selling film-related merchandise. Notable exhibits in the front of the building include seats from the original Edison Theater and a 1920s-style ticket booth where visitors can buy $8 tickets for the movie being shown. In the cozily lit backroom, projectors on the ceiling cast images on the upper sides of the walls, creating a moving gallery of silent film clips. Giant framed posters hang opposite the ethereal film screens, their vibrant, retro painting styles creating a pleasant contrast between the black-andwhite photos arranged in displays underneath. “What we’re preserving here is the local history of this particular area: Niles Boulevard. The studio was right here, and it’s something that should be protected,” Tour Guide Tony Italia said. Through well-organized collections of photos and deftly restored equipment, this museum keeps Charlie Chaplin’s, Broncho Billy’s and the Essanay Film Company’s legacies alive.
Pier 45, San Francisco, CA 94133 Hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Entry: Free Musée Mécanique is a family-owned, free museum in San Francisco centered around antique coin-operated machines, arcade games, and musical instruments. It is one of the largest private collections of coin-operated machines, with over 300 in its collection. “My dad [Edward Zelinsky] started this collection when he was 11 years old, back in 1933. He bought his first machine for 50 cents … [His family and friends played it], and he soon had another 50 cents. Then he went out and bought another one. And that’s how this entire collection started, one penny at a time,” Current Museum Owner Dan Zelinsky said. The museum now features both antique and modern coin-operated arcade games, such as Pac-Man and foosball, making it a place of nostalgic memories and fun. The games depict the history of the time when they were created, such as machines made of wooden puppets that displayed the scene of an execution, or machines that play black-and-white films through lenses. The museum is fascinating and unique and allows visitors to experience arcade game history. With free admission, incredible ambiance, and low-cost games, the Musée Mécanique is a must-visit attraction for memorable and immersive experiences.
43300 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539 Hours: Wed to Fri: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat to Sun: 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Entry: Ages 6 and below - free, Ages 6 to 12 - $7, Ages 12 and up- $10
201 S. Market St. San Jose, CA 95113 Hours: Tues to Fri: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sat: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Entry: Adults - $34, Children/Students/Seniors - $28 The Tech Interactive is a museum located in San Jose, known for its handson exhibits, with themes from human anatomy to climate change to technology on Mars. The three-story museum includes an IMAX theater, gift shop, cafeteria, biology and health exhibits, engineering and innovation exhibits, and earth and space exhibits. Notable exhibits include the Anatomy Exhibit, the BioDesign Studio where people can use real lab gear to code virtual animals’ behavior, and the Solve for Earth exhibit filled with immersive simulations. Upon entering the museum, visitors are greeted with the IMAX Dome Theater on their right and the New Venture Hall. The upper floor features innovations in healthcare, the BioDesign Studio, and awe-inspiring displays of human anatomy. On the lower floor, visitors can create designs in the Tech Studio, sleuth their way through various codes and puzzles, and venture deep to discover the jet pack chair and Solve for Earth activities. “The most unique part of this museum is just the whole interactive aspect of it. When it comes to learning, I don’t like to just read plaques and walk around. I just loved the Tech because I could walk around and do activities,” Volunteer Himani Kunjal said. For Part-Time Worker Ramola Datta, the Tech Interactive inspires hope. “What I really like about [Solve for Earth], which is about climate change, is it doesn’t make you hopeless for the future. You can look at that and see … the different lifestyles we can have, who’s affected, and what we can do,” Datta said. “[I frequent] the de Young art museum and the Legion of Honor. That’s because I have a strong interest in art and history, so that’s usually why I go to those museums specifically. [The exhibits] change every 3-4 months, so I’ve seen quite a few in the last 10 years ... Another one I enjoy but nobody goes to is in San Jose; it’s the textile museum, and it’s all about fabric arts and things of that nature. ” — English Teacher Elizabeth Waller
MSJ’s namesake is not only a church but also a museum documenting and preserving the contentious yet important history of Spanish colonization in CA. The current museum building became the only original part of the structure remaining after a major earthquake in 1868 destroyed the rest. Within the museum are artifacts from the padres, such as robes, but more importantly, artifacts from the Ohlone natives who were exploited into providing labor for the padres. Woven pieces of artwork, ranging from interwoven monocolor tule baskets to intricate multicolor patterned caps, are displayed next to polished obsidian and stone tools. The museum also includes a detailed diorama, fitted with miniature figures and realistic terrain, depicting what daily life might have been like for the Ohlone people without colonizer influence. Within the main church, paintings from the original 1800s Mission hang in increments, leading the eye to the main altar and the only two statues surviving from the pre-earthquake church. With its location being so close to MSJ, students should consider visiting to reflect on the local history that permeates their modern life.
“[One of] my favorite museums in the Bay Area is the Cal Academy of Science because when you go in there they have the rainforest inside, the planetarium, just really amazing stuff ... [I also like] the Oakland Museum of California—that one is really cool; as a history teacher, I love their California history section, I highly recommend visiting that.” — World History Teacher Katherine Williams PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS NAVYA CHITLUR, IVY LU & STELLA WANG. GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR HANNAH SHEN