Issue 8 2014 by the Epic

what happens in the testing room... ...doesn’t stay in the testing room. REPORTING BY SHOUVIK MANI

PRASANN RA

NADE—EPIC

n Monday May 12, Lynbrook administration members came into senior social studies classrooms and informed students about a cheating scandal that had been going on in their AP Government and Politics classes. Soon enough, conversations were filled with the topic, with students asking questions like ‘Who did it? How extensive was the cheating? What will the future consequences be?’ In response to this confusion, the Epic pieced together an investigation to uncover the details of the scandal. What it found is a complicated network of test suppliers, fed primarily by a Class of interview with teacher jeffrey bale

Q: When did you first learn about the

cheating?

The cheating came to our attention in May. I think that generally speaking, there’s always a concern teachers have with the security of any sort of testing materials. When you teach a course, especially a course that is offered twice a year, you feel more of a security risk because of the fact that you have students potentially replicating exams. We would not give out an assessment if we knew that that test had been compromised. No, we were not aware before that one or more assessments in our department were compromised.

Do students need to be worried about what’s happening? What are their rights?

2013 alumnus. The alumnus, who wishes to remain anonymous, confirmed that he stole “legitimate hard copies of the tests” last year and distributed it to current students. He claimed to have done it to “help out a few friends in the Class of 2014” and asserted that “there are many people, both graduates and students at Lynbrook, who have been involved in this.” Meanwhile, AP Government teachers have remain determined in their efforts to catch the culprits and prevent future cheating. Here, we attempt to shed some light on the issue by sharing the insights of the two teachers who have been uncovering this scandal.

Students certainly have more limited rights at school than they do on the public streets—it’s part of being a minor, but that doesn’t mean students don’t have rights at all. And it doesn’t mean that there’s going to be searches for no reason. There has to be reasonable suspicion that a student has been involved to be searched.

interview with teacher mike williams

Q: Some students are concerned about the

process in which the admin has gathered information. What do you say to them?

A: How else are we supposed to deal with it? We just wanted to know the nature of the problem and what’s out there. You know, who is going to falsely accuse somebody? You guys are disadvantaged by this too and this comes from students who say, “You know what, dang it. I’m struggling on exams and I know

this is going on.”

Is there anything else that you want to share?

We’re in the process of figuring out how and why this happened. It’s kind of like my heart and soul are on the plate here because I want to get to the bottom this. Do I want my name and Jeff’s name slashed across the student body because of what’s been going on in my classes the last couple of years? And then the students want to talk about “student rights?” And they want to talk about the “administration doing this to us?” Students need to hear the other side of it. [The Class of 2014] in particular is somewhat arrogant in what they think they deserve. This is the highest cheating class we’ve ever had. Students come to me and say, “Well, the opportunity arose.” And I say, “What kind of world do we live in if that’s all you do?”

NEWS IN BRIEF “Organizing an event that will only happen once in a senior’s life can be difficult and even a little sentimental, but all the parents involved have been fantastic.”

KASTURI PANTVAIDYA—EPIC

By Kristen Wong

“ICDC never fails to amaze me—it’s a great environment where you can immerse yourself in a lot of different ideas.” DECA co-president senior Timothy Lin on going to DECA’s International Career Development Conference (ICDC) at Atlanta. Out of the 15 who attended the conference, ten became finalists in their events, setting chapter records. Senior Sid Malladi won first in Automotive Services and Marketing.

Co-grad Night Organizer Vanya Javier on grad night, which will take place on Friday, June 6th from 9:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. at Lynbrook. Tickets are selling from April 1st to May 31st for $150 and from June 1st to June 5th for $175.

“I am probably going to become quite emotional. This is the beginning of the end, and that’s getting harder and harder to fully grasp.”

Senior Niki Konstantinides on speaking at Lynbrook’s Baccalaureate, which will be held on Monday, June 2nd at the Church of Ascension. Baccalaureate is completely non-religious; typically it comprises of choir songs, as well as speeches by a few teachers and students. Senior Shouvik Mani will also be speaking at the Baccalaureate.

“Naturally, we just danced our hearts out like crazy. We want to make [the showcase] our best performance because we know it won’t last forever.” PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF DOROTHY LIN

Sophomore Dorothy Lin on the Valkyries’ Spring Showcase on Friday, May 16th in the gym. It would be the last time they all perfmored together, as well as the last time that their decade-long head coach, Barbi Lamica, would be in charge. While she will still be around next year, the current assistant coach will take over her position.

Fashion Project Runway takes off BY IZZY KIPNIS & SABRINA JEN

Show: O n May 23, ASB and InDesign hosted Lynbrook’s annual fashion show. Each year, InDesign club members create a variety of pieces that models showcase on the runway, and other students perform songs and dance routines. This year, however, InDesign adviser and 3D art teacher Charlotte Kruk spearheaded an innovative twist to the fashion show: wearable sculptures. Kruk was inspired to modify the fashion show to include wearable sculptures while judging the Trashion fashion show, an annual event that “promotes environmental awareness through art,” held in April in Samona. “I’m sitting there in the audience, and a tiny little 8-year-old girl had made her own outfit out of panties and socks and I was like, ‘Man, if that little 8-year-old girl can do it, then why don’t I have all of my students try and do it?’” said Kruk. continued on next page

unior Jessica Jiang worked with her group members to create a dress made out of In-N-Out takeout bags and a hat made out of ketchup cups. During the brainstorming process, “ I brought up the [In-N-Out] design almost as a joke, and then we realized it could actually work,” said Jiang. “ My inspiration was mainly that I love food.” The group took something they each liked, food, and developed it into an outfit that they could each relate to. Because their material of choice was paper, they

lthough junior Michaela Ranieri initially perceived her project as a daunting task, she quickly recognized the thrill it offered and paired up with several other students to collaborate on an outfit. After hunting for base material at Goodwill, Ranieri’s group settled on a long, black velvet dress. They then chopped off the sleeves, trimmed away fabric from the neckline and accented the dark vel-

vet with flowers made of gold foil. The members of the group were pleased with their final product and enjoyed seeing it on the runway. The experience allowed them to branch out of their comfort zones and connect with the community. “You’re involved in the Lynbrook community in a bigger way and it’s fun because you express your artistic style in a way that you do not typically get to do in your other classes,” said Ranieri.

Modeled by sophomore Evita Babin

faced unique challenges, but were still proud of their final product. “Sewing paper together was pretty painful. Things would rip all the time, and [we] learned that paper does not exactly fold the same way that fabric does,” said Jiang, “It seems intuitive, but you never really account for the fact that everything will be jutting out at weird angles and that adjustments for size with paper is a little more difficult to deal with than [they are with] fabric.”

Modeled by freshman Megan Wong

continued from last page Kruk decided to explore wearable sculpture by working with recycled materials, encouraging her 3D art students to bring in the base clothing that they would build off of and “upcycle to change into a totally different look to create a before and after effect.” The art department played a vital role in the project, raising enough money over the last () years to purchase eight identical sewing machines and ample dress forms to allow the students to design and create a look either in a group or individually. After the projects were completed, InDesign club officers selected their favorites to be modeled on the runway in the fashion show.

or senior Chephrena Mbouombouo, the fashion show was another opportunity to showcase her fascination with the style of the 1970s. Inspired by the decade’s disco culture, Mbouombouo created a 70s style jumpsuit made out of vinyl LP records. “I had never done anything like it before,” she explained, “and I couldn’t really ask anyone in the class for help since no one else had

done it before either.” With the help of Kruk, Mbouombouo was able to cut up record pieces with a saw and glue them onto the jumpsuit. Although the technique was difficult to grasp and master, she was able to complete her project in time for the fashion show. “I love the culture, music, style and fashions of that era,” she said, “This creation is one of my many homages to the decade.”

Modeled by senior Imani Behrens

ALL PHOTOS BY KASTURI PANTVAIDYA

enior Rachel Song’s group first approached the project by brainstorming everyday materials that were “not necessarily identified as ‘trash’ and therefore would still look appropriate [on the runway],” said Song. “My group happened to have a lot of old CDs and DVDs at home and I thought the reflective

Modeled by junior Jennifer Lee

surfaces would create a really cool effect when seen from different angles,” said Song. Their original design was adjusted multiple times throughout their entire work cycle to accommodate to their model’s schedule, but their general idea of using CDs and DVDs remained the same. With the reflective

surfaces of the discs, Song and her group were able to create an ombre effect on the skirt, which they also were able to replicate on a pair of heels to complete the look. By using materials unconventional to the fashion industry, Song’s group successfully completed the task which Kruk had assigned with a creation that they were all satisfied with.

FIGHT THE NOT THE BY STEPHANIE LU

PRIVILEGE PRIVILEGED

hances are, you’ve got an unfair advantage in life—whether it be a “normal” sexual orientation or a wealthy background—and through no fault of your own. Most Lynbrook students are not economically disadvantaged; indeed, many are very well off. Privilege comes in many forms, but middle class privilege is by far the most prominent at Lynbrook. I’ve heard one too many classmates saying that poor people “just need to work harder,” completely oblivious to the realities of poverty. To be able to say things like that—things that can only be said from a position higher than those you sneer at—stems from privilege. Privilege allows one to reap the benefits of an explicitly and implicitly biased society, not due to merit but to an inherent attribute such as gender, race, economic standing or sexual orientation. But if I’d tried to explain privilege a different way, would you have kept on reading? Imagine this scenario: you see a kid holding a sign that reads, “I hate privileged rich kids,” and she starts yelling in your face about how it takes her two hours to walk to school every day, how miserable it is to eat dinner from donated cans, how she only has two sets of clothing. When you ask her to please stop yelling at you she tells you that you aren’t allowed to be offended—all she’s doing is asking you to “check your privilege.” I don’t know about you, but I’d be pretty pissed if that happened to me. The famous “check your privilege” evolved as a quick way to jumpstart awareness of privilege, but it’s been degraded to a sort of lazy, angry social activism—though, to be clear, asking someone to “check their privilege” is not an admonition for being born with attributes they gave no input about; it’s a reminder that sometimes they’re up against people who just weren’t as lucky. The only effective social activism I’ve seen is that which contains a clear, non-inflammatory and straightforward explanation. I’m no

expert, but I can guarantee that speaking as though privileged people belong in one collective group of racist bigots immediately makes them less willing to hear what I have to say; this is especially important because discussions of privilege need to be inclusive of the privileged as well. Otherwise, all you get are insular groups of people who already know what privilege is, and a bunch of privileged people on the outside who feel somewhat unwelcome at best, and completely shunned at worst. I don’t mean to coddle those who reject the idea of privilege, however; the Princeton freshman who complained (rather articulately, props to him) about not having to check his privilege because his grandfather escaped from the Nazis clearly has no idea what privilege entails. A Jezebel.com Groupthink contributer under the pseudonym “Violet Baudelaire” does a pretty good job of explaining what it really is: “Let’s say you’re a fully able person in a race against a man with only one leg. You train a long time, run really fast, and beat him. No one is saying you shouldn’t be proud of working hard or running so fast; all we’re really asking for is

that you admit that maybe having two legs . . . helped a little bit.” Something I’ve noticed is that lots of bloggers love to talk about eradicating privilege, but only about privilege that they themselves don’t have. For example, I’ll see a white girl talk up a storm about feminism and crush the patriarchy, and then say only a few things about white privilege. Or a straight POC who rages against white people but doesn’t say much in support of the LGBTQ population. Hypocrites are funny. If you don’t remember anything else about this article, let this stick with you: fight against the privilege, not the privileged, preferably not even the “societal concepts” of privileged groups. It would do social justice causes well.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AUDREY ZHENG

he concept of donating clothes isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t flawed, but the system is. When people donate to charities such as Goodwill, 80% of the clothes are sent to a textiles recycling plant, such as the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), according to SMART director Jackie King. This plant then sells the clothes to large sellers in Africa, where there is a demand for secondhand clothing. This not only puts local vendors out of business, but it also causes Africans to form a dependency on the multi-billion dollar clothing industry in developed countries. 50% of clothes in sub-Saharan Africa, by volume, are second-hand clothing, as stated in an Oxfam report. Reliance on secondhand clothing prevents the self-sufficiency of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothes manufacturing industry. A way to combat this, until the system changes, would be to donate clothes to someone in need either directly or through a local drive.

octors are always needed, especially in developing countries. Africa can only afford to spend 6.5% of its GDP on health, which is less than half of the percentage of GDP that is spent on health in the Americas. Volunteer doctors alone cannot treat the millions of patients around the world that need treatment. This is where charities like Doctors without Borders come into play. The money donated to Doctors without Borders is used to obtain equipment and train doctors. Doctors who volunteer with the organization help patients, but they also train locals to become doctors. This ensures that there will be doctors who know how to treat the patients if the volunteers leave the area, allowing locals to take care of themselves.

Effective Donating

A look into charitable organizations and how they are beneficial BY URMILA VENKATARAMANI

t feels good to give. But with the cold efficiency of online payments, donating money often becomes nothing more than an empty click. Giving to charity is a way for those more fortunate than others to show compassion for their fellow human beings,

wareness campaigns like the RED product campaign are among the types of charities that aim to do good, but do not reach the mark. A percentage of profits earned from their products, licensed to famous companies such as Apple, is donated to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Donating money earned from consumer products is noble, but it encourages increased consumption, when direct donations would have be more impactful. Another problem with the concept of awareness campaigns is their focus on advertising, which wastes money that could otherwise be donated on promoting a set of products. Awareness of the problems afflicting the world is important, but when that awareness becomes nothing more than a brand name, the real purpose of helping people learn about and protect themselves from the disease is lost.

but with the sheer number of ways to donate online, it is easy to donate to something that seems interesting without looking into it.. Rather than waste the opportunities that the internet gives us, we should take the extra time to research the charity that we’re donating and evaluate its performance and impact. The truth is, many of the well-meaning charities that we give money to aren’t as effective as they seem. Charities with high overhead are likely routing much of the donations toward the salaries of their employees—in the instance of Kids’ Wish Network, only three cents of every dollar is put towards fulfilling the wishes of sick children—the rest of the money goes towards their corporate solicitors, according to a CNN investigation. But scamming people of their money isn’t the only way in which charities can be ineffective. From the RED campaign to the used clothes industry, there are many charities that are flawed in the way they operate. Some encourage wastefulness while trying to raise money, while others end up selling the products that were meant to be donated. On the other hand, there are several charities that make good use of their donations while also making a legitimate impact on the lives of people around the globe, such as Kiva, charity: water, and Doctors Without Borders. The difference between these charities is the emphasis on helping people help themselves. Charities such as Kiva promote selfsufficiency by giving people the capital to fund entrepreneurial projects, while charity: water and similar charities help by building sustainable projects that locals will be able to maintain once the volunteers have left. Self-sufficiency should be the main target in making a difference in disadvantaged communities. By teaching people how to sustain themselves without having to rely on aid from others, donors can have a much longer lasting impact. To quote the proverb: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

ith 800 million people in the world lacking access to clean drinking water, sanitation is a global problem. Organizations such as charity: water that build wells and other such facilities can not only solve the problem of dirty water, but also help people become self-sufficient. The 200 million collective hours previously spent collecting water can be spent on building and creating, rather than just surviving. Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, said that with the extra time on their hands, many women were able to start their own businesses, earn more money and gradually emerge from poverty.

s an organization that won the Nobel Peace Prize, UNICEF is a well-renowned organization for its contributions to children’s welfare. Recently, however, there have been some concerns about its practices and use of donations. When under scrutiny for the safety of a birth control product it was distributing, for example, the organization declined to comment on the situation. There has also been criticism concerning the large amounts of money that UNICEF has paid the governments of developing countries in exchange for building more orphanages to take care of orphaned children. This is to encourage UNICEF’s stance against international adoption, which is a view that many people in the U.S. looking to adopt oppose, as well as a choice that prevent many orphaned children from having homes. Although donating to a well-known charity such as UNICEF might be a simple decision to make, it is important to make sure that the views and conduct of the organization align with yours.

n innovative microlending organization, Kiva allows donors to give $25 at a time to fund people across the world in their business endeavors such as farms, crafts businesses, and taxi services. Microlending is a growing trend in charity, allowing borrowers access to capital to fund their business and lenders to get their money repaid. Donating to Kiva is more cost-effective than simply dumping money on projects that aren’t ultimately sustainable. The borrowers receiving aid pay back the people who lent money, if possible. Upon receiving the money, lenders can choose to reinvest their money. Donating to Kiva doesn’t guarantee that the money invested will be returned, but if you could give to a charity that helps people help themselves with a 98.86% probability of a return on your investment, why not?

his year, school administrators have questioned several students in investigations about a range of campus policy violations. While not every student’s experience in the office has been negative, many have complained about the administration’s harsh, overblown demeanor during the investigation process. Additionally, students have often felt hesitant to share information with the administration due to a lack of understanding of their rights during questioning.

the Epic has chosen to present a number of students’ stories and views on some of the incidents that have occurred this year, Principal John Dwyer’s justification of the administration’s actions and what the staff of this paper believes are possible ways to alleviate some of the growing tension between students and the administration. The bottom line is this: many students feel uncomfortable with the administration’s current means of investigation, and the status quo must change.

I WAS QUESTIONED:

“

In mid-April, a student in AP Biology took a video of students discussing study guide questions in the library during lunch and accused the group of cheating. Those who were identified in the video were called in to the office to be interrogated about cheating. Many deny any academic wrongdoing. The following experiences are from this incident.

“ I

was yelled at and accused of cheating straight up. I was called in third during period and the administration had us write statements of what happened. It’s their responsibility to uphold “innocent until proven guilty,” evidently that didn’t apply here. The administration didn’t even let us know what we were being accused of. I felt really frustrated because our teachers lost trust in us even though we weren’t proven guilty since we weren’t actually cheating. This drives an even deeper gap in the student-administration relationship especially since we already view the administration as strict authority figures when really we should be respecting them. It is their job to to keep the school safe and fair for everybody. But the way I was treated, it didn’t seem fair.”

“ T

A COMPILATION OF STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES

alking to the administration, I felt abused. First, I had no idea what was going on. When I asked to know more about the context of situation, the only response I got was ‘you already know what’s going on; stop trying to play games with me.’ [The administrator] needs to work on his language when addressing students: I felt like the administrator was acting like a police officer without reading my Miranda rights. While I understand that the administrators are here to protect us and make us feel safe on campus, this kind of language does not seem appropriate for school, and it definitely does not make me feel safe. I was also bothered by the fact that they had to pull us out of class to talk about this for an hour and a half. I don’t think the administration should be wasting our class time for these interrogations.”

In September, the administration discovered that a number of juniors and seniors had been exchanging nude photos of a student online. The administration attempted to collect information by broadening its grasp and calling in several students potentially connected to the child pornography. Below, one student shares his/her experience.

“

he admin. didn’t really question me; they made me write an explanation on a piece of paper, which was good because it gave me an opportunity to voice my side of the story as opposed to me being immediately castigated. Even though many of us were called in on insubstantial evidence, I felt that I was treated fairly for the most part; all I had to do was state my reasons and whether I was involved or not. I guess the administration is responsible for conducting this type of investigation, but they should have discerned who specifically cheated instead of calling in this many people - it was a large waste of time for many.”

n administrator came in to my math class and dragged me to the office. It was pretty sudden and abrupt; I was just kind of forced out of class. They did a body search, checked my pockets, took my cellphone, looked through my backpack, and even took out my water bottle and started smelling it. I was too scared to tell them to stop: they never even asked. I understand why they would do something like this, but the way they did it made me feel violated. Now, I try to avoid them now because I’m kind of scared of them-- if I ever see them I take the long way around. The administration is supposed to protect me, but all I feel is fear.”

A WORD FROM PRINCIPAL JOHN DWYER: Why do we have school discipline? We believe that because the root word of discipline is disciple (to teach) issues requiring discipline are opportunities to teach. Effective school discipline has two important components: consequence and counseling. Consequences help students understand negative effects of bad behavior and support in establishing boundaries. Counseling teaches students different ways to behave and helps them understand negative effects of bad behavior on themselves and others. Counseling also helps students to understand that we care about them and want them to be successful.

SO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

Why are students interviewed? Sometimes we need to interview students about incidents on campus as a witness, a victim, or as someone who may have made a poor choice of behavior. We avoid interviewing students unless it is absolutely necessary. We try to help students feel at ease with light conversation before interviewing them. We do not accuse students of violations until we have sufficient information that confirms this. Although students may want to know details about why they are being interviewed, sometimes this is not possible if it might compromise an on-going investigation or student safety.

How are students treated when they are interviewed? We believe that in all circumstances, students should be treated fairly and with dignity and respect, whether they are a victim, a witness, or a person who has made a bad choice of behavior. In some cases it may be necessary to talk directly and firmly with students who are not on control of their own behavior and who are not respecting others. This should not be confused with yelling at students which we never do. Sometimes students feel anxious when they are interviewed or during searches. Administrators do their best to make students feel at ease however some anxiety is unavoidable because of the circumstances. What are students asked to write statements? A student may be asked to write a statement when they are interviewed as their own record of what happened in a given situation. We want to make sure that the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actual words are what is kept as a record of a situation and not the interpretation of the person who is interviewing them. Can administrators search students? Schools are allowed to conduct searches of students and their belongings (including backpacks, lockers, cell phones, and cars) if there is reasonable suspicion that a student is violating school rules or public laws, or might be a safety risk. Searching backpacks can cause anxiety so we try to be as kind and sensitive as possible. We do not, and are not allowed to, conduct body searches. We always make a call to parents to let them know if a student has been searched with the reason for the search. When do I get told if I have a consequence? After interviewing as many students as necessary to ensure an issue has been thoroughly looked into with all perspectives represented, the administrator will draw their best conclusion about what happened. It is only after a conclusion has been made that consequences will be decided upon.

How can I appeal a consequence or make a complaint? Sometimes parents and students disagree with the consequence a student gets. Parents may contact the principal to appeal the decision. The principal reviews the issue and student statements to check if the right conclusion was reached and the right level of consequence was given. Students are able to make complaints about how they have been treated when they are interviewed. Any complaint is always treated seriously, looked into and followed up on.

INFOGRAPHIC BY MICHELLE SU

James Hong:

Forever remembered by the Lynbrook community

1994-2014 Class of 2012

n this day and age, shootings and homicides are relatively commonplace. We are often bound to hear about them whenever we turn on the news in the evening, as if they’re ordinary occurrences. It is rare, however, that we expect such an event to hit so close to home, to our hearts. Last Friday, Elliot Rodger began his killing spree in Isla Vista by stabbing his two roommates to death, both of whom

were from San Jose. The media converged, and debate broke out once again over gun control, mental health and the continued prevalence of misogyny in 2014. Few lines were offered about Rodger’s victims. One of them was Cheng Yuan “James” Hong, Lynbrook Class of 2012 alumnus. When we first heard the news that James was one of Elliot Rodger’s victims, we couldn’t quite believe it. Maybe

James, playing ping-pong. His brother said this was one of his favorite photos.

worked next to him all year in APCS. He was the warmest, sweetest guy in the class, never turning me away when I asked him for help. He would always stand distinctively with his hands behind his back as he looked over my shoulder at my code when I had issues, helping me understand how to fix it with an unparalleled kindheartedness. His death has hurt me, along with everyone who knew and loved him, deeply. My heart goes out to his family, whose pain I can only begin to imagine. -Eric Wu, senior

James didn’t know it, but he was someone who had and would have continued to make a positive impact on people had he not been lost too early. One of our very own reporters on the Epic, senior Vik Waghray, sat next to him for a semester of an introductory course to Java programming as a freshman. Senior Shouvik Mani remembers biking home with James every day as a freshman. Both described him as

one of the kindest souls they ever interacted with, who never failed to spread his contagious smile. From what we have heard and observed from others who also knew him, perhaps better than we did, this is a commonly shared reputation. Despite his physical absence, the memories of our interactions with James will never be forgotten. As life goes on, his bright smile and acts of kindness will linger in our minds.

s with the other members of the community who knew him, I am truly at a loss for words. I sat on my bed yesterday, read the news, and could not fathom how to respond when I read his name, a name that I recognized, on the list of victims following the tragedy in Santa Barbara this weekend. James was a friend of mine. I sat next to him my sophomore year at Lynbrook in Java Programming, where I knew him and learned about his incredibly kind and gentle disposition and recognized his immense talent and heart. -Weian Wang, Lynbrook Class of 2013

wo years ago, James was a student in my AP Chemistry class. Because he was learning the subject in a language that was not his native language, reading the textbook was difficult for him. James dealt with this challenge by working incredibly hard. He came to me frequently with questions about the homework and was not satisfied until he fully understood the concepts. James was highly intelligent and capable; quiet but also friendly. His death is a tragedy shared by all who knew him. -Roy Rocklin, science teacher

James on the set of a Lynbrook drama production “Death Trap.”

James as a crew member of “The Nerd,” pictured here with the cast.

Photo used with permission of Laurel Cohen.

oday, my heart is broken. I mourn the death of a former student James Hong shockingly killed on the UCSB campus, someone I will never be able to laugh, tell stories with, meet his spouse or hold his children. His death is tragic. -Laurel Cohen, drama teacher

very class has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own story. For the class of 2014, our situation is no different, yet our story isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that of a typical graduating class. For us, the road to success and self-discovery has never been easy to navigate. We have faced our share of adversity over these past four years, whether it be a Homecoming loss junior year, rally disappointments, or even a general reputation for having a lack of spirit. But in spite of all these obstacles, we found a way to turn our stumbling blocks into building blocks. We learned to overcome disadvantages, to make the most of our opportunities, and to turn our challenging environment into a community we could thrive in. Some of you probably remember our first Homecoming, with our empty gauntlet and overall disorganization. Regardless, from the outset, we have maintained ourselves as a scrappy, yet amicable bunch of underdogs. We rarely concerned ourselves with being competitive, and instead focused on simply having a good time It took us some time to get our footing right and establish our identity. But once we did, we demonstrated that our classâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best moments were not necessarily those that the typical Lynbrook class may pride itself in, but those of inter-class friendships, Homecoming procrastination and all-nighters--those that reflected our true spirit as one people, and that led us to develop the supportive community we stand with today. the Epic Class of 2014 hereby presents the 2013-2014 Senior Issue. On the next few pages are senior bequeathals to underclassmen, the much-anticipated college map and (hopefully) enlightening and entertaining statistics about our class.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

34%

38%

HOW HAPPY WERE YOU AT LYNBROOK?

SENIOR SURVEY *238 seniors (2014) surveyed

WHAT DEFINED YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE?

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU CHANGED?

TOP 5

PHRASES USED TO DESCRIBE LYNBROOK STRESSFUL [39 PEOPLE] FUN [35 PEOPLE] MEMORABLE [28 PEOPLE] CHALLENGING [18 PEOPLE] TIRED [16 PEOPLE]

INSPIRING, BRUTAL REWARDING, ENRICHING, DYNAMIC, EYEOPENING ENLIGHTENING, FUN EMPOWERING

HIGH SCHOOL IN

NINE WORDS

SENIOR I, Aaron Aquino, bequeath La Sociedad and my Spanish swag to Amit and Shruthi; the LC family to Yoni, Jessica, Ali, and June; T407 memes to Clarence; swag muffins to Lucas; cheesecake to Henry; and both my entire music collection and all of my laborious household chores to Trevor.

I, Aaron Simonson, bequeath my bananas equally to Devon and JR, My spirit and commitment to Ryan, My cookies to Drew, and finally my super chicken to Michael I, Aaron Sun, bequeath my friendliness and positivity to my antisocial brother Ryan Sun. To Nanxi Wang, I bequeath better work ethic and healthier sleep patterns. To Cindy Yuan, I bequeath my PAD expertise. And lastly, to Yinan Su, I bequeath my resolve, my warmth, my endless support and faith. I, Abhishek Johri, bequeath my own IST clock to Ruchi Pandya in hopes that she won’t be TOO late for future events, my knowledge in photography to Owen Li, my love for RAW picture format to Megan Lau, and my good looks to Sahil Hasan.

I, Aishwarya Nene, bequeath the ability to recognize me as his sister and my room to Ajinkya; my terrible fashion sense to Sanjana; all my spont love and puns to Prachi; MV boy and a “computer to destroy” to Somya; and the wonderful future of WiSTEM to Catherine and Marian. I, Ajay Shenoy, bequeath my calm, gowith-the-flow personality to Mira Thedki, so that she can avoid unnecessary high school drama and enjoy her time at Lynbrook.

I, Akruti Gupta, bequeath my Interact love to Janice Chan, my unwavering spirit and beloved reigns of the Speech team to Amrita Iyer, my appreciation of epic musical covers to Kavya Nambiar, and all my shouts into the void and metaphors and infinities and okays to Sneha Mohidekar. I, Albert Yang, bequeath someone’s car to Megan Lau, my inferior PAD account to Eric Chiu, my love-filled heart to Kenny Yuan, and the most wonderful box of nothingness to Achilles Kanaris.

I, Alexander Wong, bequeath the soccer team brownies, Eunoh my turf-burns, Nick and Daniel my defensive duties, Ricardo my love for playing soccer, Sonia mi tarea de español, Kristen my duties of Samantha, Prashant my minimal self-confidence, and Soonho my knowledge of planets, foosball skills, and appreciation for good music. I, Alice Tang, bequeath my alto/tenor voice and facial expressions to all choir buddies, Piano Club to the new officers, ability to anger fls to Michelle and Jessica, my seductive look to Mattica and Vinceline, Cafè 1930 primo to Linda, and bonobos to anyone I missed due to sleep deprivation. I, Allie Young, bequeath my kpop dance

skills and pinky buddy title to Annette, my name to Ali, my cat names to Amew, Aarnyan, and Pawtrick, carpools to Jane and Michelle, all my pants to Joan, my knee drops to Andy, and my best wishes to next year’s Valkyries team! I, Amy (Xin) Chen, bequeath my love and best wishes to Anna Lee, Diana Kang, Agnes Tang, and Alice Ou<3 (I’m so creative... right?!) Then, I bequeath Japanese club to Ashley, Joanna, Celine, and Jimmy :)

I, Amy Fujiki, bequeath all the amazing band manager memories and my good luck during Junior year to Meryem, the word happa and my kind, nice nature to Jocelyn, and my awesome high school band experience to all my clarinet kids.

I, Amy Lin, bequeath the hurdle team in all its dysfunction to Sabrina Fan and Claire Yuan, the habit of crying during and after watching dramas to Sun Lee, like-mongering to Esther Ho, “wow hella tfti” moments to Kevin Dai, twinning to Mehmet and Dylan, 3 steps to Mathew Blackburn, sunscreen to Chelsea Pan, Growl to Katherine Xiao, drastic PRs to the track team, and the last of the Lin legacy to Rachel Lin.

I, Amy Wei, bequeath my thug skills to my baby Valks, my Cards against Humanity knowledge to my JSA kids, my sass and powerpoint clicking skills to Claire, Kaki, and Selina, my Teleart stories to my JBowl kouhai, and all the spiders in the world to bio buddy Ben. I, Andrew Bae, bequeath my gaming abilities and lazy work ethic to my friend Eunoh Shin, bar adventures to Tao, crazy nights to Yoshinori Wang, and a truly heart warming soccer experience throughout my life to Chaitanya Khoche.

I, Andrew Dong, bequeath my physical growth to Harsha Bolisetty, my linguistic skills to Eric Liu and Gianna Wu, my social ineptitude to Tyler Strong, my stolen keys to Anna Lu, my hella swagger to Aaron Huang, and my breathtaking beauty to Guneet Kaur. I, Andrew Huang, bequeath Friendship Unity Community Kinship Love Hats Starbursts to every1, the title PM to brian, a bronze icon to achilles, all the stickers in the world to jenny, my mathematical prowess to soUmya, and love to everyone else. I, Andrew Lee, bequeath Soonho my full frame camera and Dara my anti-drone mirrors. For my track friends, I give Kevin my long jump powers, Hedy my rocket engines, Julia my poop, Reyjay my fried chicken, Kimberly my ability to solve 8+6 correctly, and Sabrina my massive biceps. I, Andy Wang, bequeath Octagon to Billy Lu, friends + socialization to Edward Lee, Sidney Li to Rachit Kataria, and guacamole

to Jane Lee.

I, Angela Kong, bequeath mucho Thursday lunch fun to Amit Pasupathy, Hana Kim and Rani Mavram, my fabulous fashion sense to Kevin Lin and Eric Wong, my ability to take creepy videos of her dancing to Claire You, my infatuation with Justin Timberlake to Kenny Yuan, my endless list of embarrassing moments to Michelle Su, my banana fingers to Amit Pasupathy, my serene “horror” movie-watching skills to James Jimmy Jiang, and my hatred of cookie-thieves to Gauri Patil and Jessica Jiang.

I, Angela Qiu, bequeath IHOP syrups to Hikaru and Meryem, better luck finding makeup to Rachel, derpy faces and impeccable singing to Eleanor, white wigs to Claire, spoons luck to Casheu, Matt Bomer to Shaiva, love of French to Helen/Marianne, limitless food to the guardlings, and nontemporalness to Ann. I, Angela Yung, bequeath my infinitesimal stamina to Kristen, my healthy arms to Sneha, my love for manga to Nidhi and Yejin, invisible sweatshirts to Priyanka, any tennis skills I have left to Annie and Heyang, and memories still on my iPad to Megan, Kimberly, and the team.

I, Angela Zhu, bequeath my room, my distractedness and my lucky swim cap to Annie Zhu and my unathleticness to Sam Rust! I, Anjali Sundararaman, bequeath my libero skills to Jamie Wong, my Vice President skills to Vaidehi Duraphe, my love for sports to Anshul Shah, my jadaness to Neha Sharma, my butt slaps to Tanvi Bhatnagar, my kindness to Keertana Sureshbabu, my art skills to Ethan Chee and Kevin Chu, my sass to Malka Kausar, and my height to Harsha Bolisetty.

I, Anna Her, bequeath hearts to Hima Rajana, chickens to my old sport Keffrey Yang, corgis and corgis and other stuff too to Billy Lu, my best advice to Nick Lui, my convenient dance sicknesses to Jimmy Jiang, cute Link kids to Victor Yu, and love to my sissypoo Joanne Her. I, Annette Ma, bequeath all my great memories on the tennis team to my twin Megan Wong and Shenequa aka Priyanka Chandra, my style to Rupa Ganesh, my love to Jeong Kim, and senior year to my little brother Matthew Ma. I, Annie Cheng, bequeath plums to Gauri, my hatred of horror movies to Kiki, my judging stares to Allie, my bamboo ladder to Elaine, my three pointers to Dolly, my Spanish-speaking skills to Jocelyn, and my good luck to Jamie.

I, Annie Liu, bequeath my dance/flag/sabre/rifle abilities and love of perfmorming to the entire guard, my life advice and the core group to EJ Batino, all food to Jessica

Pai, the fourth year I should have had to Hikaru Bakoshi and Claire Li who were with me since the beginning. I, Anshuman Dikhit, bequeath my Pink Bow Tie and French Horn to Jane Lee and Jeffrey Chang, my mellophone to Lucy Li and Christina Tani, and my flamboyant personality to Sahil Hasan.

I, Anupriya Tripathi, bequeath my creative nicknames to Isita, running skills to Ruchi, kindness and height to Shruthi, amazing lab skills to David, Soonho, Kevin, and Andy, sass to Arshi,harm to Joan, Spanish skills to Claire, Gautam, and Susie, gossiping and lack of drawing ability to Sarah.

I, Anurag Makineni, bequeath my broken end mills to Rahul and Owen, programming skills to Raphael, alertness to Brent, sense of direction to Manoj, position of robotics bus driver to Megan and Joshua, calmness to Nikita, joy to Srinjoy, spreadsheets to Patrick, and the Leaf to my sister Manasa. I, Ariel Lee, bequeath my life’s work and legacy--APASL/Team HBV--to Jessica Zheng and Melody Chang, National Honor Society to Sharon Ray, endless stacks of cash to Nanxi Wang, snacking habits to Faazilah, Spanglish tendencies to Vidya Palepu and Michelle Ng, and name ideas to Seungyeon Shin. I, Arnav Mishra, bequeath da leadershippin’ to Amit + asbo slaves, <3 to Pshih, IDC to Himanamitani, Cutters to Ruchi, Bubbles/Rainbows + AU to Kimberly, CAH to Gianna, Random Singing to Anjali, Stilts to Sabrina, Aplit Suffering to Sonia, Athletics to Anshul, Buddy-ness to Mira/Hana, and Hereditary Power to Isita. I, Aruna Menon, bequeath my Disney marathons to Urmila Venkat, Anna Sussenguth, Elin Chee, and Chris Cheung, any running motivation to Irene Han and Grace Ling, my limited physics skills to Jim Sussenguth, Revanth Nargurla, and Faazliah; my optimism to Nanxi Wang, and my love to the XC and Track teams.

I, Ashlyn Smith, bequeath my crazy boy stories to Wendy, my love for dance to Shivani, and my obsession with Tom Hiddleston to Nikita. I, Ashwin Srikant, bequeath my love of the Spanish language to Sahil, George, James and Jimmy, my refusal to do stairs and run laps to Pavan and Karthik, and my love of chemistry labs to Oliver and Matt.

I, Aurea Siu, bequeath my food and love to dear Alicia, my smiles to Keertana, my nonexistent baking skills to Crystal, my face to Emily, my shame and Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Winston, my sarcasm to Sonia, my laughter to Rachel, and my art skills to Sogand, Divya, and Carolyn. I, Austin Holland, bequeath my trumpet

BEQUEATHALS playing skills to Wesley Cheng and EJ Batino, my math “genius” to Shivani Rangwala and Vidya Palepu, and my amazing hair to Casey Markert.

I, Austin Hsu, bequeath my computer knowledge to Eric Zeng, Yash Sinha, Aayush Dixit, and Matthew Tan, the hope and best of luck to all of future Senior Class of 2015, basketball and video game knowledge to Derek Wade Li, my love of drawing and art to Shirley Sun, peace to Jasmine Han, my graduation cap and gown to David Lin, and nothing to Aemi Song. I, Betty Kuo, bequeath my paleness to Allison Hong, my Annie to Dolly Yuan, my quick recovery of butt pains to Elaine Ma, my love for PMTs to Gauri Jain, and my sassiness to Kiki Sureshbabu. I, Bryan Malone, bequeath my left shoulder to Anshul Shah, my baseball skills to Peyton Jones, my addiction to Starbursts to Samantha Meier, my 7/11 slurpies to Pranav Vaish, my hatred for chocolate and to Divyya Munshi, and my experience with women to Gregory Lerner. I, Caitlin Lee, bequeath a pig face to Grace Lam, next Korean SM position to Jeong, a magnet for the chick magnet; Prashant, a pacifier to baby Eunoh, an invite to Kevin’s to Sunny and veggie land to Anusha. I, Caroline Lee, bequeath Jennie Bang my swaggerific ajumma accent, Yeona Lee my spicy hotness, Sarah Kim my love for food, Daniel Wang my magic of creating beautiful asking posters, Yubin Ko myself, Julie Kim a not-so-broken cello, and Audrey Ham an unlimited supply of eggs.

I, Catherine Xu, bequeath my ability to sleep on pianos to Alice, bungee-drop skills to Allison, supplies for zombie apocalypses to Eric, napping/snacking in class skills to Jin, Brain Bee fun to Rachit, and Youtube videos, hipster movies, squishy cheeks, cat food, “tube”-like figure, and infinite love to Nancy. I, Cheryl Chang, bequeath Soonho a handball, Anu my Yogurtland trips, Angela my sunblock-applying and boy skills, Renee my valley girl accent, Julia and Elora my lane space, the CCS girls my game face, and the girl’s swim team my intimidation and ability to put up with Kendrick Lamar. I, Chloe Lau, bequeath my morning driving habits to Megan Lau, my love for McDonald’s to the guard, my boy band spasms to Christina Liu, and my lazy physics work ethic to Quyen Bui.

I, Chris Hong, bequeath my laziness and pursuit of higher meaning to my brothers Ben Liang and Wilheimer, my love of music to Jesse, Kevin, Ryan, and Vincent, my spirit of fun to Aditya and Dhruv, and my compassion, sarcasm, and strength to Claire, Sabrina, Josh Yuan, Kevin Lin, Shan-

non, and Megan.

I, Christine Lee, bequeath my Gentleman’s Dignity legacy to Jennie Bang, Spiffy Tiffy’s to Jamiee Shim, fireworks to Eric Chiu, and nicknames to Greg and Daniel.

I, Christine Wang, bequeath my LSD family to my successor Adish, my kitty-spirit to Janice and Shailja, my swagalicious music to my favorite indian Tanvi (and her goat). I bequeath infinite car-rides to Jaimee, my high notes to Matt, my sculpted muscles to Ben, and my lameness (not) to Winston.

I, Christine Zhu, bequeath my helium voice to Sun, the power to focus for extended periods of time to Chelsea, speedy replying skills to Katherine, the hulk physique to Nicole, the hops to beat her headache to Jennifer, and a shark aquarium to Wesley. I, Clark Ma , bequeath my fashion sense to Alan Wang, physics struggles to Sabrina Jen, good looks to Maxim Baban and Kenneth Vaz, laziness to Kevin Chu, Brandon Chou, Patrick Shih, and Brandon Ko, matchmaking abilities to Jessie Chen, and Rinnegan to Daniel Vahabi and Yubin Ko. I, Connor Wen, bequeath the struggles with Peter to Aaron Huang, Ali Khan, and Numair Baseer, my hatred of basic-ness to Ali, unrealistic Disney dreams to Michelle Su, Canada hat bargaining skills to Kassi, straightness to Kevin Chu, and Lynbrook’s breaking scene to Albert Lin. I, Crystal Guo, bequeath the greatest MD ever to Alan Wang, all of the bigs to Brandon Chou, and the extent of my knowledge in physics to Gauri Jain and Leroy Zhang.

I, Daniel Park, bequeath the legacy of teamS to Yoshinori, Eunoh, Tao, Matt, Albert, respect for women to Natasha, swag to Anand, humility to Wingus, Korean pride to the Lee sisters, masterdebating to Dhruv, camels to Tony, and Park family values to Julia.

I, Darren Yang, bequeath my tenor saxophone to Arshdeep Vittal, Korean ability not to Sean Chen, resistance to cold to the alto section, and my love for Jung Eunji to Jameson Zhang. I, Darya Charkashyna, bequeath AP Literature late nights to future seniors taking it; my Halloween stories to Vertigo; GSA to Guneet, Phoebe, Sneha, and Catherine; my amazing tan to my swimming hommies: Divya, Prachi, Maryrose, Anna, Irena, Zoe, Anh; and my morning voice crying “GO AWAY” to my bestie, Katya.

I, Davis Catolico, bequeath all of my stupids and cutes to Gianna Wu, a lifetime full of The Thing to Claire Yuan, my fighting powers to Somya Kharezy, EC to Julia Catolico, ice cream to my jumpers, and a big coconut to Andy Shen. Open wide!

I, Deeksha Kohli, bequeath the three golden rules to Shivani Kavaluru, my love of mock trial to Sanjna Arvind and Shruti Thatikunta, listening skills to Pheobe Winters, my doctor cross to Han Chong, my advice to Daniel Vahabi, and my stories/ adventures to June Hong.

I, Divya Saha, bequeath a VIP seat in my heart to my love Hana Kim, an ultimate dictatorship to “Juliamit Pasuwang”, many “scoop yous” to Sophia Meng, eternal love to Prashant Pokhriyal and Will Shan, a fabulous sophomore year to Mira Thekdi and “shots fired” to my Mock Trial babies! I, Don Kim, bequeath my stable to Kevin Chu, my forbidden high fives and lucky cheers for serves to Numair Baseer, my toolkit to Ali Khan, B2B to Aaron Huang, my Os and angry rap lip syncs to Joelle Shieh, and my love and support to Ajit and Dorothy. I, Edward Ding, bequeath my Michelin stars, a cup to suppress a certain bulge, and chicken to Cheffrey, some legs for Janice, sassiness to Crystal and Dorothy, mad badminton skills to A. Wang, mustache growth hormones to Stanley.

I, Eloy Fernandez, bequeath a rake to the jumpers, Mr. Saint John to Dhruv Walia, CAH to Gianna Wu, better decision making to Sonia Raghuram, bigger biceps and a ladder to Sabrina Fan, and a great birthday, a later bedtime, and lots of shiny things to Kimberly Zee.

I, Elsie Wang, bequeath Angie and my wardrobe to Christine and Sharon, my physics ratchetness and matching abilities to June, Great America ladder climbing skills to Vania, and my unconditional love to all the Valks <3 “I, Emily Liu, bequeath to Jessica Shi the H(W)G of her dreams. To my Vertigo babies: Marian Park, more time in the day; Jeffrey Yang, CSSSA writing exercises; Vidya Palepu, infinite jokes; and, for everyone, a wealth of inspiration! To Jennifer He and Joyce Wang, a spot at ICDC 2015. To the FHS salon crew, bonne chance! And to Will Shan, Kafka on the Shore and a puppy to convert you to a dog person. I, Emily Su, bequeath my shortness and swoleness to Katie, Allison, and Brian and the marching band, fruity creativity to Marian, Jeffrey, Vidya and the Vertigo officers, Nike walks to Chunxin, passion fruit tea to Soonho, unconventionalism and spirit to Will Shan, and my room and extroversion to Eric Su.

I, Eric Chung, bequeath my love to John Um and Sunny, the ability to “clean up” to Tao, my tennis skills to Matthew, my Monopoly Deal skills to Eunoh, my COD skills to Warren, my soccer skills to Albert, my thickness to Chai, my classiness to Joelle, Yoshitaka to Kimberly, and all my sleepovers to

Yoshinori.

I, Eric Day, bequeath my gains to June.

I, Eric Wu, bequeath the ability to speak without stuttering to Calvin, my impeccable beatboxing and fantastic driving skills to Anderson, the golden rules to Shivani, my aversion to speech and debate to Aditya, my Japanese prowess to Nishijima, and, of course, my humblest respects to Kurita-sama/Dai-chan.

I, Eric Yeh, bequeath my joy of drinking transparent water and sleeping disciplinarily to Brent Yi, a kind 10,000 millimeter ride to Megan Lau, a forgiving mitersaw to Owen Li, and another desirous year to everyone else.

I, Eshaan Gandhi, bequeath my technical prowess to Ian Pearman, AMP’s N4 to Brandon Piercy to use as much as he wants, my kindness to Astha Goel, and my passion for making music to Raaghav Minocha. I, Eugenie Zhu, bequeath my pathetic motivation to go to the gym to Annie Zhu, my beautiful snapchat skills to Jin Heo, and a magnifying glass to understand ants to Quyen Bui, Chloe Lau, and Kathy Jang. #sines4ever I, Eva Lomazov, bequeath my crazy robotics stories to Amrita, my love for dance to Ayesha, and my obsession with making friends with all my teachers to Nikita. I, Felicia Wang, bequeath my kpop/ kdrama craze to Diana Kang, my cuteness to Agnes Tang and food to Kenneth Wang.

I, Gaby Chan, bequeath my Interact babies the club that embodies the most spirit and love for service. To Calvin, all my words about happiness and life. To Jimmy, my non-awkwardness! To the new PR commission, my graphic skills + creativity. To my sister, the discovery of true friends. I, George Lu, bequeath my clownishness to Ben and Victor, my nice lungs to Jenny, my productive tutorials to Rachel, my dual-sword technique to Joseph, my muchneeded basketball skills to Roger, and my utmost respect for all men and women to my apprentice Jimmy. I, Gitanjali Annam, bequeath my love for movies to Gayathri, and my hatred of friendship drama to Anu. I, Grace Ma, bequeath my spontaneous art inspiration to friend and comrade Katherine Cheng, and my loving bear hugs to my best bro Luke Ge.

I, Guneet Kaur, bequeath my gossip skills, starbucks/taco bell runs, boy problems, ranting potential, and fobbiness to Neha Sharma and my never ending love for Red Cross to Anjana, Rani, and Grace. I, Harshita Narang, bequeath my stick-

clicking, timekeeping abilities to Alex and the low winds, endurance to Jennifer, camaraderie to Han and Adam, and joyous error-free lab experiences to Raymond, Ruchi, and Marian. I, Howard Huang, bequeath my java skills to Alan Lin and Rahul Sarathy, my tallness to Gavin Dersh-Fisher, and ability to drop dogs to Annie Zhu.

I, Hubert Tsen, bequeath the future of TeamS to the junior group on the corner picnic tables, college sweaters to Sunny Zhang, life lessons to Patark Lee, sugar packets to Bombay Bullet, and pecs to waterpolo and swimming. I, Imani Behrens, bequeath my humor to Evita, fashion to Alice, boutonniere to Justin, beufo handoffs to Gianna, volumized hair to Claire, my innocence to Anjali, rocketships to Ryan, dance moves to Shawn, biscuits to Catalina&Beatrice, name hollering to Mariel, sunscreen to Ishani, accents to AK, and music to Arianna. I, Insiya Attarwala, bequeath my spontaneous park adventures and Panera study dates to Harsha, my Tuesday lunches to Guneet and Anna, my pmt problems to Lillian Wu, my math bs-ing abilities to Ishani, and my grape juice to Raags.

I, Izumi Shimanouchi, bequeath my awesomeness to Daniel Wang, my beautiful stories to Melody Hsu, my mindset to Harsha Bolisetty, my storytelling skills to Jun Seo Park, my fabulousness to Rachit Kataria, and my smile to Griffin Tanaka. I, James Chow, bequeath the crown of bm to James Nishijima, my Japanese skills (or lack thereof) to Tony Peng, and my orange-scented eraser to Billy Lu.

I, Jacob Antony, bequeath to Kassi empty water bottles, pots of ice water, and many late night conversations, to Yoni my punching skills (call me Mr. Hands), to Keffrey the title of Epic’s resident sketch man and the jacket of your dead gardener, to Izzy only the most obnoxious Snapchat stories and the quality of whiteness, to Sabrina the ability to drive over the speed limit, to Michelle the ability to relax and all the YAC hours I never accrued, to Khaya good posture, to Divyya a box of Kleenex, to Dhiraj a box of Kleenex along with lotion, to Freya many successful days at Math Squared, to James my godlike content editing skills, to Michaela the balls to go stag, to sports, news, and opinion my clutch Photoshop magic, and to next year’s Epic staff I wish the best of luck as you move forward: be smart, be diligent, and be a family. I, James Lee, bequeath my pet snake to Alan Wang, my hatred of the Great Gatsby to Jeffery Yang, and my varsity two mens doubles spot to Wesley and Stanley.

I, James Ma, bequeath my extraordinarily refined vortexing skills to Brandon Chou and Elora Mallick, my maturity to Alex Hong, my eight sides to William Lu, my beloved buzzer set to Nithin Buduma and Pranav Lalgudi, and my science to Oliver Dong.

I, Jane Wei, bequeath my school supplies to Melissa for a (hopefully) wonderful start to high school. To Ryan, Siddhi, Kishen, Alina and MB low brass I bequeath my MB binder, and my awful tone to Jeffery.To Sherry I bequeath my exploding pen, if she wants it, of course. I, Janet Wang, bequeath my best wishes to

Gigi, my persistent determination to Rini, and my occasional good luck to all those who have supported me along the way and whom I will miss forever.

I, Janselle Justo, bequeath my awesome artistic cooking talent and my humor to my cooking buddy Sharon Ray, my amazing calc skills/advice about life to Tiffany Huang and Pallavi Sreeram, and my funny awkwardness to third period dropout Agnes Tang. I, Jarrett Chan, bequeath my speed to the Indian-chanting dudes in the pool, and a love for pötàtöēs to everyone. Pötàtöēs be gud. I, Jason Guo, bequath my amazing driving skills, my rebellious spirit, and my Yearbook legacy to Joseph Zhang, my right stuff membership and huge muscles to shadowstar6197, my fashion sense to Kevin Lin, my water supply to Benjamin Wu, my business card making skills to Winston Lan, and my stickers to Rachel Tu.

I, Jason Xie, bequeath my sweq to Alan Wang (my best bff friends forever), my in-class napping to Anusha, my trolling to Sahil, and nothing to Rani.

I, Jefferine Li, bequeath my Spurs love to Kyle, fandom for 7 little words to Sahil and Rex, choir love to Ashley, Michelle, and Emily, flowing prose & poetry and infinite hugs to Marian, Spanish wisdom (or maybe lack thereof) to Katherine, Cheryl, and Jessica.

I, Jennifer Liaw, bequeath my zombie appearance to Cynthia, Ms. Tarley’s movie and restaurant recommendations to Linda, some legit black dress pants to Felicia, the future of the alto section to Ashley, and my American citizenship to Louie. I, Jenny Ho, bequeath chicken to Jinwon Heo, love to Alexis Theony, and a seabra to Victor Yu. I, Jenny Xie, bequeath my french tutoring time slots to Catherine Day, many bear hugs and related puns to Luke Ge, love for blue gatorade to Katie Lam, good luck in hopes of an injury free season next year to Maggie Cai, awesome lolita deals to Katherine Cheng, Sebastian Stan and an egg to Nanxi Wang.

I, Jerry Luo, bequeath the adventures of exploration to Jane Lee, Billy Lu to Emily Zhong, and the confidence, courage, responsibility, and faith, for leading Agape and bringing out God’s love, to Alyssa Zhang, Emily Chen, Esther Kao, and everyone else who will be on Agape Core Team.

I, Jesse Chou, bequeath my pink bowtie to Jeffrey Chang and Jane Lee, two chains to Dolly, PowerPoint skills to Rani. Fried chicken to Renee Cai, $$$ to Jocelyn Sun, planar-magnetic circumaurals to Jin. Odewa-ofrankugadaiskinandaiyo and 512thnote pickups to Khushal Gujadhur, and migraines to NeuroBureau: Rachit, Sonia, and Nancy Xu. I, Jessica Cao, bequeath hugs and onesided conversations to Khaya Bhatia and Michelle Su, happy thrifting, fresh sushi and Tnahpele (on behalf of Veronica) to Maddison Ficovich, scholarship-winning art portfolios, the best outfits and imagination-opening Instagram accounts to Sarah Park and Sheng Lin, secret clothing designs to Michelle, goals come true, manicured brows and focus to Eric Chiu,

the cutest clothes and individualism to Christina Liu, sass and AP Style to James Wilhelmi, pointed questions to Stephanie Lu, production attendance and tons of popcorn to JJ Ignatescu, JJ to Shushank, proving me wrong, spirited debates and colorful trousers to Anand Chukka, 22 Jump Start to Izabella Kipnis and Sabrina Jen, smushed brownies and better Secret Santa skills and Hungry? to Kristen Wong, hardcore non-procrastinated studying to my JBowl kouhai. An eternal supply of water to the Epic staff. To the new ENCs, may the odds be Everinyourfavor.

sa Chen, and my love for boys to Khushal Gujadhur

I, Jessica Lin, bequeath my water polo skills to my kid brother and my butt-kickin’ girl’s varsity team, my nonexistent artsiness to Julia Wang, and my love for games and stupid memes, League skillz, ability to swim, and One Piece feels to Shanie Liao.

I, Kathy Jang, bequeath a streak that will never end in spirit, the right suitcase, a high five, and the Cal curse to Gianna Wu. Benito, Stalin. The team’s yours now. To Clahh, good moods for my man Wen. Yiss. To Andy Shen (the real bluecars11), a rainbow to run on, 4x exp, a Nalgene, and the smuggest smirk in the world. To Anjali Pemmaraju, a neon sports bra that’s meant to be seen. To the shaved ice crew, a single sunhat, a GLS, and neon4lyfe love. 12.8, 12.3, 1:56, 60. I believe in you. To Evita, the real world. We’re stayin’ alive. To Justin, a row like a stegosaurus. Can you believe it? To Jim S, evenness. To Julia Cat, peelypops. To Prasann, my acceptance of Counting Stars and to JJ, Steph, and Dhiraj, music that isn’t Counting Stars. To Keffrey, cheezburgers +100% picability. To Yahnateng, 47 colored pencils + ombre trapezoid. To Rani Mavram, I want them to see. To James Wilhelmi, fictionality and luck with RHF. To Quyen, a place to stay after concerts.

I, Jessica Lee, bequeath Charlie Wei, Hazel Shen, Tiffany Tzeng, Ali Chen, Gauri Jain, Wendy Chen, Junting Han, Kimberly Ku, Joseph Wang, Jessica Shu, Amy Hung, Ankita Saha, Alexis Foldvary, and Subhodeep Bhattacharya INFINITE flute pride, Catherine Day and Gauri Jain my sectional gossips, and Jennifer Lee my good looks.

I, Jessica Zhang, bequeath my steadiness in aiming on boats and ability to pull allnighters to Chiuchiu, my discrete napping and tippy-toeing skills to Tamtam, and my fondness for Russian accents to Archita and Angela. I, Jialin Lee, bequeath all the food in the world to Kasturi Pantvaidya, my lack of directional sense to Khaya Bhatia, boy troubles to Guneet Kaur, fattiness to Maddi Ficovich, postermaking skills to Albert Kim, math brains to Eunoh Shin, hatred of my job to Caitlyn Liao, ratchet adventures to Anusha Sundar, and beauty to Sunny Zhang. I, Jimmy Zeng, bequeath responsibility and dedication to Pranav Lalgudi, HL Decomposition to Matthew Hase-Liu, and college acceptances to Allison Tam.

I, Joanne Chan, bequeath the leadership of IPC and weekly Panera meetings to Crystal Mah, my hatred of physics to Eunice Ko, completed planners to my Engage kiddos, and running restaurant donations to Shivani Gupta.

I, Joey Li, bequeath ramen raps, frisbee, desert boots, and Asian girls to Anand; my apathy, appetite, and driver’s license to Kassi; black coffee and gavels to Numair; fades, honeycombs, shibes, and corgs to Billy and Emily; firm handshakes, full frame colors, and perfect histograms to Soonho; my stunning eyes and dreams of going to Disneyland to Kelsey Hurwitz; all my 3s, real clothes, and cheek rubbing to Izabella Aliza Frances Kipnis; CREAM and Anand to Michelle; sass to Freya; missing race starts at Crystal Springs to Jesse, Rags, and Ethan; and J&J’s at production to the rest of the Epic. I, Joshua Tripp, bequeath my knowledge of the lack of knowledge of bequeathals.

I, Joyce Chen, bequeath my amazing driving skills, count chocula print outs, cute pug gifs, and gullibility to Divyya Munshi, all the ice cream sandwiches with marshmallows to Lucy Kim, officer position to Rena Jiang, and string cheese to Mel Chen!

I, Julia Huang, bequeath my phone hiding skills in orchestra and my laziness to Alys-

I, Kat Tatley, bequeath my bequeathal skills of bequeathing bequees to Sarah as well as my soccer skills to future players of the V soccer team (although some may not need it Anjali... Kristen...) - but really, I bequeath Sarah my love for sarcasm and Rachel my optimism!

I, Kathleen Ko, bequeath sass and fish faces to Joan Chen, mini-me’s status and Australian accents to Jennifer Pan and Eileen Mao, sister love to Tiffany Chang, Kathleen McCarthy to Dara Jovkar, math sessions to Andy Shen, secret food stashes to Jenny Gao, random musings/facts to Brian Pea, delirious nights in the yearbook room to Soonho Kwon, Rachel Tu, and Jane Lee, bad jokes and music playlists to the Valhalla family, and my love, Disneyland, and dance parties to the Valks.

I, Kavita Krishnan, bequeath my sass and gossip abilities to Avanti Mehrotra, my AP lit good luck charm to Vidya Palepu, my confused humor to Audrey Zheng, and my “desi”ness to Anshul Shah, Vaidehi Duraphe, and Shreya Kumar.

I, Kelly Masterson, bequeath the assistant director title to Sam Khan and Olivia Walker, my sass to Clair Dunn, my sarcasm to Talya Gilboa, my blunt humor to Rebecca Wendler and Makenzie Larson, my constant need to quote friends to Astha Goel, my weird pranks to Raaghav Minocha, and my desire to be adventurous to Justin Robison.

I, Kelsey Hurwitz, bequeath the sports section all the pica boxes in the world, as a metaphor that even small things can make a huge impact. To Urmila I bequeath my slow running skills. To Ashwin I bequeath my lady-wooing skills in the hopes that I can help you “pull” more. To Izzy I bequeath the role of Head Jew (Yoni, please know that it was a close race, and you were quite deserving of the position as well.) To Prachi I wish I had some sort of skill to bequeath but you’re a genius and I hope you’re running the world someday. I guess I’ll just bequeath you my well wishes. Lastly, to Prasann, I thank you for being the best ever, and I bequeath you my signed baby picture that is on the wall in the cave. I hope when you encounter difficulties next year, you look to the photo to remind you of me and it offers some wisdom and guidance. Love you all! You better miss me next year ;)

I, Laura Cheng, bequeath my dresses to Katherine(saccharine goodness), my secret OTP to Luke(the most far-out one ever), and a happy senior year to both of them!

I, Lydia Kassinos, bequeath my last-minute sewing and crafting skills to Luke, the cutest dresses to Katherine, and a house empty of my presence to my brother Stavros.

I, Mallika Sathe, bequeath my humor to Tanvi, math skillz to Durga and Jessica, curly locks to Keertana, rant sessions to Harsha beta, In N Out appetite to Aneka, shindigs to Avanti, secret sister expertise to Subathra, sass to Aditi, free period to Jamie Wong, and breakfast obsession to Neha. I, Marnie Chang, bequeath my fabulousness to my soccer girls, my sarcasm to Kirsten, my study habits to KPoo, my “coolness” to Cynthia, my obviousLi amazing puns to Karen, my punctuality to TAYTAY, my Nikita-ness to Tuhina, my sass to Sarah, and my ability to walk super fast to Codie.

I, Matthew Lund, bequeath my dedication to my team mates to Harsha Bolisetty in hopes that he will become a wall next year as the starting goalie for the polo team. I also bequeath my sisters the endurance to survive another 3 years at lynbrook I, Maya Kapilevich, bequeath my motivation to my little brother, the candy in my lunch to Greg, Daniel to Gavin, and all my pizza rolls, my amazing senior year experience, my senioritis, and my love to Daniel. I, Medha Korwar, bequeath Alan Wang and Brandon Chou my singing abilities and my badminton powers for next year’s season.

I, Medha Sinha, bequeath the throne and Expository Speech to Sneha Mohidekhar, my devious attack plans to Tanvi Varma, my dedication to Speech and Debate to Anand Chukka and Prachi Laud, my love for Community to Meera Krishnamoorthy, and my music playlists to Akhil Bhandaru. I, Melissa Lee, bequeath my organization skills and randomness to my brother Bruce. Good luck in surviving two more years of high school!

I, Michael Chang, bequeath the position of Media Lead to Megan, my sleepiness to Brent, my appetite to Nikunj, my indifference to Nikita and Owen, my stupid jokes to Rahul, my craziness to Raphael, my joy to Srinjoy, my tendency to fight to Patrick, and good luck to Team 846. I, Michael Lin, bequeath my derpiness to Megan Lau, knowledge to Nikunj Khetan, and silence to Greg Lerner.

I, Michael Sheng, bequeath Chipotle Farm Team to Roger Chen and Alex Hong, impeccable driving skills to Rani Mavram, Barron’s to Jessica Shi, blessings of height to Nancy Xu, the “administrator” schoolloop username to Grant Lin, and the “whipping a disobedient” card to Prad Raghunath. Use wisely, for everything.

I, Miles Chan, bequeath my insatiable desire for victory to Raphael and Owen, scandalous jokes to Rahul “Lo-goal” Iyer, Megadict, Srinboy, and Soonho, sketchy solutions to Brent, troll scouting escapades to Patrick and Josh, tapeworm medicine to Nikunj, door closing skills to Manoj, and triangulation abilities to Tony.

I, Miranda Erikson, bequeath the ability to never gaf to Zanza Walsh and Hannah Chambers. (even though we already never ever gaf.... duh)

I, Monica Ou, bequeath hugs and long chats about Phantom to Soonho, bargain hunting skills and fashion advise to Dara, whiteness and knowledge of American Culture to June, endless supply of food and best of luck to everyone in Yearbook, booty bumping moves, love of the game, and fabulousness to my soccer girls. I, Monika Chen, bequeath my affinity for make-up and passion for shopping to my sister from another mister, Meagan Benensohn, my rebelious disposition in class to Melody Chang and Elora Mallick, my love of peas to Jennifer Lee, and obsession with imitating ugly smiles to Mina Malloy.

I, Mridhula Venkat, bequeath half my room and clothes to my dear sister Urmila (just kidding, I’ll give you all my love and less fighting in the future), all of the sweetness in the world to Shivani, and to Tiffany: 33. I, Nadine Javier, bequeath cork grease to Al(l)ison, hautbois beauty to Victor, fast rides to Nan^2, spawn to Jerry, bananas to Prushatin, 180 marimba chops to James, BM rigging skills to Michelle, ship command to Jocelyn, #1 b0ss role to Joey, and eternal happiness to my pit freshmen & Alex. I, Nancy Xiao, bequeath “the cute life” to val, my PAD expertise (or lack thereof) to estella, eric, and kevin, senior year track to sabrina, kimberly, and claire, fourth period adventures to katie and katherine hu, my future tattoos to radha, and much love and thanks to my baby sister. I, Nancy Zhou, bequeath my QuizUp prowess to Tiffany Chen, exceptional level of maturity to Khushal Gujadhur, and the title of official section shipper to Aileen Lu.

I, Nathan Kastle, bequeath the stardom of the Lynbrook stage to Claire Dunn, the Whale to Olivia Walker, leadership of the drama group to Ian Pearman, ride-giving powers and privileges to Vishy Mahesh, my depth in conversation and homosexual love to Pranav Vaish, bromance of the nth degree to Rags, Kyle, Evan and Justin, and the spirit of improv to Caleb Britton and Evan McCormack. I, Niharika Angajala, bequeath my passion for bhangra and dance overall to Meenakshi Nair (10), and my hatred of the subject physics to Sahil Hassan (11).

I, Niki Konstantinides, bequeath my passion for science and intense academic spirit to Somya Khare, and my love and dedication to field hockey to Lilian and Guneet. Rah Hockey!

I, Nikita Dhesikan, bequeath Jeffrey Yang the eternal strategic advantage and to James Wilhelmi, an everlasting spirit of renewal. To Yoni Zemylak, I bequeath the position as Steve Nash fan #1. To Epic, good luck + to the new ENCs, may the odds be everinyourfavor. I, Nikita Gourishetty, bequeath my love and sass to the Speech and Debate Spont Team, prosperity to Society of Psychology and Sociology and Students for Literacy, and everything else to Shreya Batra. I, Niknaz Oghabian, bequeath Zanza and Hannah my don’t give a gafs

I, Nisha Nadkarni, bequeath my DECA dumb luck and slacker tendencies to the sassy Indu Pereira, my superior taste in ladkas to Tanvi Varma, and my seemingly never-ending Silsilay struggles to Anshul and Vaidehi. I, Nishna Kommoju, bequeath my endless patience and obnoxious, stubborn personality to Eleanor Wang, and all my good traits, however few there may be, and altruism to Madhavi Kuthanar and Alec Ku. I, Nivedha Murugesan, bequeath my tendency to be fabulous and my curtain-opening skills to Shreya Batra, my collection of lame jokes to Sneha Padmanabha, my sass and my wild side to Sonia Raghuram, and my capability of making the best mango lassi to Prad Raghunath.

I, Patricia Lin, bequeath my heard-italready music sense to Tiffany, my sassy dancing to Roy, my stupid expressions to Pari, UIUC to Shivani, my high fives to Wendy, head nods to Shruthi, my sense of direction to Frank Lin, and my hope for their everlasting love to the Brunch Couple. I, Patrick Zhang, bequeath the carefree lifestyle to Michelle and the rest of my dino nuggets to Kassi. I, Poorva Jain, bequeath my awesome sense of humor and ‘sketchy side’ to junior BFFs Guneet and Lillian, my mastery of BSing to Quyen, my fear of Mark to fellow PreTrial survivor Shruthi, and finally to my amazing sister Gauri the advice to not stress because everything always turns out. “I, Pradeep Sangli, bequeath my superb Japanese pronunciation to Achilles Kanaris, my Java code to Gianna Wu, and my 3D Maneuver Gear to Yubin Ko.” I, Pranav Sujitkumar, bequeath my joke making skills and chillness during physics to Yoni Zemylak. I, Pranav Sujitkumar, bequeath the great section leader and tuba player Cyrus Cheung to Brian Lin.

I, Pruthviraj Chanda, bequeath my Cooking Skills to Travis, Jamaican Salad to Maddie, Gujju Pride to Shaiva, GSA Presidency to Sneha, Stage Presence to Ariana, Swag to JJJ, Kindness to Heather, Personality to AK, Hatred of Drama to Rahul(11), Dance Skills to Tanvi, Telugu Pride to Shivani, and my love for LHS to everyone!

I, Rachel Song, bequeath my perpetual tardiness to Tamtam and Chiuchiu, my plate of cupcakes to Andy, George and David, my nonexistent badminton skills and love for boonies to Clur, Jessica, and Tiffany, my Japanese knowledge to the Japan Bowl team, and my best wishes to the JNHS officer team. I, Ratna Jadhav, bequeath my patience to put up with MSD children to Shreya Batra, my determination to find booty game at SD tournaments to Sneha Padmanabha, my sassiness to Avanti Mehrotra, and my perseverance to search for eye candy to Amrita Iyer.

I, Rebecca Hatton, bequeath the red Geo Prism and my ability to make teachers like me to my sister Laura, my athleticism to the field hockey, soccer, and softball girls, and my unbeatable spirit to all future Lynbrook vikings. I, Reginald Lin, bequeath Comic Sans and

overflowing sass to Rachel, medium format to Soonho, triangles, “subpar,” and Adriwin to Sophia, apparent hipsterness to Eric, #smallworld to Cynthia, love, endless support, and a family to the Valhalla kids, shiny Pokémon to art kids, tacos and veggies to Emily, ditching to the xcfamily, and “good enough” to the underclassmen. I, Renee Chan, bequeath billions of butterflies to Janice Chan, my sassy personality and charisma to Elaine Ma, and an endless supply of dried cranberries to Sarah Park. I, Renee Huang, bequeath my ugly sweaters to Kiki, driving skills to Gauri, SAT Prep books to Elaine, my red gloves to Allison, my love of Annie to Dolly, and my NBA fan gear to Val. I, Rishabh Hegde, bequeath a wire my furry pencil to Matt Ma, a better prom asking to Nisha, all my PAD monsters to Satyajit, my sass to Malka, my middle finger to Maddi, and all of my knowledge to Sid.

I, Ritu Parwal, bequeath my Netflix account and t.v. show watching skills to Shreya Kumar, my fashion sense to Ria Parwal, and my weight lifting abilities to Shruthi Thatikunta. I, RJ Bamrah, bequeath my randomness to my sister, Supriya.

I, Rochelle Gatus, bequeath my love of art and working with my hands in the third dimension to Harriet Cassell, Stephanie Xu, and Gayatri Dandu; my blue goalie pads to Valerie Batino; the FCC to John Clemente and EJ Batino; cheerleader spirit and FICA to Katya Trushchankova; not-so-clever insults to Aditi Phadke; and nothing to Angela Tsai, because bby you sexy enough!

I, Rohit Sarathy bequeath JETS to the officer team in hopes that they will spark the engineering interest in the Lynbrook Community, the Cross Country team interval workouts and loquer runs, and the very best wishes to Rahul Sarathy. I, Roy Kim, bequeath my Chris Smoove posting to my fellow artist Matthew Ma and my unfoolishness to Eunoh Shin the fool.

I, Ryan Chien, bequeath my bento box to Jonathan Chang, haterade to Alyssa Chen, my Monopoly prowess to Vincent Cheng, the crown of bm to James Nishijima, and my strong work ethic to Eric Chiu.

I, Ryan Lin, bequeath my jam and concert organization responsibilities to Jeffrey Chang, longboarding skills to Evan Li, and desire for PMT to Brandon Strong.

I, Sam Chang, bequeath Sasha and Grant a year free of hostility and many triumphs. To Yubin, I bequeath my infinite love for Yolanda and a new spot on the Lederman Scale; to Daniel Wang, I bequeath a successful season and huge arms; and to Andy and James, I bequeath my creepiness and knowledge of physics. I, Sanjay Saravanan, bequeath my awesome BM skills and poker chip dealing to Meryem Guler, lots of sugar to Emily (Boss) Mok, robot to Owen li, and awesome dancing skills to Indu. I, Sara Dyslin, bequeath all my bump set kills to Grace Lam, my hugs to Kiki, and all my love (and some of my height) to the rest of the basketball girls. I love you guys so much and I will miss you like crazy!

I, Sarah Tang, bequeath the dictatorship to Rachel and Jane, the ValhallAS(f)Bla triple to Sophia, the power of democracy to Amit, FBLA struggles to Hana and Rani, virtual friendship to Jimmy, my sense of direction to Kevin, ingenious ideas and cupcakes to Michelle, sara(p)h fonts to SKwon, and Mommy’s undivided attention to Ryan.

I, Sarah Wong, bequeath my soccer skills to the soccer team, my cooking and eating skills to Catalina Reyes and Beatrice Li, the Wong name to Kristen Wong, ab workouts to Taylor Basin, my silly faces to Supriya Singh and my room and everything else to my sister Megan Wong. I, Sasha Wootton, bequeath my ninja ability to dance at all moments of the day and spirited smiling face to the bunheads: Izzy and Michaela, my voluptuous bedonk to meenerz meagan alice mira and sasha, my skills at procrastinating to william and sasha, and my fearlessness of belly-flopping to Taylor. :) I, Selin Toprak, bequeath my twerking skills and love to the cheer team, my stats skills to Achilles Kanaris, and my ability to get guys every 3 seconds to Maddison Ficovich.

I, Sharon Pneh, with all due sincerity, bequeath my irrationality to Hikaru, perfectionism to Meryem, and burnt toast to the always hungry. Leave my eloquence with Tiffany and mon espoir avec Helen. Pass my sense of direction to Kevin and my recklessness to Alex. But the glare remains with me. I, Shouvik Mani, bequeath “the Shouve” hairstyle to Sabiq Khan, my muscles to Akshar Patel, my chest hair to Kevin Huang , and my superb eating-in-class skills to Meera K., Amanda Chang, Frina Redoloza, and Khaya Bhatia.

I, Shravya Adusumilli, bequeath my somewhat average PAD skills to Angela, the one who has always sarcastically insulted me but has always been there on my side. Also Archita, my fav physics buddy, I bequeath all the power for you to dictate to the upcoming underclassmen you will be with. Enjoy the pains and funs of your last year!

I, Shritama Ray, bequeath short term memory and better taste in clothing to Lackey Baseer, 10 pounds and a drama-free LSD to Lackey Chukka, the strength to come out and a promotion to Supreme waterboy to Lackey Khan, effortless espanol beh-ese to Izzy Kipnis, and 6’6” to Hannah Chambers . I, Sid Malladi, bequeath my DECA jeezusnotes to Pranav Vaish, my Bollywood spirit to Dara Jovkar, and the world’s rational admiration of Apple to Rani Mavram.

I, Sierra Stormo, bequeath my funny accents to Nikhila, Hazel, Meryem, Ali, and Kimberly, the smiley face butt to Alexis, the “drugs” to Amy, all of the ooo’s to Sub, all of the earthquakes to Rags, all of my checks to JR, Ethan, Arka, Elin, Rahul and Justine, all of my dot confusion to Gauri, and all of my trying not to... to George. I, Sneha Annamaneni, bequeath my love for horror movies to Sharon, my arrogance and my makeup skills to Arshi, my procrastination tendencies and my immense love for ASAP to Joan, and my secretary skills to Maryam. I, Srinath Ganesh, bequeath my title of the apple tree to Eric Su, my protective rubber

sheaths worn downstairs to Jeffrey Chang, my posture to Daniel Ju, and my sexiness to Khushal Gujadhur.

I, Srinija Godavarthi, bequeath surfboards, baldhuschenwirs, excessive earwax, ugly selfies, torn ACL’s, wrong shruti’s, and eyesore to Malvika Sriram. To Wendy Ding I bequeath long nails, last minute physics homework, and impossible games. To Pallavi Sreeram, I bequeath confusing labs and owl jokes, and to Sherry Sarkar I bequeath batman voices. I, Stephanie Juang, bequeath Eddie to Elin, Tom to Kirsten, my great attitude and butt-slapping to the soccer girls, my sand angel to the jumpers, all the Milpitas picture girls to Dylan, Tchaik 5 to Jeffrey, my popsicle to Brandon, toes to John, the gost to Alec, bleacher man and my glorious hot potatoes to Tyler, and lastly, a fart for Justin Juang, my dearest darlingest brother. I, Stephanie Li, bequeath my sneaky slacker skills to Irena, in hopes she survives senior year. To Lingyue and Frina, I bequeath some hugs. To Simran, I bequeath my weirdness. Enjoy it. Finally, to Anh, my notreally-but-definitely-so twin, I bequeath to you the sunscreen dance.

I, Stergiana Amberiadis, bequeath the smell of old chicken to Ian Pearman, the illest to Arianna, my Mock Trial prowess to Han, Shruthi, Jessica, Shivani, and Aditya, Vinny to Sanjna, moonshine to Vishy, my love of concerts to Sana, my fashion sense to Negin, my charisma to Kyle, and my love of Lynbrook to Sam Khan.

I, Steven Chao, bequeath Aletheia to next year’s Staff, the grext to the saxes, my weirdness to Nitin, Prem, and Angela, my paper stacker job to Alexa, my Chinese to Jocelyn, French verb “tamponner” to Lea, Anne-Marie, and Antoinette, and my love of Miley to nobody.

I, Steven Zheng, bequeath the fate of the tennis team unto Maxim the Great Wall of Moscow, lucky charms to Vincent Soyung Tse, monster alpacas to Kevin Yang, and coffee to Michelle Chiu so you can handle staying up past 1. I, Susmitha Bhat, bequeath my sanity to Tulika and Prachi, my introspective nature to Somya and Amit, my Honey Greek yogurt to Genshin, my hair tie to Junting, all my notes to Fatima, and finally some good old black bean tortilla chips and salsa to Eric Wong and Rahul Iyer. I, Susmitha Bhat, bequeath my sanity to Tulika and Prachi, my reflective and introspective nature to Somya and Amit, my honey greek yogurt to Genshin, my hair tie to Junting, my Biology, Chemistry, and Physics notes to Fatima, and finally, a whole lot of good wishes to all students.

I, Tanay Vasavada, bequeath my sassiness and Oreos to Rani Mavram (my sista), my sense of humor to Dara Jovkar, my badminton skills to Omkar Shanbhag, my gas money to Mark Braisted, and my knowledge of Yolanda to Yubin Ko, Daniel Vahabi, and Alan Wang.

I, Tara Pichumani, bequeath ratchet dancing to Hana Kim, MUN-eries to Sidney Li, knowledge of global business to my baes Tulika Wagle and Prashant Pokriyal, the strength to overcome senioritis to Eric Wong and Jimmy Jiang, “quacks” to Rahul Iyer, everything to Sophia Meng, and nothing to Amit Pasupathy.

I, Tasha Tchetchetkine, bequeath my fandom emotions to Claire, my guard emotions to Hikaru and Meryem, and my weird energy to Shaiva and Eleanor. I also bequeath my rifle skills, senior year thirst, and general support to Alex, and all my early morning bizzareness and (procrastinated) Marvel concerns to Natasha (aka the namebuddy).

I, Tatsu Otani, bequeath the jar of bets to Yoshinori, Eunoh, Chai, Matthew, Tao, Tony, Albert, Warren, and Anthony, De Anza Force pride to Zach Faris and Alvin Fan, and my love of Lynbrook High School to Shirley Sun. I, Tiffany Kuo, bequeath the continuation of Lynbrook Amnesty International’s goal of education and awareness to the great 2014-15 officer team, and the triangle covenant to Luke.

I, Tiffany Lin, bequeath my chores and car keys to Jonathan Lin, leftover food to Matthew and Chaitanya, my towering height to Brandon Chou, and my bottomless pit of hate to Mekhla Singh. I, Tilly Nguyen, bequeath my life guru-ness to Keertana Sureshbabu, my goldfish and my love for boba to Jin Heo, my ability to finish art projects to Eric Chiu, and my strange sounds and stomach capacity to my baby brother Long Nguyen.

I, Timothy Lin, bequeath MV boy to Somya Khare, “something cute” to Kasturi Pantvaidya, ASP teasing rights to Sam Khan, entrepreneurial spirit to Abhiram Kothapalli, real man’s food to Keffrey Yang, that awful speech I got from Emily Zhong to Zhonglu’s other half, and a DECA diamond/moon to Rani Mavram. I, Ting Chia Chen, bequeath my advice in academics to my friend James Wei, special love and hate to Diana Kang, social advice to Angela Hu, humorous lame fobby jokes to Calvin Leng and overly exaggerated sass to Daniel Liu.

I, Tony Jiang, bequeath Math Club to Victor Chen and his officers, and the rest of my remaining abilities in French to Ishaan Agrawal, Rachit Kataria, Michelle Su, and Claire You. Last but not least, I bequeath my swaggy to Jun Seo Park.

I, Tony Pan, bequeath the Year of the Yao to Victor, James, Patrick and Jun Seo; 8 Pokemon victories, Sour Patch Kids, and my Notorious B.I.G. playlist to Jasmine; 34 kilotons of SUS to Ali and Michelle; and my 6 Bapes, white blazers, and a superior sense of style to Anand.

I, Toshitha Jagadeesh, bequeath my diligence and intelligence to Shikhar Jagadeesh, my ability to focus to Aaron Chang and Arnav Virmani, common sense to Sahil Sancheti, my ability to get to class on time to Eric Chiu, and my “Diamond” singing skills and humor to Amanda Chang and Tiffany Huang. I, Veronica Baban, bequeath my weird noises to Leanza Martin, my awesomeness to Maxim Baban so he can finally have friends, my unconditional love to Maddi Ficovich because she’s my favorite person ever, and my strength to my cheer mates who I will miss sooooo much. I, Vibhav Altekar, bequeath my great times at deca to Atrey Khoche, Brandon Piercy, Joshua Otani, Armin Hamadani, and Har-

sha Bollisetty, my affinity to math and science to Annie Zhu, my research experience to Pranav Lalgudi, Varun Venkatesh, and Nithin Buduma.

I, Victoria Li, bequeath my lame dance moves to Joan, midnight gossip sessions and best friendships to Eileen and Jennifer, my super useful anecdotes and metaphors to all my Valks, and lots of love to my new YAK officers. I, Vidur Sanandan, becqueath the culture manufactured by AMP Club, random free iced tea, an entrepreneurial edge, and a particular love for words, sometimes harsh and cynical words, to whosoever most deserves or is cursed by such things. May the best person win.

I, Vik Waghray, bequeath the title of allleague stalk blocker to Daniel Wang, a great year of Link Crew to June Hong, Ali Khan, Jessica Pai, and Yoni Zemlyak, a growth spurt and math knowledge to Kasturi Pantvaidya, a fully-stocked food locker to Sabrina Jen, confidence and good luck with college apps to Anand Chukka, the skill of taking secret selfies and my top-notch Spanish abilities to Izzy Kipnis, success and random hello’s to Michelle Su, writers who meet deadlines to Khaya Bhatia, better dummies to Prasann Ranade, representation of Squiredell Drive to Dhiraj Nallapothula, exciting family-friend parties to Priyanka Chandra, endless fun in NHS to Meera Trisal and Jasmine Hahm, a stress-free junior year to Michelle Chiu, my stellar chemistry knowledge to Rahul Sarathy, ice water baths and hands to Jonathan Chang, and all of my passion, competitive spirit, and a great season to the varsity football team. I, Vincent Yao, bequeath my motivation to do schoolwork and ability to crush curveballs to George Ku, and McDonalds and the ability to start bro fights to Trevor Aquino.

I, Vishnu Murthy, bequeath FHS to current junior officers Jun Seo Park, Sidney Li, Avanti Mehrotra, and Rachit Kataria and future MUN success to Shivani Kavuluru.

I, Yamini Patibandla, bequeath my love for research and refined seat-grabbing skills on the CalTrain to Jeffrey Chang, excellent meeting ideas to Prasann Ranade, Maryam Sabeti for Pre-Med, my loud outdoors voice to Whitney Li for SHOK, and my pronunciation failures to Amit Pasupathy, Shruthi Thatikunta, Izzy Kipnis for SHS. I, Yoshi Wang, bequeath my name Yoshi to my brother Yoshi, my fun and laughs to Eunoh, Chai, Matthew, Tao, Tony, Albert, and Warren.

I, Youngsub Lee, bequeath my unicorn to Kevin Chu, ears to Roger Chen, my little brother to Shirley Sun, my freckles to Emily Min, young money to Joelle Shieh, and my gochu to Brian Tung.

I, Zachary T Charif, bequeath my loves upon my sax. section in band. There was nothing I could do to deserve being with you guys. To Katie, my affections; to Alex B, good humors; to Alex C., my lack thereof; and to Leroy, a thousand notes misplayed together. I, Ziqi Chen, bequeath my ability to fall on my face and make whale noises to Katie, my derpiness during matches to Nanxi, my ability to drive to Angela (so she won’t have to wait forever for a ride), and my sassiness to Wendy.

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ISRAEli ARMY

Vegan

BY DHIRAJ NALLAPOTHULA

BY SANA SHARFUDDIN

There are not too many things in the world that send chills down my spine. But there are always exceptions to the norm and unfortunately that is dieting. From a young age, I have seen my aunt consult her collection of health and nutrition books for a new way to “eat healthy.” And take my word for it, these books and slew of new diets became the bane of my existence. So naturally when I took one glance at the Israeli Army diet waiting for me, I shed some manly tears. Eight days of the most banal, tasteless food ever cultivated by man. I had to eat only apples the first two days, only cheese for the next two, nothing but chicken the following two and salad for the last two days. Now keep in mind that this diet has no connection to the actual Israeli Army. I mean do you honestly think they would starve their soldiers like this? Needless to say, I was starving, angry and demoralized by the end of my ordeal. Physically, I lost a significant amount of body mass and I definitely did not feel healthy while dieting; the biggest side effect was my mood swings. I must confess that by the fourth or fifth day I violated the diet just so that I could keep my sanity and get some much needed nutrition. Much to my disappointment, the diet outcompeted me but at least it serves as a cautionary tale to never embark on a diet unless it is absolutely necessary.

As a vegetarian, I didn’t think a vegan diet would be so difficult. Well, it turned out that I was wrong. The rules of a vegan diet are simple yet difficult to follow: no meat or animal products. Eight days without my usual snacks and meals was far more painful than I expected. The diet posed a formidable challenge for me since I regularly eat food that contains milk and eggs. My usual afternoon snack of a cookie and string cheese turned into a pack of fresh strawberries and grapes. Lunches and dinners, which usually consist of some sort of meat or dairy, became pasta with tomato sauce and no cheese. Dessert didn’t exist anymore. Throughout the eight days, I noticed how much the diet affected me. My usual high energy level decreased, and I felt long periods of fatigue after school. A couple of days into the diet, my mood became a little more cranky as I longed for a sugary snack. Something I liked about the diet, however, is how empty my stomach felt. Though it was painful, I loved thinking that I was gradually losing weight over the days. That was the only thing that kept me abiding by the rules. So dear readers, take this advice. Do not commit to this diet if you are not certain that you can refrain from consuming desserts and junk food. If you do decide to take on the challenge, then I must say: good luck!

Four Epic staffers take on the challenge of trying different diets for eight days. They share the value they gained and the endeavors they faced from their various diets.

Gluten free

macrobiotic

BY CHRISTINA LIU

BY JAMES WILHELMI

My one week long gluten-free diet was a surprisingly good experience. I expected to have cravings for processed food that I was used to eating often, but once I began feeling the positive effects of the diet, I was glad that I did it. Because I could not eat most carbohydrates, I stayed away from cake, cookies, cereal, chips and more. Instead, my meals comprised mostly of vegetables and fruits, and after a few days, I got used to it. I felt a lot cleaner and healthier. Although my diet allowed meat, I did not have very much because I’m not a regular meat-eater. I often had to turn down food when people offered me snacks or desserts. Thinking about how I was consuming less processed food motivated me to continue with my diet. My mood improved; in just a few days of eating cleaner, I felt less weighed down by the junk food that I usually ate. At one point, as a treat for sticking to the diet, I made gluten-free pancakes for myself, substituting wheat flour for glutenfree tapioca flour. The most difficult part of my diet was planning my meals every day- because I could not eat many of the foods included in school lunches, I had to make time for myself in the morning to pack fruits and vegetables to eat at school. Even though I enjoyed my gluten-free diet, I was glad to return to my normal diet of eating whatever I wanted to. I can now once again choose my meals in a matter of seconds rather than minutes.

Having never tried to follow any sort of food regimen before, I was unsure of what to expect. I decided to kick things off with a trip to Whole Foods and came home with more products labeled “organic,” “locally grown” and “no sugar added” than I even knew existed. Over the eight-day period, bread and pasta became the basis of my diet. I started each day off with a couple slices of jam-covered toast and a fruit. Lunch was usually a sandwich filled with whatever vegetables I saw fit to include. For dinner I cooked up--well, my mom and I cooked up--pasta with tomato sauce and veggies. Each morning, I put a few tangerines in my pocket as snacks for the day. The macrobiotic diet is very different from my usual eating habits, so the changeover was a stark one for me. Rather than going through periods of high energy followed by lulls, my focus and drive remained constant for longer and I felt less fatigued. Beyond the cranky mood that cropped up from time to time because of all the vegetables I was forced to eat, I noticed that my state of mind seemed to be more stable. Another major thing that I observed was the lack of sweetness in my diet. Finally, I dropped a few pounds and overall felt like a healthier person. I would wholeheartedly recommend the macrobiotic to those who want to make better choices for their body, support local farmers or simply feel less tired. A word to the wise, though: the all-natural goodness does not come cheap!

BY SHOUVIK MANI

hether you are a junior bugging your friends for rides or a senior wanting to come home for summer internships , you are probably looking for a reliable method of transportation. With VTA busses arriving every half-an-hour and no light rail connectivity in our area, a used car under $5000 is your best bet (no offense public transportation). Recently, I bought a 2001 Nissan Altima, and I want to share some my insights so that you can get a great deal on a used car and avoid some of the hassles I had to face.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FRINA REDOLOZA

Step 1: Identify your needs Believe me, there are a lot of options under the $5000 price tag. Some people will go for a two-door coupe, while others may prefer a four-door sedan. Some prefer automatic transmission, others stick shift. Identify what you want in a car. You should ask yourself questions like: How often will I be driving it? How long will I keep it? What will I use it for? Generally, you should look for a car in a clean condition, a moderate mileage (under 130k miles), and of a decent make and model. Step 2: Search! There are two main sources that I used in my car search: Craigslist and pre-owned dealers. Both have their advantages and drawbacks. The first thing that strikes you about Craigslist is its sheer size and diversity. There are new car listings appearing every few hours, and sometimes it can get overwhelming. Even though you have a plethora of choices, finding the perfect fit can be difficult. Many of the listings are salvage titles

OBJECTIVE: Buy a used car for Less Than $5,000

(not in clean condition), sold by shady dealers and should be completely avoided. You will have to be extremely diligent in order to find a car that fits your budget and is in a good condition. When you go to meet the dealer, make sure you ask for the vehicle’s Carfax report, which will give you a detailed history of the car including any accidents it has been in. You can also ask the dealer if you can take the car to do a mechanic to get it inspected before you buy it. Buying from a pre-owned dealership is more straightforward and offers you peace of mind. To buy pre-owned, just search Google for “Stevens Creek Toyota/Honda/ Nissan/etc.” and go to their pre-owned section. These cars have already been tuned up by the dealership, so your maintenance costs will be lower. The only drawback about buying from a dealership is that it will be more expensive. The convenience of a dealership comes at a price, so you will have to negotiate really well (more on that later). My verdict: If you have the patience to scour Craigslist, then go for it. You are much more likely to find a better deal from a private seller than from a dealership. Still, you

never know what you will get, so be prepared to shell out a lot of money on potential maintenance and repairs. On the other hand, go to a dealership if you want a reliable vehicle in a clean condition and don’t mind paying a premium for it. Step 3: Confirm the price The great thing about buying a used car today is the wealth of information available to the consumer. You can use car research websites like Edmunds and Kelly Blue Book (KBB) to estimate the price you should be paying for your car. On these websites, you can enter various parameters such as a car’s make, model, age, mileage and condition to get detailed reviews, listings and price estimates. Use these tools to your advantage. If a dealership or a private seller is overcharging you, show them the KBB price and use it as an argument to lower the price. Step 4: Haggle till the world ends. Car salesmen are a tricky lot. You have to negotiate on their level and use their own tactics against them to get the deal you want. For instance, the car salesman I met did not want me to leave the lot without buying a car. So, I kept telling him that I would head to a differ-

ent dealership unless he lowered the price. My Dad, who was with me, pretended to be unenthusiastic about the purchase, and that kept the salesman from requesting an exorbitant price. It took a good hour of negotiating until we hit the $4800 mark, and by then, he had dropped the price by $1100. I left the dealership with a nice deal, and I did not feel robbed. Be patient, be persistent and you can get the deal you want. Note: Remember that the $5000 is just the list price. You will have to add another 11 percent on top of that to take care of taxes and registration. Unfortunately, this is just a fact of life. Uncle Sam wants a fair chunk out of the sweet ride that you are going to get. Step 5: Enjoy the ride Looking at all the Teslas, Beemers and Mercs around here, a used car under $5000 will probably not be your dream ride; however, I can promise you an elevated sense of independence and ownership with a car of your own. Convince your parents about the great investment a used car will be and start doing your research. And remember to drive safely!

Falafel to remember

An Epic reporter checks out Falafel Stop , a five star eatery located in Fremont.

KASTURI PANTVAIDYA — EPIC

BY YONATAN ZEMLYAK

t would be a disgrace to my MiddleEastern roots if I weren’t an expert on local falafel joints, so when a friend advised me to visit Falafel Stop (1325 Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road), I jumped at the opportunity. Strategically located across the street from Fremont High School, the bright yellow structure is hard to miss, and the eye-catching logo - which employs a real stop sign - only enhances the effect. My senses aroused by an aroma of Mediterranean goodness, I went in with hopes as high as the faintest wisps of steam rising from the falafel I saw piled high on eager customers’ plates. Falafel Stop’s customers can order food on a plate (rare, civilized individuals), and food inside a pita (everyone else). While the structure varies along these lines, customers choose between meat and falafel-oriented dishes; all entries come with salad and a spoonful of humus, which you can have put on top of your food or next to it. I decided to go with the most standard selections from each section, ordering shuwarma (boneless chicken strips - $7.36 when in the pita; often spelled shawerma but this is how they do) and the most basic falafel dish ($5.55 when in the pita). The first thing I noticed about my food was the unusual size of the Falafel. While most American establishments roll them into

balls at least two inches in diameter, these were no more than half that size, closely resembling the Israeli version I grew up eating (advantageous because smaller balls optimize space, as my pita was filled to the top.) The mixture of salad and hummus complemented the soft falafel extremely well, adding just the right amount of spice to a dish technically not meant to be spicy. The freshly-baked pita, served at the right temperature and fluffiness, was probably the best part of the meal. From there, I moved on to the shuwarma, hoping that it would prove just as great as the falafel had. Once again, I wasn’t disappointed. Each piece exploded with juiciness, enthralling my taste buds and leaving me wanting for more. Like the falafel, the tender meat also worked flawlessly with the hummus-salad combo, and the dish was a little bit more filling than its predecessor. Just out of curiosity, I had ordered French Fries with the shuwarma, intrigued by the American-Mediterranean cross. I ended up with a few skimpy, out-of-place fries strewn across the top of the shuwarma, which fell out anyway as soon as I set the Pita down. But that was the only drawback, and after washing down the meal with a cold Pepsi,

I left the restaurant intensely satisfied. In retrospect, I find it incredible that neither pita fell apart the way every Chipotle burrito does. It was either Divine Intervention or a well-thought-out, well-prepared meal. I prefer to think it’s the latter, with maybe a hint of the former. As I mentioned previously, I am somewhat of a grizzled veteran in the local falafel field, and I hold that Falafel Stop compares favorably to other establishments. Though the menu is less extensive, the food here is better than Village Falafel’s or Yiassoo’s, and the informal ambience - with customers able to choose between sitting privately or side-by-side with strangers along 10-foot tables - makes for a collectively superior experience. While it would do the restaurant good to introduce lunch and dinner deals, the pricing does not feel excessive and rivals that of other chains. And the experience is definitely worth the wait, which won’t be as long if you visit anytime other than Saturday afternoon. Falafel Stop’s website guarantees that “your first visit won’t be your last.” When I left the restaurant, I already knew that my next visit wouldn’t my last, either.

ooking back on these four years, it is definitely a bit surreal to think that high school is about to finish. For this column, I’ve decided to take a step back and reflect on my high school experience (it is senior issue, after all) and hopefully relay some helpful advice to all you underclassmen out there. Perhaps this could come in handy for seniors to keep in mind as they enter college, as well. Entering high school, I definitely could not have foreseen just how much would change over the course of four quick years. I’ve undergone an odd transformation that I’m sure many other seniors can relate to. Regardless, I’m happy with the way things have turned out,

and I’m writing this so that you don’t have any regrets when you are in this position, too. Here’s a brief list of habits I strongly suggest you try to adopt. Only do things that you love You probably hear this all the time, but to be honest this is the key to maintaining even an ounce of happiness throughout your high school experience. If you choose to follow my advice here and do what makes YOU happy (not your parents), then you’ll find yourself leaving high school with far fewer regrets and plentiful positive memories under your belt. Amidst all the work you will have to do, you will need activities to balance everything out, and that is exactly the kind of purpose this can serve. It’s just about finding your niche. Be open to new things and

people I don’t think I can stress the importance of this enough. Whether it be striking up a conversation with that table mate you’ve never spoken to or joining a new club, you’ll never know what’s out there until you make an effort to explore unfamiliar opportunities. Not only is it likely that you’ll discover an interest or passion that you were previously unaware of, but experiences such as these serve as vital opportunities for personal growth. Once you find something (or things) that you like to do, put a full effort into it (or them). You’ll be amazed by how much you’ll gain from doing that: memories, personal growth, skills, and so on. Don’t let a fear of failure daunt you In my opinion, this is one of

the top deterrents for students when it comes to trying out new things. What some people may not realize, however, is that failure can be an extremely valuable and formative experience. It’s important for everybody to undergo and learn to cope with. As I’ve learned over the years , you will find that failure can not only be a powerful opportunity for growth, but also a stepping stone toward success. At this point, I don’t know if I’ll feel all that nostalgic about leaving Lynbrook. It seems like I’m ready to move on, as if there’s nothing much left in high school to do (which is pretty much true). Since is the last time you’ll hear from me, I’d like to thank all readers out there! It’s been a good run and I hope you enjoyed my periodical rants, advice, etc. Cheers, Vik Waghray

Examining THE misconceptions of mental illnesses BY JJ IGNATESCU & PRASANN RANADE

“It’s just a phase you’re experiencing.” “You should find something to do and just stay positive.” “Why are you just so sad every day, what’s going on with you?” “Just calm down and sit still for a few minutes, can’t you do that?” “Why are you so weird? Be normal like everybody else.” Think back to the first time you interacted with a person with a mental illness, whether it be depression, autism or ADHD. Now, remind yourself of the words you might have said to console the other person. “If someone around my age came up [to tell me about their mental illness], I don’t know if I’d believe them first-hand,” said senior Niknaz Oghabian. “I know a lot of people think they’re just looking for attention and say ‘you’re just sad, go eat a cupcake or something.’” A majority of students would console the person suffering from a mental illness with the stock phrases above, yet mental illnesses are far too complex to be alleviated by those words. Understanding the Terminology In the case of depression, a health problem that affects around 14.8 million American adults, none of this “helpful” sympathizing can provide encouragement or support. Diagnosed with legitimate illnesses that engender significant physiological symptoms, depressed patients cannot simply “snap out of it.” Mental illnesses may not be as easily recognizable as physical ailments, but the necessary treatments and paths to recovery are largely the same. For example, a diagnosis for diabetes would begin with the acknowledgement of symptoms and recognition of pos-

sible solutions, followed by an exploration of treatment options and consideration of potential medication. The medical diagnostic model for mental illnesses is no different. “We [would never] blame that person for not being able to control their insulin levels; we have no expectation that that person should be able to control that by sheer will and good habits,” said School Psychologist Brittany Stevens. “But we often have that

expectation for people who report mental health problems, say someone [who is] really depressed.” The terminology for mental illnesses is often casually tossed around by students without concern to the true medical meaning, thus creating an attitude of general disregard among young people toward the legitimacy of such disorders. “I’ve heard so many people say that ‘Oh, I’m depressed’ and I just can’t understand them,” said junior Emily Patel*, who has been

diagnosed with clinical depression and since undergone therapy. “Before I went through [depression] I associated it just as a term, but when I went through it, those words meant a lot more than I expected them too.”

Diagnosing the Issue Physical illness and mental illness exhibit key differences in their diagnoses. As mental illness is, by definition, a disorder of the mind, its diagnosis must rely almost exclusively on the patient’s reported symptoms, which may not manifest themselves in the patient’s behavior to a visible degree. If diagnosing for a physical disorder, such as hemophilia, a doctor can research a family’s medical history, conduct a physical exam and do a blood test. By drawing concrete results from these different assessments, the physical disorder can be easily identified, but the same ease of recognition does not apply to mental illnesses, such as autism. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), autism is not a single illness but a “spectrum disorder,” with individuals able to demonstrate a range of external behaviors. This includes changes in social interaction, altered verbal and nonverbal communication and limited interest in social activities: symptoms accepted by doctors worldwide as indicative of autism. The modification in the current edition of labeling autism as a spectrum disorder marks an important change in the medical profession’s perception of the disorder. Instead of being categorized in a black or white, yes or no, manner, patients are now labeled on a scale according to demonstrated symptoms.

Looking at Overdiagnosis In 1973, psychologist David Rosenhan, a professor at Stanford University, conducted an experiment involving five associates who faked auditory hallucinations in order to be

admitted into 12 different psychiatric hospitals in five different states. After being admitted with psychiatric disorders, the associates acted completely normally and did not feign any hallucinations. After 19 days, the “patients” were then released, with the doctors signing off on antipsychotic drugs to be taken to cure their “schizophrenia.” Rosenhan used his study to conclude that in psychiatric hospitals of the time, distinguishing the normal from the insane was difficult, but the results of his classical experiment continue to be seen in the attitude some doctors take to diagnosing mental illness. In modern terms, the experiment involved both self-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of the patients but also, on the part of the psychiatrists, overdiagnosis. In jumping to conclusions based on the reported symptoms of

the “patients,” the psychiatrists ignored later evidence in the hospitals that contrasted with their original diagnosis. In the present day, overdiagnosis takes a similar path but is motivated by different concerns, those of malpractice lawsuits. Suppose a patient does not have autism but presents symptoms on the lower end of the autism spectrum described by the DSM-5. Out of fear that the patient could sue him if he does not provide sufficient treatment, the doctor may jump to the conclusion of autism and diagnoses the patient, adding to the pool of false positives and overdiagnosis. More to Come Confusing terminology, a lack of unity on the subject, and a weak scientific basis, as well as varied diagnoses, have all contributed to the widespread misconceptions about mental illness. Nevertheless, mental illnesses warrant the same recognition given to physical illnesses, as they are both physiological disorders with fundamental health complications. “Many disorders have a physiological or chemical etiology for mental health concerns, there’s often something physiological or chemical combined with an event that triggers it, a psychosocial aspect,” said School Therapist and Student Advocate Dawn Bridges. “Students and adults, however, are too dismissive of that.” Students on campus are generally unaware of how their actions and opinions can trivialize the seriousness of mental health problems. Only through deeper research by students in addition to education provided by mental illness experts can this difficult situation be rectified. *Names have been changed

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTEN WONG

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA LIU

This gray area suggests that there is still a great deal of scientific research needed in order to better diagnose mental illnesses. Due to lack of conclusive developments, a patient’s mental state can still be evaluated unclearly and imprecisely due to the ambiguities of spectrum disorders. Junior Timothy Zhang*, whose eight-yearold brother is diagnosed with high-functioning autism, believes the change is in a positive direction, by marking a difference between the various degrees of autism. “My brother has very high-functioning autism; it’s hard for him to get close to people and think like other people,” said Zhang. “But if you just meet him, he’ll seem a little bit strange but you won’t think he’s autistic because he’s a genius in math.” In fact, just the week before, Zhang had begun teaching his brother calculus. Because there is often a lack of concrete proof when diagnosing a mental illness, doctors and patients typically develop an unspoken rule of honesty. On most occasions, a patient explains their situation and feelings, and doctors use this in order to diagnose them. But without conclusive evidence, there is room for inaccuracy and miscommunication. “We are somewhat behind on the ability to do more accurate medical typing, for certain types of medical health or behavioral challenges… Right now, to get diagnosed for something like ADHD or depression, there’s no [test] for that of any kind. It’s all based on the external reporting of symptoms,” said Stevens. Such problems with diagnosis emerge from the scientific lack of exacting diagnostic tests for mental illnesses, unlike physical illnesses where a blood test, neuroimaging or bodyscan can easily be used to corroborate a patient’s reported symptoms.

PRASANN RANADE—EPIC

FIRSTBORN The long-term effects of birth order on multi-child families

BY DHIRAJ NALLAPOTHULA

n the psychological community, childhood personality is considered to be among the most difficult of developmental traits to research, diagnose and treat. From socioeconomic status to parental upbringing to temperament, childhood personality development involves an array of variables. But another key factor in childhood personality exists from the very beginning of a child’s life: birth order. The ramifications of birth order on child development and personality have always been a source of dissent and confusion within families as well as the psychological community. New research and scientific studies, such as one recently conducted by Feifei Bu

of the University of Essex which found that firstborn children tend to dream bigger and achieve more than their later born counterparts, continue to develop our understanding of the topic. At Lynbrook, birth order and sibling competition have a profound effect not only on educational aspiration and achievement but also on personality traits. For junior Anshul Shah, being a firstborn gave him the opportunity and freedom to meet only his expectations, which allowed him to be successful both academically and athletically. “Being a firstborn never limited me to anything or had me living up to a standard that was already set,” said Shah. “I was always motivated to beat my own goal, which is the

only goal I ever had to beat. In both my studies and sports, I have been able to succeed because I strive to achieve only what I expect from myself.” Defining Success In her study, Bu said that the primary focus was to determine the effects of birth order on educational success and to “...study the role of birth order in the formation of adolescents’ educational aspirations.” To provide empirical evidence for educational aspirations, Bu asked the question “Do you want to leave school when you are 16, or do you plan to go on to sixth form [equivalent of 11th and 12th grades] or college?” to children at the age of 13. She followed this up by recording the highest level of education reached by these children.

She found that firstborns were seven percent less likely to drop out of school than later born children and 16 percent more likely to attain greater educational achievements. School Psychologist Brittany Stevens found that the results of the study were “unsurprising [since they] fit with popular beliefs about birth order” but questioned whether seven percent and 16 percent were statistically significant enough to conclude that firstborns tend to be more successful. Stevens also found the evaluation and measurement of success to be flawed. “The fact that [the researchers] narrowed down success to just educational achievement presents an issue since success can mean so many different things [such as financial stability and how well you’re liked by your peers],” said Stevens. Shah said that defining success through academics omits a significant portion of firstborns who are successful in other ways. He believes his younger brother has more raw intellect than Shah does yet he himself has “more motivation now than my brother will have once he is a junior so I know that we both will be successful but in different ways.” The Issue with Labels Apart from firstborn motivation, parental typing of children also has long term impacts on birth order personality and, according to Stevens, is often underrepresented in birth order studies. When parents label their children as “the smart one” or “the creative one” they create artificial niches for their children to fulfill. Parental typing has been a commonplace trend in junior Numair Baseer’s family. As the youngest of three children, Baseer has observed his parents label him and his siblings from a young age. “My parents definitely placed the brainiac label on my sister,” said Baseer. “I was definitely labeled as the “creative” one, probably because they noticed that I loved to play guitar and draw from a young age.” Apart from labels, parental temperament in raising children is yet another variable that influences firstborn motivation and success. When Temperaments Clash Parental temperament has a very strong

impact on parenting techniques. Conflicts arise, however, when parental temperaments do not coincide with those of their children. “It is naturally more challenging to empathize with the perspective of someone who possesses a different temperament than you,” said Stevens. “For example, if an extroverted, more relaxed parent had a more introverted, rigid child, it might be hard for the parents to understand their child’s motivations and behaviors.” But what often goes unnoticed in parental temperament studies is the birth order of the parents, which, according to Stevens, is the foundation for the aforementioned typing of children. “Two second born parents may relate more easily to the experience of their second born child than their firstborn,” said Stevens. “They would of course love their children equally, but be better able to empathize with their second child from their own unique perspective.” Living Up to the Standard Successes of firstborns could also have potentially harmful repercussions on later born counterparts. According to Stevens, a firstborn that is particularly high-achieving tends to set the standard very high for their siblings, thus altering their

parents’ perception of success. “If you’re the first person to set the standard, it’s like being the first skater in the Olympics [and now] everyone has to meet or exceed you,” said Stevens. “So when you’re the subsequent child, there has already been a standard set.” Sibling rivalry and competition has always been a source of motivation for Baseer. The youngest of three children, he has always looked at his oldest sister’s success as a physician as the standard in his family.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTEN WONG

“I am constantly trying to outshine my sister. All that she has accomplished definitely puts pressure on me,” said Baseer. “ We both are into biology so it definitely increases the competition and puts a lot of pressure on me to go to a more prestigious college and even a more prestigious medical school.” But in Shah’s case where he and his brother have unrelated long term interests, standards are not a driving force in his brother’s success. “You can’t compare our milestones to each other. But in the grand scheme of things, our parents usually say ‘Here’s what your brother did. You can get to that, but in the field you’re interested in,” said Shah.

The Guinea Pig Effect For junior Alex Shin, however, this study reflects the opposite of his family dynamic. As the oldest of three children, Shin never felt that he was the one with an inherent advantage, but rather that

his brothers reaped the benefits of experience. He said, “I think I was sort of the guinea pig and my younger brothers were able to take advantage of the successes and faults that I had.” Shin points to his youngest sibling, Ryan, as an example of this process. “My parents started me very late learning a second and third language. I really wanted to learn Korean but I started too late,” said Shin. “Now Ryan is already being exposed to all three languages and when he grows up he’s going to already have an advantage that I never even had the chance to obtain.” Whether a child is firstborn or a later born, each birth order comes with its unique set of perks, but also challenges that must be overcome. Controversy and challenges aside, birth order is associated with both tangible and intangible factors that have a profound effect on child development.

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A LOOK BACK AT POWDERPUFF BY AUDREY ZHENG

BY HENRY SHANGGUAN

Girls venture on the unknowns of football

Cheerleader boys atttempt to get in sync

ecause opportunities for girls to play football are few and far between, most girls who partook in this year’s Powderpuff Football Week competed were not experience with the sport. “I haven’t done football outside of Powderpuff, but it’s like that for most girls, so it didn’t bother me,” said junior Anjali Pemmaraju, who played running back. Similarly, junior Sabrina Fan joined powderpuff as a beginner but learned the basics through practice. Fan wanted to participate to enjoy the thrill of football and help her class win. “To be honest, I don’t even understand football,” said Fan, jokingly. “I did it to help my class win. And it’s just fun.” Even though many signed up just to have a good time, they left with a newfound respect for the highly-celebrated American sport. “It’s easy to complain about our football team and be like, ‘Why can’t they be better?’ ” said Pemmaraju. “But in reality, football is hard. Like any sport, it involves serious coordination.” Although they all had differing motivations to join, most all participating girls felt that practices were well worth staying after school for a few extra hours. Juang, for example, found practices relaxing and non-strenuous. “After all the athletic seasons have finished, Powderpuff was a great way to get some good work in,” said senior Stephanie Juang. “Plus, I got to bond with classmates and fellow athletes whom I wouldn’t have known otherwise.” Since it began at Lynbrook in 2011, Powderpuff has proven to be a memorable and stimulating experience for the girls, regardless of whether they joined for the competition, experience, or just for the fun of it. PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF IAN PEARMAN AND ROGER CHEN

rom twerking to soaring through the sky and everything in between, this year’s powderpuff cheerleaders proved that they would stop short of nothing to impress and entertain. While the tradition of powderpuff football emphasizes the girls’ football games, the guys’ cheerleading routines add an element of hilarity that make Powderpuff an even more offbeat and hilarious week to remember. The novelty of building cheer towers, the thrill of dancing on a schoolwide stage, and the camaraderie of practicing and performing as a close knit unit all draw guys to don their LHS powderpuff tshirts and represent their classes through cheer. “When you perform for powderpuff, you feel this strong sense of adrenaline with all the other guys,” said sophomore Kenny Yuan, who choreographed and danced in the Class of 2016’s cheerleading routine. “When we’re all together, we’re actually excited to make fools of ourselves.” Although most freshmen cheerleaders had not experienced the spectacle that is Powderpuff cheerleading before, they too looked forward to the camaraderie and excitement. “I thought it was a great opportunity to spend time with friends, have a blast and not be stressed from the studying,” said freshman Mohamed Ismail. Of course, charting new waters is never easy, but the cheerleaders of Powderpuff look back with fondness on their decisions to risk humiliating themselves in front of their peers. “I kept telling myself, ‘Take a chance, who knows what might come out of it,’” said freshman Mihir Pandya. “Once I got on the stage and started dancing, there was nothing stopping me—I was having the time of my life!” So when Powderpuff 2015 rolls around, take a few moments to consider stepping out onto the mats with your peers. After all, as junior Aaron Huang puts it, “The only thing you have to lose is your dignity!”

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: SPO BY CHRISTINA LIU AND FREYA LIU

As the last of the spring sports come to an end, two Epic staff members decided to see how Lynbrook athletes could fare in sports that they had little experience with. Four members of the track, swimming, badminton and soccer teams were randomly chosen to form four teams that competed against each other in 3 events: swimming, running and volleyball. None of the athletes were allowed to compete in sports that they played on school teams.

For the first event, members of the track and soccer teams participated in a swimming relay. Each swimmer paired up with a soccer player to decide who swam first and what strokes they wanted to swim- no team was allowed to swim a stroke more than once. At the end of the

For the second event, members on the swimming and badminton teams tied their legs

The last event was a team volleyball game. Team A played team B while Team C played Team D until a team received 20 points. The winning teams and losing teams from each game played each other in a 10-point competition for first place. Both games lasted less than 40 minutes because most of the players were not experienced in volleyball. In the end, Team D won.

For the second event, members on the swimming and badminton teams ran a threelegged race and relay. They began running with their legs tied together for half a track lap, and then one team member ran one track lap before tagging the other team member, who ran another track lap. There was a catch, howeverâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the players had to run backward on the straight legs of the track and sprint at the curves. Team D was still in the lead.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOEY LI AND PRASANN RANADE

ORTS PLAYERS COMPETE FOR GOLD

Going the extra miles: recre BY AMANDA CHANG

or senior Rohit Sarathy, running the Big Sur half-marathon has become a yearly tradition. “Since freshman year, my dad and I would go down to Monterey every November for the Big Sur half-marathon,” said Sarathy. “My dad would watch and cheer me on as I ran.” The half-marathon is an annual event held by Big Sur International Marathon, a nonprofit organization that donates its proceeds to local charities and grant groups. Every year, there are around eight thousand participants. Sarathy finished the half-marathon in 1 hour and 17 minutes, which means that he ran around a 5:54 pace per mile, and he finished first in the male 16-19 age group. His time this year was a 20 minute improvement from the first time he ran the half-marathon during his freshman year. Sarathy needed only to rely on his cross country training to run the half-marathon. While participating in runs, Sarathy kept a consistent pace and followed other runners who were about the same level as him. The

run, however, started to become challenging if the runners he was following started to push ahead and leave no one to help him pace the rest of the way. “The last time I ran the race, there was pack of around ten people, and near the sixth or seventh mile, some of the guys started going harder toward the finish,” said Sarathy. “It then became harder for me because I didn’t really have anybody to run with. But my best friend was my watch, and he helped me make sure I was on track to run a personal best. The Big Sur half marathon has become an event that Sarathy looks forward to every year. “The first time I ran the half-marathon was really special because it’s something that not a lot of people can say they’ve done,” said Sarathy. “But each time after the first time was equally special because I improved by a lot each time. Every time I improved, I felt really proud.” Even though he will be going to college next year, Sarathy would love to partici-

miles and then gradually built up to thirteen miles, which is the length of a halfmarathon. My girlfriend would sometimes also run the last three miles with me for encouragement.” Participating in a long run requires motivation and self-determination, as runners often face challenges during the run. “The part of the half-marathon where we had to run back from the Golden Gate Bridge was especially challenging for me,” said Wong. “ It was just a straight stretch of road, so you could see how much you had to run, which was kind of discouraging. But I tried to just think and plan ahead to keep myself going.” Despite these challenges, Wong was satisfied by the experience of participating in a long run. “The run was a lot easier than when I was training by myself or with friends,” said Wong. “There were around 11,000 people there, and the atmosphere of running made the run a lot of easier.” pate in future runs. “Next year, I would like to run the Chicago marathon because I’ll be going to school there,” said Sarathy.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KASTURI PANTAVAIDYA

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PRASANN RANADE

he starting gunshot rings out, and the herd of runners takes off, each person pacing themselves for the long race ahead. The experience of participating in a

long-distance running event provides the runners with pride, joy and new friendships. Many Lynbrook students have participated in different runs, either for the challenge or for a fun experience with their friends. The San Francisco Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon, which was the first half marathon that senior Alex Wong ran, allows runners to explore the city of San Francisco while running. “The Rock ‘n’ Roll run is more difficult than other runs because you have to run across the Golden Gate Bridge and over hills, but I thought it would be a good experience because you’re able to tour the city while running,” said Wong. In order to get in shape for the half-marathon, Wong started training a while before the race. “About a month and a half before the half-marathon, I started running four times a week,” said Wong. “Every Sunday, I would have a long run that started off from six

eational distance running

t eight o’clock in the morning and at an approximate temperature of -1 degrees Celsius, Lynbrook Class of 2010 alumnus Emily Cheng started running the 2013 Paris marathon. The marathon goes along the Seine River from one end of the city to the other and back before finally ending at L’Arc de Triomphe along the Champs Elysees. Cheng, a current senior at Stanford University, decided to participate in the Paris marathon in her junior year, after she realized that the marathon was right before the quarter she was to study abroad in Paris. Cheng first became interested in running during her sophomore year in college, when her roommate asked her to run a 5K with her. “A few months after my roommate and I ran the 5K, we decided to run a 10K but she got tired and decided to sleep in, so I ran it by myself,” said Cheng. “Then in my junior year, I ran the Rock n’ Roll San Jose half-marathon, which was my very first half-marathon.” Although Cheng never participated in cross country or track, she discovered that running was still a great experience. “I never considered myself a hard core runner,” said Cheng. “I just run for fun. Run-

ning races is a great way to relieve stress and hit the wall, and I could see the fatigue,” said Cheng. “They started running more slowly, explore foreign cities.” Cheng was also motivated by the improve- massaging their bodies and walking on the sides. I felt like I was running in slow moment in her running. “After I ran my first half marathon, I want- tion, and the people around me got muscle ed to run more,” said Cheng. “Since I wasn’t a cramps, started to walk and stopped.” Although she felt fatigued, the people runner before, I got excited when I was able to run faster as well as run further distances.” cheering motivated her to keep running. “Seeing all the people cheering you on, esBefore the Paris marathon, Cheng did not have much time and she was unable to train pecially since it was in French, really helped me because I enjoy the French language and as much as recommended for a marathon. “I printed out a training schedule that in- culture,” said Cheng. “The fact that I was in creased the amount of miles to run daily, but France and knowing that I had the experibecause I was so sleep-deprived, I didn’t real- ence of studying abroad ahead of me encourly follow the schedule,” said Cheng. “Normal- aged me to continue running.” Another way Cheng took her mind off the ly, to prepare for a marathon, people run at least twenty miles, but in my training I never fatigue was by pretending she was dancing. “While running, I listen to a song and ran more than thirteen miles.” Since Cheng did not train much, she was imagine that I’m dancing,” said Cheng. “For me, dancing is really enjoyable, so even if I’m nervous the days leading up to the race. “I didn’t know if I could even finish a mar- tired, I won’t feel tired while dancing.” Other than the marathon, Cheng has run athon,” said Cheng. “My family has a history of heart palpitation issues, so my mom told over seven half-marathons and plans to continue, especially since she now has someone me not to run the marathon.” to run with. Cheng, “My boyhowever, was friend and I still excited went to Stanbecause it ford Senior was her first Formal on Frimarathon day night, carand her first camped over time in Eunight and ran rope. During the half-marathe run, she thon the next wore a belt morning,” said that held two Cheng. “We have bottles of wathe same pace, ter and GU, and we finished an energy the half maragel that run- PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF EMILY CHENG thon with the exact same time, down to the ners eat for a boost of energy. Although Cheng does not last second.” Overall, participating in runs has become normally enjoy eating while running, she dean enjoyable activity for Cheng. cided to eat a GU gel around the 18th mile. “It’s energizing to see people of different “For some reason, after eating the GU gel, I became really hungry,” said Cheng. “So after- ages and sizes running with the same goal,” wards, I stopped at every single booth to eat said Cheng. “I like seeing people who are there to support each other, like the husband oranges, which made me feel less nauseous.” Between the 18th and 22nd mile, the run- biking with his wife or cheer teams performing. Even though I know they’re not cheering ners started becoming tired. “The most surreal part of the marathon for me, it’s heartwarming to see these people was near the end when people started to support each other for such a big event.

BY JOEY LI

ot joining Valkyries is my biggest regret of high school. As a timid freshman male I was far too intimidated by their effortless smiles and infinite flexibility to even venture a thought about joining the team. Now as a grown man with many a close Valkyrie friend I have grown out of that fear, but they still truly should make a better effort to advertise the fact that it is not a gender-exclusive team. That being said, going through one of their practices has made me realize that it’s probably for the best. Attending a Valkyries practice required mental preparation just as much as physical

prowess. I definitely knew they would provide no psychological support for the daunting task ahead of me. Vik and I also thought it appropriate to go to the gym in order to feel as manly as possible before letting loose our inner dancers. I realized soon after however, that we would be the only two males in a room full of girls, possibly the best scenario any guy would want to be in. I’d like I think of myself as fairly fit, but warming up with the Valkyries made me question that sentiment, along with my entire workout regimen, eating habits, and aspirations. For fifteen minutes I squirmed on the ground following the commands seniors

Amy and Victoria, Captain and Co-Captain, respectively, barked out—crunches, splits, the whole nine yards. The mirrored walls only made the humiliation worse, as, through the sweat on my face, I saw the girls around me laughing to themselves. I later told myself they were laughing with me, not at me. Things got easier after warmups, which I now fully intend to incorporate into my daily routine to keep my mom from calling me fat. With the knowledge that we would definitely be walking funny the next day, Vik and I stepped out of the cove into the setting sun. I’d like to extend my greatest thanks to Victoria, Amy, and the rest of the Valkyries for having us!

BY VIK WAGHRAY

erywhere so I was forced to either awkwardly look at my feet or up at the ceiling, as long as I didn’t appear to be staring at anybody. I soon found myself in all sorts of odd positions on the floor of the cove—ah yes, warmups. As the officers yelled out commands to the team, Joey and I cluelessly flopped around like fish on land. But hey, no shame. I was determined to make it through practice successfully, but after five minutes of warm ups, I wasn’t so sure that I would be able to. And don’t even get me started on the stretches…let me know when YOU can put your foot next to your ear. Nonetheless, we were basically no better than clowns in a circus act. I mean, at least we can comfort ourselves in the fact that we

provided some comic relief for the Valkyries. After those fifteen minutes of terror, we were allowed a much-needed water break. Little did we know, however, of the impending doom that was waiting for us—in the form of pirouettes and other basic dance moves of which I do not know the names. While the dancers gracefully breezed through these simple exercises, I was trudging along like an imbecile, hopelessly turning in sloppy circles that only made me feel dizzy. As I watched the Valkyries easily execute these ridiculous feats, I just dwelled on my ineptitude. Heck, I had to undergo a total reevaluation of my life after all that. Ha, and I thought football practice was difficult…

What is it like to be a Valkyrie?

don’t think I’ve ever felt as physically incapable as I did when I went to that Valkyries practice. The things they manage to do are no joke. Other than confirming my utter lack of dancing ability, I realized just how inflexible I am. It was definitely fascinating to see the inner workings of the team and what goes into the flawless performances that everybody gawks at during rallies. While going to the practice dashed all hopes I had of taking up dance in the future, it was certainly a worthwhile—albeit painful—experience. I can’t quite remember the initial part of practice—only that there were mirrors ev-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KASTURI PANTVAIDYA AND FRINA REDOLOZA

op: Senior Tony Jiang bubbles methane through soapy water for a science club demonstration. Jiang has been a member of science club for all four of his years at Lynbrook, and became the Vice-President his senior year. As VP, he received the opportunity to conduct weekly lunchtime demonstrations for members. When asked what he’d miss the most about Lynbrook, Jiang replied that he’d miss these opportunities to perform in front of a crowd. “Other people may be able to sing or dance, but I can’t do either. Luckily, I can do science!” said Jiang.

Bottom left: Senior Divya Saha delivers the morning annoucements. Reflecting on her time as ASB President, Saha replied that she’ll most miss messing up on these, sometimes calling Lynbrook “Miller Middle.” She feels that she’s been able to express herself through this job and will truly

miss greeting the school everyday. Bottom right: Seniors Kathleen Ko and Victoria Li have a “driveway talk.” Li and Ko often sit in the car for hours after hanging out with others, having their own “heart-toheart” converations. They will miss these the most because these talks brought them closer as friends.

op: Senior RJ Bamrah works out in the weight room. For Bamrah, the weight room is a place to get fit while spending time with friends. When asked about what

he’d miss the most about high school, Bamrah replied that it would be the afternoons spent in the weight room with friends, working out and always pushing each other to new levels.

op right: Senior Nathan Kastle enjoys tea at Verde with his drama classmates. He and his team members got pearl milk tea here after every rehearsal or performance, a generational tradition in drama. Kastle feels that he will really miss spending time at the cafe with his friends and watching everyone grow. “If they don’t have PMT in New York, I might actually die,” joked Kastle. Bottom left: Senior Imani Behrens (third from left) poses with her Varsity track relay team. Behrens has been with them for the past two years and has enjoyed creating bonds with them as they worked toward reaching their personal records. When reflecting upon what she’d miss the most about Lynrook, Behrens replied that it would be the jokes, energy and love that she shared with her team.