Should the booster be required?

One fish, two fish, red fish...Blackfish?

Podcast by Maya Mukherjee Art by Xiaohan Li

The phenomenon of “Blackfishing,” or the practice of making oneself appear Black to gain fame or praise, has gained attention in the media recently. It has faced heavy criticism due to its cultural insensitivity on social media platforms such as Twitter. In this podcast, Maya Mukherjee discusses the harmful ramifications and the possible reasons behind this phenomenon. “[Blackfishing] makes it seem as if the tables have turned but then next week you’ll hear about a white officer shooting a Black man.”

— MAIA JOHNSSON, Black Student Union president

The power of picture books

Podcast by Olga Muys Art by Xiaohan Li

Picture books addressing themes of social activism are becoming increasingly praised by the highest awards in children’s literature, and increasingly targeted by book challenges in public school libraries across the country. Olga Muys sits down with Jennifer Ford, the librarian at Walter Hays Elementary School, to discuss her thoughts on the importance of progressive children’s literature, and her experiences with reading them to students. “There are so many more books now that are being written by authors — authors of color — to put those issues out there, and it’s really good to see.”

— JENNIFER FORD, librarian

INK. [proof]

Editors-in-Chief: William Rumelhart and Xiaohan Li

Cover: Xiaohan Li

Ink is a literary magazine dedicated to student expression. Our central mission is to create a platform for diverse student voices. We believe reading others’ writing and sharing writing with others is vital to the writerly experience. Editors-in-Chief: Neil Rathi and Alison Xiong Cover: Sana Muneyb

Paly’s fine arts and photography magazine, focused on showcasing student artists and the Bay Area’s artistic community. [proof] is published three times per year, featuring photo essays, student profiles, and a gallery section.