Vol. II, No. 9

THE YELLOW PAGES THE YELLOW PAGES

GUN VIOLENCE, REVISITED GUN VIOLENCE, REVISITED

By Ryan L., Krish M., and Ariana Y.

A sharp bullet fires, its sound ringing through the warm spring Texas air. It cuts through the side door of a vehicle and lands in the leg of Payton Washington, a local high school cheerleader. The critically injured high schooler has recently undergone surgery due to gunshot wounds in the leg and back.

5 days earlier, an eerily similar incident happened around 700 miles northeast. 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri was shot in the head by an 84-year-old homeowner after going to Northeast 115th Street instead of Northeast 115th Terrace, the two being a block apart. When he opened the door to the wrong house, he was met with bullets from a .32 caliber before even crossing the threshold or exchanging any words.

This isn’t the end of the road, though. On April 15, not long after the other two incidents, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis and her friends were searching for a friend’s house with little cell service. As they drove up to a secluded driveway, they realized their grave but small “mistake”. Unfortunately, their realization occurred a moment too late to prevent the ensuing tragedy. The suspect, Kevin Monahan, fired two shots at the vehicle, and Gillis was tragically pronounced dead due to the incident.

It’s evident that these incidents are tragedies. Within a time span of around two weeks, three separate but coincidentally similar incidents occurred, with all three tying back to gun violence. In any other nation, this would be a historical catastrophe. However, in America, the land practically known for gun rights, these incidents were just people facing the same fates as thousands of others before them. A statistic released by IHME showed that America has the highest rate of homicides per 100,000 people in all countries. As media and news consumers, these headlines don’t even faze us anymore. Gun violence has become so common in such a divided country that it has ‘numbed’ us to these catastrophic events, with the victims even typically being forgotten after around a month.

There’s a term for this sort of numbing. You may have heard about it before, even in a previous article by The Yellow Pages.

It’s called desensitization.

It’s a feeling of numbing the mind, especially in political or stressful issues, due to repeated examples of said issues. Many have become desensitized to this sort of gun violence – it’s easy to do so, as headlines and news seemingly report weekly or even daily about a ‘shooting in Oakland,’ ‘mass shooting in Chicago,’ or an ‘armed robbery in downtown San Francisco.’ It’s even easier to forget about these issues or their victims, especially with all the other information our minds need to consume or keep track of throughout a typical day.

It’s important not to forget these victims and their stories. Those affected by shootings are more than just random numbers and statistics; they are the deaths and trauma of real people. Behind the numbers, statistics, and media headlines, the personalities of these victims get lost. Payton Washington, Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis, and more, are all people, with their own families, friends, and lives. Each of them has their own pastimes, hobbies, social lives, far more than what is portrayed on the news. Despite the dissimilarities that these individuals all have, they all face unfortunately similar fates.

A question that this leads us to is: Will gun violence ever stop? Gun violence is such a multifaceted problem that it’s hard to specifically predict if and when it will end. So many aspects play into preventing gun violence, as it has so many causes, that finding a solution for all of these aspects is incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Furthermore, the varying access of individuals to firearms also makes this situation difficult. Gun laws vary in different states across the United States, with some states having almost no regulation, and others having noticeably stricter laws. Moreover, the cycle of people owning firearms is unbreakable. Many victims and people scared of gun violence think that the only way to protect themselves is by having a firearm of their own.

The solution to gun violence has to be a united approach, especially when considering the divides between political parties and their roles in such cases. Political parties have to agree on a solution to this problem for it to be implemented and effectively used. However, it’s pretty clear that some sort of regulation or change to the right to bear arms is needed — after all, the cases we mentioned above were all committed ‘in the name of self-defense.’ It’s just a matter of what will provoke this change, or if unity is even possible with such a controversial topic.

HUMANS OF BASIS: LIFE OF THE PARTY

HUMANS OF BASIS: LIFE OF THE PARTY

By Esha B., Shirley F., and Kevin W.

It’s almost impossible to walk the hallways of the school without finding something Aditi helped initiate. From flyers advertising the school dance to the spirit week board — the walls are plastered with the newest developments from Student Panel, an organization of BIF student leaders Aditi co-founded.

“Out of all the clubs I’ve participated in, Student Panel is a definite favorite. There was just something missing in the school,” she explains. “The Panel gave students a platform to be leaders, where they can show the school the importance of working hard while having fun.”

That’s precisely why she helped create BIFU’s Student Panel — to bolster school spirit and design the much-needed pep rallies and high school dances that BIF lacked. The panel of students from all grade levels have brought us our first Homecoming and Pep Rally, Halloween Cat Walk, and Prom. You could feel Aditi’s infectious passion permeate every event.

One of her main goals for Student Panel was to bring greater participation and school-wide spirit to BIF. To help high school become a hallmark experience for everyone, she tries to attend every event she possibly can, and encourages all her friends to do the same. Heeya (11), who founded Student Panel along with Aditi,

summarized the experience:

“She’s been my best partner, and together, we really brought a strong administrative voice to students. But I think what we did best was bringing people together. That’s really been our goal from the beginning.”

However, launching Student Panel was not without obstacles. The experience required resilience — a skill she developed through grueling training in tennis.

“Tennis taught me how to keep calm and in control,” Aditi explains. “There was a time

FROM FOX TO CNN: BYE-BYE BROADCASTERS

FROM FOX TO CNN: BYE-BYE BROADCASTERS

By Olivia Ma

From questionable network anchors to internet memes to unemployed public figures, the recent departures of Tucker Carlson from Fox News and Don Lemon from CNN have sparked much discussion about the state of cable news and the role of controversy in modern journalism. While both anchors have been polarizing figures, their departures highlight the larger trend of cable news moving toward sensationalism and away from unbiased reporting.

For many years, cable news held a reputation as a source of reliable information and a trusted source of connection between the public and information in the world around them, “until cable TV discovered that controversy could generate higher ratings than sober journalism,” said Mark Feldstein, chair of broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland. Today’s popular networks like Fox News and CNN have seen a spike of accusations from both sides of the political spectrum for prioritizing ratings, controversy, and fake news over journalistic integrity, leading to a decline in trust and credibility among viewers.

Tucker Carlson, in particular, was known for his controversial comments on his show, including his pro-gun and anti-abortion rhetoric and

his promotion of conspiracy theories. While he had a loyal following among conservative viewers, many criticized his speech as divisive and harmful.

On the other end of the spectrum, Don Lemon was known for his outspoken commentary on issues of race and social justice. While he was seen as a progressive voice on CNN, many viewers still found his rhetoric controversial and offensive. For instance, his comment about Republican congresswoman Nikki Haley being past her prime at 51 years old drew substantial criticism.

While both were laid off due to their strained and tense relationships with other staff and fellow anchors, their long stay in popular networks underscores the growing prevalence of opinion and controversy over unbiased, “sober journalism”.

At a time when the media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented and polarized, it is more important than ever for cable news networks to prioritize objective reporting and journalistic integrity. While radical, partisan journalism may drive ratings in the short term, they ultimately undermine the credibility and relevance of the news industry as a whole.

In the wake of these departures, it is up to cable news networks to reevaluate their priorities and refocus on the true principles of reporting. By doing so, they can begin to rebuild trust among viewers and salvage their status as a reliable source of news and information.

when I wasn’t getting results, and I felt like never picking up a racket again. But I realized failure does not define who I am — and things got better.”

This newfound mindset helped her recognize that her biggest competition was herself, which motivated her to train harder. After hours upon hours of practice sets, she got the results she desired, ranking top 40 in California. She had also gained another, somewhat unexpected result — she found joy in playing for herself, rather than playing to impress others.

“Eventually, I realized that there’s much more to life than working for others,” she explained. “You should never take on so much stress for something that’s not important to you.”

Aditi’s conviction has navigated her through various challenges, even during the tumultuous COVID-19 lockdown. In the face of uncertainty, she fearlessly embraced the guitar, delving into the world of music despite having no prior experience.

“I saw one of my family-friends play the guitar at a family gathering. You could see how much joy it brought,” she explains. “So I started practicing to try to do the same thing.”

As her skills developed, she started sharing her talents with others. One of her greatest joys — simply playing guitar and sharing music with her close friends.

Music and the arts have played major roles in shaping Aditi’s identity. When asked about her favorite hobbies, she instantly singled out

dance — an activity she has enjoyed for longer than she can remember.

“I would always dance with my mom. It’s been one of the best ways for me to express myself,” Aditi says. “And since I have to learn everything on my own, it makes being onstage, showing people what I love to do, even more magical.”

To Aditi, dance is more than art — it’s a way for her to connect with her loved ones. For her sixteenth birthday, her friends used that very fact, and performed a Bollywood dance for Aditi filled with over-the-top props and numerous music numbers.

“Aditi and I love Bollywood, whether it’s watching the classics at 2 am or crying over Shah Rukh Khan’s amazing acting skills,” laughed Shreya (11), one of her closest friends. “We always dreamed of actually being in Bollywood — and to make that dream come true, we all performed for her on her birthday.”

Her birthday inspired her to bring the same happiness to her wider school community — so she choreographed the Multicultural Day Dance, in which she taught a Bollywood dance to classmates she recruited. A performance was given later in front of the entire school.

“I loved the groupy vibe of the dance,” explained Advait, a good friend of hers who had been eager to join the dance. “People who weren’t close at all before were now dancing and laughing in the same room. And I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to the next event as well.”

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

RANKING 2023 MET GALA FASHION RANKING 2023 MET GALA FASHION

By Thanisha Thambidurai

ality stunned in a jaw-dropping baby blue cropped blazer and maxi skirt with a high slit, matching heels, and headband from Miumiu, Prada’s sister brand known for its simple lowrise designer clothing.

4. Liu Wen

The Chinese fashion model graced everyone with her lovely presence in an off-the-shoulder, Tory Burch black dress, which was lined with white flowers along the end. The high bun and gloves elevated the look.

5. Jennie Kim

Jennie, a member of the K-pop group BLACKPINK, wore a simple yet elegant Chanel dress, with her hair braided across the top of her head as an homage to Korean culture. Kim, Lagerfeld’s last hand-picked Chanel muse, made sure to dedicate every single piece to his designs and iconic collections.

BEST-DRESSED FASHION DESIGNERS:

The 2023 Met Gala, one of the most extravagant and exclusive high fashion events of the year, was held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 1st, with the theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”

The theme honored the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who took the reigns of brands such as Chanel and Fendi, before launching his self-titled line, Karl Lagerfeld. Take a look at some of the most noteworthy looks of this year!

MOST ICONIC:

1. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Rihanna wore a white Maison Valentino dress with a long train. The highlight of her costume was the gown flowers she wore over her head and torso, along with her fingerless gloves and sunglasses. A$AP Rocky wore a Gucci ensemble that mirrored a prior look of Lagerfeld’s from 2004, meshing perfectly with Rihanna’s look as the couple strutted the carpet together.

2. The Three Cats: Doja Cat, Jared Leto, and Lil Nas X

These three stars sported feline looks for this year’s Met Gala. Doja Cat wore Oscar de la Renta which mimicked the fur of Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette. She donned facial, cat-like prosthetics for the night. Jared Leto’s attire resembled the cat’s features the most. He wore a large white cat costume, just like Lagerfeld’s pet. Lil Nas X was covered in silver body paint and thousands of diamonds along with a cat mask. The bling could only last so long, before he appeared in Eckhaus Latta, bare-faced, for the after-party.

PRETTIEST:

1. Bad Bunny

The Puerto-Rican singer wore a beautiful monochrome white Jacquemus suit, with a stunning trail of white roses. The backless dress was adorned elegantly and paid homage to Karl Lagerfeld, who was a pioneer of monochrome clothing.

2. Ava Max

“Kings and Queens” singer Ava Max was dressed in a custom Christian Siriano white gown, with eye-catching pearls and a graceful trail, enhancing her angelic beauty in all the right ways.

3. Emma Chamberlain

The well-known American internet person -

1. Tory Burch

Burch launched her eponymous brand in 2004 in New York and wore a dark dress from her own brand at the Met Gala. Other stars such as Phoebe Bridgers and Emily Ratajkowski also donned the mid-luxury brand.

2. Tommy Hilfiger

The highlight of Hilfiger’s outfit was definitely his collared shirt. Despite appearing as an ordinary white shirt, the article of clothing was personally gifted to him by Karl Lagerfeld in 2006 and is one of Hilfiger’s most treasured possessions.

3. Tom Ford Ford launched his self-titled, luxury clothing line in 2005 after serving as a creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. He wore a velvet black suit with a white flower from his own brand for the event.

4. Jackson Wang

Chinese singer Jackson Wang rose to popularity as a member of the K-pop group GOT7 and later formed his own brand Team Wang Design. Wang sported a deluxe Louis Vuitton set and iconic sunglasses for the night.

The 2023 Met Gala was filled with iconic, simple, and absolutely stunning outfits that channeled the theme of Karl Lagerfeld. Celebrities made sure to pay homage to the wellknown fashion designer, by going with designs he liked, wearing one of the brands he led, and even dressing up as his pets. This year’s Met Gala was another year of striking looks, meant to remember the former fashion designer and icon.

NCT DJJ: “PERFUME” ALBUM REVIEW

NCT DJJ: “PERFUME” ALBUM REVIEW

By Katherine He

The new subunit of the immensely popular K-pop group NCT consists of three members selected from the 22-member group. NCT encompasses five subunits, each with idols who collaborate to create and produce independent music. The newest subunit is NCT Dojaejung, which consists of members Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo. Their debut album captures all of their traits perfectly in 6 songs. Fans first saw bits of how this album would be through concept photos that were shot in minimal lighting, with the members wearing plain and nude-colored clothing. Because of these photos, fans thought the songs on this album would share an elegant and simple sound. Next, trailer for their title track, “Perfume”, was released and immediately shot down those expectations, with the album sporting a common bold and romantic concept. It also demonstrated NCT’s versatility because they hadn’t done this type of concept before.

The members in this subunit are all in another NCT subunit, NCT 127. This subunit is known for its unconventional noise music that is faced with harsh opinions and criticism. Since “Highway to Heaven’’ in 2019, they have not made a single title track that does not include any unique, or unheard-of elements. Some examples include the title

JEWISH MATCHMAKING JEWISH MATCHMAKING

By Anjali Prabhu

Jewish Matchmaking follows Aleeza Ben Shalom, a dating coach, Jewish matchmaker, and mother of five as she brings shidduchim, or traditional Jewish dating, to the Netflix screen. Throughout the series, Ben Shalom, who is based in Israel, meets singles across the US and Israel as she sets out to find them their bashert, or soulmate.

The show highlights the diversity of the Jewish community — in heritage, ethnicity, race, age, and religiosity. Ben Shalom works with Jewish clients of Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi origins in addition to Jews of color. Some of her clients also value their Israeli background and specifically request prospective partners who are Israeli or of Israeli descent. She works with 20-something to middle-aged singles. She travels to meet people “from Jerusalem to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.” As someone who herself grew up secular in Philadelphia and became more observant, eventually resettling with her family in Israel, Ben Shalom has no problem working with people who have a wide range of experiences in terms of their relationship with Judaism.

The first thing Ben Shalom asks her clients in her matchmaking process is their own level of religiosity and the level of Judaism they are looking for in their partner. Again, the show depicts the whole spectrum. Some of her clients simply describe themselves as “culturally Jewish” or nonpracticing and “spiritual.”

Most describe themselves as keeping kosher (Jewish dietary regulations), observing Shabbat (a day of holiness and rest at the end of each week), and celebrating all the High Holidays — traditions they hope their prospective partner will also observe. Yet Ben Shalom also meets with members of the Orthodox Jewish community — who deeply value in their partner a commitment to Torah studies, chavrusa, and the three daily prayers in keeping with the traditions of their community. And of course, many who also live in Israel see the importance of their partner having a connection with/a good relationship with Israel too.

Next, she inquires about the personality and values her clients would seek. Here, most agree on similar traits: family-oriented, compassionate, good sense of humor, and committed to a relationship and taking care of their partner. One woman also specified the importance of tikkun olam — the Jewish val -

tracks “Sticker” and “2 Baddies’’, but they also include many noisy songs in their b-sides such as “Kitchen Beat”, “Mad Dog”, and “Bring the Noize.” However, NCT Dojaejung’s album released on April 17th 2023 and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Overall this album is definitely a no-skip album and is definitely worth a listen!

Performed in the 2nd NCT 127 tour in October 2022, “Can We Go Back”, quickly became overwhelmingly popular. This song is included with very minor changes to the tour version in the “Perfume” album. Similar to the title track “Perfume”, “Can We Go Back” is a catchy song with straightforward lyrics and deep romantic feelings. This song portrays a tragic breakup in which both sides experienced emotional pain and and how they want to go back to how it was before the breakup because they had true feelings for their ex-lover.

“Kiss” is the most unique song on this album. It differs from the fragrant and sultry vibes of the other songs and presents a direct confession with the beat of an EDM song in the first verse. This song is not the most popular on the album because it reminds lots of people of an NCT 127 song due to its unconventional lyrics. Listeners have also said that this song reminds them of what they would hear in a party or a club.This song could also be an encouragement to people to be more open about their feelings because it is a very open song that can be played in public places.

ue of “healing the world” and helping others. Finally, Ben Shalom asks her clients to be extremely honest in terms of the their preferred physical characteristics such as age and appearance.

Throughout the series, Ben Shalom shines with her charisma, understanding, and heart. While some of the specific physical preferences of her clients put her in momentary shock (and likely internal eye-rolls), she never disrespects or invalidates her clients or their preferences. Rather, she gracefully encourages them to keep an open mind and reminds them that compromise is a necessary part of finding their bashert. In addition, Ben Shalom encourages every person she works with to never invalidate their own relationship with Judaism. In the first episode, she states, “There’s 15 million Jews around the world, and there’s about 15 million ways to be Jewish.” When one woman describes her religiosity as “less Jewish than [her] parents,” Ben Shalom reminds her that she is not “less Jewish” in any way — simply less “observant.” When some of her more traditional clients struggle to communicate their exact relationship with their religion, which can be variable, Ben Shalom reassures them that they can be “flexidox” — a word she coined for the idea that “some people with an Orthodox level of observance have a certain flexibility around Jewish dietary laws or modesty.”

And while her matchmaking is strictly with the Jewish community, Ben Shalom offers dating and relationship advice applicable to everyone. With quirky phrases like “Analysis Paralysis” (the dilemma of doubt that comes from overanalyzing a prospective match), “Date ‘Em Till You Hate ‘Em” (or when in doubt, go out — with the hope that the uncertainty will eventually give you clarity), and ensuring that both partners’ “DEW Dates” (Dating-Engagement-Wedding Timelines) are matched, Ben Shalom seeks to impart words of wisdom to every (ready-to-be-wed) viewer. Ben Shalom even introduces the concept of shomer negiah, a more Orthodox Jewish practice of not touching while dating and only initiating a physical relationship until the marriage is set, to her less traditional clients and the general audience. To her, shomer negiah — whether practiced for one date, the first few dates, or during the entire dating process — can help two people touch hearts. Or as she says, “If there is no physical glue holding the relationship together, then there’s value-based glue holding the relationship together.”

“CAN WE GO BACK”:

“KISS”:

By Christopher Chen

PROBLEMS WITH SUBURBIA PROBLEMS WITH SUBURBIA

By Sachit Parekh

The Bay Area consists of three major cities—San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose—and suburbs such as Fremont, Sunnyvale, and Pleasanton. According to Merriam-Webster, suburbs can be defined as “the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town”. Initially popularized in the 1950s, suburbs have evolved and grown over the last seven decades to places that many individuals call home. However, suburbs and the continuing growth of suburbia present some major problems which should not be taken lightly.

In the United States, the post-WWII period saw a steep rise in the frequency of marriages among young couples across the nation who wanted to settle down in a house of their own. The housing shortage that plagued the nation in the 1940s led to the creation of suburban environments in cities across the nation. Living in a single-family household with a spacious front and back yard was viewed by many as the main goal of their lives. Additionally, the rise in car ownership led to an influx of people living in suburbs, owning cars, and commuting independently. The mindset of people who moved to the region further promoted suburban growth as it spread among many Americans. People viewed the suburbs as a place of independence—where they could live a life free from annoying roommates or greedy landlords. Furthermore, the depictions of suburban lifestyle in popular culture became the epitome of the “American Dream” of settling down in the suburbs with a family and a car.

Suburbs were initially developed to include primarily middle and upper-middle-class individuals. An anonymous person I interviewed gave us their thoughts:“When discussing suburbia in academia, it’s often linked with race because suburbs began as a response to black people moving into white-dominant cities. You’ll usually only

see white people and model minorities in suburbs, but that could just be because it’s linked to economic class.” Esha B. (11th grade) said that “white Americans moved to the suburbs because they had the money.” The practice of redlining, defined by Dictionary.com as “a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies, etc., refuse or limit loans, mortgages, insurance, etc., within specific geographic areas, especially inner-city neighborhoods,” was (and still is) prevalent in American city planning. These practices were heavily targeted toward Black communities, preventing Black families from moving into White-dominated suburbs. However, over the past few years, more and more Black people have been moving to the suburbs (according to Bloomberg.com), possibly due to the gradual effects of the outlawing of redlining, as well as the increased amounts of opportunities for Black people.

CHARACTERISTICS

I asked a few people about what they think about when they think about suburbs.

“Suburbs are safe to the point of being boring. They are good to raise children in…Suburbs are neither good nor bad, just clean, polished, sunny, and safe.” –Anonymous

“When I think of the suburbs I think of the American dream of wanting a cute one-story house with a cute grass field in the back, with your entire neighborhood having the same patterned layout. Everyone has a car because the closest grocery store is a 7-minute drive. I think of a quiet, peaceful, mysterious life.” -Esha B.(11th grade)

Others say that suburbs like Fremont need more trees, are car-heavy, and are dominated by houses with the occasional shop or mall.

Many seem to view suburbs neutrally, appreciating the cleanliness, peacefulness, safeness, and tranquility; while simultaneously expressing distaste for the heavy dependence on cars, and the lack of shade in some areas. Other benefits of suburbs include lower prices per square foot and more privacy. Suburbs are often safer than any downtown region of a city. According to

neighborhoodscout.com, San Francisco has a crime index of 2, with 100 being the safest. Meanwhile, Fremont, a city where the majority of us live, has a crime index of 11. Although this is definitely not the best, it is significantly better than San Francisco’s. A suburb like Danville is even more safe, with a crime index of 63.

THE DOWNSIDES

Suburbs, although a better option for many people to live in, present a number of disadvantages, some more apparent than others. The most apparent concern about suburbia is its major impact on the environment. There are many aspects to this, from the lack of trees to the omnipresence of asphalt. A vast majority of land area in a suburb is taken up by asphalt in unnecessarily-wide roads, and vast expanses of usually-empty parking lots. The dark asphalt pavement creates the effect of a heat sink, creating incredibly high surface temperatures in the summer months. This is especially problematic with the rise in climate change—leading to increased presence of heatstroke and other heat-related health issues. Further contributing to this problem of the heat sink is the lack of protection from this heat. Many suburban regions in the nation have little shade to protect residents, even in the slightest bit, from excessive heat. Trees play a major role in helping decrease high temperatures. According to National Geographic, “shading objects from solar rays can lower their surface temperature by up to 45 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day.” Furthermore, cities have relatively taller buildings that help shade the streets below.

A major problem with suburbs is the lackluster public transportation system and its car-heavy infrastructure. Using WalkScore. com, we can find a rating for walkability and public transit. Fremont has aWalkScore of 50, and a TransitScore of 36. Meanwhile, San Francisco has a WalkScore of 89 and a TransitScore of 77. Although the suburbs might be a great place to go for a casual stroll, they are not so efficient for getting from point A to point B. Suburban infrastructure is so heavily dependent on

cars to the point where walking is basically unfeasible, even for the closest restaurants or grocery stores. Suburban streets are unnecessarily wide, and that contributes to pedestrian fatalities. Another major aspect of suburbs are arterial roads, which are high-capacity roads within a suburb or city. In suburbs, arterial roads are very wide with few safe crossings for pedestrians. These can also be classified as “stroads,” which is a combination of a busy business-oriented street with a relatively high-speed road. An example would be the El Camino Real in the Peninsula, which stretches for 42 miles from Daly City to Santa Clara. The rapidly-growing suburbs of North Dallas, Texas, have a backbone of arterial roads (“stroads”) in a 1 mile by 1 mile grid, with the contents of that grid ranging from housing to strip malls and gas stations. Getting around on foot is almost impossible, and as urban centers across the country continue to grow like Dallas, this problem will further worsen. All the while, the usage of cars to get from A to B in the suburbs will directly contribute to climate change. According to the government of Canada, cars and other passenger vehicles account for approximately 21 percent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, approximately 51 percent of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and approximately 4 percent of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) emissions—all of which are harmful to both humans and our environment.

Despite all the problems that the suburbs might have, millions across the country call it their homes and love them. Also, suburban cities across the country are working on making their city a better place to live by improving public transit, increasing walkability, and rethinking their downtown areas. For example, Fremont has helped increase pedestrian safety in areas around its BART stations, and the suburbs of Boston have stellar walkability and transit, compared to the rest of the nation’s suburbs. Many suburban governments are implementing measures to help curb these issues, providing hope for a more sustainable future.

WHAT TEENAGERS DON’T UNDERSTAND: GETTING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP

WHAT TEENAGERS DON’T UNDERSTAND: GETTING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP

By Joleen P. and Julee J.

Joleen: My baby cousin sleeps fourteen hours a day. Toddlers sleep eleven hours for every 24 hours. When I was in elementary school, I was able to get at least nine hours of sleep every night, guaranteed. So why is it that I cannot get just seven hours of sleep? Seven! Since I am taking zero period this year, I must get up at 7 A.M. everyday to ensure that I am not late and risk losing my participation points in art. This means that I should sleep before 12 A.M., but somehow, that never happens successfully. In fact, now that I evaluate myself, I always end up going to bed around 12:30 A.M. or even 1 A.M. At first, I convinced myself that this was due to the tremendous amount of homework my teachers assign and the endless number of tests I need to study for. Now, I am not so sure this is the case. So last week, I decided to challenge myself by finishing all my homework and finish studying for all my APs before 11:30 P.M. to get at least seven hours of sleep. Surprisingly, I noticed that if I set a mental deadlines for all my assignments and continuously look at my clock, going to sleep at 11:30 P.M. was not impossible. For example, a sample idea of a schedule with appropriate deadlines might go like this:

5 P.M. - 6 P.M.: APES Lab

6:30 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.: Dinner (while watching Kdramas)

7:00 P.M. - 7:45 P.M.: Read the Plague

8:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.: Study for Physics test

This mental schedule is extremely effective, but only if I remember to accomplish all my tasks by the end of the time allotted. Most importantly, I realized that procrastination will not lead me anywhere, so I might as well as complete the task as soon as possible (I know this sounds very cliché, but trust me, it works). I also constantly remind myself to take breaks and to reward myself when I accomplish a big task (similar to the famous Pomodoro technique!). Try these tips, and maybe you will find yourself getting an extra hour of sleep every night! XOXO, Gossip Jo.

Julee: Do you ever find yourself burning the midnight oil and sacrificing your precious sleep just to keep up with the avalanche of academic workload? As students, we all strive to juggle school and extracurricu -

lar activities, but at what cost? Is it really worth compromising our sleep for a few extra hours of study time? Having tracked my academic journey from freshman to sophomore year, I have come to realize that we rarely have so much work that we cannot get at least seven hours of sleep. And if you don’t have early morning classes, catching up on some sleep becomes even easier. Sure, BASIS teachers can be demanding with their assignments, but taking AP classes in school actually makes our lives simpler. At public schools, students have to self-study AP courses on top of their regular homework. Yet, despite these added burdens, there are countless successful individuals who make sure to get a full eight hours of rest. So what’s preventing us from getting adequate sleep? Some may argue that procrastination is the main culprit, but there’s another factor that many of us tend to overlook. It’s the nagging feeling that while we snooze, our peers are working hard to better

STAFF: STAFF:

themselves. Although not everyone experiences this fear of missing out, it remains a pressing issue for some. I once found myself about to turn in early for the night, but then the thought of all the extra studying I could accomplish during that time struck me, and I quickly got back up to hit the books once more. However, let’s not forget that our bodies require rest. If we feel the urge to sleep, it’s because our bodies are already feeling the detrimental effects of a lack of sleep. It’s a cycle. Ignoring these signals can lead to a plethora of health issues, and is sacrificing our well-being truly worth better grades? In the grand scheme of things, what will matter most when we’re on our deathbed? It’s certainly not the extra points we scored on that one test or the amount of hours we spent cramming for an exam. What truly counts is our aggregate health and happiness. So let’s prioritize our well-being and make sure to get the rest our bodies crave.

Editors-in-Chief: Christopher Chen, Julee Jiang and Olivia Ma

Editors: Vera Lin, Alicia Peng, Anjali Prabhu, and Alan Xiao

Staff Writers: Aarna Kamath, Ada Costiniano, Alan Xiao, Alicia Peng, Amanda Wu, Amber Wong , Anjali Prabhu, Ariana Yi, Esha Bansiya, Heeya Das, Jay Thanki, Joleen Pan, Kaitlyn Liu, Katherine He, Kevin Weng, Krish Mangrolia, Oriana Deng, Ryan Li, Ryan Liu, Sachit Parekh, Sarah Wu, Sheil Mody, Shirley Fan, Thanisha Thambidurai, Vera Lin, Vincent Yang

Graphic Designers: Christopher Chen, Ada Costiniano

Thank you for reading the last Yellow Pages issue of this school year! We hope you enjoyed reading all of our publications! If you have any comments, suggestions, questions, or notice any mistakes in our newspaper, please contact bifyellowpages@gmail.com