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NOVEMBER 19, 2021
THE YELLOW PAGES BASIS Independent Fremont Journalism Club
NATIONAL CANCER AWARENESS DAY
HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING
ASTROWORLD CATASTROPHE
National Cancer Awareness Day is recognized in India each year on November 7th. First introduced by the Indian Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan, National Cancer Awareness day generates awareness about early cancer detection and avoiding cancer-causing lifestyles. The day also helps to bring to light the suffering that results from cancer. In India, 1.1 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Much of this results from lifestyle issues. Tobacco use is to blame for ~3 million deaths in both men and women each year. In men, over 25% of cancer deaths are due to oral and lung cancer, both caused by overuse of tobacco. However, tobacco use and lifestyle aren’t the only things to be careful of. Resource awareness is extremely important in the fight against cancer. Many people don’t have the resources to get cancer check ups each year. By the time they are diagnosed, they’re far too affected by cancer to recover. Statistics show that, on an average, one woman dies of cervical cancer every 8 minutes. For every woman diagnosed with breast cancer, 2 women die of it. National Cancer Awareness Day brings light to the growing cancer diagnoses in India. It allows citizens to appreciate the hard work of medical workers in the fight against cancer and to honor those whose lives have been cut short by the disease. While we have rapidly developed technologically in this fight, we still have a long way to go.
Thanksgiving, a holiday where families and friends gather around to eat, laugh, and express their gratitude, possesses a long history rooted in the beginnings of our nation. In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England with 102 passengers aboard. Those aboard mainly consisted of Separatist Puritans, who sought to separate themselves from the Anglican Church and find religious freedom in the Americas. After 65 days of uncomfortable travel, the ship arrived at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, far north of their original destination. They eventually traveled across the Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims began to establish the village of Plymouth which still stands today. Sadly, in the pilgrim’s first winter, harsh weather and living conditions caused nearly half of them to perish. As the remaining Pilgrims prepared for the spring season, a former enslaved native, Squanto, came to the rescue of the suffering newcomers. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel, grow different crops, and other skills necessary for survival. The Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest in 1621 in the first ever Thanksgiving. 53 Pilgrims as well as 90 Native Americans gathered together to express their gratitude for their mutual friendship. This celebration binded the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims to a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship.
Astroworld 2021, the music festival performed by Travis Scott that was supposed to be enjoyable and lively, quickly turned into the
By Olivia Ma
By Bella Alcaine
By Julee Jiang
nightmare of a lifetime. The events that led up to this tragic disaster are still unclear, but many suspect the shortage of available tickets spurred fans to break a fence, which ultimately caused a crowd surge. Fans pushed their way to the front, eager to get closer to the idol. One concertgoer described the experience as a “human whirlpool”, with people falling left and right. Spectators struggled to breathe as an increasing number of fans crowded around them, which led to a large number of people losing consciousness. Others were trampled as the concertgoers around them struggled and pushed in a futile attempt to escape the packed crowd. Many spectators pleaded for the officials and the rapper to stop the concert, but nothing was done to completely halt the performance. Travis Scott even urged the crowd to make the concert livelier, enraging concertgoers and online spectators. The music festival was later stopped by Live Nation around thirty minutes earlier than planned. Scott’s spokesperson, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, responded to accusations against Travis Scott, saying, “They have a 59-page operations plan, and it clearly says the only two people that have the authority to stop the concert were the executive producer and the concert producer.” The death toll is currently 10, with the youngest being 9 and the oldest being 27 years of age. Hundreds of other concertgoers were treated for both minor and life-threatening injuries after the music festival. Let our deepest condolences go to the family members and friends of those who passed away on that day.
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INTERACTIVE INTERVIEWS
COMIC - TURKEY DINNER By Katherine He
By Vivian Sun
Interviewer: How has school been treating you? I know we just got out of a pandemic, and switching between these different lifestyles can be a pretty weird experience. How are you handling it so far? Anonymous: So far it's been not too stressful. Everything has been pretty easy. I've been understanding all the topics and my friends and I have fun
Interviewer: Wow, that sounds like fun! I agree it would be very cool to work at Lockheed Martin. It's great that you have an interest in these things, but you certainly need time to take a break from all that work. What do you do in your spare time? Why do you do those things?
together inside and outside of school; we chat on Discord and play games. Homework has been doable, and I can usually finish it in time. The switch
Anonymous: I usually like to read books or play video-games– particularly Valorant. It's fun, and my spare time goes flying by whenever I do those things. I guess that means I'm having fun.
between online and in person school hasn’t been too hard — I get to meet and talk to my friends, so it's good to be back!
Interviewer: Well, onto the next question. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
Interviewer: That's good to hear. It's always good to be caught up with all your subjects, and I'm glad the pandemic hasn’t been too stressful. This is kind of a fun question: What fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life? Why
Anonymous: This may sound ridiculous, but I feel quite accomplished from this one. A few years ago, I got around half the school to play tag. I know it sounds weird, but the feeling of achievement of getting that many people to play felt cool.
would you like to meet that character? Anonymous: If I could pick one, it would probably be Bloodhound from the video game Apex Legends. I like video games in general, and all of the characters are cool. He takes part as a hunter in the game, and I think it’d be cool to meet him in real life. Interviewer: Bloodhound... I envision an interesting interaction! He seems like a cool character. Your next question is: Where do you see yourself
By Katherine He Interviewer: Actually, that's pretty cool. I know the feeling of being part of or organizing a big group. Even for the smallest of things, bringing many people together to do something is not an easy task. My last question is just a small bonus to round off this interview. Would you rather have a pause button in your life or a rewind button? Why would you choose one or the other?
in ten years? What kind of job would you like to have then? Anonymous: I would probably like to work at Lockheed Martin. There, they make products such as planes and fighter jets. I’ve always had a fascination towards mechanical stuff, so working there would be intriguing. And frankly, I think it’d be a job fit for me.
DIFFERENT VIEWS OF AE
Anonymous: If I had to pick one, it would probably be a rewind button because if I can keep information about the future, it would be a lot of help with studying for my tests and passing them. That would basically mean endless study time, and I think school would be a breeze.
Preceding fourth period, AE, also known as Academic Enrichment, is a fifteen minute class that offers students a chance to take a breather. There are many different opinions regarding AE, some of which are going to be shared in this article. Teachers of AE classes must take on the strenuous task of controlling a group of hungry students. During AE, some teachers are stricter and prepare a daily schedule for their students to follow, eliminating all chances for the students to fool around. Others are more lenient, allowing students to snack and talk to their friends. One teacher expressed their concern about AE, saying, “AE is a nice breaktime, but I don’t get to spend much time with my students. Instead of having a different teacher teach every AE class, I think AE should be connected to the class the students had before.” This teacher’s opinion about AE is that although this fifteen minute interval can be relaxing for students, it is inconvenient for teachers. The majority of teachers are pressed for time, and having to move around before and after a
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fifteen minute interval only escalates that problem.
liberation of one’s soul. It also marks the first day of the Jain calendar year.
For many students, AE is a relaxing period and an opportunity to snack on treats, but there are still concerns from students. One student expressed their concern about AE, saying, “During AE, I like to hang out with my friends, eat snacks, and relax a bit, but it doesn’t have much purpose besides that.” Another student conveyed their opinion on AE, saying, “I think breaks are required, especially since we have a lot of classes, which leads to a longer school day.”
Diwali in Sikhism represents the day, called Bandi Chhor Divas, when the Sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, returned home after being released from prison and managed to free 52 Hindu kings from prison as well. Sikhs celebrate the Hindu story of Diwali as well. Although the different religions recognize the day of Diwali differently, it is common to see diyas, rangolis, and fireworks in Diwali celebrations across India, regardless of religion. Even here in the Bay, grand decorations and Diwali festivities take place in temples and many Indian households. Personally, I love the annakut, in which a glorious pattern of food and sweets is arranged before the Hindu gods and goddesses in Gujarati temples. Diwali also is about family and friends, and thus there are many parties within families, or between a few families, bringing a sense of togetherness and enjoyment. Regardless of location, one will certainly have a great time indulging in the festivities of the Diwali week, anywhere around the world!
DIWALI: THE FESTIVAL OF MORE THAN LIGHTS By Sachit Parekh
Each year, hundreds of millions of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs celebrate the holiday of Diwali, a 5-day-long festival full of ornate decorations and rangolis, decorative lights and diyas, and a joyful and festive aura. The period of the festivities of Diwali changes every year, because it is based on the Hindu calendar, which is based on annually-changing solar and lunar cycles. Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs recognize Diwali differently, due to the main significance varying among the religions. In Hinduism, Diwali is recognized and celebrated differently for the various regions of India. It is recognized as the day when the Hindu god Rama and his wife, the goddess Sita, returned to their home in Ayodhya after defeating the evil Ravana. They were guided by oil lamps, or diyas, to their home. Diwali to Hindus also signifies wealth and prosperity. Households light diyas leading up to their front entrance to guide the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, to the home in order to bless them. To Jains, Diwali is recognized as the day when Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankar of the religion, attained the final state of nirvana, called moksha, essentially a complete
TECH CORNER: APPLE
By Winston Gu & Louis Lu
MACBOOK PRO:
Announced on October 26th, the new Macbook Pros, both the 14 and 16 inch models, exhibit the newest technology from Apple. Running on the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the refreshed Macbook Pros’ processing speed is about two to four times faster than the previous M1 chip. Apple sells the new Macbook Pro with up to 8 TBs of internal storage, allowing users to store more photos, videos, and files. Now, to the new features of the new computers. Both sizes bring back the longawaited ports. Now, the new port lineup provides not only USB-C ports, but also traditional favorites such as the MagSafe 3 charger, HDMI, and SD card ports. Since the Macbook M1 series is targeted towards more professional users, it is evident why they included the more traditional cables. The laptop also exhibits the mini-LED display which Apple first introduced in the 2021 iPad Pro. This technology allows for the already phenomenal display to exhibit a larger spectrum of colors and values. Since the last update, the Macbook Pro has removed the Touch Bar at the top of the keyboard. Buyers kept on unintentionally grazing the Touch Bar, making it an annoyance instead of an add-on. Thus, Apple decided to remove it for the latest Macbook Pro since the function keys allowed for everything the Touch Bar could do, but even better. The aesthetic of the new MacBook is astonishingly minimalist. Sticking to the traditional exterior, Apple decided to change a few things in the interior. The new Macbook now has an black inset plate as a background for the keyboard. On the display, the bezels are significantly slimmer, leaving only the camera notch sticking out on the top of the screen. The Macbook M1 Pro/Max is targeted towards professional content creators and people who wish for a higher level of performance. Many artists use the MacBook to render their art, which requires large amounts of power to fix small details. These upgraded features and performance specs led to higher price tags: the 14-inch model starting at $1,999 and the 16-inch model starting at $2,499.
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IPHONE 13 Released on September 14, 2021, the new Apple iPhone 13 exhibits many useful features and updates, significantly improving the user experience. The new iPhone sports a 120 Hz display, making for smoother scrolling and transitions between apps. Not only can the phone refresh at high rates, it can also display up to a revolutionary 1200 nits of brightness. The screen is protected by a ceramic glass shield, which provides scratch and water resistance to the phone. The iPhone 13 comes in three models — iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro Max — with three respective sizes — 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7 inches. Buyers are given the option to choose a phone with storage sizes of 128 GB all the way up to 1TB. The iPhone 13 is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip, which boosts the display quality of games and regular app browsing. The new iPhone also supports 5G data, allowing for higher download speeds and higher stream quality. The new iPhone models not only provide a boost in performance but also provide new camera technology, containing wide, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto lenses. These technologies not only improve the quality of the zoomed-in images but also increase details in nighttime images. According to Apple, the new iPhone has a battery life of 6 times that of the iPhone 12, allowing for up to an astonishing 28 hours of video playback. This year’s iPhone 13 certainly did not disappoint.
AIRPODS (3RD GENERATION) As the middle tier Airpods, the Apple Airpods (3rd gen) provides a good choice for those who are trying to find a good set of wireless earbuds for their middle-high budget. The newest generation of Airpods, generation three, has smaller stems and lacks silicone rubber eartips. Apple has not only redesigned the Airpods, but they have also included Spatial Audio, which allows the user to immerse themselves in a spacious, three-dimensional world of sound. The new Airpods 3’s case is similar to Airpods Pro’s, taking a more horizontal form factor than a vertical one.
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WEIRD PRODUCTS By Amber Wong & Ryan Liu
Online shopping has become a prominent force on how people purchase things, and it’s not hard to see why. People are able to shop with just a click of a button and from the comfort of their homes. The convenience is what makes online shopping so enthralling, and has become a great addiction for a lot of people. The recent obsession with online shopping has allowed for more retailers to create more products. However, the more the variety of products increases, the more unusual products move into the market. These products range from baconstrip bandages to yodelling pickles (a small device shaped like pickles with a small speaker to specifically yodel in). The possibilities are endless. After scrolling through a site purely dedicated to scavenging peculiar products, here are some of the most interesting items we found.
KNITTING WITH DOG HAIR $24.04
A problem many dog owners may have to deal with is the amount dogs seem to shed, even with regular grooming. ‘Knitting with Dog Hair' by Anne Montegomery tackles this problem all while helping you knit a handsome sweater for your pet with reused dog hair. Its main selling points are that it is both dog-friendly and eco-friendly! The process of using dog hairs to knit an entire sweater will forever stay a mystery, but buyers comment that their dogs look dashing in their new article of clothing. Not only that, but another book ‘Crafting with Cat Hair' by Kaori Tsutaya gives extremely helpful and beneficial advice on how to knit a nifty sweater for a feline friend, and makes a great arts and crafts project.
BASKETBALL ON GLASSES $10.00
If you don't have time to get on a real court, play basketball on top of a pair of glasses! The set of plain black glasses would be completely normal in appearance at first. But take a closer look, and what do you see? A tiny black arm attached to a small blue hoop. These glasses come with an additional mini basketball attached to the hoop, a fun party trick and accessory, but does no favors for sight. The thing that makes these products a surprise to see on the internet isn’t the product itself, but its ability to survive in such a difficult market. Although these products may seem peculiar or downright useless at first glance, it still manages to attract and gain consumers. Its out-of-box quality intrigues customers, and broadens the scope of products we know today in the process.
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IN RETROSPECT: SPOOKTACULAR
NEW GAME: HALO INFINITE
By Christopher Chen
By Julee Jiang Second Shift Key Club Volunteers
Halo Infinite is a first-person shooter game, the sixth game in the “Halo Series”. The shooter gameplay carries over many familiar weapons and vehicles from previous installments of the series. Halo Infinite’s beta multiplayer, released
During the month of October, BIFU’s Key Club was hard at work preparing for the school’s Spooktacular Halloween Event. The event was held at the Lower School campus, where Key Club members hosted various stations for students to explore, from wordsearch activities to mini bowling alleys. Throughout the four hours of Spooktacular, students could be found running around, chatting with one another, and trying to find pumpkin’s hidden around the event grounds. Spooktacular was also a fundraiser for the Pediatric Trauma Program, a charity seeking to reduce the number of children who are killed or injured by trauma. During the Halloween event, the Key Club was able to raise over five hundred dollars in just cash donations! The large success of Spooktacular was ultimately a reflection of the work that the Key Club put into setting up this event. During biweekly on-site meetings, members spent hours organizing different stations and figuring out the setups of physical props and objects that they would use for each activity. Out of school, groups communicated online, working hard to set up the logistics for the prizes and designs of the games. Each group sought flawlessness in their respective stations and wanted their own activities to be fun, engaging, and inclusive. One club member recalls, “the scavenger group had a lot of components that the team wanted to perfect, so that all kids from all grades were able to participate.” Before the event started, Key Club members arrived early to set up decorations and make signs and arrows for a smooth student experience. The meticulous attention to detail placed on each and every aspect of the event led to a coherent and interactive Spooktacular!
on November 15th, gives players a sneak peek of the first season’s content. The official game will be released on December 8, and the content covered in the beta version of the game will carry over to the full version. Halo Infinite’s beta release date concurred at the same time as the franchise’s 20th anniversary, which celebrates the release of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Candy Bowl Station
VALORANT CHAMPIONS 2021 By Winston Gu
Held during December 1st to December 12th, Valorant Champions 2021 will be ending off the year with a bang. The tournament will not only provide the most valuable rewards to its winners, but it will also give entertainment to many viewers across the world. Valorant, a multiplayer first person shooter, is one of the hottest desktop games of 2021. Official teams will be competing with each other for the $1 million prize pool. The winning team of the event will also have their own skin collection added to the game. This is a huge honor for the winning team because Valorant hasn’t featured any official team skins, and the winner of this tournament will determine the first ever team skin collection. The top dogs of this event will be the Sentinels, the winners of Valorant Masters, and Gambit, the winners of Valorant Champions Tour: Stage 3. Coming from the North American region, Sentinels provide promising results due to their streak of outstanding performances on the world stage. On the other hand, the newfound success of Gambit in winning recent tournaments is also very promising. The stakes are high and the competition is too, let the best team triumph!
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SURVEYS & POLLS
HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY
By Amber Wong & Ariana Yi
The country has gradually been opening up, businesses and other public areas opening their doors after a tumultuous year of quarantine. In the midst of this, schools have started their shift from online to in-person learning, which undoubtedly have impacted students going through this time of change. We decided to document this shift by showing how it impacts a student’s average sleeping and homework time. Alongside that, we included a would-you-rather question, answered by you!
THOUGHTS ON RECENT HOMEWORK LOAD? 25
STUDENTS
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By Bella Alcaine
WHEN IS VETERAN'S DAY? In the United States, Veterans Day occurs annually on November 11. November 11 symbolizes the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, which is the exact time when World War I ended in 1918.
EARLY HISTORY Veterans Day was originally named Armistice Day in honor of the Armistice Agreement that symbolizes the end of WWI. It was first initiated on November 11, 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson. The purpose of Armistice Day was to honor those who died fighting in battle for their sacrifice and bravery while serving in WW1. Seven years later, Congress made a request for Veterans Day to become a legal holiday. In 1945, a WWII veteran by the name of Raymond Weeks had an idea to expand Armistice Day to recognize all veterans instead of only the ones that died during WWI. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the holiday name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
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TOO MUCH
WOULD YOU RATHER FINISH EVERY SHOW YOU START OR NEVER WATCH A SHOW EVER AGAIN? NEVER 24.4%
Armistice Day WW1 - 1918
PRESENT DAY: FINISH 75.6%
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SLEEP EACH DAY?
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Today, Veterans Day is honored in a number of ways. In some places, parades and church services are held, and oftentimes flags are hung at half-mast. Other ways people choose to show their honor for this day is by donating to local organizations dedicated to helping and supporting veterans, writing letters, visiting local VA hospitals, running for a cause, and more. Some schools close for this holiday, while others choose to keep the school open and incorporate assemblies and/or other activities. Federal government offices close on November 11, while state and local governments, schools, and non-government businesses have the choice whether or not to remain open.
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Teacher Advisors: Ms. Abdelaziz and Mr. Betcher Student Advisors: Julee Jiang and Olivia Ma Editors: Christopher Chen, Julee Jiang, Winston Gu, and Olivia Ma Graphic Designers: Christopher Chen Club Members: Bella Alcaine, Katherine He, Kylah Kao, Aarav Kumar, Vera Lin, Ryan Liu, Louis Lu, Sachit Parekh, Vivian Sun, Caroline Wang, Amber Wang, Ariana Yi, Olivia Ma, Julee Jiang, Winston Gu, and Christopher Chen