October 13, 2022 Issuu

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 942 SAN JOSE, CA

Leland High School 6677 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120

The

CHARGER ACCOUNT Vol. U No. 1 Thursday, October 13, 2022 Leland High School 6677 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120

Antara Gangwal

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@thechargeraccount

School enacts tutorial policy change

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DESIGN BY SOPHIA QIN

Staff Writer

In August, the school implemented a policy requiring students to attend tutorial in their odd period classrooms on their even period block schedule days and in their even period classrooms on their odd period block schedule days, sparking debate among students.

Tutorial is a 42-minute period that occurs after the first class of every block schedule day. Assistant Principal of Student Services Sara Mingione stated that the school originally implemented tutorial in conjunction with the current block schedule in 2015 to reduce student stress. It provides students with time to catch up on assignments, clarify difficult material with teachers, retake tests and make up missing work.

Previously, students could attend any of their teachers’ classrooms for tutorial period, as long as it was open—

Daniel Lin

as each teacher closes their classroom during tutorial once every week.

“Last year, the school faculty noticed many students socializing in a classroom of their choice or simply wandering the halls during tutorial.

After holding a meeting to discuss this issue at the beginning of this school year, the administration decided that the period requires more structure to be utilized for its original purpose,” Mingione said.

By introducing the policy, the school hopes to re-establish tutorial as an academic period and encourage a study hall environment. The rule will allow for teachers to contain the number of students in their classroom during tutorial, preventing large clusters of students from gathering in one class to socialize. According to Roberto Gutiérrez, Foreign Language Department, his classroom has been quieter and emptier during tutorial period lately as the policy requires

students to consider what classes they truly need to attend to complete work, instead of simply choosing a classroom to congregate with friends.

“While it was nice to spend time with my friends in any classroom during tutorial last year, I noticed an increase in my productivity during tutorial in the past few HARRY KANG ART weeks, so I do not mind this policy,” Junior Nia Wong said.

While the rule is beneficial for some, other students are experiencing complications because their teachers are closed for tutorial on the days that they are permitted to attend that particular class. Sophomore Izabella Knight revealed that she can only attend her P.E. tutorial in the gymnasium on Wednesdays, even though there is no work she needs to complete for the class, as all of her other teachers’

classrooms are closed for tutorial that day. This prevents Knight from attending other classes where she may need to meet the teacher for academic support. Furthermore, students who miss school for a long period of time may experience difficulties when attending tutorial to make up work if they are not allowed to meet with the same teacher every day.

“The policy has its own pros and cons, neither outweighing the other. It will take time, but we will eventually become accustomed to the changes,” Gutiérrez said.

The policy stayed in place for the entirety of the first grading period, and its efficacy will now be reevaluated. The school will determine whether it will be established as a permanent rule based on feedback from students and teachers.

Leland Bridge holds annual Freshman Welcome Party Viewpoint Editor

Leland Bridge is a non-profit organization run by the school’s Chinese-American parents to encourage participation in schoolwide events. Founded in 2001, the organization has grown to play a critical role in the school’s support structure. Every year, Leland Bridge raises $20,000 to $25,000 to fund equipment purchases, support various school programs and host community events, including Leland Bridge Night, the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon and the Freshman Welcome Party.

This year’s Freshman Welcome Party took place on Aug. 27 at Simonds Elementary School from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event started with welcome speeches from

several school faculty members, including Leland Bridge Vice President Yunyun Jiang, Principal Peter Park, Assistant Principal of Guidance Michael Lozano and Gay Brasher, Visual Performing Arts Department. Afterwards, several upperclassmen advertised their respective clubs, sports teams and programs, which included the Associated Student Body, Leland Advanced Drama, FTC 8404 Quixilver Robotics and Speech and Debate.

Following the introductions, freshmen had the opportunity to explore different stands around the area; there was a plethora of club booths that allowed them to look further into clubs that piqued their interest, as well as a game station with many fun activities. Sophomore Sophie Xu volunteered at the event and helped manage the game station.

“I ran four games at the table: ring toss, cup stacking, limbo and jump rope. Freshmen were rewarded with one stamp for participating in a game and a second one if they won. Ten stamps could be traded for a ticket,

which could be used to redeem snacks and prizes. There was a lively and welcoming atmosphere and overall, I had a great time,” Xu said.

According to Jiang, preparing for the event was a difficult process that began before the summer break.

The first task was to find a place that would be shady and spacious enough for a meeting area, club booths, a game station and a food station. The event organizers visited Graystone, Simonds and Williams Elementary School and eventually settled on the blacktop and picnic tables at Simonds.

Leland Bridge then worked to organize the welcome meeting, which involved inviting speakers, creating an agenda, constructing club booths, preparing the food and making props for the game station. Additionally, the organization coordinated over 20 student and parent volunteers, set up and decorated the venue, advertised the event and created a sign up sheet. Each component of the event had a designated director to lead the effort. In the end, the event organizers felt that all the hard work

paid off and the Welcome Party was a huge success.

“The tickets sold out ten days before the event, and we received very positive feedback from the ninth-grade families,” Jiang said.

Many parents and students appreciated how the party provided more opportunities to learn about the school and talk directly with program leaders. This school year, Leland Bridge looks forward to hosting more events to encourage students to develop and explore their diverse interests and connect with other students.

Courtesy of Leland Bridge

Top Left: Junior Amelia Khor talks to a parent and student about FTC 8404 Quixilver Robotics. Bottom Right: Senior Ashe Sanjeev and Sophomore Arnav Vajirkar set up their robot for a demonstration. Middle Right: Senior Jeffrey Zheng watches as Senior Alexander Lee tries out the tanggu drum used in traditional Chinese lion dance.

Is the school meeting food nutrition standards with free meals? on page 3

1 NEWS

Voice banking project helps ALS patients maintain their identity on page 10

Champions at The ELLIE KIM ART Challenger Exhibition Game on page 12

3 INVESTIGATIVE REPORT 4 OPINIONS 6 ENTERTAINMENT 11 FEATURES 14 SPORTS 16 LAST WORD

OCTOBER 13, 2022

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COMMUNITY NEWS Dr. Anees Shaikh: Principal Santa Clara mining project faces harsh scrutiny software engineer

DESIGN BY IMRAN SHAIKH

Jay Li

Staff Writer

Imran Shaikh Community News & Feature World Editor

I interviewed Dr. Anees Shaikh, a principal software engineer at Google, to learn what it is like working at a company with such a large user base. Shaikh works to build and operate the network that connects Google’s services to its users and customers. When someone accesses a Google service, such as Gmail or Google Photos, their home network provider sends a request to Google’s server through a nearby connection so that they can access their mail or photos from one of Google’s data centers.

Shaikh is part of the team that ensures these connections remain secure and reliable.

As a principal software engineer, Shaikh spends most of his time solving open-ended technical problems with different teams, who then guide software engineers as they work to eliminate such bugs through writing designs or code.

“Much of my day is spent meeting with project groups to review progress or work through technical solutions, as well as holding one-on-one meetings with other engineers and tech leads. Part of my day is also spent working reviewing designs, writing highlevel technical proposals and occasionally working on code when I am lucky,” Shaikh said.

Software engineers generally have an academic background in computer science, frequently through an undergraduate or graduate degree. Other engineers expand their skills through selfstudy and personal interest in the computer science industry.

Shaikh has both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering.

He has been working for over 20 years in the computer science industry, gaining quite a bit of experience along the way.

He states that the position he has now requires years of experience, detailing how it can only be gained by working with experienced engineers or exploring new technical areas.

Throughout his career, Shaikh has focused on finding interesting subjects and working with people he enjoys spending time with. His favorite part of the job is working with such colleagues, as he is always learning new things from them. His coworkers consistently motivate him to do the best work he can, leading to opportunities to advance his career.

“Our society relies on software systems to run important things, whether in transportation, finance, education, medicine or energy. If you are interested in technology and computing, software engineering is a rewarding field with opportunities in many industries,” Shaikh said.

Seven years ago, a 30-year mining operation was proposed in Sargent Ranch, a 6,200-acre plot of land located about four miles south of Gilroy. However, the project has been repeatedly delayed due to opposition from both the City Council and indigenous tribes in the area.

The operation would affect over 405 acres of land, out of which 105 acres are a “geological setback area” to act as a buffer zone for the surrounding environment. The plan is to build a sand and gravel mining operation for contractors and private agencies’ growing construction needs.

Sargent Ranch is currently a largely undeveloped town, but the dig site is estimated to contain about 40 million tons of sand and gravel, making it an appealing option for a quarry. Many promoters of the operation reference the need for aggregation and the relatively unpopulated and undeveloped nature of the area.

Among the project’s fiercest opponents are the Gilroy City Council and indigenous tribes including the Amah Mutsun. During a meeting, the City Council voted unanimously against the plan after 12 people spoke in opposition, worried about the impacts on indigenous land, habitat removal and traffic.

“With the staggering amount of sacred sites that have already been harmed and exploited, this is an opportunity for the county to show newfound resolve and hold back on this mining permit for

the good of the Amah Mutsun tribe,” Senior Alexander Guan said.

The area affected by the operation is known to the Amah Mutsun as the Juristac, which has deep significance within Amah Mutsun culture. The tribe has many historical claims to the area, having resided there for thousands of years.

Many other significant Amah Mutsun cultural sites such as hunting, fishing and gathering places, have largely been lost to development—Juristac remains the only undisturbed area.

The Sargent Ranch Partner’s 30year mining operation would drain the groundwater and leave the area permanently scarred.

“Sargent Ranch is exploiting indigenous tribes for their land. The country’s past is already stained with the marginalization of indigenous people, so the future should focus on working to repent and compensate, not further exacerbate the problem.

Moreover, the buffer zone concept seems a little counterintuitive, as it involves damaging land to protect the land. Sargent Ranch should come up with a safer alternative to this quarry,” Sophomore Prateek Nedungadi said.

Faced with dissent, Sargent Ranch Partners stated their willingness to implement Alternative 3, a policy that

Poll:

Is it morally justifiable to use a part of ancestral land to help our economy?

Compiled by Gilina Voon Staff Writer 103 students polled

3% Yes

QUINCY HAN ART

97% No

advocates call the “environmentally superior alternative.” A draft of the Environmental Impact Report states that the plan will eliminate two of four mining sites and reduce mining in the remaining sites.

However, there are still a litany of damaging consequences the quarry would cause to the surrounding environment.

The mining operation would disrupt both a crucial wildlife crossing and the overall habitat of many animals, contributing to a decline in biodiversity.

Environmental advocates still oppose Alternative 3, stating that it would harm wildlife and significantly damage air quality, ease of transportation and the scenic views of the hillsides. Specifically, the mountain lion population is under threat, as an inability to migrate would lead to a lack of food and water and a risk of inbreeding.

“Especially in such a swift uplift, the extraction of sand and gravel would devastate the biodiversity adapted to the current untampered conditions. I am concerned for the air quality and impact on native wildlife as I doubt that Sargent Ranch’s ‘geological setback area’ would be secure enough to support them,” Junior Nicole Mui said.

Despite all the criticism the operation faces, Sargent Ranch is still pushing for the project’s approval, advocating for the effectiveness of Alternative 3. Members of the public had until Sept. 26 to comment on the draft Environmental Impact Report, before the planners compiled a final draft to gain approval for a mining permit.

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THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: School Lunch School meets food nutrition standards despite concerns

DESIGN BY ISAAC ANG

Gwen Carroll

Staff Writer

Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom passed Proposition 98, making school meals free for all students. While many students celebrate the change, others have been calling into question the quality of the food.

In January 2016, the Food Research & Action Center published a paper containing a plethora of evidence in support of providing lowincome students with complimentary school lunches. It found that for these students, school lunches may even be healthier than lunches brought from home, as obesity rates dropped by over 17% and poor health rates fell by as much as 28% after USDA started funding their meals.

Offering universal free school lunches means that many more students are getting meals at school, which has been found to increase academic performance and attendance. According to an observational study published in 2019, when schools in low-income areas offered universal free meals, low-income students had higher attendance rates, while higher income students had improved math and reading test scores. After two years, attendance rates increased by 3.5%.

The study is not an outlier—many other independent researchers have found a positive correlation between free school food and attendance.

Another study from the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism found that students with higher nutritional intake showed a significant increase in math grades, as well as a large decrease in absences.

Six months after the

Lauren Wilson

introduction of free school breakfast programs, students at nutritional risk—defined as those who have caloric or nutritional intakes under 50% of the recommended amount— who participated in the program had much higher attendance, fewer behavioral issues and improved math grades.

Despite these benefits, some students at the school have expressed concern regarding the quality of the provided meals.

“I preferred the school lunches in elementary school because they seemed healthier and actually tasted good. Now, the food appears heavily processed, which not only lowers its appeal but causes a loss of taste and nutritional value. Although the staff are trying their hardest to satisfy every student’s preferences, the huge influx of students means

Visuals: 2.2/5

Taste: 2.7/5 Nutrition: 2.4/5

30 students polled

that they have less time to focus on each individual meal,” Junior Tygan Coffey said.

However, students may be misattributing issues with school meals, such as reduced portion sizes, to the USDA having to cover extra costs.

“Portion sizes are supposed to be the same, but we have had to modify them because of COVID-19 restrictions. For instance, when we give out fries, we are supposed to give a fourth of a cup. We gave out more when we just threw them in a basket, but since everything has to be prepackaged and measured now, students get less than before,” Cafeteria Manager Susan Roach said.

Another issue is whether students are eating enough fruits and vegetables. According to the School Nutrition Association, with every school meal, students must take at least one half-cup serving of fruits or vegetables. If students leave the lunch line without a serving of fruits or vegetables, they must take a box of raisins; however, students often discard them. As a result, although students take the necessary amount of healthy food, it is difficult to ensure that every piece of the meal is consumed.

Extensive variety in school meals is also lacking. There are half as many vegetarian options as there are with meat, and on most days there is only one meatless option. The online menu makes no mention of whether or not the food is kosher or halal, which could affect students with special dietary needs.

“There are times when I walk into the cafeteria and they are not serving Compiled by Antara Gangwal anything lactose-free. If there is no Staff Writer food without lactose, then I do not eat,” Sophomore Landon Trinh said.

Many students are currently unsatisfied with the food at the school. However, once COVID-19 ELLIE KIM ART is no longer as much of a threat and the restrictions are rescinded, the meals should return to their initial quality and size. For the foreseeable future, free school meals are here to stay.

Poll: How would you rate school lunch?

The cost of a free meal Staff Writer

The school’s meal making process requires a generous amount of time and preparations from the cafeteria staff who spend multiple hours preparing the meals, drinks and snacks every school day. They plan diligently to accommodate students with food restrictions, such as vegetarians and those with peanut allergies and lactose intolerance. After free school meals started being offered, the work of the staff became even more important as more students received food.

According to Cafeteria Manager Susan Roach, after school food became free last year, the amount of lunch and breakfast served increased by an estimated 475 servings. To manage the extra work, the cafeteria welcomed two new staff members,

Cafeteria workers Shirley Ip and Laurie Ceally.

In total, it takes between two and fourand-a-half hours to put together breakfast, brunch and lunch. At 6 a.m. every morning, two employees arrive to prepare the food for breakfast and brunch, which entails heating the breakfasts and putting out milk, fruits, cereal and vegetables for students. The rest of the crew works between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m to prepare the servings for lunch. Staff members set up the salads, arrange snacks and heat up meals.

“Each meal is planned to follow the nutrition guidelines for the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs to ensure students consume the recommended nutrition requirements,” Janet Wolk, Student Nutrition Services, said.

Current food items are based on government guidelines, supply chain availability and manageable student favorites, so past items such as apple juice, cookies, Izzy sodas, bottles of water and more were removed after the transition to a free optiononly menu. However, the cafeteria still maintains a variety of options every day, including peanut-free and meatless meals.

“Personally, I do not get school food.

I like making my own meals because I can customize them to my own preferences, and the school lunch line often gets very long. I think the school offers many good options given that they are free, and the meals may be beneficial to other students and should not be taken for granted,” Junior Yunnah Moon said.

Unfortunately, food does go to waste on a daily basis. Cafeteria staff members never know

exactly how many meals will be served, so they must make extras to ensure all students can get something of their choice to eat. All leftover hot items are thrown away at the end of lunch due to food safety liability. It is common for specific meal to run out at least once a week, but there are always back-up meals or snacks to ensure that everyone has something to eat.

“We never really run out of food. I always make sure that we have backup-food like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in case we run out of what is listed on the menu,” Roach said.

The process of making school lunches is very complex, and the cafeteria department spends a great amount of time and money to ensure students get something to eat at school.

Although their hard work may go unnoticed by the hundreds of students who get school lunch every day, with their efforts, students are presented with filling meals when they need it the most.

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OPINIONS

OCTOBER 13, 2022

FEATURE: WORLD DESIGN BY SUVIA LI

The damaging reversal of Roe v. Wade

Antara Gangwal and Ella Polak

Staff Writers

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT Leland High School 6677 Camden Ave. Principal Peter Park San Jose Unified School District San Jose, CA 95120-2142 (408) 535-6290 thechargeraccount.com

EDITORS IN CHIEF Keirah Chen, Raymond Dai, Miranda Lu, Larry Ye ART AND PHOTO DIRECTORS Kailey Hu, Ellie Kim, Julia Nakanishi NEWS EDITORS Sophia Qin, Imran Shaikh OPINIONS EDITOR Suvia Li SCIENCE AND TECH EDITOR Sophia Qin FEATURE EDITORS Bertina Fan, Inseo Kim, Imran Shaikh VIEWPOINT AND LAST WORD EDITORS Isaac Ang, Daniel Lin ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE EDITORS Bertina Fan, Reagan Liu INVESTIGATIVE REPORT EDITOR Isaac Ang SPORTS EDITOR Breanna Lu STUDENT SPOTLIGHT EDITOR Reagan Liu AD MANAGER Breanna Lu MEDIA MANAGER ,Jeehee Kim, Claire Pham MANAGING EDITOR Manasa Sriraj ADVISOR Elaine Ngo COMMUNITY CIRCULATION Parent Club and Leland Bridge

On June 24, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overturned the landmark case Roe v. Wade, reversing a constitutional right that generations of American women never imagined a future without. In the original 1973 case, a Texan woman by the pseudonym Jane Roe argued that her constitutional right to privacy protected her right to abortion. The Court ruled in favor of Roe, overriding state laws across the U.S. that had previously banned abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. The overturning of this critical case takes away a fundamental aspect of healthcare and puts lives at risk. The politicization of the Supreme Court has led to a disregard for bodily autonomy that does not truly represent American ideals of liberty and democracy.

The 5-4 conservative majority ruling to overturn Roe, which had cemented itself as precedent for nearly half a century, demonstrates harmful partisanship in the Supreme Court.

Without the protection of Roe, states can now restrict, ban or criminalize abortion on an individual basis. The decision has major effects; abortion is currently banned without exceptions in 12 U.S. states, and banned after six weeks of pregnancy in two states. This was aided by the existence of trigger laws, or abortionrestricting policies in 13 U.S. states meant to take effect if Roe v. Wade were ever to be reversed.

The Charger Account Editorial Staff

ARTISTS Dana Lim Ahyun Choi Quincy Han Harry Kang

PHOTOGRAPHERS William Huang

Hsi Lok Chan

Gilina Voon

MEDIA TEAM Diya Boyapati Our mission in the community is to inform, educate, and investigate the events occurring within Leland’s community and beyond.

The ideas and opinions expressed in our articles represent over half of The Charger Account staff but do not represent the views and beliefs of any particular staff member.

The Charger Account invites submissions of signed letters of opinion. We reserve the right to edit submissions and pieces will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff.

Readers can notify The Charger Account to any errors in print by emailing us at lelandchargeraccount@gmail.com. We will acknowledge our mistakes in our next issue.

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The Charger Account Oct. 13 | Vol. U No. 1

The ruling reinforces previously existing criticism of the Supreme Court’s credibility. Abortion bans will not significantly decrease the number of abortions; instead, they will increase the number of life-threatening and illegal abortions. The right to abortion primarily affects groups that are disenfranchised in the United States: women and transgender and low-income individuals. According to the Brookings Institute, the rate of unintended pregnancy for people in poverty is five times higher than the rate for wealthy individuals due to lower access to contraception and sex education. Women of color are also particularly affected by the ruling, comprising two-thirds of abortions in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Americans are calling out justices who voted to overturn Roe after promising otherwise, such as Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett and

Rules for thee, but not for me

Gilina Voon Kyan Wang Lauren Wilson Lia Yereslove

Daniel Choi Jude Tantawy Kenneth Yang Jane Hong Lyn Kang

JANE HONG ART

Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch— who stated in 2017 that “Once a case is settled, that adds to the determinacy of the law. What was once a hotly debated issue is no longer a hotly contested issue.”

The legitimacy of the law in question is undermine d if judges make decisions based on theirii political views, which are subject to change without warning.

“After the decision was announced, I felt disheartened that this critical choice was being taken away for people who give birth, moving the country backwards in terms of personal rights. They should be able to make choices about their own bodies. Despite the overturning of Roe, abortions will likely still continue in states where it is banned,” Sophomore Kaylee Neuhaus said.

As its law interpreting body, the Supreme Court is a fundamental cornerstone of the U.S. government.

Since the overturning, there have been calls to reform the court. The lack of a judicial system Americans can trust and feel represented by poses a threat to the future of American democracy.

While changing the court would divide the country and incite unrest, it is imperative to dethrone the court as a political power tool— a country’s people should have a say in all parts of government, particularly one that directly dictates their rights and freedoms.

Censored: The reality of high school student journalism

STAFF WRITERS Genevieve Carroll Andrew Duval Antara Gangwal Tammy Newman Ella Polak

“Trigger laws made by state assemblies in anticipation of another law being overturned should be deemed as unconstitutional.

They seem like part of a deliberate scheme that opposes the values our country was built on,” Senior Casey Staub said.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Freedom of the press is a fundamental right protected by the First Amendment and is integral to a free democracy. However, courts have ruled that censoring student journalism is constitutional when it is unsuitable for its audience—a term subject to interpretation.

The 1988 Supreme Court case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier is a landmark case regarding this issue. When students at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis, Missouri published articles about divorce and students’ experiences with teen pregnancy in the school-sponsored newspaper The Spectrum, the principal deleted the stories without the students’ knowledge. The students

took their case to the Supreme Court, which ruled that public school student newspapers were not intended for staff to express their opinions and could therefore be censored by administrations.

Overturning Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, a 1969 case that protected students’ First Amendment rights, Hazelwood paved the way for a similar controversy earlier this year.

In June, students at Northwest High School in Grand Island, Nebraska contacted Student Press Law Center attorneys after the school’s administration shut down their newspaper, the Viking Saga, for discussing LGBTQ+ topics. The administration claimed the stories were “inappropriate” and ceased all activity within the journalism class.

A few days after the issue gained traction from an investigation by local journalist Jessica Votipka, the school issued a statement claiming that the newspaper was never canceled, but rather “paused” from publishing new issues. Although no further action was taken against the school, this incident shed light on censorship within schools.

The ban was neither the first nor the last case of student journalism censorship. More recently and closer to home, the advisor for The Pearl Post—a student-run news website in the Los Angeles Unified

School District—faced suspension after the publication published an article identifying a staff member who refused to observe the district’s COVID-19 vaccine policy. After the teacher-librarian filed a complaint with the district, the principal ordered the Post to remove her name. Adriana Chavira, the advisor, refused and received a three-day unpaid suspension.

Student journalists in California are protected against censorship under Education Code 48907, but cases like these prove that administrators can circumvent the law by imposing indirect punishments, such as threatening advisors or cutting programs entirely. As such, many controversial topics are never printed as students implement selfcensorship for fear of retaliation or administrators threaten disciplinary actions before publication.

A free press is essential to ensuring a fair democracy as it is critical to holding those in power accountable for their actions. As student journalists, we have that same responsibility of monitoring authority and uplifting underrepresented voices and stories.

Without the ability to challenge the values and decisions of individuals and institutions, we cannot report with integrity and commit to presenting diverse perspectives equitably and truthfully.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

5

DESIGN BY SUVIA LI

Biden’s student loan bill sparks heated discourse

Jay Li

Staff Writer

On Aug. 24, President Joe Biden announced an unprecedented step towards alleviating American citizens from student debt, introducing a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Plan (PSLFP). This plan provides up to $20,000 of student loan relief funds for those who qualify—double Biden’s campaign promise. Those making under $125,000 annually would receive $10,000 of relief ($25,000 for households or married couples), and recipient of Pell Grants would acquire $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness. However, some believe this plan will not be a foolproof antidote for those in debt, sparking a heated discourse amongst Americans regarding the action’s effectiveness and potential flaws.

The plan will greatly improve the quality of life for countless Americans ,setting the precedent of taking action against student loan debt.

Under the plan, an estimated 43 million taxpayers’ loan payments would be reduced and 20 million would have their debt entirely forgiven. Their living standards would improve drastically, with tens of thousands of dollars more to spend on consumption or other KAILEY HU expenses.

However, ART the federal government should increase the amount of student loan debt it forgives— some marginalized

communities still cannot afford a better stanadard of living even after the current relief.

Student loan debt in the United States totals over $1.75 trillion. Although Biden’s bill has encouraging prospects, it is not enough: the Education Data Initiative finds that marginalized borrowers exceed the average student’s debt of $30,000.

Additionally, 48% of Black students owe an average of 12.5% more than they initially borrowed, while 83% of white students owe 12% less. Thus, the bill will be a drop in the bucket for communities who suffer from structural economic inequalities such as the racial wealth gap.

Intergenerational wealth allows some to take smaller loans and have less student debt as a result..

“Student loan forgiveness is crucial. However, for the millions of Americans who took out a high amount of student loans, a $10,000 forgiveness under Biden’s new plan will barely make a difference.

Proportionally scaling the amount of loan forgiveness based on the amount of each individual’s loans could potentially be a more effective solution, but it may also have adverse effects on inflation,” Senior Anahita Kashani Gregg said.

With inflation already at a 40-year high, some fear that the new PSLFP would further devalue American currency. The Consumer Price Index estimates that the plan’s impact on inflation would be negligible at about 0.08%. However, the Committee for a Responsible

Federal Budget disagrees, asserting that the plan would cost about $400-$600 million—which would raise inflation by 0.15%. However, inflation’s unpredictable nature means there are an insurmountable number of contributing factors, and the PSLFP alone may not make a decisive difference..

“While statistics show harmful risks such as increased inflation, it is in the nation’s best interest to invest into its citizens’ well being through this plan,” Sophomore Seojoon Lee said.

Despite its strengths, the PSLFP faces extreme opposition from those who have already paid off debt and those who did not attend post-secondary education—they describe the plan as unfair. Regardless, the plan must succeed to prevent future students from facing what previous debtors faced.

The PSLFP is a step in the right direction to ease the load of mounting financial burdens on American citizens. However, there are holes in the plan that require immediate attention, such as minority borrowers remaining largely in debt despite the bill.

The federal government must tackle student loan debt in a manner that will benefit all students, sufficiently accounting for and even helping close the racial wealth gap.

Tap to crash: The rise of car touchscreens

Kyan Wang

Staff Writer

Once viewed as a trivial gimmick, design since touch-based interfaces to the car’s controls to perform four touchscreen technology has come can have much more functionality functions while traveling at high a long way, now permeating nearly packed into them. speeds. On average, touchscreen cars every device in people’s lives. Car “Some essential features such as performed about twice as worse as the manufacturers have been catching on on-screen navigation and cameras are traditional button dial layout: drivers to this touchscreen fever, and many simply not practical with a traditional of touchscreen cars spent from 30% cars have had their button and dial- button layout. Still, excessive to 450% more time completing the based center consoles replaced or features can serve as distractions tasks. This time wasted operating the merged with touchscreens. and increase accident rates,” Junior center console is time taken away Touchscreens are not a recent Zach Derse said. from paying attention to the car’s addition to car consoles—the idea Designers also argue that surroundings, which can put lives on was first pioneered in the 1986 touchscreens are more aesthetically the line.

Buick Riviera. This initial wave of pleasing and that voice controls can Touchscreens also face many touchscreens halted when consumers help drivers perform secondary technical challenges that automobile complained that touchscreens were actions while focusing on the road. designers have yet to overcome. distracting and unnecessary. By Problems with responsiveness, the early 2010s, however, technical bugs and glitches still touchscreens made a plague many car touchscreens.

109 ts return. In the last half a Touchscreen panels in some cars n e stud led decade, the size of touchscreens even lack backlit buttons, making l po has expanded, with diagonals parts of the console completely of 15 inches and larger becoming invisible in the dark and more commonly implemented. jeopardizing its functionality.

Unfortunately, touchscreens are “Touchscreens in cars are not incompatible with muscle memory— yet advantageous over physical button consoles allow one to adjust consoles due to software issues. dials without glancing away from the Although they have potential, it h road. Touchscreen functions are also is unfair to force consumers to es to er often hidden behind a spider web of drive cars with touchscreens that o Y D menus; thus, it takes significantly Poll: bel g & Liae are incredibly laggy. Drivers should n it longer to perform tasks such as at least be able to choose between Wa Wr n INSEO KIM ART a f changing radio stations, which can a touchscreen or button console,” y f K a St Compiled by cause drivers to drive blind. When Sophomore Luke Hamilton said. attention is off the road, the risk of Despite the trend of integrating accidents drastically increases.

Swedish car magazine Vi Bilägare’ touchscreens, manufacturers need to Intent on abandoning seemingly performed a series of tests on cars be more prudent when incorporating outdated button controls, car with various types of center consoles. them. Until they achieve the manufacturers argue that Researchers measured the amount functionality of physical consoles, touchscreens are the future of car of time it took for one accustomed touchscreens should take a backseat. rs

uc in c g on

“Picture Us In The Light”

Antara Gangwal Staff Writer

Vibrant and heartbreaking, Kelly Loy Gilbert’s “Picture Us In The Light” is a moving love letter to friendships, family and the inherent struggle of being human.

The novel follows Danny Cheng, a Chinese-American high school senior who has his parents’ support to pursue his passion of art. After he is accepted to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Danny thinks his future is set. However, his sheltered worldview crumbles when secrets about his past are slowly unraveled. Beginning when Danny finds a box filled with mysterious paraphernalia of a family he has never met, a series of discoveries leads Danny to a shocking revelation about his own family, changing his future forever.

The author’s writing style is gorgeous—not overly saccharine, but in a way that quietly demands attention. Gilbert conveys emotion with striking details, constructing Danny’s perspective of the world through his artistic musings and symbolic flashbacks. His perspective is realistically crafted: his thoughts and emotions are palpable across the pages.

Furthermore, this novel explores themes that transcend into a cohesive whole; it is not just about the everlasting bond of family and friendships, the pressure of modern academic culture or social issues. Instead, it is about their intersection and convergence in every moment of Danny’s life.

“Picture Us In The Light” explores how teens face these concepts, and the young characters are depicted as unflinchingly human. Danny makes numerous mistakes that have grave consequences, but the reader roots for him throughout the novel with the understanding that he is simply human.

Although the ending is ambiguous, it reflects the abrupt irregularity of real life, strengthening the novel’s sense of reality and pushing readers to dwell on Danny’s story for a little longer. I still find myself often thinking about the poignantly constructed narrative.

“Picture Us In The Light” is ultimately a transformative novel and a necessary read for teens, who will be able to connect to its exploration of the struggles they face in today’s world.

ve

sc arsre en s ? lo

80% YES 20% NO

OPINIONS

Picture Us In The Light (5/5) worth the read?

+ beautiful prose + visceral emotions - lacked closure

OCTOBER 13, 2022

6

ENTERTAINMENT “Where the Crawdads Sing”

Daniel Lin Viewpoint Editor

Based on the novel by Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a coming-of-age murder mystery movie set in North Carolina’s coastal marshlands. The protagonist, Kya—played by Daisy Edgar-Jones—was abandoned as a child and forced to raise herself.

For many years, Kya was cut off from the residents of the nearby town Barkley Cove as they saw her as an outsider. In spite of this, she begins to open herself up to the outside world when she finds herself drawn to two local young men: Tate, a childhood friend, and Chase, a local big shot. But as soon as Chase is discovered dead, Kya becomes the prime suspect.

The only noticeable difference from the novel was the diminished focus on Kya’s childhood; there are some key details that the movie leaves out completely. However, the plot is still cohesive enough to be easily understood.

The movie constantly jumps between courtroom scenes of Kya’s trial and flashbacks of her life story, often without any apparent contribution to the advancement of the plot.

Although the flashback scenes are entertaining because of the breathtaking marsh scenery, the courtroom scenes were generic— reminding me of “To Kill a Mockingbird”—and consequently, dragged down the pacing. The plot itself was heavily loaded with twists and turns, so much so that many characters lacked development. While Kya is curious, adventurous, stubborn and has a personality that evolves throughout the movie, the other characters are much less complex.

Many supporting characters served only to enhance the development of Kya’s personality.

Despite the film’s flaws, the emphasis on the beautiful scenery of North Carolina’s marshlands is a highlight that distinguishes this movie from others of the same genre. The portrayal of vibrant colors and dynamic wildlife of the marsh gave me a completely new appreciation for marshes; I have always seen marshes and swamps as the same, but the narrator clearly distinguishes that swamps are full of death but marshlands are teeming with life. Because of this beauty, I would recommend watching the film “Where the Crawdads Sing.”

DESIGN BY REAGAN LIU

Diya Boyapati

Media Staff

On Aug. 9, Jennette McCurdy published a painful yet comedic memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”

In this novel, McCurdy details her hardships as a former child actor— including eating disorders, addiction and a difficult relationship with her domineering mother—and how she regained control of her life.

McCurdy was a child actor on the Nickelodeon sitcom “iCarly,” where she played Sam, the main character Carly’s best friend. In her memoir, McCurdy sheds light on her experiences with abuse and child stardom, especially during her time on the show.

The main topic of McCurdy’s book was the mistreatment she endured from her mother.

Since McCurdy was six, her mother dreamed of her becoming a star.

In order to please her, McCurdy attended her first acting audition, and started a diet called “calorie restriction,” which involved fasting and weighing herself five times a day.

McCurdy’s mother also gave her showers until she was sixteen years old while sharing all of her money, email and diary entries.

“I have not heard of McCurdy’s new book, but the mistreatment of child actors

Lauren Wilson

is a big problem that is not well known to the public.

People automatically assume that just because someone is on TV means their life is perfect, but that is not reality. I sometimes see interviews of actors today talking about how hard it was growing up in the spotlight,” Sophomore Suhani Mehta said.

DANA LIM ART Throughout her book, McCurdy mentions that as a child actress, she was plagued with anxiety, guilt and self-hatred, which manifested as eating disorders and addiction. However, her mom was overjoyed with the fame McCurdy was accumulating. As soon as she joined Ariana Grande in the lead role of “iCarly” spinoff “Sam & Cat,” her mother passed away from cancer.

However, McCurdy’s mistreatment did not end, she also opened up about her abusive experiences with Dan Schnieder, the creator of “iCarly” and

“Sam & Cat.” She recalls instances where he pressured her to drink while underage and gave her unsolicited shoulder massages.

Due to the trauma she faced both at home and in the workplace, McCurdy decided to rehabilitate through therapy and quit acting.

McCurdy is not the only child actor with such experiences. There have been many other cases with directors and producers like Dan Schnieder exploiting and abusing their young actors. To protest assualt of the network’s youthful talent, Alexa Nikolas, a former cast member of the 2005-2008 Nickelodeon series “Zoey 101” recently started a movement called “Eat Predators.”

In a recent demonstration, Eat Predators, assembled outside the Nickelodeon headquarters with signs. “Nickelodeon didn’t protect me,” the former actress protested.

“I was on social media and saw that the actress from ‘Zoey 101’ was protesting against people in the music industry accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. It is important to bring awareness to such issues; we need to support people who speak up about their past difficulties,” Junior Samayra Gupta said.

With expectations and pressure from everyone around them, a life of stardom can be difficult for child actors. As more former child stars like McCurdy speak out about the trauma they faced, future generations may receive better treatment.

The burden of politics on celebrities Staff Writer

A celebrity’s political views often trigger strong reactions from fans. Although she did not share or promote any political opinions, fans left many hate comments and accused actress Sydney Sweeney of racism after she posted photos of her family members wearing pro-Republican clothing.

Sweeney, who starred in “Euphoria,” a popular teen drama series, posted pictures on her Instagram of her family celebrating her mother’s 60th birthday, which included guests wearing “Blue Lives Matter” T-shirts as well as a handful of “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats. Many people did not take this lightly, as the “Blue Lives Matter” phrase was coined to contrast the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, in pictures of the event

“Where the Crawdads Sing” (4/5)

KAYLA CHOI ART

how movie-ing was it?

+ exquisite scenery + thought-provoking message - poor character development

Shining a spotlight on child star abuse

posted by Sweeney’s brother, some guests were revealed to be wearing “Make Sixty Great Again” rather than MAGA hats. Even so, fans made hate posts—mainly on Twitter—calling the Sweeney family racist and joked about how Sweeney’s parents were probably angered by her on- screen relationship with a Black man in “Euphoria.” In response to this, Sweeney tweeted on Aug. 27 that the backlash she received was “absurd” and claimed people were making baseless assumptions. She did not deny or confirm whether she and the rest of her family supported Donald Trump or “Blue Lives Matter.”

Several responses to her tweet consisted of attacks, stating it was wrong of her to say that “people are making assumptions,’’ as the guests were very clearly wearing MAGA and Blue Lives Matter merchandise. Fans believe these choices were an outright expression of racism, and that there is no other conclusion that can be made.

Others were defending Sweeney, saying that even though her family may be supporting racist concepts, that does not mean she agrees with them. They state that Sweeney must look past her family’s views, even if she disagrees with them to maintain their relationship. Some argue that it does not matter to others what political opinions Sweeney or her family members support as it is their personal life.

“Sweeney does not deserve backlash for her political beliefs.

Everyone deserves a right to their own opinion, as long as it does not harm anybody else. Additionally, there is no proof that she holds the same opinions as her family, so I do not understand why she is being targeted,” Sophomore Adrian Tomaszewski said.

Sweeney is one of the many celebrities that have received backlash due to political controversy.

Roseanne Barr, a former comedian and actress for ABC Sitcom, was fired in 2018 after coming out as a Trump supporter and allegedly using racist language in her Tweets. Since then, she has not been rehired and lost her platform and supporters.

However, celebrities’ political opinions do not always result in massive amounts of backlash.

According to Nashville-based newspaper The Tennessean, a poll conducted by Emerson College showed that after pop star Taylor Swift voiced support for Tennessee’s Democratic candidate for Senate Phil Bredesen, 11.7% of voters reported being more likely to vote for him.

These incidents suggest that hate and backlash are most intense when someone supports more right wing or conservative ideals. Due to the polarizing nature of political matters on social media sites, celebrities like Sweeney may be burdened by their controversial political ideas online.

7

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

LIFESTYLE

DESIGN BY BERTINA FAN

Support animals provide comfort to their companions Lia Yereslove

Kumako Ramen

Staff Writer

entertain seniors and accompanied Henney to radiation therapy treatments following his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Schools in particular have experienced an uptick in requests for support animals, which alleviate stress, provide reassurance and enable students to take a break from their heavy workloads. Online publication Inside Higher Ed states that Washington State University’s Access Center handled two to three requests in 2011. Now, it receives 60 to 75

KAYLA CHOI ART

A rise in physical and mental health awareness and a simultaneous increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders— exacerbated by the pandemic and demographic changes, the World Health Organization reports— have encouraged many to seek out emotional support animals (ESA) for comfort and companionship.

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School defines ESAs as animals that provide therapeutic benefits to people experiencing mental health and psychiatric disabilities; their presence alone helps to mitigate symptoms including poor sleep habits, low energy and a persistent feeling of loneliness. Unlike service animals, which become certified after undergoing specialized training to assist individuals with disabilities, emotional assistance animals can receive official recognition if their owner obtains a letter from a licensed mental health professional explaining their need for an ESA. In Pennsylvania, 69-year-old Joie Henney has an unusual ESA: an alligator named WallyGator. Wally acted as a companion for Henney and cheered him up when several of his close friends and family members passed away in 2017, as per The Washington Post. More recently, the alligator visited a local retirement home in York, SpiriTrust Lutheran, to

requests per year. After the addition of Bear, a one-yearold sheepadoodle, to their support team this school year, University High School in Waco, Texas, noticed that the dog’s calming and friendly presence encouraged students who were shy or working through trauma to open up about their challenges—the Waco Tribune-Herald reports.

“I have been working with horses for 12 years and I have learned that you need to stay in the moment and concentrate on the horse. Spending time with animals helps you put aside your worries temporarily and take a break. Additionally, research shows that moving your bodies while interacting with your support animals benefits both your physical and mental health,” Tori Bohnett, a Certified Horsemanship Association Master at Garrod Farms, said.

Support animals offer a myriad of mental health benefits, but regulations surrounding their classification can present barriers for their owners.

The American Disabilities Act grants service animals the right to public access to stores, restaurants, hotels and airplanes; however, the act does not include ESAs as they lack proper training. The Mercury News reports that on Sept. 27, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 774, changing the existing rule requiring unhoused people to establish a 30day relationship with their emotional support dog before acquiring certification to access homeless shelters with their ESA. Still, the law applies only to dogs—and individuals experiencing homelessness often have cats and other animals.

As steps are taken to facilitate the documentation process and ease restrictions regarding support animals, more people may opt to find an ESA to cope with mental health struggles.

Virality of “quiet quitting” reflects shifting workplace attitudes Isaac Ang Investigative Report & Last Word Editor

DA N

IEL

CH

OI

AR T

Uprooting traditional norms of work, the pandemic has led more people to “quiet quit,” or subtly protest overwhelming demands at work with actions such as refusing to work overtime or completing tasks by doing the bare

minimum. While some employees claim that quiet quitting benefits their mental health by giving them more free time, employers and other workers counter that quiet quitting displays a lack of commitment and could potentially harm company productivity.

Lifestyle Tiktoker @zaidleppelin, who popularized the term, defines quiet quitting as “not outright quitting your job,” but rather “quitting the idea of going above and beyond at work.”

Quiet quitting could also be seen as a rebellion against hustle culture, which advocates working long hours to achieve an optimal financial outcome—often at the expense of one’s mental health, CNBC reports.

Aspects of quiet quitting are mirrored in China’s now censored “lying flat” movement, where workers—tired of the burnout and pressure exacerbated

by the country’s shrinking labor market—reject the relentless work culture by resigning from their jobs and living a low-desire, minimalist lifestyle.

Some choose to quiet quit because they feel that their compensation does not match their effort, a trend known as “acting your wage.” Another factor is a hostile workplace environment; employers often exploit and overwork their employees, punishing their workers for not going above and beyond in completing their assignments. Facing long hours, people are eager to leave some time for themselves at the end of the day, with no demands or responsibilities.

“I left my job as a crew member for Baskin Robbins because the compensation was low. I wanted to prioritize academic success and the boss demanded too much of my presence every week,” Senior Jerry Zhang said.

However, other employees choose not to engage in quiet quitting, asserting that it communicates a lack of dedication to their work, prevents employees from receiving promotions or results in being fired. Similarly, some people aim to derive fulfillment from their work, and quiet quitting contradicts their personal goals.

“I enjoy my job as a martial arts instructor regardless of the salary and I often help out on off days.

However, I

understand why people choose to quiet quit—as an employee, it can feel like you have an obligation to constantly put forth your best effort,” Senior Marcin Witanis said.

Past quiet quitters and others have reported mixed responses to quiet quitting. After engaging in quiet quitting, actor and screenwriter Clayton Farris found that he was less stressed at work and capable of maintaining the same level of productivity, the Wall Street Journal states. According to the BBC, marketer Georgia Gadsby March began quiet quitting after her employer failed to give her the pay raise they had promised—even though she was working 60 hours a week. March felt that the move gave her back a sense of personal power, but she did eventually leave her job. On the other hand, career coach and podcast host Joanne Mallon has questioned her clients’ desire to quiet quit. She views it as a sign to move on rather than give up on one’s professional life entirely.

Quiet quitting has been embraced by some as a solution to burnout and rejected by others as a demonstration of a lack of enjoyment in one’s work; its viability is likely dependent on an individual’s unique circumstances.

Nonetheless, the term’s recent virality reflects a shifting work landscape and a redefining of priorities and attitudes towards career, professional ambition and personal life.

Ella Polak Staff Writer

Kumako Ramen, located in San Jose’s historic Japantown, is a small restaurant that offers a wide selection of traditional ramen bowls filled with flavor. Its menu offers everything from traditional shoyu ramen to miso broth ramen, along with various low-sodium and vegetarian options. I recently visited the restaurant for lunch and ordered the tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu pork and egg.

After I was seated at one of the restaurant’s four tables, my order was taken promptly. I could see the meal being assembled behind a counter, rather than prepared in a separate room, which imbued the experience with a feeling of cozy authenticity. The low ambiance and soft chatter gave the space a relaxed atmosphere. After ten minutes, my order arrived in a steaming hot bowl. There were bean sprouts, scallions, bamboo shoots and seaweed perfectly sectioned out over a rich brown broth and marbled pieces of chashu pork.

Topping it all off was a runny egg and a piece of narutomaki—a slice of cloud-shaped cured fish with a bright pink swirl inside.

With the first sip of the broth, a deep pork flavor hit me instantly.

It was silky in texture and rich in taste, indicating that it had simmered in the pot for hours. The pieces of seaweed and narutomaki helped balance its strength with an umami taste. The bamboo shoots had a peculiar musky flavor, but the bean sprouts added a pleasant crunch. I also loved the chashu pork; it was perfectly tender and marbled with smoky fat. However, the runny egg was the star of the show. The sweet sap of the yolk had the perfect texture, and the chill of the cold egg was a pleasing contrast to the heat of the broth.

After working through the toppings, I dove into the plentiful serving of noodles. As someone who tends to be picky with ramen noodles, I found them surprisingly pleasing. The noodles were thick enough to not slide off my chopsticks but thin enough to not feel out of place in the broth. The ratio of noodles to broth leaned heavily toward the noodles, but the broth’s flavor helped balance out the two elements.

I would highly recommend stopping by Kumako Ramen for a delicious meal. The bowls are the ideal size and the ramen comes piping hot.

Kumako Ramen (5/5) deal or noo-dle?

+ filling portion size + fast and attentive service - long rush hour wait time

Visual effects: Cinema’s problem child

DESIGN BY DANIEL LIN

Reagan Liu Entertainment & Student Spotlight Editor

The visual effects pipeline

HU, EL

LIE KIM

AND T

IANSH

U YAN

G ART

Visual effects, or VFX for short, have undergone major technological advancements— the most significant being computer generated graphics, or CGI. Today, it is difficult to find Andrew Duval an a film that does not utilize any form of VFX. While incorporating images into scenes d Tammy Newm an after they are shot has the potential to bring key elements into films, many fear that overreliance on effects and eye-catching visuals detracts from the soul of a film while Staff Writers 1. Storyboarding: alienating those who produce them.

The artist creates a basic drawing of in the script to he “Visual effects do not create real cinema. They lack the psychological experiences the actions lp determine mot io n, setting and fram 2.

Pr ev isu alization: A 3D m that traditional film provides. Real cinema does not rely on VFX—instead, it depends ing. odel of the settin more details. g is built to determ on human beings to convey their emotions to the audience,” Senior Michael Que said. ine 3. Concept and ar The overuse of VFX in film has introduced a myriad of issues within the movie t design: The team designs the gene the scene by draw ral mood of industry. For modern films to be more profitable in the box office, VFX artists are ing 2D images.

4.

Layout and prod often overworked and underpaid. The Daily Orange, an independent student-run uction: Physical sets are built an the digital set bu newspaper, reports that 38% of VFX workers exceeded 100 hours of work per d ild is determined .

5.

M odeling: Models week, with 90% of these workers not compensated for overtime. When accepting of ch ar acters, props and are animated an a job from a client, VFX studios are paid upfront based on timelines set by movie buildings d added to the se t.

6.

D ev el op ment: The team producers. However, film studios such as Marvel Studios are known for making creates software work more efficie tools to help them many last minute changes to scenes that can exceed estimated work times ntly.

7. Rigging: A sy and budgets. This method of under-informed commissions result in the stem of controls is built for the to manipulate. animators exploitation of VFX employees.

8. Animation: Th e set is mapped An inefficient business model has been the primary reason that many and sequenced to final animation. create the VFX companies are going bankrupt and failing, even after producing 9. Effects and sim ulation: Stylized largely successful projects. According to No Film School, Moving Picture digital simulations are added. and effects Company, the VFX company behind the 2019 live action remake of 10. Lighting and rendering: Lights “Lion King” (1994), shut down due to the expenses involved in the are placed throug scene to make ev hout the project. Despite creating a film that pulled in more than $1.7 billion erything more re alistic.

11 .

Co m po siting: All of th dollars, the cost of development exceeded the upfront payment the e elements of are layered on the film company had received from Disney. top of each othe r to bring the fin sc en e to lif e. al The tight deadlines of VFX projects has also affected the quality

KAILE Y

of finished films. As mentioned by Inverse, many fans criticized the noticeable flaws in the special effects of “Black Panther” (2018).

Thus, unrealistic deadlines not only cause stress for workers, but also detract from the caliber of films.

“There is so much for VFX artists to do in such short amounts of time—you can see it in the suits for the Spider-Man movies.

Due to these time constrants, the end product of VFX projects does not look as real as it could be,” Senior Brandon Vu said.

VFX artists have begun to speak out about their displeasure. According to IGN Entertainment, multiple VFX employees have criticized Marvel, revealing that the company sets unrealistic deadlines that cause production problems, with many workers calling for a change to the inefficient process. Some are even quitting the field of visual effects entirely, blaming long work hours and low pay.

But for now, the movie industry remains unwilling to improve their treatment of VFX workers. Producers with tight budgets are reluctant to switch business models since penny pinching on the visual effects department helps cut down on production expenses. Many high-level executives are simply unaware of the problems artists face as most VFX companies are independent of movie studios. Perhaps as workers continue to speak out, these issues may eventually be addressed.

How special effects reinvented filmmaking Imran Shaikh Community News & Feature World Editor

A dinosaur chases a soldier through a jungle, cornering him in a building. Moments later, a helicopter swoops in and saves the man just as the building explodes behind him. Alas, the aircraft drives straight into a tornado and the pilot ends up dangling from his vehicle. Such scenes would be virtually impossible to pull off if not for two different types of special effects: practical effects and computer generated imagery (CGI).

The formal definition of practical effects is the manipulation or alteration of a physical environment to create an optical illusion. Put simply, they are when a filmmaker uses physical materials to shoot a scene in a movie. Practical effects include animatronics, prosthetics, pyrotechnics and puppets. They were first implemented in the 1902 short film “A Trip to the Moon,” where Director George Méliès used costumes, sets, props, smoke and explosives to bring his project to life. Since then, many movies have utilized practical effects, including “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963), where stop motion allowed skeletal dolls to interact with actors; “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), which utilized prosthetics and fake limbs to transform the protagonist into a werewolf and “Apollo 13” (1995), where zero gravity scenes were accomplished by filming on a set constructed inside of an aircraft that simulates weightlessness by climbing and dipping at high speeds.

However, as practical effects were bringing such marvels to the silver screen, a new filmmaking practice was also developing. CGI first made its way to movies in 1958. The film “Vertigo” featured the first computer-generated animation—a series of spirals that emerges and dissolves to instill a feeling of vertigo. Since then, CGI has been used extensively throughout films, whether to complement practical effects like in the 1993 film “Jurassic Park” or to create an entirely digitally-produced movie, first seen in “Toy Story” (1995).

“Movies can benefit from using CGI instead of practical effects for the sake of efficiency and to have wider creative variety. Many science fiction films use CGI to gain more effect options,” Senior Sanjana Subramanyan said.

CGI appeals to filmmakers for two main reasons: it is cost-effective and safe. For example, if a movie were to feature an explosion, CGI could be used to digitally create the image from any angle. To shoot such a scene with practical effects would be much more expensive and would pose a danger to the film crew and actors. Yet despite these advantages, filmmakers continue to utilize practical effects in contemporary movies since they foster a sense of realism and are easier for actors to interact with—as they are physically there when shooting scenes.

“I prefer practical effects in movies because they simulate events more realistically than CGI. If I were to watch an action movie with sequences including explosions, I would rather the explosion be practical since it would look much more realistic than a CGI explosion,” Junior Matthew Phan said.

Since both practical effects and CGI have benefits and disadvantages, filmmakers have been using them in tandem with each other. This way, they can save money on their films without sacrificing quality. The intersection of these practices delivers phenomenal films to audiences each year and will continue to produce even more awe-inspiring sights in the future.

Visual effects: Cinema’s problem child

DESIGN BY DANIEL LIN

Reagan Liu Entertainment & Student Spotlight Editor

The visual effects pipeline

HU, EL

LIE KIM

AND T

IANSH

U YAN

G ART

Visual effects, or VFX for short, have undergone major technological advancements— the most significant being computer generated graphics, or CGI. Today, it is difficult to find Andrew Duval an a film that does not utilize any form of VFX. While incorporating images into scenes d Tammy Newm an after they are shot has the potential to bring key elements into films, many fear that overreliance on effects and eye-catching visuals detracts from the soul of a film while Staff Writers 1. Storyboarding: alienating those who produce them.

The artist creates a basic drawing of in the script to he “Visual effects do not create real cinema. They lack the psychological experiences the actions lp determine mot io n, setting and fram 2.

Pr ev isu alization: A 3D m that traditional film provides. Real cinema does not rely on VFX—instead, it depends ing. odel of the settin more details. g is built to determ on human beings to convey their emotions to the audience,” Senior Michael Que said. ine 3. Concept and ar The overuse of VFX in film has introduced a myriad of issues within the movie t design: The team designs the gene the scene by draw ral mood of industry. For modern films to be more profitable in the box office, VFX artists are ing 2D images.

4.

Layout and prod often overworked and underpaid. The Daily Orange, an independent student-run uction: Physical sets are built an the digital set bu newspaper, reports that 38% of VFX workers exceeded 100 hours of work per d ild is determined .

5.

M odeling: Models week, with 90% of these workers not compensated for overtime. When accepting of ch ar acters, props and are animated an a job from a client, VFX studios are paid upfront based on timelines set by movie buildings d added to the se t.

6.

D ev el op ment: The team producers. However, film studios such as Marvel Studios are known for making creates software work more efficie tools to help them many last minute changes to scenes that can exceed estimated work times ntly.

7. Rigging: A sy and budgets. This method of under-informed commissions result in the stem of controls is built for the to manipulate. animators exploitation of VFX employees.

8. Animation: Th e set is mapped An inefficient business model has been the primary reason that many and sequenced to final animation. create the VFX companies are going bankrupt and failing, even after producing 9. Effects and sim ulation: Stylized largely successful projects. According to No Film School, Moving Picture digital simulations are added. and effects Company, the VFX company behind the 2019 live action remake of 10. Lighting and rendering: Lights “Lion King” (1994), shut down due to the expenses involved in the are placed throug scene to make ev hout the project. Despite creating a film that pulled in more than $1.7 billion erything more re alistic.

11 .

Co m po siting: All of th dollars, the cost of development exceeded the upfront payment the e elements of are layered on the film company had received from Disney. top of each othe r to bring the fin sc en e to lif e. al The tight deadlines of VFX projects has also affected the quality

KAILE Y

of finished films. As mentioned by Inverse, many fans criticized the noticeable flaws in the special effects of “Black Panther” (2018).

Thus, unrealistic deadlines not only cause stress for workers, but also detract from the caliber of films.

“There is so much for VFX artists to do in such short amounts of time—you can see it in the suits for the Spider-Man movies.

Due to these time constrants, the end product of VFX projects does not look as real as it could be,” Senior Brandon Vu said.

VFX artists have begun to speak out about their displeasure. According to IGN Entertainment, multiple VFX employees have criticized Marvel, revealing that the company sets unrealistic deadlines that cause production problems, with many workers calling for a change to the inefficient process. Some are even quitting the field of visual effects entirely, blaming long work hours and low pay.

But for now, the movie industry remains unwilling to improve their treatment of VFX workers. Producers with tight budgets are reluctant to switch business models since penny pinching on the visual effects department helps cut down on production expenses. Many high-level executives are simply unaware of the problems artists face as most VFX companies are independent of movie studios. Perhaps as workers continue to speak out, these issues may eventually be addressed.

How special effects reinvented filmmaking Imran Shaikh Community News & Feature World Editor

A dinosaur chases a soldier through a jungle, cornering him in a building. Moments later, a helicopter swoops in and saves the man just as the building explodes behind him. Alas, the aircraft drives straight into a tornado and the pilot ends up dangling from his vehicle. Such scenes would be virtually impossible to pull off if not for two different types of special effects: practical effects and computer generated imagery (CGI).

The formal definition of practical effects is the manipulation or alteration of a physical environment to create an optical illusion. Put simply, they are when a filmmaker uses physical materials to shoot a scene in a movie. Practical effects include animatronics, prosthetics, pyrotechnics and puppets. They were first implemented in the 1902 short film “A Trip to the Moon,” where Director George Méliès used costumes, sets, props, smoke and explosives to bring his project to life. Since then, many movies have utilized practical effects, including “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963), where stop motion allowed skeletal dolls to interact with actors; “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), which utilized prosthetics and fake limbs to transform the protagonist into a werewolf and “Apollo 13” (1995), where zero gravity scenes were accomplished by filming on a set constructed inside of an aircraft that simulates weightlessness by climbing and dipping at high speeds.

However, as practical effects were bringing such marvels to the silver screen, a new filmmaking practice was also developing. CGI first made its way to movies in 1958. The film “Vertigo” featured the first computer-generated animation—a series of spirals that emerges and dissolves to instill a feeling of vertigo. Since then, CGI has been used extensively throughout films, whether to complement practical effects like in the 1993 film “Jurassic Park” or to create an entirely digitally-produced movie, first seen in “Toy Story” (1995).

“Movies can benefit from using CGI instead of practical effects for the sake of efficiency and to have wider creative variety. Many science fiction films use CGI to gain more effect options,” Senior Sanjana Subramanyan said.

CGI appeals to filmmakers for two main reasons: it is cost-effective and safe. For example, if a movie were to feature an explosion, CGI could be used to digitally create the image from any angle. To shoot such a scene with practical effects would be much more expensive and would pose a danger to the film crew and actors. Yet despite these advantages, filmmakers continue to utilize practical effects in contemporary movies since they foster a sense of realism and are easier for actors to interact with—as they are physically there when shooting scenes.

“I prefer practical effects in movies because they simulate events more realistically than CGI. If I were to watch an action movie with sequences including explosions, I would rather the explosion be practical since it would look much more realistic than a CGI explosion,” Junior Matthew Phan said.

Since both practical effects and CGI have benefits and disadvantages, filmmakers have been using them in tandem with each other. This way, they can save money on their films without sacrificing quality. The intersection of these practices delivers phenomenal films to audiences each year and will continue to produce even more awe-inspiring sights in the future.

OCTOBER 13, 2022

10

SCIENCE & TECH Weather Kitty

DESIGN BY SOPHIA QIN

Voice banking project helps ALS patients maintain their identity Bertina Fan Lifestyle & Feature School Editor

Suvia Li Opinions Editor

Launched in 2013, Weather Kitty is a cat-themed weather app founded by a two-person company with the mission to “make people smile every time they check the weather.” It has gained popularity in the cat-lover community: the app has over 100,000 downloads across Google Play and the App Store.

Upon opening Weather Kitty, users are greeted with a fullscreen image of a kitten acting as a background for the weather. The app categorizes the backgrounds into a myriad of themes that users can choose from, including summer cats, crazy cat art, big cats and yoga cats. My personal favorite is summer cats—the bright colors, spontaneous backgrounds and high energy of the cats never fail to bring me joy.

The app has over 200 different kittens. Around 400 more are available with the purchase of its premium version, Meow Prime, which grants access to exclusive themes and removes advertisements.

Meow Prime unlocks another fun feature—the ability to add a theme with your own cat. Users can upload images of their own kitten and see them whenever they check the weather.

One of the best features of the app is that the cat displayed corresponds with the current weather conditions in the user’s location: For example, a picture of a smiling cat in the sunshine could be displayed when the weather is clear while a cat hiding from the rain in a cardboard box might be shown during a thunderstorm.

Even though the app’s focus is on the cats, Weather Kitty is a reliable source for weather forecasts. It shows the current temperature, daily high and low and weather conditions on the main page. Extreme weather alerts, if in effect, are also included here. Upon scrolling down, users can see additional details such as wind speed, humidity, UV index, visibility, precipitation and sunrise and sunset times. A long range forecast is also accessible: the app features a seven-day forecast which includes temperature and probability of rain.

I have been using Weather Kitty for about six months and I love it. From its adorable cats to its precise weather report, Weather Kitty is a must-have for anyone who enjoys cats and is looking for a bit of daily delight.

Weather Kitty (5/5) how app-ealing was it?

+ accurate information + cute and joyful designs - pop-up advertisements

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease or motor neuron disease (MND), is a rare progressive neurological disease characterized by the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Individuals living with ALS experience increased muscle stiffness and weakness, with many eventually losing the ability to speak, eat and move properly. As the typical life expectancy following diagnosis is two to five years, according to the ALS Association, many patients seek to preserve their identity through the process of voice banking.

Voice banking refers to the digital replication of a patient’s voice—with similar pitch, nuances and intonations to their natural voice—through numerous sample recordings. Following the “banking” step, an individual can type a message of their desired length into a software application, which then transforms the message into a synthetic version of their voice. This service allows people with ALS to maintain communication with their loved ones as they lose the ability to speak.

“This technology is highly beneficial for

patients living with MND as it can help alleviate the feeling that the worst is happening. While the system may be limited in its current capabilities, I anticipate that further advancements to the software will bring benefits,” Sophomore Ryan Chan said.

However, the task of recording voice samples can be taxing, tedious and lonely for ALS patients. Traditional banking services can require them to read out thousands of words, phrases and sentences to form a sufficient database of sounds for re-creating their voice authentically. As a result, the process can take up to three months, Forbes reports. This, paired with the need for special recording equipment, can exact a heavy physical and emotional toll on patients, who already have limited time to talk with their family and are struggling to cope with their new reality.

To address these difficulties, Dell, Intel, Rolls-Royce and the Motor Neurone Disease Association partnered together to develop “I Will Always Be Me,” a 1,000 word online, illustrated short story that takes only 20 minutes to record. With the project, patients can easily bank their voice from home through

a portal, rather than a recording studio. The book was written by New York Times bestselling author Jill Twiss from the viewpoint of someone recently diagnosed with ALS, and it allows patients to clearly verbalize the mental and physical changes they will undergo and the unwavering love they have for their family. The story ends with a heartfelt statement: “Yes, everything is changing, but I will always be me and I will always love you.” It presents a stark difference to old voice banking services, which instructed individuals to say nonsensical phrases such as “red lorry, yellow lorry,” Forbes states.

“The new project will not only make the voice banking process more convenient for patients, but also spread awareness about the realities of living with ALS. This technology has a lot of potential and can evolve to serve other functions in the future,” Senior Vincent Nguyen said.

So far, “I Will Always Be Me” has proven to be a meaningful initiative. According to marketing agency VMLY&R, over 72% of newly diagnosed people have recorded the short story to preserve their voices. The project’s success highlights the power of collective and interdisciplinary action in expanding accessibility and awareness.

DANA LIM ART

France utilizes AI technology to expose undeclared pools

Tammy Newman

Staff Writer

After testing a new AI software initiative developed by Google and French consulting firm Capgemini in nine of France’s regions, the country’s tax office, the General Directorate of Public Finance (DGFiP), detected 20,356 unregistered swimming pools and collected nearly ten million euros in extra tax revenue.

France has experienced a major growth in the number of pool installations in the past few years, fueled by the recent summer heatwave across Europe and the COVID-19 pandemic—as people have spent more time at home.

France had an estimated 3.2 million private pools in 2020 and the number is continuing to rise; in 2021 alone, 240,000 new residential pools were built, France’s Federation of Pool and Spa Professionals reports.

The system identifies pools by scanning through aerial photos shot

by France’s National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information for white and blue oval and rectangular forms. Then, the technology crossreferences the findings with the national registry database and marks down discrepancies.

The DGFiP began cracking down on residents with undeclared pools because the installation of extensions like private, in-ground pools significantly increases a property’s rental value and translates into higher

property taxes for the homeowner.

Daily newspaper Le Parisien states that an average pool of 30 square meters is taxed at 200 euros a year. The French government requires residents to report home additions within 90 days of the project’s completion, but many, hoping to avoid paying higher property taxes, choose not to register.

“It is unfair that some homeowners are secretly avoiding paying taxes for pools in their homes. It is crucial that the government holds them accountable to bring economic justice,” Senior Varun Natarajan said.

In addition to discouraging attempts at tax evasion, the new technology offers substantial benefits for tax authorities. Antoine Magnant, France’s director general of public finances, estimates that the country will earn an additional 40 million euros in collected taxes in 2023, after the government rolls out the AI system to the rest of the country’s 96 metropolitan departments.

Despite the success of the project thus far, the algorithm still contains considerable flaws. The Verge states that in its initial stage, the system had an error rate of 30% and mistook solar panels, pieces of blue tarp and popup pools as permanent pools. To avoid

making false allegations, officials manually reviewed flagged areas and eventually refined the system through machine learning.

“There will likely always be errors with AI technology, but it is great that the agency is taking every aspect of the system into account so they can make continuous changes to improve the program,” Senior Helen Tran said.

The project has garnered a mixed response from the French general public. According to The New York Times, public finance employees question its margin of error and assert that it will lead to a decline in available jobs, specifically for tax collectors and surveyors who engage in physical interactions with homeowners to resolve uncertainties surrounding the taxability of pools.

Simultaneously, the technology has raised questions about the ethics of building new private pools while the country’s drought persists and temperatures soar.

After the government further improves the accuracy of the system, it may be utilized on a larger scale to detect otheri SUVIA LI ART

extensions that increase iiproperty value—including children’s playhouses, verandas and patios—and ensure that homeowners abide by the stipulated regulations.

11

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT DESIGN BY BERTINA FAN

Gwen Carroll and Gilina Voon

Welcoming new staff

FEATURE: SCHOOL Staff Writers

DANIEL CHOI AND QUINCY HAN ART

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OCTOBER 13, 2022

12

FEATURE: WORLD Era of iStagnation

Lia Yereslove

DESIGN BY INSEO KIM

Scotland purges period poverty Staff Writer

Kyan Wang Staff Writer

Cell phones have come a long way from their humble beginnings as bulky bricks, becoming tiny flip phones and later blossoming into the smartphones we have all grown to depend on. In the past, smartphones were full of excitement, with a dizzying array of shapes, features and designs appearing on the market within just a decade. The future of smartphones seemed limitless.

Lately, however, smartpones seem to have entered a period of design stagnation. Since the iPhone’s last major redesign in 2017 with the iPhone X, Apple has not changed much in their new phones. They have kept an almost identical notched screen throughout their recent releases, while competitors moved away from the notch into camera cutouts and even under-screen selfie cameras. Once the pioneer of new designs, Apple is now lagging behind its rivals. This stagnation is not just limited to Apple; Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone line has seen only minor changes such as squaring off the corners in the most recent Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The lack of innovation in design is mainly profit-driven and a classic case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Although the latest phones released every year are practically indistinguishable, consumers are still flocking to buy them.

Innovation is always a risk for companies, and executives often demand the performing products for assured profits. Although this strategy may be beneficial for investors and executives, consumers suffer under a slew of generic phones.

Even so, innovation in the industry is not extinct, with creative designs appearing in lesser-known product lines.

Samsung has introduced the Z Fold and Z Flip phone lines which feature folding screens, and LG has released the LG Wing, whose primary screen can swivel into a T-shape to reveal a smaller secondary screen. None of these phones have been able to substantially penetrate the mainstream market in part due to reliability issues and general skepticism towards change.

However, some are slowly gaining a fanbase, providing a spark of hope in the stagnant market.

The new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro highlight slight improvements in camera quality, and new features such as the “Dynamic Island” in the iPhone 14 Pro, which forgoes the notch for a small, pill-shaped screen cutout that can integrate with software.

These changes are subtle, and we must support companies that dare to challenge the status quo of the smartphone market—otherwise we will continue to see an endless release of similar products.

Period poverty, the difficulty many low-income menstruators encounter when attempting to acquire menstruation supplies, has existed since the introduction of period products. Although some U.S. states like California and countries such as New Zealand and Kenya have taken steps to address this issue, period poverty still persists, with many people around the world unable to afford both a meal and a pad. Scotland, however, has decided to lead a significant change.

On Jan. 12, 2021, Scotland became the first country to provide free pads and tampons for everyone in need by passing the Period Products Bill, which came into effect this August. This bill is a great step forward in support of menstruators’ basic needs.

According to Scottish Government National Statistics, 20% of women in Scotland currently live in relative poverty. With this new law, people who menstruate will no longer have to make the choice between paying bills or purchasing basic necessities. According to a recent survey by George Mason University, over 14% of American college students struggle to pay for period products, and this percentage

Kyan Wang

is greater among Black and Latina women. Researchers including NPR’s Becky Sullivan discovered that those who frequently struggled to pay for such products were more prone to experiencing depression.

“The Period Products Bill is a step in the right direction. Factors menstruators cannot control should not be preyed upon by large corporate firms.

With that

JANE HONG ART being said, although it may assist in ending period poverty in Scotland, I am concerned about whether the government will maintain a reasonable quality of the period products. This is a multifaceted problem, so Scotland will have to regulate this new law and ensure that the Scottish people are receiving its full benefits and not a cheap marketing scandal,” Freshman Amanda Waldschmidt said.

Not only is this bill eliminating the tampon tax, but it is ending the stigma that surrounds the usage of period products, normalizing and making menstrual products more attainable for people of all socioeconomic classes. It might give the world a much-needed outlook, particularly if this new bill works well and is sustained by the government.

“Scotland passing this bill will hopefully show people around the world the great impact actions to end period poverty have, and empower them to fight for the right to basic hygiene products in their communities as well,” Junior Mia Ruiz said.

Inspired by Scotland, other nations and states are taking this new perspective into consideration. In the U.S., states such as California, Delaware and Illinois have already taken action on period poverty since 2021 by providing sanitary products for free in public schools. Similarly, Australia’s territory of Victoria became the first Australian state to offer free sanitary products in public schools in 2020.

While millions across the globe still face the challenges of period poverty, nations such as Scotland have proven to be a driving force in the fight to transform this status quo by taking legislative action.

Chinese censors target the Minions Staff Writer

Children’s movies are generally film. Some decried the ending’s extra seen as harmless and fun for all ages. runtime as silly and unnecessary and However, the Chinese government were disappointed that it was not perceives some children’s movies animated. Other users believed that as threatening, seen in the the changes would instill values in modificiation of the ending of young moviegoers.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” in Chinese “The Chinese theaters. In the original release, Wild government is Knuckles, mentor to the villain-in- misguided if they training protagonist Gru, fakes his believe that death to escape imprisonment, the Minions and the two run away together. movie would However, Chinese film censors affect children’s altered this ending such that Wild behavior, as Knuckles serves a 20-year sentence, they are not that while Gru settles down into a life attached to the with his three adopted daughters. Minions, even if the The edit involved no animation, and movie is marketed subtitles conveyed the revised plot. towards them,” The National Radio and Freshman Andrew Television Administration screens Phan said. all American films intended for Media influences popular culture release in China, and content deemed by exposing people to new ideas unacceptable by the Chinese and encourages them to be more government is either edited or accepting of such ideas, according prohibited in the Chinese market. to a study published by Political This is not the first time American Science Research and Methods. media has been censored in Censorship of American media China—films such as “Fight seeks to prevent exposing Club” were also altered the Chinese people to ideals to remove elements present in Western culture that the opposing Chinese values government fears could incite of complacency and hatred towards the regime. collectivism, as well “The Chinese government has as its conservative total control over its national QUINCY HAN ART media and attempts to keep out societal beliefs. “Fight Club” had its ending altered to influences that could disrupt remove elements of defiance against Chinese society to stay in authorities in a similar fashion to power. It wants to keep the rules “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” the same as it always has been for the Users on Chinese social media Chinese people,” Sophomore Ariana sites debated the changes made to the Tavakoli said.

Universal Studios, the film’s publisher, has not commented on the change in plot. This is not the first time Hollywood has kept quiet on censorship of their movies in China, and film companies have a reason for doing so.

The Chinese market, with an enormous population of 1.4 billion, is a massive source of profits for studios that can get their movies to screen there, and companies would not risk endangering such a huge financial opportunity. The Numbers, a film data website, states that the Chinese market brought the sixth highest international box office profit for the film, grossing $30.44 million.

The popularity of American media in China also underlies a growing trend of self-censorship in the entertainment industry, and not just in film. For example, the NBA forced Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, to delete pro-Hong Kong protest tweets to protect the league’s reputation in China. Stifling the voices of the people, restricting information on the whims of a foreign government such as in the case of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” could very well alter the course of American culture in unprecedented ways.

13

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT DESIGN BY IMRAN SHAIKH

The politics of partying

Suvia Li

FEATURE: WORLD Opinions Editor

Videos of Sanna often arise from misinformation. For Marin, Finland’s example, Marin’s critics were also 36-year-old prime quick to tie her partying with reckless minister, lip-syncing drug use after they misheard Po and dancing at a a phrase in her partying fig ll: Sh party have gone video. However, her loo ures ould viral, sparking drug test—which be po Co se controversy over mp an ab litic i le d the acceptable d b ha le t o l al 10 Sta y actions of political 0 s ff La ve e tu W ure fun t leaders and raising de rit n nt er W ? questions over double sp ilso oll n standards placed on young ed female leaders.

A poll conducted by many called Finland’s most prominent for—came out to newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, be negative. shows that Marin is one of the The controversy most popular political leaders in the surrounding Marin further world with a 58% approval rating. exploded when a photo showing two Directing Finland through the bare-chested women kissing in the pandemic with a relatively prime minister’s press room was low death rate—0.4% leaked to the public. compared to the In light of this controversy, worldwide average Marin has received support of 1%, according to from numerous people around research conducted the world, many of

by Johns Hopkins whom posted videos University—is among of themselves Marin’s most praised partying to show actions, alongside their approval leading Finland to of Marin enjoying join NATO immediately the trivialities of after Russia’s invasion normal life.

Most of Ukraine. Despite her notably, American popularity, Marin’s social politician and life has brought her under former presidential heavy scrutiny; some people candidate Hillary have labeled her partying as unprofessional and embarrassing to Finland, and others have even called for her resignation.

Finland’s culture uniquely demands high moral standards for its politicians; as a result, media LYN KANG ART scandals are commonplace and

Clinton tagged Marin and added the caption “Keep Dancing” in a post of herself dancing during her time as the U.S. Secretary of State.

“I do not see anything wrong with Marin dancing at a party.

Despite her high position, she is human and has the right to lead an ordinary life like the rest of us. It is rude for people to criticize her just for enjoying her free time after her hard work. The public is still not as accepting of women in high positions of power as they are of men, so they use falsified

91% Yes

9% NO

Andrew Duval

weaknesses to bring women like Marin down,” Freshman Yunseo Kim said.

Unlike Marin, male leaders—including Boris Johnson, former prime minister of the U.K., and President Joe Biden—have been seen attending parties but were not met with the same level of backlash as Marin.

This discrepancy reveals the high standards female leaders are held to.

The controversy has also highlighted how more is demanded of younger political leaders. The average age of Finnish prime ministers when they take office is 52 years old, nearly 20 years older than Marin. Marin’s age makes people see her as unqualified to be prime minister, forcing her to reach higher standards for approval.

“Marin’s actions should not be deemed inappropriate— going to parties and dancing are normal activities that can be a way to let out steam. Moreover, the videos of her dancing at the party fuels the harmful stereotype that women are irresponsible.

While young people tend to view politicians going to parties as more natural, older generations are appalled,” Junior Sarah Yeo said.

In response to the scandal, Marin defended her right to have a private life and expressed her wish to be judged not for her personal life, but for the work she does as prime minister.

“I am human and I too sometimes long for joy, light and fun amidst these dark clouds,” Marin said.

European heat waves smash temperature ceilings Staff Writer

Throughout this summer, record heat waves have swept across Europe and broken several temperature records, with over 34 locations in the U.K. reporting all-time high temperatures, according to The Washington Post. The heat waves also led to droughts, wildfires and decreased crop yields, and are estimated to have killed thousands of people across Europe per the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The European Commission reported that the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Finland and northwestern Russia all experienced greatly decreased agricultural activity due to the drought resulting from the heat wave. Combined with inflation and supply chain strains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war, shelves have been left bare across U.K. supermarkets.

Adding to the chaos, wildfires have destroyed 660,000 hectares of land across Europe, making 2022 the most devastating year in terms of wildfires since records began in

2006. The heat waves continue to significantly impact the U.K. by stifling economic growth, lowering crop yields and increasing energy usage for air conditioning and other cooling methods.

Climate change is believed to have been a major contributor to the heat waves’ massive impact, along with a lack of preparation—many households in Europe did not have air conditioning or other measures to cope with the heat.

“The government can do more to combat climate change, and the people themselves can also take more preventive measures against the heat.

Some citizens might not have the privilege of access to air conditioning or other cooling measures, in which case the government can help subsidize costs or provide community locations where people can find shelter. The heat waves has the potential to impact the election of new politicians, as citizens might favor those who aim to

implement more climate-oriented policies,” Junior Amber Lu said.

HARRY KANG ART

The World Weather Attribution t e a m reports that rising global temperatures made the heat wave ten times more likely to occur and two degrees Celsius warmer.

“Five years ago, the heat waves were not so severe—they only went up to 90 degrees. Today they are pushing 110 degrees,” Freshman Michael Tsudama said.

Global warming will continue to affect the world as emissions rise steadily with no indication of slowing. As scientists begin to declare climate change as irreversible, its impacts will worsen due to the lack of comprehensive action.

OCTOBER 13, 2022

14

SPORTS

DESIGN BY BREANNA LU

Minor League, major progress

Andrew Duval and Tammy Newman

Staff Writers

As part of its ongoing efforts to unionize Minor League Baseball (MiLB), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has distributed cards to poll MiLB players about MLBPA membership. If 30% of the players sign and return the card, it means the MiLB wishes to be represented by the MLBPA in the future.

The MLBPA is a collective bargaining representative for current Major League Baseball players. On September 6, the MLBPA claimed that they had recollected over half of the cards, surpassing the goal of 30% by a large margin. The MLBPA also contacted Major League Baseball (MLB)—the larger league that the MiLB is affiliated with—to request “voluntary recognition from MLB to represent Minor Leaguers” according to a Twitter post from their official account. The MLBPA may bring relief to thousands of underpaid players who previously didn’t unionize out of fear of losing their jobs. Advocates for Minor Leagues, an organization formed in 2020 to protect the rights of Minor League players, was recently dissolved and merged with the MLBPA to support the efforts and show faith for unionization.

“I hope the unionization will succeed so MILB players will have improved wages and conditions,” Sophomore Roxy Nikzad said.

The league has a minimum salary of $400 a week, or $20,800 a year,

far below the median US salary (for workers 15 and older) of $41,535. Some

employers, so players most likely will not see any instant wage raises.

However, unionization will grant employees the power to

LYN KANG ART

players have had to share bedrooms with four to five other team members or sleep on air mattresses and in cars, according to WTSP. The MLB has already been under fire for its treatment of MiLB players: a Congressional inquiry into the MLB’s antitrust exemption was held in July. A $185 million lawsuit was also filed against the MLB for minimum wage and overtime violations in 2014.

“It will take a few years for the unionization to be effective. At first, the higher-ups will not want to give players raises. However, pressure from the union will force them to do so,” Junior Nick Nesterov said.

Unions do typically take time to reach an agreement with

collectively bargain, working together to assert their rights without having to worry about backlash. As a result, players may feel more empowered and secure, which could lead to higher performance on the field. The players will also be able to improve their health if they receive higher pay, as it lowers food insecurity and betters mental wellbeing, which would also cause the players to play more competitively. However, Rob Manfred, the commissioner of the MLB, claims that the players already have adequate living conditions and that the unionization would cost the league money, causing more teams to be dissolved.

“The unionization might make MiLB more entertaining to watch because with higher pay, the baseball players will have higher motivation to play their best,” Freshman Pirooz Mojtabavi said.

Do you support the unionization of Minor League Baseball?

96% YES

4% NO

Compiled by Jay Li, Staff Writer 149 people polled

Champions at The Challenger Exhibition Game

Sophia Qin

Sci-Tech Editor

Sporting their white baseball divisions worldwide, the program uniforms and blue caps, Riley makes the game of baseball more Maravilla ‘24 and Armen Rolando ‘25 accessible to everyone. are ready to showcase their baseball “The Little League World Series talents on the field of the Challenger gives individuals an opportunity Exhibition game. to play a sport that they maybe Aiming to build a more inclusive could not have played before. It competition, Little League World provides a healthy environment free Series created a from judgment,” Courtesy of the Maravillas challenger program Stacy Fernandez, to give children who Special Education are Mentally and Department, said.

Physically Challenged In 2010, a chance to play Barbara Morrone baseball.

With organized a the support of division team donations, players in Cambrian ranging from the Park Little ages of 4 to 18 League to combat can utilize this the inequality in opportunity to baseball.

Starting not only learn with five players in but also form the division team, friendships with Morrone was other players. able to expand Established in the team up to 1989, the number 28 players over of teams from all the last 12 years, over the country now including enrolled in The Maravilla and Challenger Program Rolando.

When is increasing Little League significantly.

With granted the team over 30,000 players permission to play and 900 challenger in its sixth Challenger Left

to

right:

Riley

Maravilla

‘24

poses

with

the

mascot

at

Division game in 2020, Armen, Riley collecting over $80,000 to cover costs and ten other players from the team for players. For some of the players, were invited to go. However, due to like Maravilla, it was their first time the COVID-19 outbreak, the event was on a plane. postponed. Despite this, the The game consisted of one inning team continued to practice where players could play in the in preparation for the field and hit the ball once. With upcoming competition. a no-scoring system, players “The team had were able to Courtesy of the multiple practices and enjoy a nonRolandos scrimmages leading competitive and up to the trip to supportive game Pennsylvania. Even setting while in the hot weather, making friends the team trained with other players. consistently; Some Buddies, or athlete kids even played catch volunteers, were present and practiced at home to support the players. Buddies to further improve were also allowed to tag along their skills,” Derek with the competitors throughout Maravilla, Maravilla’s the duration of the game. father, said.

“I was able to make friends After two years and I had a buddy named Scotty,” of anticipation, the Maravilla said. team was finally able Rolando higlighted the to play against an Ohio positivity present during the team in Williamsport, competition by describing how Pennsylvania in an grateful and happy he felt to be exhibition game for the there during the event.

Challenger Program. In With countless years of order to make enough baseball training and constructive money for the trip, experiences at the Challenger Morrone spent the Exhibition game, both Maravilla summer before the and Rolando hope to attend this competition fundraising, competition again in the future. the

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Rolando

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15

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

DESIGN BY REAGAN LIU

“Weightless” by Aileen Xie Instagram: @aileennn.x

A Light in Suburbia

Senior Nicholas Yen

I met a girl from the suburbs, An aspiring spirit with a blossoming smile That made her stand out like a thorn Among the rows of pasted houses.

She lives in a moderate square box, Camouflaged in the uniform jungle of suburbia; I walked past her row and saw How the houses trap the reality within.

Often when she laughs, the child inside her Escapes and sees a world full of contrast and color; In such insouciant tantrums I hear The most beautiful whispers of life.

Burdened by papers, demands, pressures Of time and parents, her eyes are heavy, Her dreams are gradually pressed Into rectangular boxes.

“This graphite drawing is a study of digital 3D concept artist Entei Ryu’s ’Terra,’ paying particular attention to the subtleties in lighting, form, and movement. The woman is in mid-air, her hair flaring around her face, highlighting her delicate yet apathetic expression.”

—Alumni Aileen Xie

One time I crossed into her neighborhood And saw her leaning on her window, hand on the frame, Looking out almost as if there’s something she wants to say -But then turning away.

Photo by Rachel Jirman

Art by Tiffany Ng Instagram: @oneevii

Instagram: @incorrectdog_ “I took this photo around dusk. During

this time, the owls are especially active, with the parents giving food to the young.”

—Junior Rachel Jirman

Photo by Seojoon Lee

“Lake Tahoe”

Visit thechargeraccount.com to learn more about the student submissions.

Do you want your creative work featured in The Charger Account? Email lelandchargeraccount@gmail.com for more information!

INDIRECT Communication

DESIGN BY ISAAC ANG

- Connecting Through Communication -

Talk without talking: The art of nonverbal cues

Ella Polak

Staff Writer

A slight nod, the uncontrollable tapping of a pencil, the careful placement of hands—nonverbal actions like these play a significant role in conveying messages during everyday interactions. Nonverbal communication is an umbrella term referring to the vast range of physiological human behaviors that determine how people form opinions about others, interpret spoken word and practice emotional attunement; it includes facial expressions, posture, hand gestures, head and eye movement and proxemics—the space between an individual and the person they are speaking to.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), around 65% of communication is nonverbal. Oftentimes, these cues precede or are used in conjunction with verbal communication; they serve to repeat, complement, enhance and dictate speech. For example, Indiana State University’s COMM 101 course textbook “Introduction to Public Communication” states that making eye contact with another person across a room could indicate the individual’s desire to speak with the other person and head nods or shakes are frequently done simultaneously with verbal responses of “yes” or “no.”

Nonverbal communication plays a dual role in intercultural interactions.

Certain types—such as a smile or facial expressions of happiness, sadness, fear and surprise—are understood across cultures and can compensate for a lack of language fluency. However, the universality of many other cues is limited, requiring people to be aware of foreign customs. For instance, a thumbs up is an indication of appreciation or approval in many English-speaking countries and on social media. However, according to the BBC, the hand gesture contains an offensive connotation in the Middle East.

The way someone presents themself physically—including their outfit, makeup and hairstyle—is also a form of nonverbal communication. As people often form judgments from physical appearance, individuals can dress and accessorize themselves intentionally to be perceived in specific ways.

“Subtle, nonverbal signals were significant forms of queer expression throughout history; for example, piercing the right ear symbolized homosexuality. As society becomes more accepting, these signals will evolve to fit new generational interests,” Senior Piyal Zia said.

In the workplace, maintaining good eye contact and an authoritative posture, having a firm handshake, dressing appropriately and angling one’s body towards the person speaking displays confidence and interest, Forbes reports. Knowing how to use these types of body language is key to making good first impressions in job interviews—body language expert Patti Smith states that an individual can exchange up to 10,000 nonverbal cues within a minute and these are far more revealing than dialogue as they are often involuntary. Furthermore, various professions in education including teachers, school counselors and physicians learn to read and employ nonverbal tactics to maintain active engagement, assess their audience’s current state of mind and convey a sense of trust.

“When teachers are in training, one of the main focuses is physical proximity. We have a much greater effect on students if we stay present by standing near them, walking around and checking how they are doing, as opposed to sitting in the corner,” Jennifer Touchton, English Department, said.

The growing field of kinesics, or the study of nonverbal communication, has produced body language experts that can analyze the smallest motions or changes in expression. Body language analysts and unqualified social media users alike have taken advantage of public interest in celebrities and politicians, interpreting and sometimes misconstruing their nonverbal signals in Youtube and Tiktok videos to spread subjective beliefs or turn a profit. In the 2020 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the candidates’ body language was dissected for hidden meanings in videos that garnered millions of views. More recently, online commentators interpreted Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s facial expressions as a display of discomfort and boredom during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Nonverbal cues are a vital and highly complex Compiled by form of language that color interpersonal Ella Polak and relationships and interactions; thus, developing an Gwen Carroll, enhanced understanding of how to present oneself Staff Writers “People say so much with their facial expressions and physical and accurately interpret these signals can facilitate movements, and often conduct themselves differently based on more clear and effective communication. their mood. Nonverbal communication can give counselors insight into how students feel about themselves and how they are processing what is being discussed.”

Quotebox: Why are nonverbal signals important in everyday interactions?

—Shira Solomon, Academic Counseling Department

“The way you enter the room, the facial expressions you use— the judges pick up on that. You get only one chance to make a first impression.”

—Gay Brasher, Visual Performing Arts Department “Nonverbal communication goes hand in hand with verbal communication. Without accompanying gestures, facial expressions and body language, spoken words could often be misinterpreted. I use facial expressions the most; they seem to be the most telling because people tend to look directly at the faces of those they are speaking to.”

—Senior Leon Huang JUDE TANTAWY ART