April 7, 2022 Issue

The CHARGER

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

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Vol. T No. 5

Thursday, April 7, 2022 Leland High School 6677 Camden Avenue, San Jose, CA 95120

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School thrift sale offers students the opportunity to shop sustainably Claire Pham

Media Staff

BEOMHEE KIM ART Spirit Coordinator and Senior Sofia Daroodi—to plan the thrift fundraiser.

After finalizing the budget, materials and location, the team posted flyers around school and promotional videos and posts on Facebook and Instagram, encouraging students to donate their old clothes and attend the event. From March 7 to March 11, ASB set up a table in the quad with large buckets to collect clothing donations.

Entrance to the thrift sale cost seven dollars for non-ASB members and five dollars for ASB members. The event ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but students who donated clothes to the fundraiser were granted access to the cafeteria and allowed to start shopping at 10:30 a.m., thirty minutes prior to the official opening time. Aside from early access, donors also receivediitickets that could be used to purchase items, which is similar to the idea of store credit.

Inii ithe cafeteria, donatedii clothes and shoes were stacked on DESIREE VU DE top of tables LEON PHOTO iand hung on

Prompted by the rising popularity of thrifting among Gen Z consumers, the Associated Student Body (ASB) hosted a thrift fundraiser on March 12 in the school cafeteria. The secondhand clothing sale held a myriad of hidden fashion gems, from vintage blazers to corduroy overalls, and offered students the opportunity to shop sustainably, clear out ill-fitting and underused clothing from their closets and support the school financially.

“In addition to helping fundraise for school events, the sale simulated an authentic thrifting experience for students—providing a way for them to have a fun and pleasant time. We will likely donate all the unsold clothes to Goodwill,” Sophomore Rhea Iyer said.

Senior Hailey Pham, theiASB President, first proposed the idea of hosting a thrift sale.

Pham collaborated with three event chairsiii —Iyer, Senior Racheli Chen and

clothing racks. The clothing was separated into three pricing tiers based on each individual piece’s brand and condition.

Subsequently, they were placed onto tables and clothing racks labeled with either blue, yellow or green balloons or posters to indicate the quality and price of the clothes. High quality and name brand clothing was categorized into the blue pricing tier and priced at 15 dollars.

Meanwhile, lightly-worn clothes were placed in the yellow tier and priced at ten dollars and well worn clothing from lesser known brands were organized into the green tier and sold for five dollars.

At the fundraiser, Freshman Tiffany Ng successfully thrifted specific pieces that she wanted to add to her closet. Like several other students who attended the event, she enjoyed supporting the school and helping protect the environment through secondhand shopping.

“I was hoping to find morei casual clothingii like flannels,i which I was able to find at the thrift sale. I like how the

event helped students find new clothing, remove old and unwanted clothing from their closets and prevent more waste from ending up in landfills,” Ng said.

Although the event had a lower turnout than expected, many students viewed it as the perfect chance to grab the best pieces. In response to the number of participants, Sophomore Emma Duong proposed organizing a similar event after school, suggesting that it could be an optimal time where more students are free to attend.

ASB members described the thrifting fundraiser as moderately successful. Not only did students leave content with their thrifted finds, but ASB was able to raise around $70 to $100 to fund future school events. Ultimately, students who attended the fundraiser cherished the unique experience and successfully diversified their closets while practicing sustainable shopping iiand ihelping supporti i t h e school and ithe istudenti body.

Left to right: Senior Sofia Daroodi, Junior Bella Campbell, Sophomores Emma Duong and Emilie Kim and Freshman Songhee Rha process purchases and organize clothing.

Worsening conditions pummel California’s agriculture industry on page 3

1 NEWS

4 OPINIONS

6 ENT. & LIFESTYLE

Establishing an equilibrium: Maintaining a healthy worklife balance on page 10

8 VIEWPOINT 10 IR

KENNETH YANG ART Hungry for profits, Mexican cartels dominate the avocado trade on page 12

11 FEATURES 14 SPORTS 16 LAST WORD

2

NEWS

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY LARRY YE

New school courses offered for the next school year

Daniel Lin

Staff Writer

Two new classes will be offered at the school next year: Beginning Band and Ethnic Studies Literature Honors. According to Harveen Bal, Assistant Principal of Instruction, Beginning Band was added as an option for students to explore their interests in music, and it will have many KAILEY HU ART benefits for both the school and students who will take the class next year.

Additionally, Ethnic Studies Literature Honors will be an option available to sophomores as a more rigorous alternative to regular English.

Beginning Band will be taught by Rian Rodriguez, Visual Performing Arts Department, who is excited to introduce music to students who have never had the experience of learning music or playing an instrument. The class is expected to increase enrollment in the music program, as there are no prerequisites or auditions required for taking the class. Moreover, as many students face academic pressure, this class can allow them to balance academics with pursuing their interests.

“Beginning Band will give me the chance to help students learn the joys of music and guide them through the complexity of learning an instrument.

I look forward to teaching this class— it is never too late to pick up an instrument,” Rodriguez said.

Junior Marcin Witanis plans to take Beginning Band next year. He is currently in choir, and next year, he will be taking both choir and Beginning Band to achieve his goals of learning how to play percussion and read sheet music.

Similar to Beginning Band, Ethnic Studies Literature Honors is another

course being offered next year and will replace the current Accelerated English class for sophomores.

“This class is being added into the course selection in response to Assembly Bill 101, a California law that requires students to take an ethnic studies course to graduate, starting for students graduating in 2030. An ethnic studies social sciences class is already being offered for freshmen, and starting next year, an ethnic studies English class will also be offered for sophomores,” Bal said.

The goal of Ethnic Studies Literature Honors will be to educate students on matters that will help them be politically, socially and economically conscious about their personal connections to local and global history. A manner in how this will be achieved is through the study of ethnic backgrounds of the novels students will read in the class.

“I am planning to take this class next year, and have asked my teachers for more information about its curriculum. Although it is a new class and has not yet been fully established, I have been told that the course will be based on the works of writers who come from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

I look forward to exploring these diverse works next year,” Freshman Nadia Karpenko said.

These new classes will broaden students’ education, allowing them to pursue new interests and learn more about relevant topics. The school hopes to expand students’ horizons by introducing these new classes to them.

Questions: 7-12 Grade 11 ELA CAT Test (0 out of 30)

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Sophia Qin

Standardized testing offered at the school

Zoom Out Zoom In

Staff Writer

By challenging students to utilize their critical thinking skills and solve real-world problems, standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) aim to identify gaps in students’ academic progress, hold educators responsible for students’ performance and accurately measure students’ growth and readiness for college. Therefore, the school continued its tradition of allowing students to take these tests on campus.

On March 2, juniors were given the opportunity to take the SAT at the school.

Testing sites included the cafeteria, mini gym, Media Center, Counseling Resource Center and classrooms.

Junior Alexander Guan took the SAT and was impressed with how the school organized and executed logistics on the test day.

“The proctor in my room thoroughly explained the rules and clearly listed the expectations

for taking the test. The other students who were taking the test kept quiet, fostering a friendly environment where I could fully immerse myself in the test,” Guan said.

Similar to the SAT, the CAASPP tests will be administered

“In the past years, several concerns with the SAT and American College Test (ACT) have surfaced, prompting many colleges to make test scores optional.” to juniors and seniors in March and April. In contrast to the SAT, CAASPP testing is solely for analyzing student growth and evaluation of teachers, not for college applications. Students are tested on various subjects such as science, math and English.

On the other hand, parents have the option to opt their child

out of CAASPP testing with a written request sent to the school’s administrators.

Although many juniors took the SAT administered at school, some decided not to since many colleges and universities no longer require submission of these test scores. In the past years, several concerns with the SAT and American College Test (ACT) have surfaced, prompting many colleges to make test scores optional.

For example, due to COVID-19, many students were unable to secure a testing date. Furthermore, students from families with less income are at a disadvantage compared to wealthier students who have more access to educational resources. Many also argue that students are able to showcase their excellence in

ways other than standardized testing, such as through extracurriculars, coursework and essays.

“I am interested to see how many people opt out of state testing as the school year progresses, as it has become more frequent among my friends these past few years,” Junior Jeffrey Zheng said.

As more students consider opting out of standardized testing, many envision school curriculum without these tests. However, for the time being, the school continues to offer these exams for students, so they must decide for themselves whether or not they want to continue to take them.

DESIREE VU DE LEON ART

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

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COMMUNITY NEWS Worsening conditions pummel California’s agriculture industry Our whole, unruly selves

DESIGN BY LARRY YE

Imran Shaikh

Staff Writer

Every living organism needs water to survive: Animals need it for their bodies to function and plants need water to grow.

Water is also used for many other purposes in people’s daily lives: to cook, bathe and clean. Farming is another important use of water, for growing crops that sustain farmers and their communities.

In California, agriculture makes up about 2.5% of the state’s gross domestic product, generating over $49 billion in 2020. However, with worsening droughts in the state, the government has decided to eliminate federal water allotment to farmers this year.

Managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, the Central Valley Project (CVP) is one of two water management systems in California. Most of the water for the CVP comes from rain and snow, so this year’s record-breaking dry January and February has caused a severe lack of water. For example, Lake Shasta, the largest water source for the CVP, is currently at 37% capacity.

Furthermore, federal officials predict that the reservoirs in the system will receive 1.2 million acre-feet less water than what they had planned, producing water shortages for over 2 million houses. Last year, the CVP allocated 5% of the federallycontrolled water to farmers, but this year, farmers’ pockets will literally be dry, given nothing from the CVP. “Imposing water cuts on farmers is not a good idea because farmers are the backbone of this country.

Water cuts will only harm Americans by causing an increase in food prices and less food overall. Water is imperative to both the nation’s and the world’s food supply. Water rations should only apply for parts of the economy where water is not integral to their survival, such as coal-fueled power stations that discharge toxic materials into waterways,” Sophomore Sharokina Williams said.

The current drought is also affecting more groups in California than just farmers.

California’s $1.4 billion fishing industry has taken a hit because the drought formed an ideal environment for parasites, which are killing salmon throughout the state.

The drought is also connected with the state’s recent problems concerning wildfires: Without enough water, plants are drying up so they catch fire more easily. Residents

are facing more restrictions on when they can use water, especially outdoors where there are parameters on what times they can water their lawns.

“My family and I refrain from using appliances like the washing machine and dishwasher throughout the day to save water.

This practice is only a slight annoyance most of the time, but it can become hard to manage when we urgently need to use such appliances,” Junior Matthew Long said.

A 2019 study by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) estimated that by 2040, the San Joaquin Valley would lose a minimum of 535,000 acres of agricultural production, or over 10% of the state’s farmland, which is a major blow to California farmers. It is not that the state is unable to use this land to farm anymore; rather, many acres are fallow, meaning that they are ready to be planted in, but the lack of water makes it nearly impossible to grow anything.

To counteract the drought, farmers are pumping groundwater from aquifers, further draining the already low levels of aquifers and even emptying some that households rely on. Pumping water can also be harmful to the environment. For example, studies have found that land in the San Joaquin Valley has been sinking as much as 1.5 feet per year because of pumping.

Furthermore, animals in areas like the Mojave Desert also rely on these aquifers as their primary source of water.

To counteract the effects of groundwater pumping, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was created in 2014. This act was meant to incrementally implement water management practices to help prevent large declines in groundwater levels.

However, most farmers oppose this act since they do

not see an alternative to pumping.

Wesley Harmon, a well driller from Fresno Country, explained that many farmers are just trying to make a living and feed their community, and pumping water is the only way to achieve that.

“These restrictions are a good idea because they consider the environment’s best interests.

Nonetheless, whether it be through subsidies or other methods, the government needs to come up with an alternative for these farmers so that they can support themselves,” Senior Ruby Grimes said.

Currently, California’s drought is not likely to improve in the near future based on the PPIC’s study from 2019. Many are hoping for more rain and snowfall to bring some much-needed water to balance out the first two months of the year, but for now, farmers and the rest of California’s residents will have to find other ways to fight the drought.

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wildfires have ravaged California in the past three years as the drought causes plants to lose moisture and become more susceptible to catching on fire.

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Nicole Mui Staff Writer

Mirrors are often depicted as a window into the soul: Behind every glance of faces and bodies are the influences of our cultural identity, gender, race or sexuality, shifting what is seen through the looking glass. In the San Jose Museum of Art’s exhibit titled “Our whole, unruly selves,” open from Nov. 19, 2021 to June 26, abstract art and short films introspectively reflect on the perspectives of diverse bodies, questioning traditional representations of identity and providing welcoming spaces for marginalized communities.

As viewers walk into the exhibit, they are surrounded by paintings of abstract shapes. One artist, Felipe Baeza, paints figures in gray and white tones while connecting them to strings of yarn. In his work “I have sprouted against unnatural boundaries,” vines extend from the neck of a body in place of a face. The arms are a pale blue hue, the legs are speckled with dirt and the feet are bunched together to resemble a root planted into the ground. Baeza’s works drift in suspended motion among muted backgrounds to express a world where people grow up as queer and undocumented.

The exhibit also explores how power defines which figures are considered human. Turning a corner, I saw a figure with a blue navy cap, black jacket and red pants, which I presumed was another spectator until I saw the messages painted on the body. Bold red letters read “the voice of this community will be heard” and “focus on our anger, not the injustice” to represent the figure of Rodney King.

These words are a feature of the paper mache piece titled “Pensive,” created

by Willie Birch in 1942. King’s statue describes the Powell v. Superior Court court case, where a court ruled officers not guilty of using excessive force even after reviewing video tapes that exposed the police officers egregiously harming an African American man, sparking riots throughout Los Angeles.

Birch’s creation describes the activism, injustice and horror of racial injustice.

Films throughout the museum show how the beauty of movement is significant in shaping self-expression.

In the 1987 film by the AXIS Dance Company with Alex Ketley, a bright beam of light shines on an accessible program specifically created for dancers who are disabled. As numerous contemporary pieces play, the dancers wave and twirl alongside each other to celebrate their original choreographies.

Overall, the exhibit was masterful at explaining how race, gender, sexuality and disability intersect with bodily perception while focusing on identities often objectified in order to humanize them. The museum’s large breadth of examples was refreshing and created a sense of individuality, providing the viewer with an inroad toward their own reflection.

Our whole, unruly selves (5/5)

a monumental experience

+ accessible language + perspectives from artists of color - dim lighting

4

OPINIONS

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY RAYMOND DAI

Suvia Li

Libraries targeted by allegations of bias Staff Writer

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 Ashley Lee, Aileen Xie, Cindy Zhao, Nancy Zheng ART AND PHOTO DIRECTORS Beomhee Kim, Julia Nakanishi NEWS EDITORS Miranda Lu, Larry Ye OPINIONS EDITOR Raymond Dai FEATURE EDITORS Manasa Sriraj, Pavana Upadhyaya VIEWPOINT AND LAST WORD EDITORS Yong Ooi, Breanna Lu ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE EDITORS Keirah Chen, Miranda Lu INVESTIGATIVE REPORT EDITOR Breanna Lu SPORTS EDITOR Pavana Upadhyaya STUDENT SPOTLIGHT EDITOR Keirah Chen AD MANAGER Nancy Zheng MEDIA MANAGER Cindy Zhao ADVISOR Elaine Ngo COMMUNITY CIRCULATION Parent Club and Leland Bridge STAFF WRITERS Isaac Ang Daniel Lin Dhruv Anish Nicole Mui Aaron Dalton Tammy Newman Sophia Qin Imran Shaikh Suvia Li Kevin Zhang ARTISTS Daniel Choi Desiree Vu De Leon Quincy Han Suvia Li Kailey Hu Dana Lim Ellie Kim Jude Tantawy Inseo Kim Kenneth Yang PHOTOGRAPHERS Bertina Fan Desiree Vu De Leon MEDIA TEAM Jeehee Kim Claire Pham 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.

For advertising information and pricing, please check out our website at thechargeraccount.com/advertisewith-us. The Charger Account is distributed to the Leland community free of cost.

The Charger Account April 7 | Vol. T. No. 5

As people become increasingly divided due to their political stances, libraries are seen as a tranquil collection of publications supposedly free of controversy. Unfortunately, some libraries are being accused of having political biases, spawning questions over the true nature and purpose of libraries in the age of modern civilization. At their core, libraries serve as transparent archives of humankind’s intellectual history and should make an effort to preserve an infinitude of media, granting the public full liberty to browse whatever it pleases.

Although public libraries are funded by taxes, librarians are given complete discretion to select the media available in their collections. Therefore, it is possible for librarians to express bias by only including content for particular sociopolitical sentiments in alignment with personal beliefs, neglecting certain ideologies.

Contrarily, a completely unbiased, neutral library would showcase a wide range of opinions and authors, and media of contrasting political beliefs would have equal influence. Neutrality is thought to necessitate impartiality—but given that people are subjective, this varies in definition depending on who the mediator of opinions is, making the pursuit of scholastic neutrality a paradoxical one.

For example, a library that strives to showcase politically progressive viewpoints may congratulate themselves for neutrality because they featured untraditional perspectives, while others may see it as too liberal. Consequently, libraries that reflect the political ideologies of the surrounding community can easily be seen as neutral by that community

when in truth, are only showcasing one side of the spectrum.

“Libraries should have a baseline to prevent problematic literature such as offensive content from being shelved, but political views should not be censored,” Sophomore Rayan Sengupta said.

Neutrality’s ambiguous nature can be observed in present issues. At Flagler Palm Coast High School in Florida, school board members aggressively opposed LGBTQ+ and anti-racism-themed books from appearing on school shelves. Their efforts, combined with Florida’s House Bill 1557—which limits sexual orientation and

INSEO KIM ART gender identity discussions in school—attempted to censor such information from reaching students.

Proponents of the bill wanted to provide students with a neutral education by distancing them from ideas they believe to be radical. However, many students disagreed—on March 3, hundreds of students walked out to protest its library exclusion as well as the statewide bill, condemning the latter for singling out perspectives in educational institutions.

Despite uncertainties over library inclusivity, deliberately blocking certain content runs the risk of polarization for youth who are beginning to form their own ideas of the world. In a 2007 poll by the American Library Association, 78%

Situating academia in self-realization

The role of schools in fostering student identity development The Charger Account Editorial Staff

What keeps reappearing across cultures is the problem of cultivating selfhood—wherein an individual evaluates their point of existence through an anthropocentric sense. High school is a pivotal point for students to form their identity and explore their talents, interests and values. However, stepping into the real world can be daunting as young adults are presented with a multiplicity of life alternatives that make identity formation an arduous endeavor. Despite the already onerous nature of developing identity, the lack of career-oriented curricula and culture of teacher mentorship in schools makes this process even more challenging.

The academic rigidity of the modern education system causes curricula centered on students’ self-cultivation— such as psychology, anthropology and philosophy—as well as career-oriented classes, to be overlooked. According to Kendall Walton, professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, early K-12 education creators omitted certain classes in the humanities, causing many young adults to experience poor mental health and lack of direction. Given that one’s future success is contingent on the

congruity between their profession and individual values, self-appraisal is the backbone of suitable career decisions.

Uncertainty over career choice has caused some students to attend junior college after high school, while others submit to external pressures such as their parents’ wishes, consequently living a proxy life.

Ultimately, school courses and teachers play a major role in shaping students’ prospective career choices.

According to a study in the American Educational Research Journal, juniors and seniors who complete Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses are less likely to drop out of high school.

Ranging from topics like health science to business management, CTE courses provide students with real-world skills and enable students to find a niche they are passionate about. Similar to courses, educators can also influence students’ perspectives on potential career paths.

For example, a study conducted at a college in New York urged more teacher training for career-related development, revealing that middle and high school teachers’ differentiated support and attention to students’ individual potentials were critical in encouraging the pursuit of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Beyond teaching, instructors are mentors to students—who spend most of their lives at school—and can advise their pupils’ identity development with their own expertise.

of teens ages 12 to 18 reported frequently borrowing books and media from public libraries. If collections only offer information supporting a single political agenda, young people who rely on the library as a chief source of knowledge could develop a skewed view of the world.

By expressing political bias, librarians are not only betraying the public trust but are also acting against their function as an intermediary between individual needs for information and records containing that information.

Even though neutrality is difficult to fully attain, libraries can still aim towards it when actively pushing for change about current affairs. By keeping their selections updated with diverse content related to ongoing matters, including viewpoints that curators may personally disagree with, libraries can provide patrons with a more holistic depiction of human history while still retaining the availability of distinct views.

“When I go to the library, the political books I see are diverse and include views from both parties. Although book censorship does not affect me personally, librarians should not succumb to personal biases. Public institutions as influential as libraries should include more political views so people can make their own decisions,” Sophomore Alana Shin said.

If libraries can steer back to open inclusivity, they would adopt another purpose that transcends their original design: becoming a major catalyst in ridding modern society of polarization by letting readers examine different outlooks and form their own judgments.

January/February issue corrections School News: Front Page: • The issue year should be 2021, not 2022.

Community News: Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love: • The review box should be titled “Patrick Kelly,” not “Patrick Henry.”

Lifestyle: Genetically modified pig heart transplanted into a human being: • Daniel Choi’s art credit is misspelled as “Daniell Choi.”

Investigative Report: Teaching no one: Declining enrollment in Bay Area public schools • “At the school” should be replaced with “At schools” in the last sentence of the third paragraph.

Current situations exhort more personalized programs that give students the opportunity to explore their individuality without pressure from surrounding factors. By implementing career-oriented courses and promoting teacher mentorship, schools can guide students in their personal and professional journeys. Everything that happens in this sublime chaos creates ripples that expand infinitely; every choice we make are not antagonists, but reverberations of who we are.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

5

DESIGN BY RAYMOND DAI

Imposters among us: What a zero-tolerance no-fly list means

Dhruv Anish

Videos depicting airplane passengers shouting at flight attendants, using slurs and fighting fellow passengers have amassed millions of views on the internet. Delta Air Lines reports that the rate of incidents involving disruptive travelers has risen almost 100% in the last three years. To combat this surge and maintain a safe travel environment, CEO Ed Bastian proposed adding delinquent travelers to the federal No Fly List. He claims the current protocol, where each airline creates individual no-fly lists, is not effective enough, as it allows offenders on one flight to simply board a different airline while their behavior goes unpunished—a relevant loophole to address, although perhaps not as severe as Bastian proposes.

The federal No Fly List is a section of the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database, a service used to track individuals associated with terrorist activity. Following 9/11, the list grew exponentially from 16 names to upwards of 81,000. Each airline company’s unique no-fly list has separate guidelines, allowing them to ban passengers for on-flight behavior reasons, regardless of their criminal history.

Legal strictures prohibit different companies from sharing lists, complicating the process of tabbing and reprimanding confrontational travelers.

Bastian’s proposal would let airlines share catalogs of banned flyers and create a comprehensive list overseen at the federal level, making sure disruptors are denied flying privileges. Other companies like Alaskan and American airlines have adopted Delta’s lead in calling for a joint no-fly list by submitting names of disorderly customers to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review.

Aaron Dalton

supporting Syrian extremist groups on social media. Despite not being connected to his friend’s suspicious activities, The Intercept reports that Maniar was harassed by the FBI, who searched his home and prevented him from traveling for his business. Only after contacting a lawyer and undergoing a two-year litigation process was Maniar able to be cleared and granted a letter of immunity from the Poll: Should airlines implement a national Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

After the Terrorist Screening Center no-fly list? list? invoked legal disquietudes regarding the Compiled by Isaac Ang No Fly List’s standards, the American Staff Writer Civil Liberties Union and the FBI agreed upon a $200,000 settlement in 2005 to allow passengers mistakenly watchlisted to appeal using the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program.

“To guarantee that troublesome passengers are penalized fairly without excessive bans, airlines should issue higher fines for rude or inappropriate conduct on flights. This would discourage people from being disruptive on rides without unreasonable bans,” Sophomore Abhay Dharnidharka said.

According to the FAA, in September 2021, the agency reported that six 102 students polled incidents involving unruly travelers DANIEL CHOI ART occurred every 10,000 flights, a 50% drop from earlier that year. While the concept of a national No Fly List promises for overturning the ban must be strict to help make air travel safer, the prospect to ensure disruptive behavior is duly of unfair detention, coupled with many punished,” Senior Brian Mathis said. legal complications over disputing list Although a national No Fly List could entries make it a suboptimal solution to help prevent poor behavior aboard flights, an already improving problem. Instead the determinants for if an individual poses of taking extreme measures, airlines can a flight risk are subjective and potentially make firm announcements condemning susceptible to bias. For instance, Ashraf improper conduct and improve customers’ Maniar was unjustly placed on the No awareness of their banned flyers list to Fly List after his friend was arrested for dissuade incivility.

YES

36%

NO

64%

Staff Writer

since manufacturers have a vested interest in getting their products on roads,” Freshman Daniel Fogg said.

Major car companies like Tesla, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have invested heavily into Automated Driver Systems (ADS), compelled by its promise to improve safety standards within the automobile industry.

In 2020, Tesla debuted its standard system, “Autopilot,” by releasing a beta version of its new Full Self Driving (FSD) capability package to consumers. However, despite the name, neither Autopilot nor FSD is fully driverless—no such vehicles have been approved for general use. Currently, only semi-autonomous cars, which require that a human driver be the primary operator, are in regular production.

Accidents involving ADS warrant investigation of the causes. In December 2019, Kevin George Aziz Riad was autopiloting a Tesla Model S when it ran a red light at high speed, crashing into a car and killing two occupants. This made Riad the first driver in the U.S. to be charged with a felony while using semi-autonomous driving technology.

Enunciating the tragedy’s implications, Michael Brooks from the Center for Auto Safety hopes that drivers understand that autopilot has its limitations; the driver is ultimately responsible for their vehicle.

Though human judgment is imperfect, people—not cars—are still the ones making decisions.

DANIEL CHOI ART

“The Vanishing Half”

Staff Writer

“Lifetime national bans should be reserved for the most severe incidents involving passengers, such as potential terrorist threats. Customers that cause lesser disturbances should receive a nationwide ban for a set period of time depending on the incident’s severity.

Those who are temporarily banned could appeal their sentence, but the criteria

The dangers of autonomous cars hitting the road

Since 2014, Tesla has driven towards developing a consumer-ready fully autonomous car, yet the technology has been marred by injuries and deaths.

Recently, the company recalled 54,000 of its cars to disable the “rolling stop” feature, which allows them to drive slowly through intersections when no pedestrians or vehicles are present. Despite no reports of it accounting for accidents, this practice is illegal and presents major safety issues.

While this recall has caused motorists to question the technology, government agencies should redouble oversight efforts while the technology is being improved.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 28,000 of the 37,000 yearly U.S. vehicular accident deaths are faulted by poor choices such as drunk or distracted driving and speeding—deaths that could have been prevented by autonomous vehicles. A selfdriving car is programmed to eliminate the underlying root of most vehicle accidents: human error. Meanwhile, a 2020 study conducted by the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education reported that nearly three-fourths of respondents remain hesitant of the technology. This highlights a need for cautious, slow implementation and consumer education so the technology can be normalized.

“I am skeptical about the current research regarding these cars’ safety.

We should not trust this new technology too much when knowing so little about it, especially

OPINIONS

“Having ridden a semi-autonomous car, it is clear that the drivers still need to be conscious of its movement. Some drivers may be overly trusting and not watchful of whatever dangers that may occur should they not pay attention,” Freshman Ian Marshall said.

Thankfully, ADS technology is now being regulated with recently administered proper safeguards. In 2016, the NHTSA, a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, issued the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy, which requires that manufacturers and operators of all ADS vehicles report crash information to the agency. The Department of Motor Vehicles also monitors the research, development and testing of higher-level autonomous cars, compiling the data and then publicizing reports.

Though the deaths involving autopilot vehicles often assign guilt to human error, the actual technology’s performance history is not spotless.

Despite statistics that already show autonomous vehicles’ positive potential, the ramifications of failure are severe. With people’s lives on the line, car companies must work to reduce the frequency of malfunctions in self-driving cars. If both manufacturers and drivers can share attitudes of selfaccountability, perhaps this technology can fulfill its original purpose: making roads safer.

Pavana Upadhyaya Feature School & Sports Editor

A story about twins who take decidedly different paths, Brit Bennett’s “The Vanishing Half” contemplates the essence of family, the effects of race on perception and the damaging nature of secrets. Initially set in the fictional town of Mallard, Louisiana—a community of light-skinned, ideologically conservative African Americans—teenagers Desiree and Stella Vignes resolve to run away to New Orleans. Literally embodying the black-and-white dichotomy of twin personalities, only Desiree returns to Mallard 10 years later with a child. Stella takes a different route, passing as white, keeping her African American identity a secret. Bennett also traces the lives of their daughters, Kennedy and Jude, as they navigate how Stella’s secret affected their lives.

With childhood trauma acting as motivation to cloak on whiteness, Stella untangles the complexities of living a life of duplicity. Despite having been seen as “white” for decades, Stella still fears that someone would figure out her secret. In a moment of epiphany, Stella realizes that it was not just her childhood environment and experiences that pushed her towards this racial falsity, but also the privilege that she gets from being “white,” revealing how Stella’s denial of a fundamental part of herself affects self-perception.

Like her sister, Desiree also has a daughter, but the similarities end there.

Although both flee Mallard, Desiree—a vivacious, fidgety girl in contrast to her poised, quiet sister—returns for her mother. Though Desiree still feels restricted in Mallard, she stays due to familial devotion. Her choice poses the questions: what do we really owe to our upbringing? Should we, like Desiree, commit to our familial origins, or is Stella’s path of becoming a whole new person to attain a life of privilege okay?

With five time jumps and four main characters, as well as numerous chapters narrated by minor characters, “The Vanishing Half” could have become melodramatic and overwrought.

Bennett avoids this with perfect pacing, using the time jumps to implicitly reveal different plot points, which chronologically converge in the end.

Because the book maps the intergenerational trauma of the Vignes family over twenty years, Bennett sacrifices the development of secondary characters. For instance, Jude’s boyfriend Reese, a trans man fleeing from his family in the South, has an interesting story that sometimes mirrors the twins’.

However, his struggles end up only as the backdrop of Jude’s development.

Overall, “The Vanishing Half” expertly explores the themes of race and perception, as well as the price of keeping a secret.

“The Vanishing Half” (5/5)

bookmarked

+ great pacing + well-written main characters - static minor characters

6

ENTERTAINMENT “The Batman”

Isaac Ang

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY KEIRAH CHEN

Refashioning beauty standards Staff Writer

Dhruv Anish

Staff Writer

Gotham is a metropolitan hellscape scarred by crime; the flashing billboards akin to Times Square fail to cloak the city’s grime. This is the Gotham wherein director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” takes place, starring Robert Pattinson as the titular character as irreversibly damaged as the city he protects. His story begins in his second year of crime-fighting, presenting a vigilante in the early stages of his career. Joined by his only ally, Policeman James Gordon, and acquaintance Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman, Batman works to outwit a supervillain known as the Riddler, whose mission is to unveil the web of lies the city’s elite have spun to keep their positions of power.

Pattinson captures Batman as the tragic figure originally portrayed in comic books, a man so broken by his parents’ deaths that he devoted his life to waging a one-man war on crime, perceiving violent retribution as justice. His performance expertly blurs the line between Bruce Wayne’s and Batman’s identities—depicting his obsession through bloodshot eyes, his immaturity through a rejection of the Wayne family’s status, as if Bruce is an alter-ego for Batman rather than vice versa. As Batman, the nuance in Pattinson’s performance comes from his on-screen presence, speaking only when necessary and relying on his movements to strike fear into the audience. Paul Dano’s Riddler, despite an innocent appearance, delivers a bone-chilling rendition, leaving behind disturbing clues at crime scenes and mocking Batman with his erratic vocal inflections and hellish stare. The fight scenes are masterfully choreographed to demonstrate Batman’s proficiency as a fighter whilst accentuating his rage. The story, despite an almost three-hour runtime, is well-paced with few unnecessary plot points. The only storyline that felt underdeveloped was Batman and Catwoman’s relationship: While their introduction felt natural, some romantic moments between Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz feel insincere as they progress from acquaintances too quickly.

“The Batman” is a movie that understands its source material, portraying a hero with assets and flaws that make him the beloved character he is. It is a film that goes beyond the conventions of traditional superhero films, producing a work that feels relatable to any Batman fan like myself. Equal parts crime thriller and psychological horror, “The Batman” will leave viewers at the edge of their seats.

“The Batman” (5/5) reel-ing it in

+ heart-racing action + gritty realism - rushed romance

In a landmark move to conform largest lingerie retailer. In 1997, Victoria’s to changing beauty standards, Victoria’s Secret ran a commercial featuring Secret hired Sofia Jirau, the first person women dressed as angels; the Angels with down syndrome to model for the came to represent the company. beauty retailer, on Feb. 14. A company Victoria’s Secret’s controversy-riddled notorious for focusing only on certain history may illuminate the company’s body shapes in their previous “Angels” motives for rebranding. Its primarily line, Victoria’s Secret began to embrace male-dominated administration, ties other body types through their new with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Love Cloud Collection. Their rebranding demeaning model selection process have could potentially refashion the beauty stained the company’s record, according standard for body types. to many critics. By hiring models based Victoria’s Secret’s new campaign on their achievements and not their represents the company’s recent efforts body proportions, Victoria’s Secret’s to abandon traditional perceptions rebranding could signal that the company about beauty and recruit models from is trying to break from its past. a diverse set of backgrounds. Along However, the Love Cloud Collection with Jirau, the collection features 18 is not Victoria’s Secret’s first attempt at women including Valentina Sampaio, increasing their diversity—in June 2021, the first trans woman to model for the company replaced the Angels brand Victoria’s Secret. with the VS Collective. The VS Collective “By focusing on recruiting models starred seven women from a wide range of diverse body types, Victoria’s of careers, such as soccer star Megan Secret is expanding their Rapinoe, Indian actress Priyanka representation, which is Chopra and Sampaio. crucial to including Teen Vogue reports those who typically feel that since 2019, Victoria’s excluded,” Sophomore Secret has been actively Aayrah Khan said. seeking models Founded in 1977, from various Victoria’s Secret initially careers, races began as Roy Raymond’s and gender project to establish a identities.

In lingerie store where men October 2019, the could feel comfortable company hired Ali shopping for their wives. However, Tate Cutler—its first plusafter finding itself in dire financial size model—and canceled its straits, the company decided to shift lavish fashion show, which towards a female audience, which had aired every year since 1999. brought them massive success, In summer 2020, the company according to Business Insider. By hired tennis star Naomi Osaka focusing on luxurious-looking yet and began installing more body affordable clothing, Victoria’s fluid mannequins in stores.

Secret achieved huge growth “Victoria’s Secret expansion in the late 1990s and 2000s, of diversity shows that quickly becoming America’s QUINCY HAN ART everyone is beautiful in their

Tammy Newman

own way. Unfortunately, I do not think that beauty standards will change, as most people would still find muscular men and slim women more attractive,” Junior Tina Ramezani said.

According to Vox, body positivity became more mainstream in 2000. Sports magazines began placing plus-size models on their front covers and activists began pushing for change.

This recent erosion of body shape expectations have driven other clothing companies to undertake similar changes. For example, Old Navy recently eliminated the plus-size section from stores and Fashion Magazine reported that the company overhauled a policy that previously charged more for bigger sizing.

While some beauty brands may claim that their diversification reflects their true beliefs regarding body types, critics question whether they are authentic. Consumers have pointed out how Victoria’s Secret only rebranded while their competitors were also doing so and how only after so many scandals did the company devote themselves to body diversity.

In spite of this, Victoria’s Secret’s rebranding symbolizes an important step in diversifying body types by accepting models from different ethnic, gender and career backgrounds. Despite doubts about companies’ true motivations, more companies have begun conversations on connecting with people who previously were invisible to the beauty industry.

Peloton’s reputation tumbles Staff Writer

Controversy surrounding Peloton equipment’s bad reputation was amplified in December, when an episode of the “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That” showed the death of the beloved character Mr. Big while he was exercising on a Peloton bike.

Peloton Interactive began as a fitness company in 2012, when founder John Foley sought a way to bring professional exercise equipment to American homes. With time, their workout bikes grew in popularity and the company flourished.

Misconduct of the product, however, like the scene in “And Just Like That,” raised concerns about the safety of Peloton bikes.

In fact, Forbes states this is Peloton’s fifth time facing negative advertising. In May 2021, Peloton recalled some of its treadmills after reports of a child’s death on one. In December 2021, Peloton was featured on an advertisement with Chris Noth (the actor for Mr. Big), who was later accused of sexual assault and therefore killed off in the show. All of these affairs combined led to the public growing wary of the company.

However, experts claim that Peloton equipment is not as dangerous as the media makes it out to be. According to the New York Times, there have been 120 reports of Peloton pedals breaking along with 16 reports of injuries between July 2013 and May 2016. However, according to Brian Davis, a professor of sports

medicine at University of California Davis, most stationary exercise bikes can be dangerous, and the risks are not exclusive to Peloton models.

Although Peloton approved of its products appearing on “And Just Like That,” the company was unaware of how the bike would be used in the episode.

According to the show’s director, Michael

QUINCY HAN ART Patrick King, the motive behind Big’s death was to illustrate his character as an individual with modern tastes; King claimed that the product placement was not meant to imply that Peloton equipment was unsafe.

However, many still speculate that the episode was a case of negative product placement. Purposefully showcasing a brand in a negative light is very common in the media. For instance, Coca-Cola became controversial after a Coke bottle was shown after the gruesome deaths of American soldiers present in the movie “Pearl Harbor.” Likewise, the tobacco

industry purchased 100 keywords from a major search engine, leading users to websites promoting the “minimum-risk” of smoking.

“Product placement definitely affects my perception of brands. For example, the Peloton scene in ‘And Just Like That’ made me more wary of their bikes, even though I knew the media is likely making them look worse than they really are,” Junior Varada Nedungadi said.

Companies often use negative product placement to target other competing companies. Many question the practice’s ethicality due to its detrimental influence on viewers’ opinions of the business.

Nevertheless, companies still resort to using forms of product placement because it increases their profit margins for film companies. Product placement reduces film expenses, enhancing the potential profitability of a movie.

“When companies broadcast brands in a negative way, those brands do not have a way to defend their products.

Businesses should avoid using unfair marketing tactics like negative product placement because it fosters toxic competition among brands,” Sophomore Gilina Voon said.

Since January, Peloton has been coping with the backlash from “And Just Like That” by pausing their production of fitness equipment between February and March and may only continue after the controversy settles down.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

7

LIFESTYLE

DESIGN BY MIRANDA LU

Breanna Lu

Augmented reality opens a new world of e-commerce

Imagine a student selecting their AirCards details how the AR experience dream pair of jeans on the Shein app, is enjoyable and hassle-free, especially for choosing the perfect wash, style and size people who regularly use new technology. before virtually overlaying an image of Moreover, shoppers feel deeper the product onto themself. This type of connections to brands whose products shopping is powered by augmented reality they can customize as the features can (AR), which enables customers to simulate a personal sales assistant. digitally superimpose images of Furthermore, AR shopping’s features products onto their surroundings. benefit retailers as well. Visual commerce Introduced by brands such as platform ThreeKit explains how Nike and IKEA, AR shopping AR shopping reduces return has been promulgated during rates as it allows buyers to the pandemic as health visualize how a product will regulations have prevented appear on themselves or in their customers from physically surroundings, eliminating any trying on products in-store. Since unexpected issues they may the pandemic started, several encounter after purchasing it. companies have begun using Despite its many advantages, AR to provide consumers with a similar AR shopping has a learning curve interactive experience. For instance, in that complicates its large-scale 2021, Instagram introduced filters that adoption in the U.S. Currently, allow users to try on different shades of several AR-powered systems makeup from brands such as Urban Decay require users to click through and Lancôme. Additionally, the Target app multiple tabs and buttons to created a “See It in Your Space” function access the interactive features— that allows customers to resize and place which may make the process furniture in their homes—making the burdensome for customers shopping experience more engaging and who are digitally inept. Time practical for consumers. explains how apps using AR “I use Sephora need to have a smooth, Virtual Artist to try IM ART simple and centralized INSEO K on different shades procedure in order of mascara, lipstick for the technology to become and blush. The trymainstream. Furthermore, many, on feature increases including Senior WenWen Gu, the convenience of are concerned about the safety of shopping online, but it AR technology. Many “try before requires specific technological you buy” features have no security knowledge such as knowing how filters, reported software development to place and blend color swatches,” an company App Solutions, which opens up anonymous student said. the possibility for ill-intentioned users Much of AR shopping’s appeal to overlay products over inappropriate originates from the unique experience it pictures and spread the edited images provides. WebXR development agency through the web.

Vitality Bowls

Investigative Report & Last Word Editor

“AR technology is underdeveloped as there are no proven security measures to prevent malicious actions. Some users may have privacy concerns since AR shopping features often require them to open their camera to show themselves or their home,” Gu said.

Aside from the U.S., interest in AR shopping has proliferated in several countries including the U.K. and China. According to tech company GetApp, more than half of the U.K. population is willing to try AR despite having never used the technology before.

Meanwhile, much of China is already comfortable with social commerce.

Accenture finds that 80% of Chinese social media users shop through retail apps. The growing interest in AR shopping will likely become more apparent as time passes. Time forecasts that global social commerce spending will increase from $492 billion to $1.2 trillion by 2025.

In the future, people may no longer need to make in-store purchases as they can shop using AR in the comfort of their own homes. However, despite posing several benefits for consumers and retailers alike, AR shopping calls for further advancement before it can become a key feature of the shopping experience. Until then, its potential is open to exploration.

Companies address racial inequality within the tourism industry

Kevin Zhang

7.6% Black

9.7% nic a Hisp

that use the words racial diversity to lure in consumers, rather than promoting the actual cause.

“A lot of companies engage in performance activism, marketing themselves as being diverse and inclusive without actually reflecting it in their employment practices. For many of them, it is simply a way to boost their reputation,” Junior Christina Xu said.

Historically, the tourism industry has displayed a lack of diversity in hiring practices and marketing campaigns: according to a 2019 report, only one in 33 leaders in the tourism industry iidentify with aiiminority iibackground.

Regent University states that the lack of representation in major leadership positions results in less iiiiiinnovative approaches ibeing taken in terms of business organization, less Black employees being hired and an overall lack of representation within the tourism industry.

Furthermore, the New York Times states that entering iiiithe industry is costly, with tour guide training courses costing at least ur 1 To 5,000 dollars.

2 0 2 stry Indu aphics According to the ogr Economic Policy Institute, Dem African Americans are disproportionately affected by iiiipoverty, which may make them less likely to consider pursuing a career as a tour guide.

8.6% Asian

Staff Writer

However, there have been a variety of programs created to help minorities enter the tour industry. For instance, The Pathways Project—created by the Travel Corporation—aims to train qualified candidates and bring more Black and Indigenous guides into the industry.

Additionally, Delta Air Lines has worked with various corporations including AT&T and AllState to form OneTen: an organization hoping to train one million African Americans over the next 10 years. Aside from major companies, individuals have also made efforts to push for racial equality, such as publicist Tashieka Brewer, who created a website that compiles tours offered by Black tour guides and hotels recommended as welcoming to Black travelers.

The tourism industry’s recent efforts in developing programs that support racial equity will likely bring more diversity into tour companies and make the traveling experience more inclusive for tourists.

Staff Writer

Located in the corner of Almaden Ranch Square amidst a multitude of retailers, eateries and supermarkets is Vitality Bowls: a superfood café founded in 2011 in an effort to introduce healthy food to a wider audience, especially those with food allergies. I was prompted to check out the eatery by its glowing online reviews and wide selection of menu options including açaí bowls, smoothies, salad bowls, wraps and freshly-pressed juices.

Walking into the café, I immediately noticed a row of colorful menus hanging on its crisp white walls.

The interior appeared artistic and streamlined: an accent wall painted with a deep shade of purple reminiscent of the restaurant’s signature açaí bowl stood next to the checkout counter, while long black frustum-shaped lights hung down from the ceiling. Along the walls, cool-toned wooden panels extended down to gray and blue fauxleather seats, set beside small taupebrown tables.

I placed my order on their online website before arriving; it included the shop’s monthly special, the IncrediBowl—an açaí bowl with a base of açaí, pitaya, banana, blueberry, almond butter, moringa and almond milk topped with granola, strawberries, blueberries, mulberries and honey.

The food was served in a mediumsized white paper bowl. After peeling open the container’s opaque plastic lid and admiring the berries and slices of fruit that glistened on top of the thick purple smoothie, I began individually tasting each of the toppings. The golden mulberries had a rich and sugary flavor with a texture resembling a a mix of raspberries and licorice. The strawberries were juicy and refreshing, while the blueberries were slightly tart.

The chunks of granola were sweet and crunchy, enhancing the taste of the smoothie and other toppings.

Meanwhile, the base of the smoothie bowl was blended smoothly, resembling a yogurt-like consistency.

After sampling a scoop of the smoothie, a sweet and refreshing flavor hit my taste buds, followed by a rich almond aftertaste. When I combined the base and the toppings in a single bite, the crunchy and chewy textures from the toppings contrasted with the creamy blend and created a pleasant combination. Feeling “revitalized” by the sweet and chilly food, I swiftly finished the remnants of the bowl.

From its elegant interior design to its wide array of superfood dishes, Vitality Bowls is a must-try for those looking to expand their palette and eat a healthy meal.

Vitality Bowls (4/5)

Compiled by Suvia Li, Staff Writer

Few would expect tourism—an activity that conjures feelings of relaxation and fun—to be in an industry riddled with racial inequality and a lack of representation. According to Zippia, a career statistics site, less than 8% of U.S.based tour guides are African American, a meager percentage compared to the 70% of tour guides who are white. Following the global push for racial equality in 2020, major tour companies are now acting on their pledges to increase inclusivity within the industry.

“Companies’ recent efforts to increase racial diversity within the tourism industry will likely make tour services more appealing to the general public, especially to people of color.

Having a tour guide that understands your culture makes an unfamiliar place more comfortable,” Senior Ahad Jiva said.

Sparked by the social justice movement in 2020, the travel industry has overseen major shifts in hiring practices. According to Condé Nast Traveler, representation and diversity in a corporation have become more important factors for workers looking for employment. A recent study by marketing communications company MMGY Global shows that 54% of Black travelers in the U.S. indicated that they are more likely to visit a destination if they see Black representation in travel advertising. However, others feel that there are brands

Suvia Li

how bowl-tiful was it?

ELLIE KIM ART

+ variety of selections + healthy menu options - expensive prices

10

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Breaks and Balance School schedules: Making or breaking student academics

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY BREANNA LU

Tammy Newman

Staff Writer

In recent years, an increasing number of public schools in the U.S. have changed from the traditional school year schedule to a year-round schedule, in hopes that the new calendar would provide benefits for students’ academic progress. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from 2007 to 2012, the number of year-round schools increased by 26%. Currently over 3,700 schools operate year-round nationwide, making up approximately 4% of all public schools.

Several differences separate traditional year schooling from yearround scheduling, despite both systems having exactly 180 days of instruction.

Most common nationwide, the traditional calendar is broken into roughly nine months of teaching and three months of summer vacation. Meanwhile, yearround schools have a series of shorter breaks and follow one of two systems: the 45/15 (45 days of instruction followed by 15 days of break) or 60/20 (60 days of instruction and 20 days of break). The latter is more common because students are given longer vacations while still receiving consistent teaching.

A common reason why some schools are choosing to switch to year-round scheduling is to relieve overcrowding. For

example, as stated by the Los Angeles (LA) School Report, between 1980 and 2000, the LA Unified School District’s enrollment skyrocketed to almost 700,000 students.

To alleviate overcrowding, nearly 80% of their district’s schools switched to a yearround schedule.

However, many schools are still choosing to remain traditional as summer breaks are generally considered beneficial for student learning. The break provides both students and educators time to relax and reboot, which—as stated by the Washington Post—is essential for improving productivity and focus when learning resumes. According to a 2011 study by the University of Illinois, learning too much material at once causes individuals to forget information faster, making school breaks necessary for knowledge retention. Additionally, summer breaks give students the chance to engage in academically-oriented as well as extracurricular programs over the two-

month period, which would be less feasible in a year-round schedule.

“When I lived in the U.K., our vacations were a bit shorter, but my academic retention was about the same as it is now. I definitely prefer the longer breaks that we have here because I have more time to rest,” Junior Anuveer Chadha said.

On the other hand, there are many advocates for year-round schools as well. The American College of Education noted that teachers typically spend the first month of school re-teaching old material, resulting in less time spent on new content. Thus, switching to a yearround schedule would lead to students accelerating at a faster pace. Additionally, some experts believe students actually lose knowledge over break. A study in the American Educational Research Journal found that the average student loses 17% to 34% of the previous year’s knowledge during summer break.

Another school scheduling proposal that has gained traction is the four-day school week. It was first implemented in rural Europe to attract teachers who wanted to work less, but allowed students to get more sleep too. A study in October 2021 funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that students following the four-day schedule reported feeling less tired overall. The shortened week has grown in popularity beyond Europe: in July 2021, California Congressman Mark Takano introduced bill SB-236 to create a four-day public school week.

“With a four-day school week to maintain my mental health, I would have increased motivation to do well in school,” Junior Eric Lien said.

While some prefer having a long, restful summer break, others favor a consistent system with several breaks in between learning. Nonetheless, scheduled breaks—long or short—may have positive impacts on high school education.

Would you prefer a four-day school week?

26% YES 74% NO Compiled by Daniel Lin and Nicole Mui, Staff Writers KENNETH YANG ART TIANSHU YANG ART

Establishing an equilibrium: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance

Sophia Qin

Staff Writer

With countless pages of school assignments on top of managing work piling up and many after-school outside activities can leave students events that need to be attended, it can be overwhelmed. Therefore, aiming for a hard for students to keep up with their work-life balance can be crucial to sustain everyday schedule. good mental health. Raising Children, a In the 1970’s, the term work-life website certified by Health On the Net balance was introduced as individuals Foundation, claims that adolescence is a strived to achieve balance between time of significant growth of the teenage career, family and other aspects of their brain. Thus, the mindset that students life. Having a healthy work-life balance nurture in high school may carry onto may be different for each person. Ioana their adulthood.

Lupu and Mayra Ruiz-Castro from the On top of the numerous timeHarvard Business Review explain how consuming activities, several students also work-life balance is a cycle that one must take a demanding course load at school, continuously engage in as priorities and which can be detrimental to their mental circumstances change, demonstrating how well-being. According to John Hopkins the habits of an unbalanced lifestyle are University, students who put an excessive eliminated over time. amount of time into school and Mental Health America highlights lead an unbalanced lifestyle the reality for high school students: face stress Completing school n atio otiv t, I m en ck Quotebo I la assignm d set n n e x: How “Wh art an break a hen I t d w o t s r y e o ou main t to a sh dica tain a o take s to in .” w D o r k n g m l i y fe balan alar workin e vel ce? t k-lif e re E r o o star m

yw om alth ting s ying e h ica s tud na ntai by ded g on s friend i a m y n n i “I nce oo cus s to m o a l f M a b s to ah day nn day other . ” a H and family nior e d S an

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and anxiety. Suniya Luthar, professor of psychology at Arizona State University, states that for some students, their sense of self-worth is solely dependent on their achievements. Luthar further highlights how a competitive environment ultimately makes it harder for kids to achieve a healthy balance.

High school students can utilize various daily tasks such as homework, studying and extracurricular activities to build habits that support a healthy worklife balance. For one, developing organized habits can reduce possible mistakes, missed deadlines and stress. John Hopkins University suggests students to set schedules and alarms to stay organized.

Establishing goals and deadlines for projects and breaking large tasks into smaller components is also advised. Besides keeping organized, only signing up for extra activities that matches one’s capabilities can reduce the risk of being burnt out or stressed.

“Due to water polo, I try to get most of my work done during school hours. Being

KAILEY HU ART

able to practice discipline and not procrastinate has helped me significantly with a good work-life balance. Since I complete my work first, I usually have a lot of leftover time to pursue activities I enjoy,” Freshman Luke Raimondi said.

Time away from ongoing learning material can also help students restore energy to sustain their work-life balance.

Nicholas Maldonado from Arthur Morgan School shares that free time provides space for students to think about how to make better choices and retain new information. Although many view free time as a waste of time and tend not to prioritize it, a study published by Annals of Behavioral Medicine showcases how leisure time can provide immediate stress-relief and other health benefits.

Amidst increasing commitments both in and outside of school, attaining a good work-life balance is becoming a more prevalent goal among high schoolers for leading a sustainable and productive lifestyle in the long run.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

FEATURE: SCHOOL

DESIGN BY PAVANA UPADHYAYA

Learning through the philosophy club

Jeehee Kim

11

“Jacking into” cyberpunk Media Staff

This year, the school’s first philosophy club was founded by club President Sophomore Eshan Velidandla and club Vice President Junior Nicholas Yen. Since philosophy is not typically discussed at school, Velidandla and Yen wanted to foster an environment that promoted philosophical discussion among students through debates on abstract concepts such as freedom, life and morality. Although the club started as a small group of Velidandla and Yen’s friends, it has now grown into a club with over 20 members.

Velidandla became interested in philosophy after reading an essay that analyzed the work of Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who is best known for his essay “Critique of Pure Reason.”

The essay’s comparison of the ethics of philosophy with practical science ignited Velidandla’s interest in philosophy.

Immanuel Kant’s inspiration helped Velidandla succeed in the school’s speech and debate program: He is now able to

Through these discussions, members are able to understand different perspectives on topics they handle in the club meetings, sharpening their ability to accept various opinions.

Another main aspect of club meetings is debating topics regarding law and government. Currently, the club members are ruminating on the sacrifices people must make to establish a just and orderly society. During this debate, there were diverse opinions related to utilitarianism—the idea that actions are right if they uphold the most number of people’s well-being. The members came to the conclusion that even though utilitarianism leads to the loss of freedom to some extent, it is necessary because of the vast benefits that result from it, such as the security of the majority. The club members ultimately believed that utilitarianism can help people focus on the society’s prosperity, which also leads to unity.

With the diverse activities

of the club, many students were able to develop their passion for philosophy.

Among the club members, Sophomore Vishal Makaram had a particular interest in the field.

“With the diverse activities of the club, many students were able to develop their passion for philosophy.”

“I have always been interested in what renowned philosophers argued about humankind and why we act the way we do. I felt extremely excited when I heard the school finally had a philosophy club. I hope to get answers to the questions I was always curious about and get a better grasp of philosophy through this club,” Makaram said.

Founded this year to encourage students to share their thoughts on various philosophical topics, the philosophy club unites students with the same interests. Through the club activities, Velidandla and Yen expect the members to dig deeper into the study of philosophy.

BERTINA FAN PHOTO

easily argue from ethical and philosophical perspectives in debate rounds. The numerous benefits of philosophy eventually encouraged Velidandla and Yen to start the club.

“I gradually began to get more invested in philosophy as I became more exposed to ethical thoughts and ideas in my classes. My involvement in the club throughout this school year has helped me better understand philosophy,” Yen said.

During club meetings, the members ask questions and discuss issues that are not common to talk about in school, such as the purpose of religion.

Left to right: Sophomore Eshan Velidandla leads the philosophy club’s discussion, Garg, Vishal Makaram, Mahatru Guddamsetty and Vijay Tirumalai and Junior Nicholas

College visits offer insight into application decisions

Isaac Ang

Just before application season, college visits are a popular activity for many juniors and seniors. Over February break, students like Juniors Brian Jackson and Michael Que took the opportunity to visit prospective campuses, where they previewed the general college experience and determined their compatibility with certain schools.

Que visited several colleges on the east coast such as Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

From the trip, Que learned about the culture that each school provided, as well as how closely each school aligned with his career interests.

“To maximize my learning, I made sure to interact as much as possible with campus society. For example, I used the course catalog to find interesting lectures that I could spectate and found students to interview while walking around campus. In general, teachers and students were very open to sharing their experiences and helping me learn about the school. Overall, the trip was beneficial in determining which colleges best fit my interests,” Que said.

With residence in mind, Jackson scanned each college’s local

Juniors

which Sophomores Jahan Yen all partcipate in.

Brian

Jackson

and

Michael

Staff Writer

areas for activities that were conducive to prior research can help students choose his way of living. He visited the University the place where they want to dedicate of Southern California (USC), University four years of their lives to. of California Los Angeles (UCLA), UC The school also offers several Irvine (UCI) and Chapman University. resources to assist students in “During my visits, I wanted to make choosing and applying to colleges: The sure that I could enjoy myself in the city. I school’s academic counselors provide went to nearby shopping centers, information on colleges and the school since that would be where regularly invites undergraduates to talk students obtain necessities for about their college experience. This living. Since I am a huge fan year, the school recruited Destination of nature, I scanned for natural College Advising Corps member Tia abundance on and off-campus.

Nguyen, a recent graduate from UC In the end, I think I will focus Berkeley, who provides seniors with on UCLA and UCI due valuable information on UC and to their proximity to California State University nature,” Jackson said. applications.

Additionally, A 2017 report from to help students plan for the Higher Education their future, the school Research Institute offers an online tool called corroborates Jackson Naviance, which crafts and Que’s perspective potential career paths, on the importance of college BERTINA FAN PHOTO colleges and majors based on visits: Nearly half of the students questionnaires about students’ surveyed believed that college visits were strengths, weaknesses and interests. To “very important” in their application obtain more individualized support on decisions. Additionally, College Board college applications, some students also highlights that sitting in dorms, talking hire professional counselors. to current students, eating cafeteria Supplementing new dimensions to food and seeing the buildings help students’ views of colleges, college visits students imagine themselves living offer insight into application decisions. at that college. Therefore, due to From sitting in lecture halls to conversing the wide selection of activities, with students, the experience enables courses and cultures that students to envision themselves as a colleges provide, performing future college student.

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Miranda Lu

Lifestyle & School News Editor

Set in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City, Japan, speculative fiction writer William Gibson’s landmark 1984 science fiction noir novel ‘Neuromancer’ follows depraved excomputer hacker Henry Dorsett Case as he embarks on a heist in the matrix with tenacious cyborg Molly Millions and perfidious psychopath Peter Riviera.

Often praised for its vivid imagery, sublime world-building and prophetic ideas, the novel is widely regarded as a seminal work in the cyberpunk subgenre and has captivated legions of science fiction lovers.

The book’s opening line, “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel,” is a prime example of Gibson’s evocative language and his ability to build worlds that are unfamiliar, yet at the same time, conceivable and vaguely recognizable. Trevor Hart, Special Education Department, first discovered ‘Neuromancer’ in high school while browsing through a bookstore and has since reread it several times.

He appreciates the author’s distinct writing style and tone and the book’s relevant social commentary.

“Throughout the novel, Gibson uniquely explores several futuristic and speculative concepts—including the idea of corporate greed and technology taking over and how humanity would operate in such an environment—in a gritty and rebellious tone. He focuses on how people work together to survive and always connects the topics back to our real-life relationships and interactions,” Hart said.

Despite having been released almost 40 years ago, the book’s commentary on technology, personhood, memory, addiction and human connection continues to resonate with a diverse audience of readers, authors, filmmakers and game designers today. Its long-lasting legacy and influence is evident across many mediums, from the terminology and settings in the Wachowskis’ groundbreaking 1999 sci-fi action film “The Matrix” to the characters and storylines in the popular roleplaying games Shadowrun and Cyberpunk 2077.

“Since ‘Neuromancer’ was published decades ago, prior to the proliferation of the internet, it gives readers a perspective on where we were at the start of the digital age and where Gibson thought we would be now. The book also introduced the concept of cyberspace—a digital representation of a world we can walk into—which is highly informative on how technology has influenced the way we use, create and distribute information,” Hart said.

For those who are interested in the cyberpunk genre, Hart recommends the book for its prescient and insightful observations and commentaries on various aspects of modern society.

Gibson’s unconventional style and his special talent for capturing otherworldly details and analyzing the peculiarity of life will likely continue to inspire countless science fiction readers, writers and creatives for years to come.

12

FEATURE: WORLD SpaceX’s Starlink

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY MANASA SRIRAJ

Hungry for profits, Mexican cartels dominate the avocado trade

Yong Ooi

Raymond Dai Opinions Editor

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, people across the globe have been rushing to aid Ukrainians and their fight for freedom. One of the country’s most well-known international supporters is Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. According to The Verge, in February, Musk used Starlink—SpaceX’s endeavor to launch a mega-constellation of over 42,000 network satellites into orbit—to help reconnect Ukrainians to the web after a series of outages. This event demonstrates that in a world where internet connectivity is more critical than ever before, Starlink is a hopeful prospect in achieving the 21st-century goal of providing fast and affordable internet access to communities around the world.

Starlink has launched 895 satellites since 2019, completing its beta testing phase in October 2021—which added over 90,000 customers to its service. Business Insider explains that some Starlink users have experienced internet speeds of 175 megabits per second with the technology, even faster than advertised.

While this success greatly boosts the promise of Starlink, many fear that the project will contribute to a growing space junk crisis because it involves launching so many satellites.

As Business Insider finds, around 2.5% of Starlink’s spacecrafts have failed performance tests, with some disintegrating into space debris— which is nearly impossible to clean up.

Although this failure rate seems low, the sheer size of the Starlink mega-constellation will likely cause the space debris to build up in small increments, creating a mass of over 1,000 inoperative school desk-sized satellites circling the planet. This can be dangerous to other spacecrafts and even astronauts, as bits of this space junk can break off into space and travel faster than bullets. Fortunately, SpaceX claims that its satellites will naturally exit their orbits and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere if the propulsion systems fail.

Furthermore, while Starlink may have initial flaws, its projected benefits are enormous and far outweigh the risks. As PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), a network of accounting firms, articulates, increasing internet connectivity to a global scale could lift 500 million people out of poverty while adding $6.7 trillion to the global economic output.

Since it was introduced to the country, Starlink has become the most-downloaded app in Ukraine, per Forbes. Trends such as these serve as evidence that Starlink is already capable of fulfilling its purpose, and the technology’s coverage will only strengthen and expand over time.

Despite its current shortcomings, Starlink has incredible potential to introduce the power of the internet throughout the world and provide new economic opportunities for all. As long as possible issues with space debris can be thoroughly addressed and managed while prices remain reasonable, the future of Starlink is undoubtedly bright.

The day before the Super Bowl— when Americans consume over 8 million pounds of avocados—the U.S. enacted a seven-day ban on avocado imports from Mexico, resulting in a spike in avocado prices.

With Americans demanding an explanation, the event called attention to the strong grip that cartels have over Mexico’s avocado industry.

The avocado ban was instituted out of concern for the safety of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector working in Michoacán—the only Mexican state fully licensed to trade avocados with the U.S.— who received a threat from a cartel in mid-February for refusing to authorize the shipment of an incorrectly labeled avocado carton. With 80% of all avocados consumed in the U.S. imported from Mexico, according to The Conversation, the suspension created a severe backlog in the American avocado inventory.

Every year, Michoacán transports nearly $2.8 billion worth of avocados to the U.S. In total, Mexico exports roughly $3.2 billion worth of the fruit annually, making their avocado market worth more than that of tequila and beer. The high demand for avocados worldwide began attracting local cartels looking for lucrative businesses to infiltrate in the late 1990s. The number of avocado cartels only grew in the late 2000’s, when Mexico began cracking down on drug trafficking; avocado trafficking became a less risky way to make even larger profits.

Various parts of Mexico’s avocado industry have moved in and out of

gang control ever since, making cartel violence against federal officers commonplace. The Associated Press writes that a group of USDA inspectors operating in Ziracuaretiro, a region in Michoacán, were robbed and threatened by a cartel in 2019. It further reports that in 2020, a Mexican USDA employee was killed in Tijuana by a local cartel.

Aside from USDA workers, avocado growers, pickers, investors and truck drivers are also frequently threatened by the various cartels in the region. Cartels initially entered the avocado industry by promising security services for farms in exchange for a land tax.

However, these services have dwindled over time, while the tax remained in place. Eventually, some cartels started DANA LIM ART illegally deforesting land to start their own avocado farms, and residents in avocado-growing communities would be caught in the crossfire between rival gangs.

“The avocado ban is justified, but it was a bit extreme. The U.S. should start combating the gang violence in more effective ways, such as increasing

Viewpoint Editor

domestic production of avocados to decrease reliance on the gang-controlled orchards,” Freshman Jay Li said.

The Los Angeles Times adds that as organized crime groups fight for greater control over the avocado trade, they kill, threaten and sometimes even kidnap members of competitor gangs as well as civilians in Michoacán. Moreover, these cartels have repeatedly coerced avocado farm workers to provide free labor for them, often at gunpoint. Despite this and the incidents with the USDA officers, Mexican President Andrés Lopez Obrador only blamed politics and American dislike of Mexican avocados for the recent ban.

“The Mexican president used a red herring to sweep the issues with cartel violence into the shadows. He should have sent in military personnel to ensure the safety of avocado w o r ke r s or begun repairing the avocado industry’s infrastructure in response to the ban,” Senior Vedanth Iyer said.

Overall, the avocado ban highlights the political and social instability in the center of a business that fuels the Mexican economy and supplies Americans with one of their most beloved food products. As cartels maintain their strong hold on the industry, avocado farmers in Michoacán continue to live in the midst of dangers including street violence and extortion, sometimes even pushing them out of their homes.

Engulfed in the feminist Green Wave, Colombia decriminalizes abortion

Keirah Chen

After decades of fighting for women’s reproductive rights, pro-abortion activists in Colombia celebrated a historic victory outside of the Supreme Court of Justice in Bogotá, the capital. On Feb. 21, the Court ruled 5-4 to legalize abortion for fetuses up to 24 weeks old, challenging abortion laws that Colombia has upheld since 2006.

For 15 years, abortions were only considered legal in Colombia if the mother’s life was in danger, the pregnancy resulted from rape or the fetus was fatally deformed. Under the recent decision, these restrictions still apply to women who are pregnant for longer than 24 weeks, but any circumstance can warrant a legal abortion as long as it occurs before that time mark.

The ruling was spurred by a series of demonstrations sweeping Colombia as part of the Green Wave, a grassroots feminism movement advocating prochoice beliefs. At marches and protests, activists demanded changes in abortion laws, brandishing green handkerchiefs and posters—a color synonymous with the fight for legal abortion in Argentina, where the Green Wave movement emerged in 2020. The protests have now spread throughout Latin America.

Promising to liberalize the nation, President Alberto Fernández of Argentina signed a bill that would legalize voluntary abortions in December 2020. Soon after, Uruguay and Cuba followed in Argentina’s footsteps but recieved notable backlash from religious evangelicals, who

believe that abortion at any time after conception is murder and should be illegal. To demonstrate their opposition to the rulings, religious groups often lobbied outside of health clinics known to administer abortions.

Home to more than 425 million Catholics—almost 40% of the world’s total Catholic population, per the Pew Research Center—religious teachings have a major stronghold in Latin America, even influencing federal law. With abortion often stigmatized and considered sinful in traditional Catholic ideologies, legal abortion has historically been heavily restricted in Latin America. For instance, Chile, Uruguay and Cuba entirely prohibited abortion until recently, and countries such as Brazil, Peru and Mexico had strict abortion laws with limited exceptions. Consequently, women— especially those in low-income areas— often turned to illegal and dangerous

DANA LIM ART

Entertainment & Student Spotlight Editor

abortion procedures that often led to sickness and death. In fact, according to the New York Times, over 70 deaths a year in Latin America are caused by abortions gone wrong.

“...activists brandished green handkerchiefs and posters—a color synonymous with the fight for legal abortion in Argentina, where the Green Wave movement emerged in 2020...”

“Besides being unjust, strict abortion laws are also ineffective—they do not actually prevent people from getting abortions, as desperate women are still willing resort to unsafe, life-threatening procedures. Many lives could be saved if more Latin American countries eased their restrictions on abortion,” Junior Samika Mathada said.

Despite the progress in Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and, recently, Columbia, several other Latin American countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador still uphold complete bans on abortion.

However, the Green Wave advocates are persistent— they continue to hold demonstrations in these countries, determined to convince them to decriminalize abortion and thereby extend greater personal freedom to their citizens.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

13

FEATURE: WORLD

DESIGN BY MANASA SRIRAJ

Amid calls for equity, a new SCOTUS justice is nominated

Brave Browser

Nicole Mui

Staff Writer

Out of the 114 justices to ever serve Court, potentially helping diversify Although these cases on the Supreme Court, only six have the Court’s rulings over several show that Jackson is an been non-white or female, and none have decades,” Senior Julian experienced judge, her had experience in criminal conviction Moghaddasi said. past rulings do not come 2015: Pierce v. District of or defense. After Justice Stephen Breyer Jackson’s judicial without controversy: 10 Columbia vacated his seat in January, President record consists of many verdicts, including the one As presiding judge, Joe Biden nominated Associate Justice cases concerning former regarding the DHS, have for advocated Jackson Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme president Donald Trump. been overruled by federal more humane treatment Court, citing her identity as a Black In 2019, she ruled that Circuit Courts.

Taking this of prisoners, ruling that woman and her expertise in criminal law White House Counsel into account, Republican it was unlawful for D.C. as a former public attorney. However, Don McGahn could Senators express skepticism to deny a deaf inmate Jackson’s nomination faces partisan not investigate over Jackson’s political American Sign Language disagreements in the Senate, Russian objectivity, concerned that she (ASL) interpretation where representatives debate might turn the Supreme Court services. the possibility of her holding a radically left—which could lead biased judicial philosophy. progressive groups to undermine the Jackson’s childhood was interference with court’s legitimacy.

2019: Make the Road shaped by constitutional law: the 2016 elections Each representative’s opinion New York, et al. v. Kevin As the daughter of an attorney, without testifying comes from their understanding of how McAleenan she grew up witnessing court before Congress Jackson’s political ideology might predict In this D.C. U.S. District rulings involving the Civil Rights due to separation her court rulings. For example, Brookings Court case, Jackson Act of the 1960s. After graduating of powers within Institute finds that former Justice Anthony ruled against a Trump from Harvard Law School, the government.

Kennedy’s ruling in favor of legalizing gay Administration proposal Jackson went on to represent Earlier that marriage overruled many state laws, and that would have sped up several defendants accused of year, she some are worried that liberal decisions by deportations, noting how drug crimes and lowered penalties opposed Jackson will restructure Court powers in a the policy “might impact for cocaine use as a Vice Chair of the similar way. real people.”

U.S. Sentencing Commission. Although On the contrary, The National Review Jackson is expected to shift the direction of Court precedents in cases where race BEOMHEE KIM ART and gender are significant, she claimed in a proposal a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing from the that her identity is not a factor in D e p a r t m e nt 2021: Trump v. Thompson her rulings—rather, the determinant of Homeland Joining in a unanimous in her final evaluations is always Security vote with the other two constitutional law.

(DHS) to judges in the Washington “While Jackson’s confirmation e x p a n d D.C. Circuit Court, Jackson will not change the Supreme their forced decided to reject former Court’s current conservative removal of President Donald Trump’s majority, her young age will undocumented request to maintain ensure a long-term liberal immigrants, citing the confidentiality of voice in the a violation of documents relating to the procedural law.

Jan. 6 insurrection.

Infographic: Significant decisions of Ketanji Brown Jackson Compiled by Aaron Dalton Staff Writer

and the Congressional Research Service find that political ideology is a difficult metric for predicting Jackson’s judicial philosophy—her prior verdicts mostly followed court precedent and accorded to the Constitution’s original meaning rather than her own interpretations.

While uncertainty still surrounds how Jackson will impact future Supreme Court rulings, her confirmation may help boost the confidence Black and female groups have in their court systems according to University of Colorado civil rights law professor Suzette Malveuax.

“By nominating Jackson, Biden emphasizes the representation of marginalized groups in a predominately white judicial space. Jackson’s unique identity as a Black woman may fuel a progression towards race and gender equality in all aspects of American life,” Sophomore Abhinav Arunkumar said.

Larry Ye Community & School News Editor

Google Chrome currently dominates the internet browser industry, serving over 60% of users across all platforms per GlobalStats.

However, the browser is often criticized for its high CPU consumption and privacy intrusions. On the other hand, the newly developed browser Brave optimizes the browsing experience by prioritizing speed and protecting users’ privacy without compensating Chrome’s positives.

Brave was co-founded by Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript, and Brian Bondy, former employee at Khan Academy, Mozilla and Evernote. Since it is based on Chromium—the same platform that powers Google Chrome— Brave looks and functions similarly to Chrome with a few key differences that make it worth the switch.

The most notable distinction between Brave and Chrome involves memory and power saving. Thanks to optimizations in the script, Brave can load pages faster than Chrome while conserving battery life and bandwidth.

These features allow me to keep various tabs open all at once and be much more efficient while working online.

Additionally, the browser has an effective and streamlined built-in ad blocker known as Brave Shields, which blocks all ads, trackers and thirdparty cookies. Although installing an ad-blocking extension in Chrome serves the same purpose, this takes up additional memory.

To avoid completely cutting off revenue for ad-reliant websites, Brave allows users to opt-in to the Brave Private Ads network for non-intrusive ad notifications. Known as Brave Rewards, users are gifted crypto tokens for clicking on ads, which they can then trade for gift cards, other currencies or tips for their favorite websites.

Brave offers users more privacy options with two different types of private windows, both of which are compatible with Shields. The first, which is similar to Chrome’s Incognito Mode, allows users to browse without saving their history, cookies or submitted data; however, users’ activity could still be visible to their internet service provider or employer.

In contrast, the second type of private window available on Brave includes Tor, a free open-source software that keeps users’ specific online activity fully confidential.

Overall, Brave greatly outperforms Chrome in privacy and task execution, heightening users’ digital security and productivity, and its familiar design makes it an easy-to-use alternative for Chrome users.

overall app-eal

Brave Browser (5/5)

+ privacy-oriented + less resource-intensive - unnecessary features

14

SPORTS Manasa Sriraj

APRIL 7, 2022 DESIGN BY PAVANA UPADHYAYA

Behind coveted medals: Severe abuse in youth athletics Feature World Editor

ELLIE KIM ART

Following the development that an endurance-enhancing drug was detected in her December 2021 doping test, 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva was almost stripped of several achievements in the Beijing Winter Olympics, including the record of the first female Olympian to land a quadruple jump, a gold medal in team figure skating and a chance to represent her country in individual figure skating. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) simply postponed Valieva’s medal ceremonies, allowing her to participate in the individual figure skating event.

Typically for failed doping tests, athletes face punishments such as heavy fines, being prohibited from competing for up to four years or having their awards rescinded. However, the CAS did not penalize Valieva for her positive result, citing the World Anti-Doping Agency’s “protected persons” condition—which states that athletes under the age of 16 may face reduced consequences for

Aaron Dalton

doping­. They also added that the release of Valieva’s test results may have been faulty, and a ban from the Olympics could cost the young athlete her career.

While Valieva’s age stopped her from facing severe consequences in this case, young athletes are often subject to more abuse and mistreatment, as incidents in environments ranging from large-scale sporting events to recreational sports clubs have shown.

As stated by Vox, Valieva’s coach Eteri Tutberidze has a history of forcing her younger students to take performanceenhancing drugs, train for 12 hours a day despite injuries and severely limit food intake—sometimes so strictly that they develop eating disorders— in order to suppress puberty-related weight gain. However, Tutberidze has gained international acclaim for shaping a number of her students into international champions before they turned 18, prompting sports organizations and audiences to overlook her coaching methods—despite so many of her students retiring extremely young and opening up about their experiences under Tutberidze to the media.

Abuse of child athletes can also take more extreme forms and is not limited to professional sports. Human Rights Watch describes that physical and sexual assault of young athletes under the premise of improving their physical and mental strength is rampant in Japan. This has contributed to increased psychological trauma among Japanese youth: For instance, the 17-year-old captain of an Osaka high school’s boys basketball team committed suicide in 2012 after being repeatedly beaten by his coach. NBC accounts how McKayla Maroney and other members of the USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team gave testimonies about being molested as children by their team physician, Larry

Nassar. As detailed in the documentary “Athlete A,” the gymnasts were also overworked, harshly berated for gaining weight and slapped for making mistakes in their routine by coaches, with supervisors turning a blind eye from these practices to avoid damaging USA Gymnastics’s reputation. Similarly, in November 2021, former male athletes from the University of Michigan and Ohio State University— representing sports including football, basketball and wrestling—collectively led a demonstration highlighting the sexual assault they endured from their team doctors during checkups.

According to psychoanalyst Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, the widespread expectation that children must unconditionally obey the adults in their lives makes younger makes younger athletes almost powerless against coaches and administrators; child athletes’ allegations of coach misconduct are often neglected or invalidated because they challenge coaches’ long-held authority. As seen in the Gymnastics case, sports federations’ primary intention is often winning medals, whih protects their public image and making money—even if it means allowing abusive coaches to continue working with youth.

“Student-athletes are taught to look up to and learn from coaches just because they are older and told to accept coaches’ statements as absolute.

This hierarchical culture often alienates young athletes that see certain matters differently than their coaches, allowing coaches to compel young athletes into taking actions they may not agree with,” Cooper Rosenberg ’22 said.

The Conversation reports that since older athletes have a better understanding of their rights and the seriousness

of assault as well as direct answerability for cheating allegations, they are less likely to remain silent about abuse from their coaches and peers. This makes athlete abuse less common in environments with higher minimum age requirements. Sports with unions, including Major League Baseball and the National Football League, also have an advantage in combating athlete mistreatment: The combined strength of their athletes’ testimonies and influence helps raise awareness about this issue and prompt change. Due to sexism, sexual assault occurs much more frequently in female-dominated sports than in male-dominated sports.

This has contributed to the creation of organizations like the Women’s Sports Foundation, which works to break barriers that prevent more females from becoming involved in athletics— including harassment.

“Children cannot recognize the signs of abuse as quickly as adults, preventing them from reporting abuse. By increasing young athletes’ access to authorities and raising awareness about how common young athlete mistreatment is, we can help end this currently unchecked cycle of harassment,” an anonymous student said.

Capable of improving physical and mental health and encouraging socialization and collaboration, sports are widely considered a keystone activity of childhood. But until further acknowledgments and actions are made by athletics federations to stop the abuse of child athletes—whether they are world champions or members of recreational teams—this common occurrence may continue to overshadow the benefits of sports for youth around the world.

From classroom to court: Teacher-coaches serve up guidance

While most of their colleagues leave campus after the school day wraps up, several staff members head to the athletic facilities as coaches. They serve a dual role: academic teachers as well as sports coaches. The positions of teacher and coach may have drastic differences, but they share the similar purpose of helping students to achieve their personal best.

Patrick Stoltz, English Department, serves as the head coach of the Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Tennis teams. Stoltz started playing tennis recreationally after college and found that he enjoyed the sport. Seven years ago, after a last-minute change to the tennis coaching staff for the school’s team, Stoltz stepped in to be the head coach, even though he had never coached before.

Stoltz found that he enjoyed the job and has become a fixture in the school’s tennis team. To this day, Stoltz applies some of the skills he uses in teaching towards his role as a coach to help athletes train and improve their skills.

“For me, coaching is a way to meet new students and play more tennis. One of the advantages to being a coach and a teacher is that it is often easier to bond with students as their coach because the athletic environment is more casual. When I have a player as a student in one of my classes, I already have built a relationship with them on the tennis team, so they know me and they feel more comfortable asking me for help,” Stoltz said.

While coaches and players have the opportunity to form a close relationship, Stoltz stresses that as a teacher, he upholds professional standards and always maintains an appropriate demeanor, even on the court. His students who are on the tennis team feel that the relationship they have with their coach outside of the classroom helps them to feel more positively about their academics.

The head coach of the school’s badminton team, Annie Larks, English Department, played the sport throughout high school and then coached for two seasons during college. Her past experience gives her perspective on the demands student-athletes encounter.

“Because I am also a teacher, I have a true understanding of what an athlete’s workload is like at school so I can be flexible to support students. The strategies I use in the classroom apply to coaching as well. For instance, I break down skills into small sections for students to learn.

Therefore, students and athletes can

process the information step by step,” Larks said.

Nationwide, the exact number of high school teacher-coaches is unknown, according to Dan Schuster, the director of coach education at the National Federation of High Schools; however, the number is declining partly due to increased responsibilities for both roles.

Dr. Ferman Konukman, Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education at State University of New York, and colleagues have conducted research that suggests that educators who also have coaching duties experience higher levels of burnout and job stress. However, the positive impacts of having adult mentors for adolescents have been widely recognized. A recent study from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California Los Angeles about the influence sports coaches have on high school students implies that this relationship has the potential to shape positive selfconcepts and reduce risk-taking behaviors.

Beyond the school, movies and television series have often highlighted the powerful bond between coaches and students.

For example, actor Jason Sudeikis based

Staff Writer his series “Ted Lasso” on his own high school math teacher and basketball coach, Donnie Campbell, who said that getting to know students and learning to embrace mistakes were important to both his roles as a teacher and a coach.

A large part of teaching involves coaching students to be motivated to do their best academic work. Similarly, coaching requires the ability to teach athletic skills and techniques. The few staff members that fulfill both of these roles benefit students by developing mentoring relationships and challenging them to be their best.

JULIA NAKANISHI PHOTO

Left to right: Annie Larks, English Department, coaches athletes at a badminton practice, Patrick Stoltz, English Department, gives Ethan Yamagami ’23 strategic tips at a boys’ tennis practice.

15

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

DESIGN BY KEIRAH CHEN

Art by Tina Ramezani Twitter: @ tina1383ram

Kill the Dream

Mickfly

I soon came to regret begging the moon to put me to sleep I ripped my eyes open to another reality within Even after spending several nights in this dream I’m still going somewhere; to an unknown place, to an unknown hall Excruciatingly this turns to a story that no one understands This is what happens when you don’t hold me responsible for my actions As I pour my insides out to my beloved “I love that you’re so pure, I love that you’re untainted” Utterly miserable and so perfect in visuals This is what I meant when I said I was going insane I can’t rhyme anymore, I don’t know what I’m doing Nothing makes sense as I doubt every second of it This hatred and guilt cloaking the night and the dreams that torture me It repeats every night without a single error It’s correcting the error that is me This unforgiving nightfall clocks me unconcious And in this dream, I hear your song call out weakly That jammed music box is echoing a tragic lullaby once more Tattered by time, worn by the blade The biting knife that greets us has struck once again I water my own vessel with interlacing manifestations And I am a crimson florist once again, nurturing foliage planted in slumber I hate people for feeling feelings Because I hate myself the most and I’m dying for attention My unconsciousness is reality checking every inch of my entrails And it hurts so bad because I have to quietly open my eyes Repeating the same day again and again without mercy I just end up begging myself to close my eyes once again To awaken from this deep sleep And kill the dream

Photo by Rachel Jirman “My submission is a picture of a reflected mirror tilted across the other mirror.”

—Senior Tina Ramezani

Milli Blom

Poetry: Yet Untitled

Yet untitled, my life proceeds, In a pattern of time and space The tears in my eyes form beads That roll down with a classical grace Yet untitled, my story unfolds, And my future, a white dreamy mist, Will soon flourish in silvers and golds As I learn of what my dreams consist

“This beautiful mosque constructed in the 19th century stood guard over the large city.”

—Sophomore Rachel Jirman

Art by AK

But I fear that my dreams will ring hollow, That the gold and the silver I see Are but tricks of the light through the tears in my eyes As my loneliness makes its decree Yet untitled, and maybe for good, My life is a boat on the sea, And as waves crash against its wood, I decide that what will be will be.

“My shaderpack for Minecraft consists of many handmade shaders that add things like light rays, physically based water, and a camera bloom effect.”

—AK

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!

DESIGN BY BREANNA LU

AI and Music - How Music Makes Us -

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Uncertain about how to best articulate emotionally resonant lyrics, a songwriter scraps another draft of their current project, vi Ke turning instead to a sentence randomizer app on their laptop. Entrusting artificial intelligence (AI) to generate lyrical inspiration seems counterintuitive, given the subjective nature of songwriting, but several artists have nonetheless facilitated their experimental process with this technology. A time-consuming and creativity-demanding task, songwriting requires singers to consider genre, meaning and personality, as well as listener response.

Recent AI programs have served as the springboard for creating lyrics and other song elements.

AI’s implementation in music began before its commercial ubiquity. Vice reports that in 1995, rock musician David Bowie used his own custom digital lyric randomizer to guide him in writing his song “Hallo Spaceboy.” The program relied on the “cut-up technique”—dismembering sentences of a certain excerpt and rearranging the fragments to produce a different meaning.

Boasting its versatility, AI was able to memorialize musical artists who died relatively young, including Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse. Rolling Stone states that in 2021, mental health organization Over the Bridge employed Google’s music AI program, Magenta, to pay tribute to famed singers silenced by tragedy. It analyzed the compositional styles of artists’ previous songs to recreate tracks similar in lyrical, rhythmic and melodic fusions. Yet, even with AI’s assistance, musical expertise still holds the reins; lifeless technology cannot capture emotion, so it is up to the artist to create an authentic song by adding a human quality.

“I think AI’s ability to recreate songs opens up a new path within the musical industry. I think that AI replicating music of deceased artists is a good way of honoring talent, but could be negatively viewed if done poorly. However, the intent in celebrating an artist is something I find admirable,” Sophomore Nathan Shen said.

Besides song creation, AI has been used as a platform for artists to release their music behind a virtual avatar. Popular multiplayer video game League of Legends re-dimensioned their character “Seraphine” into a virtual popstar that leads what seems to be a physical existence through a fictional social media presence. Her online music career is voiced by an actual singer who simultaneously maintains real-life anonymity and a dynamic social media persona; she is able to release music while concealing her true identity. Alternatively, music producers use “vocaloid” software to self-produce songs with not human, but computer-generated vocals, which are personified as Japanese animated characters. These characters appear as holograms in live performances, according to Virtual Humans. Vocaloid Hatsune Miku’s farreaching fanbase not only testifies for AI’s potential in the music industry, but also the idea that musical legacies can be created with symbolic abstractions rather than single persons.

On the other side of the singer-listener relationship, AI has applications for the audience as well. Bloomberg states that AI Music, an app bought

by Apple, adjusts the music playing to match the user’s current mood by measuring factors such as heart rate and temperature. A higher pulse and temperature during workouts could call for energizing, upbeat music, while more moderate levels could indicate relaxation or studying, resulting in lofiesque music. To suit users’ fluctuating preferences, music streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora operate with intelligent systems that record listening enjoyment, which is then used to customize recommended songs. Spotify also personalizes a playlist called Discover Weekly, regularly updated to fit the genres of the user’s recent listening history.

“The anonymous aspect of vocaloids benefits singers who want to debut before revealing anything about themselves. Since their appearance is not revealed, they can create music without worrying over being judged for their physical image. A good example of this is Yonezu Kenshi, who started his musical career using vocaloids and was able to garner a large fanbase while staying anonymous,” Senior Tabito Sakamoto said.

AI has impacted music in multiple ways, from recreating the lost sounds of late singers, generating lyrics ideas or personalizing recommendations for listeners. But its development is yet to arrive at its coda—music is a bifurcating garden of both new and old horizons, giving AI the space to “remaster” new generations of artists and songs.

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