Issuu

VIEWPOINT

LAST WORD American students underperform on international math test

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

Results after one decade of Common Core standards stir controversy

Examining how often students read the news

KENNETH YANG ART

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

ISSN: 2164-6996 6677 Camden Avenue San Jose, CA 95120

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT Leland High School

San Jose Unified School District

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Vol. R | No. 4

Students’ participation in charity declines

Minji Kim

The school hosts several fundraisers, including Can Jam, Family Giving Tree, Coat Drive and Pennies for Patients, to help several

Investigative Report Editor

charities during the school year. However, students’ participation in these events has declined, causing the school to donate fewer items to those in need. “They get so caught up in juggling their academics, extracurriculars, and personal lives that the school’s students often either forget that the donation drive exists in the first place or they forget how fortunate they are compared to many others in their community,” Senior Sonia Savur said. Each fall, the school hosts Can Jam, where students bring cans to their fourth period classes. The class that collects the most cans receives a pizza party. In 2017, the school collected approximately 2,623 pounds of canned

food, which was 147 more than in 2016. However, in 2018, 1,502 pounds of canned food were collected and 2,281 in 2019. Furthermore, Pennies for Patients in the spring collected $1,870 in 2016, $1,632.46 in 2018 and $1,303.96 in 2019. Although these numbers do not show a constant decline in donations, there is still a significant decrease in donations compared to past years. Although the reasons for declining participation in school charities are unknown, Americans have recently seen a general trend in decreasing charity donations. A study by the University of Mich. found that 68.5 percent of Americans donated to charities in 2002, while 53.1 percent did in 2016.

“I donate because especially for events like Can Jam, not only can I help poorer families in the community who need the food, but I can also get rid of spare food in my house. Furthermore, charities are really helpful in promoting a sense of unity in the community. Students may be donating less nowadays due to preoccupation with other events, such as big projects, tests or classes, making them forget to bring donations. Another reason might be a lack of motivation. Some people may feel that the charities are not very relevant to their lives, or they may agree with the cause but are too lazy to actually donate,” Sophomore Iris Zhou said. Continued on School News, page 2

KENNETH YANG ART

Caroline Brew

RACHEL KIM ART

Students barred from competing in FBLA tournaments Editor-in-Chief

Last year, the Calif. Department of Education (CDE) enforced a set of laws that requires schools affiliated with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization to have Career Technical Education (CTE) certified advisers and enroll students in business classes. Because the school does not meet those requirements, the club was given a one year grace period to continue competing at tournaments. In December, Molly Anderson, the CDE board member enforcing these laws, deemed the school’s proposal to become an affiliated chapter unviable. Thus, FBLA has been rebranded as Leland Business Association (LBA) and the club can no longer attend FBLA tournaments to showcase their financial literacy and business skills. “I was devastated when I found out that I had to tell the 92 students who have been preparing all year to compete that their hard work would not come to fruition,” Co-Adviser of LBA Tracy Hall, Math Department, said. Anderson did not accept the school’s proposal to continue competing because the school does not meet any of the primary criteria: FBLA advisers do not hold a CTE credential, the school does not offer at least two courses related to business, there are no concrete plans to implement a business pathway and the courses the school offers cannot be incorporated into CTE curriculum.

The club’s advisers, Suzanne Paulazzo, Social Science Department, and Hall cannot earn a CTE credential because they have not worked in business prior to

teaching—a CTE prerequisite. “No one in San Jose Unified holds the right CTE credential. In order for me to get the credential they demand, I would have to quit my job, work in business for three years and then come back to teaching,” Hall said. The school also does not offer business classes to fulfill the CTE requirement, due to the curriculum not offering many

supplemental electives because of the emphasis put on AP courses and meeting A-G requirements. “The CDE decided to implement these re q u i re m e nt s because they wanted more districts to offer their kids business education. However, their plan relies on the idea that students will

the business curriculum offered in CTE classes. Since the school does not offer business classes, students self studied for competitions and demonstrated their competency in the material by placing at tournaments and qualifying to state and nationals. However, students no longer have as great of an incentive to learn this material because they cannot compete. LBA will continue to host guest speakers and teach lessons on business fundamentals. Principal Peter Park suggested that the school hosts its own convention with the other schools, such as Mountain View and Los Altos, that were also forced to shut down because they failed to meet the requirements. These conventions would be significantly smaller than FBLA’s and would feature more guest speakers and activities instead of focusing on test taking and EVELYN LIU ART competing in individual events. Hall estimates that Bay Section protest and force their administration FBLA will lose at least a fourth of its to become in compliance with those chapter because of these regulations. standards. I do not think most schools “I am not hopeful that we will are going to implement business courses become affiliated with FBLA again, but and hire business teachers just so they I still think that the club will bring value can have FBLA. This just cuts off a lot of to the school’s campus. Financial literacy students from competing,” Senior Amy is important, as well as learning how to Zhou, President of LBA, said. network and building connections with The CDE is enforcing these laws speakers and business people in the area. I because FBLA is considered a co-curricular have learned about what business really is activity. Students’ participation in the and how it link to other areas of expertise,” activity is supposed to be an extension of Zhou said.

NEWS OPINION FEATURE VIEWPOINT SPORTS LAST WORD 1

JANUARY 22, 2020

NEWS

Drama students write, direct and perform original comedy skits Claire Han School News Editor The curtains rise as Drama’s production of “Comic Shorts” comes to life on stage. As audience members eat a pasta meal from their seats, cast members perform five shorts on stage, featuring “Wattpad Live” directed by Sophomore Daniella Lau, “The Common Joe Sho” directed by Seniors Ben Cuevas and Dylan Wojsiat, “The Complex Complex of Dusty White” directed by Senior Simon Levchenko, “Riverdale: SNL” directed by Senior Tiffany Mai and “A Cosmic Tale” directed by Sophomore Nick Yen. Differing from drama’s fall and spring plays, Comic Shorts is entirely studentdirected and run. “The ideas for each part of the show truly came to life by the cast members themselves. The directors each had to complete a proposal giving a plot overview and the technology requirements, clarifying whether they decided to write an original script or find one online,” Drama Adviser Melissa Webb, English Department, said. Four of the five shorts are original pieces, while “Riverdale: SNL” is accredited to a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch originally starring Pete Davidson

and Halsey. The students used the same script but portrayed it from the perspective of high school students. Several of the sketches poked fun at pop culture and current trends. For instance, in “Wattpad Live,” the plot parodied typical poorly written online fanfiction written by Generation Z-ers, showcasing a love story between a stereotypical “bad boy” falling for a “nerdy girl.” The production encompassed multiple genres, from ironic parodies such as “Riverdale: SNL” and “Wattpad Live” to a humorous mystery in “The Common Joe Sho” and the science fiction “A Cosmic Tale.” “It was cool to see an all student-run play, especially since that meant that the writing was for the most part all original. It felt more personal and interesting to watch because I could both appreciate their acting as well as their writing. I felt that their strongest point was how they could write about topical things that only high schoolers would know to joke about, like Wattpad, scripts you would not find online,” Senior Lauren Zheng said. The directors casted and practiced with the actors over three weeks to create short ten to fifteen minute sketches on stage. The students also made the props themselves. For “A Cosmic Tale,” Yen designed and constructed the ship central to the plot by himself. Next, drama will be showcasing the spring musical Bring It On: The Musical on April 2 at 4 p.m. and April 3-4 and 8-10 at 7 p.m.

YU YI LU PHOTO

WENDY LEE PHOTO

Left: Cuevas gives a monologue in “Riverdale: SNL.” Bottom: Senior Natasha Denton and Sophomore Irene Kang portray their characters in “Riverdale: SNL.” Middle: Levchenko and Junior Kiana Tavakoli recite their lines on stage in “A Cosmic Tale.” Right: Mai introduces the show’s shorts to the audience.

Minji Kim

Students’ participation in charity declines cont. Investigative Report Editor

Because of declining student participation, the Associated Student Body (ASB) looks being covered in the classroom. Students should be giving because they care about for new ways students can become more involved in donating to their community. Every others who do not have enough, not because they are getting something in return,” Chris November, ASB used to host the Family Giving Tree event, where students choose a tag Barros, History and Foreign Language Department said. with an underprivileged child’s Christmas gift wish to purchase and give the present to In addition to the charities ASB hosts, the school also has many clubs that donate on ASB to wrap and deliver them. Due to the increased specificity in gift wishes, the event their own. Can Club works with the Second Harvest Food Bank to donate cans to people has not been as successful as in the past. Thus, ASB introduced the in the area that need food, while Fashion Club runs the annual charity Coat Drive this year for students to donate warm winter clothes, Clothing Drive. which is more convenient than buying new gifts to donate. By the “Can Club specifically works with Second Harvest Food end of the coat drive, 729 coats had been donated. Bank, and we volunteer at specific food distribution To encourage students to participate in events. Over the past year and a half, I have gotten charity events, some teachers offer to know a lot of families that are receiving food extra credit for donating. Julie and the thought of them not having proper Montgomery, Math Department, meals continues to push me to volunteer offered students points for giving to the and try to get others to donate as well,” community and won the 2019 Can Jam Junior Alyssa Blodgett, President of pizza party. Can Club, said. “I do not normally give extra Despite the decrease in charity credit for Can Jam, but I know that my participation, the school continues course is difficult, so I wanted to give them that to host many charities because opportunity. However, I do believe in giving organizations like Second Harvest of Silicon Valley because it is the right thing to do, so I asked students greatly benefit from student donations. LI ART to bring 10 cans or 10 pounds of food for one extra “We are beyond thankful for the support we GRACE credit point so that they could at least make the receive from youth in schools. The gifts of money, extra credit meaningful,” Montgomery said. food and volunteerism make a needed difference Although many teachers offer extra credit to in Second Harvest being able to provide food encourage students to donate, many do not as they to over a quarter-million people every month. It is believe students should not be donating simply to inspiring to see the leaders of tomorrow stepping in to make benefit themselves. a difference today,” Jeremy Loader, Community Relations Officer of “Grades should reflect the curriculum and how well students Second Harvest Silicon Valley, said. have mastered it instead of extra credit that is not relevant to what is

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

Ansh Dhakalia

Calif. DMV sells personal data for monetary gains

NEWS Staff Writer

Motherboard, a technology news company, uncovered in November that Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) branches across the United States sold customer information to thousands of companies, such as LexisNexis, an application that sells information to lawyers, bankers and local governments. The data sold includes names, date of birth, job occupations and income. Columbia Broadcasting System reported that over three thousand drivers in San Diego had their data, including their Social Security numbers and immigrant status, sold to county governments for background checks. In response, DMV spokeswoman Anita Gore said that they plan to “correct this error, protect this information and reaffirm [their] serious commitment to protect the privacy rights of all license holders.” Gore said only insurance or vehicle manufacturers could view the data. However, Above The Law reported that the DMV sold data to thousands of unauthorized buyers, such as Experian, a credit and loans reporting company. The DMV plans to cut off all ongoing and future driver information deals in August and issue letters to affected drivers. According to Fox Business, Insurance Information Exchange, American

Driving Records and various private detectives have been making hundreds of data deals with the Calif. DMV in the past decade. Some companies use this data

IVAN ZHU ART for personalized marketing to target specific parties and increase profits, whereas other organizations utilize the information to conduct studies on populations for research purposes. “The DMV said that they only sell data to proper customers who need the information for technical needs. My trust

Quotebox: How do you feel about the Calif. DMV selling personal data to businesses? “Recently, Facebook’s release of users’ personal identity has caused a lot of controversy as it allowed breechers to fake their identity. Similarly, I think it is detrimental and extremely irresponsible of the DMV to sell individuals’ data, especially since people submit a lot of private information to the DMV.” —Junior Dheerj Jasuja

in the DMV, a government organization, has lessened after hearing about this selling of personal data,” Sophomore Aadi Tabada said. In 2018, Vice obtained a document that reported the Calif. DMV’s

income from data brokering as around $50 million—a $10 million increase from 2014. In response to the publicized evidence, DMV officer Marty Greenstein announced that this data transaction resulted in a large sum of money for the betterment of road asphalt and

February Jan. 23 Cash for College Night

“If the DMV wants to give businesses information on driver’s personal identities, they should be required to ask the individuals before leaking their data. However, personally, I do not care about what the DMV decides to do with my identity because I am still a minor and do not possess anything of value such as insurance or credit cards.” —Junior Nikhil Chandra

Feb. 12 Blood Drive Feb. 17-21 Febuary Break

driver safety. Greenstein also reported that the DMV monitors the companies on how the data is used and completes a written agreement signed by both parties for each deal. The 2018 Calif. Consumer Privacy Act was passed following reports of consumer rights violations. Thus, drivers will now be informed on which parts of their data are being sold and can file a report to keep their data confidential. The act was brought into effect on Jan. 1, according to Wired. “The news of the DMV selling private driver information was shocking. I do not feel safe knowing that my personal data is available to third party buyers and am happy that laws are being made to stop this,” Sophomore Danibel Kasbari said. In the 1994 Schaeffer case, an investigator paid the DMV to obtain actress Rebecca Schaeffer’s current address, which was then passed on to the client who proceeded to stalk and kill Schaeffer. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) was passed later in 1994 to secure driver confidentiality. The DPPA was created so that only authorized or well intentioned users could purchase driver data. However, the DMV’s recent selling of data reveals that stricter regulations may need to be enforced.

Quotebox: What was the biggest problem that Calif. had to deal with in the past years? “Even though it has not specifically affected me, I think wildfires are a growing concern in the state. With Calif.’s population increasing, houses are being built closer to forested areas, leaving families prone to wildfires as the climate becomes more arid and the forests become drier.” —Senior Ho Hsin Wang “Although the housing crisis in Calif. is not a natural disaster, I think it is a large problem the state faces. Especially at our school, teachers are coming and going because of such a high cost of living. This issue is statewide as millions of people are being affected by the expensive housing, forcing many people to leave.” —Senior Channon Zuo

Compiled by Ashley Lee, Staff Writer

Compiled by Nam Nguyen, Staff Writer

Calif. attempts to gain a fresh start for the new decade Ridge Coffey and Javier GomezTagle Staff Writers

Named the fifth largest economy in the world in 2018, Calif.’s economy has grown at twice the pace of the United States. However, with droughts, wildfires, blackouts and a housing crisis plaguing the state, Calif. may not be able to continue prospering economically. Calif. began the decade with one of the biggest droughts in its history, lasting from 2011 to March 2019. Approximately 153,000 acres and 14,000 homes were burned from the Calif. wildfires. In addition to these environmental issues, the homeless share in Calif. has reached double the national share, with about 69 percent of the population unsheltered compared to 35 percent. In fact, the Bay Area has the third largest homeless population in the country, according to KQED. This is likely due to the housing crisis; the median cost for a house in the Bay Area is almost $1 million—a seventy percent increase from 2012. “PG&E is the biggest problem I have noticed within the past few years for the Bay Area. They first went bankrupt becuase of lawsuits regarding their faulty equipment, their wires have caused multiple fires and they have been shutting power off which has

caused even more issues,” Junior Nicky Gian said.

Calif. plans to address s eve ra l of these issues u p o n entering the next decade. PG&E is regriding dangerous power lines that could cause wildfires like the ones seen last year and planning to reorganize their business model to solve their financial issues, according to Vox. However, it could take up to a decade to regrid all of the poles.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has set up partnerships with Apple, Google and other tech companies to fund the building of more housing in the Silicon Valley via donations, according to the Los Angeles Times. While the details have not been completely fleshed out yet, the funds raised are expected to go to the hundreds of thousands of people suffering from housing instability. “The government either needs to raise money for housing or build communal living for the homeless until they can get back on their feet or else a lot of people are not going to have anywhere to turn,” Junior Andrew Salah said. Calif. has been able to solve its previous issues through statewide efforts. For example, in 1947, when air quality b e c a m e a blatant issue in large cities RACHEL KIM ART such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif.

authorized the Air Pollution Control Districts, according to the Los Angeles Times. The agency helped minimize the issue and manages the state’s air quality to this day. Similar public policies could help solve the wildfire threats and housing crisis by repairing electric lines and building shelters. However, Calif.’s policies often conflict with federal ones, and thus, do not receive federal funding For instance, in 1967, Gov. Ronald Regan passed a waiver for Calif. to set its own fuel standards stricter than the rest of the nation to decrease pollution and mitigate climate change. The waiver was renewed every four years until the Trump administration attempted to veto it, according to the Washington Post. If Calif. continues to face prosecution from the federal government while attempting to combat other issues, it may take longer for proposed solutions to go into effect. “With the right decisions and proper action taken by both the Calif. legislature and the federal government, the state can definitely bounce back from their slump in the past couple of years,” Junior Brian Kim said.

JANUARY 22, 2020

OPINIONS

From live streams to live TV: Lilly Singh’s late night show

Ansh Dhakalia and Hannah Moon

The Charger Account Leland High School 6677 Camden Ave. San Jose, CA 95120-2142 (408) 535-6290 lelandchargeraccount.com

EDITORS IN CHIEF Caroline Brew, Felisha Fan, Matthew Ho, Jason Yang COPY AND MANAGING EDITORS Eric Zhang, Yana Kouretas ART AND PHOTO DIRECTORS Ivan Zhu, Jonathan Ke NEWS EDITORS Claire Han, Edward Jung, Carolyn Nguyen OPINIONS EDITORS Kelly Cui, Kathy Xing FEATURE EDITORS Sophia Lu, Keerthana Ramaswamy VIEWPOINT EDITORS Yeji Jeong, Evelyn Liu ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Meghna Chandrasekar, Rishab Satakyaal LIFESTYLE EDITOR Isabel Zhou INVESTIGATIVE REPORT EDITOR Minji Kim SPORTS EDITORS Ethan Huang, Tiffany Mai Nguyen LAST WORD EDITOR Jonathan Yue AD MANAGER Sophia Lu

Staff Writers

Seated in front of a backdrop of lines detracted from her vibrant persona. fluorescent lights and dressed in a bright Some took to social media to criticize her red suit, Lilly Singh distinguishes herself overemphasis on being a minority; in her from the typical late-night television host first episode, she made six jokes about from the moment she starts speaking. being a queer woman of color within Singh first broke barriers on television last the first minute despite asserting that September when National Broadcasting the media focuses too much on labeling Company (NBC) named her the host of A her. Additionally, her attempts at social Little Late with Lilly Singh, making her the commentary are often racially charged, first queer person of color to host a late derogatory attacks on straight white night show. men. Singh’s content could appeal Singh originally rose to fame on to a much wider a u d i e n c e YouTube in 2010 under the name by covering “IISuperwomanII” and now boasts over much more 14 million subscribers. Her comedic topical issues videos draw upon her Punjabi heritage instead and current events, often advocating for feminism and the LGBTQ community. of just her “Singh has lost some relevancy as a personal identity. Youtuber, since many viewers now prefer Singh’s true younger and more relatable creators. She potential lies in should be more successful on television her interactions with an audience in the same age group,” Sophomore Prisha Bhattacharyya said. NBC hired Singh as a replacement for Carson Daly to bring a change of pace to a generally male-dominated environment. Following the footsteps of female talk show hosts like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres, Singh is one of the few to break into late night television. Fellow late night host Seth Meyers stated that Singh brought a different and fresh 50 peo perspective when compared to the ple usual host. po lled Despite Singh’s large online fanbase, .C om the first episode of A Little Late with Lilly pile db Singh averaged a 13 percent fan approval yK elly rating on an NBC poll. According to Cu i. Variety, viewers felt that Singh’s bland

Yes: 68%

The injustices faced by aspiring business leaders at the school The Charger Account Editorial Staff

COMMUNITY CIRCULATION Parent Club and Leland Bridge

Ashley Lee Hannah Moon Nam Nguyen Aileen Xie Cindy Zhao Nancy Zheng

PHOTOGRAPHERS Wendy Lee Rex Li Yu Yi Lu Diana Yousef Nejad Vy Nguyen Jeffrey Tan ARTISTS Alyssa Chen Nicole Kim Rachel Kim Tianshu (Kenneth) Yang

The Charger Account January 22, 2020 Vol. R, No. 4

No: 32%

CDE seizes student opportunities

ADVISOR Stacy Dawson

Serena Atkinson Jacob Cho Ridge Coffey Ansh Dhakalia Javier GomezTagle Muskaan Grewal Andrea Kuo

NICOLE KIM ART

ore m e b e r he s? Should t late night host mong a y t i s r dive

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Carolyn Nguyen

STAFF WRITERS

with celebrity guests. She maintains a conversational tone that comfortably eases guests into interviews. Her delivery lightens the atmosphere and smoothly integrates punchlines without disrupting the conversation. Bringing diversity and representation to late night television should be applauded. However, Singh can not solely overemphasize her contrast from mainstream media; she must take the time to focus on crucial strengths like interacting with guests and audience members to familiarize with the environment. With enough experience and learning, Singh has the potential to find her place in the late night scene.

The Calif. Department of Education’s (CDE) decision to bar students from competing in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) tournaments because they are not enrolled in business classes taught by Career Technical Education (CTE) certified advisers has deprived students of an avenue to pursue their interests in business. The CDE began enforcing this rule to ensure that students participating in FBLA have an understanding of business through the CTE curriculum. However, with 20 state qualifiers and one national qualifier last year, the club’s success is a testament to the students’ mastery of the material. The students successfully competed against schools with access to business courses, demonstrating how the CDE should recognize those who have distinguished themselves in business, regardless of where and how they obtained these skills. The club organized extensive study sessions to familiarize themselves with the material covered in multiplechoice tests, helped coach each other’s performance events and worked on projects weeks in advance to prepare for tournaments. The CDE’s decision undermines students’ efforts to succeed, despite lacking the same resources as other schools.

Enforcing these laws also risks turning FBLA into an organization that only benefits students who attend schools that can afford to implement supplemental elective classes and hire additional CTE certified teachers. In fact, because the school lacks business education courses, participating in FBLA has been the primary option for students seeking to learn more about the field. Attending tournaments allows students interested in business to meet guest speakers, attend seminars and hone their skills in management and

“The CDE should recognize those who have distinguished themselves in business, regardless of where and how they obtained these skills.”

leadership through public speaking and role-playing activities. Competing in tournaments gives students hands-on business experience they cannot gain in the classroom. Preventing students from attending competitions eliminates what is often the only exposure to business students have. In addition, companies that partner with FBLA, such as Google and Intel, offer internships to the students. Finding an internship as a high school student is already extremely difficult, especially

given the competitive nature of Silicon Valley. FBLA’s network helps students learn more about their intended career path in a semi-professional setting. The CDE should allow all students with a passion for business to take advantage of and be able to participate in these opportunities, instead of catering to select schools with the necessary resources. When the CDE rejected the school’s proposal to continue competing, the club’s officers immediately began exploring other ways to continue their business education through considering hosting their own conferences and rebranding themselves as Leland Business Association These actions demonstrate how determined students are still willing to further the passion for business they developed through FBLA. The CDE should recognize their perseverance and help improve educational opportunities for passionate students, even if their schools do not meet specific business class and teacher qualifications. With no teacher in the entirety of San Jose Unified having the necessary CTE credential, questions about the program’s exclusivity are raised. If the CDE is unwilling to change their stance on the requirements for competing in FBLA, they should look for other ways to extend the accessibility of the CTE curriculum. By inviting guest speakers to different schools and establishing conventions led by CTE instructors, the CDE can help the students who can no longer participate in FBLA further their interests in business.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

OPINIONS

Harvard-Yale climate strike sparks controversy

Muskaan Grewal and Andrea Kuo

On Nov. 23, at the annual Harvard and Yale collegiate career-defining football game, alumni and students from both schools stormed the field, holding banners and signs with slogans such as “Harvard and Yale are complicit in climate injustice.” Dozens of students began the protests and were joined by several hundred audience members. During the span of the protest, authorities addressed the students through the public announcement system, imploring them to clear the field. According to The New York Times, when the students did not comply, officers issued 42 misdemeanor offenses and arrested a few of the protestors. Reactions from the crowd were mixed; some attendees shouted “Drag them off the field!” while others encouraged the protesters. “Protests should not happen during sports games because it interrupts the entire experience. The audience should be allowed to watch the whole game in peace without distractions. They paid for the tickets to watch a football game, not a protest,” Freshman Ethan Chang said. Protesters from both schools called for the universities to divest their multi-million dollar endowments from fossil fuel companies. Due to the prestige of these colleges, many

supporters and alumni have overlooked their actions. Harvard and Yale are both notorious for accepting contributions from major fossil fuel companies, with many Harvard Corporation members having financial ties to such companies. In a statement made in, 2013 by Drew Gilpin Faust, former President of Harvard University, the funding is used

“demonstrations are important when it comes to… visilibility about widespread issues” to advance research at Harvard. According to The American Prospect, Yale’s chief investment officer, David Swenson, believes that fossil fuels are necessary for modern society. As universities that act on “climate change through research,” it is ironic that they receive funding from companies that worsen the effects of climate change. Similar demonstrations have occurred at Harvard and Yale before. On Sept. 20, Harvard students walked out of class to protest in a rally organized by Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard, a club pushing for movement away from Harvard’s connection to the fossil fuel

Staff Writers industry. On Sept. 23, Yale students walked out of class to speak out against similar issues. While it may disrupt the game, protesting at sports events is effective because it offers accessibility to a large audience. For example, in 2016, Colin Kaepernick, star quarterback of the San Francisco 49’ers first stirred up controversy by kneeling during the national anthem to bring attention to police brutality. Although this decision led to the decline of Kaepernick’s career, it also highlighted the injustices of racial profiling within law enforcement. These actions garnered attention from the media, raising awareness about the horrors of police brutality. “Some people are at the game only for the sport and do not want to waste time hearing about issues like climate change. But at the same time, it is also a matter of the protesters’ freedom of speech. In this situation, there is not really a right or wrong,” Sophomore Wen Wen Gu said. Despite arguments that spectators do not want protests to disrupt a game, ultimately, these demonstrations are important when it comes to increasing visibility about widespread issues. They redirect the audience’s focus, which forces people to face these issues head-on.

KELLY CUI ART

Libra: the new Facebook digital currency

Yeji Jeong and Isabel Zhou

In June of 2019, Facebook first announced its new cryptocurrency. Libra— which is projected to launch by the end of this year—aims to increase convenience for the growing demographic of digital currency users. While Facebook’s contribution to the new cryptocurrency is contentious and could be considered an overly ambitious project, if Libra is successful, it could be groundbreaking at providing people with accessible currency without all of the excessive processing fees and unreasonable interest rates present in other online currencies. According to the 2017 Global Findex, about 31 percent, or 1.7 billion, of the world’s population is currently unbanked—without an account at a financial institution or through a mobile money provider. As a result, Libra can help to bring simple transactions to a large population. While Bitcoin is a rival cryptocurrency, what sets Libra apart is its ability to “mint,” or create coins. Unlike Bitcoin, Libra combats rapid changes in value by slashing any capped limit to the number of coins produced, similar to Dogecoin, another cryptocurrency. This enables Libra to increase or decrease the amount of currency in circulation, thus controlling its value. According to Forbes, Bitcoin has seen drastic fluctuations in the past few years. By adjusting the number of coins in circulation, Libra will be a much more stable cryptocurrency. Libra is backed by real assets and bank securities in international currencies such as the US dollar, pound, euro, Swiss franc and yen, as reported by TechCrunch. Libra’s price is expected to amount to around one US dollar so as to provide easier

Viewpoint Editor and Lifestyle Editor comparisons: a gallon of milk might cost though the charge is still drastically lower around three or four Libras. Individuals can than services like Paypal. A bigger concern cash in their local currency for Libra, enabling is privacy: Facebook, being notorious for them to anonymously and spend it like dollars privacy violations such as the targeted without big transaction fees attached. advertisements during the 2016 elections, “Libra sounds promising, but I am has generated skepticism about the reliability skeptical of Facebook’s of Libra. However, Facebook has attempted to avoid privacy issues by assuring that they only have one vote on the board— the same as any other board member. To prevent the company from leveraging Libra for its own gain. Another concern is that transactions are nonreversible. According to the Medium, every transaction is irreversible with 10 seconds of finality. However, this is a setback that comes with most cryptocurrencies as it prevents double-spending of coins. claims to decrease “Libra is a good idea, but Facebook has transaction fees had numerous privacy concerns, so I am not and help unbanked too sure about it. With so many easy-access populations, since payment methods like Paypal, Apple Pay and Facebook is still Venmo, Libra may not be well-received. They earning money may need aggressive promotion to break into indirectly,” Senior that competitive of a market,” Sophomore Allen Hsing said. Peter Heo said. While Facebook’s control of Libra does sound some alarms, the cryptocurrency can remain transparent and will be regulated by the other members of the IVAN ZHU ART Libra association, including While Libra sounds like an interesting big names like Spotify, Visa, eBay and concept, there are several concerns Mastercard. Libra has the potential to bring surrounding Facebook’s inherent tie to the about a new way of banking that could help new currency. With each transaction, a small stimulate the global economy and bring fluid amount of money is pocketed by Facebook, money transactions to millions.

“I am not political” Prevalent disregard for politics Keerthana Ramaswamy Feature World Editor

In elementary school, I was often cautioned by my parents to avoid discussing politics. This was, perhaps, a well-intentioned concern: government can be disillusioning. A poll conducted by Dalia Research, Alliance of Democracies and Rasmussen Global found that 54 percent of citizens in democracies do not believe their voices impact political decisions. According to Wakefield Research’s 2017 study of 1,000 nationally representative adults 18 and above, nearly one in three Americans reported that clashes over Trump have negatively impacted their relationships. Politics means conflict. Yet while the emotional baggage associated with government is heavy, we simply cannot afford to turn our backs on politics. Those who are quick to distance themselves from any governmentrelated activities label themselves as “apolitical”—having no interest or involvement in political affairs. On Medium, voter registration volunteer Kristen Pizzo cites reasons for a lack of civic engagement: “The system is rigged,” “It really doesn’t affect me.” Pizzo reflects, “It is a privilege not

“to be apolitical is to be complicit in a broken status quo… that we bemoan” to care.” While they may not be the focal point of our day-to-day lives, government decisions affect all of us through our economic and social systems. Government is the channel through which change is made. It has its problems, but only by actively playing the game can we reform it. The expectation of apolitical discourse is projected onto public figures as well. Gun violence reform activists Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg were accused of “politicizing” the Parkland gun shooting. Amidst violence against protesting students across universities in India, Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker, who spoke out against the violent attacks, received backlash for “getting political.” While people in the public sphere undoubtedly bear an obligation to use their platform responsibly, it is implausible to bar celebrities from advocating for their beliefs. We cannot be averse to engaging with government when our own lives are so drastically impacted by it. The scope of civic engagement is not limited to voting in national elections. Despite issues with misinformation, social media is a powerful tool for advocacy and political participation. We can also lead protests, attend school board meetings and vote in local elections. That is not to say that we cannot temporarily disengage from politics. But to be apolitical is to be complicit in a broken status quo and responsible for the lack of progress that we bemoan. So, embrace being “political” and reclaim the right to debate (and hear out) your classmate about all things government.

JANUARY 22, 2020

FEATURE: Semester in Review

Area 51

Schedule changes At the beginning of the school year during schedule pickup, dozens of students realized they had received classes they did not sign up for. There were a plethora of other issues: some students had a gap in their schedule, and a few did not receive their schedule until right before the semester started. As a result, the school set up multiple days for students to request schedule changes. One of the factors that likely contributed to schedule issues was an error in the automated schedule-making system. Infinite Campus uses algorithms to determine what classes are given to students based on their requests and focuses on trying to fit as many students to their preferences as possible. However, due to the limited class space that the school has (maximum 35 students per class), some of the issues took up to two weeks to resolve. Given the complexity of creating schedules for over 2,000 students, it is understandable that problems like this exist.

Homecoming blackout

Starting on Oct. 9, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) shut down power in various areas of Calif. to prevent wildfires that could have resulted from the forecasted strong winds. The first power outages were announced only a few days prior and caught many customers by surprise. The power outages would often be reported on PG&E’s Twitter account and website, but many of the outages only had rough estimates for affected areas and times. As a result, the power turned off when people may not have expected it, including a shutoff during the annual homecoming dance. “It was a good dance, then the lights went out suddenly. There was a lot of confusion and unnecessary screaming after everyone found out they were being forced to leave,” Junior Ryan Niemi said. After the dance was cancelled, the school decided to host a winter dance on Dec. 7, with free admission for students who had attended the cancelled dance. Students said that the second dance was a more positive experience and made up for the blackout. While it may have been frustrating for many students to have a fun night cut short due to the power shutoffs, the school’s compromise was a welcome last minute plan.

After learning about the viral Facebook event, “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” Senior Isabel Zhou decided to join over 6,000 people at Area 51, a US Air Force base in Hiko, Nev., to participate. Although she did not intend to trespass on government property, Zhou still expected to experience new things. Based off of conspiracy theories about the existence of aliens at Area 51, Bakersfield College student Matty Roberts created the event in hopes that millions of people would storm the base. Roberts’s event was originally started as a joke, but it eventually snowballed into a massive online trend. Encouraged by the Facebook event, over two million people agreed to convene at Area 51 on Sept. 20 for the raid, while many others expressed interest in participating. As the idea gained more popularity, the U.S. Air Force issued a warning about the dangers of trespassing on private government property and threatened to gun down trespassers, deterring many of the initial two million people from attending the event. However, thousands of others were unfazed by the government’s threats and attended the event as planned, determined to confirm the existence of aliens or at the very least, obtain a better idea of what was actually at Area 51. “Since the event was more of a harmless meme than anything else, I think the U.S. Air Force overreacted. Their response was totally counterproductive because it only heightened tensions and made people more curious about Area 51,” Sophomore John Hsu said.

Compiled by Ridge Coffey and Ashley Lee Staff Writers

Holiday in the Quad festivities An annual holiday tradition in San Jose, Christmas in the Park showcases hundreds of Christmas trees decorated by local schools and organizations. This past December, the Associated Student Body (ASB) sought to once again replicate Christmas in the Park by bringing it directly to the school in the form of Holiday in the Quad. The festivities started off just like Christmas in the Park. Clubs at the school each decorated their own tree and brought it to the quad for display. Later on in the week, band, orchestra, 4K and choir performed for students during lunch. Teachers Mark Cahn, Science Department and Julie Montgomery, Math Department, also joined the holiday spirit by dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus to take pictures with students. Although most of the events were introduced in previous years, ASB incorporated artificial snow into the activities lineup for this year. “Since snow is generally rare in Calif., the event hosted by ASB allowed me to experience something I do not frequently have the opportunity to experience. I hope ASB will continue to bring snow for us to enjoy,” Sophomore Shraya Pal said.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

FEATURE: Semester in Review FEATURE: WORLD

Global Environmentalism Serena Atkinson and Ansh Dhaliwal

Climate change has manifested in a series of extreme weather patterns around the world. Wildfires are scorching wildlife habitats across North America, Russia and Australia. Likewise, typhoons and cyclones have killed and displaced several people in countries such as Japan and Bangladesh. In order to bring about real change, individuals have banded together to protest for action on climate change. Students and parents left

school and work to take part in convincing world leaders that the people want to stop climate change. Protesters believe that continued strikes will put pressure on governments to finally take action and urge ordinary people to live more sustainable lives and reduce their carbon footprint. Many of the climate strikes were also student-led, in part due to the influence of 16-yearold Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has repeatedly condemned world leaders for passing the job of solving climate change onto young people. Protesters have also challenged large corporations. Companies like Google and Amazon frequently donate money to organizations that deny climate change and have taken few steps to reduce their carbon emissions. However, some governments and corporations have taken steps to be more sustainable. Cities like Seattle have banned single-use straws and utensils and foodindustry corporations like Starbucks have pledged to do the same. Individual consumers have chosen to take on a more sustainable diet by going vegan or cutting out red meat from their diet. Finally, many have also become more conscious about the environmental impact of

Staff Writers

clothing and fashion, which has led to smaller fashion designers such as the label Femail using upcycling to produce new clothes entirely out of discarded clothing. Many families have chosen to have solar panels installed on the roofs of their houses to rely on renewable energy over fossil fuels. Others have taken to purchasing Zero Emission Vehicles that do not emit greenhouse gases and supporting new bills that limit vehicular emissions such as the Calif. Clean Air Act. “Climate change is the biggest threat to our world right now, and it is even more problematic because it is not taken seriously by people or politicians. If people ignore climate change and do not try and make changes, it will only get worse. Governments need to take more action in eradicating climate change and have more legislation to regulate emissions and direct much more money focused on researching and producing more efficient energy sources,” Freshman Emil Blom said.

Increased activism around the world

Kathy Xing and Nancy Zheng

Last year was marked by international unrest over various issues, manifesting in multiple protests. People worldwide stood together to bring awareness to climate change. Domestically, students conducted strikes for climate change action and workers protested against General Motors (GM), while internationally, regions like Hong Kong and Chile fought for their political freedoms. According to Amnesty International, in September 2019, more than 7.6 million people took part in a week of climate strikes in 185 countries, which were organized by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, who is in charge of the youth-led movement called Fridays for Future. Her speech at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit in New York inspired many young people to advocate for more climate change awareness, as Thunberg stressed the fact that older generations are ruining the planet for the younger generation and beyond. According to National Public Radio, more than 800 marches were planned in the U.S., and thousands of students were absent from classrooms in order to participate in them, many of their absences excused by the schools they attend. Virginia now offers 3 excused absences for protests.

Opinions Editor and Staff Writer

Outside of the US, protests in Hong Kong began in June over an extradition bill that raised concerns of residents being subjected to the jurisdiction and legal system of mainland China. By the time the bill had been withdrawn, protests had escalated. According to BBC, protests have expanded to France, Canada, the US, the United Kingdom and Australia. Protesters now want an inquiry into police brutality, amnesty for arrested protestors and the implementation of universal suffrage. In Chile, protests were initiated by students after the government announced an increase in transport fares in Santiago, the capital of Chile. According to Amnesty International, President Sebastián Piñera

“‘Protests have since expanded to demand reforms to education, healthcare, wages, and the constitution.” declared the protests a state of emergency and enabled the army to impose a curfew. In response, over a million people took to the streets to demand the resignation of Piñera. Since then, according to the South China

Morning Post, President Pinera announced a series of social measures and a cabinet reshuffle, and lawmakers have agreed to a referendum for a new constitution. In September, 49,000 GM workers, who were members of the United Auto Workers union, went on strike for six weeks, the longest auto workers strike in 50 years. The strike was brought on by a decade of frustration from cuts in worker benefits and pay following the Great Recession of 2008. Last fall, GM shut down car production at five North American factories, and since then, they have had to shut down many plants, forcing many workers to move constantly in order to keep their jobs. According to Vox, the auto strike resulted in pay raises, more investments in factories to provide more jobs and a process that allows temporary workers to become permanent employees more easily, though there were no changes to health care for the workers. “There is increasing global unrest due to problems that have built up over the past hundred years that have yet to be addressed. Governments are turning a blind eye to these issues, resulting in an increase in overall activism,” Senior Catherine Li said.

ALYSSA CHEN ART

ENTERTAINMENT The 2019 Junior Bridge Championships

Jonathan Yue

Last Word Editor

At dozens of square tables, players sit at each edge, staring intently at the cards they hold. The room was completely silent, except for the occasional sound of card shuffling or calling for cards. Such was the scene of the 2019 Junior United States Bridge Championship that started on Dec. 27, 2019 and lasted for five days in Atlanta, Ga., where over 100 youth bridge players, including me, competed for the national title. This biennial tournament is held by the United States Bridge Federation (USBF) to select teams that will represent the United States in the World Youth Bridge Team Championship, planned to be held in Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy this summer. USBF will send out a number of teams in each of the four categories:

“It is filled with strategies and tactics, involving math, logic...and teamwork." two for under 16, two for under 21, two for under 26 and one for women under 26. My team, consisting of players from Calif., Ga., Mich. and N.J., competed in the under 21 age group. Bridge is now commonly perceived as a “grandparents’ game,” a stereotype supported by the fact that the average member of the American Contract Bridge League is 72-years-old. This is in great contrast with the game’s glory days in the early 1900s when it became an icon in popular culture and was featured in films, newspapers and magazines. The steady decline in bridge’s popularity can be attributed to the rise of TV and other forms of nighttime entertainment, replacing bridge’s value as a social game. I first learned about bridge in first grade and have enjoyed it ever since. It is a wonderful game full of strategies and tactics, involving math, logic, memory and teamwork. It provides a tremendous amount of challenge and I am always able to learn new strategies that I could use in future games. For instance, a key aspect of bridge is to draw conclusions from all previously played cards and to calculate the probability of a certain player holding a specific card, and the accuracy of this prediction can always be improved upon. I specifically enjoy the “bidding” part of bridge, where players take turns to describe their hands to their partners. Each action, or even the lack thereof, conveys a certain message to your partner, so it is paramount to accurately describe your cards to your partner without revealing too much information to your opponents. This is a major reason why artificial intelligence still cannot beat expert bridge players, unlike in chess and Go. To me, bridge is an elegant game that provides endless challenges. I highly recommend other students, especially those who enjoy math and logical reasoning, to try this wonderful game out.

JANUARY 22,2020

2020's biggest war: the "Streaming Wars"

Nam Nguyen and Aileen Xie With the decline of TV viewership, online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have grown to dominate a new consumer space while other companies like Disney and NBC are quickly joining in. This growing competition, known as the “Streaming Wars,” pits established media companies and streaming services against each other in the race to adapt to a rapidly expanding market, especially as younger generations shift the TV market away from cable and onto the Internet. The Washington Post reports that over the past few years, telecommunications company AT&T lost over one million TV subscription customers in the third quarter of 2019 while the Leichtman Research Group found that TV households with cable have declined by 22 percent. According to TV Technology, cable TV revenues will decline 33 percent by 2023. This decline coincides with an expanding online streaming industry. Netflix reports that over 160 million people have subscribed to their service, while their newest competitor Disney+ picked up 10 million subscribers during the first weekend of its debut. These new services mark the start of a new age of entertainment: film studios invest billions of dollars to produce high-budget entertainment that is offered at a monthly fee lower than the typical cable bundle. “Streaming services are more favorable than cable TV because they

Nam Nguyen

provide a wider selection of content at a reasonable price. As a result, the future of cable TV looks grim as more and more people cancel cable subscriptions and turn to streaming,” Annie Larks, English Department, said. Along with Disney+, Apple TV+ and NBCUniversal’s Peacock, AT&T has unveiled its streaming service, HBO Max, to compete in an already crowded TV streaming market. Nonetheless, this competition has opened the door for consumers to experience a widening variety of TV shows. Streaming service producers create over 100 shows every year as consumers have grown to appreciate higher quality TV productions that include expensive

sets, quality cameras and creative writers. According to the Royal Bank of Canada, the Digital Media Survey found that there are more than 300 streaming services to choose from. Presented with so many streaming options, however, viewers must confront the paradox of choice; in the end, too many choices can be paralyzing, and choosing between endless possibilities seems to pose more problems that outweigh the benefit.

Staff Writers “In recent years, competition among streaming services has pushed companies to produce some really great TV shows and movies, like Bird Box and my personal favorite, Stranger Things. Besides the variety of shows and films, streaming services are also cheaper. However, this competition has also resulted in TV shows being pulled out of a streaming service to join another, like how The Office being pulled out of Netflix to join NBC’s Peacock. This makes it difficult for viewers to choose which streaming service they want if their favorite shows are spread across multiple streaming platforms,” Junior Jianna Wong said. Even with the multitude of streaming options, traditional TV networks are unlikely to die out despite a decline in viewership thanks to profitable sports deals. Traditional TV networks still hold the rights to broadcast major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the X-Games. Additionally, sports leagues are still hesitant about KENNETH YANG ART signing away their lucrative sports games to TV streaming services. The transformation of the TV industry only seems logical in a world that prefers the portability and ease of online streaming. With the continual decline of traditional TV subscriptions, the “Streaming Wars" will only itensify. However, regardless of whoever wins the most shares of the market, it is ultimately the consumers who stand to benefit most from the "Streaming Wars."

"OK Boomer": hate speech or just a meme?

After a viral confrontation on July 17, 2019 between a baby boomer and a Generation Z-er on TikTok, the phrase “OK Boomer” has become an international phenomenon, with the hashtag #OKBoomer appearing over 732 million times around the world. Initially, “OK Boomer” was merely a joke among millennials and Gen Z-ers about the allegedly out-oftouch generation, but it soon evolved into a derogatory phrase against baby boomers. Although the phrase was initially lighthearted, it now represents the generational divide between the old and the young, capturing the frustration young people have with the problems passed on by the older generation. AILEEN XIE However, the postWWII generation has reacted to the meme as an ageist attack, with some critics aligning the phrase to the “n-word” and classifying it as hate speech, which has resulted in suspension or job loss for those found guilty of using the phrease in the workplace. Vox reports that baby boomers are upset because they feel as if

their hard work has earned them the right to criticize millennials. Additionally, baby boomers see millennials as lazy, phoneaddicted, and the root cause of selfinflicted problems like high studentdebt, according to Vox.

“I do not really see any value in this phrase. It is supposed to be used when a boomer is not open to discourse ART or is stubborn about something but resorting to a two-word insult is just as evasive. Replying to a stubborn person with even more stubbornness does not help prove any point,” Senior Amy Zhou said. To counter boomer criticism, younger generations have created a concise rebuttal due to exhaustion caused by the unproductiveness of conversations with

Staff Writer boomers. Throughout online debates and social media platforms, millenials and Gen Z-ers have expressed their frustration at the older generations’ constant refusal to take any blame for causing issues like climate change, income inequality and a ballooned cost of education. “I think people resonate with the phrase because they are fed up with baby boomers for not understanding how life is different and much harder for our generation.” Junior Matthew Wang said. The growing divergence between the two generations is especially exemplified in politics. According to Forbes, baby boomers tend to favor conservative policies like Brexit and disregard the existence of issues like climate change. Older generations still believe that their youthful lives should be the blueprint for newer generations to follow. On the other hand, millenials have become more accepting of progressive issues like universal healthcare. The meme will blow over as people will search for the “next big thing,” but baby boomers continue to see the phrase as disrespectful. “People need to stop blaming each other and be nice, if we want to solve the world's problems,” Wang said.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

Tesla’s Cybertruck drives innovation

ENTERTAINMENT MicroLEDs shine bright

Nam Nguyen and Cindy Zhou

After months of speculation, the Silicon-Valley-based company and electric car giant Tesla launched its Cybertruck on Nov. 21, 2019. The all-electric pickup truck has a stainless steel unibody with sharp contours and a triangle roof. Complete with its silver paint and rectangular steering wheel, the Cybertruck left the audience speechless as it drove into the stadium. “When the Cybertruck first came out, I was overtaken by surprise. At first, I mistook it for a box with extra edges. In fact, the make of the truck resembled a sketch of a car I drew in kindergarten. It looked ridiculous,” Sophomore Brandon Kwon said. The Cybertruck features a stainless steel body named the Exoskeleton. Unlike most pickup trucks that have a bodyon-frame model where its motors drag the body and the bed, the Exoskeleton has a unibody layout that shifts the stress from the frame of the truck to the outer skin of the truck. The car also comes with a starting range of 250 miles, a 7,500 pound towing capacity and a top speed of 110 miles per hour. In addition, it includes classic Tesla features, like autopilot and a touchscreen display center. “Taking inspiration from movies like Blade Runner, Musk went for a polarizing design which he promised would be cyberpunk-inspired. More importantly, Musk wanted to reverse the stagnation in pickup truck designs present for years by breaking the mold,” Junior Duy Lam said.

Nevertheless, Tesla was met by a wave of backlash from Tesla enthusiasts and pickup-truck owners. Some people ridiculed the car’s geometric design, touting that the car would be an “eye-sore” on the road, according to Wired; others, like vehicle-designer Lee Walton, felt like the Cybertruck has a “really interesting” concept. However, the most vocal critics targeted the botched “armor glass” strength test, where Tesla’s chief designer lodged a metal ball at the trucks’ presumably shatterproof glass

IVAN ZHU ART and broke the glass. Musk responded by explaining that in a prior experiment testing the Cybertrucks durability, the base of the window broke so the impact of the metal ball shattered the glass. Additionally, the truck’s design fails to meet motor vehicle safety standards because it lacked sideview mirrors, windshield wipers, a front bumper and it had protruding wheels. Due to its sharp edges and tough material, the truck also lacks a crumple-zone, an area which absorbs

Staff Writers the impact of a crash to prevent injury. According to Musk, the Cybertruck’s design was motivated by multiple factors, but it was mainly on the basis of sustainability and conventionality. Being an electric truck, the Cybertruck continues Tesla’s legacy of electric vehicles. Dissatisfied with the lack of creativity in the truck market, Tesla has created something unexpected. “If the best selling pickup trucks today are placed side-by-side with their branding removed, it is hard to tell which is from which brand,” Musk said. “Trucks have been the same for almost 100 years, and we wanted to try something different.” Despite issues with the legality of its design, the Cybertruck was able to garner over a quarter million pre-orders within two weeks of its launch, according to Tesla. The increasing market for electric pickup trucks has caught the attention of major automobile manufacturers, like Ford, who currently sells the most popular pickup truck in America. CEO James Hackett claimed that Ford has plans to release a hybrid truck and an all-electric truck in the near future to compete with Tesla’s truck. “Tesla has always been forward thinking. They are able to create innovative cars that are still cheaper and safer in comparison to similar models, so I do not see the Cybertruck as a major setback to what Musk has planned,” Senior Angela Shu said.

Body image: the hidden hurdle of athletics Serena Atkinson and Hannah Moon Staff Writers At age 17, middle-distance runner sometimes I believe that I am not skinny because being light is an advantagein the Mary Cain had already established world enough,” an anonymous student said. sport. However, Ackerman emphasized records when she joined Nike’s Oregon Cain’s experience is not unusual. that there is a fine line between athletes Project, a track team headed by coach Many other prominent female athletes wanting to maintain a healthy weight for Alberto Salazar. Although Salazar has have also been pressured by their coaches their sport and them obsessing over their worked with a strong line of professional to lose weight. Runners Kara Goucher and weight to the point where they can no athletes, the coach has gained notoriety Amy Yoder Begley had similar experiences longer function and their body deteriorates. for doping his athletes and has been training under Salazar where they were But women are not the only victims banned for four years from coaching. subjected to emotional and verbal abuse. of body shaming. Ohio State hockey player “Young girls’ bodies are being ruined Outside of the running community, Logan Davis warned that eating disorders by an emotionally and physically abusive Olympic figure skating bronze medalist among men might be more common than system,” Cain told the New York Times. Gracie Gold was brainwashed to believe one might think. Mike Marjama, a catcher While she was with the Oregon Project, that being lighter would improve for the Seattle Mariners, claimed that it Cain was forced is often considered emasculine for men to take birth to have eating disorders. control pills In an and diuretics to interview lose weight— f r o m the latter of National RACHEL KIM ART which Eating a r e Disorders illegal Association, in the track and field Marjama stated sport—and verbally that “By not abused by Salazar in front of her performance; she developed an eating much, I thought I would get rid of my teammates when he believed that she had eating disorder, became suicidal and fat and by working out a ton, I would get big gained weight. The immense pressure to temporarily quit the sport to receive and strong. When I did not see the desired lose weight led Cain to diet unhealthily. treatment. Former UC Los Angeles results, I worked out more and ate less. This As a result, she developed relative energy gymnast Katelyn Ohashi also struggled spiraled into bulimia.” Body image issues deficiency in sport, which caused her to with an eating disorder, recalling that among male athletes are often overlooked lose her period for three years and break she would eat “500 calories or less when and because there is less knowledge about five bones due to low estrogen levels. [she was] training seven hours a day.” eating disorders among men, it is harder Cain began to self-harm and became In many elite sports, women are for them to receive necessary treatment. suicidal until she quit the team in 2015. constantly pressured to have an ideal body “There is nothing wrong with “Even though I am at a healthy type. A Yale study found that disordered coaches encouraging their athletes to eat weight, as a cross country runner, I often eating habits are found in 25 percent health and keep their body in shape, but feel pressured to look skinny. The image of female college athletes. Kathryn it should never get to the point where of a runner is always lean, and I feel like Ackerman, medical director of the Female their body or mental health deteriorates. I do not match that image. Even though Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Additionally, an athletes’ ‘appropriate’ I know that you should love your body, Hospital, told the Wall Street Journal that weight should be judged by doctors, it is hard not to think about my weight— runners are often pressured to lose weight not coaches,” Junior Rose Lee said.

Edward Jung

Community News Editor

For the past three years at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nev., Samsung has presented new and improved iterations of a new display panel comprised of microLED lights. There are a variety of display panels that are used today. For example, liquid crystal display (LCD) panels use a white backlight to shine light, with the other layers of the panel working to change the backlight into individual pixels to create images; and light-emitting diode (LED) panels, which are essentially a subset of LCD panels. Organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels are considered the “best” of display panels today, as they are used by many major tech manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and LG across a variety of devices including TV’s and smartphones. This is because OLED panels have much better contrast ratios than LCD or LED panels., and are also thin and flexible, offering versatility. However, there are also drawbacks to OLED displays: they suffer from screen burn-in, or the discoloration of areas on the display; struggle with lower refresh

”MicroLED aims to fix most of the problems that OLED struggles with while also improving upon past display...” rates, or the number of times the device refreshes the image on screen; and are very expensive. OLED is also made of carbon based molecules that deteriorate over time, resulting in a display that will suffer over long-term use. MicroLED aims to fix most of the problems that OLED struggles with, while also improving upon past display tech. This inorganic panel uses gallium nitride rather than organic carbon, allowing it to last longer than OLEDs, without any burn-in. It can be much brighter than OLED displays, while using less power. In addition, these displays are more versatile than OLED; Samsung demonstrated this at the CES, giving consumers a TV comprised of smaller, bezel-less microLED panels, allowing any size and any aspect ratio wanted for a display. If one section of the TV breaks, you can just swap out that particular display panel with a new modular panel. However, there are some issues with producing these modular microLED panels. Manufacturing the panels is extremely complex, taking days to put together just one panel. In fact, a 6-inch microLED panel takes approximately 18 days to complete. The panels are built one pixel at a time—keep in mind, a regular 4k TV has over 8 million pixels, with nearly 24 million subpixels. This drives production costs up to hundreds of dollars per panel, making it too costly for the average consumer. This new tech is still a couple of years away from being truly affordable and ready for the mass market; however, it seems as if this new display panel is going to become the next-generation display of the decade, one with significant benefits over the LCD, LED and OLED panels that are currently being used today.

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JANUARY 22, 2020

APRIL 29, 2015

LIFESTYLE Teacher Feature: Curry Roots

Cindy Zhao

Staff Writer

Since he moved to America from Scotland, Rob Wallace, Science Department, has satisfied his craving for spicy and flavorful Indian cuisine at Curry Roots, an Indian food catering company in the Oakridge mall food court. At their restaurant, they offer traditional Indian dishes, including several types of curry, as well as a selection of Indian street food like samosas and belh puri. Wallace likes to go to the Westfield Oakridge Mall every so often with his family for the sole purpose of ordering at Curry Roots. “I like to order the biryani special with naan bread. It is a chicken biryani with rice, onion and chicken curry. My son loves Indian food as well, and likes to get the mango chicken, which has this special mango curry on rice with chicken. The food is delicious and affordable. There are a couple of order options including a bowl or plate, and sometimes my wife and son like to share a plate,” Wallace said.

“I like to order the Biryani special with naan bread. It is a chicken biryani with rice, onion, and chicken curry.” Wallace has always had a passion for Indian food, spices and unique, bold flavors, so he was ecstatic when coming across Curry Roots after he moved to the United States around two and a half years ago. “I love spicy food. It is a huge thing back in Scotland, but we did not have the right spices. Eastern dishes are just amazing to me. Indian food is my favorite and has spectacular, almost indescribable flavors,” Wallace said. Wallace has a personal connection to Indian food as well. He had a friend whose mother cooked lovely Indian meals, and would send food parcels to him. Her authentic and mouthwatering Indian cooking swayed his interest and desire for Indian food. “The thing about Indian dishes that people are repelled by is the level of spice. Curry Roots offers a nice variety of beginner dishes, which are pretty mild compared to the full-fledged, blow-your-socks-off level. Personally, I have not had a curry here that has been too hot for me yet. Overall, Indian food may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but everyone should definitely try Curry Roots,” Wallace said.

Curry Roots g

(5/5) worth the bite

+ great variety – may be too spicy for some

Holiday season produces large amounts of waste Ashley Lee and Hannah Moon At the end of a Thanksgiving feast, thousands of uneaten pieces of turkey lie on unfinished plates, waiting to be thrown in the trash. As a result of holiday food waste, 200 million pounds of turkey and 150 million pounds of side dishes are thrown away every Thanksgiving, according to The Natural Resources Defense Council. “Food waste is a part of American culture. It is getting increasingly worse and even being promoted during the holidays. Although we should not blame these traditions, it is concerning how many people do not realize the consequences of all of these actions,” Sophomore Tanaya Mahindrakar said. According to U.S. News, Americans throw away approximately $165 billion of uneaten food every year, and nearly $293 million of waste is due to leftover turkey on Thanksgiving. “I believe that both businesses and consumers must be responsible for the impact they leave on the environment. For example, businesses like Amazon deliver products to their consumers in a way that is unsustainable. In response to this, consumers can be encouraged to request bundled shipping, which would result in less trips being made. Environmental leaders should urge consumers to really contemplate the necessity of the item.” Sophomore Hiral Patel said. Shopping culture also exemplifies Americans' wasteful lifestyle. Black Friday

Staff Writers and Cyber Monday sales in America set records every year. According to MarketWatch, last year, American shoppers set a record of spending almost $8 billion on online sales from Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The number of consumers shopping on Thanksgiving has increased from three to 10 million consumers over the years. This careless spending of money leaves a big carbon footprint. Electronic items are one of the most commonly purchased items on Black Friday. Only 20 percent of electronics are recycled, with the rest

Further perpetuating this wasteful lifestyle, Black Friday deals incentivize consumers to purchase more products than usual. Finder reports that 52 percent of consumers regret the purchases they make on Black Friday because they buy goods for the sake of the deal, not out of necessity. “I think the entire concept of a holiday has been destroyed by our capitalistic and wasteful society. Due to the marketing of greedy, profit-oriented companies, the holiday season is now comprised of chaotic shopping sprees. Companies are solely worried about their profit margins and ignore the amount of waste that is produced as a result,” Sophomore Shraya Pal said. Furthermore, during the holidays, wrapping paper, ribbons and gift bags are purchased for their aesthetic delight, only to be thrown away after a single use. All of these single use products inevitably increase the amount of excess waste generated during the holiday season, resulting in Americans throwing away 25 percent more trash than any other time of the year, according to the National Environmental Education Foundation. This waste is further exacerbated during IVAN ZHU ART the holidays because of the mentality surrounding gift giving. being thrown into landfills where they Instead of emphasizing the importance could potentially leak harsh chemicals. of spending quality time with friends “I educated myself on the harmful and family, society promotes holidays effects of wasteful spending, and I have as a time of showing one’s gratitude been trying not to shop at places that hurt through the act of gifting presents. the environment. I also like to go thrifting Ultimately, this causes individuals instead of shopping at fast fashion to purchase a plethora of excessive brands,” Sophomore Ruby Grimes said. products to satisfy this societal norm.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Literacy

To read or not to read: that is the issue

Ashley Lee and Nancy Zheng Every month, the journalism class—which consists of staff writers, photographers, artists and editors—prints 1,334 copies of the school newspaper for students and staff and 1,700 for the Almaden community. The newspaper’s goal is to engage different groups of readers in a variety of topics including school events and features on select groups or individuals, community and global news, opinions, school sports and more. Freshman Eunwoo Kim always flips to the

Opinions section of the school newspaper to understand her peers’ perspectives, while Junior Jessica Lin reads the school newspaper to learn more about clubs and sports at the school. The staff of the school newspaper prepares to print the paper by following a weekly schedule: in the first week, the staff collaborates to create and solidify article ideas; in the following week, the staff writes, draws and takes pictures of school events and global issues; after multiple rounds of edits, students submit their last revisions; and finally, everything is compiled together to form a page that is exported and printed. In a poll of 554 students, it was found that only 34.6 percent of students read the school newspaper. Sophomore Anusha Mitra said that within her daily ALYSSA CHEN ART schedule of doing homework, studying and pursuing extracurricular activities, she does not have time to read the “In English class, Robin school newspaper. Furthermore, Jankowski, English Sophomores Arjun Bombwal Department, requires us to and Yasmin Sharbiani said read the newspaper every month, that the news articles choose an article, write a summary of featured in the school that article and answer a reading question newspaper are not from a given list. This assignment gives us an very interesting opportunity to practice our writing and reading because comprehension skills by forcing us to draw real life they are connections with the text. One article that particularly resonated with me was 'Power outages demonstrate overreliance on technology.' The article made me realize that we did not understand the prevalence of electronics in our lives until PG&E shut down the power.” —Freshman Emma Do said.

Quotebox: Student attitudes towards the school newspaper “I do not read the school newspaper because I forget about it and end up throwing it away. A suggestion to gain more readers would be to add an advice column where people send in anonymous questions to receive advice and to create a more exciting cover page." —an anonymous student said.

Staff Writers already covered by several news agencies. In addition, newspapers have lost popularity due to the rise of social media and online news sources. Platforms such as Google News and Apple News include features that allow users to personalize their news feeds, which can be more convenient. Other high schools have also struggled with students' lack of interest Compiled by Serena Atkinson in their newspaper. and Ridge Coffey “Since I come Staff Writers from a small town, my 554 students polled RACHEL KIM ART school’s newspaper is one of few organizations that covers community keeping up with the news plays a news, which makes reading the El Gato critical role in helping students navigate News imperative. However, the school and understand the world, engage with newspaper is unpopular amongst the social and learning communities and students. Even though we order large bulks participate in a democracy. Furthermore, of the paper, stacks remain untouched in the Scholastics claims that reading the classrooms,” Senior Sasha Ryu from Los newspaper allows individuals to become Gatos High School said. stronger listeners and speakers. Despite the lack of students reading the “Reading the school newspaper newspaper, history and English teachers at teaches me a lot about current events, such the school often require students to read as the wildfires in Calif. and global warming, and write about articles. Students benefit and of the school's student demographics, from these assignments by gaining a better including which colleges seniors are understanding of the world and improving attending. The school newspaper is overall their critical thinking skills. a great way to keep all students actively According to a study conducted involved in the community,” Sophomore by Project Information Literacy, Varsha Shankar said.

Infographic: Do you read the school newspaper? Yes: 34.6% No: 65.4%

Keeping up with the news Serena Atkinson and Nancy Zheng

to gain multiple In order to encourage more people to read the perspectives paper, there would need to be somebody to tell and greater them to read it; the students just are not in the insight on the habit of reading the newspapers.” topics they research. —Jeannette Carmody, English Department “The people you interact with often pay attention to the news to some ALYSSA CHEN ART degree and having knowledge of current events gives you a common element to connect with these people. Keeping up with the news also brings awareness because you gain more knowledge of global events, and you are The more cognizant of how certain ones impact n e w s you as well as others,” Brian Marchetti, Compiled by is more History Department, said. Serena Atkinson and accessible In Speech and Debate, students are Hannah Moon than ever, constantly required to read the news. Staff Writers yet the number In events like Parliamentary debate of people staying and Extemporaneous speech, students abreast of current events frequently read the news to keep up with is continually decreasing. current policies and foreign relations. According to a study conducted “News plays an important role in by Anchor Free, people ages 18 to our society because it influences people's 32 are less inclined to read the news opinions and political ideas. Current event and are more absorbed in social media. assignments allow students to keep up with At the school, many teachers national and international issues which implement assignments that require may directly impact their lives. It also helps students to be more aware of current them develop general opinions regarding events: freshman in World Cultures certain issues and gives them a chance to students summarize two news articles each have a voice early on,” Freshman Natalie week and write a paragraph stating their Gao said. opinion about each; juniors in AP English Major publications such as the New Language and Composition are assigned a York Times also recognize the importance specific issue to research each month, such of reading the news. Every summer, as healthcare and immigration, and analyze they host a reading contest to encourage the types of rhetorical strategies used in students to write responses to any article, different news articles covering that issue; video, infographic or photo they find juniors and seniors in AP Capstone Seminar interesting for a chance to be featured on and Research regularly read news articles

the Times’ website. The contest is aimed towards improving students’ reading and writing skills, raising awareness of global events and motivating students to enjoy reading the news. According to Paul Harris, a professor at Auburn University, people have a civic duty to stay informed about current events because an effective democracy not only requires a system of checks and balances, but it also demands an engaged citizenry. Students who know more about current events are independent and can make educated decisions, according to PBS. Additionally, reading the news and learning about current events increases students’ vocabulary, allowing them to do better on standardized tests, according to Education World. Scot Gillis, History Department, said that being informed about current events is especially important when students become eligible to vote because it helps them make a knowledgeable decision. Both Gillis and Jennifer Touchton, English Deparment, emphasized the relevance of current events to history and government classes specifically as both subjects constantly involve topics discussed in the news. “There really is no subject matter that is not related to current events. Knowledge of current events

Staff Writers is helpful for students in any class involving essays or research where they need to connect ideas about the world to what they are learning about. In classes where students have to participate in arguments, it is important to be aware of current events in order to support your argument. Understanding history and government is important to what is happening in the world, but so are things like science because understanding sceintific facts is absolutely central to making decisions concerning issues like climate change,” Touchton said.

ALYSSA CHEN ART

SPORTS

JANUARY 22,2020

Boys’ soccer charges into the season

Tiffany Mai

Sports Editor

In the first ten minutes of the game against South San Francisco High School, Santiago Gonzalez ‘20 strategically manuevered his way past his defenders and charged up the field to score the first goal, setting up a positive start to a cutthroat game. Ending the first half tied at 1-1, the Chargers were determined to make the winning goal and continued to work towards that effort. In the second half, both teams tightened their defense. However, both struggled to successfully take advantage of their offensive opportunities after a hardfought game, and no one was able to score any goals in the second half, leaving the match at a tie. Communication has proven to be key to the team’s success. Goalie Tanner Frank ‘22, plays an important role in the

team’s chemistry, constantly notifying the team of the situation on the field. Additionally Lucas Coan ‘20 makes last minute game plans for his teammates to retrieve the ball, telling them when to draw back and where to pass. Blake Newton ‘20 also takes initiative in discussing tactics to his teammates as the game progresses. Together, the boys have worked cooperatively with each other and demonstrated a great sense of teamwork in their matches so far. The boy’s have started the season in a triumphant fashion: with six wins, only one loss and four ties in the season so far, the team looks to continue this momentum. Head coach Roheet Sen hopes for a successful remainder of the season for the Chargers, looking for methods to help the team enhance their skills.

VY NGUYEN PHOTO Braden Eberle ‘21 throws the ball to his teammate

“Even though it is really hard to say where we are this early in the season, we emphasize growth as a group both on and off the field. The game is not about a group of boys who wear matching t-shirts playing a game, but about a team working together. I am really happy with what we are doing right now since we are playing with a lot of energy and effort,” Sen said. With a long season ahead of them, the team has been practicing and running drills for three hours every day except for Sundays. Led by their senior captain, Michael Esmaili ‘20, their training has been proven effective, as seen from their stamina and agility on the field; their offensive strategies have proved to be effective against tough opponents. “At the beginning of the season we started our practices with scrimmages so

that we would begin to learn what kind of player everyone is on the field. There were many new players on the team to fill the shoes of the seniors that left. After understanding each player’s strengths and weaknesses, we focused more on technique and testing out how the team could work with certain players on the field at different times and develop chemistry,” Esmaili said. It is evident that the most important thing to the boys is their bond: the team channeled a large part of their focus to working together cohesively and overall playing as a team. As there is still much more time in the season for them to polish their offensive strategies, the Chargers look to continue to improve in order to prepare for a successful run in the Central Coast Section Championships.

VY NGUYEN PHOTO Javier Leon ‘20 battles his defender for the ball

VY NGUYEN PHOTO Santiago Gonzalez ‘20 chases the ball up the field

Quotebox: How do student athletes prepare for intense games? “I eat a lot of calories before a big game to make sure I have enough energy, and I try my best to stay calm. I also talk to my teammates to go over our game plan before each game.” —Audrey Lui ‘21, Field Hockey

“For me, it is very important that I get a lot of sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast on the day of the match. Half an hour before the game, I plug in my headphones to calm my nerves and strategize how to defeat my opponent since I know the moves that they tend to use.” —Dennis Wang ’20, Badminton

“In order to prepare for intense games I need to make sure to eat and hydrate properly. In addition, the team tries to have a good practice session the day before and we try to energize ourselves by having pasta the night before a game.” —Jacob Odisho ’20, Soccer

“Before every game, coach brings us together for a pep talk in order to boost our morale. I make sure that I am hydrated by drinking water and lot of lemon-flavored Chargerade. “ —Jenny Kim ‘21, Tennis Compiled by Ethan Huang | Sports Editor

Girls’ basketball finds success as they take on the Mustangs

Rishab Satyakaal

Heading into their home game against the Pioneer Mustangs on Jan 3, the Chargers girls’ basketball team was determined to continue on their winning streak following their nail-biting 46-44 win against the Inderkum Tigers. In the first quarter, the Mustangs came out of the gates exposing the holes in the Chargers’ defense. After being stopped multiple times by the Mustangs’ defense, the Chargers gave up six unanswered points. Unsatisfied with his team’s lackluster start, head coach Andy Anaya called a timeout to address their defensive lapses. With newfound confidence, the team stepped back on the court and started disrupting Pioneer’s offense by anticipating passes and playing with smoother and more effective defensive rotations. With multiple rebounds by Serafina Alhadad ’20 and Saloni Bagri ’21, the team was able to quickly transition to offense, where the team’s scoring leader Karli Mukai ’20 scored and assisted on a series of baskets. The team was able to go into halftime down by a single point, 21-22.

Entertainment Editor However, “We can go the second on scoring runs half was a as we did in the different story.. Pioneer game The Chargers because of f o c u s e d our chemistry. heavily on Many of us their defense have played and prevented together before any drives to coming to the the basket from school and we the Mustangs’ are all great guards. With friends on and multiple steals off the court. by Hailey That translates Uyeda ’20, to better the team was communication able to quickly on the court WENDY LEE PHOTO transition back and team on defense, spirit, which is Karli Mukai ‘20 goes for a layup creating many important for fastbreak opportunities. The team ended success,” Dayna Shimada ’20 said. the game on a massive scoring run, Even with their hot start to the season, outscoring the Mustangs 36-19 in the the team continues to look for methods to second half. The team was able to end on improve and outperform their opponents. a final score of 57-41, improving to a 10-2 Ranking above the national average in overall record. every statistical category except rebounds

and blocks, the Chargers have had to utilize their other strengths to compensate for their height disadvantage. “Since we are a smaller team, we have to make up for it with our speed. While we are disadvantaged in our height, we can outspeed a lot of teams, so we tailor our game plan to our speed,” Shimada said. With ten seniors and four juniors, the team is more experienced than others in the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL)–Mt. Hamilton Division. For many on the team, it is their last season to win a Central Coast Section championship and commemorate the growth the players have made as a team. The Chargers have reached ten wins the fastest in the last five seasons and seem to be the favorites to sit at the top of the BVAL standings. The team’s next game was against the Lynbrook Vikings. Unable to overcome the score deficit, the Chargers lost 4560. However, the team is far from feeling defeated, as this loss will only fuel their motivation to uphold the team’s strong reputation and secure themselves a top spot in the league moving forward.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

SPORTS

Wrestling team pulls their weight in the community Muskaan Grewal & Andrea Kuo

Staff Writers

With two wins and one loss on the In addition to the wrestling team’s Clara County Sheriffs and the Chargers’ season in dual meets currently, the training to become strong wrestlers, they Wrestling Team worked for hours in Chargers’ wrestling team is a strong have also done work at charity events to the cold to bring the holiday spirit to the underprivileged families in presence in tournaments and meets. the county. However, the team will not settle “It was a fun experience if not a with its success only in wrestling little surprising. We were not given and is constantly working to develop much information before the day of strong character as well. the event. Our coach only told us to The coaches tend to focus get toys within a specific price range on attitude during practices and and to make sure we were free Friday matches. They strongly believe that night,” Connor Cormier ‘20 said. anyone can be a good wrestler by This type of activity reflects the having a good attitude and welcome coaches’ main objective for the team. anyone to try wrestling and join the While the team still values every team. In addition to their years of match highly, the coaches help their experience as wrestling coaches, players develop not only as wrestlers all of the coaches are alumni DIANA YOUSEF-NEJAD PHOTO but as people in general. After the of the school and have a better success of Operation: Santa Paws understanding of how difficult it is Andrew Salah ‘21 goes head to head with his opponent this year, the team will continue to to manage athletics and schoolwork participate in these community service help the community. This year the team at the same time. “We make sure that when we get participated in the Santa Clara County events in years to come. “Our three core principles are players, they do not slack off. We believe Sheriff Office’s annual Operation: Santa that if they build a strong foundation for a Paws event, helping the local sheriffs attitude, gratitude, and fortitude, so our balanced lifestyle, it will find its way into distribute food and toys to disadvantaged team has a lot of character. We are really their school-life and will excel there as children and families. Upholding the focused on building great people, not just tradition that started in 2014, the Santa great athletes,” said Hamamjy. well,” said coach Matthew Hamamjy.

VY NGUYEN PHOTO

REX LI PHOTO Shawn Haslam ‘20 pins his opponent down

Ethan Huang

Coach Matthew Hamamjy speaks with some parents at the charity event

Athlete of the Month: Sofia Scola

Although she originally chose her position as goalie in recreational soccer because she thought that it would be the least physically demanding, Sofia Scola ‘20 now walks away every season with multiple broken fingers and injuries due to her determination to protect the goal. After years of practice, Scola has significantly improved, as her hard work has earned the position of captain of the girls’ soccer team for the last two years, leading the team deep into the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships last year. “I have been playing soccer ever since I was little. Although I used to play a variety of different sports, soccer is the only sport that stuck because it came the most natural to me out of all the sports I tried, and I kept on improving. I chose to focus on playing the goalie position because in the recreational soccer leagues as a kid, nobody wanted to play goalie. At first, the position appealed the most to me since it seemed like it was the easiest, but I started to enjoy the role more once I started to understand its responsibilities,” said Scola. One of the most difficult things for Scola is how easily both her and her teammates get injured. However, rather than viewing injuries as a hardship, Scola believes injuries show strong a team is.

Investing in athletics to get ahead

Sports Editor

“One of the most difficult things that come with soccer is injuries. As a goalie, I have broken multiple fingers and broken my arm many times as well. Furthermore, I have also watched many of my teammates get into injuries during games,

which affects the overall organization of the team. However, at the end of the day, injuries help demonstrate your strengths and weaknesses, and how well a player can overcome adversity,” said Scola. To Scola, soccer has also helped her off of the field. Her role as the captain and goalie of the team requires her to be able to understand each of her teamate’s unique facets both on and off the field. “I have gained a lot of leadership experience from soccer. As the goalie I have to constantly communicate with my

team; since I am able to view the entire field, I am responsible for telling my teammates where other defenders are, and help them be aware of their surroundings. In addition, I have also been the captain of the soccer team for two years, so I have been able to learn how to interact with different people since players are motivated in different ways,” said Scola. With college right around the corner, Scola hopes to continue pursuing her passion for soccer. Although she is not looking to pursue soccer professionally, soccer will continue to be a large part of Scola’s life. “I have talked to many different schools REX LI PHOTO about playing for them, but after a while, I realized that I want to dedicate my time in college to work on myself. Soccer has taken such a huge chunk out of my life, and although I will not be playing professionally, it will definitely look for ways to play on a club or intramural team,” said Scola. Though her high school career is coming to an end, Scola continues to play a pivotal role on her team, connecting with others and bringing the team closer together. As she goes on to college, it is clear that Scola will continue to showcase her talents and shine on the field.

Sophia Lu

Feature School Editor

With acceptance rates to top colleges falling by the year, many families look for small advantages to get their students a step ahead in the admissions process. This includes extra test prep courses, tutoring, volunteering and more recently, sports. In fact, the 2019 college admissions scandal at the University of Southern Calif. exposed the increasing prevalence of this phenomenon—more and more affluent families are using their wealth to access elite athletics as a means to garner acceptance into top institutions. While college basketball and football typically attract the most attention, there are a plethora of other sports that students can be recruited for. Among these include rowing, golfing and lacrosse. Often, these sports are not easily accessible—they require financial investment from parents— there are summer camps to attend, new equipment to buy and personal coaches to hire, which makes it difficult for low-income students to participate. Without the means to fund these expenditures, low-income families are often barred from participating in these elitist sports, which causes them to miss out on opportunities to access a college education. The problem with so-called elitist sports is their exclusivity— they are, in a sense, affirmative action for the privileged. Wealthy families who have the resources to fund such extracurriculars for their students are automatically a step ahead in the admissions process. Sports like rowing or fencing already have small participant pools, while high school football has hundreds of thousands of athletes competing for limited college scholarships. A smaller pool of participants combined with the recruiting needs has created a significant admissions advantage for those who play them. This phenomenon is undoubtedly harmful to low-income students who do not have the means to access these elitist sports. Not only do their admission chances decline significantly, but there is also less financial support for those who do attain acceptance into their dream colleges. In a recent study by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), student-athletes at colleges in the US receive over $2.7 billion dollars in total scholarships each year. At many colleges, these elitist sports make up over half of the athletics program. Many colleges have a limit on how many scholarships they can give out, so the existence of scholarships for these athletes makes it even more difficult for low-income students to attend their school of choice. There is no need for students to receive fullride scholarships when their families already have the resources to fund their education. Although students who play these sports deserve scholarships and recognition, financial aid should be appropriated in accordance with need and family socioeconomic background.

MATHEMATICS SUBJECTS MATTER: GET SCHOOLED

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NICOLE KIM ART

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Compiled by Cindy Zhao Staff Writer

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h t a m in e g a r e v a l iona t a n r e t in w lo e b s in a Opinions Editor

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