Feb. 26, 2020 Issue

FEATURE WORLD Coronavirus raises global health concerns 7

KENNETH YANG ART

NON-PROFIT INVESTIGATIVE ORGANIZATION REPORT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Students PERMIT NO. 942 use their SAN JOSE, CA various skills ISSN: 2164-6996 to gain work 6677 Camden Avenue experience KENNETH YANG ART 13 San Jose, CA 95120

VIEWPOINT Examining the difference between Eastern and Western animation 8

KENNETH YANG ART

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT Leland High School

San Jose Unified School District

Ashley Lee and Nancy Zheng

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Vol. R | No. 5

Wellness Week upgrades to Wellness Month Staff Writers

In response to the popularity of previous years’ Wellness Week in March, as well as student responses on climate surveys, the Associated Student Body (ASB) decided to coin March “Wellness Month” and implement weekly Friday wellness tutorials throughout the spring semester.

The results of the climate survey—a survey taken by students, staff and parents of the school—indicated that the majority of students felt an alarming amount of academic pressure and stress due to their rigorous courses.

Although academic counselors advise students not to take more than three Advanced

VY NGUYEN PHOTO

VY NGUYEN PHOTO

Placement (AP), accelerated or honors classes at a time, students continue to exceed that limit, which leads to additional stress.

“The school has a very stressful environment. Students are focusing more on APs and academics and less on school spirit and other non-academicrelated activities, which leads to an increase in mental health issues, not just in the school, but around the world. We decided ASB should do our part in addressing this global issue by providing wellness sessions for students,” Senior Sonia Savur, ASB President, said.

Savur recalls that the school initiated wellness events in 2018. As the main organizer behind Wellness Month and the wellness tutorial sessions, she emailed the staff members a list of possible tutorial sessions to offer. Staff members can request to host those sessions or suggest a new idea. From going on a nature walk with Robin Wa l l a c e , Science

Department, to listening to a lecture on happiness with Julie Montgomery, Math Department, students have several diverse sessions available to choose from. In addition, ASB hopes to include a wellness-related activity almost WENDY LEE PHOTO every day in March, such as giving then they were out Oreos on National Oreo Day. “In my wellness tutorial, I provided guided for ten minutes. We coloring sheets for students, and they performed several breathing are just here to color and to help take exercises and scanned our their mind off of schoolwork. Students bodies. These exercises were should take at least an hour out of created to help students become their day where they can do something aware of their surroundings and relaxing and enjoying, not related to to live in the present,” Roberto their phones or social media,” Elaine Gutierrez, Foreign Language Department, said.

Ngo, English Department, said.

Prior to this year, Wellness In Wallace’s tutorial, he led students Week included wellness to the Alamitos Creek, providing tutorials as well, but many students with the opportunity to dewere placed on the same stress with nature. Harvard Health day, limiting students to Publishing explains that individuals only a few to attend during who go on nature walks have lower the week.

By offering more activities in the prefrontal cortex—an frequent sessions where area of the brain that individuals utilize students can destress, ASB when depressed or stressed. hopes to allow more students to “Students were introduced to what participate in these tutorial sessions. meditation was in my tutorial. The definition was presented to them, and

WENDY LEE PHOTO

WENDY LEE PHOTO

Top Left: Montgomery gives a lecture on happiness. Bottom Left: Sophomore Ruby Grimes takes notes during the lecture. Top Right: Juniors Charlotte MacNeal and Andrew Salah converse during the nature walk. Middle Right: Juniors Piyush Kumbhare and Sparsh Garg enjoy the nature walk. Bottom Right: Junior Savannah Genise colors a picture.

Minji Kim

Stereotypes encourage boys and girls towards different gendered fields Investigative Report Editor

While gender disparities in the towards girls being more communications workplace have been a prevalent discussion and language-oriented,” Touchton said. topic for several years, these disparities Data from College Board further are mirrored in high school classes. The confirms this polarity. According to the school’s advanced classes generally have 2019 College Board AP Program Summary more males in science, technology, Report, 96,970 more females took engineering and mathematics English Literature, 65,232 more took (STEM) and more females in Art History and 13,001 more took humanities courses.

Studio Art - Drawing. Meanwhile, For instance, Jennifer 35,463 more males than females took Touchton, English Department, has Computer Science A, 24,811 more two Advanced Placement took Physics C - Mechanics (AP) English Language and 22,515 more males took classes comprised of Calculus BC. 60 percent females, However, these AP English Literature disparities are not always has 68 percent females present. For instance, and AP Studio Art has the school’s AP Statistics 85 percent females. For course has a nearly equal STEM classes, Robin Wallace’s, distribution of females and males— Science Department, AP Physics with 49 percent and 51 percent 1 class has 65 percent males, AP respectively—as well as AP Calculus Physics 2 has 81 percent males, AP AB, with 51 percent females and 49 Chemistry has 72 percent males, percent males. AP Biology consists AP Computer Science Principles of 62 percent females and 38 has 54 males and AP Computer percent males, according to Anu GRACE LI ART Science A has 59 percent males.

Sarkar, Science Department.

“Our culture tends to steer females Despite its uncommon gender distribution, more towards expression, reading and Sarkar said one of the main reasons for the writing. There is plenty of bias that steers difference can be attributed to stereotypes. males more towards numbers, math and “In upper-level biology classes, I have science. Nowadays, there are more girls always seen more females than males. Part feeling comfortable pursuing math and of the reason might be that biology has science. However, there is still a bias always been perceived as a softer science

AP Physics 2: 81% Male

compared to physics and chemistry. Based classes they believe will help them pursue on socioeconomics and ethnicities in our their dream careers. neighborhood, which is primarily Asian, this “I am taking AP English Language, stereotype is very prevalent. Therefore, a lot AP Physics 2 and AP Computer Science of families want their sons to go into more A. In the future, I want to pursue a career physics and engineering classes. However, in computer engineering, which clearly over the years, as students have relates to computer science. Physics 2 is achieved success in AP Biology related because it discusses circuits and and been extremely successful in electricity, a vital part of computer college, later going into multiple engineering. AP English Language is careers, the enrollment of males not linked with my major, but it is still a has drastically increased,” very important class no matter what Sarkar said. major I would go into, as I Despite the will always have to be able to difference in effectively communicate my mathematical skills ideas,” Junior Duy Lam said. between girls and The Atlantic explains boys being negligible, that encouraging females to gender differences pursue STEM fosters more perpetuate due to social factors diversity in the field. Encouraging such as gender stereotypes. males to pursue humanities is just According to Psychology: as important, as, according to Inside Science in Action, in a study Higher Ed, this can facilitate more conducted in 1999, when ease in sharing ideas. women were told females did “Careers in the sciences require worse on a math test, they much more than pure science, and did much worse than men.

I took AP Literature to become a GRACE LI ART However, when women were not told this, better communicator. I plan to pursue they had the same results as males did. The computational biology, which is super study attributed this to the fact that women interdisciplinary, and the classes I have generally lack more confidence than men, taken this year have combined those as explained by the Atlantic. interests to prepare me for the future,” Despite these stereotypes, many Senior Rashi Rajan said. students at the school take upper-level

AP Studio Art: 85% Female

NEWS OPINION FEATURE VIEWPOINT SPORTS LAST WORD 1

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

NEWS

Bridge Night celebrates the intersection of Eastern and Western culture Ansh Dhakalia and Hannah Moon Staff Writers On Feb. 1, Bridge Night 2020 commenced in the school’s cafeteria. The event has been an annual tradition for 19 years and includes student performances as well as dinner. The cafeteria was packed with faculty members, over 80 guests and over 40 student volunteers and performers.

Bridge Night kicked off with Freshman Leon Huang, Sophomores Andrew Liu and Andrew Xiong and Junior Curtis Luu dressed in two golden dragon costumes dancing around the cafeteria. The dragons were accompanied by Senior Andrew Lihn and Junior Janice Shih, who played the Chinese drum and cymbal. After the performance, Seniors Erica Fu, Bradley Liu, Kailyn Xu, Justin Yang, Eric Zhang and Lauren Zheng emceed the evening, dressed in Mickey Mouse costumes to commemorate the Year of the Rat. Following the introduction of the first prize raffle, students showcased their musical talents. Junior Karen Lin played the pipa, a traditional Chinese four-stringed instrument.

Next, in a rendition of “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, Freshman Reagan Liu played the cello, Senior Daniel Man played the piano and Senior Cynthia Gao sang.

Students also performed a variety of different dances, each with distinct choreography. Sophomore Grace Fang performed a contemporary dance.

The emcees participated in performances as well, as Xu followed up with a Chinese Umbrella Dance, while Senior Erica Lam played the flute.

Contrasting Xu and Lam’s traditional performance, Sophomores David Hsiao, Wells Lin, Victor Man, Ernest Wu, Jasper Wu and Maxwell Wu danced to “Single Ladies” by Beyonce.

Reenacting scenes from Les Misérables, Freshmen Ethan Chang and Alexander Lee, Sophomore Andrea Kuo and Junior Janice Shih took the stage. Seniors Charlie He, Brendan Lin, Dennis Wang and Eric Yin then performed a provocative group dance to “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift. Junior Devon Shao and Vincent Zhu followed the act with two magic shows.

In the first act,

Joyce Yu, President of Bridge Club, selected a random card to which Zhu made reappear in an empty box. Zhu, while blindfolded, also helped Veronica Burton, Math Department, find the queen of hearts from a deck of cards.

To wrap up the night, Seniors Christine Baek, Calvin Hsiao, Yuka Shindo and Zhang sang “Some Things Never Change” from Frozen 2. Four years in the making, dance group ILLUMIN8 consisting of Seniors Ashley Chen, Sean Huang, Evan Ji, Liu, Man, Terrence Te, Xu and Yang performed their choreographed light stick dance in the dark, receiving applause from the audience. To conclude the night, over 20 student volunteers performed a group dance on stage and greeted guests as they left.

Although the night ended on a positive note, the event faced obstacles before the scheduled date causing performers and volunteers to make last minute changes.

“I had gone to all the volunteer training dates and had prepared to serve tea and food at the event prior to the outbreak. However, this time, the volunteers did not need to serve the guests because of the risk of coronavirus transmittance. Despite this, I still had fun watching my friends perform on stage and helping the event in a group setting Sophomore Victor Zhang said.

The recent coronavirus outbreak created concern around the event which was almost cancelled because of risk of transmission as some family members had recently travelled to China.

“We received a few phone calls about it not being safe for a large gathering such as Bridge Night to happen with the coronavirus spreading. Longtime volunteers that care about this community called me and expressed their concerns. Originally, we planned to cancel Bridge Night and make it a studio production. However, the performers had already put so much work into rehearsals and they wanted the event to continue, so we decided to invite only volunteers, performers and their families and faculty,” Yu said.

As many of the volunteers pushed for the event to go on, the board reached a compromise and decided to only serve dinner to faculty members to reduce contact between guests.

“We were disappointed and angry to find out that we could not perform because we spent nearly 100 hours preparing for Bridge Night and met up every single day for three weeks. We had also changed the scripts three times because we had to mention the coronavirus,” Senior Liu said.

The purpose of Bridge Night is to support the school. Over the past few years, Bridge Night has raised between $15,000 to $20,000 from selling tickets for a variety of school functions. They have also reached out to the school’s alumni to celebrate both Eastern and Western culture through displaying the talents of the performers.

REX LI PHOTO

REX LI PHOTO

WENDY LEE PHOTO

Left top: Liu, Luu and Xiong dress in costume and perform a traditional dragon dance to kickstart the show. Left bottom: After introduction, the emcees dress in Mickey Mouse costumes to celebrate the year of the rat.

Right: Xu performs a traditional Chinese Umbrella Dance on stage.

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THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

NEWS

Almaden Lake gets a makeover

Oakland bans tenant criminal background checks Kelly Cui

Sophia Lu and Nam Nguyen Feature School Editor and Staff Writer

Since 2012, the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) has been planning the Almaden Lake Improvement Project (ALIP), a voter-approved measure to separate the Almaden Lake from the Alamitos Creek, allowing the creek to flow directly into the Guadalupe River. Aimed at restoring the local habitat and improving the water quality, the project will begin construction by the summer of 2021 if approved by the SCVWD Board of Directors.

“The project will create a more stable creek channel and would restore natural creek functions that can better support local life.”

Like many other lakes in the area, the water in Almaden Lake is sourced through the Los Alamitos Creek. This has become a major issue for visitors because the creek carries mercury-laden sediments—which are hazardous to humans. In past years, visitors could swim or boat in the water, but due to the progressive accumulation of mercury, the city banned these activities. As a result, the lake has become more of a scenic afterthought, rather than the recreational feature it was meant to be.

Along with the mercury deposits, the merging of the Alamitos Creek and the Almaden Lake has posed several environmental and health issues because it interferes with the natural watershed.

The lake disrupts the migration of native fish, leaving them vulnerable to non-native predators. In addition, algae blooms and birds create high levels of organic matter. When coupled with low oxygen levels, the condition promotes microbes that convert mercury to

The SCVWD has prioritized public outreach, holding numerous town halls and presenting drafts to the city of San Jose to gather input on the plan to restore the park.

This project will separate the Almaden Lake from the Alamitos Creek by constructing a levee to serve as a pathway for pedestrians and bikers. As a result, the Alamitos Creek will directly flow into the Guadalupe River as it did prior to the park’s development. The ALIP will also restore the natural environment of the creek to improve fish migration and spawning. Meanwhile, a separated lake will remain with an added island to support more bird nestings.

Officials plan to drain the contaminated water to nearby SCVWD percolation ponds, as well as recontour the lake-floor before refilling the lake with imported water to improve water quality. Leftover land after the division will be used as an extension to the existing park.

“The ALIP would restore healthy fish populations by allowing native fish a safer passage up and down the Alamitos Creek and reduce the production of methylmercury accumulation within the lake. The project will create a more stable creek channel and would restore natural creek functions that can better support local life,” SCVWD civil engineer Sunshine Julian said.

The project is expected to finish construction by the summer of 2023 with a budget of $5 million for planning and design and $36 million for construction. However, critics have voiced their concerns over the ecological, residential and health impacts from the park reconstruction. As required by the Calif. Environmental Quality Act, the SCVWD published an Environmental Impact Report that assessed several potential

methylmercury, environmental a potent neurotoxin. and community effects KENNETH YANG ART “The growing deposits of mercury the project will have during and post in the water make the lake extremely construction. It accounted for issues like dangerous for the wildlife and the people air quality, fish migration, noise level and visiting. Although officials have banned all other problems possibly stemming from recreational activities on the lake since 2010, construction. The report outlined numerous the mercury levels affect the natural habitat. mitigation measures, such as monitoring Aquatic animals can absorb unhealthy dust levels and installing a fish capture and amounts of mercury that can pass through relocation crew. the food chain and reach top predators. An “The Almaden Lake Park is a treasured overaccumulation of mercury in predators part of our community. It is thus important can be lethal, damaging the natural that the community play an important ecosystem,” Junior Angie Liu said. role in saving the park’s natural habitats In Nov. 2012, Santa Clara County voters in order to preserve it because we were the approved the Safe, Clean Water and Natural ones responsible for polluting it,” Junior Flood Protection Program, to fund the ALIP. Niki Sanati said.

For John Jones III, director of the Alameda County Fair Housing Coalition and a former incarceree, jail was the only place that guaranteed him shelter.

Once he was released, housing became far more difficult to find, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In order to combat housing discrimination against former convicts, Oakland has now become the first city in Calif. to ban criminal background checks

Opinions Editor

incarcerated residents a home and thus allow for their reintegration into society, as well as to combat the homelessness crisis and to prevent repeated offenses.

Councilwoman Nikki Bas, a co-sponsor of the law, told the San Francisco Chronicle that a recent survey of the city estimated that 73 percent of its homeless were formerly incarcerated, most for nonviolent crimes. Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker also argued

Nomopoly

on prospective housing tenants after unanimously passing the Fair Change Housing Ordinance on Jan. 21.

The ordinance is the first law within the state to outlaw discrimination against former convicts in public and private housing alike. The city will phase in this law in the following six months, after which landlords who run background checks on tenants or reject them due to a previous criminal record will incur a $1,000 fine.

Although stricter than similar laws in Seattle and Portland, the law does exempt single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes and replacing, adding or subletting to co-tenants—all other properties are protected under the law.

It also does not apply to governmentfunded affordable housing units, which are required to exclude tenants with certain convictions under federal law.

Landlords are also allowed to check the state sex offender registry and must allow applicants on the list a chance to provide additional information.

“The spirit of the law is correct, but the implementation could be improved.

Prospective tenants with minor or nonviolent criminal records should not be discriminated against in housing.

However, landlords should definitely have the ability to reject tenants with more egregious crimes, such as manslaughter. Additionally, making it not apply to low-income housing seems to defeat the point of this bill, as many potential tenants with criminal records may afford the quickly rising Oakland housing costs,” Senior Angela Shu said.

Oakland lawmakers introduced the law in order to provide formerly

Quotebox: Would this project ultimately be better for the environment or not?

RACHEL KIM ART that the disproportionate amount of homeless or previously incarcerated African Americans contributed to unfair discrimination in the city.

Jones advocated for the law after observing that “more and more landlords and property managers started advertising explicitly ‘clean criminal record,’” according to CBS SF Bay Area. Having been formerly incarcerated himself, Jones witnessed the psychological and emotional impact of being rejected for having a criminal record; he said one “can even reach a point where [they] just give up looking.”

He told ABC7 that while he hopes to dismantle the “structural barrier of a

“73 percent of [Oakland’s] homeless were formerly incarcerated, most for nonviolent crimes.” criminal record,” landlords can still consider a potential tenant’s credit, employment and previous references at their discretion.

However, real estate attorney Brent Kernan expressed concerns over the liabilities an owner would face if they “get the wrong person in and bad things happen” and whether they should have the right to know their tenant’s background, according to ABC7.

The law may not remain unique to Oakland. Legislators in Alameda and Emeryville are considering similar measures, and the Berkeley City Council is expected to vote on an equally stringent bill in February.

MARCH

“Necesary actions are being taken to ensure the long-term survivability of both our lake and the habitats surrounding the lake. I think that, in the long run, the lake and the habitat around it will be even better than ever after the project is completed.”

March 4:

March 24-27:

—Senior Elona Khoshaba

SAT Day

College Workshop for Juniors

March 11:

March 25-27:

AP Parent Info Night

9th Grade Course Registration

“I am particularly concerned about the effects of disturbing the surrounding habitat in order to ‘fix’ the issues we have right now; the conditions could certainly get much worse than it already is.”

—Junior Brian Kim Compiled by Edward Jung, Community News Editor

CAROLYN NGUYEN ART

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

OPINIONS

The new face of artificial intelligence Muskaan Grewal and Isabel Zhou

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

With the rise of new technology comes the need for new legislation. The European Union (EU) is now considering a three to five year ban on facial recognition to allow countries and cities time to mitigate possible risks and assess its effects, citing the rights of EU citizens to not be subject to profiling by automated processes.

Civil rights groups have expressed concerns at how quickly the EU is adopting facial recognition: three UK police forces have begun using it, while Germany is spreading the technology to 134 train stations and 14 airports.

The ban outlines different regulations the EU may place on users and developers of facial recognition, but exceptions may be made for security, research and development projects.

The potential ban has split and sparked debates among the high tech field. While it has won the support of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, who applauded the EU’s efforts to provide a “framework” to this new technology, while RACHEL K IM ART Microsoft’s Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith criticized the proposal and contended that it would hinder technological progress in the EU, according to Verge. Smith pointed out the positive uses for facial recognition technology, like identifying missing children and wanted criminals.

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

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 February 26, 2020 Vol. R, No. 5

“The EU must decide whether to hinder progress in fear of privacy violations or to take a leap towards new technology.” blackmail public figures, known as “deep fakes.” Deep fakes can replicate even the subtlest changes in facial expressions, making it impossible to distinguish from real footage. Mass media could become plagued by misinformation, sparking an era of skepticism and conspiracy.

On the other hand, some worry that Europe will lose out on the advantages of artificial intelligence (AI). Eline Chivot, Senior Policy Analyst with the Centre for Data Innovation, stated that limiting the spread of facial recognition would inevitably harm European competitiveness in AI technology compared to other countries like China.

As the deadline for the legislation proposal looms and controversy spreads, the EU must decide whether to hinder progress in fear of privacy violations or to take a leap towards new technology.

Exposing prejudices against the Chinese community

The Charger Account Editorial Staff

ADVISOR Stacy Dawson

STAFF WRITERS

Staff Writer and Lifestyle Editor their faces in order to protect their identites and evade racial profiling.

Additionally, as facial recognition becomes more advanced, the consequences of it falling into the wrong hands become more severe and likely. According to CNN, facial recognition software is capable of editing a person’s face onto preexisting footage, which is then used to frame or

Coronavirus spurs xenophobia and racism

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Carolyn Nguyen

COMMUNITY CIRCULATION Parent Club and Leland Bridge

“The EU has been able to ensure safer travel both in and out of the country by using facial recognition in border protection. However, by banning this technology, the EU and other countries that have many travelers will be set back.”

Freshman Natalie Gao said.

To counter the concerns of facial recognition skeptics like Pichai, Smith stated on Verge that the best way to monitor the technology is through natural revisions: “The only way to continue developing [facial recognition] is to have more people using it. There is only one way at the end of the day to make technology better, and that is to use it.”

The proposal could in part, be a response to the shock expressed by the European public.

According to BBC, people were outraged when news broke out that the King’s Cross, a neighborhood in London, was using facial recognition based on images provided by local police departments without alerting affected residents.

Furthermore, the recent actions of China have exemplified the dangers of public facial recognition.

The Chinese government has used facial recognition identify specific demographics, such as the Uyghurs. According to the New York Times, this practice could potentially bring about an era of “automated racism.”

Pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong have also been targetted; protesters have destroyed surveillance poles and covered

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world reaches 64,000, many countries have begun to take precautionary measures to contain the risk of the virus to their people. As of Feb. 14, there have been 15 confirmed cases in the United States. In response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declaring the situation a U.S. public health emergency, nationwide institutions, schools and other organizations have released their own precautionary statements. UC Berkeley’s Health Services Tang Center even published a post listing xenophobia as a “common reaction” to news of the outbreak. Several interpreted the post as condoning and justifying xenophobia.

Although the Tang Center deleted the post and issued an apology, their post highlighted a disturbing reality: the fact that the response could be considered “normal” demonstrates that these xenophobic attitudes existed before the outbreak. Fears over coronavirus have provided people with a scapegoat to justify their xenophobia.

In response to the Tang Center’s post, the Daily Californian published an article describing incidents of discrimination against Asian and Chinese international students as a result of the outbreak; one student was asked to leave a public bus,

even though he was wearing a mask.

CBS News recorded an Asian American high school student in San Fernando Valley being physically attacked by students who accused him of having the coronavirus. Furthermore, NBC News reported on a similar occurrence where an Asian woman was the target of an angry rant from a man who directed

“Seemingly harmless jokes such as avoiding Asian classmates and not eating Chinese food to prevent “infection” antagonize and isolate groups, whether or not there is malicious intent behind the statements.”

profanities and hate speech towards Chinese Americans.

Unfortunately, unjustified feelings regarding the virus are present on our campus as well. Initially, the school’s Bridge Night was almost canceled from concerns over the virus spreading due to a large gathering of Chinese people.

However, according to Principal Peter Park, students approached Bridge Night parents with the irrationality of these concerns; if school operations and sports events were still being

conducted, then there is no reason to cancel Bridge Night—especially since the only confirmed cases in Calif. at the time were in Southern Calif. Park noted that the community did not react in the same way regarding the flu, despite there being more cases of it. Vox furthers that although there were 19 million flu illnesses this season, there appears to be more urgency towards buying masks to avoid the coronavirus rather than getting a flu shot. Nonetheless, Bridge Night took precautions such as limiting the number of people who were served dinner to alleviate concerns over the potential spread of the virus.

Moreover, racist reactions have materialized in more subtle ways.

Seemingly harmless jokes such as avoiding Asian classmates and not eating Chinese food to prevent “infection” antagonize and isolate groups, whether or not there is malicious intent behind the statements. We must voice our concerns in a respectful manner that does not unfairly discriminate and place blame on individuals.

Focusing solely on the west’s reaction perpetuates our racially skewed perspective regarding global concerns, and encouraging discriminatory comments only exacerbates the problem.

While recognizing bigoted behavior is crucial to help end xenophobia, we should redirect our focus to the victims of the virus. Turning our attention to the ones most affected by the coronavirus ensures that we are supporting minority groups rather than marginalizing them.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

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OPINIONS

National Archives under fire for altering image Muskaan Grewal and Hannah Moon A National Archives exhibit titled “Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote” opened in May 2019 and celebrates the centennial of women’s suffrage, featuring a 49-by-69-inch colored photograph. From one perspective, it shows the 2017 Women’s March on Pennsylvania Ave., but when looked at from a different angle, the image shifts to a 1913 image of a women’s suffrage march on the street. However, after coming under fire for blurring signs on the 2017 Women’s March photograph, the National Archives released a statement on Jan. 19, 2019, saying, “We made a mistake, we promise a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again.”

In the altered photograph, signs that mentioned President Trump or referenced female anatomy were blurred out. For example, a sign that read “God Hates Trump” was changed to “God Hates,” and a sign that read “Trump & GOP — Hands Off Women” had “Trump” blurred out.

National Archives spokesperson Miriam Kleiman gave the agency’s reasoning in an emailed statement to The Washington Post: “As a nonpartisan, non-political federal agency, we blurred references to the President’s name on some posters, so as not to engage in current political controversy.” Kleiman further explained that words referencing female genitalia would be inappropriate for younger visitors.

“I understand that they are trying to maintain neutrality but censorship is not the way to achieve that. By blurring the image, I feel that the National Archives has aligned

itself against the protestors,” Sophomore Aaron Shih said.

Tasked as the nation’s record keeper, the National Archives has been working to preserve historical documents and photos

Staff Writers in the United States since 1934. According to The Washington Post, to James Grossman, the director of the American Historical Association, the National Archives’ decision was ill-advised and “violated the ethical standards of the archives profession.”

As an agency that has vowed to document an honest record of U.S. history, deliberately censoring words from an event commemorating the women’s suffragist movement belittles the decades people have spent fighting for women’s rights. Slate reports that according to Wendy Kline, History Professor at Purdue University, “Doctoring a commemorative photograph buys right into the notion that it is okay to silence women’s voices and actions.” The National Archives’ alteration of signs in the photo has undermined the meaning of the Women’s March as well as its own exhibit. Citizens have lost trust in the National Archives and the federal government not because RACHEL KIM ART the organization desired a more age appropriate document, but because the decision to alter the photographs were in efforts to silence voices of history. History is not meant to be depicted as perfect, but rather as raw and honest so that future generations can make better judgements.

Australia wildfires spark unconventional philanthropy Serena Atkinson and Ridge Coffey “Not all heroes wear clothes” was Twitter users’ rallying cry behind Instagram model Kaylen Ward, who has dubbed herself “The Naked Philanthropist.” On Jan. 3, she started a fundraiser on Twitter: direct message her proof of donating at least $10 to a charity benefiting the Australian wildfires, and she would send a nude photo in return. “My Instagram got deactivated, my family disowned me, and the guy I like won’t talk to me,” the model tweeted the day after her fundraiser was announced. “But… save the koalas.”

Ward told the Guardian that she fell into a “rabbit hole” of news articles about the damages many Australians suffered as a result of the wildfires. Knowing firsthand how devastating wildfires can be after her family was forced to evacuate to a houseboat during the 2018 Carr fire in Calif., Ward was inspired to take matters into her own hands.

The fundraiser was an immediate success, allegedly raising $5,000 on the first day. Her follower count on Twitter quickly skyrocketed from 30,000 to over 200,000, and she had to hire two assistants to sort through the volume of direct messages she received. According to the New York Times, Ward has raised over $1 million, “though she was candid about her inability to verify individual donations.”

Ward’s idea is not the first of its kind: in Aug. 2019, model Khate Rad had a similar initiative, sending nude photos to anyone

Staff Writers donating $20 or more to the Amazon rainforest has also become a target of cyberbullying, fires. It has also inspired around 20 other receiving many hostile messages and death threats on the internet. “You all bully and harass people on social media but advocate for suicide prevention… You guys have made the internet such a dark place for me,” Ward tweeted on Jan. 5. Instagram banned her account, stating that no talk of nudity is allowed on the platform. Many Instagram users are under the age of 18, and since there is no way to authenticate the age of the people donating, the nude photos could be going to minors illegally. It is also worth noting that Ward’s offer could encourage the prevalence of requesting unsolicited nudes on various platforms.

“It is sad that she had to literally sell her body to raise much-needed money for Australia and that it was probably an incentive for a lot of people to donate when they otherwise would not have,” Junior Allison Wang said.

Many have been quick to label the nature of Ward’s fundraiser as “crude” or “unclassy.” While the success of the fundraiser may reflect growing feelings of apathy towards global crises in today’s society, it is important to recognize the inherent goal of charity itself: to help those in need. Ward’s fundraiser appears to NICOLE KIM ART have come out of a desire to help people recover from a devastating natural disaster. However, while Ward is a consenting adult and has every right influencers, including models Jenna Lee and to the actions she took, it is also important to Emmy Elliot to start their own fundraisers . recognize how Ward’s actions exacerbate Despite her initiative, Ward has faced a much larger problem and perpetuate the censorship and backlash from the media. She objectification of women.

Statelessness An international crisis Keerthana Ramaswamy Feature World Editor

The world is witnessing a surge of widespread statelessness—people who are not citizens or nationals of any country—brought on by efforts to revoke citizenship. According to the New York Times, “10 million people globally are stateless, and more than 75 percent are part of minority groups in the countries where they reside.”

In India, a new citizenship bill allows for citizenship on the basis of religion to six communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, specifically excluding Muslims and migrants from neighboring Sri Lanka and Myanmar. In the Dominican Republic, a retroactively enforced ruling strips four generations of citizens of Haitian descent of citizenship, rendering them ghost citizens. In Kenya, Nubians—a group with deeply embedded roots in the region—are denied nationality.

After Nazi Germany revoked Jewish citizenship before sending them to concentration camps, the United Nations assembled international laws codifying protections against statelessness such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which

“Statelessness… is a crisis… manufactured by… a status quo that denies political rights” lists nationality as a human right. Yet, governments have largely ignored these tenets, continuing campaigns to exclude certain groups from citizenship. They justify their actions through nationalism in the name of country unity, but nationalism that denies innocent people a place in their society is not an excuse to discriminate against minorities.

The controversy regarding citizenship also hits close to home.

In 2017, the Trump administration effectively left 80,000 individuals stateless when it ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program—which protected those brought to the United States as children without proper documentation from deportation—before the action was blocked by the Supreme Court.

Citizenship is more than a political framework; rather, it is fundamentally connected to a sense of belonging and identity. It is a status tied to family life and a sense of security, facilitating access to healthcare, education and employment. The prominence of statelessness is a political and humanitarian crisis manufactured by governments obsessed with preserving a status quo that denies political rights to minorities. So what can we do? For one, citizens need to be allies to those persecuted on account of their religious and ethnic identities and elect leaders that recognize the gravity of the issue.

Ultimately, remedying statelessness will require collaboration between international governments and human rights organizations committed to recognizing the nationality of those who are stateless.

6

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

FEATURE: SCHOOL

Exploring interests beyond the classroom through research

Andrea Kuo and Sophia Lu

Staff Writer and Feature School Editor With the school offering science courses ranging from zoology to physics, many students have had the opportunity to explore a variety of topics in science.

Some students, including Sophomore Iris Zhou and Senior Jared Ura expand upon their learnings in class by conducting scientific research outside of school.

Before starting her research project for this year, Zhou first decided to take on a topic that was meaningful to her.

“I was inspired to research fire prevention because of the Calif. wildfires that have been burning through the state for the past few years. When Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) shut down electricity as a preventative measure last fall, I was relieved that they were taking action but also wanted to do something to help. Because of this, I decided to create a device that could both monitor conditions and stop the spread of any potentially disastrous fires, such as the Camp Fire in 2018,” Zhou said.

To build the detection system for her project, Zhou started off by configuring a raspberry pi system with circuit boards. After that, she added on sensors for temperature, humidity, wind speed and infrared radiation so users would be able to monitor these conditions for prediction purposes. Since Zhou wants PG&E to use her device, she also constructed it to be easily attachable to PG&E’s utility poles. Zhou hopes that this design will incentivize the utility company to install her device for future fire prevention.

Zhou’s research required her to learn multiple concepts that have never been taught in her classes at the school. In order to build her experimental system, she had to learn how to build circuit boards and understand basic concepts of electrical engineering. For these purposes, she enlisted the assistance of YouTube. While watching videos online helped her develop understanding of certain concepts, Zhou also had to self-study for many others.

To share her findings with others, Zhou is entering the Synopsys Science Fair, a regional competition

“I was inspired to research fire prevention

because of the Calif. wildfires that have been burning through the state for the past few years.” that provides winning students with the opportunity to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (IISEF). She hopes that spreading awareness about her topic of choice can prevent future fires from happening. Additionally, Zhou wants to advance

Ashley Lee and Nancy Zheng

to the IISEF because it will provide her with an even larger college-level research, it also helps the students learn how platform to share information about to communicate in a professional setting. The process fire prevention efforts in Calif. of finding a college professor also teaches students While Zhou’s research is how to market themselves. Since professors largely independent, other have a busy schedule, students like Ura students at the school also have to figure out a way participate in research to make their project as part of the school’s appealing so that Advanced Placement they can convince “In science classes, students have a strict set of (AP) Capstone class. One professors to guidelines for what they learn: there is a preof the students at the advise. This task planned curriculum that each teacher follows. This school who is taking the was especially class is Ura. Currently difficult for is not conducive to students who want to explore in the data collection Ura because his topics that are not in the curriculum. Research phase for his project, research required opens up possibilities for further discovery.

Ura’s main focus is someone to be researching the impacts both experienced - Senior Adriel Lee of implementing magic in teaching into teaching lessons on math and magic. student comprehension. As However, through someone with an interest in extensive research magic and math, Ura decided that of professors around the this project would allow him to combine both of country, Ura was able to find a few his passions and develop a better understanding of the mentors who fit his specific criteria. overlaps between the two fields.

“I have two expert advisors; Matt For data collection, Ura designed an experiment Baker, a math professor at Georgie Tech in which half of the students in his research pool who is also a magician, and Jimmy were taught with a “mathemagic” method and the Ichihana, a former math teacher and other half were taught a traditional math lesson. who is currenntly a professional Before the students learned their respective magician. Whenever I move on to lessons, Ura asked each of them to take a prea new stage in my research, I send test. This test was used to assess their base them my completed findings. level math proficiency. After the pre-tests, After review, they provide me Ura proceeded to teach students with their with feedback,” Ura said.

Through their assigned lessons. The math proficiency of experiences, both student the students was then assessed after the researchers agreed that lessons with a post-test. they have been able to Since Ura is still in the process of explore topics taught at collecting data, he has not yet been school in much more able to come up with a conclusion depth. Research outside for his research. However, after Ura of school can be a great finishes with his research, he will opportunity to expand be able to present his findings to on learnings in school, fellow classmates as part of the AP KENNETH YANG ART but also to explore many Capstone test in May. new concepts. Although there are With their enrollment in the program, Capstone students also receive the opportunity of course offerings in a diverse range of subject areas at the mentorship with local college professors. In most cases, school, it is impossible to cover every possible field. For professors act as mentors who guide students through students who are interested in astronomy, paleontology, the process of conducting research. Not only does this or any other topic area, research outside of school can allow them to simulate the experience of conducting present a viable and rewarding alternative.

Students revive the science fair Staff Writers

Since 2017, the school’s science fair has been on a Srinivasan hopes that the event will act as preparation for along with all the projects, will allow each participant to hiatus. However, when Sophomore Nethra Srinivasan, the Synopsys Science Fair. Since the presentation and learn something they have never encountered before.

President of Science Club, learned of this, she was research formats are very similar, students can also use Another aspect of Srinivasan’s purpose for hosting the determined to bring the event back to the school. Using the feedback they receive at the school science fair to event is to bring together the community. She encourages this opportunity, Srinivasan would like to rebuild passion improve their projects for Synopsys. student participation, but also wants local parents and for the sciences amongst “I hope that when students adults to participate as judges. High schoolers who do students at the school. participate in the school’s science not participate can also sign up as volunteers and earn To get off to an fair, they will be able to explore community service hours. For high schoolers who have early start, Srinivasan the different areas of science previously participated in elementary school science began preparation for the that they have never been able to fairs, Srinivasan hopes that this will be an opportunity for science fair in May 2019 explore before, and also inspire them to give back. by coordinating with Meg other kids who are able to take a “As a regular participant in elementary school science Walsh, Activities Director, look at their work and learn from fairs when I was younger, I learned a lot about research and Jeff Lutze, Math their experiences,” methods and Department. As the host, Srinivasan said. different topic Srinivasan was obligated Students who areas within to provide parent judges, participate in the subject. The YUYI LU PHOTO rooms for competitors the event will be challenges and to showcase their Sophomore Nethra Srinivasan discusses the science allowed to research experiences that experiments and a separate fair’s setup with members of the school’s Science Club. any science-related I went through venue for the judges to topic of their have allowed congregate. After planning out these logistics, the next choice. In past years, the school’s science me to gain many item on Srinivasan’s agenda was to attract participation fair topics have included the effect of music new insights for the competition. Students in the Science Club have on plant growth, the psychological effect of that I hope I worked towards meeting this goal by advertising the certain visuals and the effect of Kool Aid on can share with YUYI LU PHOTO event to various elementary, middle and high schools in a solvent’s boiling temperature. Excited to the students Almaden Valley. participate just like many other students, participating in Sophomores Mizuki Shitomi and Mizue Uemara In accordance with Srinivasan’s vision for maximum Srinivasan is entering the school’s science the science fair,” listen intently to a discussion during Science Club. inclusivity, students in any grade level will be able to fair with a project that studies the effects Srinivasan said. participate in the school’s science fair. For those in lower of dye and blow drying on individual hair structure. She With March 5 as the planned date for the science grade levels, the science fair is intended to be a purely was interested in doing this project because many of her fair, Srinivasan hopes that as many students as possible educational experience, but for middle and high schoolers, friends have dyed hair. Srinivasan hopes that her research, will take advantange of the opportunity to participate.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

Nam Nguyen

7

FEATURE: WORLD Coronavirus incites confusion around the world Staff Writer

As of a Feb. 6 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), over 28,000 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus have spread to over a dozen countries across the globe, with 12 confirmed cases in the United States spanning Calif., Ariz., Ill. and Wash. In addition to the hundreds of people in 26 states under close monitoring for the infectious virus, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a travel warning on Jan. 27 against all nonessential travel to China.

T h e coronavirus is believed to originate from an exotic animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first infection broke out around Dec. 12. Initially identified as viral cases of pneumonia, China alerted WHO as infections exceeded 40 by Jan. 1. By Jan 7, scientists at WHO were able to identify the illness as a new strain of coronavirus as cases of infection exceeded 100.

Some scientists have compared coronavirus to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the flu. The new coronavirus belongs to a larger family of coronaviruses that include the common cold and the dangerous SARS virus that killed over 700 people in 2002. Dr. Jerome Adams, surgeon general of the US, cautions that compared to coronavirus, “the flu is a much bigger risk to the average person.“ Like SARS and MERS, coronavirus is zoonotic and originally spread from animal to human. Researchers have noted that the new virus potentially originated from bats and snakes sold in Wuhan’s seafood market.

Jacob Cho and Javier Gomez-Tagle

According to the CDC, symptoms of coronavirus include fever, headache and other pneumonia-like symptoms and the disease can spread through coughing, sneezing or touching. Once contracted, the virus has an incubation period for up to 14 days where it shows no symptoms, but can still spread.

“I have been seeing a lot of news reports lately about the virus and it is somewhat alarming.

I know everything is under control in the United States, but I am still concerned about how fast it spreads.

Especially in large population centers, like San Jose, viruses can easily multiply, making us vulnerable to infection,” Sophomore Catherine Patriarca said.

Since the initial outbreak from central China, the WHO reports over 500 dead along with the confirmed cases as of Feb. 6. The disease has spread to over four continents, from neighboring Asian countries to countries like Australia, France and the United States, where the coronavirus was first reported on Jan. 15.

With the outbreak spreading rapidly, scientists have been rushing to find a

vaccine to combat the virus. Thanks to Chinese scientists rapidly sequencing the virus’s genome, the National Institute of Health and various other companies have received copies of the virus in order to work towards a vaccine. However, experts warn that the vaccine is still experimental and would not come in time to slow the outbreak. For now, efforts from China and the

NICOLE KIM ART

international community have been working on containing the disease.

After its discovery, the Chinese government shut down the market where the virus had allegedly originated from and restricted travel. By Jan. 25, Wuhan suspended all air and rail travel, along with five other neighboring cities isolating a population of 56 million. Other efforts from the government include building a new

hospital to combat the growing population of ill people and extending the Lunar New Year holiday until Feb. 3, which will reduce traveling, to help contain the virus.

Meanwhile, the United States and other countries have devised plans to bring back citizens to their country. The US Department of State announced plans to bring consulate staff and American citizens back on Jan. 28, with similar plans being carried on from other countries. Along with a travel warning in place for all of China, all planes from infected countries have been directed to five US airports, including San Francisco International Airport, where CDC entry screenings will be conducted on all incoming passengers.

“I am not that concerned about the coronavirus, knowing that there are only a few cases in the United States and that health officials are taking the necessary steps to contain the virus here. The coronavirus also has a low mortality rate compared to other infectious pathogens and has mostly only infected older people with previous health issues,” Junior William Robey said.

Although coronavirus remains a serious threat, the CDC assures the general public that the immediate risk of being infected by it is low. For must-travelers to China, the CDC recommends avoiding animals and animal markets, and washing their hands often. For the American public, the CDC recommends that people take actions to stop the spread of germs, such as washing their hands regularly and wearing a face mask. It also suggests that the public should get vaccinated for the flu, which has taken over 10,000 people in the United States alone this year.

Fires devastate wildlife across Australia Staff Writers

The Australian wildfires started in Aug. 1, 2019, and are continuing to burn across Australia. While the fires burned throughout every Australian city, it was clear that the southeastern region of Australia received far more fires than any other region. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, for the past couple of months it has been engulfed in a regular fire season. However, the highest recorded temperatures, reaching 41.9 degrees celsius paired with gusty winds, made for powerful fires that would last longer than expected.

Wildfires began to spread in Australia, and as of Jan. 7, over 6.3 million acres have been burned, killing 25 people and millions of wildlife. Officially the worst ever natural disaster to ever strike Australia, scientists believe that this fire was caused by growing global warming levels. They hypothesize that global warming caused unusually high temperatures in Australia, which led to the most devastating fire in the country’s history. It all began two months before the expected season on Aug. 1, 2019, in which a drought caused 95 percent of the country to be affected. According to BBC News, “This year a natural phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole has meant a hot, dry spell across the country.”

In addition to wildfires, other major environmental issues have also been occurring in Australia such as floods, ash rain, and dust storms. The Guardian reports, “Sydney sweltered in temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, and toxic smoke kept people stuck indoors, away from the respite of the beach.” As a result of this crisis, Australians have been living under atmosheric conditions that make it dangerous to be outdoors.

“I think this incident not only highlights what natural disasters can effect, but also shows that global warming is real, and something that we should all not take

AILEEN XIE ART

lightly for the future and recognize as a serious issue that needs our attention,” said Sophomore​ Timothy Mao. One of the deadliest natural disasters in Australian history, the Australian wildfires, spanning over half a year, has burned, ravaged and killed billions

of wildlife, The World Wildlife Fund estimates that about 1.25 billion animals have been killed either directly or indirectly from the Australian wildfires.

Additionally, the fires have killed 25 people, left thousands homeless, burned 12.35 million acres of land, and have released smoke that traveled to New Zealand, over 1,000 miles away from Australia. While fires in some regions have been stabilized, fires are still going on, and many are in danger. In response to the continued activities of the fire, the Australian government summoned “3,000 reservists to battle the escalating fires and conduct evacuations Additionally, people all over the world have been donating relief funds. Examples include Tennis Australia, which has pledged to donate $1 million to help rebuild

damaged structures, as well as tennis players participating in the event named “Rally for Relief,” in which $5 million were raised for funds. Efforts have also been made elsewhere such as YouTube, where creators have been gathering money to help Australia. One example of this is creator Jacksepticeye, who gathered $203,829.63 USD to support the campaign “Koala Tee Love,” which is also helping save the koalas. More campaigns have also been making efforts to help other endangered Australian animals. For instance, local animal shelters such as Port Macquarie Koala Hospital have received donations to locate living koalas and provide them with refuge.

“I think that it is really unfortunate that so much wildlife has been lost and so much devastation has been caused as a result of the wildfires. People need to donate to help them. Maybe we could have conservation centers not just stop the fires but help people as well,” said Sophomore Carolyn Xie. The wildfires in Australia not only pose a risk to Australia but to the rest of the world. The recent incidents of environmental devastation in Australia highlight the growing impact of global warming on the world and showcase what nature holds in store for the future.

If there is not immediate action taken at the international, federal and local level to mitigate the current climate crisis and take preventative measures to curb the current carbon footprint, devastating events like the Australian wildfires could become a new reality for civilians across the world.

10

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT Escape room: the real-life videogame

Jonathan Yue

Last Word Editor

Your fiancé has gone missing.

You receive a letter in the mail telling you to go to room 2217, Mofang Hotel.

Upon entering the room, the door locks and the phone rings. A processed voice informs you that your fiancé has been kidnapped and that the only way to save her, and exit the room, is to follow the instructions of the caller.

This was the background story of an escape room at the Cubic Escape in San Jose that I participated in with my friends. Inspired by the “escape the room” genre of video games, escape rooms have become an increasingly popular form of entertainment in the last decade. In an escape room, you and your team are required to gather clues and solve challenging puzzles in a designated period of time to leave a locked room. According to the South

“... escape room tests your teamwork, speed and creativity" China Morning Post, this appeals to “highly stressed students and overworked young professionals,” who may play the game to literally escape from the outside pressure.

We looked disappointed as we walked out of the room because we only completed 60 percent of the escape room before the allotted one hour ran out. We were unable to advance further because we failed to find a critical piece of information. Yet the experience as a whole was enjoyable as the puzzles were challenging and there were several instances where I was amazed by the ingenuity of the puzzles. The story was realistic and engaging, and the plot twist at the end was unexpected but it also added to the experience.

Escape rooms appeal to me because of the immersive storytelling experience it provides. The rooms are often themed: detective, magic, space and more. I can take the role of a detective and unveil the truth behind a crime, or an astronaut who must repair the spaceship to survive. Being in a themed environment with matching music and being able to participate in the story yourself makes the experience more realistic and enjoyable.

Escape rooms also put many of your skills to the test, and require information gathering and effective communication. If one player finds a puzzle, it is important that everyone is aware of it—another player may have the piece to solve it. There are also elements of traditional puzzles such as sudoku, cracking codes and word games, just to name a few. As a result, escape room tests your teamwork, speed and creativity.

Although challenging, escape rooms prove to be an entertaining activity which allows one the opportunity to hang out with friends.

The difficult puzzles also test valuable skills such as observation and improve problem solving.

Posthumous music: insensitive or an honor?

Meghna Chandrasekar Over a year after his death in September 2018, rapper and singer Malcolm McCormick, or more commonly known as Mac Miller, released a new studio album titled Circles. Despite passing away, artists like Miller are able to continue releasing music through the help of their producers, friends and family.

Miller's album was released in January in collaboration with songwriter and composer Jon Brion, who helped produce his last album Swimming while he was still alive. Brion told the New York Times that Circles was part of a trilogy of albums that Miller started with Swimming, which was a hybridization between “hiphop and song form,” while Circles was intended to be more song-based. The third album would have likely been purely hiphop. Brion also told Vulture that he “worked painfully slowly” on the process of completing the album, as he had to maneuver around the original work to avoid changing of what Miller had left behind.

The new album adopts the same exploration of different genres, including contemporary R&B, hip-hop and pop, and expresses the same candidness on the topics of depression, substance abuse and self-discovery that emerged in Miller’s previous work.

“I have nothing against people releasing the music of the recently deceased, but others may find it insensitive or immoral. Music critics may say that the producers are not producing something that follows the vision or style of the artist, but it is better to release the last relics of that artist to the public rather than leaving them behind closed doors.

In addition, most producers know their

Entertainment Editor artists well enough to produce a passable representation of the song,” Junior Thomas Shi said.

Miller’s family stated on his Instagram that Miller was working with Brion to finish recording his companion album to Swimming, Circles before his death. They also expressed how releasing an album after the artist has passed “is a complicated process that has no right answer.” However, they knew Malcolm would have wanted the world to hear it.

Miller is not the only artist who had their music released posthumously this year. In January, rapper Eminem released a new album titled, Music to be Murdered, which has already hit number one on the Billboard Top 200 charts. Although Eminem is not dead, one song on his album features deceased artist Juice Wrld, or Jarad Anthony Higgins, who passed away last December due to oxycodone and

to honor Juice's talents, his spirit and the love he felt for his fans” by sharing more unreleased music. His fans responded with excitement: the single “Godzilla” featuring Juice Wrld ranked number three on the Billboard Hot 100 track approximately a week after its release.

“It would have been disrespectful if Eminem had left Juice Wrld out of the album just because he died recently. It is obvious they collaborated hard to write this rap, so it is only right that Juice Wrld’s feature was included. Music is a lasting legacy for anyone after death. By including him in the album, it brings more awareness to Juice Wrld’s tragic death,” Senior Benjamin Moskovitz said.

When endeared artists pass away in the midst of their careers, their music and lyrics often speak to fans in a more sentimental way. Artists like Miller and Juice Wrld may not be alive to

KELLY CUI ART

codeine t ox i c i t y.

Juice Wrld’s estate posted a statement on his Instagram account, explaining how they “plan

create more music, but what has been left behind may still be recovered and enjoyed by their fans for years to come.

#Megxit: the exit of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Serena Atkinson and Yeji Jeong In a decision that has come to be threats, the Sun has continued its attack, known as “Megxit,” mimicking the accusing Markle of holding “a great deal social divides caused by Brexit and the of influence over [Prince Harry]” and departure of the Duke and Duchess of contributing to the couple's decision to Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave the royal family. from the British royal family have stepped Prince Harry and Markle’s step back from their royal duties. They will back from the royal family is not spend more time in the United States and unprecedented. In November 2019, Canada and have decided to stop using Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, their royal titles “His Royal Highness” and announced that he would leave his “Her Royal Highness.” royal post according to the New Tabloids attacking Markle and her York Times. His announcement marriage to Prince Harry have refused came after he was interviewed to let up and may and targeted about his have been a friendship with financier reason behind Jeffrey Epstein, who was the couples' convicted of sexually AILEEN XIE ART withdrawl from trafficking young the royal family. women, one of Even Markle’s whom accused former friend, Andrew of Piers Morgan of having sex Good Morning with her while Britain, turned on she was her and accused underage, her of being a “selfand ultimately obsessed social climber,” committed suicide. as reported by the Washington As a result, Prince Andrew Post. Vox reports that British issued an official three-paragraph tabloids have attempted statement announcing his step to hack into the royal down from his royal position to family’s phones to avoid being a distraction to his catch a snippet of family’s work and the voicemails, which charities he supports. has led to lawsuits Regardless of the against the tabloids. overwhelming public Regardless of these backlash, Queen Elizabeth

Staff Writer and Viewpoint Editor II issued a statement after having a discussion with other members of the royal family that she was “entirely supportive” of the couple’s plans and wished them "a happy and peaceful new life," according to BBC. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted that Prince Harry and Markle were “welcome” to live in Canada, although according to the Wa s h i n g t o n AILEEN XIE ART Post, many Canadians are worried that the couple’s security would have to come from their tax dollars.

“Even though they are moving away and becoming financially independent, I do not think that Prince Harry and Markle will ever be entirely cut off from royalty, because leaving the family does not equate destroying familial relationships. It was unfair of the public to judge the couple for leaving the royal family and to push the blame on Markle when it was clearly the couple’s mutual decision,” Junior Julia Kurtz said.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

11

ENTERTAINMENT

Lizzo’s message of body positivity draws criticism

Enhancing our realities

Serena Atkinson and Cindy Zhao During an appearance on BuzzFeed News’ morning show “AM to DM,” personal fitness expert and trainer Jillian Michaels expressed her confusion about famous pop singer and body positivity icon, Lizzo. “Why are we celebrating her body?” Michaels asked. “Because it is not going to be awesome if she gets diabetes.”

Michaels’ statement went viral and critics immediately slammed her as fatphobic. However, Michaels claims that there is a difference between being fatphobic and glorifying obesity. She thinks that the public is taking the body positive movement too far in order to adhere to “political correctness,” and is concerned that body acceptance undermines the dangerous health risks of being overweight or obese.

“Body positivity and glorifying obesity are not the same thing.

With body positivity, we are acknowledging that all bodies are beautiful and we do not need to change our bodies to fit societal standards. On the other hand, glorifying obesity is saying that it is okay and healthy to be overweight. I am sure Michaels was trying to spread the message that we accept all people in society, but we should be aware of our health,” Senior Armon Choudhry said.

Kelly DeVos from the New York Times describes the body positivity movement as a

you o D : c i h Infograpt the body suppor e movement? positiv

“commercial self-esteem movement,” while Lizzie Cernik from the Guardian describes it as “an irresponsible form of denial.” In an interview with Times, Lizzo stated that she was glad that body positivity had become “a trendy commercialized thing” as it allowed more people to accept their bodies. However, she noted that fans often call her “brave” for wearing revealing clothing and celebrating her body, but she thinks that this might solely be due to her weight and that she would not be complimented this way if she were thin.

Meanwhile, Lizzo fans believe that the singer’s body should be openly appreciated because she is healthy. They claim that there are multiple factors to consider when it comes to health besides body weight. These factors include genetic, lifstyle, environment and socio-economic conditions.

Additionally, many believe that repeatedly mentioning the negative health effects of obesity can actually worsen the victim’s health. According to Vox, research shows that weight discrimination by physicians makes overweight or obese victims less likely to visit the doctor. Weight stigma is also associated with bullying and discrimination at school and work; these chronic stressors are what put people at risk of heart disease, the type of illness that Michaels is concerned about.

14% No 86% Yes

Staff Writers “There is nothing wrong with celebrating Lizzo for her advocacy of body positivity; it is the fans’ choice whether they want to appreciate the art, the artist or both. There are also a variety of factors

“‘And I chose to live, so I

had to accept myself.’” affecting weight, and the awareness Lizzo is raising for body positivity is helping to recognize this,” Junior Sarah Brew said.

Though Lizzo is a singer whose chart-topping anthems preach self love, she has struggled with her body image and obesity since grade school. In an interview with Paper Magazine, Lizzo described her grapple with body image: “When I was younger I did not see myself in the media or fashion. I did not like how I looked because of what I saw on television. I was working out a lot and not eating. I [once] took a picture [of myself] and sent it to my mom and she [asked], ‘Are you OK? You do not look OK.’” Body acceptance not only has health-protective effects; for Lizzo, it was a matter of survival. She knows that loving herself is the only way to live, even if it is hard to accept her imperfections.

She wrote in her 2019 NBC News op-ed, “Loving myself was the result of answering two things: Do you want to live? Because this is who you are gonna be for the rest of your life. Or are you gonna just have a life of emptiness, selfhatred and self-loathing? And I chose to live, so I had to accept myself.”

Compiled by Serena Atkinson Staff Writer 100 students polled

Edward Jung

Community News Editor In 2016, Pokemon Go took the world by storm, not because of the nostalgia for the adorable characters that many of us grew up with, but because of its implementation of augmented reality. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a completely new and different environment inside of a headset, augmented reality takes an existing environment and overlays objects on top of it. It adds information to the current physical world, “augmenting” a person’s perception. To be able to interact with the information authentically provides a more knowledge-enriching experience for the user, ultimately stimulating and improving memory.

The most prominent and welldeveloped augmented reality device is Microsoft’s HoloLens, a device that sits on top of one’s head like oversized sunglasses. Lifeliqe, a company dedicated to connecting the bridge between technology and education, recently partnered with Microsoft to create a curriculum that includes using augmented reality headsets inside classrooms. These headsets

”[Augmented

reality] adds information to the current physical world, “augmenting” the person’s perception...”

create visual simulations which can make understanding concepts and remembering details easier.

ALYSSA CHEN ART The HoloLens has also helped with advancements in the training of medical students, especially in the fields of anatomy and physiology; the device Jacob Cho and Ridge Coffey helps students gain a significantly better

Staff Writers visual understanding for how the parts At first, YouTuber JANGBRiCKS, who As a result, YouTube and Google One problem for content-creators of the body function. HoloLens also specializes in videos reviewing LEGO have passed COPPA on Jan. 1, which is determining their audience, since has potential for doctors and surgeons; products for children, thought that the enables content owners to identify their videos including gaming, toy reviews crucial data can be fed through the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act content as for children or for adults. and family vlogging are usually designed sensors at the front of the device, (COPPA) would not dramatically affect his YouTube is now restricted from for many different audiences. which can give the doctor immediate channel—he was wrong. His earnings took gathering information about the Several YouTubers, such as information of the patient’s blood a sharp downturn, and he has slowed down users from child-friendly videos.

“The Game Theorists” Matthew pressure, heart rate or body temperature. his upload schedule, as he claims that the If creators do not follow the new Patrick, who produces videos It could even help surgeons determine amount of time he dedicated into producing provisions, they could be fined as analyzing theories about different where to perform incisions, as it allows the videos is not worth the money. 4,000 much as $42,530 depending on video games, fall into this gray doctors to see inside the body, reducing to 5,000 videos across YouTube are several factors, such as current area, where their content can the chance of medical errors. incapable of earning money from their earnings and subscriber count. be watched by both children Augmented reality would also videos due to the passing of a new law. The platform will and adults. In a video titled be incredibly beneficial in industrial then limit the “Will Your Favorite Channel application. This technology allows data it collects Survive 2020?”

Patrick users to see and mold objects in three“Youtube should only from videos, discusses more channels dimension, and would allow a designer which includes that may face this problem. to directly interact with the product. be targeting individual comments and For example, the channel The technology has yet to develop, creators who are advertisements. “ HowIt S h o u l d H aveE n d e d ,” and further research is required to Not only which creates parody endings ensure that augmented reality will have a exploiting viewers” does COPPA of movies, contains characters positive impact on the field of education. increase the from movies children may like As promising as this technology sounds, A lawsuit against YouTube and chances of a fine, or recognize, but has underlying it still faces multiple hurdles in display Google by the Federal Trade Commision it also decreases humor that is often directed at technology, form factor and production (FTC) claimed that the companies the earnings of a older audiences. Additionally, the costs. There are even some ethical and ALYSSA CHEN ART “TheOdd1sOut” channel uses cartoon have been illegally collecting personal YouTuber creating childmoral complaints as to how it should information from children under the friendly content because personalized animations, although the stories in be implemented into our society; for age of 13 without their parents’ consent. advertisements will be removed. the videos are targeted at all ages. example, Microsoft employees issued According to the FTC, YouTube tracked “The overarching problem is that “The number of videos on YouTube a complaint when the company signed users of child-directed videos and made certain creators are manipulating intended for children will start decreasing a multimillion dollar weapons contract millions of dollars through ads targeted kids to watching their videos by due to this new act, because content deal for HoloLens to be implemented in toward children. As a result, the FTC embellishing content with flashy creators for kids just are not earning the US Armed Forces. But even with all implemented laws that regulate the ads or misleading information. as much as before. In the severest of these issues, augmented reality has huge influx and activity of children under YouTube should only be targeting possible situations, YouTube could potential in becoming the next trillion 13 on the site. YouTube agreed to the individual creators who are exploiting even turn into a platform solely for dollar enterprise. terms, and had to pay a $170 million fine. viewers,” Junior Max Olszewski said. adults,” Sophomore ​Timothy Mao ​said.

Restricting Youtube’s data collection

4

FEBRUARY 26, 2020 APRIL 29, 2015

12 4

LIFESTYLE

Teacher Feature: Ford v. Ferrari

Cindy Zhao

Staff Writer

In the 2019 movie Ford v. Ferrari, American Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale play out the remarkable, yet true story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles: one a visionary American car designer and the other a daredevil British race car driver.

Employed by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca with the mission of building the Ford GT40, they set on the journey to beat the perennially dominant Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. Through countless failures and facing corporate interference, Shelby and Miles were able to successfully defeat the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari. After winning the big race, Shelby goes on to create the Ford Mustang, the “pony car” of American muscle cars and an instant classic. Traci Perez, Special Education Department, was captivated by both the film’s content and physique.

“The movie did a great job capturing the real story of the

"The movie did a great job capturing the automobile industry at the time and how the Mustang came to be." automobile industry at the time and how the Mustang came to be. Carroll Shelby designed the Mustang after his previous race car design. The movie illustrated Carroll Shelby’s fight to bring the new race car idea to fruition in every way possible. Now, the Mustang is a classic American muscle car. The racing scenes were really well done. I could hear the rumbling of the engine and sounds of the race cars as if I were in one.,” Perez said.

Perez owns a Mustang and holds it close to her heart, so she enjoyed the film’s accurate depiction of a true story.

She explained that by learning how the Mustang was created, she was able to develop a newfound connection to her beloved car. She recalls a time when the school's homecoming royalty were honorably seated in her Mustang and driven around the football field.

“At the end of the movie, Shelby tried to do what he perceived as morally correct, although the Ford corporation took his dreams away from him. However, he did not regret any of his actions, which is something I think that all of the school's students can apply to their lives,” Perez said.

(5/5) worth the watch

+ great visual/sound effects + authentic story

Death positivity: millenials embrace mortality Ansh Dhakalia and Andrea Kuo In recent years, an increasing amount of young adults in America have started planning how they want to be remembered after their death. In the past, death has been considered a taboo topic, but millenials are now promoting death positivity—an outlook which encourages conversations about death.

Until recently, burials and cremations were the only options available for memorials. As a consequence, 6,000 square miles of forest are used each year for grave materials and burial sites, according to Business Insider, and the Irish Times states that cremations result in toxic substances such as mercury and carbon dioxide being dispersed in the air.

Luckily, advancements in technology have created more alternatives to traditional funerals. For instance, the Swedish company Algordanza takes cremated remains and applies pressure and heat to form diamonds.

The company Recompose can turn EVE:LYN human remains into LIU ART soil for those who are attempting to be climate conscious. Funeral planning is also much easier to access, with the rise of apps such as Funeralocity, GatheringUs and FreeWill, which help draft last wills and book funeral homes, all by smartphone.

Staff Writers "The best part about planning your funeral is that you decide how your body is treated and not leaving it up to the assumptions of a third party,” Sophomore Edward Kang said.

With these tools and services available, many millenials have started planning out their own funerals, deciding

how they want to be honored and how their assets should be distributed.

Compared to unplanned services, these proceedings are more practical and environmentally sustainable.

Legislation that promotes such

services is on the horizon. On May 1, the SB 5001 bill will go into effect, essentially legalizing the conversion of human remains into eco-matter. By June 2021, Recompose is projected to have amassed enough funds to open their first center. Through controlled decay, Recompose allows the deceased person’s body to be slowly converted into soil for nature to reuse. It is estimated that each time someone chooses controlled decay over a traditional burial, one ton of carbon dioxide is prevented from being released.

According to United States Urns Online, the funeral industry is suffering from millennial choices.

Pre-planning gives customers time to buy insurance, save money and make specific arrangements as opposed to the costly last-minute funeral plans which the current industry is accustomed to. It also gives time for family members to acquire money from relatives and fundraisers for funerals.

“It is great that people have taken a more environmentally-friendly approach when it comes to funeral planning. We need to move on from old funerals to protect natural resources,” Sophomore Jonathan Fan said.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

13

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Student Jobs

"After being hired by Petroglyph, a pottery-painting store, I gained a lot of customer service experience and had to learn my duties and protocols quickly, as I started at the beginning of the holiday season. It was intriguing to learn about all the details that go into pottery. I learned how to load and unload a kiln, which is used for firing pottery and how to fix pottery pieces and glaze them. Having a paycheck has also helped me save up for college.

Compiled by Besides the money, the best thing about working is getting to reflect Nam Nguyen on the colorful characters that come in through the doors. The job Staff Writer gives me an opportunity to interact with wonderful people and difficult ones too, whom I feel would take much longer to understand if I was not working in an environment that encounters such a range of personalities.”

—Senior Megan Houston

VY NGUYEN PHOTO

“I decided to become a guitar teacher so that I could instill my passion to other younger children. At first, I did not really consider the various factors that accompanied accepting the job. Grading assignments, responding to emails, writing lesson plans and tailoring them to each student can be challenging at times, but this job has made me into a more productive and organized person. With the extra work, I have to carefully budget my time between both work and school.

While taking time for my students, I also make sure that I do not fall behind in school. Additionally, I have learned the importance of being on time, because I have to be timely for both the children interested in learning guitar and my job as a teacher. I learned the hard way of being tardy to a room full of impatient kids, and so the job has motivated me to be on time, not just for my job but for school too.”

—Sophomore John Kim

VY NGUYENPHOTO

Nancy Zheng

Employment among students promotes life skills Staff Writer

ALYSSA CHEN ART

While some students may prepare for standardized tests or participate in extracurriculars outside of school, other students may work as the cashier at a local store or tutor children at an afterschool center. For example, Senior Tiffany Wang works around five hours per week as a game master for an escape room, and although she is only paid minimum wage, she enjoys the many perks of her job.

“The ability to make my own money prompted me to find a job in high school. I go out to eat and shop a lot, so I would rather make money myself than ask my parents.

Having a job teaches me the value of money, which reduces reckless spending as well. In addition, I have always loved solving murder mystery games, so my job is very enjoyable,” Wang said.

When it comes to jobs available for teenagers over the age of 16, there are various opportunities. Famous corporations and stores such as Adidas, Dairy Queen and Petco all hire people over the age of 16. According to a 2018 study conducted by Child Trends, 20 percent of high school students were employed.

Out of Walmart’s 1.4 million US workers, approximately 25,000 are in high school, according to CNBC. To encourage more high schoolers to work, Walmart offers students free standardized test prep and a chance of entering a nonprofit university for free for technology degrees. However, a part-time job can disrupt other aspects of a teenager’s life. According to Caitrin Blake, a professor at Arapahoe Community College, experts found that students who work more than 15 to 20 hours a week also experienced a decrease in academic performance. The amount of time that students workers must sacrifice may lead to fatigue and poor health.

DIANA YOUSEF-NEJAD PHOTO I started my job at Baskin Robbins last summer because I was not too busy and wanted to earn some money while gaining customer service experience. I chose my job at Baskin Robbins because it is a convenient location close to where I live and there were quite a few of the school’s students working there, so I would hopefully have good coworkers who I would feel comfortable working with. In order to be an effective and successful worker, I had to learn to get along with people despite personal differences. Since I do not work too many hours per week, my Compiled by job does not affect my school life much, although sometimes when I Claire Han have a lot of schoolwork I have to learn to schedule my time well so School News that I am able to finish everything I need to do. As such, my time Writer management definitely improved because I had to learn to balance work, school and extracurriculars all at the same time.”

—Senior Grace Lo

However, not only are students able to earn some pocket money from working, they also gain experiences and lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom. According to Walden University, students can learn how to handle financial matters. For example, as a cashier, students can speed up their computational skills, as they are required to utilize mental math and operate various technological devices. Juggling a part-time job along with school work also strengthens time-management skills, since students must plan ahead and account for the hours that they will be working.

Moreover, working at a job that requires human interaction helps improve a student’s communication skills. A job such as a restaurant waiter requires faceto-face interaction with strangers, and these experiences will also allow students to learn to combat difficult situations on the spot. For instance, when there is an error in an order or customers have additional requests, waiters must use quick problem-solving skills to address unplanned situations. These skills are crucial when individuals become adults who are responsible for all facets of life.

Today, most high school students focus on preparing for standardized tests, engaging in extracurriculars and athletics or volunteering at non-profit organizations. The amount of students who have jobs is decreasing, as working at a retail store may not seem as appealing as being in charge of an amenities area at a local hospital.

"I enjoy working at Poké House because not only is Poké fun to make, but I have also been able to realize how much work goes into earning your own money, develop customer service skills and learn how to better work in a team," Senior Nikhil Kulkarni said.

"I stumbled across the Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s booth at a local conservative political event. Excited about a potential solution towards JONATHAN KE the world’s climate crisis that had been nipping at my subconscious, PHOTO I eagerly asked for an internship. I quickly learned about our carbon pricing bill before starting outreach to conservative college students.

The students were often skeptical that climate policy could ever cater to both sides of the aisle. But after sharing my personal climate story and emphasizing the market-friendly provisions of the bill, it was extremely encouraging to see sheets full of volunteer sign-ups and unanimous club-wide votes in favor of endorsing the policy. I was then selected to become the youngest Conservative Outreach Fellow of 10 nationwide. I flew to Washington D.C. regularly to lobby Congress people in support of carbon pricing. My work with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby has been thoroughly empowering—constantly reminding me that individuals have the power to craft a livable future for us all."

—Senior Adrian Rafizadeh

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

14

SPORTS

Spotlight on Charger NCAA athletes

Tiffany Mai and Rishab Satyakaal Sports and Entertainment Editor

Standing on the diving block and preparing herself to enter the pool, Anna Chope ’20 is set to bring the Chargers another win. Ready to take her swimming abilities to the next level after dominating the competition last season, Chope verbally committed to swimming as a Fresno State University (FSU) Bulldog for the next four years.

Unlike other collegiate athletes, Chope did not start competitively swimming until halfway through high school.

“I started swimming when I was four on my neighborhood swim team, I did not start competitive swimming until high school after my second year on the Charger swim team,” Chope said.

As an underclassman, Chope played for the Chargers JV volleyball team in addition to competing on the swim team. However, after

qualifying for the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships her sophomore year in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, Chope decided to focus her time and effort on swimming and decided to leave the volleyball team entering her junior year. However, her late start did not hold her back.

At the Brian Malick Memorial Zone 1S Championships on Jan. 31, Chope placed first in three events, the 100-yard backstroke, the 200-yard individualmedley, and the 100-yard breaststroke, where her time of 1:22:21 was a new personal best. She also placed second in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. As part of the Almaden Riptides, her club team, Chope placed in the top-10 in three events: the 50-yard freestyle, the 100yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle.

However, her best performance was at the CCS Championship on May 3, 2019,

where Chope attained two personal bests. She placed 14th in the 50-yard freestyle, securing a personal best of 24.30 that ranks above the average National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 college swimmer, and 22nd in the 100-yard freestyle. With dozens of more tournament successes, Chope was scouted by numerous colleges before she ultimately decided on the Bulldogs.

“The team and athletic facilities at FSU appealed to me the most. The girls on the team had a great bond, which I knew was something I wanted to be a part of while continuing my swimming career,” Chope said.

As for her future, Chope seems to have a strong grasp on her aspirations for her college career.

“My future goals include learning what I am truly passionate about in college, possibly something relating to art or design and making as many new friends in college as I can,” Chope said.

Anna Chope Fresno State University

Lucas Mirizzi

Claremont Mudd Scripps

DIANA YOUSEF-NEJAD PHOTO

Lucas Mirizzi ’20 has been comfortable with a baseball bat and glove ever since he was a child.

Addicted to the thrill of the game, Mirizzi recognized his talent from the get-go.

After years of practice with both school teams and club teams, his hard work has finally paid off. On Sept. 29, Mirizzi committed to playing collegiate baseball at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, one of the seven college teams that has followed him throughout high school.

Mirizzi has also played a variety of other sports before settling on baseball.

He used to play basketball, as part of the JV basketball team during his freshman and sophomore year. However, he quit to channel his focus on baseball, where he soon became both a top-ranked pitcher and an outfielder.

“Baseball has had a very large influence on my family—my entire family have played baseball all throughout college. As a result, I was encouraged and motivated to play the sport at a very young age. While I tried out some other sports and played them competitively, I

found out my favorite sport to be baseball,” Mirizzi said.

Mirizzi’s versatility resulted in several notable accomplishments. He boasted a batting average of .349 last season, the second-highest on the Chargers and even hitting .500 or higher in 12 games. He also led the team with a batting average of .390 his sophomore season, his first year on the varsity team. Over the course of his highschool career, his fielding percentage was .968. While dominating the competition with the Chargers in the spring, Mirizzi also plays for the California Bulldogs, a club team based in San Jose. Due to his notable play and constant drive to improve in his game, Mirizzi was scouted heavily by colleges.

“I chose to go to Claremont because I felt that it had the best combination of excellent academics and baseball.

Claremont would allow me to attain my educational goals while also allowing me to continue playing the game I love,” Mirizzi said.

“To get in touch with recruiters, I went to this one tryout called the Area Code Baseballs Tryouts, and I played pretty well at the tryouts. There were many coaches there that watched me play. Afterwards, the coaches started texting me about wanting me to visit their school. I had offers from Oregon State and UCLA for baseball, so I visited both schools, but at the end of the day I knew I wanted to go to UCLA. The school had great weather and good academics. It just felt like the right place for me,” Yates said.

Even though the baseball team only plays during the spring, Yates has to manage his time between his friends, studies, family and football during the fall. He spends his summers, weekends and any free time practicing and working towards improving his skills before each baseball season. Yates’ athletic success is a product of both his dedication as well as the continual support of his coaches, family and friends.

“During the season, one of my coaches, Coach Hardtke, dedicated his time to help me with my swing, batting and many other technical skills. He is always

there trying to help me get better every season. Coach Hardtke came in around last year as our hitting instructor coach.

We bonded right away and had a great relationship. During the off-season, I would go to the batting cages with my dad whenever I could and just do as much as I could every weekend,” Yates said.

Out of the millions of kids who play baseball, Yates was able to shine by working harder than the rest, and was rewarded for his abilities. As an outstanding athlete, Yates has earned the opportunity to study at an outstanding school, while playing the sport he loves.

“Something I have learned from my four years of baseball is the value of competition. You have to compete out there everyday and cannot get lazy. Always do your best, but more importantly, have fun with it. My goal is to learn about baseball as much as I can and become a better baseball player overall,” Yates said.

As his final season on the Chargers’ baseball team finishes, Yates looks forward to his debut with the UCLA Bruins next spring and continue his baseball career through college.

JEFFEREY TAN PHOTO

Carson Yates ‘20 has spent the majority of his life dedicating numerous hours to baseball. From playing as a child in almaden Little League to playing for the school for four years, Yates is now ready to embark on his journey as a UC Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruin and to continue to play baseball there.

“I have been playing baseball ever since I was a kid and continued playing all the way into high school. I mainly joined because of my friends’ encouragement, but after the first time, I knew I loved the sport immediately. It is just fun to play,” Yates said.

After taking a glance at all of Yates’ impressive achievements, it is clear why UCLA wanted to recruited him. Yates has played 57 games during his time in varsity and has managed to have 14.2 innings pitched, a fielding percentage of about .980, a batting average of .424, 78 hits, 48 runs, 11 doubles, 5 homeruns and 23 stolen bases. However, even with these stats, the hardest part was only yet to come: becoming involved with recruiters and schools.

To Mirizzi, baseball means much more than just a sport. In his four years on the team, Mirizzi has had to work through numerous hardships with his teammmates, ultimately helping the Charger baseball team attain its respected reputation. While saddened since he is leaving the Chargers this year, Mirizzi still cherishes his time with the team.

“My favorite memory with the team was beating Carlmont high school, one of our biggest rivals in the divisional CCS playoffs. It was raining the whole time , but that only made the game more challenging and one of the most thrilling games in which I have played in. It was a close game until the end, where we made play after play to comeback and win.”

Mirizzi said.

As his final high school season comes to a close, Mirizzi looks to make more memories as an outfielder for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team.

Carson Yates UC Los Angeles

TIFFANY MAI PHOTO

15

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

SPORTS

Spotlight on Charger NCAA athletes cont.

Ethan Huang Sports Editor

Erik Seljeseth Calif. Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

JEFFREY TAN PHOTO

As a multi-sport athlete, Kekoa Lopez ’20 has constantly faced demands from the various activities in his life. As a running back for the football team, Lopez assisted the Chargers in attaining a 5-2 league record. On the baseball team, Lopez used his athleticism and years of experience to excel in hitting, base running and fielding, with statlines over the national average in multiple categories. As he enters his final high school baseball season, Lopez will continue to look for opportunities to showcase the skills that earned him a scholarship from Calif.

State University San Marcos (CSUSM).

“I started playing baseball when I was around five. My dad introduced me to the sport and pushed me to train for it. Ever since then, I have been playing the sport,” Lopez said.

Lopez backs up his scholarship offer with an impressive statline. In addition to the numbers he has

Trinity Yates

After performing successfully at multiple swim meets and competing at a high level for many years, many would not be surprised to hear that Erik Seljeseth ‘20 will be continuing his swimming career at the Calif. Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) this fall. However, to reach a high level of success, Seljeseth first had to overcome a severe case of asthma.

“I started swimming in 2011 when my cousins convinced me to try it out. Before swimming, I did not do any sports since I had a more severe case of asthma, but it did not seem to affect me when I swam,” said Seljeseth.

During his journey in high school, Seljeseth has accomplished a myriad of achievements and has represented the Chargers’ swim team in state championships since his freshman year. As a result of his performances at these meets, he has been a key contributor to the Chargers’ swim team ascent to a prestigious status.

“I think my biggest achievement was during my junior year where I won both the accrued while playing for his club baseball team, Lopez also boasts a .385 batting average, a total of 37 runs scored and 45 total hits in his two years on varsity. While these numbers were enough to make him a standout player on the school’s team, Lopez still had to work to get recognition from colleges for his talent.

“I went to a lot of showcases for the Bay Area’s best high school players to increase my name recognition. From there I got invited by scouts to camps and showcases at individual schools. After reviewing my options, I decided to attend CSUSM because of their great coaching staff and overall environment,” Lopez said.

Lopez’s high school career may be entering its final stage, but he hopes that his career will extend beyond college. With his future at CSUSM secured, Lopez looks to make the most out of his final season and make memories with the teammates that he has played with for years. Lopez also looks forward to contributing to the CSUSM team with the skills he has acquired from past experiences. He hopes that his future team will be able to achieve great success with him as a player.

Kekoa Lopez

Calif. State University San Marcos

JONATHAN KE PHOTO

San Francisco State University

JONATHAN KE PHOTO

200-yard individual medley (IM) and the 500-yard freestyle at our league championships. Last year, I also placed 12th at Central Coast Section (CCS) in the 200-yard IM,” said Seljeseth.

Moving forward, Seljeseth looks to improve both academically and athletically. Attending Cal Poly SLO in pursuit of a degree in Computer Engineering, Seljeseth also has high expectations for himself in the pool, looking to continue his domination.

“Cal Poly SLO provides me with the best of both worlds: it has great coaches, and is a top school for computer engineering.

I think my long term goal is to win at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference meet, and maybe even qualify for Olympic Trials,” said Seljeseth.

Although his high school career is coming to an end, Seljeseth’s swim career is far from over. With his innate talent and hard work ethic, it is clear that Seljeseth will be able to further succeed in his swimming career at Cal Poly SLO.

Over the course of her high school volleyball career at the school, Trinity Yates ‘20 has assisted the Chargers in maintaining their status at the top of the league for three years in a row. As one of the prime hitters on the team, combined with numerous merits in club tournaments, Yates has earned herself multiple scholarships, committing to San Francisco State University (SFSU) in the process.

“I started playing my freshman year in high school because I knew that I was tall, which is a helpful attribute in volleyball. Before my freshman year, I had never played volleyball before, but I wanted to try something new,” Yates said.

Yates has played on Varsity for four years and has constantly improved each season. As a freshman, Yates managed to complete 55 kills in her first season on the team. Yates’ kill numbers continued to rise in her following seasons, earning 108 in her sophomore year, 173 her junior year and an astounding 281 kills her senior year. Yates’s improvement and experience earned her not only the recognition of team captain, but also

rewarded her with First-Team All-League, the team’s Most Valuable Player and Coach’s Award at the end of the season. Despite her various achievements and exemplary statlines, Yates found that recruiting was much more challenging than she expected.

“The recruiting process is super long and tedious. To attract the attention of coaches, I had to email them constantly, sending five or more emails each day.

Many coaches either rejected me or did not respond, but I received more responses after a couple of good travel tournaments with my club team, at which college coaches watched me,” Yates said.

Despite the difficulties she encountered with recruiting, Yates’ future is now set as a Gator at SFSU. Despite her new environment, Yates wants to stay as ambitious as possible and plans to start in her freshman year.

If she is able to continue to her trend of explosive development, Yates will become even more of an attacking and blocking threat at the next level.

Sports Controversy Examining the perceptions towards violence in sports Sophia Lu

Feature School Editor

As the game clock closed in on the last few seconds of the game, the University of Kansas (UK) Jayhawks mens’ basketball team was on the verge of securing another win against their rivals, the Kansas State University (KSU) Wildcats. Up by over 20 points, Kansas forward Silvio de Sousa dribbled the ball at midcourt in an attempt to run the clock out. De Sousa was suddenly stripped of the ball by KSU guard DaJuan Gordon. As Gordon ran back for a layup, he was emphatically blocked by de Sousa, who then proceeded to stare him down. Punches were thrown, players leapt off benches and at the center of the brawl, de Sousa raised a chair high above his head, threatening to strike a target who was hidden by the mass of bodies.

The events that unfolded that night were shocking, but not surprising to fans. In recent years, brawls have frequently broken out over national television. Each incident has also had one striking similarity; athletes have often received lesser punishments than their actions may have deserved. When former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Ron Artest threw punches, at the Malice at the Palace, severely injuring a sports broadcaster and attacking a crowd of fans, he was suspended for 86 games and lost less than five million dollars in salary.

According to multiple accounts of the victims of the altercation, people at the game felt their lives were threatened because of the degree of violence that had transpired. If a similar incident had happened in public, Artest would have likely received far more severe consequences, including arrest.

After reviewing the incident between UK and KSU, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) handed out sentences that were again, underwhelming for the severity of the incident. De Sousa received a 12 game suspension and three other players were each suspended for less than nine games. Considering that De Sousa could have possibly killed another player, had he not been stopped from weaponizing the chair, he should have been punished far more severely.

The lenient punishments that college and professional sports organizations have been handing out set a dangerous precedent for the future.

Players can participate in violent fights, even injure others without significant consequences. This attitude cultivates a culture of acceptance around violence, which will only worsens as more and more incidents occur. To prevent this from happening in the future, the NBA, NCAA and all other sports organizations must take a stand by handing out punishments in accordance to the severity of the incident. By doing this players, coaches and most importantly, fans can feel safe during games. It is necessary for sports organizations to take a stronger stance in regulating the conduct of their players.

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Although Computer Science Education Week a r e found that two-thirds of rit W projected new jobs in STEM aff St will involve computing, only three percent of high school students in Calif. took a computer science class in 2017, according to Kapor Center.

EdSource reports that only 61 percent of high schools in Calif. offer computer science courses, with only 14 percent offering AP Computer Science A and five percent offering AP Computer Science Principles. Students from more affluent, urban areas are more likely to have access to computer science classes. This disparity in computer science participation is also prevalent along race and gender lines: in Calif., 60 percent of students are black, Latinx or Native American but only make up 16 percent of the students taking the AP Computer Science A test.

This lack of diversity is reflected across the tech industry. Forbes finds that 76 percent of the tech workforce is male and 95 percent is white.

“In my classes, most of my students are Asian, although that might be because demographically, our school has a lot of Asians. I do notice that there are not as many girls in computer science. It could be that girls are just less inclined to study computer science. As long as we do not set up barriers against certain groups, we do not need to force or push people in a certain direction,” Wilson Yen, Math Department, said.

According to Mass Insight Education and Research, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides academic programs, it is important to teach the basic concepts and vocabulary of computer science early on to build students’ confidence and give them an earlier starting point in preparation for courses offered in post-secondary school. This early support is especially crucial in encouraging underrepresented groups to pursue technology-related careers. Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools, reports that women who take AP Computer Science in high school are ten times more likely to major in computer science, and Black and Latinx students taking AP Computer Science are seven times more likely to major in it.

Taking a course in computer science teaches students to think logically and creatively by learning how to break down large problems into smaller components, communicate data easily and visualize problems, according to Quartz.

“What is useful in computer science is logic. Getting used to making sense of statements in code can help people when they speak and just builds sequential thinking in general. Coding languages are also particular about syntax and grammar, so it makes people more aware of minor details,” Yen said.

Computer science is now applicable in many different fields: archaeologists who piece together fragments of artifacts, economists who interpret financial data, musicians who synthesize sound and biologists who analyze patterns in genomes all benefit from computer science.

“I want to pursue computer science as a major because the skills I can obtain from it can be applied to improve all parts of society. Today, it is almost necessary for all people to have some knowledge of computer science,” Senior Anish Sundaram said. nd

Top 5: Interdisciplinary applications of computer science Music

Through inventions such as Digital Audio Workstations, an electronic device used for recording, producing and editing music, computer science allows musicians to clip audio files, ensuring that musicians’ produce their best work.

Film:

In the film industry, computer science is used to produce Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) that allows filmmakers to add special effects within films. In Jurassic Park, CGI helped develop drawings and prosthetics of dinosaurs into animated scenes with visual effects.

Healthcare:

In the medical field, computer science is utilized to sequence genomes—the process of determining an organism’s complete deoxyribonucleic (DNA) map. Due to the development of algorithms such as FALCON, scientists have a better understanding of DNA nucleotides.

These advances in genomes allow researchers to identify mutations and diagnose diseases.

Archaeology

Unlike the hands-on traditional archaeology, computational archaeology uses programs that can “fill in the blanks” through mathematical algorithms, discovering patterns in the archaeological data. Some programs use threedimensional modeling to simulate what a site might have looked like based on the available information retrieved at an excavation.

Astronomy:

Computer science allows astronomers to view clearer, macroscopic views of the galaxy. Despite having telescopes, prior to the conjunction of astronomy and computer science, astronomers were unable to distinctly see the stars or planets due to the telescope’s low resolution. However, the invention of adaptive optics, a technology used to improve the resolution of optical systems, helps astronomers use ground-based telescopes to view sophisticated images of the sky that were previously only visible through spacebased instruments.

Compiled by Ashley Lee, Staff Writer

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