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SAT/ACT to replace standardized testing IVAN ZHU ART

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Examining the dress code

Deconstructing the sixteen personality types IVAN ZHU ART

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IVAN ZHU ART

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

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

The Charger account Leland High School

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

San Jose Unified School District

Vol. Q | No. 1

Racial harassment by students at local restaurant not an isolated incident The Editorial Board The Charger Account

“They were making some racial remark, like ‘go home you Chinese’ or whatever,” Mr. Leung said. He recalled that a group of five or six boys had arrived at the restaurant that afternoon causing a noisy commotion, which led to them being asked to move tables and keep their voices down. Irritated, they made racist comments regarding the owners of the restaurant that a customer near them overheard. She confronted the boys who then proceeded to pull down their pants right in front of her. Her post on NextDoor, an online platform for neighborhood communities, garnered an outpour of support from other members of the community. The group of boys, some of whom attend the school, are often at schools, restaurants and public facilities in Almaden causing disturbances such as dumping community pool equipment into the pool, breaking fire extinguisher cases and using them and knocking down ladders leaned against buildings. The Charger Account sat down with the owners of Lin Garden,

a Chinese restaurant where repeated incidents of harassment have occurred. Mr. Leung helps the Lins manage the restaurant and witnessed this

Mr. Lin prepares Chinese food for customers.

group’s habits since their first visits to the restaurant many months ago. The students would arrive in the afternoons when Mrs. Lin was the only one in the restaurant, and repeatedly ask for one small order of steamed rice. Although the

Welcoming back Mr. Park B. Garimella, E. Huang and E. Park Editors in Chief

Question: Mr. Park, what are you most looking forward to this year? Answer: Every year I look forward to the graduation ceremony. I love seeing the excitement in students’ faces. You can feel it. You can see the pride and joy in the families’ faces. When it is the students’ role to stand up, you can feel the electricity and it is a culmination of a celebration of the K-12 system. I feel that in our country it truly is a rite of passage into adulthood.

restaurant had no video camera at the time, eventually, one was installed. When Mr. Leung and the Lins examined the recordings, they found the students were

Continued on School News, page 2

Verizon throttles firefighters’ data

the educators? How can we be socially responsible to look after them and ensure that they can part of the community? Those are the questions that the next generation is going to have to answer. Continued on School News, page 2

Q: How are you dealing with the new responsibilities as the lead principal? A: I embrace it. It is an honor to be principal at one of the most prestigious schools in San Jose. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I truly enjoy being the school’s principal. It is a great story: the former student becomes the next principal. Q: As more high tech companies move into the Bay Area and there is an influx of people moving in, housing prices are only going to increase. For the long term sustainability of our school, how will we be able to retain teachers? A: The bottom line is that as long as there is a gap between the cost of living and what you earn, this will be a continuous problem. We will always have professions that do not make a lot of money. Education is one of them. How do we look out for

stealing money from the cashbox and tip jar and sodas from the refrigerator when Mrs. Lin went to the kitchen to prepare the rice. After Mrs. Lin confronted them about it based on the surveillance footage, the boys stopped coming for a while.

Yet, one day, two of the students returned while the restaurant was busy. One boy threw the other on top of an empty table, and both were immediately asked to leave. It was during this time that Mr. Leung noticed one of the boys holding up a phone and videotaping the whole debacle. After talking with customers at Pomodoro Pizza, a restaurant just a short walk away from Lin Garden, The Charger Account learned that the Lin Garden incidents, as well as disturbances to many other neighborhood locations, were being published on an Instagram account connected to these students. Videos showed students harassing teachers in their classrooms, disturbing classes and damaging school equipment. One video showed them stealing the school’s golf carts and ramming them into buildings, while others depicted them knocking over construction equipment at nearby Bret Harte Middle School. The students filmed themselves walking into Lin Garden, stealing soda and breaking into the kitchen, ignoring an employee who was in plain sight.

AAREN GAUD ART

Kelly Cui Staff Writer

As Santa Clara County firefighters battled the Mendocino Complex Fire, the wireless data they used to respond to the disaster was throttled by Verizon, impeding with their ability to combat the largest wildfire in Calif.’s history. The Mendocino Complex Fire began burning on July 27, 2018. Since then, the fire has affected over 450,000 acres of land in the Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties. As a combination of two fires, the River Fire and the Ranch Fire, the complex fire has destroyed 280 structures and damaged 37. While there has only been a single casualty, three firefighters have been injured. By this point in time, both fires are mostly contained. Once the department utilized 25 GB worth of data, Verizon throttled speeds to 0.5 percent of the original. Verizon’s throttling did not cease until the department was willing to pay for a more expensive plan that was recommended. This new plan would cost a price double that of the initial plan.

The data throttling especially affected Office of Emergency Services (OES) 5262, a vehicle that is used as an operations center to deploy supplies and personnel during wildfires and other disasters. Continued on Community News, page 3

NEWS OPINION FEATURE VIEWPOINT SPORTS LAST WORD 1

SEPTEMBER 26 2018

NEWS

Welcoming back Mr. Park cont.

Continued from Front Page Q: You, Mr. Craycroft and Ms. Callaway have been the main core of our administration while we have attended the school. What personal difficulties have you experienced having an changing administration while you all have been working at the school? A: We have all put in significant time into this school. The school has been lucky that we have had that type of continuity regarding administration. I feel very proud about my years of contribution, as I am sure Dr. Mukherjee, Mr. Craycroft and Ms. Callaway do as well. I feel confident about the manner in which our core group has been contributing to the school. Q: One of the 5 C’s is Global Citizenship, which includes students being able to understand social justice. Does the administration feel there is a need to educate students on social justice and equality? A: We need to be a part of the solution. If you look at, for example, Springboard, the majority of nonfiction essays in there are related to social justice. It should be embedded into all aspects of the curriculum, so I am dismayed to hear that students feel like they did not get that in the classroom—perhaps we will have to do a better job of explaining why we do all this beyond the academic content. The ultimate goal of K-12 education is we want to build up students and build people as better human beings.

Q: Following up on that, do you think the school must increase social justice education? A: If many students feel that they did

SERENA TRAN PHOTO

SERENA TRAN PHOTO Principal Park is pictured sitting at his desk and speaking with Secretary Judy dal Canto.

Welcoming Dr. Heffernan B. Garimella and E. Park Editors-in-Chief

Question: What is your background in education? Why did you choose to come to the school? Where did you work before and what did you do? Answer: I came into education in 2004. I made a decision that Dr. Heffernan is pictured at I wanted a change in career, from sitting in a cubicle at an insurance company in Boston. I spent eight years as a high school

English teacher in Venetia, Calif. before I made the move to San Jose Unified School District. Q: What are you most passionate about? What are your personal goals in your job for this school year? A: I am really passionate about students seeing in SERENA TRAN PHOTO potential themselves. I was his desk in the office. not a strong high school student. It took me four years to get through Algebra I. I am not ashamed of that, because it helped define who I am.

Racial harassment by students cont. Continued from Front Page Many people from the account’s 500 followers commented in support of their videos, noting they are “kids just being kids” and calling their videos “beyond a m a z i n g .” “I know what they are doing is wrong, but they are hilarious so it is okay. Their content is just really unusual and flamboyant and that appeals to kids,” an anonymous follower of the account said. However, the Lins and Mr. Leung are less appreciative of this content. “Obviously it is not a very good picture,” Mr. Leung said, when asked what these events reflected about student

not get the social justice aspect of the teaching, then we have to do a better job of pointing out the social justice lessons in our curriculum. I know it is

culture at the school. “We did not expect this behavior to be recurring, and I am very shocked and surprised to see this from the very school my children graduated from a few years ago.” Fortunately for Lin Garden, in the weekend after the NextDoor post was published, the restaurant was busier than ever as community members arrived to show their support for the restaurant’s owners. Since then, the group of boys has mostly ceased harassing the restaurant. If they ever come again, says Mr. Leung, the Lins will be unafraid to call the police immediately.

embedded in the curriculum. We also want to leverage the resources that we have. We had four days of Club Rush and we have 86 clubs now. If you look at the mission and vision of every single club, a lot of them go beyond just having a good time and make a significant impact on the community and campus, especially when viewed through the lens of social justice. I think that we definitely should leverage our resources. If students feel that that social justice education is not being addressed, we certainly can increase it. Q: One of the challenges of learning about social justice in the classroom is that, yes, we might read about civil rights, but the transition between learning about ideas and themes in the classroom and transitioning them into using those in real life does not always happen. A: Yes, absolutely. It goes back to building up people. Years ago, one of the requirements to build a club was, “What are you going to do to give back to your community and your school?” because not all clubs had a built-in community service aspect to it. The school is hosting an event in collaboration with Facing History and Ourselves, an organization dedicated to social justice. We are hosting this event at the school, and I invite students to attend. Our mission statement is “prepare thinkers, leaders and creators of tomorrow.” The more people we can get to care about the issues facing our world, the better we are going to be.

Reformed Entourage charges in

Grace Li and Pauline Nguyen

Furthermore, Entourage plans on expanding attendance to other During the end of the year rally last sports events. This way, there is more year, the Entourage Club was bid farewell. focus on student body support for This year, guided by new leadership the school sports teams and takes the and a revised system, Entourage attention off of individual leaders. was revived as a more regulated There are myriad reasons why the and official student organization. old Entourage system was replaced. Last Entourage, which used to be a year saw the club leaders run aground school club, is now under the direction with administration and the school rules of the Associated Student Body (ASB) set upon them. They struggled to agree on and chaired by three ASB Commissioners: what was acceptable behavior at tailgates Seniors Shaden Qutmiera and Parker and games, and when the year ended, they Petersen and Junior Sofia Scola. One were left without a willing club advisor major difference from the old system is for 2018-2019. Furthermore, the club that Entourage will be managed was reportedly disorganized regarding in a manner more similar f u n d r a i s i n g and leadership. to a school organization Now with the than a student-run club. support of ASB, In addition, the previous Entourage has leaders of the club were access to not replaced by “organizers” only physical who are there to resources like establish order rather paints and posters, than just lead cheers. but also the ASB ASB is also able Leadership class. to supervise and It is now able to YEON JOO NAM ART support the club collaborate withASB to by providing put on bigger and more demanding events. resources like Activities Director Meg Walsh, posters and art head of ASB, explained that the club supplies, as was not very popular among the well as a set administration and staff, so it was classroom a struggle to find willing advisors to work in. for the club. Entourage may be Inclusivity back on track now that Entourage is one of the has been absorbed into ASB. major goals for the “About 11 or 12 years ago, I was one new Entourage. The leaders of the original advisors of Entourage, plan to shine the spotlight on more so I know what it entails. I know what sports and school groups, instead of it could be and should be about, so I’m gathering attention solely for Varsity happy to welcome it back to ASB. I Football. It also plans to involve the see a whole lot more inclusivity, a lot school community outside of sports. more communication. I am excited to “We are trying to make it more make it more about the students and organized and focused on the student less about just the leaders,” Walsh said. body itself rather than the individual With new leadership, revised leaders. We are going to be putting more ground rules and ASB to provide emphasis on Senior Nights and Battle of support, Entourage hopes that students the Den rivalry games,” Petersen said. are willing to embrace the change. Staff Writers

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

NEWS Verizon throttles Calif. firefighers’ data during impending Mendocino fire cont. Continued from Front Page Santa Clara County fire chief Anthony Bowden believes that Verizon’s throttling “severely interfered with the [fire crew’s] ability to function effectively” by hindering distribution of supplies and staff. Bowden stated that these small delays and mistakes could lead to severe losses of property and even life, especially in a tumultuous environment like the Mendocino fire. In response to Verizon’s offer of the higher-priced data plan, Bowen suspects that Verizon will take advantage of other public agencies, including fire departments, for its own profit. “Verizon’s throttling was a mistake on their part. The fire department is unable to regulate control over their internet, especially since they are reliant on Verizon. These lapses in service could compromise public safety. There does not seem to be a good resolution to the situation unless Verizon considers the public and provides better service to these firefighters,” Senior Sarthak Dassarma said. Under the previous net neutrality protections, the department could have filed a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over Verizon’s throttling. However, with its recent repeal of net neutrality, the FCC no longer possesses the same power to investigate complaints. In response, Bowden has joined 22 other states in filing

a lawsuit against the FCC to reinstate net neutrality. The lawsuit argues that the FCC broke federal

Quotebox: Is Verizon at fault? What should the company do to resolve future issues? “Verizon is certainly to blame for the situation because the company refused to promptly accommodate for the firefighters despite the fact that dozens of people were endangered. Their bottom line should not be the priority when lives are at risk. The state should have landlines in low service areas because emergency situations happen there.” —Senior Andre Fatehi “Verizon should offer special services to firefighters and other emergency service personnel so their data never slows down on any circumstance. Firefighters should not be responsible for asking for service. ”

law by interfering with public services and endangering public safety through its past ruling on net neutrality. The attorneys behind the lawsuit believe that, without net neutrality, it would be impossible to ensure that public services would always have access to internet services. According to a filing posted by Ars Technica, a website that mainly covers technology news, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood stated companies like Verizon value profit over the needs of public service agencies. In the brief, she stated that the repeal of net neutrality increases the risk of abusive practices by internet service providers. As a result, the participating states of the lawsuit hope to enforce their own regulations on net YEON JOO NAM ART neutrality in order to

September Sept. 27: Disney Concert Oct. 1-5: Break Oct. 20: Dandiya Raas

ensure their public services have constant access to reliable internet. Nonetheless, the company denies that net neutrality was the reason why they denied service during the emergency. Rather, they cited misunderstandings from both parties about the data plan and poor customer communication. According to the Washington Post, Verizon has stated that the company “should have lifted the speed restriction when [its] customer contacted [it].” The company is now designing a service plan for public safety personnel that has no speed restrictions and gives them higher priority on busy networks. Additionally, Verizon stated that first responders located in the West Coast and Hawaii will no longer experience slower data speeds, especially during natural disasters. “After this incident, I think Verizon is taking the right steps to approaching a solution to this issue: figuring out a separate data plan that does not have any speed cap restrictions for emergency responders. This will certainly be helpful in the future, as responders can respond to emergency incidents without delay regardless of the amount of data they use. However, even though Verizon is trying to make amends, we must not forget that they were responsible for causing this issue in the first place,” Sophomore Brian Kim said.

Quotebox: How do you feel about Orchard Supply Hardware’s removal from San Jose? “I personally prefer to shop at OSH because it is more of a family feel, smaller store versus your big chains like Home Depot and Lowe’s. It feels really impersonal when I go there, but at OSH, right when you go in you get greeted at the door and get asked what you need—and that is one thing I need because I am definitely not home savvy at all.” —Karen Hartmann, Science Department “OSH is a much smaller chain than Lowe’s or Home Depot, so in Orchard yard I always had somebody competent who could give me advice on what I was buying, which I never had at Home Depot.” —Mireille McNabb, Foreign Language Department

—Junior Hayley Ipsaro

Lowe’s new CEO shuts down entire Orchard Supply Hardware chain S. Atkinson and P. Nguyen Staff Writers

At 99 Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) stores across Calif., Ore. and Fla., signs announcing “hiring happy people” have been abruptly replaced with “CLOSING” notices. The San Jose-based home improvement store chain began the process of closing down after over 85 years of operation on Aug. 27. OSH was founded as a co-op by farmers in 1931 during the Great Depression as a hub for essential farm tools, serving purely San Jose. By 1979 the company was bought by W.R. Grace and Company, according to The Mercury News. When OSH filed for bankruptcy in 2013 after a series of merges, Lowe’s purchased the company for $205 million in an attempt to match Home Depot’s dominance in the Calif. home improvement market. An article from Nasdaq states that in at the time of the purchase, “Lowe’s ha[d] only 110 stores [in Calif.] Home Depot[’s] 233.” However, OSH did not become what Lowe’s envisioned. Lowe’s newest CEO, Marvin Ellison, stated OSH detracted from Lowe’s inventory range and targeted an unprofitable niche. In 2017, OSH was operating at a $65 million deficit interest on their debt according to Marshall Croom, Lowe’s chief financial officer. With OSH’s closing, Ellison hopes to streamline all of

Lowe’s efforts into expanding the core business and incorporating OSH wares into Lowe’s inventory. “I did not go there a lot, but there are some items you can buy at Orchard Supply that you cannot get at Home Depot or Ace [Hardware]” Gary Clarke, Math Department, said.

The Business Journals describes OSH as having “deep selections of product in repair and maintenance” which stand out from competitors like Home Depot. While OSH products may reappear in Lowe’s stores, there is a sizable part of OSH which may remain missing: its acclaimed service.

IVAN ZHU ART

“When it comes to hardware stores, OSH is the best option for quick purchases. Whenever my dad needs tools and drags me there, we never really know what specific kind of tools we need, but the employees are patient enough to help,” Sophomore Aditya Asthana said. With over 1,500 employees working for OSH in Calif., job loss became a prominent issue. To compensate laidoff workers, Lowe’s promised to provide job replacement services, priority for employment in Lowe’s and a severance package for non-probationary employees. OSH employees and consumers are not the only ones who will be affected by OSH’s closing. The chain was known for supporting community endeavors like San Jose’s Christmas in the Park, a celebration held every Christmas in downtown San Jose. OSH was a notable sponsor of the celebration; they donated $25,000 annually and offered discounts on the many Christmas trees shown in the celebration’s displays. Executive director of Christmas in the Park Jason Minsky is now in talks with other retail chains about funding, including Lowe’s. All stores began the liquidation of real estate and product at a maximum premium of 50 percent to consumers. Lowe’s slated OSH’s closing to end by February 2019.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 APRIL 29, 2015

OPINIONS

SAT/ACTs may replace Smarter Balanced tests

Grace Li and Kathy Xing

Staff Writers

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT OUR MISSION

The Charger Account seeks to introduce students to the field of journalism and to increase awareness of events in the school, community and the world.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL The Charger Account is published monthly by Leland High School of San Jose Unified School District at: Leland High School 6677 Camden Ave. San Jose, CA 95120-2142 (408) 535-6290 The student body at Leland High School is composed of 1924 students in grades 9-12. Leland is supported by 117 staff and faculty members.

Test-preppers, get ready: students across Calif. may be taking mandatory SAT or ACTs in the future instead of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) if the Senate approves Assembly Bill 1951. At first glance this bill may seem to be a smart decision that will help students prepare for college, but this legislation will hurt both the accuracy of the test reports and the people who depend on them. Advocates for the bill argue that providing a district-paid SAT/ACT could give students with financial needs an opportunity to access this part of the college application process, possibly bridging the gap in test scores separating those with different financial backgrounds. By making the SAT/ACT the state’s accountability test, teachers and administration could direct more resources to college preparation. Ultimately however, Smarter Balanced tests are specifically designed to assess students’ knowledge of the Common Core standards. A report by the Human Resources Research Organization reveals

EDITORS IN CHIEF

COPY AND MANAGING EDITOR ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS NEWS EDITORS Caroline Brew, Ariel Chu, Edward Jung

OPINIONS EDITORS

GRACE GREER ART

difficulty of the questions. They also measure growth from previous years. The SAT and ACT tests are unable to do this; they simply provide a number assessing a student’s readiness for college. “Many students in more affluent schools are already studying for the SAT or ACT, so when they take this standardized test, their scores would be much higher than their scores would be when they took the Smarter Balanced test,” Junior Angela Shu said. Students may not learn all of the content tested on the SAT and ACT in schools. The ACT math section includes trigonometry, which many schools do not cover at all. Although there may be potential benefits in replacing current standardized tests with the SAT or ACT, they are outweighed by the fact that they cannot effectively measure students against Common Core standards. Replacing standardized tests with the SAT or ACT may decrease the number of tests students take. However, they provide an unfair testing platform for students with disabilities and create an unfair advantage for those who can afford extra classes and preparation.

Anupama Shivakumar

Aaren Gaud, Serena Tran

that while the reading and writing parts of the test are adequately well-matched with the curriculum, only 47 percent of SAT math test elements aligned with the Common Core State Standards. This misalignment would make it unsuitable to replace the standardized Smarter Balanced tests. Additionally, unlike the SAT or ACT, the Smarter Balanced tests adjust to students with disabilities and also account for students learning at different rates by adjusting the

Infographic: How would you rate school food?

Bhargavi Garimella, Jerry Lin, Elaine Huang, Edward Park

15 Number of People

Megha Ganesh, Jason Yang

FEATURE EDITORS

Keerthana Ramaswamy, Eric Zhang

VIEWPOINT EDITORS Claire Han, Yeji Jeong

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS

Isabel Zhou

SPORTS EDITORS Matthew Ho, Ethan Huang

LAST WORD EDITOR Advaitha Bhavanasi

AD MANAGER Caroline Brew

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Felisha Fan

ADVISOR Kim Kelley-Lafranconi

COMMUNITY CIRCULATION (PARENT CLUB) Tian Lin The Charger Account September 26, 2018 Vol. Q, No. 1

Compiled by Chloe Bui and Pauline Nguyen, Staff Writers 50 people polled

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Felisha Fan

Rating (out of 10)

Yana Kouretas, Rishab Satyakaal

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT EDITOR

A savory solution to school lunches Neikon Ebadat Staff Writer

Students always hear about the hits and misses of school lunches like fish sandwiches and chicken burgers, but for many, it is their only option. People are forced to take fruits and vegetables, only to toss them away later. According to The New York Times, 70 percent of school meal programs nationwide have taken a financial dive after the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act was implemented in 2010. “I really do not like the school lunches because they have no taste. I only eat the rib sandwich on the very few days they offer it and throw the fruit and vegetables away,” Sophomore Garrison Nakaji said Many different schools have tried new ways to get nutritional food to appeal to high school students. According to Juneau Empire, schools like Thunder Mountain High School in Alaska serve Subway sandwiches. However,

what American schools are truly missing is moderation. Regulations can and

AAREN GAUD ART should be set to promote healthy and tasty choices—but in reasonable portions.

In France, students are given four course meals replete with flavorful indulgences that would violate America’s current nutrition policy of 100 percent whole grains and a miniscule sodium threshold—yet the country has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. America ought to follow in France’s footsteps and teach healthy eating habits to their children at a young age. Kids educated to maintain a healthy lifestyle would leave schools with these skills ingrained within them. Yet school officials can find another solution in the chefs-to-school movement, where chefs are brought to school kitchens. In New London, N.J., former highend chef Dan Giusti and his team overhauled the menu and opted for better quality food, both increasing student participation in school lunch and decreasing food waste. As he moves into New York City public schools, he will be able to provide better food—for the same price as the previous provider. If the school lunch dilemma is to be fixed, America must find a tastier approach.

THE 4 CHARGER ACCOUNT

OPINIONS

5 APRIL 29, 2015

Pope Francis must reform the Church Benson Fang and Carolyn Nguyen

deal with and recover from abuses. In 2006, U.S. seminaries were changed to A rift has formed within the Catholic encourage a more human development Church that pits Archbishop Carlo Maria of potential priests studying at seminaries Viganò against Pope Francis. In Aug., and forbidding any applicants who were the archbishop released a letter alleging involved with sexually abusing children. that the pope knew about sexual abuse Yet clearly, internal investigations allegations against Cardinal Theodore have not stemmed the tide of scandals McCarrick but did nothing about it. popping up in the Church. Rather, He claimed that McCarrick had been governments and Church-goers alike must previously sanctioned by Pope Benedict, take action in the Church themselves. In but that Pope Francis restored him to his N.J. and Pa., states heavily affected by original position and appointed him a scandals, government investigators have close adviser; Viganò demanded that the set up hotlines for people to report any pope step down. information related to cases. These hotlines Additionally, a Pa. grand jury report ought to continue after the investigations released in August detailed how over have ended: it offers victims a method that 1,000 children were sexually abused by goes around the secrecy of the Church. priests in six dioceses. In response, Pope Reforms that address priests’ potential Francis declared that “no effort to commit abuse in the future—not must be spared” in only background preventing future checks, but also abuses; indeed, psychological despite numerous screenings of scandals in previous potential priests— years, it is clear that could have a the Church has not substantial impact. done enough. In the wake In Pa., senior of the scandal, a clergy and Church conference of U.S. YEON JOO NAM ART leadership failed to bishops announced properly investigate the abuses; instead, that they were planning to implement they covered them up and transferred a third-party reporting system within offenders to different parishes. What the the Church, while also encouraging any Church needs is greater transparency. victims of sexual abuse to report cases When sexual abuse scandals occur, it is directly to law enforcement. This is one Church officials, not independent outside step in the right direction, for the Church investigators, who are researching the is opening up its accountability to outside extent of the crime. institutions. With a more transparent After a 2002 investigation by The power structure, priests would no longer Boston Globe revealed abuses involving have the confidence to commit such over 70 priests, dioceses around the horrific abuses, and Catholics can put their country created programs to help victims faith back in the Church. Staff Writers

Having all the answers The fear of being incorrect Keerthana Ramaswamy Feature World Editor

While there is not much I am afraid of, not knowing the answer to something absolutely terrifies me—a fear which is rooted in a painfully vivid memory from second grade, at a schoolwide Geography Bee. I had made it to the fourth round; the stakes were high—that is, for an elementary school bee. The principal read the question: “In which continent is Mt. Kilimanjaro located?” I drew a complete blank. As I became increasingly aware of the intense stares around me, in a moment of panic, I blurted out “California.” Visibly appalled at my answer, he moved on. For me, what was most traumatic about that event was the feeling of not knowing the answer—of provoking judgement. In my defense, being wrong is scary. Losing points because you omitted a negative sign and fumbling on the answer to an easy question in front of everyone can be frustrating. Yet, we are all guilty of this, from muttering non-existent words in foreign language classes to staring intently at our notebooks when a teacher prepares to call on the class for a question. In a culture which seeks instant gratification to pressing problems, we

“In our fear of being incorrect, we commit ourselves to silence and avoid making valuable mistakes altogether...” discover that this compulsive need to be right unfortunately has some very real implications. In our fear of being incorrect, we commit ourselves to silence and avoid making valuable mistakes altogether—something which perpetuates ignorance and intolerance. This epidemic of infallibility needs to be confronted. Take for example, former President Obama, who in November of 2013 apologized to Americans who were losing their health insurance after repeatedly reassuring them that they could keep their own plans. More importantly, he vowed to make it a priority to fix the glitches in the system as quickly as possible. Even leaders in the public eye are capable of making mistakes, and admitting them builds a culture of trust and a model for other Americans. Even the renowned New York Times had to correct large scale errors in stories that reached millions. In the infamous Campbell Brown story, a feature on Facebook’s head of news partnerships, the publication erroneously suggested that Palestinian actions were an example of far-right conspiracy stories that had plagued Facebook. Following the offensive error, the paper issued a statement acknowledging this and immediately corrected the mistake. 18th century poet Alexander Pope wrote “to err is human, to forgive divine.” While we will inevitably make mistakes, unintentionally offend people and say ignorant things, we need our peers to correct us. We all possess a certain moral responsibility to educate and disperse knowledge. So, blurt out wrong things: it is perfectly fine to not have all the answers.

Should Mollie Tibbetts’ death be politicized? the debate regarding immigration, he Staff Writer urges politicians to leave her name out of Mollie Tibbetts’ father received a it. He deplores of the use of his daughter’s pre-recorded robocall from neo-Nazi death to support racist ideals, and organization “The Road to Power” believes Tibbetts would be horrified by expressing hate towards immigrants. The the racist backlash over her death, given call used his daughter’s name and called that her’ own step-sister and nephew are her family traitors to their race. Shaken, he Latino. Iowan Latinos have experienced described the experience as “everything discriminatory graffiti and faced racist that’s dark and wrong with America.” remarks in the wake of Tibbetts’ death. The robocalls are only one example Although her death is a terrible of politicians and extremist groups using tragedy, it should not be used to cause Tibbetts’ name to advocate for their the suffering of millions of immigrants own agendas. Tibbetts, a student at the unrelated to her death, nor should it be University of Iowa, disappeared in used to torment her own family July. Her body was eventually and increase their grief. The use discovered, murdered by of Tibbett’s name for political Cristhian Rivera, a local purposes may not be racist, Latino farmhand who was but it encourages neo-Nazi an illegal immigrant. and white supremacist groups Since then, Tibbetts’ to use it for their own gain. death has become “I am absolutely the poster child of against Mollie’s death Trump’s immigration becoming politicized policy efforts. White when arguing House Press Secretary about immigration. Sarah Sanders mentioned It is nitpicking a Tibbetts in a press briefing, specific homicide and and President Donald Trump generalizing it throughout IVAN ZHU ART has often cited her death in the whole US. Basically, it says that Twitter posts as another reason to crack immigrants shouldn’t be coming to the US down on illegal immigration. because all, or at least a large majority of Tibbetts’ death is one of many them, are murderers. That’s completely catastrophes that have affected American twisted and racist.” Sophomore Tobias politics. After the Marjory Stoneman Worledge said. Douglas High School shooting in Florida, As a nation, America loses basic the school’s students began to advocate for respect for the victims of tragedies by tighter gun control. Their actions sparked politicizing them. In the case of the a national awakening of student activism, Marjory Stoneman shooting, entering encouraging more teenagers to act in politics was a choice of the survivors. solidarity with them. In this case, students In the case of Tibbetts, it is the choice of actively participated in politics to express outside parties to ignore the beliefs of her their message in the aftermath of tragedy. family. At the very least, the wishes of her On the other hand, the Tibbetts family own family must be respected. America begs for the tragedy to be left out of the cannot let Mollie Tibbetts become a “pawn spotlight. While Tibbetts’ father encourages in others’ debate.”

Kelly Cui

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STAFF WRITERS Serena Atkinson Chloe Bui Meghna Chandrasekar Kelly Cui Neikon Ebadat Benson Fang Grace Li Sophia Lu Minji Kim Carolyn Nguyen Pauline Nguyen Christian Park Gastelum Kathy Xing Jonathan Yue

ARTISTS

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SEPTEMBER 26,2018

FEATURE: SCHOOL

Welcoming new staff

Chargergram

Matt Sylva

Special Education Department “I am getting married this month, I love to surf, ride motorcycles, climb and most importantly, I love to travel; I have been to 35 countries,” Sylva said. After working as a financial advisor in Taiwan, Sylva redirected his career to teaching. He is excited to experience new opportunities working with the school community.

Nalini Suresh

Computer Science Department Suresh has worked at Bret Harte Middle School as a science teacher and in the computer science industry. She is excited to work with her AP Computer Science students in the coming year. “I am scared of heights and got stuck in an elevator. It took me ten years to overcome my fear of elevators, ” Suresh said.

Darla McKenna

Visual Performing Arts Department Despite working with different cameras and photos all the time, McKenna has never owned a television in her life. Now, she is teaching Digital Photography for both novice and advanced students in all grade levels. Mckenna is most looking forward to seeing the projects her students finish and the photos they take throughout the year. “I hope to put the students’ projects all together at the end of the year and see what they have learned and how far they have come in terms of being photographers,” McKenna said.

Jeff Sloneker

Cynthia Williams

Special Education Department Williams has experience teaching children with autism and English-learning disabilities. After teaching in San Diego, she moved to the school to teach math and science to special ed students. “I have been fortunate enough to work with a very friendly staff in my department, which has made my transition to the school easier,” Williams said.

Samantha Peters

Elaine Ngo English Department

English Department

The first thing a student notices when they walk into Ngo’s classroom are the Marvel Studios movie posters among the educational plaques and wall fixtures. The décor of her room is reflective of her two passions: teaching English and superhero comics. Prior to teaching at the school, Ngo worked at a Lego store. “I want students to obtain a love for learning. I know students are under a lot of pressure to get into the colleges that they want, but I really want them to appreciate the journey of learning—learning just to learn,” Ngo said.

Originally from Santa Clara, Peters moved to the school to take part in San Jose’s innovative atmosphere. She loves r u n n i n g and looks forward to exploring the nearby Los Alamitos Creek Trail. She has eight years of teaching experinece and is continuing her ninth year of teaching with Sophomore English and Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC). “I think the school is great! I think the students are very welcoming; everyone’s super helpful. I love the atmosphere, the environment and the Charger pride,” Peters said.

Mark Kent

Jeffrey Chen

Science Department Now his 22nd year of teaching, Sloneker is excited to be able to share the wonders of chemistry with his students. He moved to San Jose last summer, following his wife’s career. “I like the people that I work with a lot and am looking forward to working on a good, solid classroom culture,” Sloneker said.

Science Department Having been an industrial chemist for 24 years, Kent has the experience to teach a variety of science subjects. Although he has taught chemistry and Earth science before, he is currently teaching AP Physics 1 and regular physics at the school. “I am a fifth generation Californian; my greatgreat-grandfather came here on a wagon years ago,” Kent said.

Math Department Chen’s first impression of the school is that students are very interested in having in-depth discussions about math. He has found himself spending a lot of time giving feedback to students. “My goal this year is to build students’ logical reasoning and critical thinking skills and to show students the true beauty of mathematics,” Chen said.

Alison Rutsch

Kelly Dybdahl

Andrew Cox

Visual Performing Arts Department

Physical Education Department

History Department

Walking into Rutsch’s multimedia classroom for the first time, walls lined with strings of fairy lights and neatly stocked rows of Macs catch students’ eyes. Having moved here from Washington, D.C. only a month ago, she finds California to be a gorgeous place to live. She loves teaching Multimedia Art to all grades because it offers an opportunity to create art without requiring technical talent. “I think Multimedia gives kids all kinds of different options for ways to work, and it can help people to express themselves,” Rutsch said.

ARYA TANDON, JONATHAN KE, JEFFREY TAN, YUYI LU PHOTOS

After learning about physical therapy concepts in college, Dybdahl found the scientific aspects of physical education very interesting. Last season, she was the assistant soccer coach at UC Santa Cruz, and she has also taught at Cabrillo College. Dybdahl participates in marathons and triathalons in her free time to stay active. “The school seems to be very supportive. The kids do not take themselves too seriously and I think that is important—to have fun,” Dybdahl said.

AAREN GAUD, GRACE GREER ART

“I am really into trains. If I hear a train in the distance, I can tell you what kind of engine it is, where it is going, what it is carrying and where it came from,” Cox said. Growing up, Cox spent a lot of his time working with younger kids, which inspired him to pursue a career in teaching. After teaching at Wilcox High School, he moved to the school to teach US History to juniors and World Cultures to freshmen. Cox went on to emphasize how he noticed that students at the school are very focused on their work.

Compiled by Chloe Bui, Grace Li, Minji Kim, Sophia Lu Staff Writers

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

India challenges WhatsApp

A. Bhavanasi and M. Ganesh Last Word and Opinions Editors In June, an edited video of two men on a motorcycle pulling up to a group of children, grabbing a child, and running off went viral on the messaging service app WhatsApp. Although the unedited video was a child safety film from Pakistan, with a message at the end of the video clarifying it as such, an edited version without the ending segment had been shared on WhatsApp in India. Once regional media channels began reporting the rumors as well, the flames were fanned and an epidemic of mob violence and lynchings across several states ensued. In the United States, the term “fake news” has become a means for discrediting untrustworthy articles. However, in India it poses a much more prominent danger that the government has threatened to take action against—specifically on an online messenger app called WhatsApp. The app is extremely prevalent; in Feb. 2017, WhatsApp crossed 200 million monthly active users in India according to The Atlantic. Its simple user interface, compatibility with 2G/3G networks and the fact that the app is free are a few reasons for its success in India. However, WhatsApp also uses endto-end encryption, which gives privacy to users and does not allow the app to regulate messages that may contain misinformation. A rise in fake news postings have provoked the formation of lynch mobs and deaths of many people across several Indian states.

According to BBC News, three men visiting family in the small village of Handikera, in the southern state of Karnataka, were beaten by a mob who believed that they were child abductors because of false accusations made on WhatsApp, leading to the death of one of the innocent men. The threat of fake news has spurred the government to institute lessons about it in classrooms. According to BBC News, in the coastal city of Kannur, district officials have begun 40-minute long fake news awareness classes in one-fourth of its 600 government schools. After local government warnings and campaigns across the c o u n t r y, WhatsApp has also added measures to decrease the spread of fake news such as restricting the amount of message forwards each user can send. However, this process NICOLE KIM ART may not be enough to regulate the influx of mob violence. The company has not accepted the government’s demand that messages be made traceable, arguing that it would violate user privacy. This has caused the government to threaten the company with legal consequences. According to Times of India, if WhatsApp were to add more checks and balances, they could lose a significant part of their key market and a significant source of revenue. “Social media facilitates the spread of misinformation. WhatsApp reveals what will happen if social media is left unchecked,” Senior Isha Savant said.

FEATURE: WORLD Ethiopia’s Ahmed spurs change

Benson Fang

Staff Writer

Since his election in April of this year, the popularity of Ethiopia’s new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has skyrocketed. In Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa, taxi windows are covered with Abiy stickers. Members of Ethiopia’s Christian majority believe that he was sent by God. Ahmed has become so popular that people have even coined a term just to describe this new phenomenon: “Abiymania”. As a political outsider, Ethiopia’s youngest prime minister and a member of the country’s largest ethnic community, the Oromo, Ahmed’s appointment is promising for many. His election comes at a time where violence and a deteriorating economy have left the country in an unstable state. In his first 100 days, he has unblocked previously c e n s o r e d w e b s i t e s , lifted a state of emergency imposed by the previous prime minister and acknowledged a past of torture and wrongdoing in the Ethiopian regime. Most notably, Ahmed made peace with the neighboring country of Eritrea after a series of bloody wars costing thousands of lives and economic damage. In July, Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed an agreement, officially ending the conflict and normalizing relationships between the two countries for the first time.

Ahmed proceeded to release all political prisoners and exiled media outlets and political objectors, allowing them to return back to Ethiopia. This gained massive support among the public. According to the Washington Post, Ahmed plans to amend the constitution to include term limits that will prevent a future autocracy. Since his time in office, Ahmed has also prioritized the economy as one of his key issues. In June, he announced that he wo u l d open up several governmentowned companies in industries like telecom and electricity to foreign investment. Although the country faces a foreign currency shortage, heavy debts, and high inflation, his reforms are expected to help the economy. Most importantly, his presidency has created an urgency for economic reform that is appealing to foreign and domestic investors alike. YEON JOO NAM ART So far, A h m e d has certainly lived up to E t h i o p i a’s expectations; he has fostered unity among regional partners by sealing major peace deals with other countries and ended a period of repression of media and political opponents. “I still believe we need to be watchful of where his leadership leads the country. Despite what he says, Ahmed could easily turn out like his corrupt, ineffective predecessors.” Sophomore Brian Kim said.

Visualizing migrant crises around the world Germany: Number of Asylum Seekers: There were 1 million asylum-seekers in 2015. More than 10,000 people were arriving daily in the country. In 2018, as many as 15,000 people applied for asylum in Germany monthly.

Italy: Number of Asylum Seekers: At least 629 rescued migrants were refused entry by Malta and Italy and had to travel 8 days to Spain. Italy registered roughly 18,000 migrant arrivals to its seashores.

Popular Support: 36.7 percent of Germans believe that Germany can overcome the challenges of migration. 39 percent of Germans say people denied asylum should be deported indefinitely.

Popular Support: 50 percent of Italians said asylum-seekers should be rejected while 40 percent said they should be welcomed. Almost 60 percent of Italians are in favor of closing the country’s ports to migrant ships.

Venezuela: Number of Displaced People: More than 1.5 million Venezuelans have left their country in recent years. Roughly 820,000 Venezuelans have arrived in Colombia over the past 16 months. Number of Asylum Seekers: Over 180,000 asylum claims were made between 2014 and 2018, according to a May update. Nearly 530,000 people have benefitted from other forms of protection or an alternative legal status. More than 300,000 Venezuelans have entered the country of Peru.

Spain: Number of Displaced People: Around 21,000 migrants arrived in Spain by sea between Jan. 1 and July 25. Arrivals to Spain surpassed those to Italy in July, with a total of 20,000 or more arrivals and roughly 17,000 by sea. Popular Support: The country’s official statistics agency conducted a survey in the country, and found that only 3.5 percent of Spaniards listed immigration as one of their top three concerns.

Myanmar: Number of Displaced People: Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority in Myanmar, have fled from Rakhine province to Bangladesh due to the destruction of their homes and ethnic persecution. Nearly 60 percent of them are children. Violent Offenses: Rohingya militants have begun a widespread campaign of systematic murder and rape. The UN says it is the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. The death toll is at least 1,000. Compiled by Meghna Chandrasekar Staff Writer

PERSONALITY

YOUR SCHOOL’S RESULTS INDICATE: AMBIVERSION

T 28%

Extrovert privilege in Western society

Serena Atkinson

Staff Writer Terms such as “people person,” “assertive” and “team player” are all fairly innocuous terms seen on many resumes. They are also terms that are implicitly geared towards extroverts. In many workplaces and schools in Western society, extroversion is seen as a strength, while introversion is undesirable. Extroversion and introversion are simply a matter of how one gets their energy. Extroverts get their energy from being around other people, and feel drained when they are alone for too long. Introverts are the opposite, receiving their energy from being alone, and conversely feeling drained when they are around people for extended amounts of time. Yet it seems that in many settings, the playing field is skewed in favor of extroverts. Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, claims that this preference is shown even with very young children. Cain notes that children who do not want to join in group activities are automatically at a disadvantage and that being forced to do so “has the cumulative effect of telling the child that their natural preferences for how they spend their time are not valid.” This bias continues through a child’s education, especially visible in middle and high schools, which involve larger class sizes and cliques, where introverts may feel out of place simply because they are not outgoing. Throughout childhood and even in adulthood, those who are generally more reserved and less talkative are labeled “shy” and “wallflowers,” while those who tend to talk more are praised for their personalities. Those who are introverted may not even get a chance to talk, simply because more attention is given to extroverts on the assumption that due to their personalities, their ideas are more sound. “I am an introvert, and there are certain times in which I have something to contribute to the discussion, but people are so caught up in what the extroverts are saying that when I can finally say what I wanted to, it is no longer relevant,” Sophomore Ayumi Bergan said. Extroverted tendencies and personality traits are more highly valued in Western cultures than Eastern. In many Asian countries, introversion is seen as a strength; being modest and thinking before speaking is more valued over being talkative. This societal preference influences the professional and educational development of those living in such societies. Yet this preference does not extend to Western cultures. Asians make up 23.3 percent of the Bay Area, according to the 2010 census, and although there are many Asian CEOS and company founders in Silicon Valley, they are the least likely group to be promoted to middle managerial positions, such as program directors or team leaders, according to the Harvard Business Review. These positions are seen as needing strong leaders who can effectively communicate their ideas—that is, in the eyes of Western culture, extroverts. The harmful stereotype of Asians as quiet but efficient workers and poor leaders, combined with Western society’s inherent bias towards extroverts, has very real impact on the professional development of Asians in Silicon Valley. It is the gross misconception that all Asians are introverts that leads to fewer opportunities for upward movement for Asians. In the education system, the emphasis on this stereotype makes Asian students feel self-conscious and caged in by a stereotype that prevents the development of their identity. From early childhood, the Western perception that extroverts are somehow better than introverts is instilled in people’s minds; although it may not guide every relationship and interaction among individuals, this bias is prevalent in everyday life, educational institutions and professional environments.

EXTROV

Per

Carolyn Nguyen and Jaso

Using the studies of psyc over the years. Rivaling the d Despite its popularity, an ave Carl Gustav Jung, a Swis and her mother, Katharine B Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) types from four categories: ex perceiving (J/P). The first criterion determ in the name, sensors perceive those who are intuitive enjoy thinking and feeling criterion consequences of their decisio psychology; Judgers approach “It is hard to put someon Hartmann, Science Departm Only sixteen categories m person. Though Myers and B people act a certain way or h inundating desire to categ remains difficult to b

Quotebox: Are personality quizzes reliable?

YPES

VERT

22 %

“Personality quizzes are not accurate. They use the Barnum effect, very broad general statements that apply to everyone, so everyone thinks that the results apply to them.”

50 %

–Junior Jasmine Shao “Personality quizzes are not very accurate. People tend to choose responses that align with the person that they want to be rather than who they are, which leads to inaccurate results.” –Freshman Kaylin Choi

INTROVERT

AMBIVE

Compiled by G. Li and K. Cui Staff Writers 200 students polled

“Personality quizzes have always been pretty accurate for me. As long as my responses to questions are accurate, the personality quizzes are accurate as well.” –Junior Cynthia Gao

ersonality types deconstructed

on Yang

Staff Writer and Opinions Editor

chologists Carl Jung and Isabel Myers-Briggs, personality typing has become more popular discussion of zodiac signs, personality type quizzes have come to dominate the internet. erage Buzzfeed quiz cannot analyze someone’s personality with just one quiz. ss psychologist, created the first theory on personality types. However, Isabel Myers Briggs Briggs, are responsible for developing the sixteen personalities found today in the Myers– ). In the 1960s, they based their theories on Jung’s work, deriving the different personality xtraversion/introversion (E/I), sensing/intuition (S/N), thinking/feeling (T/F) and judging/

mines whether someone is more reserved and quiet or more social and outspoken. As implied e the world in a hands-on method, relying on what is directly tangible to their five senses; y learning more abstract concepts and are considered imaginative. When it comes to the n, thinkers tend to use logic while feelers use their heart and are usually more aware of the ons. Briggs created the last category, judging and perceiving, through an extension of Jungian h challenges systematically, while perceivers thrive on spontaneity and improvisation. ne into a cookie-cutter personality. Everybody has so many unique aspects to them,” Karen ment, said. may seem underwhelming, but it is effective in providing a generalized overview of a Briggs made improvements to these theories, they were never able to scientifically prove why how the brain’s structure may differ when it comes to personality. Despite popular culture’s gorize and compartmentalize, the complexity of personalities and the human brain be determined by a single set of questions–but that does not stop Buzzfeed from trying.

“I do not think personality quizzes are reliable. People want to fit in, and most of the time, they will overstate or understate. We can fool ourselves to receive results that we want to see.” –Senior Shawn Li “MBTI tests are the best. In my opinion, they are very accurate when it comes to categorizing different categories and calculating the four different personality traits in a person.” –Junior Sonia Savur “Having taken a personality quiz before, I know my results had some similarities to who I felt I was as a person. However, we are far more complex than what the results from any one quiz can tell us.” –Senior Sara LaValley Compiled by Carolyn Nguyen and Kathy Xing Staff Writers

AAREN GAUD ART

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT Film Review:

BlacKkKlansman

A shift in representation: “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Serena Atkinson and Carolyn Nguyen

Staff Writers

Ariel Chu

School News Editor

Portrayed as a humorous yet somber film, BlacKkKlansman describes an African American man’s risky plan to infiltrate and topple the Ku Klux Klan. Set in the 1970’s, BlacKkKlansman is a bleak reminder that breaking down racist institutions and structures is a battle not yet finished, as groups like Black Lives Matter continue to fight for justice. While addressing heavy topics like police brutality and white supremacy, BlacKkKlansman was still able to bring humor to a dark situation. I noticed the sly comments aimed at the current President of the U.S; one of the characters mention how it would be ridiculous for David Duke, the Grand Wizard of the KKK at the time, to become president. This was an obvious parallel to Donald Trump’s presidency, and these satirical remarks gave me a good laugh.

“This film was able to express and embrace Black heritage on the big screen.” The film not only provided artistic visuals through specific lighting and color schemes, but the sudden cut scenes and repetition of certain words helped emphasize the film’s message. During one powerful scene, I remember how impactful the quick transitions were–the gleeful shouts of the KKK as they watched Birth of a Nation contrasted with the sorrowfilled cries of young African Americans demanding justice highlighted the omnipresent bigotry in the film. BlacKkKlansman emphasizes the importance of heritage. Characters in the film proudly celebrate their natural hair and elements of African American culture are constantly referenced. The soundtrack consisted of numerous songs from Black musicians such as the Jackson 5 and Marvin Gaye. Using both visual and audio details to celebrate African American culture, this film was able to express and embrace Black heritage on the big screen at a time where the film’s message is more important than ever. The film concludes on an ominous note: scenes from the fairly recent Charlottesville riots display how the story of BlacKkKlansman does not end once we walk out of the theater. BlacKkKlansman is more than just a film that portrays the bravery of African Americans, it serves as an indication and warning of the racist institutions and structures that continue to perpetuate hate in society.

BlacKkKlansman (5/5) worth the charge

+ Genuine characters, good balance of dramatic elements – Explicit language

This Aug., the releases of Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before were celebrated by AsianAmerican communities for their success at the box office and in their representation of Asian characters. The first Englishlanguage films to feature Asian casts since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club, the films are a marked contrast to the many years of racist stereotyping and whitewashing of minority characters in Hollywood. Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of Rachel Chu, a professor of economics at New York University who, after traveling to Singapore with her boyfriend Nicholas You n g, i s GRACE GREER ART shocked to discover that he belongs to one of Singapore’s wealthiest families. The film proceeds to delve into larger themes surrounding the differences between people of different cultures and socioeconomic statuses. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is about the story of Lara Jean Song Covey, a halfKorean girl who is forced to deal with numerous unwanted situations when her private love letters are sent out to all of her crushes without her consent. Both films, although markedly different in their plot, point to a new era in film, with multicultural and minority casts finding mainstream success and popularity. “Normally, the protagonist in any given movie is white, so it is amazing to see more diversity. Having representation of minorities in movies and media is important to those who finally can have

someone to look up to,” Sophomore Katie Le said. In addition to their diverse casts, the characters in both films break stereotypes normally associated with Asians: the films feature Asian characters in traditional Western tropes. The characters in the films do not reflect typical stereotypes; the Asian characters are varied, developed and have unique personalities that are not wholly defined by their Asian heritage. The characters’ races are all that defines them, which develops them beyond stereotypes.

“There is never a ‘normal’ Asian character that is not a smart nerd or geek in Hollywood movies. With these recent movies, the movies had Asian leads with no typical Asian stereotypes,” Sophomore Eileen Yoon said. However, both movies have received their fair share of criticism. Crazy Rich Asians has been criticized for inaccurately depicting Singaporean society and culture. Although an important aspect of both the novel and the film is the cultural differences between the American

middle-class and Singapore’s top one percent, its detractors argue that only representing Chinese people—the largest ethnic group in Singapore—erases the South and Southeast Asian ethnic groups that also live in Singapore, such as Malays and Indians. who are barely shown in the film and have no dialogue. In addition, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has been criticized for casting actor Lana Condor, who is Vietnamese, as Lara Jean, who is half-Korean, indicating the gaps that still remain in achieving proper and accurate representation for characters of Asian descent. Nevertheless, both Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before have been lauded as making significant steps forward in Asian representation in film and are a far cry from Hollywood’s history of racist stereotypes and whitewashing. Crazy Rich Asians, in particular, has disproved the myth that a non-white film will fail to perform at the box office, earning a record-breaking $35 million in its first five days at the box office. The popularity of the film was widely celebrated and paved the way for the film’s sequel, which is currently being filmed. Shortly after the movie’s release, multiple television writers successfully sold their ideas for shows featuring allAsian casts to producers, demonstrating Hollywood’s shifting attitude towards Asian representation–not just on the screen, but throughout every level of media production, indicating that the wave of Asian representation started by these films is not set to stop any time soon.

The dangers of Youtuber culture Kelly Cui and Pauline Nguyen

Staff Writers

than 18 million subscribers, has filmed a plethora of videos that are considered problematic due to his dangerous stunts and offensive behavior. In 2017, Paul posted a video with footage of the corpse of a suicide victim in the infamous Japanese forest. The backlash was immediate: news outlets criticized his video as exploitative and disrespectful. Several denounced his videos as attention- seeking clickbait that reflected the greedy, profit hungry nature of numerous Yo u t u b e creators.

Dabbing at her teary eyes with a manicured hand, beauty vlogger Laura Lee begins her video “My Apology” without the casual confidence present in her usual videos and vlogs. In her video, Lee apologizes for a series of racist tweets and retweets she made in 2012 that recently resurfaced. Lee lost about 500,000 of her Youtube fanbase throughout Aug., most due to the recently unearthed posts. Furthermore, cosmetics retail giant Ulta Beauty, along with numerous companies that have collaborated with her, has recalled the launch of Lee’s cosmetic brand in their stores. However, Lee is not the only Youtuber to come under fire for racist or discriminatory social media posts. Numerous other influential beauty gurus, such as Jeffree Star, Gabriel Zamora and Manny Gutierrez have been accused of racism and consequently, filmed apology videos similar to Lee’s. The aforementioned Youtubers, along with many more, are often publicly engaged in arguments with each other, garnering them more likes and views. The growing negativity within the Youtube GRACE GREER ART community and the constant chasing of views and subscribers has “Many video creators are seen as role sparked debate over the platform’s impact models for teens, which may lead them on teens and the influence creators exert to act or think irresponsibly. Youtube over their viewers. videos were originally entertaining fun, Even outside of the site’s beauty but nowadays, kids are seeing less of its community, many Youtubers are notorious positive parts and more discrimination for extreme videos meant to garner and hate,” Sophomore Vandya Goel said. millions of monetized views. Logan Paul, A 2018 study from the Pew Research whose Youtube channel possesses more Center shows that Youtube is the social

media platform with the greatest amount of users between the ages of 13 and 17. As a result, Youtube videos depicting extreme, unsafe behavior can greatly impact teenagers. In past years, trends such as the Cinnamon Challenge, which consists of ingesting a spoonful of powdered cinnamon under a minute, circulated on Youtube; its popularity, however, led to severe health problems and deaths among some participants in the challenge. With the toxic culture and dangerous behavior ever present on Youtube, viewers are constantly bombarded with content that poses a risk to their mental health. Youtubers are gaining more and more influence over the clothes, language and mannerisms of young people. Although this influence may not always be negative, being unaware of it and blindly following the words and actions of influencers and video creators can be detrimental. As increasing numbers of teenagers flock to the site for entertainment, the potential for marketing and consumerism grows. Sponsored posts and videos are common among Youtube videos, especially in the beauty community, and the difference between a genuine product review and something that a company has paid the influencer to say is difficult to discern. “Youtube should be a place for people to express their creativity and ideas and also a platform for creators to support one another. Youtube has become more of a job than a creative outlet, and that results in creators trying to exploit their viewers through methods like clickbait” Sophomore Yangyang Lai said.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

ENTERTAINMENT

Social media platforms take action against Infowars Minji Kim and Jonathan Yue Staff Writers

During the 2016 election, he repeatedly targeted immigrants, posted videos against liberalism and Muslims and another on transgender people. The issue does not solely lie with Jones’ hateful words: as in the case of the Sandy Hook shooting, Jones’ hateful words have translated to hateful action, prompting social media platforms

Led by Apple’s decision to ban accounts of Alex Jones’ controversial conspiracy theory show, Infowars, other tech giants have followed including Facebook, Youtube and Spotify. His content has been taken down due to his use of hate speech. For the past 19 years, Jones has been known to spread offensive ideas and false news on various social media platforms. According to Vox, Jones receives around ten million views a month on his official website and has 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube. One of Jones’ most infamous conspiracy theories is that the Sandy Hook shooting was an elaborate hoax created by gun-control groups, leading his supporters to constantly harass the parents of the victims. The family eventually filed a successful lawsuit against Jones for defamation, along with two other defamation lawsuits. EVELYN LIU ART “Speech should be taken down if hurtful to others because what you say does not impact you only, it impacts others to step in and regulate Jones’ content, as far and wide too especially in the case of many had been calling for for years prior. Alex Jones, who has a great impact on his The pressure has long been on tech supporters,” Senior Sarthak Dassarma said. companies to act against hate speech, Jones’ racist and xenophobic views rather than remaining staunchly neutral. are shown through the consistent spread Multiple tech companies, specifically of false news and hate speech via his Facebook and Twitter, have admitted to podcast, show and social media accounts. holding off on banning Jones’ content.

Facebook claims they did not want to restrict one’s thoughts on what is true or not or potentially anger his supporters. Twitter has previously suspended Jones’ account for a week, but had refused take any further action until Jones committed abusive behavior towards a CNN reporter at a Congressional hearing, breaking their policy and prompting them to ban his accounts. Ultimately, Facebook removed four of his pages, blocking him for 30 days, Spotify removed “The Alex Jones Show”, YouTube blocked his channels, and Apple removed five Infowars podcasts. “Companies did not take action until now because no one really paid attention until Jones’ content got brought up more often on social media. It did not affect the companies until their customers started to stop using their website or product due to his videos,” Sophomore Olivia Kukar said. Many argue that banning Infowars is violating the First Amendment. However, acording to the San Francisco Chronicle, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and Apple are privately owned companies, and therefore are allowed to restrict the content of their users. In a time of political polarization, the platforms’ actions represents the end of the long-standing neutrality these companies have maintained.

Quotebox: How does society’s response to male sexual assault survivors differ from the response to female survivors? “Men have always been seen as the perpetrators, not victims, of sexual assault. Sexual assault is never limited to a single gender. It is the gender stereotypes that we have created that causes us to react differently to men speaking up about sexual assault.” —Sophomore Aida Mushell “Both women and men do not get justice when they speak up about their sexual assualt because the public will always find fault and not believe them or defend the perpetrator.” —Senior Maggie Wang “Most people stereotype boys as strong and girls as weak. There are lots of situations when men get sexually assaulted and the society does not listen or care.” —Freshman Seyeon Rah Compiled by Claire Han and Minji Kim | Viewpoint Editor and Staff Writer

#MeToo reveals stereotypes in society’s response to male survivors Claire Han and Kathy Xing Viewpoint Editor and Staff Writer

The #MeToo movement has exploded in the past year, following the numerous sexual assault allegations against prominent men, most notably Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump. #MeToo has been the subject of heated and polarizing attention, formed to bring change to the way people stigmatize and blame victims for sexual assault cases and to hold powerful men accountable. The #MeToo movement, while only entering mainstream consciousness this year, was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to create a supportive community for sexual assault victims. In Aug., Asia Argento, one of Weinstein’s first accusers and a leader of the movement, was accused of sexually assaulting an underage actor and paying him 380,00 dollars for his silence. Argento has since denied the allegations. Similar cases of sexual misconduct have been uncovered of Calif. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, yet another prominent member of the movement. The paradox of Garcia and Argento’s status as outspoken supporters of #MeToo but being accused themselves has sparked a discussion on the impact of gender stereotypes on sexual assault survivors. “When a man speaks up about sexual assault, it is not taken as seriously than if a woman would speak up about it. If a man or woman speaks up about sexual assault, then we should take both circumstances very seriously and carefully despite the gender of

the victim.” Junior Megan Pombo said. People can be both survivors and perpetrators of sexual misconduct; Vox explains that although negative sexual history is often brought up against reports of sexual violence, people’s crimes do not invalidate their testimony, similar to how people’s experiences as victims do not excuse crimes. Contrary to popular belief, male victims of sexual assault are not few and far between. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in six boys in the United States have experienced sexual abuse before turning 18. Over 1,000 men r e p o r t being raped ETHAN HUANG ART to the police every year and this is likely to be less than ten percent of the real number. Despite considerable evidence of the issue, these types of cases have rarely been acknowledged in mainstream society before the news of Argento became widespread. Gender roles contribute to the reluctance of male victims to speak up about their experiences. Many men fear being viewed as weak if they share their story in a society that expects

men to be strong and unemotional. They hesitate to come forward and share their own stories because of society’s views regarding strength and masculinity. “The stigma against males being the victims of sexual assault is a result of gender stereotypes. One of the only ways to change this stereotype is to have the male victims tell their truth. We need to believe male victims so that we can change the ways our society perceives sexual assault,” Junior Sean Huang said. The Argento and Garcia cases have demonstrated that male sexual assault victims are more common than society has recognized. Some men have utilized the #MeToo movement to share their stories which serves to spread awareness of the obstacles and stigma male survivors receive. One prominent voice of the #MeToo movement is former NFL player and actor Terry Crews. In Oct. 2017, he shared his experiences on sexual harassment from his agent and received mockery and backlash, with thousands shaming and blaming him, rather than the perpetrator– indicating that although the #MeToo movement has changed perceptions, the stigma facing survivors remains, regardless of gender, race or background.

Existential Experiences: Montalvo Arts Center

Eric Zhang Feature School Editor

As I walked through the middle of the Front Lawn, I saw a sparkle in the corner of my eye. I walked closer to it and noticed that there were mirrors in the trunk of a tree. Being the narcissistic person I am, I could not help but admire myself in the mirrors of the century-old tree. Although immersing myself in nature was not something that I had planned to do on a Saturday afternoon, I was able to enjoy the natural beauty of our world at the Montalvo Arts Center. Built in 1912, Villa Montalvo, the former estate of former Senator James Phelan, serves as a public park where visitors can experience the outdoors and learn more about art, music and literature. When I arrived at the estate, I had witnessed what Phelan had envisioned: children exploring creative forms of art, groups of people playing music in public and families hiking on the beautiful nature trails.

“The tree-filled estate allowed me to relax and appreciate what we have in the world.” The estate also has a beautiful Italian-style garden. Home to many different species of plants, the garden attracts many visitors. The Love Temple, a tall marble Italian-style structure with a marble fountain inside it, stands tall in the middle of the garden. Throughout the year, the art center also holds numerous events. Performed in the Carriage House Theater, artists of all genres, from jazz to comedy, perform monthly. This estate also offers many hiking trails. The longest trail, Lookout Trail, leads up to Lookout Point, where hikers can view the breathtaking sight of Silicon Valley. Walking around the tree-filled estate allowed me to relax, forget about my worries and appreciate what we have in the world. Although the limited number of exhibits were interesting, it did not take long for me to explore the whole area, as I finished looking at everything in approximately an hour and a half. Surrounded by a forest, Montalvo Arts Center provides the perfect space to immerse oneself in the arts and nature–allowing visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of our world.

Montalvo Arts Center (4/5) too good to brush off

+ Exquisite gardens + Wide variety of trails – Limited exhibits

SEPTEMBER 26 2018

LIFESTYLE Mint & Basil Vegetarian Fare

Neikon Ebadat Cuisine Connoisseur

Nestled in the heart of the newly constructed Almaden Plaza, Mint & Basil is a traditional Southeast Asian restaurant fueled by a mission to provide all-vegetarian cuisine without compromising on taste and quality. Expecting an interior just as homely as the restaurant’s food, I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant’s stainless-steel furniture, granite counters and matte black dragonscale walls which exuded an atmosphere just as modern as the plaza. As I am guided by the hostess to my table, they inform me that the “meat” dishes, like the Rock ‘n Roll “Beef,” are made with plant substitutes. I heard rave reviews about the mushroom pho from my family and friends, so I ordered that dish as soon as I sat down. Within less than ten minutes, I was greeted by a complimentary plate of cilantro and a steaming ceramic bowl brimming with pho and broth. The composition of the bowl was deliberate; the tofu and enokitake mushrooms were neatly

“Clearly oversaturated by the parsley, ginger, and caramelized onions, the broth overwhelmed my palate.” positioned around the edge of the bowl, surrounding the whirlpool of onions and noodles in the center. However, the dish did not nearly taste as good as it looked. Clearly oversaturated by the parsley, ginger and caramelized onions, the broth overwhelmed my palate. Instead of feeling refreshed, my mouth felt as if stuffed with peppermint. While the rice noodles, flat like fettuccine, were well-made and held the stock’s flavor well, they only served to highlight the flaws of the soup. Moreover, the mushrooms seemed unprepared and undercooked, while the spongy tofu suffered from the same issue as the rice noodles. Despite the excellent service and presentability in every aspect of the restaurant, Mint & Basil missed the mark on the most important part of the dining experience: the taste of the food.

Mint and Basil (3/5) taking a stab at it

+ Fantastic service + Presentable dishes – Overwhelming taste

State of Calif. bails on cash bail Yeji Jeong Viewpoint Editor

After facing increasing pressure by activists to improve its criminal justice system, Calif. became the first state to officially abolish cash bail. On Aug. 29, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 10, implementing a system in which suspects are evaluated based on their risk to public safety and their likelihood of not reappearing in court. These evaluations will decide whether or not the suspect will be held in jail while awaiting their trial, rather than their ability to pay for the bail amount. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that the amount of money someone has does not determine how fairly they are treated under law. The bill will be put into effect on October 2019. Yet, some critics, such as The Essie Justice Group are already objecting. The previous cash bail system was one through which the judges determined the cost of bail. The system has been deemed unconstitutional because of extreme bail prices, especially in Calif. The Sacramento Bee writes that the median bail amount in Calif. is $50,000, five times higher than the national average. In most areas there are also set prices for different crimes. For example, the lowest bails for felonies are $10,000 in Sacramento County. Putting a price tag on avoiding jail time could leave the impoverished at

a significant disadvantage. If a suspect sentenced for minor misdemeanors cannot pay bail, then they could face months in jail time despite having a family to provide for. Measuring one’s time in jail by their wealth could also prove to be dangerous for the rest of the community. In a similar situation, a wealthy criminal could exploit the system to avoid jail and may reoffend.

“The ban on bail was a strong decision because the current bail system favors the wealthy. By eliminating it, all people, regardless of their financial situation, will be equal before the law under an evaluative system based on the chance of another offense,” Senior Devin Sze said. The exact process of how a suspect is evaluated under this new bill raises concerns about racial and class biases in the evaluation process. Calif.’s Judicial Council created a new system of pretrial assessments to classify individuals into three categories:

“low risk,” “medium risk” and “high risk.” If a suspect is likely to be a threat to public safety or not appear in court on their trial day—as deemed by Pretrial Assessment Services—they will be detained. However, this system may open another avenue for the implicit biases which pervade the American criminal justice system, leading to “more and disproportionate i n c a rc e r a t i o n of black, ISABEL ZHOU ART brown and low-income people,” as the Essie Justice Group contends. “This system is arguably just as easy to manipulate as the one that was installed beforehand. A lot of subjectivity on the part of the judges determines whether or not someone goes free, and that can be dangerous. At the end of the day, both systems are flawed, but for now, I do not agree that the new system is just. More thought should be put into this discussion to discover a better system,” Junior Benjamin Moskovitz said. According to analysis by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the bill will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars anually to compensate for the counties establishing the new pretrial assessment services. Also, around a hundred million dollars will be necessary to pay for the court-appointed lawyers defending those awaiting trial. These court costs may be recouped through the prevention of unnecessary imprisonments. Calif. is now part of a wider criminal justice reform movement spreading across the country, joining the ranks of N.J., N.M. and Ky. which are also ending cash bail. As the state of Calif. leads the nation, the ban’s results in Calif. may become a deciding factor for other states to follow suit.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Dresscode

Nationwide dress codes disproportionately affect select groups Kathy Xing

Staff Writer

School dress codes in America are meant to inform both students and parents about the appropriate attire for school in order to maximize student productivity. However, claims have been made that school dress codes in America have been enforced in a discriminatory manner, disproportionately targeting specific populations, including female and AfricanAmerican students. Critics of school dress codes argue that such targeting impacts the educational experience of students, disrupting their school days and thus the instruction they receive. In general, girls are dress-coded more often than boys because many elements of schools’ dress codes target girls’ clothes more than boys’ clothes. At East Longmeadow High School in Boston, six out of nine dress code regulations targeted female students. According to National Public Radio (NPR), most dress codes require shorts or skirts to be a certain length and ban clothes that bare shoulders or midriffs.

Dress codes may also affect girls more than boys due to popular fashion trends: female celebrities often dress in clothes such as tube tops, crop tops or shirts with see-through material. “The media is popularizing new clothes and styles that may not be appropriate for school. Clothes that are displayed in store windows are generally those that are more revealing in order to attract attention. On the other hand, popular fashion for boys consists of khakis, basketball shorts and t-shirts,” Junior Erica Lam said. GRACE GREER ART Another reason for the disproportionate effect dress codes have on different genders is the sexualization of women: in 2008, a study found that half of American magazines portray women in a sexual manner. The

prominence of the sexualization of women could be a reason why girls’ appearances are viewed as a distraction in school, which may increase their likelihood of being dress-coded. According to USA Today, by banning strapless shirts and tank tops, “the dress code sends girls the message that their bodies are a problem” and that they are to be blamed for boys’ behaviors. “There is a history of sexism. For centuries, women have been objectified. However, we can help fix this problem by increasing female representation in school boards and helping people understand that the sexualization of women is a problem,” Junior Alyssa Chen said. Although the dress code significantly impacts girls, boys are not exempt from

consequences. Boys often disobey the dress code by wearing hats or clothing with inappropriate language or images. African-American students make up another demographic that is also disproportionately affected by nationwide school dress codes. Dreadlocks and cornrows, hairstyles that are notable in African-American culture, are not permitted at some schools, such as the Christ the Kind Parish School in La. The New York Times cited that 11-yearold Faith Fennidy was unenrolled from this school for wearing braided hair extensions. The school’s handbook states that “only the student’s natural hair is permitted. Extensions, wigs or hair pieces of any kind are not allowed.” “Although the dress code exists so that students are comfortable and productive at school, it is unfair that certain groups of students are targeted more than others. A student should not feel as if the clothes they wear or the hairstyle they have, especially if they are hallmarks of their culture, are unwelcome at school,” Senior Layla Yun said.

Infographic: Have you ever been dress-coded at school? = Never been dress-coded = Dress coded at least once

84%

92%

16%

NICOLE KIM ART NICOLE KIM ART

NICOLE KIM ART

Compiled by Edward Jung Community News Editor 100 students polled

Minji Kim

The revisions of the school dress code Staff Writer

According to the San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) dress code, students are expected to “wear clothes that are suitable for the school activities in which they participate” in order to ensure a “productive learning environment.” According to Mary Ann Dougherty, Assistant Principal of Discipline, if a student is found violating the dress code, they will first receive a verbal warning; if they are sent to the office a second time, they will receive Saturday school. However, if a student’s clothing serves as a distraction to their peers, they will be sent to the office to change into appropriate clothing provided by the school and receive a verbal warning.

“It is important to teach students the shorts which satisfy a certain length. standards of dress related to work. School is a Girls should not have to change outfits job, and students should treat it like aworking because students might get ‘distracted’ by environment,” Dougherty said. shoulders or thighs,” Sophomore In prior years, Allison Wang said. students were not Regulations for permitted to wear gang-related clothes tank tops, tube have also tops or offchanged over the-shoulder the years, due clothing, but to the constant now the district changes in fashion handbook only requires trends. The San Jose students to cover the torso Police Department (SJPD) and chest. This change reinforces that “only was enforced in order one item of red or to reduce double blue may be worn,” AAREN GAU D ART standards, as previous excluding items years’ rules were more discriminative such as solid red or blue shirts, bandanas towards clothing girls usually wear. and belts that are related to gang activities. “Girls are specifically targeted in These changes in dress code were also dress code regulations: they are not implemented at schools in the Fremont allowed to wear tank tops and must wear Unified School District (FUSD).

Recently there have been issues with dress coding students for hair common in African American culture. C.J. Stanley, a six-year-old boy in Apopka, FL. went to A Book’s Christian Academy with his hair styled in dreadlocks and was not allowed to attend class. The school explained that they do not allow braids, and hair “has to be above the ears.” He was, as a result, unenrolled from the school. “With the dress code, people are not allowed to express themselves. Everyone has their own style which they can show through their clothing and this can make them feel more confident because it is their own style, and in some cases, it represents who they are,” Junior Ivan Fu said.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

SPORTS

Girls’ field hockey refines skills for upcoming season Sophia Lu and Rishab Satyakaal

Sports Writers made a quick move and came up with a 15 minutes, the girls attacked on offense goals and what they needed to work on After dropping their previous game timely stop. and showed exceptional prowess next practice. against Del Mar High School in a close Things got off to a rocky start for on defense. The “Our main goal for this season contest 0-1, the Chargers came out the Chargers in the second half. The C h a r g e r s is to improve our technical determined to win against the Branham girls started off down 0-3 and incurred prevented the skills and bond. I think that a Bruins on Sept. 5. The Chargers made three penalties within a minute of each Bruins from cooperative and cohesive several valiant attempts on Branham’s other. The Bruins capitalized on the team will allow us to goalie and played excellent defense three penalties with five work well together throughout the game. It was a hard fought attempts on goal on the field while contest by both teams, but the Chargers and one score. having fun,” Hannah ultimately lost 0-6. Holding Zandi ‘20 said. In the first half, the Chargers jumped t h e i r Coming into this out with a strong defense. Branham made heads season, the team was multiple attempts to put the ball into the high, dealing with a difficult net, but goalie Riya Shah ‘21 was able to t h e loss of 12 graduated block six shots on goal before Branham seniors. However, the first scored with 25 minutes left in the players from last year’s first half. In one possession, the Junior Varsity (JV) team were RICHARD JEONG PHOTO girls’ defense made a stop able to fill the shoes of each of in front of the goal and the graduates. For example, Emma passed the ball up the Pender ‘21, Olivia Kukar ‘21 and Zandi field to Samantha from last year’s JV team took a step up to Chock ‘21. Chock scoring anchor the defense along with Long. Head JONATHAN KE PHOTO took a huge hit and through Coach Lorraine Combs hopes that the sent the ball flying t h e new players on defense will add a breath down the field to w a n i n g of fresh air to the team. Emma Zettler minutes of “We are working hard on upping our ‘19, who the second half, game, such as making new offensive plays maneuvered however, the girls and working on conditioning to be able to SEJUN PARK PHOTO around three Bruin would ultimately lose become a stronger team. This year’s team defenders and found the deeply contested game. is fairly small so every girl is getting lots of an open space to take a After the game, the Chargers playing time,” Combs said. shot at the goal. Her shot Chargers refused sat down for a team debrief with captains The girls will capitalize on the JONATHAN KE PHOTO was accurate and to the top to go down without a Raquel Long ‘19 and Zettler, evaluating potential of their budding team in order to right corner, but the Bruin goalie battle. Over the following how their plays aligned with the season’s have a stong season. Left: Emma Zettler ‘19 sets up for the next play. Middle: Jasmine Luu ‘19 fights her opponent for the ball. Right: Head Coach Lorraine Combs plans out the next play.

Quote b ox : Wh at e xp ectat io n s do yo u h a ve fo r t h e up com i n g season ? Compiled by Benson Fang | Staff Writer “There is some pressure for us to succeed this upcoming season given that we made it all the way to Central Coast Section (CCS) A Division finals last year. During practice, we work on conditioning in order to outperform our opponents.” —Christian Mullen ‘19 Football

“After winning CCS consecutively for two years, the team understands that when we play well, opponents can not stop us. Therefore, we are working hard to become more consistent. We should always be able to cooperate and make plays in the water.” —Carson Rampelberg ‘19, Water Polo

“In order to compensate for the loss of last year’s seniors, our coach makes sure the team works hard to live up to the CCS championship we won last year.” —Altay Uenal ‘20, Water Polo

“The pressure on our team is very high, since a lot of our opponents want to beat us and take away our dominate reputation. However, the team is prepared and expects to win league championships and CCS this season.” —Drake DiLeonardo ‘21, Football

Athlete of the Month: Connor Murphy

Neikon Ebadat Sports Writer

Connor Murphy ‘19 is a shining example of the hard work that players aspire to achieve in their respective fields, or in his case, the waters. As a very skilled swimmer, Murphy serves as a valuable player to the boys’ water polo team. Murphy is a utility field player, which means he is able to make important contributions to the team in both offense and defense; Murphy is able to counter onto offense quickly and win sprints to start off a quarter. “I like how water polo is a combination of both an individual and team sport. Not only can I rely on my teammates, but they can also rely on me. The best thing about my team is that we have a positive culture and great chemistry in and out of the pool,” Murphy said. On offense and defense, his team works together to perform plays–they set picks and communicate, relying on each other to create the best possible opportunity to score. Last year, the water polo team won Division 1 Central Coast Section (CCS) championships against Gunn High School, which took the culmination of the team’s efforts to maintain their momentum

until the end and come out with a win. However, Murphy’s favorite game was the

Blossom Valley Atheletic League (BVAL) championship against Willow Glen High School. At the last minute, the Chargers scored the game-winning shot, ultimately securing the spot of BVAL champions.

Murphy hopes to play Pioneer and Willow Glen High School again so he can

they were penalized three times. I was physically exhausted and stressed out about being down by a few points the whole game. We had to play two quarters into overtime, yet we still managed to beat them with the last shot,” Murphy said. Murphy’s best performance in a game was on Aug. 25 against Irvine High School, where he scored five goals and two assists with the combined efforts of his team to earn a win of 15-4. The school’s water polo team has not only helped Murphy become a great water polo player but has also helped him build his character. Water polo requires collaboration and self-confidence, two important skills that Murphy has improved during his time in the water. “The hardest challenge that I had to overcome is having confidence in myself. I have definitely made huge improvements to believe in myself more. I used to never shoot the ball even when I had an open shot because I was worried it would be the TIFFANY NGYUEN PHOTO wrong shot to take,” Murphy said. Murphy plans to continue playing demonstrate his improvements against water polo at the club level in college. intense rivalries. He is determined to make this year one “The thought of losing to Willow for the records by repeating a win in the Glen made the game intense. Some of our CCS championships with an even better best players were unable to play because scoring average, dominating in the pool.

THE CHARGER ACCOUNT

SPORTS

Girls’ tennis fights for first place in Mt. Hamilton Division M. Chandrasekar and C. Park-Gastelum Sports Writers

As the final set of the day drew to a close, the girls’ tennis team faced a loss of 3-4 against Westmont High School on Sept. 7. Despite this loss, the team continues to practice hard everyday; the girls are now more motivated than ever to improve their record and beat their biggest competitors, the Westmont Warriors and Evergreen Cougars, the next time they face off. “The singles players are practicing going up to the net, and all players are practicing locking down on their strokes and other tactics. There are three good teams in our league: Westmont, Evergreen and our team. We hope to place first,” Head Coach Patrick Stoltz said. Faced with tough competition, the team knows they have to put in the work to place first in the league. In the past, the girls’ tennis

team has been a force to be reckoned with. Last year, the team placed third in the Mt. Hamilton Division in the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL), with a season record of 11-2. In the years prior, the team maintained first place in the league for twelve consecutive years. “Our game against Westmont was a really close match. Skill-wise, the girls are about where they should be. The doubles players are doing really well. We just need one of our girls on top to win,” Stoltz said. The team’s number one singles player, Aliya Daire ‘21, and top singles players Aivy Tran ‘19 and Sarah Brew ‘21 are key players in each of the team’s matches. The girls have a lot of young talent, including Roshi Ghosh ‘22 , Annie Kao ‘21 and Kaviya Veerasingam ‘22. The Chargers’ number one doubles team so far consists of Roya Taghavi ‘19 and Elukiya Veerasingam ‘19. The Chargers also have many returning juniors and seniors,

including Ritika Choudhary ‘19, Anokhi Mehta ‘19, Joyanna Jiang ‘20, Sejal Kini ‘20 and Sarika Sriram ‘20, who have multiple years of experience playing on the team. The girls started their season off strong with a win at their away conference game against Pioneer High School by a score of 6-1. In the non-conference matches in Aug., the team won 6-1 against the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, and lost 1-6 against the Homestead Mustangs. The Chargers still have some time until they battle it out against Westmont once again on Oct. 2. Overall, spirits remain high as the team has been off to a good start. With many more matches to go, the girls still have time to secure the top spot in the Mt. Hamilton Division.

YUYI LU PHOTO

DIANA YOUSEF-NEJAD PHOTO

Left: Ritika Choudhary ‘19 sends a backhand hit over the net. Right: Aliya Daire ‘21 watches her opponent carefully, preparing to recieve a hit.

C h arge r s’ fo ot ba ll begi n s a n ew t r a dit io n On Sept. 14, the Chargers’ football team traveled to Ariz. State University (ASU) to play against Liberty High School. The game was played in honor of Pat Tillman, an alumnus of the school and ASU. Although the team lost the game, the Chargers’ running back Jesse Cavannah ‘20 became the first and only player in school history to score in Ariz. besides Pat Tillman. This is only the first of many future encounters between the two teams as both schools have decided to make a tradition of this event, with the location of the match alternating each year. Next year, the game will take place in Calif. Photo courtesy of Trevor Johannes Above:

Wide

reciever

Trevor

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lines

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anticipating

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Girls’ volleyball strategizes to overcome weaknesses

E. Huang and C. Park-Gastelum SEJUN PARK PHOTO

The game was tied in the first set, and the girls’ volleyball team was looking to take the lead. As the Leigh Longhorns served the ball, it was clear that it would take a dive in order to get a save. Ashley Su ‘20, carefully anticipating the ball, dove and launched the ball into the air. This would set Becca Baggot ‘19 up for a spike and result in a point for the Chargers. The play would carry the momentum of the game, fueling the game’s competitiveness. Throughout the game, the girls worked incredibly well together, and created a variety of impressive stats. Athena Genise ‘19 was able to consecutively score five points off of serves, and Trinity Yates ‘20 was able to get ten total kills. The Chargers’ unique offense helped the team to always have multiple offensive opportunities, and kept the score to a close margin. Although the girls had many successful offensive plays, the Chargers were unable

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to hold on, resulting in a 2225 score in the third set, with the Longhorns winning 3-0. However, the girls have shown their potential as the team has demonstrated that they are capable of working together and exposing their opponents’ weaknesses. “To prepare for tonight’s game, the girls worked with a lot of new plays. Since we are a short team, the girls have tried to work with a faster offense in order to take down taller teams,” Head Coach Ed Mattson said. With two to three-hour-long team practices every day of the week, the Chargers have put in countless hours to polish their moves in order to prepare for tough games against teams such as the Longhorns. Mattson hopes that the team can play faster and use strategic substitutions to give themselves the upper hand, even against taller opponents. The team also plans to set up practices with players from the boys’ volleyball team at least once a week. Mattson hopes that the two teams will grow closer by practicing together and also learn that they can learn from each other’s different styles of play. With both teams working together, the Chargers will have a lot to learn from

DIANA YOUSEF-NEJAD PHOTO

each other. “The team has been working a lot on offense. We implemented a lot of new plays in order to try to prevent our team from repeating the same offensive mistakes as last year. ” Su said. After the girls’ most recent 3-0 win over Hill High School, the girls now hold on to a league record of 3-0, as well as the first place seed in the league. The team will have time to continue to perfect their offense, and they will also have time to prepare for California Coast Section (CCS) Champtionships to make a successful run in the tournament. “We have worked on switching up our defense to maximize our hitting opportunities. We have also worked hard during conditioning nd practices in hopes of improving the team’s stamina and outperforming our opponents,” Joanna Yang ‘20 said.

Left: Becca Baggot ‘19 soars up to spike the ball down. Right: Athena Genise ‘19 stretches to reach the ball mid-air.

Sports Controversy Nike upsets customers with Colin Kaepernick commercial Matthew Ho

Sports Editor

When an advertisement is polarizing enough to have customers threatening to burn the company’s products and boycott their merchandise, the company will often apologize for the advertisement and retract it. Yet this is not the case with Nike’s recent 30th anniversary advertisements, which feature former-NFL quarterback and civil rights figure Colin Kaepernick. The advertisement was similar to Nike endorsements of the past, featuring clips of some of the world’s most famous athletes all supporting the company’s slogan, “Just do it.” The extensive backlash stems from Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick as the narrator. Kaepernick, known for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice, has remained unsigned for over one year, but continues to make headlines as players in the league mirror his actions in support of his message. His voice plays in the background of the commercial as flashes of different athletes come across the screen. For the duration of the advertisement, Kaepernick pushes the idea of dreaming and aspiring to do what others consider crazy. At no point in the commercial does Nike say or show anything related to the “kneel-down movement.” Instead, the commercial focuses on athletes who have defied the odds and have awe-inspiring stories, such as Isaiah Bird, a junior wrestler born with no legs. Kaepernick discusses the philanthropic work Lebron James has done outside the game of basketball to help the community, as well as his achievements on the court. The message of the advertisement is simple and straightforward: dream big and be yourself. The problem does not lie with the message of the commercial, but rather with the spokesperson communicating the message. By featuring Kaepernick in the commercial, the advertisement inadvertently addresses the same issues that Kaepernick addressed by refusing to stand during the National Anthem. This has upset people around the world, and various social media platforms are being used to publically criticize the company. In this situation however, the media’s criticism of Nike is misplaced. Though the frustration of these protestors comes from their disapproval of the actions and beliefs of Kaepernick, Nike is the only party that has taken a significant hit, with their stock decreasing three percent in value following the release of the commercial. As Nike continues to be punished for this advertisement, Kaepernick has become more relevant on the internet. By popularizing this endorsement that was scarcely related to Kaepernick’s message, the media has given him a platform to further promote his ideas even past his departure from the NFL. Nike should not be condemned for the actions of their athletes if the company itself has not supported these actions in any way.

RISE IN DRUG TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCES OF THE MODERN AGE

75%

11% 98%

16%

Of U.S. high school students used vape technology in 2017.

Top 5: Health effects of electronic cigarettes

1. Type 2 2. Heart attack diabetes Inhaling Nicotine toxic metals has been Of students such as lead found to can increase smoked cause rises in the chances blood sugar traditional of a heart levels by 34 attack by 42 cigarettes in percent. percent. 2015.

3. Nicotine addiction Nicotine, a highly addictive drug, affects the development of the brain’s reward system.

4. Cancer E-liquid contains carcinogens, such as propylene oxide, that are linked to cancer.

5. Chronic bronchitis E-cigarettes can cause changes to the alveoli, or air sacs.

Of tobacco use by adolescents is now through vape.

79.7%

39%

57.5%

81%

Of students regularly used e-cigarettes in 2015.

Of student users do not know what chemicals are used in vape.

Of high school students used marijuana in 2017.

Of U.S. teens have not used any forms of drugs.

Of U.S. teens have had the opportunity to use illegal substances.

*Sources: i-SAFE Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute on Drug Abuse, RehabCenter.net and U.S. Surgeon General Report

Compiled by Jonathan Yue and Sophia Lu Staff Writers

Technological advancements spur drug use in teens Caroline Brew and Jonathan Yue

School News Editor and Staff Writer

The rise in drug technology, specifically vapor products, has created an epidemic among adolescents. A study conducted by the U.S. Surgeon General found a 900 percent increase in electronic cigarette use by high school students from 2011 to 2015, and on Sept. 12th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave e-cigarette companies 60 days to prove that they can prevent minors from obtaining their products. If unable to comply, the products will be removed from the market. Already, the FDA has issued 131 fines for selling e-cigarettes to minors. Furthermore, the Journal of the American Medical Association explains that the legalization of marijuana may contribute to the drug induced culture in schools. Although the purpose of e-cigarette companies is to create products that are meant to help nicotine-addicted adults quit smoking, their candy and fruit flavors appear to be marketed towards the youth. In fact, these types of flavors are banned in conventional cigarettes out of the fear that they will attract minors. Unfortunately, adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to become established cigarette smokers, according to a study conducted by the University of Calif., San Francisco (UCSF). As of 2016, e-cigarettes fall under the legal definition of tobacco products in Calif. Thus, users must adhere to the restrictions that regulate tobacco product use, including the prohibition of smoking in enclosed places of employment. This law, however, has not prohibited students from vaping in public. The most notable vaping device, the Juul, has become especially popular among teenagers due to its portable appearance which resembles a flash drive and allows students to use it in classrooms. Problematically, the Juul contains higher amounts of metals and twice the concentration of nicotine compared to cigarettes and other vape pens. Nicotine has damaging effects on a teenager’s developing brain, as shown by brain imaging studies that displayed young smokers’ prefrontal cortex. Even more troubling, researchers at Harvard University have found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contained the chemical diacetyl, which causes the development of bronchioliti obliterans. Wax pens—vaporized marijuana oils and herbal wax concentrates contained in a pen—have become more prominent among adolescents for similar reasons. While marijuana is notorious for its distinct smell, wax pens are odorless, which can embolden teenagers to use them in public. Brain damage is a commonly researched long -term effect and according to Duke University, people who have smoked marijuana continuously between the ages of 13 and 30 experienced notable drops in IQ. In response to the increase in teen use of vapor products, Calif. increased the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21 in 2016. However, it is unclear if this law will be effective, as The Guardian has reported an increase in teenagers buying drugs through illicit means on Instagram and Snapchat. Social media has fostered a community in which teenagers can partake in drug deals with the swipe of a finger. AAREN GAUD ART