DEADLINE Volume 7 | Issue Eight
IN THIS ISSUE: Senior Spotlight: pg. 1-2 Game Review: pg. 5-6 The Erasure of BIPOC: pg. 9-13 Dining with the Dragons: pg. 13 MCHS Mixtape: pg. 14
TIME IS NOW
Senior Spotlight:
Anna Mathews Hey Dragons! For our recent Senior Spotlight, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Mathews! Anna Mathews is an Indian-American, born in Florida and raised in California. She has younger twin brothers who are sophomores at MCHS. Some of her hobbies include playing the guitar, bass, piano, and she loves to sing. She also loves to perform her many talents for our school at our talent shows. Anna has been in an acapella group since her freshman year and loves to sing with other singers. Her favorite season is summer, and her least favorite dessert is chocolate ice cream. Politics, religion, and personal growth are subjects that she is passionate about. In quarantine, she has enjoyed spending time with her family before leaving for college. She started watching shows like Topgolf Chef Showdown and The Queen’s Gambit. She's also taken this time to do inline skating, nail art, bullet journaling, and mailing letters to her friends. After graduation, she plans to attend a four-year university majoring in political science and minoring in music. She will graduate with an AA in political science, an AA in arts and humanities, and a pre-law certificate this year. She found her love/interest in political science after taking a class at Delta. She helped host the local mayoral debate and worked on the San Joaquin bail reform committee, which helped further her passion for political science. She dreams of working in law or the political science route one day. Some of her future focuses include policy, equity, and cash bail. “I really appreciate its monumental capacity to make a difference in the lives of our citizens.” For her senior year, she wishes to maintain her GPA, get a paper published in the Delta College Political Perspective Journal, and learn how to drive. For 2021, she’s excited to have a fun summer with friends and family; hopes to go on road trips and go out to eat together (once it is safe to go out). She hopes that by the time university starts, she’ll be able to attend in person. Her expectations for her senior year were a huge contrast to before becoming a senior. She expected to attend more school events like prom, club events, senior sunrise, grad night, and much more. She regretted waiting to go to school functions and missed out on a lot of fun memories. Even though this year has been a letdown, she made some wonderful friends online and grew closer to some of her instructors. She also had the opportunity to be involved in extracurriculars online. Despite how this school year turned out, she continues to make memories with her friends virtually and in person. “This has been a hard and unusual year but, everything happens for a reason and, I have learned and grown a lot from it, which is what counts.” Anna says that she has changed and grown a lot from her experience at MCHS. Before, she was shy, self-conscious, and had unhealthy tendencies (that has since been resolved). Over the years, she gained a greater understanding of the world, herself, and has become more confident than before. Through those experiences, she has become a more well-rounded young adult and is adequately prepared for the future. From learning how to be a better friend to becoming a more efficient procrastinator, she has no regrets about coming to MCHS.
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“I think time and experience have shaped my worldview and priorities for the better, and I’m happy that I have undergone so much personal growth, even during quarantine alone.” Anna’s advice for underclassmen is to do everything in school. Get involved because life is too short, so make the most out of every moment. Take opportunities as they come, and don’t let fear impede on your success. Don’t worry too much about the future because life has a habit of working out in the end. Adulthood will creep on you, so enjoy your time in high school and have fun. “That’s one of my biggest MCHS regrets: waiting for senior year to get really involved in the school. You never know when a pandemic will hit, so live as though time isn’t guaranteed- because it isn’t. Take care of yourselves and stay safe!” Thank you, Anna, for your wise input, and we’re excited to see you flourish into a successful adult one day. We only hope that you achieve your dreams and aspirations.
By: Danielle Tuazon 2
Netflix Nook Arlene Hickman
Queen Marie-Antoniette’s famous necklace was allegedly stolen in 1995
by the owner’s chauffeur. The owners of the necklace at the time, the Pellegrini family, had the chauffeur, Babakar Diop, sent to jail. Before the case could conclude, though, Babakar killed himself in his cell. This french Netflix original follows the cunning Assane Diop, Babakar’s son, as he searches for the truth about his father and the necklace 25 years after his father’s death. Assane is a fan of reading and is particularly fond of a book series about a gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin. Assane read all the books after his father passed away and was inspired by the thief. So much so that he developed a set of sticky fingers and often stole things using his talent at sleight of hand. One of my favorite aspects of this show was the constant surprises throughout all five episodes. I have to admit I was a little bit bored for the first half of the first episode. However, the show picks up the pace and excitement by the end of this episode to keep viewers watching. I watched all five episodes in one sitting, and it took just under 5 hours to complete.
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The Lupin impersonator, goes to great lengths to find the truth. Between getting himself in jail (and getting himself out once he felt like it), ordering a dozen burgers to cover for his escape, and kidnapping a police officer, Assane was willing to do anything for answers. One small issue I have with the show is the English dubs. Because the show was filmed in French, in order to watch in English, Netflix has supplied watchers with English audio over the French speaking actors. As with most English dubs, the synchronicity between the actors lips and the words they are “saying” can be frustrating. For this reason, I recommend switching over to the French audio and just reading the subtitles if you don't mind subtitles. This show is full of surprises and hidden messages. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for while watching to stay one step ahead. First, take a mental photo of the only prisoner young Assane encounters on his visit to the prison. Next, take note of the video game car “Luis” sees. Later on in the show, pay close attention to the basketball hoops. While these may not make much sense now, if you watch the show I’m sure you’ll understand. Overall, this show was very exciting, and I can’t wait until later this year when the second half of the season is released.
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Game Review Hello Dragons! In this issue, I will be introducing a game created by a female African-American developer. For Black History Month, I was looking for some games that needed more attention. This game has true potential, and I hope that you guys are able to try it out. This casual simulation game is created by the small indie game publisher Super Retro Duck LLC. In this game, you can collect tiny birds, dress them up, and play mini-games with them. Surprisingly, the game was made by only two people: Daisy Ein and her husband. They spent their free time developing the first game, which was Tiny Bird Garden for mobile. Eventually, Ein decided to quit their job to dedicate all their time working on the deluxe version of the game. “I made a decision that even if Tiny Bird Garden couldn’t support me financially, I was still going to shift my professional focus toward supporting my dreams. I supplement my development work with freelance illustration to help make ends meet and keep me creating. It’s been rough, but I’ve never felt so empowered and happy with myself.” -Daisy Ein (from Apple’s featured article) According to Mrs. Ein, her tough decision permitted her to do what made her happy. Tiny Bird Garden became the result of her dreams to make people smile with her work.
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Tiny Bird Garden Deluxe At first glance, I was drawn by the adorable art made by Ein. She was able to create over a hundred tiny birds and accessories for them. She aimed to make the birds and the NPCs in the game diverse. After seeing every individual bird, I could tell Ein enjoyed drawing them. The game is calming and entertaining to play if you love cute animals. Ein wanted people to progress through the game slowly to appreciate what it offers. I took her advice and enjoyed the game even more. Somedays, I would pop on for a while to check on my birds or keep playing if I had a rough day. The birds and characters are encouraging as well, so it is nice to receive positivity through a game. If Tiny Bird Garden interests you, please download it to support Daisy and her husband! To learn more about the game, check out their website here. The mobile version is free and available on both Android and iOS. The deluxe version is also available for PC users through Steam for $9.99. It contains additional gameplay features such as included storyline, more minigames, free content updates, etc. Once again, thank you for reading Deadline. Happy gaming everyone. By: Nora Taing 6
The Exploitation of the Global South By: Jaskaran Bajwa As members of a developed society, we are used to the great amenities provided to us by our country and companies. Some of these amenities include fresh water, indoor plumbing, developed markets, and large supermarkets with more products than we could ever experience. While most of us take these for granted, it is impossible to ignore where these amenities come from and to whose back they are being built on. It is a widely held belief that rich countries such as the United States and Europe help poor countries, but is it really true. In a supermarket, it is impossible to ignore the tags that state “made in China” or “made in Vietnam.” More likely than not, the product that you are using has been made in horrible working conditions by people earning pennies as their wage. Sweatshop workers are what comes to mind. While sweatshops are a perfect example of exploitation, today exploitation goes deeper, entering the very fabric of a nation. The best example of this is modern imperialism, or for lack of better words, the enslaving of third-world countries. China has recently made large strides in Africa, as large amounts of money have been pouring into the country through investments and infrastructure projects. One example of China’s new imperialism is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. China has recently given large loans of money to build new mines and improve old ones. It is common to see child labor and forced labor in these mines, and people are payed pennies to risk their lives working this dangerous job.. In return China is given privileged status when it comes to receiving resources by the country. According to the Atlantic, “China will get almost 11 million tons of copper and 620,000 tons of cobalt, which it will extract over the next 25 years—a ‘resource for infrastructure’ swap…” This exploitation has continued well into other African countries. In Zambia, China has built up new infrastructure for 7
the mining of copper, where they also have privileged status, but it has had little effect. Few Zambians have been lifted out of poverty and most of the country still suffers as China enjoys the vast wealth. China’s exploitation continues well into other aspects of Africa. One very scary encroachment is in the internal political affairs of Africa. China recently constructed the parliament building for Zimbabwe and is underway in two other nations at “no cost.” Many viewers are worried about what the consequences of the “no cost” agreement will be. This comes at a time when tensions between China and the United States have reached unprecedented levels. Many see China’s involvement in Africa as a sign that they are beginning to recruit allies to their side. The effects of the large loans given by China and the newly formed alliances have yet to be seen. China is just one country which exploits third world countries, but what about countries who seem to have spotless records? One country that I guarantee never comes to mind is France. France at one point in time controlled the largest portion of Africa at the height of its colonial power. The effects can still be seen today as many countries in West and Central Africa have French as their official language. There are also many African immigrants on French soil today. Today, many African countries use the CFA currency also known as the Central African France. This currency was set up by France after its colonies declared independence from them. This currency unlike other currencies could not be controlled by themselves, but instead would be controlled by France. Italy's minister of foreign affairs stated, “France is one of those countries that by printing money for 14 African states prevents their economic development” Today fifty percent of the CFA countries currency reserves go directly into the hands of the French treasury per international law and agreements. Unlike other countries, which can devalue their currencies to attack investment, the CFA nations (French president Emmanuel Macron in Africa) cannot do that without French approval. This system hampers the development in these countries and causes them to be pulled down by the shackles of the currency. Many nations have criticized France for their actions including Italy, but France remains steadfast in their position. Economic exploitation is nothing new for France, in the past they have done much worse. From nuclear testing in Algeria to massacres in other nations, France must face its colonial past. France is not alone in these exploitations. Many countries exploit others, but it must come to an end. The effects will be devastating as countries continue to be pulled back from moving forward. It is unfortunate we live in a time like this, but as people of a privileged state, it is important we are aware of the state of the rest of the world.
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The Erasure of BIPOC in Feminism the history, there is a strain . . . When it came down between patriarchy and sisterhood, they chose patriarchy,” Women and Gender studies, Gwendolyn Pough, stated in an NBC News article. Referring to the statistics, Pough pointed out, “Somewhere there was a fail and not all women were in solidarity with that. We had been operating under the guise that there was unity and now we’ve been shown there isn’t so what do you do with that?” Some black women are in the opposition, encouraging other black women to join the march despite this racist history.They believe that it’s important that women of color still attempt to make their voices heard. “How can we allow anyone to speak on the issues of women and not have women of color, particularly black women, involved? We should not allow ourselves to be an agenda item. We need to set the agenda.” Tamika D. Mallory, former executive director of the National Action Network, wrote.
The names “Susan B. Anthony” and “Elizabeth Cady Stanton” have been reiterated time and time again during Women’s History Month in March, and while these women have played a major role in the suffrage movement, their activism is tainted by a long record of racism that people today are increasingly becoming more aware of. This historic exclusion of BIPOC women, especially black women, in feminism continues to have ramifications in the modern world, and this only becomes more prominent when March continues to honor these specific white suffrage activists. One memorable example happened in January 2017, when some black women opted out of participating in the Women’s March on Washington due to this historic (and even current) exclusion.
The conversation around the current neglect towards intersectionality to the criticism soon pivoted back to white feminism
The voting records of white women only serve to fester this distrust, with around 53 percent of white women voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, compared to the 94 percent of black women who voted for Hillary Clinton. This lack of acknowledgment towards women of color rights and experiences has made many people “skeptical of efforts like the Women’s March.” “When you look at 9
and the erasure of black women in the suffrage movement. People especially criticized the presence of Susan B. Antony in the feminist movement, considering the fact that she infamously stated, “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the woman.”
that the suffrage movement has historically cut black women from their narrative and that the racial rift present today is a direct result of that. Black women being barred from attending the suffrage gathering in Seneca Falls in 1848 is only one significant example of many.
These tensions rose even higher than beSome believe that the famous white femfore historically when politicians started inists shouldn’t take up so much space discussing the 15th Amendment, a providuring Women’s History Month and that sion that allows African Americans to vote. women of color suffrage activists (espeViewing black men as lower than them, cially black suffrage activists) should be white feminists expressed outrage that polhighlighted more frequently. Others argued iticians would consider giving them the right that people should view the white feminists to vote first rather than giving it to white within the context of their time, saying women. Stanton even went on a “Klan-like that women like Susan B. Anthony and Eliz- tirade against the amendment . . . [warnabeth Cady Stanton still contributed signifi- ing] that white woman would be degraded if cantly to feminism. [black] men preceded them into the franchise.” Arguments will continue to mix and conflict, but at the end of the day, the fact remains Many also commonly insist that giving black men the right to vote was dangerous. “The safety of [white] women, of childhood, of the home, is menaced in a thousand localities,” the then national president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Frances E. Willard, had insisted, even though her parents were abolitionists. Dissent surrounding this topic wedged a deeper racial divide, and it became clear that while white women advocated for the right to vote as a means to become more equal with men, black women advocated for the right to vote as a means of empowering the black community, especially during the slew of racist attacks that took place after the abolishment of slavery. Many white women expressed displeasure and hatred at the idea. Despite this outrage, the 15th Amendment was obviously passed in the end. However, it was after this significant point that racis10
racism went from being a characteristic of the suffrage movement to becoming a tool used to advocate for white women’s voting rights as well. The idea of black people voting caused fear in white citizens, which impacted the feminist movement. White feminists “used racism to appeal to white Southern legislators” and argued that giving white women the right to vote was an effective “way to maintain white, native-born supremacy since white women outnumbered African Americans and immigrants.” White feminism also used the suffrage movement to suppress and sometimes even sabotage any discussion concerning racial issues. One notable example is the conflict between Ida B. Wells, a journalist and early civil rights pioneer who led the anti-lynching campaign in the 1890s, and Frances E. Willard, a popular suffrage figure mentioned earlier in this article. When Wells traveled to Great Britain to raise awareness about the violent lynching taking place in the United States, (“Our country remains silent on those continued outrages. It is to the religious and moral sentiment of Great Britain we turn.”) Willard alongside a few other women sought to harm her mission.
dinner in Parliament; and before she headed home, helped Londoners establish the London Anti-Lynching Committee.” As shown, while many white feminists try to suppress black women’s voices, they aren’t always successful. The same can be said about other black suffrage activists that were essentially erased from history. Even though the feminist movement was white-centered, the exclusion didn’t prevent women of color from advocating. When black women were banned from attending the Convention on Seneca Falls, they gathered at the 1851 inclusive women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio. It was there that African American abolitionist and former slave, Sojourner Truth, delivered her famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
When numerous white suffrage activists retired after the 19th Amendment was passed, black suffrage activists continued fighting against voter suppression, an issue that emerged after both African American men and women were granted the right to vote. Some, such as Fannie Lou Hamer, worked hard to eliminate voting accessibility obstacles in their home state, and some worked on a more national level. It was thanks to both black suffrage activists and civil They were enraged by Wells’ successful speech- rights leaders that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 es and interviews and made public statements was passed, removing the barriers that preventregarding her as a result. In one London newsed black people from being able to vote in the paper, in particular, Willard goes on to state first place. that the “best people” she knew in the South had “told her black people were threatening the While the debates surrounding the ugly history safety of white women and children.” Referof feminism will undoubtedly continue, it is still encing voting rights and using the issues Wells crucial that we acknowledge the white supremraised awareness about, she continued, “It is acist ideals that were a characteristic and a tool not fair that a plantation Negro who can neifor white suffragists to gain voting rights bether read or write should be entrusted with the cause this history is key to understanding the ballot.” This encouraged U.S. publications to systems in the U.S. today. We must focus on release issues slandering Ida B. Wells’s characintersectionality in order to avoid hypocrisy and ter, often calling her harsh names and claiming human rights neglect. that she was forcing her “foul and slanderous outbursts” on Britain. However, these media campaigns and suffrage activists didn’t stop Wells. “She lectured to audiences in London; was invited to dinners in
By: Chau-Anh Nguyen 11
How to Make
MILLIONS of dollars in seconds There are plenty of ways in this world to earn a steady income to live an average life. But, as we arrive at the future of technology, advancements in online cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, we stumble across something known as an NFT. NFTs, also known as non-fungible tokens, are built on blockchain technology. In simple terms, this means a record of secure transactions made that are public. Though NFTs are not a cryptocurrency, other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum also follow the blockchain method. A “fungible” asset is the idea of something being able to be traded off that is at the same value. Sort of like how we spend on average $2.00 for one water bottle. An NFT is not that, hence the “non-fungible.” NFTs are commonly used for drawings, paintings, and other goods that can be stored in a virtual wallet, that will gain value over time, just like a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin would. Once placed in a virtual wallet, they can be sold or traded, which is comparable to a real-world asset. When you buy an NFT of a drawing, for example, you now own that drawing. No one else in the world owns it. Sort of like if you were to buy an exclusive drawing off the streets, except now there is a virtual receipt that shows no one can own the drawing or try to resell the same one, except for you. An example of an NFT that made the artist Winklemann $69.3 million was titled “Everydays: The First 5000 days.” Everydays: The First 5000 days, is a compilation of over 13 years worth of artwork. Winkelmann said in a press article that “It’s a bit surreal, because (digital imagery) wasn’t something that I pictured, in my lifetime, being able to sell… so it (has) come out of nowhere. But at the same time, I also really feel like this is going to be the next chapter of art history.” NFTs are not new in any way though. They have been around for years, but now with the endorsement of big names, like Elon Musk, the hype of NFTs has started and will grow even larger in the upcoming years.
By: Mekhi Randle 12
Dining with the Dragons: New Yen Ching restaurants. Often, when my family and I have ordered hot and sour soup from other restaurants, it is just so spicy that I don’t like it, but I actually really liked it from here. Hot and sour soup is something that the rest of my family really likes, so they order it a lot.
This time for Dining with the Dragons, I decided to try New Yen Ching. New Yen Ching is located in Lincoln Center in Stockton. The flavor of the food was delicious, and I would definitely come here again. This restaurant is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays, and they are closed on Mondays.
Another item that I really enjoyed were the crab cream puffs. It has a creamy filling with crab and is crispy on the outside. It also came with a sweet sauce which was really good when I ate them together. I really like crab, so I liked this a lot, but if you do not like crab, you probably won’t like this because the taste of the crab is really strong.
This restaurant is open for food to go, and we got the food really fast. I called in the order, and when we were done ordering, they said that it would take about 15 minutes for the food to be ready. It took me about 20 minutes to get to the restaurant, and when we walked in, the food was ready.
The pork fried rice was also good, but it seemed like it didn’t have much flavor to it. I have tried fried rice from other restaurants that had a lot of flavor, and I think that the fried rice here wasn’t as good.
My family and I ordered food, and we all thought that the food was really good. We ordered the pork fried rice, the chicken chow mein, the orange chicken, the hot and sour soup, the beef with broccoli, and the crab cream puffs to share with each other. This was a lot of food, and there were a lot of leftovers.
I would give New Yen Ching 4.5 out of 5 stars because the food here was delicious. Everything that my family and I ordered was amazing. While the fried rice wasn’t the best, it was still pretty good. The food here is delicious, and the service is really fast. You guys should definitely try New Yen Ching in Stockton!
My favorite thing that we ordered was the orange chicken. The sauce for the chicken was really good because it was perfectly sweet.While I am not a huge fan of spicy foods, I really liked the soup because it wasn’t super spicy. It had just a little bit of spice that the broth and meat flavors were enhanced, but it wasn’t so spicy where all you can taste is just spice. I have tasted hot and sour soup from other restaurants, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the soup from other
By: Elizabeth Rocilli 13
M
Minefields
I
Good Days
X
Let it Go
T
Triggered
A
Hello!
P
Falling for You
E
Wishful Thinking
Faouzia & John Legend
SZA
Summer Walker
Jhene Aiko
Role Model
Jaden (ft. Justin Bieber)
BENEE
Feel free to send us your favorite songs: tinyurl.com/mchsmixtape 14
MARCH 2021
Thank you for reading this issue from MCHS Deadline!
TEAM MEMBERS
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If you have any questions, comments or concerns please DM us on our Instagram page: @mchsdeadline. We would love to hear feedback from you. While you are reading our digital copy, we have a website available for you to check out. We will continue to accept your song recommendations for MCHS mixtape all year round along with applications to take part in Freshman Interviews! So you may be apart of the next issue! The links for both of those forums can be fond in the linktree on our instagram page. The Deadline team will continue to work hard and come up with new ideas! We hope you will come along with us on this journey! Until the next issue, stay fiery Dragons!
Senior Editor: Chau-Anh Nguyen Senior Editor/Social Media: Hieu Ho Graphic Designer: Charlene Nguyen Graphic Designer: Aashna Singh Webmaster/Writer: Nora Taing Senior Writer: Arlene Hickman Senior Writer: Danielle Tuazon Senior Writer: Jaskaran Bajwa Junior Writer: Mekhi Randle