Issue 2 - November 2021

THE PROSPECTOR

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SQUID GAME PARALLELS The startling similarities between Cupertino and Squid Game

INVESTIGATIONS CUSD Controversies pg. 20

NEWS

School Staffing Shortages pg. 06

Uncovering Misogyny and Slut-shaming in Locker Rooms pg. 24

PERSPECTIVES

Prospectober pg. 28

ISSUE 2, VOL 64

SPORTS

IN THIS ISSUE

news

Redistricting California................. 04

on Profiting 10: Pro/Con through Music Sampling

School Staffing Shortages........... 06

opinions

Coffee Reliance (a comic)............ 08 Pro/Con on Profiting through Music Sampling.................................... 10

features

Funny Babysitting Stories............ 12 featuring Colleen R, Lisa D, Naomi M and Jadon Y

lifestyles

Squid Game Parallels.................. 16 The Problem with College Decision Arranged Marriages..................... 18

investigations

CUSD Controversies................... 20

sports Uncovering Misogyny and Slut-shaming in Locker Rooms............................. 24 Shin Splints in Cross Country........................................ 26

perspectives Prospectober.............................. 28

postscript 22: CUSD Controversies COVER DESIGNED BY HENRY MA AND JENNY WU

Column: Living In A Rice Cooker................................ 30

THE PROSPECTOR

STAFF 2020-2021

editors-in-chief Jenny Wu Henry Ma Avi Pandit

photo editors Megumi Ondo Kavya Kaushal Theresa Nguyen

news editor Arnav Vishwakarma

online editors Arnav Vishwakarma Megumi Ondo Kevin Jia Saniya Laungani Dhruv Kerai Jun Kim business managers Dhruv Kerai writers Anand Ashar, Caroline Cheng, Evan Lu, Jolie Han, Lisa Zivanic, Norman Chow, Natalie Chen, Olivia Hwang, Prithika Sundar, Rajasi Laddha, Rishita Shah, Sania Mehta, Soha Roy, Tanvee Sai, Taruna Anil, Vishal Shenoy, Slava Miroshnichenko

opinions editor Raissa Ji features editor Meghana Vinjamury lifestyles editor Katelyn Chu investigations editor Sonia Patil sports editor Arushi Arora perspectives editor Theresa Nguyen postscript editor Kriti Kaushal copy editors Juliet Shearin Joan Thyagarajan Jun Kim

advisor Ann Peck Editorial Policy

“The Prospector” is an open forum of expression for student editors to inform and educate their readers. It will not be reviewed by or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisors may and should coach and discuss content during the writing process.

The staff of “The Prospector” seeks to recognize individuals, events and ideas and bring news to the Cupertino community in an accurate, professional and unbiased manner. “The Prospector” will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy.

If you believe an error has been made or wish to have your opinion expressed in “The Prospector,” please contact us via mail or email. Letters sent become the sole property of “The Prospector” and can be edited for length, clarity or accuracy.

“The Prospector” editorial board reserves the right to accept or reject any ad in accordance with its advertising policy.

Contact Us: chsprospector@gmail.com The Prospector 10100 Finch Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Dear Reader, Transparency builds trust and demonstrates integrity at every level.

To call for transparency is to demand accountability—but there must be grounds for those accusations. Several contentions between Cupertino Union School District parents and the district board have been magnified with lengthy protests, recall petitions and online media campaigns. On page 20, Arnav Vishwakarma, Jenny Wu and Raissa Ji investigate the truth behind CUSD’s school closures, alternative program expansion efforts and curriculum dissatisfaction.

Transparency in school ensures that students hold each other accountable and take responsibility for personal behavior. On page 24, Lisa Zivanic dissects locker room talk by referencing perspectives from male athletes, female athletes and coaches. As we all come from different backgrounds and upbringings, it is all the more important that we make an effort to understand where others are coming from. Living in an Asian household, Norman Chow speaks on his journey to connect with his parents as he interprets what it means to be a “tiger parent” on page 30.

Gen Z’s most recent pop culture phenomenon, Squid Game, has brought many to reevaluate the ethics of society. On page 16, Hyunjun Kim and Prithika Sundar explore the alarming parallels between the Bay Area’s hustle culture and the life-threatening circumstances Squid Game competitors face. Another riveting topic in pop culture is discussed on page 10 as Vishal Shenoy and Taruna Anil debate whether profits from music sampling should be given to the sampler or the original creator.

As we continue to cycle blame from one person, community and generation to another, it is more critical than ever that we collectively make rational decisions and accept responsibility for our actions.

Sincerely, Jenny Wu, Henry Ma, and Avi Pandit

NEWS

REDISTRICTING CALIFORNIA A local perspective on the once per decade process.

4 | DESIGNED BY ARNAV VISHWAKARMA

CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC

KRITI KAUSHAL

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postscript editor

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NEWS | 5

ith 2021 coming to an end, Santa Clara County is undergoing the process of redrawing congressional districts to better reflect changes within the national census and citizen input.

Redistricting, the process through which district lines in a state are redrawn so that each legislative district constitutes a relatively equal population of individuals, is a mandatory process for choosing House of Representative members for the state. The U.S. Census Data, collected every ten years, informs the number of constituents each district should have; numbers differ between states depending on state population and allocated number of House of Representatives members.

To guide the process of redistricting within Santa Clara County, the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission has met virtually every Wednesday and Saturday since July. During their public meetings, commission members hold hearings related to mapping plans, gain valuable insight from community members and help them draw their own versions of district maps. Specifically, they look for areas to represent communities of interest while still abiding by legislative criteria.

Several of the commissioners within the Advisory Redistricting Commission feel it is their civil duty to serve their community with their diverse perspectives and experiences within the Santa Clara community. Many understand the immense power that comes with the responsibility of their position; organizing voters into specific districts can occur in ways that benefit one party over another, resulting in dramatic party swings. Referring to this political phenomenon of “gerrymandering,” said Commissioner Cynthia Cooper, “Redistricting, to me, is important because I learned at school and

also from my parents about the gov- own individual construct. For examernment practice of redistricting and ple, Draft Plan X3 included a majorgerrymandering. These processes ity-minority Asian American and Pawere created explicitly to segregate cific Islander (AAPI) District 3, with and leave African Americans and Sunnyvale wholly within it, whereas other people of color out of the all- the Maptitude Unity Draft Plan prowhite suburbs and restrict our voting posed a central San José seat in power in favor District 2 that inof one party or cluded 41.6% Lati[LEGISLATIVE DISone class of no and 32.4% AAPI. people. I want TRICTS] ARE SUPPOSED

Albeit onto make sure TO REPRESENT NEIGHBORgoing, even small the lines are HOODS AND GIVE ALL INDIcommunity input drawn fairly.” within this mandaVIDUALS A VOICE IN WHAT Similarly, tory civil process AP Govern- HAPPENS IN THE FEDERAL is valuable to the ment Teacher GOVERNMENT. SEAN community makeup.

Sean Coleman Said Commissioner COLEMAN shares the Nancy Smith from commissioners’ District 3 of Santa views about the importance of dis- Clara County, “It’s only by hearing tricts being drawn equitably. “Leg- from as many neighborhoods as islative districts are really supposed possible that we know which areas to represent communities’’ said need to stay together to meet the Coleman. “They’re supposed to rep- needs of the community.” resent neighborhoods and give all Coleman agrees with Smith. individuals a voice in what happens When talking about the process, in the federal government. So when said Coleman, “Redistricting is gerrymandering happens, it signifi- probably the most important hidden cantly limits the amount of power component of how things get done that individual voices have.” in government. For your communi The Advisory Redistricting Com- ty to have a voice, you need to enmission has taken many steps to sure that redistricting is done in a ensure commuway that truly repnity input within resents what peo[COMMISSION MEM- ple in that area feel, their redistricting process. BERS] GAIN VALUABLE and if people don’t Since Septem- INSIGHT FROM COMMUtalk and share their ber, several opinions, there’s no NITY MEMBERS AND HELP communities of pressure on politiinterest have THEM DRAW THEIR O W N cians or committees taken steps to V E R S I O N S O F DISTRICT who draw districts share their in- MAPS. in ways that recogput with comnize that” mission members.

These groups have used advanced Districtr mapping software to create and submit their ideal maps to weekly commission meetings. The Advisory Redistricting Commission has since reviewed more than five of such community-input maps, each with its

SCHOOL STAFFING SHORTAGES How the pandemic created a shortage of teachers.

CAROLINE CHENG

T writer

he pandemic has made the challenges of school staffing shortages more significant than ever, forcing schools to plan how to overcome the long-lasting impacts.

In one survey of 2,690 members of the National Education Association, 32% said the pandemic prompted teachers to plan to leave the profession earlier than expected. Consequently, schools are trying to fill in these spots with substitute teachers, but there is a shortage of them as well.

Staff ry o t c e Dir 022 1-2

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In the Cupertino Union School Dis- teachers every year. In 2020-21, it istrict (CUSD), a shortage of substitutes sued about 47,000 substitute teachmeans that certificated school ad- ing permits compared to the 64,000 ministrators or district staff are sub- issued in the 2018-19 school year. bing when there are no substitutes to In the meantime, Cupertino High cover teachers’ classrooms. These School, part of the Fremont Union High last minute substituting shifts make it School District (FUHSD), has also rechallenging for administrators to com- lied on other staff members to cover plete their daily tasks as well. for teachNonetheless, the district’s stuers even dents have always been able before the MONEY WILL NOT to attend school with a qualiBE THE ONLY SOLUTION pandemic, fied staff member or TO THE HIGH DEMAND OF so for some substitute when their teachers, SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS substituting teacher is away.

IF THERE ARE INSUFFI “Our first priorifor others is ty is always rather norCIENT RESOURCES. ensuring that stumal. dents have teach “It’s ers in the classroom, to pretty common, I think, in our district support them and to to first reach out internally, to see if have learning continue, there are other teachers who even when their teach- can cover your period, er is out,” said Erin because a lot of times Lindsey, the Director a teacher might be last of Communications minute absent, and it’s for CUSD. just one period they’re Even be- going to miss. [...] And fore the pandemic, that’s just more stanCUSD and other dard practice, school districts because it’s were already see- easier to find ing a decrease c o v e r a g e , ” in the number of said Laurie Luavailable substi- catero, Spanish tutes. According teacher at Cuperto the California tino High School.

C o m m i s s i o n Despite the necon Teacher essary change in their Credentialing, plans to take immediate California has action to substitute for a faced de- class, many teachers at clining num- Cupertino High School are bers of new flexible and willing to support s u b s t i t u t e each other. Teachers have also

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Nonetheless, CUSD and FUHSD are tute teachers.” not seeing a significant amount of In hopes of attracting more subteachers leaving their jobs as a re- stitute teachers, many school dissult of the pandemic. tricts are incorporating incentives.

Said Lucatero, “I also feel like I During the pandemic, CUSD raised was really supported by both the the substitute teacher pay to $185 district and on site. [...] And while, daily — equivalent to the rate for long inevitably, that is a very difficult term substitutes — for a group who transition, there was support in our agreed to be trained for distance district, which is really helpful, and teaching. However, prospective I think it is helping substitutes must to keep teachers have a bachelor’s I’VE NOTICED THAT, here.” degree and meet AT LEAST AT OUR SITE, In addition to reading, writing full-time teachers, and math requirePEOPLE ARE WILLING the pandemic has ments by providTO STEP UP TO [COVER also affected the ing standardized FOR A CLASS] AND HELP availability of subtest scores or B’s EACH OTHER OUT. stitute teachers. or better in colLAURIE LUCATERO Many districts rely lege-level courses on retired teachin order to obtain ers as substitutes, but a substituting cresome do not feel comfortable sub- dential, so money will not be the bing due to the risks of returning to only solution to the high demand of the classroom during a pandemic. substitute teachers if there are insuf Said Lindsey, “Just with ficient resources. the pandemic, things are “[The school sites] did send out changing across the board, in a recent call for substitute teachterms of what people are do- ers, [and] we have increased our ing or what they’re doing daily substitute rate to possibly help for work, and so that as well. But we can’t change what’s also is impacting required to be a substitute. [...] s u b s t i - There’s certain state qualifications that are put in place that we can’t change,” said Lindsey.

CUSD is encouraging more members of the community to apply. The district actively promotes substitute teaching as a flexible schedule that comes with many opportunities.

Said Lindsey, “[We speak] to the joy that a substitute teacher can bring, and what you also get as a substitute; those are really positive interactions of being on a school site and interacting with students”

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NEWS | 7

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tried to prepare more student independent substitute plans to lessen the impacts of the needed shifts in the covering teacher’s schedule.

“I’ve noticed that, at least at our site, people are willing to step up to [take immediate action to cover for a class] and help each other out.

But it does change your plans if you planned to grade or plan,” said Lucatero.

Additionally, throughout the pandemic, adapting to and transitioning between distance learning, hybrid learning and re-opening have brought new challenges for teachers. A survey by the RAND Corporation found that the pandemic caused teachers to experience higher levels of burnout and that they were more likely to leave their job than prior to the pandemic.

“All of those things factor into the stress and strain on a teacher’s shoulders, so we definitely are trying to support them the best we can,” said Lindsey.

8 | DESIGNED BY RAISSA JI

OPINIONS

A Comic!

MEGHANA VINJAMURY features editor

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t’s time to ditch these practices. Physical and mental health is equally, if not more, important than academic success. As you power through this exacting season, take care of yourself and keep one thing in mind: you got this!

OPINIONS | 9

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his time of the year is notorious for being stressful. Midterms, tests, and projects live in our heads rent-free. For some of us, college application season is in or approaching full swing. Consequently, we often rely on all-nighters and unhealthy amounts of coffee to stay afloat.

Royalties and creative credits should go to the

SAMPLER SAMPLER VISHAL SHENOY

Y

writer

13 | THE PROSPECTOR

our favorite songs likely contain music samples. You may not even notice it. The practice of music sampling has been popular among producers and artists since the rise of digital music production in the early 2000s, especially prevalent as a foundation of the hip hop and R&B genres.

So, what exactly is sampling?

Sampling is the process by which a record producer uses a component of an already released song in the creation of a brand new recording.

Samples can include almost any auditory component of a record.

Guitar riffs. Drums. Vocals. These components, commonly altered in pitch and length, are implemented in some of the highest-performing

modern songs.

Artists should be able to sample songs and still expect a majority of royalties and creative recognition for their product. Even if acoustic components are reused, samples are almost always altered through a musician’s unique interpretation to create an easily distinguishable record.

This is

done through elevating the unique qualities of a sample.

Hip hop artist Lil Uzi Vert sampled the instrumental of indie pop group Oh Wonder’s “Landslide” in his hit song “The Way Life Goes.”

Uzi builds upon the sample through a deeply layered production with snare drums and hi-hats, along with a lyrical sample sung by Oh Wonder. He still deserves a majority of creative proceeds for his original vocals and variation on the “Landslide” instrumental because “The Way Life Goes” proves to be overwhelmingly distinct to Uzi’s signature eccentric-punk style.

Aside from instrumental sampling, interpolation is a unique form of sampling which reuses the lyrical melody of an existing song. In his song “Greatest,” rapper Eminem mimics the melody of a lyric from rapper Playboi Carti’s “wokeuplikethis*.” Carti is credited as a writer on the song and therefore re -

ceives a minority of the royalties from song streams. It is wrong to regard Carti as a contrib-

utor to the song’s artistry because he serves solely as an inspiration to Eminem. Artists are influenced by the world surrounding them; accordingly, music samples should be viewed as a form of sharing this personal experience with fans instead of a cheap imitation.

Music samples should be celebrated as a way of sharing an interpretation of the musical world instead of being criticized as mimicking the creativity of another musician. Appropriately, artists who sample should continue to receive a majority of song royalties and creative ownership

PR THR MU SAM SA

A debate on whether the sa should receive a majority of r

Royalties and creative credits should go to the

ORIGINAL ORIGINAL CREATOR CREATOR TARUNA ANIL

W writer

hat do the songs “Luxurious” by Gwen Stefani, “Big Poppa” by the Notorious B.I.G. and “One of Those Days” by Whitney Houston have in common? They all sample or interpolate the same song, “Be-

tween the Sheets” by The Isley Brothers. Dozens of artists, like 2Pac, Drake (twice!) and Chance the Rapper have used this sample.

Most popular songs today have used samples or interpolations — “Champagne Poetry” by Drake, “Break It Off” by PinkPantheress and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat, to name a few. But with the rise in sampling, more concerns arise, highlighting the thin line between plagiarism and inspiration.

If a song is entirely based around another song’s composition or recording, the original artist should not only be credited but given most of the royalties. For example, “Kiss Me More” interpolates a melody used in Olivia Newton-John’s iconic song, “Physical.” Be-

ROFITING ROUGH USIC MPLING AMPLING

KISS ME MORE INTERPOLATES A MELODY USED IN OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN’S ICONIC SONG, PHYSICAL.

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TARUNA ANIL

cause it is not an original composition and the interpolation is used in the chorus, Olivia Newton-John should be receiving a cut.

The same goes for covers, like Daniel Caesar’s “Streetcar” (a rendition of Kanye West’s “Street Lights”). Even though Cae-

OPINIONS | 11

ampler or the original creator royalties and creative credits

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sar’s soulful take was starkly different from West’s distorted and synthfilled production, the song’s lyrics are West’s copyrighted work, and he should be receiving most of the profit made.

A common argument against this practice is that samples are a form of creative expression. Creative interpretation is valid; however, it is more than possible to incorporate a sample that does not overpower the music.

One instance where this occurs is in Tyler, the C re a t o r ’s “A BOY IS A GUN*.”

He uses a vocal snippet from “Bound” by Ponderosa Twins Plus One. Yet, the track’s production is diverse, original, and can stand alone without the vocal snippet-this is a case where the artist should get most of the money.

Sampling is an essential part of music today; many hit songs would not exist without samples, and new ideas do not come without inspiration. But giving credit where credit is due is crucial to keep the legacy of the original songs alive and to preserve integrity in the industry

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FEATURES

FUNNY

BABYSI

ITTING

STORIES

FEATURES | 13

“While I was volunteering at this camp, we had someone who was volunteering as an art teacher, and they were drawing in class. So this kid came over, looked at what they were drawing, and asked them, ‘Why are you an art teacher if you’re no good at art?’ Luckily the teacher was also around our age, so she wasn’t very like she hadn’t dedicated her life to art or anything, but she just kind of laughed and was also in disbelief in the same way I was. It’s very interesting and funny to me just how differently minded they [children] are how kids can say things and how they’re so blunt with their observations.”

Colleen Ranney SOHA ROY

senior

14 | THE PROSPECTOR

writer

“There is this one 6-year old that I babysit, she’s really fun. She’s a bit of a handful, but she’s really fun. One time her parents came home and her sister came home and she told me that she loved me more than her sister. I was like ‘oh’, and her sister was right there and it was kind of an awkward situation because her sister was like ‘oh’,” OLIVIA HWANG writer

Naomi Murdock senior

“One time I was babysitting twin boys that were like toddlers, and the mom wanted them to use actual cups to practice using them instead of bottles. I gave them each a cup of milk, and one of the twins spilled the milk on himself. The brother was watching his twin, and then he decided to be like his twin and do the same thing. I was making eye contact with the brother as he poured the milk onto himself to copy his twin. They started to laugh together at me since they knew that I was the one who needed to clean this up.”

EVAN LU writer

Lisa Davis senior

EVAN LU writer

sophomore

FEATURES | 15

“One night, my parents went out so I was in charge of watching my brother and he was kinda young, around 5, and all of a sudden, he told me that he would be happy if I died. When I asked him why he said that, he told me that because mommy and daddy would buy me a lot of toys. I was kinda surprised and I think he didn’t understand what death was and the seriousness of it and I still tease him about it. It’s something our family talks about.”

Jadon Yi

LIFESTYLES

SQUID GAME PARALLELS

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The startling similarities between Cupertino High School, Silicon Valley and Squid Game

curriculars and standardized testing, therefore endangering their mental health.

With the pressure of winning and the high stakes, some contestants in Squid Game made morally gray choices to secure their victory for each game. For example, contestant Cho Sang-Woo, one of the main characters in the show, pulls an immoral ruse on his companion Ali to escape losing the marble game. With Ali in the lead, Sang-woo becomes desperate, pleading with Ali that he would do anything for him. With no possible choices left, Sang-woo takes advantage of the trust that Ali has towards him, manipulating Ali to change the game by proposing a plan that would get both of them through the round.

Trashing the friendship, Sang-woo

HYUNJUN KIM | PRITHIKA SUNDAR copy editor/website manager | writer

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SIMILAR TO THE SUGAR HONEYCOMB SCENE, [...] PEOPLE USE UNORTHODOX METHODS TO RECEIVE ACCEPTABLE GRADES.

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fills up Ali’s marble bag with rocks, fills his own with the full twenty marbles, and leaves Ali behind the scene — waiting for the gunshot.

At Tino, the growing academic and social pressure of excelling at school blinds students, subconsciously validating cunning methods as possibilities. Students may ask questions about the assessment, copy off of someone’s work, or even bribe for answers. Similar to the sugar honeycomb scene, burning the needle to trace the shape outlines seamlessly, people use unorthodox methods to easily achieve victory, or receive acceptable grades. In the same way, Squid Game’s contenders

LIFESTYLES | 17

ed light! Green light! Player 54 eliminated. As yet another gunshot rings out, a quick glance around reveals piles of bodies littering the children’s playground surrounding you.

Squid Game, a fictional drama television series created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, portrays a survival contest where 456 players play a myriad of deadly traditional Korean children’s games in hopes of winning a grand prize. Failure to finish any of the games results in an immediate death penalty, and the simplicity in the games tied to their cold, instant consequences demonstrate Squid Game’s abstract concept of moral dilemma. What is most shocking, however, is how director Dong-hyuk’s carefully crafted characterization and plot have numerous parallels with the lives of ambitious students at Cupertino High.

The “hustle culture” mindset — where people place work, money and reputation above everything else in their life — paints a parallel between Cupertino and Squid Game. Almost all Squid Game contestants lived a trying life before receiving the game invitation card, with financial strains serving as the most compelling factor to join. Consequently, players are likely to sacrifice their companions simply to take a step closer towards the prize money. Such willingness to betray and sacrifice things resonates with the social climate in Silicon Valley — a honeypot for tech enthusiasts and ambitious innovators. Delving deeper into this resemblance, Cupertino students are inclined to overwork with rigorous schoolwork, extra-

risk their lives, believing that beating the game is the only viable option to live decent lives.

Another interesting parallel from Squid Game is the group of VIPs, mysterious rich patrons who each wear a luxurious mask and enjoy the show. While the contestants are desperate to determine the correct glass tile on a real bridge, the VIPs simply sip on champagne while betting money as to who will be the final surviving “horse”. In fact, the sadistic men don’t seem to deem the contestants humans — they are more objects used for entertainment and gambling.

As such, Squid Game evokes the cyclical relationship between CEOs, multinational companies and lower wage workers, business startups.

While the influential, prominent beings gain continual profit and recognition, there may be often many overlooked workgroups that have contributed to such big accomplishments.

Squid Game has portrayed a series of interesting scenes while maintaining the overall theme of simplicity. From the first death at the first game to the unpredictable plot turnouts, the show has intrigued the viewers with each character’s original, creative backstories.

In fact, there are many other parallels that can be discovered from the minute details that director Hwang Donghyuk has intended to employ

ARRANGED MARRIAGES The evolution and modernization of arranged marriage in Indian culture

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18 | THE PROSPECTOR

rranged marriage has been an integral part of Indian culture for multiple centuries.

With more than 95% of all marriages in India being arranged, ac-

cording to the New York Times, this custom has a considerable influence on the family dynamic in the traditional nuclear Indian family.

To briefly summarize, arranged marriage is a result of matchmaking where a couple is introduced by a third party—matchmaker, newspaper ad, parents, mutual friends or other factors. This process has often considered caste (the Indian class system), astrology signs, skin tone, and socioeconomic status. However, many of these criteria, especially skin tone and caste, have been deemed antiquated as they are considered colorist and classist. While still prevalent, many second generation Indi-

an Americans no longer value these determinants of marital compatibility and are breaking the mold by not conforming to the tradition of arranged marriage.

Nonetheless, matchmaking does still consider physical aspects because it is a large aspect of human attraction.

Said Radha Patel, founder of Single to Shaadi matchmaking services, “I do believe that that attraction is evolutionary, so there’s a point that if you’re not

attracted to tall, dark and handsome, that’s fair, you’re just not attracted to it. So while we don’t act about it explicitly, we do take people’s preferences into account because in all candidness, I’m not going to be a successful matchmaker if I’m not helping you find what you’re looking for.” There is a complex balance between trying to break the stereotype that matchmaking promotes certain beauty standards but

still finding a client someone they find attractive.

Arranged marriages have been known in particular to perpetuate strict gender roles. Most matches are heterosexual, and in the past, have catered to the man’s needs more while women felt more pressured into marriages.

Said Patel, “sexism is systemic in almost every institution around the entire world. Matchmaking is not any different. [...] male clients are like ‘I only want women who are under

a certain age because I want to have children naturally.’” However, as communities are evolving and beginning to dismantle the sexist

beginning to dismantle the sexist hierarchy, the same is happening with matchmaking. Women are taking larger roles in the process. Said Patel, “Women are empowered. [...] we’re taking our own proactive approach.”

Another area of matchmaking that has recently been rapidly changing is the role of parents in choosing potential spouses. Conventionally, parents play a large part in the process since they arrange

adopting lower prices and marketing services directly to singles, the control is shifting to the kids.

Said Patel “I wanted to take the parents out of the process. From that perspective, I know families are always important and are going to weigh in on decisions and influence what it is that we’re searching for, but I wanted to remove that family pressure that usually

happens.”

This consistent theme of modernising

for t h e matchmaker and choose the

This focus on the individual’s happiness, needs and goals is proof that arranged marriage is evolving to fit with the times. It will change to fit the norms and priorities of the new generations of Indians who will further morph arranged marriages as the practice continues to be an integral part of South Asian culture

LIFESTYLES | 19

criteria needed, often taking the decision almost entirely out of the hands of their kids. However, by

arranged marriages has still not erased the inherent connotations of forced marriages, child brides and overall unhappiness surrounding this practice. While these unsavory results have occurred in the past and will always occur in other areas in the world where young individuals cannot reshape the societal norms surrounding arranged marriage, there is a new generation of Indians morphing it into their own terms and crafting it to fit their own kind of happiness.

Said Patel, “You need to

have that time to date for fun, get your heart broken, and you know just live life a little bit focused on your career, [and] figure out what you want before you jump right into a long term relationship that leads to marriage.”

INVESTIGATIONS

CUSD

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CONTROVERSIES

CUSD Closures An overview and opinions on CUSD closures

ARNAV VISHWAKARMA

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news editor/podcast editor

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BOOKS ARE CHEAP. COMPUTERS ARE CHEAP. PEOPLE ARE EXPENSIVE.

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WES MORSE

er demand for schools than there was previously, schools get less funding while the costs remain.

Said Morse, “If they don’t get enough money, it’s hard to maintain three extra principals, six extra custodians and six extra secretaries. I mean, the cost of school is the people. Books are cheap. Computers are cheap.

People are expensive.”

CUSD families are also split on the topic of closing schools. Concerns include splitting up established school communities, quality of education and information provided to families by the district.

Said a Meyerholz parent, “I don’t think [the board is] taking into consideration all the voices from the community and parents.

Honestly, a lot of meetings that I’ve been to, I feel like they are very firm.”

The parent also added, “[It is] also a very short timeframe

for this notification to all the parents. I feel like it’s just not giving us enough information. Why is this happening right now?”

With the costs that the district is able to save with school closures, money is able to be redistributed towards the quality of education that CUSD has historically been able to provide.

Said Morse, “I think not being empathetic to the kids is taking away music, art, activities and field trips. I think giving them a worse educational experience in order to keep a school open is a far greater risk than sending them to another school.”

The closure of elementary schools foreshadows the future of middle schools in the district, and ultimately how the populations of those students will factor into high school enrollment numbers.

Said CUSD Director of Communications Erin Lindsey, “If a middle school falls below enrollment of 700 [district staff recommends to] convene a new Citizens Advisory Committee to consider the need to close a middle school.”

The decision to close the CUSD schools is a complex issue that rests on a variety of factors including population, funding and quality of education.

It is one that will largely impact current students and families, but one that the board ultimately deemed necessary for the district

INVESTIGATIONS | 21

n Oct. 14, after hours of debate, the Cupertino Union School District board voted 3-2 to close two of its schools and consolidate one of them amid declining enrollment.

The decision came with controversy and was the first decision that was not unanimous among the current CUSD board, with the board meeting lasting until 1:30 a.m. and parents protesting outside of Collins throughout its duration.

Students from Regnart, Meyerholz and Muir will attend new schools in the fall of 2022, and be provided options on which schools to attend. Despite the sites being closed to schooling, they will not be sold and instead leased out in case the reopening of sites is required in the future.

Although the closure of schools was met with disagreement, this is not the first time Cupertino has had to downsize the number of campuses they have.

Said Cupertino High School teacher Wes Morse, “At one point Cupertino had 44 schools and they’re about to become 19.

This isn’t new.”

Cupertino’s percentage of home-owning families with school-age children has declined over time, resulting in the need for school closures.

Said Morse “And so, if you have twice as many schools, [than] you really need, then you

have twice as much cost than you need in certain things.”

The source of revenue for CUSD schools also varies from FUHSD, as schools are funded per pupil, per day. If there is low-

CLIP Expansion Efforts Expansion on the Cupertino Language Immersion Program and recall of Sylvia Leong JENNY WU

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print editor-in-chief

22 | THE PROSPECTOR

ollowing the decision to close schools, the CUSD board is facing a wave of backlash from families regarding the district’s budgetary issues. A group of parents formed a coalition called Recall CUSD Board to address different points of concern within the CUSD community. Amongst these concerns are efforts to expand the Cupertino Language Immersion Program, CLIP, a CUSD alternative education program that provides instruction in both Mandarin and English.

On Oct. 7 2021, Recall CUSD Board filed a letter of intent to recall board member Sylvia Leong, former president of CLIPCO, the Parent Teacher Association for CLIP. The letter addresses that CLIP will be given more classes and its own campus despite closing neighborhood schools. Reads one passage,

“Sylvia used her influence to cut a backroom deal with CUSD to prioritize CLIP. She has lost credibility and has sowed massive division among the community. We need honesty and transparency, not politicians.”

Despite the recency of Sylvia Leong’s recall efforts, CLIP’s expansion efforts have been years in the making. In a statement issued by the CLIP staff on Nov. 9, 2020, teachers called for support from parents in advocating for a separately designated campus for CLIP. The statement

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CLIP IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT THAT DOES NOT HAVE ITS OWN SITE.

ERIN LINDSAY

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noted that the CLIP program had been sustained in “a survival mode” for years, sharing only one campus with neighborhood schools and the Specially Designed Curriculum (SDC) for many years. Said the CLIP teachers, “To establish a strong, rigorous and effective immersion program, we should … take full advantage of having a dedicated site.

The potential for more resources will boost student success.”

According to CLIPCO, there is no room to expand CLIP at its current Meyerholz Elementary site. School equity policies force the program to modify

curriculum and make compromises for students. Such compromises range from field trip cancelations to teacher retention issues that result from large class sizes, as well as the lack of additional salaries for Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development certificated teachers that neighboring districts offer. “The CUSD Board prioritized Alternative Schools having their own school site as part of the charge provided to the Citizens Advisory Committee [led by a third-party neutral facilitator]. CLIP is the only Alternative School in the district that does not have its own site,” said CUSD Director of Communications Erin Lindsay in an email to The Prospector.

Faria Elementary, Murdock-Portal Elementary and McAuliffe K-8 are the other Alternative Schools in CUSD. A survey conducted by CLIPCO in May 2021 to gather thoughts on CLIPCO’s spending priorities and other factors received 269 responses from CLIP parents. 41% of parents supported a designated campus, 30% were opposed, and 29% had a neutral stance. Said CLIP graduate Gilford Ting, “I don’t know how well CLIP would scale up to an entire campus of everyone. There were always at least two or three other classes that were just regular non-CLIP programs … CLIP was always really familial in a way, which was really nice because everyone knew each other and all our moms are friends.”

As of November 2021, the district has not decided on a CLIP dedicated site. Following Meyerholz’s closure in the fall of 2022, the K-5 CLIP program will be relocated to Muir Elementary School

Curriculum Dissatisfaction Inequity in schools versus CA proposed Mathematics Framework, and critical race theory

RAISSA JI

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opinions editor

ed by the team behind No CRT at CUSD, “this ‘LCD’ (lowest common denominator) approach punishes and discriminates against those hard-working and gifted children […] and puts many children behind an increasingly global and competitive workforce.” At CUSD, parents

o politics belong in education? In an effort to minimize the racial and socioeconomic disparities in mathematics excellence and educate youth on racial justice, California proposed the 2021 Mathematics Framework and Critical Race Theory. However, parents of the Cupertino Union School District argue that these measures are unproductive.

By rejecting the practice of sorting students into different levels of math based on their natural abilities, the Framework intends to keep all students, regardless of PHOTO | MERCURY NEWS their mathematical inclihave mixed opinions. While one benation, in the same classrooms until lieves that “teaching at all the same 11th grade. Teachers would challevel dumbs everyone down and lenge their more advanced students leaves some unsupported,” another with more complex work. Because argues in favor of the proposal, excalculus will become a deprioritized plaining that “kids need to be kids.” course, students would aim for more Furthermore, the inclusion of useful courses like data science and CRT in the academic curriculum statistics. Through this, the Framehas been a hotly contested debate. work hopes to eliminate inequity in CRT is an academic movement that math and, as the draft states, the seeks to explain that race is a social “mentality that some people are construct and racism is, in addition ‘bad at math’” The Framework most to being the product of individual notably emphasizes girls and Black prejudice, embedded institutionally and brown children, the groups who and systematically in America. Many often “receive messages that they believe that CRT is crucial to eduare not capable of high-level mathcate students on social justice and ematics.” racial discrimination, as well as to The proposal has incited outrage dismantle an unequal system. Curacross the state. Those against the rently, CRT is not a state standard for Framework believe that ending the TK-8 at CUSD but can be taught at system of tracking math levels will the discretion of individual schools discourage advanced students to and teachers. However, hundreds strive for high achievement. As stat-

of parents have protested this inclusion fiercely. As stated by No CRT at CUSD, “teaching controversial ideologies under the banner of CRT […] [is] really […] cherry-picking history from the perspective of race versus capitalism, and ultimately making children decide whether they are part of the oppressors or the oppressed.” Furthermore, while some parents believe that “the basic concept behind CRT is an important concept to teach,” others are passionately against the idea, stating that “[CRT] itself is racist. It needs to stop … CRT will add more racism to our schools … I, like many other parents, will pull kids out of public schools … if this B.S. is taught.” In protest of the potential integration of politics into academics, there is a common consensus among large numbers of parents: “Take the political agenda out of schools!”

The future is uncertain for the implementation of CRT into the classroom, but the State Board of Education will vote for final approval from November 2021 to May 2022 for CA’s proposed 2021 Math Framework

SPORTS

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UNCOVERING MISOGYNY AND SLUT-SHAMING IN LOCKER ROOMS Dissection of locker room talk at Tino

LISA ZIVANIC writer

24 | DESIGNED BY ARUSHI ARORA

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aves of students came out about their experiences with sexual violence and harassment on Cupertino High School’s campus last semester. More CHS students have voiced their concerns with the athletics department, questioning the extent that locker room talk is a problem. People believe that what students talk about in locker rooms are often inappropriate, and sometimes sexual language is discussed in these male-only spaces.

However, our school is notorious for its competitive and academically-focused students, which directly contradicts the norm of a stereotypical American high school depicted in the media. So the question stands: how prevalent is locker room talk at Cupertino High School?

Male Athletes An anonymous junior varsity football player at Cupertino High School shared, “Definitely, I think some people do [objectify women]. I think some

of the guys can be [objectifying].”

He observed that “in general [other players will] go on the internet or social media, and they’ll see people and they’ll probably [be] like, ‘Oh, look at this person, look at their body’ or this and that. Sometimes they will do that. Although, in general, I will say that I don’t think it’d be body shaming or sexism.”

They explained that although the objectification of women is a prevalent issue within the team, players have not been blatantly misogynistic or judgemental towards these women and their appearances.

Akash Rao, a freshman on the water polo team, said, “I think it’s definitely true. [...] I do understand why it comes up, but I think that it is rumored to be a lot more prevalent than it actually is.”

Jason Li, a senior on the varsity water polo team, shared similar experiences. “In the past when I was a freshman or sophomore, I feel like in those times, when I said something, I just got laughed at or made fun of. So I think right now, the upperclassmen, we’re kind of taking the effort to make sure that underclassmen feel includ-

ed, but I definitely understand if some underclassmen might not feel able to speak up, either because they’re kind of afraid of it or because of other reasons.”

Li contrasted his past experiences with the present when acknowledging the social hierarchy that exists regarding respect on the team. He explained that when he previously tried to speak up against objectifying behavior towards women, he wasn’t taken seriously. Which he believes may have caused less teammates to support him when the topic was brought up. Now in a higher ranked position, he and the other team members have been taking initiative to help ensure that underclassmen feel comfortable speaking up to avoid the discomfort he encountered.

Female Athletes Two students added their unique experiences with misogyny and slut-shaming as girls on the football team. There is often a negative connotation with football in regards to feminism as it has historically been a male-dominated sport. One exception is Anika Tiku, a senior on the var-

sity football team. She said, “I think have known about it. Relating to the you’ve got the athletes, the Friday it’s very true. I’m not going to lie. I got community aspect of sports that is of- night lights, the jerseys, but there’s lucky. This year, it’s not that bad [...] ten surrounding the male experience. practically more people in the stands I’ve only been here for a year, [but Ramani mentioned how sports helped in the band, more [uniforms] and fired the stories] were t h e m it up.” pretty bad. And In an email, varsity football coach through a IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS I think that it’s really dif- Chris Oswald said, “I was a player for very prevalent WHERE IT’S HAPPENING, BUT ficult time 14 years, all the way through college in these [plac- IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE d u r i n g and have been a high school/college es], especially SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO BE previous coach for 28 seasons […] As a playin locker rooms LIKE ‘NO, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ struggles er, I don’t recall there being negative and things like LIKE WE SHOULDN’T LET THOSE with men- talk about women and as a coach if that. Especially THOUGHTS OR BELIEFS OR ANYtal health. I did hear something it would be my in football teams THING CONTROL US IN [THE] She no- job to shut it down ASAP.” and the places THINGS THAT WE’RE TRYING TO ticed that where there ar- STRIVE FOR AND BECOME. s p o r t s Conclusion en’t as many feSlut-shaming and misogyny in the provided JHANVI RAMANI male rights, or a sense locker room exist to varying degrees. girls don’t play as of com- Two of the male athletes witnessed many sports and things like that.” munity, where students could just such discussions, whereas the Tiku admitted that she initially over- do what they were passionate about, coaches and female athletes rarely estimated the presence of misogyny which was football. experienced said behavior if any at when she joined the team since she all. Although the evidence is inconhad heard stories of the objectifica- Coaches clusive due to such varied results, it tion of women from previous years.

Zach Jacobs, a former coach for can be justified that the occurrence Added Tiku, “I think it’s very preva- the CHS wrestling of sexism and the oblent, like Los Gatos High School’s Me team, added a jectification of womToo movement.” unique view to THEY’RE JUST BEING en in locker rooms The ongoing effort to create the topic. Said IMMATURE, MAKING FUN OF vary based on each change within Los Gatos High School Jacobs, “ I PEOPLE FOR JUST HAVING sports team. Even began in July 2020, as anonymous think there has FRIENDS AND KIND OF MAK- on teams with more students revealed their experiences been a real efING FUN OF THEIR FRIENDS. instances of misogwith sexual violence and harassment fort when we BUT ALSO IN A REALLY SEX- ynistic comments, on campus through the Instagram have seen isplayers committed UAL MANNER. account metoo.losgatos. Tiku added sues that are to make a difference, JASON LI that she has not witnessed or expe- c o n c e r n i n g and spark change in rienced any behavior similar to that in the district the athletic communiseen in the LGHS Me Too endeavor with athletics, some of them have ty. Li, Jacobs and Tiku all observed throughout her time on the team. been more racial or religious bias or helped work towards being more A 2020 alumni varsity football play- [...] We’ve really tried to work with the inclusive throughout their time on the er, Jhanvi Ramani, shared, “I think I coaches, the captains, or athletic di- teams, showing a way forward for all was treated just like the regular team- rectors to stop it right away [...] I think CHS sports teams mates. I was not treated any different- in terms of misogyny, if it was haply because they knew that it’s just a pening, it was behind the scenes.” football player no matter what gender Jacobs additionally mentioned that I was or sexual identity or anything he believes that there is a connection I was. So I was really accepted and between athletics and misogyny, but supported in the team.” not solely because of sports, saying, They created a safe and open en- “I think the misogyny is more cultural, vironment for discussion, adding that and what I mean by that is like locaif misogyny were present, she would tion-wise [... At] the football games,

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SHIN SPLINTS IN CROSS COUNTRY The reality of shin splints for cross country runners at Tino

RAJASI LADDHA writer

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ll runners have once been afflicted by shin splints which is inarguably one of the most common, yet least mentioned, injuries in runners. According to the Mayo Clinic, shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, is an inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue

around your tibia. Cross country runners often find themselves afflicted by this injury at least once in their career due to the intense training routines these athletes undergo, yet still, persevere through the intense pain to maintain peak condition.

“Shin

splints inflammation around the area of the [shin] bone and it would hurt if you pressed it [...] If it gets really bad, it hurts when walking and aches when sitting,” recounts a current Varsity Cross Country athlete at CHS, “I’m pretty sure most of the cross country people [in the team] have had shin splints at one point [...] It can happen from running too much, running too suddenly, or running on different surfaces. [For example], if you’re used to running on concrete and you suddenly run on grass, it might cause shin splints.”

Cross country is a taxing sport as it often entails running races across open-air trails over natural terrain such as dirt or grass for 2.5 to 7.5 mile courses. To run these arduous races, athletes are expected to be in peak condition from the start of the season in order to keep up with the harsh routines during practices. “[Shin splints] is just really rampant in Cross Country,” notes senior Trevor Lei, a varsity Cross Country athlete. “We ramp [up] the mileage and intensity pretty quick

and a lot of us are not as disciplined how in their first two years of high While detaching from as we should be during the off-sea- school cross country, they would find running has helped son. Once the themselves afflicted with shin this runner cope season starts, splints throughout the season with the constant HOWEVER THERE [there] is a lot and would only recover after pain of shin splints, of stress on our REALLY IS NO FOOLone to two weeks of break in many other runners PROOF WAY TO AVOID shins” the postseason. Essentially, cannot cope with the taxC o m b i n e d SHIN SPLINTS. most of the afflicted athletes ing injury which ANONYMOUS with the tough on the team would have to often affects races and infrerun an average of five miles their mental quent training during the off-season, a day throughout the season while health. practices often entail heavy mileages, experiencing pain in their shins, Said the athsometimes even when runners are af- even while jogging, and lete, “It has afflicted with shin splints. Coach Paul still compete in fected my mental Armstrong, who has been the coach races. health for sure, and I know it has afof both Cupertino’s Cross Country fected the mental health of a lot of othand Track and Field for many years, er people. It has made a lot of them helps mitigate the pain of shin splints a little more pessimistic, I guess, but in runners who are severely afflicted, T h e the key is to do other stuff and not fobut also tries to maintain the team’s cus on it so much.” overall condition.

Mental health is often impacted Trevor Lei reflects back on pracand shin splints are a given due to tice: “If we do feel [shin splints] s h e e r the rigor of the sport, yet the runners during the warm-up, … we usually tell tenacity of persevere through their mental and Coach that..and either he forces us to cross country ath- physical exhaustion for their dedicado the workout, or he lets us sit out letes shines through with tion to cross country. and we do the exercises and roll.” their steadfastness and devotion The anonymous athlete also menThe other Cross Country athlete to their sport altioned later on: also recalled similar experiences. though “However, there WHENEVER I HAD SHIN “On days I felt good, continreally is no foolSPLINTS, EVERYONE WAS I would do uously proof way to avoid the whole d i s - REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND shin splints.”

GAVE ME TIME TO RECOVER w o r k o u t which would tressed AND I COULD TAKE THINGS be around through con- AT MY OWN PACE ANONYMOUS 4 to 6 stant pain. miles.

“Whenever I had If I felt shin splints, everybad, I one was really supportive and gave would me time to recover and I could take do every other lap things at my own pace, ” mentioned or jog around the field instead of do- the anonymous athlete. ing road runs... And sometimes if it’s Trevor Lei explains, “how I learned so bad that you can [not] run, Coach to deal with it was [almost] like dehas you do shin splint exercises to taching from running a bit. You are help you heal a little.” also trying to focus on academics This troublesome injury can last and extracurriculars, and for me an throughout the entire season, ac- outlet was weightlifting and not focuscording to the anonymous Cross ing on running so much and fixating Country athlete. They mentioned on the pain so much.”

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SPORTS | 27

PERSPECTIVES

PROSPECT PROSPECT A twist on “Inktober,” with drawings from staffers from The Prospector following a unique prompt per NEWS Redistricting in Cupertino Crowded (1) Neighborhood (18) Youth (20)

NEWS ffing School Sta Shortages Close (6) Quit (10) Exit (26)

28 | DESIGNED BY THERESA NGUYEN

OPINIONS Coffee Reliance Coffee (14) Pillow (24) Drowsy (31)

OPINIONS Profiting Through Music Sampling Headphones (19) Record (22)

3

4

5

CAROLINE CHENG

SOHA ROY

“Think”

“Mask”

SLAVA MIROSHNICHENKO

10

11

12

MEGUMI ONDO

KRITI KAUSHAL

KEVIN JIA

“Quit”

“Gossip”

“Chaos”

17

18

19

JULIET SHEARIN

RISHITA SHAH “Neighborhood”

JOLIE HAN

“Speech”

“Headphones”

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25

26

PRITHIKA SUNDAR

JENNY WU

HYUNJUN KIM

“Debate”

“Exit”

“Pillow”

FEATURES Funny Babysitt ing Stories Blanket (8) Chaos (12) Baby (29)

“Whistle”

31 LISA ZIVANIC “Drowsy”

LIFESTYLES Squid Game Parallels Mask (4) Race (9) Risk (16) Stress (28)

LIFESTYLES The Practice of ges Arranged Marria ) (2 Anonymous Newspaper (15) Ring (30)

OBER OBER

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2

day relating to other articles

SONIA PATIL

RAISSA JI

6

7

8

9

RAJASI LADDHA

VISHAL SHENOY “Secret”

SANIA MEHTA

KAVYA KAUSHAL

“Closed”

“Crowded”

“Blanket”

“Anonymous”

“Race”

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14

15

16

TARUNA ANIL

OLIVIA HWANG

“Run”

“Coffee”

EVAN LU

ARNAV VISHWAKARMA

“Newspaper”

“Risk”

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21

22

23

JOAN THYAGARAJAN

NATALIE CHEN

THERESA NGUYEN

KATELYN CHU

“Record”

“Rice cooker”

“Youth”

“Shame”

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NORMAN CHOW

SANIYA LAUNGANI

TANVEE SAI

MEGHANA VINJAMURY

“Strict”

“Stress”

“Baby”

“Ring”

INVESTIGATIONS CUSD Controversies Think (3) Speech (17) Debate (25)

SPORTS Shin Splints in Cross Coun try Whistle (5) Run (13)

SPORTS Debunking Slut-Shaming in Locker Room Talks Secret (7) Gossip (11) Shame (21)

POST SC Colum RIPT n: Tige Paren r ts Rice c o Strict oker (23) (27)

POSTSCRIPT

LIVING IN A RICE COOKER

Unraveling the expectations that come with understanding the sacrifices of immigrant parents PHOTO | THERESA NGUEYEN ILLUSTRATIONS | KRITI KAUSHAL

NORMAN CHOW sports assistant

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emembering my household, there are a few things that stick out. One of those is my family’s rice cooker where water and rice are heated to cook a ,usually, perfect pot of steaming rice. Whether it is lunch, breakfast or dinner, it is in this appliance where most of my meals are made and a melancholic symbol for how I feel my life and environment has developed.

I was born in Markham, Ontario, a small suburb north of Toronto. In the early years of my life, I recall fondly my elementary and middle school

LIVING IN A RICE COOKER NORMAN CHOW

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POSTSCRIPT | 31

days where seasons changed and the winter brought me beautiful memories of white snowy hills and warm hot chocolate along with the cozy glow of Christmas lights. As I grew older, my marvel at the environment in which I was raised slowly became dull, but I always felt at home, where nothing could ever give me problems.

Schoolwork was light, and I never felt the burden of anything greater than the occasional math test or French project.

However, always lingering in the back of my mind were my parents.

As time passed, month after month, through blurry phone calls and quiet conversations in the kitchen , I would hear more and more frequently that my home was not “enough”. At the beginning, I had no clue what they were talking about, but piece by piece, I realized that they were worried for my sake, and their conversations revolved around how my then home in Canada was not sufficient in creating an environment in which I could continue my studies

and provide for myself in the future. countless As the summer before my sev- hours of enth grade approached, my par- her life ents proudly declared that I would taking care be moving to Silicon Valley, the most of me and “technologically advanced” area in making sure the world. Over the summer, they that every single would enroll me into a private school test and grade that that was focused on sciences and I have is perfect; time maths. As the break ended, my days that she could have spent of quiet suburban life and exploring with her mother and siblings the woods with my friends were now in China, time that she could have replaced by a hectic buzz of constant spent on herself, all for my sake. And work and busy people on every cor- even the mere thought that I might fail ner. There was no empty space, no to grasp onto the opportunity that they grassy fields where I could clear my have lost so much to give me makes me mind. sick to my stomach. In my eyes, everyAlthough I never truly agreed with thing that they have lost to give me the my parents, some part of me un- life I have now is like water in the rice derstood their perspective. As cooker that is my environment, and this stereotypical Asian “tiger parents” water adds to the pressure that I feel. they will stop at nothing in order to I do not think I will ever be able to ensure that I have the perfect fu- truly adapt to life in California. With all ture, and my job, as the child, is to the academic stress that I have, I am make sure that all the pieces that pressured to succeed in all my classes they have set fall into place per- and extracurriculars. I am constantly refectly. Nothing comes before my minded of my parents and all that they education; no amount of money, have sacrificed, and the stress gets to enjoyment, or any sense of fam- me sometimes. ily is more importBut I can at least ant than it. Through look back on the WHEN I DON’T DO their lens, the songs metaphor of the rice WELL, I AM of my successes cooker, I can still REMINDED OF ALL MY are not composed think deeper than just MOTHER’S SACRIFICES of notes and clefs, the pressure that it TO BRING ME TO WHERE creates. but with an endless monotonous drone In the end, the rice I AM, THE JOB THAT of numbers and cooker is meant to SHE LEFT IN CHINA, AND percentages. In munourish.

Behind evTHE EDUCATION SHE sic, individual notes ery drop of water and COULDN’T COMPLETE IN are free to shine in a every touch of heat is ARTS AND WRITING beautiful symphony the promise of a bowl NORMAN CHOW whereas in my life, of rice. And my parany “note” below a ents have sacrificed 90 is a failure. so much for this promise. It all comes Tying into the mentality that my par- down to whether or not I grasp the opents have regarding my education is portunity that my parents have given the sacrifices that they have made for me and I as long as I persevere, I think me. Not even their own families and that I can survive the rice cooker home come before it, and they have made sacrifices that have had immense setbacks on themselves all for the sake of raising me and giving me opportunity. But what if I fail to seize it? Would everything that my parents lost in my sake go to waste? My mom had stopped her education in writing and business, said goodbye to her own family in China and has spent

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