Issue 2 - November 2024

California Bans Legacy and Donor Admissions

pg. 6

FEATURES Vivian Kao’s Journey With Pendred Sydrome

pg. 14

A deep-dive into the ways Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have utilized social media in their presidential campaigns

ISSUE 2, VOL 67 NOV. 2024

THE PROSPECTOR NEWS

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HAS REVOLUTIONIZED MODERN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

IN THIS ISSUE

news

California Bans Legacy and Donor Admissions...................................04 Phone Usage Bill .........................06

opinions

Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is Not Handled Well by Disney.....08 Is Dark Humor Getting Too Dark?.....

14: Vivian Kao

......................................................10

features

Lydia Liu ......................................12 Vivian Kao.....................................14

lifestyles

How Social Media Has Revolution-

investigations

Keep Your Cool: Carbon Emissions & HVAC Units.................................... 20 Hiring Process................................22

ized Modern Presidential Campaig

sports

ns................................................. 16

Arroyo............................................ 24

The Desensitizing Effect of News on Social Media................................ 18

Athlete of the Month: Jordan Fall Sports Recap.......................... 26 Sports Statistics ............................ 27

postscript

Prospectober.................................. 28 Nice to Eat With You....................... 30

Front Cover Designed by Shaona Das Back Cover Designed by Shaona Das

THE PROSPECTOR

STAFF 2024-2025

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Dear Reader,

editors-in-chief Benjamin Liu Joyce Lee Shaona Das news editor Brian Kuo opinions editor Alexander Liu features editor Amrita Brar lifestyles editor Noah Kang investigations editor Nikhil Krishnaswamy sports editor Victoria Hunt postscript editor Hailey Ryu copy editors Amrita Brar Hailey Ryu Nitya Dhulipala Victoria Hunt

online editors Alexander Liu Katie Kim Katie Mak Miya Widman Nikhil Krishnaswamy Nitya Dhulipala Noah Kang Scarlett Guy Yeechen Pang Zain Haseeb business manager Brian Kuo writers Aaron Luc, Angela Kim, Anshika Jain, Atrisa Rahgozar, Ashley Qi, Cathy Wu, Celine Zhang, Chloe Choe, Hannah Kim, Joe Zheng, Laura Chen, Madalina Zheng, Mason Lien, Nimrit Gandhi, Rebecca Wawda, Rosa Lee, Saba Sharifolnasabi

advisor Ann Shriver-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

What’s something you can’t live without? As the California air cools and winter approaches, our staffers have been contemplating this question, with diverse responses from strawberry matcha lattes to their loved ones. On page 28, their responses are displayed in The Prospector’s annual twist on Inktober.

Though we conclude this issue with lightheartedness and warmth, we also address more serious topics. On page 8, Nitya Dhulipala and Ashley Qi examine how Disney’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion detrimentally affects women of color. Extending beyond entertainment and into the depths of social media, Hannah Kim and Yeechen Pang investigate the fascinating twists that the modern digital sphere has brought to the Presidential campaigns on page 16.

As the busiest season of school approaches, we hope that Cupertino High School students’ stories of overcoming their personal challenges encourage you. Learn about senior Vivian Kao’s journey navigating her musical career with Pendred Syndrome in Benjamin Liu’s article on page 14, and sophomore Jordan Arroyo’s story playing soccer internationally in Amrita Brar’s article on page 24.

Finally, we close this issue on page 30 with our staffers’ heartwarming stories of sharing memories with their families over food. Whether picking apples to make pie with their siblings or celebrating anniversaries and birthdays over pavlova, our staffers hold many dishes true to their heart. We hope this issue allows you to reflect upon close ones around you as we navigate through personal challenges and wrap up our goals for 2024.

Cheers, Benjamin Liu, Shaona Das, Joyce Lee

NEWS

CALIFORNIA BANS LEGACY AND DONOR ADMISSIONS The new California law bans legacy and donor admissions preferences starting Class of 2026 SCARLETT GUY online editor

4 | DESIGNED BY BRIAN KUO

O

n Sept. 30, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1780. The bill completely prohibits legacy and donor biases in the admissions process for private and nonprofit institutions in California.

Legacy or donor admissions are the advantaged consideration of a prospective student to a college or university based on their relationship with a previous or current student or donor at said institution, a practice California is

“

IN CALIFORNIA, EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET AHEAD THROUGH MERIT, SKILL, AND HARD WORK.

”

GAVIN NEWSOM

slowly trying to abolish.

The AB-1780 order follows in the footsteps of one of California’s public university admissions systems, the University of California system, which has limited legacy admissions since 1998.

The prohibition on legacy and donor admissions will fall into effect in Sept. 2025, affecting the class of 2026.

With Newsoms’ signature of the bill, California is the fifth state to enact legislation against giving advantages to relatives of alumni or donors, and is also the second state to do so for private institu-

“

HARD WORK, GOOD GRADES AND A WELL-ROUNDED BACKGROUND SHOULD EARN YOU A SPOT IN THE INCOMING CLASS — NOT THE SIZE OF THE CHECK YOUR FAMILY CAN WRITE OR WHO YOU’RE RELATED TO,

PHIL TING

sions to annually report its compliance or violation of the bill to the Legislature and the California Department of Justice. If in violation, the institution must also report the number of students receiving a legacy or donor “boost” and the racial, geographic or financial diversity of the admitted students.

Although California representatives had ambitious intentions when banning private colleges and universities from favoring the relatives of alumni and donors in the admissions process, according to Carolyn Jones of CalMatters, president of the Western Association for College

NEWS | 5

tions.

“In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement released to the public. “The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly.”

Assembly member and curator of the AB-1780 bill Phil Ting, curated the bill based on the Varsity Blues scandal that occurred in 2019, in which wealthy parents bribed admissions officers to get their children into top institutions.

“Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class — not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to,” Ting said.

The bill requires institutions that violate the ban on legacy and donor admis-

”

Admissions Counseling Julio Mata believes the ban will not make much of a difference.

“It’s not going to have as big an impact as people think it will,” Mata said.

“It’s more symbolic. It might open up a few spots for regular students, but it won’t completely change the landscape.”

The ban on legacy and donor admissions is not a surefire way to eliminate biases due to the fact that some institutions might be willing to risk a lawsuit or lose state-provided financial aid to admit whomever they want. For some institutions, legacy admissions are a crucial part of their fundraising efforts, and these schools might not want to risk losing top donors.

“Even controlling for levels of academic achievement or test scores, students from wealthy families are dramatically overrepresented in the student bodies of elite universities, and there are myriad ways in which the admissions processes are tilted in favor of the already advantaged,” said Rick Banks, a professor in law at Stanford University, in an interview with Sharon Driscoll, one of Banks’ coworkers.

Ultimately, while legacy admissions can foster a sense of tradition and offer fundraising opportunities for colleges and universities, the growing need for equity raises critical questions surrounding the future of meritocracy in higher education

S C H O O L P H O N E U S A G E 6 | THE PROSPECTOR

B I L L All school districts must create policies for restricting phone usage at school

ANGELA KIM

C writer

“

I THINK [THE PHONE BILL] IS IN ITS INFANCY AT THIS POINT, AND WE’LL SEE WHAT COMES OF IT.

”

GEORGE BECHARA

ety, depression and cyberbullying among students.

“What I’d really like to limit is social media use, because I think social media is kind of dangerous.

I think we’ve all started to understand the dangers of people engaging in it at all, really, but certainly too much,” Schloss said.

The board will adopt detailed implementation instructions for this policy within the next school year.

Said Bechara “I think it’s in its infancy at this point, and we’ll see what comes of it.”

support their specific classroom environment and instructional goals for their students.

1:12 “Right now, teachers are developing those policies and we’re supporting them as they implement them,” Clark said.

As a former teacher, George Bechara, one of Cupertino High School’s Assistant Principals, has observed cell phones diverting students during class.

“I was really wary and worried about cell Currently, there are phone usage in the classroom because in NO PLANS for Cumy mind, it was dispertino High School tracting them. It was breaking flow,” Beto implement a policy chara said. restricting phone usAdditionally, constant exposure to soage. cial media has been linked to severely increased levels of anxi-

CUPERTINO POLICY

NEWS | 7

alifornia Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed the Phone-Free School Act, mandating that all public schools in the state establish policies either limiting or banning the use of smartphones

by July 1, 2026.

The Phone-Free School Act specifies that by 2026, school districts will have the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours. The decision to limit phone usage in schools is not only a disciplinary move, but an active step towards creating an environment where students can focus better, engage and develop a stronger skill set of crucial social and academic skills.

Though this policy is relatively new, the Fremont Union High School District will focus on managing phone usage during school hours instead of fully restricting it.

Cell phones and devices are often required for students to meet course requirements, so completely banning cell phone usage would create a barrier for students to succeed during class.

“We’re what we call a one-toone district. Every student is expected to bring a device to school for their class so they can log into Schoology and get their assignments and even turn in their assignments,” FUHSD Superintendent Graham Clark said.

While studies suggest that cell phones are generally less effective as learning tools in the classroom, they can still serve as valuable resources when used appropriately.

“Some teachers like to have kids use it for things like Quizlet or Kahoot which is amazing, and you can do all of that from your device,” Cupertino High School Prin-

cipal Bill Schloss said.

Implementing this policy will ultimately depend on each teacher’s discretion within their classrooms.

Teachers will be able to decide how best to manage phone use to

OPINIONS

I

SNEY

How Disney’s faulty approach to diversity results in more hate towards women of color NITYA DHULIPALA, ASHLEY QI in-depth editor | writer

8 | DESIGNED BY ALEXANDER LIU

S

he had waited her whole life to see it. Finally, there existed a girl who looked like her on the big screen, playing the role of the hero who had depth and passions beyond those of a sidekick. She held her head up higher at the thought and was giddy with excitement. Unfortunately, the internet reacted with something else: hate.

Placing women of color in iconic roles may seem like a step toward progress to diversity in films, but it causes more harm than good for actresses who are women of color, and only scratches the surface of what genuine representation could be. Disney, in particular, has faced heavy criticism for its approach of repeatedly casting women of color in roles traditionally portrayed by white characters. This practice, framed as an attempt to make the films more inclusive, often leaves the actresses in these roles facing the brunt of the public’s racism.

In recent years, efforts to include more diversity in its films have been met with mixed reactions. While some view Disney’s attempts to be more inclusive as a positive step toward representation, others argue that the approach feels “lazy” and surface-level. This strategy of plac-

ing women of color in roles of orig- series and an executive producer inally white characters has led to of the show, to address stereotypes accusations that Disney is more surrounding black women. Despite concerned with appearing diverse an extensive casting process with than actually having authentic rep- thousands of auditions, some still resentation that thoughtfully por- questioned if Jeffries was the right trays underrepresented stories person for the role, and claimed with more than company image in that she was only picked for dimind. This superficial approach to versity purposes. However, Riordiversity frustrates those who want dan defended the choice, praising Jeffries’ skill as an meaningful representaactor and fit for the tion on their role. “She will be screens. a role model for Addinew generations t i o n a l l y, YOU ARE JUDGING of girls who will when inHER SUITABILITY FOR see in her the kind clusivity THE ROLE SOLELY ON of hero they want to initiatives HER APPEARANCE[...] be,” Riordan said. are not exFRIENDS, THAT IS RACRiordan also refutecuted well, ISM. ed claims that believed specific audiRICK RIORDAN that objecting to Jeffries’ ences are quick casting was not due to to complain racism. “Some of you about “forced feel offended or frustrated when diversity.” This reaction was seen when Leah Sava Jeffries, your objections are called racist,” a black actress, was cast as An- Riordan said. “‘But I am not racist,’ nabeth Chase, an originally white you say. ‘It’s not racist to want an character, in Disney’s “Percy Jack- actor true to the book’s descripson and the Olympians” television tion!’ You are judging her suitability series. Though many criticized for the role solely on her appearthe choice because Annabeth ance. She is a Black girl playing was originally written to combat someone described as white in the the “dumb blonde” stereotype books. Friends, that is racism.”

However, this level of defense frequently seen in media, others pointed out that Jeffries’ casting shown towards actresses facing opened new possibilities for Rick this animosity is uncommon. DisRiordan, the author of the “Percy ney, as a corporation, frequentJackson and the Olympians” book ly leaves women of color to face

“

”

public often leads to white skin being a default for characters. The true flaw in Disney’s approach to DEI goes deeper than surface-level diversity. Disney is more than capable of creating original stories written from unique perspectives, but instead, they take the easy way out by simply replacing the races of their characters. Diversity is crucial not just because actors of color deserve a role on the big screen, but also because viewers deserve to see works that are written with people of color in mind. This is not to understate the importance of visual representation, however. Rather, this critique highlights how Disney needs to be held to higher standards of inclusion.

By casting women of color in these roles without consideration, the opportunity to create original characters with storylines that highlight diverse traditions and histories is lost, and the diversity is instead added in a way that does not truly celebrate different identi-

ties. When DEI is done correctly, it opens doors and acts as an inspiration for millions across the globe. The hit musical “Hamilton” is an example of a cast that was selected thoughtfully and with a true concern for representation.

People of color were cast to portray originally white people’s experiences as a way of reclaiming the story of racism at the time.

Though the history was centered around white people, the media itself was meant for people of color through its diverse casting and use of music styles like hip-hop. Hamilton’s release was groundbreaking, and its casting received overwhelmingly positive reactions. By contrast, Disney’s current approach only leads to backlash towards women of color. The company makes no effort to incorporate any unique perspectives as it entirely relies on replacing one character’s race for another. Holding Disney to higher standards of diversity is the only way to ensure people of color receive the representation they deserve

OPINIONS | 9

the brunt of public backlash. One example of this was with African American actress Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel in the 2023 live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid”. Many people had grown up with a specific vision of Ariel, but Bailey’s appearance did not align with their expectations.

Despite support from some, the overall backlash Bailey faced was severe and rooted in deep racism.

Freeform, a small television network under Disney, was the only branch of the massive corporation to publicly speak out in support of Bailey — and even this was not done through an official statement.

Disney’s so-called Diversity Equity and Inclusion methods have consistently only put actresses in vulnerable positions under the public eye and led to more racism towards women of color in the entertainment industry.

Defenders of Disney’s casting choices argue that in many movies where Disney is making race swaps, the character’s race is not an essential component of the story. There is truth to this viewpoint — internalized racism within the

IS DARK HUMOR GETTING NIMRIT GANDHI, MADALINA ZHENG writers

“

It’s just dark humor, you wouldn’t get it.” These words seep through phone screens, feebly attempting to excuse the damaging words said. This type of humor comes with subjective appeal — what some simply consider a lighthearted joke may be extremely offensive to others.

The term “dark humor” is no stranger to peoples’ vocabulary.

In a recent survey conducted with 20 students in Cupertino High School, 75% reported using dark humor often or very often. This genre of comedy centers around finding humor in dire situations jesting at dark and serious topics with sarcasm.

The popular board game “Monopoly” is a historical example of utilizing dark humor A LOT OF TIMES to cope with PEOPLE DON’T WANT a difficult sitTO CRY, [...] [SO DARK uation. This of the Great HUMOR] KIND OF LIGHTgame revolvDepression ing around ENS THE MOOD. contrasted money was against the GREG MERRICK born during lavish gamethe Great Deplay of Monoppression, a period oly, making this of unemployment and board game such a hit. financial struggle. Since the Freshman literature teacher game was centered around buyGreg Merrick believes that the ing properties and breaking out of widespread popularity of dark jail, people interpreted Monopoly comedy is due to its usage as a as a hilarious way to criticize the coping mechanism. corrupt government at the time.

Said Merrick, “A lot of times The gloomy economic situation people don’t want to cry, [...] [so

“

10 | THE PROSPECTOR

TOO

DARK?

”

dark humor] kind of lightens the mood. And I think [...] as human beings, it can serve as a form of catharsis, or a release. Being sad indefinitely is really hard, so having the opportunity to laugh is a form of release that allows you to rebalance things.”

Although dark humor is commonly used as an effective coping mechanism, people may overly rely on this fake happiness to guide them through challenging situations. Laughter is known as the “universal language,” but such

“

”

a full understanding of, with the idea that, ‘Oh, that looks funny,’ but you don’t have any context for why it’s funny, and so therefore to keep propagating stuff without that context is irresponsible,” Conrad said.

Merrick proposed a solution to insensitivity when using dark humor.

Said Merrick, “It’s perspective taking [that] gets people to think about changing their behavior. It’s putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, especially if their identity differs from yours.”

Due to the way this type of humor surrounds dark topics including death, racism or sexual assault, it often crosses a line when people make insensitive remarks with little context about serious topics.

The increased usage of derogatory terms without understanding the impact of them is becoming a large issue. Being mindful of the hurtful remarks that are being projected into the world and finding other ways to overcome challenges is essential to creating an emotionally healthy environment, both digitally and in person

OPINIONS | 11

ultimately resulting in a lack of understanding and relatability when it comes to humor.

Said director of Cupertino’s theater arts department and English teacher Arcadia Conrad, “I a sense of relatfeel like there’s a standard for huability isn’t always present in dark mor in a collective community like humor. a school, where dark humor would In addition, the overuse of dark be humor that makes fun of those humor as “just a joke” can become who can’t really defend themselves, an excuse for bullying and hurtor it espouses a worldview that’s ing others. Merrick has noticed particularly hopeless and doesn’t how some use dark comedy inapallow for the possibility of levity or propriately, and he draws the line an acknowledgment of the fact that between when it all human beings is acceptable are connectand unaced.” ceptable to YOU DON’T HAVE ANY In the use.

CONTEXT FOR WHY IT’S same study, “ W h e n FUNNY, AND SO TO KEEP 85% of stuyou are one PROPAGATING STUFF dents have of the people WITHOUT THAT CONTEXT noticed the impacted by IS IRRESPONSIBLE. presence the tragedy or of offensive [you] clearly ARCADIA CONRAD language have empathy in social for those who media often are experiencand extremely ing difficult times, then it’s a often. The abundance of derogalittle bit more appropriate,” Merrick tory language in these platforms said. “[When] it’s taking other peocan desensitize the audience to ple’s pain and making light of it, I slurs, which makes people subthink that’s definitely when it’s inapconsciously normalize offensive propriate.” vocabulary.

Dark humor tends to use jokes Conrad also points out the lack about suffering in an insensitive of context that many people have manner, primarily based on formwhen making remarks involving ing relatable connections through dark comedy, which is often infludifficult situations. However, it enced by online internet platforms. can quickly become derogatory “Internet platforms, what you if used improperly. Regardless of would call the dark web — this intent, the usage of degrading hukind of thing started out with the mor often fails to form meaningful idea that there’s free speech, right? connections. Due to the subjec[...] there’s this idea that you’re reptiveness of humor, peoples’ defilicating ideas that you don’t have nitions of comedy may contradict,

FEATURES

Senior and aspiring artist Lydia Liu shares her journey of developing a passion for art AARON LUC writer

12 | DESIGNED BY AMRITA BRAR

artwork designed by lydia f. liu

A

s students walk through the Wagon Wheel doors into the gym for a Friday rally, they are immediately surrounded by screaming student sections decked out in class colors, performing groups reviewing routines last minute and best of all, beautiful posters and decorations ornating the gym.

For years, senior Lydia Liu’s designs have adorned the school in the form of posters, murals and apparel. To many, art may just be a hobby, but for Liu, it has been a way of life for as long as she can remember. Now at 17, with over a decade of experience under her belt, she continues to explore different artistic styles, themes and mediums.

Liu’s journey began with simple drawings as an elementary schooler — even at a young age, she was confident in her work and knew she wanted to continue pursuing art.

Said Liu, “When you’re a good artist, especially when you’re younger, your peers and people around you really notice.”

Despite her initial enthusiasm

and the recognition she received from her peers, Liu soon faced challenges when she decided to enroll in art lessons, finding them to be expensive and unhelpful.

“I continued without the lessons, did a lot of online lectures, used a lot of YouTube videos and

“

I HOPE THAT [PEOPLE] RESPECT THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT BEING PUT IN, BECAUSE ART IS JUST EVERYWHERE AROUND US.

LYDIA LIU

”

I really believed in self-teaching,” Liu said.

Liu believes that artistic freedom is key to success.

“A lot of the time, people are not getting better because they’re just attending these art classes and they’re learning the very basic skills, but they can’t draw what they want to draw and really put their ideas out there,” Liu said.

Liu believes art is more than just painting and drawing

— it is an expression of creativity.

This has led her to fine tuning her skills in more than 10 different artistic mediums, including oil, acrylic, charcoal, ink and graphite. Although she excels at all of these, her favorite medium is digital art.

“I really enjoy digital art because it’s so new, and there’s so much more you can do with it than, say, painting,” Liu said. “I try to be really well versed. I grew up doing traditional [art] but I don’t want to limit myself to just that.”

Her artwork has gained recognition both locally and nationally.

She is on the Associated Student Body’s art commission, president of the Cupertino Art Club and co-president of Cupertino’s graphic design club, Tino GraphiX. On the national level, Liu has earned numerous awards in several competitions, including the Scholastic Art and Writing competition. Her works have earned the National Scholastic Art Gold Medal, Bay Area Region Gold Key and Bay Area Region Honorable Mention.

The piece she submitted to Scholastic, titled “Roots,” pictured in the center of the background image, is her personal favorite.

“That [is a] piece I made my

direction, as she also hopes to minor in business marketing or a form of management.

“That way I can work as a project lead rather than the actual producer. Essentially, combining my two biggest passions, art and leadership,” Liu said.

In addition to pursuing art as a career, Liu also simply enjoys it as an activity that helps clear her mind.

“It’s not always about comparing your art to the people who actually do it for a living or the people who do it as a major because those are just two very separate worlds.

Do art as [something] relaxing on the side and as a creative outlet,” Liu said, offering advice to those who hope to start creating their own art.

“I totally get if people walk by a mural and they don’t really stop to look at it because it’s just something they’re used to,” Liu said. However, Liu hopes for more people to incorporate art into their lives and notice artistic details within the world.

Said Liu, “I hope that [people] respect the amount of effort being put in, because art is just everywhere around us.”

FEATURES | 13

sophomore year, and it was initially created as a marker of how much I had developed up until sophomore year. I used all the techniques I knew, I used as much detail cramming into it and all the thematic message stuff we learned in AP art,” Liu said.

But to Liu, this was never enough — she always sought improvement, continuously pushing herself to surpass each milestone.

Said Liu, “I tried to have that be the epitome of my sophomore achievements, and then the next year I wanted to top that and the year after that and so on.”

Her favorite experience with art was attending a five-week summer program at the Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD, she worked on projects that were exhibited in a gallery at the end of the program. This experience shifted how she perceived her own art as she saw others admire her work.

Said Liu, “Seeing other people take pictures of my art was really fascinating, because to me, it’s just something I created, but to others, they get to explore what artistic message I was trying to put out there.”

Liu plans to pursue art school by majoring in painting and illustration, but not purely in one linear

vI v IA N

Exploring how senior and award-winning pianist Vivian Kao navigates both her hearing loss and her love for creating music BENJAMIN LIU editor-in-chief

14 | THE PROSPECTOR

D

espite being born with Pendred syndrome, a genetic condition that causes hearing loss, Vivian Kao’s empathy and unrelenting passion for music empowered her to overcome obstacles and raise awareness for others who have hearing loss.

Growing up in a family that valued creativity and art, Kao began playing piano when she was five. However, it was an expressive performance by Seong-Jin Cho, the winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, that truly sparked her passion for piano. Over a decade of honing her music skills later, she has accumulated numerous prestigious music awards, including becoming a 2024 Classical Music winner in the National YoungArts Competition. Kao’s passion for music goes beyond the piano, as she

dedicates time every morning to experimenting with the cello, which she started learning when she was 10.

Severe to profound bilateral hearing loss might be the last thing one would expect from a person so masterful at a skill that demands keen listening. However, when Kao was three, she was diagnosed with Pendred syndrome, a condition that caused Kao to lose around 90% of her hearing.

The syndrome is associated with a mutation in the SLC26A4 gene, which provides synthesis i n -

structions for the protein Pendrin.

“Without my hearing

aid, it’s completely silent. Even with my hearing aid, I’m only able to hear about 70% of what you are able to hear,” Kao said.

Kao used the analogy of a camera to explain the limited efficacy of her hearing aids, which have caused her to experience occasional hearing challenges, especially when adjusting to places with different noise levels.

“It’s like when you take a picture with your phone, right? It’s not going to be perfectly clear,” Kao said. “Because there’s going to be limitations in what

technology can do, there’s going to be limitations in what kind of sound hearing aids can process.”

Kao is eligible for a cochlear implant, a small electronic device

k O A N “

date Shaylyn the University ginia, Kao researched the causes, effects and viable treatment therapies of Pendred syndrome. Her findings are published on her website, thependredreview. com,

I’M HOPING THAT MY EXPERIENCES WITH MUSIC CAN POTENTIALLY INSPIRE OTHERS AND LET OTHERS KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD DO WHATEVER THEY FEEL COMPELLED TO DO.

VIVIAN KAO

which elaborates on her hearing loss diagnosis, condition and treatment. Furthermore, through S o n i c Scholars, Kao fundraised $2,500 for Haman Elementary, a school she attended that supports kids with hearing loss.

In the future, Kao hopes to

continue both her passion for music and supporting people with hearing loss by attending a dual-degree college program for both music and a different field of study.

Kao is interested in combining artificial intelligence with stem cell therapy, specifically to regenerate cells affected by hearing loss.

“I feel like hearing aids are outdated. We can do something better than hearing aids [to help with hearing loss],” Kao said.

Ultimately, Kao’s journey and success with music have broken stereotypes surrounding people with hearing disabilities, as she defied everyone who believed her condition made her incapable of being a musician. “A lot of music teachers refused to teach me initially because they thought that I wasn’t going to be able to learn music,” Kao said.

“For me, I really want to let other kids know that they shouldn’t be defined by public perception,” Kao said. “I’m hoping that my experiences with music can potentially inspire others and let others know that they should do whatever they feel compelled to do.”

FEATURES | 15

oped a strategy to mimic the adrenaline rush from performing — running before each practice to imitate the feeling of playing with an elevated heartbeat.

Aside from adapting to hearing loss while playing piano, Kao is curious and passionate about helping others with her condition, leading her to conduct independent research as well as start a nonprofit organization, Sonic Scholars, to support those with hearing loss. Using PubMed, an online database for biomedical and life sciences research, and mentorship from cell biology PhD

candiClancy at of Vir-

“

that assists people with hearing loss. However, she declined this treatment due to its distorting effect on her perception of music.

To assist her piano playing, Kao pays close attention to the vibrations emitted from each musical note and correlates body movements with different sounds. Furthermore, Kao devel-

LIFESTYLES

HANNAH KIM, YEECHEN PANG writer | online editor

I

n the age where a tweet can shape a campaign and a viral meme can sway the election, social media has become politicians’ new favorite high-stakes battleground. For presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, they turn to the digital world, seeking the attention of younger voters on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. Most notably, online celebrity endorsements have recently become powerful tools for candidates seeking to boost support.

For instance, British pop star Charli XCX has publicly endorsed Vice President Harris, the Democratic candidate, linking her to her popular album “Brat” by posting “kam a l a I S

into her campaign by participating in social media trends using the songs from this album. The unique lime green color of the album cover makes it easy for fans to immediately associate it with the album and Harris.

Similarly, former President Donald Trump has also embraced social media platforms. Trump provides frequent updates of his political opinions through X, formerly known as Twitter, which has since become a trademark of the former president. His X account is significant for garnering support, as he has gained a following of over 91 million users. Trump has also been appearing on Twitch with popular streamers like Adin Ross, live-streaming their discussions while featuring popular TikTokers like Bryson

16 | DESIGNED BY NOAH KANG

Like for Harris, Co How Social Media Modern Preside

brat,” on X. The presidential candidate quickly embraced the opportunity to go viral by sporting a vibrant lime green photo on her twitter header in reference to the brat album cover. The “Brat” album promotes the message of embracing imperfections and female power.

Harris adapted this message

H a l l and The N E L K Boys onstage at a Las Vegas presidential rally. Their appearance created a moment that energized the younger audience, making it feel more like a live-streamed event than a typical political rally.

The event, having gone viral, captured widespread attention across the country.

As the presidential candidates shift their campaigns to social media, it becomes vital for all audience members to be aware of the potential ramifications. Social media has a tendency to polarize

groups of people and escalate situations, as controversial takes are often the most likely to be viral. Both Trump and Harris should recognize the double-edged sword that is social media and refrain from weaponizing it. Just as the positive actions of these presidential candidates can gain significant traction on social media, amplifying their message, the negative actions and messages can spread even more quickly and can leave detrimental effects.

Due the the nature of social media, content can be easily taken out of context and edited to to seem a certain way, which often leads to misunderstandings. Misinformation and propaganda have always been common problems in digital spaces, and both the Democratic and

ponents online. During this year’s current election process, Trump on his own social media platform, Truth Social, reposted an inappropriate remark of Harris and Hilary Clinton, Trump’s opponent in the 2016 presidential election, suggesting that Harris used sexual favors to help her political career. Trump’s controversial use of social media has caused voters to turn against him. A study from Princeton University found survey data during the 2016 and 2020 election that suggests that Trump’s content on Twitter may have swayed moderate voters to cast their ballots

to evolve, making it essential for candidates to master communication strategies online

mment for Trump: Has Revolutionized ntial Campaigns

LIFESTYLES | 17

Republican parties have been accused of pushing false narratives to increase their support.

For Harris, social media also has brought downsides to her campaign. Her main marketing platform, Kamala HQ, while going viral with their edits of Harris and memes of Trump has also received hate for misleading captions and edits. The account clipped videos and inaccurately captioned videos attacking Trump on multiple occasions. Trump also has a history of making insults about op-

against him.

Social media continues to reshape the political landscape, so the way presidential candidates convey their personas has become increasingly important in shaping the public’s opinion. A polished online persona can increase the feeling of credibility and reliability, while a poorly established digital platform can decrease feelings of trust. As voters become increasingly aware of the importance of these platforms, political campaigns will continue

hours on social media every day accrolling on TikTok, the vid- cording to a survey eos that pop up on one’s by Gallup. Roughly algorithm may show gory 83% of U.S. adults movie ads, the aftermath of Hurri- report using Youcane Helene or videos discussing tube, 68% on Facea murder case. Doomscrolling — book, 47% on Insthe constant use of social media tagram and 33% on to consume sad or negative news TikTok as of Septem— is a phenomenon that many ber 2023, accordteenagers experience. ing to a study by With the modernization of so- Pew Research Cenciety, social media is prevalent in ter. our daily lives, whether it be for With a large numentertainment purposes, to stay ber of the American connected with loved ones or to population becomstay up to date on current trends. ing increasingly acThere is a plethora of content that tive on social media, keeps users engaged on these they are exposed to platforms from funny, lightheart- sensitive topics more ed trends to informational videos frequently such as about almost any topic. However, coverage on recent some of the content posted on so- wars or clips of pocial media is normalizing insensi- lice brutality. This tive topics. causes teenagers According to a 2023 survey and adults alike to conducted by the United States normalize and beSurgeon General’s Advisory, 95% come desensitized of those aged 13-17 are on social from violence and media, and over 30% of those real-life tragedies are active constantly. because of the overTeens also spend consumption of news an average from social media. of 4.8 The rise of social media comes with more people consuming news from easily accessible platNO .2 forms. According to a 2024

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18 | THE PROSPECTOR

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NE ON SO cater towards more audiences, news outlets such as the New York Times or USA Today have also started to create content on these platforms, creating videos headlining their most violent, tragic and rather eye-catching news articles.

With the surge of breaking news and tragic events happening around the globe, news outlets and content creators take to social media to inform or discuss these events, creating more exposure.

Though it is beneficial that audiences are informed of what is going on in the world, the constant bombardment of news simply does not bother people as much as before.

DESENSITIZING CT OF

WS CIAL MEDIA response — is a natural mechanism that occurs when people over consume a certain type of content, specifically negative news. According to Sustain Recovery, the frequent exposure of violence can lead to a lack of empathy within teens, as they ignore the feelings of those affected by violence because they do not want to interact or associate themselves with such content.

Said psychologist Susan Albers in an article, “In [the doomscrolling] scenario, your brain continues to loop around on a particular topic, similar to endless scrolling. The behavior isn’t really about finding news; it’s about try-

ing to reduce your anxiety.”

Although many audiences can consume news through social media and are able to stay up to date, the information they consume may lead to desensitization as mentioned and bad habits like doomscrolling.

The presence of social media in the lives of teenagers and adults alike will continue to grow.

However, consumers need to be careful in how they are engaging and responding to both positive and negative content seen on social media so that future generations do not lose their humanity

LIFESTYLES | 19

Not only is news exaggerated on social media, users also tend to create memes or jokes out of real-life tragedies, an example being the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Even though this type of content is not explicitly exposing people to unfortunate news, posts about similar events are becoming more prevalent online. One Twitter user joked about this attack, referencing the “pink” flames that arose from the twin towers as those similar to a gender reveal party. This causes teens to be exposed to these events, contributing to the normalization of insensitive topics.

Desensitization — the process that diminishes a certain emotional

INVESTIGATIONS

CATHY WU writer

20 | DESINGED BY NIKHIL KRISHNASWAMY

P

icture sitting in class on a chilly day — the door is wide open, students are struggling to pay attention in the frigid temperature, and the air conditioning is blasting on full power. Despite faculty members finding it a waste of resources, this is somehow a recurrence in multiple classrooms.

At Cupertino High School, protocols intended to monitor the usage of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, have a clear influence on carbon emissions generated within Fremont Union High School District. It is hard to define the exact barriers that prevent these disclosures from being altered, and district authorities struggle to devise viable solutions to address the issue.

According to FUHSD’s energy consumption dashboard, HVAC accounted for 42% of the district’s overall carbon footprint in 2023.

One of the main issues concerning HVAC regulations at CHS is the impracticality behind operating systems that control the units.

According to Head Facility Manager Josh Kiernan, the ventilation system on Cupertino’s campus

operates on schedules, just as it does on all other sites in the district.

Said Kiernan, “The system is scheduled to come on before the spaces are occupied and run as needed throughout the day until school is out [...] we need consistent airflow in all spaces while the room is occupied.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these protocols were altered based on information that frequently fluctuated due to standardized requirements. Kiernan noted that even with declining concerns regarding COVID-19, systems are required to be set up in a way that allows all space to be supplied with circulating air.

“Not everyone has the same feeling when it comes to [these decisions], and they are entitled to that. We have to take into consideration everyone’s views and concerns and make a decision that not only keeps everyone safe but makes them feel comfortable in the space they occupy,” Kiernan said.

Andrew Goldenkranz, one of the two faculty co-leads of the district Climate Collective, expressed that many issues consti-

28.6% “No” 71.4% “Yes” INVESTIGATIONS | 21

fore it is further exacerbated. “[Teachers] are never seeing the data. Why should it be their problem to solve? [...] They don’t really feel like it’s their risk, they don’t have any skin in the game,” Goldenkranz said. “If we had it where there was a real incentive for them [to acknowledge and act upon the issue], then that would generally get better action.”

Although this has not been cleared by the district, Goldenkranz suggested that if changes made on campus resulted in cost savings, and the accounted money could be returned to the sites, teachers would have an incentive to participate.

As district administrators continue to implement measures to mitigate schools’ impacts on the environment, it is important for authorities to consider the nuances that go into those impacts, including those regarding HVAC usage and other contributing factors.

Acknowledging these details ensures that future policies will be implemented to combat the issue, and allows the district to continue promoting sustainable practices throughout the district

Students answered: Do you think our school’s admin should change policies related to CHS’s AC usage?

tuting excessive HVAC usage can be attributed to the design of the units. The systems are centrally controlled, allowing for the output of these units to be influenced by several external factors. “It’s a passive system, so if the thermostat happens to be by a window or in a drafty spot, it’s gonna register false, and that air-conditioning is going to be blowing constantly,” said Goldenkranz.

As site leader, Goldenkranz has received reports of HVAC running throughout the duration of summer break, and has been told that the systems cannot be manipulated manually. He noted that although the protocols are not inherently harmful, they execute poorly in several underlying aspects.

Teachers have limited flexibility in adjusting settings, and it is common for the systems to be left running while interior doors are open, reducing operating efficiency and depleting energy resources.

Leaders of the Climate Collective have been proposing viable solutions to reduce energy consumption across all FUHSD facilities. For instance, Goldenkranz advised incentivizing teachers to be more attentive to the cause be-

22 | THE PROSPECTOR

MIYA WIDMAN, CHLOE CHOE spotlight editor | writer

T

c a n and are brought to the attention of the administration who works with those staff members to help determine what the issues are and how to support them.”

Said Giglio, “Each position has different qualifications that are required or experience that is helpful so that is the first thing to check, then we look at who this new hire works with? Work for? Support? So depending on those answers it might influence what skills, experiences, and personality traits are important.”

When hiring, FUHSD always checks for certain certifications, authorizations, experience and soft skills.

“Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to improving student learning for all students, flexible in their thinking and approach to education, willingness to learn and be reflective,” Giglio said.

One of the notable changes implemented in the hiring process is the fingerprinting system. In the past, applicants were

expected to upload their own biometric data, while the latest system requires the applicants to complete the process on-site during interviews. The fingerprint information remains on file, and any criminal activity during e m ploym e n t triggers notifications to the system.

Said newly hired pre-calculus teacher Alexander Hsieh, “My interview was done with the principal as well as one of the assistant principals, and one of the staff members from the math department, where they asked me a set of questions, which I learned were actually district-wide. The process overall was pretty smooth.”

Hsieh said that the process for his former school in Southern California had a similar process.

While the hiring process is extremely important, it is crucial to recognize that even a rigorous recruitment process may overlook certain aspects of a candidate.

Said Bechara, “Things could still be happening, or things could happen after somebody gets hired that you could not have predicted before. And that is one of those things that you never know 100%. But the hope is everybody’s gone through the screenings and been vetted and references checked and all that to make sure that they’re the best fit for the position.”

INVESTIGATIONS | 23

eachers are expected to serve as good role models for their students. Recently, discussions regarding the specifics of Cuperino’s hiring process have sparked within the community. This prompts an important question — is the current hiring process of Tino thorough enough, or do further precautionary measures need to be taken?

Candidates who apply for a staff position at CHS are required to submit legal documents and complete the registration process through EdJoin, which is a commonly used job board platform all across schools in California. A few of the minimum requirements a classroom teacher is expected to satisfy include completion of California’s teaching credentials and possession of a bachelor’s degree.

Once their application is submitted, potential interviewees are selected according to how well they meet the specific position’s requirements.

“Everybody, regardless of the position, coach, teacher, even administrator. Everybody has to apply through what we call EdJoin, and those applications are confidential once they’re received to the people that are on the panels, and then the interview process will vary based on position,” Assistant Principal George Bechara said.

Interview questions are often scenario-based, assessing the

candidate’s response to specific situations.

“All new hires are under an evaluation process to determine their skills on the job, and all staff are evaluated and reviewed at some point,” said FUHSD Director of Human Resources Greg Giglio.

“Individual concerns and issues

SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Exploring Arroyo’s journey playing soccer in Germany and his hopes of playing professionally

24 | DESIGNED BY VICTORIA HUNT

JOR DAN ARR OYO

A

ence, being away from home for months was a difficult adjustment for Arroyo.

“I was living by myself in my own apartment with no parents and no real adult supervision over me [...],” said Arroyo.

“Just the year before that, I was an eighth grader living at home. But [living abroad] I was expected to make my own food, do chores around the house and all that [...] by myself just at the young age of 14.”

As a teenager navigating life in a different country, Ar-

royo faced numerous obstacles.

Said Arroyo, “I was finding the balance of a life outside of soccer. Here, I’m getting to know my friends and just living a normal school life, but over there, my life just revolved around soccer.”

Maintaining relationships from home was another challenge for the young athlete. “It was definitely harder because you don’t see some of your friends or your parents all the time anymore but it’s just about reaching out to people and making that extra effort to keep in touch,” Arroyo said.

Despite these hurdles, Arroyo holds fond memories from his time abroad.

“Spending time with my teammates, I got to experience a lot of different cultures and beliefs [by] being around so many different people from all around the world,” Arroyo said. “Just by playing with them, I became like a family with my team over there because we were so close living together.”

Although Arroyo moved back to Cupertino this past May, soccer remains a prominent part

of his life. He spends five days a week on the field — practicing twice a day — and plays under the Major League Soccer Next program. Arroyo is open to playing abroad once again in the future if the opportunity presents itself, and he aims to continue playing soccer after high school

“

PLAYING ABROAD WAS A PRETTY BIG HONOR AND I GOT TO MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE, I HAD A LOT OF PLAYERS ON MY TEAM FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD [LIKE] NIGERIA, EGYPT, RWANDA [AND] ALL AROUND EUROPE, AND IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

”

JORDAN ARROYO

as a Division 1 collegiate athlete in order to eventually enter the professional leagues.

“I feel like the end goal for me has always been to make it pro,” Arroyo said. “That’s always been a dream of mine since I was little.”

SPORTS | 25

AMRITA BRAR features editor fter spending nearly one year training abroad in Germany, soccer player Jordan Arroyo has returned to Cupertino High School to kick off his sophomore year. 15-year-old Arroyo has been playing soccer for most of his life, beginning at the age of six.

“I [initially] started just to have fun. I always loved playing soccer [...],” Arroyo said. “I always watched it with my parents or siblings and it was always just something I enjoyed.”

Arroyo discovered the chance to play internationally in 2023 through the Fußball-Club Bayern München International Youth Program on social media.

“So I saw this program that was wanting players and they just said ‘Send in your highlight reel,’” said Arroyo. “I just sent it in, thinking not much of it, but I got an email back figuring out that I got the opportunity to move abroad.”

A few months later, in September 2023, he relocated to the FC Bayern campus in Germany’s capital city of Munich, where he lived and trained for the next nine months. Arroyo played as a midfielder on the Under 17 Global Academy team as the youngest player.

“I think [playing internationally] had a lot of positive effects. Playing abroad was a pretty big honor and I got to meet a lot of people,” Arroyo said. “I had a lot of players on my team from all around the world [like] Nigeria, Egypt, Rwanda [and] all around Europe, and it was a great experience.”

Throughout the program, Arroyo’s team amassed 22 wins, two draws and six losses, with Arroyo assisting three goals.

Despite the value of the experi-

FALL SPORTS RECAP MASON LIEN writer

Recap of Cupertino’s fall sports and records as of Oct. 30

GIRLS GOLF

Cupertino High School’s girls golf team dealt with coaching changes this season, and although they faced obstacles with this adjustment, they performed well, with a winning record of 8–2. They also adopted a different mentality compared to last year, resulting in a much more relaxing environment. Said Elena Kim, a captain of the girls golf team, “[Last year] was more stressful and everyone was more trying to focus on winning. But I think this year is more laid back. [...] I feel like it’s more chill and fun.”

The team unity of the girls volleyball team has been a driving force within their team, allowing the team to have a season record of 15 wins and 13 losses. Their teamwork has helped them communicate on the court and thus work together as a team more efficiently.

Said Annabel Liu, one of the captains of the girls volleyball team, “I think team chemistry is really important for our team, and that’s been one of [our] biggest strengths for the season.”

FIELD HOCKEY

GIRLS TENNIS

FOOTBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

The girls field hockey team has done remarkably well this season with eight wins, seven losses and two ties. One of their strengths that helped contribute to their victory was the team’s understanding of each other and their willingness to improve. “We definitely have more of a drive. We have a lot of people that want to get better,” Aranya Reddy, a captain of the field hockey team, said.

“There are things that I want to work on. There are things that I want to do.”

26 | THE PROSPECTOR

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The girls tennis has had a balanced season so far, with a record of 4–3 wins to losses. Although they lost several good players, they still managed to do well. “I think the team performed extremely well, but there’s always room for improvement. We have good players on our team, so I think if there was a problem, it would be effort,” Aadya Khanna, a junior on the girls tennis team, said. “I do think we tried our hardest for the majority of the time, and this season went better than we were expecting.”

Starting the season with a rough start, the football team suffered major setbacks, with several of their starting players getting injured towards the beginning of the season. This caused them to have zero wins compared to eight losses. Said Shrivardhaan Bajpayee, a senior on the football team, “We started to get players back. [...] Our score gap has obviously gotten closer and closer, and we’re finally getting the hang of things.”

With only 17 members compared to the stronger teams with 100 members, Cupertino High’s cross-country team has performed well. The team managed to get at least one member for every single race into the top 30s for both boys and girls. Said Dylan Frake, a senior on the team, “I’m confident we’re gonna make it to CCS with both boys and the girls teams, and hopefully be very successful at CCS. And hopefully, someone else will even go to state.”

ter polo team beat Branham High School, a team they have not beaten in several years. However, the team ended the season with a 2–14 win-to-loss record. due to issues with teamwork and proper coordination. Said senior and captain Stefan Cezangiu, “We could have done better, but I feel like since our team was majority seniors, I feel like lots of us are stressed out and tired from school, so that says we couldn’t perform at our best.”

With most of their team being newcomers, the girls water polo team faced difficulties with a 1–14 win-to-loss record. However, the team has been looking forward to practices, allowing them to maximize their time and improve for future matches. Said captain Neha Israni, “We’ve had a really drastic growth during the season. [...] I think we can definitely narrow the margin between the two scores, especially with Santa Clara as well.”

BOYS WATER POLO GIRLS WATER POLO In the first game of the season, the boys wa-

STATISTICS IN SPORTS A look into how statistics can impact sports and an athlete’s career

KATIE MAK, LAURA CHEN online news editor | writer

B

atting average in baseball, differentials in golf, hitting percentage in volleyball — each sport has a unique way of numerically tracking and recording how players perform. As technology becomes increasingly advanced, coaches in every sport share the common challenge of balancing the role of statistics in high school sports with the intui-

“

YOU SHOULDN’T RELY ON ONLY INTUITION OR ONLY STATISTICS, BECAUSE IN THE END, WE ARE HUMAN, AND THERE’S EBBS AND FLOWS TO BEING HUMAN.

“

AARON EEG

points out, this is because errors recorded are not

necessarily mistakes. Making intuition-based decisions also allows for more flexibility, as it does not reduce a player to a number.

“Statistics won’t necessarily account for every single instance,” CHS varsity girls golf captain Danielle Huang said. “Sometimes players play better than their statistics say, or sometimes players have a bad day and they play worse. At those times, it’s more important to be adaptable instead of solely relying on a number that says ‘this is how they should play.’”

Said Eeg, “You shouldn’t rely on only intuition or only statistics, because in the end, we are human, and there’s ebbs and flows to being human.”

Ultimately, finding the right harmony between statistics and intuition is the key to effective decision-making. By recognizing both objective skills and intangible qualities, sports teams can maximize their overall strengths and performance

SPORTS | 27

tive way they make decisions.

Statistics consist of scores, records and performance metrics, which can be analyzed to provide insights into a team or individual’s performance. By using analytics, coaches can identify trends that allow them to strengthen their own team and spot opponents’ weaknesses.

In golf, data is collected through handicaps, which are numbers that predict how many strokes it will take to clear a course.

Said Cupertino High School’s varsity girls golf coach Aaron Eeg, “Handicaps are very accurate.

The deviation away from a handicap is never going to be a lot, even if we’re not playing well. We’re never gonna have a statistical anomaly where

someone plays unbelievably amazing out of their handicap.”

However, statistical rankings fail to measure the intangible qualities of players, such as leadership, attitude or performance under pressure. Relying on statistics can also lower morale if effort and passion are less valued than objective skills.

Coaching on instinct involves mak- ing decisions based on day- to-day player observation, w h i c h allows coaches to discern where analytics may be misleading or not representative of a player’s performance.

Said CHS girls varsity volleyball coach Ed Mattson, “As a coach, I’m trying to teach players to realize when something is a good error and when it’s a bad error. I use statistics to explain to them what a good error is — you hit it just long, or you tried to offspeed it and it didn’t go over.”

Mattson uses intuition to identify “good” errors which he sees as learning opportunities for improvement. This way, he can judge players’ skills without relying only on their performance data. As he

POSTSCRIPT

PROSPECT

The Prospector’s take on Inktober — staffers answer

1

AMRITA BRAR | NOAH KANG “oat milk brown sugar shaken espresso”

9

NITYA DHULIPALA | MIYA WIDMAN “taco bell gordita crunch”

2

JOE ZHENG “guitar”

17

KATIE MAK “boba”

25

NIKHIL KRISHNASWAMY “home”

28 | THE PROSPECTOR

10

ALEXANDER LIU “piano”

3

BRIAN KUO “table”

4

MASON LIEN “my laptop”

11

BENJAMIN LIU “dog”

12

KATIE KIM “airpods”

18

ANSHIKA JAIN “chocolate”

19

ROSA LEE “crocs”

20

REBECCA WAWDA “tweezers”

26

CELINE ZHANG “yogurt”

HAILEY RYU | VICTORIA HUNT “strawberry matcha lattes”

27

28

ZAIN HASEEB “paperback books”

OBER 2024

the prompt: “What is something you cannot live without?”

5

AARON LUC “my car”

6

SHAONA DAS “my loved ones”

7

13

JOYCE LEE “spotify”

14

NIMRIT GANDHI “the beach”

21

ASHLEY QI “movies”

29

SCARLETT GUY “gracie abrams”

HANNAH KIM “chipotle”

8

CATHY WU “shake shack”

15

MADALINA ZHENG “the PCH pegasus”

16

YEECHEN PANG “spicy food”

22

ANGELA KIM “takis”

23

CHLOE CHOE “pumpkin spice latte”

24

LAURA CHEN “glasses”

30

SABA SHARIFOLNASABI “my blanket”

31

ATRISA RAHGOZAR “my birds”

POSTSCRIPT | 29

NICE TO EA ALEXANDER LIU opinions editor

Staffers share the one thing

REBECCA WAWDA writer

“My mom makes beef noodle soup typically during winter or when it’s cold. It’s a traditional dish from Taiwan, and can range from street food to Michelin star quality [...] We typically eat this during lunch and dinner, but sometimes when my sisters and I get hungry in the morning, we heat it up in the morning. You’re supposed to cook the broth for a long time. But my mom just puts them in an Instant Pot and calls it a day. When I went back to Taiwan, and when we ate it there, it was a lot different than what we made here. It was a Michelin-star restaurant, so it was different. But I think both are good in their own way.”

LAURA CHEN writer

30 | DESIGNED BY HAILEY RYU

“In the fall my sister and I collect apples from our garden in the backyard to make homemade pie, and in the summer we do the same thing with cherries. When we were younger we just watched our mom prepare everything but over the years we’ve learned to make dough and apple filling or weave a lattice crust. I associate pie with memories of spending time with my sister, since she recently moved to college and we don’t see each other as often anymore.”

ZAIN HASEEB online sports editor

“Kashmiri Tea is like a staple food for almost every kashmiri person I know. It is slightly unconventional, since it is savory instead of sweet and rose pink in hue, but it tastes really good. Generally, Kashmiri tea is served on special occasions or festivals such as “Eid” along with a special type of homemade bread that is called “Kulcha.”

Though it is a weird type of tea, that just makes it all the more special to me as it reflects the uniqueness of Kashmiri culture, as well as makes me fondly reflect about all the good times I spent with my family and friends while having it.”

T WITH YOU

that unites every family — food

AARON LUC writer

“My father used to never be able to cook. One Thanksgiving when my sister and I were around five and seven years old, he attempted to cook for the family. His meal included spaghetti and a few other things such as instant mashed potatoes. Some way or somehow, he managed to burn the spaghetti while it was in the water and to this day we have no idea how that happened, but every year since we’ve put it up to him to cook our Thanksgiving meal. We laughed about it and he was like, ‘Next year, I’ll do better. I will not burn it next time.’ And he didn’t. But he still stuck to the same old spaghetti, mashed potatoes and meatballs.”

HANNAH KIM writer

“Pavlova is a meringue based dessert that became a cherished tradition in my family to eat for every celebration. Our family’s best friend makes it for us at almost every anniversary or event. We always enjoy it during our special occasions such as birthdays and each time we gather, since we don’t have it often everyone enjoys having it.”

ASHLEY QI writer

POSTSCRIPT | 31

“My family has a tradition of making dumplings every Chinese New Year. We gather around the dining table with dumplings wrappers and bowls of filling laid out. My parents will put on music in the background while we make dumplings and enjoy each others’ company. When I was younger I was worse at making them. My parents were really nice about it, but my brother would “insult” my skills. Sometimes, they’ll also pop open a bottle of Maotai (a form of liquor) and enjoy it while wrapping. Some of my fondest memories of past Chinese New Years are from making dumplings around the dining table, laughing and bonding with my loved ones.”

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