Vol. LVIII, No. 4

A PeEk Inside

Biocom California hosts panel for life science in Fremont

Fremont partnered with Biocom California on December 7 to discuss the life science industry, initiatives to enhance the talent pipeline, and how high schoolers can get involved. Read about this event on pg 2.

Twitter’s Takeover may be Elon Musk’s Worst Decision Yet

On October 31, Elon Musk fnalized a deal to acquire Twitter for approximetly $44 billion. Since then, he has restructured the company through disruptive policies. Read more about the Smoke Signal’s opinion of this issue on pg 5.

Deer Diary: Cupid the Reindeer

Everyone’s second favorite reindeer, Cupid, is getting fed up. From not receiving any of the appreciation of Rudolph or the romance of Cupid the Angel, he truly just can’t win. Check out this Deer Diary where Cupid reveals his inner feelings on pg 7.

Over-Interpreting Music

Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights, released on October 21, brought theories and conspiracies on who or what in Swift’s life each song could be attributed to. Read more about the Smoke Signal’s opinion of this issue on pg 12.

Smoke Signal Applications

Interested in joining the Smoke Signal? Check out pg. 8 to learn more.

MSJ Students in 2022 Aerovaganza

By Anandita Devata & Aaryan Suri Staff Writers

From 3-7 p.m. on December 10, Aerodance Academy hosted Aerovaganza 2022, the academy’s annual dance show, in the Performing Arts Center at Chabot College in Hayward. Many MSJ students performed at the event, and Senior Diya Chatwani graduated, becoming an Aerograduate, after going through all seven levels of the school.

Aerodance Academy, founded by Ranjani Avijit in 1999, is a dance school where students learn many different styles of dancing, such as Lambadi folk, Bhangra, and many more. With many of the performers returning after previous appearances at Aerovaganza, the dancers and coordinators have become accustomed to the resources that go into live performances, making the planning and execution for this year’s show much smoother than before.

As people entered the lobby of the auditorium, they walked by pictures of the dance school’s previous competitions, giving them a glimpse of the school’s journey throughout the years. The program then kicked off with a heartwarming performance from some of Aerodance Academy’s youngest members, and audience members were brought to their feet as they clapped along to the fast tempo of the song. As the performance ended, the lights were cut, making the entire theater turn dark. This was short-lived, however, as another group of performers including MSJ Sophomores Vihas Uppalapati and Arnav Singh took the stage, performing a fast-paced dance to “Naatu Naatu” (From “Rrr”) by M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj, Kala Bhairava. The group was rewarded with a standing ovation from the audience as the performance concluded. “I’m especially

proud of the frst segment [of our performance] since it’s something that I was able to choreograph myself,” Uppalapati said.

As the audience returned to their seats after an intermission, the theater buzzed with energy as seven dancers performed “Ilahi” by Pritam Chakraborty and Arijit Singh, a conceptual dance that depicted the journey of a mother-daughter bond. Other teams performed different styles of dance, such as kuthu, a form of South Indian folk dance based on percussion, and semi-classical fusion, which combines elements of Indian classical dance and Bollywood. UC San Diego’s premier Bollywood fusion team, UCSD Zor, also performed in the second half of the show, astonishing the audience with their sparkling outfts and graceful movements.

After three hours full of performances, the graduation ceremony began. The ceremony highlighted two Honor Roll artists and Chatwani for their success in the academy. After Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday and Seva International Member Anurag Mehra congratulated Chatwani for her dedication to dance, she gave a heartwarming speech about her experiences. “My favorite part of my journey with Aerodance has been the shows and the teammates that I’ve built strong bonds with,” Chatwani said. Having been a member of Aerodance Academy for more than seven years, Chatwani expressed great gratitude and appreciation for her journey with the academy. “Standing on stage, I felt that [I’m] able to express myself and truly thank everyone that has shaped my journey with Aerodance,” she said.

Following a performance by the more experienced, senior Aerodance Academy team to “Pranavalaya” by Anurag Kulkarni and Mickey J. Meyer, the show closed with an award ceremony where performers received recognition and acclaim for their efforts. ▪

MSJ Marching Band performs at Redwood City’s Hometown Holiday Parade

By Daphne Senecal & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers

On December 10, MSJ Marching Band performed in Redwood City’s 16th annual Hometown Holidays Parade Extravaganza, entertaining spectators among the rain with festive songs.

Despite previously frequenting other celebrations such as Oakland’s America’s Children’s Holiday Parade, the band transitioned to Hometown Holidays in 2014 and has been an active participant since then. “We chose it at frst because the date was good. And then we kept going back because it’s so cute,” Band Director Monica Kraft said.

The band practiced extensively during the month leading up to the parade, and replaced their usual pop and march songs with “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Christmas on the March” in order to better ft the holiday theme. “We constantly did performance runs, whether it was playing our two [new] songs or preparing for all the left turns we had to do during the parade,” Drum Major Senior Jerry Chang said. In addition, the band also held several fundraisers, including a pancake breakfast and a collaboration with See’s Candies, to cover the cost of

attending the parade. “There’s a ton of things that go on behind the scenes, including ordering the buses, parade maps, getting information out to people ... it’s not always just getting the music ready,” Kraft said. However, the band faced several challenges whilst preparing for Hometown Holidays — largely because of bad weather. Due to recent rains fooding the band’s normal practice area on the track, “we had to make do with practicing in the parking lot, which caused interruptions during the practices such as cars leaving and having to re-adjust due to the small space,” Clarinet Junior Thomas Du said. The band also had to forgo many of their decorations, such as placing glittering bows and tinsel on each instrument, due to the risk of rain damage. In the fnal performance, the band’s seasonal appearance only consisted of swapping their signature white and gold helmets for more seasonal santa and elf hats, with the percussion section also sporting multicolored lights on their instruments.

Nevertheless, many performers were left with fond memories. “I think that this parade is defnitely the most fun one that we do, because ... there’s a ton of people on the sides watching you, and [the lights] look really cool,” Drum Captain Senior Alton Gu said.

Met with cheers and smiles from the audience after every song, the sense of meaning behind the performance was not lost on its members. “It’s important for the band to get out and play for people – especially the little kids who are watching ... and they’re looking at the instruments and listening to the sounds,” Kraft said. “I think that kind of experience, even though [it] only lasts a few seconds, can make really lasting memories and ... inspire kids to play music.”

Though the event marks the end of the marching season, MSJ Marching Band hopes to continue its strong parade tradition with performances throughout the Bay Area next year — including Hometown Holidays. ▪

MSJ Marching Band performs with seasonal decorations and ponchos rather than their traditional signature helmets.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ANANDITA DEVATA & AARYAN SURI, COURTESY DIYA CHATWANI GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR SARINA LI

Biocom California hosts industry panel for life science in Fremont

By Novak Chen & Sahas Goli Staff Writers

On December 7 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Biocom California collaborated with the City of Fremont to hold a Spotlight on Fremont event. Located at the Fremont Downtown Event Center, the event highlighted the life science industry in Fremont and the future growth of the sector. The event featured prominent industry leader panelists such as Alexza Pharmaceuticals President & Chief Operating Offcer Tatjana Naranda and Boehringer Ingelheim US Bio pharma President & Site Head Lars Dreesmann. Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, Fremont Economic Develop ment Director Donovan Lazaro, and Fremont District 5 Councilmember Raj Salwan were also in attendance.

Founded in San Diego in 1995, Biocom California is a non-proft or ganization dedicated to representing its members in the life science indus try. Through various collaborations, events, and programs, they work to build a network of industry leaders, in crease project funds, and introduce STEM in high schools through programs like Generation STEAM. According to Biocom California’s Economic Impact Report, Alameda County has an estimated $57.4 billion in economic impact in the life science industry and employs more

than 36,000 people in the sector. With this much investment in life sciences in Fremont, this event would be a great way to bring the companies together. “[Spotlight on Fremont] was a great opportunity to showcase all the exciting life science companies that are located here in Fremont, and [why] Fremont is the ideal place to scale biomedical operations,” Fremont Economic Development Coor dinator Nikki Inamine said.

The event kicked off with a freside chat with Biocom California Bay Area Executive Director Michelle Nemits and Biomedical Manufacturing Network Program Director Gregory Theyel, who discussed topics like new records set by life science ventures and the migration of tech companies away from the Bay Area. According to Theyel’s data, 62% of the companies that supposedly left the Bay Area actually moved to a different suburb in the Bay Area, either to obtain more offce space or get closer to their venture capital and manufacturing centers. With Fremont’s base of tech employees and appealing land guidelines, especially for biological labs that must meet strict standards set by the

Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control, Fremont was a very appeal ing choice. “We’re really pleased to be able to make that connection between having the workforce and the companies so that we [can] help foster this growth and development within our city,” Mei said.

The event then moved to an industry panel featuring Biolytic Lab Performance, Inc. Senior VP of Marketing and Director of Operations James Demmitt, Lincoln Property Company Executive Vice President Brandon Wang, along with the aforementioned Naranda and Dreesmann. The panelists discussed current investments in Fremont and the potential for long-term growth in the future. While both Alexza Pharmaceuticals and Boehringer Ingelheim are in the biomedical sector, they of fered differing viewpoints from research and manufacturing, respectively, and Wang showed a real estate view by explaining Fremont’s company-friendly land and zoning policies. “Ohlone has just one of a handful of biotechnology programs in the California community college system, and we’re lucky to have them right here in our backyard,” Lazaro said. Those programs have a 100% placement rate at Fremont companies according to Lazaro.

The panelists also mentioned their outreach to the rising workforce, specifcally college and high school students. Programs like the Mission Valley Regional Occupational Program allow students to visit laboratories and facilities. MSJ students interested in this sector can take classes such as Principles of BioMedical Science/Human Body Systems, Medical Interven-

tions/Biomedical Innovation Honors to experience industry working environments in-person and hear lectures from professional speakers.

“For students who are interested in a career in the biosciences, it’s a wonderful program to get exposure to what people do,” Ohlone Biotechnology Professor Laurie Issel-Tarver said. The event concluded with the panelists sharing their hopes and predictions for the future of healthcare.

“Now, there’s never been a better time to get into life science, and there are so many more opportunities to fnd well-paying, fulflling jobs that affect millions of patients’ lives,” Inamine said.

The event concluded with the panelists sharing their hopes and predictions for the future of healthcare.

“Now, there’s never been a better time to get into life science, and there are so many more opportunities to fnd well-paying, fulflling jobs that affect millions of patients’ lives,” Inamine said.▪

“For students who are interested in a career in the biosciences, it’s a wonderful program to get exposure to what people do.”

- Ohlone Biotechnology Professor Dr. Laurie Issel-Tarver

On November 17, a kitty was found in Physics Teacher Sai Kumar’s classroom, trapped in the room during parent teacher conferences the previous day. When Kumar arrived that morning, she found cat feces over the ground, and so her classes moved to the library for the day. Later that night at around 7 p.m., the kitty was safely evacuated by Campus Supervisor Brandi Bailey-Speier and adopted by Counselor Jitin Sharma. It now resides in his care, fondly named Marcel Sharma after Marcel the Shell.

At a Special Board Meeting on November 15, the FUSD Board of Education unanimously approved a public construction

effectively accelerating the John F. Kennedy High Comprehensive Modernization Project. After district staff previously recommended to reject all three bids, SURFBoardE and Kennedy community members expressed their frustration with the outdated facilities during public comment. The board ultimately accepted the lowest bid and allocated $15.8 million towards the project which is estimated to be completed by the end of 2024.

NATIONAL

Rev. Warnock defeats Herschel Walker in Georgia Senate runoff Incumbent Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican candidate Herschel Walker in Georgia’s Senate runoff election on December 6, granting Democrats a 51 - 49 majority and outright control of the Senate. Though wins in battleground states such as Nevada and Pennsylvania had already secured a Senate majority for Democrats during the midterm elections, the additional seat gives them full control of the chamber’s committees and judicial tools such issuing subpoenas and nominating, potentially infuencing what legislation is voted on and passed by the nation’s Congress.

LOCAL

On December 5, Michelin Star, a

organization that offers “Mi-

establishments, added four San Francisco Bay Area restaurants to their list. These include Nisei (a Japanese restaurant), Osito (which features a live fre tasting menu), San Ho Won (a Korean BBQ restaurant), and Ssal (a Korean restaurant). This decision reveals Michelin’s gradual shift from solely offering European cuisines their honorable award and a transformation from a focus on French cuisine to more personal cooking, which those four restaurants engage in.

to excellent

INTERNATIONAL

fire in Ürümqi.

China pulls away from zero-COVID Policy amidst mass protests

Starting on November 25, waves of protests have spread through China as protesters fought against lengthy coronavirus policies and restrictions, making it one of the largest acts of public dissent in China in years. Demonstrators held up blank pieces of paper to circumvent the Chinese censorship, and some have even asked for Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China to resign. With pressure from these protests, China has rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 starting from December 7. For example, people with mild cases will be isolated at home rather than quarantine centers, a major grievance that protesters fought against.

At the Spotlight on Fremont event, panelists disccused the growth of the life science industry in Fremont

PHOTOS COURTESY STAFF WRITERS NOVAK CHEN & SAHAS GOLI

as well as the importance of outreach efforts to the rising workforce of high school students.

The adoption journey of Marcel

The “White Paper” protests against China’s COVID-19 polices were triggered after a

guide.michelin.com

Rev. Warnock’s victory gives the Democrats outright control of the Senate.

Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agnency via Getty Images

FUSD Board approves modernization project for Kennedy High School

bid,

With the urging of SURFBoardE, the Modernization Project has accelerated with additional funds. jfkcougars.org

New Michelin Stars awarded to four Bay Area restaurants

French

chelin Stars”

food

In the 2022 CA Michelin Star awards, four new Bay Area restaurants entered the Michelin guide.

Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Compiled by Ruhani Chhabra, Tushara Devapatla, Vedesh Kodnani & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers

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A holidate with reality

By Annika Singh Opinion Editor

Every holiday season, my mom and I enjoy sitting on the couch with some hot tea, looping the cheesiest Christmas movies to exist. Our selection, throughout the years, has included e Princess Switch, Love Hard, and A Christmas Prince. We laugh at the cringey lines and overused tropes, and groan over the small misunderstandings that drastically change the course of the film. When I was young, these stories seemed authentic and exciting. But, as I get older and watch these movies without rose-colored glasses, I’ve realized that they lack the most crucial factor: reality. Christmas isn’t singing and baking cookies for everyone — many people have to work or deal with family conflicts. And let’s face it: relationships in real life are not solved with a dramatic monologue in the middle of a mall. (I’m looking at you, Holidate.)

e simple solutions to all the stressors in life and predictability of each story arc make Hallmark films a great tool for escapism. It’s easy to get lost in a world that exudes happiness and boasts of conflicts that are resolved in a mere 15 minutes. But, at the same time, this creates unrealistic expectations for real life. When I entered high school, I really hoped my life story would mirror a Hallmark movie — the love at first sight, cliché happily-ever-afters, and angelic, white snow was all I needed. At

the time, I thought I was asking for the bare minimum, but in reality, I failed to see how unreasonable I was being. I’ve experienced some positive moments, but at the same time, I’ve faced obstacles that definitely weren’t in A Christmas Detour ese movies don’t show the pressure of academics or the fear of what the future holds. Obsessing over Hallmark movies and letting them become our life’s vision board may lead to disappointment — the life we’re accustomed to is much messier than a heartfelt movie, but it’s what teaches us perseverance, compassion, and patience. at’s not to say that Hallmark films are not worth watching. ey showcase genuine moments between people who love each other and promote a sense of community. e cute moments of self-realization at the end of the movies bring a feeling of warmth in you.

It’s okay to vicariously live a dreamy lifestyle through these films — enjoy the relaxing, sweet moments, but at the same time, it’s important to strike a balance between fantasy and real life. Trust me, personally, I don’t think I’ll ever stop watching cheesy holiday movies with my mom. But, I finally understand the importance of acknowledging that my life won’t always look like a Hallmark movie, and that’s okay, because it’s over-the-top cheesy in its own way. ▪

Last New Year’s Eve, as I leaned against the rock wall at Carmel Beach and watched the sun set for the last time in 2021, I made a single New Year’s resolution: to only go where I’m valued.

Almost a year later, I’m pretty satisfied with the progress I’ve made. Of course, I’ve had my low moments — progress isn’t linear, after all — but looking back, I can say with confidence that I’ve come a long way in regards to my resolution, from work environments to the relationships I deeply cherish. Here’s what I learned throughout my journey.

One, know what you’re looking for. For me, this manifests the most in my work environments and professional experiences, for which I have two conditions: the company must prioritize social impact and pay for my work. I place significant importance on a company’s commitment to its community and social change because I believe it speaks volumes about its culture and how closely it aligns with my core values. Moreover, it’s intuitive to draw a connection between a company paying its student workers and genuinely valuing them, and my paid professional experiences have been formative in shaping my standards for how my work and presence are valued. Every-

e dition

By Esther Lau Opinion Editor

one’s conditions are different, but what’s important is that you know what works best for you and settle for nothing less.

Two, set boundaries. Situations out of our comfort zone undeniably challenge us to grow and understand ourselves, but recognizing when to separate that from situations that cause harm to our mental or emotional wellbeing is equally as crucial. For example, if you find yourself in a hostile or discriminatory environment, the wisest choice isn’t always to endure the situation and fight against it in the name of virtue; rather, it can be to exit it. Or, if you’re in a relationship where you feel as if you’re not being appreciated for who you are as a whole or the energy exchange is negative and draining, communicate your feelings. If they’re not met with understanding, know that it’s absolutely okay to take a step back and give yourself space to reevaluate the relationship.

At the end of the day, understanding and honoring your selfworth is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. As 2022 comes to a close, let’s reflect on our relationships and environments, and in 2023, give ourselves the appreciation we deserve, only going where we’re valued. ▪

By Kaitlyn Wang & Nessa Tong

It’s impossible to ignore the holiday season: the sky turns grayer, the weather gets colder, and targeted holiday gift ads grow more enticing. For decades, the holiday season has been synonymous with materialistic giftgiving — overwhelming Black Friday lines at department stores, appealing holiday discounts, and gifting games such as White Elephant and Secret Santa have only upheld this practice. According to Investopedia, Americans are projected to spend nearly $960 billion this holiday season. As a result of increasing consumerism, the media has started dismissing holiday gifting as shallow and materialistic, claiming that it concentrates the thoughtfulness of the holiday season into meaningless presents — but we still continue to spend.

However, this criticism is too harsh in its dismissal of gift giving and ignores that for some people, giving gifts is their love language. A material gift has the potential to communicate feelings that might be di fficult to verbalize, such as “I love you” or “I care.” For example, giving your mom a purse she’s wanted for years shows her that you’ve taken extra care to notice her favorite items. While buying the purse is consistent with consumerist ideals, it doesn’t make the gift any less meaningful. e process of

finding the perfect gift for a loved one is intimate, and conveys a connection that words may lack. is isn’t to say that material gifts are the be-all and end-all of human connection. With some merit, critics feel that consumerism displaces more worthwhile priorities, such as family or friends. Moreover, there’s no denying that the holiday season’s growing materialistic culture puts an expensive spin on giftgiving and receiving. It makes us feel unsatisfied with ‘normal’ material items, such as department store gifts that may manifest themselves as superficial ruses of care. But, at the end of the day, the true significance of gift-giving for most people isn’t opulence — it’s sentiment.

It’s important to know that gift-giving or receiving isn’t always surface-level; gifts honor a moment or experience that not only reflect our values but also the long-cherished, deep-rooted connections we’ve fostered with the people we love. Gift-giving is an act of altruism — though it may have monetary value, it still expresses care for the happiness and comfort of others. Giving gifts to those you love also serves as a form of self-gratitude, for it acts as an outlet of emotional expression and helps you show your appreciation for your loved ones.

At the same time, it’s impor-

tant to remember that gift-giving isn’t everyone’s love language. Physical objects, though they may have sentimental value, aren’t as meaningful to individuals who have di fferent love languages, such as quality time or words of a ffi rmation. Recognizing and becoming familiar with the love languages of those around you might mean adapting to di fferent methods of displaying your love, but it doesn’t change the genuinity of your actions. We shouldn’t hate on gift-giving, but we also shouldn’t fully encourage consumerist ideals.

By fixating on the increasing prevalence of consumerism and materialism in today’s world, we lose sight of what the holidays are truly about. ey’re about festivity, family, expressing love, and spending time with the people you care about. Gifts have been a method of expressing love for centuries, and increasing consumerism shouldn’t devalue a heartfelt holiday practice. By appreciating the sentimental value of presents from our loved ones, we can transform the materialistic aspect of gift-giving into memories we will forever cherish. ▪

Only go where you're valued

Don't let consumerism consume your holiday

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Helen Tian, Jerry Yuan

Sports Editor & Staff Writer

Twitter's takeover may be elon musk's worst decision yet

By Angelina Chen, Tushara Devapatla, Abha Kulkarni & Lucy Yao Staff Writers

“Let that sink in!” Elon Musk captoned a video of him entering Twiter headquarters carrying a shiny, porcelain sink — signaling the start of his era as Twitter’s new CEO. On October 31, it was ofcial: Musk fnalized a deal to acquire Twiter for an approximate cost of $44 billion. Within the next week, Musk immediately began restructuring the company and its online presence through disruptve policies. He not only fred more than 50% of Twiter’s workforce, but also implemented a monthly eight dollar fee for a verifcaton check mark and dissolved Twiter’s misleading informaton policy, directly afectng the discourse that takes place on the app. In our ever-changing world of social media, students must stay vigilant to how they could be afected by drastc changes like these, as well as their media literacy.

Prior to Twiter’s acquisiton, Musk, an avid user, repeatedly voiced the need for access to free speech and debate without censorship. But, with recent reforms, many are concerned that Twiter will become a breeding ground for extremist politcal arguments, afectng the language that people use regularly by encouraging unhealthy compromising habits and destructve insults going forward. To avoid this, Musk’s frst order of business was supposed to be creatng a content moderaton council with diverse viewpoints. According to his personal Twiter account, content moderaton policies currently in place wouldn’t be changed; moving forward, Musk ensures that major decisions regarding banning and reinstatng accounts for hate speech will be made with the council — except this council is yet to be formed. Meanwhile, Musk has already gone ahead and reinstated users like Jordan Peterson and Babylon Bee, who were previously banned for egregious content against the LGBTQ+ community. If drastc decisions like these contnue to be made without regulaton, there will be a devastatng impact on marginalized communites such as Natve American and transgender people, setng a dangerous precedent by allowing previously banned users to run rampant in the name of “free speech.”

However, in order to establish these factors, Musk needed to rework Twiter’s internal structure

to suit his goals. Within his frst day of ownership, Musk fred all the top executves and began laying of roughly half of the employees without prior notce. In a telling act of how Twiter views its employees, Musk gave employees two optons: commit to intense hours or leave with three months of severance pay. His behavior is refected in his other company, Tesla, where factory workers have complained of fatgue and injury caused by long work hours. His actons have resulted in a lawsuit from the state of CA for violatng the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notfcaton Act, a law statng that a person is required a certain tme of notce before a mass layof.

Musk’s second implementaton is Twiter Blue, an eight dollar per month subscripton program to gain the app’s verifed check mark along with user interface benefts like priority in replies, searches, and mentons. Instead of ofering a separate premium service like other corporatons, Musk decided to combine it with Twiter’s verifcaton check mark which was previously used to mark only authentc accounts of corporatons and infuencers. Now, according to Twiter Help Center, anyone can simply pay the eight dollars and become “verifed,” defeatng the check mark's original purpose, as impersonaton and spreading misinformaton are now much more viable. Additonally, these changes have negated his selfproclaimed goal of making Twiter “a common digital town square where a wide range of beliefs can be debated.” With the verifcaton mark also comes priority in broadcastng their opinion, meaning that those who paid have larger exposure to be seen and infuence the public sphere. The price for an improved experience only furthers the gap between the rich and the poor, allowing the rich to have a larger voice. However, Musk didn’t stop there; through the use of public polls, he has been making signifcant decisions that have major ripple efects, such as reinstatng the account of former President Donald Trump, despite his previous misinformatve tweets.

For his third and most recent altercaton, Musk removed Twiter’s misleading informaton policy, which previously suspended 11,230 accounts and removed nearly 100,000 misinformatve tweets worldwide for content that goes directly against health regulatons in the pandemic. As Musk contnues to make these severe platorm changes, not only has it begun to hurt the general public, but also his own business.

In the frst week of Musk’s acquisiton alone, Twitter lost 1.3 million users. This is double the regular number of deactvatons, according to a study done by Bot Sentnel, a tool used to track inauthentc behavior on Twiter. As the app loses users, it also loses advertsers; according to Media Maters for America, half of Twiter’s top 100 advertsers ended their

MSJ VOICES

platorm, there may be an increase in layofs, ultmately hurtng workers. Beyond the company’s fnances, Musk’s irratonal actons afect app users too, from celebrites who have deactvated their accounts to fans who use Twiter as their main platorm of interacton.

On the contrary, politcians like Sen. Ted Cruz have supported the app’s reformaton, vocalizing the need for an unrestricted platorm and calling this acquisiton “one of the most signifcant developments for free speech in modern tmes.” Many others have also congratulated Musk on his new ownership of the app and the reforms he has made, all while failing to recognize the harm these changes can bring. With private powers like Twiter come economic and societal changes. Sole proprietors such as Musk gain the ability to infuence large numbers of people with their individual politcal views and ideals. These companies also exacerbate socioeconomic diferences, an example being Musk’s recently implemented Twiter Blue.

In an age where fake news is so readily available, it’s easy to fall for false truths online. It's possible that most teens get their news from social media platorms like TikTok and Twiter, and with the prevalence of misinformaton, students need to be cautous of the media they consume. Doing research and cross-checking informaton with safe news sites, such as The New York Times and The Associated Press, can ensure a decrease in misinformaton, hate speech, and other extremist content. Resources such as www.snopes.com and WordProof can also help students identfy and become more aware of fake news. Collectvely, we should aim to create a safe space for everyone by taking the initatve to advocate for ourselves and others around us when we see unfair effects of misinformaton and malicious content. ▪

Swift fans know unchecked monopolies All Too Well

By Chloe Gao, Keerti Koya & Kaylee Liu Staff Writers

It takes five excruciating hours for there to be less than 2,000 people in front of you. Two hours later, the screen says “ e Queue Has Been Temporarily Paused.” While attempting to buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s e Eras Tour, roughly 14 million Swift fans faced mixed messages, long wait times, exorbitant fees, and temporary outages on Ticketmaster’s website. As Swift’s first tour since 2018, it is no surprise that e Eras Tour garnered unprecedented demand, forcing Ticketmaster to cancel general sales because they failed to meet the demand. e Ticketmaster’s controversy with Taylor Swift thrust the company into public attention, bringing ticket presale market abuses to light. Unchecked monopolies, like Ticketmaster, get away with terrible service conditions with no proposed improvements. Such monopolies only serve to harm consumers and should be abolished.

Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, together known as Live Nation Entertainment, dominate the music industry with around 70% of the concert ticket market and as the world’s largest concert promotion company, respectively. As a result, they do not face any pressure to innovate or improve. Furthermore, Live Nation Entertainment has connections with many major venues and can leverage one part of its business to benefit another, making it difficult for artists to work with any other company in the market. “Ticketmaster’s exclusive deals with the vast majority of venues on e Eras Tour required us to ticket through their system,” Anschutz Entertainment Group Presents, the company in charge of handling Swift’s tour, said.

When Live Nation acquired Ticketmaster in 2010, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) set a series of rules the companies had to follow until 2020 in an effort to prevent them from becoming a monopoly. Ticketmaster had to sell Paciolan, a ticketing company it owned, to Comcast-Spectacor or another rival firm, and Live Nation signed a consent decree that said it would refrain from monopolistic practices. Yet, in 2019, the DOJ identified violations

of the consent decree in which Live Nation withheld shows from venues to force them to use Ticketmaster for ticketing services. In response, the DOJ extended the decree to last until 2025 and gave additional responsibilities to Live Nation, such as reimbursing the government for costs spent on enforcing regulations and paying a $1 million fine for each violation of the agreement.

Despite the DOJ’s efforts to regulate the merger, Ticketmaster and Live Nation still remain largely uncontrolled, leading to a damaging monopoly. An investigative report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) found that Ticketmaster had been facilitating scalping through TradeDesk, its web-based professional reseller system. Blocked behind a registration page, Ticketmaster's TradeDesk allows scalpers to upload large amounts of tickets and quickly resell them. Each year, millions of Ticketmaster’s tickets are resold through the system. By charging higher secondary market transaction fees, found in a CBC News/Toronto Star investigation to be twice the amount of a normal ticket, Ticketmaster is able to make profits even greater than those from regular sales.

is year, the DOJ opened another antitrust investigation focusing on Live Nation’s potential abuse of market power in the music industry. In a statement regarding the investigation, Ticketmaster said that the reason it continues to have a significant share of the market is due to the large gap between the quality of its own system and that of its competitors. In addition, Live Nation claims to split excess fees with concert promoters, but because the company frequently handles its own promotions, the money stays within Live Nation.

Despite Ticketmaster’s claim of not being a monopoly, the DOJ investigation has attracted negative attention from many prominent political figures. “I’m supporting unwinding that merger. I don’t believe it should’ve been approved in the first place,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said. Politicians have also directly contacted the company to call attention to concerns about the lack of competition and how consumers are affected. In an open letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael

Rapino, Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote, “Ticketmaster’s power in the primary ticket market insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improve their services. at can result in the types of dramatic service failures where consumers are the ones that pay the price.”

Klobuchar’s concerns reflect the impact of poor service conditions on Swift fans. Dynamic pricing plays an additional role in this concern, as it caused prices to increase with demand. When coupled with Ticketmaster’s inability to manage the demand, this prompted a huge amount of resales, leading to a loselose scenario for customers. For example, tickets for Swift’s Santa Clara performance on July 28 are selling for up to $18,000 on StubHub. ese excessively high prices have caused many people to rally for the split-up of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Conversely, some believe that Ticketmaster’s centralization of ticket sales provides easier access for customers since nearly all purchases can be made through the same site. ey argue that breaking up the company would lead to the formation of many small companies, resulting in even higher costs due to price competition. eoretically, economies of scale allow large companies to lower prices because mass production drastically decreases operation costs, but without prominent competitors that provide viable alternatives, monopolies can overcharge consumers without any repercussions. Monopolies’ power over the industry creates high barriers to entry because mass production drives costs down, making it extremely difficult for competing companies to overcome the large initial investment new businesses face and achieve identical low costs. is lack of competition fuels monopolies to act in their own self-interest, such as overcharging to gain even more profits.

Possible ways to reduce Ticketmaster’s power over the music industry include outsourcing to other ticket companies and breaking up Live Nation Entertainment, both of which have been strongly urged by US Senators. “[Breaking up the company] may be the only way to truly protect consumers, artists, and venue operators and to restore competition in the ticketing market,” Senators Rich-

ard Blumenthal,

Unchecked Monopolies

"In capitalist America, the free market gives way for opportunity, but with every fresh opportunity can come a monopoly. I think this is a normal occurrence in American business, and the best way to challenge it is to boycot. Through boycotng Ticketmaster, the public can show them that at the end of the day, pleasing their customers should be their top priority."

"I think unchecked monopolies are tricky to deal with because you want to protect consumers, but does that responsibility lie with the Justce Department? Putng a government agency in charge of regulatng a private company like Ticketmaster goes against American free market capitalism, because what's stopping them from having full control over other markets? But, unchecked monopolies ultmately harm the general public, and the government needs to intervene, whether that be directly or indirectly with new legislaton."

Markey wrote in a letter to

General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter. In addition, laws in place to manage excess fees help relieve consumers’ burdens. For example, in October, President Joe Biden announced a reduction in overdraft and deposit fees, which currently cost ticket purchasers more than $1 billion each year. Moreover, the Consumer Financial Protection Act allows the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect consumers from unfair practices, including excessive fees.

Unchecked monopolies lack a desire for innovation and improvement, significantly impacting consumers’ everyday lives. For instance, in the entertainment industry, companies that dominate the market limit artists’ choices and force fans to pay absurd prices.

In order to prevent these damaging practices, students can educate themselves on monopolies to make educated buying decisions, such as looking towards supporting small businesses that may offer better services instead of continuously turning to large corporations solely because of convenience and reputation. In addition, students can contact senators to advocate for the enforcement of antitrust laws and for the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ to be more cautious in making impactful decisions in situations such as the Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger. Although current regulations on Live Nation Entertainment, like the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act of 2022, reduce some monopolistic behavior, better weighing the pros and cons before allowing this merger could have produced more successful results. Bringing light to unchecked monopolies can gradually persuade lawmakers to abolish them and protect more customers from being harmed.

GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH

"Monopolies such as Ticketmaster have already reached the limit of control, and it’s impossible for them to be receded unless new companies are created. I think that some monopolies can be used for good, but more ofen than not, they steer towards doing things for their own proft and overlooking customer needs. Instead of taking advantage of people, these monopolies should use their resources to provide customers with beter and more accessible services, and be more transparent about their actons."

"I think unchecked monopolies like Ticketmaster should be prohibited. Artsts are lef with no choice but to work with Ticketmaster and Live Naton if they don’t want to risk losing revenue. But, through their monopoly, they take advantage of their market power and do not prioritze consumer needs. The government should break up the monopoly in any way they can."

"I [think] these unchecked monopolies have way too much power. It's very clear that they only care about making profts and not about the average consumer, limitng people's optons and wastng their hardearned tme and money. To deal with this issue, the government needs to control the prices these companies charge and closely monitor monopolies' operatons. There should be punishments for violatng these rules, such as large fnes."

"Earlier last month, Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swif | The Eras Tour Presale caused signifcant controversy, leading to an investgaton from the US Department of Justce. While this brought Ticketmaster’s market abuses to light, it is only one of many examples of monopolies that harm citzens to an egregious extent. What are your thoughts on unchecked monopolies such as Ticketmaster, and how do you think they should be dealt with?"

Amy Klobuchar, and Edward

Attorney

MSJ Leadership 2 attends FUSD’s League of Leaders

By Katie Tang Sta Writer

On November 28, MSJ’s Leadership 2 (L2) class attended the League of Leaders (LOL), FUSD’s annual student leadership conference. Held at Washington High School, there were more than 250 attendees from six high schools in the area, including Newark Memorial High School which attended for the frst time.

FUSD has been hosting LOL for more than 10 years. Through activities and workshops held throughout the day, students across schools collaborated to brainstorm ideas for new projects and events. “Kids are

able to take away important tips and lessons from the workshops, and apply it to beneft their own schools,” Irvington High School ASB Vice President Michelle Nguyen said.

Over the course of three months, LOL was planned and directed by the ASB executives from all the schools. They communicated with school administration to borrow facilities and process student excusals. In coordinating the event, the executives “wanted to allot more time to the leadership aspect of LOL while retaining its fun activities,” MSJ ASB Secretary Senior Peter Chen said. This year, LOL’s primary focus was the school specialty workshops. Each of the six partic-

ipating schools chose an area of expertise from their respective schools to present. For instance, MSJ workshopped about school decorations and Newark Memorial about social media marketing. The workshops each had a mini activity for groups to apply leadership skills to different tasks and scenarios. “The workshops were super insightful and inspiring. It’s cool to see how each school has their unique traditions,” L2 STAR Committee Member Junior Brandon Peng said.

a great opportunity to see how we could improve our own activities,” L2 Activities Committee

In addition to the educational workshops, the executives also successfully planned activities, such as a singing competition and a bonding in which participants traded stickers. The activities got students excited for the day and fostered school spirit. Students also participated in committee connections, in which they grouped themselves by their respective leadership committees (Fundraising, Community, Activities, etc.) to exchange project ideas and advice with students from different schools with the same role. “The most memorable moment for me was meeting the other activities/rallies committees from other schools because it was

Deer Diary: Cupid the Reindeer

Everyone knows Rudolph, Dasher, Donner, Prancer, Blitzen, and the whole rest of the pack. There are eight billion people on this earth, and I can count the number of people who know me on one hoof. Since birth, I have been overshad owed. When I was brought into this world, the frst thing I saw was red and the frst thing I felt was warm, slimy snot. That’s right — my brother Rudolph’s snotty nose has shone over me since before I could stand. Worse yet, he’s even become world-famous. To uphold my civic duty as a member of the world’s community, I’ve composed my own version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”— one that I be lieve refects the truth:

“Rudolph the snot-nosed reindeer, Had a very slimy nose, And if you ever saw it, You would even say it’s gross.”

Today, my brother Rudolph was voted to be TIME magazine’s Most Infuential Person of 2022. Also today, I failed my math test on triangles. There are two fundamental issues with this. First of all, Rudolph isn’t even a person — he’s a slobbering Christmas moose with a perpetually red nose. You might as well honk it because he looks like a clown dressing up for a threeyear-old’s birthday party. Second of all, do triangles really matter? With my hopeless task of keeping Rudolph running in a straight line on Christmas Eve, I defnitely won’t be thinking about the similarity of Santa Claus’s triangular nostril and a knockoff Target Christmas tree. The things I do to make sure Mr. Ho Ho Ho! can deliver Discord Nitro to a lifeless, lonely pre-teen who has never made contact with grass...

For the frst time in my 300 years of existence, someone slid into my DMs. @ Cowboy4Lyfe asked me to meet them at some random address in Texas. Strange? Yes. But believe me, I’ve seen stranger things in life. After years of opening Rudolph’s fan mail, I can confrm that humanity is going downhill. People are indeed interested in some rather eccentric activities. Well, as any normal deer would, I showed up. I’d hate to disappoint any fans. And per usual, it turns out that I was once again mistaken for my namesake. It’s ridiculous how often I get compared to some curly haired thousand year-old manchild who not only has not learned how to wear proper clothes, but has violence and anger issues. Does it get more insulting than this?

My girl T Swizzle once said, “Change,” so change I will. No longer will I live in the shadow of a glowing nose nor that of an overgrown baby. Today, I will step out into the world as a changed deer. RAHH! According to www.lifehack.

org, the ninth most important method of self-improvement is exercise. Starting today, I’ll be completing Chloe Ting’s 2 Weeks Shred Challenge. No longer, will I have to hang up a picture of The Rock in front of my mirror to feel buff. It’s all about self-love now. As my cousin Sven up in Arendelle said, “I’m him. RAHHH!”

“Let me tell you about my crush, Vixen. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten her attention yet with my swift-hoofed W rizz. She’s right in front of me in our sled lineup. I think I might really have a chance this year. I might be centuries old, but this year, the lucky 2022, I’m feeling bejeweled — so bejeweled that maybe my idol Ms. Swizzle would write a song about me. Or at least, she won’t repeat last year, re-recording the album Red, dedicated to my brother’s nose.” That’s what I wrote last month. But guess what? Rudolph always has to have everything. I had it all planned out. It was perfect. I collected the most delectable stacks of hay, with a beautiful candy cane bouquet. But I was stopped in my tracks when I turned and saw Rudolph stealing my girl. What happened to bros over hooves? The bro code? The deer supporting deer?

This morning, when I walked into the bathroom for my 22-step antler skincare routine, Rudolph the narcissist was polishing his nose for his photoshoot as a Star-Bucks ambassador. Just as I got to exfoliating, the most important step, Rudolph had the audacity to sneeze right onto my racks. Now, Rudolph does not merely sneeze. He trumpets snot. This has gone too far. From preventing the century’s

Hsu said. For future LOL’s, ASB executives hope to create and incorporate new activities, like an opening video ceremony, while still educating students on valuable leadership skills. “I really enjoyed getting to work with executive councils from other schools ... I hope to improve on committee connections for future LOL’s,” Nguyen said.▪

cutest couple from dating to completely messing up my poreless smooth antlers, Rudolph has never been my friend. He is no longer my brother. I can’t do this anymore. In fact, I can’t even stand the sight of him. Our reindeer formation has been set for centuries, but I simply cannot spend one more second staring at his behind while Mr. Claus breaks the deadly sin of gluttony. It’s time I forged my own path. My own identity.

Did I mention that Rudolph is stupid? No? Well, I’ll say it now. Rudolph is stupid. Even after centuries of delivering gifts, he still can’t tell the difference between chimneys and other architectural disasters that humanity created. Usually, nothing happens, because I bear the common skill of spotting chimneys and stop the fuorescent moose from rocketing into every building possible before it’s too late. Today, however, it was too late. So much Discord Nitro nearly left undelivered. Key word: nearly. Because, I, Cupid, took charge. I took the initiative and guided the sleigh on December 25, 2022. Today, I went down in history —- not as Rudolph’s brother, not as the Baby of Love’s namesake, but as Cupid the Reindeer. I even modifed the song for myself: “Cupid the Smartest Reindeer.”

“Then one rocky Christmas Eve Santa came to say

‘Cupid, with your mind so bright

Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?’

Then how the reindeer loved him As they shouted out with glee

“Cupid the Smartest Reindeer You’ll go down in history”

Member Junior Trisha

PHOTOS COURTESY MSJ LEADERSHIP 2

At the annual League of Leaders, MSJ Leadership 2 students exchanged valuable leadership experience with other FUSD schools.

“Kids are able to take away important tips and lessons from the workshops, and apply it to beneft their own schools.”

-Irvington High School ASB Vice President Michelle Nguyen

MSJ L2 students attend League of Leaders, sporting school colors, to share leadership experiences and school events.

On November 30, Swab4MSJ was approved as an offcial MSJ club. Swab4MSJ operates as a branch of Swab4USA, a student-run nonproft organization that works to spread awareness about blood cancer. Swab4MSJ aims to inform and encourage members of the local community to become registries for Be The Match, a national nonproft bone marrow donation organization. Their goal is to help blood cancer patients fnd matches with registries for blood marrow transplants. Registries are swabbed, and their samples are analyzed in a lab to match patients in need of specifc bone marrow with potential donors. Once registries are matched with a blood cancer patient, they are encouraged to donate bone marrow because these transplants give patients new stem cells that multiply and develop into healthy blood cells. Transplants can also help patients regenerate a new immune system that can fght cancers such as leukemia. According to Be The Match, a bone marrow transplant is many blood cancer patients’ best hope for a cure. Yet, 70% of patients who need a transplant do not have a viable match in their family and rely on Be The Match for one. Through different events, Swab4MSJ encourages local residents to donate by informing them about the Be The Match program and the huge impact of a simple blood marrow donation. “[People] could save a life by just simply swabbing the sides of their cheeks,” Swab4MSJ Vice President Junior Ashley Lin said. Despite its recent founding, the offcers and members of Swab4MSJ have already volunteered at four events held by Be The

Club Spotlight: Swab4MSJ

By Sarah Hu & Kaylee Liu

Staff Writers

Match as an independent organization: the 626 Night Market from July 29-31, Foodieland Night Market on September 23-25, Water Lantern Festival on October 22, and the San Francisco Coffee Festival on November 12-13. Currently, the club is co-hosting a registration drive with MSJ Interact at Christmas in the Park until December 18. At these events, the offcers set up information booths to help inform passersby on different types of blood cancer and treat

ment methods. “I think the San Francisco Coffee Festival and Foodieland were themost successful events. We had around 250 registries each,” Swab4MSJ Outreach Director Aretha Lee said. “This shows us that for events, a lot of it depends on not just the amount of volunteers we have, but the demographic of the festivals themselves.”

In the future, Swab4MSJ’s offcer team intends to organize their own events near Fremont. “At school, we’re also planning to do a swab-kit making event to register the potential donors,” Swab4MSJ President Junior Colleen Yu said. “That’s a chance for people who aren’t able to attend events on the weekend to do something and support the cause here at school.” Moreover, after being offcial

ly registered as a club, Swab4MSJ is now able to fundraise for blood cancer charities at the Bell Tower Quad. In addition to campus-wide events, the offcers also plan to organize collaborative fundraisers with stores such as Jamba Juice.

Although Swab4MSJ just launched a few months ago, it has already seen a lot of success. The club’s goal is to reach a total of 2,000 registries by the end of the year. “I think it’s a reachable goal because we already have 770 [registries],” Lee said. Swab4MSJ hopes to further increase this number by encouraging students at MSJ to participate in its events. “It’s a good way to learn more about ... communicating with strangers you don’t know and just putting yourself out there,” Yu said.

“[People] could save a life by just simply swabbing the sides of their cheeks.”

— Swab4MSJ Vice President Junior Ashley Lin

Swab4MSJ at the Water Lantern Festival

DieHard TryHards: Gift - Wrapping

In prepara-

tion for this holiday season’s heartfelt gift-giving, the Smoke Signal challenges this month’s DieHard TryHards to gift wrapping — but with a pepperminty twist. Evaluated on their speed, cleanliness, and efficiency, four festive Smokies compete in wrapping Santa’s funkiest-shaped presents to be crowned as the head elf.

While my gift-giving mostly consists of throwing together random items I find around my house, I make up for this with my tree-mendous wrapping skills. From star-shaped chocolate boxes to peppermint scented candles, I can pack all kinds of gifts neatly and at a (w)rapid pace. The speed, technique, and precision that I’ve picked up from throwing together last-minute Secret Santa presents will definitely put me in first place. Since I’ve already been named the head wrapper of my family, I know I’m ready to sleigh this competition and take what is rightfully mine: position as head elf.

I don’t want to brag, but I’m the perfect candidate to take the firstplace title in this challenge, if I do say so myself. Every year, my totally tubular presents and award-winning gift-wrapping skills never fail to sleigh the day away, and I expect nothing less from myself in this competition. Sure, the only things I’ve ever wrapped came in the form of perfectly shaped 4x4 boxes, but what I lack in experience will be made up for with my natural gift in gift-wrapping. It’s like they say, it’s the most wonderful time of the year — the time when I finally get a chance to shine.

Okay, let me be honest here. My experience with actually wrapping gifts is pretty much nonexistent. I’m more of a “throw it in a bag with some tissue paper and a card” kind of person, but still — don’t underestimate my inexperience. Throughout elementary school, I’ve accumulated years of training cutting, taping, and gluing construction paper to make whimsical designs and structures. Since this challenge involves pretty much the same three materials — paper, scissors, and tape — how hard can it be? With my elementary school diploma backing me up, these judges won’t be able to wrap their heads around how breathtaking my creations will be.

My habit of throw ing presents Hallmark bags and calling it a day may put me at a disadvantage in the realm of wrapping funky shapes. But this won’t hinder my ambitions to win the title of Santa’s head elf — the other Smokies need to prepare because they’re going all the way down to the South Pole. The only issue is that I am really rusty on the gift-wrapping part. So given that this is basically the entire challenge, I’m screwed — and for clarification, that does not mean I want to wrap a power drill. I guess I’ll just have to try my best …

Anushka Shuhan Ashley Tanvi

Bah Humbug! One broken tape dispenser and poorly wrapped claw clip later, I realized that my gift-wrapping skills have a long way to go. Turns out my fellow Smokies are snow much better at gift-wrapping than they claimed to be. And clearly, I am not nearly as good at it as I thought I was. Wrapping things that aren’t simple rectangular boxes proved to be a lot more difficult than I expected. It will definitely take some time for me to get my elf-esteem back up, but I did learn a lot about speed-wrapping oddly shaped presents with limited materials— especially when it comes to wrapping desks.

Although my spirit has been utterly crushed by the fact that I have to share the position of head elf with Tanvi, I’m not going to let this tiny inconvenience reign on my parade. To be honest, I’m just relieved that my previous boasting didn’t jinx me in the long run. I do have to admit that while I went into this competition filled with confidence, I was quite intimidated after seeing my fellow competitors’ work. But if we just completely disregard my wrapping job in the last round (which looked like something Santa might’ve thrown up), I would say that overall this was a success. It saddens me to say this, but I guess that’s a wrap to this competition.

After seeing all my competitors’ perfectly wrapped gifts — Anushka’s gift bags, Tanvi’s wrapped shoe, and Shuhan’s headphones — I quickly realized my subpar elementary-level creasing job and unfinished “tube” design were far from their advanced skill sets. Following round one, I already braced myself mentally for a fourth-place finish. The competition seemed unsalvageable, but as everyone reiterates time and time again, never gift up, so I used the most of my cutting and taping abilities to produce three more atrocious designs. Ultimately, I think my gifts have more personality than those of my fellow Smokies, and I was able to wrap up the competition nicely with a second place finish.

1st 1st 2nd 3rd

So, it turns out that I wasn’t entirely screwed after all! In the time preceding the competition, I built up top-notch strategies by practicing wrapping the Graphics cameras with copies of previous editions of the Smoke Signal. My spontaneous burst of confidence right before this wrapping frenzy had foreshadowed my current honor of co-head elf with Shuhan! Competing with her definitely motivated me because I really, really wanted to beat her, and now I feel absolute ly spectacular about taking a W on my first DieHard TryHard. And thank fully for the other Smokies, we can still be friends because I didn’t lose! If you ever need to wrap a shoe or a (preferably without a chair), I’m your girl!

After

By Vedesh Kodnani, Ashley Pang, Anushka Vasudev, Amelie Wu & Callie Yuan Staff Writers

December marks the start of Universal Human Rights Month, commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Smoke Signal outlined some historic human rights milestones, modern issues, civil rights activists, and explored ways MSJ students can get involved in sustaining rights on a larger scale.

Eleanor Roosevelt is a women’s rights activist who worked tirelessly to promote women’s political engagement and enforce legislative protection. She directed a number of women’s groups, notably the League of Women Voters’ national-legislation committee, where she advocated for women voting rights and gender equality. Roosevelt went on to become the first Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, playing a pivotal role in drafting the UDHR.

Growing up under Taliban rule, Malala Yousafzai had limited access to education.

As one of the early activists in the gay rights movement, Marsha P. Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. In 1969, Johnson participated in protests in the Stonewall riots, one of the first scenes of LGBTQ+ political activism and the catalyst behind the formation of multiple gay rights organizations. In addition to fighting for gay and transgender rights, she advocated for homeless LGBTQ+ youth and those affected by H.I.V. and AIDS.

In 1994, the South African National Congress elected Nelson Mandela to be the first Black President of South Africa, making him a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement. He fought against the racist system by using nonviolent defiance, ultimately negotiating with the state president to bring about an end to the apartheid and a peaceful transition into democratic society.

72 years after Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott held the first women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, the 19th Amendment is passed, granting women the right to vote in the US.

Because of these experiences, Yousafzai began campaigning across Pakistan for the right of education for girls, seeking to overturn the misogynistic educational system. In 2013, Yousafzai established the Malala Fund, helping more than 10 million girls worldwide by organizing educational programs, repairing classrooms, providing psychological support, and increasing enrollment.

A key leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. used peaceful protest to advocate against racial discrimination. King successfully led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and delivered the historical “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. These efforts encouraged President Lyndon Johnson to push for key legislative changes — the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 — that drastically changed the future for African Americans.

“As a society and as human beings, we can only hope to learn from our mistakes in the past, and in the present, take actionable steps to prevent them from happening again. So looking at human rights through that lens, think that everything that happens on the day-to-day affects how human rights will pan out in the future.” — Model United Nations Co-President Esther Lau, 12

“The reason I became an activist and [why] I'm now the head of various activist [groups] is [to] make sure the student voice is heard and that everyone's rights are respected ... The work that we [oftentimes] do is that we go to our state legislators ... It's awesome to see that your local rallies, lobbying, and Zoom meetings can really turn into actual law.” — BAStA Co-President Elaheh Khazi, 12

“A way that human rights could definitely be improved [is] through education. A lot of people don't have the proper resources to obtain the knowledge ... about human rights ... which is why it's very important for schools and education systems to prioritize educating children from young ages about that kind of topic.” — Key Club President Ariel Kim, 12

Refugee crises and mass displacement have been on the rise for the past decade due to war, human rights violations, and economic hardship out of the individuals’ control. As a result, refugees are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the general public, according to the Mental Health Foundation. This is due to the great amount of stress inflicted upon these asylum seekers during their migration journey — such as being kidnapped, extorted, or killed by criminals and border police — and a lack of support after settling in another land. As of 2022, 103 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Some of the largest refugee crises are occurring in Syria and Ukraine. Conflicts in Syria date back to 2011 when its civil war first began, and since then, civil unrest and economic instability have resulted in “[nearly] 7 million Syrians internally displaced, and 6.6 million ... forced [into] refuge,” according to the United Nations World Food Programme. After the war between Ukraine and Russia officially began in 2022, more than 13 million people have forcibly become refugees. This forced displacement is an ever-present human rights issue because people deserve to live fulfilling lives — especially those affected by systemic issues like war they did not choose to participate in.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was ratified by more than 180 countries in 1979 and serves as an international treaty that protects women’s rights according to Amnesty International. However, the United Nations Development Programme found that 90% of the world’s population holds prejudices against women. Despite how much progress has been made, the United Nations reports that a woman earns 77 cents for every dollar a man makes and that it will take 257 more years to close the global gender pay gap. Though preferences have shifted since China removed its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, its population still shows the aftereffects of the policy in combination with a bias for sons, resulting in there being 34.9 million more males than females in a census by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in 2020. A lack of access to education for women in India is also prevalent, where there is an 84.7% rate of male literacy versus a 70.3% rate of female literacy according to the National Family Health Survey. This difference can be attributed to an emphasis on stereotypically domestic work for women, leading to encouragement to drop out of school and get married at a young age instead, the Borgen Project finds. Protests in Iran first erupted after the death of 22-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini, who was beaten by morality police in custody for wearing her hijab “inappropriately.” However, issues surrounding women’s rights in Iran had been brewing in the years prior, and in a report to the Human Rights Council, “Women and girls continue to be treated as second-class citizens in Iran,” UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran Javaid Rehman said.

The rise of the fast fashion industry and overconsumption comes with an increasing demand for quick and low-cost labor. This results in a large number of people laboring for hours on end in sweatshops under terrible working conditions. According to The World Counts, “250 million children between [ages] 5 and 14 are forced to work in sweatshops for up to 16 hours per day.” After the United Auto Workers (UAW) began their strike across all 10 UC campuses to raise the minimum salary for their academic workers on November 14, they reached an agreement with the University of California 15 days later. As a result of their negotiations, a majority of the academic workers will receive 20-23% salary increases by October 2023. “It just shows the power of a union and the power of workers coming together,” UAW Local 5810

President Neal Sweeney said.

Due to a history of racial discrimination, inadequate laws that cause unjust targetting, and judicial inequity, Black and Latinx people are disproportionately incarcerated and face police brutality at a much higher rate than other populations. According to The Washington Post, “[Black Americans] account for roughly 14% of the US population, but are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans.” In the past few years, the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Jaheim McMillan, and more have sparked calls to action across the country. It is important to recognize the intersectionality of these matters and the violation of the human rights stipulated in Article 7 of UDHR — that “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.”

Service

This measure establishes a minimum wage, outlaws severe child labor, and states that the maximum workweek is 44 hours, all of which help improve working conditions in the US.

After the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust, the United Nations adopts a comprehensive code of conduct that outlines unalienable human rights, such as the right to privacy, the right to trial, and the right to peaceful assembly and association.

The Brown v. Board of Education case removes the “separate but equal” principle that ruled the US previously, cementing that racial segregation is unconstitutional and furthering the Civil Rights Movement.

Following many protests and an era of Jim Crow laws and de facto discrimination, President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits segregation based on color, race, or religion in public forums and in employment.

The battle for human rights advocacy is far from won, and student involvement is crucial to this fight.

As part of younger generations, students can educate themselves and their peers about these issues, developing their own beliefs on how to fight for human rights. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International allow volunteers to spread awareness about human rights. Students can also become politically involved, encouraging local politicians to fight for human rights on a government level.

President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965

This act outlaws voter discrimination due to race, allowing minorities, who had previously been prevented from voting with literacy tests and poll taxes in some states, to have voting rights.

Sweden allows transgender individuals to legally change their gender

Sweden becomes the first country to grant individuals the right to undergo gender change surgery, but is also among the first nations to destigmatize and declassify homosexuality as an illness.

Apartheid ends in South Africa

After a decades-long rule of apartheid in South Africa, which was a system of racial segregation under an all-white government, Nelson Mandela is sworn in as president and officially ends apartheid.

Members of the United Nations sign the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

This declaration addresses the cultural, educational, and employment rights of Indigenous people across the world and outlaws discrimination against them. This declaration was initially opposed by the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Countries like the US were built on immigrant labor, though xenophobia still persists and seeps through the cracks of the US’s history of colonialism. Due to racial hysteria after the attacks on 9/11 by al-Qaeda terrorists, Islamophobia continues to besiege Muslims around the world. Hate crimes against Muslims rose by 1617% from 2000 to 2001 according to reports by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A similar pattern of scapegoating was also repeated since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, in which hate crimes against Asian people have increased by 339% in 2021 compared to 2020 according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism due to xenophobic and sinophobic beliefs. “ ... Dangerous scapegoating and widespread ignorance ... have fomented racism and overt acts of harassment and violence against Asian Americans,” Deputy Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Cecillia Wang said. This racist rhetoric erupted worldwide, with Human Rights Watch reporting “Asians ... around the world have been subjected to attacks and beatings, violent bullying, threats, racist abuse, and discrimination.”

The

Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in the US

The Supreme Court removes the ban on same-sex marriages across the entire country. While some places had already granted this as a state right, this ruling ensured that all couples in all 50 states were guaranteed the same rights.

Women win the right to vote in the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Fair Labor Standards Act

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is created

The Supreme Court makes segregation illegal in public schools The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ends lawful segregation in the US

“We're looking at a lot of places in the world where women are discriminated against [or] minorities are discriminated against ... think by talking, you're sharing these things with students and hopefully bringing awareness to things that are happening around the world.” — AP Human Geography Teacher Bill Jeffers

get involved

AP Human Geography teacher Bill Jeffers’ class includes discussions of human rights and race relations, within the broader concepts of politics, religion, and language, to provide context for humanitarian issues. Students examine the gender inequality index and other methods of measuring social disparities while learning about the causes of such issues.

clubs such as MSJ Interact, MSJ Key Club, and MSJ LEO provide members with the opportunity to combat human rights issues. In addition to local service events like donating clothes to homeless shelters and canned food drives, some clubs use their profits towards international projects. Interact’s 2023 project, for example, is funding the water infrastructure in Honduras.

Model United Nations (MUN) features discussions and debates regarding international relations as students simulate different member states. With extensive research prior to competitions and topics ranging from human rights in the Congo to nuclearization in Russia, MUN competitions can promote awareness about global issues. “Competitions [are] a really great foundation-building opportunity for people to create concrete change when they ... go out into the real world,” MSJ MUN Co-President Senior Esther Lau said.

the Parkland shooting in 2018, Bay Area Student Activists (BAStA) was founded to encourage youth civic engagement and bring about change on a social and legislative level. The organization posts educational infographics about human rights issues on social media platforms in addition to hosting fundraisers and drives. In the past, the MSJ chapter focused on water justice for minorities.

Taught by Stephanie Kearns, the Women’s Studies class deconstructs social, economic, and political hierarchies that are grounded in gender, with units including Gender and Feminist Theory and Violence Against Women. At the end of the year, students choose a research project related to women’s rights to enhance their understanding of inequities.

indigo: A flowery journey of youth

By Aaron Zhou Staf Writer

South Korean musician and rapper Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM of BTS, released his highly anticipated studio album, Indigo on December 2. Following the release of his second mixtape in 2018, mono., which peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard 200, Indigo marks RM’s rst o cial solo album. Garnished with masterful production and heartfelt lyricism, Indigo passionately speaks RM’s journey as an artist and the nal years of his youthful twenties.

“F*** the trendsetter / I’ma turn back the time,” RM proclaims as he opens the album with “Yun (with Erykah Badu),” informing the listener that his re ective journey spills genuine and abstract perspectives.

e song sets the album’s high production standards with a lo- -style beat paired with ambient melodies and chord progressions. RM wastes no time diving into the deepest topics of youth in “Still Life (with Anderson .Paak),” an upbeat and melodic track that justi es the act of living. Both RM and .Paak stress the importance of persisting in the face of all troubles, and .Paak dynamically reminds the listener of this message with the iconic line, “Life is better than the death, I’ll prove it.”

e album progresses by o ering a soothing contrast to its more powerful tracks with “Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol),” featuring simple yet nostalgic guitar melodies that convey a tranquility similar to a cozy replace. RM and Sawol deliver their appreciation for youthful independence in the song as they sing to-

BOOKBYTES

By Katie Tang Staf Writer

Title: Crazy Rich Asians

Author: Kevin Kwan

Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9

Genre: Domestic Fiction

The afuent Nick Young brings his Chinese American middle-class girlfriend, Rachel Chu, to visit his childhood home. However, Nick fails to warn Rachel about his scheming, pretentious family who turns the couple’s relaxed vacation into an obstacle course of old versus new money, nosy relatives, and social elitists.

“I recommend Crazy Rich Asians because it is full of culture and identity. It is interesting to see how stereotypes difer based on social class and upbringing.”— Adam Tay, 11

Staf Recommendation

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: T.J. Klune

Suggested Reading Level: Grade 11

Genre: Fantasy Linus, a caseworker in charge of magical youth, breaks free from his solitary life when he is summoned to an orphanage to examine six dangerous children. Secrets are exposed, and Linus must choose between his world and the orphanage, discovering an unlikely family along the way.

“I agree with the quote that ‘it’s a heartwarming story that involves fantastical characters with special powers … It’s like being wrapped in a big gay blanket.’” — English Teacher Nina LaRosa

Smokie Recommendation

Title: Malibu Rising

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Suggested Reading Level: Grade 10

Genre: Historical Fiction, Saga

When the four famous Riva siblings decide to throw a party to celebrate the end of summer, their lives spiral into chaos. Each with their own hidden agendas, the four test their relationships with each other.

“I like how the characters were written and how [the story] took place over multiple years … Each character discovers themselves and the end was really nice because it all tied together.”

— Annika Singh, 11

gether in the last chorus, “In my own way / I’m gonna anesthetize myself ...” Furthermore, “Closer (with Paul Blanco, Mahalia)” serves as an unexpected and sensual song where RM expresses his desire for love, another essential aspect of youth. With relatable passion that vividly describes inner impulses for romantic interactions, the song delivers fascinating lyrics with Blanco singing, “But the time gon’ stop / When you and I make our lips lock baby.”

ough a majority of the album contains collaborative tracks, RM demonstrates his prowess as a solo artist in “Change pt.2,” the only fully English song in the album. As the sequel to RM and Wale’s 2017 collaboration “Change,” “Change pt.2” provides unique beat switches that re ect RM’s interpretation of a constantly shifting society. RM futhers his individual talent in “Lonely,” revealing that even world-class idols relate to adolescent depression, proclaiming, “Uh, yeah, guess I’m wasted / ... / YouTube and Net ix all day.” e song also contains a bedroom pop-style beat with an addictive and repeated layered melody, re ecting the con nement young

people experience today.

RM consolidates the musical diversity of the album in “Hectic (with Colde),” speaking of busy days through a disco-style instrumental.

e song’s chorus o ers a perfect dynamic between RM’s deep voice and Colde’s pleasant background vocals. However, the album’s peak vocals reside in “Wild Flower (with youjeen),” as youjeen delivers high and powerful notes in the chorus, singing “Gonna scatter across that sky / Light a ower, owerwork.” RM also conveys his vision of an ideal youth with “an end where I could applaud and smile / at’s what I wished for,” which corresponds to a universal desire of humans.

In the album’s concluding track, “No. 2 (with parkjiyoon),” RM reminds himself and the listener that “Even if countless things bother you / You will protect yourself now.” roughout more than a decade as a musician and international idol, RM spectacularly re ects his youth through top-tier lyricism, production, and musical versatility in Indigo

R

what’s on The menu?

By

Staf Writer

Satirical and lled to the brim with dark comedy, director Mark Mylod’s e Menu, released on November 18, is a hilarious commentary on the culinary world and its excessive extravagance. Despite a few underdeveloped characters, e Menu’s unnerving plot, snappy dia- logue, and amazing audio and visu- als combine to create a beautiful yet horrifying story.

Set in present day, the viewers are introduced to a couple, Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), who make their way to an private island o the coast to experience the famed menu made by Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), the head chef and owner of a very exclusive restaurant. As the meal goes on, however, Margot slowly realizes that the end of the course is not just the end of the meal.

Despite e Menu being com- mercialized as a horror lm and the tense plot line suggesting as such, the movie lacks the expected gore and murder, as even the violent hunting scenes are skimmed over it and moved on without any impact.

ough the horror aspect is medio- cre in its own right, the comedy of the movie was easily the best part of the movie. From Tyler’s emotional crying over Chef Slowik’s explana- tion of the food to the “breadless” bread plate, the comedy appears un- expectedly and is a nice respite from the suspense of the lm.

In addition to the excellent comedy, e Menu’s cinematography and sound design is a feast for the eyes and ears. e composition of the lm is in the same style that is remi- niscent of food documentaries. Each dish is accompanied with captions and close-up overhead shots, a nod to the classic Net ix cooking documentary Chef’s Table. e sound design of the lm o ers the viewers a perfect accompaniment to the plot, music and e ects rising in crescendo to match the buildup of action. e tension is notched up even further as each course is accompanied by an

glass onion breaks the ice

ear-piercing clap from Chef Slowik, heightened skillfully with a sudden silence as all surrounding noises disappear.

As each course is nished, e Menu’s social commentary becomes more and more obvious. While it can be a little heavy-handed at times, it ultimately does bring something new to the table. With each scene, e Menu implies the same point repeatedly — not so discreetly. Like almost all movies with people from the upper crust, it points to the age- old message: money and power cor- rupt people. e movie’s twist on this message is notable, however, as the sta sacri ce themself along with the guests. e re ective depiction of the service industry’s culture in sacri cing oneself as a martyr separates e Menu from other horror movies. It speaks to the overly-committed service industry whose fear of the customers becomes borderline obsessive.

e Menu’s characters are not as expanded upon as its message. Many characters are underdeveloped and only a little more than basic character tropes. Margot stays static all throughout the entire lm as her character is constantly the same smoking, leather jacket-wearing re- bellious girl she’s rst shown as. Overall, e Menu is complete with well-integrated comedy, cine- matography, sound, and satire, and it resists being dragged down by its bland characters. It’s a breath of fresh air for the horror-comedy genre and represents a new era of horror-come- dy lmmaking to come.

Grade: B+

By Ayushi Kashyap Staf Writer

e highly anticipated sequel to director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was released in theaters on November 23, featuring a witty plot accompanied by multifaceted characters.

Taking place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lm follows detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) on tech billionaire Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) private island named the Glass Onion during a murder mystery party. Along with Bron’s close celebrity friends such as Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), nicknamed the “Disruptors,” Blanc attempts to investigate the supposed suicide of Helen Brand, Andi Brand’s twin sister (Janelle Monáe). However, the fun murder mystery party getaway soon turns sinister as two guests are actually found dead.

Featuring a star-studded cast with Bond-veteran Craig reprising his role as Benoit Blanc accompanied by

Monáe and Hudson, Johnson and the cast deliver a movie lled with frequent comedic quips and wellpaced plot progression. e hilarity rests in the excessive island that Bron has out tted with useless, gimmicky features such as robot dogs to carry the luggage and the actual Mona Lisa on display from the Louvre. In addition, despite its high predictability due to carefully placed easter eggs like an upside down Rothko painting throughout the lm, the wellpaced and hilariously-delivered lines accentuate the lm’s commentary on super ciality, making the plot and characters unforgettable.

Johnson uses this lm to satirize the excessive debauchery of the rich. With the unlikely group of clearly successful people having a debt to Bron in common, the lm pushes into exploring more behind the motives of the murders rather than the result, akin to other similar movies in the mystery genre. Still, it continues a logical plot progression, paying a clear homage to the Agatha Christie novels that inspired the series. As another well done feature,

Johnson manipulates the plot by not delving instantly into the murder mystery but allowing time for the characters to display their own unique traits, like Debella’s superciality and single-track obsession with her campaign for Massachusetts governor, upping the tension within the island. By doing so, viewers understand the characters’ stories more, like empathizing with Toussaint’s inability to retaliate against Bron, improving the experience overall.

As one of the most important characters, Craig brings a notable performance to the movie, unfortunately, accompanied by his questionable Southern accent that has deteriorated since Knives Out. With the immense success of his James Bond lms, his foray into the mystery genre with Knives Out and its sequential lms shows the embracement of a new character, one that allows him to let loose from the role of 007. However, he does provide an excellent balance between the hilarious delivery of Monáe and Hudson’s lines with a wry seriousness which leaves the watcher feeling ful lled.

e movie also features beautiful views of the island of Spetses, Greece where the entire murder mystery party takes place. As a result, the cinematography and views of the lm are a clear contrast to the Massachusetts mansion setting of the previous lm which appeals well to viewers. e breathtaking setting is utilized e ectively with the excellent cinematography, especially with the darkness of the lighthouse scene which is also highlighted by multiple well-done ashbacks. Johnson’s unique directing style resides in slow build-ups that utilize movement within a scene through panning rather than sitting still. is ultimately underscores the message Johnson delivers about the excessive indulgences of the elite contrasting with the villainous acts that happen at the Glass Onion.

Overall, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was a classic homage to the whodunit lm genre that skillfully monopolized the comedic relief to create a well-developed lm.

: A-

ANGELA: “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift | ANNIKA: “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson | BRYAN: “ e Christmas Waltz” by Laufey | CHRISTY: “Grown-Up Christmas List” by Amy Grant | ELTON: “Little Drummer Boy” by Pentatonix | ESTHER: “Day After Tomorrow” by Phoebe Bridgers | HANNAH: “X-MAS” by Xdinary Heroes

Sally Han

MOVIE: She’s the Man — Meghna Goswami, 10

TV SHOW: Gilmore Girls — Saranya Singh, 11 ALBUM: Invitation to Her’s by Her’s — Brittany Lu, 9

BOOK: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner — Kaylee Wei, 12 GAME: OMORI — Jack Wang, 12

IMDB

Student Recommendation

12 Arts & Entertainment WWW THESMOKESIGNAL ORG The Smoke Signal Friday, December 16, 2022

Enjoy the music, not the gossip

By Ruhani Chhabra & Lucy Yao Sta Writers

Behind every song is an artist trying to convey a special message. Oftentimes, these messages stem from the artist’s life experiences and struggles. However when lyricists embed personal anecdotes in their music, there are fans who readily use them as a means to investigate the artist’s personal life, speculating about their private relationships and business. Although people are free to consume art in any way they want, it’s unhealthy to try and t a celebrity’s art into one’s own perceptions and assumptions.

Music and song lyrics are personal to both the singer and the listener. For some fans, consuming art may be as simple as just enjoying a song; but for others, they choose to closely analyze all aspects of a piece — though mainly the lyrics — for a wide range of reasons. is practice is a function of parasocial relationships — extreme attachment to celebrities — where fans want to feel “closer” to the celebrity by dissecting their music to understand their life. Listeners then have the tendency to project these lyrics and hidden meanings onto themselves, almost as if to embody the idol. ough it’s perfectly normal to apply relatable lyrics to one’s own life, an artist (or their persona) shouldn’t become one’s entire personality. ese attachments to celebrities can be all-consuming, as fans believe that they know the artist personally, despite only listening to the information given in a song’s lyrics. Not only does this negatively a ect the fans, as they disregard their values and personal well-being for their obsession with these celebrities, but it also creates paths of misunderstandings and destructive behavior towards the recipients of such songs. For example, after Olivia Rodrigo released SOUR an album that is speculated to be about her ex-boyfriend, Joshua Bassett, many fans were quick to hate Bassett. In fact, when Bassett was sent to hospital for a heart issue

a few days after Rodrigo’s song “drivers license” was released, many people on Twitter commented that he “deserved” it for their conceived notion of his relationship with Rodrigo.

Such invasive behavior is not just reserved for established relationships. Fans also resort to “shipping culture,” in which people romantically pair two celebrities together, usually involving speculation of sexuality. Listeners who ship artists twist lyrics to follow their misguided views of the celebrities’ relationship, which is an incredibly problematic behavior. “Larries,” obsessive shippers of singers Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, have been around since One Direction’s formation in 2010. e then16-year-old Styles and 18-year-old Tomlinson were thrust into a pervasive limelight in which their every action was used as a way to prove their supposed romantic relationship, which still continues today. Despite One Direction disbanding in 2015, fans insist that Styles and Tomlinson are being closeted by their managements — which they allegedly communicate about through their music — so they’ve been overly vocal

about the topic to “help” them come out. Styles and Tomlinson have both spoken out about how uncomfortable “Larries” have made them and their actual partners, but some fans persist in dissecting their music to prove a decade-long theory.

However, the line gets blurred when artists actually encourage their fans to look into every detail behind a song. Instead of explicit personal information, some artists incorporate “easter eggs,” hidden clues or connections to a message the artist is trying to put out. Searching for them adds another layer of mystery to songs; speci c lyrics may reference certain people, places, or events that served as inspirations. As seen in Ariana Grande’s hit song, “thank u, next,” she builds on the central theme of self-growth following a breakup by directly referring to her past relationships, claiming “One taught me love / One taught me patience / And one taught me pain.” ese easter eggs become a fun game of Where’s Waldo for the fans, forcing them to pay attention to the lyrics and song as a whole to catch the examples. But not every artist is trying to attract speculation about their personal lives, and even the

ones who do are merely using them as tidbits of personal references, not encouraging conspiracies.

Some argue that if these artists put out personal music, they should already be aware of these risks of fan behavior — or may even be the artist’s intention. Taylor Swift in particular markets the diary-like structure of her songs, which, according to the fans, essentially welcomes them into her personal life. For artists who follow her example, their listeners then believe that this should apply to them as well. For example, in Conan Gray’s song, “Heather,” he distinctly uses a fake name to avoid fans from prying into his personal life. But not only did fans speculate who this “Heather” was, they even went to question and pressure him to reveal his sexuality, just as people did to Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

When artists’ personal lives are the only thing one can think about when listening to a song, it ruins the experience of properly appreciating the music. At the end of the day, the singer is a stranger and shouldn’t be consuming the majority of people’s thoughts. Of course, there’s no reason to stop analyzing song lyrics if it adds insight into a piece, just as how people shouldn’t stop breaking down TV shows, movies, or other forms of entertainment. e distinction comes when one stops viewing the song as something to enjoy, but rather a form of celebrity tabloids.

ere are di erent ways to interpret art, but to dissect people’s music to the point where one is delving deep into the artist’s personal life is harmful for both parties. Real art grows overshadowed by the inspiration and gossip surrounding a song or album. People should keep the artist’s feelings separate from their own and respect the other aspects of a song the artist put work into as well, such as the production or vocal technique. Instead of promoting gossip culture, encourage others to step back and simply value the experience.

Wednesday is a disappointment to the Addams family

By Goonja Basu Staf Writer

Between the perils of teenagehood and being the subject of a prophecy foreshadowing the end of the world, Wednesday features a sixteen year old Wednesday Addams of the celebrated Addams Family (Jenna Ortega) as she navigates staying alive while being entangled in a supernatural murder mystery and thriving at her new boarding school, Nevermore. e school proves to be an obstacle for Wednesday’s stout stoicism and she nds herself troubled with something she’s never had before — friends. Released on November 23 on Net ix, Wednesday quickly broke past Stranger ings season 4’s record of most hours viewed in a week for an English-language series at 341.2 million hours. Well over a week after its release, Wednesday is trending at number 1 on Net ix in 83 countries, a spot it does not deserve because of the farcical storylines it features.

Wednesday as a character draws away from the past portrayals, such as in the 1991 hit e Addams Family where she was a ten-yearold. As an adolescent in this show, Wednesday still holds her deadpan and detached demeanor, but now experiences classic teenage problems, such as issues with her mother and arguments with her friends. At the beginning of the season, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) tells her daughter

spite insisting that she is the same cold-hearted person who initially arrived at Nevermore, Wednesday proves otherwise through her care for characters such as her friends Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) and Enid (Emma Myers). At the beginning, Wednesday strives to be nothing like her mother and is extremely apathetic to students’ attempts to be her friend. However, by the end of the season, she mends things with Morticia and grows to care for her friends, all while uncovering who is behind the town Jericho’s killing spree. Her growth throughout the season is evident and one of the most consistent things about the show, despite a fast-paced murder mystery simultaneously occuring.

Ortega’s acting shines the brightest out of anyone in the cast. Having put a lot of e ort and time into perfecting Wednesday’s inexpressive behavior, Ortega manages to hit the nail on the head during moments that called for her impassive character to be vulnerable. In a moment when Wednesday looks dejected for the rst time in the show, Ortega perfectly delivers, “Maybe it’s inevitable [that I’m destined to be alone]. But for the rst time in my life, it doesn’t feel good.” Another actor who may have even beat out Ortega’s performance is Victor Dorobantu as ing, Wednesday’s companion that is a disembod-

ied hand. Instead of choosing to use CGI for the hand, Dorobantu contorts himself into increasingly di cult poses under tables and around furniture in a blue suit to position ing where he needs to be. e hardship clearly pays o , with ing delivering one of the strongest performances without words or facial expressions. His emotions are very easy to read and gather how he feels despite being simply a hand. When he is disappointed, his ngers slump the way a person’s shoulders would. When he is ignoring someone, he taps his ngers to signify he is not paying attention to them. e small details are what make Dorobantu such an amazing performer. Unfortunately, next to Ortega’s and Dorobantu’s acting, the rest of the cast is novice at best.

e acting was just one highlight of Wednesday. Wednesday’s dance in episode four to “Goo Goo Muck” by e Cramps, which Ortega choreographed herself, is the best part of the show. With the eccentric moves inspired by 80s dances, it captures Wednesday’s eccentricity perfectly. Episode ve in particular was memorable; featuring Wednesday’s strongest relationships with her family, the episode humanizes and makes her relatable to the audience. Along with Wednesday’s characterization, the show ben-

e ts from the distinct aesthetic that can only be attributed to Tim Burton’s directing. Between the cinematography, the score, and the appearance of the monster, Wednesday has the classic Burton gothic touch as seen in e Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissorhands. In his modernization of the character, Wednesday no longer has the singular black dress with the white collar, instead wearing designer brands that are up to date on today’s teen fashion, which adds contemporary appeal to viewers. In particular, Wednesday’s dress to the dance, a vintage Alaïa prom dress, has grown to be one of the de ning frames of Wednesday because of the traction it has gained online.

Despite the positive aspects of the show, the negatives of the show set the precedent of the show, leading to an overall weak performance. Its aesthetic does not present the same way it was marketed: dark and morbid in classic Wednesday Addams style. By taking out the macabre aspect of it, Wednesday is nothing more than a show about a saturated New England town with a deadpan teenage sociopath living in it. Plot-wise, Wednesday could have improved by removing unnecessary plots in place of spotlighting side characters whose storylines are barely brought up, such as Bianca (Joy Sunday), whose sirenic background was explored for a eeting episode before never being mentioned again. In addition to this, more of Morticia, Gomez (Luis Guzmán), and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) — the actual Addams family — would have been fruitful because not only would it induce nostalgia for viewers, but more importantly, it would have provided Wednesday with the background she so desperately needs.

Ultimately, Wednesday did not live up to the expectations surrounding it, compared to previous Addams family remakes and how it was advertised and eagerly awaited for. While there were some standout moments, such as Ortega’s acting, they were not enough to diminish the disappointment of the comically over-dramatic plot and the utilization of all the wrong characters.

IMDB COM

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) and Thing (Victor Dorobantu) in Wednesday

Nevermore Academy, Wednesday’s new boarding school.

YOUTUBE COM

Fans record BTS member SUGA at his performance.

Arts & Entertainment year in review!

By Shuhan Jin, Priyanka Shah, Nessa Tong & Callie Yuan Staff Writers

From movie releases to celebrity shenanigans, the Smoke Signal has compiled the most notable moments of 2022 in the arts and entertainment field to recap.

Early 2022 - the wordle craze

will smith at the oscars - march 27

The 94th Academy Awards was one that surprised people all over the world. Chris Rock, the host for this year’s Oscars, was greeted with a slap from Will Smith after insulting Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock made a remark towards Jada’s shaved head while comparing it to a famous movie character, G.I. Jane. Hoping for a better response, “Jada, G.I. Jane 2, I can’t wait to see it,” Rock said. Jada has publicly shared that she suffers from alopecia, and Will Smith infuriated with the remark. After the infamous slap, Smith proceeded to come back to his seat and yell “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.” This incident flooded social media posts and ended up being the most talked about event in 2022. Will Smith faced great public scrutiny for his actions, and people began to question why many other white men who have previously hosted the Oscars have gotten away with making racist remarks.

Josh Wardle created a game that would change lives on May 16, 2019: Wordle. However, this game only became popular in December of 2021. People all around the world took time out of their day to play this mind-twisting word game where the objective is to guess a five-letter word in only six tries. However, depending on the positioning and letter that one gets correct, the color of the tile changes in response. Wordle became a staple in people’s daily lives, and many began sharing their attempts on social media. After Wordle became popular, many different versions of the game began to emerge. With the New York Times purchasing Wordle for a price in the seven figures, fans began to doubt that access to the game would be free. Though Wordle has dwindled in popularity, it still remains a staple in many people’s daily routines.

At the 2022 Met Gala, media personality and socialite Kim Kardashian wore actress Marilyn Monroe’s famed “Happy Birthday” dress. Mon roe’s custom dress — valued at $10 million according to its owner, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum — was worn when she sang the song “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to 35th US President John F. Ken nedy in 1962. People were angered over Kardashian wearing the iconic dress because she had allegedly damaged it during fitting, destroying its historical value. Additionally, Monroe fans took an ethical stance, pointing to Kardashian’s publicity stunt as falling into the pattern of the glamorization and exploitation of Monroe’s tragic life and image even after her death.

april 1 - morbius

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, the film Morbius follows biochemist Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) as he descends into vampirism and fights with his surrogate brother Milo Morbius (Matt Smith). Upon its opening weekend, Morbius grossed $39 million at the box office compared to its budget of $75 million. Despite the movie’s poor performance, Morbius memes became a worldwide craze — including those poking fun at its ticket sales by saying the film made a “Morbillion dollars” — which caused entertainment company Sony to bring Morbius back to theaters in the hopes that internet popularity would translate into actual ticket sales. However, that did not prove to be true, and Morbius flopped in the theaters for a second time by recouping only $300,000, doing

On July 1, thousands of suit-wearing teeens flooded theaters to watch the Minions; The Rise of Gru. Blasting “Rich Minion” by American rapper Yeat, these hordes of young “Gentleminions” filmed themselves cheering and being disruptive before and during the movie, with some causing minor property damage and vandalism. Nevertheless, the film managed to rake in a worldwide total of $939 million at the box office, as well as a surprisingly positive 89% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

the downfall of ye - october 7

On October 7, best-selling rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, posted a highly controversial tweet criticized for its antisemitism, causing his account to be locked. It was soon revealed that Ye had made similarly antisemitic statements on unaired television, and his remarks led to numerous neo-Nazi and white supremacist demonstrations in his support. As a result, companies such as Vogue, Balenciaga, and Adidas terminated their brand deals with Ye, reducing his net worth by billions. Although Ye has previously been through similar controversies, including referring to slavery as a “choice” in 2018 and wearing a White Lives Matter shirt in October, this event marks a major change in how brands react to his behavior.

october 21 - midnights

On October 21, Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album Midnights, taking the music industry by storm as it made record-breaking history. The 13 songs, with seven bonus tracks that make up the album, tell Swift’s story of “13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [her] life” as she opens up about her biggest insecurities and struggles with fame. Midnights broke 73 records in just one week, according to the magazine Consequence Sound. Among these include being the first artist in history to take all top 10 places on the Billboard Hot 100 at once, hitting 357 million streams in a week, making the album the third-highest streamed in a week in history, and becoming Spotify’s most-streamed artist and album in a single day.

From record-breaking albums to pop-culture-defining celebrity interactions, these were only a couple of the many memorable moments that happened in 2022. These pop culture moments, along with many more, helped shape the year of 2022. As unusual as this year has been, the world of arts and entertainment has never failed to keep the excitement going.

kim kardashian at the met - may 2

By Anandita Devata, Jacob Han & Keerti Koya Staff Writers

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup 2022 is projected to amass a total of fve billion views, making it the most-watched in the tournament’s history. The tournament is being held in Qatar, a country steeped in political controversies and human rights violations, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Seven European nations participating in the tournament planned to wear “OneLove” armbands to show their support for LGBTQ+ rights since homosexuality is illegal in the nation. However, FIFA warned the teams that it could result in penalization, forcing the teams to cancel their plans. In the past, the international soccer community has been a welcoming space for everyone, regardless of sexuality, race, or other characteristics. The recent World Cup controversies highlight that the infuence the sports industry has on the public should be used as a platform to bring attention to social movements while creating real impacts for marginalized groups.

Politics impacts industries of all kinds, including sports, and blending politics and sports constructively can have lasting effects on society. For example, The National Basketball Players Association established a foundation and committed $300 million in funding over

the next 10 years to facilitate skill development, employment, and career advancement among Black youth in the US and Canada. Additionally, the International Olympic Committee opened Pride House Tokyo, a permanent hub for the LGBTQ+ community, as part of its plans for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The committee’s creation of a long-term show of support towards the same community shunned by Qatar proves that it is indeed possible for the sports and politics worlds to intertwine, as shown by the countless professional sports organizations that have dedicated time and money to help minorities.

Athletes can also use their large fan bases to gain widespread support and create a positive environment for minority groups. For example, NFL player Colin Kaepernick kneeled as the national anthem played during a pregame in 2016 to bring light to police brutality and systemic racism against Black citizens. Despite risking signifcant consequences on his career, he was able to bring major media attention to the issue through to his large fan base.

Another case of athletic activism is when Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James founded More Than A Vote, a nonproft group that partnered with The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund for the 2020 general election and recruited more than 10,000 volunteers to help as poll workers. The nonproft deployed

Germany’s players cover their mouths to protest FIFA’s ban on “OneLove” armbands.

ads to educate minority voters about how to register and vote by mail, giving them a larger voice in the government. His actions reached not only his fans but also the rest of the basketball industry and the general public, which pushes for necessary change. By publicly showing support for minority groups, athletes with large followings encourage fans to do so as well even in the face of opposition.

While athletes can bring support for positive change, some oppose this idea by saying separating politics from sports prevents the latter from being corrupted by athletes’ or organizations’ biased views regarding political or social issues. Sports is one of the few felds where judgment is quite objective, such as whether a ball went into a goal or not, making it a common place for people to take their minds off of opinionated topics like politics. However, sports, as an avenue that reaches millions if not billions, is an excellent way to gather support for people that need it. Athletics is one of the few platforms that transcends cultural, ethnic, and social boundaries, making it an exceptional space for civil discourse. As a

result, combining sports and politics is a great way of providing an equal platform for all to share their views on society’s issues.

Attracting millions to support minorities is far from possible for most people, but we must still actively seek out ways to create a positive impact in the smaller sphere of our community. By showing support for public condemnations of human rights violations, we can bring issues to the attention of those with the power to create tangible and long-lasting change, helping minority groups. Additionally, by boycotting games that intentionally prohibit these issues from coming to light, people can spread awareness regarding problems such as human rights violations and LGBTQ+ discrimination ongoing in Qatar. Those who attended the World Cup games could have protested the penalization of teams for wearing armbands simply by wearing it themselves. Politics and sports will continue to be intertwined well into the future. As a result, athletes and the public have equal responsibility in utilizing sports platforms to create an impact. ▪

up until 4 AM watching the World Cup Why? It was just interesting,

Thatzoom-in... They are SO pretty

Sports as a neutral playing feld for political views

photos by cnn com

sports graphic opinions

Girls Basketbal l

By Jason Tang Staff Writer

Boys Soccer

Winter Freshmen Varsity Athletes AarooshBalakrishnan

Aris MacKenzie

AvaniChandrakar

KanupriyaGoyal

NishitaDeshpande

BhavyaBabbellapati

SydneyHeal y Ima Nissler

DiyaGarg GirlsSoccer

AminaSerghine

Boys Basketball take tough 46-72 loss to Kennedy

rali, who put up 14 points for the team. “[O]ur bench started lifting up in terms of spirit. We were still going on, and we still tried to fght for the game,” Bao said. By the end of the third quarter, the Warriors ended with a score of 33 to the Titans’ 50.

further as they left the Warriors in the dust, fnishing the game 46-72.

By Jiyun Guo & Aaryan Suri Staff Writers

On December 8, Boys Basketball went head-to-head against the Kennedy High School Titans. In a fast-paced match flled with excellent passes, fashy plays, and skilled defense, the Titans were in control of the game from the start, outscoring the Warriors in each quarter. In the end, the Titans led by 26 points, fnishing 46-72 and defeating the Warriors in their frst MVAL game of the season.

Heading into the game, the Warriors knew they’d be facing a tough opponent. “We kind of researched the other team. … we were a little worried since they were taller than us, … stronger than us, more physical than us,” Bao said. However, the team was not discouraged and maintained their confdence as they faced off against the Titans.

As the game kicked off, the teams remained neck and neck, with the teams being tied early in the frst quarter at 7-7. However, after an early lineup change from the Titans, they were able to quickly turn the tide of the game. Scoring three lay-ups in consecutive possessions, the Titans gave the Warriors no breathing room as they rounded out the quarter 7-13. The Titans maintained this energy as they easily shut down the Warrior’s offense in nearly every play and had a lock on defense. “Some things we need to work on are defnitely getting rebounds and making sure the defense isn’t pressuring us,” Co-Captain Junior Brandon Bao said.

Despite the Titans’ signifcant lead heading into the rest of the game, the Warriors still managed to execute several impressive plays. In the second quarter, the Warriors scored two half-court shots, eliciting enthusiastic cheers from spectators, alongside a stellar performance from Power Forward Junior Saket Mu-

With the Titans having a whopping 17-point lead in the third quarter, the teams headed into the fnal stretch of the game, with the fourth quarter serving as a victory lap for the Titans. Pulling out showy and bold moves, such as layups off the backboard to impress the spectators, players from the Titans loosened up. In a last-minute effort, the Warriors began playing a much rougher defense. Unfortunately, this strategy backfred as the Titans were able to draw seven fouls in the fourth quarter alone. In the end, the Titans expanded their lead even

After the game, the team felt disappointed by the result but made note of areas that could use improvement. Specifcally, they planned on improving their defense by implementing tactics from practice into games. “On defense, we had a lot of mistakes. We’re usually not making those mistakes, but I think, frst game, we had some things that we didn’t fgure out,” Co-Captain Senior David Lin said.

For the rest of the season, the team aims to improve their win ratio through rigorous training and an emphasis on team dynamics.

“Compared to last year, we’re hoping to win more games, and the only way to do that is to improve our team chemistry and work hard in practice,” Bao said. ▪

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER JASON TANG GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR KAITLYN WANG

StephanieYu

With the winter sports season now underway, The Smoke Signal would like to congratulate the Freshman who made the varsity teams. To showcase MSJ’s budding athletic talent, the Smoke Signal spotlights the 11 freshmen varsity athletes who will represent MSJ in the winter edition of the Freshmen Varsity Spotlight series. Sports featured include Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer and Girls Basketball.

Power Forward Junior Sathvik Yetukuri shoots a basket.

Co-Captain Junior Brandon Bao makes an overhead pass.

Athletes Spotlight: Harshita & Samhita Bathina

By Tanvi Deshmukh & Andria Luo Staff Writers

perform within it, motivating us to continually get better,” Harshita Bathina said.

In addition to bowling, the two are doubles partners on the MSJ Varsity Girls Tennis Team, which won MVAL and NCS league titles earlier this year. “Playing together, we learned to never give up because in tennis when you’re down, you can still turn around the score and make a comeback,” Samhita Bathina said.

With the amount of time spent together enhancing their athletic abilities, the two developed into each other’s motivation. The time and effort they both put into their sports have helped to strengthen their relationship as well as their athletic performance. “I think just working with any partner is really good because you can feed off their energy,” Harshita Bathina said.

— HARSHITA BATHINA,

12

Siblings Senior Harshita Bathina and Sophomore Samhita Bathina began their bowling careers at ages seven and fve, respectively. They initially bowled with friends for fun, but once their soon-to-be coach encouraged them to join a Saturday league team at Cloverleaf Family Bowl, they gave competitive bowling a shot. Since then, the sisters have become three-time NorCal Youth Bowling Association (YBA) All-Stars and have won numerous scholarships for tournaments in CA.

For their bowling careers to reach this impressive point, the Bathina sisters devotedly trained to improve their technique and strategies. They started their training at Cloverleaf Family Bowl and later on moved to Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl after Cloverleaf shut down. Now, they stop by the alley whenever

they have time to hone their techniques and practice bowling strategies. “Bowling is a sport all about precision and repetition ... it’s more slow-paced, relaxing, and a mental game,” Samhita Bathina said. “Many people think you just throw a ball down a lane, but it’s really intricate with the different oil patterns and arm swing approaches.”

The sisters frst became All-Stars in 2018 after years of competing. In order to qualify, they had to bowl in three state-wide tournaments and perform well in each one. The award is also given based on factors such as their performance compared with other bowlers in their age group, league average, and involvement within the bowling community.

“[Becoming All-Stars] defnitely made us appreciate the sport and recognize our abilities to

Holiday Festivities Bright Up the Night

By Elaheh Khazi & Praamesh Siva

Staff Writers

On December 2 from 6-8 p.m., Fremont Hub and KIMCO Realty hosted Bright Up the Night, a joint holiday event at Fremont Hub’s courtyard. Attendees enjoyed two spectacular laser light shows, live holiday music, and selfies with Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, the Nutcracker, and more.

The live band kicked off the event at 6 pm with holiday classics such as “Frosty the Snowman” by Michael Bublé and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams. While enjoying the music, attendees explored the plaza and photo booths. A large line quickly formed as families rushed to take photos with Santa Claus. Children laughed as the adorable Frosty the Snowman gave highfives and hugs to attendees. Parents in particular enjoyed themselves while seeing their kids having fun. “We came for the kids, especially because my sons love Christmas,” Attendee Sakshi Pathak said.

The main event was the laser light show which began at 6:30 pm. Blue, green, purple, and red lights decorated the nighttime sky. The crowd shouted excitedly as they watched the shifting color combinations. Children jumped up and down in excitement at the quick transitions and changing colors. Parents rushed to take pictures. It was the most eye-catching part of the event that had onlookers fascinated.

Overall, Bright Up the Night was a fun holiday-themed festival that attracted many families. “Coming out of the pandemic, it is helpful to have such gatherings where people feel safe going to, especially during the holidays,” Attendee Matthew Teng said.

Although balancing athletics and academics was initially a challenge, the sisters’ involvement in two sports has taught them much about consistently maintaining organization and motivation. With the enjoyment and personal growth they pursue in bowling and tennis, the sisters hope to continue their athletic careers into college. Regardless of the sport, they recommend beginners to be patient with themselves because athletic progress and skill perfection often take time. “Surround yourself with people who support your growth every step of the way,” Harshita Bathina said. ▪

“Working with my sister is really nice because we have that bond that also makes us closer as we win and lose together.”

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS TANVI DESHMUKH & ANDRIA LUO, COURTESY HARSHITA BATHINA & SAMHITA BATHINA

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ELAHEH KHAZI & PRAAMESH SIVA GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR SARINA LI

Guide to Niles Antique Stores

By Waylon Li & Maryam Naseer Staff Writers

While many often get caught up in modern online shopping sprees, the idea of old-fashioned aesthetics and browsing stores still pleases many. Niles, a culturally rich and quaint part of Fremont, has been a go-to destination. Along the bustling street, anyone can enjoy a beautiful, orange sunset while strolling through a variety of small businesses. To show that the rustic aesthetic of vintage items is still appreciated, the Smoke Signal has highlighted some notable antique shops in the Niles area.

My Friends & I

Towards the end of the street, My Friends & I is located at 37521 Niles Blvd welcoming those looking for handmade gifts for friends and family. The cozy holiday-themed store greets customers with vintage postcards, fabric cloth, and houseware on both sides. Its well-organized structure helps c items such as holiday-themed

ornaments and handmade jewelry. “Our uniqueness is that we have vintage collectibles and antiques; many are orig inals [from] eras [ago] and carry history with [them],” My Friends & I employee said. Customers explore the shop and its many rooms lled with handicrafts from handmade leath er journals to ornate jewerly.“I like this shop because it caters to everyones di erent tastes. This is one shop here at Niles you can nd old and new,” customer Mary Lou said. With a long history dating back 40 years, My Friends & I is per fect for those looking for a handmade gift made with care.

Upon entry into the shop, decorative lamps, pot tery, and dishes are arranged neatly, waiting to be examined. “Some people want antiques and some people want vintage, and we also have col lectibles,” Memory Lane employee Don said. The store provides an abundant selection of twenti eth-century comic books and Life Magazines, cast ing the room in a urry of vibrant colors. Various collectibles such as gurines and statues can be found in the rows of sectioned shelves, and almost anything you can think of is sold here. “Everybody nd] the items they’re looking for,” Don said.

Memory Lane Mantiques

Cottage Charm

Located on 37557 Niles Blvd, Cottage Charm is a welcoming, cozy shop with a cottage core aesthetic. “We have antique items that date back to 1945 and also more recent items from today’s period,” Cottage Charm Store Owner Renee Pan said. With a large, glass chandelier hanging from the shop’s wooden interior, the dimly lit room provides a rustic yet comfortable setting. Featured on the right side of the room is a variety of dresses, wigs, and stu ed animals, peeking out into the window facing the street and hills. Colorful linen, magazines, and cartoons line dusted wooden shelves. More delicate items such as plates, pottery, and jewelry shine from the opposite row, re ecting the light from the chandelier. Flashy diamonds sit from behind locked, glass cases for customers to enjoy. “I really like Niles’ old-fashioned stores ... Niles has a really rich and traditional background,” Pan said.

Niles Antique Co-Op

With 35 years of business, the Niles Antique Co-Op is the rst stop in Niles located at 7759 Niles Blvd. As one of the oldest antique stores in Niles, it welcomes customers with old glass cases on the left lled with jewelry and holiday-themed trinkets. With furniture over 100 years old displayed on the right, the store is truly a place lled with vintage items such as love seats, cabinets, and bookshelves. Rooms in the store o er a variety of spotlights on old furniture and jewelry from China, rodeo life in America, and cases of silverware. A tooth case, a wooden carved Indian, and replica medical equipment are among the more notable items the store has previously sold or o ered. “You can’t go wrong buying vintage or antique furniture because it’s going to last you longer than IKEA and it’s an investment because the furniture here will outlive you,”

Niles

Antique Co-Op employee said.

Mantiques established in 2010 is located on 37671 Niles Blvd and specializes in a wide variety of collect ible toys including Funkos, hot wheels, and game cards. Upon entering the compact store, customers are greeted with upbeat rock music and toys spread across the walls. Vintage collectible Funkos, gurines, and stu ed animals line the shelves, creating a cluttered yet comforting atmosphere. Towards the end of the shop, collectors can nd rows of action gures varying from Marvel, Toonslyvania, and Star Wars. Unlike other antique stores along Niles, Mantiques “is set as special because [it sells] male-oriented...antiques in general are dishes and plates [rather Mantiques] o ers things like toys and tools,” Mantiques employee Joe Potenti said. Mantiques has been awarded Best Antique Store three years in a row by The Argus and is just the right place for those inter