Volume LVIII, No. 6

4 CENTERSPREAD

OPINION

AP AfricanAmerican Studies ban

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

2022 CA SCHOOL DASHBOARD REVIEWS On Dec. 15, 2022, CA released the 2022 CA School Dashboard, a state-affiliated resource that provides contextual interpretation of school and district performance through several success indicators. FUSD’s absenteeism — a measure of the number of students absent for more than 10% of the instructional days they were enrolled to attend — was 13.1% in the 2021-22 school year, a value that is substantially lower than those across Alameda County and CA. However, this rate is nearly triple that of chronic absenteeism in 2018-19, which was 4.5%. Additionally, the 2022 Dashboard states that 77.5% of FUSD students met or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts, while Alameda County and CA achieved 56.6% and 47.1%, respectively. Similarly, 70% of FUSD students met or exceeded the standard for Mathematics compared to Alameda County’s 46.1% and CA’s 33.4%.

As for MSJ, the Dashboard showed that English Language Arts and Mathematics performance were both in the “very high” range. Moreover, MSJ had a 95.3% graduation rate compared to the state average of 87.4%, ranking MSJ’s academic engagement — how well schools are engaging students in their learning — at “very high” as well.

FUSD plans to improve student outcomes by implementing this feedback into the development of the Local Control and Accountability Plan, which includes action items such as “providing onsite behavior specialists, funding Youth and Family Services counselors, and adding additional library funding,” SURFBoardE Representative and FUSD Board of Education Student Board Member Sissi Zhang said.

SCHOOLMINT CONTRACT FUSD is currently working on a contract with SchoolMint, a software that uses Strategic Enrollment Management to streamline the school enrollment process. The contract is designed to give FUSD support in two areas, the first of which is by offering a third party, independent perspective of enrollment practices, procedures, and the overall experience for the community. This is meant to show the district what aspects of enrollment are going well and what may need improvement.

Moreover, SchoolMint is an experienced, industry professional that can help with advertisements, which, for the contract with FUSD, is going to be in the form of targeted digital ads meant to show the larger community what FUSD does well and aims to celebrate, what makes the them unique, and what programs and news the district currently has going on.

The SchoolMint contract follows multiple years of declining enrollment across the state, including in FUSD. “If helping to share our story more and what makes FUSD so special helps us retain students or attract new students, then that’s a benefit for us,” Superintendent CJ Cammack said in an interview. “The two areas that we can look at most immediately are ‘how are we communicating and advertising the excellence of FUSD to the larger community and does that have an impact on how people feel about enrolling in our schools?’ and ‘when they come to our schools to enroll, are they having a positive experience?’”

The process of collaborating with SchoolMint has been going smoothly. “I really appreciated how [SchoolMint] has wanted to know our story and what’s important to us,” Cammack said. The partnership is currently in the initial planning process, and the targeted digital advertisements are scheduled to be released in around a month.

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MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 58, NO. 6

THIS MONTH

Culture of Love

16 GRAPHICS

20

Guide to Chaat Houses

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10-11 SPORTS

FUSD District Updates

By Kaylee Liu & Amy Luo Staff Writers

CURRICULUM ADOPTION History-Social Sciences Following several updates on CA social science frameworks and arising issues with outdated curricula, the FUSD Board of Education has initiated a new curriculum adoption process in collaboration with the History-Social Science Curriculum Adoption Committee, which began in May 2022 and will proceed until this spring. Three MSJ Social Science Department teachers are involved with the adoption and piloting process: Social Sciences Dept. Chair Stephanie Kearns, College Prep World History and US History Teacher Kim Mathis, and Government and Economics Teacher Katherine Williams.

At MSJ, several Social Science textbooks have been used since 2006, resulting in a lack of up-todate information and accessible online resources for students. “Fundamental changes in our government and economic systems have happened since the current textbook was published, so it’s really important we have updated information on these topics,” Williams said.

K e a r n s , Mathis, and Williams, along with the rest of the FUSD adoption committee, reviewed two of five textbook options from McGraw Hill, Savvas Learning Company, Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI), and National Geographic that aligned with the AIR Act, History-Social Science Framework, and the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework. The textbooks featured updated resources, such as personal finance suggestions, translated online history texts for English Language Learners, and civic engagement suggestions.

At the end of the course, students will provide feedback through an online FUSD survey. “I’m trying to be really diligent about providing equal time and equal access to both [Economics] textbooks because I don’t want to bias anybody’s thoughts,” Kearns said. Final publisher recommendations for the new social sciences curricula will be made by the adoption committee on March 30.

AP World History In the upcoming 2023-24 school year, AP World History will be added as a course option for 10th graders. While AP World History is currently offered at MSJ as an elective option for juniors and seniors, this will be the first year sophomores will be able to take the course due to a mandatory requirement made by the FUSD Board of Education for all FUSD secondary schools. While both the sophomore AP World History course and the elective course will share the same AP framework, the style of the classes will differ due

to varying levels of background knowledge in history.

“Being able to write [for history courses] with a critical thinking lens is a skill that will be developed in sophomore year in order to be successful,” Mathis said.

Chemistry of the Earth Systems Since December 2022, both College Prep and Honors 10th Grade Chemistry of the Earth Systems classes also have been piloting new resources. While the current curricula and textbooks provide in-depth chemistry information, they do not adequately address the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) due to the lack of coverage of new earth science standards about topics such as climate change, weather, and ocean acidification. According to College Prep Chemistry of the Earth Systems Teacher Sarah Mueller, while 10th grade chemistry classes have an additional resource published

by BIOZONE Corporation, it is not as indepth as th e official textbooks, and teachers haven’t had sufficient time or substantial training on how to implement it. Moreover, there has been a considerable change in the way that NGSS expects how science is taught. “It’s more of a student focused experiential learning as opposed to a teacher lecturing about a theory and then maybe doing a lab to confirm whether its true or not,” Mueller said.

The Adoption Committee textbook review narrowed the selection to two texts — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Science Dimensions Chemistry in the Earth Systems and Savvas - Experience Chemistry — that two teachers are currently piloting: Honors Chemistry of the Earth Systems Teacher Katy Kuei and Mueller. “There’s a lot more integration of technology in these resources,” Mueller said. “[The new textbooks] include integrated videos and virtual simulations.”

Piloting new resources has also introduced a change in the suggested structure of a unit as more lab experiences are being moved towards the beginning of a learning segment while the mechanisms behind them are explained afterwards, pushing students to engage with the material and think about what is happening in the experiments without necessarily knowing beforehand.

When the adoption review process ends in March, FUSD will collect teacher inputs. After discussing the benefits and drawbacks of both HMH and Savvas, the Adoption Committee textbook review and FUSD Board of Education will make a collective decision on which resource to use.

SMOKIE PODCAST: MEDIA LITERACY

CHARITY FASHION SHOW COVERAGE

This month, dive into the intricacies of media literacy with four staff writers as they discuss fact-checking and navigating misinformation in the latest episode of the Smokie Podcast.

After a three-year hiatus, MSJ’s Charity Fashion Show returned on February 17 with performances, dances, and runway theatrics to raise funds for charity. Check out the Smoke Signal’s full coverage online.

February 24, 2023

AREA 1 TRUSTEE SHARON COCO On January 19, Former Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education Sharon Coco was unanimously selected for a provisional appointment as the Area 1 Trustee of the FUSD Board of Education. The position opened following the resignation of Former Trustee Desrie Campbell in December after Campbell was elected to the Fremont City Council during the November 2022 General Election. Eight candidates for Area 1 Trustee were interviewed after the review of applications for the trustee position, and the FUSD Board of Education appointed Coco on the third ballot — the third round of voting by the Board. The Oath of Office was administered to Coco by Superintendent CJ Cammack, and Coco is scheduled to have two years remaining before her term ends. According to SURFBoardE Representative and FUSD Board of Education Student Board Member Sissi Zhang, Coco’s goals include “attending FUSD events and reacquainting herself with the successes and challenges facing FUSD.”

CLEEN The FUSD Climate Literacy and Environmental Education Network (CLEEN), a climate collective formed by the FUSD Board of Education in 2021, has continued to pilot a series of environmental awareness initiatives across FUSD. At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, CLEEN launched the School Garden Network at Kennedy High School, providing students the opportunity to learn about garden cultivation, environmental stewardship, and recipes using organic and fresh ingredients. In addition, according to an official FUSD press release, FUSD recently launched an Environmental Professional Development Series that provides sessions for educators interested in adding an environmental focus to their instruction. According to SURFBoardE Representative and FUSD Board of Education Student Board Member Sissi Zhang, the new CLEEN representatives for the 2022-23 school year have been selected. “This year, they’re focusing on building upon the curriculum discussions from last year and gathering student feedback on how the curriculum can be made to be more engaging/hands-on,” Zhang said.

2023 CA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS On January 9, six FUSD elementary schools — Forest Park Elementary, Mission Valley Elementary, Joshua Chadbourne Elementary, Fred E. Weibel Elementary, Joseph Azevada Elementary, and Warm Springs Elementary — and charter school Circle of Independent Learning were named 2023 California Distinguished Schools by the CA Department of Education. In total, 356 schools were chosen for this honor state-wide, which was decided based on school performance by review of the 2022 California School Dashboard.

Schools selected for this award fulfilled one of two criteria: exceptional student performance overall or closing the achievement gap. The achievement gap is measured by comparing the standardized test scores of students who are traditionally underrepresented or underserved in the prior years to that of last year. Based on these two main categories, indicators such as assessment results, rates of chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and socioeconomic information were factored into the nominations.

On February 16, the 2023 California Distinguished Schools will be honored in an awards ceremony in Anaheim. “I congratulate the staff and students at each of our Distinguished Schools,” Superintendent CJ Cammack said in an official FUSD press release on January 9. “Across FUSD, our schools are providing world-class educational experiences and responsive support for each student. I am proud that the excellence of our educators, students and families is being acknowledged at the state level.”

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NEWS IN

BRIEF Compiled by Tushara Devapatla, Vedesh Kodnani & Annie Xu Staff Writers

LOCAL Getty Images DNY 59

12 and 73 MSJ seniors qualified for the US Presidential Scholars Program and National Merit scholarships, respectively.

US Presidential Scholars Program & National Merit Scholarship Updates In January, 12 MSJ students were chosen as candidates for the highly prestigious US Presidential Scholars Program award. Given to individuals with exceptional academic performance in tests, visual and performing arts, and/ or career and technical programs, the award grants selected students an all expense paid trip to the White House, where they receive the US Presidential Scholars Medallion in a ceremony.

In addition, on February 13, National Merit Scholarship Corporation released their finalist list, and out of 81 MSJ semifinalists, 73 have advanced and are qualified for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 scholarships.

The Smoke Signal

Universal Performers excels at Lenaea High School Theatre Festival The club earned 10 individual awards and Gold for a one-act play of their musical.

By Goonja Basu & Lucy Yao Staff Writers

From February 3-5, 23 MSJ students attended Lenaea High School Theatre Festival (Lenaea) at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, CA. The festival featured an array of competition events and workshops, ranging from stage combat to tech olympics, and served as a great way to expose students to the more niche aspects of theater. MSJ Universal Performers received Gold in the One-Act Plays - Production category for their original musical, A Minor Inconvenience, and a total of 10 awards for their presentations at the festival.

Inspired by the Lenaea Festivals of Ancient Greece, Lenaea first occurred in 1955 and has grown to become one of the largest theater festivals in CA. Over 2,000 students from 61 high schools attended the festival this year in order to explore the diverse areas of interests. “[I’m] definitely [excited to be] meeting new people, making new friends, and doing the play in front of other people,” Perform-

NATIONAL Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

Tensions arise between the US and China over the alleged Chinese spy balloon.

Suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down after traveling across US On February 4, the US Air Force shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon on live television as it moved eastward from Alaska to South Carolina. The balloon, which China maintains was simply an errant civilian airship that was primarily employed for meteorological research and deviated from its intended path, had been hovering near confirmed US military installations. In response to the US Air Force’s action, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China said, “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” Despite the Pentagon and several US officials confirming it was a Chinese spy balloon, further details have been withheld.

INTERNATIONAL

Erhan Demirtas/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Turkey-Syria earthquake is the deadliest earthquake to strike Turkey in more than 20 years.

7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes at border of Turkey and Syria On February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Gaziantep, Turkey with aftershocks spreading as far as nations such as Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon. As of February 21, the death toll amounts to more than 46,000, with millions in need of aid and thousands of buildings destroyed. The earthquake is a result of seismic activity of the Anatolian Plate, which borders two major faults. Though Turkey often faces extreme seismic activity, the recent earthquake was the deadliest one to strike the nation in more than 20 years, matching the strength of a 1939 quake that killed approximately 30,000 people. Governments around the world responded to the requests for international assistance, with the US deploying two specialized search and rescue teams to join the thousands of workers in the region.

corrections

for the JAN. 27, 2023 ISSUE News Pg. 1: Graphics Guide to Local Bookstores should be on pg 19 in the top teaser.

News Pg. 1: Third chart from the left (How worried are you about flood warnings and other dangers?) should have descriptions flipped.

News Pg. 2: Zaid Vellani pull quote should not include “than a normal competitor.”

Sports Pg. 15: Aden Walsey should be spelled as such.

Sports Pg. 17: Mission Hill’s monthly pricing should be $39.95 for a single gym membership, $59.95 for a couple, and $79.95 for a family.

Graphics Pg. 19: Sanjana Srivatsa should be spelled as such.

Web MSJ’s Special Education Department Performs Holiday Showcase: Zack Larsen should be spelled as such.

Friday, February 24, 2023

er Freshman Tommy Baria said.

For the Universal Performers club members, days began as early as 6 a.m. to prepare for their performances. Whether it was singing as their favorite musical theater characters or giving a heart-wrenching monologue, all participants shined under the spotlight before receiving personalized feedback from their judges. “I’m so happy that [Universal Performers was] able to ... feed their love and passion for theater,” Universal Performers Student Director Senior Faye Widjaja said.

However, Universal Performers had many struggles prior to the festival itself. Between struggles to get the trip approved without an official program director and having little time to rehearse, every member faced immense stress leading up to and during the event. “I was not aware of anyone who got a full night of sleep before the performance. But ... it was all worth it because their talent was finally recognized,” Chaperone Alumna Amanda Sy said. The performers also had to get creative in overcoming obstacles. During their performance of A Minor Inconvenience, the most important props — a clock and cajon drum — weren’t brought to the theater before the doors closed. Luckily, students adapted quickly, with Performer Senior Luka Chen using his iPad to play a 30-minute timer instead of the clock and Instrumentalist Junior Lucy Yao using her feet and a cardboard box in replacement of the drum. The show not only went on, but excelled in the eyes of the respondents and audience.

This sentiment proved true throughout the rest of their events. Performer Senior Brian Loh was asked to perform his musical theater piece, “I Am Aldolpho” from The Drowsy Chaperone, during the Closing Ceremonies,

while Performer Senior Sohani Sawant was awarded Outstanding Performance in a OneAct for her role as The Birthday Kid in A Minor Inconvenience. However, the most impactful award the club received was the Bob Smart Spirit of Lenaea Award, which is typically awarded to a student who demonstrates above-and-beyond qualities of leadership and commitment to overcome significant obstacles. After hearing of the limitations Universal Performers faced simply trying to get to the festival and pull off their performance, the festival decided to break the customary conditions and grant an impromptu second award to the school. “If there was ever an embodiment of overcoming the odds in the spirit of creating art, it is in the DNA of [MSJ],” Lenaea President of the Board of Directors and Festival Director Alicia Jeffrey said. In addition to the award, Universal Performers has received support from many attending theater directors, who gave recognition and funding for their upcoming projects, such as a rerecording of A Minor Inconvenience’s original soundtrack and the club’s spring musical. Students can donate to the club’s GoFundMe to help support their plans: www.tinyurl.com/supportmsjup. “I’m extremely grateful to have had this experience ... and I’m very excited for next year,” Performer Junior Isabelle Fu said. ▪

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS GOONJA BASU & LUCY YAO. GRAPHICS BY STAFF WRITER ANNIE XU

MSJ Mock Trial takes the stand at Alameda County Courthouse Winning both prosecution and defense at Alameda, the team placed fifth out of 16 teams.

By Vedesh Kodnani & Daphne Senecal Staff Writers

On February 7 and 9, MSJ Mock Trial’s 30 member team competed in the Philip A. Harley Mock Trial Competition, the first to be in-person since the coronavirus pandemic began. Team members traveled to the Alameda County Superior Courthouse in Oakland to compete against other schools in the Alameda County area, coming in fifth out of 16 teams.

Mock trial is a competition in which students act out criminal trials. Fictional cases are released each year for competing schools to study and build their cases on. Teams are split into prosecution and defense, and each team member has the role of either a witness or attorney to create their own direct and cross examinations. The prosecution and defense then compete separately on different dates.

This season, MSJ’s prosecution team took the stand first against Irvington High School’s Bye team. Bye teams are secondary teams that clubs are able to register alongside their main one due to an uneven number of teams competing in a particular year. However, because of traffic delays, the majority of the MSJ team reached the courthouse late. Yet, the team didn’t let that slow them down, with Attorney Senior Audrey Wang delivering a compelling opening argument and the prosecution creating a smooth flow of questioning with their witnesses. As Irvington’s defense subsequently began cross-examinations, the witnesses dodged questions and used their testimony to MSJ’s benefit. By the end of the trial, the team not only won in terms of the judge’s verdict, but also the points from the attorney scorers with a score of 485-462, which is the basis for deciding which teams advance to semi-finals.

“Despite being initially flustered, I’m glad we were able to put forth our best effort and win

MSJ Mock Trial members in the Alameda County Courthouse after the competition.

the round,” President Senior Selina Kao said.

Two days later, the club’s defense team competed against Irvington. Being Irvington’s main mock trial team, they were a much tougher opponent with members that were more experienced and prepared. MSJ’s defense started strong with Attorney Junior Shameet Sharma taking the stand to deliver the pretrial arguments, confidently answering any questions the presiding judge threw at him. However, MSJ’s defense struggled when they ran out of time on the cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses. Still, they made up for that mishap with the strength of their own case.

As the round closed and the final verdict was delivered, the scorers commended Sharma and Witness Junior Lucy Yao for their outstanding performances. Attorney Senior Inara Ahsan was also nominated as the team’s most valued player by the opposing counsel. Despite running into a few problems, MSJ’s defense team won the round 271–265.

In the months leading up to the competition, the club met weekly to prepare, from holding theme discussions of the overall case

to practicing objections for attorneys. Along with holding internal scrimmages and receiving feedback from attorney coaches, MSJ Mock Trial also had a practice round with Saint Mary’s High School, which gave them an insight into other approaches to the case.

Due to losing a previous round earlier in the season, MSJ Mock Trial was unable to qualify for semi-finals, bringing an unfortunate end to their season. Despite this, members were happy with their performance and improvement from two years ago when they had placed second to last. “While there were obviously things we could improve [upon], they are relatively minor in my opinion. We showed that MSJ could be a title contender in the next few years,” Defense Captain Senior Andrew Liang said. ▪

“While there were obviously things we could improve [upon], they are relatively minor in my opinion. We showed that MSJ could be a title contender in the next few years.”

- Defense Captain Senior Andrew Liang PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER DAPHNE SENECAL

Friday, February 24, 2023

THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 58, No. 6 | February 24, 2023 www.thesmokesignal.org 41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 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.

SCHOOL POPULATION 1877 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Helen Tian, Jerry Yuan NEWS Rohan Bhagat, Shelley Li OPINION Esther Lau, Annika Singh FEATURE Julia Peng, Elton Yu CENTERSPREAD Christy Huang, Angela Xiong A&E Sanah Bhardwaj, Joanne Park SPORTS Karina Han, Kaitlyn Wang GRAPHICS Sarina Li, Hannah Shen WEB Jennie Wang, Bryan Xiong TECH Chahak Gupta, Jason Tang BUSINESS Chloe Gao, Sahas Goli CIRCULATION Elaheh Khazi, Amy Luo ADVERTISING Annie Xu, Aaron Zhou EVENTS Andria Luo, Nessa Tong WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Goonja Basu, Angelina Chen, Novak Chen, Ruhani Chhabra, Tanvi Deshmukh, Tushara Devapatla, Anandita Devata, Jiyun Guo, Jacob Han, Sally Han, Sarah Hu, Shuhan Jin, Ayushi Kashyap, Vedesh Kodnani, Keerti Koya, Abha Kulkarni, Waylon Li, Kaylee Liu, Maryam Naseer, Ashley Pang, Daphne Senecal, Priyanka Shah, Vidyuth Sridhar, Praamesh Siva, Aaryan Suri, Katie Tang, Anushka Vasudev, Amelie Wu, Lucy Yao, Callie Yuan ADVISER Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org.

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AnnikA's Angle

Opinion 3

esther's edition

The myth of originality

Ignorance isn't always bliss

By Annika Singh Opinion Editor

By Esther Lau Opinion Editor

In the beginning of my high school career, I often found myself caught in a toxic mindset of “if it doesn’t make you different, don’t waste your time doing it.” As my junior year starts to wind down, I’m reminded of my freshman year mindset and behavior through numerous conversations revolving around clubs, majors, college acceptances, academic competitions, and the image of a “stand-out applicant.” I’ve seen my peers stress about their resumes being similar to others, leading to them hyperfixating on prestigious summer programs and leadership positions.

In the quest for originality, we overlook our existing accomplishments, often for a label that is elusive.

Students put an incredible amount of pressure on themselves to create an image of originality and newness for their academic and extracurricular pursuits. For many, including myself, college often feels like the end-all-be-all of life, causing us to chase after uncommon, or “original” achievements. However, I’ve now come to the conclusion that regardless of how hard we try, originality will almost always be out of reach. Humans have existed for over two million years — every idea, practice, and teaching in the present day is built on the remains of the past. There are thousands of people around the world who participate in similar activities, wish to pursue the same passions, and have already had ideas we’re just begin-

ning to think about.

Treating originality as a benchmark for success and striving for never-heard-of-before ideas, whether in applications or in all areas of life, often leads to frustration and self-doubt. Instead of pushing ourselves to create something revolutionary solely for the sake of appearing extraordinary, we should give more recognition to the challenges we’ve overcome and the experiences we’ve had so far.

Pursuing unconventional activities to appear distinct on paper is not the sole factor in achieving success. By approaching the impending college and summer program application season with a personal touch, we can avoid getting lost in the meaningless quest for true originality. Rather than fixating on “standing out” amongst your peers, take pride in your own individual experiences — your voice, authenticity, and execution of your values in all facets of life. Your involvement in a certain organization or familiarity with a specific topic will always offer a different outlook on a situation than someone else.

The next time someone brings up majors, profiles, or applications, think about telling your story and owning your authentic self with confidence. Instead of letting the idea of uniqueness trap you in a bubble, take the initiative to do what you want and explore the subjects you like, because it’s quite impossible to avoid unoriginality. ▪

In a classic example of cognitive dissonance, an internal conflict that results from your beliefs not lining up with your actions, an environmentally-conscious person uses plastic bags for convenience and feels guilty. From small actions like plastic use to large ones that carve out our moral compasses, it’s normal to experience internal conflicts and, in defense, seek opinions that align with our own. But, how should we navigate them, and should cognitive dissonance be encouraged?

In 2018, I impulsively attended a school board meeting with my parents, lured by the promise of milk tea. Though I quickly noticed the contrasting crowds in protest, I was unaware that I’d be forced to speak due to a “need for student voices.” As I read the script I was handed at the podium, I fell deeply in love with advocacy, but doubted what was on the page.

Despite the doubt, I returned twice, empowered by community and being a part of a larger cause.

But, as I replayed the speeches of those with the opposite perspective in my head, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I contributed to something harmful. After unavoidable reflection, I realized my speech perpetuated a movement rooted in bigotry and discrimination.

Feeling mixed emotions of betrayal and anger, I searched for a way to rectify my actions and became involved with progressive political

organizing. In a picture-perfect story, this is where the journey comes to a close: I find my voice, the opposite crowd breaks my bubble of confirmation bias, and I gracefully complete the arc of battling cognitive dissonance while forming a new community along the way. Yet, it doesn’t end there.

Even now, I strive to continue exposing myself to opposing opinions and perspectives; through reflection, I’ve solidified my worldview and shaped how I respond to different situations. Most recently, for example, I’ve been involved in co-sponsoring SB 260, the Menstrual Equity Act of 2023. When my colleagues and I first conceptualized the bill, we received criticism from some stakeholders. Rather than turning away and surrounding ourselves with the overwhelming support we’d already garnered, we engaged in thoughtful conversations with opposing groups. In exchanging opinions and feedback, we were ultimately able to strengthen our bill and gain a group of strong allies.

Through these experiences, I’ve learned about the importance of cognitive dissonance and the value it can bring to our lives, whether in our work-related endeavors, personal lives, or beyond. So, even though it’s hard, seek out information that makes you uncomfortable, confront dissenting opinions, and embrace intellectual discomfort — after all, ignorance isn’t always bliss. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Treat all relationships with the same care The sweet scent of fresh flow- ed with lower levels of stress and something as crucial as commuers and the soft rustle of tissue better mental health outcomes. nication, the dynamic is always paper fill the air as shoppers Although friendships provide a at risk of suffering, which is why search for the perfect gifts for different type of intimacy and friendship fallouts may feel as their significant others. Dra- connection from romantic re- devastating as a breakup with matic declarations of love in- lationships, platonic bonds are a significant other. The hurt of filtrate every social media just as important, seeing how “breaking up” with a friend can platform, and the electric at- they can equally provide emo- often catch us off guard because mosphere of joy and anticipa- tional support through difficult of the oversimplification of plation among peers is palpable. times. Having a network of tonic relationships. Treating It’s that time of the year again: close friends can also help indi- friendships as a subordinate staValentine’s season. In media, viduals through difficult times. tus of closeness undermines the culture, and art, romantic love According to a study published value and importance of these frequently dominates the spot- in the Journal of Social and Per- relationships and fails to recoglight. The word “love” is often sonal Relationships, individu- nize the richness and diversity directly associated with the idea als with close friendships were in human connection. of romance, and as a result, ro- more likely to be resilient in the While it is easy to be swept mantic love is perceived as the face of life's challenges. away by the novelty and flutter epitome of all relationships.

Despite the value that friend- of budding romantic prospects, However, other forms of rela- ships hold, their less exclusive it is important to also prioritize tionships, such as friendships, nature — which juxtaposes ro- one’s friendships. Although rohave their own complexities mantic endeavors that center mance is meaningful, it should that deserve equal value. on a singular significant other not be treated as the be all and Friendships offer benefits — often leads people to cat- end all of relationships. Both that are also found in romantic egorize friendships in a lower romantic and platonic relationrelationships, such as emotional tier in the hierarchy of relation- ships contribute to our wellsupport, a sense of belonging, ships. However, this notion has being and happiness in unique and opportunities for personal adverse effects. Treating friend- ways, and it is important to growth and new experiences. ships without the same com- recognize and appreciate the Maintaining strong, supportive plexity and nuance that many nuances of all relationships and friendships can greatly enhance believe only romantic relation- treat them with the same level one’s well-being and provide a ships have creates the impres- of care and consideration. ▪ sense of security and stability. sion that certain fundamentals According to a study published like communication are not as in the Journal of Social and essential in friendships. But Clinical Psychology, emotional when any kind of relationship support from friends is associat- casts aside the importance of

By Kaitlyn Wang & Nessa Tong Sports Editor & Staff Writer

SPORTS EDITOR KAITLYN WANG

STAFF WRITER NESSA TONG

4 Opinion

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By Angelina Chen, Anandita Devata, Keerti Koya & Anushka Vasudev Staff Writers

“The content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” said the Florida Department of Education in a letter to the College Board. In this letter, the department rejected the College Board’s request for approval of the AP African American Studies course (APAAS), citing historical inaccuracies and a violation of state legislation regarding how race should be taught in school. Immediately after, the College Board significantly altered the APAAS curriculum, removing topics concerning Black authors, feminism, and queer literature. Rather than protecting children from indoctrination, the College Board’s decision censors essential lessons that students must learn to gain a nuanced and broadminded view of the world.

Florida’s short yet extreme history of censoring school curricula dates back to December 2021 when the Stop WOKE (Wrongs to our Kids and Employees) Act was introduced. The act bans the teaching of critical race theory, a movement that seeks to understand political, economic, and social conditions and how they are shaped by race.

Beyond Florida, “35 states have now introduced a bill that would restrict and regulate the way that teachers or university faculty discuss issues of race or sex. Of those, 12 have become law in 10 different states,” American Economist Jeffrey Sachs said.

This problem is intensified in conservative states where parents and school groups heavily support politicians’ decisions to enact such bills.

Contrary to DeSantis’s belief, removing curricula carries devastating consequences for students. Filtering topics such as African American history and LGBTQ+ rights out of school curricula prevents students from seeing a complete picture of the world around them and developing the necessary awareness and context to address many related issues.

Without this knowledge, students will not be able to seek new perspectives around them and help solve issues that are rooted in history within their communities. They miss out on opportunities to learn from past historical mistakes and achievements that shape their worlds today.

Additionally, the College Board’s decision to re-

move topics from the APAAS curriculum whittles the course down to what can already be found in a standard US history class. Removing lessons on Black queer literature and women’s rights movements simply leaves behind information about the Civil War and slavery, topics most students already learn about. Through this new course, schools would have had a valuable opportunity to increase cultural representation, while also providing students with a platform to learn and discuss important issues surrounding Black history. Considering that youth will play a crucial role in addressing issues related to inequality and racism, they must be provided with accurate information about different cultures and races so they can approach these problems with an open mind.

Moreover, the College Board’s decision to alter a national curriculum just to cater to the preferences of a single state is unjust. Allowing one state to decide what the remaining 49 states should implement in their high school curricula entirely abandons the democratic principle of “majority rule.”

While the College Board is caught in a crossfire between its reputation and state demands, it should prioritize providing an unbiased course for students, the body it claims to serve, over the wishes of a single state.

Some may argue that banning the course is a step towards protesting the College Board. With 38 courses to offer college credit and each exam costing close to $100, it’s evident the nonprofit collects massive earnings from each registered student.

However, banning one course does little to affect the College Board’s profits, as its remaining tests still generate an enormous profit. Additionally, considering how important this course is to ease racial tensions, this is an entirely biased way to protest the College Board.

Still, others believe that teaching such courses crosses the blurry lines of keeping personal beliefs and politics out of classrooms. Many parents reason that schools should not teach children about

controversial topics because it could result in students feeling unsafe or threatened in learning environments. While it is important that schools avoid curricula that could instigate discrimination, such curricula can actually alleviate prejudice by providing people with insight into minority cultures. Only through difficult but important conversations like these will students be able to develop informed worldviews.

States like CA prove that it is possible to balance both sides of this argument: incorporating diversity into school curricula while still keeping politics and personal biases out of the classroom. In 2021, Gov. Newsom signed AB 101 requiring Ethnic Studies, a course that covers the history and cultures of different ethnic groups, to be taught in schools starting 2025. By 2030, Ethnic Studies will be a graduation requirement. However, it is not enough that only CA has worked toward the diversification of school curricula. Education has nationwide connections and other states must follow suit in order to create a tangible impact.

Students can advocate for more cultural representation in school curricula by showing interest in subjects like women’s studies and ethnic studies. By taking these courses, students gain valuable perspectives on society they will use for the rest of their life. In addition, students from MSJ can learn about the importance of advocacy and political involvement from youth activist groups GENup and Bay Area Student Activists, both of which were heavily involved in the creation of AB 101.

As the future of diverse curricula lies in state legislators’ hands, it is important for students to lobby local politicians and urge them to understand the value of learning about different cultures and histories in school. Moreover, there are direct correlations between the pressing concerns that affect us today and historical issues that have plagued the past. Learning more about them is the first step to truly bringing inclusivity and change to communities around us — diversity in our classrooms is where that starts. ▪

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Friday, February 24, 2023

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Opinion 5

Menstrual inequity and its detrimental impacts

By Sarah Hu, Elaheh Khazi & Annie Xu Staff Writers

monthly menstrual cycles to be harmful and burdensome. CA administration and governing bodies must uplift organizations that raise awareness about these free public hygiene resources.

Additionally, these legislative measures fall short in addressing the stigma surrounding periods. In the same study, 70% of students reported that their school environment makes them self-conscious of their periods, and 58% felt they were negatively affected due to perceptions such as being unclean or abnormal. Current law fails to dismantle long-standing biases against menstruators despite widespread efforts towards educating the public being crucial to making society feel comfortable about a natural biological process. The taboo nature around menstruation is an issue rooted deeply in society from many centuries of stereotyping and discrimination. These stereotypes make easy access to menstrual products much more difficult, since people are uncomfortable with the topic in public environments.

To battle period poverty and menstrual inequity on a national level, legislation that fights for accessible products must be widely supported. For instance, NY and Illinois have carried out large-scale efforts to eliminate the taxes on menstrual products by placing free products in schools and shelters, and increasing transparency with ingredients in menstrual products. But, these laws only cover Americans in a few select states, and a vast majority of citizens still face severe obstacles in accessing period

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“Access to menstrual products is a vital need and a health care right for over half the population. It is also a human right,” Congresswoman Grace Meng said in a letter to President Joe Biden. In CA, menstrual inequity, the unequal access to menstrual products, education, and reproductive care, is a prevalent issue affecting almost 20 million people in the state and millions more around the world. With the recent statewide abolishment of gender-based pricing through AB 1287, as well as the proposal of SB 260, which would allow CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) recipients to access menstrual products, menstrual inequity is finally being addressed. Beyond the law, companies have also attempted to alleviate period poverty; for example, CVS recently reduced prices for menstrual products.

However, while these bills are a step in the right direction for menstrual and gender equity, CA still has a long way to go.

Previously, CA charged a sales tax on menstrual products such as pads, tampons, and menstrual cups, while other basic necessities such as food and prescription medicine were granted a tax exemption status. This was changed in July 2021 through AB 150, which eliminated sales tax on menstrual products.

Beyond menstrual products, goods marketed towards women have historically been marked up in a practice informally known as the pink tax. The pink tax dates back to at least the 1990s, when the state’s Assembly Office of Research found that 64% of laundry stores in major cities charged more to wash and dry-

clean a woman’s blouse than a man’s buttonup. Fortunately, through the passage of AB 1287 in September 2022, CA joined New York as the only states to formally ban the pink tax that annually cost women across CA $20 million.

However, these reforms insufficiently address the inaccessibility of menstrual products. A 2021 survey conducted by Thinx and PERIOD. found that 23% of students have struggled to purchase menstrual products on a monthly basis, and over the pandemic, 16% were forced to choose menstrual products over food or clothing. The study also discovered that in addition to missing school, many menstruators who experience period poverty have had difficulty completing their homework and extracurricular projects. Evidently, the lack of access to menstrual products unfairly forces students to choose between taking care of their bodies and their responsibilities.

These same inequity issues are exacerbated for women with little to no income, who face great trouble with finding basic hygiene products during menstruation. In the US, almost 70% of people agree that menstrual inequity exists and that it is a healthcare issue. However, only 4% of the population knows where to get free menstrual products, showing the lack of public awareness even about services that are made available. Thus, about 210,000 homeless women in the US struggle to find proper care, coping with makeshift pads that may expose their genitals to disease and bacteria such as urinary track infections, causing their

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"Personally, I think the Republicans usually have an underlying reason for decisions such as these, and in this case, I believe that Omar's identity as a woman of color played a large role in their decision. Anti-semitism is a serious issue and should be treated with the utmost gravity, but the Republicans’ actions are incredibly telling of the real reason as to why she was removed."

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"Antisemitic remarks might be the formal reason for why they removed her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but there might have been other factors at play as well. Based on my previous knowledge about the recent changes in the House of Representatives, it has been shifted drastically towards Republicans and conservatives, so they might have believed that Omar and other similar party members threatened their point of view. So, in some way, it can be considered political revenge, but I think it would be better defined as ensuring political security for Republican power against possible threats."

"Any other person wouldn't be able to get away with the same actions. Omar is receiving fair treatment, and shouldn't use elements of who she is as a person to excuse what she's done. She should own up to what's happened and apologize, regardless of her religion or status as a minority in Congress. I feel like she needs to just take responsibility instead of trying to accuse the general public of being discriminatory towards only her."

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"Because the House of Representatives is shifting to be Republican rather than Democratic, there are large chances that this is just political restructuring.

Omar wasn’t the only Democrat to be voted to be removed, so I can’t fully say that there are other factors that clouded the House's decision."

GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH

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"Recently, the Republican-led House of Representatives vote to remove Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Republicans argued that Omar had made anti-semitic statements in the past, while the Democrats claimed that this decision was an act of political revenge. This situation is raising questions about the balance between intersectionality and accountability, as Omar is one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress. Do you believe that Omar's removal is solely based on her past remarks, or are there other factors that clouded the House's decision?"

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Political Accountability: Ilhan Omar

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products.

Though these recent developments show promise of positive change, menstrual equity is only a small subsection of the overall gender equity movement. On the day to day, women still face obstacles such as workplace discrimination and gender-based harassment. Furthermore, reproductive rights have significantly backtracked, with the abolishment of abortion through the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Unfortunately, most legislators fail to include and consider women’s struggles and voices during crucial law-making processes. Rather than projecting ideas of how women feel regarding important topics such as abortion and workplace inequality, governing bodies must make active efforts to include their perspectives during decisionmaking through expanding their leadership positions and utilizing more comprehensive polling methods.

Within our community, students can look towards school clubs and local initiatives to support the menstrual and gender equity movement. For example, Students Against Period Poverty is a Bay Area-based nonprofit organization that works to bring sanitary products to those in poverty. At MSJ, the newly-founded MSJ Red brings awareness to period poverty and fights for reform through fundraisers. Additionally, organizations such as MSJ Women in STEM and MSJ Girls Who Code work towards expanding opportunities for women in the workplace. Individual contributions and efforts for positive change, no matter how small, are necessary for the gender and menstrual equity movement to move forward. ▪

"Omar's removal is not solely based on her past remarks.

Human nature is based on accumulated thoughts towards certain things, people included, so past actions from Omar will influence the thoughts and feelings of the people in Congress regarding her. Being one of the first Muslim women in Congress, Omar had added )!; 1 an additional layer to the intersectionality & in the legislative branch, which came with dire consequences. The House's decision was likely clouded by both her past antisemitism and an additional layer of racism, which led them to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee, where being objective was very important. The vote to remove this Muslim woman from the U.S. federal government is yet another example of how thoughts seemingly built into human nature, such as racial and historical profiling, can work against someone in a formal setting that is meant to be objective."

PHOTOS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH, STAFF WRITERS CHAHAK GUPTA, ELAHEH KHAZI & ASHLEY PANG

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Friday, February 24, 2023

Friday, February 24, 2023

The Smoke Signal

Junior Katie Tang started Mitai Bakery, in June 2020 during her freshman year.

Having known she wanted to pursue a business-related major, she was determined to find an extracurricular that was both unique to her and scalable. She started Mitai Bakery so she could run a business surrounding an activity she truly enjoyed. Tang started baking at the age of eight out of boredom but soon grew to love not only baking, but also the chemistry involved in the process.

“I think my baking skills have improved a lot since then because making cakes for customers is different than for family/friends — you need to make a recipe and stick to it for consistency,” Tang said. Whether it be a birthday, anniversary, or merely for fun, people buy Tang’s desserts for nearly any occasion, and this means a lot to her.

“I love making my desserts because I am happy to be making a positive impact on so many people’s lives through a hobby I love,” Tang said.

Although Mitai Bakery is doing well now, getting her bakery’s name known and receiving her first order was initially a challenge.

Because she wanted to grow her business independently — rather than relying on friends and family for orders — it took her longer than expected to get her business off the ground. Many of her customers find her online through Instagram, Facebook, or Yelp, all of which

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display her email and phone number.

Tang’s most popular item soon became her lunchbox cakes, or mini 4” cakes packaged in a clamshell box.

Alongside the success of Mitai Bakery, Tang also faces the struggle of balancing her small business with school and other extracurriculars, including her role as Junior Class Treasurer. She believes balancing a business is just like balancing any other extracurricular. “With effective time management and organization, I will always be able to fit my business into my schedule,” Tang said.

Starting her own bakery has been a longterm goal for Tang and now, she is just getting started. In the future, Tang plans to move into more commercial production, having already gained experience by forming partnerships with local businesses like TeaZenTea and Brian Black Tea in the past. In addition, she hopes to host more in-person pop-up shops throughout the Bay Area. “I think people can truly tell when you put passion and thought into your product, and there will always be a market for that,” Tang said.

Juniors Sophie Menon and Anirra Kutty both grew up with a passion for baking, and began sharing delicious homemade treats with their community in sixth grade. After receiving raving reviews, Menon and Kutty knew that they wanted to shape their passion into something more serious,and opened Fresh Baked in 2019. Their menu consists of classic baked goods such as fudge brownies, double chocolate chip cookies, and regular chocolate chip cookies. They also sell breakfast items including pumpkin bread loaf, banana bread loaf, cinnamon sugar muffins, and double chocolate chip muffins.

In their most recent Valentine’s Desserts menu, Fresh Baked is selling red-velvet cheesecake brown-

Feature 7

By Keerti Koya, Priyanka Shah & Amelie Wu Staff Writers

Sophomore Jennifer Chen started Jennee’s Baked Goods in January 2023. Chen began her bakery after experiencing financial problems due to breaking her phone. Rather than letting others cover the entire fee, she decided to pitch in, transforming a hobby into a business.

Despite the bakery’s recent founding, Chen already reports a fan-favorite among her customers. The most ordered treat from Jennee’s Baked Goods is the Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, a sweet chocolate chip cookie with toffee and brown butter to give a nutty depth of flavor. Aside from her set menu, Chen also accepts requests for orders, with prices starting at $5 and increasing depending on the request.

Chen’s customers were originally mostly close friends who had already expressed demand for her treats. However, Chen has since expanded, creating an Instagram page dedicated to her bakery where customers can find prices, fill out an order form, and even send her requests.

From balancing schoolwork, her social life, and her bakery, Chen has to meticulously plan ahead of schedule in order to ensure she is on top and organized. “I normally try to plan grocery shopping for ingredients on Friday and then just immediately go into baking on the weekends,” Chen said. This leaves her free to use the rest of the week to focus on classes and extracurriculars. Despite the hectic workload, she hopes to continue running her bakery throughout her high school years. As for the far future, Chen is unsure of where this bakery will take her. “I think [the bakery] might just continue throughout high school because I’m not sure about college yet … I mean, I haven’t even thought of what college I want to go to. So we don’t know [where this bakery will go],” Chen said.

ies, chocolate strawberry boxes, and Valentine’s Day cakes.

Although all of their treats are handmade and fresh, Fresh Baked is most famously known for their chocolate chip cookies. Through these cookies, they were able to expand their business through community collaborations, starting with the Enquero Get Fit 5K marathon, where they donated one-hundred cookies towards the run efforts. Additionally, they also donated 50 individually packaged cookies to a community tree planting event organized by MSJ Green Club. In addition to volunteering their services for community causes, their newly opened E-Commerce store is an easy front in which customers can order their goods. “We’re so excited to share [it] because in the past we were just communicating

through order forms. Anyone can order and we try our best to see if we can complete custom orders as well depending on time and design,” Menon and Kutty said.

In the future, Menon and Kutty plan to grow and refine their menu by adding a seasonal aspect to their desserts. They would also like to register themselves as an official home bakery and receive a cottage bakery license in the future. “[Baking is] near and dear to both of our hearts and is something we will never stop doing,” Menon and Kutty said. Although they are unsure of what their future holds for Fresh Baked, they hope to continue their online bakery throughout college and beyond school.

PHOTOS COURTESY JENNIFER CHEN, ANIRRA KUTTY, SOPHIE MENON & KATIE TANG. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR JULIA PENG

Accrediting Committee virtual visit on March 28 On March 28, the Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will be making a virtual mid-cycle review of MSJ. Based on a six year cycle, with mid-cycle reviews every three years, the review will involve everything from teachers, students, class content, to other aspects like the campus and school facilities, to ensure that MSJ is improving on its own ability to provide education. According to the WASC website, the school must prove that they are “worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high-quality learning, and clearly demonstrating continual self-improvement.”

First established in 1961, the WASC con-

By Novak Chen Staff Writer

sists of a committee made of members from many different schools and school districts to specifically review high schools. After each school writes their own self-review, WASC will then verify each high school, determine if they are working toward their goals, and decide whether or not the school should be accredited. “In the WASC

review, we write [about] how we’re doing, … and a few things that we point out that we need to focus on. So now, they’re coming three years later, and they’re saying, ‘How are you doing on the goals you set for yourself,’” Principal Jeff Evans said.

When a school is accredited, the diplomas that they hand out will be accepted by colleges and universities. If a school fails to be accredited, students must be transferred in order for them to receive an accredited high school diploma. “We’ve had charter schools in the area who failed their WASC review and couldn’t prove that they were doing their job, and all those kids had to transfer immediately because they weren’t going to be able

to go to college [if they stayed],” Evans said.

While the WASC visiting committee does focus on teachers, course offerings, and the school overall, it also involves student voices and input. “ We want kids to know about it, … [so they] understand why [classrooms are being filmed],” Evans said. “We will have a student panel for [the visit], so we’re going to gather … a spectrum of different kids, to show the amazing things [we have] on our campus.”

While this may seem like a regular check on MSJ, it is a lot more than that. It allows students and staff to display MSJ’s enriching learning environment and exceptional education standards. ▪

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Friday, February 24, 2023

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Feature 9

DieHard TryHards:

Love Poetry Novak Chen, Abha Kulkarni, Amy Luo and Nessa Tong Staff Writers February is the month of love, and there’s nothing we all love more than ... poetry! This month, the Smoke Signal’s DieHard TryHards put their hearts into writing their own love themed poetry, competing for the title of Sweetest Serenade. To the judges: prepare to be wooed!

They say that there is a fine line between love and hate, and while I have yet to write a love poem, I’m sure I’ve analyzed enough anguished literature to make a connection. Besides, how hard could it be? All I have to do is convey the most delicate and intangible emotion there is, through my limited knowledge of the English language. This is an easy win if I’ve ever seen one, and even if I come last, I can rest easy knowing that I did my best (and that my reputation stays intact within my circles).

I’ve got this challenge in the bag — “poet” is basically my middle name. While my classmates in kindergarten dabbled with “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” I would spend my recesses reciting Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson from memory. It’s rumored that I was the real reason Edgar Allan Poe went insane — he just couldn’t keep up with my sheer genius. And while I’ve not had much experience with “love” per se, I’m sure my expertise with watching 90s rom-coms will more than make up for it. Roses are red, violets are blue; the winner of this challenge will be me, that’s w h o .

Honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never written a poem expressing any sort of dramatic feeling — or any type of poem for that matter.

Most of my poems, if you can call them that, have just turned into random rhymes without reason.

For this challenge, I think I’m going for the traditional cheesy love poem that’s sure to elicit some Smokie love. Big gamble, I know. But you know what they say: big risks, bigger rewards. Let’s see how this goes?

I’ve always been a connoisseur of poetry. Growing up on Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, I’ve been in this industry for a while, and after receiving a passing grade on my 10th grade poetry portfolio, I knew I was destined to become the next National Poet Laureate.

While I’m confident I could write an eloquent Shakespearean sonnet or Taylor Swift “Love Story”-style ballad, it might go over the heads of the mostly single judging panel (boom roasted). Instead, I’ll go for a humorous over heartfelt strategy and hope I can win them over with a good laugh.

Amy

Abha

Nessa

" Hide him from god lest he be

"They laugh and They joke, They

" With all your love, I feel so

"Tis but thy position that is our

jealous, My love for him remains

point and They ponder, about How

divine, Your love is the best, it's

barrier: Thou art thyself, students

still zealous, So please let him be

odd what a little time would bring.

simply just fine. You fill my heart

just as I. What's Editor? It is nor

my precious, My one and only true

To find someone better than they'd

with happiness and glee, Forever

hand nor foot Nor class nor grade

Adonis."

ever dreamed of: Love really is a

with you, my love, is where I'll be."

nor any other part"

- Aaron Zhou by Novak Chen

funny thing."

- Love is by Abha Kulkarni

- The Fault in Our Smoke Signal

Novak

- Love is a funny Thing by Amy Luo

First

My first place was definitely a surprise, but a welcome one, for sure.

After all, only a true poem written from the heart deserves to win, not some robot generated garbage.

Obviously it’s deserved, after being forced to recite my confession in front of the judges, but I’ll do anything to be the best. As actor Christopher Earle proclaimed, “Be humble in victory.” — I’ll definitely be humble after I finish bragging about my easy victory, resting on my laurels, and enjoying the feeling of winning. It’s time for Shakespeare to sit down, ‘cause there’s a new king of poetry in town.

Second

After I bared my heart and soul out onto this work of artistic mastery (and totally did not contemplate the aid of my dear friend ChatGPT), my ego is definitely a little bruised by second place. But my poetry is just an acquired taste, that’s all.

I do have to applaud my fellow TryHards for each of their unique creations — they’re so brave for being willing to face me, poet-extraordinaire and winner-in-my-ownheart. This was a great learning experience. From now on, I’ll be writing lots of genuine, authentic, non-artificial-intelligence-generated poems, at least until I get myself an OpenAI subscription.

Stars by Nessa Tong

Third

Okay, third place isn’t tragic.

What’s tragic is that the judges didn’t receive the heartfelt love that I tried to convey through my poetry. Personally I think my cringy, cheesy, and highly romantic poem was worthy of at least a second place. But it’s okay because losing is the path to victory or so they say, you know. Despite the results and the overall competitiveness of this challenge, I am happy with my third place, despite the competitive nature of the school. After all, for no experience in poetry, I’d call this a significant milestone.

Fourth

Why did I get fourth place? We’ll never know (it was prejudice). I hadn’t anticipated my competition going all out on their poetry — I assumed there would be at least one haiku or five-lined limerick that I could trump easily. Unfortunately, my witty parody of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet wasn’t creative enough for the judges, and they unceremoniously bestowed upon me the title of last place. Despite the lackluster result of my efforts, I am satisfied to have provided a few minutes of entertainment to the (extremely harsh) judging panel.

PHOTOS BY FEATUJRE EDITOR JULIA PENG. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR JULIA PENG

10 Centerspread

The Science Behind Love

Color Me Mine Whether online or at a is a pottery store chain local cooking institution, many where people can paint their spend their Valentine’s Day learning to own ceramics, and the closest concoct decadent desserts and tasteful location to MSJ is at Pleasanton’s 350 dishes in a cooking class. From French crêpes Main St. A. At this pottery studio, one can and soufflés to creamy Italian risotto, cooking have an enjoyable and relaxing time classes are available in endless types of cuisines. painting with others or creating a Some Bay Area locations include Taste Buds thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift for Kitchen and Home Chef Cooking someone to cherish. In addition to School. having hundreds of ceramic With shapes to choose from, team pleasant views of living members at Color Me Mine plants and flowers, botanical help with ideas, gardens offer the perfect blend of painting tips, and romance and relaxation for Valentine’s Day. techniques.

Some gardens even feature lightscapes, art

24 hours

2

History

installations, and personal tours. Discover these local beauties in “Guide to Local Botanical Gardens” in Vol. 57, No. 8 of the Smoke Signal.

of Love

E

The 5 Love Languages

As a theory proposed by Gary Chapman in 1992, love languages are used to classify the five primary ways of expressing and receiving love: words of affirmation, acts of service, gift-giving, quality time, and physical touch. Many relationships are strengthened by understanding which method of affection is most well received by others and regularly expressing it.

Gift- Giving

Words of Affirmation

Acts of Service

Quality Time

People whose love language is acts of service enjoy when their partner goes out of their way to do small gestures that show care and affection. By taking the initiative to ease someone’s responsibilities, people can help partners with this love language feel taken care of and loved. Examples of acts of service include making breakfast, running errands, and booking a surprise vacation.

Quality time refers to showing love and affection by spending dedicated time together. It centers around togetherness and is the most popular love language because of its simplicity. Although interpretations of quality time are different, people who value quality time feel appreciated when they spend meaningful time with people in their lives, whether it be talking, enjoying a relaxing sunset picnic, or watching a movie.

“Maybe some planned experience like going to a new restaurant or going on a new hike — something that’s new and exciting.” —- Social Studies Teacher Katherine Williams

Physical Touch

With February being the month of love and Valentine’s Day on the 14th, the Smoke Signal explored the origins of love culture, different love languages, celebrations of love around the world, and local activities to enjoy with loved ones.

People who have physical touch as their love language appreciate physical signs of affection including holding hands, hugging, and cuddling. Physical intimacy is known to be relaxing, healing, and able to increase oxytocin levels in the brain. People who enjoy physical touch value the feeling of warmth and comfort from their partner.

26%

Physical Touch

MSJ Words of Affirmation Love Languages *This data was collected by a Google Forms survey shared with the MSJ student body via social media.

41%

Acts of Service

12% 5% Quality Time

Gift-Giving

Describe your perfect Valentine’s gift or gesture

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved ones?

16%

“I like to make my friends custom valentines and then write them a cute note on the back. This year, I also made cookies.”

— Etta Sou, 12

W a l e s celebrates the patron saint of lovers, Dwynwen, on January 25. This holiday boasts a unique tradition: the carving and gifting of “love spoons.” On St. Dwynwen’s Day, or Dydd Santes Dwynwen, men carve intricate designs into wooden spoons to give to their significant others. Each design holds special meaning as well: horseshoes represent Rather luck, key designs double t h a n as keys to their hearts, celebrating on and wheels are February 14, signs of many Chinese people support. choose to observe the traditional Qixi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar. This festival honors the meeting between Zhinü and Niulang from Chinese mythology.

Many women go to temples to pray to Zhinü for wisdom, burn incense, and recite prayers on this day. This holiday also holds significance for newlyweds, who pray to the mythical couple for fortune and happiness in their marriage. This year, the Qixi Festival falls on August 22 in the Gregorian Calendar.

China

By Tanvi Deshmukh, Chloe Gao, Andria Luo, Ashley Pang & Katie Tang Staff Writers

Words of affirmation are verbal expressions of love, appreciation, and encouragement. They communicate their partners’ appreciation for each other. This love language is within people who feel most validated and appreciated through hearing positive reinforcement. Examples of words of affirmation include “I love you,” compliments, and verbal encouragement.

Gift-giving is for those who appreciate physical representations of love and symbolic items. Gifts are valued for their thoughtfulness and emotional benefits. People whose love language is receiving gifts enjoy having a gift that is both tangible and meaningful. They typically appreciate the sentimental value of gifts more than their monetary value. Examples of thoughtful gifts include photo collages and personalized letters.

In addition to celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14, many Argentinians observe an additional “Sweetness Week,” which takes place in the first week of July. According to the Verbum School of Spanish, this tradition was started in 1989 as a way for the candy company Arcor to sell more products and quickly became a popular way to show love and appreciation for others.

During this week, kisses — typically on the cheek — are exchanged for chocolates and other S o m e sweet treats. regions of Spain celebrate the Day of Love and Friendship — also commonly referred to as el Día de San Jorge or St. George’s Day. In Aragon, a popular tradition dating back to the early 1900s is to exchange gifts with loved ones, with men gifting roses and women gifting books. This observance falls on April 23 because many notable figures, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Josep Pla, all died on this date. Since not every region celebrates this holiday, the Day of Love and Friendship is one of regional pride as well.

Wales

H E T T L U R U

Dating back to 270 AD in ancient Rome, the legend of Valentine’s Day arose when Saint Valentine became martyred for performing secret weddings under Emperor Claudius II. In 1382, Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Parlement of Foules” became the first written work to associate love with Valentine’s Day. With the oldest written documentation in the English language by Margery Brews, formal messages known as Valentine's letters came into light in 1477. More frequently used in the 1600s, the term “Valentine’s Day” appeared in William Shakespeare’s novel Hamlet and the popular marriage of Elizabeth Stuart and Frederick V, which took place on February 14, 1613. Introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868, gifting chocolates in heart-shaped boxes surged in popularity throughout the nineteenth century. In the present day, Valentine’s Day is celebrated internationally by sending handwritten cards and gifts to loved ones.

Gifting flowers, buying balloons, and going out on dates are just some ways Valentine’s Day has evolved within today’s society.

In South Korea, Valentine’s Day is only one of 12 “days of love” celebrated on the 14th of each month. While Valentine’s Day in South Korea is celebrated similarly to the rest of the world, it is followed by White Day and Black Day in March and April, respectively. On White Day, those who received gifts on Valentine’s Day return the favor to their gifters. Black Day is observed by singles who did not receive gifts during Valentine’s Day or White Day. Some other “days of love” include Kiss Day in June, Wine Day in October, and Hug Day in December.

Spain

C

According to a research study led by Dr. Helen Fisher at Rutgers, romantic love can be broken down into three categoriesThe science of love falls into three main categories — lust, attraction, and attachment — each of which is characterized by its own set of hormones released. Lust, or the evolutionary basis for our need to reproduce, is driven by the hypothalamus which instructs the release of hormones testosterone and estrogen. Attraction is primarily driven by dopamine and norepinephrine, which initiate fight-or-flight responses. During attraction, reward centers in the brain — ventral tegmental area and the caudate nucleus — become active, demonstrating the phenomenon of reward pathways.

On the other hand, attachment encompasses mediated friendships, social cordiality, and parent-infant bonding.

The main hormones involved are vasopressin and oxytocin, believed to reinforce positive feelings.

Centerspread 11

Argentina

r 3. colo me mine

1

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South Korea

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Around the World

Local Activities

2. botanical gardens

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“Every Valentine’s morning, it’s a tradition for my dad to gift me and my mom with roses and chocolate.” — Aditi Bachhu, 10

“My perfect Valentine’s celebration would be a gift exchange with my friends followed by a fancy dinner at an Italian restaurant.” — Aarav Khandelwal, 9

“I have low standards, so I guess flowers and a nice handmade card would be ideal.” —- Savanna Lee, 11

Aside from valuing romantic love, Valentine’s Day is also about cherishing our platonic and familial relationships. In honor of the month of love, show your appreciation for others through love languages and spend some quality time partaking in local activities with your loved ones.

Spread Love GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR CHRISTY HUANG

Friday, February 24, 2023

The Smoke Signal

12 Feature & Arts & Entertainment

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The Smoke Signal

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Dear Diary: Comet

By Tushara Devapatla Staff Writer

1:32 a.m. on February 1 AHHH! WHERE AM I? Okay, I’ll back up a little. Before my departure, I was preparing others in the solar system for how much they’d miss me. Halley’s Comet was running her mouth about

is her own self-hatred. With the song “Hello!,” the chorus sends her into a spiral, telling her that, “She’s all alone / Ain’t it cruel? / She hasn’t grown.” The chorus tells her that she’s not ready to be 18 yet and that she’s too inexperienced and immature to become an adult.

The actors all exit the stage, leaving Sawant on stage by herself as she performs her solo song, “A Fool’s Lament.” The spotlight centers on Birthday Girl as she opens up, confiding in the audience about her feelings of confusion, her fear of change, and her fear of not meeting expectations as she sings, “What you found is everything’s different … You’re less than who you were before,” the audience swaying with the gentle melodies.

The soft moment fades as the main character is thrown again into the depths of her mind, this time facing her confusion. She grapples with her own feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. The lights turn red and the cast surround her with mirrors, forcing her to look within herself, to self-reflect and find how my looking impromptu is tostuwhat she’s for: thevacation confidence move pid. But just because you’re the most forward and change. Breaking the moment, famous and esteemed comet does not the chorus incessantly questions if something mean you’re my mom, Halley. About is wrong with her, then telling her that she’s an hour later, while I was fuming while not cuttoout adulthood flying thefor Earth, I sortayet, lostyelling track atofher to give up over and over again, despite theisnuthe route … and my directions. This merous attempts to object. fight all your times fault, she Halley.

So now, here I Aam, breaks thenowhere. chorus and Birthday lost in out the between middle of AHHH! Girl, only resulting at last with The thing I can seeherisbreaking the signfree in of her emotions, coming backbackground, to the real world, front of me. On a cream it writes: Mee-see-on Jos-ee. as she screams at theSaan chorus to stop, and the

Friday, February 24, 2023

4:18 p.m. on February 1

By Tanvi Deshmukh Staff Writer

After a 50,000-year hiatus since the On Thursday, February 2, MSJ’s Universal last ice age, the green-glowing comet C/ Performers showcased their original student 2022 E3 (ZTF) has found its journey produced playchaos A Minor back near Earth.

But with stirringInconvenience in C120. from the depths of space, where willThe written path?

by Senior one wrong turn leadplay, the comet’s Faye Widjaja, centers around Birthday Girl, played by Senior So7:32 p.m. on January hani Sawant,31 as she undergoes an emoOh my galaxy, it’s been a while since I last passed by the Earth.

You know, tionally fueledthe crisis blue planet with atrocious barf-green exactly 30 minutes bescars and dry skin patches. fore herYikes, 18th somebirthday. one needs to giveWith her some concealer. the Birthday Girl as Anyways, I’ve the been thinking about that main character, all the othone holiday they celebrate with the in cli-her er actors play the emotions ché boxes of chocolates and desperate head, and each of them bring the terrors of teenagers wishing for a friends-to-lovers growing older to life. trope. Like girl, you’re not the main charThe play starts with the song “Happy acter. Although thinking about the holBirthday” with the birthday iday makessung myacapella stomach churn, I mightgirl in front of a cake.

The lights dim and spotas well check up on my short-facedthe bear light shines directly on Sawant.

The birthday babes and mastodon shawties for the girl pushes cakewant away,toand 30 fried minute spirit.

And the I also try the some clock starts, kicking off the play. chicken. It’s about time for this Oort Thelegend first emotion Birthday Girldramatic encounters cloud to make another entrance back to Earth.

Arts & Entertainment 15

lights dim to black.

Emerging from her inner turmoil, the birthday girl comes across Older Sibling, 8:24 a.m.Loh. onFinally February 1 a played

by Brian coming across supporting older figure, Birthday Girl blarreveals What on Earth (ha, get it) is that toing him her troubles.

He offers support, and in sound?

I just arose from my beauty doing tells heratthe fears most, sleep, so confused thething sight she of these neanderthals roaming singing, “Nothing is asaround it was Mee-see-on / You’re stuck Saanthere’s Jos-ee I see the onesThese sprinting and nothing youlittle can do.” lyrics, to the doors, clutching their backpacks however, help Birthday Girl, letting her know on she wheels.

Getting in cardio that is not alone, and that everyoneAND is with weight-lighting — they’re definitely athher. She and her older sibling banter back and letes.

Anyways, I hope my stay here gets forth, breaking the tension that’s been buildmore interesting — or at least includes ing since the beginning of the show, and drawcomplimentary brunch. ing a few laughs from the crowd.

With her newfound confidence and strength, mainon character is once again 12:58 the p.m.

February 1 plunged back into her emotions, which this Unfortunately, I cannotand come any clos- In time have turned hopeful optimistic. er to Mee-see-on Saan Jos-ee — we’re the song “A Moment,” the chorus sings, “Take wearing the same shade of green, and I a moment / Hold this moment deep in your WON’T be the one to change. There’s bones,” finally telling her to appreciate the this male neanderthal walking around moment she’s living through. The spotlight with a boombox, and oontz, oontz, centers —on Sawant one last jiggy time aswith the chorus oontz I’m getting the countsLooking down from the clock beat. overfive theand region, I see before evthem reaches the cups end ofofthepee 30 with minutes. eryone drinking min- As the audience watches withI bated breath, iature black holes.

When was last here,the mainneanderthals character blowsonly out her birthday the feasted on candles raw just asand thefruits clock (some reachesofzero and turned the room meat which out be poisonous).

Even one the second shoes of turnstocompletely dark, leaving at Mee-see-on Saan Jos-ee have holes complete silence before the room erupts into a in them — who’s gonna tell them they roaring applause. look likean theemotional Swiss cheese Ike’s With script,from brightmy spotlights, sandwich? and a perfectly chosen cast, MSJ Universal

With all the talk about holes, I’ve begun to reminisce on when I impressed all the ladies as the best lineman in my constellation of Auriga — you could call me the Certified Lover Comet.

So, I decided to look for the infamous cheerleaders here (with rizz) … and what a scam, not a single one in sight!

The closest thing I saw was this lovely female beeping through the hallways in a golf cart. If I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling pretty single after never reaching my short-faced bear babes and mastodon shawties. I have hope that they’re doing okay without me — it’s not like their entire species completely disappeared, right?

7:20 p.m. on February 1 Oh yeah, when I was depressed lis-Pertening to “All Girls Are The Same”f obyr m Juice WRLD, overheardwell-run, this neaners pulls off anIincredibly student derthal discussing leadership, initiative, play which reflects the intense talent that MSJ family, blah blah. Well technically, she students hold. The script perfectly replicates was writing a Facebook post but long the chaos and fear of growing older, remindstory short, it changed my life. I’ve seen ing the audience of their own experiences, and all I need at Mee-see-on Saan Jos-ee and leaving them wanting more.

▪ a leaderreturning home, I will launch ship class, newspaper organization, and DECA club in the Oort cloud — entirely due to the power of the Facebook advertisement post. Upon my takeoff, I think all the neanderthals here should dye their hair green in my memory. I still have some time left here near Earth, and I know exactly where to spend it.

2:30 a.m. on February 2 It’s finger lickin’ good!! ▪

GRAPHICS PENG PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER TUSHARA DEVAPATLA. GRAPHICS BYBY A&FEATURE E EDITOREDITOR SANAH JULIA BHARDWAJ

Spotlight: Competitive Dancer Raina Wu

By Shuhan Jin & Ashley Pang Staff Writers

Sophomore Raina Wu began dancing competitively at age eight, having previously danced recreationally for five years. In 2016, Wu joined Yoko’s Dance and Performing Arts Academy (YDPAA), marking the start of her competitive dance journey. Since then, Wu has attended countless distinguished dance competitions throughout the years, garnering multiple awards at the regional and national levels.

At YDPAA, Wu trains in genres of contemporary, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance to compete in regional and national competitions throughout the year. Wu competes frequently alongside younger sister Fiona Wu in showstopping duets at least once a month during competition season. Their duets “Palemote,” “The Edge Of Light,” and “Bring You Home” have attained titles at major dance awards — 1st at YAGP Seattle Ensemble and national champion at the 2021 Showstopper National Dance Competition’s West Coast Finals.

As for group dances, Wu competes alongside teammates in four regional and one national competition each season. Notably, the group has secured multiple first place finishes at the Showstopper, one of America’s most prestigious competitions, making them two time grand champions and two time national champions.

“I think the biggest obstacle for dancers is comparing ourselves to other people. I try to take a step back and spend some time alone to improve myself.”

As a competitive dancer, Wu often finds herself battling pre-performance nerves and other obstacles. In the past, Wu used to get extremely nervous before going on stage, but

she returned to the dance studio after quarantine at the top of her game. In January, she won 1st place with a contemporary solo choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance winner, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, in the Contemporary Category for Senior Division at the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) Seattle Semifinals, the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition and global dance network.

“I definitely want to keep dancing after I graduate, even if I don’t dance professionally.”

after attending countless competitions and gaining more experience, competing on stage became normal, and even fun, for Wu. Aside from nerves, Wu considers her biggest struggle to be constantly comparing herself to other dancers. After years of experience, however, she has found that the best way to overcome this is by “taking a step back and trying not to compare [herself ] with other people and just spend time alone to improve herself.”

For Wu, dancing with friends and embracing the holiday spirit in the annual YDPAA Nutcracker is one of the most memorable experiences of the year. This year, Wu performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker. In the past, Wu took on the important role of Clara for two years straight, having to attend extra rehearsals to perfect the choreography.

“At the beginning, I was really scared, but by the second year, I was less nervous,” Wu said.

Even though taking on the lead as Clara was an extreme amount of pressure, the hard work

and determination paid off when Wu was able to perform the role onstage, in front of a live audience.

Due to the time-consuming nature of dance, Wu spends, on average, 15 to 20 hours per week in the studio. Dedicating three hours per day to dance, Wu has established a daily routine balancing dance with her rigorous course load at school. “I have to do three hours a day, but it still leaves time for homework. I’ll [also] bring my work to do at the studio when I have breaks,” Wu said.

Similar to other athletes, the coronavirus pandemic heavily impacted Wu’s training routine as competitions and studios closed for a brief period. In order to continue the rigor as a competitive dancer, Wu’s family converted their living room into a dance studio and installed marley floors to train on. She also participated in online zoom classes and competitions while in quarantine.

Wu’s determination paid off in the end, as

Though unsure about pursuing a career in dance, Wu hopes to continue dancing and attending competitions. Before graduation, she hopes to win at least one more national championship with her solo. ▪

PHOTOS COURTSEY OF RAINA WU

GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR JULIA PENG

Friday, February 24, 2023

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The Smoke Signal

Arts & Entertainment 13

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R

Knock at the Cabi n fails to knock socks off

By Ayushi Kashyap Staff Writer

Released on February 3, the highly-anticipated horror film from award-winning director and screenwriter M. Night Shyamalan, Knock at the Cabin, features a ragtag group of characters that explore the emotionality behind decision-making, attempting a unique foray into the apocalyptic horror genre.

Set in an idyllic remote cabin in the woods, the film follows a couple, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), along with their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui) as they are held hostage by a group of four armed strangers who demand they choose one person to kill in order to save the world from the apocalypse.

The cinematography and the brown-toned lighting of the film, in part from the 90s film camera used to shoot the movie, contribute to the film’s quintessential, woodsy aesthetic. In a delightfully artistic way, photography directors Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A. Meyer incorporate the cabin’s remote and rustic feel into the tension of the film. At perfect times, such as moments before chaos when Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), one of the hostage-takers, pleads the group’s case with Andrew; the sparse lighting inside of the cabin hits only half of her face, contrasting the desperation shown on her face with the urgency of convincing the family to make a decision.

Despite Shyamalan’s past works in the horror genre such as The Sixth Sense and Lady in the Water heralded as some of the best films, it would be a grave disservice to give this film a horror distinction due to its sheer lack of scary scenes. At best, there are

By Ruhani Chhabra Staff Writer

IMDB.COM

two nail-biting scenes. While they are accompanied by infectious tension and a stellar soundtrack, they round up to be insufficiently terrifying with awkwardly-timed lines and actions.

Disappointingly, the storyline falls short with weak development and multiple plot holes. By the end, viewers are left without an explanation for the entire apocalypse and what exactly caused it. During the buildup for the reasons behind the hostage situation, a lot of useful time is wasted in back-and-forth dialogue between the hostage-takers and the hostages who are confused about the so-called apocalypse that Leonard (Dave Bautista) describes. While the vagueness surrounding the ending may have been intentional, it’s clear that the lack of details surrounding the mechanisms behind the apocalypse chalks the situation to be similar to many other natural disaster apocalyptic movies.

While the apocalypse does little to move the movie forward, the use of flashbacks throughout the film to develop whatever little context and characterization are given heightens the emotional aspect through the film. Seeing Eric and Andrew, a gay couple, go through the motions of becoming a happy family from the

ups and downs of meeting the parents to the joy of adopting a newborn infant, Wen, evokes a sense of sympathy for the decision they have to make.

Through being faced with the decision of a lifetime, literally, being asked to choose between saving the world and murdering another in cold blood, it is clear that the family’s support and trust in each other wavers at moments, testing the bond between Eric and Andrew. With the discussion of who they should be believing and the next step that they should take in the situation, the film’s storyline lends itself to predictability, dragging on once the bodies start dropping. In addition, the hostage situation being a hate crime instead of a happenstance does little for the overall development of the film other than exposing Redmond (Rupert Grint) for his past homophobic confrontation with Eric. Instead, it leaves viewers confused as to the real reason for a close-to-perfect family being chosen to wield the double-edged sword. Overall, Knock at the Cabin was an apocalyptic and half-baked attempt at a mystery thriller that ultimately fell short.

▪

Grade: C-

February 2023 MSJ Faves

GAMEBYTES

By Maryam Naseer Staff Writer With You is a unique two-player indie puzzle game developed by Carol Mertz as a solo student project at the New York University Game Center.

Released on March 7, 2022, the game is available for free on Steam and is intended to strengthen players’ relationships, trust, and communication through the short, wordless levels.

The game offers a short adventure taking roughly twenty minutes and is enhanced by playing with a partner.

The game features two main characters, a semicircle and a triangle, who embark on a journey of growth and exploration together. The presence of other pink circular characters in the environment represents friends and family, who serve as distractions to the main characters. Despite the short rhythm puzzles that try to keep them apart, the ultimate goal is to bring the character together through problem-solving and collaboration.

The game is short and easy to follow as the chapters represent different stages of a relationship with the unique challenges they pose such as communication and disagreements.

Through the challenges, the players are required to rely on each other to make it to the next level. After traversing through various chapters with titles like “Passion For You” and “Falling For You,” the couple finally arrives at the last chapter which presents a choice between two endings. The outcome of the game, a happy or sad ending, is directly tied to the player’s choice to work together or go separate ways. When the individuals support each other, they overcome the obstacles and reach a successful outcome.

If they choose to take separate paths, they are less likely to succeed and face a sad ending. With You offers a peaceful and rewarding experience through its simplicity while serving as a reminder that the power of collaboration can lead to greater accomplishments than individual effort.

▪

Sam Smith achieves some glory with gloria

MOVIE: Up — James Lai, 9 TV SHOW: The Last of Us — Mashal Khattak, 10 ALBUM: Midnights by Taylor Swift — Audrey Wang, 11 BOOK: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas — Jessica Wong, 12 GAME: ELDEN RING — Siddharth Srinivasan, 11

Nine years ago, Sam Smith became a household name with “Stay With Me,” a heartbreak anthem that peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, Smith has released other popular melancholic tunes, such as “Latch” and “I’m Not The Only One.” In their latest album, Gloria, Smith re-emerges as a more versatile, edgier artist who’s unafraid to express their identity. While most tracks are courageous and catchy, others sound like generic pop hits that are below Smith’s potential.

As a prominent queer artist, Smith has received unprecedented amounts of hate for their identity.

Track one, “Love Me More,” reflects on this — it is an introspective, relatable song that showcases their growth as a person and an artist. Indeed, Smith has said that this album revolves around their “liberation” over the years. Listeners can find inspiration and empathize with them from the hard-hitting lines “Every day, I’m trying not to hate myself / But lately, it’s not hurtin’ like it did before / Maybe I am learning how to love me more.” These lyrics are a direct contrast from “Young,” from their 2020 album Love Goes where Smith sings, “But they’re watching me, judging me / Making me feel so used.” In their new music, Smith is unapologetic about themself — and it is great to hear.

Track two, “No God,” and track six, “Unholy (feat. Kim Petras)” both play on religious themes to address certain issues, such as discrimination and cheating. However, “No God” does a much better job; not only does it call out Smith’s homophobic critics with the lyrics “You’re no god (Give up), you’re no teacher (Wake up)” but it’s more enjoyable to listen to than “Unholy (feat. Kim Petras),” the bland mainstream single about infidelity. Though Smith and

SPOTIFY.COM

Kim Petras have harmonious voices, the track is exceedingly lackluster; its overplayed chorus feels like it was made without a second thought, and the harsh, fast-paced beat is only tolerable to listen to as a snippet.

That’s not to say all the collaborations on Gloria are a miss. In fact, the closing track, “Who We Love (feat.

Ed Sheeran),” is one of the strongest on the record. Smith and Sheeran’s powerful vocals blend together in the lyrics “You don’t know better than your heart knows ... We love who we love,” which can be interpreted as another way to call out homophobic rhetoric, or perhaps showcasing the relatable phenomenon of falling for someone who isn’t good for you.

Either way, this ballad is one to constantly replay.

Other gems include the title track, “Gloria,” a striking gospel-like anthem that features Smith’s goosebump-inducing falsetto, “How To Cry,” which is a lovely guitar ballad about recovering from trauma, and “Six Shots,” a sultry, intimate tune.

They’re strong enough to replace the damage from songs like “Lose You” and “Gimme (feat. Koffee & Jessie Reyez),” which suffer from the same problems as “Unholy (feat. Kim Petras),” perhaps to a greater extent.

Overall, Gloria is not Smith’s strongest body of work. However, it is definitely vulnerable, cutting-edge, and an enjoyable listen.

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Grade: B

Lil Yachty starts a new era with Let’s Start Here.

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By Callie Yuan Staff Writer “It’s alternative, it’s sick … It’s like a psychedelic alternative project. It’s different. It’s all live instrumentation,” Miles Parks McCollum, professionally known as Lil Yachty, said in an interview with Ice Box in 2022 about his music’s new direction.

Just one year after this statement, Lil Yachty delivered on his promise and released his fifth studio album, Let’s Start Here., on January 27. The album debuted at number nine on Billboard 200 and number one on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums. Lil Yachty rose to fame in 2016 after the release of his debut hit singles “One Night” and “Minnesota” from his mixtape Lil Boat, and has been reinforcing his signature trap and hip-hop rap sound since.

However, Lil Yachty’s most recent musical venture is a 14-track set through which he dives into a corner of music that he’s never delved into before — opting to explore the expansive field of funk psychedelic rock with elements of experimental jazz instead of his classic trap sound.

The instrumental arrangements on the album combine the musical textures of dreamy synths, retro-southern drums, and reverberating phase-shifted guitar accompanied by Lil Yachty’s distorted but groovy voice blend together to produce a transcendent listening experience. The album is introspective, and the listeners follow Lil Yachty on a healing journey as he explores lessons on letting go, branching out, and overcoming fears.

Lil Yachty opens with “the BLACK seminole.,” a signifier to his fans that the rest of this project is a departure from his usual rap style with its soothing and electronic beats paired with 1960s-rock-esque riffs. In “the ride~,” Lil Yachty and featured vocalist Teezo Touchdown croon, “Ooh, don’t ask no questions on the ride … All of the things I once enjoyed doesn’t bring joy.” The two touch on the contrast between expectation and reality on the ride to fame, believing they’ll finally feel satisfaction after reaching the top.

However, reality and emptiness hit them after they end up disconnected from their friends and no longer feel

the same leisurely happiness.

As he explores these topics in a new light, Let’s Start Here. marks a renaissance in Lil Yachty’s discography. Though his previous works display an underlying current of versatility and brilliance, Let’s Start Here. is where his multifaceted talent shines through grandiose modulated warbles and masterfully-mixed percussion backings. Lil Yachty may have previously been known for “joke” and meme songs, but he takes a stylistic pivot toward rock with this new project, bringing forth his unforeseen strengths and underlining his vocal range. His fourth studio album, Lil Boat 3, featured generic rapping and uninspired beats, resulting in many critics considering Lil Yachty’s music as repetitive. Lil Yachty shook the charts with his single “Poland” just a few months prior to his newest album’s release, playing into his style of bubblegum rap without straying far from his usual tracks and peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. So considering the preconceived notions of Lil Yachty’s music, no one could have expected a complete musical shift

from him, which makes Let’s Start Here. a legendary rebrand.

The influence of 1960s rock bands like Pink Floyd and Funkadelic on Let’s Start Here. is clear, but Lil Yachty effectively adds his own take on the psychedelic rock genre that typically entails kaleidoscopic electronic effects with his use of auto-tuned crooning. Rather than the album coming off a cash-grab or attention-seeking attempt, Lil Yachty genuinely highlights his adoration for this new genre and his intent to carve his own legacy — especially through engaging tracks that pay homage to the greats and originators of the psychedelic rock genre.

Let’s Start Here. is a bold, cohesive, and satisfying evolution of Lil Yachty’s sound. While Lil Yachty didn’t need to abandon his old sound to be taken seriously as an artist, his fervor and ambition to broaden his soundscape are welcome among both long-time fans and new listeners while they patiently await Lil Yachty’s new musical ventures.

▪

Grade: A

ANGELA: “About You” by The 1975 | ANNIKA: “I THINK” by Tyler, The Creator | BRYAN: “Walkin” by Denzel Curry | CHRISTY: “Only A Lifetime” by FINNEAS | ELTON:

SMOKIE PLAYLIST: “I Was Never There” by The Weeknd, Gesaffelstein | ESTHER: “Green Light” by Lorde | HANNAH: “Flaming Hot Cheetos” by Clairo | HELEN: “Criminal Minds - Main

February Fever

Theme” by Geek Music | JENNIE: “HONEST” by Baby Keem | JERRY: “Feel My Rhythm” by Red Velvet | JOANNE: “Ribs” by Lorde | JULIA: “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” by Joji | KAITLYN: “GO TO HELL” by Clinton Kane | KARINA: “Are You Satisfied?” by MARINA | ROHAN: “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy | SANAH: “DHL” by Frank Ocean | SARINA: “Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge | SHELLEY: “Homesick” by Dua Lipa | MRS. COHEN: “Across The Universe - Remastered 2009” by The Beatles

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By Tushara Devapatla Staff Writer

On Thursday, February 2, MSJ’s Universal Performers showcased their original student produced play A Minor Inconvenience in C120.

The play, written by Senior Faye Widjaja, centers around Birthday Girl, played by Senior Sohani Sawant, as she undergoes an emotionally fueled crisis exactly 30 minutes before her 18th birthday. With the Birthday Girl as the main character, all the other actors play the emotions in her head, and each of them bring the terrors of growing older to life.

The play starts with the song “Happy Birthday” sung acapella with the birthday girl in front of a cake. The lights dim and the spotlight shines directly on Sawant.

The birthday girl pushes the cake away, and the 30 minute clock starts, kicking off the play.

The first emotion Birthday Girl encounters is her own self-hatred. With the song “Hello!,” the chorus sends her into a spiral, telling her that, “She’s all alone / Ain’t it cruel? / She hasn’t grown.” The chorus tells her that she’s not ready to be 18 yet and that she’s too inexperienced and immature to become an adult.

The actors all exit the stage, leaving Sawant on stage by herself as she performs her solo song, “A Fool’s Lament.” The spotlight centers on Birthday Girl as she opens up, confiding in the audience about her feelings of confusion, her fear of change, and her fear of not meeting expectations as she sings, “What you found is everything’s different … You’re less than who you were before,” the audience swaying with the gentle melodies.

The soft moment fades as the main character is thrown again into the depths of her mind, this time facing her confusion. She grapples with her own feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. The lights turn red and the cast surround her with mirrors, forcing her to look within herself, to self-reflect and find what she’s looking for: the confidence to move forward and change.

Breaking the moment, the chorus incessantly questions if something is wrong with her, then telling her that she’s not cut out for adulthood yet, yelling at her to give up over and over again, despite the numerous times she attempts to object. A fight breaks out between the chorus and Birthday Girl,

resulting at last with her breaking free of her emotions, coming back to the real world, as she screams at the chorus to stop, and the lights dim to black.

Emerging from her inner turmoil, the birthday girl comes across Older Sibling, played by Brian Loh. Finally coming across a supporting older figure, Birthday Girl reveals to him her troubles. He offers support, and in doing so tells her the thing she fears most, singing, “Nothing is as it was / You’re stuck and there’s nothing you can do.” These lyrics, however, help Birthday Girl, letting her know that she is not alone, and that everyone is with her. She and her older sibling banter back and forth, breaking the tension that’s been building since the beginning of the show, and drawing a few laughs from the crowd.

With her newfound confidence and strength, the main character is once again plunged back into her emotions, which this time have turned hopeful and optimistic.

In the song “A Moment,” the chorus sings, “Take a moment / Hold this moment deep in your bones,” finally telling her to appreciate the moment she’s living through. The spotlight centers on Sawant one last time as the chorus counts down from five and the clock before them reaches the end of the 30 minutes. As the audience watches with bated breath, the main character blows

out her birthday candles just as the clock reaches zero and the room turns completely dark, leaving one second of complete silence before the room erupts into a roaring applause.

With an emotional script, bright spotlights, and a perfectly chosen cast, MSJ Universal Performers pulls off an incredibly wellrun, student play which reflects the intense talent that MSJ students hold. The script perfectly replicates the chaos and fear of growing older, reminding the audience of their own experiences, and leaving them wanting more. ▪

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER TUSHARA DEVAPATLA. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR SANAH BHARDWAJ

Girls Basketball triumph 49-34 against Irvington Vikings on Senior Night scoring outpours followed by missed shots and fouling, the 26-19 halftime score indicated the game was far from over.

During the second half, it was the Vikings that came out hot, taking advantage of a sluggish defense to cut the deficit down to five points. However, key defensive stands and rebounds from Forward Sophomore Patricia Wu helped the Warriors regain their rhythm, sparking another prolific offensive run; the crowd roared as Lu euro-stepped past defenders, Tran knocked in a triple, and Patel effortlessly scored a layup to put the team up 36-28 at the end of the third quarter.

Starting off the fourth quarter strong, the Vikings dialed up excellent offensive possessions, converting numerous layups in a lastditch attempt to come back and win. Yet with key defensive stands, the Warriors were able to

stem the tide, finishing the game strong. Patel greatly aided in this effort with important steals and blocks, whilst Tran also made exceptional passes to other teammates such as Lu down the stretch, leaving her open to shoot three-pointers. With the Warriors’ relentless tenacity notching dagger after dagger in the Vikings’ resolve, they were able to end the game 49-34.

Throughout the game the crowd cheered on the Warriors, electrifying the atmosphere with shouts of “Defense!” and stomping their feet, and the impact of the seniors’ performances did not go unnoticed. “It was all about the seniors tonight and I felt like the seniors brought a lot of energy … [they] really stepped up in a big way and that’s how we were able to come out with a victory,” Coach Chris Joo said. ▪

Guard Senior Claris Chan drives to the basket.

photos by staff writers elaheh khazi & vidyuth sridhar

Guard Freshman Stephanie Yu prepares to pass the ball to a teammate.

By Elaheh Khazi & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers On February 3, Varsity Girls Basketball faced off against the Irvington High School Vikings in a high-stakes matchup, with the Warriors prevailing 49-34.

Even with the pressure of Principal Jeff Evans’ call for the student body to attend the game, and this being a deciding game to qualify for the NCS Championships, the Warriors were confident heading into the game.

The Warriors quickly found the net on the first possession; setting the tone early. After being sidelined for the nearly entire season with an ACL injury, Co-Captain Guard Senior Tara Ushiro scored a two-pointer to start her and the Warriors’ last home game of the

season, inspiring many both on the team and in the crowd. “I was there by her side when she got injured and so it was so emotional for me … [and] it was a big deal for everybody,” Co-Captain Guard Senior Reina Shimomura said. But despite the shot and contributions from Guards Seniors Katelyn Tran and Ciara Lu, the Warriors’ offense started to stagnate at the end of the first quarter, their commanding start diminishing into a narrow 11-7 lead.

However, the second quarter was far more productive. In particular, Lu caught fire from beyond the arc, notching two threes and scoring eight points in a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, Shimomura and Power Forward Sophomore Esha Patel took advantage of an undersized Vikings defense, repeatedly driving to the basket and drawing fouls. Yet with

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JOIN TODAY! SportsxOp: MSJ Outspectated

By Sally Han, Anushka Vasudev & Aaron Zhou Staff Writers When students think of sports at MSJ, the thought that most likely crosses their minds first is the absence of a football team. However, the MSJ sports culture shouldn’t start and end with lack of a mainstream sport. Apart from the stellar athletic accomplishments MSJ garners recognition for, there is a diverse range of sports talent for the student body to appreciate. Regardless of the sport, athletics at MSJ cultivates platforms for students to enjoy the game and support their peers, and it is time we start doing so.

Noticing a lack of spectatorship at sports games, Principal Jeff Evans issued a challenge to the entire student body asking them to outspectate Irvington High School at the Girls Basketball senior night on February 3. “It’s really just wanting to get students to come to the games, and so I thought if we do a competition with Irvington, maybe that would encourage two schools and give them something to come out for,” Principal Evans said.

While appearing to be a simple one-time effort to improve student engagement, this bet highlights a frequently overlooked problem when it comes to school sports. Students are generally focused on playing multiple sports, joining the junior varsity or varsity teams, and becoming captains, yet many of these same athletes don’t get involved in supporting their peers on the court or field. Not only does a lack of spectators hurt student-athletes, sports teams, and the sports department as a whole, it widens the division between the student body and school athletics, making athletes feel less incorporated into the student experience.

Even though schools typically prioritize academics over sports, nearly half of the student body’s mental wellness is positively influenced by their participation in school athletics.

According to New

York University School of Global Public Health Associate Research Scientist Noelle Leonard, athletic, social, and personal challenges have been regarded as domains of “good stress” for high school students, while high levels of chronic stress persisting through college years originate from academic and parental expectations. Varsity Softball Co-captain Junior Amanda Deng believes that athletes perform with a better mindset with spectators.

“Just having people outside cheering and supporting really boosts our spirits and makes us more motivated to do better.”

— VARSITY SOFTBALL CO-CAPTAIN JUNIOR AMANDA DENG With more appreciation from the school, athletes become less likely to face overwhelming opposing crowds and encounter healthy as opposed to harmful stress factors.

Moreover, sports provide a special sense of community, for both athletes and spectators. Students have the opportunity to step outside of their daily routines and contribute to an integral component of high school exp e r i e n c e s.

Spectators can act as a source of motivation for athletes and become a part of the camaraderie that lays

the foundation for school sports. Spectators can further their connection to their peers by exploring the different commitments that their peers are a part of regardless of what sport they participate in. Exploring diverse environments, from the pool to the track, ensure that all sports are given recognition and support from their student body.

With school staff, clubs, and communities motivating and publicizing events and challenges for athletics, students become incentivised not only by the presence of mass discussion but also a sense of supporting the community. Varsity Boys Basketball Co-captain Junior Brandon Bao believes that implementing more special events such as the challenge against Irvington will increase overall spectatorship.

“As long as we strive for a community where our teams and our student body become more involved with each other, we're on the right track.”

— VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL CO-CAPTAIN JUNIOR BRANDON BAO However, our school cannot rely solely on these events to boost spectatorship. Our community must create a culture where spectatorship is the norm, and students don’t need an incentive to be a spectator.

Student apathy and failure to recognize the benefits sports platforms provide feeds into a loop, in which a lack of interest and spectatorship hurt athletes and the sports department, which cycles back to adversely affect the school’s sporting culture. However, focusing on changing our mindset regarding the value of spectators in sports can help us take that first step to improve spectatorship. Especially at MSJ, students tend to forget that academics is not the only area in which their peers excel — sports are such a crucial part of student life, and showing our support for this will ensure that we continue to excel in this area. ■ GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR KAITLYN WANG

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sports 17

GIRLS SOCCER

Girls Basketball finished the season with a record of 5-7 and placed fourth in MVAL. At the start of the season, the team struggled to find a concrete direction in their team strategy. “We didn’t know what type of team we were going to be until the first 5 games of the season. That’s when we figured out that we were going to be a small, relentless defensive team that relies on ball movement and shooting a lot of threes,” Girls Basketball Coach Christopher Joo said.

The team made up for their size disadvantage with hard work and the willingness to outhustle their opponents on the defensive end. The team also had to account for the 7 seniors they lost from last year, forcing them to rebuild their chemistry from scratch. “But we picked it up, winning 3 senior nights in a row ending the season and a good enough record to make NCS. We’ve definitely been through a lot this season but it’s been worth the ride and I wouldn’t change a thing,” Girls Basketball Co-Captain Reina Shimomura said.

As the season comes to a close, Girls Soccer closed out the year with a final record of 1-10-3, finishing 7th in MVAL. The team got started early in the preseason to train in order to bring the team up to competition speed. A majority of the players on the team had not played soccer competitively throughout high school, so a lot of the early season was spent learning fundamental skills. “Honestly [the season] was a lot better than expected. We played pretty well. The other teams have players that have been competitive for years, and we have players that have never touched the ball before,” Girls Soccer Captain Senior Johanna Talavera Chavez said. All of their hard work culminated in a close 2-1 victory against Irvington High School on their senior night. Sophomore Bella Cleary scored both goals against the team that had beaten them 0-4 earlier in the season, and the team excelled defensively. “I love our defense. We have some underclassmen as our center backs and they are really good. To see them step up against these gigantic girls is incredible to see. They don’t give up at all,’’ Talavera said. The teams’ reliance on defense has left a slight gap in their offense, however, which the team says they will work on for the next season.

GIRLS WRESTLING Girls Wrestling finished out yet another winter season with a final record of 3-3 and high hopes for the future. Several new players developed their technique with the help of Boys and Girls Wrestling Coach Bob Nishiyama and the addition of several new assistant coaches. “Our coaches put a lot of emphasis on good form and strengthening basics this year which I think really helped everyone’s performance,” Girls Wrestling Co-Captain Junior Svara Deshmukh said. New techniques evidently played a role in tournament results, when the Warriors placed seventh out of 25 teams at the James Logan Tournament, with Deshmukh, Co-Captain Junior Emily Koo, and Sophomore Sanika Vaishampayan placing third at the tournament. New freshmen and sophomores on the team focused on developing more aggressive techniques on the mat that will provide a promising season in the future. “I think the team also did a great job supporting and cheering on each other this season,” Deshmukh said.

WINTER SPORTS RECAP BOYS BASKETBALL

by Jacob Han, Waylon Li, Aaryan Suri & Jason Tang Staff Writers

Going into the 2022-23 season, Boys Basketball had hopes to rebuild their core and improve newer players due to the eight seniors that left the team last year and the many Junior Varsity players coming in. “We basically had to start at square one … and had to readjust and grind hard to get the execution done well,” Boys Basketball Co-Captain Junior Brandon Bao said. Additionally, with a majority of the team being undersized, the team often had to play as the underdogs; to combat this, they heavily prioritized their fundamentals in each match. In the end, despite many tough losses this season, including losing four games by three points or less and a final record of 2-12, the team has made great strides in improving their team chemistry. “Last year our team didn’t bond that well, but this year we’ve been able to do our post-practice hangouts and just have fun together pregame,” Bao said.

After losing 12 graduating seniors last year, Boys Soccer had very reserved expectations for the winter season. With only six players from the previous season on this year’s team, the team treated this season as a one to rebuild. “Preparing the team to play at a varsity level was the biggest challenge,” Boys Soccer Co-Captain Senior Joel Kim said. Despite ending with a 0-14 record and finishing 8th in MVAL, the future of the team looks bright, with many of these games having one point differences. With a majority of the players being sophomores or younger, the team is looking to improve their team chemistry and cohesion for the next season, where the players will have gained a lot more valuable experience. “They have a lot of potential. We just need to build up their confidence and their skill set,” Kim said.

BOYS SOCCER

Battling many injuries and tough matches, Boys Wrestling were still able to persevere and place high at tournaments, including seventh place out of 25 schools at the James Logan Tournament. With a combination of veterans and new players, the team was able to work together despite their skill differences. In dual meets, matches were head-to-head and very tight, but the Warriors gained momentum as the season progressed, finishing with a 3-3 record. “I felt like team morale took a pretty heavy dip after the first semester ended, but I’m pretty happy with how we came back,” Boys Wrestling Co-Captain Senior Nikolaos Kalekos said. New techniques such as the cradle and the mat return allowed several players to win in overtime. With five seniors on the team, the upperclassmen’s exceptional leadership led to high placements during the season’s tournaments.

BOYS WRESTLING photos courtesy brandon bao, jayden gravett, devang raina & malhar sarvasiddhi

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Badmin t on

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Sports 19

Continuing from a spectacular NCS win last year, Boys Tennis continues to grow and progress. Despite losing some seniors, Boys Tennis Coach Michael Jan remains confident in the team, as he feels that everybody has improved since last year. Some of the team’s top players have reached the title of top ten in the nation and the team also has a few players that have already committed to play tennis in D3 colleges. To further improve the team overall, Jan hopes to balance the skill level between the top-performing and bottom-performing half of the team. Their goal this year is “to become NCS champs again and hopefully CIF champs as well,” Jan said.

Returning from a successful season last year, Badminton hopes to repeat as NCS champions along with obtaining a perfect season record. The team had a large number of players last year, which brought some difficulty in creating lineups, but this should be fine in the upcoming season with the team being cut down. To improve team communication, Badminton will have more captains, activities, and post-meet bonding sessions.

They also aim to participate in more tournaments this year and use seasonal tournaments to plan counter-strategies against potential CIF teams. “[We are] making sure that [everyone] on the team is having a good time, even when times are tough for others, and they can come to the team as a second family,” Badminton Coach Brandon Lee said.

This year, Boys Golf aims to bring the whole team past NCS and possibly further to CIF. Last season, practices were disorganized and lacked a strong team morale, so the captains hope to build endurance through more practices and the addition of weight room training. During practices, they will also be focusing on specific points that need more work in order to improve basic skills as a team. The team this year does not have any seniors and consists mostly of sophomores, but returning players are looking forward to getting to know new members. “I think that having a younger class will help [the team] for the long run because they carry on the team with them,” Boys Golf Co-Captain Junior Matthew Almajano said.

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After making tremendous progress last year as a spirited and driven team, Softball is looking forward to performing even better this season. “The one thing that struck me from last year was their ability to persevere in really tight, competitive, thrilling games.” Softball Coach Joe Iwamiya said. The team hopes to continue this, especially since many new players will be joining the team. “There are so many new faces and it will be exciting to see the girls interact,” Co-Captain Sophomore Anjali Singh said. The team also plans to implement new techniques to play at their peak this season. “We hope to make [practice] more efficient and rigorous with different drills, sprints, and more live pitching,” Co-Captain Junior Amanda Deng said. As for the upcoming season, the team hopes to give it their all and enjoy their time together. “We want to win as much as we can and also have fun throughout the process,” Deng said.

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Despite a low tryout rate this year, Baseball hopes its returning players, especially its four returning seniors who have been with the program for the past four years, can lead the younger team to build a strong team chemistry and exceed the standards set by last year’s successful season, in which they won six games. Improving from last year’s fifth place standing in MVAL, they hope to win even more games this year to achieve a better league ranking. In order for a good season, the team hopes to improve communication between players during practices. They also hope to strengthen commitment to the team and prioritize their time as student-athletes. Baseball was held back by several injuries last year, so the team hopes its players stay safe to perform their best this season. “It's not really about winning and losing but really actually trying your best and being the best that you can be,” Baseball Coach Bobby Kanno said.

With a high turnout rate at the Boys Volleyball tryouts, the team is optimistic about this year’s season. Although many of the boys who attended tryouts had little experience in volleyball outside of school, Boys Volleyball Coach Thien Nguyen has high hopes that “the new players will bring the energy and motivation while the older players will have the knowledge and experience.” This way “[the older players] can exchange aspects [of the game] with the younger players so they can get the knowledge and the older players will be re-motivated,” Nguyen said. With the departure of many seniors that were key players to the team, Coach Nguyen also hopes to increase team chemistry both during practice and also during games on the court. “Our goal this season is to remain very competitive in MVAL but because we don’t have that many club players, we really want to work on the team chemistry,” Nguyen said.

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Boys V o

After a successful season in MVAL last year, placing top three overall in all the team’s events, the Boys and Girls Swim team hopes to stay at the top of MVAL and continue on into a good season. In addition to staying competitive, Boys and Girls Swimming Coach Felice Tran hopes to emphasize “sportsmanship as well and how to have friendly competition, like inner team competition as well as outside with other teams as well.” Another factor the team hopes to improve on is the camaraderie between Junior Varsity and Varsity. “[Junior Varsity] shouldn’t view Varsity as these big scary kids as like these big scary kids, they’re all the same,” Tran said. The team has also seen the addition of some freshmen that have shown great potential which Tran hopes will help them to perform exceptionally at MVAL.

S wi m

Boys and Girls Track & Field returns this spring excited for the upcoming season. “I’m optimistic about seeing new faces and old teammates, trying out new events, and having another great season.” short-distance Co-Captain Junior Allison Ho said. One main focus the team hopes to improve on this year is minimizing injuries and improving overall skill at meets. “Last year we had more than half our team injured,” said short-distance Co-Captain Senior Leonard Chiu, who plans to improve this by creating more dynamic warm-ups and stretches. The team also hopes to create a closer bond and build better chemistry between short and long-distance teams through team bondings and warming up together. Overall, the team has high hopes this season and would love to see even more people make the CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions (MOC), compared to the small number of those who made MOC last year.

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