MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
VOL. 57, NO. 6
In October 2021, MSJ students participated in the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences, also known as the Student Survey, an online survey with the goal of improving student well-being, belonging, and engagement with learning by helping schools gather data and suggesting actionable changes. Taking this survey every 3-4 years has become regular practice at MSJ since 2007. With the 2021 survey data, which includes more than 1,600 student responses, the Smoke Signal has highlighted the notable results to shed light on the everyday experiences of MSJ students.
BY THE NUMBERS:
CHALLENGE SUCCESS
STUDENT SURVEY ANALYZES STUDENT EXPERIENCES AT MSJ
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
By Christy Huang, Daphne Senecal, Nessa Tong & Kaitlyn Wang Staff Writers
SLEEP According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers must get 8-10 hours of sleep every night to be well-rested, a number that only 16% of MSJ students reach. Despite the improvement from 13.6% of the students getting eight or more hours of sleep in 2017, the average amount of sleep every school night has increased from 6.5 hours to 6.6 hours, in which freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors reported 7.1, 6.8, 6.2, and 6.3 hours of sleep per school night respectively. Regularly losing sleep, as stated by the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, is linked to a range of health risks, including heart disease, obesity, depression and even lower life expectancy. “We actually need time to let our brains turn off, and if we just go from thing to thing ... all day long, we’ll be so exhausted that we don’t do any of those things well,” Challenge Success School Program Manager Laura Easley said to the Smoke Signal, encouraging students to place importance on their sleep schedules. HOURS OF SLEEP STUDENTS USUALLY GET EACH SCHOOL NIGHT
>3
February 25, 2022
41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539 41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
16.4%
14.9%
19.3%
11.9%
6
6.5
7
7.5
Hours
HEALTH AND STRESS
9
Of the 1,614 responses, 74.7% of students reported engaging in academically dishonest behavior in the previous month. The most common behaviors included working on individual assignments with others, copying homework, copying material without proper citation, and getting questions or answers from students who already took an assessment. Although the 2021 survey showed a
15% improvement from 2017, in which 89.7% of students reported participating in academically dishonest behavior within the past month of taking the survey, cheating continues to be a significant issue at MSJ. “I know cheating has been an issue since even when I was [a student] at MSJ,” MSJ Alumnus and Math Teacher Bellamy Liu said. “For the last 20 years, it’s an issue that has not really been addressed.”
Percentage of students who report engaging in at least one academically dishonest behavior in the past month by grade 100% 90%
2017 2021
80% 70% 60%
9
10
Grade Level
11
12
EXTRACURRICULARS AND FREE TIME On average, students reported spending 6.2 hours weekly, excluding weekends, on extracurriculars. The activity with the highest participation rate of 47.8% is community service, followed by 43.3% of students who spend their time in school clubs and 35.8% in school sports. When students were asked why they participate in extracurricular activities, more than 32% answered that they did it for fun, 25.5% to put on their college applications, and 24% hoped to learn or build their skills. With stu-
dents spending an average of 21.8 hours on homework and 6.2 hours on extracurriculars per week, less than 25% of students report spending their free time with their family. Easley stresses the importance of spending time with family as a way of coping with everyday stressors. “We actually know that [family time is] one of the most important protective factors ... [it helps] you to be able to respond in times of stress. It guards against a lack of resilience and fuel,” Easley said.
PARENT EXPECTATIONS 44.7% of students expressed that their perception of parents’ expectations was that their parents somewhat expect excellence from their children in school, whereas 27.8% strongly believe their parents do. Despite these high academic standards, 40% of students feel that they are able to meet these expectations only sometimes. On the other hand 34% believe they can meet them most of the time. Results indicate that the academic pressures that students receive from parents can be a source of anxiety, making students push themselves far past what they can handle. It causes students to be more prone to taking extracurriculars that they are not interested in and more AP classes than they can properly study for.
At the time of the survey, 81.2% of MSJ students reported at least one stress-related health symptom in the “YOUR VOICES ARE HEARD ... Major Sources of Stress for Students past month, with the most common health symptoms being YOU MAY NOT SEE THE THINGS exhaustion, sleeping difficulties, and headaches, at 70%, 55%, and Grades, tests, quizzes, fiTHAT ARE HAPPENING BUT THEY College/University nals, or other assessments 55% of students, respectively. Only 31% of students considered themARE HAPPENING BEHIND THE selves quite confident or very confident in their ability to cope with stress. Overall workload and SCENES. WE’RE GOING TO DO MORE A specific class or classes For students unable to cope with stress, research by the American Psyhomework PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THIS chological Association has shown a connection between chronic stress Procrastination or time A lack of time to play, relax, IN THE SUMMERTIME. WE’VE ALREADY and problems like depression, obesity, and more. “[Mental health] is management or be with friends and family GOT GUEST SPEAKERS LINED UP FOR HOW important because it affects everything. When you are not feeling well, Family pressure to TO DO A BETTER JOB AT HOMEWORK AND you’re not going to be engaged at school, you’re not going to be enLack of sleep achieve academically ASSESSMENTS.” gaged in activities, you can withdraw from the people you really love,” Mental health — PRINCIPAL JEFF EVANS Counselor Lindsay Rotter said. “And so your overall quality of life is not Future plans issues great.” To combat this, FUSD partnered with Care Solace, an organization that matches students to mental health services. Similar to 2017, the most common words that students used to deHOURS SPENT ON HOMEWORK ON A scribe MSJ were “stressful” and “challenging,” though a popular TYPICAL WEEKDAY word that newly appeared this year is “fun.” ASB has been working According to the rather than educational enrichment. “We 2021 2017 to make school more enjoyable over the past few years and 0 FUSD homework policy, know that the more students are engaged, hopes to continue doing so going forward. “[In response to] high school students should the more likely they are to have a better time this year’s survey, we’re planning to have random acts be spending 280-480 minutes, at school,” Principal Jeff Evans said. “They’re of kindness days and stress-free days. So that’ll be a or roughly 4.7-8 hours, per week on less likely to cheat, because they feel like day with no tests guaranteed for every student ... 2 homework. However, MSJ students re- there is some value in their work.” We’re hoping to make progress.” ASB Vice Presported spending an average of 21.8 hours To help overworked students, MSJ follows ident and Inclusion Council Member Junior per week. The results showed little distinction the FUSD homework policy, which includes Amulya Harish said. between weekend and weekday workloads, teachers being mindful about assigning 4 with weekends reporting an average of 2.9 weekend and vacation homework, as well Words students used to hours per day compared to the weekday aver- as implementing a testing schedule that asdescribe MSJ in 2021: age of 3.2 hours per day. Additionally, 57% of signs test days to each department. According Stressful students described having to drop an activity to Evans, in the future, teachers will also be 6 they enjoy because of schoolwork, and 50.9% voting on whether to implement a modified Challenging believe they have too much homework. block schedule to give students block days, or HRS 5% 10% 15% Furthermore, 55% of students find less than three-period days for two days of the week, 15% 10% 5% PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS half of their homework useful, becoming a chore with the aim to lower students’ workloads.
76.1% 60.5% 58.1% 51.9% 51.7%
50.4% 49.0% 42.5% 38.3% 33.0%
HOMEWORK LOAD
Fun
2 News
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, Feburary 25, 2022
New curriculum initiatives to be implemented in the 2022-23 school year By Rohan Bhagat, Amy Luo & Julia Peng Staff Writers
In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, FUSD and MSJ are spearheading several new curriculum initiatives, including a revision of the Core English novels, an ongoing adoption of a climate literacy program, and two additional science courses at MSJ: Classical Mechanics/Electricity and Magnetism and Chemical Technology.
English Core Literature Adoption Climate Literacy Adoption/Climate The FUSD Core Literature AdopLiteracy and Environmental tion Team is aiming to make the existing core literature more relevant Education Network to the community, by choosing books that reflect the diversity of the FUSD student population. The team hopes to create an updated literature list, which will allow students to explore a variety of writing styles, genres, and relevant themes from diverse authors and characters. “Our goal is to look at titles that not only are accessible to students of all grade levels … but also books that reflect our population, looks at issues, current events, and other things of that nature,” Core Literature Adoption Team Member and English Teacher Elizabeth Waller said. In order to widen the variety of literature selection, the adoption team reached out to Students United for Representation to the FUSD Board of Education (SURFBoardE) representatives for the input of the district. From this input, two to three books were nominated per grade level. Some of the final nominees include Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Respectively, the books explore the cultural backgrounds of a Filipino-American teenager, a childhood in South Africa, and a girl’s relationship with poetry told in prose. With new novels, both students and teachers will have to adapt to the modified core literature. “For teachers specifically, they may be teaching new titles that they haven’t taught before, which means learning curriculum development and training,” Waller said. These curriculum changes are being finalized, and pending approval from the FUSD Board of Education, the core literature update is set to be put into action as early as Fall 2022.
Proposed by the San Francisco Bay Sierra Club and approved by the FUSD Board of Education on May 5, 2021, the student-run Climate Literacy Environmental Network (CLEEN) committee is currently in the process of developing a climate literacy curriculum for K-12 students with plans for implementation in fall of 2023. According to Irvington High School SURFBoardE Representative and CLEEN Committee Member Senior Devanshi Shah, the curriculum will integrate climate literacy concepts, such as environmental justice and indigenous perspectives on land exploitation, into social studies and science courses in schools. The climate literacy adoption will also include various hands-on elements, such as FUSDwide recycling programs for students to gain environmental awareness. AP Environmental Science Teacher Lisa Ishimine supports the climate literacy initiative and believes environmental education is a beneficial step in acknowledging the dynamic relationship humans have with Earth.
Chemical Technology Course For the upcoming school year, the MSJ Science Department is renewing the Chemical Technology course for students interested in learning more about laboratory science. According to AP Chemistry Teacher Oana Seremeta, Chemical Technology is a purely skills and applications-based class in which participants do tasks such as calibrating lab equipment, preparing chemical solutions for labs, and mentor students in their assigned class. “For anyone who is interested in pursuing some type of lab [science] program in college, this would provide them with independent skills.” —AP Chemistry Teacher Oana Seremeta Initially introduced in the 2019-20 school year, this teacher’s assistant course was not implemented due to distance learning, which limited MSJ students’ access to science labs. AP Chemistry is a required prerequisite for this course and students may only register with teacher approval.
Classical Mechanics/Electricity & Magnetism Physics Course In the 2022-23 school year, MSJ is implementing a new science course: Classical Mechanics/Electricity and Magnetism. These are two semester courses combined into a yearlong dual enrollment class offered by Ohlone College on-site at MSJ. To take the course, students must have received a 3 or higher on the AP Calculus BC exam and concurrently take Multivariable Calculus. Compared to AP Physics C, the course has more advanced math concepts and requires knowledge on Multivariable Calculus. Classical Mechanics teaches the foundations of Newtonian classical mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism introduces concepts such as thermoelectricity, semiconductors, and superconductivity. The course gives Ohlone College credits, which are directly transferable to the UC and CSU systems. “This course gets them a leg up in terms of early [college] graduation, [standing] out in [college] registration, money saved, and just in terms of learning.” —Science Department Head and AP Physics Teacher Sailakshmi Kumar
“We are a part of all of Earth’s ecosystems, not only the humanurban ecosystem, and what we do to one ecosystem can impact others, which in turn, can impact us.” —AP Environmental Science Teacher Lisa Ishimine
GRAPHIC BY NEWS EDITOR ALINA ZENG
NEWS IN BRIEF
Compiled by Esther Lau, Annika Singh & Jennie Wang Staff Writers
corrections for the JAN. 28, 2022 issue News Pg. 1: Aggie Invitational is misspelled. News Pg. 1: Inimai Subramanian is a senior. News Pg. 1: Davidson Academy Scibowl is misspelled. News Pg. 1: Aggie Invitational had 23 events. News Pg. 1: Team Lime won 1st in 4 events. News Pg. 1: YouTube is misspelled. News Pg. 2: State Assemblymember Dr. Bill Quirk is misspelled. News Pg. 2: Regional Housing Needs Allocation is misspelled. News Pg. 2: Fremont received a check for the I-680 / Mission Boulevard Modernization Project. News Pg. 2: Hunga Tonga—Hunga Ha’apai is misspelled. Opinion Pg. 5: Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015 is misspelled. Opinion Pg. 5: The lawsuit was filed on January 9. Opinion Pg. 5: Center for American Progress is misspelled. A&E Pg. 11: “TURNING” came out on January 27. A&E Pg. 11: TEEN BLUSH’s quote was to Visual Atelier 8. Sports Pg. 15: Chloe Kim is a snowboarder. Sports Pg. 15: Chloe Kim was raised in Torrance, CA. Graphics Pg. 16: RRM Design Group is misspelled. Graphics Pg. 16: Walt Wadlow is the former general manager.
Local
National flickr.com
INTERNATIONAL qantas.com
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Neighborhoods like this San Francisco community find ways to relax in the abnormal winter heat.
US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, led by President Joe Biden, attempts to gain influence on the Solomon Islands.
Thousands of truckers in Canada stand on top of cars and platforms to protest COVID-19 regulations.
Early February heat wave hits Bay Area During the week of February 7, a large, anomalous mass of warm air made its way to the Bay Area. The shift in climate brought temperatures in the mid 70s to low 80s for a week, with some days reaching as high as 83°F. Numerous record high temperatures were set in many cities, including Oakland, Redwood City, and San Jose. With the help of desiccating onshore winds, these summer temperatures lasted longer than forecasted until February 15. This heat wave came amidst a dry period that has lasted for over a month that came after a period of rain in December; in an area that has historically been susceptible to drought, a late-winter shower is exactly what the Bay Area needs.
US reopens Solomon Islands embassy US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US will re-establish a Solomon Islands embassy on February 12 in Fiji
Canadian protestors block US-Canadian border crossing Starting January 22, protestors in Canada rallied against the new vaccine mandates for truckers entering Canada from the US, blocking the Ambassador Bridge border crossing. Dubbed the “Freedom Convoy,” these protests started in late January to demand looser restrictions on mask mandates designated to stop the spread of COVID-19. As of February 15, an estimated 90 protesters were arrested by authorities for criminal mischief, while thousands of others continue to protest as retaliation against the government policies. The border crossing was reopened on February 14 after police intervention, but the protests continued in Ottawa.
nation switched diplomatic allegiance to China from Taiwan following a series of territorial
decades, and comes after the Biden administration sent more diplomatic and security sources to the Solomon Islands as a way to push back against China. This decision comes after extreme turmoil within the islands last year, where severe rioting threatened the government.
Friday, February 25, 2022
The Smoke Signal
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News 3
$9.4 million Fremont park to begin construction in March Stockbridge General Contracting, Inc. was awarded $5.5 million to begin constructing Dusterberry Neighborhood Park. By Shaily Desai & Jennie Wang Staff Writers
On Dec. 14, 2021, the Fremont City Council awarded Stockbridge General Contracting, Inc. with $5.5 million to begin construction on Dusterberry Neighborhood Park, a neighborhood recreation ground that will be located at the corner of Dusterberry Way and Peralta Boulevard. With construction slated to begin in March, Fremont city officials believe Dusterberry Neighborhood Park will be completed by the end of this year, costing an estimated $9.4 million. Ideas to construct a park in the area were first drafted in 1999 when Fremont purimplemented until 2017, when the City of Fremont and FUSD reached a deal to use up 10 acres of open land, using half of the
land to build a new elementary school and constructing a community park on the rest of the property. Although the land was later deemed unfit for a school, plans for the park followed through. Signed by former CA Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2017, the deal between Fremont and FUSD was authorized by the CA State Legislature and required Fremont to complete Dusterberry Neighearmarking and saving funding since 2003 or 2004, so to finally have the green light to move forward with the project was exciting for our landscape architecture team,” City of Fremont Senior Landscape Architect Mark Mennucci said to the Smoke Signal. The total fund for the park is composed of costs for construction management, demolition of existing buildings, special inspection, planning, and design and outreach.
DUSTERBERRY WAY
Perimeter Mounding and Grading with No-Mow Planting
Minor Entry Point Groundcover Planting Area
PERALTA BOULEVARD
Park Sign “A”
Perimeter Fencing
Mounded No-Mow Planting
City Standard Bollards
Decorative Planting at Entry
Biotreatment Area
Entry Arbor
Half Basketball Court with PlexiPave Surface
Seat/Retaining Walls Adult Fitness Area
Group Picnic Tables and BBQ
Open Play Lawn Area
Park Sign “B”
Groundcover Planting Area
Decomposed Granite Surfacing
Decorative Planting at Entry Main Plaza with Concrete and Pavers
Kinetic or Sculptural Art
Biotreatment Area
Trellis
10’ Wide Path
Biotreatment Area
6’ Wide Path
Specimen Tree
Main Entry with Bollards
Natural Boulders for Climbing Passive Lawn Area
Book Exchange
Concrete Steps/Seating
Single Picnic Table
Shrub Planting Area
Play Area with Net Climber, See-Saw and Mounded Surfacing
Expression Swing
Biotreatment Area Existing Trees Perimeter Fencing
Tot Slide
Play Area with Traditional Play Structure, Swings, and Spinner
Retaining Walls
City Standard Park Bench Nature Play Area with Safety Surfacing
Orchard Tree Planting Entry Arbor Park Sign “A”
Shade Structures
WESTMINSTER CIRCLE
Decorative Planting at Entry
MASTER A master plan PLAN for Dusterberry Neighborhood Park from June 18, 2019.
fremont.gov
fremont.gov
Overhead view of the construction site.
A portion will be relieved by a $4 million grant awarded to Fremont from the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program. Much of this state grant funding stems from CA Proposition 68, which was approved in 2018 and authorized general obligation bonds for state and local parks, flood protection projects, and environmental restoration efforts. “[We obtained funding from] the sale of surplus property, a collection of development impact fees, and ... saving grant from the state of CA,” City Manager Karena Shackelford said to the Smoke Signal. tecture Division, headed by Mennucci and responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of parks and other public areas, relied heavily on public comments and surveys while designing Dusterberry Neighborhood Park. The surveys, conducted during meetings and posted on the City
from park theme to specific fitness equipment. A dot survey was also conducted on January 12, 2019 where community members placed dots over images of their desired park elements. Based on this community input and with approval from the Fremont City Counmaster plan was created. It features an adult fitness area, half-basketball court, looping area with a double slide and lawn area. For younger children, plans include play structures such as a climbing net and a group see-saw. In terms of aesthetics, the park has decorative planting at the entryways, sculptural art pieces, and a specimen tree near the center of the park. The City of Fremont anticipates Dusterberry Neighborhood Park to be completed al opportunity for all of the children and
a collection of open comment sections on
JUNE 18, 2019 EXHIBIT ‘A’
MSJ Ishaara Attends Irvington High School’s First In-Person Dil Se in Two Years As COVID-19 restrictions loosen within the Bay Area, Dil Se is returning for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. By Anandita Devata & Andria Luo Staff Writers
On February 12, Irvington High School (IHS) Indopak hosted Dil Se, an Indian cultural show involving dance teams from around the Bay Area. Held in Valhalla Theatre, the event involved more than 300 performers consisting of high school students from all over the Bay Area. Opening with Bolly Brigade, consisting of dancers from across the Bay Area, the show featured a total of 23 Indian cultural fusion Bollywood team, performed third, taking the stage to thundering applause from a packed audience. Their five-minute routine included high-energy songs such as
der the stage lights as they executed sharp and detailed movements. The second half of the event featured more performances, including Evergreen Junoon, a Bollywood dance team from San Jose. Seniors Gayatri Kundassery and Junior Pritam, Tochi Raina, and Rekha Bhardwaj as a heartwarming duet to give the audience a break from the fast-paced dances. American itive Bollywood team, then performed to a mix of songs, with IHS Sitaare, another Bollywood team, concluding the afternoon. During the intermission, audience mem-
“Meeting new people and becoming closer as a team ... I think, just in general, that’s been pretty memorable.”
vibrant gold and purple outfits sparkled un-
MSJ Ishaara strikes a pose during their captivating performance.
— SOPHOMORE ANNIKA SINGH
PHOTO COURTESY PRIYA SINHA
bers had the opportunity to step out of the theater to find stands displaying cultural jewelry, food, and clothing for purchase. Performers also took part in a fashion show, donning cultural clothing and walking across the stage as if on a catwalk. Though they succeeded in putting on a captivating performance, MSJ Ishaara faced struggles while preparing for this event, including limited practice time and inexperience among newer members. Most of the busy schedules. “Our team had a whole boot camp session where almost every day of the week we were coming [to practice] at around 6 a.m. for practices,” Junior Aditya Patil said. Because many of the members were new or had not had the opportunity to perform onstage since the pandemic began, the team also had to work to close the experience gap.
MSJ Ishaara members pose for a picture.
teach everyone the importance of having this show,” MSJ Ishaara Co-Captain Senior Nithika Valluri said. Despite the difficulties of rehearsing, the team made many memories while working together to prepare for the performance. “Meeting new people and becoming closer as a team through practices, after-school video recordings, and bonding ... I think, ble,” Sophomore Annika Singh said. came with its challenges, the team reflected on the experience fondly. “I think just going out, ... interacting with the members, and obviously dancing on stage is really fun,” Junior Saloni Sao said. “Dil Se really allows you to bond with your team and get to know
PHOTO BY STAFF WRITER ANDRIA LUO
4 Opinion www.thesmokesignal.org
THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 57, No. 6 | February 25, 2022 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 1968 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Megh Basu, Amanda Pang NEWS Larry Shi, Alina Zeng OPINION Isabella He, Sakshi Umrotkar FEATURE Lily Oh, Nithika Valluri CENTERSPREAD Naveed Shakoor, Jackie Wong A&E Joanne Park, Helen Tian SPORTS Anvi Kalucha, Jerry Yuan GRAPHICS Mingxin Wang WEB Tanisha Srivatsa, Jessica Yu TECH Bryan Xiong BUSINESS Jennie Wang CIRCULATION Angela Xiong ADVERTISING Rohan Bhagat, Steffi Zhou EVENTS Esther Lau WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Sanah Bhardwaj Pratham Bhashyakarla Ruhani Chhabra Charlize Chiu Shaily Desai Anandita Devata Chloe Gao Sahas Goli Jiyun Guo Chahak Gupta Jacob Han Karina Han Daphne He Christy Huang Selina Kao Ayushi Kashyap Elaheh Khazi Vedesh Kodnani Sarina Li Shelley Li Waylon Li Amy Luo Andria Luo Maryam Naseer Aditya Patil Julia Peng Esha Potharaju Daphne Senecal Priyanka Shah Hannah Shen Annika Singh Aaryan Suri Jason Tang Darshan Thirumala Nessa Tong Kaitlyn Wang Kaylee Wei Amelie Wu Annie Xu Elton Yu Aaron Zhou ADVISER Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@ thesmokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. For a chance for your artwork to be featured in The Smoke Signal, send graphic opinions to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to modify graphics for publication. To advertise in the Smoke Signal, email ads@ thesmokesignal.org. Advertising that is included on the pages of, or carried within, the Smoke Signal, is paid advertising, and as such is independent of the news and feature content. The Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of speech and press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. To stay updated with our online content, see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ msjsmokesignal. CORRECTIONS POLICY When factual and spelling mistakes are found or brought to the attention of the staff, corrections will be printed in the next issue’s corrections box. See the example below for styling. Centerspread Pg. 10: The California Youth Crisis Line should be the Crisis Text Line. DISTRIBUTION POLICY The Smoke Signal is distributed to all students during Read period on the publication date for no cost. Subscriptions are $30 for 9 issues (US). To subscribe, email circulation@thesmokesignal.org. BYLINE POLICY All writers who contributed to the article will be listed in the byline in alphabetical order. All photographers or artists will be credited in the text below the photograph or spread.
Friday, February 25, 2022
The Smoke Signal
Isabella's InterpretatIons
sakshI's solIloquy
Challenges, growth, inspiration: a Smokie experience
Don’t glorify the grind
By Isabella He Opinion Editor
By Sakshi Umrotkar Opinion Editor
Eyes wide, mind whirling, fingers ready on my keyboard. Journalism starts with putting an ear to the ground, listening intently for newsworthy events, controversies, and community debates. Writing for the Smoke Signal starts with an outline of the story I want to tell — whether it’s an event I’m covering or it’s my angle for an Opinion article. In honor of applications for the Smoke Signal being released in February, I’d like to take the opportunity to reflect upon how my time as a Smokie has made me a better reader, listener, leader, and storyteller. News, Opinion, Feature ... in the first week of joining the Smoke Signal, I felt breathless from the demanding expectations of the infamous mock week. I felt like a sponge, soaking in the wealth of knowledge from my editors and their presentations. Mock week was undeniably tiring; yet, I learned more from my editors in one to two weeks than I did in some year-long classes. Since mock week, I haven’t stopped feeling like a sponge in the Smoke Signal. I’ve been continuously learning from my peers in the Editorial Board, taking in information from the world around me as I delve into writing and editing articles, and passing on my knowledge to new staff writers. From the astounding professionalism
during story pitches to the air of creativity in M2 from both writers and editors, the Smoke Signal makes you proud to be a student journalist. Not only did the Smoke Signal teach me how to turn ideas from my community into articles, it also taught me lifelong lessons about leadership, management, and communication. To me, the Smoke Signal is where I have the freedom and endless support to explore my potential through challenging stories, unfamiliar fields, and daunting new tasks. It’s where I proactively take initiative, developing skills with every new article. It’s where I feel inspired from the rush of seeing fellow editors and writers chase down a story. It’s where I break out in a smile upon seeing the stacks of papers and boxes of bagels lined up, ready for distribution. That’s what the Smoke Signal can be for you, too. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities I’ve gotten to broaden my perspectives with my family at the Smoke Signal, and I’m ecstatic to see the talented new staff deliver creative, awe-inspiring, and professional papers next year. I implore anyone who is considering applying to go for it — don’t miss this opportunity to take your place in the Smokie family. Apply to join the Smoke Signal!
After traversing the education system for more than a decade, a sizable portion of us have experienced what it’s like to romanticize stress: three hours of nightly sleep, tightly-packed schedules, and relentless stress being described as “the grind” towards success. As students, most of us are acquainted with this romanticization either by doing it ourselves or watching our peers rave about their stress after long nights of work. This issue pervades most competitive high schools today. Particularly in high school — a period often peddled as the make-or-break for students’ futures — the tendency to grind through tension is an unfortunate consequence of competitive environments. Often, the only way to get through inevitably stressful periods of time is to tell yourself that your efforts are part of a grander scheme contributing towards your future; reminding ourselves of what we’re working towards can motivate us to push through heavy workloads, and such reminders often lead us to pedestalize our stress in the process. But in the true grand scheme of things, glamorizing stress leads to a culture in which the dangerous complications of it are also glamorized. Sadly, our metric to measure dedication is just varying forms of harm we do to ourselves physically and mentally. Premature graying, insomnia, and hyperventilation, along with emotional
We need to think beyond this culture of romanticizing stress in order to develop healthy and reliable work ethics. ramifications such as isolation and withdrawal are often tallied up in the bargain when students are so heavily focused on productivity. When harmless affirmations give way to success-focused tunnel vision, a lot of us learn to take an unhealthy amount of pride in our dedication to our goals. Even beyond ignoring basic rules for health and wellness, we value how well we can bend these rules — how much work we can push ourselves to complete in a night, how many days in a week we can forsake sleep, and how limited our time with our friends is because of our busy schedules. Ultimately, it’s important for us to stop using our stress levels as social currencies or means to humble brag. Rather, try to idealize balance and prioritization, along with the ability to work without tallying whether your responsibilities are as taxing as your peers’. Being overworked and busy does not always equate to being productive. This realization can help us stop valuing the detriment we bring to ourselves today for the sake of future success. We need to think beyond this culture of romanticizing stress in order to develop healthy and reliable work ethics.
The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board
Inclusivity is more than pronouns On February 1, USA Swimming announced a new policy that requires transgender women competing at elite levels to have less than five nanomoles per liter of testosterone for at least 36 months — the strictest regulations of any sport. This newly-established rule was codified when transgender swimmer Lia Thomas broke several records at the University of Pennsylvania in December 2021 and January: in one competition, she beat a fellow competitor by more than 38 seconds. Thomas has been following an ongoing regimen of testosterone blockers for more than a year, identifies as female, and meets all the requirements to compete in the women’s division under NCAA rules. Still, the argument that she was born as a biological male sparked controversy. Long-standing athletic figures in the competitive swimming field stood up against Thomas and the question she brought — what level or circumstances of inclusivity should society accept? Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, said in an interview with CNN, “We all should feel comfortable with who we are in our own skin. But I think sports should be played on an even playing field.” In saying so, Phelps has spread the notion that the sports world should tolerate a certain level of inclusivity before reverting back to inequality. However, merely saying people should be comfortable with who they are is nothing but a surface-level accommodation if minorities are only accepted when their identities don’t interfere with the majority’s wants. Putting pronouns in our social media and sharing activism flyers takes nothing more than a few clicks on a screen. However, these actions alone fail to represent true support. Rather, they are just examples of surface-level inclusion — when the same individuals who share advocacy posts are unable to back up their so-called support with meaningful actions, such as respecting a person’s pronouns and rallying against inequality. Of course, for society to be able to reach the point of accepting non-cisgender pronouns and having constant research on marginalized groups is a large step in a positive direction regarding inclusivity. And, although we should
encourage adding pronouns and posting activism flyers, it is also important to remember that these actions are not enough to actively work against cynicism across society. Constant examples, such as the backlash against Lia Thomas, show us that we have yet to understand the intersectional issues affecting a large portion of our community. The truth is that we aren’t at a place of equality yet, and we don’t want this to be the end of our forward movement — we need to take an active role in speaking up for true inclusion of diverse populations. In practicing true inclusivity, we cannot cherry pick when to be inclusive based on the favorability of the circumstances. While succumbing to mindless shallow inclusivity is not always a conscious decision, we must actively try to unlearn the kind of behavior that society has created in the past few years. We need to engage with people from marginalized groups to learn of their personal stories, gain new perspectives, and truly empathize. And, in place of asking uncomfortable and intrusive questions, regardless of intent, we should do our own research. In reading a few of the thousands of resources available — content created by people and educators from marginalized groups — we can learn directly how to be the ally they need. Such support includes noticing the xenophobic and homophobic language around us, learning about policies, supporting advocacy organizations, and all in all, forging solidarity. From actions like not respecting people’s pronouns to not supporting transgender athletes’ right to compete, our activism must transcend the social norms that we, as a privileged community, have grown too comfortable with. Moving forward, we should make it a priority to fight for equality and inclusivity in all circumstances, especially for the marginalized folks who don’t have a voice in today’s society.
By Shelley Li & Nessa Tong Staff Writers
STAFF WRITER SHELLEY LI
STAFF WRITER NESSA TONG
Friday, February 25, 2022 The Smoke Signal
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Opinion 5
Innovation and entrepreneurship: the casualties of big corporation buyouts By Chloe Gao, Karina Han, Kaylee Wei & Bryan Xiong Staff Writers “Wordle, the once-a-day word game that’s been delighting puzzle nerds ... has been purchased by The New York Times ... So long, old buddy,” Engadget Senior News Editor Bryan Menegus said. Ever since The New York Times Company (NYTC) announced on January 31 that they purchased the guessing game from creator Josh Wardle, the 300,000 daily players have been debating whether or not the game will remain free and retain the same quality. Unfortunately, the NYTC’s ambiguous statement that the game will “initially remain free to new and existing players” fails to assuage players’ fears. This acquisition and these concerns are all part of a little-recognized phenomenon — when large companies continuously buy out smaller ones, innovative services and products die out, ultimately discouraging organic entrepreneurship. The NYTC has a reputation for locking content behind paywalls, including not only their articles and media coverage but also their games. “[The company’s] strategy is to have more people [spend] more time with the Times — both the news and [their] products around the news” to ultimately reach their goal of 10 million digital subscribers by 2025, according to New York Times General Manager for Games Jonathan Knight. The NYTC, in fact, recently passed 10 million subscribers after acquiring The Athletic, a subscription-based sports website providing local and national coverage. As is evident by their growth, an important part of their strategy is their ability to offer free access to a select few popular digital games like The Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee; however, unlimited access to all games requires a $40 yearly subscription. With the NYTC’s clear emphasis on profit and monetizing acquisitions, Wordle will likely require some sort of payment to play, benefitting the company at the cost of the users. Wardle has stated in an interview with TIME that the acquisition was beneficial for him since it freed him of the monthly cost of running the site and allowed him to concentrate on his job as a software engineer. But for those who hope to progress their own products and businesses in terms of harmless outreach and support, such purchases pose as another reminder of the growing
strength of corporations. For example, Chinese tech company Tencent, currently the largest video game company in the world, owns Supercell, Funcom, and League of Legends developer Riot Games. Just last year, Tencent acquired Turtle Rock Studios, an independent game developer responsible for games like Back 4 Blood and Evolve. According to a report from Niko Partners, a data analysis company fo-
This acquisition and these concerns are all part of a little-recognized phenomenon — when large companies continuously buy out smaller ones, innovative services and products die out, ultimately discouraging organic entrepreneurship. cused on the Asian video game industry, “the threat of newcomers and smaller firms taking the market by surprise ... has Tencent poised in a more proactive investment stance.” By purchasing talented independent studios with a high potential for success, companies like Tencent monopolize the gaming industry. Tencent currently dominates the battle royale genre, owning both Fortnite and PUBG: Battlegrounds. With only one other rival company in that area, Tencent is free to riddle their games with microtransactions, effectively locking part of the game behind a paywall. Much higher stakes come into play when profit takes priority outside of video games: in a study on the pharmaceutical industry by London Business School Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Colleen Cunningham, drug developments acquired by large companies were more likely to be terminated than non-acquired drugs. Up to 6% of the researchers’ sample of roughly 750 yearly acquisitions were “killer acquisitions,'' meaning that large buyers halted the development of new drugs; without these acquisitions, the number of developing drugs in the US would increase by 4% each year, according to data analysis. These companies’ horrifying greed applies to almost all other existing industries as well, burying not only potentially life-saving medical treatments but also accessible facilities, sustainable technologies, and more. As corporations get larger and richer, small companies get weaker and poorer due to increasing competition with fast production and low prices,
a reality mirrored in companies’ share capital. The Brookings Institution, for example, found that companies 16 years or older had an increase in shares by about 50% since the 1970s. Big businesses are able to edge out small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with their funding and power to work their way to maximize profit. Thus, innovation is stifled since these corporations are often reluctant to invest in prospects without guaranteed financial benefit. “The major innovations of the past century and a half — the telegraph, the automobile, refrigeration, air conditioning, computers — they all came from entrepreneurs,” former Financial Services Forum Executive Vice President for Policy John Dearie said. Additionally, companies’ pursuit for profit and large acquisitions reduces accessibility. Aside from creating paywalls, corporate buyouts often result in increased prices of goods. Faulty integration plans after an acquisition cause the newly combined companies to function separately longer than expected, leading to additional costs. According to CBS News,
of Wordle becoming unavailable to nonsubscribers. Although some of these reforms are in place, predatory practices by large corporations are not uncommon in modern markets. In 2019 and 2020, Amazon was accused multiple times of using data from third-party sellers to copy popular products in order to put the competition out of business. Similarly, according to www.businessinsider.com, after Facebook — now Meta — tried and failed to buy Snapchat in 2013, they began to copy core features of Snapchat instead, including its well-known “story”
By contributing to small businesses at risk of acquisition, students can help keep local enterprises alive in competitive marketplaces and allow for original ideas to emerge. acquisitions from 2015 resulted in price increases between 15% and even 50%, but the quality of products did not improve correspondingly. These inflated prices make products, information, and services less affordable and less accessible overall. Given the consequences of these acquisitions, the government must implement reforms to prevent monopolistic behavior. Antitrust laws help protect consumers from predatory actions by large companies and ensure fair competition, helping keep open markets alive. Issued by the Federal Trade Commission on Oct. 25, 2021, a prior approval provision was created to require “acquisitive firms to obtain prior approval from the [FTC] before closing any future transaction affecting each relevant market for which a violation was alleged.” Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 prohibits the acquisition of assets in an attempt to “substantially ... lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly.” Pushing for more of these antitrust reforms can help prevent inaccessibility issues from acquisitions, similar to the possibility
feature, face filters, and QR code profiles. This highlights the issue of large corporations exploiting the ideas of smaller companies, preventing them from expanding upon their ideas and thriving in the already competitive markets. Aside from supporting and pushing for legislation, students can take action by educating themselves on factors that lead up to acquisitions; they can keep up with the news on current purchases through sites with specific sections on the topic, such as the Guardian and The New York Times, and share information with peers. Students should also look into supporting local startups to help alleviate competitive hardships. For example, grocery delivery startups Instacart and Food Rocket can replace a trip to the supermarket. Alternatively, students can contribute to crowdfunding campaigns on sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe for newly-created businesses. By contributing to small businesses at risk of acquisition, students can help keep local enterprises alive in competitive marketplaces and allow for original ideas to emerge. GRAPHIC BY OPINION EDITOR ISABELLA HE.
Olympics Boycott
The United States issued a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics earlier this year in a stance against the country’s human rights violations. How do you feel about this boycott and its implications?
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Opinion 7
The Digital SAT: The College Board By Ruhani Chhabra, Daphne He, Selina Kao & Aaron Zhou Staff Writers
In the wake of most American universities going test blind or test optional for college admissions, the College Board recently announced that its proprietary Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) will be administered entirely online by 2024. Despite the College Board’s claims that the revamped test is meant to reduce stress and achieve more financial equity among students, the reasoning behind this decision is not as simple as it seems. The exam, which students will now complete on laptops in designated testing centers, will be shortened from three to two
... these changes are being implemented in a controversial time for the standardized testing industry, cacy into question. hours, whittling each section down and featuring shorter reading passages. However, these changes are being implemented in a controversial time for the standardized testing industry, with colleges calling the SAT’s efficacy into question. Nevertheless, the College Board attempts to continue remodeling an exam that unnecessarily pressures millions of students every year amidst questions on the test’s fairness and necessity. In the middle of an increasingly competitive era where some parents may feel obligated to invest heavily into their children’s test preparation, the College Board is constantly brainstorming and implementing capitalistic changes that bring in profit for their organization. Although the revamp is framed as a means to “evolve” the SAT and make it more inclusive and equitable, the company simply chose to continue profiting off the test in a manner that makes it seem like they care for students’ comfort. The College Board may have presented the SAT’s online transition as an opportunity to bridge the gap between different socioeconomic backgrounds, but the shift is part of an elongated facade. The organization made this decision because they want to make sure they can sustain the SAT’s relevance, for their own profit. In addition, this shift only deepens the rift of
elitism between economic classes: students with financial superiority are evidently prevailing in the test. Shortening the exam and removing sections does not prevent certain demographics from holding blatant advantages — in a time where the list of universities going test optional or test blind grows longer, the new SAT model fails to meet the mark in relevance or fairness. Whether well-intended or calculative, the SAT is objectively unfair. Contrary to expectation, it continuously generates financial disadvantages. In recent years, the SAT has been under fire from critics who advocate that standardized testing handicaps minority and low-income students. Disparities in preparation and accessibility along with recent cheating scandals have also raised doubt on whether higher education should use standardized testing as a determining factor in the admissions process. For example, the revamped SAT’s shortened reading passages and the removal of the no-calculator math section may decrease stress for students, but making the test itself easier does not mean that the test is more financially just — students who can afford SAT prep perform better with easier opportunities to practice and retake the SAT. According to Slate, students who sign up for a private study course for the SAT typically see a boost of 200 points or more. A prep class guarantees students a clear path to begin preparing for the test, but it can cost up to thousands of dollars, erratically unaffordable for low-income households. The new “evolved” digital SAT fails to address this economic barrier between test takers, remaining an indicator of economic status rather than an academic capability. In the past, some glaring indications of the College Board’s profit-driven motives were their gradual and unexplained price hikes. As of this year, the SAT costs $55 per test without the essay, $9 more than the fee 5 years ago. A simple increase in cost per test results in a significant accumulation of profit for the College Board. According to Forbes, the SAT "brings in more than $1 billion in annual revenue and $100 million in untaxed surplus," n u m b e r s that contradict the College Board’s long-refuted claim of being a not-for-profit orga-
nization. The College Board has a history of making controversial money-oriented decisions, and the digital SAT implementation sits as another one on record. Looking back to a year ago, the major reason the College Board permanently stopped offering certain SAT subject tests was to reduce its own economic losses. Despite claims that the new testing changes are meant to “simplify [their] work and reduce demands on students,” existing issues regarding a drop in demand, high cost of production, and questions about quality for the SAT speak otherwise. According to Forbes, permanently canceling SAT subjects tests was long overdue, with some subjects — such as modern Hebrew — having only a few hundred test takers each year. To make up for losses, the College Board has been doubling down on its investments in Advanced Placement (AP) exams, in which each test costs test-takers $96, almost quadruple that of the SAT Subject Test’s, which is $26. The College Board operates like a business, prioritizing monetary profit over the students they claim to support, and this is reflected once again with the digitalization of the SAT. In addition to their money-hungry approach on testing, the modified AP registration timeline and implementation of a
The new “evolved” digital SAT fails to address this economic barrier between test takers, remaining an indicator of economic status rather than an academic capability. cancellation and late fees that started in the 2019-20 school year are past examples of the College Board’s appetite of profiting off hardworking students and their families. The cancellation and late fees may be trivial for some higher income households but detrimental to low income households. This significantly limits the flexibility of students from low income households in registering and canceling tests. Implementing these extra costs provide the College Board with no concrete benefits other than bringing in significantly increased profits, widening the gap in opportunities between
If the College Board seeks to boast a compassionate image, they must regulate their acquisitive motives and consistently ensure relevant indicators for future success by eliminating such testing. students of different economic situations. Especially since the late and cancellation fees are coupled with a November AP registration deadline, students are unnecessarily stressed out as they just start school and can’t predict their preparation for these high-stake AP tests. Instead of finding ways to lessen or mend these economic hurdles for students across the country, the College Board has prioritized the SAT’s digital shift as a way to maintain their profitable relevance. As the College Board scrambles to change the process of the exam for their own monetary advantage and hide their true purpose, the age-old question arises: What exactly does standardized testing, such as the SAT, even determine? Countless sources — including Forbes — have claimed that the SAT is not a good predictor for intelligence or college success. In 2020, the American Educational Research Association similarly reported on the weak relationship between ACT scores and college graduation rates compared to the much stronger correlation between GPA and college graduation rates. These statistics strengthen the argument that standardized testing is a subpar indication of a student’s success — one that will not be fixed by a digital transition. It is integral for students to remember that the monopolized SAT does not determine their capabilities or their future. High schoolers across America should not be defined by a profit-driven corporation; no longer should students feel discouraged to apply to their dream school due to an unsatisfactory score on a single exam. Despite being a benchmark for colleges to assess prospective students for nearly a century, the SAT’s burden on both students and colleges alike must come to an end. If the College Board seeks to boast a compassionate image, they must regulate their acquisitive motives and consistently en- sure relevant indicators for future success by eliminating such testing. The situation is not as simple as a matter of the SAT being taken online or offline.
GRAPHIC BY STAFF WRITER ANNIKA SINGH.
8 Feature
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 25, 2022
DieHard TryHard
Valentine's-Themed
Embroidery
By Pratham Bhashyakarla, Shaily Desai, Elaheh Khazi & Jennie Wang Staff Writers
Peace, love, and a lot of thread. To celebrate National Embroidery Month, four Smokies are getting thready to see who can craft the most creative Valentine’s -themed design. This competition will be no problem, or sew it seams ...
shaily
After perusing hours of “Embroidery for Beginners” content online, I’m not entirely sure how beginner-friendly embroidery is. I pictured myself basking in the sun with soothing instrumentals playing in the background, peacefully gliding my needle through a piece in that reality anymore. Still, if this works out for me, expect to see me embroidered from my shoes up to my beanie. Regardless, I’m stitching to get started!
1st place
jennie
With my spirits low and my sewing prowess arguably lower, it’s not looking too good for me. Sure, it’s been a solid 18 months since I last picked up an embroidery needle, but that doesn’t mean I’m knot about to win this, right? Nevertheless, it’s time to get into the knitty-gritty. I hope the three hours I’m about to spend binging YouTube embroidery tutorials will be worth it in the end ... The competition is about to unravel!
2nd place
A-hem! MSJ’s very own master embroiderer coming
Fabricadabra! Second place isn’t too shabby. I guess if you needle someone
the random items I sewed on in case my embroidery skills went south) but I’m quite pleased with my work. I want to shout out the sweet lady that toured me around Michael’s for supplies, every embroidery channel I browsed on YouTube, my mom for bringing new needles every time I lost them,
you know who to call. Although,
after accidentally poking myself every 10 seconds. Also, I’m yarning to start an embroidery club. Who’s in?
extra yard for this competition — after several long nights, a lot of dull needles, and a few failed attempts, I’m happy with how my Valentine’s-themed embroidery turned out. I’m glad I didn’t quilt halfway through, but there’s always room for improvement. Keep one eye open, because you’ll be hearing about my world-dominating embroidery empire soon ...
elaheh
It has been a while since I have done embroidery, so I’ve got to admit that I am a little rusty. However, I have an exciting idea in mind, and I hope that it will win over the hearts of the Editorial Board. Although I am not an expert, the years of sewing, knitting, and watching YouTube videos about embroidery will be invaluable — I hope, I really sincerely hope so. I am not going to be procrasti-knit-ting, and I will make sure to start as soon as possible. Here goes nothing!
3rd place (tie)
“Third place?!” Seems like I was more than just rusty. I did procrasti-knit, and this was the result. I’ve got to admit that I did not expect to get third place. I expected a better turnout. Nevertheless, next time I sign up for embroidery or any other DHTH, I will make sure to have all the necessary supplies, so I do not run out of thread halfway through and have to switch to a different color. But then again, the pink and red combination was not too bad — it could have been worse. It was a last stitch effort, and the results were sew-sew.
pratham
Ah, embroidery! It doesn’t expect much from you; just a needle, some thread, and a whole lot of heart. But with it, you can express joy, sadness, and even love. However, the only thing I’ll be feeling in this DHTH is the sweet satisfaction of victory. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Pratham, you sound like an expert!” Have I ever embroidered before? Nope. Should I probably learn how to do it? Eh. But do I competition. There are no holds barred. Although I might love my fellow Smokies, they are about to get smoked.
3rd place (tie)
“Sweet satisfaction?” More like bitter defeat. It seems that I was the one who got smoked. In hindsight, it would’ve been a good idea to watch a video or two to understand the technique instead of However, as I walk away from the fumes of my vanquishment, an important realization comes to mind: although I had no prior experience, I managed to create a half-decent embroidered piece. The takeaway? As you sew, so shall you rip.
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS PRATHAM BHASHYAKARLA, SHAILY DESAI, ELAHEH KHAZI & JENNIE WANG, GRAPHICS BY PINTEREST.COM.
Friday, February 25
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Feature 9
language of Flowers
By Sahas Goli, Maryam Naseer & Priyanka Shah Staff Writers
Flowers are some of the most beautiful parts of natural life. These flora have captured the imagination of children and adults alike, being used in art as manifestations of beauty, passion, delicacy, and human emotion. In this article, we will look at various flowers, and the meanings they can hold for us.
cherry blossoms Cherry blossoms, also known as sakura, are bright flowers in the genus Prunus. With hundreds of carefully bred variants known as cultivars, cherry blossoms have spread worldwide. They are now found in over twenty countries around the world from Europe to South America, apart from Japan. When spring arrives, the trees burst into bloom, often blanketing their surroundings in layers of red to pink petals. Viewing these flowers has become a popular tradition, especially in Japan, where cherry blossoms are the national flower. The fluffy appearance of the bunches of flowers is sometimes likened to clouds. However, their transient blooms are more commonly used to represent the ephemeral yet beautiful nature of life.
roses Roses, perhaps the most well-known flowers of love, are a hallmark of romantic scenes throughout Western media. A member of the namesake genus Rosa, this flower has hundreds of species and thousands of cultivars. Although they range from white to red, the red variant is much more famous due to its historical uses. Thorny stems aside, the fragrant aroma and deep red velvet of their petals have made roses known as the flower of love. One of the earliest examples is the Greek association of red roses with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Later, Christian traditions associated the flower with the rosary and the purity of the Virgin Mary. Apart from red roses, white roses and rosebuds symbolize innocence and purity, while yellow roses represent platonic love. Chinese green roses are symbols of hope and fertility, and black roses, although naturally rare, are icons of death.
orchids Originating in the Jurassic period, orchids from the Orchidaceae genus surfaced from the Himalayas and Australia. With more than 25,000 species worldwide, orchids are the second largest family of flowering plants. Red orchids, one of the most popular varieties, were used by the Aztecs to enhance the strength and power of the body. During the Victorian Age, the upper class had a lasting impact on the symbolism of purple orchids, as they admired them and used the flowers as a message. If the flower was handed with right hand it meant yes, while left hand meant no. Since then, these flowers have symbolized authority, dignity, and royalty. Today, orchids are emblems of integrity, elegance, and friendship.
daisies Native to Africa, daisies, also known as Gerbera jamesonii, represent innocence, purity, and true love. The flower’s name is based on the words “day’s eye,” referring to how the flower head closes each night and opens up at the morning light. With delicate white petals and bright yellow centers, these flowers are used to brighten up the saddest of days through their animated colors. Aside from their beauty, daisies can be thought of as two flowers joined together to make one. The inner section is referred to as a disc floret, and the outer petal section is called a ray floret. Similar to the famous Chinese “yin and yang,” the two parts of the flower fit like pieces of a puzzle, symbolizing true love. Lastly, according to an old Celtic legend, when an infant died, the gods sprinkled daisies over the earth to comfort the parents.
poppies Poppies, the CA state flower, are a symbol of remembrance, consolation, and death. These flowers are often used to pay homage to those who have passed away, and people often place poppies on the tombstones of loved ones as a symbol of remembrance. In his famous poem “In Flanders Fields,” John McCrae uses poppies to represent life after death of soldiers who died in World War 1. Since then, “remembrance poppies” have been a common motif used to pay homage to fallen soldiers and veterans. In addition to death, these flowers also support the idea of resurrection. The next time you are out on a walk, be on the look out for poppies: their vibrant red shade is hard to miss.
irises Signifying power, victory, wisdom, and hope, Irises are a favorite of many. In Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess of the rainbow and a messenger for Zeus and Hera. Through the rainbow, she communicated her messages from heaven to earth. Because Iris was as a messenger, she was also believed to accompany females who made their journey towards the underworld. Greeks placed irises on the graves of women to help them find their way to the afterlife in peace. Different colors of irises can vary in their meanings as well. Purple irises symbolize royalty and wisdom, yellow irises embody passion, blue irises represent faith and hope, and white irises are noted for their purity. Nevertheless, all irises share a common symbol of hope and pride.
tulips Part of the genus Tulipa, Tulips are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring season. Originating from Central Asia and popular in Turkey, these flowers are named after their resemblance to the Persian word Turban. Tulips rose to fame in beginning of the 17th century and have been a sensation ever since. In fact, the Dutch tulip mania in the 17th century saw single bulbs sell for hectares of land. As the first flowers to bloom, tulips symbolize rebirth and are an ideal gift for those starting a new chapter. In Turkish and Persian folktales, tulips symbolize perfect love with their symmetrical shape and bold colors. Purple tulips, like purple gems, are associated with royalty due to the richness of color. White tulips symbolize sadness and forgiveness and are often given during sorrowful times.
PHOTOS BY PIXABAY.COM. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR LILY OH
10 Centerspread
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Friday, February 25, 2022
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Centerspread 11
THE
NREM-1
There are four distinct sleep stages about every 90 minutes:
Sleep Tracking Apps
OF
Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) has three stages, with the first being the NREM-1 stage. This stage marks the transition between wakefulness and sleep and usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete. NREM-1 sleep is regarded as light, drowsy sleep and constitutes 5% of a total sleep episode. This stage of sleep consists of slowed breathing, heart rate, eye movements, and irregular brain waves. Hallucinations and other sensory experiences including the sensations of falling or floating weightlessly may also occur at this stage of sleep.
NREM-2
Playing White Noise and Ambient Sounds By Charlize Chiu, Annika Singh, Kaitlyn Wang, Angela Xiong & Elton Yu
NREM-2 begins after 10 minutes of falling asleep and lasts around 20 minutes, constituting 50% of a total sleep episode. NREM-2 sleep is regarded as light sleep in which the body is preparing to transition into deep sleep. The NREM-2 stage is characterized by the formation of periodic sleep spindles or bursts of rhythmic brain activity. Sleep spindles are believed to be essential in brain communication while asleep, memory consolidation, and cortical development. During NREM-2, heart rate and breathing slows while body temperaNREM-3 lasts around 30 minutes, constituting 20% of a total sleep ture and blood pressure episode. At this time, the brain emits slow delta waves which signify the drops. beginning of deep sleep. During this period of deep sleep, any noises or
NREM-3
activity in the surrounding environment may fail to wake the sleeping person. In the NREM-3 stage, the body starts its physical repairs at the cellular level including strength restoration in the muscle, tissue, and other organs throughout the body. The brain also consolidates declarative memories which are long term factual memories including general knowledge, facts or statistics, and personal experience.
REM
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the final stage of sleep and begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep, constituting 25% of a total sleep episode. During REM sleep, voluntary muscles become immobilized in order to prevent movement during this intense stage of sleep. The REM sleep stage marks the beginning of dreams, heart rate rises, rapid and irregular breathing, and momentary bursts of activity behind closed eyelids. Often known as “paradoxical sleep,” due to the internal arousal and external paralysis occurring simultaneously, this stage helps strengthen neural connections and build enduring memories.
While the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends an average sleep time of 8-10 hours for teenagers, MSJ students fall short of the number with an average of 6.6 hours every school night, according to the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences. To give a glimpse into the science of sleep, the Smoke Signal has highlighted the different sleep cycles, effects of sleep deprivation, the sleep phenomena that come with it, and more.
Sleep Phenomena
Exploding Head Syndrome
“I usually sleep seven hours per night. Sometimes if I sleep too much, I can get very tired. Sleep doesn't matter much to me because no matter how much I sleep, I’m always tired. I do not use any technologies or practices to go to sleep because I fall asleep naturally.” — Aashi Khandelwal, 12
Accompanied by muscle jerks, exploding head syndrome (EHS) is a parasomnia, or an undesired event that happens while a person is sleeping. While experiencing EHS, a person will hear a loud noise or explosive crashing sound in their head — but the sound is painless and not real. EHS can happen to people of all ages, with episodes typically lasting less than a second. Researchers do not know what might trigger EHS, but suspect that feelings of stress or tiredness could be the biggest causes.
“I would say I get four to five hours of sleep per night. I usually drink coffee to get me through the day/give me some energy, but by the fifth period I'm definitely really sleepy. I have a white noise machine in my room.” — Adwithi Yarida, 10
“Because I sleep less than the recommended 8-9 hours for teenagers, I feel pretty sluggish at school, often dozing off during class or losing focus on in-class assignments. After I get home, I usually take a nap to make up for the lost hours of sleep. This causes me to have less time for homework, so I have to work late into the night again, restarting this unhealthy cycle.” — Ryan Ma, 11
Apple Watches, Fitbits, Oura Rings, and many more sleep-tracking apparatuses specialize in collecting multiple types of health indicators during sleep. These indicators include heart rate, REM patterns, disturbances in sleep, and even blood oxygen levels. Recognizing these indicators which are not detectable in the day are key factors in the diagnosis of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, which is characterized by inconsistent breathing.
Sleepwalking
Formerly known as somnambulism, sleepwalking is a sleep disorder that occurs in NREM-3 sleep and results in a person walking or performing other complex behaviors, which can cause injuries and unintended violence against others. If a person is sleep deprived, has a family history of the condition, or is prone to nighttime awakenings, sleepwalking is more likely to occur. Sleepwalking is most common in children and is also often a result of daytime drowsiness or fatigue.
For many, absolute silence is bothersome, as every little sound — such as heart beats, dog barks, and car honks — seems amplified. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with tinnitus, a condition that affects 15% of the US population, are subject to constant ringing or buzzing in the ear. Consisting of all audible frequencies, white noises can be used as “blanket sounds” to mask these sudden, jarring noises in the surroundings. They are characterized as humming-like noises that resemble those of air conditioners, whirring fans, and radio static, though ambient sounds, such as rain and wind, can achieve the same effect. Hatch Restore and Loftie Clock are examples of white noise machines that are used to promote relaxation and rest.
Blue Light Filtering Glasses Artificial lighting and electronics emit certain wavelengths of blue light, which can suppress the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that makes a person feel drowsy. When receiving environmental signals to regulate the sleep cycle, circadian rhythms are affected by exposure to blue light at night, essentially tricking the body into thinking it’s still daytime and halting melatonin production. According to researchers from the University of Toronto, wearing blue-light-blocking goggles or glasses when exposed to bright artificial lights results in melatonin levels equal to those exposed to dim light without any filters.
Exercise and Food Aerobic exercises, such as cycling and jogging, help the body release endorphins to relieve stress as well as serotonin, which is a precursor to melatonin. Outdoor exercises favor restful nights, as exposure to natural light helps circadian rhythms establish stable time periods of wakefulness and sleepiness. In terms of diet, spicy, high-fat, and high-protein foods take long periods of time to fully digest and should be avoided at night to prevent adverse effects like abnormal breathing.
Sleep Paralysis Seen in many horror movies, sleep paralysis and its demons are non-fictitious. During sleep paralysis, a person may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds or minutes, but will feel conscious. The phenomenon of seeing something demon-like while experiencing sleep paralysis is called a hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucination. Up to as many four out of every 10 individuals experience sleep paralysis, with the condition first noticed during a person’s teenage years in most cases. Sleep paralysis is linked to a lack of sleep, changing sleep schedules, stress, and back sleeping.
Hypnic Jerk
The famous feeling of falling while sleeping is known as the “hypnic jerk.” Commonly accompanied by a visual hallucination, the hypnic jerk occurs when a person’s leg muscles involuntarily contract quickly. The reasons behind this phenomenon are not well understood, but researchers suspect that this sudden awakening allows individuals to check their environments and ensure their safety. Caffeine, vigorous exercise, high stress or anxiety levels, and sleep deprivation are all linked to increased chances of experiencing a spontaneous hypnic jerk.
“On average I get about 6.5 hours of sleep per night. Sometimes I’ll be tired around the afternoon but usually this amount of sleep doesn’t affect my performance at school since I’m used to it. I do not use any techniques to improve my sleep, but I’ll occasionally listen to music. I wouldn’t consider any other practices because I don’t have a need for them. I feel like methods like playing white noise would be distracting.” — Ansh Bhatia, 10
Effects of Sleep Deprivation The most common effect of sleep deprivation is memory loss, which occurs during NREM-3 sleep. Depression and anxiety are also common side effects of sleep deprivation. Because of the disruption to the natural circadian rhythm, the body lowers the production of serotonin and melatonin, hormones released to calm the body, during sleep.
How to Improve Sleep
Improving sleep relies on a consistent sleep schedule by sleeping and waking during the same hours of the day. Naps after 5 p.m. may disturb the natural sleep drive, which is the measured need or likelihood of falling asleep at any given time. Therefore, it’s best to either nap early or not nap at all. Caffeine, nicotine, large meals, and alcohol can all keep people awake and should be avoided 3-6 hours before sleep. To calm and prepare the brain for a restful night, set a bedtime routine and stay off electronic devices for at least an hour before sleep. Additionally, keep work-related objects outside the bedroom and try to sleep in a dark, quiet room at a cool temperature.
Analysis
Based on a survey the Smoke Signal conducted on 110 students across grade levels, many students at MSJ suffer from sleep deprivation, with 41.8% of students getting six hours of sleep every night, a number far below the recommended nine hours of sleep for teenagers. Of all the respondents, 93.6% replied that they have heard another student brag about being NREM sleep-deprived. Of the students who have heard bragging about lack of sleep, 80% hear it multiple times a week. Much of these statistics can be attributed to a sleep culture at MSJ that stresses an absolute need for a flawless work ethic and an academic workload of maximum rigor. The rampant sleep deprivation within the MSJ student body may not prove detrimental at first, but its implications on both mental and physical health will reveal itself later on in life. It’s imperative to establish a consistent sleep schedule for teenagers’ developing brains and bodies. Although it may seem hard to squeeze in a couple extra hours of sleep, taking small steps to improve sleep quality will be beneficial in the long run.
PHOTOS COURTESY GETTY IMAGES, MICHAEL MURTAUGH. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITORS NAVEED SHAKOOR & JACKIE WONG
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Friday, February 25, 2022
Alumni Spotlight: Anton Lin By Waylon Li & Aditya Patil Staff Writers
market prices. As a solution, Lin and his childhood friends, Truman Sacks and Shreyas Narlanka, created Scout, an inventory management application that includes automation and pricing tools for free. “We decided to make a solution for people who are managing hundreds of pairs of shoes per month and keep track of their inventory and make it easier for PHOTO COURTESY ANTON LIN
Class of 2020 MSJ alumnus Anton Lin’s startup company, Scout, provides a solution for resellers and business owners by utilizing AI technology to automate inventory and was recently acquired by StockX, an online marketplace for the reselling of apparel. Lin attributes the inspiration for his startup to a passion for sneakers during his years at MSJ. As a high school student, Lin observed his peers reselling and buying shoes via online marketplaces such as StockX and GOAT. However, Lin realized that the tracking of inventory and prices required manual input through applications like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel, which were not efficient due to fluctuating
them to sell,” Lin said. Created during December 2019, Lin and his co-founders took five months to launch Scout in May 2020. “We were working 12 to 14 hours per day over the summer and the rest of the year to keep improving and building on top of [Scout],” Lin said. After graduating from MSJ in 2020, Lin planned on attending UC Berkeley, majoring in Computer
Science and Electrical Engineering. Over summer break before going to Berkeley, Lin discovered a way to raise funds for Scout through venture capitalists and investors. “Investors] want to see that you’re completely committed to building your company ... and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Lin said. After exchanging more than 26 emails with his counselor to consider dropping out, Lin dropped out of UC Berkeley to focus on Scout. Lin’s parents were supportive of his decision and his devotion to the company. “They understood the scale of [Scout], and that peo-
ple were willing to invest millions of dollars into [Scout],” Lin said. On Nov. 17, 2021, Scout was bought by StockX, one of the
largest online marketplaces for the reselling of shoes and clothes. Lin is looking forward to developing Scout as a part of StockX in the future. “Scout will stay its own brand and its own line of product. It's committed to helping users have cross-platform sales channels and inventory management,” Lin said. For many high school students, creating a startup company that grabs the attention of a multi-million dollar company may seem like an unachievable goal. However, from a fervent passion in sneakers to being bought out by a prestigious company like StockX, Lin believes the world is built of different people’s creations. “You should understand that you yourself have the power to essentially build anything you want: develop the skills, learn how to do it, and build [it],” Lin said.
PHOTO COURTESY ANTON LIN GRAPHICS BY PINTEREST.COM & THENOUNPROJECT.COM.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
By Christy Huang & Esther Lau
Opened last November in Fremont, Chicken Meets Rice is a restaurant serving a modern take on Chinese food with three locations across the Bay Area. The Smoke Signal visited the Fremont location to taste two of their signature chicken boxes — Hainanese chicken and fried chicken.
SERVICE: 10/10 Immediately upon arriving at Chicken Meets Rice, the staff is friendly and warm, welcoming any questions from customers. During lunchtime on Sunday, the store is fairly empty, and their self-ordering kiosks provide a quick, streamlined experience. Within 10 minutes of ordering, the food is ready for pickup from the counter, packaged in environmentally-friendly containers. The staff are also happy to accommodate any requests for extra containers and napkins.
FOOD: 6/10
While the fried chicken was mouth-watering and had a perfectly crisp breadcrumb coating, the rest of the meal was a letdown. The restaurant’s specialty dish, Hainanese chicken, was bland, and the chicken rice was even more flavorless, with a barely discernible chicken flavor. Most of the recommended sauces provided with the dishes weren’t stellar — the savory ginger sauce in particular had an unusually strong fish flavor — but the sweet chili sauce was delectable and added a refreshing taste to the chicken. Out of the two soup choices available on the side, the chicken soup was too salty, while the veggie soup tasted like watered-down carrot juice. With the exception of the delicious fried chicken, the food quality did not match the restaurant’s high praise on Yelp.
AMBIENCE: 3/10 Nestled in the newly-constructed Eat Up! food court in 99 Ranch Market, Chicken Meets Rice is joined by other food vendors such as Shiba Ramen and OneZo tea. The restaurant does not have outdoor seating but allows customers to select a take-out option. Otherwise, customers must opt for cafeteria-style seating in an empty, industrial-like space. With metal pipes and bars running across the ceiling of the building and a constant machine noise rumbling in the background, the food court feels like a factory cafeteria, creating an unpleasant environment to dine in.
VALUE: 5/10 Chicken boxes, the restaurant’s specialty, cost $12.99, with additional upcharges for add-ons. The chicken boxes do come with a choice of two sauces and a medium-sized cup of veggie or chicken soup by default. However, neither the sauces nor the soup add anything of value to the meal. Additionally, the serving sizes and meat-to-rice ratio are extremely lacking and do not fully justify the price tag. Coupled with unremarkable taste, Chicken Meets Rice is not worth the expense, even for a one-time try.
Although Chicken Meets Rice’s Fried Chicken Box is a standout, it is by far the only one. With high prices, meager servings, and mediocre flavor at best, Chicken Meets Rice is safe to skip. PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS CHRISTY HUANG & ESTHER LAU. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR HELEN TIAN.
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Arts & Entertainment 13
C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R
Mitski’s Laurel Hell is Heavenly By Sanah Bhardwaj Back and better than ever, Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski embraces the villain instead of the victim in her sixth studio album Laurel Hell, which was released on February 4. The project, the first after a three-year hiatus, came as a surprise to many fans who never expected Mitski to make music again after she announced her “last show indef initely” in 2019. Without a doubt, Laurel Hell lives up to its expectations as an emblem of Mitski’s growth, both as an artist and as a person. Listening to any song on Laurel Hell makes one thing abundantly clear: Mitski is not the same artist she was three years ago. With more upbeat, 80s-inspired techno beats and fewer raw, stripped-down piano ballads, Mitski breaks out of the “sad girl” stereotype she established for herself in prior albums. For example, in Be the Cowboy, her 2018 album, she sings, “Somebody kiss me, I’m going crazy ... Why am I lonely for lonesome love?” However, in “The Only Heartbreaker” and “Should’ve Been Me” on Laurel Hell, she declares, “I’ll be the only heartbreaker ... You wanted me but couldn’t reach me.” After years of unrequited love, Mitski is f inally the heartbreaker, and the listener feels her power too. While Mitski does break hearts for most of the album, there are some songs in which she’s not afraid to admit defeat. In “Working for the Knife,” her first single from the album, she croons, “I start the day lying and end with the truth / That I’m dying for the knife.” The song is a melancholy reference to Mitski’s
By Darshan Thirumala Teen gospel singer Keedron Bryant released his eponymous second EP Keedron on January 14, more than a year after his last project. Unfortunately for fans, the wait was ultimately not worth it, as the overly experimental six-track EP lacks any sort of meaning or emotion, revealing the young artist as a rookie in the industry. In 2020, Bryant’s acapella perCOURTESY THE guardian
Rolling Stone interview where she admits that she feels trapped as an artist. For her, living and making music are intertwined, and no matter how much it hurts her to make music sometimes, it’s “the only thing she can do.” While Mitski’s growth in the upbeat songs is heartwarming to witness, the bittersweet reality of the creation of Laurel Hell somewhat sours its artistic breakthrough. Following Mitski’s confession that Laurel Hell was created because she “owed her label” another project, the listener can’t help but feel like they’re consuming an album made against Mitski’s will. Though Laurel Hell is brilliantly made and fully encapsulates Mitski’s development as a singer-songwriter, some fans believe its deviation from her prior work leaves something to be desired. Compared to the forlorn melodies in her previous albums, Laurel Hell embraces the energetic; however, some listeners yearn for the same heartbreaking music. However,
in the same breath, it’s worthwhile discussing Mitski’s thoughts on the music industry and what it did to her as an artist. In the same Rolling Stone interview, she comments: “The music industry is this supersaturated version of consumerism. You are the product being consumed, bought, and sold.” So while Laurel Hell isn’t exactly the Mitski we used to know, listeners must understand that the album isn’t just for us — it’s for Mitski, too. Weaving fragments of her old self with the strong person she is now, Mitski blazes through Laurel Hell with her refined, mature sound and newfound power. She creates a project that encapsulates who she’s been, who she is now, and where she’ll be in the future. Without a doubt, Laurel Hell sounds a whole lot like heaven. Vocals: 10/10 Lyrics: 10/10 Production: 10/10 Overall: 10/10
February 2022 Student Faves
BOOKBYTES By Chahak Gupta Student Recommendation Title: Author: Kaveh Akbar Recommended Reading Level: Grade 11
KEEDRON is Experi m ental Everywhere but its T itle
MOVIE: tick, tick...BOOM! — Grace Datta, 9 TV SHOW: Cobra Kai — Mehul Maurya, 11 ALBUM: MOONCHILD BOOK: All the Bright Places GAME: — Tushar Dalmia, 12
mother, went viral for making a telling statement against police brutality in the wake of the George Floyd riots. The poignant lyrics are straight to the point, like the lines “I’m a young black man / I’m being hunted as prey.” The simplicity of the song worked, getting its resonating message across shortly after the murder of George Floyd. The simplicity of the lyrics is generally true to Keedron as well, with lyrics such as, “What’s your name / Pretty lady.” Unfortunately, the simplicity falls flat in this case, only serving to expose the crude subject matter of the songs, with “Hello” sounding very much like a guy’s recollection of unsolicited advances he made toward a girl. Most of the album is lyrically bland, lacking any alternate or deeper meaning. ant sang in a passionate and soulful manner that was previously unexpected of a 12-year-old. Bryant’s stellar vocal abilities carry over to Keedron as based artist Curly J in “Stubborn,” and Bryant’s higher pitched vocals pair well with Curly J’s distinguishsolo vocals are full of heart, and he demonstrates his variety by altering pitches between consecutive songs in the EP. Unfortunately, though, as promising as Bryant’s vocals may be,
KEEDRONBRYANT.COM
they still can’t mask the disaster created by the lyrics. Bryant’s lack of experience in the music industry is reflected in his choice to go with a mostly experimental production. The experimental nature of the soundtrack shows Bryant has yet to identify what kind of production best complements his vocals, and inadvertently reveals the lack of precision or deliberacy in the production. For example, “Everything” features a faint-sounding acapella sound effect that could easily be dismissed as background noise. It’s loud enough so that the listener knows that it is there and might want to process its lyrics, but it is too faint to understand the subject matter. At just 14 years old, Bryant has plenty of time to improve. He’s on the way to being a top-notch artist, as his vocals continue to be impressive. Still, it’s time for him to go back to the drawing board to focus on the subject matter of his songs and find production that complements his vocals. As Bryant gains experience as an artist, he looks set to go the long way. Although far from perfect, the attempt he made with Keedron is a testament to that. Vocals: 2/10 Lyrics: 8/10 Production: 4/10 Overall: 4.67/10
MOONFALL: OUT OF ORBIT
In , poet Kaveh Akbar weaves his debilitating alcohol addiction and the subsequent recovery that follows into a collection of 57 breathtakingly authentic poems. “I like this book because it is a collection of professional poetry that’s really personal and vulnerable…He employs a lot of metaphors from his daily life … which keeps the work pretty grounded in reality.” — Laura Ma, 12 Title: Dancing at the Rascal Fair Author: Ivan Doig Recommended Reading Level: Grade 10 Genre: Historical Fiction Peppered with family drama and messy love, the second volume in Ivan Doig’s Two Medicine trilogy, Dancing at the Rascal Fair, is a chaotic delight featuring two Scottish immigrants who dare to settle in the Rocky Mountains. “I like Old West experiences, [because there’s] a lot of drama. The author is ... sparing with his words, but he also could describe things in amazing ways that make you feel like you’re there.” — Librarian Julie Boyer Smokie Recommendation Title: Hope and Other Punchlines Author: Julie Buxbaum Recommended Reading Level: Grade 9 Genre: Young Adult Fiction 16-year-old Abbi Goldstein desperately craves anonymity when she joins Knights Day Camp, a summer camp for 4-year-olds, as a counselor. Forced to confront her past, she learns a thing or two about resilience and hope. “I like how the author was able to connect both of the main characters in Hope and Other Punchlines, Abbi
By Ayushi Kashyap The highly-anticipated disasMoonfall, turns out to be quite the disaster, with a halfand subpar acting. Jocinda “Jo” Fowler (Halle Berry), a an Harper (Patrick Wilson), and a loony lunar theorist KC Houseman (John Bradley), as they embark on a space mission to investigate the mysterious force catapulting the Earth from annihilation.
tor of award-winning works such as Independence Day, The Patriot, and Godzilla, Roland Emmerich cited his love for conspiracy theories Moonfall
she] twisted their stories together in landing conspiracies. While the a touching and emotional story.” — theories are quite well known, the Anandita Devata, 10
SMOKIE PLAYLIST:
FLIRTY FEBRUARY
itself. Instead, Emmerich opts to bring the theories up a few times but fails to follow through with the execution, confusing the audience. On the acting side, Berry’s performance was rigid, with the actress taking on a blank expression, even at emotional climaxes. When she leaves her son on the ground barely sheds a tear or shifts her expression from her usual impassive look. Many of the characters in the and meaningless dialogue exchang(Charlie Plummer) faces inadequahe is present in almost every major scene, he lacks involvement with the plot, so his character is brought up time and time again without any explanation for his behavior. Emmerich inserts multiple characters into the narrative, such as Sonny and Fowler’s ex-husband Doug Da-
vidson (Eme Ikwuakor), and leaves them to hang dry with no use to the plotline. Distracting product placement also takes away from the overall viewing experience. While the scene was focused on Harper and Fowler’s
IMDB.COM
rado throughout the movie, several scenes showed out-of-place editing City skyline among other settings,
appease the plausibility of the plotline. The suspension of disbelief of opted to show 360-degree shots of lapsing from the beginning, forcing the viewer to lose their investment This obviousness of the product placement took away from an otherOverall, Moonfall simply does wise emotional scene. not achieve what many other presented: being a well-rounded in the beginning, taking its time to get to the climax of the plot: the holes. Filled with irrelevant adverspace mission. However, when the tisements, awkward pacing, and group of unlikely heroes embarks on the space mission, the interstellar disaster’s plotline — the reason the lack of substance. behind the entire space mission — is left without a deserving explanaActing: 6/10 tion, feeling rushed and not wellCinematography: 7/10 thought-out. Plot: 4/10 Despite numerous breathtaking Soundtrack: 5/10 shots of snow-laden Aspen, ColoOverall: 5.5/10
MEGH: “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift | | frad | | SAKSHI: “My Type” by Saint Motel | LILY: “Wisdom Tooth” by IU | Gatie | JACKIE: “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift | | by Lorde | | | Is Easy” by Rex Orange County, Benny Sings | |
| |
| JESSICA: “Loving
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Arts & Entertainment 15
History of Film in Fremont By Jiyun Guo, Jacob Han, Sarina Li & Jennie Wang
After spotting the rising talent at a rival company in Los Angeles, Anderson hired Charles “Charlie” Chaplin for $1,250 a week, nearly 10 times Chaplin’s previous weekly salary of $150. Although Anderson’s colleagues were initially reluctant to spend this money, their investment in Chaplin eventually brought the company and Niles to the forefront of popular culture.
Directing Change
Anderson produced more than 350 Westerners and starred in 140 under the self-given nickname, “Broncho Billy.” Either comedies or dramas, his movies were one-reel and two-reel silent films featuring chase scenes and slapstick comedy. Because each film was 12-14 minutes in length, the studio produced at least two per week. The entire town provided the backdrops, with the director asking local residents to be extras and borrowing props from their homes, including everything from bric-a-brac to a kitchen stove and a six-week-old baby. These films rocketed Anderson to fame, making him one of the first American movie stars. Early stars such as Ben Turpin, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Zasu Pitts, and Ethel Clayton also filmed in Niles during the four-year period.
February - March 1915
1913 - 1916
Gilbert Anderson, cofounder of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company and one of the earliest actors to star in Western films, traveled by the First Transcontinental Railroad to Niles, CA. Seeing the streams, ravines, and foothills of Niles Canyon, Anderson deemed the rustic scenery ideal for cowboy movies and Westerners, and declared Niles the western base of the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. The company later built a studio on Niles’ 2nd Street in 1913.
On Feb. 15, 1915, Chaplin’s first film in Niles, A Night Out, was released. In the movie, Chaplin and Turpin played the part of scatterbrained drunks who start a commotion at a fancy restaurant. Chaplin starred alongside Edna Purviance, who had answered an “actress needed” ad in a San Francisco newspaper and later became the leading actress in many of Chaplin’s films. Following A Night Out was The Champion, in which Chaplin knocks out a series of boxers as well as the referee with the power of a lucky horseshoe, and then In the Park, in which he acts the part of a crafty pickpocket. These films garnered mild success, though Chaplin was yet to reach the height of his fame. At this point, Chaplin began to craft his final and one of his most iconic films in Niles, The Tramp.
February 1916
Released on April 12, 1915, The Tramp follows the story of a wandering vagabond, performed by Chaplin, who rescues a farmer’s lovely daughter from robbers and falls in love with her as she cares for his wounds. However, he finds out that she already has a sweetheart, and the film ends on a bittersweet note, with Chaplin shuffling into the distance on a lonely road but then straightening up at the very end to indicate the character’s hope for new beginnings. This road, a stretch along Niles Canyon, can still be visited today, though it has been paved over and urbanized. Considered Chaplin’s first masterpiece, The Tramp made Chaplin skyrocket in popularity and solidified his role as an A-list celebrity. Chaplin and the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company made huge profits from exhibitors across the country, and their movies even spawned an industry of fan merchandise and illegal spin-offs due to their popularity. Niles benefited as well, with local businesses earning a flood of income from the studio’s fame. Shortly after the completion of The Tramp, Chaplin left Niles for Los Angeles, completing his three-month stay and cementing Niles as a historic location for its role in the golden age of Hollywood.
Founded just a year ago and taught by Social Studies Teacher Toby Remmers in classroom B16, MSJ’s History in Film class provides a venue for students to explore the creative medium of moviemaking. In the class, students delve into influential films from a director’s standpoint, analyzing the technical and historical aspects of films from the golden age of Hollywood, the Italian Neorealism movement, and 2D animation. Throughout the year, students also have the opportunity to make five or six personal films and submit them to film festivals. This year, Film class students will be participating in a festival called Directing Change Program and Film Contest, which focuses on the impact film can have on mental health and suicide prevention.
MSJ's Film Class
April 1915
1914
1912 - 1913
Known as the “original Hollywood,” Fremont’s Niles District has a rich film history. Though Fremont today is considered a very STEM-based community for its proximity to Silicon Valley, it was once a backdrop for dozens of silent films, cowboy movies, and everything in-between during the early 1900s. To spotlight Fremont’s historical contributions in the entertainment industry, the Smoke Signal has compiled research and student voices about the continuing legacy of film in Fremont.
Open to middle and high schoolers as well as young adults 25 and under, Directing Change is a nonprofit that seeks to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention through student films. Their film competition, Directing Change Program and Film Contest, has six categories for students to submit their short films to, each with a different focus on mental health education. For example, “Through the Lens of Culture” centers on the influence of culture on discussions about mental health, and “Walk in Our Shoes” emphasizes the role of empathy in supporting those who are experiencing mental health challenges. For the last few weeks, MSJ’s Film class has been preparing their materials to participate in the competition.
How does your upcoming film for Directing Change’s competition relate back to you? “We’re entering our film into the ‘Through the Lens of Culture’ category and we’re focusing on learning disabilities, to be more specific, dyslexia. Me and another group member struggle with dyslexia, and we thought it would be awesome if fellow students/ teachers could get a glimpse of what it’s like for us on a daily basis with this learning disability and how it affects our mental health. Through shedding light on this topic we hope to help those people who might relate to this, as well as spread awareness on it and make it known that this is a real thing people go through.” — Reina Shimomura, 11
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company closed its studio in Niles due to a change in ownership, ending its role as one of the most successful silent film companies in the Bay Area, having produced hundreds of films in its lifetime. Today, the studio is commemorated in the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, located at 37417 Niles Blvd. in the building that housed the first movie theater in Niles. The museum has a theater to show silent films, in addition to the museum area and gift shop, which are filled with silent film memorabilia. Every year, the museum hosts the Charlie Chaplin Days event and the Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival as tribute to the two actors’ time in Niles.
What are some of the biggest takeaways you would like students to have from the class? “If a student takes the class, they're going to come away with a pretty good historical understanding of what film is today and how we got here, as well as a pretty good understanding of how to make film and how to get involved in it with a future career interest. So you will have the chance to make five or six films in the class and learn about what it would be like to submit them to a film festival, and then we will also have a chance for students to participate in discussions about the history of film while we're watching all these different genres. [This] is a chance for them to connect film to their own lives pretty intimately, and also to issues that I think have become important for many of us at Mission, teachers, students and families alike … so they can make a film that actually talks about those things.” — History in Film Teacher Toby Remmers
How are you preparing for Directing Change’s contest? “Based on the perspecitves from differing cultures, our group’s film is based on ‘Mental Health Matters.’ We’re planning to have different people from different Asian communities in different languages speak about mental health and its importance and just kind of break down the stigma of it in different cultures.” — Tias Ghosh, 12
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER JENNIE WANG, HMBD.ORG, CENTURYFILMPROJECT.ORG & IMDB.COM. PHOTOS COURTESY SACHI CHETTY, TIAS GHOSH, NATHAN KEEBAUGH & FAYE WIDJAJA. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR HELEN TIAN.
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By Anandita Devata, Priyanka Shah & Aaryan Suri
What are the limitations to non-minorities telling minority stories? For many years, the film industry has used storytelling to shine light on various minority groups and cultures. However, since non-minorities have often told these stories with minimal research, their identities have often been misconstrued. Filmmakers and creators oftentimes don’t have the same cultural background as their movies, yet this doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to portray cultures accurately by receiving the expertise of people of the group. Instead of gatekeeping non-minorities from portraying minority stories, audiences should allow creators to diversify their content to meet the needs of a changing society. When Mulan, a movie directed by New Zealand-born Niki Caro that tells the tale of a young Chinese girl, was released in 2020, it was praised by its Western audiences for its culturally accurate costume choices. Caro was adamant about having the movie authentically depict Chinese culture: “I saw that to be specific and authentic is to be universal, and I’ve continued to work in an identical way ever since. As the projects get bigger, the more certain I am that cultural authenticity and specificity is the only way to approach my work,” she said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. However, Chinese critics rated it negatively and criticized its inaccurate depiction of Chinese culture as a whole. They pointed out the use of a southern-style house (Mulan is likely from northern China) and portrayal of “qi,” the basic life force of all individuals, as something that could only be controlled by males, whereas no gender con-
struct exists in the culture. Not only that, a TV show such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was created by two white men, received applause for their culturally accurate depictions of their characters and storyline. In an interview with Vice, Head Writer Aaron Ehasz said that “they didn’t want to give
the story of another group while still remaining respectful and culturally accurate. This comes with ample research and input from people that belong to that minority. By following these measures, the film industry can progress in accurately telling minority stories without risk of stereotyping or to-
bad notions about Japan, which is why they [broadened] the inspiration by integrating other cultures into the setting.” The show creators conducted heavy research about other cultures for their designs and details to their plot. Using Avatar: The Last Airbender as an example, casts and crews that accurately depict minority stories without tarnishing their images have shown that one may tell
kenizing. The expectations held against directors of certain groups in the name of inclusivity should also not be ignored as they cause more harm than good. Becky Albertalli, the author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda which was adapted into the film Love, Simon, received harsh criticism from people who believed she was profiting off of the LGBTQ+ community as a non-
LGBTQ+ author. Because of this, she was forced to come out as bisexual for people to accept the filming of the movie. In her essay for Medium, she wrote, “Honestly, I’m doing this because I’ve been scrutinized, subtweeted, mocked [for publishing Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda], lectured, and invalidated just about every single day for years, and I’m exhausted.” The movie itself garnered positive reviews, with most critics supporting the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, showing the contrast of people’s opinions toward a movie’s content and its creator. This goes to show that such opinions lead to a reduction in diversity as directors either avoid depicting minorities in fear of misrepresenting them or are seen as money-hungry when they accurately depict minority groups. In other words, people might think that directors feed off of minority films to make money. The gatekeeping of minority stories from non-minority creators will only halt the diversification of modern cinema and the progress society has made so far toward inclusivity of all groups. While there’s no harm in non-minorities representing minorities as long as significant research is done, their works should not be treated as the solution to all grievances in representation in Hollywood today. The work towards true inclusivity should be a given when portraying minorities on television. Representation can be achieved through people of different backgrounds, but it is imperative to have accurate portrayals. Creators should prioritize telling stories of minorities with proper research, whether or not they come from that particular minority group. The film industry should continue to diversify its content, and allow non-minority folks to represent minority stories, on the condition that it is done with adequate research. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR HELEN TIAN.
Athlete Spotlight: Trisha Bhima By Shelley Li & Steffi Zhou Junior Trisha Bhima started playing cricket three and a half years ago after experimenting with a variety of other sports, including basketball, volleyball, and soccer. In the beginning, she only played for fun with her family, but soon, she discovered a passion for it and decided to pursue the sport competitively. As a novice cricketer, Bhima often sought inspiration from role models such as Pat Cummins, who plays the same role as her: bowler. She was influenced by his movements on the field and his passion toward his sport, incorporating it into her own gameplay on the field. However, when the pandemic started in 2020, Bhima faced one of her biggest challenges — most local cricket facilities closed. During the initial few months of lockdown,
Bhima endured long days of inactivity with no matches or club activities to look forward to. It was during these tough times that USA Cricket announced talent identification events for girl cricketers, in which the organization held qualification tournaments across the nation to establish a girls’ national player pool. Bhima took advantage of this opportunity immediately: “I literally started practicing all the time and putting everything in,” she said. “[When] they released a list of the top 28 or 30 athletes across the country, I was just freaking out that I was on the list. It was insane for me.” Being ranked on a talent identification event allowed Bhima to join the newly formed USA Women’s Under 19 National Training Group, in which all qualified players under the age of 19 trained together to prepare for international competitions. Recently, the team participated in their first match in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. “Going into that kind of unfamiliar situation with people you haven’t played with as often was really scary and nerve-racking,” Bhima said. Despite this challenge, the team was able to finish its first international tour with a 3-1 win against the Windward Islands, setting a historical precedent for young female cricketers in the US. From the tour, Bhima learned key aspects to a team’s success on the field, specifically collaboration and communication. She said, “[You need to be] honest and transparent with your teammates [and know] how to support them [because] every athlete is different and needs to hear different things.” In addition to improving her own skills, Bhima was inspired to help bridge the gen-
Junior Trisha Bhima wraps up the game with a team victory.
der gap in cricket after playing a tournament in North Carolina, in which she and a team of girls defeated an all-boys team. “I love playing with girls, specifically, just because it’s such a male-dominated sport, and I don’t get to do it much,” Bhima said. Further hoping to expand the love for the sport of cricket and share it with younger students, Bhima started the MSJ Cricket Club. Recently, the officers of the club ran a donation drive, delivering used cricket equipment to the Friends of Female Cricket Organization in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to help underprivileged female
cricketers. The club also currently aims to begin organizing cricket tournaments among local schools and plans to incorporate cricket into elementary school physical education programs. In the future, Bhima hopes to see cricket added to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s list of emerging sports and eventually into the Olympics’ list. “Despite being a girl in a male-dominated sport, I’ve always just stuck with this sport because it gives me so much happiness, and I really want to bring that to our community and to students,” Bhima said.
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS SHELLEY LI & STEFFI ZHOU, COURTESY TRISHA BHIMA. GRAPHICS BY CLIPARTKEY.COM.
Friday, February 25, 2022
The Smoke Signal
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Sports 17
Due Similar to many other teams, Girls Basketball have exceeded their expectations in terms of team to the chemistry and overall improvement this season. Girls Basketball Coach Doug Sakamoto says Girls rise of the Wresthat several players catching COVID-19 mid season challenged the team’s ability to adapt Omicron tling envariant, MSJ both in-game and during practice while missing athletes. “It gave us a little uncertainty. tered the Boys Wrestling Throughout the season, things are changing with the virus left and right, and someseason with had an uncerhigh expectimes that makes it difficult for even coaches to follow,” Sakamoto said. However, tain start. With tations, and despite these obstacles, the team has performed well this season, finishing with wrestling being a successfully close-contact sport, a win-loss record of 18-8. Girls Basketball Co-Captain Senior Annemarie Garcia met them despite athletes were unable to is proud of the team’s excellent chemistry and defensive tactics executed many obstacles. attend many tournaments The Warriors showed this year: “Our coach implemented a new zone defense for us this seadue to the risk of COVID-19 a strong performance son, and that became one of our staple defenses to go with. A lot of exposure. The wrestling throughout this season, team this year was also much the teams this year just can’t figure out how to work offensively with a 6-0 record and smaller in comparison to that of Girls Wrestling Co-Captains around it.” The team seeks to sharpen its offensive skills and foprevious years, with many students Seniors Catherine Zheng cus on efficient scoring on the court. After an eventful season, unwilling to commit to the sport and Isabella He, Senior CathGirls Basketball are ready to see even more development for fear of illness and others unable erine Wu, and Sophomore Emily to attend practice consistently due to Koo qualifying for NCS. “They’ve for each individual athlete and as a team in the future.
Girls Basketball
COVID-19. In addition, transitioning out of a year of distance learning became a struggle, as many students lacked experience in the sport. “Ideally, we should have people with three, four years of experience, but really, most people had a maximum of two,” Boys Wrestling Co-Captain Senior Nikolaos Kalekos said. Along with tough matches against schools such as James Logan High School, the Warriors felt uncertain about their skills throughout the season with a 0-6 record. However, through hard work and extra focus on the basics of wrestling, such as conditioning, they managed to persevere, with Kalekos, Senior Jayden Dancel-Ragland, and Boys Wrestling Co-Captain Junior Anthony Kangas qualifying for NCS at MVAL championships on February 12. “It’s just not a normal season. It’s just not a normal situation. So, the goals and the focus of the team have changed, and we try to keep everyone healthy, and we try to get where we can. The wrestlers that have been in there continue to come and try to get better,” Boys and Girls Wrestling Coach Thomas Thomsen said.
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been able to adapt and learn very quickly, and even though a lot of our team consists of first-years, they’ve been able to just quickly read all the moves and get them down,” Zheng said. After a rocky pandemic year that forced the younger members of the team to lose valuable time to train and prepare, Girls Wrestling Co-Captain Senior Jasmine Leyva was worried for the new team, especially with the Omicron variant interrupting the team’s plans for tournaments. “Tournaments are when you really get to practice your skills and see what you need to do to get better … So we haven’t had that ability to kind of test ourselves and to grow. We just kind of had to do our best and practice,” Leyva said. With underclassmen making up the majority of the team, the captains are optimistic about the future of MSJ Girls Wrestling after seeing great potential in all the athletes through their performances this season.
Winter Sports Recap By Hannah Shen, Annie Xu & Aaron Zhou
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Boys Basketball
Due to COVID-19 concerns and players’ hesitations to join the soccer team this season, MSJ Girls Soccer only had one team this year. With a Varsity team half-comprised of Junior Varsity players, the team spent much of the first month of the season working on soccer fundamentals rather than team strategies. Additionally, the team also faced challenges posed by injuries and illnesses. “We had 22 players on the team and sometimes we had only 11 come to a game or 12 because the others were either injured, sick, or scared of the [coronavirus],” Girls Soccer Coach Terry Dalziel said. However, since everyone put in a lot of effort during practices and had a positive mindset, the team improved rapidly throughout the season. “Everyone was trying to get better and there was always improvement from the game before to the next game,” Girls Soccer Co-Captain Senior Devki Anjaria said. Despite the ups and downs of the season, the team did not give up and ended up much better than when they started, with 3 wins, 9 losses, and 2 ties. “I think they performed well. I mean, we didn’t win a lot of games. But we were always competitive in the games and they all played well,” Dalziel said.
G i r l s S occ
Staff Writers This year, MSJ Boys Soccer had the best season they experienced since 2013, despite complications with the Omicron variant, ending with a 10-4 league record. In the beginning of the season, the team struggled a bit with teamwork and synergy, but after having ample time playing with each other during the preseason, they played the rest of their league games incredibly well. “Since we all have different styles, it took us a while to adapt to each other. But once we got used to how each of us played, we were pretty much unstoppable,” Boys Soccer Co-Captain Senior Aditya Aneja said. The team improved rapidly throughout the season and ended up dominating their league. They even qualified for NCS the first time since 2013, which has been a goal for the team for many years. “It was a rocky beginning and these boys really pulled it all Ending the winter season, Boys Basketball completed another challenging year, together in the second finishing with a 4-16 win-loss record. The team ended with a 5-5 record the previous half coming into the year, playing only 10 games and losing players due to the pandemic. Additionally, benew year. We’ve reached every cause of the recent Omicron outbreak and frequent injuries this season, the team often goal that we set played games while lacking several key players. “I think one challenge as a whole was getfor ourselves,” ting the players together, especially with COVID-19 happening or because of injuries. [We were] Boys Soccer missing a few key players, and especially in the beginning of the season, we couldn't perform at Coach Seena Sajadour best,” Boys Basketball Captain Senior Ethan Yuan said. The team played many memorable and ieh said.
close games, including an intense 48-50 loss against American High School on February 5, with the Eagles scoring a buzzer-beater during the last two seconds of the game. Despite taking a few tough losses, the team has drastically improved their offense throughout the season, constantly upgrading their scoring efficiency with thoroughly planned plays. “My expectations were for them to improve every day and to be better now than they were when we started. And I think we've done that,” Boys Basketball Coach Mike Kenney said.
PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS HANNAH SHEN, ANNIE XU & AARON ZHOU, THE SMOKE SIGNAL ARCHIVES. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR HELEN TIAN.
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Spring Sports Preview By Charlize Chiu, Amy Luo, Maryam Naseer & Jason Tang
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Sports 19
Boys Golf With hopes of continuing their undefeated streak and placing in the top five at NCS, the Boys Golf team is primed for a successful season. Due to the limited player-to-player contact of the sport, coronavirus has had a minimal impact on performance, allowing the team to maintain regularly scheduled practices despite a reduced number of competitive golf matches. On March 2, Boys Golf will be attending their first tournament of the season, the 2022 Cowboy Classic hosted by Livermore High School. Boys Golf Coach Terry Dalziel predicts that there will be some good competition at the event but is confident in the performance of the MSJ team. “Expectations for this team are very high – we have some outstanding golfers and a pretty good chance of winning MVALs,” Dalziel said. The team also hopes to encourage constructive criticism and plan bonding events throughout the season to maintain momentum and foster a collaborative environment.
Staff Writers
Boys Volleyball
Baseball Baseball are looking forward to a great season this year with their new Baseball Coach Bobby Kanno, who has been with many of the varsity athletes since Little League and is looking forward to building up his players. He said, “I just want to make sure it’s a good experience for everyone and … that we enjoy this journey working towards a common goal.” Despite the transition from their shortened season two years ago, which was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the team aims to have a successful season and qualify for NCS. Although he is new to the team, Kanno believes that they have the strength needed to bond as a team and take on tough opponents such as Moreau Catholic, Washington, and James Logan. Kanno requests “the student body come and support us and watch a few games and support the school,” he said.
Track & Field As one of the largest sports teams on campus, Track and Field are gearing up for an exciting season. One of the team’s main training priorities during the preseason was focused on reinforcing the team’s endurance, incorporating strength training and core balance drills, and making sure not to put too much mileage on the runners to prevent injuries. Track and Field Co-Captains Seniors Nikhil Menon and Aneri Sheth both plan to reinstate fun team traditions in the upcoming season, such as pasta nights before races, to foster team bonding. The team foresees that Newark Memorial High School may be a significant competitor for MVAL but is confident in one of the biggest strengths of the Track and Field team: its large membership. “[Having] a lot of people around your level who are training with you, [who] can push each other and build off of each other is a really great environment to be in,” Sheth said. Track and Field’s first meet this season will be the Dan Gabor Invitational on March 5. At the end of the season, the team hopes to achieve a good standing in the MVAL Finals and maximize the number of team members attending the NCS Bayshore Meet and the Meet of Champions.
Boys Tennis After a successful season for Girls Tennis, the Boys Tennis team is eager to build upon their momentum and win big. Besides maintaining their four-year perfect record, they plan to win MVALs and make it to the final round of NCS. Boys Tennis only lost three seniors last year, and many skilled underclassmen are eager to fill their shoes. “The younger players have played a lot before entering high school in a competitive setting, and they know how to tackle any sort of issue they could possibly face in the high school setting,” Boys Tennis Co-Captain Senior Ansh Rai said. Boys Tennis is not anticipating much competition within the MVAL division, and their stacked ladder seems ready to face any challenge. “We have a lot of [US Tennis Association] players. Our top two players have a Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR) of 10. On average, our UTR is around 8, in comparison to Washington, who might be the second best, and they’re only a UTR of 5 or 4. So we’re really strong this year,” Boys Tennis Coach Michael Jan said. Although the coronavirus and subsequent safety precautions will not drastically impact gameplay or performance, they have prepared many varsity substitutes in the case that their starters are unable to play. Their first preseason match will be at the James Logan Tournament, from February 25-26.
Coming back to a full-length season during the coronavirus pandemic, Boys Volleyball Coach Thien Nguyen expects the best from the team. Although their past season was unconventional, he believes they will become an even stronger team this year “[I want them to] just come in, jump back, and just get started right away,” Nguyen said. With COVID-19 the Coach encourages and advises players to be safe as volleyball requires close contact and can have an impact on the team’s overall performance. Other high schools have players playing in clubs during the offseason, which is a disadvantage for Mission. However, with well-rounded athletes joining the team and dedication, they hope to make it to NCS and look forward to returning back to the courts with passion and excitement. “[We] really want a lot of school spirit, a lot of players [and] spectators to come and support the program,” Nguyen said.
Badminton MSJ Badminton has been a perennial powerhouse, and this year looks to be no different. With a majority of returning and new players having prior competition experience, the team has its eyes set on the NCS title this season. However, the team believes that win streaks and accolades do not mean much unless everyone on the team works toward it together. For Badminton Co-Captain Senior Ashton Lee, the greatest challenge for the team this season will be ensuring that the season goes smoothly without a coach, since the previous coach left without a replacement. “Our team has to be more independent and flexible than ever before. We’ll all have to take on more responsibility, look after ourselves and each other in order to stick together and win,” Lee said. As an indoor sport, COVID-19 is also a major concern for this team, but with the proper precautions such as social distancing and strict masking policies in place. As always, Irvington High School is this team’s greatest competition, as they were the team that broke MSJ’s 15-year win streak in 2019. However, Lee believes that the outside training the MSJ athletes have and the team’s chemistry will set them apart. Their first match is on March 8th at James Logan High School.
Softball While Softball have lost many seniors in the previous year, many underclassmen are stepping up to the plate and getting in shape for the upcoming season. “Last year, we lost a lot of impactful seniors. One was our number one pitcher, and [we also lost] some pretty big hitters and our centerfielder. This year …, our gaps are pretty much filled because we have two new freshmen with travel ball experience,” Softball Co-Captain Sophomore Amanda Deng said. The absence of a JV team last year meant that more players could experience a varsity game and develop throwing and hitting skills with those opportunities. There will be enough players this year to form a separate JV team, allowing those who are completely new to the game to learn at a slower pace. In terms of goals, Softball takes a holistic and performance-based approach. “Personally, for the team, the biggest goal I’d like to achieve is to see if they can be competitive in each game that they play during the season. Individually, I’d like to see them develop skills that they hadn’t had at the start of the season,” Softball Coach Joseph Iwamiya said.
Boys & Girls Swimming With a dominant 6-1 performance last year by the JV and Varsity Boys and Girls Swim teams last year, Swim are confident that they can do better this season. The team hopes to win the NCS and MVAL tournaments and send as many individual swimmers to NCS and CIF as possible. The new season features a new coach, Swim Coach Felice Tran, who is excited to bring her own coaching style to the team. Tran’s goal this season is to have the players grow not only as athletes, but as individuals as well. This new season will emphasize team bonding between the JV and Varsity teams, which Tran believed previous years lacked, along with a “tough love” attitude to emphasize the team’s strengths. “The commitment and discipline they have is one of our biggest strengths. I mean, that’s why we were able to be undefeated for so long. MSJ swimmers specifically understand how previous generations before them work so hard. It’s like, you gotta keep that record up, you got to do your part, and you got to make your contributions,” Tran said. Their first meet is on March 4th against Irvington High School.
GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR JERRY YUAN & STAFF WRITER KARINA HAN.
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Friday, February 25, 2022
By Elaheh Khazi, Aditya Patil, Esha Potharaju Staff Writers
1. MAIWAND MARKET
2. DE AFGHANAN CUISINE
Maiwand Market is known as one of the best Afghan stores in the greater Bay Area. Located at 37235 Fremont Blvd., Maiwand Market sells Afghan bread, halal meat, delicacies, and other produce. Famous for its bread, the market greets customers with the smell of the soft, aromatic bread when they walk into the shop. Browsing through the store, customers can also find traditional pots, intricately designed art, spices, Middle Eastern candies, and tasty desserts. They can also purchase a wide selection of fresh halal meat, from poultry to beef.
De Afghanan Cuisine, opened in 1994, has been servicing Fremont and the greater Bay Area with its succulent, fresh-off-the-grill kabobs. The restaurant is at 37395 Fremont Blvd. and features main dishes, such as teka beef kabob infused with house marinade, that average about $15. Desserts and side dishes such as firni, a rosewater and milk pudding, range from $7-11. The restaurant is decorated with Afghan-inspired murals, sculptures, and paintings. Highlights include a large, marble statue of a lion, a wall studded with shining pieces of glass that form the shape of Afghanistan, and metal artwork of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, which prior to its destruction by the Taliban was considered one of the largest rock-cut Buddhist structures in the world.
3. KHORASAN MARKET
Khorasan Market is located near Washington High School at 38731 Fremont Blvd. Although small in size, Khorasan Market is welcoming and offers many goods to purchase. The market offers multiple decadent desserts, including Afghan cookies, Arab delicacies, and European biscuits. The store also boasts dozens of different types of teas from Central Asia. There are also numerous types of prayer mats and traditional rugs sold within the store. In the back of the store, the store’s butcher sells fresh halal meat, including chicken, beef, and lamb, every day.
1 Fremont is known nationwide for having the largest Afghan population in the US with a population of more than 30,000. This diverse community has quickly become a cultural hub of local Afghan businesses and restaurants. Many of these restaurants feature staple Afghan dishes such as naan, kabobs, and sweets. Along with restaurants, markets feature a wide selection of signature Afghan spices, meats, and groceries. This community of businesses and people has become affectionately known as Little Kabul.
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4. DAMAVAND MARKET
5. AFGHAN AWASANA KABOB HOUSE
Damavand Market, settled right next to Afghan Awasana Kabob House at 37012 Towers Way, vends produce, baked goods, and Afghan kitchen essentials. The grocery store has aisles of spices, teas, and colorful jars containing chutney, jam, and other preserved edibles. Customers can scoop out a variety of nuts and shining candy from labeled plastic boxes. Clear cabinets showcase baked desserts, like ab-e-dandaan, a snowy white cookie dusted with green powder. The store is lauded amongst customers for its fresh but low-cost halal meat, which is offered by an in-store butcher.
In Fremont’s Centerville district, at 37012 Towers Way, the family-owned Afghan Awasana Kabob House opened just one month before the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was not the opening the owners hoped for, they were quickly able to transition into a takeout-based business, allowing them to recover their expenses. The restaurant sells a variety of fresh cooked foods from Afghanistan such as qabuli palow, a dish with lamb shank over rice, kabobs, and baklava, a pastry stuffed with chopped nuts. All of their dishes come with a basket of Afghanistan’s famous golden dimple naan, which is commonly eaten during weddings, journeys, and everyday meals. While waiting for their food, customers can admire the paintings and murals that depict cultural dances, like the attan dance, from Afghanistan.
PHOTOS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR MINGXIN WANG. STAFF WRITERS ELAHEH KHAZI, ADITYA PATIL, & ESHA POTHARAJU