Volume LV, No. 6

5

OPINION

healthy

:

boundaries

7

FEATURE

CENTERSPREAD

10-11

athletic remembering

Mic Gillette

MSJ Sports

inspirations

FUNDING

AND

ASPIRATIONS

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 55, NO. 6

18

SPORTS

February 28, 2020

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Greenkeepers USA & LEAF create a farm in Fremont Student volunteers work together to help build local LEAF farm at sheet mulching party

By Sumani Alem & Anvi Kalucha Staff Writers To build a farm in the heart of Fremont, Greenkeepers USA partnered with Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF) on February 9 in hopes of curbing the Bay Area’s rapid urbanization. LEAF is a local organization that seeks to build a community around growing healthy, pesticide-free food in environmentally sustainable ways. Most of LEAF’s volunteers are members of Greenkeepers USA, a studentfounded nonprofit that seeks to transform a green future into a reality today by making environmental improvements in local communities. Core Member Senior Margaret Li first joined Greenkeepers USA in her sophomore year after discovering her passion for environmental change. “From cultivating a garden at my local high school to working with Greenkeepers USA, I was able to find my voice through this cause. As an upperclassman now, I want to inspire other like-minded individuals: to show them that their voice matters and that anyone can make a change,” Li said.

LEAF frequently partners with student volunteers to teach urban farming practices such as sheet mulching, an agricultural gardening technique where large pieces of cardboard are placed over soil and covered in mulch which is composed of wood chips, grass clippings, hay, and sawdust. This process helps the LEAF farm’s normally dry soil absorb water and

increase its fertility, which fosters the growth of healthy plants.

The LEAF garden that volunteers have just begun to assemble is a farm for organic and pesticide-free vegetables and fruits that will be donated to Food is Medicine Coalition, a national organization that serves community members who have lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes and obesity. These illnesses Nazar rakes the dirt to can be moderated by eating a nutritious prepa re it f or s diet which the farm will help supply to h ee tm ulc people in the Newark and Fremont hin g. areas.

Sophomore Saarah Na zar carries cardboar d to mu Aside from the garden, lch.

Greenkeepers USA has hosted several other events in recent years: a Sabercat Creek Trail restoration event in February to remove invasive plants and poisonous hemlock, an e-waste drive to recycle electronics, and a recycle crafts workshop to reuse cardboard and plastic cups. .

This year, Greenkeepers USA se ba d r plans on headlining its theme a bo ard of preventing food waste. c th e er “We held a food waste audit ov y l ven at MSJ and found out 80% of Senior he Ma r u lc m g a e r t e our food waste can be diverted: its progress t Li d ibu rags c distr ardboard to create a base for the dirt. teers help 70% can be composted and 10% can toward building a farm in Student volun be recycled,” Li said. The audit took place as sorted the heart of Fremont, promoting a collaboration with StopWaste where they it by compost, recycling, and trash. In the sustainable living and healthy lifestyles. ▪ collected 40 pounds of trash from MSJ and future, Greenkeepers USA plans to continue

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS SUMANI ALEM & ANVI KALUCHA.

Universal Performers compete at Lenaea Theatre Festival First time in two years for MSJ students to participate in a theatre festival

By Anika Arora & Megh Basu Staff Writers From February 7 to 9, MSJ Universal Performers participated in the 64th Annual Lenaea High School Theatre Festival held at Folsom Lake College, marking their first theatre competition in two years. Competing among 72 schools, MSJ Universal Performers performed a total of 11 productions under the guidance of Washington High School Drama Teacher David Yick-Koppel. Students from Northern California were able to meet new people, gain exposure to other high school performing arts programs, and receive feedback from Broadway directors and professional theater performers.

At the competition, all 12 MSJ attendees ranging from freshman to seniors were part of the one-act play “The Frogs”, produced and written by MSJ Universal Performers President Senior Siddharth Mukherjee. He adapted the play from an Ancient Greek comedy of the same name by Aristophanes, which revolved around Greek god Dionysus and his servant as they venture into the underworld to resurrect playwright George Bernard Shaw.

Aside from the one-act, MSJ participants also performed two duo scenes, four monologues,

and three musical theater performances, as well as complete set design and costume design portfolios. Out of the acts, Senior Jennifer Xiang received a Gold for her monologue performance. The competition was a chance for students to learn from other schools and grow as performers. “By having these students work with real theatre industry professionals and giving them that glimpse of what it’s actually like to be an actor, I’m hoping to help inspire these students to continue supporting and performing theatre.” Mukherjee said.

For two years, MSJ Universal Performers and the drama program overall have faced challenges related to a lack of resources.

Club Member Senior Jennifer Xiang said, “This year, it’s all student-run, and nearly entirely done without any teacher supervision — we had to book all the rooms ourselves for this festival ... we just had a lot of organizational shake-ups throughout.”

Since the club is student-run, options for rehearsal and performance space were limited. Xiang continued, “We were coupling with Speech for rehearsal space because we didn’t have an adviser there ... We’ve been pushed back from the administration for our performances because we are not al-

MSJ Universal Performers from top left to right: Sophomore Ajeyo Baidyaroy, Seniors Jennifer Xiang and Anita Sun, Junior Kayla Chen, Senior Siddharth Mukherjee, Freshman Summer Qin, and Junior Selina Yang. From bottom left to right: Freshmen Rucha Kulkarni and Faye Widjaja, Senior Amber Jiang, Sophomore Ishita Banerjee, Junior A Su Lee, and Freshman Sohani Sawant.

lowed to use the Little Theatre anymore. Because of that we’ve had to use C120.”

Despite these setbacks, the club is working toward spreading their reach at MSJ and gaining more experience with performing.

Last May, the students presented “The Comedy of Errors,” a farcical Shakespeare play about two sets of identical twins separated at birth, and held a theater showcase on January 31 where they performed the pieces from the festival. Auditions for their spring

play “Arms and the Man,” a romantic-comedy satirizing love and heroism during times of war, were held on February 19 and 20. For now, MSJ Universal Performers is focusing on building a stronger theater program so Mission students have the same opportunities in the arts as other schools. Mukherjee said, “I’m hoping to ... continue helping others to learn about [theatre] ... It creates a self-fulfilling circle which I hope will continue on as long as students are interested in theatre.” ▪ PHOTO BY STAFF WRITER ANIKA ARORA.

ONLINE

THIS MONTH

www.thesmokesignal.org

MEET THE NEW ASB OFFICERS

MSJ 45TH ANNUAL WRESTLING INVITATIONAL

Meet MSJ’s newly elected ASB officers and find out their plans for the upcoming school year in this interactive article.

Check out the Smoke Signal’s coverage of the 45th Annual Mission San Jose Invitational Wrestling Tournament to find out how MSJ performed and view pictures of the event.

FOR MORE COVERAGE, VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

2 News

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NEWS IN

BRIEF Compiled by Anvi Kalucha, Mingxin Wang & Brooke Zheng Staff Writers

LOCAL kalw.org Money raised would go towards improving access to affordable and high-quality childcare for high-need families.

Possible sales tax increase for childcare Proponents of Measure C are encouraging voters to approve a sales tax increase aimed towards helping families struggling with the rising cost of child care. If Measure C is approved by a majority of the voters in the March ballot, it would impose a half-cent sales tax increase for the next 20 years to raise an extra $150 million each year. The money would go towards providing a stable salary for child care workers, improving Alameda County’s child care programs, and increasing the the number of child care subsidies for low income families.

NATIONAL apnews.com In the past decade, youth membership for the 110-year-old organization has declined by more than 26%.

Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid sexual abuse allegations The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy on February 18 amid lawsuits in a string of sexual assault allegations. The Boy Scouts listed liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion. Last year, it was revealed that nearly 8,000 Boy Scout leaders have been accused of sexually abusing over 2,000 children since 1944.

Boy Scouts of America National Chairman Jim Turley wrote a letter to all the victims: “The Boy Scouts of America cannot undo what happened to you, but we are committed to supporting you and to doing everything in our power to prevent it from happening to others.”

INTERNATIONAL gettyimages.com For the first time in decades, China has revoked press credentials.

Wall Street Journalists’ Licenses Revoked after Racist Coronavirus Article After the publication of an opinion-editorial in The Wall Street Journal titled “China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia” on February 3, the Chinese government has revoked the license of three of the newspaper’s journalists. They claim that the article is ‘racially discriminatory’ to the Chinese and condemns their culture. As a reply to The Wall Street Journal’s lack of an issued apology, Chinese authorities demanded that the three reporters must leave the country in the next five days, which will further heighten tensions between the United States and China over the severity of the Coronavirus..

The Smoke Signal

Six FUSD elementary schools recognized as CA Distinguished Schools A delegation from FUSD accepts the distinguished school awards in Anaheim, CA

By Gokul Ramapriyan & Larry Shi Staff Writers

On February 10 in Anaheim, CA, six FUSD elementary school principals received the California Distinguished School Award for their respective schools. E. M. Grimmer, Fred E. Weibel, Joshua Chadbourne, Mission San Jose, Mission Valley, and Warm Springs Elementary all proved to be exceptional in their respective award categories, including the “Exceptional Student Performance” and “Closing the Achievement Gap” categories.

The CA Department of Education gives out the California Distinguished School Award to public schools that they feel best represent exemplary and quality education programs. Elementary schools and secondary schools are recognized in alternate years; therefore, each school holds the title for two years, and then it has a chance to apply for the title to be renewed. Typical standards, such as proficiency in English Language Arts and mathematics, are evaluated for qualification for the award. Then, these statistics are converted to a color graph in the California School Dashboard, an online tool that helps schools identify their strengths and weaknesses. Data from these graphs from schools all across CA eventually determine whether a school is considered distinguished or not.

This year, 324 California elementary schools were recognized as Distinguished Schools. CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said,

Representatives from FUSD on the CA Department of Education, Weibel, E. M. Grimmer, Chadbourne, Mission San Jose, Mission Valley, and Warm Springs Elementary Schools attend the awards ceremony in Anaheim, CA.

“These outstanding schools don’t just educate students; they also provide the young people of CA the tools they need to be successful after graduation.”

FUSD’s elementary schools have always been able to constantly uphold their quality of education, as shown by the consistent number of awards the schools have received throughout the years. However, Mission Valley Elementary School Principal Denise Mapelli said that keeping up with FUSD’s high standards often is an uphill task. “We constantly are evaluating our programs and our teaching practices and looking at student data to make sure

we are reaching all of our students,” she said.

Moving forward, these six FUSD elementary schools will hold the Distinguished School title until February 2022. However, school-wide preparation and improvement will still continue. Receiving this award is a testament to the schools’ success in cultivating a positive learning environment. “[The Distinguished award] really just celebrates the hard work that our staff does every day, and it recognizes the achievement and the hard work of our students, and just that it’s been a collaborative effort between our staff and our students,” Mapelli said. ▪ PHOTO COURTESY DENISE MAPELLI.

Community efforts to support Measure L Community campaign for parcel tax to offset $18.6 million from $26.3 million of budget cuts.

By Carolyn Qian & Alina Zeng Staff Writers

In response to a staggering projected $26.3 million budget cut for the 2020-21 school year, the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) school board unanimously voted to place Measure L, an education parcel tax, onto the March 3, 2020 primary ballot.

The $296 educational parcel tax will be in place for nine years, generating $18.6 million per year that will go directly toward schools. A parcel tax is a type of property tax that is assessed based on parcels, or units of property. Measure L requires support from two-thirds of all Fremont voters in order to pass. The budget cuts next year could possibly eliminate many class offerings, including music programs and zero period courses.

The FUSD is currently the lowest state funded school district in Alameda Coun-

ty and had cut nearly $16 million from its 2019-20 budget. “If Measure L doesn’t pass, the schools will [be] really hurt in Fremont. With it passing, we will be able to maintain and hopefully supplement some of the programs we really want,” Measure L Committee member Janice Gebhardt said.

Measure L appeared on the ballot just as The most notable difference between Measure I and Measure L is the price, with Measure I being only $73 per parcel annually while Measure L will cost $223 more annually.

the previous parcel tax Measure I is about to expire. The most notable difference between Measure I and Measure L is the price, with Measure I being only $73 per parcel annually while Measure L will cost $223 more annually. This increase was decided upon so that the parcel tax would be able to counteract the effects of incoming bud-

get cuts. The district created Measure L with community leaders to supplement school funding. Unlike bond measures, parcel taxes are not pre-allocated, meaning that the funds will be distributed based on whereever they are needed. However, according to an online presentation by the FUSD Public Information Department, Measure L will go completely toward benefiting Fremont schools, especially to increase class offerings, decrease class sizes, and retain quality teachers.

Community leaders and student activists have been advocating for the parcel tax.

GEN-Up President Junior Alvin Lee and SURFBoardE Student Member Senior Karen Li have been leading student efforts in informing the community of the dire effects of future budget cuts. “The biggest challenge right now is the lack of community and parental regard for the direness of the budget right now. There’s a lot of mistrust in the community for the board,” Lee said. In addition, homeowners worry that they would have to pay more property taxes, adding to the high property taxes that they already have to pay.

“It’s about getting students to show the community that students do care about their education.” — GEN-UP PRESIDENT

corrections

JUNIOR ALVIN LEE

for the JAN. 31, 2020 issue News P1. In 2010, Jeff Evans was a history teacher.

News P2. Dianne Jones should be spelled as such.

News P2. The East Bay Economic Development Alliance did not sponsor the awards.

News P2. Newsom proposed $20 million on January 10.

News P2. The Trust for Public Land should be spelled as such.

News P2. The N3 Cattle Company should be spelled as such.

A&E P.14 Godzilla: King of the Monsters should be spelled as such.

A&E P.14 Dark Phoenix should be spelled as such.

A&E P.15 “Let Me Get Me” should be spelled as such.

Sports P.17 US Anti-Doping Agency should be spelled as such.

February 28, 2020

According to the CA Department of Education, FUSD received $8,456 in annual per student funding, the lowest level across all school districts in Alameda County in the 2017-18 school year.

Li and Lee have gathered students for canvassing, phone banking, and walks. They organized a recent student registration drive in hopes of encouraging seniors to vote. “It’s about getting students to show the community that students do care about their education. This is our perspective on Measure L, this is our perspective on education funding, and it is very important you listen to us,” Lee said ▪ GRAPHIC BY FREMONT.K12.CA.US.

Friday, February 28, 2020

THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 55, No. 6 | February 28, 2020

The Smoke Signal

JOSEPHINE'S JOURNAL

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 2055 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lucia Li, Shray Vaidya NEWS Jonathan Liu, Sabrina Wu OPINION Josephine Chew, Aria Lakhmani FEATURE Tylor Wu, Kelly Yang CENTERSPREAD Karen Li, Shreya Sridhar A&E Jennifer Xiang, Jessica Xu SPORTS Ian Park, Yusuf Rasheed GRAPHICS Kimberly Huang, Selina Yang WEB Riya Chopra, Gregory Wu TECH Anika Arora, Christine Dong BUSINESS Alisha Chhangani CIRCULATION Sreetama Chowdhury ADVERTISING Sabrina Cai, Carolyn Qian EVENTS Gokul Ramapriyan, Monisha Saxena WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Anya Agarwal, Sumani Alem, Megh Basu, Nishi Bhagat, Mahek Bhora, Kruthi Gollapudi, Anvi Kalucha, Maggie Lai, Tavish Mohanti, Haneul Oh, Amanda Pang, Larry Shi, Tanisha Srivatsa, Sakshi Umrotkar, Varun Upadhyay, Mingxin Wang, Alina Zeng, Brooke Zheng

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.

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.

All policies on distribution, corrections, and bylines can be found at www.thesmokesignal. org/about.

Small rewards = self care

By Aria Lakhmani Opinion Editor

By Josephine Chew Opinion Editor “You’re the most incompetent musician on the planet. And you want to be a professional?”

“You’ve been playing this instrument for eight years — how do you still sound this bad? You’re such a failure.”

“You have an audition in two days and you can’t play half your repertoire.

What the hell is wrong with you? It’s not that hard.”

I would never talk to a friend this way, yet I don’t hesitate to hurl these kinds of insults at myself on a regular basis. When I experience “failure,” I tend to tear myself apart with volleys of self-criticism, heaving myself into an agitated downward spiral rather than focusing on how I can improve. In the oboe practice scenario, I usually end up feeling deflated and worthless — compassion, it seems, extends to anyone but myself.

We all want to succeed, and being severe on ourselves can feel like the best way to ensure that we learn from our blunders. We’ve convinced ourselves that accepting mistakes is self-indulgent when it is in fact constructive; a 2012 study published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology found that self-compassion increases one’s motivation to improve.

Having self-compassion doesn’t mean that you grow complacent and stop striving to improve. You’re not making excuses or lowering your standards, but rather attempting to understand yourself and your situation; in doing so, you grant yourself the head-

Opinion 3

ARIA'S APPROACH

Practicing selfcompassion

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space to truly focus on addressing the problem. We can strive for perfection, but we’ll never reach it — we need to learn to be okay with ourselves wherever we are on the spectrum of growth, because if we beat ourselves up for every misstep along the way, we’ll be perpetually miserable.

Life is constantly throwing curveballs — sometimes we bomb tests, bungle interviews, or flub crucial auditions. Sometimes we get rejected from our top choice colleges and make awful first impressions on important people, or embarrass ourselves so badly that we wish we could hide in a blanket burrito for the rest of our life.

Sometimes we disappoint and despise ourselves, and other times we have no idea what we’re doing. At the end of the day, we’re all flawed human beings, and failure is an opportunity for growth; the best we can do is accept that and move forward, wiser for the experience.

Being kinder to yourself won’t cure all your problems, but it might help you deal with them more effectively.

While some of us may not be able to help being overly harsh on ourselves, many of us can if we make a conscious effort to do so. So the next time you catch yourself slipping into a swamp of self-criticism, perhaps try hitting the pause button and taking a moment to view yourself through a third-person lens — treating yourself with the same compassion you would give a friend going through a difficult time. ▪

I’m a sticker hoarder. Since I was young, I’ve collected them in an overflowing box, and every time I decorate a new journal or adorn a card, I sift through the stickers but can rarely bring myself to use one. I always end up convincing myself that I needed a reason, or a special occasion, to use those beauties, and so, back in the box they went. A few weeks ago, while stuffing them away, I marveled at the magnitude of stickers I had and wondered if there would ever be a “special occasion” where I could finally reward myself with the use of a sticker.

We all have something that feels like a treat to us; to me, it’s using a sticker, to a friend of mine, it’s enjoying an episode of her favorite show. Using these actions as rewards to motivate us to accomplish a goal or finish work can be helpful.

However, withholding these joys from yourself can become dangerous to an extent: at some point, they start becoming something you need a reason to do rather than independent actions. When I started raising the bar of what a “special occasion” meant, I didn’t think much of it. Rather than reward myself for finishing a book, which was becoming common, I upped my standard to getting an A on a test. Slowly but surely, I began tying the quality of deserving enjoyment to accomplishing, which is an issue many MSJ students grapple with.

Though we may not necessarily consider finishing a book or getting an A on an assignment as major accomplishments now, many of us still equate our deserving of enjoyment with achieve-

ments. While it’s perfectly reasonable to save large treats for after you complete something you’ve been working hard for, applying this same mindset to little joys becomes problematic, especially since these act as breaks from monotonous routines. Through raising the bar for what a “special occasion” is, we’ve inadvertently reinforced the false notion that we don’t deserve enjoyment unless we accomplish x,y, and z.

Part of the issue is that many of these little joys are temporary: you can’t reapply a sticker somewhere else or bring back the feeling of watching an episode for the first time. Desperate to retain these moments, we think that only a special occasion will allow us to savor the enjoyment completely.

However, by constantly waiting for that special occasion while simultaneously raising the standards for it, we’re creating a Catch 22 in which we’ll never really be able to enjoy those treats. One day, no accomplishment will be enough to warrant doing something you enjoy, so stop waiting. Rather than seeing those little joys as actions dependent on achievement, we need to view them as what they are: simply things that bring us happiness. We don’t need a reason to be happy.

Yesterday, I took a flower sticker and placed it on my journal. Though it was just a normal school night with hours of work in store for me, I felt myself brighten up a bit at the sight of that flower. If you’re looking for a sign to watch that episode or eat that piece of cake, this is it. Go treat yourself. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Stressing About Stress

do you think msj should implement a block schedule (fewer number of classes a day with longer periods)? why or why not?

nista Pe Ja r

"I think it would be beneficial to implement a block schedule since right now, we don’t have much freedom on what we can cover during class. Many times it gets frustrating to not be able to complete assignments and have to pick up on material later at home — which doesn't help us learn any better than studying everything ourselves."

Ni

thika Va l

r lu i, 10

"I think Mission should implement a block schedule because having fewer classes a day can reduce the stress of homework and studying for six different classes daily. Personally, I believe with longer periods I would be able to focus better and get more work done rather than feeling rushed in each class as I currently do."

yan Ag Ar a

hi Jain, Ris 1

2

"I think Mission shouldn't implement a block schedule. While it may seem as though we might get the chance to take more classes, I believe the ... students would struggle to focus. Grasping difficult material, especially in advanced classes, after you end up taking a day-long break before attending the class again becomes a concern, too."

, 11

something to do, something that we’ve overlooked. Stress is so consuming that even after the original sources of it disappear, we cling to it because it’s become such an integral part of our lives. Whether we’re aware of it or not, it’s a part of what makes MSJ MSJ — in meeting students from other FUSD schools, how many times have we heard “Wow, isn’t it really competitive? Aren’t you stressed? How do you cope?” For many, it becomes easy to hold up how stressed out we are with the same zeal with which other schools cheer for their football teams and pep rallies. But taking pride in something that hurts us means that it becomes immensely difficult to disentangle our identities from it, because we’ve formed habits around it for years.

There is no single solution for stress culture, partially because everyone’s experience with it is different. It’s difficult to imagine an MSJ in the next five to seven years that isn’t high-stress. The sources of our anxieties are larger than ourselves, and to say that we can dismantle them with a neat 12-step plan would be insulting. But we can take small steps to improve our own wellbeing, whether it be steering conversation away from school on a day out with friends or setting hard limits on study times. In the next seventy-some years after graduation, we’ll still inevitably find ourselves overwhelmed at times. That stress might arise from interpersonal, health, or financial issues, which don’t have hard deadlines in the same way that tests and projects do. If we can roll with the punches as they come, though, we’ll be better off for it. ▪

n so

"No, because teachers will probably give a lot more homework a day. It'll affect the students' coursework and mental health too because it'll cause more stress and mental health issues. It will also lead to less time for social interactions.

Also, this won't help teachers either because it would be harder to prepare so much material in one day."

al, 9 rw

As a Second Semester Senior (SSS), I will: “Learn how to cook.” “Go out with friends.”

“Be happier!” Every MSJ student has heard these commitments — as an SSS, life will suddenly get better: the wilted flowers of our youth will bloom, the withered grass of our mood will green, and the sun will finally dawn on the dark night of high school.

Throughout our time in high school, we experience pressure to do well on tests, participate in numerous extracurriculars, and neglect our social lives — all in an effort to get into the college of our dreams. But once we reach the coveted time of SSS — once the late nights of cramming for tests and weekends dedicated to group projects vanish — we’re left empty.

Without our looming deadlines and intricate rituals of stress, we find ourselves in a larger, more deeply cerebral stress, a burnout of small proportions, a mini freak-out lasting longer than the larger ones ever did.

This downward spiral stems from the unhealthy habits we develop in high school.

Without devising sustainable coping mechanisms for stress, we instead adopt a mindset of never resting. We strive to meet our parents’ and our own expectations by studying that extra hour and reading that additional page. We push ourselves past our limits, telling ourselves that we can stop trying in second semester senior year. But after seven semesters of high school pass and the external stress of getting into college disappears, we’re left with the internal stress of figuring out what to do with our same worrying habits.

In high school, deadlines understandably become a metric for stress — for example, having four tests and two projects due in a week is overwhelming. Deadlines become comforting; they hold the promise that we’ll feel better after meeting them and box our responsibilities into neat timelines. So when we finally have room to breathe, it’s easy to fill that void with new worries, thinking there must be

Block Schedule

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS NISHI BHAGAT & VARUN UPADHYAY.

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Friday, February 28, 2020

Inspiring tomorrow’s scientists, thinkers, and innovators… one project at a time.

2020 ABOUT

June—August 2020 | www.fremontstem.org/asdrp

Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program (ASDRP) is a nonprofit summer research program that provides opportunities for high school students throughout the Bay Area to conduct high-level novel scientific research. ASDRP is committed to making a summer research experience accessible to students of all backgrounds. Students participate in research projects across various subjects in STEM, including chemistry, biology, engineering, environmental science, computer science, and much more. ASDRP operates under its parent organization, Olive Children Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization in Fremont, CA.

RESEARCH Students are matched with research mentors who have experience in academia or industry in their particular field; together, they design, execute, and disseminate a research project. These projects are not science experiments in which the results are known a priori, but rather are original research projects that expand current scientific knowledge. Students execute research projects, learn scientific reading and writing skills, write research papers on their results, undergo mock peer-review, publish their research papers in the ASDRP Communications online journal, and give poster presentations at the end-of-summer research expo. See what our students accomplished last summer online at www.fremontstem.org/asdrp-journal.

MENTORSHIP Students gain hands-on experience in conducting research at the forefront of various STEM fields, along with other skills that go along with that: experimental design, reading and writing scholarly literature, and careerspecific mentoring for students aspiring for careers in STEM. Students learn a combination of technical skills as well as a deeper understanding of the process of STEM research.

JOURNAL ASDRP Communications is a student-written, mock-peer-reviewed journal that features work done in the ASDRP program. This is where students and mentors will showcase their hard work over the summer! Prior work from ASDRP is available online at www.fremontstem.org/asdrp-journal.

APPLICATION APPLY ONLINE at www.fremontstem.org/asdrp-apply.

Early Application Deadline: February 1, 2020 at 11:59 PM PST. Regular Application Deadline: April 11, 2020 at 11:59 PM PST. Admissions

decisions are made on a rolling basis.

*Full and partial financial scholarships are available for students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue research at ASDRP.

Attend one of our info sessions to learn more. RSVP online at www.fremontstem.org/asdrp-updates.

Why should students join ASDRP? Students are exposed to original, genuine scientific research while they are still in high school. They get direct, hands-on experience running experiments, designing research, reading and writing scientific papers, presenting their work, and working in a research team. Importantly, students are not doing research in science experiments, like in school, where the results are known a priori. Rather, students embark on an intellectual journey in which they pursue new knowledge in their particular field of research. They engage with the frontiers of scientific knowledge. Students who are underrepresented in STEM are specifically encouraged to join, in order to gain experience in research and to taste what a career in STEM might look like. We aim to follow up with ASDRP scholars in subsequent summers to place them into university laboratories and industry internships. We also aim to provide a strong mentorship network to current and past students.

Who is eligible to become an ASDRP student and how do I join?

Students who are entering 9th-12th grade after the summer are eligible to join ASDRP. In particular, we are looking for students with curiosity for science and engineering and able to commit approximately 20 hours per week during an 8 week period in the summer. We match students with research mentors based on the students' academic and scientific interests as well as their academic background. There are limited spots available, and admission is given on a rolling basis.

43505 Mission Blvd.

Fremont, CA 94539 www.FremontSTEM.org/asdrp asdrp@fremontstem.com

Friday, February 28, 2020

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Opinion 5

Respect each other's emotions and boundaries Should you ask for permission before unloading on a friend?

By Lily Oh & Larry Shi Staff Writers

“OMG, I just bombed a test. I’m such a failure :(” and “Why am I so useless?” are messages that often mark the beginning of emotionally charged conversations between friends. However, rarely do people take a second to think about what the recipient might be going through; more often than not, we are too preoccupied with our own problems to consider others’. The act of unloading on your friends without warning often forces unwarranted emotional labor onto recipients, and is unfair to them.

In November 2019, self-proclaimed social justice activist Melissa A. Fabello, Ph.D, tweeted a template text to use when a friend reaches out for emotional support and you are not in the right state of mind or situation to support the friend. The template suggested is a formal refusal due to not being able to “hold appropriate space” for the recipient. Her tweet garnered a great amount of attention — most notably extreme backlash because of the apparent insincerity within the template, many commenting that it would make the people sharing their issues feel uncomfortable. People also mocked the template, sharing various memes in which it could be used inappropriately, such as in response to a text reading, “can you take the garbage outside please I’m so exhausted and

have the flu and can barely move.”

Similarly, a recent Twitter post showed a template reading, “Are you in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you?” The tweet was also poorly received, and many people with mental illnesses replied that they would be severely shaken by such a message. Some called the message inconsiderate and self-serving, noting that it is designed to take the responsibility off of the sender for sharing the information and put it onto the recipient for agreeing to listen.

The lack of understanding towards those who aren't "at capacity" to be the recipient of an emotionally dense rant displays the absence of mutual respect in the relationship.

It is unfair that the templates have been mocked and criticized as much as they have because at the end of the day, communication is a key component of a healthy relationship. Even though close friends should trust one another for emotional comfort and help, you should realize that while your friend might need to unload once in a while, you also have your own priorities to attend to and that taking on a friend’s additional emotional burden might make you feel worse. We need to recognize that it is okay to not be able to care for someone else when we are emotionally depleted. Forcing yourself to sympathize with your friends’ problems when you are emotionally unavailable enforces the subconscious belief that you and your feelings

are not as important as your friends’ and is not helpful for either party, as you won’t be able to properly support them anyways. Putting your friends’ feelings before your own can eventually build up to be a huge problem that is difficult to tackle without it exploding.

Some might argue that the text is incredibly unempathetic and can cause the recipient to think that they are a burden, and it’s clearly true. However, this is not due to the idea behind the template but rather how it is presented. If the template were to be used, the clearly scripted message would likely induce feelings of dread as it is easy to see the message as impersonal and generic, meant to quickly brush off a problem with minimal effort. Therefore, the template must be rephrased to fit the intimacy of the situation.

More often than not, friends approach you with their concerns for a definite reason; they trust you. However, the dynamic of your relationship with each friend differs and necessitates different wording as opposed to a script. Instead, the message that you send should use more informal and personal language that makes it easy for the recipient to recognize that they aren’t a chore but simultaneously conveys that it would be difficult to respond properly to them at that moment due to being burdened by personal issues.

The lack of understanding towards those who aren’t “at capacity” to be the recipient of an emotionally dense rant displays the absence of mutual respect in the relationship. While it might sound harsh, honest and uncensored communication is necessary to make sure that one side does not feel like

they are being beat down and ignored by the other side. According to psychologist Andrea Bonior, Ph.D, in a one-sided interpersonal relationship, the ignored party can easily develop bad feelings about the dynamic when they are always the one listening and absorbing the other’s stress. A friendship can only flourish if all parties have the ability to listen to and respect each other’s problems, whether they be small or large. However, this also means that friends have to respect any instances in which one is not “at capacity” to listen in order to establish healthy boundaries in the relationship.

The templates that were memed and criticized on Twitter bear ideas that are necessary for developing an intimate relationship with clear, healthy boundaries. They simply need to be rephrased to meet the unique circumstances of each relationship. There is no need to shut your friends down, but there is no need to shut yourself down, either. ▪

GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ARIA LAKHMANI & NEWS EDITOR SABRINA WU.

Coronavirus is not an excuse for xenophobia Self-preservation and harmless humor or thinly veiled racism?

By Mahek Bhora & Maggie Lai Staff Writers A UC Berkeley affiliated Instagram account recently made a post listing xenophobia as a “common reaction” to the newly discovered COVID-19, or coronavirus, from Wuhan, China. With the spread of the virus, we’ve also seen a surge in anti-Asian sentiments, often perpetrated in the form of crude humor or disguised as self-protection. Our thinly veiled prejudices, fueled by insidious stereotypes, shine through in the face of mass hysteria; however, this health epidemic is no excuse for normalizing xenophobia.

One widespread notion is that all Chinese people are unhygienic, eat “dirty foods,” and carry the disease. All around the world, people and entire countries have fielded vitriolic attacks against people who look Chinese. The French newspaper Le Courrier Picard declared a state of “Yellow Alert,” referring to the Asian skin color stereotype, after cases appeared in the country. Stores in Singapore, Japan, and South Korea have freely posted signs banning customers from mainland China. Because of the Huanan Seafood Market where the virus is said to have originated, many are blaming the Chinese diet for the virus, simply because it is different from what they consider normal.

For instance, one month after the first report of the virus, a 2016 video of Chinese celebrity blogger Wang Mengyun resurfaced.

The video, filmed in Palau, shows her eating bat soup, a traditional delicacy in a country where most people are of Micronesian ancestry. Despite the clear lack of connection between Wang’s bat dish and the COVID-19, she received death threats accusing her of promoting the consumption of a COVID-19

carrier. It was as if seeing the video confirmed people’s fear about Chinese people eating “barbaric” foods. This skewed perception is an example of how people twist information to align with their own prejudices — creating excuses for people to be explicit about longheld biases and stereotypes. The information is seen through a filter of disgust, not allowing them to see the Chinese as fellow humans with a culture of their own.

The COVID-19 epidemic has enabled many to disguise racial intolerance as selfpreservation. A recent TIME magazine article discussed how a couple of young Chinese boys were approached by a group of boys wanting to test them for the virus. The mother of one of the Chinese boys later said, “the kids who targeted my son ... were acting out of the fear

and ignorance around them.” If children are learning to single people out at a young age, what will happen as they grow older and these exclusionary ideas cement themselves?

This isn’t the first time that the spread of disease has fueled negative stereotyping — people have always tended to skew information to fit their own pre-existing biases. For example, during the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus epidemic, anti-Asian racism surfaced in countries where the virus spread — in Toronto, Canada, people informally boycotted the Chinese community, devastating small family businesses.

The SARS virus’ racially fueled onslaught should’ve served as a learning curve for tod a y ’s COVID-19, as not all Chinese people had

SARS. However, people are still creating reasons to blame the Chinese — the virus is simply a catalyst for the exercise of xenophobic ideas.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 memes are nothing but crude jabs at Chinese people. Many of us don’t think twice before “haha” reacting to COVID-19 memes on Facebook groups like subtle asian traits. While some posts try to highlight the perspectives of those quarantined, most jump straight into narrow-minded humor. On platforms like TikTok, videos of people running away from a coughing Chinese person are prevalent. Some say that these crass jokes serve as a coping mechanism, but they’re not a healthy one — these seemingly lighthearted memes often perpetuate misinformation and propagate hysteria. People let themselves be blinded by race when they should instead inform themselves using credible sources.

Moreover, anyone who’s had recent contact with people from Wuhan — tourists for example — is at risk of contracting the disease.

Thus, the COVID-19 isn’t inherently tied to race. While it is easy to simply shun those who may be sick, times like these are when we especially need to respect one another. Rather than automatically equating the COVID-19 with all Chinese, people should research the virus and share accurate information from groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. We should strive to know the unexaggerated truth rather than rely on fear-mongering media; cheap humor only hinders progress by creating a toxic atmosphere for those who are suffering. ▪ GRAPHIC BY GRAPHICS EDITOR KIMBERLY HUANG.

6 Opinion

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Vote Up until nearly 50 years ago, 18-year-olds could be drafted but were not allowed to vote. However, thanks to student activism throughout the late 1960s, young adults now have a say in the government — yet only 46.1% of eligible voters between ages of 18 and 29 voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Students are not actively gearing up to vote either; a survey of MSJ students reveals that only 39.1% of those 16 and over have pre-registered to vote. Of the 177 respondents, 20.5% said that they read or watch political news less than once a week and 14.2% almost never do. Some people use their lack of political knowledge as an excuse for not voting; it may be hard to stay politically informed, but it is vital to exercise the right to vote as a teen or young adult. Policies enacted today greatly impact our future, and for centuries, many citizens weren’t able to vote on policies that affected them. We must take advantage of the privilege of voting, acknowledging that this right was earned through years of activism.

Voting is one of the most important human rights that differentiates us from authoritarian governments.

Therefore, full voter turnout is im-

TO LEA STUDENT RN MORE ABOUT SIGNAL S VOTING, THE SM OK U ROOMS A RVEYED EIGHT CL E CROSS G ASSRA OBTAININ G 177 RE DE LEVELS, SPONSES .

r u o Y s

The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 28, 2020

By Sumani Alem, Monisha Saxena & Brooke Zheng Staff Writers

p o r t a n t and therefore have different ideologies. fought for their right to protest in opposiwhen it However, even when youth do not take part tion to the Vietnam War; their resistance c o m e s in the decisions being made, the results led the public to agree it was unfair for men to voting still have a large impact on their lives. to be drafted into war if they weren’t of age for our next Diversifying the age groups that vote on to vote. If the youth were more involved in leader. Even policies can help us address problems that voting, they could shape elections. though milleni- people at different stages in their lives A 2016 study published in the Amerials and baby boom- face, therefore benefiting everyone and can Journal of Political Science found that ers make up about 50% encouraging greater participation in future pre-registration increases the probability of the population eligible to vote, voting. of youth participating in elections. Unforaccording to the Global Citizen, only 19% Youth advocating for topics that have tunately, in the MSJ survey, 61% of those of 18-29 year olds say they would actu- affected them more than older generations who are 16 or older responded that they ally vote in a presidential election. On the have demonstrated their ability to make have not pre-registered to vote. Among other hand, more than 50% of older genera- change in political realms. For example, these students, 45% said that they do not tions say they would vote, showing a stark youth leaders like Greta Thunberg have know how to register, 27% said that they contrast. As a potentially strong political made an impact on the world by increas- do not have time to do it, and 21% said that force, participation of the youth population ing awareness of climate change and en- voting is not a priority for them. can lead to large impacts. For example, couraging the younger population to beIn a democracy, every election decides the 2008 presidential election polls in come more involved. Students like Emma who will govern and formulate policies that the US showed that 54.5% of Americans González and David Hogg helped host affect our present and future. These polifrom ages 18 to 29 voted — a percentage the March For Our Lives to cies impact us — the younger generation largely unseen since 1972. Of the 54.5% build awareness of and future leaders of the nation. who voted, at least 66% of that population gun violence afWe must vote, or our voices will voted for Obama, making a huge difference ter the Parkland ALMOST NEVER EVERYDAY not be heard. ▪ in the results of the election for his cam- school shoot14% 14% paign. ing, gathering Because of the lack of youth voting en- more support LESS THAN gagement, policy-makers naturally cater than ever for ONCE A WEEK 3-4 TIMES more toward the views of the older genera- tighter gun 21% A WEEK HOW OFTEN DO tion in order to win more votes, resulting in control laws.

24% YOU READ/WATCH policies that don't align with the younger Other students 1-2 TIMES POLITICAL NEWS? population's interests. Younger generaA WEEK tions may also tend to identify 27% with a different political party PREE NOT PREV A H D O 1848: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott hold the first COUL R WH OLDE OW THEY R O Seneca Falls Convention, where 68 women and 32 men sign the 6 N 1 K S T NO ENT TANT Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions calling for voting STUD VOTE DID R F O O P M 44% ERED TO NOT I NTS RATED rights and equal treatment of men and women under the law.

G N T I S E BE REGI ER STUD ITH 1 STATS INSERT T W S T , O S 5 I REG 1 TO ANT, M 1870: The 15th amendment extends voting rights to all 1-2 LE OF RY IMPORT A C EWS S N E L V A ON A HERE men regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of C G I N T I I L E B O TCH P AND 5 A 4 OR 5 A servitude.”

W / 5 G AD VOTIN TS RE OFTEN T AND L N C A E P D A LESS NO IM F STU OLITIC 1890: Elizabeth Cady Stanton serves as president of the 62% O A WEEK OR BEING EL THAT P 1 H FE WIT AGE National American Woman Suffrage Association, an organi, R S 5 T E TIMES V N O A T E OF 1 ACT, STUD A 3.4 ON E zation created to advocate for women’s right to vote.

L A S C P E S ON A A LARGE IM THEIR LIV T BEING ONS IMPAC 1920: With the ratification of the 19th amendment, women receive I DECIS

r e t t Ma

the right to vote nation-wide.

1943: Georgia is the first state to lower its voting age from 21 to 18.

Student Resources There are many resources available to young voters in school and online.

The Youth Voter Movement is a non-partisan organization dedicated to encouraging young citizens to vote. The group pre-registers students over 16 in high schools, including MSJ for the past two years. To find out more about politics, attend the MSJ Junior State of America club meetings where there are debates on policies and topics that affect students as citizens. The club helps keep students informed on political topics and prepares them for life-long involvement in a democratic society. Information regarding the elections can be found on the Alameda County’s official election site, which gives voters pertinent information on candidates, ballots, and polling locations. The site is located at www.acvote.org, where a registrar of voters is also available.

1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower pushes for voting rights for those age 18-21 in a State of the Union address.

1965: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits laws that prevent citizens from having the right to vote based on race.

Late 60s: Youth activists protest for their right to vote with the slogan “old enough to fight, old enough to vote” as a reaction to the 18-and-over draft to the Vietnam War. 1971: The 26th Amendment grants citizens ages 18-21 the right to vote with an overwhelming majority in Congress.

GRAPHICS BY PNGTREE.COM.

Friday, February 28, 2020

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Feature 7

Remembering Mic Gillette

By Nishi Bhagat & Lily Oh Staff Writers

“If you can’t dazzle them with your brilliance, you have to learn to baffle them with your bull****. I’m pretty sure it takes both to succeed,” Class of 1969 MSJ alumnus and brass player Mic Gillette said in an interview with Michael Limnios. Assisted by his bold personality and artistic talent, Gillette built a musical legacy, including a scholarship created in his honor for MSJ students, that continues to leave an imprint on people’s lives today.

biography Gillette, son of trombonist Ray Gillette, whom he deemed as “the best trombonist alive,” was a child prodigy. He picked up the trumpet and was reading music by the young age of four. At age 15, he joined the band The Motowns, which would later be renamed Tower of Power. In the band, he played not only the trumpet, but also various other brass instruments including trombone, baritone horn, and tuba.

In the 1970s, Gillette took a year-long break from Tower of Power to tour and record with the band Cold Blood. After returning to Tower of Power, Gillette toured alongside fellow bandmates with Santana, Heart, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, and more. Gillette also appeared in hundreds of recordings as a session player.

However, fearing that his daughter, Megan, would forget him due to his hectic schedule, Gillette quit touring and left Tower of Power to be a full-time father in 1984. Gillette then ran a landscaping business in the San Francisco Bay Area for 14 years before coming out of his hiatus to join The Sons of Champlin in 1998. Gillette rejoined Tower of Power in 2009 following a 25-year absence to tour but left the group once again to form his own Mic Gillette Band in 2011.

Gillette passed away in January 2016 due to a heart attack at the age of 64.

“Mic was without a doubt the greatest brass player I’ve ever known,” Tower of Power bandleader Emilio Castillo said in a statement to Rolling Stone. photo courtesy rifftime.

gillette's impact Gillette’s years of music were all about expressing his love for music and delivering his message. “Play from the heart,” he said in an interview with journalist Michael Limnios. “Sometimes it pays sometimes it doesn’t, but nobody else will be able to say exactly what you say, musically.”

Besides leading the horn section of professional bands and being a world-renowned trumpet player, Gillette devoted himself to educational outreach throughout his life, visiting and playing with many middle and high schools around the Bay Area through the Music in the Schools Foundation, which he founded. “He visited us and practiced with [our] jazz band; we did a Tower of Power medley, which featured him, and then we [performed] at the Spring Concert with him,” Band Director Monica Kraft said. “He was really energetic … he would give out a lot of information at one time.”

In the same interview with Limnios, Gillette noted that his greatest satisfaction came from guiding younger generation musicians. “I really enjoy helping young aspiring musicians to find their path. The way I would most like to be remembered is by someone coming up to be a great player … and asking them who were their influences. That is where I wish to be most mentioned and remembered,” Gillette said.

scholarship As the Class of 1969 was preparing for its 50th reunion, they had a little bit of money leftover from ticket sales and had to decide how to use it. After reaching out to Principal Jeff Evans, they came up with the idea to put the money forward towards a scholarship, dedicated to Gillette, that would help individuals hoping to pursue a career in music. Through selling auction items, most notably donated Tower of Power concert tickets, they created the Class of 1969 Mic Gillette Memorial Scholarship. Thanks to the success of the auction and the generous donations that streamed in, the class exceeded its expectations for the potential of the scholarship. The class hopes to allow financially challenged but driven students to pursue their passion for music through the scholarship. Class of 1969 50th Reunion Chairperson Bonnie Curtis said, "We hope that this scholarship will allow a student interested in pursuing a career in music to help pay for college tuition and/ or contribute towards the purchase of their instrument." Interested students in the Class of 2020 can find the application in a LoopMail sent by Mr. Evans.

graphics courtesy easytatt.

8 Feature

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 28, 2020

Beyond the Textbook

By Sakshi Umrotkar Staff Writer Although school textbooks are designed to aid students, their purpose of conveying basic information to large masses of students as concisely as possible causes them to overlook the varying methods of learning that individual students are accustomed to. Reading supplements and additional resources can help students gain a more meaningful understanding of subjects by diving deeper into specific topics. To bolster the inculcation of crucial concepts, the Smoke Signal had a few MSJ teachers weigh in on how they believe students can broaden their supplementary reading.

"One thing I would suggest is to read Spanish newspapers from diverse Hispanic countries. I think it’s a good way to improve your reading, writing, knowledge of other countries, and to also learn colloquial expressions ... If you’re reading material that is authentic and genuine, it helps you become a better writer and develop a higher level of comprehension skills. It is completely different than what you learn from a textbook — it’s completely authentic and native Spanish."

— Spanish Teacher Leticia Magaña

Reading has been considered a primary requisite to comprehensive learning since the public education system’s infancy. It has aided students by explaining and reinforcing ideas that often fade away over the course of tiresome school days. Whether it be the complex jargon and diagrams of a dissertation or the simplified paragraphs of an “Intro To” pamphlet, the art of reading and comprehending well can help students enrich their lives much more than perfect test grades can.

"I would say even if you read fiction about psychology, it still is getting you thinking about the discipline as a whole, and you can evaluate accuracy versus inaccuracy. You can envision situations in different ways and with different possibilities ... just reading on any topic in psychology would be great because the more you know, the greater your thought process will be and the easier it’ll be to think about any topic from multiple perspectives."

— Social Studies Teacher Stephanie Kearns

"I do recommend that my students get one of the AP prep books. Those books are good for helping students prepare for the test questions ... The prep books are designed to help students understand strategies that help during tests, and while they have the same content as textbooks, learning the materials and preparing for the test are often two different things."

— AP Physics Teacher Peter Geschke

photos by staff writer sakshi umrotkar, costanoan yearbook.

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Sreetama

Feature 9

THE DIEHARD TRYHARDS: Seussical Poetry

In honor of Read Across America Day, four aspiring poets have come together to write their very own poems modeled after the man himself, Dr. Seuss. After researching and working hard at fitting verses into Seussical rhyme schemes, the DieHard TryHards have crafted their own Seussical poems.

1ST PLACE

2ND PLACE

Larry

Christine

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Maggie

3RD PLACE

4TH PLACE

By Sreetama Chowdhury, Christine Dong, Maggie Lai & Larry Shi Staff Writers

BEFORE

POEM

AFTER

Okay, I’ve got a confession to make: I don’t like eggs, green or otherwise, and I don’t eat ham anyway. I swear I’m not a fake Seuss geek — Green Eggs and Ham might not be my thing, but I’m still a diehard fan of his other works! From Horton Hears a Who! to How the Grinch Stole Christmas! to The Cat in the Hat’s lesser-known but equally great sequel The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, I’m more than familiar with Seuss’s clever wordplay and twisty rhymes. I’m no stranger to writing poetry, either, having spoofed Rupi Kaur’s style for the Smoke Signal just last year. The only question is what to write about.

Buried deep in the heart of some old geezer’s tomb Are a crateful of fimphums that prophecy doom...

“What’s a fimphum?” she asks me. “Who? What?

When? Where? Why?” They are monsters that tell you when you’re going to die!

“Well, I don’t plan on dying,” she says with a scowl.

“Do you want the whole story or not, huh?” I growl.

“I think I’m done with stories. I’m going to bed.”

Well, good night, kid. Don’t let fimphums get to your head.

Well. I can’t say I expected to win, but I also won’t say I’m disappointed! I did put in an actual effort to make this poem sound as Seuss-y as possible, and I’m glad it paid off.

The secret to my success? Made-up words (I don’t know what a fimphum is, either) and a healthy dose of anapestic tetrameter (yes, that’s a real thing. Look it up, it’s pretty fun.) I’m nowhere near the level of the man himself, of course, but I’m still going to be patting myself on the back for a while. I will say it was harder than I expected — after this, Dr. Seuss, I respect your hard work and brilliant creations more than ever.

Despite growing up on a healthy diet of Dr. Seuss books, my strongest impression of his work comes from the 2012 animated adaptation of his book The Lorax, even if the film had fewer rhymes and less silly fun than his published books and distinctive art style. Armed with my Lorax knowledge, blurry childhood memories of The Cat in the Hat, and my love for cheesy wordplay (i.e. puns), I’m sure I’ll succeed in this challenge. My poem will be, if not the best, then at least not the worst. After all, how bad can I possibly be?

Alfred Alpaca was once pristine with fluffy, pink fur and eyes that gleamed.

With curious spirit and courageous heart, he explored a new land. He wasn’t smart.

His companion, a bird, that sat on his head Bernice — or Birdnice — sighed and said “Alfred Alpaca, you’ll lose your clean fluff.

Even shampoo will not be enough!"

And, true to word, after months in that land, Alfred Alpaca looked dusty, covered in sand.

How bad can I possibly be? Not bad at all, evidently. Scoring second is a pleasant surprise after struggling to crank out the lines and rhymes for Alfred Alpaca’s poem.

To be honest, I’m both relieved and shocked my Seuss-related memories and Lorax knowledge pulled through here, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Lastly, I’d like to dedicate this honor to the very real and somewhat scruffy stuffed alpaca and bird that inspired the work. Thank you, Alfred and Birdnice. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Whenever I’d have a birthday party as a child, one of my family friends would present me with a Dr. Seuss book as a gift, written by the greatest children’s book writer of all time. Even now, I still adore the simplicity of Seuss’s rhymes in his children’s books. This challenge really can’t be that difficult; how hard could writing rhymes like those in The Cat in the Hat be? I know that I can call on my previous poetry experience and the memories of my favorite childhood author to hopefully replicate just a bit of Seuss’s brilliance in my work.

The day is here, alarm sound is near, You get out of bed, put spread on your bread, and you tell yourself the number one rule is to not look like a fool as you arrive at school.

The pain in class, as sharp as glass, All through lunch with the rest of the bunch, you think to yourself, Is it deja vu to do this again in a day or two?

From Green Eggs and Ham to The Lorax, Dr. Seuss is the hallmark of my childhood.

A voracious Dr. Seuss reader, I even began writing my own “poems” in elementary school because of his books. Now, with Read Across America Day coming up, I get to channel my inner poet and dish out quirky rhymes!

Although I’ve never written a Dr. Seussstyle poem before, I personally have high expectations for myself to write the funniest, most memorable poem the Smoke Signal has ever seen.

black tea green teas milk tea fruit tea so many teas to choose i wonder what’s the move rose or taro? pearls or aloe? i cannot pick a tea, so i might just get three!

Honestly, writing my Seussical poem took a lot more effort and work than I thought.

Simple words that rhyme transformed into nightmare stanzas and endless syllable counting with my fingers. Reading books like The Cat in the Hat may be all fun and games, but writing a Seussical poem is on a whole new level. Even though I’ve written poetry in the past, nothing could have prepared me for writing a poem based off of Dr. Seuss’s rhyme scheme. All in all, I’m just happy that I completed the challenge.

Well, I guess I’m not so much of a poet after all. Being unable to think of a topic of good poetic substance, I turned to my favorite thing in the world: tea. I replicated — or at least attempted to replicate — Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, but evidently, it was a lot harder than expected and didn’t work as well as I thought it would. Perhaps next time, I should try for more words, or even a funnier topic. Regardless of how I placed though, I’m still honored to have had the chance to experience a little bit of Dr. Seuss through my own poetry.

GRAPHIC BY STAFF WRITER MAHEK BHORA.

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The Smoke Signal

Athletic

what is your view of the modern sports industry?

“The industry is stuck in a loop where only men’s sports sell or show on TV, which is bogus because women's teams should also be given equal airtime and funding and payment.”

— kiran patel, 11

“It's a good form of entertainment, [but] I do feel that the prevalence of male-dominated sports has created an inequality in wages and audiences. Sports such as soccer, basketball, and football are all .”

— era dewan, 12

Ara

John a in ist hr C Keri Alyssa GiannaSarah

“Most of the time, the modern day sports industry doesn't allow normal people to shine, and it is currently very celebrity focused. It’s very common to see news channels pit newbies against professionals.”

— Andria luo, 9

I believe athletics at MSJ has minimized over time.

However, it has surprisingly gotten better in recent years. I remember I used to be a coach here and I did get frustrated with students that came out to pad their resume. They didn’t actually want to play the sport and that disappointed me. I think Kobe Bryant was a fantastic athlete, but I don’t usually let celebrities enter my personal circle. It’s worse when that happens to people in my personal circle.

Regarding the sports industry, The NFL has real issues with player safety they haven’t addressed. In addition, NFL owners are bad people which turns me off while the NBA owners are more humanitarian. I dislike it when the owners of teams continue treating players like a commodity, and not like real humans. But I do believe it’s a good diversion, and that’s needed these days.

A Tribute To Kobe Bryant

Payton

A lot of our students participate in not only our sports on campus but also our off-site clubs and intramurals and things like that. I think it is a good way for students to balance out their day with some exercise and keeping up with that competitive spirit.

— Assistant Principal Joanna Jensen

How has sports affected the MSJ community?

Lots of students at MSJ play sports, and it’s basically “a thing” at MSJ to be on a sports team. If you walk around campus, you’ll see … people wearing water polo hoodies, basketball jackets, or “themes” before every game.

— Katherine Lin, 9

*The Smoke Signal highlighted the most popular athletes which MSJ students chose via an online survey.

With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena Williams revolutionized women’s tennis. Williams began learning tennis from her father on the public courts of Compton. In 1995, she launched her professional career. She won her

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On January 26, famed basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others — baseball coach John and Keri Altobelli, their daughter Alyssa, Sarah and Payton Chester, basketball coach Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan — died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. As a tribute to these individuals, the Smoke Signal collected student and faculty opinions regarding Bryant’s impact on their lives and compiled a list of athletes who motivate the MSJ community.

The way we try to teach the Mamba Mentality is the same concept of, ‘you can’t control what just happened, and you can’t control what’s about to happen, but you can control what is happening now.’ In our program, we always encourage our athletes to make mistakes … The Mamba Mentality dictates that regardless of what happens, I need to walk away knowing that I did everything I could, and I think that’s a really hard concept for Mission students to understand because they are so risk averse, so afraid to make failures, even though failures are necessary to succeed in any aspect, any pursuit.

[Sports] helps to build teamwork because you learn to trust other people … It helps bring people together, people who probably wouldn’t have met if not for sports, if they hadn’t been a team.

— Emily Marcelis, 10

Since then, Williams has become a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, six-time US Open singles champion, and four-time gold medalist at the Olympics. In the 25th year of her professional career, she continues to inspire millions of female athletes through her off-court attitude and career achievements.

LeBron James, referred to as King James by his fans, is an American professional basketball player with three NBA championship titles from 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat and from 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James emerged as a basketball prodigy in high school and caught the attention of Sports Illustrated before being drafted by the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, Cavaliers in 2003. Throughout his career, Michael Phelps’ career an Olympic legend and “the he has received the NBA Most Valuable began at the age of seven world’s fastest man alive,” is the Player Award four times and has when his mother signed him up epitome of hard work, dedication, and become a household name for for casual swimming lessons. At athleticism. Over the course of his Olympic many athletes. age 15, Michael Phelps competed in career, Bolt has earned a total of nine gold medals and holds the world record for the 100-meter sprint, at 9.58 seconds, and the 200-meter he retired in 2016 after the Summer sprint, at 19.19 seconds. Through his extraordiOlympics in Rio de Janeiro, Phelps nary achievements, disciplined work ethic, had won 23 gold medals, three and intense drive, Bolt has become an silver medals, and two bronze inspiration to others, garnering medals, and is the most immense respect and admiration decorated Olympian to date. from athletes around the world.

Why are you motivated to coach students?

“I love teaching in general and I always enjoyed teaching swim lessons to little kids, making them water-safe, seeing the excitement on their faces when they complete something so simple like putting their eyes in the water.”

— Swim Coach Melissa Kaeo

What is the most rewarding part of being a coach?

“I think just earning the title of being a coach … when somebody calls [me] coach, I feel like it’s a title of endearment, where they … see you more in a different light. So for me, that, and also seeing them having fun, succeeding, and enjoying the process is what I get out of coaching.”

— Badminton Coach James Nguyen

“Well, I’m a Lakers fan for one, so I have followed the Lakers for a long time… when [Kobe] got together with Shaq, and they won at least three NBA titles, I think part of it is being in Los Angeles with the Lakers — it’s kind of a hub of activity. A lot of people have their eye out for stars, even movie stars, and the way Kobe ended up [is] sort of like a movie star of sports.”

— Physical Education Teacher Jack Marden III

How has being an athlete affected your life and balance of personal schedules?

I've had to miss a lot of parties and outings with friends for sports, but they usually understand. I have begun to find a balance in how many hours a week I can spend on my sport, have enough time to study, and occasionally spend time with friends outside of school. However, it still isn't easy sometimes. Sacrifices do have to be made whether it is a bit of sleep, an outing, or the sport itself since I believe Daniella Polishchuk, 11 academics should come first.

Being an athlete has helped me manage my schedule. After coming home from practices and games I have to be able to finish all my homework and study for all my tests, while having my own downtime when I can recharge and take a break.

Monica Manmadkar, 11 As a water polo player and swimmer at MSJ for the past three years, I can definitely say that it has taught me to manage my time properly; I know how to budget my schedule so I have enough time for myself, seven hours of sleep, my extracurriculars, and most importantly my studies. It has taught me to be fit and take care of myself, diet, and body.

Having a family to do this with has been an overwhelming experience and something that I won't ever be able to forget.

Centerspread 11

How has Kobe Bryant influenced your life?

— Girl’s Volleyball Coach donald Hui

Who inspired you to start playing sports?

“I had three older brothers who all wrestled, played football, played basketball. My dad was a college wrestling coach so I’ve always been inspired and looked up to them and just always enjoyed being in athletics and sports and being part of that system of growing up.”

— Athletic Director Tom Thomsen

Soham Choudhary, 12

— math Teacher Jan Frydendahl

msj student- picked Inspirational athletes

Friday, February 28, 2020

By Anika Arora, Kruthi Gollapudi, Amanda Pang, & Varun Upadhyay

Inspirations & Aspirations

"I think the modern sports industry has gone way beyond just sports. Every year we hear about massive sponsorships of football teams in Europe to the latest Trump and Bloomberg ads this Superbowl. While the sports industry is rapidly growing level, where athletes have been given a position and a platform for them to communicate their ideas and bring change to issues that we see today. Seeing celebrities speak out is great, but the increase of politics in sports can change the traditional values that we play for today.”

— edward Zou, 10 “Although the sports industry has improved in many ways, there’s still a lot of bad deals that … end up harming athletes … athletes [have] come out and talked about how they developed eating disorders and were sexually assaulted … There’s also a lot of cheating when people try to get any advantage they can, and I think that really ruins the whole point of sports.”

— Ragalina Palaka, 10

Friday, February 28, 2020

COACH voices

10 Centerspread

“Michael Jordan. As a kid, watching basketball was something my parents did a lot, and I was always inspired by that. Just seeing I was love.” never really into watching basketball, but despite that, Kobe was still someone I knew about. Everyone knew who he was. Every time someone tossed a paper ball into a trash can, you could hear them yell “Kobe!” and you knew they were talking about a legend.

— Ishaana Kodnani, 12

Growing up, Kobe Bryant was a big part of my family because both my brother and my dad ... always liked him as a player. [Kobe] was my brother's first basketball player who he knew, so I think that was pretty cool, how he impacted my family's life so much.

— Tennis Coach Michael Jan Five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star Kobe Bryant is

tial athletes. Drafted to the NBA out of high school, Bryant became the youngest NBA All-Star at the age of 19. Soon, his killer instinct became apparent; he would often practice alone for hours in the morning, and worked at all costs to win. His ethic

By the time I got into watching basketball, I think Kobe was pretty much at the end of his career, but I still felt like he had such a huge positive influence on the game of basketball and the world as a whole even when he wasn't at his prime.

— Andrew Xu, 12

his nickname, “The Black Mamba.” Millions of fans model Bryant’s diligence and are inspired by his loyalty to the Lakers throughout his career — he had stayed 20 years on the same team. By the end of his career, Bryant had established his name as one of NBA’s all time greats, but he then quickly transcended that role. Not only did he dedicate himself as a father and passionate coach, but he also went on to win an Oscar for his short short film, Dear Basketball . His work ethic and resilience will live on for generations to come.

I got into basketball because my friends [showed] me Kobe and the Lakers games, so … I thought [Kobe] was an amazing player even though I barely knew what was going on half the time.

When I heard about his death, I was in shock ... He wasn’t just any basketball player, he was a national and global icon and he genuinely changed the game and people’s perception of it.

— Haarika Bezawada,11

Ever since I was little, … I would always tell people that ‘I have the same birthday as Kobe Bryant,’ and they would be like ‘What, no way!’ That’s what made me the [most sad] when I heard about his death.

— Jainam Shah, 11

— Saborni Kundu, 10

What was Kobe Bryant’s impression on your life?

PHOTOS BY ANIKA ARORA, KRUTHI GOLLAPUDI, AMANDA PANG, VARUN UPADHYAY, FLICKR.ORG

& WIKIMEDIA.ORG.

12 Arts & Entertainment

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 28, 2020

Ambiance: 3/5

Haleluya Ethiopian Gourmet, located at 4144 Walnut Ave, serves unique traditional Ethiopian meat and veggie bowls or platters as well as drinks like smoothies and bubble tea. Read the Smoke Signal’s review of the first Ethiopian cuisine in the Fremont area.

The interior of Haleluya Ethiopian Gourmet perfectly captures a traditional family-style restaurant. The colorful and detailed paintings depict the religious journey of a blessed angel, which covers the entire walls of the restaurant, and Mesob, handwoven Ethiopian baskets, add a touch of traditional culture to the dining experience. However, due to the very limited seating at the restaurant, it became uncomfortably crowded, forcing some customers to wait to be seated. In addition, the cheap imbalanced tables were all awkwardly placed in a straight row, where people felt squished to one side.

Overall: 3.9/5 The Veggie Combo Platter comes with a homemade Injera, or Ethiopian flatbread, a potato cabbage dip, spicy and balsamic lentils, and piquant beans. The sour fermented flatbread complements the stewed spicy vegetables and lentils leaving a flavorful aftertaste.

The Tiger Spice Chai Tea Latte is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and the fruity pineapple smoothie is refreshing after the peppery legume, Mesir Wat. However, for dessert, the bland and crumbly macadamia and chocolate chip cookies do not live up to the rest of the food.

Haleluya Ethiopian Gourmet

By Anya Agarwal & Alisha Chhangani Staff Writers

Taste: 4/5

Service: 5/5 Although there were only two waiters in the small restaurant, they made sure that everyone was satisfied with their meal. The food arrived promptly, but the overall cheeriness and kindness of the staff stood out above all. The waiters would strike up a friendly conversation with the customers while making sure they had everything they needed to enjoy their meal. Both of the servers truly cared about forming a personal connection with those in the restaurant and treating them as well as they could.

The cost of the veggie platter, usually shared by two, was $14.99, but the portions were a bit too small to feed two hungry people. The food had a variety of flavors including spicy lentils and savory sides, but the quantity, unfortunately, does not match the high price. In addition, the pineapple smoothie costs $6 which, despite its sweet flavors, is relatively overpriced. The $0.60 cookie, however, is accurately priced. This flavorless dessert was mediocre, a disappointing end to an otherwise enjoyable meal.

Value: 3.5/5

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER ANYA AGARWAL.

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Arts & Entertainment 13

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R Birds Of prey misses its target

Father of All. . . Doesn’t Take All

IMDB.COM

By Megh Basu Staff Writer Despite an ambitious premise and a star-studded ensemble cast, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey fails to take flight.

Directed by Cathy Yan, the film was produced as a spinoff from 2016’s Suicide Squad, promoting Harley Quinn from a side character to the central figure. While the movie’s unique visual style and strong female characters are impressive and make it worth watching, ultimately, Birds of Prey is purely spectacle over story.

The film features Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as she teams up with iconic DC women Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save a young Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from the Gotham City supervillain Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

The film takes too much time setting up the events of the story and the rising action never seems to build up to anything — one contrived plot device simply leads to another. Even though the cast creates the strongest moments, the audience never gets to see much of the main characters interacting with each other. Instead, Birds of Prey is packed with throw-

G a m e By t e s Sayonara Wild Hearts

By Tanisha Srivatsa Staff Writer Released on September 19, 2019

by Swedish game developer Simogo, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a rhythm-pop action game that chronicles the story of a girl whose heartbreak disturbs the balance of the universe. The game is separated into 22 levels, ranging from hack-and-slash duel scenes to adrenaline-rushed races, collecting a series of magical tarot cards as you go that will restore harmony to the world. If the story sounds confusing, don’t worry: the game undeniably focuses more on style than on substance.

The artistic elements of Sayonara Wild Hearts are what especially make the game stand out. An initial cutscene performed by American rapper Queen Latifah heralds the introduction of the Fool and narrates the plot as the player traverses through the game’s flairfilled dreamscape. With its aesthetically pleasing jewel-toned color palette and beautifully animated characters, Wild Hearts boasts impeccable attention to visual detail throughout. A custom soundtrack brings the story to life through neon, psychedelic bubblegum pop, taking influences from everything from French composer Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” to modern dubstep.

The game also embraces a decidedly queer theme; the player alternates between kissing and fighting biker girls throughout the game, promoting an overall message of love over violence.

At $12.99 for a game that can be finished in just a few hours, Wild Hearts falls on the more expensive side. It plays like a simple mobile game, even though it is mainly marketed toward physical consoles. Clichéd endless-runner segments only require basic analog movements from the operator, and even the most challenging level is just a brief dance battle in which the player taps in rhythm to win tarot cards.

In the end, the game is a mere app store obsession, riding on an alluring soundtrack and euphoric visuals to remedy its objectively simple gameplay.

Purchase it (available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and iOS), and you can expect a few hours of mindless pleasure. ▪ Rating: B+

away references to more interesting DC storylines, such as Cassandra’s comic book origins or Harley’s time with the Suicide Squad, and voiceover that spoon-feeds the audience information that they could’ve easily deciphered. The storyline doesn’t seem to build up to anything — it’s weak and undeveloped, just like many of the characters.

Thankfully, the talented ensemble cast saves the film from its stale plot.

Robbie, who also acts as producer, plays fun-loving, quirky Harley Quinn with nuance and depth. Harley is an interesting enough character to carry a film; she earns her place as the protagonist as Robbie uses her range to portray Harley’s most amusing, comical moments just as well as her most poignant, heartrending ones.

McGregor is also outstanding as the villain, playing a genuinely terrifying character without seeming over-thetop. The rest of the actors play their characters well, but unfortunately, the script doesn’t give them much to work with. Winstead, Smollett-Bell, Perez, and Basco, who seem to be fantastic actresses, don’t get as much screen time as they should but do their best with their half-baked characters. Despite being advertised as a girl-gang ensemble film, Birds of Prey seems

to be written solely for Robbie; the other characters are only surface-level representations of their comic-book counterparts.

With help from the brilliant actors, the direction shines through regardless of the lacking screenplay.

Yan presents dark themes in an upbeat fashion to display the lighthearted nature of its protagonist. Harley’s childish outlook on life is splattered across the screen in the form of cartoonish visuals and brightly-colored cinematography. The juxtaposition of criminal chaos with zany characters and situations is at first off-putting but ultimately makes the film more interesting. A particularly violent fight scene is brightened up with exploding confetti, while a car chase with Harley on roller skates feels like a fever dream but adds a quirky element to the high-stakes action.

What Birds of Prey lacks in storyline and character depth, it makes up for in its distinctive visuals and its actors’ superb performances. The ensemble’s heartfelt moments hit the right notes, but they are few and far between. Birds of Prey is energetic and ambitious, but not enough to fly very far. ▪ Rating: C+

By Maggie Lai Staff Writer Four years after the release of the stirring Revolution Radio, Green Day is back with their thirteenth studio album Father of All… Facing high anticipation from fans worldwide, the punk rock icons’ revamped style doesn’t quite achieve the same effect as past albums; however, Father of All… nevertheless sends a message of unity through upbeat tracks, peppy lyrics, and powerful instrumentals.

The most striking aspect of Father of All… is its notable thematic contrast from past works — for the first time, the band has avoided explicit socio-political commentary in their tracks, creating carefree dance anthems instead. In the song “Meet Me on the Roof,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sings, “Come meet me on the roof tonight, girl / How high is your low gonna go, girl?”

Although thematically different, the energetic, youthful nature of the song is reminiscent of a lighthearted indie-pop track and catchy enough to get listeners on their feet and grooving. In “Stab You in the Heart,” the 60s-esque melody resembles cheery jukebox diner tunes, despite its gory lyrics. This tonal change from Green Day’s previous albums also provides a refreshing new message for fans — instead of being so caught up in what’s wrong with our nation, they can let loose every so often, be free, and have fun.

It’s also worthwhile to point out that Green Day utilizes an interesting mix of music styles with cathartic, angsty tracks alongside more spirited ones. A shining example is the lethargic “Junkies on a High;” chock-full of moodiness and cynicism in its lyrics, “Subdivision smile / Drink it in, dumb it down, suck it up / As we watch the world burn,” the song emanates dread and despair, emotions many young listeners can resonate with.

From the strong, satisfying riffs of Armstrong’s electric guitar to the full-sounding crashes on drummer Tré Cool’s set, the band’s instrumentals play significantly into the album’s merit as well. This is easily identifiable in songs like title track “Father of All…” and the lively “Sugar Youth.”

Although it has many exemplary tracks, Father of All… admittedly still falls flat in some places. The album itself is only 26 minutes long, Green Day’s shortest album yet and not nearly enough time to showcase the band’s full potential.

All 10 tracks, and the transitions between them, feel rushed and leave the listener overwhelmed. On top of that, some songs, though invigorating and appealing, sound boringly generic — almost like carbon copies of modern pop-rock songs — and wouldn’t pass for a subsequent listen, deprived of Green Day’s signature hard-punk element.

Green Day had the bar set high for them, considering the amounts of success they’ve reaped, and with Father of All…, it’s evident that they came close, but ultimately failed to live up to their past work.

Regardless, the band’s decision to experiment with different sounds and styles is appreciable in and of itself and doesn’t go unnoticed.

Enjoyable but not quite outstanding, Father of All… undeniably deserves recognition but will soon likely fade into the background of all other post-rock-and-roll age works. ▪ Rating: B

GENIUS.COM

Sonic hits the ground stumbling

IMDB.COM

By Mingxin Wang Staff Writer When the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 2019, fans were appalled by Sonic’s beady eyes and human-like teeth. The online reaction — a mix of horror and mockery — was so strong that Paramount Pictures immediately returned to the drawing board, completely redesigning Sonic’s appearance in three months. However, even with a hasty digital plastic surgery, the rest of the movie could use a greater touch-up. Unlike its classic video game hero, Sonic the Hedgehog is a slow-paced trudge along a disappointing plotline to an anticlimactic ending, all messily tied together with overused clichés.

The film follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz), a blue, spiky-haired, sneaker-wearing anthropomorphic hedgehog who lands in the idyllic town of Green Hills, Montana while seeking refuge from malev-

olent extraterrestrial forces. When the government becomes aware of his super-speed abilities, they send in a maniacal scientist, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), to hunt him down.

Sonic partners with sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) to evade the military’s clutches on a road trip across the country.

While the 1991 video game that spawned the Sonic franchise is charmingly retro today, the 2020 movie just feels painfully out-oftouch with its audience. The movie relies on a spattering of clichés and overwhelming cheesiness that fails to appeal to either children or adults. Sonic’s first line: “I know what you’re thinking,” delivered in a voice-over and played on top of a freeze frame of the climax, sets a precedent for all the early 2000s comedy clichés to come. Sonic the Hedgehog, with its lazy attempts at humor and outdated pop culture references, prevents Sonic from hitting the ground running.

With his fascist haircut, twirly mustache and high-tech mobile lab, Dr. Robotnik stands out sorely among the other cast members.

Compared to the effortless back and forth dialogue between Sonic and Tom, Robotnik runs at a different speed and feels out of sync with the kid-friendly style the movie attempts to attain. However, his goofy personality and charismatic performance adds an extra level of depth that the movie desperately needs.

Even though Sonic is every inch the energetic, animated speedster he’s supposed to be, his performance doesn’t make up for the generic plot and lackluster screenplay.

Despite Sonic’s lightning speed, Sonic the Hedgehog is an oddly languid film. The pace decelerates at the beginning of the road trip — right when it should instead be picking up — and stays there for the rest of the movie. The movie’s speed is restored during the climax, but

when it’s all said and done, Sonic is a formulaic road trip movie that lacks spine.

Despite its many flaws, Sonic the Hedgehog has its more electrifying moments. Its equivalent of fight scenes, when Sonic’s speed is really put to the test, are easily its most exciting. The audience sees the world from his perspective, as everything halts around him and he begins to move enemies ever-so-slightly out of position. The loyalty to this aspect of the character, even if having super-speed becomes a cheap gimmick after 99 minutes, is welcome for longtime fans of the video game.

As a whole, Sonic the Hedgehog fails to capture the unique charm of Sonic’s original video game series. While Sonic might move like a bolt of lightning, the movie bearing his name moves disappointingly slow. ▪ Rating: D+

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The Smoke Signal

Spotlight:

MSJ Arts & Entertainment Organizations

By Nishi Bhagat, Sakshi Umrotkar & Alina Zeng Staff Writers

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

From fostering the humanities on campus to preserving traditional culture, MSJ organizations allow students to express themselves through art in diverse ways. Here are a few of the organizations that give students an outlet for their creative passions.

Check out the web extension at www.thesmokesignal.org

Syncopasians Since its founding in 2008, MSJ Syncopasians, MSJ’s a capella group, has performed at numerous charity and competitive events. In 2017, the MSJ Syncopasians performed at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York to an awestruck audience, a feat accomplished by very few clubs on campus. After years of successful performances and growing popularity in the community, MSJ Syncopasians hopes to eventually become a school club, expand its membership, and participate in more performance opportunities in the future. “I hope that the MSJ Syncopasians can be a place where people can gather together and appreciate something that is really unique and not offered anywhere else on the campus,” Syncopasians Leader Senior Anita Sun said.

Ishaara is a fusion-Bollywood club that has exploded in popularity With in the MSJ community eye-popping throughout the years. choreographies As it grows, the team and picture-perfect strives to diversify its synchronization, COR dancing. “With Bollywood Dance never fails to impress teams in the Bay Area, it is the student body. COR Dance’s easy to fall back to the same members gather to prepare and generic styles, but I have learn elaborate dances with jazz, hipmade an effort to choreographhop, and even classical contemporary ically and stylistically branch influences. COR Dance has gained popularout,” Co-Captain Senior Kanchan ity mainly through their hip-hop performances Raju said. Despite being completeat school events; however, its students excel in ly student-run, Ishaara was the first bringing their passion to the school campus. “I really high school exhibition act invited want to be able to create a safe space for those who want to Bollywood Berkeley, a prestigious to get out of their comfort zones,” COR Dance Co-Presicollege dance competition. “In such a dent Junior Janista Person said, adding that although competitive academic environment, it is dance is a daunting hobby to first-timers, COR Dance easy to lose touch with your roots and the strives to give students a medium for their passion. things you are interested in, and Ishaara is an amazing forum where you can continue your passion and make life-lasting friendships, and I really value it for that,” Raju said, adding that she hopes Ishaara can spread their love for Bollywood dance to the MSJ community.

CO R

a aar Ish

Diabolo

MSJ Diabolo was created in 2018 to introduce the traditional Chinese yo-yo, or diabolo, to the MSJ campus. Since then, Diabolo has performed during Multicultural Week and multiple Fall and Spring Sports Assemblies, along with community events like the Fremont 4th of July Parade.

They hope to expand the club through additional funding and resources to accommodate their growing membership. The club hopes to help students manage their stress with the emphasis on the motor skills needed to perform with the diabolo. Although the club faced challenges in its infancy, including a lack of appreciation from the general community as a new club, it is currently thriving. “Our performances are memorable; the thrill of being on stage while the whole school is watching is unforgettable,” Diabolo President Sophomore Emma Wang said.

Arts & Entertainment 15

Da nc e

Universal Performers From hosting talent shows that feature stand-up comedy and dance performances to creating renditions of classic plays such as Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, Universal Performers plays a prominent role on campus as patron of the performing arts. The club not only provides students with opportunities to showcase their skills in acting and performing, but also helps them gain hands-on experience in managing theatre tech, prop and costume design, and painting backdrops unique to each show. With the abundance of opportunities that it sponsors on campus, Universal Performers bridges the gap between the elusive drama industry and performing arts hopefuls at MSJ. PHOTOS COURTESY EMMA WANG, KANCHAN RAJU & SMOKE SIGNAL ARCHIVES.

16 Arts & Entertainment

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Voices: Awards Shows

By Sabrina Cai & Tavish Mohanti Staff Writers

“Sometimes. Yes, I read all the trades. I was in film production for 28 years, so it is important to know what goes on in business. I read technical trades because I like to teach students industry standard software and camera equipment.” — Paul Taglianetti, Digital Photography and Imaging

Do you watch awards shows? If not, do you keep up with the results of them through Twitter, articles, etc?

“I think it depends on the award show’s target audience. For example, teen award shows should have teens pooling their nominees, which is what I think some teen shows do. But for stuff like the Oscars and Golden Globes, where the targeted audience is for artistry and its impact on society, I think the panel selection process is fine.”

— Tejas Miryala, 11

Some existing ways to choose awards show nominees are using panels, applications, and public voting.

Which way do you think is best and why?

“Most of the films and shows are already quite popular, so I’ve probably seen most of them or at least heard of them. I probably watch more of the TV shows because they’re more accessible and I don’t go to the theater that often.” — Serena Mao, 11

Are you usually familiar with the works that are nominated for awards?

Friday, February 28, 2020

The Smoke Signal

Awards shows have incited major controversy in recent years for many reasons, including snubs, scandals, and lack of diversity. A slow decline in viewership has sparked hot debate amongst networks and viewers alike about the validity, relevance, and prestige of current awards shows. The Smoke Signal reached out to students and teachers across campus to gauge perspective on the relevancy of awards shows.

“It depends on the show! I used to think of the Academy Awards as something super prestigious, until I read Bong Joon-ho’s comment that they’re just a local show. Moreover, when I was reading some of the Academy voter’s comments, I was shocked at how very uneducated some of them were. So the lesson I learned was not to take too much stock in the awards. But, I was very happy that the Academy Awards this year aligned with my own opinions.”— Emily Zou, 12

“I do think that it’s a place to share political and social messages, because most movies and TV shows are inherently political or make some type of social commentary. So winning an award just provides a further platform to pay homage to whatever the TV show or movie was trying to convey or accomplish.”

— Tushar Dalmia, 10

Do you think awards shows are important in breaking social and gender constructs in the entertainment industry? Why or why not?

Do you think awards shows are the place or have the audience to share political messages? Why or why not?

“No, but one time I saw Timothée Chalamet wearing the most beautiful suit and I just went: ‘Wow. I wish I was him.’” — Nihar Duvvuri, 10

Have you ever tried a trend you saw on the red carpet or in an awards show?

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS SABRINA CAI & TAVISH MOHANTI.

Friday, February 28, 2020

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jonathan liu Inspired by his sister to compete, Class of 2011 alumnus Jonathan Liu joined the West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy and then moved on to the Golden Bear Gymnastics Club at UC Berkeley. In his freshman year of high school, Liu was able to make the 20092010 Level 9 Junior Olympic National Team and was recruited to UC Berkeley with a Division 1 offer. However, he stopped pursuing gymnastics after he was offered an internship in junior year that would help him further his specialization in biology. Liu said, “I think that [my favorite part of gymnastics] is failing a hundred times and getting it on the hundred and first time…You’re better than you were the time before.”

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Kevin Tan

Gymnastics Legacy

By Sakshi Umrotkar & Alina Zeng Staff Writers

christopher turner

Ethan Jose

Class of 2010 alumnus Christopher Turner began competing when he was eight with the West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy. After being recruited to Stanford University, Turner recognized the importance of teamwork in collegiate practice. “You kind of start to change your mentality and start focusing on your team, because you want them to be able to rely on you as much as you rely on yourself,” Turner said. At Stanford, Turner earned AllAmerican honors after finishing fourth on pommel horse at the NCAA Event Finals.

Ethan Jose, an MSJ class of 2012 alumnus, was a six-time Junior Olympic National Team Qualifier and was a finalist at the Junior Olympic National Championship on parallel rings and high bars during his high school career. In college, Jose competed for the University of Oklahoma, earning All-American honors after the 2013 NCAA Event Finals for high bar. Balancing his premed studies with his collegiate gymnastics training proved to be difficult, but he was inspired to pursue medicine by all the doctors he met with due to injuries from gymnastic practice.

Class of 2000 alumnus Kevin Tan began pursuing gymnastics in 1988 at the West Coast Olympic Gymnastics Academy, and progressed to team-level competitions within two short years. During high school, he was part of the 1999-2000 Level 10 Junior Olympic National Team.

After graduating with an acceptance to Penn State University’s thriving D1 gymnastics program, Tan began his journey to becoming a three-time US National Champion on the still rings and a 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist in Beijing.

Tan competed on Penn State’s 2004 NCAA Championships team, and won the title of NCAA Champion in 2003 and 2004 on the still rings. Since his retirement from competitive gymnastics, Tan joined Penn State as a full-time coach in 2006 and has been coaching collegiate-level gymnasts.

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PHOTO COURTESY JONATHAN LIU

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The Current State of Gymnastics At MSJ At the start of the 2019-20 academic year, school administration members decided to drop gymnastics from the list of athletic programs offered at MSJ due to consistently decreasing enrollment figures. At the end of the previous school year, the 2018-19 Girls Gymnastics team had very few members competing in elite level programs, and even fewer returning members. Students hope that demonstrated interest in the sport will encourage the administration to repeal its discontinuation. “Gymnastics helped me learn how to bond with and lead a team at the same time — we do hope that in the future, they can get the program back on,” former MSJ Girls Gymnastics Captain and Class of 2019 Alumna Samantha Wang said.

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Sports Newsbytes LOCAL ALYSSA NAKKEN MAKES MLB HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE COACH The San Francisco Giants hired 29 year old Alyssa Nakken as their assistant coach on January 16, making her the first woman to be hired on a Major League Baseball team’s coaching staff. Nakken was a four-time All-American softball player at Sacramento State University before beginning her career with the Giants as a baseball operations intern in 2014. As the team’s assistant coach, she will now help with outfield defense and baserunning; she also plans to work with players in the cage to keep them ready during games.

SF GIANTS/TWITTER

By Anika Arora Staff Writer

INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL

NIKE ANNOUNCES NEW SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS FOR 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS

COLIN KAEPERNICK TO RELEASE MEMOIR IN 2020 Former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick plans to release a memoir in 2020 through his recently established company, Kaepernick Publishing. The memoir will recount the story behind his controversial decision to kneel during a pregame national anthem in 2016.

Although Kaepernick was released from the 49ers in 2017 and has not been on an NFL team since, he still trains regularly and hopes to return to the NFL soon.

Nike plans to dress all their athletes in gear made entirely from recycled polyester and ground-up shoes in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In tandem with the Olympics, the company has announced two sustainability initiatives: the “Move to Zero’’ and “Space Hippie” collections, which both aim to reduce the carbon footprint of their products. Other athletic companies are also working toward Tokyo 2020’s “Sustainability Concept” — Adidas said that they will make 15 to 20 million pairs of shoes using ocean plastic in 2020, while Athleta will make 80% of their gear from sustainable fibers.

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18 Sports

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Friday, February 28, 2020

Much of the funding for athletics programs in CA schools comes from the athletes themselves through a system known as pay-to-play. According to a 2019 qualitative study on sports fee policies published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, participation fees cost $150 per student on average, but 30% of those who participate in high school sports may pay $500 or more in the long run. John Klumb, head of the California State Department of Education, is implementing possible alternatives to this fee. For example, he proposed legislative proposals to place a $.10 tax on all professional sports tickets, with tax proceeds In going to support high school sports programs. However, there are no current alternatives to the pay to order play program that have been enacted. While all schools receive money from school districts for to encourage their sports programs, 60% of all CA high schools also raise additional funds through participation in athparticipation fees. According to an article published by Athletic Business, Tom letic extracurriculars, the FreByrnes, the former head commissioner of the California Interscholastic mont Education Foundation (FEF) gives Federation, is in favor of participation fees because the proall FUSD schools financial aid for students ungrams will generate more community awareness and able to afford certain necessities for athletics, including support for school sports activities and is no uniforms, equipment, and competition fees. The Guy Emanuele different from other fees that parents Sports Fund, which donates a maximum of $200 per school, was estabhave been asked to pay for lished in 2003 to help schools develop and build their sports programs, while also other school activihelping underprivileged students by working to mitigate monetary restrictions. Every year, ties. the FEF organizes the Fremont Run 4 Education to raise money for the Guy Emanuele Sports Fund through corporate and private sponsorships, with major contributors such as Fremont Bank and the Washington Hospital Healthcare System. Though the Guy Emanuele Sports Fund does provide for underprivileged students, it is the only financial aid provided to schools in the district for athletics programs. Even with a general fund revenue of over $380 million according to the District’s Budget FAQ page, FUSD only budgets funds to provide for coach’s salaries and stipends.

$PORT$ FUNDING

By Sumani Alem, Tavish Mohanti & Gokul Ramapriyan Staff Writers

Over the years, MSJ, like other schools, has had to be more self-reliant in funding its sports programs and supporting its athletes. The Smoke Signal investigated why this is the case and interviewed students, coaches, and administrators to find out the effects of budget cuts on student-athletes.

When it comes to funding the sports programs at MSJ, much of the fundraising is undertaken by the students themselves. Speaking on the future of athletic programs and FUSD, Thomsen said, “I don’t see any increase in funding, for as long as I’ve been the Athletic Director for 21 years, that’s all [FUSD] has ever paid for. That doesn’t mean they don’t spend money on sports, they maintain the fields and fix things when they are broken.” Snap!

Raise is a popular medium utilized by MSJ sports teams used to compile donations from the Fremont community. Teams can share their fundraiser information through their group’s custom-built campaign website. Most sports cost anywhere between three to six thousand dollars per year, and this can cover anything from tournament fees to equipment. Typically, the funds raised by each team are usually only enough to cover that season, so long-term funding for teams is quite challenging. The $50 that student-athletes donate at the start of their season goes towards maintaining the Athletic Department as well as paying the dues it costs to be a part of NCS and MVALS.

Boys and Girls Tennis According to Coach Michael Jan, the Boys and Girls Tennis teams receive an average of $3,000 to $4,000 annually, which goes towards tennis balls, uniforms, snacks for the team, and tennis court maintenance fees. The cost of the competitions is roughly $50 per match. Jan reported that the amount fundraised for tennis is average compared to the other sports programs.

Boys and Girls Wrestling The Boys and Girls Wrestling teams this year raised $11,000, which was used to help pay for uniforms, team apparel, trophies, the end of the year banquet, food, and the MSJ Invitational. The wrestling team tends to raise more money on average than other teams since they are one of the biggest sports at MSJ.

“I do water polo and swimming but I don’t believe we need more funding. The new pool is huge and great; our swimming facility is ahead of most of the other schools.

However, I do believe that track could use more funding. We don’t even have a real track unlike other schools.”

— Kasper Lau, 10

“I do not believe that the school is providing enough funds for sport programs in MSJ. I believe the school should watch each program’s expenses more to know which program needs it the most. I believe the Mission Track and Field needs the most funding, because they don’t have a real track.”

— Jeffrey Liu, 10

Track and Field Depending solely on family donations and SnapRaise, an organization that facilitates and aids in school fundraisers, the MSJ Track and Field team was able to raise $6,000 this year, according to Track and Field Assistant Coach Jahdai Bolds. For a given track meet, the program spends between $200 to $600, depending on the number of student athletes registered to compete.

If the sports programs were better funded, do you think they would attract more students? Why or Why not?

Do you believe that there is enough funding for the sports programs at MSJ? How do you think the school or district can work to resolve this issue?

“Increased funding would definitely attract more students. A lot of advanced players don’t join because they believe that the equipment is bad, or that the sport doesn’t get enough funding.”

— Serena Tang, 9

“I don’t think that if the sports programs were better funded more students would join. Students will join the sport regardless of if the facilities are good or not. If a sport has seen a decline in participation, or even been completely eradicated like Football, it’s not because of the lack of funding; it’s because students have no interest in the sport at this school.”

— Jessica Singh, 9 GRAPHICS BY NEEDPIX.COM & WIKIMEDIA.ORG.

Friday, February 28, 2020

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Sports & Photo 19

Boys Basketball Falls Short Against Washington, 37-63

By Anvi Kalucha Staff Writer

The MSJ Warriors faced off against the Washington High School Huskies on Saturday, February 8; MSJ went into the game with a 2-9 record but still remained hopeful for a much-needed victory. Though the Warriors fought hard to combat the Huskies’ aggressiveness, they ultimately could not keep up with their combination of a powerful offense and a lockdown defense.

Facing off against the current MVAL #1 seed, the Warriors came up short 37-63.

Offensive plays in the first quarter from both teams kept the score tied as each team scored uncontested buckets. As the quarter progressed, however, the Warriors began to fall behind despite efforts from Power Forwards Junior Dillon Nguyen and Sophomore Ethan Yuan to grab rebounds.

The Huskies closed the quarter 19-9 with their tight defense and fast breaks.

The second quarter ended similarly for MSJ as the Huskies exploited the weaknesses of their opponents, including out-rebounding MSJ and double-teaming Co-Captain Point Guard Senior Arnav Arora, significantly curtailing his offensive production. Boys Basketball Coach Mike Kenney said, “We’re lucky we have a really good player, Arnav, who pulls a lot of points. We were trying to prepare to get him some open shots, but I guess that didn’t work out.” After a drive to the basket by Small Forward Senior Nathan Lin, Arora received a swift pass and successfully scored a layup, bringing the score to 22-30 at the end of the first half.

Looking to close the gap, Lin opened the second half with an impressive three-pointer to give MSJ a chance to pull ahead. However, the Huskies came back stronger than

before, with their defense smothering any attempts to score by MSJ, despite the efforts of Center Junior Sriram Murali and Co-Captain Point Guard Junior Matthew Weng to gain possession of the ball on offensive and defensive rebounds. “We know their strength is shooting the ball, so we practiced closing out on the defenders and not letting them drive baseline, which they ended up doing anyway,” Arora said. With the Huskies continuously putting up shots, the Warriors fell too far behind and were defeated, 37-63.

Although the Warriors may not have received the victory they wanted, one player on the team celebrated a significant accomplishment: Arora is now officially the all-time top scorer of the MSJ Boys Basketball team, with around 1,320 points (at press time) in the 65 games he’s played so far. “Just knowing how much trust the

MSJ players attempt to grab an offensive rebound over Husky defenders.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER ANVI KALUCHA.

Junior Arnav Bindra scans the court for an open teammate.

team has in me is amazing. This is something that I’ve always been looking forward to and I’m so happy I’m finally getting it,” Arora said about the achievement.

“Just knowing how much trust the team has in me is amazing.

This is something that I’ve always been looking forward to and I’m so happy I’m finally getting it.”

— Co-Captain Senior Arnav Arora The current team is mainly composed of sophomores and juniors, many of whom are first-time varsity players. Looking forward to next year, the team remains hopeful that the underclassmen will step up and perform better. Weng said, “A lot of us juniors should absorb as much as we can from the rest of the season … We hope the team can do well and make NCS next year.” ▪

symbiosis youth summit 2020

breaking stereotypes

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Students and professionals share their experiences in a panel.

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Presenters discuss sexual safety tips and legal rights.

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One workshop focused on toxic masculinity.

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Activities were availible at different booths.

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Atendees sign up for various available activities.

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Food trucks provided unique concessions for attendees.

Educational workshops prompted discussion on relationships and LGBTQ+ identity today.

Workshop supplies await attendees.

By Mingxin Wang Staff Writer

Students from various school districts across California gathered at Centerville Junior High School on February 8 for the third annual Symbiosis Youth Summit. Symbiosis was first held in 2018 as a space where attendees could come together to discuss teen dating violence and LGBTQ+ empowerment. Hosted by Team Stronger Than You Think and Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments (SAVE), the summit featured educational workshops and presentations about building positive relationships, breaking harmful gender stereotypes, and understanding consent culture. Attendees enjoyed food trucks and watched live drag performances while celebrating youth activism.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER MINGXIN WANG.

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Friday, February 28, 2020

san jose flea market

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Rows of market stands selling clothing, homegoods, and more.

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George Bumb Sr. officially Customers look opened the San Jose Flea Market at the wares. on 1590 Berryessa Rd. in 1960, to reduce waste. Starting with only 20 Boots line the vendors and 100 customers, the market racks of one now hosts more than two thousand vendors specialty and attracts close to four million visitors annustall. ally. Open Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends at 8am, it has become a center for the sale of fresh produce, and a variety of second-hand goods like furniture and kitchenware. Not only does the market offer a diverse selection of food, like corn dogs and authentic tacos, it also provides entertainment for all ages — with bounce houses, a kid-friendly FunZone, and live performances on the weekend. Additionally, the market is well-known and widely popular throughout CA, even becoming a central location in Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner.

local markets

By Anya Agarwal, Anvi Kalucha & Tavish Mohanti Staff Writers

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The Newark Farmers Market is held every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the NewPark Mall parking lot, and hosts about 55 vendors who sell a variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats.

The market also boasts a selection of unique stalls, featuring items such as baked goods and artisanal jewelry, as well as snacks for attendants to enjoy like homemade hummus and warm kettle corn. Often, there is also live music to accompany the market-goers as they shop. The Newark Farmers Market is one of the most diverse in terms of wares in the east bay and is easily accessible, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a Sunday morning activity.

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Customers wander through rows of produce.

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Different types of beets are set up as a display.

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A popcorn stall offers fresh treats and free samples.

The Irvington Farmers’ Market draws residents from all over the community on Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located on Bay St. and Trimboli Way, the market is known for its collection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries. To cater to the area’s large Asian population, the market also offers Asian vegetables such as choy sum. Customers can enjoy kettle corn, fresh bread, or visit a stall exclusively dedicated to hummus. Children can savor honey sticks and other sweet treats for sale as well. Although finding a parking spot might be difficult depending on the time of day, visiting the Irvington Farmers’ Market is a great way to spend leisure time with friends and family while buying fresh, organic produce for the week.

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irvington farmers market Customers walk between rows of stalls.

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Sticks of honey in different flavors.

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8 PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ANYA AGARWAL, ANVI KALUCHA, & TAVISH MOHANTI.