Volume LV, No. 3

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 55, NO. 3

November 22, 2019

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

FUSD RESPONDS TO DECLINING ENROLLMENT WITH BUDGET CUTS

By Lily Oh, Larry Shi, Sakshi Umrotkar & Mingxin Wang Staff Writers

STATISTICS Based on the plan for the fiscal year, the FUSD Board accordingly predicts the number of continuing students. According to SURFBoardE Student Member Karen Li, FUSD analyzes birth rates and enrollment from Pre-K to determine the number of returning students. Since district funding is primarily based on enrollment figures, the number of enrolled students is integral in the budgeting process. “Student enrollment is where the Board gets its funding since the state provides funding per student, and if they have more students in the district, it’s better for them,” Li said. Other factors, including the number of people living in Fremont, also affect the result of their predictions.

According to FUSD Board of Education President Michele Berke, housing calculations play an essential role in predicting enrollment. “The number of developments that we had anticipated would become open did not, and a huge example of that was the development in Warm Springs … There are thousands of new homes there, and the developers there helped us build a brand

STATISTICS CONT.

On October 24, FUSD Superintendent Kim Wallace sent a message to parents announcing that the district is facing a decrease in student enrollment after years of steady increase. FUSD Public Information Officer Brian Killgore forwarded Wallace’s email to all FUSD teachers on October 31. Killgore said that it was sent out to teachers a week after parents received it due to technical errors. Per Wallace, the email identified declining enrollment as a trend reflected in 16 out of 18 Alameda County school districts since the 2018-19 school year.

$3,900,000 estimated lost revenue

641

16/18

fewer students than projected for 2019-20

districts also in decline in alameda

possible causes

new elementary school.” However, the elementary school could not be opened this past fall due to changes in developments and housing issues.

In the email sent to parents conveying FUSD’s calculations, Wallace said, “The loss of 641 students for the current school year represents an estimated $3.9 million in lost revenue.” However, Fremont Unified District Teachers Association (FUDTA)President Victoria Birbeck--Herrera believes that there are discrepancies in their data, instead citing a loss of 185 students along with the additional absence of 73 teachers across the district this year.

With regard to FUSD’s budgeting, FUDTA responded saying that the supposed dismissal of 73 FUSD teachers results in reduced expenditures significant enough to compensate for a lower budget. “[The dismissal of 73 teachers] means the district spent about $7.5 million less on teachers this year, so even though they have $3.9 million dollars less, they’ve already saved almost twice that amount,” Birbeck-Herrera said.

results & effects

While Wallace does not mention possible causes for the decline in her announcement, MSJ Counselor DeAnne Andrews suspects that it is due in part to the rising property costs in Fremont. Andrews said, “The housing market is a factor; it’s a big problem. Across the Bay Area, no one can really afford the housing.”

Berke also emphasized the correlation between rising housing prices and declining district enrollment. “Housing prices have gone up — I’m not sure if people can afford to live here. I don’t have the data to say that for sure, but anecdotally, we all know that the prices of homes are going up, and if you’re a young family, you have to be making a lot of money to buy a house here.”

According to Li, FUSD plans to implement a parcel tax, a form of property tax that is assessed based on the characteristics of a unit of property, instead of on its value. It is considered a qualified special tax in CA, meaning it may be imposed by a local unit of government.

This parcel tax would allow FUSD to compensate for budget cuts and revenue reduction consequential to the

Reduced revenue is a direct result of the declining student enrollment in the district. Solutions that have already been taken by the district include the reduction in the number of teachers and decrease in course offerings all around the district.

As a result of the diminishing number of courses and teachers, FUSD schools have higher student-to-teacher ratios. “The class sizes were impacted and students had more restrictions on the ability to move between classes at the beginning of the year,” FUDTA Committee Chair Peter Geschke said.

Moreover, the decreased number of classes offered at FUSD schools leaves students with little choice in

Since 2010, the median value of owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage has increased by approximately 87% from $585,400 to $1,096,400 in 2018. On the contrary, median household income in the US has risen by approximately 24% in the same time period, from $50,046 to $61,937. Such mounting prices could be one of the factors behind the reported decline of student enrollment in FUSD.

decreased enrollment without further increasing class sizes or limiting the availability of courses for students. Li said, “Based on community input, the board is trying to decide on a parcel tax amount to increase educational funding. The tax serves as an attempt to reduce any additional budget cuts that directly affect students, teachers, and staff.”

choosing some courses that fit their needs. Many teachers have expressed concerns about how these board decisions will affect schools and students in the long run. AP Psychology Teacher Rachel Tevlin said, “Instead of investing in infrastructure and creating a more robust school system, they’re trying to cut tiny pieces that are just going to hurt students.”

Parcel tax

GRAPHICS BY FLATICON.COM.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SOCCER

On November 1, 20 MSJ special education students participated in the Special Olympics Soccer event at American High School. Read coverage about the competition and what students took away from the event!

KANYE WEST, RELIGION, & JESUS IS KING

Kanye West’s latest album, Jesus is King, has drawn controversy for its use of gospel music and religious themes. Read on to find out if Kanye is being an opportunist, or genuine in this musical direction.

FOR MORE COVERAGE,

VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

By Anya Agarwal, Kruthi Gollapudi, Amanda Pang & Monisha Saxena Staff Writers

Los Angeles County

1,806 acres burned

Introduction

RANCH FIRE: November 3-14*

In the past month, more than 50 CA wildfires have ravaged the state, burning around 110,000 acres of land. The Smoke Signal investigated why this time of year is historically prone to wildfires, gathered public consensus on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) power shut-offs, and explored how the MSJ community and alumni have been impacted by the event.

2,534 acres burned Tehama County

3,435 acres burned

The Time for Wildfires

Los Angeles County

What makes the months of October and November so dangerous? In CA, rains typically end around April and only pick up again in late November. So,

by October, the state has been without rain for six months — a problem worsening each year because of the growing problem of climate change — making vegetation the driest it has been all year. Seasonal weather patterns cause hot, dry winds to blow westward toward vulnerable land in CA, which, coupled with low humidity, allows for a cigarette or a downed power line to be all it takes to light thousands of acres aflame. Thus, notoriously strong winds such as the Diablo winds in Northern CA and the Santa Ana winds in Southern CA are considered especially dangerous to the dry state of California.

SADDLE RIDGE FIRE: October 10-31*

“

ter’s school in Sunol Glen was affected because of its location. Her school closed with less than a 24-hour

“

notice, so I had to take work off to be home with her.

— English Teacher Elizabeth Waller

UC Berkeley campus administration decided to create a new protocol for mitigating the effects of future class cancellations. Some of our classes on campus are webcasted, and sometimes it's even possible to use a previous semester's lecture recordings and materials as substitutes for the current semester. Especially with the blackouts and fires being more common, the university is taking a

“

— Rustie Lin, Class of 2016

SAVE Program

El Dorado County

4,615 acres burned

My power was not turned off where I live, but my daugh-

The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that has sent disaster responders to provide food, shelter, health services, and relief supplies to regions affected by the CA wildfires.

Students can donate by printing and mailing the donation form on the Red Cross website to their local Red Cross chapter, or they can text CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

CAPLES FIRE: October 11-November 1*

TICK FIRE: October 24-31*

more defensive stance now.

American Red Cross

EASY FIRE: October 30-November 2* Ventura County

“

Relief Efforts

745 acres burned

8,799 acres burned

The CA Fire Foundation’s Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE) program provides immediate help to people affected by the fires by offering “SAVE gift cards” to victims so they can purchase necessities such as food, clothing, and medicine. In 2018, SAVE raised more than $2.6 million for victims of the CA wildfires. Students can donate online by visiting their website at www.cafirefoundation.org.

Los Angeles County

MARIA FIRE: October 31-November 6*

9,999 acres burned Ventura County

KINCADE FIRE: October 23-November 6*

77,758 acres burned Sonoma County

*date started-extinguished, according to www.fire.ca.gov

PG&E Power Shut-Offs PG&E’s power lines caused last November’s Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in CA history — 153,336 acres burned with 85 people dead. Starting October 9, 2018, the company began conducting “public safety power shutoffs” during times of heightened fire risk as a preventative measure. Power shut-offs have been concentrated in Northern CA, and left 737,808 customers without power during the first phase. Depending on weather conditions, outages may continue in upcoming months. PG&E has faced backlash for implementing these power outages without giving ample warning to residents. Small businesses and individuals who rely on energized medical equipment have been especially impacted by the shut-offs. CA Governor Gavin Newsom said, “PG&E’s mismanagement of the power shut-offs experienced last week was unacceptable. We will continue to hold PG&E accountable to make radical changes — prioritizing the safety of Californians and modernizing its equipment.”

Fortes Fighting Fires MSJ Visual Arts and Music Society (VAMS) is holding a winter benefit concert to help raise money for wildfire relief in CA. Clubs from various FUSD schools will come together to showcase student performances on Saturday, December 21 at the Irvington High School Valhalla Theatre, and ticket sales will be donated to the CA Community Foundation’s cause to aid those affected by the fires. Find more about this event by visiting the MSJ VAMS Facebook page.

“

UC Berkeley shut off electricity for the entire campus for a few days and the buildings around it. Class was canceled for three days in a row, so many midterms and extracurricular events were moved.

— Jessica Wang, Class of 2019

“

I think PG&E is trying to get ahead of some of these fires, but many of them are unavoidable. I know with the Kincade Fire PG&E did take responsibility for it, [but] whether or not [the shut-offs] really had an effect we really won’t know.

I know many people are upset by it ... especially [elderly] communities that needed electricity for their own safety or health, being on breathing apparatuses and things of that nature.

“

CA Wildfires

GETTY FIRE: October 28-November 5*

Friday, November 22, 2019

“

2 News

— English Teacher Elizabeth Waller

PHOTOS BY PSU.COM. GRAPHICS BY REDCROSS.ORG, ROMOLAGARAI.ORG & TIGE.COM.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Smoke Signal

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

3 News

Quiz Bowl out-buzzes the competition

NEWS IN

BRIEF Compiled by Anya Agarwal, Larry Shi & Tanisha Srivatsa Staff Writers

LOCAL

mercurynews.com

Students, teachers, parents rally to support ballot initiative.

March for Education advocates new funding initiative On November 9, more than 100 students, teachers, and parents gathered for the annual March for Education in San Jose. This year, the event was organized by the student activist group GENup. Protesters rallied in support of the ballot initiative Schools and Communities First. This proposed change would reallocate $4.8 billion dollars to education funding by repealing previous limits on business property taxes.

NATIONAL aljazeera.com The inquiry looks into whether Trump used his powers in office to request Ukraine to investigate his political opponents.

Trump’s impeachment inquiry heightens The impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump is deepening as more witnesses are called. Congress summoned 13 witnesses for questioning, only two appeared.

Top officials in the Trump administration have also defied subpoenas for their documents. This investigation has aggravated the divide between Congress and the White House, and it will ultimately test the extent to which Congress can enforce checks and balances on the executive branch.

INTERNATIONAL abc.net.au New South Wales declares a state of emergency.

Brutal fires in New South Wales reignite debate over climate change Calls to Australia’s government to curb climate change drastically increased as New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, declared a state of emergency due to severe wildfires.

The last state of emergency in the state was back in 2013, when fires whipped past the Blue Mountains near Sydney. This disaster has reignited debate over the issue of climate change and whether Australia’s government has done enough to curb the lasting effects. Researchers state that climate change has caused fire seasons across the world to last longer than before.

MSJ breaks three-way tie and wins first place at Cal Cup

By Anvi Kalucha & Gokul Ramapriyan Staff Writers

Buzz! As MSJ delivers the correct answer to the final question, they break the threeway tie and win first place. The MSJ Quiz Bowl team attended the California Cup competition (Cal Cup), hosted by the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), on November 9 at Bellarmine College Preparatory. The Cal Cups are a four-part series leading to the NAQT National Championships. The champion title at the first of four Cal Cups qualifies MSJ for Nationals.

MSJ sent two teams to compete, Team A, a competitive-level team, consisting of Co-Captains Juniors Vibhav Athreya, Ashish Basetty, Avinash Iyer, and Freshman Pareekshith Krishna, and Team B, a novice-level team, consisting of Junior Rohan Subramanian, Sophomores Tarun Suresh, Kaushik Varadharajan, and Freshman Haoxiang Qin. A competitive team is asked the most difficult questions from the three levels and are the only ones that can qualify for Nationals whereas novice teams are generally for those who are beginners and are gaining experience.

Both of the levels hold a preliminary round, in which brackets of five teams each compete in a round-robin, where each team plays the other. Teams with a winning record then advance to the playoff round, where there is another round-robin in the two brackets. The winners of these two playoff brackets then compete to be the champion.

The novice team’s record was 4-0 in their preliminary rounds and 2-2 in their playoff rounds, which was not the winning record they needed to qualify them for champi-

The MSJ Quiz Bowl team qualifies for the High School National Championship Tournament.

onships. The competitive team performed similarly in their preliminary rounds but pulled ahead 3-1 for playoff rounds, which carried them to the championship round, a tiebreaker between MSJ, Saratoga High School, and Mira Loma High School.

In comparison to previous years, this “In a recent national ranking based upon incomplete data, MSJ is a top-five team nationally. They’ve put in a tremendous amount of work and absolutely deserve it.”

— EVENT ORGANIZER ANKIT AGGARWAL

year’s Quiz Bowl team has performed much better overall, with members consistently backing up each other to score the most points possible. “As a team, we did pretty well, at least in prelims, we got probably 300 points ahead of most of the other teams out there, which is a lot so we scored like double

PHOTO COURTESY AVINASH IYER

their points,” Basetty said.

Krishna also noted that each team member has developed their own niche and their complementary skills are what help the team to cover questions across various topics.

They attribute their chemistry to making Quiz Bowl seem less like work and more like “fun,” letting members explore the topics they are most interested in.

Despite their current success, Quiz Bowl had difficulty getting members to regularly attend practices and tournaments. The team plans on working together in the future to make the most time for practice so they can obtain their goal of winning Nationals in 2021. Cal Cup Event Organizer Ankit Aggarwal said, “In a recent national ranking based upon incomplete data, MSJ is a top-five team nationally. They’ve put in a tremendous amount of work and absolutely deserve it.” ▪

MSJ hosts FUSD’s Got Talent Show Students from around the district shared their talents and raise school funds

By Alisha Chhangani & Alina Zeng Staff Writers More than 300 performers from 29 schools around the district gathered in C-120 on November 2 for the eighth annual FUSD’s Got Talent Show. Performances ranged from cheerful choirs to comical skits, all in a competition to win up to $2,400 for their schools.

Fremont Unified Student Store (FUSS) has organized this volunteer-based talent show since 2012 to provide a platform where students and staff can showcase their talents. Created to help raise money for FUSD schools and programs, FUSS Volunteer Albert Wu said, “[It] is an opportunity for parents to get involved, for students to show their talent and also to raise funds for the school district.”

This year was their eighth annual talent show

and was also their most successful as they were able to sell out tickets and house 500 audience members.

After a short introduction by FUSD Superintendent Kim Wallace and Niles Elementary Teacher Sherea Westra, the show began.

The performances were divided into staff, choir, elementary school, junior high school, and high school categories for judging.

Performances commenced with elementary school choirs singing in unison to Disney mashups and Shaker hymns. These were followed by solo and small group acts, including singers, classical dances, instrumentalists, and comical skits, who all put their best foot forward despite some technical difficulties.

Each school sent representatives to the show, and representing MSJ was Sophomore Srishti Gupta who sang “Think of Me” from Andrew

Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

The event ended with a highly anticipated awards ceremony as winners from each category placed first, second, and third place. Warwick Elementary School was awarded first place in the choir category. Warwick Choir Conductor Gloria Chang said that she “hope[s] that the audience ... [enjoyed] the music and [became] inspired by all the performances at this show.”

Samuel Joseph from William Hopkins Junior High School won first place performing an original instrumental mashup called “Drum Pop.” Joseph played the keyboard, drums, ukelele, and djembe to pop music. The audience gave him a standing ovation.

FUSS hopes to continue fostering volunteer efforts to fundraise for FUSD schools by leveraging the works, talents, and services of the students. ▪

corrections for the OCT 25, 2019 issue News Pg. 1: Make School is misspelled.

News Pg. 1: Jeremy Rossmann is a co-founder of Make School.

News Pg. 1: Sahil Mehta is misspelled.

News Pg. 1: BlueStamp Engineering is misspelled.

News Pg. 2: Alexander Sherer is misspelled Feature Pg. 6: The caffeine content of McDonald’s iced coffee is 9.09 mg/fl oz.

Feature Pg. 6: NESCAFE CLASICO is misspelled.

Feature Pg. 8: generationup.net is misspelled.

Feature Pg. 8: Students Rise is misspelled.

Centerspread Pg. 9: Lyrical airband only danced to “Human.”

Centerspread Pg. 9: Kal Ho Naa Ho is mispelled.

A&E Pg. 15: Alto’s Adventure is $4.99 on iOS and free on Android.

A&E Pg. 15: Hit-Point Co., Ltd. is misspelled.

Sports Pg. 17: Russell Okung is misspelled.

Sports Pg. 18: Varun Upadhyay is misspelled.

Photo Pg. 20: Anya Agarwal is misspelled.

Photo Pg. 20 Radha Srinivasan is misspelled.

Performances commenced with elementary school choirs singing in unison to Disney mashups and shaker hymns.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ALISHA CHHANGANI & ALINA ZENG.

4 Opinion

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Spectrum of Gender Identity How society inadvertently engenders the gender crisis

By Sreetama Chowdhury & Anvi Kalucha Staff Writers “Did you just assume my gender?” “I identify as an attack helicopter.” These and similar jokes about gender identity are common and tasteless; while ostensibly meant to be harmless, they contribute to the trivialization of and are symptomatic of the ignorance surrounding nonbinary identities.

The gender binary, a set of social and cultural norms that defines gender as strictly male or female, is both omnipresent in our daily lives and severely misguided. While most people are cisgender — their gender identity and biological sex align — gender is in actuality a spectrum. There are those who don’t align with either male or female, instead identifying as somewhere in between or both or neither. They may break from Western gender norms, but nonbinary identities have always existed — historical examples include Native American two-spirit people, who have male and Lilywithin Oh &them Gokul femaleBy spirits that Ramapriyan allow them to see Staff Writers the world through both genders, or South Asian hijra, who are transgender or intersex individuals.

The incessant reinforcement of the male/female

binary, both institutionally and through more subtle means, is incredibly harmful and invalidating to those who don’t identify with it.

We reinforce the gender binary in almost every imaginable situation, often unwittingly. In the classroom, for example, students are told to separate themselves by gender, but only the binary identities of “boy” or “girl” are considered.

Similar activities, such as “popcorn reading,” during which students are asked to call on a peer of the “opposite” gender, force transgender or nonbinary students to conform to the binary and suppress

their actual identity. Students judge people on the way they express themselves to determine their gender, not realizing that a person who displays themselves as completely masculine or feminine can still be nonbinary. More often than not, the existence of nonbinary students is overlooked — take, for example, the absence of gender-neutral locker rooms and the lack of options for senior caps and gowns that aren’t explicitly labeled “male” or “female.”

Individuals feel invalidated by this lack, compelling them to conform to societal expectations.

Outside of school, forced conformity is more insidious. The standards of behavior dictated early on by society emphasize a false idea of what people should like based on their assumed binary gender: only girls are allowed to wear makeup, while boys must be interested in sports, for example. Clothing, which should have no inherent gender, is similarly separated into binary categories — dresses are for girls, suits are for boys. Another less obvi-

Gender identity is incredibly nuanced, and we need to understand and respect that fact. Having grown up surrounded by the gender binary is no excuse for ignorance, especially when there are so many educational resources on the LGBTQ+ community so readily available: the GLSEN, formerly called Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign, for example, are easily accessible online sources of information about the LGBTQ+ community, and more locally, the MSJ Gay-Straight Alliance is always open to new members. It should not be the sole burden of the LGBTQ+ community to come forward and spread awareness; it’s everyone’s responsibility to educate themselves and respect non-binary identities — especially cisgender people, who are already in a position of privilege. ▪

ous example is gender reveal parties, where an expecting couple celebrates their child’s assigned binary gender without stopping to consider that their child might not identify with the label.

GRAPHICS BY QUEERCAFE. NET, WORDART. COM, & CLIPART-LIBRARY. COM.

Friday, November 22, 2019

THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 55, No. 3 | November 22, 2019 www.thesmokesignal.org 41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

SCHOOL POPULATION 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.

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The Smoke Signal

JOSEPHINE'S JOURNAL

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Opinion 5

ARIA'S APPROACH

The high price of overworking

Be happy now, not tomorrow

By Josephine Chew Opinion Editor

By Aria Lakhmani Opinion Editor

Recently, my nights have started to feel like a surreal yet predictable blur.

Around 11 p.m., I sit down convinced that I can wrap up my physics homework, mesh together a college essay, or edit another opinion article before heading to bed. Within the hour, my eyelids start to wilt and I inevitably put my head down on the nearest stuffed llama for a “short nap.” Next thing I know, it’s 4 a.m. and I awake with a cramp in my neck, the lights still glaring down at me, and a frustrating sense of failure and déjà vu — I haven’t accomplished what I’d hoped or gotten a decent night’s sleep.

For a long time, I thought I was the only one who had this problem. It was only after several friends brought up the same experience that I recognized I was part of a larger trend — a trend characterized by not understanding our own physical limits. It seems like many of us don’t have the sense to call it quits when we’re past the point of productivity.

If simply keeping up with your responsibilities requires that you work yourself to exhaustion, then your current lifestyle isn’t sustainable. It’s an indication that you need to change the way you’re going about things — and not by cutting corners on well-being, which is essential to every other aspect of life. For me, that means taking a nap right after school if I know I’m too tired to work efficiently, or opting to energize myself by working out with my sister instead of trying to plow through 150 pages of The Iliad in one sitting.

As much as we hate to admit it, our bodies do have limits. It might feel as

if we can shortchange our health indefinitely, but this comes at a constant cost. Pushing off sleep to study might provide temporary gain, but making it a habit cuts off growth in other areas — learning to manage time, establish a balanced lifestyle, or make healthy decisions.

On top of that, the physical and mental health repercussions of compromising sleep can linger indefinitely.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that cognitive functioning in partially sleep-deprived individuals did not fully rebound after three eight-hour recovery nights — so even sleeping in on the weekend doesn’t allow you to “catch up on sleep.” Other effects are less subtle — sophomore year, I developed a slew of destructive habits when trying to keep up with one particular class, and even now in senior year, those tendencies have never truly gone away. Late nights spiraled into later nights that spiraled into all-nighters, which still didn’t feel like enough time to finish my work; the occasional late-night study-session stress-eating evolved into a chronically unhealthy relationship with food that I still wrestle with today.

The struggle for “success” doesn’t stop after high school — stressors will always exist, and we can’t just burn ourselves to the ground trying to deal with one. Rather, we need to invest in ourselves by cultivating healthy habits starting in high school. You are the one constant in your life — you only get one body, so cherish it. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Destigmatizing teenage sexuality While human sexual expression itself hasn’t changed, the context in which it exists certainly has.

Evolving attitudes about premarital sex, spectrums of sexuality, and sexual abuse exemplify this change, but the conversation about teenage sexuality has some catching up to do.

Most older generations have considered teenage sexual expression taboo as they can have trouble adjusting to the changing cultures around sex, and this attitude is best reflected in the lack of proper sex-ed programs in schools across the nation. Since the introduction of sex-ed, many parents have advocated for traditional, abstinence-only programs to avoid the conversation regarding teenage sexuality, resulting in legislature that favors these types of programs. Only 24 states require sex-ed be taught in public schools, and of those, only 13 require the curriculum be medically accurate. Comparatively, 26 states require that abstinence must be stressed, with 11 more states mandating its coverage. Our own community has struggled with passing a universally approved curriculum as well.

In 2018, thousands of Fremont parents pushed back on a new sex-ed curriculum, 3Rs (Rights, Respect and Responsibility), that was built to comply with state laws mandating inclusion of sexuality spectrums and harmful gender stereotypes. In a resulting www.change.org petition with almost 16,000 signatures, 3R’s opposers rallied for the abandonment of the curriculum, citing concerns about the lack of parent input in what they deemed an “unnecessarily detailed program” after rumors of graphically explicit content. Petition authors argued that while CA law only requires sex-ed start in middle school, “FUSD offers sexuality health every year from grades 4-9. This excessive [sex-ed takes] valuable time away from other important programs.”

Despite the good intentions behind efforts to get rid of the program, delaying sex-ed and focusing on abstinence-only does not prevent teenage sexual experimentation and actually stigmatizes teenage sexuality. Abstinence-only educators like Shelly Donahue

“Two more years until we graduate, I can’t wait! College will be so much better than this,” my friend said after a particularly taxing week.

Her sentiments are common: we spend a lot of time fantasizing about how much better the future will be after we’re done with certain courses, months, or even entire years. We often think to ourselves, “Only one more year/month/week until I’m out of this job/course/situation.”

When I was having trouble with a particular unit in biology, I felt like the only light at the end of the tunnel was the fact that the unit would be over soon. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, these constant thoughts dug me into a deeper hole.

By convincing myself that the unit was simply a rough patch I had to last out, I started normalizing the difficulty I experienced every time I studied it. Instead of stopping to question why I was struggling, I just accepted that suffering was a necessary part of the process. While this is partially true, the belief that difficulties were inevitable made the unit seem like a burden that I had no choice but to endure. I developed an aversion to the topic, and rather than think about how I could improve my current situation, I began looking ahead to the next chapters, telling myself that I would actually enjoy those. In doing this, I believed that I was cultivating an optimistic attitude, but in reality, I was just acting in compliance.

When we’re faced with an unpleasant yet unavoidable situation, we tend to consider our suffering unavoidable as well. Once we start thinking of struggle as inevitable, we stop trying to alleviate our suffering and instead make statements like, “One more month until I’m done with this!” that seem to convey optimism. Maintaining hope for the future is important, but this will never help ease our current struggles. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the next unit, next job, or next course will not require some amount of struggle as well, and we’ll never fully know because we cannot actually live in the future.

The only thing under our control is how we live in the present. We must transition our focus from hoping for the future to optimizing our current situation.

We can actively take steps to improve our reality by analyzing the root cause of our suffering and doing some introspection. Ask yourself what concepts are giving you difficulty with a course or what is preventing us from enjoying a job. Reach out to teachers or counselors to discuss issues that you are grappling with.

Review tests or pieces of homework that you struggled with to get a better understanding of the topics and why you missed particular questions. Take a much needed break to clear your mind and regain your concentration.

Let’s stop waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel and instead spark the fire ourselves. ▪

By Lily Oh & Tanisha Srivatsa Staff Writers

rely on fear tactics to paint sex as an unrepentable sin, often through metaphors that compare those who engage in premarital sex to ruined objects, like dirty tape or chewed gum. If and when teenagers express themselves sexually, they may feel ashamed and scared to seek guidance, preventing conversation about topics as important as sexual health.

Without proper sex-ed, many teenagers never learn how to say no in sexual situations where they may feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, victims of sexual assault may hesitate to come forward in fear of being shamed for the sexual acts that occurred. Inadequate sex-ed also leaves many teenagers vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This gap in knowledge can be incredibly dangerous, as teenagers may not know how to experiment safely to avoid STIs or may not realize when they have contracted STIs. Even when teenagers realize that they have an STI, the connotations around teenage sexuality may prevent them from speaking up to get help.

The stigma around teenage sexuality and lack of comprehensive sex-ed has far-reaching consequences. Dismantling the stigma that surrounds teenage sexuality is a crucial step towards ensuring that teenagers can express their sexual feelings safely. First, we need to expand a nationwide sex-ed curriculum. A more comprehensive sex-ed curriculum must be not only available but also mandatory for adolescents at a younger age, and that change must start in our own community. Avoiding the topic of teenage sex will not prevent it from occurring, but opening up dialogue so teenagers feel more comfortable seeking guidance about sex will help them stay safe during a time of confusion and curiosity in adolescence. ▪

STAFF WRITERS LILY OH & TANISHA SRIVATSA.

6 Opinion

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Friday, November 22, 2019

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Friday, November 22, 2019

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SIZE SMALL IS

Opinion 7

NOT FOR ALL

A look into Brandy Melville's one-size-fits-most policy

By Anya Agarwal & Megh Basu Staff Writers Ever since the clothing retailer Brandy Melville appeared on the fashion scene in 2009, teen girls across the country have been drawn to its sun-kissed, Americana aesthetic. With an Instagram following of nearly 4 million, the fashion brand is extremely popular, carrying items like graphic crop tops and strappy 90sinspired dresses. However, the store has also recently drawn controversy for its one-sizefits-all policy. Nearly all of Brandy Melville’s clothing is one size, and that one size is small.

With its one-size policy, the brand doesn’t just sell trendsetting clothing — it sells unreasonable beauty standards as well. By exclusively making clothes for women who wear smaller sizes, clothing stores such as Brandy Melville make those who can’t fit into their apparel feel as if they need to change their bodies to feel included.

Brandy Melville isn’t unique in their demeaning policies. In 2013, the popular clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch received backlash when statements from a 2006 interview by former CEO Mike Jeffries resurfaced, where he implied that plus-size people shouldn’t wear the brand’s clothing. The brand reflects this with their limited sizes and by marketing only to people, predominantly women, who fall into society’s stereotypical image of attractiveness.

Visiting the company’s website confirms the predominance of tall, skinny girls modeling the clothing; the lack of representation of varying body types is evident. According to a survey by Psychology Today, 67% of women who are dissatisfied with their bodies say that thin or muscular models make them feel insecure about their weight. The lack of diverse body types among models such as those in Abercrombie & Fitch magazines squashes the self-esteem of teenage girls who don’t fit into their exclusionary sizes, leading them to believe that they must be tall and slim to wear trendy clothing.

The lack of diverse body types among models such as those in Abercrombie & Fitch magazines squashes the self-esteem of teenage girls who don’t fit into their exclusionary sizes, leading them to believe that they must be tall and slim to wear trendy clothing.

The trend of brands producing clothing solely for smaller bodies, especially in women’s clothing, reflects the standards of beauty that magazines, movies, and social media ingrain into us. By excluding women who don’t fit those standards, the brand perpetuates the belief that beauty depends on your body type and that women are not worth selling clothes to if they don’t fit a size 0 or 2. In many of their flagship stores, Brandy Melville displays signs

declaring that “one size fits most,” even though the brand’s one size fits only a small percent of the population. While an average teen girl in the US has a waist size of 31 inches, Brandy Melville’s biggest size is 29 inches around the waist. This vast difference causes those who don’t fit into the unnecessarily petite clothes to feel like anomalies when in actuality, the clothing size is abnormal. Women shouldn’t have to feel limited in clothing options simply because they are built differently from society’s notion of the ideal female physique. Through one-size-fits-all policies and a lack of representation, stores like Brandy Melville and Abercrombie & Fitch exclude the majority that do not conform to Barbie-like beauty standards.

While an average teen girl in the US has a waist size of 31 inches, Brandy Melville’s biggest size is 29 inches around the waist. This vast difference causes those who don’t fit into the unnecessarily petite clothes to feel like anomalies.

types. Above all, it is imperative that we do not belittle ourselves for not fitting into their absurd beauty standards. We must realize that despite what Brandy Melville portrays, there is nothing wrong with us for not being able to fit into their miniscule clothing. While it is important for companies like Brandy Melville to recognize the harm of limited sizing and start accepting all body sizes, our self-image is what most needs to improve. Programs like The Body Project and The Body Positive guide women and girls to develop a healthy body image by offering

“I don't think they're particularly harmful, but I don't think they're very accepting because it obviously perpetuates the stereotype that everyone has to be skinny and whatnot. If they have cute clothes then good for them. It's not harmful but it's kind of disappointing that they're not accessible to everyone.” — Arundhati Calambur, 12

As teenagers growing up in a media-influenced world where the ideal body is a size small, we must be mindful of the type of image these brands promote and recognize “These policies really shift everyone's perthat our self-worth does spective on what the perfect body is, and I not depend on an inhate it because it makes many girls compare dustry that invalidates themselves to the skinny female models on women who don’t the website. For instance, I was talking to a wear a size small. classmate the other day and she was talking These companies about how cute Brandy skirts are and how she must abandon their needs to lose weight to look cute in the new exclusionary policies skirt that she got.” — Kayla Chen, 11 and start making clothing for all body types. For example, Aerie, a clothing brand known for 2. How do you think the media’s portrayal their diverse model of the average body type impacts people? lineup, makes clothing in sizes that range from XXS (00) to 2X (18). Other stores like H&M and Aéropostale “I think that people seeing the also have extended media's portrayed body type as ideal their collection of sizes, ... [influences] them to believe that which shows it is possible having a certain type of body will for a popular clothing line bring the ‘happiness and success’ like Brandy Melville to cater illustrated in the media.

However, I to all sizes. do believe that it is also up to each Regardless of our shapes individual to respect themselves, no and sizes, we should urge Branmatter what the media shows, and dy Melville and similar brands to that the media cannot be blamed for implement more inclusive policies a lack of self-respect.” –– Jessica and turn our support to companies Wang, 12 that are more embracing of all body

around 50% of young 13 year old American girls reported being unhappy with their body. This number grew to nearly 80% by the time girls reached 17 years. despite 73% of women falling within the normal weight range, more than 70% of these women expressed a desire to be thinner.

workshops and educational resources to help them develop positive relationships with their body. Through getting involved with empowering initiatives like these, we can collectively fight the unrealistic beauty standards that have been pushed onto us by the media and stores like Brandy Melville. ▪

1. Do you think that one-size-fits-all policies by brands like Brandy Melville are harmful? Why or why not?

MSJ VOIC

ES

“Some people might be overweight because of genetics or things that are out of their control. Even if their body is not like the average body, they can still be healthy human beings. Portraying ‘the average body types’ is so narrow-minded because there are a variety of body types that are healthy and attractive at the same time.” — Annie Zou, 10

Out of 460 Spring 2016 ad campaigns, no model more than a size 12 appeared on a billboard or as a print ad. the average American woman is size 16-18.

BREAKBINGEEATING. COM TELEGRAPH. CO. UK GRAPHIC BY PNGLOT. COM & CLIPART-LIBRARY. COM

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Friday, November 22, 2019

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DON HERTZFELDT

By Sumani Alem & Mingxin Wang Staff Writers

EARLY LIFE AND START With hand-drawn stick figures, brought to life with dark comedy and existential theories, MSJ Alumnus Don Hertzfeldt has paved his own journey and forged a long-lasting legacy. Through his animations, he depicts an unsettling pattern of gore and violence. According to Bitter Films, “His work seems almost calculated to anger animation purists who see their craft as a fine art. His films are made up mostly of stick figures, usually drawn in black and white. They look like notebook pages confiscated by a fifth-grade teacher.” Despite the simple images and controversial themes, an intimate sense of humanity is cultivated within each story.

Hertzfeldt lived in Fremont for most of his childhood. Even at a young age, Hertzfeldt drew comic books and experimented with animation solely using a VHS camera. During his sophomore year at MSJ, he started crafting homemade comic books. Two of his short films are based off of his teenage comics. In 1994, he graduated from MSJ and decided to pursue filmmaking at UC Santa Barbara.

While at film school, Hertzfeldt focused most of his time towards animation. His slapstick and sadistic animations gained popularity for their surreal and unprecedented style.

He created his films using nothing more than a pen, paper, and 35mm camera. Like the antique cameras he would use later in his career, Hertzfeldt’s work reflected old-fashioned films common in the 20th century. Many of his independent films incorporate techniques such as multiple exposures, in-camera mattes, and experimental photography to set a time frame.

For more information about Hertzfeldt's work visit bitterfilms. com or check out his short films on YouTube.

Scenes from Hertzfeldt's I Am So Proud of You (Top), World of Tomorrow (Middle), Rejected (Bottom).

LATER CAREER In an interview for Paul Well’s book, Re-imagining Animation: The changing Face of the Moving Image, Hertzfeldt said that he has always approached animation from a unique angle. To him, animation is the medium through which he tells stories.

Hertzfeldt would later become a renowned animator with numerous awards and two Academy Award Nominations for his independent animations. Eight of his short films have been played at the Sundance Film Festival, including Rejected, a nominee for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Published in the early 2000s, Rejected quickly became an internet sensation for its characters and use of surreal humor.

The film features a giant spoon and an anthropomorphic banana. As the film progresses, the drawings become more crude and the pacing becomes more erratic. By the end of the animation film, all the “rejected” characters fall apart into oblivion.

The Huffington Post praised Rejected as one of the greatest animations from the past decade. Regarding his inspiration for the film, in an interview with Vice, he said, "I am going to say Steven Spielberg. I don't know why filmmakers never seem to want to list him. Maybe it's considered uncool because he's so popular, but nobody else moves the camera like Spielberg. I grew up watching everything he did, he is Mozart to Kubrick's Beethoven."

On the creative process, Hertzfeldt said, “The big ideas won't happen right when you mentally stress on them... It is more a matter of being patient and being open to all the things that just drift in."

PHOTOS BY IMDB.COM, MASHABLE.COM, GEEKANDSUNDRY.COM & BITTERFILMS.COM.

Friday, November 22, 2019

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ALL ABOUT BREAD

By Anika Arora, Mahek Bhora, Maggie Lai & Lily Oh Staff Writers

HISTORY OF BREAD

Since the beginning of civilization, bread, a simple combination of flour, water, and salt, has been a staple in the diets of different cultures. From French baguettes all the way to Japanese milk bread, the boundaries of what classifies as this widely loved carbohydrate constantly ‘rises' above and beyond what is traditionally known. “Bread” encompasses an impressive variety of loaves, baguettes, buns, and rolls alike, several of which the Smoke Signal has featured here.

ICONIC TYPES OF BREAD

11,000 B.C. Huge fields of grain appear in southwest Asia as glaciers retreat. Nomadic people eat raw seeds.

8000 B.C. Nomadic people use mortar and pestle to make “bread.” This bread was flat and coarse, most closely resembling modern-day chapatis and tortillas.

3,000 B.C. Yeast is developed and used by the Ancient Egyptians to leaven their breads. They also use top-opening clay ovens with which can control heat for baking leavened bread.

600 B.C. Phoenician sailors bring Egyptian flour and baking technologies to Greece. Around this time, Greeks adopt Egyptian improvements and invent a front-loading oven.

BAGUETTE

400 A.D. The Roman Empire declines, and bread-baking declines alongside it. Unleavened bread once again becomes the standard bread.

1200 A.D. Normans reintroduce leavened bread to England, and bread-baking advancements are made.

1825 A.D. German bakers introduce packaged cake yeast, making at-home baking easier.

1928 A.D. American Otto Frederick Rohwedder perfects a machine that both slices and wraps loaves of bread.

CHALLAH

1986 A.D. Matsushita Electric, now known as Panasonic, creates the first bread maker. This led to fresh homemade bread being far more accessible due to being able to have fresh bread hours after combining all of the ingredients into one machine all at once.

Bread appears 360 times in the Bible and 280 times in the Old Testament.

In Russia, bread is a symbol of welcome.

A combine harvester needs nine seconds to harvest enough wheat for 70 loaves of bread.

The longest loaf of bread was approximately 1.2 km long.

Fun Fact: The word “companion” comes from two Latin words: com, meaning “with”, and panis, meaning “bread.” A companion is literally the person you share your bread with.

NAAN

The first mention of naan was in 1300 A.D. by Indian poet and musician Amir Khusrow. Popularly known as an iconic North-Indian staple, there are many variations, which include Garlic Naan and various stuffed naans. Naan is eaten as a main dish accompanied by curries or lentil soups called dal. It is known for its versatility and soft texture. There’s naan better!

A baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread. It is usually made from a basic lean dough of flour, salt, yeast and water. Characterized by its distinct crust, the baguette is a staple in the French diet. The word “baguette” comes from the Italian word “bacchetta,” meaning “baton” — the name reflects the iconic shape of the baguette.

Challah is a braided, slightly sweet, Jewish bread that originated in 15th century Eastern Europe. A religious symbol of love, challah is typically baked and eaten during Jewish holidays and ceremonies such as Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. Moreover, it is Jewish tradition that a small portion of challah dough is separated before baking as an offering to God.

Rosemary bread is made from a butter-enriched dough with fresh rosemary to give it an aromatic flavor and a rustic look. The butter provides a softer and more tender crumb than the more widely known Italian ciabatta. Like focaccia but more loaf-like and with less oil, this bread is light and fluffy and is normally eaten as an appetizer along with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Doughn't sleep on these BREAD FACTS: The French eat a lot of baguettes, at 30 million daily, but the Algerians eat even more — 49 million a day!

The average American eats 53 pounds of bread a year.

Bread was a type of currency in ancient Egypt.

Before the invention of the eraser, people used soft bread crumbs to erase pencil marks.

Feature 9

ROSEMARY BREAD Although pumpkin-based recipes have been around for more than 1000 years as a Native American staple, the earliest recollection of pumpkin bread dates back to the 19th century, when it was made with yeast, cornmeal, and little sugar. Now, pumpkin bread is a common festive dessert during the holidays.

PUMPKIN BREAD Milk bread is a staple in Asia, used for a variety of meals ranging from simple sandwiches to panko crumbs. It was first developed in the 20th century in Japan using tangzhong, a warm flour-and-water paste used in China to make soft, springy buns. Milk bread is characterized by its milky-sweet flavor and unbelievably soft texture.

MILK BREAD

10 Centerspread

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Sustainability

Today

The Smoke Signal

As the severity of global warming steadily increases, people have turned towards new methods of sustainable environmentalism. The Smoke Signal compiled a list of lesser-known eco-friendly products, organizations, and movements and explored the level of environmental awareness at MSJ.

By Mahek Bhora, Tavish Mohanti, Amanda Pang & Tanisha Srivatsa Staff Writers

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— Isha Salwan ,11

Friday, November 22, 2019

The LifeStraw Go is an ideal water bottle for students, with its durable design and microbiological water filter. Students can use this water bottle for years without having to worry about buying replacements, making it a worthwhile investment.

LifeStraw Go

— Samrat Ghosh, 12

Solar phone chargers, such as Goal Zero’s product, harvest solar energy to power mobile devices. This environmentally-friendly tech product sources energy sustainably, as opposed to traditional power sourcing from coal, which creates smog pollution and waste byproducts.

Biodegradable/ Metal Straws

Both biodegradable and metal straws have long been considered sustainable alternatives to their plastic counterparts, as they can be reused without needing disposal. Companies like Eco-Products Store offer compostable straws that reduce the amount of waste from plastic straws.

The rPET backpack, made from recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), utilizes disposable plastic bottles that are converted into a fabric. The production of the rPET backpack requires 90% less water than a regular backpack would. In addition, most polyester backpacks consist of petroleum, a fossil fuel, so using recycled plastic fabric cuts carbon emissions by 70%.

rPet Backpack

Solar Phone Charger

KDKE

Mail used markers to Crayola

E a c h email in a cluttered inbox typically equates to 10 grams of carbon dioxide; web servers used to store emails are constantly generating carbon to operate. In addition, a study by Inner City Fund International and McAfee reveals that storing one gigabyte of email consumes 32.1 kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough energy to completely power a small refrigerator for almost a month. As another method of sustainability, students can conveniently help the environment by clearing out their email inboxes.

With 1.5 billion plastic toothpaste tubes in the trash every year, environmentally-friendly company UNPASTE has designed a sustainable solution: UNPASTE Zero- Waste Tooth Tabs. With their plastic-free, fully compostable design and chemical- minimizing production, these tablets can be used just like traditional toothpaste, but without material waste.

KIDCE

of responders correctly answered that the goal of the 350 campaign was to stop the usage of fossil fuels in projects, through local resolutions and community resistance.

of students said they and their families bring reusable bags to the grocery store when shopping.

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge’s Wands for Wildlife gathers old mascara wands to remove fly eggs and larvae from the fur and feathers of wild animals, preventing the spread of harmful diseases. Wands should be washed in warm, soapy water to remove residual mascara prior to being mailed to P.O. Box 1211, Skyland, NC 28776.

FGDHE

of responders said they did not know what the American Farmland Trust organization was.

Mail old mascara wands to Appalachian Wildlife Refuge

Many students at MSJ are largely uninformed of rising environmental campaigns and movements. For example, 76.7% of the students surveyed did not know what the Beyond Meat campaign was, even though it has been publicized on TV and sold at many popular stores such as Walmart and Carl's Jr. The data emphasizes a lack of awareness -- the issue surrounding the deteriorating environment has not inspired students to try and find solutions they can implement into their lives.

Additionally, 53.3% of students believed that social media is ineffective in promoting activism. Students believe that social media is just a facade that cannot affect them personally, but in reality, the huge impact social media has on teenagers’ lives can actually help promote environmental awareness. These statistics should encourage the student body to learn more about time-dependant global issues that are affecting their lives on a daily basis.

While it may be convenient for students to disregard environmental issues that do not affect them personally, they need to acknowledge the environment’s current state of destruction and educate themselves on prospective solutions. With that knowledge, students should use their privileged platforms to make change— living in the Bay Area opens doors to a multitude of opportunities due to technological innovations and an open-minded community. Reusing and recycling, while helpful, are no longer the only ways to contribute to the cause at hand. With global warming becoming a greater issue, it is time to take action by participating in ecological movements and practicing eco-friendly habits.

*This analysis was taken from an anonymous survey of 213 students distributed to classrooms which were randomly chosen and distributed evenly across all grade levels.

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said they used either a reusable water water, metal straw or both.

of responders said that they did not know what the Beyond Meat campaign is.

This movement takes advantage of social media’s connections across the world. We Don’t Have Time (WDHT) holds CEOs and companies in power accountable for their actions and encourages members of the platform to create their own local climate campaigns.

People can show their support for an organization by hitting “like” on a campaign’s page and posting proactive comments. As the simplest way to understand different climate campaigns, the WDHT app is available in the app store for free.

clean up email box

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Use Ecosia: environmentally conscious search engine

350 began an international movement to end the use of fossil fuels and instead utilize more natural and renewable resources to power the planet. The project aims to lower the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is currently at 407.4 parts per million (ppm) to 350ppm, hence the name of the organization.

To achieve its goal, 350 supports community-led energy solutions and promotes a grassroots movement to lead corporations away from environmentally harmful production methods.

Allbirds Shoes

CCD'E

Christian Kroll founded Ecosia in 2009 after traveling around the world and learning about reforestation. Every time a user searches on the engine, search ads generate funds for Ecosia to plant trees. At the time of writing, more than 74 million trees have been planted worldwide.

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Allbirds shoes are a comfortable and sustainable alternative to mass-produced sneakers. Associated with cruelty-free material harvesting methods and pollution-free production, Allbirds makes their products off of wool and Trino, a super-yarn made out of tree fibers and merino wool. As an added bonus, the brand’s shoe packaging is made with 90% recycled cardboard.

said that they had considered a plant-based diet for environmental reasons.

Habits that Help ColorCycle, Crayola’s newest recycling movement, repurposes used markers into new products, therefore cutting down on water use needed to produce brand new markers and carbon emissions released during this process. Students can mail contributions through MSJ’s ColorCycle representative, Jean Dotson, or ship them individually to 1100 Church Lane, Easton, PA, 18040.

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The Smoke Signal

UNPASTE Tooth Tabs

— Tvisha Singh, 11

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Friday, November 22, 2019

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Founded in 2006 by scientists from Iceland, America, and France, CarbFix captures carbon dioxide and other sour gases (lethal gases containing hydrogen sulfide) and converts them into carbonate rock to store beneath the Earth’s surface. During a 2012 pilot test at the CarbFix site in Iceland, over 95% of the carbon dioxide that was injected into land near the Hellisheidi Power Plant mineralized in less than two years. Once confirmed as feasible for an industrial scale in 2014, this process was applied at the Hellisheidi Geothermal Plant and at the end of 2018, one third of the carbon dioxide emissions are being re-injected from the site annually.

This Los Angeles-based company focuses on plant-based meat substitutes that are more eco-friendly than meat products. Beyond Meat offers equal to greater amounts of protein than their meat counterparts, less saturated fat, and no cholesterol or hormones. Attracting investors such as Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyond Meat has been more successful than previous vegetarian burger patties because it most accurately replicates a beef burger experience — from the flavor and texture to the fact that it “bleeds” like a beef patty. Beyond Meats can be found at Safeway, Walmart, and other nearby grocery stores. This movement aims to improve animal and human welfare, address the consumption of limited resources, and fight climate change.

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Since 1980, the American Farmland Trust has served as a headliner in a conservation agriculture movement by protecting over 6.5 million acres of farmland and promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices. Thus far, the Trust has also reduced development pressure on over 300 million acres of land. The organization’s holistic approach towards agricultural lands also promotes the importance of locally-based conservation agriculture and food systems.

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This student-led grassroots campaign is one of the most influential campaigns among younger generations for sustainability today. Started by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg in 2018, her call-to-action includes stopping any new coal, oil, and gas projects, as well as pushing for a 100% renewable energy generation by 2035. This project has evolved into something much bigger than the one person who initiated it, forcing people in power to treat the environment as a crucial ethical issue rather than just an environmental issue.

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The Smoke Signal

THE DIEHARD TRYHARDS: Get that Bread

Arguably the most versatile and satisfying food there is, bread holds a special place in everyone’s hearts — and stomachs.

It’s fluffy, delicious, and filling. There’s a bread to satiate any craving — pita bread, flatbread, white bread … the list goes on. Four DieHard TryHard bakers, ranging from bread buckwheaters to dough doyens, tackled the challenge of learning world-famous bread recipes and put their bread-baking skills to the test to be judged and ranked.

Friday, November 22, 2019

By Anika Arora, Mahek Bhora, Maggie Lai & Lily Oh Staff Writers

BEFORE

Anika

Bread is undoubtedly taken for granted — just think about it. Our society is blessed to have grilled cheese, bagels, and French toast, all of which are impossible to make without bread. With the holiday season approaching and my strong appreciation for sweet bread, I have decided to tackle one of my favorite recipes — pumpkin bread. As a devoted baker, I have lots of practice baking a variety of treats including cookies, banana bread, and cupcakes, and am sure that my bread will be the best when put to the ultimate test.

mahek

Carbohydrates are not only the best food group, they are one of the four major macromolecules necessary for life.

Therefore, bread is life. Comprised of just three simple ingredients — flour, water, and salt — bread is one of the most important and oldest cooked foods that we’re still consuming today. ith more than 136 types of bread to choose from, I’ve decided to make rosemary bread.

Due to the innumerable years spent cooking, baking, and testing various recipes no-knead bread is a lie , I’m confident in my abilities to RISE to the top and bake the best bread.

maggie As an avid foodie, I stand by the indisputable fact that bread is THE ultimate comfort food. From raiding bakeries to devouring ungodly amounts of toast in bed, it’s safe to say that bread is a must-have in my everyday life. However, I’ve never baked bread; making challah, a traditional Jewish bread known for its braided look and hint of sweetness, will be an entirely new experience for me. Nevertheless, I’m ready to let my inner bread baker shine and prepare the most appetizing bread of all. #GainThisGrain.

lily

Bread is a superfood. Not superfood as in nuts or berries — but as in superhero, like Iron Man and Captain America. Bread is so capable! Not only does bread taste good, it is insanely versatile; it can be brittle or fluffy, sweet or savory, flat or leavened, and so much more! It can also make a student feel better about the worst of days. ith its pillowy and soft interior, bread is an ultimate comfort food. For this challenge, I’ve decided to make the classic Japanese milk bread as well as the iconic French baguette.

Accompanied by a stand-mixer and a bread machine, as well as my years of e perience stress-baking at a.m., I am confident that I will bake the tastiest bread.

AFTER

$10,096.16

$9963.40

$9695.96

$9488.48

Honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised with earning second place. Although I have baked many times in the past, this was the first time that I was left entirely without my mom’s expertise. Since I didn’t have all the necessary ingredients while baking, I was forced to improvise, but the bread turned out better than ever. I was able to prove my worth as a baker and make a tasty pumpkin bread topped with homemade pumpkin vanilla frosting — all within four hours. I’m glad I had the wonderful opportunity to compete against other capable bakers, as my confidence and baking skills have surged through the process.

I’ve always enjoyed baking bread, and I’m glad my love for baking came across to the judges. This bread is very special to me because it’s a recipe I've perfected over the years and added my personal touches to. During the kneading process, I kneaded to improvise a few times, all of which taught me valuable lessons. I had to stray away from the recipe at times and make quick judgements due to the inconsistency of the environment throughout the day. The temperature and humidity of the environment affect the dough more than one would think. I’m very pleased with the praise I received for my bread, and will continue my baking endeavors in the future!

Although I ended up in third place, my homemade challah turned out much better than I thought, considering it was my first time baking any kind of bread. I’m happy with the fact that my bread won for its pleasing aesthetic even though it was a bit lacking in taste and moisture. The baking process itself was a memorable e perience for me, from the satisfaction of braiding the challah dough to the eager anticipation I felt as I watched the bread slowly rise in the oven. o matter how I ranked, I learned a whole lot from this challenge and am grateful for the chance to have demonstrated my bread-baking potential.

Despite having put a lot of time and effort into baking my breads, I’m entirely satisfied with coming in second in the rankings. I baked a lot of bread and gave it out to a lot of people, and they all loved it. I don’t think I’ve ever received so many compliments hile baking two different kinds of bread and making red bean filling from scratch was a lot of work, I was able to make sure that everyone had something they would enjoy. o, while my breads lacked the delicacy they could’ve had if I’d chosen one recipe, I’m perfectly content with the outcome. In fact, I’m planning on baking again ne t week. I just knead some bread in my life

2ND PLACE

1ST PLACE

3RD PLACE

2ND PLACE PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LUCIA LI & GRAPHICS EDITOR KIMBERLY HUANG.

Friday, November 22, 2019

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Arts & Entertainment 13

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R last christmas has charisma, lacks purpose

By Kruthi Gollapudi Staff Writer Last Christmas, a seasonal romantic comedy about the perpetually unlucky Kate (Emilia Clarke) on her journey of self discovery following her recovery from a life-threatening illness, is a gift wrapped with confusing plotlines but topped with a bow of irresistible charm. Relying heavily on its genuinely likable characters, compelling family dynamics, and delivery of meaningful life lessons, this film manages to make even the haphazard hodgepodge of storylines and jarring twist-ending quite endearing.

Directed by renowned filmmaker Paul Feig, one of Last Christmas’s major successes is the atmosphere created by the setting. The idealized portrayal of London at Christmastime — a world adorned with twinkly lights, holiday cheer, and yearround Christmas shops — makes the film feel as magical as any holiday movie should be. Feig’s decision to tribute this film as a love letter to late musician George Michael also paid off in spades; the soundtrack complete with Michael’s greatest holiday hits adds much needed joy and innocence to paint the perfect backdrop for the film’s own winter wonderland.

Despite several subplots about immigrant anxiety during Brexit, the challenges

Under the Radar still woozy

By Mahek Bhora Staff Writer Characterized by his dreamy yet soulful voice, Still Woozy, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter whose real name is Sven Gamsky, is carving a niche out for himself by combining electronic and acoustic sounds. His music falls into multiple genres — it’s an amalgamation of indie pop, R&B, funk, and bedroom pop. Gamsky’s goal with his music is to create pieces that make it easier for him to connect to his listeners and with his quick hits, and it’s safe to say he’s well on his way to do just that.

Gamsky’s vocals combine with his carefree and groovy beats to produce music with a psychedelic sound. In an interview with Complex, Gamsky talked about being depressed as a teen before learning to understand his emotions and process them into music. The conversational lyrics also make it seem as if he is talking to the audience in each one of his songs, allowing him to connect on a more approachable level. Speaking on his songs, he said, “There’s a suitable amount of melancholy mixed with self-deprecation, and also a general feeling that it’s going to be okay.” After playing with math-rock band Feed Me Jack for five years, Gamsky felt that he needed more freedom to produce his own style, influenced by artists such as Steve Lacy and Frank Ocean. A mere six months after the band disbanded, he released his first single “Cooks,” which describes wanting to spend time with a lover. His rise to fame came with his single “Goodie Bag,” released in November 2017.

The success of his hit songs have led Gamsky to play at music festivals such as Coachella, Outside Lands, and Lollapalooza. Though his music may deviate significantly from mainstream pop, it’s worth giving a shot — you might even find yourself unconsciously grooving to the feel-good music. ▪

IMDB.COM

of coming out, and the importance of giving back to the community, this movie primarily follows the relationship between the cynical, sarcastic Kate and the overly optimistic Tom (Henry Golding). This romance is carried greatly by the chemistry between the two leads — Clarke’s and Golding’s performance perfectly encapsulates the meaningful bond the protagonists share, their authentic connection apparent through the screen.

Unfortunately, even such charismatic acting could not make up for the dull tale of this romance. Each interaction between Tom and Kate seems to drag on aimlessly with little regard to the progression of the plot. This issue is mainly due to the way Golding’s character was written. Tom’s frequent disappearances and mysterious way of life only hinder Kate’s personal growth and perception of her self-worth by making her feel excessively dependent; in fact, her most compelling scenes involving self reflection and development occur with her boss, “Santa” (Michelle Yeoh), or family, away from Tom. Kate’s moments with her mother (Emma Thompson) stole the show, their chemistry and comedic timing contributing to most of the movie’s humor and magic, overshadowing the romance and accentuating the lack of substance in the story’s central relationship.

In addition to the slow pace set by the

lackluster leading romance, the potential of the final shocking twist is squandered by an absence of buildup to a rushed execution. While the twist ending is refreshing compared to the general predictability of most holiday films, the surprise revelation is glossed over with little to no explanation, leaving the audience more confused than satisfied from a film meant to promote the holiday spirit.

Regardless of its faults in plot and pacing, Last Christmas finds its saving grace in Clarke’s mesmerizing performance as Kate. Her portrayal of this glass-half-empty character is remarkably relatable, somehow making such a sarcastic cynic who refuses to appreciate her life surprisingly likable. From working in a silly elf costume at a Christmas store to opening up about a serious past illness, Clarke’s performance is fascinating enough to evoke audiences’ tears of laughter and sadness alike.

At its heart, Last Christmas is not a traditional rom-com but a love story about the mending of a broken family, emphasizing the importance of self-love. Weakened by a poorly planned plot but strengthened with captivating characters, this film peaks at average, hovering on the cusp of being something truly special.

MAGDALENE is holy terrain

By Sreetama Chowdhury Staff Writer English singer-songwriter FKA twigs — real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett — makes a stunningly cinematic return to the music scene with MAGDALENE, her first album in four years. Dealing with themes of love, loss, and FKA twigs’s mental and physical health, MAGDALENE is powerful in its honest vulnerability and utterly unique in its sound.

MAGDALENE, named for the Biblical figure of Mary Magdalene, is a deeply personal album. FKA twigs doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, baring her soul in track after track describing her experiences with heartbreak and sorrow. She’s frank about her past, openly referring to her breakup with former boyfriend Robert Pattinson, the removal of several fibroid tumors from her uterus, and her ongoing struggle with depression.

The biblical influence is clear across the album, exhibited in various allusions scattered throughout. Most notable are “thousand eyes,” a track reminiscent of atmospheric medieval church music, and “mary magdalene,” a song that draws direct comparisons between the portrayal of Magdalene throughout history and FKA twigs herself. “I’m fever for the fire / true as Mary Magdalene / creature of desire

Rating: B GENIUS.COM

/ come just a little bit closer to me,” FKA twigs croons, alluding to Mary Magdalene’s historical portrayal as sinful and promiscuous. She refuses to accept that narrative, though, viewing it instead as a product of the patriarchy and arguing that Mary Magdalene was a wise, independent woman and a loyal confidante of Jesus Christ.

Each track on the album deals with slightly different subject matter, so what truly ties the album together coherently is its overall sound. The album exhibits an astonishing range of moods, from the eerie, staticky “thousand eyes” and “home with you” to the slower, softer “mirrored heart” and “cellophane.” FKA twigs’s music sounds both ancient and electronic, almost disjointed, simultaneously leaning into both traditional music and the avant-garde. It’s decidedly not pop, incorporating everything from shrill, solemn church music (“thousand eyes”) to electronically warped vocals (“home with you”) to a more conventional but still unusual trap beat (“holy terrain”).

Also notable is FKA twigs’s juxtaposition of crisply enunciated consonants and slurred lines, seeming to indicate her shifts in mood as she lays out the narrative of each song. Her draggedout lyrics are paired with keening, digitally distorted background vocals and a beat that seems too fast, lending an uncomfortably frantic tone. The combination of her breathy, delicate soprano and her more experimental production qualities alternates between soothing and jarring, never letting the listener grow complacent.

MAGDALENE’s incredible uniqueness is a testament to how well FKA twigs portrays duality. Electronic in sound yet utterly human, tenderly introspective yet sharply angry at times, vulnerable yet determined, it’s a tied-together collection of contradictions that somehow manages to astound. ▪ Rating: B+

terminator: dark fate needs terminating

IMDB.COM

By Tanisha Srivatsa Staff Writer Director Tim Miller’s Terminator: Dark Fate is a rehash of previous Terminator movies, contributing little to the franchise beyond sentimental value. As the sixth movie of the Terminator franchise, it tries desperately to maintain relevance as a last-ditch attempt to draw in a fanbase that no longer seems to care.

The film starts briefly after the near-catastrophic events of Terminator 2, with Sarah Connor’s (Linda Hamilton) son John, who was fated to save the world. Interestingly, the movie kills off John within the first ten minutes of the movie, prompting Sarah to become a Terminator hunter to avenge him. Along the way, she meets Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), the newest Terminator’s target. With the help of augmented human Grace (Mackenzie Davis) and former Terminator-turned-father Carl (Arnold

Schwarzenegger), Sarah’s team fights the Terminator Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) to defend Ramos.

While Dark Fate had an immense potential to reboot the struggling Terminator franchise with fan-favorite actors and an accomplished director, the movie ends up taking a predictable turn into the same format every Terminator movie seems to follow, resulting in an unengaging, repetitive plot.

Another of Dark Fate’s downfalls is its inconsistency with the Terminator timeline. The film completely disregards the alternate timelines created in previous Terminator films, and it is this back-and-forth roller coaster between plot timelines that creates a nauseating effect on the viewer. With each movie repeating a set template but riddled with inconsistencies, what’s left is an unclear message that reflects poorly on the franchise’s original intent: enthralling viewers in a captivating pre-apocalyptic world.

Perhaps one of the few saviors of

the movie is its representation of diversity. Unlike its predecessors, Dark Fate features three female protagonists, one of whom is Mexican. This representation is a step in the right direction for the Terminator franchise and is commendable in inspiring young women to stand up for themselves.

Ramos’ heroism is featured in Dark Fate, depicting her stark transformation from being a naive factory worker to the savior of humanity. The film also includes scenes portraying illegal immigration, touching on important social politics of today’s time.

Davis’ acting in this film is another highlight of the movie, with her stellar portrayal of an upgraded superhuman walking the line between a complex, emotive human and a mechanical, unfeeling robot. In addition, acclaimed actor Linda Hamilton is back, this time playing a formidable crackpot who evades trackers by placing her phone in a potato chip bag. As always, she delivers the raw, brief one-liners typical

to her character, distinguishing herself from the Sarah Connor of the past to a hardened new version of herself. Finally, Reyes’ depiction of an innocent girl who has done nothing to deserve the attention of a Terminator tugs at viewers’ heartstrings, who can visualize themselves in Ramos’s shoes.

Despite some triumphs, overall, Dark Fate is just the leftovers of Terminator and Terminator 2’s successes, serving up a bland plot, unclear message, and boring jokes. What stops the movie from utter failure are the women of the movie — Dani, Grace, and Sarah form the ultimate team to take down a villain who represents all that is wrong with humanity. As a whole, however, Terminator: Dark Fate is just another sci-fi movie with little to distinguish itself by, and further blackens the reputation of the Terminator franchise. ▪ Rating: C

14 Arts & Entertainment

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Reluctant Vampire Isn’t a Play You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

By Megh Basu Staff Writer

In a production of their original play, The Reluctant Vampire, Ohlone College’s Theatre and Dance Department promises a witty and intriguing supernatural coming-of-age story. Despite the play’s ambitious premise and Ohlone’s history of award-winning theater productions, it fails to deliver on this expectation, relying too heavily on jokes that don’t quite land and a convoluted plot.

Written by nationally-acclaimed playwright Eugenie Chan, the romantic comedy was created exclusively for Ohlone students to premiere in the Bay Area and then tour at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. The play revolves around teenage vampire Drusilla LePoole of Blood (Sydney Bush), who dreads her Savage 16 Dance, where she must kill her first human victim. As Drusilla feels increasingly torn about the ethics of preying on humans, she meets a teenage boy, Peter (Erik Dylan Matibag), who turns out to be her true love and understands her like no other. The show brings nothing new to the overused, star-crossed-lovers stereotype. In fact, the characters play into stereotypes and come off as one-dimensional and flat. Furthermore, the storyline is twisted and confusing, and the main love story gets lost among unnecessary dance breaks, fight sequences, and vampire family drama.

Thankfully, the plot is somewhat salvaged by the talented ensemble cast. Bush and Matibag get the audience to root for

their forbidden romance with their compelling chemistry, despite awkward lines that fall flat like “Should we make out now?”

Their dynamic is easily the most engaging part of the show, and the most touching moments are those of Drusilla and Peter’s shared struggles. Bush and Matibag portray a genuine connection with each other that almost makes you forget the absurd circumstances their characters are in. Other standout performances can be attributed to Anne Marie Salgado, Laura Hardin, and Kayla Strand, who play the vampires Ruby 1, Ruby 2, and Ruby 3. Armed with snarky remarks and coordinated outfits, the trio is the Plastics from Mean Girls if they sucked blood in their free time. Additionally, Simi Kattaurah is sweet, sassy, and sagacious in her role as Methuselah, a demon-witch manicurist. Kattaurah shines as a comedic actress; her hilarious quips cause the biggest laughs of the evening. Under the guidance of director Michael Navarro, the incredible skill and coordination of the actors ultimately keeps the show watchable.

While the costumes and set pieces are nothing to write home about, other technical aspects of the show bring the world of vampires to life. The combination of interspersed title cards and eerie music creates the effect of an old black-andwhite film. As the house lights go down, a Star Wars-style intro title card playing on a projector provides backstory. In be-

tween scenes, movie-like title cards indicating the time and place of the next scene indicate the progression of the story, while the old-fashioned theremin music that plays during transitions sets the mood for the following scene. The shift between scenes informs the audience of the development in the play in a unique way and contributes to the overall atmosphere in a spooky, mysterious manner.

Nevertheless, The Reluctant Vampire is weighed down by unfunny dialogue, one-dimensional characters, and a plot riddled with unanswered questions and gratuitous subplots. The overarching question of whether the LePooles will ac-

cept Peter as Drusilla’s soulmate is ultimately left as a loose end, leaving the audience unsatisfied and the story incomplete. At best, The Reluctant Vampire is a cute human-vampire romance with talented actors; at worst, it’s an unremarkable play with a dragging plot and cheesy dialogue. Even with an ensemble cast that shines through the tiresome story, The Reluctant Vampire is not the bitingly funny play it was expected to be. ▪ Rating: C+

PHOTOS COURTESY OHLONE COLLEGE THEATER DEPARTMENT.

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Arts & Entertainment 15

Guide to Local Art Museums

By Anika Arora & Amanda Pang Staff Writers

SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART In 1969, the San Jose library was converted to a museum, now known as the San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA). In its nine to 12 yearly exhibitions, the museum displays various sculptures, paintings, photographs, and drawings, focusing on traditional and contemporary west coast art. However, there has recently been a growing emphasis on art from China, Malaysia, and other Pacific Rim countries. In addition to serving as the largest provider of arts education in Santa Clara County, the SJMA is one of the 750 nationwide museums officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums.

“I think I would recommend the Modern Art Museum [SFMOMA] because you can get to it from BART. For many students, they don’t think of traditional art as something that they understand, but in truth there’s a lot of modern art that is very interesting and can open up different avenues of understanding. It’s also very involving and engaging, so I think that’s a good way to learn and know what the trends are.”

— Art Teacher Edie Christensen

LEGION OF HONOR The Legion of Honor is located in San Francisco’s Lincoln Park and overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which is the largest public arts institution in San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the US. Originally built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the museum now displays a variety of ancient and European art that dates back to 4,000 years ago. Among its many collections include European decorative arts, paintings, drawings, prints, and European sculptures. In addition, the Legion of Honor also displays Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, a donation made by Alma Spreckels.

OLIVE HYDE ART GALLERY

OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

The Olive Hyde Art Gallery, located on 123 Washington Blvd., was founded in the 1960s in hopes of preserving the history and culture of Mission San Jose. There are seven unique gallery exhibits per year, featuring both traditional and contemporary pieces from local artists. During exhibitions, which generally last one month, admission is free to the public. Additionally, the Olive Hyde Art Guild, a non-profit organization associated with the gallery, funds the gallery’s exhibitions and projects, sponsors art education in schools, and provides art scholarships for local students.

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opened in 1969 and combines art, history, and natural sciences into one multidisciplinary gallery highlighting CA’s past, present, and future. The OMCA features 1.9 million objects including seminal art, artifacts, natural specimens, and photographs. In addition, it showcases a variety of exhibitions throughout the year that display Californian lifestyles and celebrations. After a transformation of the galleries to increase participation, the OMCA provides visitors with interactive features and new programs to share their own perspectives and stories.

ASIAN ART MUSEUM The Asian Art Museum is the largest museum in the US devoted exclusively to the arts of Asia. The Asian Art Museum was originally completed in 1966 as a wing of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park as a tradeoff with Avery Brundage. Brundage agreed to donate part of his collection of Asian art in return for a museum built dedicated to displaying the art. In 1973, the institution was officially renamed to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and in 2003 moved to its current location at the Civic Center. The museum’s rotating galleries and exhibitions feature artwork from Asia’s major cultures and history, including intricately carved artifacts and traditional paintings. It currently houses more than 18,000 objects, 7,700 of which were donated by Brundage.

BERKELEY ART MUSEUM AND PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE “The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is also very interesting.

They have a wonderful three or four day exhibit on the bouquet of rose flowers where they combine various floral arrangements that are inspired by the paintings in back of them. They’re really amazing [...] it has beautiful impressionistic art.”

— Art Teacher Edie Christensen

As the visual arts center of UC Berkeley since 1970, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive features a collection of 23,000 art objects and 16,000 films and videos. Specializing in international cinema, it holds the largest collection of Japanese films outside of Japan.

Similarly, the art showcases the diversity of global cultures through Chinese and South Asian pieces. Every year, more than 20 gallery exhibits and 450 film projects are held in conjunction with gallery tours, lectures, and film screenings.

PHOTOS COURTESY WIKIMEDIA.ORG, FLICKR.COM, & BAMPFA.ORG.

16 Arts & Entertainment

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Best Music of 2019 su uu

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But I think that, even before that, any good song has to have a message, it has to have a tune that I would feel like humming along to or whistling, and it has to have a beat. But harmony is a big plus.”

— Math Teacher Charlie Brucker to

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times during the weekend I’ll listen to CDs and other music that will help pump me up. I also listen to music when I’m grading, when I’m doing things around the h o u s e , and when I’m driving home.

It k e e p s me going when I have a lot to do.”

— English Teacher Valerie Carattini

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new album and it’s one of my favorites because it deviates from their older albums, most of which focused on soft rock styles. Entropy is quite musically diverse and I like it because it’s different from today’s generic pop music.”

—Audrey Yung, 11

e

— that’s just something I do in my free time — so then when I get to the end of my playlist it starts playing songs that are suggested so I just add them and listen to them. I also take a look at their genre playlists because they’re usually pretty good.”

— Aalaya Wudaru, 12

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Within the first week of release, Billie Eilish’s debut studio album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making Eilish the youngest female artist to claim the top spot since 2009. This album features 14 songs, including song “bad guy,” which remained in the top 10 on the Hot 100 for 28 weeks.

Breaking genre records, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” beat previous records by maintaining its number one position on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 19 weeks — longer than any other song in history. First released on Soundcloud, the single incorporated both trap and country elements, creating a unique style deemed “21st century country.” The song was later remixed with other popular artists such as Billy Ray Cyrus and BTS, further increasing its popularity with listeners.

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WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO - Billie Eilish

This year, a variety of influential artists dropped new albums. From Ariana Grande’s thank u, next to Kanye West’s Jesus Is King, 2019 was a spotlight year for new music. As this year comes to a close, the Smoke Signal interviewed students and teachers about some of their favorite music of 2019 and prospective albums that they look forward to in the future.

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By Sabrina Cai, Monisha Saxena & Brooke Zheng Staff Writers

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Smoke Signal

Post Malone’s third studio album Hollywood’s Bleeding shows the versatile musician’s ability to make one catchy track after the other.

From the somber “Circles” to the more upbeat “Sunflower,” Post Malone’s album features songs with multiple genres like hip-hop and alternative rock mixed in. Future, Halsey, and SZA are a few of the many collaborators in the album, each artist adding more flavors to Malone’s voice. A hit since its recent release on September 6, it reached number one on US Billboard 200 and topped the US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ANVI KALUCHA & TAVISH MOHANTI.

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Friday, November 22, 2019

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Sports 17

Winters Sports Preview

By Nishi Bhagat & Christine Dong Staff Writers

Girls Soccer

Girls Soccer is ready to kick off a new season. With several new freshmen and plenty of defenders and midfielders on the team, they’re excited to win more games against other schools in the district and have a more successful season than in previous years.

Varsity Girls Soccer Co-Captains Seniors Marwa Nekrawesh and Shannin Singh also hope to build a strong, cohesive team bond this year. “We hope the on-field and off-field connection will be strong throughout the whole season,” Nekrawesh said.

Cheer

Despite struggling with recent injuries, Cheer has bolstered their ranks with four new members and are excited to continue improving their stunting and tumbling. As an all-year sport, the team has been hard at practice for a few months now. Alongside cheering at Senior Nights and assemblies, they’re also looking forward to competing in December, which they haven’t done in two years. “I think the team looks pretty good.

We’ve gotten a lot better over the course of our three months as a team, and we have a rapid success rate,” Cheer Co-Captain Sophomore Brianna Jackson said.

Wrestling

Wrestling is ready to take on a new season. With the addition of two experienced coaches and increased participation from wrestlers, Coach Thomas Thomsen is looking forward to seeing the team’s growth throughout the season.

In past years, they’ve performed well at tournaments, and this season, they hope to get more wrestlers to place in NCS and move on to states. After winning MVALs last year, Girls Wrestling also aims to continue their record of success: “[The team] took first, and they have to defend that title,” Thomsen said.

Boys Soccer

Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

With two new coaches this season, more than 50 people trying out, and a younger team, Boys Soccer is looking forward to an exciting season. With only six to seven returning seniors, they expect to spend more time building the new team from scratch. “It will mostly be a younger team, and Junior Varsity will be the place to start growing the team in the coming year,” Varsity Boys Soccer Co-Captain Senior Anton Lin said.

Girls Basketball anticipates a stellar season this year with a strong team of dedicated girls.

The team is currently conditioning hard and hopes to go far in NCS. Aside from postseason plans, Varsity Girls Basketball Captain Senior Starla Murillo said, “I am [excited] to play against American because that was the one team that was pretty challenging for us to face last year; we lost both times last season.”

With their record consistently improving each season for the past two years, Boys Basketball is ready for another year of success. Although many prominent players graduated last year, the team has a new assistant coach this year and a strong team of juniors that looks forward to qualifying for NCS. “Enjoying every moment of [the season] while performing at the best level is our biggest

goal,” Varsity Boys Basketball CoCaptain Senior Arnav Arora said.

GRAPHICS BY CLIPART-LIBRARY. COM, CLIPARTPANDA. COM & SWEETCLIPART. COM

Girls Tennis MVALs

By Anika Arora & Larry Shi Staff Writers

After ending the regular season 13–1, MSJ Girls Tennis battled through several competitive rounds at the Individual MVAL Singles and Doubles Tournament. Competing at James Logan High School from November 5 to November 7, MSJ clinched the doubles title and ended with a singles finalist.

The team arrived at MVALs full of confidence, having claimed the number one spot in their league for six consecutive years prior, and having swept Irvington 7–0 in their last regular season home game. Since MSJ is the defending champion for both singles and doubles, Girls Tennis Coach Michael Jan, coach of both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Teams, went into the tournament with high expectations. Jan is a Class of 2001 MSJ Alumnus who played on the varsity tennis team him-

self and has experience coaching both the Girls and Boys tennis teams at MSJ. “The results were kind of what I expected. I was happy to get two teams in the finals, Sandhya Balaji for singles, and Lindsey Wen and Ellyn Xu for doubles.” he said.

“The results were kind of what I expected. I was happy to get two teams in the finals.”

— GIRLS TENNIS COACH MICHAEL JAN

Altogether, the team played spectacularly, as exemplified by Co-Captain Senior Ellyn Xu and Sophomore Lindsey Wen, the second seed doubles team that won the title without losing a single set. Starting off with a bang, Xu and Wen used powerful serves and heavy groundstrokes to finish their first

match in less than an hour without the loss of a single game, a feat often dubbed the “double bagel.” The rest of their matches followed a similar trend, with the team dominating the scorelines. In the semi-finals, they faced their own teammates, Sophomore Ria Kolala and Junior Hilary Lu, winning 6-3, 6-2. In the final match, however, the duo quickly fell behind 0-3 to Jaspreet Kaur and Yesenia Noguera, the fourth seed pair from James Logan High School. Luckily, they were able to bounce back, winning six games in a row for the first set, and secured the title with a 6-4 win in the sec ond set. Xu and Wen will be advancing to individual NCS Doubles Championships, which started on November 18.

soning that this change in strategy will help the team in the future. Although he hoped to reach the second round of NCS as the team did last year, in the NCS Team Championships on November 12, MSJ, seeded 11th, lost 3-4 to Alcalanes High School, seeded 5th, in the first round. “I think next year’s team can learn that even though this year may have been one of our weaker years, we still worked our butts off and did as well as we usually do. Just know that no matter how bad you may think the team is doing, as long as you don’t give up, the outcome will be amazing,” Xu said. ▪

“We definitely met our goals for the tournament by having a singles finalist, a doublees champion, and a doubles semifinalist.”

— CO-CAPTAIN SENIOR ELLYN XU

Sophomore Erin Ta prepares to serve the ball.

Sophomore Sandhya Balaji, the second seed of MVALs Singles, was able to reach the finals, but lost in a tough match to the first seed from American High School.

“Sandhya’s match was pretty tough… I knew it would be a battle,” Jan said. Despite this tough loss, Xu remains optimistic. “We definitely met our goals for the tournament by having a singles finalist, a doubles champion, and a doubles semifinalist,” Xu said.

The team treated MVALs as practice and went over many different strategies, especially for doubles. Ultimately, one of Jan’s goals for the team is to play more offensively rather than defensively, rea-

Sophomore Lindsey Wen returns an aerial hit.

PHOTO BY STAFF WRITER ANYA AGRAWAL, PHOTO COURTESY LINDSEY WEN

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 22, 2019

Team Spotlight: Girls Golf

By Varun Upadhyay Staff Writer

After going undefeated, being named MVAL champions, and placing fifth at NCS, Girls Golf has undoubtedly had a tremendously successful season.

However, Girls Golf did encounter a few obstacles on their way to success.

Co-Captain Junior Elaine Leiyoung said, “As a team, a lot of our players had other priorities, so for a lot of the practices, not all of them could make it. We had to make do with what we had, and try to accomodate for that.” Despite these issues, Leiyoung said, “A lot of our players would go at night to practice. Especially before games, they would put in a lot of time and effort into preparing for these matches.” This dedication and passion for the sport allowed the team to play consistently throughout the entire season and

put up remarkable scores at matches — they won MVALs by around 40 strokes.

“A lot of our players would go at night to practice. Especially before games, they would put in a lot of time and effort into preparing for these matches.”

— GIRLS GOLF COACH TAI CHUNG

Following MVALs, the entire Varsity Team was also successful at NCS, plac ing fifth overall. Co-Captain Junior Stella Cheng advanced past NCS as well and played in the Norcal Championships on November 4. Although she missed qualifying for the state championships by one stroke, Cheng hopes to learn from her mistakes and qualify next season.

This season was Cheng’s and Leiyoung’s first seasons as Co-Captains, and with that came a huge learning curve. Cheng said, “Getting people to socialize with each other is a lot harder than you would think.

Just getting people to come out of their shell and be more open with others was really helpful, and I learned a lot from it.”

Because of Cheng and Leiyoung’s efforts, the team was able to develop a strong sense of camaraderie between teammates, and foster a positive environment so players would be able to perform their best. This was especially important for the development of the underclassmen players, as they were an integral part of the young team.

tains maintain high hopes for the future.

With a little more practice, Cheng and Leiyoung hope to build on the success of this season and aim to perform even better at NCS next year. Cheng said, “I am hoping that we can learn from our mistakes this year, and hopefully be able to use that knowledge to advance past NCS.” Both Co-Captains are also looking forward to seeing what new talent will supplement the team next season. For prospective players, Leiyoung said, “Any new players interested in joining should definitely try out. We’re a very open and friendly team, so everybody is welcome.” ▪

“A lot of the underclassmen really stepped up and proved themselves to be great players and great team members as well.”

— CO-CAPTAIN JUNIOR STELLA CHENG

The underclassmen played an instrumental role in the success of the team.

Cheng said, “A lot of the underclassmen really stepped up and proved themselves to be great players and great team members as well.” Furthermore, after winning MVALs, five out of ten players from MSJ made All-League, a prestigious honor given to a group of individuals named the best in the league for the season. Of these five players — Junior Stella Cheng, Sophomore Emily Han, Freshman Audrey Wang, Freshman Selena Tang, and Freshman Erika Gosti — four were underclassmen.

Having established themselves as part of a young, successful team, both co-capThe girls golf team poses for a team picture after MVALs.

Co-captain Junior Elaine Leiyoung takes a swing.

PHOTOS COURTESY STELLA CHENG & ANDY FULLER

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Smoke Signal

Fall Sports Recap

By Carolyn Qian, Alina Zeng & Brooke Zheng Staff Writers

Girls Tennis Like last year, the Girls Tennis team performed phenomenally, winning first place in MVALs with an undefeated record. According to Girls Tennis Coach Michael Jan, the team’s success can be accredited to hard work both on and off-season. Many Varsity players have been playing from a young age; the top five have all competed in the United States Tennis Association. Although half of the team’s Varsity players graduated last year, its younger members have risen to the challenge.

One member, Sophomore Ria Kolala, stood out in particular, with a record of 13-0. “What’s most rewarding is watching a player develop. We have a couple JV players who turned into strong Varsity players this year, which is a huge success for our team,” Jan said.

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Sports 19

As the fall sports season is coming to an end, the Smoke Signal reached out to teams to learn more about their performances throughout the season.

Girls Water Polo Going into the season without much of their starting line-up, the Girls Water Polo team faced the challenge of rebuilding their team. However, they improved consistently throughout the season, working on their offense and growing into a stronger and more cohesive team. Varsity Girls Water Polo ended the season with a 7-10 record and placed fifth in MVALs, while Junior Varsity Girls won one game. Co-Captain Senior Andrea Wong said that the Girls Water Polo team developed a unifying, positive attitude that enabled them to rapidly improve throughout the season. “The team this year was just very mentally strong and was always hungry for the win no matter what,” Wong said.

Cross Country

Girls Volleyball

After winning multiple MVAL championships, Cross Country had high hopes for this year. The team completely surpassed those expectations, with both Junior Varsity (JV) Girls and Varsity Girls going undefeated the entire season, Varsity Boys in first with a 6-1 record, JV Boys tying for first, and Frosh-Soph Boys in second with a 6-1 record.

At the MVAL Cross Country Finals, MSJ won all divisions except for Varsity Boys, which placed second.

Although only two coaches led Cross Country’s 140 runners, the team was able to improve throughout the season. “I think where we are right now ... is the result of a lot of students’ hard work and we have accomplished a lot,” Cross Country Coach Edward Njoo said.

Boys Water Polo Despite the Boys Water Polo team’s 0-6 record, both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams experienced staggering growth throughout the season. Entering the season with only three returning varsity players, the Varsity team’s lineup primarily consisted of newer, younger members than previous years — a lineup that had been “very similar to [their junior varsity] team,” Boys Water Polo Coach Ryan Tang said. Six incoming varsity players logged career highs in goals. According to Tang, Co-Captain Seniors Aref Malek and Sanjay Rangavajjhala and returning Varsity Player Junior Ethan Chou helped new players develop foundational skills from the ground up. “This year, there was a different type of hunger around the team … this year’s team was really taking the extra step of embracing the growth mindset,” Tang said.

With many new members on the team this year, the Girls Volleyball team’s main goal this season was to learn how to play with a new team and work together to improve. Although they struggled with a 1-13 record due to inexperience, Team Co-Captain Junior Anya Guliani said of her role as captain, “I get to watch how each girl improves and progresses after every game. Even though we didn’t have the best season this year, I think one of the best parts about being captain is watching team members who we originally didn’t know essentially become a part of our family.”

Girls Golf Girls Golf excelled after finding their rhythm and starting off the season strong. Entering as the youngest team at NCS, the team ended their season undefeated with a record of 11-0. Although they were faced with many roadblocks, such as lacking practice and doubled up matches where they had to face two teams in one match, the team was able to emerge strong and maintain their undefeated streak the whole season. They went on to win MVAL and place 5th at NCS, with five MSJ players making All-League, a prestigious honor for the best athletes in the season. In regards to their players, Team Co-Captains Juniors Stella Cheng and Elaine Leiyoung said, “Some people were disappointed with how they played, but overall it was a great learning experience to have to deal with high expectations going into a tournament. Everyone was extremely determined and willing to put in the time and effort to succeed.”

PHOTO COURTESY STELLA CHENG, JOHN HOTCHKISS, ELIJAH HUANG, SANJAY RANGAVAJJHALA, ISABEL SUH, MELANIE SUN

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 22, 2019

The classroom walls were covered with pictures of calaveras, or skulls, colored by Spanish teacher Leticia Magaña’s students.

Students were able to learn that this holiday, apart from being a commemoration of the dead, is a celebration of family and life — where death is seen as a new beginning.

The classes also put up photographs to honor the deceased. Together, these decorations helped create a realistic portrayal of the holiday, similar to the typical traditions that many families follow on the auspicious Day of the Dead.

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Dia de los Muertos

By Nishi Bhagat & Sakshi Umrothkar Staff Writers

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What significance does bringing this holiday to MSJ have?

]

“Well, it has a great significance because it’s a moment for us Latinos to feel represented. On our campus, there are only about 30 Latino students, so just bringing our traditions together and displaying our beliefs is quite significant.” — Spanish teacher Latisha Magaña

On November 1, Spanish students and members of the Spanish Honors Society gathered in N11 during lunch to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.

Spanish teachers Latisha Magana and Nancy Robles organized this event with the help of AP Spanish and Spanish 3 students to create an interactive event interspersed with delicious food and colorful decorations. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated across Mexico and many Latin American countries to honor the dead and welcome their souls back to the land of the living for one night each year.

Spanish teachers also set up ofrendas, symbolic altars decorated in memory of the deceased. Bright marigolds were also laid out on the altars to lead souls back to their well-wishers for a day of reunion and reminiscing.

Students enjoyed eating pan de muerto, a sweet bread dusted with sugar that is considered a delicacy in Hispanic and Latino families.

[

]

What did you enjoy the most about this holiday?

“I enjoyed how the environment was very upbeat and respectful, yet not somber. This holiday brings more diversity into Mission, even though it is already very diverse. It also taught me about how people from various cultures can celebrate different things and that was very valuable.” — Srishti Gupta, 10

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS NISHI BHAGAT & SAKSHI UMROTHKAR. GRAPHICS BY PIXABAY.

Undoukai

By Tanisha Srivatsa & Maggie Lai Staff Writers

After school on Friday, November 8, the Japanese classes held their 17th annual MSJ Undoukai, or Sports Day. Undoukai is a Japanese celebration dating back to the Meiji Period where schools are transformed into giant playing fields for lighthearted games and sports. Undoukai is a blend of American and Japanese ideas, inspired

by American games such as the human knot and the donut-eating contest.

Each year, schools in Japan hold an Undoukai event at the end of summer to celebrate teamwork and fun traditions.

[ [

What do you hope students will take away?

] ]

“The leadership, and also friendship. That’s important, and it’s important to know that studying is not the only important thing, friendship is also important.” — Mariko Okamura, Japanese teacher

How did you prepare for this event?

Students competed in the closing event: the traditional Japanese relay race, where students speed-walked to complete tasks such as recognizing hiragana characters, and folding origami.

“Me and my class [Japanese 3] prepared for Undoukai by sacrificing our time outside of class to decorate flags and practicing for events like the caterpillar race.” — Jonathan Choi, 11

Students wore colorful headbands representing their teams and took part in ouendan, or cheering teams, that created and performed elaborate chants.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS TANISHA SRIVATSA & MAGGIE LAI. GRAPHICS BY ELT JOURNAL.