Volume LIX, No. 1

5 FEATURE

OPINION

climate change discourse

THE VOL. 59, NO. 1

9 CENTERSPREAD 10-11 A&E

dhth: barbie

new faculty

12

Forest and flour review

SMOKE SIGNAL MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL 41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

September 15, 2023

2023-24 DISTRICT UPDATES

By Ashley Pang, Anandita Devata, Sahas Goli & Keerti Koya Centerspread Editor & Staff Writers

As the school year begins, FUSD has implemented several updates to enhance cybersecurity, streamline school-to-home communication, and transition sixth graders to middle school. The Smoke Signal has compiled some of the most notable recent changes within the district.

VIRTUAL REALITY PROGRAMS HOPKINS CONVERSION According to the FUSD Board Docs, before renovation, the William Hopkins Middle School campus had numerous site and architectural shortcomings, including insufficient parking spaces, worn site features and furnishings, outdated classrooms, food service facilities, and equipment, and clogged roof drains with ponding water. Noting the campus flaws, FUSD began construction for the new campus in 2021 and it was completed in 2023, now including additional classrooms and multipurpose buildings, fire alarm upgrades, roofing repairs, site improvements, technology upgrades, a relocated and enlarged library, and a new campus drop-off area. The junior high school was also converted to a middle school with the addition of a sixth-grade, expanding the school capacity from 900 to 1,300 students.

However, the addition of 400 students has brought consequences of its own. A problem students frequently face are the lunch lines, which grew significantly longer and are forcing students to spend a substantial part of their lunch break waiting for food. Another concern is the lack of chairs with backs in a number of classrooms, resulting in students spending several periods with uncomfortable seating. “For almost four hours [of class periods] every day, students are sitting in backless chairs and that’s extremely painful,” Hopkins Parent Manjula Pedireddy said.

Even before the Hopkins conversion, the other four junior high schools in FUSD had already transitioned to accommodate sixth grade students. Joshua Chadbourne Elementary School, John Gomes Elementary School, Mission Valley Elementary School, and Mission San Jose Elementary School were some of the last elementary schools in the district with a sixth grade.

Over the summer, in partnership with Prisms of Reality, a spatial learning platform meant to make mathematical concepts more engaging, FUSD’s Board of Education recently approved immersive virtual reality learning (IVR). IVR will be incorporated into select seventh grade curricula, in which students will utilize virtual reality technology to explore math concepts in real-world applications. Within each school, two teachers will be selected to receive a class set of virtual reality goggles and designated software. “I’m grateful to our Curriculum and Instruction staff and each educator for their commitment to providing students with new and interesting ways to deepen their understanding of important concepts and to making learning enjoyable,” FUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack said.

NETWORK SECURITY FUSD has upgraded its wireless service set identifiers (SSIDs) to increase connectivity across and within campuses.

This involves resetting passwords for staff accounts by collaborating with an external vendor who will be automating the process.

Because the project includes the entire district, the technology team has encountered many challenges, including employees not being able to access resources to teach class, delaying teaching schedules. “While I regret the disruption our staff and students experienced, I know the cyber security improvements we made are incredibly important and were urgently needed,” Cammack said in a recent email.

Issues with the password change also locked staff out of their FUSD accounts, preventing them from entering grades or replying to student and parent emails. “I was non-operational from [August 21] to [August 24], which was tough because I wasn’t receiving emails. I didn’t have any way to respond, and when I finally got in [to my account], I had 100 emails waiting,” English 11 Honors and Entrepreneurship Teacher Valerie Carattini said.

In addition, the district plans to change student passwords to increase their account security as well. “Even though the execution of the plans was quite unfortunate, they were able to get me up and running online, and now [my access] is like it normally is,” Carattini said.

!"#$%&"''(%' &)**)%+,

SCHOOL-TO-HOME COMMUNICATION To improve school-to-home communication, FUSD recently launched Parentsquare, an interactive communication platform containing messaging, sharing, and calendar features for teachers, staff, and parents. In the future, Parentsquare will act as the primary mass notification system to alert guardians of absences and updates. While Infinite Campus Messenger will still be available this year, FUSD plans to transition to the Aeries Student Information System, where Parentsquare is conveniently integrated as an app, for the 2024-25 school year. “I am hopeful that our work to launch ParentSquare will help streamline that transition for our families,” Cammack said.

In addition to the communication application, the district also launched a new domain, fremontunified.org, on the web content management platform WordPress in June. In late 2022, a communication survey was sent out to FUSD families, and the survey results showed that district websites needed to be simplified and easier to navigate for new students and parents, prompting the transition. “We knew that our District and school websites were due for an update, … and we wanted to make changes with community feedback in mind,” Cammack said.

“We continue to ... look for different ways for more students to be involved. Especially with the sixth graders becoming middle school students, we want them to be a part of all the extracurricular opportunities. … We’re working with our staff to continue to look for ways to expand the offerings of our clubs and any other extracurricular opportunities that we can offer so that more students can have different ways to have fun.” — William Hopkins Middle School Principal Nancy Kuei

PHOTO COURTESY FACEBOOK.COM. GRAPHICS BY NEWS EDITOR KAYLEE LIU

ONLINE

THIS MONTH

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GUTS ALBUM REVIEW

TASTE OF SUMMER EVENT COVERAGE

On September 8, Olivia Rodrigo released her second studio album “GUTS”, following her lead single “Vampire”, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. Read the Smoke Signal’s album review online.

On September 9, Fremont hosted a free community festival on Ellsworth and Washington Blvd, feaaturing a variety of entertainment options such as market vendors, exercise classes, food trucks, and more.

FOR MORE COVERAGE, VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

2 News

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 15, 2023

Niles Antique Faire & Flea Market returns for its 59th year The market brought together 200 vendors selling antiques, crafts, and other unique collectibles.

By Karina Han & Jiyun Guo Editor-in-Chief & Graphics Editor From 6 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, August 27, swarms of attendees crowded the streets of downtown Niles for the 59th annual Niles Antique Faire & Flea Market. Hosted by the Niles Main Street Association, the event featured more than 200 vendors selling a wide variety of items, including cherished antiques, handmade crafts, and other unique collectibles.

As one of the oldest markets in the Bay Area, the event draws tens of thousands of visitors every year on the last Sunday of August. Attendees flock to the market from all over California, with some even coming from Los Angeles and beyond.

Before the event, an open-air pancake breakfast was held at 5 a.m. for early fairgoers. As the day lightened, Niles Boulevard, a historic shopping district filled with antique and secondhand stores, served as the center of the event. Tents lined the streets, with tables covered in a variety of goods, from old comic books to 50s-style floor lamps. Although it began as an antiques-only fair, in the past couple decades the event has expanded to include a medley of small businesses, which sell everything from crocheted penguins to succulent arrangements and jalapeno jams. “I like that there are so many options. … When I first heard of the event, I thought it was going to be an older crowd, so coming down here and seeing so many age differences is pretty cool,” attendee Saisha Morales said.

portunity to promote her business and sell to a new market. “We have to sell more expensive online because we have to pay a commission to third parties, so in-person events are better for business,” Özbayat said.

“This is the first time we’ve had a booth here and we’ve done pretty well, so we’re excited about trying next year ... It’s always fun to get together with our club members and then share our information with the public.”

-Mt. Diablo Iris Society Member Linda Woods

Small crafts-business Happy & Authentic sells crocheted animals.

Author Martha Niño Rodriguez stands in front of her booth holding her newest novel, The Other Side: From a Shack to Silicon Valley.

Besides selling merchandise, some stalls promoted local organizations and passion projects or fundraised for charitable causes. For instance, the Mt. Diablo Iris Society shared their knowledge of iris hybrids, and the California Historical Radio Society displayed its collection of old radio models. At the end of the street, local author Martha Niño Rodriguez set up a booth to promote her new book, an autobiography detailing her life from an undocumented immigrant to a worker in the tech industry.

As the fair approached closing time, vendors and attendees alike voiced a hope of returning, as the fair serves as a chance for locals to reconnect while welcoming new members of Niles. “We come back every year, so this is a tradition, a family reunion for us.

[At the same time], I’m enjoying the diversity of this flea market, how it’s turning into a little bit of everything,” Rodriguez said. ▪

““I like that there are so many options. … When I first heard of the event, I thought it was going to be an older crowd, so coming down here and seeing so many age differences is pretty cool.”

“We come back every year, so this is a tradition, a family reunion for us. [At the same time], I’m enjoying the diversity of this flea market, how it’s turning into a little bit of everything.”

-Attendee Saisha Morales

In addition to the fair, the vendors are invited to smaller, weekend farmers’ markets in Niles, ensuring a year-round circuit for local businesses. For first-time vendor Hatice Özbayat, who co-owns crochet and small crafts business Happy & Authentic with her sister-in-law, the market presented the op-

News in brief Compiled by Anandita Devata, Sahas Goli, Shuhan Jin & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers

The Mt. Diablo Iris Society displays and sells different plants.

-Local Author Martha Niño Rodriguez

Vendors and their booths line downtown Niles for the 59th annual Niles Antique Faire & Flea Market.

local Missing mission peak pole found after being vandalized.

Courtesy of Joyce Lee

national Burning Man attendees walk through a flooded camp.

PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KARINA HAN & GRAOHICS EDITOR JIYUN GUO

David Crane / via Getty Images

Iconic “Mission Peeker” sculpture vandalized On September 4, an East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) spokesperson reported that they had recovered the iconic “Mission Peeker” totem pole, which had been the victim of vandals over Labor Day Weekend. The pole, which was erected in 1990, is a popular attraction for Bay Area outdoor enthusiasts and key part of the city’s history. The piece has garnered local fame for its internally-stored time capsule scheduled to be opened in 2090.

Although it was found, park rangers cannot guarantee whether the pole can be restored. “We are saddened to learn about this incident in our park. Any vandalism from destruction to graffiti affects what should be a positive, happy experience for community members,” the EBRPD said in a statement.

Burning Man festival flood strands thousands The Burning Man festival, an annual celebration of art, music, and counterculture held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, has been severely impacted by an unusual late-summer storm. Around 70,000 attendees were stranded in muddy conditions, and all inbound and outbound traffic was halted.

The festival was closed to vehicles after one death was reported, although details are still under investigation. The situation has garnered national attention, including from President Joe Biden. Organizers expect that attendees may be able to start leaving by midday Monday as the ground dries up. Despite the challenges, many festival-goers are making the most of the situation, emphasizing the event’s principle of “radical self-reliance.”

international

Quirky

The Aditya-L1 probe lifts off aboard a satellite vehicle Sriharikota, India.

AP

India launches new probe in their rise as a major space power On September 2, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its latest probe Aditya L-1, designed to orbit and study the Sun. The endeavor marks an overall surge in India’s space program, who recently became the first to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole during its Chandrayaan-3 mission. Aditya L-1, named after the Hindu solar deity, will study the Sun’s outer layers; focusing on analyzing phenomena including solar radiation bursts that can disrupt everything from power grids to the weather. “Long-term variability of solar radiation also is a very important factor in the study of climate change. So, in all these areas, fundamental knowledge will be acquired through this unique mission,” Former ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said to news outlet, The Hindu.

Viral cat Leo rests on a box at Home Depot.

@cat_dad_2020 \ TikTok/

Cat living in Home Depot becomes internet sensation A cat living at a Home Depot store in New Jersey has become a social media celebrity after its videos went viral on TikTok. Jeffrey Simpkins, the owner of videos of Leo the cat, started posting them after he first saw Leo in the store, which is in Mount Laurel. According to Simpkins, his first video hit 4.5 million views within one day. Employees at the Home Depot said that Leo was a barn cat brought to the store last year to solve a mouse problem that the store had been having for a while. They regularly take care of Leo, making sure he gets veterinarian visits and has a place to sleep when the store is closed for the holidays. Fans of Leo the cat love his “his unique personality, like he’s friendly, he wears clothing unlike other cats, and he has several places he sleeps at,” Simpkins said.

Friday, September 15, 2023

The Smoke Signal

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News & Opinion 3

Sparkhub Foundation brightens the community with Lake Elizabeth book sale Sparkhub Foundation hosted their annual book sale, selling more than 150 books.

“Events like these are important for the community because they're a way of redistributing resources. What you have may not be what other people have and what they want.”

By Anushka Vasudev & Maryam Naseer Feature Editor & Staff Writer From 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on August 27, Sparkhub Foundation hosted a book sale at Lake Elizabeth, offering a wide selection of books, from children’s fiction to AP workbooks. Sparkhub Foundation is a student-run non-profit organization with members from high schools all around Fremont. They aim to make a positive impact by raising funds through service events directly benefiting students in need.

Organized by American High School Sparkhub Foundation President Senior Jessica Li, MSJ Sparkhub Secretary Senior Christine Wong, MSJ Sparkhub Activities Coordinator Senior Vincent Wu, and MSJ Sparkhub volunteer Sophomore Aaron Li, this book drive stood out from

-Sparkhub Foundation President Senior Jessica Li

Sparkhub Foundation makes a sale at Lake Elizabeth.

Sparkhub Foundation’s past events because it was focused on promoting reading among children. In the spirit of their mission, the park-centric event sold a higher number of picture books and popular series like Percy Jackson.

MSJ Class of 1982 pose for a group photo.

Li was motivated to organize more book drives as a way to give some of her old and unused books a new life. “I’ve always liked reading and writing, and that's a big part of who I am.

I just noticed that there are so many children’s books that I’m not going to read again that are still in really good shape,” Li said. Because of the lack of book drives or ways to distribute books for low prices within the community, Sparkhub Foundation’s book drives were born.

Most of the funds that Sparkhub Foundation raises through events like the book sale are used to support other initiatives within their organization, such as their annual scholarship contests and prize money for hackathons. One of their initiatives extends to support young women in India through the Girls India project, dedicated to introducing underprivileged students to the fundamentals of coding. Even after the workshop, Sparkhub Foundation has put efforts in providing support by offering opportunities for children to participate in online programs with lessons in computer science.

A collection of free magazines and prep books.

With visitors ranging from kids and adults to grandparents, the book sale had tremendous success, selling more than 150 books. In the future, Sparkhub Foundation hopes to continue hosting such events, even after their seniors graduate. They are currently working to partner with California Badminton Academy to organize a series of small charity tournaments for children. “[The event will allow] for kids to participate and get involved in the sport so that they can have the opportunity to experience something new and meaningful in their lives,” Aaron said. ▪

“A booth at a park can intrigue kids with cool graphics and stories, getting them to pick up a physical book” -Anonymous Attendee

“I just noticed that there are so many children’s books that I’m not going to read again that are still in really good shape.”

-Sparkhub Foundation President Senior Jessica Li

Sparkhub Foundation's officer team poses for a group photo.

Sparkhub Foundation's banner displays their motto.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER MARYAM NASEER. GRAPHICS BY FREEPIK.COM

"Girl dinner" to coquette culture... unpacking harmful media consumption

By Julia Peng, Sanah Bhardwaj, & Chloe Gao Editor-in-Chief, A&E Editor, & Centerspread Editor Disclaimer: mentions of eating disorder “This is my dinner,” user @liviemaher posted on TikTok in mid-May as she showed a collection of bread and cheese, “I call it girl dinner.”

Since then, the phenomenon of “girl dinner” has been reposted millions of times by TikTok users to show collections of random items including but not limited to grapes, pickles, and fries that they throw together for daily dinners. Although it started out as a playful trend, the idea of girl dinner quickly transformed into something that showed how little people ate for their final meal of the day. Paired with many other past trends based on eating habits and “body goals,” “girl dinner” has snowballed into a much larger issue — the revival of “thinspo,” or thin inspiration, and “pro-ana,” the promotion of anorexia, culture, hashtags that encourage eating disorders. Though these trends seem insignificant, they affect the psyche of young people on the internet negatively through the promotion of unhealthy habits. We must be conscious of the media we consume and recognize the undertones behind popular trends, especially those concerning physical health and body standards.

Since competitive eating disorders first overtook Tumblr circa 2014 through the widespread use of #thinspo and #proana, “‘skinny culture”’ has been a near constant in the media that we consume, even recently reappearing in the “Is it fashion or is she skinny?” movement. Now, in lieu of the Tumblr grunge aesthetic, coquette culture — centered around white and pale pink,

floral print, and Lana Del Rey’s earlier music — has made a resurgence. Drawing attention due to its youthfulness and sense of romance, the hashtag has garnered nearly 11 billion views on TikTok alone. While it appears to be just like any other harmless aesthetic, being coquette often comes with the prerequisite of being skinny — almost everyone under the coquette hashtag on TikTok is a size 0-4.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, who looked into TikTok’s algorithm in a 2023 study, explained that people tend to use social media platforms, such as TikTok, as a source of information or to find people facing similar challenges, and with t h e app’s algorithm being comparably stronger than the 2014 Tumblr algorithms, it’s rare to see a trend only appear once, — meaning that people who might already be susceptible to an eating disorder fall further down the rabbit hole.

“Because of the way the feed works, it’s just going to keep giving you more and more of the same content. And that’s when it can go from being helpful to being distressing and triggering,” University of Minnesota Researcher Ashlee Milton said in an interview in regards to her study relating social media usage and mental health.

Teenagers are at one of the most impressionable stages of their life and also make up a large demographic of social media users. Seeing these habits promoted on social media platforms they are active on creates a need for a sense of belonging and conformity to others who fit the standards “viral”

trends impose, a phenomenon dubbed “fear of missing out.” In a world dominated by digital communication and media platforms, which means increased visual stimulation from videos normalizing a certain body type or brand, youth are more receptive to what others are doing, and that makes trends spiral faster.

Most trends begin as mere jokes, posted just for fun, but much like the “girl dinner” trend, they often develop into trends involving body typing and the promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle. Viewers of such content often correlate a certain body type to the trend rather than focusing on the trend itself, and if someone realizes that they don’t have the body type to fit a trend, they feel the need to change or “improve” themselves. This often has the potential to completely destroy one’s self-image. For example, the “clean girl lifestyle” was originally supposed to promote wellness and inspire people to live healthy lives, but it eventually turned into a practice that involves strict diets of just greens, setting unrealistic standards that usually aren’t attainable or healthy. Even though such trends are often naturalized to the point where upstanders are ridiculed, it’s critically important to consider the very real effects of negative media consumption on teenagers. With the ever-changing rapid cycles of trends, when does an individual truly reach the unattainable “it girl” standard?

Susceptibility to harmful trends can be prevented when people, particularly adolescents, are able to recognize unhealthy trends. This starts with disengaging with a trend when it starts to transition from mere fun to macro-level harm.

For example, if one were to see someone body-checking on their For You page in response to the “girl dinner” trend, they could click “Not Interested” on the TikTok, thus restructuring their algorithm — if enough people click the button, the video won’t get as much engagement and discourage creators from participating in the trend. Apart from monitoring specific trends, a broader solution is to set limits on social media intake. The less time spent on social media, the lower chance users have of going down a self-destructive path. Every moment not spent on social media is time dedicated to other hobbies and interests without the interference of unreachable beauty standards and industry algorithms.

Though young people using social media is inevitable, they have a greater chance of avoiding the harmful effects of unhealthy trends after being educated on them. Organizations such as the Center for Media Literacy and the Media Education Foundation provide resources to educate people on how to properly engage in present-day media culture and inspire them to critically evaluate the impact of different media. ▪

GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIE XU

4 Opinion

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THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 59, No. 1 | September 15, 2023 www.thesmokesignal.org 41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal ’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

SCHOOL POPULATION 1800 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Karina Han, Julia Peng NEWS Vedesh Kodnani, Kaylee Liu OPINION Annika Singh, Annie Xu FEATURE Anushka Vasudev, Callie Yuan CENTERSPREAD Chloe Gao, Ashley Pang A&E Goonja Basu, Sanah Bhardwaj SPORTS Aaryan Suri, Aaron Zhou GRAPHICS Jiyun Guo, Hannah Shen WEB Waylon Li, Elton Yu TECH Keerti Koya BUSINESS Sarah Hu CIRCULATION Maryam Naseer, Vidyuth Sridhar ADVERTISING Tushara Devapatla, Lucy Yao EVENTS Anandita Devata, Shuhan Jin WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Padma Balaji, Hannah Bi, Rajorshi Chatterjee, Angelina Chen, Novak Chen, Navya Chitlur, Tanvi Deshmukh, Sahas Goli, Sally Han, Abha Kulkarni, Naisha Koppurapu, Jeffrey Li, Brittany Lu, Howard Lu, Ivy Lu, Trisha Parikh, Catherine Qin, Michael Qu, Daphne Senecal, Priyanka Shah, Arushi Singh, Stella Wang, Ethan Yan, Fiona Yang, Lucas Zhang, Wanru Zhao ADVISER Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org.

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The Smoke Signal

AnnikA's Angle

Friday, September 15, 2023

Annie's Anecdotes

Embrace the unknown

Untimed timeliness

By Annika Singh Opinion Editor

By Annie Xu Opinion Editor

Growing up, my mom would always repeat the phrase “make a habit of trying new things” on my first day of school or summer camp.

I would nod my head in return and give her a smile, but I never understood what she meant. To me, the concept of new was foreign.

I preferred to stick to what I knew, whether that was with friends, classes, or food. I hated stepping outside my comfort zone and loved the feeling of familiarity.

But this summer, I finally learned the value of her words. A five-hour plane ride from home, I spent a month at a summer program, embracing new experiences. At first, I was terrified. Because I wasn’t in the comfort of my own home, I didn’t have access to my typical excuses of “my mom said no” or “I have a test tomorrow.” Prompted by the fear of missing out on important memories and fun events, I forced myself to say yes to everything. I said yes to swimming at 10 p.m., walking up to strangers for interviews, and trying new cuisines.

And in doing so, I learned more about myself and the world around me. I became best friends with strangers from across the world and explored a new city. As I reflect on my four weeks, here are three lessons I’ve learned about taking on new challenges.

First, none of your likes or dislikes are set in stone. Take the initiative to visit places or try food that you previously hated. Do you hate Starbucks’ matcha lattes? Maybe, maybe not. Present you may feel

differently about the drink than past you.

Second, avoid saying no to trying unfamiliar things. I’ve always been a bit of a risk-aversive person, immediately saying no to going out to certain restaurants or participating in activities. Going on a long walk? I’d rather not. Reading non-fiction? Not my type of vibe.

But when I started saying yes, in the hope of making new friends, I discovered that I love reading biographics and walking around the city.

Third, choose curiosity over comfort. Your new experiences don’t have to be big things, but try to make a list and follow through with it. Even the most simple activities, like eating chicken nuggets with ranch instead of ketchup, can give you a new perspective. Become comfortable with being a little uncomfortable, because it can make you more open to life’s unique possibilities and add a bit of excitement to your life.

By fearing the outcome of a new experience more than the action itself, people develop preconceived notions about how the action will impact their happiness. While routines enable discipline and order, new things can help us expand our awareness and knowledge. Switching things up can also make you more inspired and motivated at school, work, or at home. While it’s easy to succumb to the fear of the unknown, remind yourself to be a little vulnerable and a little adventurous. ▪

A few days before school started, I took a walk on campus, and started to wonder if I’ve valued my time here as much as I should.

For the past three years, I’ve treated high school as a time of transition and preparation, a time where my life has yet to climax or even begin. I’ve turned down invitations from friends to hang out, chances to join new clubs, and sometimes even stopped coming downstairs for family dinners, deciding that eating alone was faster.

“I don’t have enough time for that,” was what I told myself every time I saw pictures of people at birthday parties, on a trip to San Francisco, or at a new festival. Instead, I turned to my studies, constantly reminding myself that I had to glean the most out of each hour in order to build the life that I wanted for myself in the coming decades. Every moment wasted took away from my dreams, and I often found myself agonizing over how little time I had left.

My obsession with time is nowhere near uncommon. Toxic productivity, hustle culture, and 5 a.m. morning routine videos are all mindsets and activities that scale time with success. Business magazine Forbes publishes a “30 under 30” article each year, reporting on 30 conventionally successful individuals who have all managed to build their empires in remarkably short periods of time. In ninth grade Health class, we were all given homework that asked us to make five year plans, ten year plans, and

more. Every year, starting in January, the ASB officers count down the days left of high school over the speakers, reminding us that in one hundred, two hundred days, we will receive our diplomas, formulate a plan for our futures, and go forth with new independence.

Ironically, it was halfway through my junior year, the year I was the busiest and most stressed, that I realized the personal value of slowing down. I started going on walks every day, where I vowed to not think about the next math test, or the next competition I registered for. I started actively making the effort to spend more time with my friends and family, even with the knowledge that I could finish my homework half an hour earlier that day if I kept at it. At its core, time is little more than a convention, designed to help humanity add order to our daily lives. And on a cultural scale, we’ve largely forgotten this, letting time, or the lack thereof, rule our lifestyles to an unhealthy extent.

I don’t aim to abolish time.

Schedules give me valuable structure. Even the Smoke Signal wouldn’t be able to run without deadlines. But often, I’ve found myself happier and more fulfilled when within the limits of my responsibilities, I set aside chunks of my day to let go of the hustle, the impending goal, and the not-socertain future. As this school year begins, let’s remember that we all have plenty of time to make our lives meaningful. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

MSJ's role in affirmative action On June 29, the Supreme Court the underrepresented minor- non-profit Opportunity Insights struck down race-based affirma- ity enrollment by approximately found that one in six students at tive action in the cases of Students 20% across the six UC campuses. Ivy League schools had parents in for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Presi- Indeed, the practice succeeds in the top one percent. For students dent and Fellows of Harvard Col- providing more diversity in educa- from families in the top 0.1%, lege and Students for Fair Admis- tion, but placing such significant admission was more than twice sions, Inc. v. University of North emphasis on students’ racial back- as likely compared to others with Carolina, declaring affirmative grounds fails to recognize the in- similar academics and test scores. action unconstitutional and in dividual lived experiences of many It is important to note that violation with the Equal Protec- students within minority groups. many MSJ students are also intion Clause of the 14th Amend- As a result, the assumption that credibly privileged — we take SAT ment. For decades now, the goal admits through affirmative action enrichment classes, have access to of affirmative action has been to relied on race alone perpetuates high-level AP courses at school, eliminate injustices toward minor- even more stereotypes. and participate in a variety of exity groups. To do so, admission For schools with demographics tracurricular activities without standards are calibrated for certain like MSJ, affirmative action can having to worry about household racial groups part of lower socio- bar qualified applicants from ad- finances. In comparison, students economic households to account mission into prestigious universi- from poorer socio-economic areas for the lack of available academic ties. Statistically, Asian American may spend much of their time outresources. Some Asian American applicants are at a disadvantage side school working to make ends and white students, in particular, when admissions consider race: in meet, leaving little to no time to have celebrated the court’s deci- Harvard’s case, Asian applicants pursue other activities. As a result, sion, ignoring their own privilege were docked on the “personal” rat- 54% of college applicants come and broader flaws of the admis- ing and deemed “overrepresented” from the top quintile of the counsions process. in college demographics. Accord- try, according to Forbes.

Developed in the 1960s during ing to a study conducted by PrincMost students at MSJ live in the US’s Civil Rights Era, affirma- eton University, Asian Americans a bubble that shields us from the tive action in college admissions needed to score “140 points higher financial and racial barriers of adaimed to increase racial diversity on the SAT than whites and 450 missions. For many Americans, by taking race into account during points higher than [Black stu- despite their academic potential, application. Although race quotas dents] to have the same chance college has never been considered were outlawed early on with land- of admission to private colleges.” a viable option due to extenuating mark cases such as Regents of the Without affirmative action, many circumstances. Thus, it is imperaUniversity of California v. Bakke, students are optimistic, believing tive to look beyond our immediate race remained a key factor in ap- they will have better prospects for circumstances and approach this plications until June. According elite institutions. However, many issue with empathy for impacted to a study conducted by Princeton Asian Americans are quick to minority groups. ▪ University Assistant Professor of hyperfixate on affirmative action Economics Zachary Bleemer in for their college rejections, ignorthe Journal of Public Economics, ing other unjust practices such as between 2002 and 2012, race- legacy and geographic diversity based affirmative action increased admissions. A study by Harvard

By Jiyun Guo & Lucy Yao Graphics Editor & Staff Writer

GRAPHICS EDITOR JIYUN GUO

STAFF WRITER LUCY YAO

Friday, September 15, 2023

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Face the Facts About Misinformation

By Angelina Chen, Tushara Devapatla, & Keerti Koya Staff Writers

On August 8, a wildfire ripped through Lahaina, Maui, destroying nearly 3.5 square miles of land and taking at least 115 lives. Rather than reporting on the event objectively, news outlets and social media — primarily TikTok, Facebook, and X — discussed absurd conspiracy theories connecting the disaster to a weaponized government weather modification program. Similarly, on August 20, Category 4 Hurricane Hilary crept along the West Coast, causing flooding roads, mudslides, and rock slides throughout Southern California. Media coverage was highly polarized, with Fox News going as far as to blame the events on President Joe Biden’s politics. Social networks have increasingly become a platform for people to spread misinformation, moving public sentiment away from basic empathy for victims and toward crafting their own outlandish theories.

Due to an algorithmic echo chamber effect, misinformation begins with and is largely magnified by the Internet. Since social media is based on sharing, posting, and engaging with other content on the platform, their algorithms tend to promote the opinions that gain the most traction. Misinformation can often be seen in commentary on newsworthy events, which leads to media platforms competing to voice the most controversial issues in hopes of gaining the greatest engagement. This then results in an echo chamber effect of increased misinformation and the mass publicizing of far-fetched ideologies. For instance, Guest Author Deputy Director and Senior Research Scholar at NYU Stern Center for Business & Human Rights Paul Barret et al. from Brookings Institution concluded that numerous tech platforms — Facebook, YouTube, Twitter — led to the rise of

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extreme polarization due to each platform’s goals to maximize user engagement in the 2020 presidential election. Companies promote commentary regardless of whether it is true or not, making it exceedingly difficult for the public to differentiate between real and fake news.

For greater user engagement, companies, politicians, and social media platforms benefit at the expense of victims by taking advantage of the shock value of these events.

The transformation of societal issues like climate change events into profitable opportunities — in this case, a byproduct of extremist political ideologies — dilutes their authenticity. This makes differentiating between real and fake news especially difficult for young teens and children who have limited experiences in the news. However, because younger generations are more active on social media, they tend to have a greater influence on platform algorithms. This results in greater emphasis on shock value rather than people themselves. As misinformation feeds into misinformation, this starts a cycle which encourages greater shock value. According to Professor of Education Margaret Jacks from the History & American Studies department at Stanford University, 80% of high schoolers within a study called “Students’ Civic Online Reasoning” could not tell real and fake news apart. While students had the ability to navigate social media, they did not have the ability to interpret the results.

This phenomena shifts the focus from the victims of tragedies to the companies, pol- iticians, and social media platforms that profit off of the situation, turning a serious scenario into a tool for political discourse instead of seeing it for the tragedy that it is.

While social media is where misinformation mainly spreads, it sometimes originates from major news sources. The more misinformation news networks spread, the more misinformation gets spread on social media. These news networks could have brought awareness to the victims of the disaster, but they too have a tendency to focus on the drama more than the people who are at stake. While being

Opinion 5

vigilant about the news you consume is important, vigilance should go beyond that and extend itself to online and social media outlets as well. In April this year, Fox News paid $787.5 million due to a lawsuit about the platform spreading misinformation on the 2020 election results. Misinformation spread by major news outlets and politicians fuels widespread misinformation due to their credibility amongst the general public. Public officials also have the power to spread misinformation. “The reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual change.” Republican presidential nominee Vivek Ramaswamy said said during the first debate of the Republican primary season.. In truth, according to The Lancet, there will be an estimated 20,000 fewer deaths per year in 2030 in China, a nation with severe air pollution, thanks to the greenhouse gas controls from the Paris Agreement.

On the other hand, according to the United Nations, over two million have died and $4.3 trillion in economic losses have been dealt as a consequence of climate catastrophe over the past 50 years.

Social media amplifies misinformation and false narratives, and fails to recognize the humanity of those directly impacted by climate change events.

As the Internet becomes more accessible and popular, students must be vigilant by getting their information from reputable sources, accurately identifying bias, and upskilling general media literacy skills.

“In order to minimize misinformation, users should cross check the news they read on social media with reliable sources,” MSJ Green Club Treasurer Junior Sneha Narayan said. Students can also aid those directly affected by disasters by donating directly. For example, causes such as www.mauiunitedway.org accept donations to help victims of the Maui fires.

Students should also try to get their news from reliable sources. Furthermore, on platforms such as Instagram, students can report posts as having false information, notifying Instagram to review the post and hide or remove it if necessary. As misinformation continues to go rampant online, it is imperative that we are consciously vigilant, refrain from engaging with it, and take measures to prevent its detrimental spread. ▪

MSJ VOICES How do you think social media has changed the spread of truthful news?

"We’re learning about media misinformation in English! I feel like fake news and fake social media has increased recently. Mr. Marple talked about deep fakes, or fake videos where people inserted faces onto false narratives digitally. I feel like this can ruin a lot of people’s lives and it’s getting out of hand. People need to not just stick to Instagram for news."

— Aanya Patel, 10

"Ithink think social media has "I social media changes the changed the spread of truthspread of news in general. Everything ful news because it’s really spreads much faster whether it's right easy to put something out or wrong—it spreads through social there right now, and it’s very media. That means wrong information hard to verify the informais also spread faster than and it’s going tion.

You to be hard to can like toeasily correctconsume it before it anything."

— Angie Che, 11 12 spreads everywhere." — Ellie Yang,

"I think social media has changed the spread of truthful news because it’s really easy to put something out there right now, and it’s very hard to verify the information. You can easily consume anything." — Angie Ellie Yang,1112 Che,

How should social media or news outlets restrict Incorrect theories that are publicized on their apps/channels?

"They should link to other accurate sources to make sure that people can get the correct news. I think that it's a mix of responsibility on the reader or user and the platform. They should focus on educating the users." — Rishab Shah, 9

"I know it’s hard for social media platforms to say “It's

not real.” I don’t think they should prevent information from being posted on the platform but they should have something under posts that says “This is not true” or “Research more before you believe this.” Similar to Instagram’s feature of saying “The information in this post might not "be factual." — Ellie Yang, 12

"I don’t believe conspiracy theories, but it truly depends on what big channels want to say, since they have credibility that people do end up believing." — Angie Che, 11

As these rumors spread throughout social media, what defenses, if any, do you think consumers have or can use against misinformation?

"Rumors are easily spread through social media since trending posts are not necessarily true. In order to minimize misinformation, users should cross check the news they read on social media with reliable sources. They can flag posts or comment on them letting others know that the news is incorrect."

— MSJ Green Club Officer Junior Sneha Narayan

"I think that now in the digital age, people have the whole internet at their fingertips, especially if they’re on platforms like [X] so people should just focus on getting correct information from news stations and not from social media." — Rishab Shah, 9

"If someone sees something that is clearly incorrect, they can try to tell others around them. Specifically, if it's on social media, they should report that piece of content and the account. Everyone needs to help fight the spread of misinformation; it’s not just one person."

— Aanya Patel, 10

GRAPHICS GRAPHICS BY

BY OPINION OPINIONEDITOR EDITORANNIE ANNIEXUXU

6 Feature

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Affirmative Action

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"I do not think the Supreme Court made the right decision to vote against race-based affirmative action. The way private colleges employ race-based affirmative action 4 9,$% doesn’t violate the equal protections that < the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause guarantees. Many factors of identity like low economic status, gender, sexual orientation, and legacy are already taken into account for college admissions and there’s no reason race specifically is an issue.”

"I think a lot of people misinterpret what affirmative action looks like in the US. Simply considering race is not the same thing as setting a race quota. There are benefits to having a diverse student body that can’t be overlooked, and there are societal factors to take into account. Historically, our institutions have not been color-blind, and simply ignoring the problem won’t suddenly make it go away. It is telling that affirmative action which used to uplift historically disadvantaged groups was struck down, but legacy admissions is still the bread and butter of many schools.”

"It depends on what point of view you take. "+,$-4 1 It’s not necessarily a “right” or “wrong” %9 decision for me. If you ask someone who’s underprivileged, naturally, they’re going to be upset with this ruling. For me, I don’t have a definite stand on the issue. It’s a matter of personal bias and just how you see the system, as a whole. As for other factors of the process, I think more emphasis on extracurricular and volunteer activities would be huge.”

3

"I feel like the Supreme Court made the right decision on affirmative action but the issue as I see it is very complicated.

On one hand I understand the importance of merit-based admissions however, diversity in education is also important as to have a variety of perspectives and cultures at colleges.

An aspect of college applications I believe should change are application fees, they can be a barrier for many students who are financially disadvantaged and would really help increase the opportunity for all to apply to colleges.”

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On June 29, the Supreme Court issued its decision addressing the cases Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, and held that race-based affirmative action in higher education violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI in 6-3 decision. The Court’s vote has sparked debate about the education system, regarding whether college admissions can be completely merit-based as well as on ways to grant more opportunities to underprivileged individuals. Do you believe that the Supreme Court made the right decision? Are there any other aspects of the college application system that you believe can be altered for greater fairness?

Friday, September 15, 2023

"I believe the Supreme Court made an impractical decision given the surrounding circumstances of the case.

4 Whilst it is important that the admissions $), process is fair to all individuals, the very nature of college admissions is dependent in large part to the financial resources available to a student. By giving underprivileged (and less financially well-off) students a chance for better higher education, students in financially disadvantaged positions can have a chance to better themselves and their loved ones. While it is true that the nature of race-based affirmative action is unfair, the very circumstances of many financially-disadvantaged students is a byproduct of historical race-based discrimination present in the United States.”

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS TUSHARA DEVAPATLA, MARYAM NASEER & DAPHNE SENECAL

Club Spotlight: MSJ Climbing

By Jiyun Guo & Aaron Zhou Graphics Editor & Sports Editor Founded in May 2023 by Sophomores Maya Dao, Katie Leung, and Rohin Vig, MSJ Climbing is one of the few student-run athletic clubs on campus. The club strives to make climbing more accessible for the student body by creating a community that organizes climbing events for all experience levels.

With origins in mountaineering and recreation, climbing is primarily an individual exercise that involves intense cardio without the competitiveness of team sports. However, this often results in a lack of social interaction, decreasing the appeal for students seeking a collaborative sport. MSJ Climbing addresses this by bringing together climbers that seek a motivating yet stress-free exercising environment. “We really hope that our climbing club will get those students who [have] never worked out to try climbing. It’s a great community that keeps people active and social,” Dao said.

The club officers initially gravitated toward climbing because of its dual benefits: while it offers a rigorous workout, it’s also designed with excellent safety precautions.

As it expands, the club also plans on hosting events that benefit the community through recreational competitions and volunteer opportunities in underprivileged areas. The club already has connections with local climbing gyms, including The Peak of Fremont and Movement Santa Clara, who are willing to offer facilities for MSJ climbers. Though recently formed, MSJ Climbing anticipates productive developments moving forward, providing an inclusive and unique athletic community. “I’m excited for the future of the club, and we’ve had a lot of people who have shown interest so far. So hopefully we’ll stay around for a while, because climbing is just awesome,” Dao said. ▪

MSJ Climbing officers pose for a group photo after a successful meeting in P24.

Aside from building lateral, bicep, core, and calf muscles, most indoor climbing facilities contain experienced staff members who can provide valuable advice and professional safety equipment. Furthermore, while climbing in an outdoor environment, the club will always carry safety material to break potential falls.

“We really hope that our climbing club will get those students who [have] never worked out to try climbing. It’s a great community that keeps people active and social.”

— SOPHOMORE MAYA DAO Daniel Chou from Dublin and Ayaan Faisal from Newark discuss their climb at Vertical View in Meridian, Idaho.

MSJ Climbing also produces an academic-free environment, as climbers often get completely absorbed in the sport, whether

through spectating an exciting summit or analyzing an ideal path. The hardest part about climbing is actually figuring out how to climb up. The higher you go, the fewer folds there tend to be on the wall. But in terms of the fitness aspect, climbing is usually not too bad for most people,” Dao said.

Due to climbing’s demand for an indoor or outdoor facility, MSJ Climbing anticipates challenges in maintaining a viable budget.

Even though many facilities offer discounts for student climbers, the cost of rental equipment varies depending on the number of participants in each club event. “While we are figuring out how to make climbing accessible for everyone, managing money’s going to be really hard. Right now, we’re going to need to have people pay a small fee to be able to come to events,” Dao said.

Vice President Sophomore Katie Leung belays her partner on a multi-climb pitch at Red Rocks, Las Vegas, Nevada.

PHOTOS COURTESY MAYA DAO. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR ANUSHKA VASUDEV

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Feature 7

GUIDE TO

STUDENT BUSINESSES

By Priyanka Shah, Shuhan Jin & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers

Between juggling rigorous courses, sports, and extracurriculars, many MSJ students have found joy in running small businesses that speak to their passions. With professional websites and hundreds of followers on social media, there are plenty of thriving small businesses at MSJ. From crafts to skincare, this issue of the Smoke Signal spotlights some of the unique ways in which MSJ students reflect their individuality.

Senior Jai Tamboli has been passionate about art ever since he was four-years-old.

“My grandpa taught me a lot and inspired me to get into art,” he said. While experimenting with the world of creativity and countless different art mediums, Tamboli fell in love with a lesser-known kind of craft — homemade popup cards. “A lot of the elements of my previous art experience go toward crafting, which was how I learned to make cards.” Starting off with unique cards to friends and family, Tamboli’s business, CardsbyJai, came to fruition after he realized the high demand for his craft. “After that, I figured I could continue pursuing something I really enjoyed while running a business that could not only make money but spread that warmth to others,” Tamboli said.

His website has over 15 different pop-up designs to choose from, ranging from birthdays to graduations to seasonal holiday cards.

With a distinctive design for nearly any occasion, customers will be able to find a card perfect for their needs.

Senior Wenlu She first discovered the whimsical art of crafting bouquets from chenille stems (pipe cleaners) on her TikTok For You page. Inspired by the creativity, She initially began making these bouquets as gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations.

On June 1, 2023, she launched her own chenille bouquet business, offering custom-made designs for any occasion, from anniversaries to birthdays. The bouquets demand a considerable amount of time for creation. “You form each of the petals and leaves individually and hot glue them together, which takes a lot of time,” She said. Being a member of the MSJ Varsity Badminton team, She strikes a balance between her business, sports, and school. “For me, keeping a schedule and blocking out my time is really important. I use Notion which is really helpful in organizing my events and keeping myself in check” She said. She manages to make time for her business, regardless of how busy she is.

Akelier — Aretha Lee and Katie Zou

Soul-ly Skin — Priyanka Shah Growing up in a household that values nutrition, Senior Priyanka Shah’s interest in essential oils and skincare sparked at the early age of ten. In her free time, she would attempt to create all sorts of skincare products with the few household materials she had. After many years, this passion evolved into her business, Soul-ly, which she runs with her friend Reya Lakhani from Homestead High School. “Our products set us aside from other skincare brands because Soul-ly is one hundred percent natural and organic. Our skincare is so clean and the ingredients are edible” Shah said. Soul-ly currently sells five products ranging from aromatic lotions to immunity rollers, all of which are available both online and at a variety of markets, including the City Slicker Art Market. “Educating people on the best way to treat their skin is our main goal, and hope to continue this in the f u t u r e ,” Shah said.

Soul-ly Skin

Akelier

Founded by Seniors Aretha Lee and Katie Zou in May 2023, Akelier offers a variety of handmade accessories, including keychains, hairclips, and necklaces. After stumbling upon a similar accessory store with high prices, Lee was inspired to create Akelier because she figured that “[she and Kaitie could] make it for a much more affordable price – and offer customization.” Currently, Akelier is active on social media sites such as Instagram @akelier.ii, “We are actually prioritizing local market sales at the moment,” Lee said. With distinctive designs such as a keychain featuring the popular Japanese virtual pet Tamagotchi, Lee and Zou have attracted buyers throughout the Bay Area. In the future, they hope to expand Akelier’s online presence and continue showcasing their special offerings. “We specialize in making everything by hand that we design every time, [unique and] one of a kind,” Zou said.

Forever Flowers

Forever Flowers — Wenlu She

Cards by Jai

Cards by Jai — Jai Tamboli

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER VIDYUTH SRIDHAR, COURTESY ARETHA LEE, PRIYANKA SHAH, WENLU SHE, JAI TAMBOLI, AND GRAPHICS KATIE ZHOU BY . GRAPHICS FEATURE

BY FEATURE EDITOR EDITOR CALLIE CALLIE YUAN YUAN

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Feature 9

DieHard TryHards:

By Aaryan Suri, Tanvi Deshmukh, Daphne Senecal, & Lucy Yao Sports Editor & Staff Writers With the hit release of the Barbie movie this summer, theaters were flooded with neons, sparkles, and of course, loads of pink. Along with that, the Barbieverse was expanded with tons of character Barbies, such as President Barbie and Weird Barbie (and Allan!). In this DieHard TryHards, reporting live from the Mojo Dojo Casa House, four Smokies create their own Barbie characters to compete for the best dressed and most popular doll in all of Barbie Land.

B

If you look in my closet, you’ll see an assortment of white, cream, and blue colors, but not a hint of pink. Since we’re talking Barbie, I’ll have to do some serious digging — and by digging, I mean enlist the help of my pink-loving friends. The dress-up part might be challenging, but the judges will absolutely love my Barbie charisma and talent as Dancer Barbie. All I can say is that “I’m a Barbie girl in the Barbie world,” and hopefully, no one gets cardiac arrest from my flat feet.

This Barbie is a Yoga Instructor.

Lucy It’s not even close if we’re being honest. Looking at my competition and their sub-par wardrobes, I don’t see a universe in which I don’t win this challenge. Now, you might be wondering what I plan to bring to this DHTH and the clothes that I intend to wear. And for that, I honestly have no idea.

With not a single article of pink clothing in my closet, I may or may not be doomed. However, with a combination of finesse and breathtaking innovation, I will walk (or rollerblade) away, winning this DHTH.

This Barbie is a Detective.

Daphne

From the moment I walked in, I was so intimidated by the other Barbies’ elaborate characters. My outfit was just pink pieces thrown together (shoutout to my friends for lending me their closets).

Despite feeling nervous, I had to live up to my title of Dancer Barbie.

Strutting down the catwalk with my pink Converse and cowgirl hat, I busted out my best moves to “Barbie World,” making my queens Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice proud. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll make a movie about how Dancer Barbie ate up Yoga Barbie, Ballerina Barbie, and Detective Barbie and left no glittery crumbs behind.

1

This Barbie is a Dancer.

I’m going to be honest — I think I only got picked for this competition because I was wearing bright bubblegum pink the day of. Now, from that, you might assume that my entire closet must be a storm of fuchsias like Barbie’s Dreamhouse closet right? Well consider this: yes I have six pink tops, but only one vaguely magenta bottom (which is just so clearly purple). My options are limited here, guys.

However, I did spend an entire summer at an arts camp surrounded by kids with impeccable style, so hopefully I’ve absorbed enough fashion sense from them to master the art of Yoga Barbie. Ken it be done? I guess like Barbie says, “life is your creation!”

Tanvi Well second is Kenough for me! I can’t believe I didn’t think of Yoga Barbie from the start, especially considering my one pink (purple) bottom was literally yoga pants. Looking back, I think my pink (definitely purple) hair and extra demonstration was what really gave me points, and it was completely worth the personal embarrassment since I also got to embarrass — I mean help — the judges achieve inner peace. Everyone did amazing though, and personally, we all should’ve gotten first place. After all, anyone can be Barbie — it’s not hard when you’re doused in magentas, roses, and every pink possible!

2

Well, at least I finished on the podium… Okay, in my opinion, achieving third-place was the result of a series of unfortunate events and, put simply, just unlucky. Now, you might be thinking that I’m being salty and unreasonable, to which I reply that you are absolutely correct. However, in my eyes, my lovely Ballerina Barbie outfit deserved that sweet, glorious, precious first-place trophy just as much as any of the other Barbies, cough Tanvi, and I am and always will be the number one Barbie in my own eyes.

3

This Barbie is a Ballerina.

B

Years and years of watching fashion doll movies and learning about their production have prepared me for this moment. It may have been a long time since Barbie was my favorite doll line, but she is still my first love and holds a special place in my heart. With my supreme knowledge of all things Barbie, I happen to know about the existence of the Detective Barbie video games. Unfortunately, the outfits she had in those games were horrifically ugly so I intend to bring Detective Barbie justice with my own ideals on what a detective should be.

4

Detecti

Aaryan ve Bar

bie

Looking back, maybe I should not have admitted to several accusations of … various crimes when I was supposed to be Detective Barbie. Instead, I probably should have just accused one of the other contestants of stealing all the charity money from the local fair. However, the real criminal offense was that I managed to lose to Ballerina Barbie who was wearing a tutu from Party City — he didn’t even know how to do a pirouette! Now that I’m done being petty, I will resolve to be a better Barbie and law abiding citizen — someone who deserves the title of being the barbiest Barbie.

PHOTOS BY FEATURE EDITORS ANUSHKA VASUDEV & CALLIE YUAN, PHOTO COURTESY LOOKA.COM. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR ANUSHKA VASUDEV

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Centerspread 11

NEW FACULTY

By Vedesh Kodnani, Kaylee Liu, Annie Xu, Callie Yuan & Novak Chen News Editors, Opinion Editor, Feature Editor & Staff Writer

With the start of the 2023-24 school year, MSJ welcomes both the Class of 2027 and several new faculty members.

The Smoke Signal interviewed 10 out of the 16 new staff members to welcome them to the MSJ community.

JING XIA

Intensive Instruction Teacher Jing Xia, a former paraeducator of two years in Massachusetts, has pivoted her position here at MSJ. After hearing her grandmother’s experiences and stories as a teacher and the demands for paraeducators from her friends who had children with disabilities, Xia decided to transition to a career in special needs education. “I have some friends who [have disabilities], but when they were in high school, they didn’t get much help, [and] they suffered a lot.” In her time at MSJ so far, Xia appreciates the supportive environment inside the classroom: “I really like the classroom aids, [and] we have five [para-educators] helping me out and really supporting me as a new teacher.” Outside of her job, Xia loves to cuddle with her two cats, Cali and Bubblelicious, listen to Taylor Swift, and write short stories.

BLUEBERRY CAKE

Ceramics and Digital Imaging Teacher Lena Barncord has extensive experience in the field, having previously taught Art I and Digital Imaging at Washington High School. Coming from a long line of teachers, she seeks to help students grow and enjoys teaching beginner classes. “You see students who’ve never done art before or haven’t done it in quite a few years ... [so] to have that ‘Ah-ha!’ moment, where something works for them or they’re just enjoying themselves, [it’s] a really beautiful thing to get to witness and be a part of,” Barncord said. She loves the enthusiasm students bring to the classroom, “It’s exciting because it shows me that I can try some more ambitious projects and I’m not going to lose anyone along the way,” Barncord said. “Art is not a subject that needs to be intimidating ... it’s a class full of self-expression ... [and] growth,” Barncord said. In her free time, she likes to do art, go on walks with her dogs, and binge-watch shows.

LENA BARNCORD TIRAMISU CAKE

Assistant Principal Beth Bonomo, having formerly served as assistant principal at John M. Horner Middle School and history teacher at William Hopkins Junior High School, is excited to work with high school sudents, some of whom she had taught at Hopkins. Inspired by her grandmother’s teaching and love for history, Bonomo pursued a career in education to bond with students. “From watching [my grandmother] as I grew, I’ve just always known that I wanted to teach, and I love history, which is why I taught it for so long,” Bonomo said. So far, she has enjoyed MSJ’s annual activities, such as MAZE Day, and wants to be more involved in future activities, hoping to further connect with MSJ’s student body and staff. In her free time, Bonomo enjoys traveling and is excited for her trip to Japan.

BETH BONOMO SPRINKLES CUPCAKE

Wellness Center Coordinator Brinda Parekh, having previously worked as a preschool teacher and substitute teacher, is excited to bring her own touch to MSJ’s Wellness Center. Utilizing her experience with developing creative curricula and designing for her previous classes to explore their own ideas freely, Parekh hopes to introduce more activities to the center for students to partake in.

“I really want to get more input for more games and crafts to offer here. I’ve been working on an origami mural with students so far,” Parekh said. Additionally, she’s also been working with MSJ’s faculty in terms of the Wellness Center’s outreach. “I really want students to know that they can relax and breathe here. It’s a very stressful time academically, and I think they’ll find a medium to relieve their stress to be very helpful” Parekh said. Outside of her work at MSJ, Parekh loves to paint and explore different art styles.

Resource Specialist Daniel Reed transitioned to MSJ after previously serving as the English Department Chair at Newark Junior High School for five years. Reed’s partner has been a research teacher at MSJ for many years, so he often hears stories from her and her colleagues about what happens in Resource and how they help others. “It seemed to me like it would be a better fit for what I am interested in, which is helping students be more effective and become better people,” Reed said. Growing up in Los Angeles, Reed has become a real movie buff, with his favorite movies being Goldfinger and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

BRINDA PAREKH

DANIEL REED

STRAWBERRY CAKE

SPICE CAKE

KEITH KOTTENBACH TIRAMISU CAKE

American Government and Economics Teacher Keith Kottenbach taught high school and middle school history at the Quarry Lane School, a private school in Dublin, before teaching at MSJ. MSJ’s reputation and community influenced him to apply for a position here. “When I was a student, I often stayed at school, did activities and other things, and I found a lot of inspiration and enjoyment from it. I feel like [teaching] is sort of my way of paying it back,” he said. Despite being new on campus, Kottenbach has been actively involved in the MSJ community, currently serving as the Speech & Debate and Theater Club advisor. Outside of teaching, Kottenbach enjoys collecting things, playing PC games, and sleeping.

Principal Amy Perez, having previously served as the Fremont Adult & Continuing Education school Assistant Principal and Robertson High School teacher, is looking forward to supporting its students and fostering a more inclusive school environment. Perez first applied to be a teacher in Colorado on a whim, but working with students from socioeconomically challenged backgrounds and watching them grow made her confident that she wanted to pursue a career in education.

At MSJ, she wants to ensure students are heard while working to mitigate their stress. “This year my goals are to be visible, connect with students, and learn everything I can about MSJ and its community,” Perez said. So far, she has felt welcomed by students and faculty. “A lot of students usually don’t like to greet the principal, but here I feel the complete opposite ... I love at lunchtime when I see students smiling, laughing, and interacting with each other,” Perez said.

Outside of work, Perez enjoys spending time with her two children and mountain biking.

AMY PEREZ FONDANT CAKE

When Paraeducator Fabiane Vilela Azevedo Carneira arrived in the US from Brazil, she did not understand English and gradually learned it.

Prior to accepting a position at MSJ, she worked as a driver for different shipping services, such as Uber Technologies. Carneira also studied at the Fremont Adult & Continuing Education school and underwent paraeducator and caregiver training. She is currently receiving Registered Behavior Technician training, which is a paraprofessional certification in behavior analysis. “I like to work with people, and I like to help people, so it’s important to do something for someone, which inspired me to be here,” Carneira said. She hopes to support her students by constantly trying to improve her skills and learn. “The people are so sympathetic, so kind, and I like to see the many students. It [has been] a good experience for me here,” she said. Outside of teaching, Carneira loves reading, watching movies with her family, and playing with her dog.

FABIANE CARNEIRA PINEAPPLE CHANTILLY CAKE

Choir Director and AP Music Theory Teacher David Belles discovered his passion for singing after joining the choir in college. Belles has an extensive music and teaching background — he studied piano in college before switching to education, taught at the Bullis Charter School for 12 years, building the choir program from about 20 students to more than 200, and taught in the San Jose Unified School District for one year. Belles always wanted to establish his own high school choir program, so when he received the opportunity to manage one that needed improvement, he was delighted. “[I hope to support my students by] challenging them, by encouraging them, by giving them the energy, support, and sometimes, just motivation to reach for excellence,” Belles said. “The students are so friendly and respectful, and I enjoy being on campus with them, which I never thought I’d say about a school.” Outside of teaching, Belles loves spending time with his family and photographing birds.

Attendance Clerk Denise Van Loon accepted a position at MSJ to connect and support high school students after working at Forest Park Elementary School as office support. Her past experience with coordinating absences and other student logistics, allowed her to easily assimilate into her current job. So far, she has loved working with the office staff as she eases into the MSJ community.

Van Loon looks forward to meeting the student body and supporting them in any way she can. “I hope that we can all give each other smiles, and make our lives here happier,” Van Loon said. Outside of work, Van Loon is an animal enthusiast and loves to volunteer at the Ohlone Humane Society.

DENISE VAN LOON

DAVID BELLES BOSTON CREAM PIE

WELCOME ALL OTHER NEW FACULTY THE SMOKE SIGNAL WAS UNABLE TO INTERVIEW INCLUDE: Nisha Aravindhan - Paraeducator Sumaiyah Ali - Psychologist Hager Liebermensch - Psychologist Ponciano Ortega - Custodian Wadji (Jay) Souki - Campus Supervisor Lananh Tran - Child Nutrition *We attempted to be inclusive of all new faculty according to our sources.

BROWNIE PHOTOS BY NEWS EDITORS VEDESH KODNANI & KAYLEE LIU, OPINION EDITOR ANNIE XU, FEATURE EDITOR CALLIE YUAN & STAFF WRITER NOVAK CHEN. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITORS CHLOE GAO & ASHLEY PANG

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 15, 2023

Forest & Flour

hasn’t made it out of the woods

By Chloe Gao, Julia Peng & Annika Singh Centerspread Editor, Editor-in-Chief & Opinion Editor

deloved

First opened in October 2022, Forest & Flour, located at 43587 Mission Blvd., is a gluten-free and dairyfree cafe that creates baked goods for people with food allergies and sensitivities. On August 25, almost a year after the bakery’s soft opening, the Smoke Signal visited their grand opening ceremony to try their naturally-sourced foods and engage in the event festivities.

Starting off the afternoon with a heartfelt speech to the customers waiting in line, Forest & Flour founder Sway Soturi expressed her thanks to everyone who supported her journey since her days in the home kitchen. From their start First founded in 2019, Soturi and first employee Jackie Waters passionately described how they expanded their business from home ovens to products in farmers markets and finally to their cafe location.

Forest & Flour also offers online order and pickup, featuring custom cakes, baguettes, and more. Along with availability at local farmers markets including Santana Row, Niles Fremont Farmers Market, and Saratoga Farmers Market, Forest & Flour has recently expanded to stocking goods such as Brioche, Granola Granola, and Matcha Muffins atto Berkeley Bowl West, a local grocery store in the East Bay. “It’s a huge dream of Sway’s to be able to provide a space for the community to come together and to eat food that supports our bodies, minds, and souls,” Waters said.

Entering the space, customers were immediately greeted with whimsical art and floral decoration, along with the smiling faces of the welcoming staff. Their typical corkscrew menu was covered up with a sign for their grand opening, and the store bustled with individuals admiring the forestry nature of the interior. Led by Waters, the staff roamed around the space to chat with customers, tailing specifics of their work that they and handing out gift bags to the first few visitors. “The fact that [Soturi] cares so much about the things we put in our body and creating an inclusive food space is what first stood out to me and became the reason why I love to work here,” Waters said. “She really was a huge inspiration for me.”

Venturing out to the courtyard, customers were serenaded by DJ Asthmatc’s selection of songs. Throughout the outdoor seating lay games, a miniature red carpet, and photobooth, allowing attendees to mingle with one another. Later in the evening, Forest & Flour hosted a microgreen workshop with Garden to Table Silicon Valley and an arts and crafts activity with Janine Pitta Art. For their Grand Opening event, the cafe served a carefully curated menu with typical customer favorites and unique event-exclusive treats.

The main grilled cheese sando and side salad were delicious but expensive for the small portions that were served. The dishes stayed relatively true to their authentic flavors, though the cheese in the sandwich had a nutty flavor in comparison to normal grilled cheese sandwiches. The muffin and cake flavors ranged from the unique Strawberry Lemon to the typical Carrot, but despite an abundance of creative flavors, the forte of Forest & Flour was definitely their Devils Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting. The frosting’s light texture paired flawlessly with the cake’s rich flavor. However, aside from the standard Fremont Tax, the bakery charged two Staff Wellness Fees, adding a 10% and 20% upcharge on the subtotal. Despite being costly, Forest & Flour’s dedication towards making baked goods more inclusive for people with allergens is notable.

Soturi expressed that the business’s journey thus far has followed her mission to a tee. “It’s really just coming down to at least if we can buy our food from local farmers, if they can spend a little bit more time making our own food and having better quality food. And then we are able to start a chain reaction to be better people in the community,” Satoru said. “I just think it’s really important that we connect with our local farmers and educate our community on how best to eat or help.”

Grade: C PHOTOS BY EDITORS CHLOE GAO, JULIA PENG & ANNIKA SINGH, GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR SANAH BHARDWAJ

Friday, September September 15, 15, 2023 2023 Friday,

Join the Spotify account of Hannah Montana as it undergoes an arduous, emotional journey, approaching the day many anticipate and dread all at once, the day everyone and their mothers post their recaps on social media — the release of the annual Spotify Wrapped.

August 12 Another day, another software crash.

It’s the third time today I’ve passed out, of school. I can’t take much more of this.

The amount of playlists in my library, the number of saved albums, the 15,000 songs … it’s too much for me. I don’t know how much longer I can continue like this. And the versatility — wow. For anyone else, this would be a good thing, a great thing even.

But for Hannah Montana? Hannah Montana is a huge Taylor Swift fanatic. And Phoebe Bridgers. And … Travis Scott? And yet, they have never once listened to anything from the Hannah Montana soundtrack.

Daily Mix 1 user34958 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Feature &Arts Arts& &Entertainment Entertainment11 13

The Smoke Smoke Signal Signal The

“Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers “Let’s Go to Trader Joe’s”

by Dana and Alden, Cinya Khan “Potato Salad” by Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift “L to the OG (feat. Kendall Roy)” by Nicholas Britell, Kendall Roy

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DEAR DIARY

: Spotify

November 18 I’ve given up. Once Hannah Montana has the Glee Cast phase they inevitably go through every year without fail, there’s nothing more that I can do for them. To quote Phoebe Bridgers’ closing song on her sophomore album Punisher, “The end is near / [INCOMPREHENSIBLE SCREAMING.]”

By Goonja Basu A&E Editor

September 16

October 15

It’s time to get serious about Spotify Wrapped. Every year, I’m humiliated with just how awful and embarrassing Hannah Montana’s is. Last year was atrocious. Hannah Montana’s top artist was Playboy Carti and their top song was somehow “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) (Sad Girl Autumn Version) (Recorded at Long Pond Studios).” Do you know how many times someone has to listen to that song to make it their top song of the year? Actually, no — I’ve decided to take the high road today. I’m just grateful to have Spotify Wrapped at all … I’m looking at you Apple Music users.

Whoops, sorry about that. I crashed.

Again. It took a couple of days to reboot this time. I won’t lie — I’m a little afraid for the next time it happens.

And trust me, it will happen again.

Anyways, time to check on Hannah Montana. I wonder how they’ve been doing — oh. Yeah, I don’t know what I expected. They’re switching between “Halloween” by Phoebe Bridgers, “SKELETONS” by Travis Scott, and “Calling All the Monsters” by China Anne McClain from A.N.T. Farm. Mind you, only one of those is actually a Halloween song. My Daily Mixes didn’t work; Hannah Montana didn’t even lis-

September 29

automatic algorithm) I put into making these playlists, gone to waste? I’m hurt, disappointed, and even betrayed.

Never mind. Forget what I said. Playlists 673, 674, and 675 have all been crehas “Barney’s Theme Song” by Magic Palace right next to “ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine. The second has 521 songs on it and is simply titled “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” The third … the third playlist is unspeakable. But, Hannah Montana isn’t even listening to these playlists right now!

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording). Wait, okay, I Mix for them to listen to and get them back on track to a nice, proper Wrapped.

December 1 A message to Hannah Montana: I’ve grown quite fond of you; you come to me as a long lost friend whom I once picked apples in Papa’s orchard. I care for you as a friend reaching out to wish you the best. In a lot of ways, I guess you could say that my job is just … emotional support. With that out of the way, let’s recap what’s happening with Hannah Montana’s … let’s just say diverse …

Spotify Wrapped. Taylor Swift on top, this we expected. Travis Scott and Glee Cast in second and third place. Their top song? Phineas and Ferb’s viral “S.I.M.P. (Squirrels in My Pants)” by 2 Guys n the Parque. While this year is a mess, to say the least, it is actually not the worst Spotify Wrapped I’ve had to endure — 2020 was a dark time for all of us that we must not speak of. I’m only slightly humiliated with this year, but next year? I ensure next ▪

October 31 Well, it’s 9 a.m. on Halloween and they’re listening to Fifth Harmony’s cover of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Good Days” by SZA on repeat. Sometimes, I want to carefully inspect and pick apart every cell of Hanwhy exactly my Spotify Wrapped turns out the way that it does every year. I only have a month left. I’m losing hope.

My vision is clouded with dark spots.

smokie love 2023-2024

MSJ Darshana takes the stage

By Annie Xu & Tanvi Deshmukh Opinion Editor & Staff Writer

Founded in 2022 by Captains Seniors Anirra Kutty, Shreya Viswanathan, and Anandita Devata, MSJ Darshana stands as MSJ’s premier Indian classical dance team. Inspired by the widespread representation of Indian classical dance in college teams, the captains brought this captivating art form to MSJ. Although MSJ clubs offer many dance styles, the captains noticed a lack of Indian classical representation on campus. As a result, they came together to establish MSJ Darshana last spring. They chose the team name Darshana, the word meaning glimpse or view, from a Malayalam song by the same name from the movie Hridayam. “We wanted something kind of modern, kind of traditional, and Darshana just fit that,” Viswanathan said.

“We wanted something kind of modern, kind of traditional, and Darshana just fit that.”

— MSJ Darshana Captain Senior Shreya Viswanathan

MSJ Darshana originates from the captains’ extensive individual experiences with dance, each of them being separately trained in a different Indian classical dance form as children.

Kutty followed in her mother and sister’s foot-

steps with Kathak, Vishwanathan was inspired

by Bharatanatyam dancers she saw in India, and Devata took Kuchipudi classes at a young age. Ultimately, each captain fell in love with their respective styles and pursued the dance forms to the current day.

While Indian classical dance includes eight main styles, all share graceful movements, rhythmic patterns, intricate hand gestures, and facial expressions. With each of the three

captains specializing in a different style, MSJ Darshana uniquely features the Kathak,

“As captains, we always try to get input from as many people as possible ... we’re really trying to highlight as many dance forms as we can.”

— MSJ Darshana Captain Senior Anirra Kutty

Bharatanatyam, and Kuchipudi dance styles.

Rather than mixing styles, the captains aim to showcase each of the three styles with one cohesive theme. “As captains, we always try to get input from as many people as possible for our choreographies, because we’re really trying to highlight as many dance forms as we can,” Kutty said.

The past school year, MSJ Darshana debuted with a performance at the L2 Charity Fashion Show. It was the group’s first opportu-

nity performing as a team, as well as the captains’ first experience leading, which entailed tasks like creating choreography and choosing costumes. For the captains, MSJ Darshana’s fusion of styles has allowed them to pick up new skills and approach their individual dancing differently. “[Our choreographies] really opened me up to different dance styles that I hopefully want to pursue in the future,” Viswanathan said.

In the future, MSJ Darshana hopes to bring in more dance styles into their choreography and participate in more performances at MSJ and around the Bay Area. “Right now, we’re planning on auditioning for Dil Se [Bollywood culture show hosted at Irvington High School], and hosting the Indian classical airband at Charity Fashion Show and Multicultural Week. We’re really hoping to expose more people to the fun and expression in classical Indian dance,” Devata said. ▪ PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANANDITA DEVATA

PHOTOS COURTESY ANANDITA DEVATA. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR CALLIE YUAN

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 15, 2023

Friday, September 15, 2023

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The Smoke Signal

Arts & Entertainment 15

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R

Bottoms is far from the bottom of the barrel

Snow angel freezes over terribly

By Hannah Shen Graphics Editor

By Sanah Bhardwaj Arts & Entertainment Editor

In Bottoms, writers Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott collaborate on a “campy queer high school comedy … for a Gen-Z queer audience” that promises satire, female empowerment, queer representation, and Gen-Z humor, all of which it delivers on. Lesbian best friends PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are social outcasts in their senior year of high school who decide to start a fight club as a ploy to hook up with hot cheerleaders. The film’s premise is hilarious already, but the execution and timing of the comedy are the real cherry on top.

Seligman and Sennott create a universe where silly high school problems seem like the end of the world, and everyday events are overdramatized, which allows them to write poignant laugh-out-loud moments into the script without it feeling forced. This comedy is clearly directed towards a Gen-Z audience, and Seligman slays — the humor in this film is perfect for Gen-Z and doesn’t feel out-of-touch like other films directed towards a younger audience tend to be. The timing of the comedy is perfect, the satire walks a thin line between wildly outrageous and wildly hilarious, and the punchlines and witty one-liners come at just the right time for the film to feel fast-paced and keep the audience constantly laughing.

In addition, the relationship between PJ and Josie is perfect, with both actors playing off of each oth-

On August 18, Mean Girls: The Musical star, actress, and singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp broke the ice with the release of her debut album, Snow Angel. The 12-track release follows her fan-beloved 2022 EP, Everything Tto Everyone, cementing her transition from casual songwriting to dedicated music making. Unfortunately, amidst the snowstorm, Rapp’s newest work falls prey to redundant tracks, unfinished songwriting, and a lackluster sound, leaving much to be desired.

“Do you still wanna be with me? / ‘‘Cause, like, I , I wanna be with you,” Rapp postulates in the opening song of the project, “Talk Too Much.” The poppy, upbeat track, though infectious and catchy, is a telling prediction for the majority of the project, throughout which Rapp seems to say so much, while saying nothing at all. Lyrics fill up the pages of Genius, ranging from “Now my tummy hurts / He’’s in love with her” to “I hate you and your guts / I think you should shut the f*** up and die,” but this endless list of poorly written, juvenile gripes merely makes the listeners feel like they have interrupted a private meltdown.

IMDB.COM

er so well in their casual banter and comedic scenes. Apart from their chemistry for comedy, the lesbian besties also deliver very compelling emotional scenes.

However, the movie has its fair share of shortcomings and the plot and characters both leave a lot to be desired. The plot felt like watching a very predictable trainwreck — the audience could anticipate every twist and turn, and the whole story was a purposeful disaster of bombs, football players, and pineapples — although that could be a good thing for some audience members who were only there for the laughs.

“Emma and I really connected over both wanting to do it and not being afraid to say, ‘I want to do this.’” — Rachel Sennott The film not only sacrifices plot, but also character development and female empowerment for comedy.

This movie empowers women in the same way that Ratatouille empowers rats — women are the stars of the

plot and feminism is mentioned, but it never really goes beyond the surface level. The majority of the film is spent on fights and sex, which is unfortunate because side characters such as Brittany (Kaia Gerber), Isabel (Havana Rose Liu), and Hazel (Ruby Cruz) had so much potential to add to the film’s message about female empowerment because they were multifaceted compared to the other side characters. In fact, all of the side characters aside from those above are two dimensional and lack any development at all Ultimately, Bottoms is a film meant for laugh-out-loud moments, and although it is directed towards queer women, anyone can find a good laugh in this universe filled with hot women and football players. There is ample room for improvement, but overall, this is a very casual movie recommended for anyone who wants to watch something lighthearted, funny, and over-the-top. ▪ Grade: B+

September 2023 Student Faves

BOOKBYTES

By Sarah Hu Staff Writer Student Recommendation Title: Babel: or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History Author: R.F. Kuang Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9 Genre: Magical Realism When a plague eradicates his town in China, Robin Swift is admitted into the Royal Institute of Translation, Babel. At the college, Robin learns about the atrocities of the British empire, and alters the course of history forever.

“I love Babel so much because R.F. Kuang was able to express ideas in the book I never would have been able to put into words myself ... I also just admire all the research that must have been put into the book.” — Alyssa Chen, 12 Staff Recommendation Title: A Confederacy of Dunces Author: John Kennedy Toole Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9 Genre: Tragicomedy, Humor Ignatius J. Reilly lives his life convinced he is the world’s smartest scholar. Repulsed by the new standards of the current society, he makes it his personal mission to fix all modern society, causing disaster in the city and infuriating the people around him.

“It’s far and away the funniest book I’ve ever read. A word of warning: all comedy is subjective, and a lot of people hate this book. I suggest you give it a try and see for yourself!” — History Teacher Joseph Usrey Smokie Recommendation Title: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Author: Yuval Noah Harari Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9 Genre: Non-fiction This non-fiction book promotes a philosophical discussion on what it means to be a human, rather than looking at humanity from a solely biological or historical standpoint.

“I like this book because it is an attempt to explain the vast differences between humans, incorporating ... examples and images from the modern day to explain their points.” — Novak Chen, 11

MOVIE: Avengers: Endgame — Jay Gokani, 11 TV SHOW: Community — Asra Kakar, 11 ALBUM: this is what ____ feels like by JVKE — Claire Lin, 12 BOOK: Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel — Hagen Qian, 12 GAME: osu! — David Sarten, 10

“[Creating Snow Angel was] simultaneously the most emotionally taxing and also the most rewarding time in my life.” — Reneé Rapp In addition to the overly simple songwriting, Rapp fails to create a unique sound that differentiates her from her counterparts in the pop industry. Tracks such as “Poison Poison” and “Tummy Hurts” could have been picked out of a pop-song generator, flaunting a banal tone that others have already tried and mastered; one of the hook’s could be mistaken for the same in Olivia Rodrigo’s

SPOTIFY.COM

SOUR or the melody in Sabrina Carpenter’s emails i can’t send.

Rapp’s saving grace in her debut project is the very reason why she became famous to begin with: her hypnotic, booming voice. As ex-Regina George on Broadway, Rapp has perfect vocal control, tone, and range, which shine brightly throughout each track. Even in one of the most poorly written songs of the album, “I Hate Boston,” Rapp’s strong, emotional vocals reverberate from the speakers, overcoming her shortcomings in songwriting.

Furthermore, not all of the songwriting is terrible. The album’s title track, “Snow Angel,” is Rapp’s magnum opus, perfectly balancing Rapp’s discomfort coming out of a relationship with grappling with her new identity as a single woman.

Tracks like “Snow Angel” remind listeners that above all, Rapp is a talented vocalist, making her a force to be reckoned with in the pop music industry.

Throughout its themes of heartbreak, neglect, abandonment, and growth, Snow Angel does its best to provide catharsis for its listeners to relate to. However, its redundancy in sound, choppy writing, and banal themes result in a listenable, but mediocre debut for Reneé Rapp. ▪ Grade: C+

Unreal Unearth : Hozier’s Journey of Love and Loss

SPOITFY.COM

By Sally Han Staff Writer Bursting onto the rap scene in Irish singer-songwriter Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier, released his mythical, epic-like third album called Unreal Unearth on August 18. This project is full of pieces that tiptoe the border between soul and rock, with ethereal vocals, dreamy instrumentals, and a raw edge that takes the listener through a journey of love and humanity.

The album begins emphasizing the ethereal tone that continues through the album with its opening track, “De Selby (Part 1).” The song takes inspiration from De Selby in the book The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien and reflects the darkness he enters after he has died and is in the afterlife. Hozier’s light and feather-like vocals evoke a sense of holiness, surrounding the listener with a crooning choir. The soft and ethereal acoustic guitar brings

the whole piece together, and the song foreshadows the rest of the album’s features with its acoustic guitar, breathy vocals, percussion, and strings. As he nears the end of the track, Hozier taps into his native Irish roots and sings, “Trína chéile; Le chéile, claochlaithe,” roughly translating to “Entangled; Together, transformed.” The lyrics bring to mind a metamorphosis as the listener is immersed in darkness, unable to tell where they begin and end.

After the first few soul-searching songs, Unreal Unearth takes a turn into the love songs of the album, giving the album its raw and passionate edge. “Francesca” is full of the fiery nature of love with Hozier’s powerful vocals and pounding, rock instrumental track. The song is reminiscent of Hozier’s previous albums, allowing the listener to enjoy Hozier’s look back to the past.

In “To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe),” Hozier creates an ode to Irish songwriting with this ballad. His poetic lyrics about

uiscefhuaraithe, irish for the cool feeling that only water can bring, and instrumental piano, cello, and low vocal register creates a song that speaks of a love that seems “so mundane but so remarkable.” For Hozier, the mundanity of the warmth left by someone else is something remarkable and extraordinary.

In contrast to Unreal Unearth’s earlier tracks, the album brings the listener back to earth with tracks that touch upon humanity’s best and worst moments like “First Light” and “Eat Your Young.” In “Eat Your Young,” Hozier sings, “It’s quicker and easier to eat your young,” where one is so gluttonous for short-term gain to the point where one is willing to sacrifice the next generation for their pleasure. As the album draws to a close, “First Light” ends the album with an appreciation of the beginning of each and every day.

Hozier draws inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno” as Dante misses the clouds and the sun after being stuck in a dark oppressive space. The

song embodies the feeling of leaving this space to see the sky for the first time. With soft to soaring, gospel vocals, listeners can almost feel themselves among the first morning rays. This feeling of open space and ascent reveals Hozier’s musical journey as he starts a new chapter.

Unreal Unearth leads the listener on a journey of finding humanity in the darkness with its’ exploration into the sins and virtues of humans.

Its tracks tap into Hozier’s Irish roots with its lyrics while keeping a mythical, gospel tone with Hozier’s ethereal vocals, dramatic strings, and percussion. The concept of the album remains consistent throughout and each track crafts a story for itself. Unreal Unearth feels like a step into the next part of Hozier’s musical journey, filled with expectations and hope. ▪ Grade: A-

SMOKIE PLAYLIST: AARON: “on the street (with J. Cole)” by j-hope | AARYAN: “Care” by Sonder | ANNIE: “orange show speedway” by Lizzy McAlpine | ANNIKA: “peach eyes” by

Sunset September

wave to earth | ANUSHKA: “Strawberries & Cigarettes” by Troye Sivan | ASHLEY: “Stoned at the Nail Salon” by Lorde | CALLIE: “Garage Rooftop” by Q | CHLOE: “sweet decay” by Chasu | ELTON: “Eleven Weeks” by Vansire | GOONJA: “Cartwheel” by Lucy Dacus | HANNAH: “She” by dodie | JULIA: “love.” by wave to earth | KARINA: “I am not your ocean anymore” by Yerin Baek | KAYLEE: “Fireflies” by Chris Garneau | JIYUN: “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers | SANAH: “Baby” by Summer Walker | VEDESH: “Dizzy on the Comedown” by Turnover | WAYLON: “What You Heard” by Sonder | MRS. COHEN: “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 15, 2023

Athlete Spotlight: Krish Gupta

By Waylon Li Web Editor Senior Krish Gupta has proven to be one of the most talented high school tennis players in the nation. Introduced to tennis at a young age by his brother, Gupta has evolved into a nationally recognized tennis athlete.

He was offered and plans on competing in Division I college tennis at Yale University upon high school graduation.

After moving through several states before high school, Gupta settled in the Bay Area and excelled at local tournaments. Training at Mission Hills Racquet and Swim Club, Gupta improved his playstyle enough to compete in national tournaments.

Throughout his extensive career playing in the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Gupta has won prestigious tournaments, most notably the National Clay Court Championships in doubles. Traveling across the nation, Gupta has competed against some of the strongest junior players across the world. “My favorite thing about

[tennis] is the friendships and bonds I build and also competing with the best juniors is an experience I will never forget,” Gupta said.

Apart from competing nationally, Gupta also participates in MSJ’s Varsity Boys Tennis team, serving as the Co-Captain and playing the number one singles position. Throughout the four years, Gupta co-led the team to back-to-back NCS Championships. Apart from the team’s high skill level, he believes that the team’s unbreakable chemistry and camaraderie is what makes the experience of team tennis fun and memorable. At the CIF Championships, Gupta recalls his most memorable experiences of playing team tennis. “We stayed at a hotel overnight, and I loved the vibes; all of us staying at the hotel together further strengthened the bonds that we have with each other,” Gupta said. MSJ Varsity Boys Tennis eventually placed third place at the tournament, only losing to Menlo School, one of the best teams in the nation.

Despite an overall successful season, Gupta did not perform to his potential due to a series of injuries. Gupta’s run in the NCS Boys

Gupta poses for a commit photo while wearing a Yale hoodie.

Individual Championships was cut short because of a persistent wrist injury. However, Gupta was able to persevere and went undefeated in his matches in the NCS Team Championships, contributing to the team’s back-to-back champion status. “My love for the game drives me to keep working hard even after a tough loss or a bad injury,” Gupta said.

“Competing with the best juniors is an experience I will never forget.”

– SENIOR KRISH GUPTA Despite his successful junior tennis c a r e e r, the road to recruitment was full of challenges and letdowns. Through the trials, tribulations, and injuries, Gupta found himself never settling and always looking optimistically into the Gupta prepares to smash a cleared ball.

Gupta prepares for another powerful smash.

future. “You never know where you could be in a year as you could get a lot better,” Gupta said. Gupta plans to continue his athletic career at Yale University. He anticipates the next level of tennis that college team tennis will bring in the future. “I look forward to making new bonds on the team and seeing how far I can take my tennis to the next level,” Gupta said.

PHOTOS COURTESY KRISH GUPTA. GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR AARON ZHOU

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Sports 17

Women-only gyms: a trend that must return

By Waylon Li & Lucy Yao Web Editor & Staff Writer Back in the 2000s, many women-only gyms, such as Curves and Lucille Roberts, were a major craze among women looking for a safe space to exercise. Although they have declined in popularity, with some even going out of business in recent years, women-only gyms have shed light on the frequent cases of harassment, feelings of anxiety, and other inconveniences in co-ed gyms. This has led many on social media to suggest women-only sections in gyms, or even entire women-only gyms, as an alternative, stating that this would reduce the anxiety over harassment and general self-consciousness at the co-ed gym. Even if this is only a temporary solution for a larger trend of gender discrimination, women-only gyms need to be more generalized to improve inclusivity for the women who are merely seeking a more comfortable exercise environment.

The gym, a supposed place to feel confident about one’s body and nurture a mindset of physical fitness, has transformed into becoming unwelcoming towards women. According to The Guardian, over 76% of women feel harassed when exercising in public, while 56% actually reported being harassed.

Harassment can range from star-

ing to catcalling to physical interventions.

Many women claimed that they felt “disgusted [and] anxious”, often causing them to leave mid-workout. A 2019 study from ExerciseBike revealed that 38% of 1,000 female participants received unwelcome comments regarding their appearance, with around 93% of these cases resulting from the behavior of fellow gymgoers.

This uneasy environment, also felt by other genders, has led to another reason to avoid the gym. Gymtimidation, defined as intimidation felt at the gym, can be present due to many factors. According to the American Council on Exercise, sometimes the issue is with the size of the gym, inexperience with equipment, or one’s differences in physique, eventually resulting in self-consciousness.

Many have stated that women-only gyms create unity and feel like cohesive communities, thereby decreasing gym-

dation. Women-only gyms are generally already smaller than co-ed, and because they only include women, more of the exercises would be tailored to women’s lifestyles, focusing on high cardio but less intensity. This would support mothers, pregnant women, and even hijabi women who would be able to exercise without wearing layers or a hijab. This aura of inclusiveness while supporting lower weights and exercises not commonly seen in gyms decreases gymtimidation and can make women more comfortable at gyms overall.

Unfortunately, the development of women-only gyms is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem. The sexualization and harassment of women at co-ed gyms will not decrease, and create an anomaly once women try going to co-ed gyms again. The gyms themselves also reinforce gender discrimination by not accommodating women of all types, often focusing more on cardio

and stretching exercises while providing limited options for those who prefer lifting weights.

In fact, many have begun returning to co-ed gyms simply because women-only gyms feel less like a place to get in good lifting and more like “a place retirees [go] to socialize,” German-based copywriter and brand marketing lecturer Courtney Tenz said. Furthermore, women-only gyms violate discrimination laws in several states, such as Title IX in the Connecticut Supreme Court, which ruled that women-only spaces violated the state law banning discrimination on gender. As stated by Pasha Law PC, selling women-only gym memberships is a clear violation of the law stating that public accommodations may not discriminate against a certain gender, sex, or race, although some states have excluded gyms and other health clubs from this law.

Despite this, women-only gyms should still be accessible across the United States in order to nurture a safe space for women to exercise and maintain their healthy lifestyles.

Having more availability is always better than less, considering women are left w i t h multiple exercising options. To support the growth of women-only gyms and decrease the frequent harassment women receive, regular gymgoers and students can advocate for any local women-only gyms on social media. Regular civilians can shed light on all the possibilities current gyms could be offering that unfortunately have not been implemented yet.

GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR AARON ZHOU

Coach Spotlight: Matthew Walker

By Abha Kulkarni & Vidyuth Sridhar Staff Writers With their new yet familiar coach Matthew Walker, MSJ Girls Volleyball is seeking to surpass previous seasons this fall.

Walker began his career as a football coach in Texas before transitioning to Oakland’s Fremont High School. However, after facing burnout, Walker relocated to FUSD’s Hopkins Middle School, serving as both a physical education teacher and a coach for volleyball and basketball. Last season, Walker served as an assistant coach for Castilleja School’s girls’ volleyball team, leading them to a Central Coast Section Division V championship. After receiving notice that the job of MSJ Girls Volleyball’s head coach was open, “I contacted the athletic director here … and three days later she sent me an email that the program was mine,” Walker said.

Over the summer, Walker held open gyms and conditioning sessions, attracting a wide variety of players. While selecting team players, Walker focused on prior experience, as well as their overall character and intangibles. “[It]

Walker and the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team take first place at the Albany Varsity tournament.

really [helps] when you have kids that understand the game ... But then ... what does that

young lady bring to the team?” Walker said.

By focusing on the details and providing access to specialized training equipment, including serving machines, Walker’s notable presence in practice inspires and motivates athletes.

“It’s like coaching football, I’m very loud. The parents love it ... The girls love it because they know that I’m right there with [them], bringing my energy,” Walker said. These efforts have already proved advantageous, with MSJ Varsity Girls Volleyball taking a first place finish

at their inaugural tournament, in Albany, CA. Under Walker’s coaching, the Girls Volleyball team hopes to surpass last season’s NCS firstround appearance by aiming for an NCS title.

“We’ve been stuck on the first round of NCS for the last three years, so it’d be really cool to progress further,” Girls Volleyball Co-Captain Junior Sarah Hu said. But for Walker, there are many preliminary hurdles to pass before the team turns its focus to NCS. “It’s the small goals that we have to accomplish to build up to our max, and I’m just telling them we take it one game at a time [and] don’t [get] ahead of ourselves.”

Overall, coaching at MSJ is a career milestone and an exciting opportunity for Walker. As the team is set to face its rivals, including James Logan High School on September 7, Walker eagerly anticipates strong performances for MSJ. “[Mission] is where I’ve been wanting to get to. It was like, I need to come back on this side of the water, and ... the heart led me here.” Walker said.

“It’s like coaching football, I’m very loud. The parents love it … The girls love it because they know that I’m right there with [them], bringing my energy.”

– GIRLS VOLLEYBALL COACH MATTHEW WALKER

PHOTO COURTESY ALLYSON WANG. GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR AARON ZHOU

18 Sports

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By Aaryan Suri & Aaron Zhou Sports Editors

SPORTS EDITOR AARYAN SURI

SPORTS EDITOR AARON ZHOU

SPORTS NEWSYBYTES

By Aaryan Suri Sports Editor

LOCAL

NINERNOISE.COM

NATIONAL

ESPN.COM

49ers dominate the Steelers Coco Gauff wins at US Open On September 10, the San Francisco 49ers won against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi’s Stadium in a highly-anticipated season-opening match for both teams. The 49ers, having their infamous 10-game long win streak in the previous season, finishing at the top of the National Football Conference - Western Division, went as favorites into the game. In the end, the 49ers dominated the game, finishing 30-7 against the Steelers, starting their new NFL season on a great note. 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk, leading the game, scored two touchdowns as well as gained 129 yards for the team. With an all-time record of 13-10 against the Steelers now, the 49ers hope to play them once again in the post-season.

Taking place from August 22 - September 10, the US Open featured tennis talents from all across the globe. Representing the US, Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Women’s Single’s Grand Finals division and brought home a Grand Slam title. Winning a major title at the young age of 19, Gauff is the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. Overall, the USA has had an impressive showing at the US Open, winning titles in Men’s Doubles, Women’s Singles, and a runner-up title in Mixed Doubles. Looking towards the next major, USA athletes hope to deliver a similarly successful performance in the future.

INTERNATIONAL

FOXNEWS.COM

Team USA finishes fourth in FIBA On September 10, Team USA lost against Canada in a match for third place in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Basketball World Cup, getting sent home without a medal for the second consecutive FIBA. Following an easy victory in the quarterfinals against Italy, finishing 100-63, Team USA advanced to the semifinals. However, here, playing against Germany, the USA suffered a devastating loss, losing by a close two points, sending them to the third-place match, where they lost to Canada 118-127. Moving to the next World Cup in 2027, Team USA fans hope to see a better performance.

GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR AARYAN SURI

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Sports 19

Fall Sports Preview

By Elton Yu, Callie Yuan & Sarah Hu Web Editor, Feature Editor & Staff Writer

After winning first place at the recent Cougar Tournament Challenge with new head coach Matthew Walker, Girls Volleyball has a bright season in store. The team plans to continue their three-year streak of qualifying for NCS, but this year, they plan to qualify as the undefeated champions of MVAL. To become the champions, Walker has redirected the focus of practice to basic skills and defense. With a strong foundation, the team will be able to execute more complex plays later on in the season. Beyond the quantitative goals that the team has, Girls Volleyball hopes to grow closer to each other as the season progresses. “My goal this year is to win MVALs and form a really strong relationship with everyone on the team,” Varsity Girls Volleyball Co-Captain Sophomore Claribel Chen said.

Girls Volleyball

After qualifying for NCS last year, Girls Water Polo hopes to have another strong season.

With many skilled rivals in the league this year, the team plans to go into practice and games with a strong positive mindset. “Sometimes we go into games overconfident or thinking we are going to lose, so we have to change this outlook before we play,” Varsity Girls Water Polo Co-Captain Senior Kira Clark said. Even with many experienced veteran players and new talented freshmen in this season’s roster, the team aims to continue improving and working hard. “Overall aggression from the team can be increased, and more agency and independence looking to score,” Girls Water Polo Coach Ryan Tang said. With a recent win against Ukiah High School, Girls Water Polo hopes to carry on its momentum by winning the MVAL Championship and qualifying for NCS.

Girls Water Polo

As MVAL Champions and NCS qualifiers for the 2022 fall season, Girls Tennis is hoping for another successful run despite the departure of several graduating seniors. In the face of these challenges, Girls Tennis Head Coach Pete Nissler aims to prepare the athletes with rigorous scrimmages and conditioning before competing against their rival, American High School. Last year, there seemed to be a divide between the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams, so to cultivate synergy within the team, the players aim to “assume a one-team mentality [to] work together better and make better memories,” Varsity Girls Tennis Co-Captain Siran Wang said. With a recent victory against Palo Alto High School, the Girls Tennis team intends to win more titles and reassert their strong teamwork. “I try to create a space where everybody feels comfortable and confident to contribute and learn … [which is one of] the beautiful things about playing on a team,” Nissler said.

Girls Tennis

Following their win in NCS last year as well as the team’s qualification to CIF, Girls Golf plans to continue their success this season with strategic adjustments. The team is short of many of the senior players who graduated last year, but Girls Golf Head Coach Tai Chung plans to make the most of the young underclassmen joining the team this year. “I want to play them all and give them at least one match…At Mission we are so talented we have the luxury of not playing our top six,” Chung said, referring to his goals of growing the young team. With the general skill level of the team being relatively high this season, the team will focus on bridging a strong bond between the younger and older players on the team. “Our goals for this season are to defend our MVAL and NCS titles!” Varsity Girls Golf Co-Captain Junior Michelle Woo said.

Girls Golf

Boys Water Polo returns this year hoping to improve and build off of previous seasons. With the new coach Amy Tolbertson, a seasoned water polo player with experience from high school to past college, the team hopes to heavily focus on individual skill and teamwork. “I maxed out our game schedule and attended as many tournaments as possible to gain that team chemistry,” Tolbertson said. Even with many new athletes joining the team, she hopes to use experienced and older players to guide them and teach advanced skills to everyone. Furthermore, with two months of summer practices before the start of the season, Boys Water Polo aims to be a strong competitive team in the league this year.

“My main goal is to take us to the top of MVALS and place highly at NCS,” Varsity Co-Captain Senior Kaidinh Tran said.

Boys Water Polo

Boys and Girls Cross Country returned this fall with a new season, joined by many new freshmen athletes after the departure of a notable number of graduated seniors. Due to two coach departures during the off-season, some initial challenges with connectivity arose, but Cross Country Coach Ian MacKenzie — who had prior experience as a soccer coach at MSJ — stepped up for the team as the new coach. As coach of the biggest cross-country program in MVAL, MacKenzie has a lot of athletes with different areas to focus on. “The goals vary depending on the athlete, but overall, I want to help every single athlete to continue to develop and improve and strive for excellence,” MacKenzie said. Considering the team has more than 100 athletes, a sense of community is vital. “We hope to have more team bonding experiences and get to know people,” Varsity Boys Cross Country Co-Captain Senior Walter Chang said.

Cross Country GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR AARON ZHOU

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PHOTOS BY EDITOR IN CHIEF KARINA HAN & GRAPHICS EDITOR HANNAH SHEN. GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR HANNAH SHEN