Vol. LVIII, No. 1

4

OPINION

A Closer Look: Student Loan Forgiveness

THE

VOL. 59, NO. 1

7 CENTERSPREAD

FEATURE

8-9

DHTH: Mooncakes

10

A&E

crumbl cookie review

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

MAKER SPACE

Opening as a new addition for the Introduction to Engineering Design and Classical Mechanics courses, the Maker Space is an area with nine 3D printers, one laser cutter, one heat press, one bioprinter, and one vinyl cutter available for student use. Located in B33, students can use the room’s desktops to design and slice 3D models to then be printed on one of the 3D printers. Because of its abundance of tools and resources, the Maker Space will work as a welcoming space for club meetings and individuals who would like to use the machinery for school or other projects. Although the Maker Space currently lacks funding to make full use of all its 3D printers, it is still a valuable asset for the students to get more hands-on experience with the machines. “I think that the Maker Space provides great opportunities to work on my class and personal projects, and it’s really interesting to see the different creative visions of my peers coming to life,” Senior Alvin Zhu said.

SCHOOL LUNCH

Under CA Assembly Bill 130, which was implemented last school year, MSJ will continue to serve free school breakfasts and lunches to all of its students. During the pandemic, the setup for school lunch distribution was a grab-and-go food bar, but for the past two years, there was a transition back to serving hot lunches. As Child Nutrition Services Worker Maninder Kaur said, “The quantity of food has notably increased since all [the students] enjoy receiving free lunches.” For each meal of the day, the lunch staff hands out around 500 meals to the students. With the same number of staff making more lunches for MSJ and its subsidiary schools than before, students can often be seen waiting in long lines while the lunch staff overwork to cover the extra amount. Despite these rising issues, the staff are maintaining the food’s quality while exceeding standards surrounding safety and nutrition. In addition, the school announced on September 16 that ID cards will now be required to receive school lunch to help combat issues of students repeatedly returning for extras. “I really appreciate the free meals the school provides [the students]; it makes leaving the house and eating healthier a lot more convenient,” Senior Eashan Dhodapkar said.

September 23, 2022

2022-23 new updates roll out

By Helen Tian, Joanne Park, Ayushi Kashyap & Nessa Tong Editor-in-Chief, A&E Editor & Staff Writers As the 2022-23 school year begins, MSJ has implemented several important additions on campus and for the student body. From the establishment of the Student Wellness Center to the transition to online ID cards with Minga, students have adjusted around these new changes. The Smoke Signal has compiled six of the most notable developments for the new school year.

MINGA

TOTEM POLE REMOVED

Over the summer, LifeTouch Inc. introduced Minga to Director of Student Leadership Benny Breazeale as a new upcoming way for IDs and communication. After speaking with Evans and getting the approval from administration, Minga was introduced to the student body as a new ID, hallway pass, and communication system, all in the form of a mobile app. In theory, Minga should eliminate both the need to print physical ID cards and the use of the FlexTime app for Advisory check-ins. However, with such large adjustments, the school did not have enough time to prepare the proper equipment and systems, resulting in physical ID cards being printed as substitutes. Nevertheless, Minga will likely return in the future. “Like with many new things, sometimes there’s a challenge at the beginning. But, we’re working through those ... and once that’s settled, Minga should work as expected with no problems,” Breazeale said. To view the Smoke Signal’s opinion on the implementation of Minga, refer to the opinion of the editorial board on pg. 3.

For more than 20 years, the totem pole in front of the MSJ library has watched over the campus as students walked past. However, MSJ starts the new year without it because of construction concerns. When the painters took the pole down in hopes of refurbishing the paint of the library over the summer, the totem pole crumbled apart, and due to termite and bee infestations, it was not salvageable. Since a large number of classrooms needed new paint jobs, the painters could not rebuild the totem during the summer. With more time on their hands now, the painters are currently working on the front of the library, coloring it green. After the painters finish their job, Social Science Teacher Nancy Benton is looking to paint a letter “M” for MSJ in the totem’s original spot. “Hopefully in the next few weeks, we’re able to finish it, so the students are able to build more of a connection with our campus,” Principal Jeff Evans said.

BELL SCHEDULE

As per Senate Bill 328, CA state public high schools are now required to have a start time of 8:30 a.m at the earliest. Although the 3:19 p.m. dismissal time is a substantial change from the previous 2:58 p.m. closing time, the decision was made after taking into account the number of instructional minutes used throughout the year, while adding more long lunch periods for special events as well. The decision was voted on by the faculty who were given multiple options to choose from. While it does affect after-school athletics by around a half hour, “The new bell schedule is an overall good shift, especially in supporting students’ sleep and mental health habits,” Evans said. Students, who had experienced both the high school 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. schedules, have also taken note of the positive effects the change is having on their mental and physical wellbeing. “Although the time shift isn’t very drastic, I feel myself more energized and motivated to go to class after those few extra minutes to myself in the morning,” Senior Sanjana Rathore said.

STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER MSJ Mental Health Committee (MHC), under the guidance of English Teacher Nina LaRosa, has completed the Student Wellness Center located in C2 this year to offer amenities such as couches, board games, and more for students to have a safe space to destress and relax. Serene student artwork placed on the walls also provides a calming atmosphere. Although planning of the Student Wellness Center was underway since the 2019-20 school year, the pandemic delayed construction, especially with the limited funding that Mission Possible could provide. After speaking with Student Support Services, the administration was able to acquire the allocated funding from FUSD, which helped purchase necessary supplies for the Student Wellness Center. However, with the hectic transition from virtual to in-person learning at the beginning of last school year, “[MHC and counselors] didn’t have a lot of time ... to work on the Wellness Center, and so they were only able to really finish it in spring,” Assistant Principal Jeana Nightengale said. Now, the Student Wellness Center has been open every lunch and Advisory with a certificated faculty member — a teacher, counselor, or administrator — supervising students as they check in, play games, and make themselves comfortable. “What we’ve seen so far is quite a positive response from the amount of students [coming in] during lunch. We hope that students will appreciate it as much as we do, and it’ll become a staple,” Nightengale said.

PHOTOS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF WRITERS HELEN TIAN, AYUSHI KASHYAP & NESSA TONG, GRAPHICS BY NEWS EDITOR SHELLEY LI

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BRIEF Compiled by Chahak Gupta, Ayushi Kashyup, Amy Luo & Annie Xu Staff Writers

LOCAL Chris Clor/Getty Images Six Bay Area counties met or exceeded Newsom’s water conservation goal.

Six Bay Area counties take the lead in CA’s water conservation campaign On September 7, the State Water Resources Control Board released data indicating that Californians reduced water use by 10.4% in July relative to July 2020. Additionally, in the previous month, statewide water consumption dropped by 7.4% relative to the past year. Conservation gains occurred in all 10 of the state’s hydrologic areas with the North Coast having the highest reduction in water use — a 28.5% decrease in July. In addition, the Bay Area saw a 17.3% reduction, and 14 counties, six of which are from the Bay Area, reached or exceeded Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of a 15% voluntary reduction, paving the way forward for CA’s water conservation drive.

NATIONAL Kateryna Kon/Getty Images Poliovirus in New York was likely contracted through contact with an individual who had recieved oral activated polio vaccination.

Poliovirus leads to New York State of Emergency New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency in early September due to the spread of the poliovirus through New York City and surrounding counties. After confirming the first case of poliovirus since 2013 in wastewater samples from neighboring Rockland County, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has encouraged the administration of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved inactivated polio vaccination. The current state of emergency will increase resources for New York residents to get vaccinated as well as expand the scope of healthcare workers that may administer the vaccine.

INTERNATIONAL WPA Pool /Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II passes away at age 96.

Britain’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II passes away On Thursday, September 8, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, passed away at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The queen’s firstborn son Charles III, previously the Prince of Wales, succeeded her as the new Head of the Commonwealth with a formal proclamation on Saturday, September 10.

This passing comes just days after the appointment of Britain’s new prime minister Liz Truss by the queen herself on Tuesday, September 6. Although her departure leaves the United Kingdom in a period of national mourning, she still lives on in hundreds of millions of people’s hearts.

The Smoke Signal

FUSS Recognized by Board of Education After Decision to Disband Through a decade of service toward FUSD, FUSS has left behind a lasting legacy.

By Vedesh Kodnani & Maryam Naseer Staff Writers

On August 24, Fremont Unified Student Store (FUSS), a nonprofit that raised funds for the district and promoted educational opportunities, was officially recognized by the Board of Education for their service to FUSD after their recent decision to disband. The organization presented their remaining funds to the Fremont Education Foundation (FEF) as their final act to support the FUSD community.

Founded on April 12, 2012, FUSS was created to help the district meet educational needs while facing significant budget constraints. Former FUSS Director Ivy Wu was serving on the Board of Education at the time and believed that through a nonprofit, she could use her experience to achieve more for the student body, such as raising funds and providing a platform for free programs. Specifically, FUSS aimed to match skills with needs across the district, such as partnering with DECA and Youth Literacy Clubs, to host investment workshops for high school students throughout FUSD. Wu hoped to foster inter-school relationships as each school had unique offerings.

“Every time when I visited sites, I saw all these potential talents on different campuses, so I thought it would be really great if all the schools got to know each other,” Wu said.

Over the past decade, some of the non-profit’s largest undertakings included working with FLEX College Prep to subsidize SAT prep courses as well as offering individualized peer tutoring. “We saw what the tutors had to offer, and then we saw the students who were requesting for help and tried to match them, … like students who only speak Spanish and need [Spanish-speaking] tutors,” Wu said.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, FUSS’s

PHOTO COURTESY IVY WU

FUSS presents their remaining funds to FEF at the August 24 FUSD board meeting after their decision to disband.

main focus was providing free lunch for impacted students and expanding their tutoring services. One of their major projects was collaborating with SURFBoardE to distribute care packages. “There are ways to work around the budget constraints of the district with enough dedicated people, like FUSS, working together to come up with innovative solutions,” SURFBoardE Vice-Chair Senior Amulya Harish said.

At MSJ, the organization was responsible for hosting the annual FUSD’s Got Talent Show, a fundraiser and community-building event open to both students and staff in November. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event has been put on pause since 2020; however, some former FUSS members will continue the work with FEF and may continue the talent show in the future.

With FUSS’s discontinuation, many members still hope to remain involved in education by serv-

ing on district committees. However, because most volunteers’ children have graduated, and they are less involved in the district, FUSS wanted to pass on the torch to new organizations, such as FEF. As another nonprofit group whose sole focus is to support the educational experience for students and teachers in FUSD, FEF has in previous years helped pay for music and sports programs within FUSD schools as well as purchased social emotional learning books for students. In the future, FEF will make a decision on where to allocate the funds and continue the legacy of FUSS. Through their 10 years of service, FUSS has financially supported the district while connecting the community with their various events organized bringing together passionate volunteers and students. “FUSS is a model example of what happens when volunteers bind together to improve the community as a whole,” FUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack said. ▪

Ellsworth St. Reimagined Through Better Block Party The transformation of Ellsworth St. into a thriving commerical neighborhood opens new avenues in Fremont to spotlight local culture.

By Chloe Gao & Amy Luo Staff Writers

From September 9-10, the City of Fremont partnered with the Better Block Foundation to transform the intersection of Ellsworth St. and Washington Blvd. into the Better Block Party, a lively community event dedicated to reimagining the Mission San Jose area as a thriving neighborhood and commercial district and introducing the rebuilt area. Highlighting the Fremont arts and culture scene with live entertainment, art exhibitions, and local business vendors, the two-day block party originated from a commission by Fremont City Council Member Raj Salwan in 2018. Salwan commissioned the City of Fremont to conduct retail and commercial study on the Mission San Jose district and find opportunities in the area to implement placemaking, a community-centered approach to designing public spaces.

With several local businesses located nearby, Ellsworth St. was selected by the City of Fremont management team as a prospective community boulevard for its location and commercial potential. In order to transform Ellsworth St. into a new

community space, the City of Fremont enlisted the guidance of the Better Block Foundation, an urban nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas that reshapes neighborhoods through 90-120 day engagement projects designed by the community.

The Better Block Foundation has worked with neighborhoods around the world in an attempt to reduce crime through the bridging of communities by environmental design.

The design process began in early January, and the Better Block Foundation team worked closely with the City of Fremont to create a public space blueprint that was supported by the local community. Some design elements included parklets with spaces to present art exhibitions and a multicolored geometric ground mural, inspired by the view of Mission’s hills and designed by local artist Durba Sen. “The plan was to revive the area and to show what the possibilities of this area could be: attract business, have some restaurants, fun things to go for the locals,” Sen said. After months of team planning and volunteer work, the vision was complete and the Better Block Party was hosted to show off the development of businesses to locals.

At the Better Block Party, various vendors filled

quirky Hal Dundas/Getty Images Squirrel breaks an electric grid, causing a mass power outage.

Squirrel leaves more than 10,000 Virginians without power On September 7, a squirrel in Virginia Beach, Virginia wedged itself between a circuit breaker and a transformer, causing a power surge that left more than 10,000 customers without electricity for an hour.

Dominion Energy, the manufacturer of the damaged equipment, had previously installed squirrel guards at all substations in order to protect the electrical grid and the animals. However, the unfortunate squirrel evaded the guards and likely did not survive its journey.

Friday, September 23, 2022

The Better Block Party highlighted Fremont arts and culture through local vendors and entertainment.

A feedback station displayed residents’ suggestions for future community projects.

the street corner, selling crafts, plants, jewelry, and more. “People don’t always know what’s out there .. all my business is mostly online, so it’s really nice to be around other people and other artists and see what other people are doing,” House of Shiba Owner Heather Challberg said.

Between stands, student volunteers hosted interactive activities, such as a puzzle ground mural in which children could individually paint a puzzle piece.

Visitors could also get food at the food trucks or nearby outdoor dining venues. At the Mission Coffee Roasting Company and Olive Hyde Art Gallery patios and seating areas, local music groups and dance studios performed live, while onlookers enjoyed a beer garden and cookies. “I really enjoyed performing at the Better Block Party. This was such a unique experience, and I got to meet and interact with so many talented artists and families who came to watch us perform,” Junior Gunit Kaur said. “I enjoyed seeing our community come together and have fun.”

Besides entertainment, feedback stations were placed in various locations across the Ellsworth St. crosswalk for residents to provide insight on future community projects they would like to see. Common suggestions included additional restaurants and playgrounds. “While the Ellsworth St. transformation is done, we hope to use this feedback to implement more commercial and civic improvements over time,” City of Fremont Management Analyst Candice Rankin Mumby said. ▪ PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS CHLOE GAO & AMY LUO

Friday, September 23, 2022 The Smoke Signal

THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 58, No. 1 | September 23, 2022 www.thesmokesignal.org 41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

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

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AnnikA's Angle

Opinion 3

esther's edition

Astrology isn't an excuse

The intentionality of language

By Annika Singh Opinion Editor

By Esther Lau Opinion Editor

Fun fact, I’m an Aries. Most people know this because of my phone case, which is bright red and has the word “Aries” written on it in bold, black calligraphy. Second fun fact, Beyoncé’s seventh solo album, Renaissance, is a tribute to all Virgos. You may be wondering, how is a phone case related to a GrammyAward winner’s latest album? The answer lies in our fascination with astrology.

You don’t have to spend much time online to come across horoscope social media accounts that have several posts dedicated to zodiac-themed memes. Astrology claims that the pattern of a person’s life is dependent on the planetary positions at the time of their birth — its promise to give individuals insight into the reasoning behind their decision making and behavior is irresistible. However, people have started using their star sign as a shorthand to explain their personality or as the reason behind everything negative in their life.

(Fun fact number 3: Mercury is not always in retrograde, and your Capricorn moon is not the reason why you can’t communicate your feelings.)

Astrology has been labeled as a coping mechanism and stress reliever, often used by those experiencing acute crises, such as a nasty breakup or a job loss. During times of uncertainty, daily horoscopes provide a sense of stability and validate

our feelings. They also tell us who and what to avoid, making us believe that we have a lot of control over the good and bad energy in our lives. But the sky and the alignment of the planets do not control you — you control yourself.

Renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung, who invented the idea of zodiac compatibility, believed that star signs would help us find more meaning behind our personalities. Astrology was never meant to dictate our lives. It shouldn’t be about easy answers and excuses, nor should it be a reason to treat others poorly and believe restrictive ideas about our identities. Astrology is one of the many ways individuals perceive themselves and the world.

But remember, nobody is only their appearance, and nobody is solely their sign. Every Gemini is different, and every Leo season varies from the one before it. You’re more than the sarcastic Sagittarius CoStar says you are.

We should use astrology to encourage self-awareness and selfempowerment, instead of using it as a guide to our friendships, room decor, and food choices. It can help us identify our strengths and abilities, and push us to explore fulfilling hobbies. Give astrology the chance to help you become more cognizant, but don’t make it your guiding belief system, because the cosmos can’t solve all of your problems. ▪

On August 9, Serena Williams graced the cover of September Vogue with a shocking message of her retirement. But, one thing was very different in comparison to normal retirement statements — she described it as an “evolution away from tennis, toward other things that are important to [her].”

As I watched Williams play her last round at the US Open, emotions overflowed. Her bittersweet farewell to the court gave me an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the words we choose to use to describe our own decisions and behaviors, as well as events in our surroundings. Whether it’s small choices in our day-to-day lives or big milestones, the language we use influences the way we perceive our lives and is crucial in shaping our mindset.

In my own life, I’ve learned this through my experience with journaling, which for a long time, I treated as a self-imposed chore I had to do every night. I conditioned myself to think that if I missed a day of journaling, something would have to go wrong. As a result, it became draining, unfulfilling, and a task I dreaded. But, when I decided to alter the language I used around journaling — framing it as an opportunity to process thoughts and emotions instead of a mandatory duty — I discovered its healing power. Although I may not journal as much as I did before, I’ve come

to treasure the safe space it provides for me to learn more about myself, heal, and grow.

Beyond specific tasks, the principle of positively reframing our use of language extends to our lives on a greater scope. For example, our daily lives are filled with routines, and it’s hard not to get lost in the current of repetition. But, when we begin to think of routine activities in our lives, from brushing our teeth every morning to completing homework every night, as moments in themselves, rather than endless recurrences, we can gain appreciation for each moment anew. We can also apply this principle to the situations we face by shifting away from success-based language, such as “That didn’t go well,” to growthaffirming language, like “That opportunity helped me learn and grow.”

Words are inescapable. They dictate our lives, are a medium for us to communicate, and represent individuals and cultures — that’s what makes them so powerful.

While we may not be making decisions as public and significant as Williams’ “evolution away from tennis” anytime soon, let’s not underestimate the power of words and instead, use them to reframe the way we view our experiences, big or small. We should be more intentional about the language we use to cultivate a healthier outlook and a more positive world. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Student-oriented digital platforms should serve students Over the past few years, the MSJ student body has seen the implementation of many different apps, including Mission Connected, Infinite Campus, and, most recently, Minga, all of which received negative reception from the student body in one form or another. These changes heavily affect students, yet, year after year, the administration repeats the same mistake over and over again with little to no regard for student input.

The latest to join the list of unwelcome school-established apps is Minga, a management system that is meant to implement digital IDs, seamless club communication, public message boards, digital hall passes, and a new advisory plan. Unfortunately, shortcomings with Minga have already surfaced. Inadequate technology prevents digital student ID barcodes from being properly scanned, and within a month, MSJ has already reverted back to physical IDs, rendering Minga’s digital IDs obsolete. Digital hall passes are also tedious to create, and the vast majority of teachers have opted to continue using their physical systems.

The administration also intended for Minga to be a central hub for clubs and school communications, having a similar purpose to the discontinued Mission Connected application.

However, as we have already seen, students greatly prefer using existing social media platforms or email for such communication due to their ease of use and functionality, and the

development of Minga as the new go-to platform is highly unlikely.

With all the faults and uncertainties that come with new applications, students need to be given proper time to learn, contemplate, and adapt. Unfortunately, the administration has not given the MSJ student body any opportunities to do so. At the beginning of the school year, the student body was only informed one day before MAZE day of the change. Leadership 2 (L2) ran a hasty “beta test” to confirm if the application worked during MAZE day; however, L2 was not given the opportunity to voice their own thoughts on Minga. Instead, Minga was to take immediate effect without student input.

Although unforeseen circumstances, such as the closure of School Loop, may force administrators to implement sudden major changes, that does not mean students should be excluded from the conversation. Student representatives, such as SURFBoardE or class officers, should still be given the chance to properly test and voice their attitudes on such decisions. Yet despite having these existing representatives in place, administrators often ignore them and continue to leave student voices and representation out on major changes like Minga.

In order to make informed decisions that holistically benefit the school environment, the administration needs to learn to take input, whether it be positive or negative, from the

students, especially upperclassmen who have experienced years of different systems. Nobody understands students better than students themselves, so the administration must further involve the student body in the decision-making process. In March, the Smoke Signal released a similar editorial discussing the implementation of school-wide course feedback systems, and although the MSJ Inclusion Council has brought this forward, it has yet to see widespread implementation. Similar feedback systems should be applied to these administrative changes as well. When new systems are considered and introduced, students should be given the opportunity to express their opinions on these transitions; such communication could be easily accomplished through Google Forms and mass emails to the students. Even in the event that the administration follows through with an undiscussed or untimely choice, students should have the time to make adjustments at their own pace.

In the hope of building a more progressive and healthy school environment, open communication is necessary, and this can be accomplished through a formal feedback system that acts as a bridge between the students’ voices and the administration’s decisions. ▪

By Katie Tang & Nessa Tong Staff Writers

STAFF WRITER KATIE TANG

STAFF WRITER NESSA TONG

4 Opinion www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 23, 2022

A Closer look: Student loan forgiveness

By Anandita Devata, Vedesh Kodnani, Priyanka Shah, and Amelie Wu Staff Writers

One big issue that has increased tension within the student community is the topic of student loans. Student loans have been skyrocketing over the past few years, increasing by 92% from 2009-2022, and in order to combat this issue, the Biden Administration announced a student debt forgiveness plan on August 24. The first element of the three-part plan is to prolong the payment moratorium until December 31, which allows borrowers more time to arrange financial means to repay their debt. Then, a relief initiative targeted toward low and middle-income families will provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant holders. According to the Department of Education, these grants are given to low-income students displaying “exceptional financial need,” and unlike other financial aid programs, do not need to be repaid. Individual borrowers with incomes below $125,000 ($250,000 per household) are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in debt cancellation in accordance with the plan. The final step of the student debt forgiveness plan implements new rules beginning in 2023 to aid borrowers in managing their debt, such as forgiving loan balances of $12,000 or less after 10 years of payments. The plan will also raise the amount of income that is protected from repayment, guaranteeing that no borrower earning less than 225% of the U.S. Health and Human Services annual poverty guidelines, or $6,040 for a single borrower, will have to make a monthly payment. Many students and families with a long-standing history of student debt praise President Biden’s initiative, relieved that it allows them to spend more money on improving their standard of living.

However, critics of the program argue that it fails to consider inflation, the effect on taxpayers, and neglects the underlying cause of student debt: exorbitant tuition.

against

Student loan debt is now at its historical peak, totaling more than $1.6 trillion as of August. Forgiving debt would support home ownership and spending power, especially since the economy is still recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the White House, the initiative would provide relief for up to 43 million borrowers and cancel the entire remaining loan amount for roughly half of them. Such benefits would raise the US gross domestic product by up to $108 billion each year.

The vast majority of those 43 million borrowers are low-income students at public universities and community colleges. These students tend to take out smaller loans than middle to high-income students — an average of $8,000.

Yet, with their salary, missed payments could occur more frequently, leading to nearly permanent effects on their credit history. This may cause banks to reject loan applications. This deprives them of the necessary financial means to purchase essentials for living, forcing them to delay or even miss out on important life events. A survey conducted by Bankrate showed that around three-fifths of adults living in the US have put off financial milestones in their lives, such as buying a house, due to their student loan debt.

Alongside the postponement of personal milestones, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that the accumulation of student loan debt is also associated with a decrease in small business formation. Students prioritize reducing their student loan debts over creating new businesses. According to the Student Borrower Protection Center, “In particular, among borrowers who started a company, the authors found that going from $0 to $10,000 in student loan debt is associated with a 42% decline in business income.” This lessens innovation as many developments occur in new companies. Start-up companies also benefit the overall economy by providing more goods, services, and job opportunities, so student debt forgiveness would encourage new growth in the economy and a more resilient labor force.

The Biden Administration’s plan would also pull many families out of poverty. According to the Intercultural Development Research Association, those who have a bachelor’s degree have a significantly lower unemployment rate.

The plan will help families below the poverty line graduate, giving them a chance to support themselves.

Apart from resolving some of the financial crises that plague the nation, debt relief facilitates racial and gender equality in terms of income. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average loan that Black borrowers take out is $13,000 — 50% greater than that of white borrowers.

These larger loans are a result of racial wage gaps seen in people of color that make paying off loans significantly harder. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black men earned 76% of what white men earned in 2022, with Latinos earning 75%. Additionally, the gender pay gap makes it more difficult for women to pay off their debt due to a lack of disposable income. Since minorities tend to earn less than their white counterparts, the debt relief program would take these groups a step closer to economic equality.

Financial and societal problems aren’t the only issues addressed by loan forgiveness: mental health will be greatly improved, too. Financial pressures take a toll on people’s mental wellness, making many feel inferior to their peers for failing to achieve the same milestones at a similar rate. A survey conducted by Student Loan Planner showed that 1 out of 14 people had contemplated suicide due to student loan debt, showing how taxing the effects of debt can be. By relieving a primary source of stress, President Biden’s plan will boost borrowers’ mental health, encouraging students to strive for milestones in life and avoid burnout.

Although it seems that forgiving debt will help everyone, the plan does not take into account the variation in average income around the country.

Employees with annual salaries of $125,000 are considered wealthy in some states and poor in others. For example, the average salary in Mississippi in 2021 was approximately $42,000, whereas the average salary in CA was $86,000. However, the cost of living in each state is nearly proportional to its average income, meaning that someone with a $60,000 income in CA has a much lower standard of living compared to someone with a $60,000 income in Mississippi.

Debt forgiveness would therefore be skewed towards the population of relatively low-income states, reflecting different levels of financial relief across the nation. This, in turn, would aggravate the economic discrepancies that plague the country. Additionally, a study by the Brookings Institution shows that individuals with the most student loans tend to fall into higher income brackets, as high-paying jobs in the medical, legal, and business fields often require additional degrees beyond a bachelor’s. People in low-income brackets typically tend to opt for working a job instead of going to grad school in order to pay off their loans.

Higher-income households owe more debt than low-income households, with an analysis of a blanket relief program for $10,000 published on August 23 by the Penn Wharton Budget Model finding that 69.79% of the overall debt forgiveness would go to the top 60% of Americans by income. These findings further display that instead of helping the lower classes, the plan will only benefit middle-income Americans.

In addition, the money used to forgive unpaid debt will come from Americans’ tax dollars. Removing this chunk from collected taxes would steer finances away from more pressing issues. As the program sets an important precedent in US history, the people of the nation would expect the program to continue for years, which would divert taxpayer money from other important issues like infrastructure, education, and public health. Erasing student debt fails to address the root of the problem: rising tuition costs. According to National Public Radio, by entirely removing student debt, borrowers are encouraged to take out additional loans, granting educational institutions the opportunity to take advantage of students by raising costs. Rather than forgiving debt, creating more affordable tuition, housing, and reducing food costs with the same money could greatly decrease the number of loans people take to pay for a college degree, reducing the intensity of the problem.

An additional concern regarding the plan is inflation. Similar to the $1,200 stimulus checks given out to businesses and low-income families suffering during the coronavirus pandemic, this plan would depreciate the dollar and lead to rising costs in every sector of the market. Inflationary pressure, which is already at a peak in the US, will become much worse than it already is.

Consequently, as spending power decreases, Americans would face more financial hardship when purchasing basic necessities.

Rather than spending money to relieve student debt, the main cause should be targeted: borrowers’ inability to pay off their loans. Banks have made interest rates for student loans very high to counteract the risk that comes with an unsecured loan. However, this is one of the main reasons students are unable to pay back debt. By lowering interest rates, banks and other financial institutions will help people pay off their debt, benefiting both parties.

call to action

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To address the problem at its root, colleges and other educational institutions should consider lowering their tuition rather than having the government relieve student debt. College applications are balanced with student accomplishments, but low-income students often struggle to manage school, work, and extracurriculars, while higher-income students are free to make work less of a priority. This grants lower-income students less opportunities than highincome families to prove their talents and receive scholarship offers. Data compiled by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation showed that high-achieving low-income students drop out of high school at twice the rate of high-achieving students in the top income brackets. To resolve this, more schools should partner with organizations like Close the Gap Foundation, which offers many opportunities, such as mentorship programs, to low-income families. This would allow them to be on par with other students’ applications to colleges, giving them a higher chance of receiving scholarships or other financial aid.

Additionally, educational institutions can offer more condensed programs, such as three-year bachelor’s programs.

Based on the College Board’s data on the average annual cost to attend a private college, graduating in three years can save up to $50,000 per student. These accelerated pathways also allow students to enter the workforce faster, giving them the opportunity to earn money to pay off their loans.

VOICES “I’m mainly worried that these changes might not be enough to account for inflation and the increasing tuition costs.

We’ve seen so many updates and changes to student relief, but many of them seem to not stick that well and end up failing to compete with our current economy.” — Carolyn Kuo, 12 “My only major concern with the plan proposed is that it doesn't go far enough. Canceling only a portion of student debt (ex: $20k max for households < $250k annually) doesn't do enough to tackle the rest of the about $4060k of debt still remaining. Additionally, the root of the problem is not the borrowers, but is actually the predatory system in which loan sharks and companies will prey on young individuals to give them terrible loans and rates that they will take forever to pay off with. Tackling the root of the cause will do more good.” — Adyant Patnaik, 12 GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH.

Friday, September 23, 2022 The Smoke Signal

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Opinion 5

The merger that might kill diversity in literature

By Ruhani Chhabra, Chahak Gupta, and Jacob Han Staff Writers

Proposed Merger For the past decade, the US trade publishing business has been dominated by the “Big Five”: Simon and Schuster (S&S), Penguin Random House (PRH), HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan Publishers. In November 2020, Paramount Global (then ViacomCBS), S&S’ holding company, announced its decision to sell S&S to PRH for $2.175 billion. In November 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) blocked this decision due to its economic consequences for authors. Oral arguments in the Supreme Court between PRH and the DOJ began on August 1 — if PRH wins, the publishing industry would shrink to the “Big Four” in late 2022. This decision would be fiscally disastrous for authors and limit voices in literature, as emerging authors will be forced to abide by the demands of a singular powerful publishing group.

Merging the two largest companies, S&S and PRH, would create an oligopoly much larger than the other three, limiting competition between publishing houses. This would greatly stunt advances for authors who depend on competition between publishing companies to gain a competitive bidding price. Less competition amongst the companies means fewer bidders for books, which would decrease their income. Authors’ incomes have already been falling; Authors Guild’s 2018 Author Income Survey discovered a drastic 42% decrease in authors’ income since 2009. In this already unfavorable market, emerging authors will have a harder time publishing their books, as their incomes need to fund costly expenses such as agents, marketing firms, and other promotional strategies. The author’s ability to craft their work will also be affected; it can take years to complete a book, and these bids usually cover the cost of the writers’ research expenses, such as travel costs.

Impact Crucially, as the number of publishing houses decreases, so will the number of minority authors in publishing spaces. With fewer companies, the

criteria and standard of books sought after can exclude marginalized voices. For example, “BookTok,” a viral space on the social media platform TikTok that centers around literature, has popularized many novels, to the point where there are specific corners in shops like Barnes and Noble dedicated to trending stories. Publishing companies rejoice in what has been called the “reading renaissance” — Nigel Newton, the CEO of the British publishing house Bloomsbury, credited their 220% profit growth to the app. PRH and HarperCollins even created their own corporate accounts where they promote their clients.

There is no doubt that publishing companies are now scouting books that can rapidly circulate on BookTok, and as noted by many content creators of color, there is a critical lack of diversity in that corner of the Internet. Viral videos have called out the BookTok community for mainly recommending books that are written by white authors about white characters — and these are the works that will be gladly picked up by major publishing companies, while storylines about people of color by authors of color might diminish in their already limited popularity.

This merger is also coming at a frightening age where books are being banned all over the country in school districts and libraries. According to PEN America, a nonprofit that defends free expression, school districts nationwide have reached a record-high level of book banning, with over 1,400 books removed from curriculums from July 2021 to March 2022 — 41% of the works had main characters of color and 22% of them talked about race and racism. Decreasing the number of publishing companies will only exacerbate this issue of censorship — as these inclusive works are now being dubbed as “unnecessary” and “controversial” by organizations such as Moms for Liberty, who advocate for parents to be directly involved in what their children study at school, assistance from powerful publishing houses is integral, so these important stories will continue to spread. But if the numbers of companies keep dropping, so will the amount of support.

Diversity PRH representatives can argue that they have made attempts to stand in solidarity with authors of color. The company founded the Diversity and Inclusion Council in the fall of 2020, which plans to publish books by minorities and create a more inclusive employee population. PRH also donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, increased its donation to We Need Diverse Books, and became the inaugural sponsor of the Black Creatives Fund.

But these long overdue efforts don’t fix an underlying problem — data from nearly two years later shows the company is still predominantly white, with only 25% of PRH authors and 39% of PRH executives being people of color.

The Amazon Effect Supporters of the merger also emphasize that the consolidation of the two companies offers them leverage over Amazon’s power over book publishing. Ebook sales over increased 16.5% last year, with almost one billion in revenue — and this is mainly due to Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s self-publishing company. A byproduct of Amazon’s large audience base, however, is that authors are forced into selling their books on Amazon when their projects are not bid on by publishers. Thus, the merger’s proponents argue that the larger publishing company that would arise can overpower Amazon’s unfair advantage over the book market. Power over Amazon would allow PRH and S&S to value the authors’ terms and rates when stocking their books, which would encourage financially disadvantaged writers to acquire more favorable deals.

But there’s a simpler solution: restraining Amazon’s influence. The Authors Guild currently aims to propose more restrictive laws to curb Amazon’s power, but Amazon’s political lobbying makes the enforcement of such laws difficult to implement.

There is immense pressure from organizations like the Authors Guild to have Amazon recognize trade unions and engage in collective bargaining — two measures that will rapidly limit the company’s influence.

At its core, literature embodies an enlighten-

ing exchange of diverse ideas, which are necessary to bring novel voices to light. With the vast majority of the market under its control, the merged publishing monopoly would likely decimate its competition, forcing authors to cater to the same publisher’s standards. As a result, literature will pass through the same big filter, limiting diversity in political and cultural viewpoints and stifling marginalized voices.

FUSD In FUSD, members of the core literature adoption committee are working to create a space for more diverse voices. Core novels required in English classes have remained relatively similar in past years; now, thanks to the district-wide movement, FUSD is planning to change 7th to 12th grade core novels. Out of the books nominated, five finalists were chosen per grade by the Core Literature Adoption Committee, a task force that aims to diversify the perspectives presented by these books and the authors’ backgrounds. New books in the curriculum, such as I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, an autobiographical account of groundbreaking activism, and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, a story about a Dominican girl in Harlem who uses poetry to understand society, offer diverse storylines that might be less in demand due to their unconventional perspectives after the merger.

To protect these voices, individuals should support and donate to organizations working to block the merger, including the Authors Guild. In addition, mindful consumer choices such as exploring titles released by smaller publishers are a step towards diversifying the current scope of literature in the publishing market. Readers should consider buying from socially committed presses, like Tin House, a journal that voices emerging writers in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, or the Coffee House Press, which fosters inclusivity by giving a voice to minority writers. To ensure the survival of unorthodox narratives in our classrooms, libraries, and beyond, we must make a conscientious effort to protect minority and emerging authors from being stifled by an inflexible monopsony. ▪ GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ANNIKA SINGH.

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“Teenagers are often influenced by influencers because of the amount of content they consume. If they use a device for six to seven hours a day and watch many videos, they're naturally going to start reflecting the content they're viewing in their everyday actions. Andrew Tate is a good example of this because he's an influencer that trains others to live a lifestyle similar to his, causing many people to listen to his ideas and believe they’re correct without understanding what he's actually saying.”

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“In my opinion, humans have an internal tendency to ‘follow the leader’—we adopt the traits of people who are loud and appeal to emotion because our subconscious minds associate that with big strong leaders. Of course, Andrew Tate and other influencers manipulate that to grift young impressionable men, but it could also be used for good; a lot of my political takes are synthesized from people I find funny.”

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"It's a problem when teenagers only use the words of influencers [for] certain topics. For example, when Andrew Tate talks about the role of women in society, I don't think that we should look at his opinion and believe that it's necessarily right. Everyone is subject to their own opinion, but you shouldn't just blindly believe someone else; instead, you should do your own research and formulate your own beliefs."

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“It's really scary and quite concerning seeing how easily teenagers base their whole mindset on a single influencer. Especially when it comes to influencers like Andrew Tate, who promote misogyny and incel behavior; the amount of people online who intake that media is super concerning.

It's kind of a wake up call on the effect social media can have on impressionable teenagers, but it genuinely seems dangerous to society for Andrew Tate and other influencers to be idolized to this degree.”

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Recently, Andrew Tate, an ex-kickboxer and TikTok star, was banned for posting misogynistic content that enabled grooming and domestic violence. Tate’s videos have amassed over a billion views, and many of his followers are young men, raising the question of how Gen Z's idolization of influencers can perpetuate harmful ideas and actions. What’s your opinion on teenagers using influencers and their content as guiding belief systems?

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The Idolization of Influencers

"In a time where social media and technology have become so integral in our daily lives, influencers are definitely playing a big role in &&&&&&12-#$ shaping future generations. As someone 3& who grew up when social media wasn't as prevalent, idolizing influencers shouldn't become a new norm, especially as those influencers reach younger and younger people. Navigating my way through elementary school and middle school wasn’t the best time of my life, but in retrospect, at least I had my own thoughts to guide me — not an influencer I followed — and the freedom it gave allowed me to grow that much more."

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS JIYUN GUO, ELAHEH KHAZI, VEDESH KODNANI, NESSA TONG & AMELIE WU.

6 Feature

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Friday, September 23, 2022

GuidE tO Tea

By Karina Han, Chloe Gao & Andria Luo Sports Editor & Staff Writers

Since its discovery thousands of years ago, tea, a beverage made from fermented tea plant leaves, has grown in popularity around the world. To capture the wide variety and unique origin of tea, the Smoke Signal dives into the background and evolution of tea.

OrigIns aNd eVoluTion

HealTh bEnefIts Regularly drinking tea has both physical and mental health benefits. A study by Penn Medicine found that different teas can boost immune systems, fight inflammation, and prevent disease. For example, white tea has antioxidants for fighting cancer, while black and green tea contain flavonoids that can reduce blood clotting and inflamation. Non caffeinated herbal teas are known for their calming properties, and each have specific benefits based on the herbs or other plants used. For instance, chamomile tea improves sleep, peppermint tea helps with stomach issues, and hibiscus tea improves liver health. Aside from benefits from tea ingestion, taking a bath in black, green, or herbal tea can ease skin inflammation.

SoutH Asia

Tea originated over 5,000 years ago, likely in northeast India, north Myanmar, and southwest China. According to one legend, Emperor Shennong of China first discovered tea when some leaves from a tea plant fell into a cup of boiling water. Another legend says that the South Indian prince and Buddhist monk Bodhidharma picked a few leaves off a tea tree and chewed them to keep himself awake. Regardless of its origins, as time went on, tea continued to spread across the world. It was introduced to Japan in the eighth century by Japanese Buddhist monks who returned home from China, and traders brought tea to Russia by the Silk Road in the mid-1600s. Today, the global tea trade is worth about $9.5 billion, with China and India being the largest tea exporters in the world.

East Asia

EuroPe

Tea is a popular beverage in many South In many East Asian cultures, drinking tea Asian countries and has long standing traditions is thought to bring about spiritual fulfillment, in many South Asian cultures. In countries such as peace, and harmony. From celebrating wedBangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, serving dings to simply welcoming visiting guests, peotea to guests and workers is a common courtesy. ple conduct traditional tea ceremonies to serve Chai wallahs, or tea makers who operate at small many different purposes. These ceremonies roadside stands, are common sights in India. One are often treated with reverence and must be of the most popular teas, widely referred to as conducted according to strict sets of rules. For chai, is prepared by boiling tea leaves with milk example, the method of Gongfu Cha,” a Chinese and adding spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, term that refers to disciplined and skilled tea ginger, and black pepper to the drink. In Pakistan, brewing, requires each type of tea to be brewed people drink not only chai but also a green tea with water at specific temperatures. In Japan, called kahwa, which is boiled with spices like saftea ceremonies are categorized into informal fron, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is traditiongatherings, or chakai, and formal gatherings, or ally boiled in a Russian samovar and chaji. Chakai are usually simple, casual gatherserved while hot. ings that pair sweets with tea, while chaji may go on for up to four hours and offer a full course meal with a variety of green teas.

BriaN BlacK Tea Established in 2005 in Taiwan, Brian Black Tea opened its first US location in January at 43982 Pacific Commons Blvd., Fremont, CA. The tea shop, which focuses primarily on black tea, aims to bring an “authentic Taiwanese black tea tasting experience” through its carefully curated selection of black, milk, and crema teas.

MalaYa Tea rOom Located at 920 Central Ave., Alameda, CA, Malaya Tea Room serves Southeast Asian and English-style afternoon teas. It uniquely blends Malaysia and British culture, with black, green, flowering, and Malaysian pull tea alongside handcrafted pastries. The shop is reservation-only and offers three options for tea service: afternoon tea, light tea, and wee tea.

Tea was introduced to European countries, but it was most well received in Britain. In the 17th century, Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, an avid tea drinker, increased its popularity in the western world after her marriage to the British king Charles II. The English introduced the practice of adding sugar to tea, and drinking tea was initially reserved for upper classes until accessibility increased. In Germany, people in a region called East Frisia drink a special tea called Ostfriesentee, a blend of Assam tea, rock sugar, and cream. Because tea wasn’t grown locally, Europeans imported tea for its health benefits and as a medicinal and therapeutic drink. Today, herbal teas are currently a large part of traditional medicine and home remedies in European households.

Tyme fOr Tea & Co. Tyme for Tea & Co. is a reservation-only tearoom located at 37501 Niles Blvd., Fremont, CA. Decorated with Victorian antiques, furniture, accessories, and clothing, it boasts a wide selection of English teas, including black, white, green, herbal, and rooibos teas, as well as pastries.

Song Tea & CeraMics Based at 2120 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA, Song Tea & Ceramics sources its rare teas, handpicked by founder Peter Luong, from China and Taiwan. The teas, which include varieties such as Gold Guanyin and Nantou Dark, are rotated regularly, with new teas in stock every year. Since the pandemic, the shop has shifted mainly to online services, although its physical shop is open on the weekends.

GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR JULIA PENG.

Friday, September 23, 2022

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Feature 7

DieHard TryHard:

DieHard TryHard:

mooncakes SUGAR FREE Maryam Naseer, Hannah Shen, Annie Xu & Aaron Zhou

StaffShreya Writers Srinivasan & Selina Yang Ian Park, Monisha Saxena, Staff Writers Mooncakes are a staple dessert for the Mid-Autumn Festival, an integral aspect of Chinese culture for more than 3,000 years. This holiday occurs every year on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, and this year it just happened to be on September 10. To celebrate this occasion, four Smokies compete to create the most exquisite mooncake with a twist: the delicious masterpiece must be composed of inedible material.

Hannah

Annie

Maryam

Aaron

I’ve seen the artistic skill of my other competitors and I’ll just say it right now — I’m not confident I can beat them. In fact, I’m not even sure what I want to make my mooncake out of. I have some media in mind, but I’m terrified I’ll mess up and disgrace my culture. Mooncakes are a crucial part of my family’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, and to depict one badly would be devastating. I’m confident in my knowledge of mooncakes from eating them every year, but I’m so indecisive it hurts. I have a feeling my downfall will be choosing what to make my sweet treat out of, but I guess I’ll just try my best and see where the creative spirit takes me!

From my background of eating mooncakes alone, I’m confident that I’ve got this competition in the bag. With my extensive experience in handling polymer clay in creating deformed gingerbread men(for a total of one hour over three days in sixth grade), I know that the masterpieces I create will appeal to even the harshest of critics. I have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with my family for the past 16 years of my life, and consequently exposed myself to mooncakes of each and every form — from otherworldly wonders laden with sweet red bean paste cloaking a salted golden yoke to terrible crimes stinking of durian.

I’m confident that I will be able to bring honor to my heritage and annihilate the competition.

I couldn’t bake if my life depended on it, but I can paint. With my limited knowledge on mooncakes, I needed to do my research and scrolled through countless images of them.

The first time seeing them was like gazing upon an artist’s heaven with all the variation of styles and intricate patterns embellished on the mooncakes. As my research came to an end, it was time to pick out my favorite mooncakes and get to work. Not to brag, but detailed work is my profession and expertise. With years of experience, I am confident I can create anything with a few paint brushes and a couple hours of work.

Despite being terrible at art, I excel at any task involving tasty food. I began eating mooncakes as an annual tradition before I even started walking, and I possess vast knowledge on the dessert’s variations: white lotus, salted egg yolk, and more types I absolutely did not discover two minutes ago from a Google Search. All jokes aside, I am confident in dominating this competition by using an artistic approach to the best of my humble abilities.

My idea for the mooncake’s design will also stand out from my competitors. Watch out everyone, because my incredible work of art is about to captivate the judges’ hungry eyes and empty stomachs.

2nd

2nd

Today was not a mooncake slay, but I’m still happy with second place. We all know how that one “second is the best” song goes. To be honest, I didn’t expect great things from my mooncakes either since I was working on my crocheted beauties right up until the deadline. The day before the mooncakes were due I was still contemplating whether or not to impulsively swap to an acrylic painting. I expected to place a lot worse because of how gorgeous the other mooncakes were, but I’m actually extremely happy I ended up tied with Annie, my favorite partner in crime.

Great heavens, god forbid. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recover from this loss. My years of amateur mooncake tasting have failed me. When I saw my competitors’ work, I knew it was over. I’ll blame it on the latest note-taking assignment I had.

It seems that I will need to refine my skills in multitasking. Nevertheless, as the wise all-knowing Sun Tzu probably said in Art of War “Don’t dwell on your failures, the loser always wins.” I will take this opportunity to explore my (nonexistent) faults, redefine my connections to my culture, and eat more mooncakes.

1st

Ha! What did I say? My expertise is in doing details and that’s exactly what I did. I’d estimated that it would only take a couple of hours, but I didn’t realize those couple hours would turn into eight hours of continuous painting. At first I was worried about my 2D artistic medium being inadequate compared to my competitors 3D forms, but it turns out that I didn’t need three dimensions to create a realistic mooncake. What made this win even more satisfying was the fact that I’ve never even tried a mooncake.

One day I’ll try a mooncake, but for now I’m satisfied with my victory in “baking” a tasty sweet.

3rd

The old folks used to say, “Failure is the mother of success”. To put it bluntly, I really thought the victory was mine. Sure, my artwork may be lacking in quality, but I definitely aced the competition in terms of meme culture. Props to my fellow competitors for delivering some artistic masterpieces — the overall design and detail of the works placed above mine are examples I can definitely learn from. Even if I take the loss this time, my appetite for creating and consuming holiday treats remains. Next autumn, I’ll be sure to impress with even more appealing artwork.

PHOTOS BY FEATURE EDITOR JULIA PENG, GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITORS JULIA PENG & ELTON YU.

8 Centerspread

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The Smoke Signal

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N e w Fac ult y

By Rohan Bhagat, Anandita Devata, Waylon Li, Jason Tang & Nessa Tong News Editor & Staff Writers

Course: Special Education (Mild to Moderate) Room: P26

Friday, September 23, 2022

Friday, September 23, 2022

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Centerspread 9

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TO MSJ

Courses: Chamber Chorale, Show Choir, AP Music Theory, Marching Band Room: E4

Courses : Digital Imaging Digital P and hotogra p hy Room: E 7

After tea ch Milpitas, ing at Thomas R Music Te u acher Br ssell Middle Sc multiple h yce Bec perform kel now ool in ing arts Show C te c ach la hoir s very inve . Outside of th ses at MSJ, inclu es e classr ste ding oo be a Cit d in politics an d is curr m, Beckel is y Counc en il memb starting er in Fr tly running to th emont. problem e school year Despit s at his late due previous adapted to logis e s ti to the environm chool, he has q cal working uickly ent at with the MSJ an students “I starte d loves and d local mid working while in administration here. dle scho high sch ol just kind o of popp music program ol with the ed in m somethin ... one d yh a g that I really en ead that [teach y it joy doin in g ] is g,” Beck el said.

As the 2022-23 school year begins, MSJ introduces the Class of 2026 to the school, while also bringing in new staff members. The Smoke Signal was able to interview six out of the 12 new faculty members to welcome them into the MSJ community.

Special Education Teacher Jessica Loo is transitioning to a high school setting, having taught at William Hopkins Junior High School and Joshua Chadbourne Elementary School. After previously working in the field of medical physics, she took a break to spend more time with her daughter. Afterward, Loo chose to become a teacher because of the flexibility in the work schedule. “I like the holidays. I like the shorter days, but most of all, [I like that] you can bring work home,” Loo said. In her free time, she enjoys going on nature walks and drawing. “I think I’d like to take on calligraphy now,” Loo said.

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Course: Adult Intensive Instruction Program Paraeducator Room: M1

Courses: US History and World History Room: B37

Course: Adult Intensive Instruction Program Paraeducator

Room: M1

A mother of seven children, Paraeducator Diana Palmon’s love for kids led to her passion for teaching and supporting special needs students. With her experience as a paraeducator at American High School, Walters Middle School, and most recently the Adult Intensive Instruction Program at Kennedy High School, Palmon is now starting her first year at MSJ. Although the program faced challenges with settling into a new classroom and working without a permanent teacher, Palmon appreciates the support from staff on campus. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going boating, camping, and cooking.

Although this is Paraeducator Nicole Suzuki’s first year at MSJ, she already has a history with the school. Her husband graduated from MSJ in 1987, and she taught Science Teacher Sarah Mueller before coming here. Suzuki has taught at several different schools, most recently at Kennedy High School under their Adult Intensive Instruction Program. When the class switched from Kennedy to MSJ, she was hesitant at first.

However, she has been pleasantly surprised and is enjoying her time here. In her free time, she likes to dance and crochet. “I enjoy [teaching]; you get to laugh all day because silly things happen, and you just have to laugh,” Suzuki said.

US History and World History Teacher Joseph Usrey is a new teacher at MSJ, having previously taught in Oakland, CA. As a teacher, Usrey seeks to give back to the community and help students grow. “I wanted to help people [and] teach people how to be good citizens,” Usrey said. He centers his teaching around finding the connection between teacher and student. “I base my teaching on building relationships with the students and getting to know them,” Usrey said. Outside of teaching, Usrey enjoys watching films with his wife, spending time with his kid, painting miniatures, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Other new faculty whom the SMOKE SIGNAL was unable to interview include: Timiza Battiste - Custodian Shu-Hui Chang - Adult Intensive Instruction Program Paraeducator Maria Diesta - Child Nutritionist My Huynh - Mathematics Teacher Tracy Vu - Mathematics Teacher

PHOTOS BY NEWS EDITOR ROHAN BHAGAT AND STAFF WRITERS ANANDITA DEVATA, WAYLON LI, JASON TANG & NESSA TONG. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITORS CHRISTY HUANG AND ANGELA XIONG.

10 Feature & Arts & Entertainment

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Friday, September 23, 2022

Staff Spotlight: Bryce Beckel

By Daphne Senecal & Sahas Goli Staff Writers

Many students at MSJ may be familiar with Bryce Beckel as our school’s Marching Band Instructor, but what most students may not know is that, in the summer of 2022, Beckel launched his campaign for Fremont City Councilmember. After hearing many Fremont residents and MSJ students express that they feel they are not being properly represented in his time in Fremont, Beckel decided to change that by running for Fremont City Council himself.

“A number of people don’t feel like the current representative represents [them and their values]. That was one main push for me to jump into the race,” Beckel said. Since the beginning of his campaign, Beckel has endorsed himself as someone who has the necessary skills to take on the role of a City Council member. He believes the most important quality of a City Council member is ensuring that everyone’s voices are heard.

“Even though I have my own opinions and stances on issues ... it’s important that [if ] anybody wants to talk to me, I’m there to listen to them,” Beckel said. To increase awareness of individual concerns, he has pro-

posed the creation of a district neighborhood committee made up of all the district neighborhoods. Additionally, he also plans to host regular office hours to allow community members to speak their minds.

If elected to the City Council, Beckel hopes to implement many of his plans to improve Fremont, some of which include building satellite phone infrastructure for first responders and creating incentives for increased public transportation use. However, one of the biggest issues he wishes to tackle is the housing crisis, having witnessed the skyrocketing prices of homes and the difficulty of finding housing.

“I have a consensus on [the issues concerning] affordable housing [and] trying to make sure that everybody has a place to stay ... especially with the rising market,” Beckel said. He hopes to ensure that everyone in the unhoused community is able to have a roof over their head and also aims to encourage them to join career development programs.

Beckel has already made some notable contributions to the community, one of them being the creation of a student-first and community-driven educational platform, an idea he hopes to bring with him to the Fremont City Council. He has also heavily supported musical education by overseeing many student band performances and funding $2500 out-of-pocket through performing arts scholarships for the Class of 2022.

For students who wish to be more involved in local politics and create a bigger role for themselves, Beckel suggests researching candidates to see who they feel would represent them best. “If you have the time and the energy, you can get involved in one of the campaigns ... The bigger of a voice you can make for yourself, [the more you can help] out everybody within the community,” he said. ▪

PHOTO COURTESY OF VOTEBRYCEBECKEL.COM. GRAPHICS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HELEN TIAN.

Crumbl Cookies crumbls under expectations

By Ruhani Chhabra, Ayushi Kashyap & Annie Xu Staff Writers

Though the cookies themselves were fresh out of the oven, the Milk Chocolate Chip seemed to be underbaked, with a crispy outside but an eggy inside that stuck to the inside of the mouth. Other cookies like the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, which Grade: Dcombined competing tart, grainy pumpkin spice with rich, overpowering milk olate C hip hoc C chocolate flavors, and the Cookie in Butter Lava, which compared to a standard Lotus Biscoff cookie, lacked originality and were not worth the $4 price tag. While none of the aforementioned options were outstanding in any aspect, the Chilled Pink Sugar Cookie really took the crown for the worst treat. Lathered with overly sweet, toothpaste-like glaze, the simC ▪

hilled Pink

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storefront, visitors are greeted with the sweet smell of cookies. Customers are given the option of either ordering from a kiosk or at the front with several size options — singles, fours, sixes, or a party box dozen, ranging from $5-43. A consequence of its high popularity and the cramped space, the shop overflows quickly, creating a stuffy environment while eager cookie enthusiasts wait longingly. Due to the shop’s perpetual rush hour where the employees definitely had their hands full with orders upon orders, Crumbl Cookies was understaffed.

Oftentimes, they struggled to refill batches in time, leading to a long waiting period.

However, they dutifully catered to requests and inquiries about the cookies and opened individual boxes at checkout to confirm the orders with customers.

plicity of the sugar cookie was lost beneath the layers of frosting forced onto it. The store also offered customers an exclusive $3 Crumbl Water — bottled water with a Crumbl logo. This was yet another overpriced addition to the menu.

Still, there were some silver linings.

The French Toast cookie featured a moist and fluffy batter surrounding a light cream-and-chocolate mixture in the center.

The Milk Glaze ft. Fruity PEBBLES was a mouth-watering contrast of crispy cereal and donut-like sponginess. These two flavors stood out amongst the remaining mediocre baked goods.

Though a fast-growing chain with locations and long lines all over the US, Crumbl Cookies failed to rise to the occasion, especially considering its exorbitant price tags.

While the restaurant allows for a unique interactive experience with its weekly rotating flavors, these cookies truly aren’t for everyone.

Pu m pk

Originating from Utah in 2017, Crumbl Cookies has established 300 bakeries in 36 states nationwide, featuring a weekly rotating four-flavor menu. The Smoke Signal visited Crumbl Cookies’ recently established Pacific Commons location to sample its staple Milk Chocolate Chip cookie and its rotating options — Chilled Pink Sugar, French Toast, Milk Glaze ft. Fruity PEBBLES, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip, Cookie Butter Lava, and Brownie Batter.

Blowing up on TikTok due to its unique colors and flavors, this chain is most known for its aesthetically decorated treats. The hashtag #crumblcookies has more than 2.1 billion views on TikTok, and the official Crumbl Cookies account has more than five million followers on the platform. Unfortunately, the only word to describe the social media response is “overhyped.”

Upon entry into the small, crowded

Su

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS RUHANI CHHABRA, AYUSHI KASHYAP & ANNIE XU. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR JOANNE PARK.

Friday, September 23, 2022

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The Smoke Signal

Arts & Entertainment 11

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R

Pinocchio (2022): A DISAPPOI NTI NG DISNEY REMAKE

blackpi nk bores with born pink

By Helen Tian & Jerry Yuan Editors-in-Chief

On September 16, the world renowned South Korean four-member girl group BLACKPINK finally released their sophomore album BORN PINK. Despite the tension and buildup surrounding what should’ve been an amazing performance by a group that debuted more than six years ago, BORN PINK fails to quench the thirst of fans as it falls into BLACKPINK’s same formulaic production and lyricism. The album, which fans expected to accent the group’s confidence and duality, is lackluster in many ways.

Following the same repetitive musical structure as typical YG Entertainment (BLACKPINK’s record label) compositions, the songs of BORN PINK sound similar to BLACKPINK’s previous hits, such as “How You Like That” and “Kill This Love.” In addition, “Ready For Love” and “Pink Venom,” albeit being the more energetic songs in the set, have been replayed and streamed millions of times on Spotify and YouTube since their prerelease dates, making them tiring re-listens in the album.

With these two songs in the mix, the eight-track album does little in solidifying BLACKPINK as unique creative artists, especially since two years have elapsed since their last album release. The lack of new and unique songs give way to a monotonous album. Even though each song is about three minutes long, making the entire album only about 24 minutes long, the energy-sucking, repetitive nature of each song makes the album drag on for what seems like hours.

The album’s tediousness can also be attributed to its lyrics, which often consist of repeating noncoherent English words that, while being catchy filler words, hold no special meaning.

In the “Typa Girl,” the words “dudu-dun” and “du-lu-lu-lun” are sung

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In addition, “The Happiest Girl” stands out against the rest of the loud but passive tracks. As one of the few ballads that BLACKPINK sings, the flowy low voice inflections and slight raises hit the right place of sadness within the listeners. When member Rosé sings, “Don’t make us saints, we’re wards of pain / The past and a perfect picture / There’s no one else to blame this time,” listeners can empathize with the heartfelt pain of being constantly viewed as perfect idols.

Even the song’s chorus of “But tonight, I’ll be the happiest girl in the world / You’ll see like it doesn’t matter” allows for reflective listening as it repeats three times through the majority of the song.

While BORN PINK certainly does have some creative gems and an artistic vision, it mainly leaves the impression of a flat and shallow album. With unimaginative lyrics and production, the tone of BLACKPINK has yet to change over their six-year career; they’ve stayed stagnant with little creative expression as the album is packed with filler words and repetitive chords. After two years of anticipation, the album’s monotony and lack of musical innovation leave listeners wishing for more.

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Grade: C+

September 2022 MSJ Faves

BOOKBYTES

By Elaheh Khazi Staff Writer Student Recommendation Title: Six of Crows Author: Leigh Bardugo Suggested Reading Level: Grade 10 Genre: Fantasy In the city of Ketterdam, a trading hub where goods are bought and sold, Kaz Brekker, a teenage criminal, makes a living by stealing and robbing others.

One day, he is asked to join a heist with five other criminals. Now, the test is if the six will be loyal to each other.

“It was really nice to see a heist plot being executed so cleanly. It was a pretty fun read because it was a part of a really fantastical world that served as an escape from [our] real one.” — Krisha Bhat, 12 Staff Recommendation Title: The Butterfly Mosque Author: G. Willow Wilson Suggested Reading Level: Grade 11 Genre: Memoir G. Willow Wilson, born and raised as an atheist, writes about her journey in converting to Islam. In her memoir, Wilson highlights not only her spiritual journey but her romantic journey as she falls in love with a Muslim, Egyptian man.

“The Butterfly Mosque is a beautifully written memoir about [Wilson’s] journey of converting and going to Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca. It was such an interesting story about this atheist, white girl becoming Muslim. I like reading about other cultures and living vicariously through them.” — Teacher Librarian Julie Boyer Smokie Recommendation Title: Know My Name: A Memoir Author: Chanel Miller Suggested Reading Level: Grade 12 Genre: Memoir TW: sexual assault In January 2015, Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted by Brock Turner, an athlete at Stanford University. Miller’s memoir is the story of her survival, and a means to reclaim her identity and spread awareness about sexual assault. “[The memoir] really puts you into her story. Miller is very descriptive, and her writing makes you feel her pain.”

— Ruhani Chhabra, 12 ▪

eight times, and the song “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” repeats the same titular lyric ten times. Even when BLACKPINK does sing actual lyrical phrases, they remain hollow and vain. In “Shut Down,” member Jennie raps, “Need a lesson, see the necklace, see these dresses / We don’t buy it, we request it.” Although Rosé said, “All of us tried hard to think of [our fans] while ” in the BORN PINK Countdown Livestream, listeners find it hard to relate to the group and what they are empowering with such egocentric lyrics. The message of establishing an identity is lost when the lyrics make it seem that wealth and fame are the most important qualities of life.

Despite many songs falling short of expectations, most tracks in the album have an enjoyable flavor at first — at least until it becomes repetitive or transitions into unimaginative beats. “Pink Venom” blends elements of traditional Korean instruments like the geomungo with EDM and poprap, while “Shut Down” samples the critically acclaimed classical composition “La campanella,” originally composed by Niccolò Paganini, mixed with hip hop hooks. Although both songs result in monotonous backing tracks, the production of the first few measures are able to take back a bit of ground.

MOVIE: London Has Fallen — Keerat Kaur Tuteja, 11 TV SHOW: The Good Place — Anmol Prabhakar, 10 ALBUM: Blonde by Frank Ocean — Adyant Patnaik, 12 BOOK: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus — Journalism Teacher Sandra Cohen GAME: Word Hunt — Katie Tang, 11

By Jennie Wang Web Editor Despite hitting charming compositions and stunning animations right on the nose, Pinocchio is a cluttered, confusing film that adds little substance to the beloved 1940 version. Premiering on September 8 on Disney+ as a live-action retelling of the original movie, Pinocchio seems to have tossed itself into Disney’s ever-growing collection of unnecessary and flimsy remakes.

With a strong opening sequence, the film initially leaves viewers with high hopes for the rest of the movie. As cherished characters Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Geppetto (Tom Hanks), and Jiminy Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) return to Disney’s big screen for the first time since 1940, only this time in live-action and computer-generated imagery (CGI) rather than animation, Director Robert Zemeckis successfully brings their original personality to life. For instance, as Geppetto mourns his late son and wife while constructing Pinocchio in his woodshop, Alan Silvestri’s iconic orchestrations create a tender and intimate atmosphere. Moreover, the Blue Fairy (Cynthia Erivo) delivers a phenomenal rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star’’ after fulfilling Geppetto’s wish to bring Pinocchio to life. Her brilliant wings, gown, and wand are breathtaking components to her design that were absent from the original film.

However, the CGI animation and impressive soundtrack, although commendable in their own right, fail to compete with the charm of the original. For example, Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio, remembered as a lovable faces by fans eighty years prior, look strangely waxy and stiff when rendered with computer illustration graphics. The movie doesn’t capture the warmth that was so characteristic of earlier Disney animated movies, causing viewers to wonder if a remake was even necessary. Additionally, the remake features drama-

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tized supernatural aspects of the original plot — such as an ancient sea monster whale and glowing “shadow monsters” — that distract from the heart of the film.

The second half of the film feels suffocating, jam-packed with scene after scene and with no room for deeper character development. Most confusing of all was Pinocchio’s halffleshed, unnecessary romance with the inanimate puppet Sabina — additions of new characters like Sabina only lead to unneeded scenes that add no value to the plot.

Admittedly, the movie continues to expertly touch upon important motifs, such as self-love, family, and home — Pinocchio may not be able to tell lies, but his character still tugs on the heart strings of viewers. The film also features an impressive lineup of actors: Cynthia Erivo, a Black actress, is brilliant as the Blue Fairy, a role that the Disney franchise has traditionally only depicted as a white woman, whereas Tom Hanks and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth perfectly highlight the kind and warmhearted spirits of Geppetto and Pinocchio.

A film that started boldly but finished as unremarkable, Pinocchio was a disappointing watch for all viewers, fans of the original or not. The movie was entertaining, heart-warming, and even enjoyable at times, but due to its inconsistent pacing and confusing plot developments, it remains clear there was no need for a story so timeless and iconic to be remade.

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Grade: C

nav fights his demons i n demons protected by angels

GENIUS.COM

By Aaryan Suri Staff Writer Bursting onto the rap scene in 2015, Canadian rapper Navraj Singh Goraya, better known as NAV, turned heads as a songwriter on Drake’s grammy-nominated “Back to Back.” Since then, NAV has catapulted himself to the top of the charts, endearingly referring to himself as the “first Brown boy to get it poppin’.” He has established himself as a unique pillar of rap with some of his own projects, such as Good Intentions and Emergency Tsunami. However, after NAV’s unannounced two-year hiatus from music, fans were desperate for his iconic sound and eagerly awaited his return. Released on September 9, NAV’s newest project, Demons Protected By Angels, quenches the musical thirst of his fans with the most personal, elaborate, and well-done project in the artist’s career.

“I look great on the surface, but I’m not doin’ well,” NAV confesses on the first line of the album in “Count on Me (Intro),” setting a

melancholy, reminiscent mood for the project and juxtaposing the energetic nature of his previous albums. As the album progresses, NAV remains consistent with the same gloomy tone with his slow backtracks and melody-heavy songs.

However, mixed in with the overarching sense of sadness, the album contains multiple upbeat tracks as well, such as “Baby,” “Dead Shot (with Lil Uzi Vert),” and “Interstellar (with Lil Uzi Vert).” This refreshing variety of moods, from extreme sadness to polarizing happiness, takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster of what love entails, allowing NAV to showcase his diverse skill set in the process.

Toward the middle of the album, with features from major artists such as Gunna, Lil Baby, and Travis Scott, the songs begin picking up pace. With delicately crafted flurries of hi-hats, bass, and 808s, the album provides a powerful and unique hip hop beat in each track.

These beats, alongside NAV’s previously established expertise in crafting electrifying songs, leave the lis-

tener on their feet after every song in jubilation.

While Demons Protected By Angels runs a bit long with a total of 19 tracks, NAV does an exceptional job in providing a fresh sound in each song and preventing his listeners from getting bored, which has previously been a shortcoming of his albums. One of the tracks that is particularly refreshing is, “Lost Me (with RealestK),” which displays NAV in a new light — melodic and vocal. Here, NAV and RealestK build a duet-styled song with both artists bouncing in and out of the track at various times, reinforcing the love theme that NAV develops throughout the album. This theme is especially seen in the line, “But baby my love is misunderstood / It’s somethin’ you never understood,” being repeated throughout the chorus, demonstrating the pain that NAV has gone through with his love life.

As the final track subsides, leaving behind a flawless album, the listener feels they’ve experienced NAV’s journey in love, from all of

its ups and downs for themselves.

In all, as NAV concludes the album with one of his final statements being, “I wish I could call, I wish I could call you one more time,” the listener is left with a closing note of sorrow, tying the album together from start to finish with its theme of self-love, heartbreak, and regret.

One of the major ways in which NAV’s influence has affected hundreds of thousands of people is through his trailblazing as an Indian. With the rap industry being primarily saturated with African American and Caucasian talent, NAV pushes through cultural barriers and has become an icon for the underrepresented group of Indians in the rap scene, giving inspiration for many others to also try their hand at rap. This effect can especially be seen in Demons Protected By Angels via NAV’s new signature ad-lib, “Brown Boy, let’s go,” being repeated across various tracks in the album as a nod to his South Asian audience.

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Grade: A+

ANGELA: “New Home (Slowed)” by Austin Farwell | ANNIKA: “Kingston” by Faye Webster | BRYAN: “in the bed” by SWJA | CHRISTY: “Hard to Sleep” by Gracie

SMOKIE PLAYLIST: Abrams | ELTON: “It’s You” by Ali Gatie | ESTHER: “Scott Street” by Phoebe Bridgers | HANNAH: “Lullaby” by Risso, BNJX | HELEN: “matthew” by elijah woods

Sleepy September

JENNIE: “YUKON (INTERLUDE)” by Joji | JERRY: “Dreaming” by NCT DREAM | JOANNE: “Dreamland” by Glass Animals | JULIA: “Cry” by Cigarettes After Sex KAITLYN: “Have We Met Before (with Eric Nam)” by Sarah Barrios, Eric Nam | KARINA: “Solo” by Frank Ocean | ROHAN: “All I Want” by Kodaline | SANAH: “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus | SARINA: “Duet” by Omori | SHELLEY: “Dreaming Of You” by Selena | MRS. COHEN: “Across The Universe - Remastered 2009” by The Beatles

12 Arts & Entertainment & Sports

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 23, 2022

The problem with gacha games

By Sahas Goli & Andria Luo Staff Writers

Over the past few years, video games like Genshin Impact and Cookie Run: Kingdom have rapidly increased in popularity. These “gacha” games employ a lottery system that encourages players to spend in-game currency — which can also be purchased using real money — to obtain items. The term “gacha” arose from “gachapon,” a popular vending machine toy from Japan. In these video games, players spend currency to buy “rolls,” which are probability-based chances of acquiring items from a predetermined pool of prizes. This process is often simply referred to as “rolling.” While many games include skillbased components as well, a rolled character’s unique attributes tend to create a larger impact than a player’s expertise alone. According to a survey by Statista, in the first quarter of 2021, 88% of the top 20% of role-playing games (RPG) games used a gacha system.

Despite the beautiful graphics and detailed worldbuilding so many of these games are known for, gacha games are easily addictive and use predatory tactics to earn money.

A common criticism of gacha games revolves around their exploitation of young players. In games that rely on compulsive spending to make money, impulsivity and lack of life experience in the player base prove to be very advantageous for those who stand to make money off the games. The addition of these games to mobile devices also makes paying without parental consent quick and easy as modern technology allows users to make purchases with the simple tap of a button.

Although one may think that rolls in the games would provide a significant chance of receiving the desired reward, the actual rates of rolling in gacha games tend to be much worse. Fate/Grand Order, one of the highest-grossing mobile gacha games, can have players spending $1 for a 0.8% chance of pulling a featured character on a banner.

Genshin Impact charges real world money in exchange for in-game crystals.

These costs quickly skyrocket when considering multiple characters. Even though a significant portion of the cost is offset by currency earned while playing the game, many players still spend money in order to compensate for the low rates of obtaining their desired item or character. Not only that, acquisition of free currency tends to be limited and locked behind large time investments in order to maximize game profit. As a result, many players who are unfamiliar with the system find themselves caught in the gambler’s fallacy, spending more and more money with the hope that they will eventually match a probability. Additionally, many games tend to implement a “pity system,” where the featured character is given as a guarantee after spending a certain amount of in-game currency. While this may seem to be a positive addition, it only serves to trap more players into a sunk-cost fallacy, which is an effect where people are hesitant to give up a course of action that they have heavily invested in. Even if players do

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succeed without spending too much money, a lucky draw or two can serve to draw them even deeper into addiction by giving them a sense of security in their spending. These tactics are especially effective against children and teenagers who are typically more susceptible to impulsive spending.

Another tactic that game developers often use to increase sales is driving up the difficulty of game content. Some games have Player vs. Player (PvP) systems, which encourage players to compete with each other to acquire additional in-game currency or other rewards that they can then spend on improving their characters. Developers then release increasingly powerful characters over time, often sooner than players can acquire free currency, causing players to roll again and again in order to continue clearing the difficult content.

Therefore, the players are trapped in an infinite cycle of scrambling to pull for the latest and best characters.

All of these tactics are not only blatantly predatory in themselves, but they also

take place in a system optimized for making it easy to gamble away large amounts of money.

The conversion of real money to in-game currency before rolling makes it harder for players to distinguish the magnitude of what they are spending, thus making it easier for them to make rash decisions. This is the same reason casinos use chips rather than cash: it’s easier to give away something for a low probability of success when it isn’t raw cash. The frighteningly low age restrictions despite all of this makes it so that children and young adults can find themselves doing what is nearly equivalent to gambling. Unlike gambling, however, they will only be rewarded with a digital asset rather than earning money back if they even succeed.

The general defense of gacha games is that most of them are free-to-play, which means that players are not forced to spend money to play the game. This is in contrast to purchase-to-play games, which require players to pay money upfront in order to access the game content. The free-to-play aspects only serve to make the games more entrapping and addicting for newer players and children who are often lured in by other aspects of the game, such as interesting storylines or pretty graphics.

Though gacha games are not inherently harmful, especially if players are more familiar with such games and have the life experience to make wise decisions, they use many predatory tactics that can lead to harmful consequences in the hands of younger players, who can easily pay without their parents’ permission. In order to control the impact of gacha games, publishers and platforms hosting them should take steps to warn players and regulate access.

A simple step could be a higher age restriction that notifies parents of money usage to prevent players who are too young to practice safe playing habits from falling into addictions. The enforcement of such rules can prevent young and inexperienced players from falling prey to the harmful effects that gacha games often have.

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GRAPHICS BY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HELEN TIAN.

Jumping Through Hoops: Julia Marcelis

By Jiyun Guo & Amelie Wu Staff Writers

Having begun circus training and acrobatic performance at a young age, Senior Julia Marcelis is an accomplished performer with a passion for her art. She specializes in silks, an acrobatic form that centers on dangling and dropping from suspended silks, and lyra, which are acrobatics performed on a suspended aerial hoop. At the 2022 Aerialympics, a national aerials competition held in Utah on February 26, she placed first in the advanced silks and intermediate lyra categories.

Marcelis was inspired to begin circus training after visiting a local circus at a young age.

Awed by the dazzling flying trapeze performances, she aspired to perform like the acrobats one day. Marcelis’ supportive mother began searching for beginner level classes in the Bay Area, allowing Marcelis to try her hand at flying trapeze. “I was absolutely terrified,

but I did it once and fell in love immediately,” Marcelis said, who went on to hone her art with additional disciplines and skills.

Now a senior with many years of practice under her belt, Marcelis has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments. Marcelis recently auditioned to attend the Cirque du Soleil’s NexGen Talent Development Program in San Diego, where she trained alongside the circus’s acrobats. “We finished a full length circus show that was an hour and a half, and it was really cool to mix all the different specialties I do into a show,” Marcelis said. This February, Marcelis hopes to return to the Aerialympics and participate in additional festivals such as the VIVA Fest in Los Angeles.

To continually improve her skills, Marcelis follows an intense training regimen. Each day, she trains for several hours in strength and skill,

including pull-ups and push-ups along with circus-specific maneuvers. Though the routine is physically demanding, Marcelis’ coaches motivate her to persist. “My aerial coach has been an endless inspiration to my style [because] she trains so much … it’s really cool to see what that performance looks like,” Marcelis said.

Apart from the difficult nature of her training, Marcelis overcomes a fair share of challenges on a regular basis. Alongside school work and her circus training, Marcelis is also a part of the MSJ Marching Band, which makes time management a tough task. Despite her rigorous daily practice, Marcelis also struggles with stage fright before performances.

“Some people will just get shaky. Some people lose their grip strength. It’s a lot of trying to know who you are, as that changes.”

Marcelis hangs through a lyra hoop in her performance.

With every performance, Marcelis learns how stage fright affects her and can prepare herself accordingly.

Since circus training has become an integral part of her daily life, Marcelis intends to continue pursuing it beyond high school. One of her criteria in applying to colleges has been finding cities that provide her with channels to practice and bolster her art. “I’m looking at bigger cities, ones that have nice, thriving circus communities,” Marcelis said.

Heading into the future, Marcelis hopes her performances continue to inspire audiences. She aims for her viewers to feel a range of emotions, from fear to joy to excitement. “A lot of people think it’s … fantastical to watch someone do circus, and I think bringing wonder to people is really nice,” Marcelis said. ■

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS JIYUN GUO & AMELIE WU, COURTESY JULIA MARCELIS.

Friday, September 23, 2022

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The Smoke Signal

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

by Jennie Wang, Elaheh Khazi & Waylon Li Web Editor & Staff Writers

GIRLS TENNIS

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CROSS COUNTRY

This fall, Boys and Girls Cross Country return once more for a new season with many new freshmen joining the team, as a significant number of runners graduated last year. “This season, I’m definitely excited to see the potential [of the new team]. We did lose a portion of our team as they graduated, but seeing the immense potential of our incoming freshmen, I’m really excited to see where we go,” Co-Captain Senior Audrey Lee said. Last year, the two teams seemed divided, but this year they hope to work on that with the help of the two new assistant coaches, Haley Skinner and Thomas Scrutton, and create that family bond. With more coaches to train and more time to bond, the team hopes to win against their biggest rival, Newark Memorial High School, in the upcoming races. “There are a lot of really good young [boys] and girls on the team, such as Juniors Saahil Sheth and Ania Wong, so we [hope to] get a lot better [this upcoming season],” Co-Captain Senior Mehul Maurya said.

Coming off a NCS win and placing third at CIF from the previous season, Girls Tennis is hoping to win another title despite the absence of three key senior players. Last year, the team’s experienced players, which included a few competitive players in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) league, led their team to countless victories, shining light on each player’s talent and skills. The team hopes to perform just as well this year, picking up two freshmen who play competitively in the USTA league. To accommodate for these changes, Coach Michael Jan looks to focus on conditioning and strength. “Last year, we definitely had injuries. This year, we’re going to focus more on conditioning [and] strengthening our bodies so that we can better take With a blend of new and experienced players, Girls care of ourselves,” Jan said. The Girls Tennis team recently Volleyball is excited to see the chemistry and progress placed second at the Logan Invitational Girls Varsity Tenof their team unfold this season. “I’m most looking forward nis Tournament, and the team aims to continue their wins to building chemistry within a team that is on the younger side in the regular MVAL season. “We are looking forward to and promoting team spirit beyond just this season,” Co-Captain Sehaving a great season with the new teammates who have nior Julie Wu said. Last year, the team battled injuries in key team great potential,” Co-Captain Junior Megha Hegde said.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

players and tough losses, which decreased the overall morale of the team as they entered their first in-person season since the pandemic.

The team is also recovering from the absence of five of their starters who graduated this summer. “We need to build off those vacancies and have girls ready to step up and be aggressive players,” Coach Thien Nguyen said. Having just started their official season, the team is proud of their performance in pre-season and aims towards providing the current freshman players with a strong foundation for future years.

Girls Golf returns in high spirits for their upcoming season, hoping to win their competitions with a strong lineup. “Last year, we would have gone undefeated had it not been for the [four times they were disqualified] due to the lack of players. We addressed it last season, and all girls are on board for this [upcoming] season,” Coach Tai Chung said. This season, the team finally was able to get a hold of six strong players. Among these members are Freshman Chloe Yeh and Selena Tang, a returning senior and worldranked player. With the addition of these players, the team is hopeful of going to NCS and even to states. “This season, we’re blessed to have a super strong team. [I think] we have a good chance at winning NCS and going on to states. So that’s something to look forward to,” Co-Captain Senior Audrey Wang said.

GIRLS GOLF

Aiming for NCS and League titles, MSJ Water Polo’s slew of returning players show promise for the upcoming season. “In my time at MSJ, this is the best girls team we’ve had,” Coach Ryan Tang said. Last year, the biggest challenge Girls Water Polo faced was inexperience, with the team consisting mostly of sophomores. However, with more experienced players now in addition to the impressive number of off-season participants, it’s likely that Girls Water Polo will have a much stronger presence than last season. Boys Water Polo is also off to a promising start, hoping to qualify for NCS — a goal that hasn’t been achieved since 2017, but is in the sights for 2022’s lineup. “Our [Boys] team is mostly seniors, and many of them have been starters or key rotation players since their sophomore year,” Tang said.

For both teams, their strong line-up of returning players leads not only to large ambitions, but also for hopes of improved team bonding and athletic relationships.

WATER POLO graphics by sports editor karina han.

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, September 23, 2022

Friday, September 23, 2022

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Sports 15

Fall Freshmen Varsity Athletes

By Sarina Li & Hannah Shen Graphic Editors

With the fall sports season now underway, several Varsity teams have welcomed new teammates, many of whom are freshmen students. To showcase MSJ’s budding athletic talent, the Smoke Signal spotlights the 10 freshmen varsity athletes who have joined this season’s showdown. Sports featured include Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Girls Waterpolo, and Girls Volleyball.

Tessa Tran

Ima Nissler

Brittany Lu

Connie Li

Sriya Vintha

Allyson Wang

Claribel Chen

Hannah Bi

Chloe Yeh

Natalie Lim

PHOTOS BY GRAPHIC EDITORS HANNAH SHEN & SARINA LI. GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR KAITLYN WANG.

MSJ’s New Athletic Director: Stephanie Randazzo The Smoke Signal: What inspired you to become the new Athletic Director?

Stephanie Randazzo: After Mr. Thompson retired from the position, nobody was really interested in filling it up. But since the position was so essential for the [Physical Education Department] and I didn’t want to see our programs go away, I thought to myself, “You know what, someone’s gotta do it.” So I told Principal Jeff Evans that I was interested, and he couldn’t be happier to have me fill the position. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I wanted to challenge myself with a task other than teaching PE, so it’s going to be a good exercise.

SS: How do you feel about being selected as the new Athletic Director?

By Aaron Zhou Staff Writer Following Coach Thomas Thomsen’s retirement, the Physical Education Department sought a new Athletic Director. With nine years of teaching experience at MSJ, Physical Education Teacher Stephanie Randazzo stepped up to the challenging task of overseeing MSJ’s athletics. To highlight her plans for improving the department and continuing Coach Thomsen’s legacy, The Smoke Signal interviewed Coach Randazzo on her debut as MSJ’s new Athletic Director.

SR: Overwhelmed, excited … there’s a lot of feelings that are happening at the same time.

There’s going to be times of stress, there’s going to be ups and downs, so how I feel won’t always be the same. It’s always going to be something new that comes to my path, whether it be a challenge or an improvement within our department, so my feelings are always changing while being the new Athletic Director. But, I’m riding the roller coaster and getting the feel of things right now.

SS: Do you have any notable prior experiences leading up to this position?

SR: I do have my administrative credential, which is definitely helpful in this job, because there’s a lot of administrative work involved.

I have my masters as well, and that was really helpful for me to get the job. I also have experience coaching Track & Field here, and I’ve also coached Cross Country across the bay before.

I’m also coaching cross country for little kids right now. I believe that my [diverse] coaching and experiences with different sports compliments the responsibilities for an Athletic Director.

make sure that the boards in the gym quad are updated, and I also plan on getting a booster to purchase electronic bulletins to advertise our games and events. I believe that with these changes, more members of our community will start going to our athletic events. These changes should also give students a better understanding on how to sign up for sports, since there’s been quite a lot of confusion on that recently. So a more effective line of communication with our community is what I’d like to change [for the] better this year.

SS: What is your mindset for taking on this position?

SS: What are some challenges you believe that you will face?

SR: I personally believe that there’s always room for change or improvement. I think right now, stepping into this job for the first month, I’m just getting a grasp of all the details. But there are always ways where we can improve our facilities and outreach for our coaches and athletes, so I will definitely be working on making these changes. I also enjoy working with the coaches, and getting constructive feedback from them is also important to help me figure out how to handle the job.

SR: Scheduling and the money aspect of this job will be challenging. Part of this job is to understand and clarify all the rules. For example, dealing with ineligible or uncommitted athletes is always a challenge. To be honest, it’s a 24/7 job. There’s always somebody emailing [me], and there’s always a problem to deal with, but I’m doing my best to face them and figure things out.

SS: What are some changes you plan on implementing in the future?

SR: I would like to focus mostly on changes that help with our communication. I want to

SS: How do you plan on dealing with future challenges?

SR: Take a deep breath. And whenever there’s a challenge or a problem, there’s a solution. I want to be more solution based and figure everything out that’s still new to me. ■ PHOTO BY STAFF WRITER AARON ZHOU.

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Friday, September 23, 2022

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By Sarina Li & Hannah Shen Graphics Editors

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CENTERSPREAD iN ThE Sky

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