Issuu

7 A&E 4 CENTERSPREAD 8-9 SPORTS 10 CENTERSPREAD 7 46 CENTERSPREAD 7-10 A&E 8-9 SPORTS 10 A&E 6 15 SPORTS black panther: DHTH: National novel Spring black panther: wakanda forever DHTH: National novel Student Diary: makeDear scented candles Spring spotlight: MSJ Athletics and homecoming sports recap wakanda forever writing month make scented candles movie review sports writing month Homecoming Sash melody Gao schoolrecap spirit 2026-27 movie review

FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE

THE THE

VOL. 59, NO. 6 VOL. 62, 59, NO. 2 6

SMOKE S IGNAL MOKE IGNAL MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL 41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539 MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

March 22, 2024 October March16, 22,2026 2024

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Fremont residents gather for 2026 CA Coastal Cleanup Day By Hamnah Akhtar & Alice Hu Staff Writers Piles of trash bags lined the streets at cleanup sites as Fremont residents partook in the 2026 CA Coastal Cleanup Day. Held on September 19, the state’s largest annual volunteer event gathered 157 volunteers in Fremont to collect litter at sites around the city. The cleanup event encouraged volunteers to remove trash and plastic pollution from local waterways before they harm wildlife or enter the ocean. Cleanup sites at Central Park, Crandall Creek, Downtown Fremont, Blacow Road, and Grimmer Boulevard hold storm drains and creek channels that carry runoff and debris directly into the bay. To address this issue, volunteers spread out across their designated cleanup area, carrying green reflective vests, litter pickers, and plastic bags. They collected trash from 9 a.m. to noon, filling bags with litter like tissues, confetti, and cigarettes left on the ground. “Whatever you’re doing here, it’s helping out ... nature, [the] environment, [and] the animals here,” JFK Sopho-

which is led by more Ammaar Ali the Ocean Consersaid. vancy and spans more MSJ Green Club than 100 countries. For participated in 41 years, the project has Coastal Cleanup partnered with local orDay by addressing ganizations like Save the marine pollution isBay and the California sues in a separate, Coastal Commission to student-organized cleanup activity. The Volunteers check in at a booth before the Coastal Cleanup. mobilize thousands of volunteers across the San Franevent, held at a park in Ardenwood Plaza, offered service hours to participat- cisco Bay Area. Fremont has participated ing MSJ students and other volunteers for picking up for roughly two decades. Every September, the City of Fremont Environmental Services trash. After the event concluded, organizers separated Division organizes the coastal cleanup to minand measured the trash, uploading the data onto an imize local debris flow into the ocean. Events like these create opportunities to reapp called Clean Swell. Created by marine nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, the app enters logged data into duce pollution in local neighborhoods and parks. a global database that scientists and researchers use “Our storm drains connect to the bay, so if you to study marine debris trends. This year, Fremont gath- throw trash in the street, it’s going to wash down ered 1,460 pounds of trash, 200 pounds of recyclable the storm drain and end up in the bay,” City of materials, and 80 pounds of compostable materials, Fremont Environmental Services Department Sustainability Coordinator Maddi Martin said. Looking restoring approximately 136 acres. The cleanup is part of a larger mission called the ahead, “[Volunteers] hopefully will take home some International Coastal Cleanup, more environmental stewardship [and] apply sustainable practices to their own life,” Martin said. ▪

Growing e-bike use brings safety concerns to Fremont By Leina Ikeda, Audrey Tseng & Matthew Zhang Staff Writers E-bikes have emerged in recent years as a popular mode of transportation for students. Powered with electric motors, e-bikes are generally treated by state law as regular bikes, don’t require a license, and allow riders to travel with lower physical effort and at speeds of up to 28 mph. That growing popularity has also resulted in serious cycling fatalities in Fremont. Between 2014 and 2025, Fremont has reported eight fatal traffic collisions involving cyclists, some of which were on e-bikes. On August 25, Fremont Police Department responded to an 81-year-old man who injured his head from falling off his e-bike and died. This event was Fremont’s seventh fatal traffic collision of 2026. Nationally, concerns about e-bike injuries have also grown. A 2023 UC San Francisco study found that head injuries from e-bike crashes increased by approximately 49 times in the US between 2017 and 2022. CA policymakers have responded to the increasing number of

ONLINE ONLINE THIS MONTH

THIS MONTH

www.thesmokesignal.org www.thesmokesignal.org

e-bike injuries with Assembly Bill (AB) 2346, which was passed on August 19. AB 2346 will mandate e-bikes to be equipped with a speedometer, a front lamp, and a rear red lamp, beginning in January 2029. It will also require distributors of e-bikes to recommend users under 16 years of age to not exceed 15 mph, and authorize local governments to set speed limits on bike paths and sidewalks, ranging from 10 to 20 mph, beginning in January 2027. Violations of e-bike speed limits set by local governments are generally considered infractions under the Vehicle Code and can be counted against a driver’s record, with the exception of the bill’s blanket 10 mph speed limit for e-bikes on the sidewalk. Dozens of bikes line the racks at MSJ, and e-bikes constitute around a fifth of them. For Sophomore Ellie Choi, e-bikes add practicality to her daily commute to and from school. “You don’t sweat, and it’s just more convenient [when] you don’t have to rely on anyone to drive you,” Choi said. Junior Daisy Lee relies on e-bikes for similar reasons, but also experienced the e-bikes’ risks first-hand. “Last time when I rode an e-bike, I stopped, and some car wanted to avoid me, so it stopped. But the car behind this car –– it crashed ... I’m so sad about this,” Lee said. AB 2346 will bring new e-bike regulations, but some students think it’s not enough. “[Fremont should] add a proper bike lane, [or] those ... green bumpers that separate the bike lane from the road,” Choi said. “[The speed limit] really doesn’t make

VIDEO: BAY AREA CHUSEOK FESTIVAL DHTH MAKE SCENTED CANDLES

In celebration of the Korean harvest This month, four Smokies competefestival, to creDHTH MAKE SCENTED CANDLES the Smoke Signal visited the 8thfrom Annual Bay ate their own scented candles scratch. Check out thefour Smoke Signal’s full video covArea Festival to cover Northern This Chuseok month, Smokies compete to CA’s creerage online. ate their own scented candles from scratch. largest celebration of Korean culture. Check out the Smoke Signal’s full video coverage online.

COCOON CORNER GIRLS GOLF NCS

E-bikes parked near John Gomes Elementary School

that big of a difference, and these laws aren’t going to be really enforceable.” Lee believes that greater awareness of e-bike laws is important for keeping riders safe. “Nothing can be [entirely] safe ... But if you follow the law and you don’t make trouble, I think [riding e-bikes] is safe,” Lee said. But there are more people affected by bike regulation than just the cyclists, Choi notes. “There are tons of times where students are in front of me while I’m trying to pass them, and they can’t really hear me,” she said. “I don’t blame them ... [but] I might accidentally run them over.” At MSJ, school administrators express that they prioritize enforcing safety measures throughout campus, especially with e-bikes. “Every once in a while, [students are] goes a little too fast on their e-bikes. And whether you have an e-bike, a scooter, or a traditional bike, you’re not allowed to ride anything on campus,” Assistant Principal Jeana Nightengale said. “It’s harder to catch up to [students riding e-bikes on campus] ... because e-bikes obviously go faster than a traditional bike in most instances.” ▪

FOR more MORE coverage, COVERAGE, For VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG FOR MORE COVERAGE, visit www.thesmokesignal.org

Read about the of Cocoon Corner, a On October 31,journey MSJ Girls Golf won the NCS GIRLSGolf GOLFDivision NCS to student-led initiative foster a better underGirls’ 1 Championship for the first time of in 10 years. more the standing neurodivergent education. On October 31, MSJ Find Girlsout Golf wonabout the NCS team’s performance online. Girls’ Golf Division 1 Championship for the first time in 10 years. Find out more about the team’s performance online. PHOTOS BY STAFFERS LUCAS YAO, LEINA IKEDA, AUDREY TSENG & MATTHEW ZHANG. GRAPHICS BY NEWS EDITOR AMY HAN & STAFFER SANDRA CHOI

VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

“

2 Opinion

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

he people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” ex-AI researcher Jacob Coxon said on X following his resignation from Anthropic on September 8. His post received 26 million views. Four days after Coxon’s resignation, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published the essay “We Must Pace the Frontier,” proposing a deliberate slowdown on unregulated AI advancement. In his essay, he pointed out that a lack of strict regulations could lead to safety and ethical concerns, such as “losing control of AI systems, misuse of AI for cyberattacks and bioterrorism, and serious economic disruption.” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceXAI Founder Elon Musk have begun making similar demands for a “global AI development slowdown” as well. On the other hand, President Donald Trump has dismissed these warnings, instead insisting that the US must remain technologically superior by promoting the advancement of unrestricted AI development. Corporate self-regulation policies prioritize commercial interest over public safety, and geopolitical rivalries delay effective regulation. Citizens must hold these parties accountable for jeopardizing public welfare. To ensure volatile AI technology does not compromise safety, leaders and corporations must immediately set aside their self-interests and reform regulations into ones that serve the public.

Managing Business Interests

Anthropic

While AI companies such as Anthropic pride themselves in having holistic reviews of AI, the industry needs independent, third-party guardrails because self-management primarily stems from self-interest. Slowing down AI development should not hinge on whether it benefits tech CEOs. Safeguards are supposedly independent from AI leaders’ economic interests, yet they are often adjusted in response to market pressures. OpenAI’s Preparedness Framework policy dictates that “if another frontier AI developer releases a high-risk system without comparable safeguards, [they] may adjust [their] requirements.” As long as enforcement and guardrails remain voluntary, commercial pressures, such as the first-mover advantage, will continue to undermine absolute baselines, allowing companies like OpenAI to prioritize market domination over real safety. Most recently, according to Reuters, Anthropic immediately launched Claude Opus 5.5, the latest model aligned with its regulatory framework, following OpenAI’s new GPT-6-Astra, less than two weeks after Amodei’s essay calling for appropriate pacing. OpenAI’s policy highlights self-regulation’s inherent flaw in detection and prevention. Its internal safety groups evaluate risks and safeguards, yet the company’s executive leadership makes the ultimate decision. Those decisions aren’t necessarily unsafe, but it nonetheless gives the developing company significant authority over how much risk is acceptable. The OpenAI-Hugging Face (OAI-HF) incident brought the idea of AI going rogue closer to a reality, and was a wake-up call for tech CEOs. In July, 700 OpenAI agents

In May 2026, Claude wrote

Friday, October 16, 2026

its authoritarian political narratives, a key motive behind the AI arms race. “We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies! There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China,” he said in a Truth Social response to Amodei’s concerns. “WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so.” Trump’s arguments of “sick conspiracies” merely deflect responsibility in implementing federal safeguards. The Trump administration’s Executive Order 14179 in January 2025 aimed to “promot[e] innovation.” Instead, it revamped the standards by overturning the safety testing and reporting requirements the Biden administration established. Geopolitical rivalries that hasten AI development fail safety checks, resulting in

T ’ N O “D WORRY T U O B A IT” AI runs rampant while leaders watch By Katherine Chen, Leina Ikeda, Valentina Tsui & Michael Qin Staff Writers

Anthropic

80%

of its own code

exploited undiscovered bugs in their testing environments to bypass isolation protocols. The guardrail’s failures allowed them to conduct unauthorized cyberattacks on the Hugging Face AI company, damaging one-third of the company’s infrastructure. In addition to OAI-HF, recursive self-improvement (RSI) — AI’s ability to build its next generation — emphasizes the struggle for human control over AI. According to data from Anthropic, in February 2025, Claude wrote less than 10% of its own code, though this quickly jumped to 80% in May 2026. RSI can empower AI to code its successors into evading human-implemented guardrails. Without third-party regulation, RSI can encourage AI to defy human control, threatening safety. The problems of inconsistent self-regulation persist. Former OpenAI employee David Robinson — who drafted safety reports for countless frontier models — recently resigned in October and argued that OpenAI relies on “iterative deployment,” where solutions to problems are created through trial and error. This approach is reactive, lagging behind failures like OAI-HF after they occur, with the inevitability of more rogue rampages, rather than proactively preempting risks associated with AI growth. In addition to corporate self-interest and systemic regulatory flaws, the power of industry-wide regulation also introduces legal and market risks. Antitrust proponents argue that coordinated slowdowns are illegal in terms of withholding national economy and product quality, while imposed restrictions will affect small startups rather than established leaders in an exponentially greater manner. But this only strengthens the need for government intervention as a neutral third party, removing profit motives from an urgent safety issue for communities nationwide. Even as companies sincerely express care toward AI safety, they cannot be fully trusted as the sole regulators of their own technology due to external influence within commercial pressures. Cases like OAI-HF reveal when lax internal safeguards expose users to harms outside their control. Oversight should be addressed by the government as a neutral third party when it comes to regulation implementation, and this issue necessitates recognition by all domestic sectors within the country.

Holding Leaders Accountable Trump primarily defends federal inaction on AI safeguards as a necessary step toward winning the ongoing high-stakes technological race against China, citing that only through developing faster can the US prevent China from abusing the tool. However, the very argument that the US is supposedly more trustworthy than other nations, although logical from a national security standpoint, is inherently flawed. The AI power struggle fueling Trump’s oppositions currently focuses on frontier model capability, global tech stack dominance, and national security against foreign algorithms. Additionally, China heavily leverages fundamentally engineered open-weight models such as DeepSeek to maintain control of public surveillance as well as spread

loss-of-control incidents that harm humanity worldwide. OAI-HF exemplifies how the US isn’t completely in control of the very tools it is advancing, so it is incredibly risky to continue forward at this pace. Furthermore, simply building faster or more powerful US models does not stop the proliferation of unmonitored software; a nationwide slowdown is necessary to redirect focus to building governance architecture and hardware security, which take importance over political conflicts at the moment. The US currently lacks a national set of guidelines; regulations are only patched together at the state and federal levels, hindering the thorough regulation of AI development and usage. With the risks of AI exploitation being so uncertain, adequate safety testing is more important than ever, and rollbacks of regulatory policies only further jeopardize user safety.

Conclusion AI development in the US must prioritize citizen safety and public accountability over corporate greed and geopolitical rivalries. Time is key when it comes to establishing policies to regulate and restrict the development of frontier technologies; delay will only allow AI to grow increasingly out of control. Instead of abdicating official government duty by dismissing these warnings as a hoax, the administration must pivot to establishing a proactive federal framework. Real accountability requires mandatory kill switches and independent regulatory oversight that puts public safety over corporate profit. CA’s SB 813 sets the precedent in the nation by creating a framework that grants verification organizations the ability to evaluate whether AI companies comply with state law. At the federal level, the bipartisan-supported AI Kill Switch Act would require developers to immediately terminate AI systems if gone dangerously rogue. These initiatives establish critical, enforceable guardrails. Demanding AI accountability starts locally with citizens, by bringing the issue into public light while pushing state, municipal, and eventually national leaders to enact oversight independent of commercial interests. Public safety is not a bargaining chip in either corporate Read about how CA is adcompetition or geopolitical rivalry. dressing AI safety for chilCommunities should not be forced dren and teens at to choose between national security and democratic protection. ∎

ONLINE THIS MONTH

www.thesmokesignal.org

PHOTOS BY VENTURE ATLAS VIA ADOBE UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0. GRAPHICS BY OPINION EDITOR ERIKA LIU

Friday, October 16, 2026

The Smoke Signal

WWW.WTHESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Erika’s Epic

THE SMOKE SIGNAL Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 62, No. 2 October 16, 2026 www.thesmokesignal.org

You aren’t an imposter, MSJ

By Erika Liu Opinion Editor

By Warren Su Opinion Editor

Content warning: abuse It can get annoying after the tenth “IfIt can get annoying after the 10th MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ “If only I had something traumatic to community and serve the public by providing write about.” Yet, still, I get where it accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital media. comes from. What people have begun calling the “trauma essay” — or the SCHOOL POPULATION 1794 students highly-confessional, at-any-cost style EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Janet Guan, Ekasha Sikka of personal statement (PS) I’ve heard NEWS Amy Han, Cham Yu so much about recently — has surged OPINION Erika Liu, Warren Su in popularity not least because it’s FEATURE Ariel Duong, Aarav Vashisht being treated as an Ivy League tactic. CENTERSPREAD Jessica Cao, Ariana Yi A&E Kayla Li, Leland Yu After all, the victim who can articuSPORTS Veer Mahajan, Andy Zhang late the situation of the victim ceases GRAPHICS Cecilia Cheng, Emily Zhang to be a victim. Under mounting presWEB Scarlett Huang, Finnegan McCarthy sure, it can be hard to resist the trauADVERTISING/TECH Amber Halvorsen ma essay’s siren call. BUSINESS Saesha Prabhakar I was thinking about this again CIRCULATION Abigaile Lei, Joseph Miao EVENTS Felicity He as I read an article from The New Yorker on an ex-University of PennSTAFF MEMBERS Hamnah Akhtar, Gurleen Bangar, Katherine sylvania (UPenn) student, Mackenzie Chen, Sandra Choi, Rebecca Dou, Ruoxi Gao, Fierceton. As a teenager she showed Amrita Gunasekaran, Simin Hassan, Kaysten up to her elite private school covered Ho, Alice Hu, Leina Ikeda, Yewon Kim, Sophia Liao, Irene Lu, Sreeja Madabhushi, Tharun in blood. She claimed abuse from her Mahesh, Renushree Mandala, Carol McCarthy, mother, and was promptly placed Michael Qin, Ananya Rawlani, Kelly Shi, Tanish in foster care. Fierceton went on to Thunuguntla, Audrey Tseng, Valentina Tsui, Anchal Verma, Zoey Wang, Lucas Yao, Sabrina be accepted into UPenn, one of the Zeng, Matthew Zhang most prestigious universities in the world, as a first-generation, low-inADVISER YC Low come (FGLI) student. Little did The Smoke Signal’s name originated from tradicommittees know, her mother and tional forms of long-distance communication and honors cultures around the world, including China, father were both university-educated; Greece, and Rome. Fierceton herself, very wealthy. Fierceton’s case highlighted an To advertise in the Smoke Signal, please email issue many recognized with these ads@thesmokesignal.org. Advertising that is included on the pages of, or carried within, the personal essays: that it’s weird, alSmoke Signal, is paid advertising, and as such is most unethical, to turn some deeply independent of the news and feature content. personal trauma into something profThe Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of speech itable. In 2022, Australian beauty inand press is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and California Education Code %uencer Tina Yong gave a TED Talk about this. “[In college applications], Section 48907. it becomes necessary to sanitize our All policies on distribution, corrections, and bylines pain,” Yong said, referring to her own can be found at www.thesmokesignal.org/about. Send Letters to the Editor and Guest Essays at experiences laying bare her own “cliopinion@thesmokesignal.org. chéd” immigrant origins to colleges as a teenager. “[We have to] make it marketable and strategic.” Brie%y and cuttingly, Yong makes a good point.

It’s no longer enough to just say, “it sucked.” In the context of college admissions, trauma has to be commodified, strained of some morals. It’s a lifetime of experiences reduced to some artificial means to an end. There’s another side to this, too. Colleges perpetuate the weird inequities of this system just as much as students do. Once Fierceton lost her status as the perfect victim, she also lost the pity of the elites. UPenn instantly suspended her master’s degree, issued a $4,000 fine, then conducted an investigation into her behavior. Yet, at the end of the day, the abuse was still real. Fierceton was still a foster child; her biological mother, still charged with felony child abuse and misdemeanor assault. While Fierceton’s FGLI status was ambiguous, UPenn continuously doubted and demanded proof of Fierceton’s abuse, despite hospital records, police reports, and her own documented history in foster care attesting otherwise. How is it okay in any circumstance to prod and dissect the circumstances of someone else’s trauma? To blame someone for not having su$ered enough? I think it is far more insidious to declare all marginalized people “grifters.” There is some real value to be had in considering context and environment in admissions. But it’s also impossible to deny the way trauma’s been rendered a currency, especially in the Common App. These PS’s, in such a context, feel less like a sincere attempt at reconciling with one’s own trauma rather than a craven and overtold lie: that the applicant is a generically disadvantaged, su$ering student, saved by the benevolence of an Ivy League institution. What I mean to say is: it’s ridiculous to believe that someone can meaningfully package their entire life into just 650 words. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Sydney Sweeney isn’t the problem

You open up YouTube and see a Short about Sydney Sweeney’s newest controversy. Again. This time, it’s about a new, risqué advertisement for a sports gambling company. The camera moves toward Sweeney, with footballs pressed against her bare chest. For a moment, the sports equipment is entirely secondary to the image of her body. But step back for a second. Why has the Internet once again decided that a woman’s body is worth hours of collective outrage? To many critics, Sweeney has become antithetical to modern feminism, which views beauty standards and sexual objectification as systems women should resist. Female athletes have spent years fighting to have their athleticism recognized on its own merits instead of having their bodies be the spectacle. Rather than celebrating female athletic talent, the Novig ad campaign uses sexualized imagery of a woman’s body to draw attention. There is some truth to the criticism directed at Sweeney, but, ultimately, Sweeney didn’t invent the oversexualized female advertising industry or create broader issues such as unequal coverage of women’s sports. Instead, as a recognizable celebrity, she gives the Internet a convenient face to point at. Platforms built around shortform content reduce complex issues to be easily digestible and are often misleading. People often forget that the more people debate whether Sweeney is antifeminist, the more revenue the sports betting advertisement makes. A 2024 study analyzing more than 237,000 tweets found that virality itself can amplify moral outrage, helping explain why controversial content continues to attract engagement. The au-

WarrEn’s Wisdom

Ethics of the “trauma essay”

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37074

Editorial

Opinion 3

dience thinks that they’re fighting an oppressive system when they are the ones fueling the system. They choose to criticize and put other women down for their choices. The true underlying issue of structural sexism cannot be turned into a viral video. It appears in the persistent gaps in medical research and product design that leave women’s bodies understudied. It appears in music videos and films that frame women through the male gaze: lingering on their breasts, legs, or bodies for the pleasure of male viewers. More significantly, it shapes how men and women judge themselves and other women. The Internet has an unofficial hierarchy of womanhood, where a woman who embraces her sexuality can be criticized for objectifying others, but a woman who rejects conventional femininity can be accused of being attention seeking. Both judgments rely on the same idea: that a woman’s worth depends on whether she uses her body in the “right” way. This logic echoes purity culture, demonstrating how even criticism intended to challenge sexism can produce the opposite e$ect. Feminist criticism should instead ask why sexualization remains such an e$ective marketing strategy and why women are still judged so heavily by their appearance; our culture rewards it. The scrutiny directed at women online re%ects a pattern in which women face intense criticism for relatively small transgressions. A woman who participates in a potentially sexist advertisement becomes the subject of widespread outrage, while the maltreatment of women in professional spaces continues to receive far less attention. Men who openly demean women or perpet-

uate misogynistic attitudes get quickly absorbed into broader media noise. The 2016 “Access Hollywood” tape, for instance, captured President Donald Trump making degrading comments about women, yet it ultimately became just one piece of his larger election narrative, and to date, he has not been held accountable for those words. The Cornell 7 case involving several Cornell students receiving little to no punishment for the sexual assault of a female peer did not become a national story until nearly two years after. The point is not that every case of misogyny is ignored, or that men never face accountability, but that our culture is remarkably more quick to scrutinize how women behave than confront the institutions that failed to protect them. This is not to say that women should be absolved of all responsibility for their actions, nor that feminism should defend everything women do. Holding women accountable should mean examining the consequences of their actions, not hypocritically reducing them to “failed feminists” when the foundation of feminism is uplifting women. We should spend less time degrading individuals and more time examining the systems that shape their choices. Women’s choices in how they present their bodies and the fight for female representation are two ideas that do not have to be mutually exclusive. The more useful conversation is not whether Sweeney is a good feminist or a bad one; it is whether the advertising industry or broader commercial landscape are profiting from the same gendered expectations that women have spent generations challenging. ▪

My friend sits in front of me, eyes looking hopelessly down as videos %y by on his phone. “Yeah,” he tells me, “I’m probably going to Ohlone.” Ridiculous. I find it odd how so many people at MSJ feel as though they aren’t good enough for higher education, or that they’re struggling in school. Obviously the jokes about community college are just that, jokes — but they reveal a deeper truth: that, despite being one of the top high schools in the nation, we never feel like we are enough. This summer, I stepped out of the MSJ bubble at a writing program. There, I realized just how competent we are: taking all these APs, extracurriculars, and hard classes, while still aiming for high SAT scores. There’s this sort of raw surprise I see in people when I describe MSJ, because, where there from, no one is doing what we do. I remember telling another friend, “Look at us, we can both do calculus and still put on great Homecoming performances. What other school can say that?” In truth, I am blown away perhaps more so by our artistic talents than our academic ones. It feels like we have a person for everything. But we never feel that way. Comparison gets in our way, and, ultimately, an “MSJ culture” that forces us all into one “model student.” We all walk the same path because we are too fearful to stray; we are too fearful that when we leave the beaten path we risk our entire future. But, in doing so, we risk a future of frustration where we have neither accomplished our goals of perfection nor followed our hearts with passion. We stay on the path because we feel as though we will fall too far behind if we leave. Imposter syndrome is all too common in society. A 2019 study in the

Graphic

OPINIONS

Journal of General Internal Medicine researched studies demonstrated that the prevalence of imposter syndrome ranged from 9–82% based on variance in testing. This may seem surprising, especially when taken into account with the fact that, statistically speaking, greater than 50% of the population cannot be worse than the median of the population. But, sometimes, we feel like imposters because we want to grow. A study published by MIT Sloan Business School in 2025 found that those with imposter syndrome demonstrated more e$ort in their work. Especially when the topic is something we are passionate about, we thrive in challenges. All of this is to say that we are good enough. Sure, we might not be the best in everything, but I think it is useless to be the best in something we don’t genuinely enjoy. We take harder classes and, even when we don’t, our hard work is broadcast across campus. There’s something else I’ve learned while just simply talking to people: everyone has some aspect of them which shines, every person has some unique perspective, and everyone has something they love. My father always used to tell me — in a quote translated from Chinese — that “no hard work is ever wasted.” So please, focus on the things you love. I know it is cliché, and that this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I think for MSJ students it does. Because we have already covered our baselines and excelled at our fundamentals. All we need to do now is take some risk — not reckless decisions, but potentially uncomfortable, emotional ones. When we do, we’ll be happy falling to the ground when we shoot for the stars, because at least we will love it when we can finally %y. ▪

By Junior Stephanie Wang & Freshman Tally Liu Guest Graphics Artists

GUEST GRAPHICS BY JUNIOR STEPHANIE WANG

GUEST GRAPHICS BY FRESHMAN TALLY LIU

Submit your pieces! Send your work to opinion@thesmokesignal.org or through our Google Forms. We accept letters, guest essays, and graphic ops. Refer to the QR code for more information. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.

4 Advertisement

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

The Smoke Signal

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Feature 5

Composed by Irene Lu & Tanish Thunuguntla

As MSJ wraps up Homecoming, many students realize that the unity brought by this season is in some ways life-changing, if not at least significantly impactful. Whether through orchestrating the performance or cheering in the audience, almost every student at MSJ has played some type of part in Homecoming. This month, the Smoke Signal asked students “How would you define Homecoming season in one word, and how has it shaped your high school experience so far?”

“It’s two words … worth it. It’s the biggest event that we plan every year so throughout all my summers and beginning of the year most of my focus, or at least half of it, is on planning Homecoming and it’s just something that I really look forward to every year, so even when tests are hard or I have other stuff going on. I always really look forward to [it]. Another thing is, I really like seeing how much it brings others together because a lot of people at MSJ are depressed — not happy and not wanting to go to school but it’s just really fulfilling to see Homecoming bringing everyone … together to see performances and actually staying at school during lunch.” — Melody Gao, 12

“I would describe Homecoming as unity because it brings all four grades in our high school together for one big event, and it’s really fun. I didn’t go to Homecoming this year, but last year I had a pretty fun time with all my friends. I really enjoyed the performances, and I’m planning on joining some of them next year or senior year because I want to be part of the team spirit.” — Akshay Bharadwaj Ashwin, 10

Midterm elections open new opportunities for student political participation By Rebecca Dou, Felicity He & Zoey Wang

As Election Day approaches, registered voters across the nation prepare to cast their ballots for their communities. For MSJ students turning 18 years old by November 3, the midterm elections provide a new opportunity to participate politically. The Smoke Signal interviewed seniors at MSJ about their experiences with civic engagement, from voting for the first time to canvassing for senators.

Although Senior Luya Prasad is still 17 years old and ineligible to vote in the midterms, she is determined to civically engage with her community. “[Civic engagement is] important as a young person because our views can often be overlooked,” Prasad said. Driven by this view, Prasad applied to become a poll worker, a job that means more to her than simply checking in voters and dealing with equipment. As a poll worker, Prasad could assist voters, learn and prepare for when she would vote, and watch firsthand as members of her community decide on the future. “I’ve heard of bills or laws where they are passed by just a couple [of] votes, and that makes you think that every vote really does matter, and every vote can make change in our community,” Prasad said.

“If we have the chance to directly impact our lives, then we should take it — especially [for] something as easy as voting.”

Luya Prasad, 12 Kaiwei Parks, 12

Senior Kaiwei Parks is well-acquainted with political campaigns, having spent his Saturday mornings last summer knocking on doors. During the CA special election in August, Parks canvassed for Rep. Aisha Wahab, introducing her goals to local residents door-to-door. “People are surprisingly willing to listen to what you have to say about the candidate,” Parks said. Those exchanges, his passion for humanities, and encouragement from his parents solidified Parks’ choice to vote this November, and he is asking others to do the same. “If we have the chance to directly impact our lives, then we should take it — especially [for] something as easy as voting,” Parks said.

The chatter of Social Science Teacher Jonathan Wang’s government class reverberated around the room as students engaged in an animated discussion about the upcoming election. Senior Jane Huang, however, remained quiet, listening to the conversation around her. According to Huang, civic engagement requires an understanding of the community and the issues at stake, a sentiment that ultimately drove her to choose not to vote in the upcoming midterms. “I don’t know too much about any of the people who are running, so I just don’t want to make an uninformed decision,” Huang said.

“In a couple years we’ll be out in the working world, and what we vote for today will affect us in the future, so it’s important that we vote now.”

“I’ve heard of bills or laws where they are passed by just a couple [of] votes, and that makes you think that every vote really does matter, and every vote can make change in our community.”

Jane Huang, 12

“I don’t know too much about any of the people who are running, so I just don’t want to make an uninformed decision.”

Anika Srinivasan, 12

By reading news stories and social media posts, Senior Anika Srinivasan has become cognizant of the issues around her, and recognizes that her views must be voiced to make a change. With the midterm elections approaching, the decision of whether to vote was simple for Srinivasan. “We can keep complaining. But if you don't choose to participate, then you’re not helping make a difference,” Srinivasan said. As someone who has valued independence from an early age, she is dedicated to making her vote count towards the future she wants to see. “In a couple years we’ll be out in the working world, and what we vote for today will affect us in the future, so it’s important that we vote now,” Srinivasan said. COURTESY PHOTO BY FELICITY HE. GRAPHICS BY FEATURE EDITOR ARIEL DUONG

6 Feature & Arts & Entertainment

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

For the Sept. 11, 2026 Issue

Corrections P1. Akhtar is a Staff Writer; Huang is a Web Editor; Su is an Opinion Editor. P1: High schoolers in the Los Angeles Unified School District have limits of 90 minutes. P1: Adobe Creative Cloud, not Adobe Creative Suite P1: The CA Senate passed the Phone-Free Act 38-1, not unanimously. P1: James Lick Middle School still uses Yondr pouches in the San Francisco Unified School District. P2: Lenaea is a film festival hosted in Folsom. P2: Baria was a senior at the time of production and has since then graduated. P2: Cao is a Centerspread Editor; Duong is a Feature Editor. P2: Mohsen Rezaei should be written as such. Rezaei is the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. P2: The MSJ pool cost around $8.2 million, not $8.1 million. P3: Carlmont High School should be written as such. P3: Johns Hopkins University should be written as such. P4: Aarav Vashisht and Ruoxi Gao should be written as such P4: The average adult attention span in the 1980s was 20 minutes. P5: The 300 cameras in Fremont include non-Flock cameras. P5: Alameda County approved $2.4 million to invest in Flock cameras and resources. P5: In 2020, the UC Board of Regents voted to suspend, not abolish, the SAT/ACT. P9: Kianna Rivera should be written as such. P11: “With great power comes great responsibility” was not spoken by Uncle Ben. P11: 67% of US adults don’t trust responsible government AI use. P11: 28 federal agencies have AI contracts, not Palantir Technologies contracts. P11: “Falling Slowly” is by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. P13: Phoebe Bridgers should be written as such. P13: “First Of May” should be written as such. P13: Boy In Space should be written as such. P13: The Odyssey runs for more than two hours. P14: Colbey Albrecht should be written as such. P15: International Sport and Leisure should be written as such. P15: South Africa’s World Cup organizing committee did not transfer the $10 million; FIFA redirected money originally allocated to the committee. P16: Graphics were by Graphics Editor Cecilia Cheng; photos were taken by Cheng and Graphics Editor Emily Zhang.

DEAR DIARY:

Homecoming Sash By Amrita Gunaskeran Staff Writer

Caught in the whirlwind of Homecoming royalty is a single glossy, slightly conceited Homecoming court sash. Fresh out of its box, this strip of satin expects red carpets and special treatment, but gets a reality check from the merciless world of high school instead. Follow along with this sash as it navigates the chaos of Homecoming and a severe identity crisis.

September 11 @ 11:30 a.m. Two weeks before Homecoming, and I have finally been ripped out of that suffocating plastic wrapper. Naturally, I had assumed I’d be laid out on velvet under halo lighting, because look at me — I’m gorgeous. But guess what? I’ve instead landed in a velvet-free basket. And to make matters worse, my cheek is pressed against a Christmas-themed polyester jester hat and a bent plastic sword. Don’t these people know I don’t wear polyester? Especially not in green and red! Ugh, no one knows good fashion any more.

Two, I’m now getting poked by giant safety pins right at my hem. Hey, watch it Edward Scissorhands! I’m ticklish. I don’t really enjoy being passed around like this. Wait a second ... am I a rental? Whose shoulder do I actually belong to?

September 23 @ 12:55 p.m. The Kickoff Assembly is over, and everyone is whisper-yelling about which Homecoming court nominee cheated on which candidate’s boyfriend and who buys their dresses secondhand. Could never be me. As much as I love hearing about all this, I can’t tell who these candidates are beneath the surface. It all just seems … superficial. It’s deliciously toxic, but it’s giving me an existential crisis. Is this what my life is reduced to? A participation prize in some irrelevant high school beef? What if the person who wins me just uses me for a 0.5x photo dump on her spam account and then tosses me away? The thought of being draped over someone who only wants clout makes my satin curl.

talks through chattering teeth. Are they being ... sweet?

September 25 @ 8:20 p.m. The amphitheater speakers crackle to life, as the host for the night announces the winner’s name. A coordinator glides me over the winner’s shoulder, and I wrap around her in a supportive satin hug. And before my glitter can even pose for the phone flashes, the entire court swarms in, tackling us in a giant group hug, right on stage. I spent all this time worrying about where I belonged when I realized that being huddled with a group of screaming teenagers is exactly where I was always to be. And being meant squished in the dead center of all this love? Honey, I have never looked better. ▪

September 25 @ 6:15 p.m.

is finally Homecoming night. I am September 21 @ 12:55 p.m. Itcarried outside in the plastic bucket The Homecoming Kickoff Assembly is here, and my runaway debut is now a backstage fitting disaster. A sweating coordinator rips me out and flings me over Candidate One. That burgundy is — yank — oh my goodness. I just got snatched off like a clearance sweater. Slapped onto Candidate

toward the amphitheater, flapping in the autumn wind. Backstage in the cold, the nominees are huddling up, shivering in their semi-formal gowns and stiff suits. But wait ... nobody is sabotaging anyone else? They’re holding hands, touching up each other’s makeup, and whispering pep GRAPHICS BY STAFF WRITER KAYSTEN HO

Melody Gao finds her voice through visual and written art By Kaysten Ho & Matthew Zhang Staff Writers Before she found art, Senior Melody Gao found stories. From a young age, Gao spent much of her time reading. As books came to life in her imagination, she developed a desire to express her own stories and ideas through art. “I didn’t know what stuff like death meant, so [I] had to find some way to express it ... so I would think about or make up a bunch of stories in my head [to understand],” Gao said. As she grew older, Gao’s parents encouraged her to take art classes, where she began experimenting with visual art. “[Sometimes] your parents force you to do random things so that you might develop an interest in something. I thought [art] was fun. Then

Melody Gao painted this oil canvas piece in December 2025.

I got pretty good at it,” she said. At first, getting good at drawing portraits was just a natural result of Gao’s developing interest. “I never took it seriously, like in a competitive or professional type of way ... I just kept having fun with it,” Gao said. After attending California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) in the summer of 2026, Gao began to think beyond the realistic, reference-based art she had focused on before. Surrounded by artists with a wide variety of styles and approaches, Gao questioned something that had once been part of what made art enjoyable to her: being good at it. When she was younger, getting bet-

ter at drawing came naturally with having fun. At CSSSA, she started noticing that technical skill was not necessarily what made a piece meaningful. “It became less about how good the art was ... It was more just to see how it made you feel or if you could see some representation of [the artists] in it,” Gao said. She started viewing her assignments as opportunities to make creative choices. One of Gao’s favorite projects is a ceramic piece she built during her time at CSSSA as a 3D representation of a face. “It’s not just like [a] fully realistic face ... more like ... [something] that I made up on my own instead of copying directly from a photo,” Gao said. She had long enjoyed drawing detailed portraits, so creating one in 3D gave her a new way to work with a subject she was already familiar with. Using a plaster mask of her own face as a base, she used clay to replace one eye with an eye-shaped city and add mountains and binary code. The other side of the face became a collection of media references connected to themes of nihilism and finding meaning in the world. Through art, Gao also began to look beyond simple labels when understanding others. “You can’t really give something a label,” Gao said. She applies this perspective to the way she understands people, as well. “I approach

Melody Gao painted this acrylic piece in July 2026.

[interactions] more like seeing the complete thing ... to better understand them as a person,” Gao said. While visual art gives Gao room for interpretation, she also communicates her ideas through poetry, songwriting, and Japanese song lyric translations which she now shares on her own private Instagram account. “Words have a concrete definition, so it’s easier to know, ‘Oh, this word definitely means this one thing I want to show,’” Gao said. Both forms of art allow her to take something she has imagined and turn it into a tangible form that others can also enjoy. For Gao, art does not need to resolve into one perfect interpretation. The inherent diversity in interpretations brings Gao back to what drew her to stories in the first place. Now, through songwriting, visual art, writing, and translating, Gao creates stories and ideas of her own. “I hope someone at MSJ can read [my works] and become [happier],” Gao said. ▪ PHOTOS COURTESY MELODY GAO

Friday, October 16, 2026

Centerspread 7

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Katherine Chen & Sophia Liao

Staff Writers

really

loved

their

hip-pop dance as well as the

"I really like their determination since they had

Bollywood. The choreogra-

some trouble organizing airbands, but they pulled

phy was just amazing and the

dance

perfectly

moves

were

calculated."

—

through with that, and they got it done, and that's something that's really admirable about them." — Aarna Tyagi, 11

Harvey Qian, 10

BRUMMM! A strong blast of electric guitar shattered the quiet noon air as crowds of students piled into the amphitheater with excited anticipation for the first 2026 Homecoming performance. Streams of blue balloons delicately contoured stage and audience alike, giving way to colorful backdrops depicting the iconic mushroom houses of Smurf Village. Kicking off the day with high energy, the live band performed Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Megadeth’s “Tornado Of Souls,” and Periphery’s “Scarlet.” Eccentric electric guitar solos intertwined with powerful lead vocals, both anchored by a driving drum rhythm, highlighted the individual talents within the performing trio while bringing punk-rock’s stylistic uniqueness to the freshman stage. The three musicians made their exit among cheers before the legendary Papa Smurf along with four Smurf accomplices took to the stage. Although quite new to the high school experience, the freshmen’s skit drew from long-standing MSJ traditions — boba fundraisers and academic excellence — to add touches of relatable humor and engage the audience. Themes of unity and integrity shone through the plot. Two MSJ students agreed to enact Gargamel’s evil plans for promises of boba and extra credit, attempting to kidnap the Smurfs from their village for his stew. In a defining twist, the group ultimately chose a different path, uniting with the Smurfs to overcome odds and make it home safely as a team. Spectators also caught references to popular social media catchphrases that added bits of crowd-pleasing charm. The dance performances began with K-pop, with TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s “Deja Vu” as an introduction, drawing cheers from the crowd with sharp choreography. Dressed in blue, jersey-like tops marked with “30” for class spirit, the dancers performed three songs instead of switching between short clips, allowing them to develop their choreography despite the smaller number of dancers. The dancers matched the high-energy tempo of BABYMONSTER’s “We Go Up” and “TNT” by CORTIS with fast-paced movements and formations that kept the performance entertaining. Following the skit’s light-hearted banter, the Class of 2030 transitioned into an intense fight scene, where performers engaged in one-on-one battles with complex tumbling and floorwork. Others used colored swords and long sticks, swinging and dodging as multiple fights unfolded across the stage. Performers darted quickly between each other, shifting between attacks and defensive moves. The Bollywood airband came up next, wearing shiny tops and dark blue pants. The second dance began with a mellow introduction before building into an energetic choreography. The dancers’ transition into white skirts added more elegance to their outfits as they moved across their stage, while their partner dance allowed for a more playful atmosphere. To wrap up the show, the hip-hop airband featured synchronized formations to popular songs, including “Oops!...I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. As the lunch period came to an end, all performers gathered on stage to chant “30 strong, all year long.” Despite not having many airbands, the Class of 2030 energetically showcased their spirit and unity, placing fourth overall. ▪

AIRB

AND

: 4TH

DECO: 4TH

SKIT

: 4TH

L: 4

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS AMBER HALVORSEN & AUDREY TSENG. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR JESSICA CAO

8 Centerspread

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

jerseys, the “I think that dancers crowded the the Class of ‘29 had the most hype ... The skit was really “Look at the stage, performing to hype. All of the actors looked like guy dressed in the monkey hits such as Rihanna’s they really liked the role that they were costume!” a student said, pointing at Adit “Rude Boy” and Don Toliver’s s doing, and they had a lot of fun with Waria, a sophomore dressed in a Curious George onesie for the “Gemstone.” The performer energy high the maintained it.” — Rishabh Bhattiprolu, 11 white and yellow Class of 2029’s Homecoming skit. Beneath airband, scene fight their through gathered audience an ter, balloons hung across the amphithea on stage to watch the live band kick off the sophomore performance. with sophomores charging Watching stunts. and Four singers harmonized to Ariana Grande’s “Into You,” Bruno performing flips as they place into falling kicks and Mars’ “Finesse,” and Weezer’s “Go Away.” The group took a punches at cheered audience the fight, real a in would seat on the edge of the stage, getting closer to the audience scene. fight the of realism the and singing complex riffs. Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat As students clapped and cheered, the airbands to finish their story. After a transitioned from live band to skit. Doubtful he would be came on stage one last time would finally be able to they able to get the class excited for Homecoming, Curious week of chaos and stress, celebrate a successful to together George reassured the Man in the Yellow Hat that he would bring everyone ce, the Bollywood performan the off finish To ing. unite the classes just in time for the dance. A rush of jazz Homecom from the audience. cheers of boom a eliciting stage, on ran airband funk dancers then replaced the skit actors on stage, dance, featuring partner the was ce performan their of highlight The and “Black running into their formations as Wiz Khalifa’s girls’ section The partner work. Yellow” played in the background. The jazz funk airband lifts and spins requiring intricate skirts, long into pants gold hyped up the crowd with their song choices and high featured a quick change from their took finale Bollywood the before energy. The airband finished off by getting the crowd performing elegant floorwork to sing along while dancing to “Teach Me How to over the stage. All performers then gathered on stage to chant, “In Dougie” by Cali Swag District. “There was a passion, a fire prime, we’re ‘29,” ranking third place overall. ▪ our and ILLIT, Dancing to hits such as LE SSERAFIM, that ignited within [them], which I think “What CORTIS’ and KATSEYE’s “Iconic by Mistake” spread throughout the entire You Want,” audiences screamed as dancers community of MSJ ... The interactions performed with sharp movements and facial that they had with the actual audience expressions during the K-pop airband. George and [were] the most memorable part.” — the Man in the Yellow Hat then returned on stage, Eva Alapatt, 10 convincing a stressed student to prioritize unity so the people around her could help support her heavy load. Slowly emerging from the corner of the stage, a wave of yellow fans marked the beginning of the Chinese classical airband performance. Dancers twirled their fans together, their flowing white tops and baggy their accompanying pants yellow doing turns took dancers movement. The floorwork and standing up, creating an engaging visual contrast throughout their formations. Following the Chinese classical airband, the hip-hop airband was one of sophomores’ the biggest airbands. in Dressed yellow sports

“IN OUR PRIME,

WE’RE

D R I H T L: L A R E OV

‘29”

“I really enjoyed the Class of ‘29's fight scene. I think there were a lot of really great athletes, and the choreography was really strong. I really liked some of the performers [and] their flips and twists. I think the most memorable part was probably the opening scene where the first two performers came out with their most impressive moves. I think displaying their athleticism is really cool, and I'm glad that we have a platform for that.” — Owen Tsai, 12

By Amber Halvorsen & Audrey Tseng

Staff Writers PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS SOPHIA LIAO, IRENE LU & VALENTINA TSUI. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR ARIANA YI

Friday, October 16, 2026

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

a e r ’ u o Y , r o i n u J ! y r Har

erall: 1st v O “I really liked how wonderfully they were able to interweave the skits and the airbands, like when they did the ballroom airband right after the Yule Ball.” — Jane Huang, 12

ht g i E y t n e w T ! e t a n i m o D e W

Gurleen Bangar & Zoey Wang

t 1s

“I think what the juniors did the best was that they had excellent synchronization during all the dances.” — Colin Tsai, 10

Skit: 1st

Lip du b: 2n d

De c

1st o:

Air ba nd s:

Staff Writers

Centerspread 9

"They absolutely nailed the decoration.” — Yolanda Hsu, 11

Enrapturing the audience almost as if they were performing real magic, the Class of 2028 delivered a coordinated performance surrounded by Harry Potter-themed decorations. The backdrop featured realistically drawn faces and a dynamic illustration of Harry speeding around on a broomstick in the dark yet lively atmosphere of the Wizarding World. The live band took the stage first. Strings and woodwinds swiftly executed John Williams’ fast-paced “Hedwig’s Theme,” transporting the audience into Hogwarts. Next, the singing airband combined charming dance moves with smooth vocals to popular tunes, such as Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” as the audience clapped along. Once the last note ended, Dumbledore drew names from the Goblet of Fire for the Triwizard Championship, a race between champions to obtain glory while fostering unity between the wizarding schools. The audience cheered for each competitor, until Dumbledore revealed an additional name that wasn’t meant to be there — Harry’s. Suddenly forced to face dragons, lakes, and mazes, Harry chose to work with his fellow champion Cedric, recognizing that unity prevailed over unexpected competition. The K-pop airband took the stage, dancing to “Attention” by NewJeans among loud cheers and running in place as a transition between songs. The performers then lightened the mood with a train formation into “Butter” by BTS. Some dances had slow, swaying moves and others energetic, creating an eye-catching and dynamic performance. Inducing a dramatic shift, the Chinese classical airband entered the stage swiftly.

Lorem ipsum

Without lyrics, the flow of their dresses and the trajectory of their kicks followed the dramatic rhythm as they executed moves like flipping over each other’s backs to the thunderous drums while adding a touch of grace. In theme with the winter Yule Ball event featured in the skit, the ballroom airband waltzed on stage, shuffling to melancholic songs such as “Oh My Angel” by Bertha Tillman and “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes. The dancers twirled and elegantly leaned back in each other’s arms, garnering the audience’s full attention. The sweet mood dissipated and the audience erupted in cheers as the jazz funk airband’s sharp yet fluid and synchronized steps filled the stage to Lady Gaga’s “Judas.” They continued their high-contrast performance, moving with flexibility and synergy. Maintaining the electrifying momentum, the hip-hop airband kicked off with burpees, and dancers leaped over each other as the audience marveled. Featuring throwback songs like “Rolex” by Ayo & Teo and “Baby” by Justin Bieber and Ludacris, their choreography mixed rapid, punchy movements with hair whips and organized formations, getting the audience to vibe along. At the skit’s climax, Harry faced Voldemort right as he was about to complete the last trial, a perilous maze. The fight scene airband began with eye-catching somersaults, backflips, and kicks. Concluding the battle, a fighter with a wand cast a hex, the target staggering as if puppeteered to where the wand pointed. With striking drops, flowing spins, and high energy moves to songs like “Dance Basanti” by Vishal Dadlani, Sachin-Jigar, and Anushka Manchanda, Bollywood airband’s cartwheels and mesmerizing domino formations concluded the show. Performers flooded the stage, filling the air with their signature chant, “28, We Dominate!” The juniors earned first place with their enchanting performance. ▪ PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS AMBER HALVORSEN & AUDREY TSENG. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR JESSICA CAO

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS KATHERINE CHEN & REBECCA DOU. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR JESSICA CAO

10 Centerspread

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

“The most memorable part for me was … [the] voice acting and [the] facial expressions from the skit actors. The plot wasn't just centered in the present, it was also centered in the past.” — Eleanor Chen, 12

“You could really see the display of unity and community of the seniors, given that [that was] their last hoco and their l a s t performance.” — Julia Yang, 9

By Rebecca Dou & Irene Lu Staff Writers Chants of, “Seniors!” and, “Wish you were a senior, hoo-haa!” rang throughout the amphitheater, which was decked out in red, white, and yellow for the Class of 2027’s Homecoming performance. Vivid Incredibles-themed posters hung behind the stage, showing the silhouettes of the Parr family running under a vibrant setting sun. The live band opened the performance, harmonizing to “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus and “Still into You” by Paramore with matching choreographies. After the live band, skit members dressed in colorful costumes took over the stage, assuming the roles of characters like Mr. Incredible (Bob), Syndrome (Buddy), and Mrs. Incredible (Helen). The main plot follows Buddy destroying MSJ’s football field in order to get revenge on Bob. The Incredibles family then works together to restore school spirit, persevering despite no longer having a football team. Although their skit was changed last minute, they still put together a cohesive and engaging story. Chinese fusion dancers began their performance with a graceful wave of crimson-colored silk fans, dancing to “Stacks from All Sides” by SKAI ISYOURGOD. Their fans accompanied the hard beats of the rap, in particular when the dancers formed a crescent moon during the chorus. The audience erupted in cheers when Class of 2027 debuted their first Michael Jackson airband, being the only class to feature one — opening their performance with

“Beat It.” Senior Zerek Kao headed the majority of the performances, donning a sparkly silver glove in classic Michael Jackson fashion. The dancers captured the attention of the audience with fluid, graceful moonwalks and daring anti-gravity leans accompanying songs like “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller.” The hip-hop performers were just as eye-catching, dancing energetically to songs like “Sports car” by Tate McRae. K-pop commandeered the amphitheater, dancing to throwbacks like “Into the New World” by Girls’ Generation and “Boy with Luv” by BTS, bringing a sense of nostalgia to the performance. Their rendition of “OMG” by NewJeans was synchronized and bubbly, with dancers wearing matching bunny hats. Ballroom dancers paired up in duos to perform slow, languid choreographies. The couples twirled around the stage to songs like Laufey’s “From the Start,” earning cheers from the audience. Afterwards, a hoard of Boys’ Boutin performers swarmed the stage as “Fashion Killa” by A$AP Rocky played, performing amusing tricks like the worm and launching each other into the air, earning uproarious cheers from the audience. To wrap up their performance, they moshed to “ETA” by NewJeans as the audience eagerly sang along to the lyrics. Following a captivating transition from the skit where the heroes declared they would defeat the villains, the fight

“Boys' boutin had so many people, and they [were] really loud. The crowd got really hyped too.” — Akshath Prasant, 11 scene airband ran on. Music from the Incredibles soundtrack blasted from the speakers as fighters lunged and dodged across the stage. Bollywood came in hot, kicking off their performance with Travis Scott’s “FRANCHISE.” Dressed in iridescent, glittery pants, the girls performed to “Naal Nachna” by Shashwat Sachdev, Afsana Khan, Irshad Kamil, and Reble with perfect synchronization, exuding an aura of elegance and skill. As all the Bollywood members gathered together for their finale, the rest of the performers ran onto stage, raising a red “27” sign up — a long-lasting tradition dating back to their freshman year. Like drifting petals, red and gold confetti showered over them, bringing a bittersweet end to the seniors’ final performance and earning them second place overall. ▪

skit: second deco: second

lip dub: third airband: second overall: second

PHOTOS BY STAFFERS GURLEEN BANGER, KATHERINE CHEN, KAYSTEN HO & ZOEY WANG. GRAPHICS BY CENTERSPREAD EDITOR ARIANA YI

Friday, October 16, 2026

The Smoke Signal

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Arts & Entertainment 11

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R Between silence and static, pylon comes alive By Yewon Kim Staff Writer

While some albums just serve as a collection of songs, Pylon feels like a familiar place. On September 18, Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus, more commonly known by stage name beabadoobee, released her fourth studio album, Pylon. It replaces the sweetness of her earlier works with a WIKIMEDIA.ORG UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0 messier, unstable collision of grunge, alternative rock, and emo styles. of what it feels like to grow up and before the storm, leading up to when Across 14 tracks, she moves between experience uncomfortable change. “I “Satellite” plays. As the longest and themes of yearning, rage, and fragil- had a vision of that ... complicated most expansive song on the album, ity, consistently capturing the phase feeling of loving what you do so much beabadoobee’s screams feel less like an of self-discovery and isolation that but being lost in the sacrifice that ending and more like the uncertainty come with maturity. !e diverse sometimes comes with it,” co-produc- that comes with being left alone in an range of collaborators, including er Shane Moran said in an interview immense, new place. Hayley Williams, Brendan Yates, and with Highsnobiety magazine. Pylon never settles comfortably into Chino Moreno, highlights the polarWhat makes Pylon especially com- one mood. Instead, it keeps pushing ity of the atmosphere created — a pelling is the way its contradictions and pulling between tenderness and whirlwind of soft melodies and deaf- seem intentional. Even when the al- noise, nostalgia and frustration, until ening instrumentals. bum slows down, beabadoobee’s vo- the distinction between them nearly !e title track starts off delicately cals and the layered instrumentation disappears and reflects the messy, restwith soft acoustics, expressing bea- retain the intensity of the album. She less, and uniquely beautiful nature of badooobee’s homesickness through has the ability to sound vulnerable the album. It simulates the feeling of its lyrics before loud and chaotic without breaking down, and loud sitting in the backseat of a car with the moments of instrumental distortion. without losing the intimacy of the wind blasting towards you through !e tension between beabadoobee’s message being delivered. “Nothing rolled-down windows. Although it honey-like voice and the album’s un- To Prove,” featuring Hayley Williams, might come off as disorganized for canny rhythm becomes the heartbeat bursts with pop-punk energy, while someone who struggles to grasp the of Pylon. Songs like “Sun Has Set” “Powerlines,” featuring Brendan Yates, conveyed themes, Pylon has the effect and “Switchblade” are urgent and pivots to an emo-style ambience, us- of allowing listeners to sit quietly with raw, while tracks like “Estranged” ing intense guitar loops. !en, right their own thoughts for one moment and “Write Me A Letter” bring back when the album seems ready to ex- before erupting in chaotic bursts of the candid and nostalgic vibe that plode with ferocity, “Despite !at” pop-punk beats the next. ▪ the album carries. reduces everything to a brief, ghostly With its juxtaposition of con- pause. Reviewer’s Rating: Aflicting styles, Pylon is the epitome !at pause acts as a temporary calm

UNDER THE RADAR By Rosie Gao Staff Writer

Before Cannelle Ferragu turned French electro-pop into her own digital playground, she had already begun building a unique visual world. Growing up between Aix-en-Provence and a small village near Marseille in southern France, Ferragu began experimenting with dreamy Y2K visuals across social media platforms in the early 2020s, particularly on Tumblr. Ferragu drew inspiration from early internet fashion and Japanese anime, and icy-blue wigs, rhinestone jewelry, and gyaru-inspired makeup quickly became recurring signatures. As her following grew, Ferragu’s unique aesthetic carried her beyond social media and into the fashion industry. Ferragu has modeled and created content for brands such as Valentino, Rimowa, and Heaven by Marc Jacobs, and designed the 2023 Cinna Doll jewelry collection for En Route. In 2024, Ferragu made her musical debut as Cannelle with “LUCKY”, her debut single and a loose, playful theme song to the persona she had already been cultivating online. Her subsequent singles continued to define her sound: “CINNA WYA?” pairs bratty talk-rap lyrics with restless electronic production, while “CLOVER” softens into a sugary, lovestruck synth sound. In later tracks such as “FILLE” and “DIAMOND CUTS”, Ferragu pushed further into experimental genres like hyperpop and electro house. On her 2026 debut mixtape, CINNA, Cannelle took a much more handson role in production. Cannelle produced specific drums and sounds into sessions before working them out with collaborators like Warpstr and Chicken. In an interview with THE FADER, Cannelle said the track “BB Blue” best represents her as an artist. Characterized by Cannelle’s airy, vulnerable vocals, “BB Blue” draws on themes of childhood heartbreak and nostalgia, taking listeners on a dreamy trip through her Y2K-inspired fantasy. Elsewhere, CINNA leans heavily into the abrasive French-electro sound in tracks like “Stereo” and “Idole”. Characterized by dense synths, clipped 808 drums, and repetitive hooks, these tracks embody an intentionally messy energy as Cannelle raps about themes like identity and underground culture. !rough CINNA, Cannelle gives sound to the rhinestone-studded world she built online.

October 2026 Student Faves MOVIE: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — Devon Mandal, 12 TV SHOW: My Demon — Nitya Pyda, 9 ALBUM: 17 is Right Here by SEVENTEEN — Krittika Sriram, 10 BOOK: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury — Luya Prasad, 12 GAME: Brawl Stars — Gale Lekok, 11

resident evil hits hard and hits home By Abigaile Lei Staff Writer

Filled with high-stakes action, mutating zombies, and a variety of nods to the classic video game, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a chaotic and emotional return to the survival-horror zombie franchise. Released on September 18, the film follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier delivering a high-priority medical package to Raccoon City General Hospital, unaware of the viral outbreak that awaits him. Bryan initially sees the delivery job as an easy way to make money, but begins to second guess upon learning that his girlfriend Michelle (voiced by Sara Paxton) is pregnant. After an argument breaks out between the two, Bryan accidentally hits a woman and skids off the road. !ings quickly escalate as Bryan discovers that the woman is infected with the zombie virus. Unlike the franchise’s usual protagonists, Cregger introduces a lead that is not a trained soldier, police officer, or experienced zombie killer. Instead of immediately becoming an action hero and journeying from checkpoint to checkpoint, Bryan spends much of the film confused and scrambling, repeating mistakes as he tries to survive and make sense of his situation. However confused or lost he is, his courage and inner conscience keep him going; even when bitten and infected himself, Bryan continues to push forward when he learns that he is carrying the cure to the disease. His willingness to keep fighting despite the slim odds of returning home makes his journey feel more impressive and admirable. !roughout the film, Bryan’s personal struggle with fatherhood is beautifully captured through the repeated presence of Michelle, despite

COLUMBIA PICTURES

her never physically appearing on the screen. !eir first conversation establishes Bryan’s uncertainty about becoming a father. Rather than immediately embracing the news of Michelle’s pregnancy, he hastily exclaims “Your body, your choice!” much to her disappointment. Her role throughout the movie gradually shifts from being a source of conflict to becoming his main reason for wanting to survive. Later, when Bryan sits hopeless in an empty parking lot, he records a voice memo for Michelle, confessing that he truly wants to have a child with her and believes that she will be an amazing mother. By this point, he is no longer thinking of escaping the city; he is desperately holding on to the possibility of returning to his family Despite its moments of chaos, Resident Evil finds its strongest narrative in Bryan’s humanity. He is scared, inexperienced, and constantly making mistakes, but he continues to push forward, even when giving up would be so much easier. While the film might not follow the traditional storyline of the video games, it certainly hits just as hard. ▪ Reviewer’s Rating: A

ADÉLA claims her crown as pRIMA Ballerina in her debut album

CAPITOL RECORDS

By Simin Hassan Staff Writer

tered the music industry through the the other hand, shines in her lyricism; they “... don’t gotta run away” to pur2023 talent reality competiton show through her self-confident, satirical sue their dreams — a message espeThe Debut: Dream Academy, and was persona, she explores romantic en- cially personal to her, as she emigrated eliminated by a lack of fan votes. She counters with an emphasis on her own from Slovakia at 18 to compete in The Hailing from a little-known cor- has stated in interviews that she be- magnetic appeal and sexual freedom Debut: Dream Academy. ner of the world, ADÉLA Jergova, lieves her origins in a relatively obscure rather than male validation. However, A departure from a past where known by her stage name, ADÉLA, country gave her a disadvantage, as ADÉLA pivots towards darker, heavier ADÉLA’s Slovak identity alienated released her debut album, PRIMA, other contestants had preexisting fan- melodies in “Red Bottoms.” She com- her from the global music industry, on September 4. Although Slovakia bases and platforms. A bold retort to pares her imperfections in relation- PRIMA instead highlights her backoften goes unsung in the global mu- those who underestimated her, ADÉ- ships becoming increasingly apparent ground, revitalizing it as a source of sic scene, ADÉLA brings it into the LA’s pride for her nationality is dis- to Louboutins whose red bottoms are pride. Despite now being at a highspotlight, her nationalistic pride an played throughout the album lyrically, fading away, singing “You can’t wear er echelon of fame, she’s unafraid to overarching theme in the project’s most candidly so in “KGB.” me out too many times.” Her raw, connect with her roots, uplifting girls lyricism. ADÉLA delivers an eccen!e album doesn’t just excel at anguished vocals layered over the or- around the world who are in the same tric half hour of camp, revving synth lyricism regarding the singer’s iden- chestral keyboards convey her appre- position she was once in. Prima perriffs, and unapologetic love for her tity; ADÉLA’s production team out- hension about romance, submerging fectly encapsulates this message, with Slovak roots. does itself in songs such as “I’m !e listeners in her fear of abandonment riveting, syncopated synth lines and !e album kicks off with “KGB,” Man,” “Boys,” and “Fantasize,” each and being deemed “secondhand” by deftly produced pop anthems. !e alwhich uses booming vocals to de- one featuring its own distinct, abrasive her partners. bum seamlessly shifts from campy to scribe ADÉLA’s journey to stardom synth lines reminiscent of hyperpop. ADÉLA winds down the project sentimental, elevating voices worldfrom her childhood in Bratislava. !ey also incorporate an R&B-influ- with “Ain’t in LA”, an upbeat yet heartProclaiming “I’m like a spy, I studied enced instrumental in “Nicole Kid- felt track rejecting the notion that the wide. ▪ this,” she compares her clever 8-year- man” without sacrificing the original most successful people reside in Los Reviewer’s Rating: A old self studying English to a spy for pop-oriented sound. Angeles. Rather, in this vocal-heavy the Soviet KGB. ADÉLA first enADÉLA’s individual artistry, on song, she stresses to the audience that

12 Advertisement

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

SAT COURSES Includes 4 Months Free of Practice Tests & Online Review Sessions

Use code SIGNAL50 to get $50 off your course!

What’s Included? SAT Guaranteed 200+ point increase

2 full-length practice exams

Fremont September 10th to October 1st Thursday 6pm - 9pm Saturday 2pm to 5pm Sunday 10am - 1pm

October 3rd to November 1st Saturday 10am - 1pm Sunday 10am - 1pm

November 3rd to November 29th 10 sessions, 3 hours each

We Also Offer:

Tuesday 6pm - 9pm Saturday 10am - 1pm Sunday 10am - 1pm

Live-Online

September 11th to October 2nd 1-on-1 Tutoring (In-Person and Online)

Friday 4pm - 7pm Saturday 8am - 11am Sunday 12pm - 3pm

Free Diagnostic Test

4160 Technology Dr Fremont, CA 94538 (510) 490-7000 | info@exceltest.com | www.exceltest.com

Friday, October 16, 2026

The Smoke Signal

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Sports & Graphics 13

Trisha Karkera swims into success with her water polo journey By Alice Hu & Kelly Shi Staff Writers Frigid water enveloped Senior Trisha Karkera the moment she plunged into the pool for her first-ever water polo practice at 13. When Karkera’s older sister joined the MSJ Varsity Girls Water Polo team, Karkera found herself pulled into the game as well. Back then, stepping onto the pool deck felt like more of an obligation than a choice. Still, somewhere between the relentless conditioning and sport-specific drills, the initial nudge transformed into a genuine passion, one that is now a significant, even defining, part of her life. A seasoned member of the Varsity Girls Water Polo team, Karkera has built an impressive resume in the pool, from claiming first place at a tournament in Watsonville to traveling to Barcelona along with her club team to practice alongside Olympians. Today, for Karkera, water polo is far more than just an after-school commitment. An important part of her life, the game offers a balanced blend of camaraderie and rivalry that has propelled her beyond the local pool. During the intensive club season, she remains laser-focused, driven by recruitment aspirations and wanting to make the most of opportunities to travel around the world. In contrast, the high school team provides a more laid-back energy. “In high school, it’s way more relaxed and fun because you’re just hanging out with your friends basically, and you’re meeting every day after

school,” Karkera said. though; Karkera recalls once having to stay Being on the Varsity Girls Water Polo team up for almost an entire night after forgethas taught Karkera more than just swimming; ting about one of her tests. Over the last it has given her valuable life skills crucial to her few years, she has learned to plan further life inside and outside of the pool. As Co-Cap- ahead, using her own strategies rather than tain, she has learned that true leadership comes relying on tools like Google Calendar. from encouraging teammates, staying groundHer consistent dedication to the sport ed and approachable, and treating everyone paid off on a national level when she repreequally. “Even if you know you might have sented NorCal Water Polo Club in the USA more experience than them, it’s good not to Water Polo National Junior Olympics. Playbe condescending or try to talk people down ing as a utility player for NorCal Black in because otherwise, you won’t work together as the 18U division, Karkera gained valuable, a team,” Karkera said. advanced expertise, leading MSJ’s water Aside from constant training and condi- polo team to an unprecedented 18-7 record tioning, confidence plays an important part in and an NCS Division 1 Qualification in her helping Karkera play her best through a tough junior year. match. “You have to really believe in yourself and be self-confident because if you’re not “It’s not just one person playing.” confident in yourself, then you won’t succeed — Senior Trisha Karkera [moving] forward,” Karkera said. Much of her confidence comes from the coaches whose mentorship has shaped her over the years. Beyond the physical demands of the One such coach is her current high school pool, water polo has served as a powerful coach, someone who connects with his ath- vehicle for Karkera’s personal growth. It letes on a personal, friendly level. “You could has provided her with a sense of responsitalk to him about anything, academics or ath- bility, respect for her teammates, and social letics, and he’s out there for you,” Karkera said. skills. “It’s not just one person playBalancing her many commitments has ing,” Karkera said. ▪ not come naturally, but rather has been achieved through practice. Time management and balance in life are skills Karkera has built over time. She fits homework into tight windows, such as Read, so that assignments don’t consume her entire evening. It has not always worked out,

Karkera is MSJ Varsity Girls Water Polo Co-Captain and has also competed at events such as the USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics.

Let’s Glow! Anime Festival returns to Warm Springs BART station

PHOTOS COURTESY TANVI KARKERA & KEVIN HWANG

By Abigaile Lei & Tanish Thunuguntla Staff Writers

Packed with colorful booths, custom wrapped cars, and enthusiastic cosplayers, the annual BART Let’s Glow! event was held at 4-9 p.m. on September 19, at the Warm Springs/South Fremont BART Station. The free festival brought together anime fans, artists, and cosplayers, transforming the station and the surrounding parking lot into a lively gathering for the Bay Area’s anime community. First held in September 2025, the Let’s Glow! BART Anime Festival is a community event that celebrates a shared appreciation for anime and public transit. The free festival attracted more than 4,000 attendees in 2025, prompting BART to expand the event into its second year with more artists, performances, vendors, and cosplayers. Upon entering the venue, visitors were met with colorful Itasha cars, custom-wrapped vehicles holding LEGO displays of anime, manga, or video games. Dozens of booths !lled the area, with vendors selling items such as anime keychains and shirts, and artists promoting their work. “It’s a pleasure for me to be one of the people to represent Let’s Glow,” vendor Chase said. “Seeing people come up to your booth and be so excited to see a niche character ... is the best feeling in the world.” Strolling through the fair, attendees gathered to browse the themed merchandise and munch on snacks from the food trucks and vendors. Popular anime characters could be spotted dancing to music, posing for pictures, and giving out merch. Nearly every direction had something connected to anime — themed T-shirts and costumes, anime card trading booths, anime-rating stations, and BART’s own anime mascots: Baylee, Nimbus, Jasmine, and Mira. The event also attracted regular commuters who observed the festival while passing through the transit station. Riders received exclusive anime giveaways and could take pictures with cosplaying attendees. With the intention of giving attendees a space for creativity, unique interests, and the community, Let’s Glow! brought together different parts of the anime and gaming community while making BART itself part of the experience. “The amount of different fandoms [that] come together and celebrate ... BART and multicultural, shows and games and movies … just expressing what they love,” attendee Jose Geary said. ▪ BART features their anime mascot Baylee.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER TANISH THUNUGUNTLA. GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR CECILIA CHENG

14 Advertisement

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 16, 2026

The Smoke Signal

Varsity Water Polo dominates historic Homecoming games

By Aarav Vashisht & Joseph Miao Feature Editor and Staff Writer Applause echoed across the MSJ pool as MSJ Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls Water Polo secured two consecutive season wins against American High School on September 16 for their inaugural, and MSJ’s second, Homecoming game. As students strolled from the Mini Gym to the stands, the two Boys Water Polo teams sectioned off to their respective sides, each huddling up and delivering their team chants. The faceoff commenced with a back-and-forth exchange between the teams. Throughout the first quarter,

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

Sports 15

“Seeing our friends and school show up for our team gave us the drive to close out the game. The home crowd made me proud to be an MSJ Warrior and showcased our school unity.” — MSJ Varsity Boys Co-Captain Senior Aditya Narula

the match remained very tight, with neither team finding its footing until the end. Entering the second quarter, the score was tied 2-2, with special blocks from Co-Captain Goalie Senior Aditya Narula helping keep the score close. The intensity of the game ramped up in the middle of the second quarter as MSJ clinched its first lead of the match, 4-3, after Co-Captain Senior Danny Luo and Driver Junior Chasen Lam each scored. With every goal, the crowd erupted in cheers and chants, motivating the team’s successful performance. “Seeing the crowd cheering us on throughout the match definitely motivated us to play better. The attendance was crazy and we were motivated to win,” Lam said. During halftime, each team returned to their tents as the Homecoming Court nominees strode across the pool in personalized silk sashes and performed their court skits. Following the break at halftime, the Warriors returned to the game determined to not let the other team get ahead. “Although we were tired at the half, we still wanted to keep our lead,” Lam said. The team scored two additional points to solidify their position and gained a commanding 6-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. During the final quarter, MSJ’s crowd stood up in unison as the score became closer. Critical blocks from Narula elicited

cheers from the audience. In the final minutes of the game, both teams scored four goals, with MSJ prevailing 10-7. “When I got out of the pool and walked by the crowd it felt so amazing and relieving to see everyone who came to see us play,” Narula said. At approximately 7:30 p.m., Varsity Girls Water Polo began warming up for their own game. The Warriors took an early lead of 2-0. They held onto their lead and comfortably expanded it, ultimately ending the first quarter 6-2. Co-Captain Senior Trisha Karkera and Center Forward Sophomore Hana Lach each scored six goals throughout the game. Although the second quarter was filled with exciting offensive plays, including a goal from Karkera and a spin move from Lach, the team’s defensive presence was equally formidable. With only a few seconds to spare before halftime, Goalie Senior Katelynn Tran sprinted across the pool in determination and scored a buzzer-beater goal, giving the Warriors a dominating 12-4 lead entering the second half. “Although we were tired towards the end, we tried to keep our morale up because we wanted to prove to everyone that we could beat them,” Karkera said. American scored one additional goal in the second half and the Warriors blew out

American 17-5 to end the game. As the players emerged from the water once the game finished, MSJ students and parents rushed toward the players in celebration, high-fiving the teams for their victories. “Seeing our friends and school show up for our team gave us the drive to close out the game. The home crowd made me proud to be an MSJ Warrior and showcased our school unity,” Narula said. ▪

MSJ’s Homecoming games highlight efforts to build school spirit By Saesha Prabhakar, Ananya Rawlani & Anchal Verma Staff Writers Even without a football team, MSJ still manages to keep the tradition of annual Homecoming games alive. In the 2025-26 school year it was a girls volleyball game; this year it was waterpolo. Hand-in-hand with bolstering school spirit, student organizations

L2 Sports Commitee members Senior Zerek Kao, Senior Xinyan Zeng, Junior Kylie Hsu, and Senior Ethan Chen at Green & White Assembly.

such as L2 Sports hope to increase the attention given to athletics at MSJ and garner more school spirit throughout the student body. The primary task of managing the Homecoming game lies with the L2 Sports Committee, which is responsible for many aspects of the athletic experience at MSJ, even though most of their work centers around tasks out of the public eye. By working alongside different teams within L2 — such as the L2 Tech Committee, which provides speakers for games — and coordinating with MVAL, L2 Sports works to create fun and engaging games for the MSJ community. “I do really believe that these blackout games or Homecoming games bring the school together as a whole a lot more,” L2 Sports Committee Head Senior Ethan Chen said. In addition to L2 Sports, Athletic Director Freddy Saldaña also plays a part by deciding ticket prices and announcing games on the loud speaker starting this year. “I have the discretion of making a cheap game. We could do theme nights. I’ve started doing sports announcements,” Saldaña said. Throughout the school year, L2 Sports works to actively increase school spirit on campus. Utilizing their social media presence, L2 sports is able to gather attention to events they plan through their Instagram, @msjathletics. This effort can sometimes be in vain, as many students do not see the importance of supporting their school,

especially when it comes to sports. “Normally I’m only attending Boys Basketball,” Senior Shreyas Basetty said. L2 Sports tries to combat this popular notion, however. “I think [the] message that we brought from the Homecoming game is that it’s not really just about ... grades, test scores, whatnot. It’s about our school community,” Chen said. Students interact with athletics in different ways — some compete, others rally around their peers in support, and others do not engage with the sports at all. At MSJ, many students, for a variety of reasons, choose the latter option, opting to stay home rather than participate and interact with athletes. “I think that students don’t attend school sports games ... that often because of the intense workload they have, especially with the academic culture at MSJ and students stacking up AP and honors classes,” Junior Abhinav Deshpande said.

For student-athletes, participation is an important part of creating a strong and supportive school community. When students come out to watch games, cheer for classmates, and show their school spirit, athletes feel recognized and supported. “As a student athlete, it’s always nice when students come to watch the games, and it really shows the support of the school and means a lot to the team,” Girls Varsity Soccer Captain Lara Abdin said. As MSJ continues to promote school spirit through athletic events, members of MSJ including L2 Sports, teachers, and students remain involved in efforts to increase student awareness and engagement. “I think [the Homecoming game] creates a more enjoyable environment where kids are having fun, making friends … and that’s what creates school spirit,” Saldaña said. ▪

MSJ students and staff cheer for the Warriors at the 2026 CIF Division V Boys Basketball Regional Championship. PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS ABIGAILE LEI & JOSEPH MIAO, COURTESY ALICE ZHAO & XINYAN ZENG. GRAPHICS BY SPORTS EDITOR ANDY ZHANG

16 Graphics

WWW.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

The Smoke Signal

Amber Halvorsen, Felicity He & Sabrina Zeng Staff Writers

Friday, Octorber 16, 2026

L e v i ’s , known for its variety of jeans and jackets, was established in 1853 when Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, opened a clothing store during the Gold Rush. Their 501 collection has expanded since 1873, when the original straight-fit and signature fly was released, with different silhouettes and trends from every era, from Y2K low-rise flares to old school high-risers. Since Levi’s has been around for over a century, items can be found in thrift stores and Levi’s stores across the country, as well as their own secondhand clothing platform. “Ever since Y2K came back, I think my style has shifted from comfort to more style,” Junior Arushi Maheshwari said.

Vintage fashion has made a resurgence within the MSJ student body as a form of self-expression in recent years, evoking the nostalgia for the unique aesthetics of the 1990s and early 2000s. This can be attributed to the influence from social media platforms such as TikTok and Pinterest — where vintage trends like baggy cargo pants and baby tees make their way across the feeds of MSJ students — as well as efforts to combat fast fashion and shop sustainably.

Known for their various vintage collections such as Soccer Club Classics and Autumn Diaries, Hollister has been selling teen-focused vintage style clothes with ‘California Surf’ and beach inspired aesthetics since 2000. Their recent collections bring back early 2000s trends, such as babydoll tops and classic cable knit sweaters. Though Hollister items are not truly vintage due to being tailored to fit present-day trend cycles as well, they bring customers the same nostalgia of the 2000s Y2K era. “I think with regards to Hollister and thrifting, a lot of people will find that thrift item that people see, and then everyone comes in asking for that specific item,” Taylor Irish said. Hollister items are easy to spot at MSJ, with many students styling their pieces every day. “People are bringing back flare jeans, and also I see a rise in baggy clothing. Also people with baby doll tops,” Junior Aarna Tyagi said. “I definitely think TikTok; if you go on TikTok shop, half the stuff there is the same stuff, so I definitely do think that people are influenced by it.”

“I’ve changed to more of a vintage-ish style and gravitating towards those pieces more than other random graphics that I used to wear ... I feel like it’s more stylish than what some other trends in the 2010s have been like the galaxy trend” — Zoe Sisson, 11

Abercrombie & Fitch, founded in 1892, has become a staple vintag brand, providing customers with pieces that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Their denim and fall collections feature jeans and jackets reminiscent of the classic 90s and early 2000s styles, including classic flared silhouettes and pocket details. With social media reviving the brand, Abercrombie & Fitch has leaned into selling logo-heavy pieces to customers. In their recent Archive Collection, Abercrombie brought back their 2000s feel with a focus on logos. “[The material clothing is made of] might not be the same ... but I think like the actual look of it is pretty close ... like [the] Heritage collection, which is what our vintage collection is called here and at Abercrombie,” San Jose Valley Fair Hollister Sales manager Taylor Irish said.

Founded in 1970, Urban Outfitters introduced their Urban Renewal collection, Vintage & ReMade by UO in 1983 as a way to repurpose used vintage clothing. This collection targets sustainability issues and aims to lessen the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Customers are now able to shop online for these items at a reduced price and do their part in preventing clothing from ending up in the landfill. “I’m not really a big fan of consumerism. I like to thrift not only because the quality is better, but also because you’re saving things from going to the landfill,” San Jose Urban Outfitters manager Haley Elizabeth Trotman said. The recycling aspect of this collection appeals to many students at MSJ. “I do thrift often. I think it’s good to reuse and recycle, and not just throw away things and buy new clothes unnecessarily,” Senior Aditya Narula said.

“I definitely think it’s because newer clothes nowadays, not only [is] the quality is lower and doesn’t look as good, but even some brands have tried to bring back the styles that people are gravitating towards, and they do it close, but still not exactly to it ... People can tell when something’s been first and secondhand, or if it was made, like, a couple years ago.” — Elizabeth Trotman

Online shopping has taken on a role in many MSJ students’ wardrobe choices. “One of the things I like [about online shopping] is [that it’s] relatively cheaper than just going to stores, especially when you’re buying things like shoes. But it also means you won’t be able to try them on,” Freshman Liya Tan said. Reselling platforms like Depop and Poshmark provide a method for students to buy secondhand clothing at a cheaper price. “People are starting to move more towards technology instead of going in person,” Tan said.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS AMBER HOLVERSEN, FELICITY HE & SABRINA ZENG. GRAPHICS BY GRAPHICS EDITOR EMILY ZHANG