the Epic, Volume 59, Issue 3 - December 11, 2023 by the Epic

Editors’ Picks Assistant Principal Eric Wong’s road to recovery pg. 4 Staff Editorial: District should keep world language classes pg. 5 Celebrating cultural musicians pg. 8 Oversimplification and the illusion of explanatory depth pg. 13

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Marching band marches onward pg. 14

Volume 59 Issue 3 | December 11, 2023

Lynbrook High School, 1280 Johnson Ave., San Jose, CA

Trusting AI is trusting bias BY YVONNE WU

ithin the last decade, there has been a burgeoning demand for incorporating artificial intelligence in everyday tasks. Due to its growing prevalence in online advertising, healthcare and various algorithms, it is increasingly important that people be aware of the unavoidable bias in AI. “Algorithms have improved over the years and the computational power of machines is stronger than ever,” computer science teacher Bradley Fulk said. “This means we can do things with AI that we couldn’t before.” story continues on pg. 7 || opinion

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY VALERIE SHU

NEWS

02 the Epic

AP 2-D art students receive perfect scores on AP exam BY CRYSTAL ZHU

enior Annabel Qin, junior Hannah Liaw and alumnus Medha Lolayeker were three out of 337 students PHOTO BY NICOLE GE worldwide to receive perfect scores on the 2022-23 AP 2-D Art and Design portfolios — a substantial milestone for the Lynbrook art department. Liaw Dear Vikings, was also one of 50 students nationwide chosen for the AP Art and Design Online Happy Holidays! It’s Myles and Susanna, Exhibition, which features pieces from your Editors-in-Chief. Welcome to the Epic’s each selected artist on the College Board Issue 3! website. In the spirit of the holiday season, Untitled - Crossword Labsthe “It felt unreal,” Lolayeker said. “When first five people to send a picture of our I was making my portfolio, I thought that Untitled completed crossword puzzle to enc.epic@ there was no way I could get more than gmail.com will receive a prize. Good luck! a four. Getting that full score was pretty 1 exciting.” The AP 2-D Art and Design exam assesses a student’s ability to create thoughtful 2 analyses of their work and demonstrate 3 artistic understanding. This exam assesses 4 5 the student work accumulated from the entire year. A typical portfolio consists of 20 pieces and written responses reflecting the creative process behind each piece and the 6 artist’s technical understanding. “In all the 17 years I’ve been teaching, Across Across DownI only had one other student who got a 4. the posh celebrity exhibits ____ activism perfect score, so to have three students exhibits ____ activism 1. Indian hand drum 6. oppressed by a meritocracy of academic standing in one class from one school in one year ritocracy of academic standing 2. fentanyl’s antagonist Down is extraordinary,” Reynolds said. “It 3. Ethan Chiu’s blacksmithing center 1. Indian hand drum really speaks to those students pushing 5. Technical phenomenon of “You’re not as smart as you 2. fentanyl’s antagonist themselves.” think!” (abbr.) 3. Ethan Chiu’s blacksmithing center Sixty percent of the grading for a 5. Technical phenomenon of “You’re not as smart as you portfolio stems from Sustained Investigation think!” (abbr.) — a collection of 15 out of the 20 pieces Crossword by Surya Saraf and Riki Murase. that shows the growth of a student’s skill as they explored a concept they selected, Stay Epic, such as identity or societal issues. These 15 Myles Kim & Susanna Tang pieces are graded solely on experimentation Editors-in-Chief

2023-12-05-957

Letter from the Editors

1/1

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM MEDHA LOLAYEKER

and exploration, an aspect crucial to any artist. The other five pieces are the artists’ final products, which are graded based on skill and significance. In Liaw’s Sustained Investigation, she created a series of works centered around the intersection of nostalgia, dreams, fears and the different expectations of growing up. One of her pieces, a digital artwork, emulates the mixed feelings of looking back into childhood. In the painting, a girl peers beneath a wooden bed frame, finding cluttered boxes and miscellaneous objects from her younger years. “She came into the AP class with a strong set of technical skills, and she pushed to find new ways of broadening her understanding both technically and conceptually,” Reynolds said in a teacher statement on Hannah’s submission. Liaw is proud of how she managed her time and created symbolism through colors, and improved her own composition through the year. Nevertheless, she hopes to improve her pacing. “I think that there’s room for improvement in my speed and I should avoid getting too caught up in the fine details,” Liaw said. “When deciding on a theme, it’s best not to be overly concerned about what it’s going to be in the beginning. Begin with a broad topic, and as the pieces start coming together so will your theme.” Qin’s concept for her portfolio stemmed from environmentalism, eventually morphing into the concept she incorporated: excess human waste and overconsumption. Qin drew inspiration from many historical pieces, such as “The Swing” by Fragonard and other historical figures, like Marie Antoinette. “The honor was unexpected because I was quite unhappy with a few of my pieces,” Qin said. “However, I think it’s important to have a developed approach because College Board wants to see how you develop your work over time.” Although Qin encountered obstacles during the process, such as feeling as if she had rushed through some pieces, she continued to persevere. She is especially proud of her acrylic painting that features numerous hands reaching down into a pool of fish and represents the human nature of overconsumption through the hands grasping at the fish from above. For aspiring artists, Qin encourages taking more risks. “Sometimes it will be enough to focus on synthesis and experimentation,” Qin said. “I think that’s actually pretty important. Most people are skilled enough for College Board, so you have to focus on experimentation, even if it doesn’t show up in your pieces.” Meanwhile, through analysis of perspective, Lolayekar reflected on society’s perception of self and perfection. A shattered glass motif is prominent throughout her portfolio and delivers the theme of judgment. Lolayekar also brings increased impact into her artworks by using real pictures of herself and her environment. “Mr. Reynolds helped me so much throughout the whole process,” Lolayeker

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSIONFROM ANNABEL QIN

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM HANNAH LIAW

said. “When I was stressed out and frazzled, he’d help figure out what the flow of my pieces are and what I’m really trying to say.” Lolayekar employed gouache painting in most of her pieces, a medium she enjoyed but was not familiar with at first. However, she steadily improved as she laid out pieces and constructed concepts. “Definitely don’t procrastinate,” Lolayeker said. “That was one of my takeaways, and then another is just to be loose with it, and don’t think too much about the details. Go for it. If you set your mind to it, you’ll do it.” Qin is now taking Studio Art, where she can produce artworks without the pressure of AP exams. Liaw takes art classes outside of school, while college freshman Lolayeker creates graphic designs for clubs at her school in her free time. The students’ achievements will pave the way for new accomplishments to come, reaching audiences beyond the art department. A collection of their works will be coming soon to the GSS for public viewing. “We’re focused on the idea of developing a personal creative voice,” Reynolds said. “I’m hoping that displaying these artworks will spark people’s curiosity about ‘Hey, what’s going on over there?’ I hope more people will be interested in experimenting with art because it’s very different from other classes.” GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE GE

December 11, 2022

NEWS

Melanie’s Law, Narcan and the fight against overdose BY ROBERT YU

n the past six years, the number of drug-overdose-related deaths has grown exponentially. Fentanyl, a highly potent narcotic that rapidly suppresses breathing, is now responsible for one in five youth deaths in California. In a groundbreaking move to combat fentanyl overdose, Melanie’s Law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 13, is currently being implemented in schools throughout the state, including Lynbrook. While Santa Clara County has already taken the initiative to prevent deaths induced by overdoses, this legislation co-opts current county guidelines by requiring school safety plans to address fentanyl overdoses from grades seven to 12, allowing overdose emergencies in school to be addressed in an efficient manner. Melanie’s Law, or Senate Bill 10 Cortese, was enacted in honor of Melanie Ramos, a 15-year-old Hollywood student who mistakenly ingested a pill laced with traces of fentanyl. Ramos was found unconscious inside the school bathroom nearly eight hours after she was declared missing. “In Santa Clara, we had 12 opioid overdoses in 2018,” said Mira Parwiz, Chair for Santa Clara’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. “This year, we’re at 141 and counting.” Pre-existing laws indicate that Narcan and trained volunteer staff members are support resources for schools in case of an overdose emergency. Narcan is one of the

a fentanyl overdose, the school is currently few substances that can revive somebody updating their safety plan to accommodate experiencing an overdose. When for the on-site Narcan and trained staff, and administered into a victim’s nostrils, it will submit the plan to the FUHSD Board of can help reverse the overdose and restore Trustees in early 2024. the person’s breathing to normal within “We do want to continue to raise three minutes. Opioid overdose prevention awareness,” Assistant Principal Tara Grande training takes an hour, said. “Last December, we as volunteer staff are did an overdose training instructed on how to session for staff. We will be identify early signs of looking to repeat this in the overdose and administer coming months, along with Narcan in case of an Is the time needed for presentations for students emergency at school. Narcan to reverse an coming back this year.” The first step to overdose The fentanyl crisis has addressing an overdose only recently emerged, emergency after calling causing potential solutions 911 is to determine like Narcan and Melanie’s law to be poorly if the victim exhibits received. Parents are led to think that the symptoms, including but not limited to: addition of Narcan is directly associated pinpoint pupils, clammy skin and restricted with increased drug use at the school that’s breathing. Trained staff within the school receiving the supplements. should act swiftly, first administering “Why do we have locks on our doors?” one dose of Narcan into the victim’s Lynbrook Health Clerk Scott Leveau said. “To nostrils, then following up with CPR until give us peace of mind and protect ourselves consciousness is regained. The effects of from theft. Following that line of logic, we Narcan’s opioid reversal last for 30 to 90 have Narcan available — whether or not you minutes depending on the case, so the victim’s condition should be monitored until understand or are aware of what’s going on, we objectively have the data that supports ambulances arrive. the fact that this is a crisis.” Due to Narcan’s recent approval to be An effective way to avoid the dangers of used as an unprescribed drug, Bay Area accidentally consuming fentanyl is to never schools have been working since the start trust any secondhand drugs. The United of the 2023-24 school year, prior to the States Drug Enforcement Administration ratification of Melanie’s law, to incorporate claims that seven out of 10 seized illicit pills more Narcan into emergency resources. contain lethal amounts of fentanyl due to Narcan is quickly becoming a insufficient quality control, amounting to staple in the conventional first 360 million deadly doses seized in 2023 aid kit, and kits can currently be alone. This is considering that a lethal dose found in the nurse’s office and of fentanyl can fit on the tip of a pencil. athletic trainer room. As of Nov. 22, “When a person is unresponsive, it’s all schools in FUHSD have received four a matter of minutes,” Santa Clara County refillable boxes of Narcan. Office of Education Superintendent Mary In addition to Lynbrook’s increasing Dewan said. “When Narcan is available, supply of Narcan, the school is planning they’re far more likely to survive that to take more measures to combat overdose. overdose than if Narcan is not available.” Though there exists a safety plan in case of

2-3 minutes

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Upcoming Viking Events Winter Wellness Week, Dec. 11-15 Students can receive wellness goodies outside the ASB Den to destress before finals week. Finals Week, Dec. 18-21 Mid-Year Break, Dec. 25-Jan. 5 Lynbrook Idol, Jan. 17-19 Watch talented singers perform in the quad, and vote for your favorite singer. The winner will perform the Alma Matter during Winter Rally. Winter Rally, Jan. 26 Witness exciting performances from winter sports teams and captivating dances from each grade during the first rally of the semester. Winter Formal, Jan. 27 Enjoy a night of dancing and fun at the Celestial Bodies-themed dance, which will take place at the Tech Museum from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. Lunar New Year Event, Feb. 5-9 Celebrate the year of the dragon with the Lynbrook community and enjoy the decorations around campus. Photo by Vihaan Patel and Irene Hwang. Reporting by Nicole Ge.

04 NEWS

December 11, 2023

FUHSD revisits world language removal discussion BY LILLY WU

The FUHSD Board of Trustees held a meeting at the district office on Nov. 7 to discuss alternative options for their proposed cuts to world language programs at FUHSD schools. After their initial announcement in the spring, a large outcry from the community led district administrators to propose a newly revised plan. Despite not coming to a final decision during the meeting, the district presented recently released enrollment data and welcomed community feedback to consider when discussing a permanent resolution. At the meeting, they introduced their updated proposals. Option A, the original plan, would remove one language from all five FUHSD schools. Alternatively, Option B would preserve Lynbrook’s Japanese and Homestead High School’s Chinese programs, while eliminating one language at each of the other three schools. Fremont High School would still lose its French program, while both Monta Vista High School and Cupertino High School would no longer offer Japanese courses. A key factor in deciding to reconsider the initial proposal was the inaccuracy of enrollment projections, which was covered at this meeting by speakers Denae Nurnberg, the coordinator of data and assessment, and Jason Crutchfield, the director of administrative services. The two presented a detailed report of related statistics, including the December 2022 prediction that the district would experience a decline in enrollment of 666 students for the 2023-24 school year. However, after revisiting the numbers in August 2023, it was discovered that the actual change in enrollment was only 366 students, due to the closing of Summit Denali Public School in Sunnyvale. The speakers also emphasized the problem of overstaffing that results - A language is preserved from declining if it has a healthy enrollment, enrollment. stating that Average language class for the past six sizes should be 32.5 years, FUHSD students (163 students across all five levels). has been - 135 students, 80% of overstaffed 10 163 is the benchmark for class periods healthy enrollment. per year, incurring a cost of over $2.4 million.

“Even though we received a lot of emails from community members in the 2022-23 school year regarding this issue, we needed to wait for this school year to start to be able to see the most updated enrollment data first,” Board President Rosa Kim said. The district determined that 135 students enrolled across all five levels of a language course constitute healthy enrollment. To establish this threshold, administrators reviewed data prior to the official meeting which stated that average class sizes should be 32.5 students, which totals 163 students for all five levels of a language. Approximately 80 percent of 163, 135, was decided as the benchmark to classify healthy language enrollment. Currently, enrollment data shows that both the Lynbrook Japanese and Homestead Chinese programs have more than 135 students, with 157 and 220 students enrolled, respectively. After the main presentation, the board allowed community members to voice their opinions. Members of Homestead’s National Chinese Honor Society, Homestead’s World Language Department Head Muriel von Stein and Lynbrook Class of 2019 alumna and former Japanese Club President Charlotte Zhang all spoke at the meeting. Many thanked the board members for considering community opinions and advocated for Option B to be implemented over the original plan. “At the meeting, I talked about the data that was being used to make the decision and also expressed my disappointment that the district was Lynbrook has 157 students enrolled in the Japanese program, being considered healthy enrollment.

looking at the issue from an operational standpoint instead of considering what was best for students,” Zhang said. When FUHSD made its first announcement regarding world language class removals in March 2023, numerous community members voiced their concerns about the issue and asked the district to reconsider. Many articulated that they disliked the idea of having fewer language options to choose from and were also worried about the effects on future FUHSD students. For instance, a group of Lynbrook students started a petition on change.org that amassed a total of 2,488 signatures as of December 2023, hoping to preserve the Japanese program by raising awareness about the issue. “When I heard about Option B, it was a sigh of relief,” senior and Japanese Honor Society President Rickey Chiu said. “The Japanese program has been like a home to me, so hearing about its potential removal last year hit close to home.” Due to fluctuations in enrollment predictions, the final decision will be delayed until early January 2024 so the district administrators will be able to use new statistics to make the most informed decision. Although there will not be any more formal meetings regarding this topic, community members may continue to voice their concerns through emails to the board members. “The final decision will be revealed when course selection for the next school year opens for students,” Superintendent Graham Clark said. “In a sense, the students are the ones deciding because these classes will only be kept if there are enough signups for them. Homestead has But until the announcement, I am confident that 220 students Option enrolled in the B will be Chinese Program, chosen.” being considered Fremont’s French a healthy program has a total enrollment. of 112 students this year, with 9 students in French 4 and 6 students in AP French Language and Culture.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OLIVIA YUAN AND APURVA KRISHNAMURTHY

Assistant Principal Eric Wong’s road to recovery BY ASHLEY HUANG

n the night of Oct. 10, Assistant Principal Eric Wong was taken by ambulance to El Camino Health Mountain View Hospital’s intensive care unit after experiencing extreme headaches, vomiting and loss of balance. There, he underwent emergency surgery to treat bleeding in his brain, due to a lifethreatening hemorrhagic stroke. Wong then stayed at the neuro-ICU at the UCSF Medical Center for more than a week and was eventually transferred to a recovery ward. Afterward, he was moved to a rehabilitation hospital for physical therapy. “When I first heard about the news, I was heartbroken,” Principal Maria Jackson said. A hemorrhagic stroke is bleeding in the brain induced by a ruptured blood vessel, which can become life-threatening when the blood continues to build up in the brain. Without fast and proper treatment, hemorrhagic strokes may cause brain damage and are sometimes fatal. Fortunately, Wong received quick treatment at the UCSF neuro-ICU, where he was connected to a ventilator, which helped facilitate his breathing. Wong’s health rapidly improved, and soon after, he was soon able to breathe without invasive ventilator support. On Nov. 2, Wong started working with physical therapy professionals to regain strength and balance. Situated closer to home, his family is now able to spend more time with him. Twenty-eight days later, on Nov. 30, Wong was released from rehabilitation to complete his recovery at home. Wong has also regained his speaking ability and is now able to communicate with his friends and co-workers,

primarily through phone calls. Visits and conversations have primarily consisted of updates to fill him in on what he has missed. “It was wonderful to hear his voice,” Jackson said. “He had the same sense of humor — we all missed him so much and it was obvious that he missed us too.” Lynbrook’s administrative team has also been working together to raise money for Wong’s family. Since the kitchen in their house is currently under construction, the team rented a wheelchair-accessible Airbnb on his behalf, providing Wong and his family with comfortable housing for the holidays. The Lynbrook community has also been raising money to provide the family with meals. Prior to Wong’s surgery, their home refrigerator had broken down, forcing them to adapt to using a small dorm refrigerator. Fortunately, the community was able to supply them with a fully functioning fridge, while also delivering meals to the family. “Wong was the cook in the house; he was like super dad,” Jackson said. “Without him in the house, it has been hard on his family. We’ve been using Doordash and Instacart gift cards to help bring meals to the family.” On Nov. 17, the admin team also opened a GoFundMe page, which proved a huge success, raising $48,741 as of Dec. 5. Students have also been showing support by bringing cards to the office to be delivered to Wong and his family. “Mr. Wong is very positive and upbeat; he has done a lot for this school,” junior Ishani Upadhyaya said. “I hope he takes all the time he needs to recover.” Wong is expected to make a full recovery, though the process will require patience and support. During the first month and a half of his recovery, Josh Maisel, the FUHSD Director of Leadership Development, temporarily relocated to Lynbrook to

handle some of Wong’s duties. Prior to his myself professionally; this is a new job and relocation, Maisel worked at the district a new site,” Morgan said. “There will be office but also spent time at Cupertino High a steep learning curve, and while a little School to oversee new teacher support daunting, it’s also an exciting challenge.” programs. As an instrumental part of the “It was really clear to me, when I got administrative faculty, Wong is beloved here, how much love people have for him,” and appreciated by many. His journey in Maisel said. FUHSD goes “He’s a great back to Fremont administrator High School, and leader, where he was a and I hope teacher for many I lived up to years, fostering what people relationships expect from with many staff him during in FUHSD. my time at “We miss Lynbrook.” having him After a around because formal search he always has a for a more smile on his face,” long-term Lead Resource replacement, Specialist Anne Kimberlee Greene said. “We Morgan, the definitely miss Social Studies his spirit here.” Department As Wong Lead at continues to Cupertino recover, the was chosen community as Wong’s wishes him PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM MARILYN WONG temporary the best for his Wong arrives at the SCV Rehabilitation Center for physical replacement recovery. Wong therapy after initial care at the UCSF Medical Center. on Nov. 9. is thankful for all With prior experience as a temporary the support staff and students have shown assistant principal at Cupertino in the Spring him, reading and re-reading all the cards of 2021, Morgan transitioned to working that were sent his way. at Lynbrook on Dec. 1, taking over Wong’s “I am very fortunate to work with various responsibilities such as supporting somebody like Eric,” Jackson said. “You the social studies, physical education, never know how special someone is to you mental health and guidance departments until you’re in a situation where their life is and coordinating after-school events. on the line. I hope he knows that he is very “I’m looking forward to challenging loved.”

OPINION

05 the Epic

District should preserve world language classes GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLOTTE BOLAY, TAEK KIM AND LILLY WU

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic

Please refer to the news story for the full background context.

ollowing a period of deliberation, during the Nov. 7 meetings the FUHSD board announced their updated proposals concerning the future of the schools’ world language courses amid declining enrollment. The first possible course of action, Option A, is reflective of the original plan to phase out the language with the least number of enrolled students at each school. Meanwhile, Option B proposes removing one language from each school, with the exception of Lynbrook and Homestead High School due to stabilizing enrollment projections in their respective at-risk languages. Because Option B best aligns with the interests of the FUHSD community, the district should implement it as it adopts a more individualized approach that seeks to preserve the district’s robust and long-standing language programs. “We want to provide as many language opportunities for our students as we can,” FUHSD Superintendent Graham Clark said. “When we can provide more options, the students benefit.” In previous discussions, many community members felt excluded from the board’s decision-making process. After hearing persistent community feedback, the district has improved the transparency of its communication with the community, leading to the creation of Option B. “I think the district did a good job of evaluating the community’s concerns and taking in public commentary,” Japanese teacher Jeremy Kitchen said. Between the two scenarios, Option A provides a supposed fairness in reducing a language at every school, prioritizing financial sustainability by lowering the number of staff on payroll. However, this option fails to consider the unique circumstances of each school’s

editors-in-chief — myles kim, susanna tang

language programs. At the meeting, some students, parents and teachers at Lynbrook and Homestead believed that following this plan would result in a blanket solution for declining enrollment at all schools despite class size variations in the same languages across schools. In this sense, adopting the same solution would not at all result in the fairness the district was aiming for. “In addition to what students, teachers or the community want, we have to look at the issue from many different perspectives and find pros and cons in each of them,” FUHSD board member Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto said. At Lynbrook, the Japanese program fosters a lasting sense of cultural appreciation within Lynbrook’s Japanese-learning community. For instance, Lynbrook’s Japan Bowl team frequently performs well at the annual national Japan Bowls, regularly taking home finalist awards. Student competitors spend time immersed in the language’s intricacies and culture, and this passion is what secures Lynbrook a top place in competitions. Phasing out the Japanese program would pose a threat to the future of this nationallyrecognized team and tight-knit community. “The Japanese program has been a home even though it’s smaller than the other language classes,” senior and Japanese Honor Society President Rickey Chiu said. “Although I am proud that our Japanese program is wellrenowned for winning competitions like Japan Bowl, it’s the community that really resonates with me.” Likewise, students find language classes to be valuable in providing them with a new perspective or reconnecting them with a part of their own culture. Lynbrook class of 2019 alumnus Charlotte Zhang expressed her passion for Japanese while she was in high school, acknowledging how it continued to follow her post-graduation. “Since we Japanese students all had a similar passion, the community was really welcoming and understanding,” Zhang said. “We were lucky to have Miller as a feeder school, so I knew some of my classmates

from seventh grade through AP Japanese. You can create some really long-lasting relationships — almost lifelong friends — in the program.” The board also considered the number of students enrolled in middle school programs, which would feed into high school language courses and affect the class sizes. For instance, the Cupertino Language Immersion Program and the Japanese program at Miller Middle School both feed into Lynbrook and help prepare students for their respective high school language courses. As a result of these programs, 85% of the Citizen Advisory Committee indicated a preference for keeping all languages at Lynbrook and Homestead upon reviewing statistical data in October. This review of data reflects community desires to protect generations of language programs. “Logistically, executing Option A might be easier for the district, but I think we all agree that having more opportunities for students should take priority,” Kitchen said. Although some in the community still find it preferable for the district to preserve all language programs, the district currently has no plans to keep all programs. Thus, while Option B is far better than the previous Option A, it still presents many unanswered questions regarding how students would take languages not offered at their schools. Nonetheless, it is a big step in the right direction. “I’m really appreciative of all the people who have given their thoughts and supported me in this process,” Kitchen said. “I’ve been energized by all the students, alumni and colleagues who have given the program their support.” Reflecting on the overwhelming community support and statistical justification for preserving the world language curriculums of Lynbrook and Homestead, the district should move forward with Option B. While preserving all world language programs at every school is practically impossible due to declining enrollment, Option B is the most effective compromise for protecting strong language programs at the schools where they are most well-established, and it avoids a blanket solution that fails to account for schools’ cultural and enrollment differences. the Epic staff voted 40-0 in favor of this stance.

news editor — apurva krishnamurthy

staffers

opinion editors — alyssa wang, lilly wu

alexandra wu

crystal zhu

irene hwang

taek kim

alex cotterel

david zhu

meadow shen

vidushi upadhyay

features editor — emily pedroza

amanda jin

erin fitzpatrick

nicole ge

vihaan patel

in-depth editor — eileen zhu

audrey sun

gary pan

robert yu

olivia yuan

charlotte bolay

grace zhu

rohan kakhandiki

yvonne wu

claire guo

inaaya yousuf

sarah zhang

managing editor — anushka anand

sports editor — ashley huang

copy editors — katie chin, surya saraf

web editors — daeun chung, qianzi loo

design editors — chelsea lee, valerie shu

business/pr manager — deeksha raj

adviser — josh miller

social media manager — riki murase

valued contributors: Soo Yeon Choi and Lisa Liu small print: the Epic is the official newspaper of Lynbrook High School and is a student-run open forum not subject to prior review, as protected under the California Education Code. Views expressed in the Epic do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the administration or faculty of this school or district. Letters to the Editor, guest columns and other materials to be considered for publication are welcome. Visit lhsepic.com/submissions for the guidelines and submission form.

06 OPINION

PHOTO BY LILLY WU

BY OLIVIA YUAN//IN MY OPINION

Finding my way back to fluency

livia is the name my friends and teachers call me. Usually, it’s an adequate definition of who I am. But it’s not the full story; in fact, Olivia began as an extension, added only to accompany me when my family immigrated from China to the United States. The first name my parents chose for me, the one on my birth certificate, is Yuxi — yu (᧍) meaning “language” and xi (૶) meaning “hope.”

December 11, 2023 I can still remember when speaking Mandarin came as naturally as breathing. It was an anchor to the Yuxi that stayed in China. Just as the blood of the people it belonged to flowed swiftly through my veins, the language flowed smoothly out of both my mouth and pen. As the years passed and I grew more comfortable in English, I learned to deftly weave in and out of the two languages, switching between them in a heartbeat. But three years ago, everything I thought I knew about Mandarin — and about myself — changed. It became my breath catching in my throat and my heart pounding in my ears, a hesitant pause that seemed volumes louder than the shoddy scramble of Chinese phrases that followed. Suddenly, it was English I relied on as a crutch to supplement my Chinese, not the other way around. As the time I spent with my Chinese roots and family diminished during lockdown, so did my years of knowledge and experience. Chinese class, which I used to enjoy, became a graveyard for the words that died on my tongue. Every toneless pronunciation and missing particle, every incomplete sentence

and unknown character, widened a gaping absence. By quarantine’s end, guilt had atrophied my desire to amend inaction and begin anew. I was ashamed that I had let such an essential part of me simply crumble away without even trying to salvage the pieces. With high school came a slew of resources to prepare me for college, including the AP Chinese exam. But instead of being yet another reminder of my betrayal, I saw the exam as an opportunity for redemption. Having spent the past two years navigating the tangled mess of my fractured identity to little avail, I welcomed the tangibility of the road to success. The first few weeks of the preparatory class were daunting. But seeing my classmates engaging and progressing, despite their trepidation and unfamiliarity with the AP-oriented course structure, motivated me to do the same. I took full advantage of the opportunities at my fingertips, from my place in the classroom alongside my peers to a range of Chinese media I hadn’t consumed since childhood. Once I swallowed my initial hesitation, it

was as if a dam had broken. I threw myself into speaking and immersing myself in Chinese with a new resolve. Words I thought I had long forgotten resurfaced. The first conversation I struck up with my parents entirely in Mandarin, a product of genuine interest and not expectations or etiquette, felt like coming home. The more I allowed myself to engage, the easier it became to continue. I still have a long way to go in regaining the fluency I once took for granted and reconnecting with the culture I left behind, but now that shame and guilt no longer hinder my progress that I know it is within reach. When I severed ties with and drifted away from my language, I lost sight of my history and culture. I felt so distant from my first identity and Yuxi, the name that had defined it, that it seemed like I would never recover the person I used to be. But she never truly disappeared, and by finding the courage to relearn Mandarin, I found my way back to her. I should have known from the start – language and hope would not vanish so easily.

The complicated truth behind #CelebrityActivism BY ALYSSA WANG AND GRACE ZHU

the issue or understanding ehind the podium of the United how it affects Nations Headquarters stands a proud different ambassador of a climate change communities. organization. She advocates for people to Similarly, on be more aware of their actions and how Black Out they may affect future generations — the Tuesday, many perfect image of compassion. This show influencers of selflessness is yet another addition to posted a black a carefully curated public image to avoid square on criticism. At the end of the event, her Instagram, publicist tells her to take a proud picture reducing on the stage before boarding her private the Black jet. She stands with a cigarette in hand Lives Matter and climate change out of mind. Almost movements to a instantaneously, a photo of the event is single hashtag posted on Instagram and Twitter, and and failing to thousands of people immediately like and address the comment on the post with praises. Upon original purpose closer examination, this celebrity exercises of remaining a dangerous facade known as performative offline. activism — activism done to increase one’s Performative activism reduces complex social standing through the impression of issues to simplified symbols or phrases, supporting a cause. and focuses on surface-level gestures or Celebrities are better off maintaining symbolic actions without addressing the silence than posting shallow or misleading underlying complexities. support to appear socially aware and “Celebrities who pretend to be activists relatable to their non-elite audience. If and use hashtags regarding a specific issue a celebrity truly cares about an issue, make it trendy,” English teacher Anna Kirsh they should use their platform to bring said. “It makes people join a side because awareness to the cause — instead of using they think that’s the right thing to do the cause to fuel their popularity — and without understanding it. It just minimizes educate themselves before speaking up. the importance of the situation if people If they do not do so, their actions may don’t understand the whole of it.” be detrimental to the actual issues by Not only does performative activism potentially diverting attention from the oversimplify issues, but it can also result in problem to the celebrities themselves and harmful generalizations or stereotypes. In oversimplifying complex singer Sia’s film, “Music,” issues. she depicts the story of Many public figures a non-verbal autistic girl pretend to be activists for in a film she called “a the sake of maintaining a love letter to the autism “It’s so important for good reputation among their community.” Despite activism to be focused followers, pushing a brand the film focusing on a on creating meaningful neurodivergent girl, Sia image or staying relevant to a wider audience. They appear change, rather than chose to cast Maddie to invest their time and Ziegler, a popular seeking attention.” resources into various issues neurotypical dancer, but in reality, do very little as the lead role, citing Anna Kirsh, to cause concrete change. In Ziegler as her muse. English teacher some cases, the actions of Moreover, multiple these celebrities do not align autistic actors asked to with the causes they claim to participate in the film advocate for. to bring more awareness, but Sia turned “It is when you act like you’re standing them down. By overlooking concerns raised up for a cause, but you’re doing it mainly to by the autism community and deliberately get attention for your platform,” senior and choosing not to cast any neurodivergent Intersections President Ava Roohipour said. actors, Sia not only undermined the “When they know something wrong is going authenticity of her so-called support for on, a lot of influencers, rather than donating the community, but also inaccurately or doing a small meaningful gesture, they represented neurodivergent individuals. just make a video on it.” “Performative activism can facilitate the The term “performative activism” peaked creation of harmful stereotypes in several after the death of George Floyd in 2020 ways,” school psychologist Dr. Brittany when multiple social media influencers Stevens said. “It dilutes the actual struggles overused the Black Lives Matter hashtag of a marginalized community and creates without fully educating themselves on superficial understandings, reinforcing

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLOTTE BOLAY AND LILLY WU

stereotypes, oversimplifying issues and ignoring the intersectionality of an issue. It is so important for activism to be informed, genuine and focused on creating meaningful change, rather than seeking attention or validation.” Celebrities can also be blatantly hypocritical. For instance, many celebrities advocate for climate change and claim that people should make efforts to go green. However, these are the same celebrities who own belongings such as private jets that emit critically harmful excess pollutants. Priyanka Chopra partnered with Breathe Free, an initiative focused on destigmatizing and bringing awareness to asthma, to advise her fans against using firecrackers when celebrating Diwali due to the harmful chemicals and pollution released. Yet, following this, she went on to use unnecessary firecrackers at her own wedding, which she was called out for on a variety of social media platforms such as Instagram. Personal character for celebrities has become increasingly important to fans as social media blurs the lines between fan and idol, with the celebrities one chooses to follow reflecting personal ideals. Because celebrities have such influential platforms, fans often expect celebrities to use their platform to spread awareness. It’s important to acknowledge that celebrities should not feel compelled to post and pretend to be activists despite the underlying pressure to do so. Authenticity should be prioritized, and the focus should be on genuine participation in the causes that resonate with the celebrity’s values and beliefs. Public figures should be able to advocate for the issues they genuinely care about rather than following what their fans think is important. By doing so, celebrities can better educate themselves and contribute positively to the causes they support.

“Followers tend to mimic the celebrities they admire,” Stevens said. “If we see celebrities engaging in performative activism, we are receiving a message that this type of support is sufficient in order to be admired. On the other hand, by celebrities educating themselves and genuinely engaging in an issue, followers will likely mimic that and be more supportive of the cause.” If a celebrity cares and is educated on an important issue, then their advocacy and support can be significant in initiating positive change. Therefore, celebrities must be supportive of the causes they are sincere about. Not only can they post to raise awareness among their followers, but they can also donate, go on field missions or partner with formal organizations. For example, Angelina Jolie, a celebrity and human rights activist, dedicated 20 years to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, using her platform to build awareness and support for refugees. However, she did more than just post for her own publicity; she carried out more than 60 field missions to protect the rights and safety of displaced individuals. However, celebrities also shouldn’t feel pressured to be activists for campaigns they do not know or care to advocate for — that simply leads to misrepresentations within the movement. The fame and the likes should not be so prioritized that they reduce legitimate causes to a single hashtag. Rather, public figures should use their fame and their platforms to increase awareness and motivate others to speak up. “Bringing awareness to a cause is super helpful,” Kirsh said. “But also, don’t speak about things that you don’t understand. Celebrities should educate themselves on the issue to avoid spreading misinformation. Misinformation is often weaved into performative activism, and that’s what makes it so dangerous.”

OPINION 07

December 11, 2023

Trusting AI is trusting bias BY YVONNE WU

ithin the last decade, there has been a burgeoning demand for incorporating artificial intelligence into everyday tasks. Due to its growing prevalence in online advertising, healthcare and various algorithms, it is increasingly important that people be aware of the unavoidable bias in AI. “Algorithms have improved over the years and the computational power of machines is stronger than ever,” computer science teacher Bradley Fulk said. “This means we can do things with AI that we couldn’t before.” Considering that human developers select the data that algorithms are trained on, it is inevitable for unconscious bias to surface. All humans have personal biases and stereotypes instilled in them, influencing their choices and judgments. The mere resolve for developers to use unbiased datasets is insufficient to combat the issue of AI bias. The very definition of “fair” varies from programmer to programmer, and there are over 30 distinct mathematical definitions of fairness. As a result, there is no baseline or universal guideline for programmers to determine whether their algorithms are fair or not. Programmers most often curate datasets they believe to be representative of the society around them. Therefore, it is crucial that creators familiarize themselves with a diverse demographic to minimize bias. Unbiased surveys that don’t suffer from undercoverage of minority groups and are directed toward understanding how people of these demographics view the

PHOTOS FROM A PUBLIC DOMAIN

product are beneficial show me a picture of a pretty girl to combat bias and should be implemented in the code development process. Similar to the employment of skewed data sets, insufficient training data and a lack of product testing are also large contributing factors to biases. In Apple’s face recognition algorithm on iPhones, most of the images the model was trained on consisted of white males, which means that it recognizes individuals who fit that description far more accurately. According to WIRED, it is far less capable to accurately recognize faces from people in minority groups, specifically women and people of color. Hence, widespread companies such as Apple must extensively test their products to ensure these biases do not arise in their products. Another instance of AI bias was when Amazon’s algorithm unintentionally PHOTOS GENERATED BY AI discriminated against women in resumes. A Offender Management Profiling For since-discontinued hiring algorithm Alternative Sanctions. COMPAS, an was used to scan resumes, and since algorithm used by many judges for it was trained on applications over determining the likelihood of a criminal a 10-year period and a majority of committing a reoffense, was caught in the resumes were from males, it heavy backlash. Studies showed that the inadvertently taught itself to favor algorithm incorrectly flagged African male candidates. The algorithm gave Americans as potential criminals candidates scores from one to five around twice the amount of times and presented they mistakenly flagged Caucasian these scores to individuals. It was found that the data hiring managers. they fed the program was skewed, and Unfortunately, the it imposed black offenders with a higher algorithm would baseline regarding reoffense rates. As usually rate what a result, incarcerated African American they suspected citizens received erroneously high-risk to be women’s assessment scores. This influenced the applications lower. judges’ unconscious perceptions of the This incident accused individuals, which resulted highlights the in many wrongful convictions. Since unpredictable AI is actively being integrated into the evolution of these justice system, this incident only further machine learning emphasizes the urgency to confront and programs and prevent AI bias. the necessity It is true that AI algorithms are of the public more effective in reducing bias to be cautious compared to humans since they are and understand prone to neither human emotion nor that biases are volatility. However, it is evidently not perpetual. a foolproof method to eliminate bias. “We don’t know Instead, algorithms can provide the what these models impression that they are completely are capable of,” fair, yet covertly contain hidden biases Machine Learning that the general public experience the President Anish consequences of. As revealed through Lakkapragada the incidences of AI bias that occurred said. “For things across different situations, the current like these newer research and knowledge regarding AI technologies, it’s and its capabilities are not sufficient for important for us humans to rely on AI without caution. to treat them with “The biggest thing that I would point caution.” out to people is that AI is all very new,” Racial Fulk said. “I would tell anyone to treat discrimination in anything to do with machine learning AI is regrettably with caution. It is not always going to be prominent, and it accurate.” was highlighted in the Correctional GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MEADOW SHEN AND AUDREY SUN

PHOTO BY LILLY WU

BY TAEK KIM//IN MY OPINION

Tutoring cures my indifference

hen I think of my old self, I think of a narrow-minded person who found it difficult to empathize with others. If I had not gone through a similar experience, I could not relate to and help others going through unfortunate situations. Consequently, when I was considering becoming a tutor for refugees, I thought I would have a hard time understanding their lives and knowing how to connect with them. In January 2022, I was introduced to Seed Academy, a refugee tutoring organization that was looking to recruit high school students. Although this job seemed foreign, part of my conscience pushed me to seize this opportunity to gain a fresh perspective. Soon after I started, a senior volunteer asked me to become an English tutor for Mohammad and Benazir, an elderly couple who are refugees from Afghanistan. Though I was unsure if I was qualified, I accepted the proposition. Nervously introducing myself, I noticed a sharp glare from them, possibly caused by the confusion at my sudden appearance. I then sat down and began to flip to the pages of Mohammed’s book. Making conversation and learning about their lives initially felt awkward and distant, but as I started working with Mohammed through conversational exercises, his cautious glare soon morphed into an expression of amusement. “Mohammed, repeat after me,” I said. “This is my cat.” With a big smile, Mohammed excitedly answered, “This…is…my…cat. This is my cat!” His smile touched my heart in a way I have not experienced before. It seemed like a smile that was given by the community that cared about him. It seemed like a smile that meant that everything would be alright despite his past tribulations. As I went over the counting exercise with Benazir, she shared this smile as well as the delight and enthusiasm to learn. When the class ended, the couple thanked me happily in English. Although it remains true that, because we come from very different backgrounds, I will not be able to fully empathize with the refugees, my firsthand experience working with them made me realize that I could make a positive impact in their lives through tutoring them. In fact, it was my experience working with my tutees that pushed me to further commit myself to making positive impacts on refugees. I felt myself growing more openminded as I spent more time working with refugees, and I began to think that my ability to personally bond with the refugees surmounts the difference in life experiences. The friendships we made with the refugees were derived from the joys of learning together, and in the process, we learned more about each other. My experience taught me that we are bonded by one major idea: community. No matter the different life circumstances, cultural backgrounds and opinions that we hold, a community provides support and friendship for each other. What is most important is that these people are still part of our community. One way or another, we grew up in a community that raised and supported us, and in turn, we should do our best to give back to the community and help build one another up.

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08 the Epic

Student musicians share cultures and celebrate histories BY APURVA KRISHNAMURTHY AND EMILY PEDROZA

Peter Aguirre’s tambora

anging from tabla to tambora, Lynbrook musicians hold different instruments close to their hearts. These rhythms or melodies transcend generations, holding culturally rich histories in the strings and beats of their instruments.

Srilakshmi Ramanan’s veena

reshman Srilakshmi Ramanan cradles the veena — a large string instrument and staple in Carnatic music, a style of Indian classical music — fingers slipping between two sets of strings. The four main strings on top of the neck of the veena create the melodies of the instrument. The notes appear in the following order: the upper Pa, upper Sa, lower Pa and lower Sa. The strings allow the musician to switch between octaves, while the three auxiliary drone strings on the side of the neck maintain the rhythm and create harmonies with the other strings. Ramanan was introduced to the veena by her mom who played the string instrument in India but had to stop upon immigrating to the United States. Her mother was still adamant about ensuring her daughters were enrolled in the arts, so Ramanan’s older sister began taking veena lessons. This inspired Ramanan to enroll in the same class at the age of six. “I really enjoyed watching her practicing because I could tell she really enjoyed playing and it was inspiring,” Ramanan said. The veena has also allowed Ramanan to bond with her sister over their shared love for the music. Whenever she would play at home, her sister would provide her with corrections to improve her skills. Additionally, Ramanan and her sister listen to concerts in the car, noting what they liked about each piece or what the artist did well. Watching concerts has also allowed her to learn from professionals to better herself as a musician. At times, Ramanan still struggles with improvising swaras, strings of notes, because producing creative patterns on the spot can be daunting. But through practice, Ramanan develops muscle memory for improvisation, generating swaras at home to preempt any mistakes in the high-pressure setting of the stage. Ramanan keeps an open mind and especially pulls inspiration from her veena teacher, a family friend, whose gentle approach when teaching motivates her. When visiting her concerts, Ramanathan notes her special techniques and adopts them into her own routines, for instance, when playing with one finger instead of two for a smoother stroke. She draws on her experience as a veena player not only in singing by visually representing notes or rhythm, but also in daily life. “I think it makes me more analytical and I like analyzing where each note starts from in music,” Ramanan said. “You learn how to maintain your composure in front of a big audience.” She hopes to keep growing as a musician and ponders the prospect of teaching the veena later in her career.

enior enior Peter Aguirre’s forté is the Colombian tambora, a drum used in folk music. Large and two-sided, they bear a striking resemblance to barrels due to their origins in salvaged rum barrels. Aguirre had previously learned string instruments like the ukulele and guitar, but first learned the tambora in 2016 before Carnaval San Francisco, a large Latin festival. While he was drawn to musical instruments as a way to connect with his culture, the first time he performed the tambora, he was replacing a musician out of the blue for a parade where various Latin American countries would display their cultural dances and music. He connected with his culture in the San Antonio Bay Area, where there was a thriving Colombian community. His father taught him the instrument’s fundamentals quickly. “It was a cool experience understanding rhythm for the first time because I had played under instruments but never percussion,” Aguirre said. He soon joined the band Drums of Colombia, where he played during concerts. Aguirre has gravitated to fast-paced rhymes and beats as they allow for more creativity and improvisation. He was particularly drawn to Mapalé, a dance style originating from fishermen and slaves to commemorate the end of a work day. “I do the faster routines just because it just feels more fun to play,” Aguirre said. “There’s so much rhythm there that you also feel like you’re dancing with the rest of the community.” Creating harmony between instruments of a band and the singer’s vocals is Aguirre’s favorite aspect of playing the tambora. Hearing the drum’s effects complement his fellow band members provides Aguirre with a sense of purpose. “If you listen to music without the tambora it sounds completely different,” Aguirre said. “You can feel the difference with the tambora and you’ll feel like you’re actually doing something.” Playing the tambora greatly influences Aguirre’s identity as well. His love for Colombian music was nurtured from a young age, as Aguirre often listened to it often in his free time. But being able to apply his appreciation for music through a physical medium by learning tambora from elders in his community taught him to appreciate his culture thoroughly since childhood. Moreover, rather than feeling pressured to practice the tambora regularly or fit it into his daily schedule, Aguirre chooses to play it recreationally and for enjoyment. “I think it’s important for everyone to learn an instrument,” Aguirre said. “I think it’s a cool skill to have and it helps develop something inherently human, like rhythm.” Aguirre hopes to use his tambora skills as a means of creating bonds within Colombian communities in college, through performing at cultural events or using it as a medium to connect with others through their shared heritage. “It was definitely cool to see how tambora became more than just an instrument for myself,” Aguirre said. “It became a community and I learned more about my roots.”

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM ABHINAV ATHREYA, PETER AGUIRRE AND SRILAKSHMI RAMANAN DESIGN BY FEATURES SECTION

Abhinav Athreya’s tabla

enior Abhinav Athreya hammers the outer rim of his tabla, then strikes its goatskin center for a perfectly tuned thrum. This instrument, a pair of drums, is largely associated with Hindustani music, a style of Indian classical music that has traveled down his family line, providing him with a sense of identity. Athreya learned tabla basics in third grade from his uncle who had played the instrument. Athreya enjoyed the various rhythmic aspects of the tabla so much that he continued his education by enrolling in formal classes in the same year. “You wouldn’t think that there’s a lot of different sounds you can make with just two drums,” Athreya said. “But there are so many different ways to play; it’s very cool to me.” Upon observing a vocal performance from his cousin, Athreya was inspired to follow a similar path and enrolled in Hindustani singing lessons shortly after. Although singing and percussion are sonically different, Athreya’s vocal abilities heavily influence his execution of the tabla. While accompanying vocalists at concerts, he uses his knowledge of singing and improvises with the flow and intonations of their vocals. “When I’m accompanying someone, I think of how I would approach it through the lens of singing,” Athreya said. “There’s a lot of overlap between the two especially since they’re in a similar musical style.” Athreya was able to apply his tabla skills in Miller Middle School percussion band and Lynbrook marching band, where his rhythmic calling led him through the different art forms

of Western drums. He has continued playing the tabla even throughout his high school career, fostering a multifaceted passion for music. However, these jumps weren’t as easy as he first expected. Due to the vastly different playing etiquettes and genres of music, learning the technique of tabla took some adjusting. Yet, Athreya remained hopeful. “I realized they’re both instruments so there’s going to be some overlap,” Athreya said. “This mindset made it both easier and more enjoyable for me.” Tabla is another way Athreya feels he embraces his Indian heritage and shares musical spaces with fellow music enthusiasts at Hindustani classical concerts. Moreover, music has manifested itself into his daily life, whether he is listening to music recreationally or altering his listening experience in concerts. “A significant portion of my identity is influenced by being a musician,” Athreya said. “Whenever I attend a concert, I think of the music from the perspective of the artist rather than just as a member of the audience.“

December 11, 2023

FEATURES

Teaching to learn: exploring the journey of a student teacher BY VALERIE SHU

a teacher and a person — are still trying to learn and grow.” tricks as his mentor and was able to divide tasks from her Lim was originally inspired to teach by the joy and purpose choir classes evenly between them. he found in helping students become more confident “Music teaching is a very physically as well ach year, new student teachers step into classrooms with themselves through music. After as mentally challenging across campus to gain hands-on experience with graduating from San Jose State University job, so the fact that I students and learn valuable skills — a critical step in with a degree in music education, Lim don’t have to put out their journey to becoming fully-fledged educators. entered student teaching with the goal of that energy all day long Aside from meeting state education requirements of a has been nice because bachelor’s degree and certification tests, aspiring teachers in working in choir and with high schoolers. Isola responded through SJSU, agreeing he takes over half of that California are required to complete student teaching hours to take on Lim and help him fulfill his for me,” Isola said. to apply for certification. The exact second-semester Having already number required requirement of completed a year of can vary based on one year of student student teaching at the college. For teaching. another school with an those like student“Music student academic culture and teacher Austin Lim teachers don’t environment different seeking a Single PHOTO BY VIDUSHI UPADHYAY operate the same from Lynbrook, Lim has Subject Teaching Lim’s hands beckon to the crowd of students as they sing. as other student also sought to provide Credential, this can teachers — Mr. a fresh perspective look like joining a Lim has been involved in teaching to students on how to handle academic priorities and high school classroom the class right from the get-go,” Isola pressures. Through his teaching, he aims to not only help for a year to work said. “I’m mostly working with him students organize priorities in a way that allows them to under the guidance on classroom management, the pace live more in the moment and express themselves more of experienced of the lessons and keeping goals and genuinely, but also to encourage students to try new things educators. Working in objectives in mind throughout.” — without being given explicit instructions and fearing music teacher Crystal While student teachers’ roles failure — in a way that mirrors situations they may face in Isola’s choir classes usually evolve through the year the real world. for the first semester, as they gradually take on more “I hope to teach children the joys of music but also to Lim hopes to inspire Lim mentors his choir students in breathing techniques and responsibilities, Lim has been teach them that music as a medium, especially singing, is an and guide students voice control. engaged since his start with ultimate expression of being comfortable and accepting who with his passion for classroom activities ranging from leading warm-ups to you are,” Lim said. “There are a lot of things in life that we music and choir. rehearsing songs. With Lim already having accumulated can’t control and nothing is perfect, but there is still joy to “So far it has been a very fun experience,” Lim said. “It’s a experience in teaching, Isola mostly provided small tips and be found and appreciating that joy is important.” challenge but it also reminds me that students — and me as

Ethan Chiu crafts himself a future in blacksmithing BY KATIE CHIN

YouTube channels run by blacksmithers such as Will Stelter and Torbjörn Åhman. hin wisps of smoke curl upward to the Chiu gathered scrap material including bars of steel from home improvement stores such sky from between the gloved hands as Home Depot and Harbor Freight Tools as of junior Ethan Chiu as he sits behind well as his grandpa’s workshop. Both Chiu’s his blacksmith’s forge in his backyard. The grandfather and father own a large variety melted point of silver steel, now enveloped of tools in their workshops, as they nurture in a red hue, slides to mold snugly around an interest in construction and car repair, the sharpening blade. Chiu’s latest creation, respectively. Chiu forged a small two-inch long knife, the steel using a compact, cools on a metal rack after amateur forge from Amazon having taken the entire that he stores on an old Thanksgiving break to barbecue grill, in which the complete. metal is able to brace the Chiu began “I have become more heat from the forge. blacksmithing in the disciplined because “If I had put the forge on summer before his sometimes the project a wooden table, it would freshman year, and was takes a long time.” have burned down because inspired by beautifully the forge would have crafted knives and gotten too hot,” Chiu said. swords from a variety Ethan Chiu “The barbecue grill has an of martial arts movies Junior advantage because you can and reality television work there safely and you can cover it up shows such as “Forged in when it rains, so the tools won’t get rusty.” Fire,” a competition series that challenges Blacksmithing for Chiu first involves bladesmiths to recreate iconic weaponry lighting the forge — a type of hearth with from throughout history. An avid fan of a heat source and oxygen input used for these entertainment genres, Chiu set out to heating metals — with propane and then forge his first project — a miniature sword. adding steel. The forge first reaches a “At the time, I couldn’t yet make a fullvery red heat, the temperature at which size sword, so I decided to just stick to the a metal begins to glow red. At this heat, miniatures,” Chiu said. Chiu hammers out the rough shape of the Because he didn’t yet have the tool he wants to create. As he approaches expertise to create a fullthe finishing stages, he lowers the heat size sword, Chiu found and hammers out any bumps to create a tutorials to craft his 1. smoother surface. model sword Chiu initially built and operated a from books homemade forge consisting of plaster and and sand inside a paint can with a tube connecting to propane. After discovering that his homemade forge functioned poorly, he upgraded

1. Knife 2. Plane 3. Chisel

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM ETHAN CHIU GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY GARY PAN

to his current one. Since beginning blacksmithing, Chiu has worked on developing his technique and skill and hopes to continue to grow over the next few years. “Before, my projects were usually smaller in scale, but they gradually got larger and more elaborate,” Chiu said. “I used to craft small tools and knives, but recently I’ve been working on woodworking tools and knives.” In the summer following his sophomore year, Chiu spent a month crafting his Bowie knife, a classic American knife used by frontiersmen. He faced many challenges, including having to remake the guard from scratch because it was misfitted, and not being able to acquire certain required materials. However, one way he’s learned to overcome this is by forging the materials he needs to make his tools. For example, while making his chisel, he decided to fuse carbon steel to the mild steel due to not having a sufficient supply of carbon steel. “In my opinion, the coolest part about blacksmithing is that you can make your own tools since you work with metal,” Chiu said. “Sometimes you make a tool to make a tool to make a tool.” Chiu spends about five hours a week blacksmithing at home, carefully crafting his next project. Tools like the Bowie knife have demanded focus and determination for long periods of time due to its size and the importance of the project to him. “I have become more disciplined, because sometimes the project takes a long time,” Chiu said. “You really can’t rush that.” In the future, Chiu looks forward to sharing his passion for blacksmithing with other Lynbrook students by founding a blacksmithing club on campus. He and his friends, who frequently visit his house to learn about blacksmithing, hope to begin club meetings

in the 2024-25 school year after finding an adviser; there, he would teach club members about blacksmithing techniques and materials as well as host forge days on the weekends for members to practice their skills. “I think the importance of blacksmithing is mostly the mental aspect, not the physical skill,” Chiu said. “It’s more about enjoying the process of creating something from scratch rather than only focusing on the end goal.”

10 FEATURES

December 11, 2023

Eagle scouts soar to new heights through service projects BY NICOLE GE AND ROHAN KAKHANDIKI

agle Scouts are the highestranking position in the Boy Scouts of America organization, a rank attained through years of service and the completion of an independently organized service project. Despite the wide range of service projects completed, each of the experiences of Lynbrook Eagle Scouts demonstrates their leadership capacity and unwavering dedication to serve their community.

Lori Liu’s gardening shed

mid the rhythmic clatter of construction, senior Lori Liu, an experienced Boy Scout, works shoulder to shoulder with members of her community to guide the construction of a new shed. As hammer meets nail and teamwork transcends physical labor, the community-driven progress unites everyone, forming closer bonds. After four months of laborious planning, Liu successfully completed her service project and acquired the rank of Eagle. Her project was inspired by her experience volunteering with the Cupertino Rotary Club at the Northwest YMCA community garden, where she created paths, built planter beds and implemented compost practices. Undertaking the construction of the shed, Liu was determined to apply her acquired knowledge and skills to make a meaningful contribution to her community. “Going through the ranks and leadership positions in

Laasya Kolli’s gardening plant

enior Laasya Kolli kneels against pavement, one hand closing around a screwdriver and the other gripping the wooden planks that would soon frame her planters, nurturing rare native fauna. Having spent two months as an Eagle Scout, Kolli had aided her community through various projects and volunteering opportunities. Her most recent project took her near the Baylands Nature Preserve, where she spent time helping build planters for various drought-resistant California native

Ravi Sevalia’s antique trays

enior Ravi Sevalia and a group of younger scouts hammer and drill wood into a suitable case for future treasures. Sevalia has spent five months as an Eagle Scout, with his service project consisting of building trays that work to store more artifacts for the Butte County Historical Society Museum. Having heard of the opportunity from his family in the Central Valley, Sevalia rose to the challenge. He helped in building storage for the incoming antiquities, as the museum had been experiencing a limitation of storage space. Along with a group of fellow scouts, he and his team finished the difficult project in roughly three months. The beginning stages of the project were filled with tedious work. Sevalia spent two months consulting peers and employees at the museum to plan the project. He and his team encountered problems in the process, such as difficulties in getting the proper applications and paperwork signed and incorrect measurements when building the cases.

Rohan Patel’s bulletin boards

romoted to the rank of Eagle Scout about a month ago, senior Rohan Patel decided to create two bulletin boards for the school for his service project after communicating with Lynbrook administration who identified a need to improve communication with the community. Patel worked closely with school administration for two months, fostering open and productive discussions that made the process smooth from start to finish. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of leading the younger Boy Scout volunteers during the building stages of his project. He was inspired after witnessing their quick ability to adapt to new situations, acquire sawing skills and learn to use various tools.

Their enthusiasm gave the building experience a sense of joy, and most days had an unexpectedly large number of volunteers. With fluctuations in volunteer numbers during the construction process, Patel adapted and learned to make the most of the available resources. “Seeing the community come together to help with the project was definitely a joy to experience,” Patel said. “It’s honestly a culmination of all the work I’ve put into scouting.” This experience was instrumental in Patel’s growth as a leader, teaching him the importance of careful planning. Patel structured activities to provide older scouts with leadership opportunities and younger scouts with learning and building opportunities. “I realized that my job as a leader was to see things from a larger perspective and not get too caught up with all of the little details,” Patel said. “I made sure the project ran smoothly, and balanced that goal with working on the project to serve my community.”

Boy Scouts was what made me capable of developing the skills of running a service project on my own,” Liu said. The planning phase of Liu’s project involved meticulous logistics and resource management. She first created and added to a manual that listed materials and corresponding prices. After comparing the pricing for materials from different sellers — Home Depot, Lowe’s and Kelly Moore Paints — she chose Home Depot for their better deals that would cut costs. However, Home Depot unexpectedly lost the order and could not ship materials in time. Liu reacted quickly, casting a last-minute order to Lowe’s and adjusting materials in her shed manual. To fund the project, Liu fundraised through a variety of methods, sending out emails and primarily acquiring funding through one-to-one conversations with community members. She also set up meetings with two committees from the Cupertino Rotary Club — the Youth Services committee and Climate Action committee — and received $200 from each of them respectively. She earned $2,200 in total, enough donations to execute her project.

The actual construction of the shed took three days and was the most enjoyable part of the project for Liu. She relished the opportunity to work alongside friends and community members, making the process not only efficient but also exciting. “The experience of working alongside members of my community is second to none,” Liu said. “I love witnessing everyone’s shared passion and collective effort towards this cause, and it’s truly what motivates me to give my best as a Boy Scout.”

plants she helped plant for Environmental Volunteers, an organization focused on training volunteers to lead environmental projects at school. Kolli joined the project after learning about it from her scout advisers, Linda Chin, John Parissienti and Greg Charles, drawn to the prospect of aiding the community by adding more California-native plants to Palo Alto, crucial for food webs and the environment. While working on the project, she used her skills of leadership and creativity to construct the planters over the course of a month. She guided her team through tool usage, leading the volunteers in both building the planters and planting the flora, while demonstrating both acts herself. With the help of her team, she constructed a useful set of four-by-eight-foot planters that housed plants native to California. She was a major contributor to the project: helping schedule work sessions, filling out the necessary paperwork and approvals from her administrators and leading the team through the tough process and drafting the project’s proposal, which helped get the project the proper start that it needed. “The project really gave me the self-confidence and selfesteem that I needed to realize that I can work hard even in college and take care of my daily responsibilities,” Kolli said.

These lessons were learnt through hardship, blossoming from struggles, challenges and effort. Despite her unfamiliarity with volunteers, she approached them with both friendship and command — letting them have fun and play at times while enforcing work when needed. “At first it seemed like the group of guys I was leading had little respect for me, but over the span of days, they grew accustomed to my leadership style,” Kolli said. Through the project, Kolli learned to collaborate with others toward a common goal, the value of asking for help, versatility, communication skills all while balancing her work with her stressful academic life, sticking with the project from the ground up. She still reflects fondly on its origins, the paper sketches, and all of the memories that brought the planters to fruition and especially appreciates the help from all of her team. These gained skills empowered her to other walkways of leadership, experiences valuable to her role as head photographer of Valhalla, where she can more easily stand her ground, compared to her childhood, when she was shy and soft-spoken.

The small mistakes him and his team had to deal with caused complications in scaling for the antique cases. However, by pushing through any problems with careful planning and organization, Sevalia and his team managed to finish the project to great success. “There are people who can help you, but you’re in charge of making every phone call and organizing everything,” Sevalia said. Sevalia especially enjoyed working with other members of scouts, including people that he had been friends with for several years. Since the group that was working on the project was tightly-knit and close, doing the work felt less laborious and more fun. He enjoyed spending the Saturday work sessions with his friends at his own house, helping each other construct the artifact cases and having an enjoyable time. He also spent time helping the younger scouts in the process of building from scratch. Sevalia demonstrated how to use tools like hammers, drills and squares. The project group bonded further through group lunches, helping form a better team. While the many problems and setbacks led to issues

in the project, Sevalia felt that the project was worth the effort. After three months, he and his team dramatically improved storage efficiency at the museum, with the amount of space for incoming museum artifacts doubling in size. The museum wasn’t the only thing that grew: at the project’s end, Sevalia found himself more determined and disciplined. “I became a lot more proactive when I did activities, ” Sevalia said. “I became more of a go-getter. Working hard with my peers helped me be more focused.” GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY PAN PHOTOS BY ROHAN KAKHANDIKI AND GARY PAN

IN-DEPTH

the Epic 11

The factors behind San Francisco’s economic decline BY VIHAAN PATEL AND AUDREY SUN

efore the pandemic, San Francisco’s streets were bustling with tourists, restaurants were packed and malls were crowded with shoppers. As one of the top four cities in the United States in terms of Gross Domestic Product, San Francisco has long been a hot spot for tourists and has prospered economically. However, its economy took a huge hit during COVID-19, and has yet to fully recover. Acquired by the United States in 1846, San Francisco has become one of the 10 largest cities in the nation. As a city, San Francisco has gone through many changes, such as the 1849 Gold Rush, the 1906 earthquake and recent downfalls with high-tech businesses. “Somewhere in the late 1990s, businesses started to move away from San Francisco, and into the greater Silicon Valley area — Cupertino, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and Mountain View — causing San Francisco to change,” said Ninh Nguyen, an economics professor at San Jose State University. Recently, the San Francisco economy has been losing its steam, suffering severe hits in tourism and the housing market. Prior to COVID-19, more than 25 million people visited San Francisco each year, with the city making an average of $10 billion annually from tourism alone. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, between 2011 and 2019, San Francisco ranked fourth overall on inclusive growth, but between 2019 and 2021, the region tumbled to 109th based on data collected. The steep decline in tourism during COVID-19 for many big cities like San Francisco heavily factored into its economic suffering. Although COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and tourism has resumed, the economy is still nowhere near where it was before the pandemic. “It’s very difficult for an average middle-income family to live in San Francisco right now and enjoy a lifestyle that isn’t super expensive,” history teacher Mike Williams said. “San Francisco is a wonderful city, it’s just really expensive.” The uneven distribution of wealth present in San Francisco contributes to the ongoing gentrification of San Francisco, with an influx of affluent individuals purchasing and renting properties. This drives up housing costs, making it increasingly difficult for the average person to afford living in the city. Outside of housing, people with middle and low incomes who live in San Francisco also face other daily challenges to maintain a reasonably priced lifestyle. The pandemic not only affected tourism but also influenced the living situations of many local residents, with many tech workers opting to move away from their costly San Francisco apartments to work remotely. On average, workers at high-tech companies in San Francisco are only back in offices three days a week. According to the SFGate, San Francisco has an office vacancy rate of 33.9% as of September 2023 — a record high. This created a major hurdle for many businesses in San Francisco, such as restaurants, shops and small businesses that became increasingly dependent on business from tech workers. Aside from individual businesses moving away, one of San Francisco’s biggest attractions, Westfield Mall, is in the process of closing. As a result of the rising rates of online shoppers during COVID-19, many consumers didn’t return to stores, making malls less profitable and sustainable. Back in 2002, Westfield invested

a substantial $460 million for the expansion of the mall, but recent financial struggles have led to the corporation defaulting on $558 million in loans. Sales plummeted from $455 million in 2019 to a mere $298 million in 2022, prompting the mall to transfer management to its lenders as they were unable to pay back loans. “Closing the Westfield Mall was a loss for San Francisco because it’s known to have a lot of retail and contributed to the San Francisco economy,” senior Ritam Chakraborty said. “However, at the same time, the government will have to pay less to keep up these malls, which could be beneficial in the long term.” The downfall of the mall is also represented in the decrease in foot traffic. In 2019, more than 9 million people visited and shopped at the mall, but this number has dwindled to nearly 5 million by 2022. Another factor that contributed to the mall’s shutdown is the escalating crime and shoplifting rates. The recent surge in criminal threats has deterred shoppers from coming and has posed risks to retail workers. Some analysts blame the increasing crime rates on the passage of California’s Proposition 47, which decriminalized theft under $950. Other prevalent crimes include vehicle theft, which is also on the rise in San Francisco. This has frustrated many residents and tourists, who have had to take extra precautions to ensure that their belongings are safe. “I don’t visit San Francisco as often as I used to because a lot of the stores have been closing and I feel like the city has become less safe,” junior and Economics Club officer Irene Chung said. In addition to shoplifting, San Francisco has recently faced many other safety concerns, including homelessness. Homelessness has risen in San Francisco, with the city reporting that over 20,000 residents experience homelessness each year. “I visited San Francisco a lot as a kid, and I remember seeing many homeless people on the streets, which influenced my view of the city,” Chakraborty said. Part of the reason that many people have a negative perception of the city is due to the media’s exaggerated portrayal of the homelessness and crime, which makes it seem more dangerous than it really is. Although crime and homelessness have increased, most of the news coverage is concentrated in the downtown areas, where crime rates are dispporitionately high. This can lead to people have a false impression to the extent to which the city is in decline. On the positive side, San Francisco has experienced an extended period of low-interest rates since the 2008 financial crisis that has lasted for approximately 12-15 years. This has benefited various generations of investors, including real estate, apartment and stock investors. However, one concern is that the prolonged period of low-interest rates will create a false sense of security and could lead to bad policy decisions. “The reality is, the economy can’t be perpetually increasing

forever,” Nguyen said. “If everyone’s getting raises every year, that presumes that the tax rates and the value of property have to rise.” Politicians, especially in areas like San Francisco, may have become accustomed to rising real estate prices and increased tax revenues. This may create challenges if the economy becomes stagnant in the future. “It’s important to understand that our economy is truly cyclical in nature,” Nguyen said. “Typically, we think of the business cycle as being up or down, and this is why the economy optically looks bad, but it’s really not the economy per se — it’s how the tax revenue is mismanaged.” Although San Francisco’s economy seems gloomy right now, through investing in small businesses, supporting new events and improving public spaces, residents may help steer the economy around. Mayor London Breed remains hopeful about its future; earlier this year, she released a roadmap for the future that utilizes San Francisco’s vibrant downtown to reinvigorate the San Francisco economy. The plan calls for a more inviting downtown area led by clean streets and enhanced public spaces. While it might take some time for the city’s economy to bounce back, it’s on the right track to be successful in the long term.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXANDRA WU AND CRYSTAL ZHU

12 IN-DEPTH

December 11, 2023

Myopia and its myths and misconceptions BY GARY PAN AND ALEXANDRA WU

focuses in front of the retina, prompting the brain to perceive the light as blurry. Scientists have historically thought yopia, or nearsightedness, is a of myopia as hereditary. Still, recent condition where objects appear ophthalmology research, along with the clear in person but blurry sudden rise in myopia across the world from a distance. It was once thought suggests that myopia is caused by both to be an exclusively genetic disorder, genetics and environmental factors. but a dramatic increase in the number “When I was first diagnosed, a lot of patients with the condition has led of relatives told me that if I did eye researchers to question its causes and exercises my evaluate ways to counteract it. In the eyesight early 1970s, around 25% of Americans would were myopic, but over the past few improve and decades, the number has grown to a I wouldn’t staggering 41.6%, according to the need glasses National Eye Institute. This sudden increase isn’t only prevalent in the United anymore,” sophomore States, but all over the world, especially Aviva in Asian countries. Iyerkhan “We refer to genetic myopia as said. pathological myopia,” Assistant Professor Though there is a lot of misinformation of Clinical Optometry at the UC Berkeley about the true causes of myopia, they School of Optometry Sarah Singh said. are generally not credible. Common “It’s caused by the weakening of collagen misconceptions include that eye exercises and tissue in the eye. This makes it likely can cure myopia. Although for the eye length to these exercises can prevent excessively elongate, the eyes from straining which is what causes after looking at screens for myopia.” a long time, they cannot The most “The changing of daily cure myopia, according to important habits such as the the American Academy of components of the Ophthalmology. amount of screen time eye are the cornea, “Eye massages cannot lens and retina. consumed may be the cure myopia because they The cornea of the cause for the rise in cannot change the shape of eye is a clear tissue myopia.” the eye,” optometrist Dr. Mai covering the eye’s Ngyuen said. “Myopia occurs surface, allowing Dr. Elise Harb, because the shape of the eye light to enter the eye. The lens is a clear Pediatric Optometrist is no longer spherical. These exercises don’t do anything curved structure to shrink the length of the situated behind eyeball.” the iris. The curved nature of the lens Many also believe that myopia is an allows light to focus upon the lens and optical problem alone. Although lower send information to the retina. Then levels of myopia can be corrected by Laserthe retina, a layer of cells in the back of assisted in situ keratomileusis, also known the eye that are receptive to light and as LASIK surgical procedures, higher levels send the information to the brain, allows of myopia cannot be cured. people to see. “The underlying disease risk later in life Myopia is generally categorized by such as glaucoma are all related to axial the severity of perceived blurriness of length,” ophthalmologist Dr. Jonathan Li the eyesight caused by the overgrowth said. “Even if myopia is corrected through of the eye axial during adolescence. glasses, these treatments cannot change the Children are usually born with nonaxial length.” spherical eyes that are too short. As they grow, their eyes also grow in size until they reach a spherical shape, which is ideal for eyesight. Patients with myopia usually have continued eyeball development, and their eyes stretch beyond normal capacity. This causes light from closer objects to focus on the retina, while light from objects farther away

PHOTO BY EILEEN ZHU GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBERT YU AND CRYSTAL ZHU

A primary factor of myopia is genetics. Children of one myopic parent have twice the chance of developing myopia compared to children of non-myopic parents; five times if both parents are myopic. “The changing of daily habits such as the amount of screen time consumed may be the cause for the rise in myopia,” pediatric optometrist Dr. Elise Harb said. There are, however, ways to prevent myopia from developing. Recent studies by Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science suggests that the release of dopamine due to sunlight helps regulate the eye’s growth. “The reason why outdoors might be beneficial is that it increases dopamine but dopamine is also known to change its regulation with different other visual experiences not related to being outdoors,” Dr. Elise Harb said. Since sunlight stimulates dopamine release, frequent exposure to sunlight can prevent myopia from developing. Myopia can also be prevented by not looking at objects more than 20 centimeters away since the constant focus on close objects can cause the eye to elongate. Taking frequent breaks helps avoid straining the eye and allows the eye muscles to relax. On the market, there are many technological advancements that greatly benefit students because they provide versatile options to combat myopia. Besides glasses, eye doctors often prescribe Atropine sulfate drops to use at night. According to the National Library of Medicine, these eye drops dilate the pupil and inhibit the elongation of the eyeball. “Atropine drops and Ortho-K are currently the most effective treatments,” Dr. Ngyuen said. “I usually recommend patients use Atropine drops because Ortho-K can damage the eyeball if used incorrectly.” Another common form of treatment for myopia is Orthokeratology lenses, known as night contacts. Ortho-K lenses temporarily change the shape of the cornea and are used for correcting moderate myopia. One downside to the treatment, however, is that if used incorrectly it can scrape the

eyeball and cause infections. Having this option encouraged students like Zhou to explore new technology that has the same effect on combating myopia as glasses. “I think getting contacts boosted my selfesteem because I was insecure in middle school and was concerned about my vision,” Zhou said. “Other than being a dancer, I didn’t like how glasses looked on me, so I got Ortho-K.” Because of the age-old stigma around those who wear glasses, students may gravitate toward options like Ortho-K so they can see normally without the usage of glasses. Ortho-K currently has the largest volume of evidence of slowing down the progression of myopia compared to standard vision glasses. According to the Review of Myopia Management, Ortho-K lenses can slow down myopia by around 50%. Although myopia can still progress while using Ortho-K lenses, the lenses reduce its progression speed if worn regularly. There is strong evidence that Ortho-K lenses control myopia progression for children under 16 years old. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Atropine sulfate drops can also be used before putting in Ortho-K lenses. However, the combination of the two only seems to work within the first six months of joint usage. “The two treatments work together better than alone, but they only work better together for the first six months,” Nguyen said. “They still work to combat myopia after the six months, but this joint usage shows no noticeable benefit compared to when used separately after those six months.” Refractive surgery is another way to correct myopia. LASIK is commonly used to fix eyesight in adults 18 years or older. As newer technology is pushed out, students have more methods to combat myopia. Students with myopia may suffer from seating charts and blurry vision. If students miss a night of wearing Ortho-K, they will not be able to see normally. This may cause issues with their ability to learn that day because of their impaired eyesight. “My eyesight is fine when I don’t wear my contacts the first few days,” junior Ethan Chen said. “After a few days, my eyesight degrades and it’s hard to see things. If the board has small lettering, I can’t see clearly.” As the world changes, the daily habits of many change as well. As the daily habits of students change, doctors are now finding new ways to combat myopia. “There is a lot of ongoing research to better understand how students’ environments play a role,” Dr. Harb said. “It’s not a bad idea to try to get outdoors often and not be outdoors just looking at the phone but being outdoors and looking at further distances and in bright light. Taking breaks from work is important.”

December 11, 2023

IN-DEPTH

Oversimplification and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth BY ALEX COTTEREL AND EILEEN ZHU

“G

lobal Warming is a Hoax!” “Airpods cause cancer!” “93% of students pass AP Chinese, it’s so easy!” In today’s era, it is not uncommon to hear generalizations from our politicians, celebrities, influencers, friends and family. Humans are prone to experiencing the Illusion Of Explanatory Depth, a phenomenon in which people strongly believe that they understand complex matters more than they actually do, which affects preferences, judgments and voting. “People often know something in the sense that they are acquainted with it or familiar with it, but they don’t have a deep conceptual understanding of it,” said Daniel Zelinski, a philosophy professor at Richard Bland College of William & Mary. The concept of IOED was introduced in a 2002 study by Dr. Leonid Rozenblit and Dr. Frank Keil. A pool of Yale University graduate students was asked to rate their knowledge on a scale of one to seven regarding a series of 48 objects. They were then asked to write a detailed explanation about one of those objects and rate their comprehension of its inner workings once again. After being confronted with their ability to describe their supposed understanding, all of the participants rated their knowledge an average of one to two points lower than their original rating. IOED can influence many choices that one might take for granted. Zelinski believes

that personal experiences of IOED are often political stances. The majority of the influenced by a self-important analysis participants tried and failed to explain of one’s knowledge which can result in a complex policies, resulting in more reluctance to seek professional advice for moderate stances for those participants. In these day-to-day decisions. turn, participants were forced to confront “People tend to believe that they their ignorance or realize their blind spots. understand their own mental and physical In a separate experiment, Fernbach had health, and when there’s an issue, they think people list reasons for supporting a certain they know what’s wrong and how to fix it,” policy. Participants only had to talk about Zelinski said. “As a result, they’ll end up not their personal views, which in many cases reinforced their original beliefs or views. investigating or seeking help, which can be As seen through the study, IOED can harmful.” also be exacerbated by a lack of exposure It can be beneficial to recognize IOED to diverse opinions and ideas. An insulated in situations where the effects of decisions community that never seeks to challenge are impactful for society as a whole. For instance, people can often make uninformed their opinions can lead to one feeling overly confident in their knowledge of a topic, political decisions regarding candidates despite not doing much actual research. or policies they support that they would “Isolation from others’ opinions otherwise not fully endorse if they knew is compounded by the segregation of more information about the topic. communities into people who In a study conducted only agree with each at the University of other,” Zelinski Colorado Boulder’s said. “This Leeds School doesn’t give us of Business, opportunities for psychological recognizing our scientist Phillip own limitations Fernbach and around his colleagues understanding.” designed a similar While many experiment.They polarizing had participants political debates explain the run rampant mechanics of the in society implementation GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT YU AND CRYSTAL ZHU today, it’s of two of their

often overwhelming to truly dive deep into researching a topic of interest. Because people don’t truly understand and form opinions based on the story supported by unbiased data, extreme views tend to form. In a vicious cycle of such illusion and political extremism, society becomes progressively more polarized politically. While many politicians tend to gain public support through policies and ideologies they endorse, the media is overpopulated with bold and oversimplified statements about complex issues, from immigration to climate and environmental policy. What’s more, IOED can lead people to vote based on misrepresented moral values or belief systems. “Students are on TikTok and Instagram so much that when they see a headline and oversimplified post they automatically adopt the opinion of the post,” junior Himani Kunjal said. “Then they believe they have the full scope of a political topic.” The humbling experience of being caught off guard by a lack of understanding is a common one. Zelinski recognizes that this is an unavoidable circumstance; however, he believes that there are ways to combat one’s own bias. “Awareness is a helpful first step,” Zelinski said. “Recognizing that your ignorance is not something to be ashamed of and being aware that this is a common psychological bias that people have can help you notice where you’re experiencing it.”

Shen Yun makes waves in the Bay Area BY CLAIRE GUO AND AMANDA JIN

dancer extends her legs across the teal poster, leaping with her head tilted back, sleeves unfurling to her sides to make a bold line for the words “Shen Yun.” Underneath the title, a subheadline stalks boldly across the page: “China before communism.” Whether on billboards driving down local highways or a flyer hung in a shopping plaza, the Bay Area is undoubtedly familiar with these advertisements. Yet, underneath the surface, Shen Yun has been entangled in controversies since its establishment in America in 2006.

Shen Yun was formed by a group of Chinese artists in New York who practiced Falun Gong, their founding religion. Falun Gong is a spiritual movement based on a common practice in China, “Qigong,” in which followers participate in focused breathing and slow physical movements, with the purpose being to provide health benefits and potentially cure illnesses. This practice was created in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, born in the Jilin province of China. Over time, Falun Gong grew into a more religious movement, promising salvation for followers, although members still classify the movement as spiritual. As a result, Li is widely accepted as a God-like figure in the community. By the mid-1990s, Falun Gong had established over 2000 practice stations in Beijing alone — a massive feat — and officials in the Chinese government were

starting to worry that the practice would lead the Chinese population to become more loyal to Li than itself. In 1999, the government issued an arrest warrant for Li, alleging that Falun Gong was a cult, and has since enforced strict anti-cult laws. Whether Falun Gong really is a cult is still debated, although former Shen Yun musician Eric Orwoll believes that it is. Orwoll auditioned for Shen Yun in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2013. He worked with the company for six months, most of the time on tour, and his experiences gave him unique insight into how Shen Yun operates. “I heard a lot of stories of people who believe they had been miraculously saved by Li, primarily young people brought up in the organization by parents who are also part of it,” Orwoll said. “Shen Yun is just a ballet company, but the broader religion is Falun Gong, which is a cultlike organization. There is a founder who is essentially worshiped by members, which is typical of cults.” Another part of the current controversy surrounding Falun Gong stems from statements that Li has made: that homosexuality is a sin, evolution is a fraudulent theory and that aliens brainwashed the world using modern technology, although Li later stated that his comment about aliens was not intended literally. Li’s stance on race-mixing has also been the subject of concern, as he believes that it brings a person farther from heaven and God and that any mixedrace child will not have a “heavenly kingdom” to ascend to when they die. Yet, despite these controversial aspects, Falun Gong is built upon the principles of truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance. Followers are asked to cultivate a selfless heart and to always think of others before themselves. “Master Li advises practitioners to never respond in kind when we are mistreated,” said Carolina Avendaño Duque, a Falun Gong practitioner. “He told us, ‘We require you to be a completely extraordinary person, to completely give up your own interests and to be entirely for others.’” Duque found Falun Gong through a brochure in a cafe in Calgary, Canada.

SCAN ME

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT YU, CRYSTAL ZHU AND ERIN FITZPATRICK