After a long morning of classes, lunch is a much-needed break for students. Under Lynbrook’s current food delivery policy, students are not allowed to have meals delivered to the school campus or nearby houses from food delivery services. However, an alternative to a completely restrictive ban that allows for both safe and effcient food delivery is worth considering. In order to better inform food delivery policy, Lynbrook should be open to implementing student input.
According to the student handbook for the 2024-25 school year, “meals cannot be delivered to students through the offce,” including meals from delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats. At the beginning of this school year, Assistant Principal Eric Wong sent out an email reminding students of the policy, outlining confscation as a consequence for violation. Reminders have also come in the morning announcements and “The Week Ahead” emails.
The ban is effective from the beginning of the school day until the offce closes at 4:30 p.m. However, this prevents students who have after-school sports and extracurricular activities from receiving food deliveries during that time, which is often before their practices or games. According to the school policy, students who order food may have it delivered to Rainbow Park. This policy aims to prevent traffc accidents and safety issues with food delivery workers entering the campus unauthorized.
Story continued on page 5.
Editors’ Picks
Editors’ Picks
Lynbrook should revisit food delivery policy pg. 5
Vedanshi Prasad overcomes obstacles and ignites inspiration pg. 8
How the College Board took over American education pg. 13
Campus life without varsity football pg. 15
Page by Amanda Jin and Rohan Kakhandiki
Vicky the Viking brings diversity pg. 2
Le er from the Editors
Nice to meet you, Vikings!
We’re Olivia and Crystal, your editors-in-chief, and we’re so excited to introduce you to the Epic’s frst issue of the school year!
In these pages, you’ll learn about Vicky the Viking, our perspective on the food delivery ban, a student’s writing through hardship, the College Board’s surprising history and Viking life without varsity football. At lhsepic.com, watch Principal Janice Chen’s fascinating answers to 33 questions about herself.
The Epic wants to share stories that matter to you. Submit a sub-200 word response to a piece from this issue or a sub-500 word opinion on any issues relevant to Vikings at enc.epic@ gmail.com, for future publication in print and/or on our website! Have an idea for a story? Let us know at bit.ly/ epicstudentinput.
Finally, these stories wouldn’t be possible without our adviser, Mr. Miller, and our staff.
Enjoy, Olivia Yuan & Crystal Zhu Editors-in-Chief
Campus, community and world events
BY RACHEL MARTIN
On Aug. 19, Lynbrook took 10th place out of 1,646 high schools in California and 86th out of 17,901 high schools nationally in the U.S. News & World Report.
The ranking was a result of students’ high subject competence levels and high AP exam pass rates, as well as several other considerations, including the college readiness index, the state assessment profciency and the graduation rate. The school has a 90% AP exam pass rate and state test scores that exceed district averages by 11-18% and state averages by 44-71%. Lynbrook received a score of 99.52 out of 100 overall.
School Community National International
Waymo, a Mountain View-based self-driving car company, has increased the number of its vehicles on the road, welcoming 240,000 more weekly trips from May 2023 to April. This is likely due to safety updates. Waymo was founded in January 2009 and launched publicly in San Francisco in August 2021. It now has a net worth of about $45 billion. Waymo cars have seen steady improvement, reporting an 85% reduction in injury-causing crash rates and a 57% reduction in police-reported crash rates since December 2023. Their cars have exceeded human standards in over 7 million miles of autonomous driving.
The city of Santa Clara hosted the annual Parade of Champions on Oct. 4 around Franklin Square, a festival that has operated since 1969 and involves game booths, competitions and food trucks. The festival garnered support from local businesses and nonprofts, such as JW House. Competitions involving marching bands, dance teams and community-made foats allowed participants to win up to $5,750 in prize money. Looking to give back to their community, the Parade of Champions also offers scholarships for high school seniors. This year, the festival welcomed guests like Olympic athletes and community leaders.
Matcha, a kind of powdered Japanese green tea, has become so popular that it is causing shortages in Japan, spiking prices and causing brands to limit the sale of certain matcha products. This spike in popularity can be credited to its prevalence on social media and various health benefts. Many traditional matcha farms are generational, so as farmers age, they struggle to keep up with demand. Matcha is produced in several fushes, which produce different favors of matcha. This annual cycle contributes to the pressure. The shortage can also be attributed to climate change, causing matcha farms to yield less product.
Vicky the Viking brings campus diversity
BY AMY YUAN
Victoria the Viking, Vicky for short, and Lynbrook’s
ASB came up with the idea for a new school mascot while recruiting
‘‘that they had to prioritize effcient ways of transforming the costume, which included using glue to attach Vicky’s eyelashes.
We hope that her high energy, her love for Lynbrook and her passion for spirit are contagious, and we think she’s a nice balance to Victor.
Anna Kirsh ASB Adviser
another mascot initially began as an inside joke, ASB decided to turn this idea into reality in order to increase representation for the female population of students, eventually remaking one of the new costumes into Vicky with the help of art teacher Charlotte Kruk.
Following ASB’s vision for Vicky, Kruk replaced the mustache of the Victor costume with pink fabric paint to create Vicky’s lips. Additionally, Kruk gave Vicky large hoop earrings made of binder rings and doll eyelashes. Jiayi Zhou, junior and Kruk’s teacher assistant, also helped in assembling the costume, braiding yellow yarn to make Vicky’s hair. However, Kruk and Zhou needed to fnish the costume fast, as the two were given relatively short notice and ASB wanted Vicky’s costume to be ready before the rally. This meant
‘‘“Glue wouldn’t have been my choice, but in the interest of time, that was the solution,” Kruk said. Kruk also used fabric paint instead of the original idea of using felt fabric to make lips to cover up the hot glue left from the mustache.
Vicky’s costume was fnished on Aug. 28, the day before the rally. On the same day, ASB revealed her to the Lynbrook community through a Love Island-inspired teaser posted on their Instagram account. Vicky debuted in person near the end of the Welcome Back Rally with Kruk, who walked her out to a cheering crowd.
“We hope that her high energy, her love for Lynbrook and her passion for spirit are contagious, and we think she’s a nice balance to Victor,” ASB adviser Anna Kirsh said.
In the future, ASB hopes to give Vicky and Victor a greater presence on campus by incorporating them into more school-wide events, including sporting events to support student athletes.
“One of our hopes is to make more costumes for Victor and Vicky, like a spirit tutu for the rallies or qipao for Lunar New Year,” Cheung said.
Students also think that Vicky could split from Victor at rallies to interact with both sides of the gym. Overall, students appreciate the addition of Vicky to Lynbrook’s school spirit atmosphere.
“I feel like she is a good addition to the school, because Victor the Viking has to have a friend and now, our school has two mascots, while other schools have just one,” sophomore Lucina Huang said.
Photo used with permission from Creative Commons License
Photo used with permission from Wikimedia Commons
Photo used with permission from Creative Commons License
Photo used with permission from Creative Commons License
Photo by Samanvi Bandugula Graphic illustration by Brian Lee
PVSA pause leaves service uninterrupted
BY EMILY CHEAH
The Presidential Volunteer Service Award program was paused indefnitely on May 27 following budget cuts to AmeriCorps, the government agency funding the initiative. Historically honoring students for their volunteer work, the 2025-26 school year is Lynbrook’s frst year without the award program, leaving clubs on campus like Interact and California Scholarship Federation without this national platform for student recognition. Despite the pause, members have continued volunteering and found value beyond the award.
In 2003, PVSA began recognizing Americans of all ages for their service by providing bronze, silver, gold and lifetime awards based on the amount of
service hours recorded in a 12-month period. Recipients were honored with an offcial certifcate, medallion and a letter of recognition from the United States president. Members of Interact and CSF previously utilized this to have their service hours submitted and allowed for club members to qualify for awards.
“Members who were collecting hours with us might’ve been close to their service goal starting from their one year mark,” senior and co-president of Interact Jessica Lee said. “The sudden pause could’ve been discouraging, especially when we have been motivating them consistently.”
Another concern among offcers was losing PVSA as a marketing point. Although PVSA was a strong selling point for Interact, its membership surprisingly increased in the past year. This trend was unexpected, but it confrmed for Lee that the pause didn’t affect students’ motivation to volunteer.
“PVSA is a good incentive,” Lee said, “but once you get involved with the community and start volunteering, that sense of fulfllment is what makes involvement meaningful and sustainable.”
While some members of services clubs emphasized the connections formed through volunteering at tutoring sessions and elementary school STEM events, others learned to manage their time
and communicate with people of all ages and backgrounds.
“One of my favorite memories of volunteering was when I was handing out water bottles at a marathon,” junior and CSF member Harshini Vishwanathan said. “People were really thankful for the water, and it was nice to help out and see the actual impact of my work.”
CSF awarded three members the PVSA award last year, including senior and co-president Ryan Liu. Though Liu worked hard to earn the silver award, he considered the experience more rewarding than the recognition.
“I’ve met a lot of my best friends through CSF,” Liu said. “I was volunteering for the fun of it, not really for the award.”
Even without the national recognition that the PVSA provides, CSF still offers members the chance to earn scholarships and to wear a golden stole at graduation through active participation. Interact offers their own stole as well, and also rewards the member with the most points at the end of each semester with a prize.
“The stole is something you can carry with you at graduation, but it’s also for the memories of volunteering,” senior and gold PVSA recipient Jason Wu said.
AmeriCorps now directs volunteers to the Points of Light program, which recognizes a volunteer every weekday. Though it’s uncertain when PVSA might return, students and service clubs continue to celebrate members and their community work, maintaining the value of service and of the lasting impacts on our community.
“I hope people will continue volunteering to help the community and have fun, even without the award,” junior and bronze PVSA recipient Aditi Skandan said.
Upcoming Viking Events
Homecoming, Oct. 6-10
Students and staff will show off their school spirit with skits, dances and a rally. For more information, please refer to the special bell schedules on the Lynbrook website.
National PTA Refections, Oct. 9
Submissions for this year’s theme “I Belong!” are due! Students can show what identifes them through categories such as art, music and dance. For more information, visit PTA.org/Refections.
PSAT, Oct. 11
Sophomores and juniors can take the test at school from 7:45-11:30 a.m.
Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 13
To honor Native American culture and history, there will be no school on this day.
Fall Concert, Oct. 22
The band, choir and orchestra will perform their frst concert of the year, themed “Down by the Bayou,” in the auditorium from 7-9 p.m.
Photo by Anushka Deshmukh and Tristan Lo.
Reporting by Samanvi Bandugula.
Local movement advocates for Calabazas
BY CLAIRE GUO
After 18 years of serving the Cupertino community, the BMX course at Calabazas Park faced wearand-tear from a lack of larger renovations, despite community efforts to maintain the course. In response, a community organization led by Cupertino resident Apollo Papaioannou and Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers garnered support from the City of San José in July, receiving over $100,000 in funds to renovate the course.
“I’m glad that this community effort has appeared to make sure the damage isn’t too permanent,” senior and biking enthusiast Adrian Philip said. “Over time, the dirt gets looser, especially after rain.”
The BMX park was established in 2007 and stands as the largest city-funded BMX course in the Bay Area.
“There aren’t a lot of BMX parks in Silicon Valley,” Silicon Valley Mountain Bikers president Jessica Tseng said. “So it’s an absolute gem — a lot of mountain bikers utilize this park to improve their skills before they get on the trails.”
However, the BMX park had begun to degrade over the years due to weather, bike traffc and lack of maintenance. According to Tseng, the dirt jumps were not correctly sized, and the dirt surfaces were loose and slippery. Furthermore, the park lacked a natural skills progression, so adjacent zones increased rapidly in diffculty, presenting a threatening situation for newer riders.
Noticing this issue, Papaioannou, a BMX enthusiast, initiated a community effort to improve and rebuild the park in 2022. Since then, he has invited his friends and the community to Saturday Tuneups, weekly events where the community helps sweep rocks, remove squirrel tunnels and fx the shape of the ramps, among other
things.
“We’re all really in love with that place,” Papaioannou said. “Even people from Oregon and Washington have ridden at Calabazas. We want to keep the community going, and each generation has its own kind of torches. For this generation, I’m the big push.”
Initially, Papaioannou worked out-of-pocket and lacked proper funding and tools. He knew that the course needed long-term fxes as opposed to short-term corrections.
Upon hearing about Papaioannou’s work, SVMB emailed him to offer support. Their mission is to work with local parks to provide safe spaces for mountain bikers through renovation and fundraising for community trails. The Calabazas BMX park was no exception — since 2024, SVMB had been talking with the city of San José to renovate the course. Their endeavors culminated in a successful community effort: residents contacted San José councilmember Rosemary Kamei requesting a larger budget for bigger fxes.
“We reached out to our
community of 2,700 members and said, ‘Please write in because we need to make sure this park gets updated for safety,’” Tseng said. “They did their job — so many people wrote in.”
Now, the BMX course has received $130,450 for safety and quality improvements. Kamei’s team submitted 11 amendments to the Mayor’s June Budget Message, with the Calabazas Park renovation ultimately making it into the fnal budget. This proposed budget will go towards raising the platforms of the jumps and increasing directional signage. The project will be completed with specifc rack maintenance tools and the budget also includes a salary for a maintenance worker to be stationed at the park.
“My favorite part about the Calabazas BMX park is the different jumps,” Philip said. “I like the inclusivity. Basically anyone of any level can try it.”
PVSA’s bronze, silver, and gold awards are displayed.
Photo used with permission by Ksims.
Photo by Claire Guo
Bay Area pushes back against presidential policy
BY ASHLEY HEIN AND DAVID ZHU
In the past year, political tension washed across California as President Donald Trump’s administration increased national immigrant deportation operations and slashed medical and housing funding. The effects of these federal policies have garnered local backlash: Bay Area schools, and city and county governments have responded to the administration in a variety of ways.
County and state-wide responses to recent federal immigration crackdown
Two dozen members of the Solidarity and Unity Network, a coalition of groups dedicated to San José’s social justice and minority rights advocacy, gathered in front of a federal courthouse in June to protest federal immigration policy.
Both state and Bay Area governments have pushed back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids since Trump took offce: California passed policies such as Assembly Bill 49, while the Santa Clara County Offce of Education made a similar commitment to keeping ICE off school campuses. However, fear of detainment still triggered declining attendance at Santa Clara County schools in early 2025.
In July, ICE arrests jumped 77% in northern California since 2024. This was attributed to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which increased ICE’s detention budget by over 300%, giving the agency an additional $75 billion for arrest, deportation and detention efforts.
“I know people who don’t have their citizenship and have gotten an email from the U.S. Embassy saying, ‘Keep your identifcation on at all times,’” junior Evan Li said. “That’s scary.”
On Sept. 23, FUHSD sent an email to all families reaffrming its commitment to ensuring the safety of immigrant students. The email referred families to the Santa Clara County Offce of Education’s resource webpage for immigrant students.
“There are strong policies in place to protect students now,”
Principal Janice Chen said. “But more of the concern is arising with regard to periods of transit to and from campuses, and unfortunately, that is not in our jurisdiction, because our jurisdiction is within our campuses. What we can do is ensure that once students have reached our campuses, they feel safe here.”
In December 2024, the Santa Clara County Offce of Education and the Santa Clara County Board of Education cosponsored Assembly Bill 49.
County and state-wide pushback to federal healthcare policies
Trump’s bill includes a 15% reduction in federal funding for Medicaid. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Offce estimates the bill would cut roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid spending, leaving 11.8 million Americans uninsured by 2034. This money would then be diverted toward, among other things, the Rural Health Transformation Program, aimed at addressing health disparities in rural communities.
California’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, insures over one-third of California’s population. Santa Clara County alone, where one in four residents rely on Medi-Cal, is projected to lose more than $1 billion funding. Medi-Cal is also the largest federal revenue source for the county’s public hospital system of four hospitals and 15 health clinics.
In response, cities around the Bay Area coordinated the “Families First” protests in July, which took place in Oakland and San José and involved Medicaid recipients, local healthcare workers and other community members. Bay Area demonstrators chanted, carried signs that read “No Big Ugly Bill” and called the cuts inhumane.
Amid large cuts to public health funding, the Trump administration has also rolled back vaccine recommendations to the public. In June, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fred all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with a new panel that includes anti-vaccine advocates. On Sept. 19, the panel voted against recommending the updated COVID-19 vaccine to anyone aged 6 months or older, leaving it up for a personal choice. The panel also declined recommendations to states for COVID-19
In response to the rollback of federal vaccine recommendations, California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii formed West Coast Health Alliance in early September to issue their own recommendations for the 2025-26 respiratory virus season. These include for children between 6-23 months of age, people 65 years of age and older and people younger than 65 with risk factors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The alliance also recommended that all people older than 6 months of age
Institutionalization of homeless population
The Trump Administration ceased funding for the Housing First model on July 24, a program which provided permanent housing to homeless people before they meet work or sobriety requirements. Executive Order 14321, entitled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” has increased the threat of involuntary commitment for the homeless, especially in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Currently, California’s homeless population is the biggest in the nation, having been estimated at 187,000 individuals, or 28% of the nationwide population.
The California legislature passed a spending plan on June 13 that allocated $325 billion toward building temporary housing. However, recent federal cuts have forced the California legislature to negotiate a compromise in the face of strained budgets.. In May, San Francisco joined a coalition of local governments to sue the Trump administration for threatening to revoke hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants aimed to assist and prevent homelessness.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to include a fveyear sales tax increase, known as Measure A, on the Nov. 4 special election ballot. Measure A, which would require approval from more than 50% of voters to pass, would help the county raise around $330 million per year for low-income affordable housing.
Meanwhile, Bay Area mental health advocacy groups such as Families Advocating for the Seriously Mentally Ill are protesting, arguing that with the federal government deploying a signifcant police presence to relocate and arrest homeless individuals, the negative stereotypes and criminalization of the mentally ill are going to skyrocket.
“The issue of involuntary institutionalization is a diffcult one,” said Charles Ungerleider, friend of FASMI vice president.
Graphic illustration by Ashley Hein.
Photo used with permission from Wikimedia Commons.
Photo used with permission from Wikimedia Commons.
Graphic illustration by Tristan Lo
full story.
Lynbrook should implement new food delivery system
Story continued from front page.
“Because the food delivery workers are not regular parents who come on campus, they tend to come in from the no-entry in the parking lot,” Wong said. “We’ve seen a lot of very close calls, because they come in from the exit while somebody is leaving, and they’re not expecting a car to come at them.”
Although the policy also bans deliveries to neighboring houses, homeowners near Lynbrook have still expressed concern over student food orders being delivered to their homes without permission. A food delivery policy that encourages students to direct delivery workers to a specifed location could make deliveries more accessible and prevent disturbance to neighboring residents.
“Students can DoorDash anywhere off campus, but not
Staf Editorial // The voice of the Epic
peoples’ houses,” Wong said. “We’ve had neighbors who’ve had meals delivered to them a lot, and that’s become a big issue.”
Despite complications, many students have valid reasons for choosing food delivery services. Since this policy was implemented in 2018, circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the Lynbrook food scene. During the lockdown, services like DoorDash became much more popular due to increased
‘To meet student needs, Lynbrook should consider a compromise to the ban, such as a modifed policy that would allow food deliveries at or near the GSS through a streamlined procedure, similar to the one at Cupertino High School. Cupertino’s food service policy allows food delivery workers and parents to drop off meals at a table in front of the offce. A similar policy at Lynbrook would mitigate direct interaction with off-campus delivery workers while preventing them from entering campus.
Since so many people get their food delivered to school, there should be some sort of change or reform such that it’s handled further rather than just preventing it completely.
‘‘Starting in 2021, in accordance with the statewide Universal Meals Program, Lynbrook began serving free meals to all students. While the cafeteria provides a variety of meals daily, it often runs out of popular items quickly, leaving students limited options like cheese pizza. For students who still want other items, food delivery services offer a good alternative.
Students with dietary restrictions and allergies may also struggle to fnd enough cafeteria food that meets their needs, resorting to food deliveries. Deliveries are also an option for students who can’t
“Students in high school should be able to use DoorDash because it’s really convenient for us to get a variety of food that we want,” freshman Hannah Li said. “If we don’t want to eat pizza every day, or if we don’t have the time in the morning to pack food for ourselves, we can still get the food that we want.”
With restaurants and snack shops within walking distance, students at Cupertino have multiple options for fresh food off-campus. On the other hand, Lynbrook students have fewer options, “Different schools have different philosophies,” Morgan said. “This also contributes to the differing food delivery policy between the schools. Ultimately, we want to keep students safe and keep the school functioning appropriately.”
Apart from banning food delivery services, the current Lynbrook policy also prohibits family members from dropping off meals. Establishing a drop-off procedure would allow students to receive food from their families as well, providing a source of fresh, home-cooked meals.
students as packing food from home is not always easy for families and students,” junior Erin Chen said. “Sometimes if your class is far and you’re in the back of the line, you end up getting less nutritious food from the cafeteria.”
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Having a food delivery table could lead to problems like traffc dangers and food being left at the table, stolen or accidentally taken. Lynbrook should take student feedback to consider a compromise that would allow food delivery while also preventing logistical issues.
Some argue that permitting food deliveries prevents students from learning how to take responsibility for their own meals, asserting that students should either remember to bring food or eat in the cafeteria.
“As a parent, I feel that it is also part of our responsibility to teach students that they should remember just to bring meals in the morning, taking care of their lunches,” attendance accounting specialist Jena Rajabally said.
However, delivered food simply provides another option, similar to the
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Lynbrook’s policy should be amended to allow a safe and streamlined way for students to have access to food delivery. With increased communication and implemented feedback between students and administrators, we can reach a policy that ensures both safety and accessibility to food.
“Prohibiting food deliveries to campus with the current system doesn’t actually stop the people who want to DoorDash or get Uber Eats,” Chen said. “Since so many people get their food delivered to school, there should be some sort of change or reform such that it’s handled further rather than just preventing it completely.” the Epic staff voted 33-0 in favor of this stance with fve abstaining.
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Photos by Audrey Cabaltica and Saavan Saraf Graphic illustration by Maddy Chang and Catherine Yang
enough for people around you to point it out. It’s like being able to hit a ball with control compared to barely hitting it at all.
When I was young, I found joy in switching between my interests. I told my frst coach that I had only been playing badminton for a short time. Just like my brother, he would say that with my “talent,” I could become someone outstanding if I practiced hard enough. My chest would warm with determination at the compliment, willing my body to move just a little faster on the court.
Photo by Maddy Chang
BY CATHERINE YANG // IN MY OPINION
Alright with being alright
“You’re really good for your frst try,” the girl in my neighborhood offering art lessons commented after I showed her the rose I drew. “You’re really good for your frst try,” the lady selling my mother a $20 fute off Facebook Marketplace complimented after I immediately made a sound through the headjoint. “You’re really good for your frst try,” said my brother as he helped adjust my grip on a worn racket that we were using to play badminton. During the summer before my freshman year, he taught me the basics until I picked it up — and fairly quickly, I did.
To be clear, picking things up quickly does not mean jumping into a subject and instantly becoming a prodigy. It’s when you test out something new and you’re not considered skilled at it, but you’re good
I nurtured that feeling in other subjects as well. Having a headstart meant that I would become excellent at everything I loved, like everyone expected. With that in mind, I enjoyed playing badminton matches against my friends and drawing pictures from Pinterest. The pride I saw in others’ eyes and my own happiness felt like the only things that existed in the world.
That serenity didn’t last when I entered high school. The time I initially had tight control over began to slip through my fngers. Suddenly, if the reward from commitments wasn’t seen through trophies or certifcates, it didn’t exist.
My school binder felt cursed. Opening it would trap me inside a mountain of work as precious hours passed in a blink of an eye. Hours added up into many days, weeks and months. The poses that I could draw weren’t impressive anymore. After a particularly rough badminton game, my brother’s voice cracked with frustration, criticizing my footwork. The longer I looked into his eyes while he spoke to me, the more I felt his words echoing in my head: why does it take you so long to improve? Improvement came with hard work and time, but I only had enough time to become decent — like a runner who sprinted too fast in the beginning and lost
their momentum.
“You’ve gotten a lot better,” my best friend said to me as my hands stopped conducting to the beat of the music. Her voice was flled with satisfaction that I assumed was meaningless, and she continued: “Makes sense — you were really good on your frst try.”
When I started learning to conduct for the Lynbrook band, I anticipated the disappointment that would come from her like it came from everyone else, but it never arrived. She was just proud of the pure effort I put into seemingly trivial improvements. At that moment, the warmth that spread through my chest wasn’t from receiving compliments anymore, it was everything I’ve gained from my experiences that was forgotten.
I savored the rush of excitement from playing an intense badminton game with my doubles partner who gave me high fves and laughed at my unfunny jokes. Finishing all my homework, I stayed up late drawing again to see my design on the back of a marching band leadership hoodie; members came up to me smiling enthusiastically and pointing at their little character on the back.
Being “alright” at many things has given me precious moments of laughter, distracted side conversations and so much happiness in others’ gazes that it was overwhelming. Those moments give me a sense of fulfllment that I can’t put into words. I don’t need to be the person who devotes their life to trying to catch up to others, but the person who improves because of passion and not insecurity. The limited time I have is precious, and even when I use just a little bit of it for something I love, time slows down, letting me savor every last second.
AI chatbots create a false sense of connection
BY STUTI JAIN AND ETHAN WONG
From doing homework to being a 24/7 companion, artifcial intelligence chatbots can no longer be called just tools. Gradually, they are replacing human relationships and connections. Although chatbots may offer quick, convenient responses, they are poor substitutes for therapists and trusted individuals. The more people rely on chatbots for emotional support and therapy, the more they isolate themselves from genuine human connection, making it essential to build a supportive community to help them feel comfortable.
For students juggling extracurricular activities, AP classes and more, chatbots are easy tools to use. Unfortunately, what starts as study aid can all too easily turn into overreliance for all schoolwork and even simple tasks, eventually replacing tutors and help from friends with AI relationships.
“AI’s job is not to replace genuine human connection,” senior Aarit Parekh said. “I think that’s something that humans can only do, but for other tasks, such as advanced analysis, I think AI is going to be the future of all of these.”
Charlie Kirk’s death shouldn’t rewrite his legacy
BY MADDY CHANG AND SAVAAN SARAF
Today, more students are turning to AI as a convenient alternative to therapy. Therapy is expensive; it can range anywhere from $65-$300 for a single session, and it can be diffcult to open up about one’s struggles to a stranger. Conversely, chatbots such as ChatGPT are a couple of clicks away, and can curate a personalized experience and respond without judging, but their accessibility doesn’t mean they are actually effective.
‘‘into the real world, and we’re like, ‘This is awkward. How do I have a conversation? Wait, it’s not all about me. Now, I need to ask you questions.’ It makes us more limited.”
AI’s job is not to replace genuine human connection. I think that’s something only humans can do.
Aarit Parekh Senior
“It’s really accessible and it feels anonymous,” schoolbased psychologist Brittany Stevens said. “You want a response without judgement, which could lead people to seek support from AI because it is a real barrier for people to have to tell another human that they’re struggling. But one thing that AI cannot do right now is hear tone, which is a very powerful element of communication that makes the difference in how we respond to other people.”
Beside overlooking tone, AI therapists lack the emotional insight and empathy that trained professionals have, and may provide false diagnoses. Especially in serious cases, such as when a user mentions criminal activity or suicide, AI cannot identify or contact authorities when necessary, failing to ensure user safety at critical moments.
AI companions can also create an echo chamber of validation. While positive reinforcement might seem supportive, it prevents users from challenging their perspectives and makes them dependent on seeking approval rather than building self-worth.
“Chatbots take down barriers very easily, where we can get instant responses and tons of validation,” school-based therapist Jenna Starnes said. “But that’s not how our real relationships work. We go
Moreover, loose company guidelines can impact AI usage. Meta’s AI, for instance, is permitted to engage in sexually provocative conversations, even with underage users. Inappropriate AI interactions must be addressed before chatbots can be called reliable.
‘‘Chatbots also pose a privacy risk. Generative AI tools can memorize personal information provided to them, enabling targeted identity theft. In April, Grok users’ personal data were exposed to search engines, revealing a variety of sensitive information such as relationships along with full names. The example underscores the dangers of sharing information with AI.
“AI is not a therapist,” senior Ponkartihikeyan Saravanan said. “There needs to be improvements, like less hallucinations. Until then, you’re sharing your emotions with something that can’t truly understand how you’re feeling.”
Although AI isn’t yet ft for therapy, it can still be used for a variety of other purposes. Chatbots can help in clear-cut roles like coaching a user through a panic attack. Additionally,
they may be a great resource for gathering information.
“Sometimes people give pretty bad advice too,” said Mark Healy, psychology instructor at De Anza College. “AI is good for searching the web in general, and you can get advice from a safe place.”
Ultimately, building a supportive community where students feel comfortable to express themselves without looking for a relationship in chatbots is paramount. It’s crucial for students to not only understand AI’s limitations for therapeutic use but to also seek help from qualifed professionals.
“It would be really important at the district level to work with the library media teachers to focus on how to help, in this case, issues related to chatbots and seeking mental health support,” Stevens said. “I don’t think that we should fear it and block it. I think we should try to lean in hard to help students access support in a variety of ways whenever possible.”
Graphic illustration by Ashley Hein
Proposition 50: A must have or manipulative?
This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 50, a plan by Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional districts to win fve more seats in the House of Representatives. The move is in response to Republicans doing the same thing in Texas after pressure by the Trump Administration, in a back and forth effort between the two parties to control the House. Proponents of Proposition 50 call it a necessary step by Democrats to stay on even footing with Republicans, while critics say having partisan groups draw district boundaries is undemocratic. As election day approaches, voters must pick a side.
Proposition 50 levels the playing field for voters
BY ANUSHKA DESHMUKH
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The practice of changing congressional districts to beneft a certain party is known as gerrymandering, and it’s happening in Texas right now. This not only limits a party’s voter representation, but also misrepresents the voice of the people. It is necessary for California to respond by passing Proposition 50, which would temporarily ensure equal representation for all voters.
In June, President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to engage in an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort to win a Republican majority in the 2026 midterm elections, going against the 10-year cycle after each census was taken. On Aug. 29, Texas signed the new congressional map into law, potentially securing fve more Republican seats by the 2026 midterms. Out of fear of losing the Republican majority, red states such as Indiana, Missouri and Florida are considering following Texas’ lead.
“Republicans gaining fve more seats will defnitely have an impact on the way that we pass legislation, especially since most laws pass with very slim margins,” senior and Politics Club president Chelsea Guo said. “This is indicative of an administration where we are willing to restructure our districts in order to have more power, rather than to pass the best laws for the country.”
‘‘
Victory can never come at the expense of our democracy
BY SAAVAN SARAF
TIt’s important to get involved. That’s the whole point of democracy, to be able to speak and vote for what you believe in.
Chelsea Guo
Senior
Proposition 50 would implement a newly drawn congressional map in 2026 until the California Citizens’ Redistricting
‘‘
balance out additional seats brought in from Texas’s redistricting, which would give both parties an equal chance in the 2026 midterms. In order to ensure fair representation of the American people, Proposition 50 is a necessary measure to combat unfair partisan bias in Texas and equitably represent Democrats nationally. For example, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas originally represented the state’s District 30. After redistricting, Crocket’s home was drawn...
Phone policy implementation
BY BRIAN LEE
“I think it afected lots of kids in my grade, because they really enjoyed scrolling on Instagram reels or playing Clash Royale and they get to do that during breaks,” Hu said. “Otherwise I didn’t notice that great of an efect in class — it’s just what I was used to.”
“Last year, people had phones out and gamed,” Meyers said. “Now the teachers take the phone, so students are a bit more focused. But they’ll still sometimes play games on computers or talk while teachers talk, which has been as destructive as phones.”
wo wrongs don’t make a right. Californians should reject the Proposition 50 gerrymander, which would marginalize the voices of millions of Californians at the ballot box, propped up by a “they started it” excuse.
Gerrymandering involves partisan representatives drawing district boundaries in order to give their party an unfair advantage. It uses one of two primary methods: “packing,” which concentrates opposition into a few districts to minimize their impact on others, or “cracking,” which dilutes the opposition vote by spreading out their voters.
Gerrymandering reduces the voting power of a state’s constituents and misrepresents that state’s true political leanings.
“It’s normal to redistrict every ten years after a census, so why are we redistricting now?” social studies teacher Steven Roy said. “To give one party an edge.”
Since 2010, district boundaries have been drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, a nonpartisan group that was established to refect the state’s true diversity. The CCRC follows a transparent process; they spend over a year drawing new political maps, taking input from citizens in over 100 public meetings. Each committee member is an independent citizen prohibited from serving for either party up to 10 years before applying to join.
For over a decade, the commission has been a role model for fair, citizen-lead redistricting for the rest of the country, making California one of only seven states
that have outgrown gerrymandering. But Proposition 50 would strip away its redistricting power, giving it back to heavily partisan representatives.
“Gerrymandering usually isn’t a problem in California because of our independent commission,” junior Raghav Shrivastava said. “But Proposition 50 revokes that power.”
Though the proposition expires in 2030, reinstating the CCRC, California will still have gerrymandered districts during consequential elections, including the midterms and 2028 congressional and presidential elections. It sets a precedent that fair redistricting is optional, and will only be valued when it doesn’t challenge those already in power.
Currently, Republicans hold nine districts in California. Proposition 50 would fip fve of those districts blue, giving 6 million Republicans — and a fourth of the state’s voters — a total of four out of 52 districts. It’s a clear effort by Democrats to maximize their seats in the House without fairly representing the state’s constituents.
“The district map that Democrats have drawn was done without public input that would normally happen with the independent commission,” said Sue Bozzini, Santa Clara County Election Integrity Offcer for the Republican Party. “This proposition allows them to pick their voters, not the other way around.”
Supporters of Proposition 50, the state’s Democrats, argue that redistricting is necessary to stay competitive with Texas Republicans, who show no signs of backing down.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a recent conference that “Trump is... Scan for the full story.
receives praise and feedback
“Now, we just have to actually engage with each other, and I think that’s a good thing,” Wang said. “Otherwise, I didn’t notice a diference because beforehand we also mostly weren’t allowed to use our phones in class.”
“I feel pretty good about some access to phones during school,” Wu said. “If I need, I can still call home, instead of not being able to do anything or only sending emails. It’s also easier to communicate for scheduling last minute club meetings.”
Bingchen Hu | Freshman
Graphic illustration by Maddy Chang
Photos by Brian Lee
Graphic Illustration by Catherine Yang
33 questions with Principal Janice Chen
BY NICOLAS CHENG
Photo by Sunnie Wu and Jenny Suh
If you weren’t a principal, what career would you try?
“Something to do with any animals that are fuffy like puppies and kittens.”
One thing students might be surprised to learn about you.
“I have never taken any AP classes in high school.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t sweat the small stuff in life.”
Scan for the full story.
Vedanshi Prasad overcomes obstacles and ignites inspiration
BY PRISHA PULASTYA
Italicized text is an excerpt from “The
Today I went to the redwood tree, “I’ve shaken hands with death multiple times,” sophomore Vedanshi Prasad said.
greeted by the brush of its leaves, welcomed in its embrace.
In January 2015, Prasad was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fastgrowing cancer of the bone marrow. By the age of fve, she had spent the majority of her life in the hospital. Battling the persistent side effects of chemotherapy, she was constantly tired, struggling to walk and even communicate.
Staring down at me -
“Trying to ft in at school as that one kid who was sick was really hard,” Prasad said. “They always kind of judge you on the surface.”
a person whose soul had been rewoven,
Isolation, coupled with stress, sickness and fatigue, impacted Prasad’s mental health in many ways. She found herself feeling lonely, frustrated and emotionally drained, constantly being exposed to painful treatments and death. With such foreign experiences, Prasad was often left questioning the validity of the emotions she was facing.
each seam taken out,
“There was a lot of me that was broken,” Prasad said. “I had seen a lot of bad stuff.”
restitched with soil and stone.
Bound by her dull hospital bed, Prasad began reading and writing. She particularly enjoyed reading children’s novels like Barbara Park’s “Junie B. Jones” series. One year after being diagnosed, she began her own writing journey, flling
journals with her daily experiences and emotions.
“Writing in a sense healed me,” Prasad said. “‘It helped me channel my anger, my emotions, the feeling of, ‘Why did this happen to me?’
Paper doesn’t judge.”
As I let my sorrow tear through fractured skin, / it whispered back.
‘‘
scratch in the month of November.
“I think I reached 50,000 words by the end of the month, which was really impressive for me because I didn’t think I could do that,” said Prasad. “My love for writing kickstarted from there.”
Writing helped me channel my anger, my emotions, the feeling of, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ Paper doesn’t judge.
and her aim to inspire others.
“That’s such a scary thing to do, to put yourself out there in the world,” said Gilmore. “That sort of bravery as a writer is going to serve her so well.”
However, she frequently contemplated readers’ perception of her work, fearing they would fnd it unrelatable or incomprehensible.
Vedanshi Prasad Sophomore
Although her hospital days were marked by pain, she grew to practice selflove instead of self-judgement by writing her feelings. Additionally, she began to recognize similar challenges like selfidentity in the lives of others.
Its silence - / an invitation to nurse my bleeding wounds.
Prasad’s time at the hospital left her with a set of experiences to grow from and advocate for.
Today I went to the redwood tree.
“It shaped me in a lot of ways: personality-wise, human being-wise and human empathy-wise,” said Prasad. “I will forever be grateful that I did go through this because if I had to go back and change what I did, I would do the exact same thing over again.”
In the time she spent at the hospital, Prasad considered writing as more of a pastime. After she was discharged in 2018, writing became increasingly important to her. In November 2023, she took part in National Novel Writing Month, an annual writing challenge where participants attempt to write an entire novel from
It greeted me once again, / tenderly repatching my soul with a silent hum. Today, Prasad makes writing one of her biggest priorities. In her free time, she enjoys discussing new literature she fnds interesting with her freshman English teacher, Jane Gilmore.
‘‘
“She would put a little bit more effort forth than other kids,” Gilmore said. “ Her writing had a bit of a poetic slant: She talked about ‘this feeling of warm honey pooling in my belly. I knew exactly what she was talking about, but I’ve never heard it described quite like that.”
Caressed in its mocha branches, / jagged and ruggedReading impactful books inspired her to have the same effect on her readers. She found Khaled Hosseini’s “Kite Runner” especially touching, due to its perspective on themes like self identity.
a story carved in splintered skin,
“In my writing I like to talk from the perspectives of my own problems: ftting in and self identity,” said Prasad. “I try to refect my problems in characters in my writing, so I can let everybody else in the world who feels like they don’t have a voice know that there is someone out there for them.”
washing my wounds / with honey and buttery sunlight.
On Aug. 16, Prasad challenged some of
“I don’t wish to put any person in the position I was in,” said Prasad. “But I was scared they wouldn’t see the vision in my writing or the meaning behind it.”
Today I went to the redwood tree.
“The goal of my writing is to reach the most broken and fragmented voices out there,” Prasad said.
I lay at its feet, / listened to the heartbeat of soil and stone
She recently committed to staff writer positions at online youth-led magazines Meridian Literary and Elysia Letters. Prasad hopes to continue her writing career for years to follow.
as its warmth spread through me,
“I have one or two students a year whose paths could lead them to be a professional writer,” Gilmore said. “I think she’s one of those people.”
washing me in quiet mercy.
“My nurses, my doctors, my surgeons, my nurse practitioners — everyone was so kind,” said Prasad. “They forced me, in a good way, to pursue my goals. I think that’s why I don’t want to give up on writing, because I feel that if I’m giving up on writing, I’m giving up on every kid out
Redwood Tree” by Vedanshi Prasad.
Photos by Prisha Pulastya Graphic illustrations by Stuti Jain and Sunnie Wu
NovelTea blends creativity, community and passion together
BY ALEXANDRA WU
Scoop. Pour. Smile. Filling a cup with purple taro milk tea, junior Madison Chan hands the drink to a customer and sticks a straw into her fnished product. Around her, guests enjoy her boba as the sweet aroma of tea and laughter fll the air.
“Meeting people who have never tried boba before and giving them recommendations was really fun,” Chan said. “We also got to meet other vendors and trade food at the end of the day.”
For Chan, partner of boba business NovelTea, this isn’t just a summer commitment or a weekend hustle — it’s an entrepreneurial adventure.
Rather than picking up shifts at a chain café like many other high school students, Chan helped family friend and senior student at Valley Christian High School Jayden Peterson run NovelTea. At Chan’s frst event, a 2025 Pride Month celebration, she and Peterson sold six different rainbow favors of boba and four toppings.
“Making the drinks for the frst time was defnitely a different experience than I expected,” Chan said. “It wasn’t hard, but it was more involved than a typical barista job because it felt more personal, as we had to interact with customers on a high level.”
The launch event was a success, giving Chan and Peterson the confdence to keep developing their business. Although they initially had trouble marketing the business, their determination helped them persevere.
Now NovelTea caters to birthday parties, fundraisers, school events and public popups, serving up carefully made drinks with customizable favors, toppings and even personalized stickers.
“In the very beginning, it was tough, as I would pitch to hundreds of people for zero calls back,” Peterson said. “However, simply remembering how much I had already invested in the business was usually enough motivation, as quitting would make everything I had worked for actually pointless.”
NovelTea’s menu includes eight signature favors of milk tea like Thai, taro and more. Toppings and syrups include boba pearls, coffee jelly, mango popping boba, passionfruit syrup and brown sugar syrup.
“Everything is brewed fresh right before the event, and we assemble the drinks one by one on site,” Chan said. “That’s also what makes the experience stand out because it’s not just about the tea, it’s also about giving people a really immersive experience.”
Though still in high school, Chan and Peterson hope to continue expanding NovelTea in the future. For Chan, NovelTea is more than just a boba business. It represents what matters most to her: meaningful work and connection.
“For me, NovelTea is about engaging with different communities and learning about different lives,” Chan said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to interact with people and do what I love.”
Bryce Mikolajczak’s Cell Quest gamifies
BY NICOLAS CHENG
In a quiet corner of the Lynbrook library, a group of students lean over a deck of brightly illustrated cards. Instead of kings and queens, they hold mitochondria and chloroplasts. Junior Bryce Mikolajczak watches with a proud grin as his classmates battle through a round of Cell Quest.
Cell Quest, a board game designed by Mikolajczak, turns the world of cells into a multiplayer card battle that is equal parts strategy and science lesson. Beginning as a doodle on a blank piece of paper, the game has grown into a student-led project now heading into presales.
Mikolajczak’s leap into game design didn’t come out of nowhere. Early board game creations included a spin on Clash Royale and an immune system game. One particular strategy-based card game stood out to him: Sabobatage, a game where players gather ingredients, protect their own supplies and play action cards to sabotage other players.
At the same time, Mikolajczak developed a love for biology, even memorizing organelles for fun.
“I’ve always had an interest in making board games,” Mikolajczak said. “I was also really getting into cellular biology. One day I was playing Sabobatage and I could see that you could make collecting all the organelles into
a similar game.”
In September 2023, Mikolajczak sketched what would become Cell Quest. Noticing how much faster he remembered information when laughing and competing with friends, he blended biology into Cell Quest’s gameplay.
Early prototypes were nothing more than handcut paper cards with pencil drawings of organelles.
‘‘
As the music hums and customers connect at another NovelTea-catered gathering, it’s clear that this isn’t just about drinks — it’s about connection, creativity and doing what Chan loves: one scoop, pour and smile at a time.
the world of cells
nonproft, so I knew I could contribute.”
Cell Quest has been a very informative learning experience, teaching me not only about game design but also how to talk to people.
Bryce Mikolajczak
Cell Quest founder
With interest from friends, teachers and an online audience, Mikolajczak realized that the game needed more than paper sketches. Junior Sophie Wang was recruited after Class of 2025 alumna Sarah Liang graduated. Wang transformed Liang’s doodles into eyecatching cartoon illustrations.
“I took on the role because I thought it would be really fun to make a game with a couple people I knew and also relearn biology while making the art for the game,” Wang said.
Mikolajczak invited biology teacher Jason Lee to run test trials in his classroom, while student players provided feedback. The trials helped Mikolajczak identify cards that were too powerful, mechanics that slowed gameplay and concepts that needed clearer connections to real biology.
‘‘
“I loved how he made each organelle’s action logically ft its real function,” Lee said. “It’s not just memorizing a list; you can see how organelles work with one another as you play. The design, even the handmade box with cutouts for the cards, was so thoughtful.”
Mikolajczak’s mother Everlyn Horng, who sparked his early interest in board games, helped him research small-batch manufacturing and professional printing costs.
Cell Quest Cards
Gain 3 ATP. On your every turn, if you would like to play 3 cards (instead of 2), you may spend 1 ATP to do so.
Cell Membrane
Junior Andrew Lin stepped in as vice president of marketing to advertise even further, posting about different organelles on Instagram and creating a Discord server. Recently, they have started advertising their game at Peninsula Bible Church in Cupertino.
“When Bryce came up to me and pitched his game, I was like, ‘wow, this is a great idea,’ ” Lin said. “It’s educational, it seems fun and there’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of the fnances. I’ve also done social media marketing projects for a mental health
“For a high schooler, trying to create something from scratch is really hard,” Horng said. “It’s not like school, where there’s a syllabus — you have to fgure things out, try different ideas, get feedback and iterate. Bryce has done an impressive job navigating that process.”
Now, Cell Quest is moving into presales with a goal of 250 early orders to fund large-scale production. Mikolajczak aims to have the frst offcial run ready for delivery early next year. The team has also lined up a manufacturer, Herotime, a connection Mikolajczak made through a board-game specialist.
“Cell Quest has been a very informative learning experience, teaching me not only about game design but also how to talk to people.” Mikolajczak said. “I hope students can gain a greater appreciation for biology and learn a bit about the cell — or at least an impression of what each organelle does.”
If all other players have a Cell Membrane in their cell template, you may draw 1 shield and put it in your hand.
Body
When you play this organelle, if you have both an ER and a Ribosome in your Cell Template, you may play 1 extra card.
Photos used with permission from Madison Chan
Graphic illustration by David Dai
Mitochondria
Golgi
Photos used with permission from Bryce Mikolaijczak
Photos by Nicolas Cheng. Graphic Illustrations by Isabella Chiu and Nicolas Cheng
Michelle Chung spreads sweetness, one treat at a time
BY OLIVIA TU
The fragrance of sweet vanilla envelops the kitchen as sophomore Michelle Chung pipes buttercream frosting onto a cake in concentric circles. Carefully stacking another layer, she falls into a quiet rhythm. Five hours later, she fnally steps back to admire the fruits of her labor — a rainbow cake adorned with birthday decor — feeling a swell of pride and love in her creation.
Fascinated by ASMR baking videos, Chung began making sweets in seventh grade. Although she had little experience in the kitchen, she was captivated by the beauty of transforming ingredients into art and decided to take on a new endeavor: baking a simple vanilla cake.
“I was surprised that my frst cake turned out really
matcha swiss rolls to peppermint bark cake.
“Many elements of baking came to me naturally, like piping cupcakes,” Chung said. “I used to run a slime business where I piped slime to make it look like food and that skill came in handy.”
In eighth grade, Chung launched an informal online business, selling her treats to cover her baking expenses. Entering high school, she decided to only maintain around seven clients, baking cakes for their children’s birthday parties and other special occasions.
“Michelle’s cakes are not only delicious, but are beautifully decorated,” customer Gale Moffet said. “She has a lot of energy and when she wants to pursue something, she puts in all her effort.”
Although exciting, crafting cakes is time-consuming, taking two days of preparation and one day of decorating and freezing. Her most challenging request was a circusthemed cake. Working with the unfamiliar element of fondant, she successfully sculpted a clown, lion and elephant through meticulous trial and error.
“Fondant has to be rolled out very thin and it easily gets cakey and hard,” Chung said. “It took a lot of patience and careful control in order to craft it well. Seeing the child’s smile in awe after I presented it to her made it all worth it.”
Beyond crafting cakes for special occasions, Chung also regularly shares
smaller treats with her community. Positive reactions from her customers motivate her to hone her craft.
“Michelle’s treats not only taste amazing, but are also packaged nicely,” sophomore and Chung’s friend Betty Huang said. “I’m so glad she takes time out of her day to make others smile with her baking.”
Chung’s journey with baking helped her develop organizational skills through preparing ingredients, following recipes carefully and adjusting when met with errors. She’s also learned to manage her time better — an ability that transfers to her academic life.
“I’ve learned that accidentally adding too much four or adding the wrong ingredient doesn’t mess up the whole recipe,” Chung said. “I try to adjust and learn from my mistakes, which translates in my track practice and schoolwork.”
Looking ahead, Chung hopes to continue baking if she has time as a productive way to ease her mind and destress from school. She also plans to possibly expand her clientele and start bake sales in the near future.
“I’d like to create a wider variety of treats, namely croissants and macarons,” Chung said. “Testing out different favors and fllings seems exciting.”
Photos by Olivia Tu
Graphic illustrations by the Features section
Exploring Hispanic History Month’s evolving legacy
BY AKASH ANAND AND CECILLIA WU
Since its beginnings as a week-long observance, Hispanic Heritage Month has since evolved into a
Hispanic Heritage Week gained political and social support early on, and the growth of the celebration was far from over. In 1987, California Rep. Esteban E. Torres proposed expanding the celebration from a week to a month-long observance. Introduced in the House of Representatives, Torres’ bill was never passed.
However, in 1988, Illinois Sen. Paul Simon introduced a similar bill that advocated for
The idea of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month was frst introduced in June 1968 by California Rep. George E. Brown, who represented areas of Los Angeles with large Hispanic populations. With House Joint Resolution 1299, Brown proposed a weeklong celebration for Hispanic people across the United States.
On Sept. 17, 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-498, requesting that President Lyndon B. Johnson designate Sept. 15-21 as Hispanic Heritage
Playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda transformed Broadway with “In the Heights” and “Hamilton,” which redefned American flm history.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a great way to celebrate and embrace Hispanic culture and to celebrate the independence that many Latin American countries gained during this month,” Ghattamaneni said.
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What began as a government proclamation has grown into a nationwide observance. Schools and communities now host assemblies, showcases and festivals to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, while national campaigns and social media boost its visibility. In San José, the Mexican Heritage Plaza hosts performances of traditional Latino dance and music. Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana highlights Latino creativity through art, poetry and flm. Murals with Latino infuences appear across neighborhoods through collaborations with groups like Empire Seven Studios. Residents may also visit the Peralta Adobe, the oldest building in San José, to connect with the city’s early Hispanic history.
“Learning about any culture, whether it’s Hispanic or another, can help you empathize with other groups more,” senior and Spanish Honor Society copresident Varnika Ghattamaneni said. “Understanding cultures is very important in order to reduce racism and disparities between groups.”
For many, Hispanic Heritage Month provides visibility in classrooms and communities where Hispanic contributions are often overlooked.
“When you have a holiday dedicated to a certain group of people, it brings a lot of attention to their culture,” senior and Spanish Club president Akhil Nimmagadda said. “It defnitely helps combat underrepresentation.”
As Hispanic communities grow nationwide, this month of recognition emphasizes pride in both their cultural traditions and their role in shaping America today.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the struggle and achievements that Hispanic and Latino people have endured,” senior Giovanni Cruz said. “It allows people to understand and promote diversity through Hispanic Heritage Month.”
Photos used With permission by
PICRYL Graphic illustration by Alyssa Lin and Amy Yuan
With permission by National Archives
With permission by
Wikioedia Commons
Power and privilege in the palm of your hand
BY ALYSSA LIN AND OLIVIA YUAN
Evolving from ancient letters that protected diplomats to today’s biometric booklets, passports are crucial tools that shape international currents of movement, access and opportunity. Beyond just airport routine, they reveal the dynamics of global systems, national power and individual identity — all in a booklet in the palm of your hand.
Passports refect a citizen’s specifc identity and nationality. Containing information like one’s offcial name, date of birth and biological sex, they are powerful stamps of personhood that assert the legal existence of their holders.
At the same time, they represent global mobility. Dual passports have risen in popularity as more countries recognize them and more children inherit second citizenships from foreign-born, immigrant parents. Dual citizenship grants increased freedom of movement and a safety net for national instability.
“Especially in times of deep political confict, it’s not surprising for people to go and try to get a second passport, because if you hold multiple passports, it’s like holding a pocket knife where you have many things at your disposal,” history teacher Jeff Bale said. “It puts you in a stronger position than if you had a single passport.”
Cosmopolitan opportunities like dual citizenship are supported by an integrated system that functions across countries. Global passport standards, regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ensure that countries can effciently track who crosses their borders and where citizens go.
While universal in format, passports are not universal in power. A developed country’s passport grants more travel privileges and vice versa, revealing a geopolitical ranking that both expands and limits global opportunity.
“It is the truth that people with certain passports just do not have the same ability to travel or study abroad in some countries as people with other passports,” Bale said. “It’s not an even playing feld by any measure.”
Today’s passport system is the product of millenia of evolution. As early as biblical times, rulers issued safe conduct passes that protected diplomats in foreign lands. Moving across international borders required little to no documentation, but the costs and time involved limited travel mostly to the wealthy.
“Passports were traditionally more associated with more formal diplomacy as kind of, ‘My leader,
Smy ruler, handed me the authority to speak on their behalf,’” said Dr. Alison Holmes, professor of politics and international studies at California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt. “Historically, we didn’t have passports for a really long time. International boundaries were much more fuid.”
Passports became widespread as European countries sought to manage border crossings and prevent espionage during World War I, setting the stage for the modern passport system. Following the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations looked to reduce these restrictions for limiting freedom of movement.
Ultimately, the League of Nations was unsuccessful in achieving its goal of fully abolishing passports. Governments were unwilling to give up border restrictions due to security risks and migration control. However, the conferences resulted in international guidelines on the frst versions of passports that still impact the world today.
“As we started to formalize the infrastructure and governance structures of the international system, passports rose as part of how we do that,” Holmes said. “Like a driver’s license, a passport gives me some ability to assert my identity in a space which is not my own domestic space.”
After the 9/11 attacks, the United States strengthened immigration laws, fortifed domestic and border security and implemented stricter screening processes. One major policy was the 2001 Patriot Act, which expanded federal authority to surveil U.S. residents. It sparked concerns over potential racial profling and lack of due process.
“When you have global problems, you see them tighten the screws frst at access points, entry points,” Holmes said. “9/11 made it possible for states to be much more protective of their borders and for everybody to just take it.”
Passport strength refers to how easily holders of a country’s passport can go abroad. Strong passports grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival privileges for many states, streamlining travel. On the other hand, weak passports can effectively confne holders to a lifetime within national borders.
enior Alyssa Chou was born in Taiwan and holds a Taiwanese passport in addition to a U.S. green card, which she’s had since birth through her parents. Her green card makes traveling within the U.S. simpler, while going back to Taiwan is much smoother with her passport. In the future, Chou plans to acquire U.S. citizenship for easier international travel.
“I feel like my passport symbolizes where I was born and where I was raised, and the green card, like the permanent citizenship, shows where I live now and where I am now,” Chou said.
Born in Ukraine, sophomore Lexi Barabonova moved to the U.S. in 2018. In 2022, she acquired a green card, which has come with its own set of challenges.
“We often have to go through additional security in the airports because we don’t hold an American passport, even inside the U.S.,” Barabonova said.
With her 16th birthday and a choir trip to Japan coming up, Barabonova seeks to renew her Ukraine passport. Despite all the obstacles, it still holds a cherished place in her heart.
“My passport literally says the word ‘passport’ in Ukrainian,” Barabonova said. “It’s important. It connects me to Ukraine and to my past.”
The Global South’s passports are disproportionately weaker than those of the Global North. Dating back to the early modern era, industrialization and imperialism started putting the West ahead of the rest of the world economically. Today, citizens from wealthier, more developed regions like North America, Europe and North Asia enjoy prosperity, stability and ease of travel. However, would be travelers, including refugees, workers and students, from underdeveloped regions like Africa and South America, are often seen as national security risks by their desired destination
“Countries that are frstworld democracies and high-income countries — those are the countries that people naturally want to get into,” Bale said. “And so it’s a scarcity game: the harder it is to obtain a passport, the more valuable it is.”
For example, a Singapore passport unlocks visa-free access to 192 countries, thanks to appealing factors like its diplomatic ties and high gross domestic product, according to the Henley Passport Index. On the other end of the spectrum is wartorn Yemen; only 31 countries accept its passport visa-free.
“If there is an active war, you don’t want to give people who are participating in a war easy access to leave the country and enter other countries,” history teacher Luca Signore said.
Global dynamics also fuel special travel agreements between certain countries. The 1985 Schengen Agreement allows European Union residents to travel passport-free between 29 European countries. Historically, France has signed many bilateral migration agreements with its former African colonies, obtaining labor while granting temporary residence to immigrants.
As globalization surges and impacts more people, passports constantly undergo changes and reforms. Future travelers might experience lower travel requirements, faster border crossings and more technology like e-passports.
“In a globalized era, passports are much more likely to broaden in the long run,” Bale said. “I think something like the European Union, where you have free access to all the countries, is much more likely to be the way in the future than the other way around.”
Currently, passports also represent forced immobility and gates to access. They are the ultimate emblems of globalization’s double-edged sword, revealing a modern world that spills across physical borders yet splinters across barriers to access.
When she walks through airport customs, sophomore Zoey Jaquish carries two booklets: one blue and one green. A lifelong U.S. passport holder, Jaquish also acquired a Taiwanese passport in 2020, when the country banned the entry of foreign nationals to manage COVID-19. Her Taiwanese passport gives her easier access to the islands that many of her maternal relatives call home.
“I think this passport ties me more to my Taiwanese side,” Jaquish said. “I’m mixed-race. So it brings me a lot closer with my family there because I only get to visit them a few times a year. Just having that passport makes me feel closer to them as well.”
“I think that even if you go to a lot of places, it’s really important to remember your citizenship and value it,” sophomore Ziyuan Gao said.
Graphics by Olivia Tu, Amy
Photos by Alyssa Lin and Olivia Yuan Graphics by Alexandra Wu and Amy Yuan
How the College Board took over American education
BY ALEX COTTEREL AND CRYSTAL ZHU
Freshman year: prep for the PSAT. Sophomore year: take the PSAT. Junior year: take the SAT and PSAT again. All four years: take AP exams. The College Board’s programs are so pervasive that they appear in almost every American student’s high school career. With over a century of history, this organization is now fundamental in a country dependent on standardized scores.
The College Board, a not-for-proft institution that controls much of the standardized testing, began as the College Entrance Examination Board in 1899. Made up of 12 universities and preparatory high schools, it aimed to standardize inconsistent college admissions in the late 1800s.
At the time, some schools held separate tests, while others based eligibility on completion of certain collegepreparatory curricula. Elite universities also disproportionately admitted students from select private feeder schools, and there was little diversity in race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
College Board’s initial rise was largely fueled by the meritocratic, white-centric culture of the 1900s. Its frst brainchild, the SAT, increased meritocracy, and the PSAT was created for similar reasons: to prepare for the SAT and identify recipients of the National Merit Scholarship.
The SAT traces back to World War I army IQ tests, pioneered by Professor Robert Yerkes of Harvard University and Professor Carl Brigham of Princeton University. Not long after, Brigham created a similar test for the College Board that could be used by numerous schools. By 1925, about 20,000 incoming freshmen had taken these exams, and in 1926, the organization held its frst offcial SAT.
The College Board’s next big push was under Harvard administrator Henry Chauncey’s 1947–1970 leadership, when he allowed larger organizations to take the reins on testing. The SAT’s audience widened when the University of California
started requiring the SAT in 1960.
Despite standardized testing’s goal of merit-based equality, the system was partly based on discriminatory beliefs. While previous College Board exams focused on subject-based knowledge, the SAT represented a shift toward evaluating intelligence. The exams were believed to identify white intellectual supremacy; Brigham himself stated that American education would falter “as the racial mixture becomes more and more extensive.”
Today, the College Board has more than 6,000 member institutions. Almost 2 million students have taken the SAT every year for the past two years. In 2024, a little over 3 million took at least one AP exam. Many parents and students place heavy importance on a high score, viewing it as a pivotal factor in admissions.
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“But that’s not what we’re hearing from college admissions professionals,” school counselor Nikki Dang said. “It makes things a little bit harder for counselors because there’s a lot of pressure and encouragement from outside sources saying that students should take more AP classes.”
usually earns anywhere from about $38 million to about $146 million per year, and it also spends extensively on investment, lobbying and executive compensation.
“It’s a not-for-proft organization, which means that any proft that they do make, they don’t have to give it back to shareholders,” social studies teacher Steven Roy said. “Now, from an education perspective, does it simulate a college course? No, it does not. They are imitations of college courses.”
The College Board’s wide reach over states, schools, parents and students are a result of factors like its entrenchment in college applications processes, social media and competitive environments fostered by peer pressure.
“I don’t want to say the whole organization is horrible,” Dang said. “There is a beneft to having a baseline. It makes me sad that students think the more AP exams they take, the better their chances are for college admissions.”
Even though they say some colleges are test-optional, I think the way they compare you to the state or to your school, it just makes you want to get a higher score.
Sophie Huang Senior
According to Total Registration, the College Board held about $1.7 billion dollars in cash and investments in 2023, generated from exam fees, selling course material, training teachers and other services. In the same year, CEO David Coleman received a compensation of $2 million.
The College Board’s income is used to administer tests, funding college resources, teacher training and other services. However, the College Board
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At Lynbrook, the effects are especially apparent.
In 2024, Lynbrook students took 3,017 AP exams, with 90% of graduates taking at least one AP class. Generally, Lynbrook families have relatively higher socioeconomic standing: only 6% of Lynbrook students are economically disadvantaged, compared to 24% at Fremont High School. This may mean that more students are hiring private counselors, who often advise students to take more AP exams.
For example, senior Sophie Huang has taken the SAT multiple times since the beginning of her junior year.
“Even though they say some colleges are test-optional, I think the way they compare you to the state or to your school, it just makes you want to get a higher
score,” Huang said.
According to Huang, the College Board’s offerings of the SAT numerous times throughout the year can also tempt students to try repeatedly. Many seniors continue taking the SAT until October, the latest testing date before the frst college application deadlines, spending hundreds of dollars on exam fees alone.
“I defnitely think that as I’ve taken more SATs, I’ve been considering that I’ve been spending a lot of money just for something that’s not even required,” Huang said. “But it’s just so stigmatized in our school specifcally, that it seems like you have to get a 1500 or higher to be considered by a good college.”
Despite its hefty costs, the SAT and PSAT have provided students with opportunities despite disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, the National Recognition Program supports historically underrepresented students with scholarships.
In lower-income communities, schools often encourage taking SAT and AP classes to raise the number of college-bound graduates. According to an Massachusetts Institue of Technology paper, taking an AP exam could increase students’ inclination toward higher quality institutions.
The College Board will almost certainly remain in the education system. However, universities themselves are placing less emphasis on test scores. Many colleges, including the UCs and California State Universities, have gone test-optional. At Lynbrook, counselors said they are also trying to draw students’ emphasis toward engaging in hobbies or extracurricular activities, instead of focusing on standardized tests.
“We have such a big college-going culture that our community is going to jump on whatever they think is going to help,” Dang said. “Everyone is looking for some semblance of control. AP exams are a way for people to feel like they are in control.”
Leaders of twelve institutions found the College Entrance Examination Board.
The College Board holds its frst exam, the ancestor to the modern SAT, which includes subjects such as Latin and Greek.
Graphics by Emily Cheah and Alexandra Wu
Merging melodies with the Monta Vista-Lynbrook marching band
BY EUNICE LEUNG
On Aug. 4th, icebreakers and introductions flled the frst day of Band Camp: the offcial start of the merge between Lynbrook and Monta Vista High School’s marching bands. The merge arose from a member shortage, with students working to blend differences in campus cultures for their frst joint season this school year. Practices are being held at Lynbrook for the frst half of the season and will move to Monta Vista once their feld construction concludes.
In 2024, Lynbrook band teacher Michael Pakaluk faced the confict of how to handle declining enrollment in marching band. Getting rid of it or dropping to the lower 2A division were options he mentioned to Monta Vista band director John Gilchrist. At the time, Monta Vista wasn’t facing the possibility of dropping to a lower division, but its band was on the smaller side. After discussing how both bands could be sustained by pooling resources together, the decision was made to combine, as a larger band would sound better and have more convenient competition times later in the day.
“Our bands complement each other well: Lynbrook tends to have a stronger brass section, while Monta Vista tends to have stronger percussion,” junior and band manager Benjamin Zhang said.
Lynbrook and Monta Vista’s color guards also merged. Becca Mendoza coached both schools’ color guard teams in the past, leading to similarities in structure.
Teammates learn in groups, fostering community as they help each other with tricks and choreography. Color guard members also got new, higher-quality equipment, including iridescent ribbons, fags with gold vinyl poles, jazz shoes and gloves.
“It feels like home,” junior and third-year color guard member Samantha Tai said, “These are my people.”
‘‘sophomore color guard member Sayaka Tawaza said, “But I would have preferred blue jackets, since I think that color matches well with the design elements and blue being one of Lynbrook’s school colors wouldn’t defne its superiority.”
I think it’s about who you perform with, not where you perform it. The people I’ve met from Monta Vista are some of the greatest musicians and personalities I know, and I think regardless of where we perform, we’re going to play with excellence.
Benjamin Zhang Junior and band manager
In the process of adapting to another school’s culture and forging a shared identity, compromising has been the key. The merged color guard’s team jackets are black to avoid colors skewing toward one school’s representation.
“I understand the reasoning behind the choice,”
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The marching band has kept both schools’ traditions intact. Monta Vista’s team bonding games were implemented during Band Camp, as well as Lynbrook’s water balloon fght tradition, Monta Vista’s Halloween and Skit Nights and Lynbrook’s sections shouting their slogans, too. On the method of leadership, the band at Lynbrook was led primarily by the student
leadership team, while Mr. Gilchrist was more hands-on in driving Monta Vista. The combined band incorporates more student independence and maintains Lynbrook’s way of splitting section responsibilities to clean.
Marching band football game performances will be at Monta Vista. Though some Lynbrook students expressed disappointment over not being able to perform at their home school, performing at Monta Vista’s varsity games is more practical due to Lynbrook only having a few JV games that confict with Monta Vista’s schedule.
The merge will last indefnitely due to decreasing member numbers. For now, the Monta Vista-Lynbrook band hopes to do well in the 4A division competitions this year and move to the more competitive Bands of America competitions in the next couple of years as one cohesive band.
“With so many competing student interests in high school, it’s diffcult to have a big, thriving program,” Gilchrist said. “I think we are able to make it happen, though, if we band together, pun intended.”
Father-daughter dynamic duo makes a splash in water polo
BY VANESSA YAP
Junior Abigail Leder slices forward in the water, palms smacking the ball and intercepting yet another goal. On the side of the pool, coach David Leder shouts directions, watching as his daughter passes the ball back to a teammate.
A year ago, David Leder would not have anticipated coaching both varsity and JV girls water polo teams. After previous coaches Ryan Hume left to coach boys water polo and Alek Dendall resigned from Lynbrook, the athletics department
history dates back to his own time at Lynbrook, where he played on the water polo team. After four years in high school, he played for one year at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
“A friend of mine at the time talked me into it,” David Leder said. “I wasn’t the fastest swimmer. I had never done swimming before that, but I started playing. It was actually not more complicated than that.”
His coaching career began after his son, Benjamin Leder, graduated from Lynbrook in 2025. Due to his fexible
Malthankar said. “He’s very encouraging.”
father coached, Abigail Leder made her mark as a goalie.
and very energetic,” junior and water polor player Kalea Iwamoto said. “You can see all of her energy, especially on the feld, because she’s our goalie and she yells a lot.”
Being a goalie makes Abigail Leder a critical player, as she is able to see everything from the net and call out where the ball is in order for her teammates to gain possession again.
“She’s an important communication factor,” Iwamoto said. “It’s easier for her to communicate everything because she can see everything, compared to us, where we can only see a few things, or maybe we don’t know exactly what’s going on.”
With a father and older brother that played water polo before her, Abigail Leder found herself following in their footsteps. Originally a feld player, Abigail Leder eventually became a goalie.
“I defnitely wasn’t the best feld player,” Abigail Leder said. “I would just get injured every game. I like being goalie because I love training legs; I love the satisfaction when I block a goal.”
Both father and daughter have faced several bumps along their sports journey.
because if somebody else misses a pass or doesn’t swim fast enough, it may be a goal, but if a goalie misses a goal, then it goes in,” David Leder said. “You can see it sometimes, when she misses a shot and it goes in, she takes it hard.”
Abigail Leder has also expressed this sentiment, but looks on the brighter side for the season with her father. This season, they plan to work together for new workouts, like potential goalie training with the boys’ water polo team. As the season progresses, they look to overcome diffculties with collective effort.
“My job as a parent, which is similar to my job as a coach, is to guide them toward their own goals,” David Leder said. “If my team’s goal is to win this game or to get better, my goal is to help them, just like with my kids and my daughter.”
Photos by Joanna Che Graphic illustration Vanessa Yap
Photos used with permission from David Leder and Abby Leder
Graphic illustration by Vanessa Yap
Campus life without varsity football
BY MADDY CHANG AND JOANNA CHEN
The image of high school under Friday Night Lights is iconic: the roar of student cheers, the boom of the marching band’s drums and the shared excitement that transforms an ordinary Friday into something that defnes the American high school experience.
At Lynbrook, however, that image has changed. This school year, the varsity football team was temporarily disbanded due to insuffcient player interest, leaving Lynbrook with just a JV team
consisting of former varsity players and underclassmen. The impact on school culture and other athletic teams is already evident.
“I didn’t have that big of a reaction because I felt like it would be more fair for our team, since our team is mostly underclassmen, and most other JV teams are underclassmen,” sophomore and cheerleader Betty Huang said. ”Since I’m in cheer, I’m excited to see the crowd get really excited about our team getting touchdowns.”
For the past two seasons, the varsity football
team suffered a losing streak in the Peninsula Athletic League. After a decision made by the football coaching staff, the team decided to have a one-year JV-only program to rebuild Lynbrook’s football culture, with the goal of returning to the PAL the following year.
“It’s a little disappointing that we can’t play at Friday Night Lights, but as a team captain, I understand this change and feel that now, three weeks into the regular season, that it’s benefted the team tremendously,” junior and captain Owen Huang said. “The whole environment of our football team is different now — it’s more engaging, more fun and our team morale is higher.”
In the future, football coach Joseph Luo hopes students enjoy football so much that they stay committed for all four years, instead of leaving in junior or senior year to focus on studies or college applications.
“I think this is the best decision for us, because we’re making football fun again,” Luo said. “The kids are fnally understanding how the culture of football at a school should work.”
Football games affect all aspects of campus culture. Performance groups often make football halftime shows a key part of gaining recognition, and entire Homecoming skits are dedicated to hyping up the football game at the end of the week.
The JV football team’s recent wins have already created a noticeable shift in school spirit.
Graphic illustration by Anna Cen
Focus on the WNBA for the talent, not the drama and sex toys
BY KATIE SHANG
In the world of the WNBA, what makes today’s headlines is not the next big star, but rather the next viral feud. Yet in the Bay Area, with the remarkable support and dedication of fans, the Golden State Valkyries have carved a path free of this toxicity. The Valks and their fanbase appreciate the plays and the players, with their genuine passion overshadowing media controversy and fan feuds. The mass support of the Valks team comes ultimately from respect — an
should prioritize over media drama.
“It’s so cool to see women like me play for the frst time so close to home,” sophomore and girls basketball player Nirupama Elanchelvan said.
In 30 years of history, the WNBA has never had an expansion team so successful and well-received in their frst year. The Valks are valued at a whopping $500 million with a building cost of only $50 million, more than any women’s sports team ever. They also became the frst expansion team to clinch playoffs in their frst year. Because the team is so new, their success is relatively unhindered by drama, and fans buy tickets to truly enjoy basketball — even setting a record of 22 sold-out home
“I think this is also an area with a long tradition of supporting women’s issues,” said Bonnie Morris, professor of women’s history at the University of California, Berkeley. “We have an active and engaged community, and the timing is just right. The country is really divided, and we had a long period of COVID isolation, so people want to go out into a crowd that is happy and instills community pride.”
Comparatively, the Dallas Wings are worth only $208 million, even with their phenomenal point guard Paige Bueckers. Despite Bueckers’ obvious talent, the team made the most money during the game against the Indiana Fever, home of their superstar point guard Caitlin Clark. Even when she won an outstanding 27 points, users online still bashed Bueckers and dismissed her talent, claiming that Clark
would have dominated the court if not for her injury. On the other hand, Bueckers was cheered on during her game at Chase Center against the Valks when she made a free throw. Without controversy, Valks fans show how spectators should appreciate skill and hard work.
Two other players in the spotlight are Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese and Clark. Drawn into a competitive rivalry by the media, their May 17 matchup became ESPN’s most-watched WNBA game, showing that more of the audience tuned in when they were invested in a competitive relationship woven by fans. Although it is easy to get caught up in something so competitive, these so-called rivalries should not be dimming the attention on the games.
“It’s created this polarized atmosphere where casual observers sometimes get caught up in the drama rather than appreciating both players’ talents,” said Sean Pradhan, professor of sports analytics at Menlo College. “In terms of visibility, it certainly helps grow the game. But sometimes these ordeals can overshadow the actual basketball being played.”
Besides the fan-fueled drama, the WNBA is also home to inequality issues like scheduling, payment equality and security, with players speaking out online or in interviews. During All-Star weekend, players were spotted on the court wearing “pay us what you owe us” shirts, a protest for better pay. Though the league now maintains around 44 brand deals per team — a 52% increase since 2022 — salaries have increased by only 9%. There is no reason that players still get paid so
little: unfair pay highlights how women’s basketball is not being taken seriously.
“I feel like a lot of people are confusing it with the idea that WNBA players want to be paid as much as NBA players,” senior Zenita Yang said. “That’s not the case. They just want a higher share of the league’s revenue.”
A big scandal in the WNBA this summer was the numerous bright green sex toys thrown onto courts across the U.S., including the Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game on July 29. Not only is disturbing a sport for a neon green sex toy clearly disrespectful, it also raises questions of attendees potentially sneaking in more dangerous objects. After being posted online, these clips also immediately went viral, showing the audience’s desire for drama rather than gameplay. The WNBA deserves to be seen for the game, not inconsiderate behavior.
“We break down NBA games, gameplay by gameplay,” PE teacher Joseph Luo said. “We talk about strategy, we talk about coaching decisions. I want to see us do that with the WNBA as well, because it’s just as important as the NBA.”
The Valkyries have faced their fair share of inequality and harassment, yet their fanbase’s focus on basketball instead of petty drama stands out refreshingly. Proving that success without media controversy is possible and welcoming, this sportsmanly approach is what more fans need to adopt as the WNBA grows. Players and their teams deserve tickets that are sold and games that are played because of genuine passion — that is what needs to make headlines.
Girls’ flag football kicks off the fall season
BY AUDREY CABALTICA
Players race down the football feld, black fags fapping at their waists, as girls fag football coach Sosa Leydy cheers from the sidelines. This school year, Lynbrook introduced a girls fag football team to the fall sports roster, a signifcant step toward gender inclusivity, especially in a male-dominated sport like football.
to its athletics program to offer a female equivalent to football for those interested.
“We wanted to be one of the frst to do it and pilot it before it became a statewide requirement,” math teacher and JV football coach Chris Baugh said. “That’s why we were trying to form a team earlier than other high schools.”
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Our team is a bunch of different personalities that ft together. We work together to achieve what we want, even if we don’t always get it.”
Flag football is a non-contact sport with rules similar to American football. The main differences are that tackling is replaced by pulling a fag from a player’s waist, and fag football involves fewer players and a smaller feld.
Flag football has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, with teams being formed across many schools in the country. Lynbrook’s inclusion of this program refects the nationwide trend of creating opportunities and supporting gender equality in sports.
Flag football has been a sport since the 1900s, but was only made an offcial high school sport when the California Interscholastic Federation voted for it on Feb. 3, 2023. Across the U.S., 17 states have sanctioned it as a girls varsity high school sport. Lynbrook added the sport
Efforts to form a team started in the second semester of the 2023-24 school year. The athletic department sent out an interest form, mentioned it in morning announcements and held an informational meeting in April to raise interest.
“Based on that, we thought we had enough players to start a team,” Baugh said. “We had many league meetings to set up rules and competition schedules.”
However, when season practices started at the beginning of the following school year, interest was much lower. Lynbrook had to cancel the season and was unsuccessful in creating a fag football team that year.
They continued to advertise for a team throughout the following school year by putting up fyers around campus, holding another informational meeting and setting up a stand at Miller Middle School’s sports night to appeal to incoming freshmen. At the beginning of this school year, more girls showed up to
tryouts, which took place from Aug. 12-14, allowing Lynbrook to form its frst-ever girls fag football team.
The team is made up of dedicated girls, eager to play the sport, who show up to every practice ready to work their hardest.
“The girls are very hardworking and committed,” Leydy said. “They text me that they want to have practice on days that we’re off.”
Since fag football is a new team at Lynbrook, the team was formed with the intention of having no cuts, meaning anyone who tried
out would be able to play on the team, no prior experience required.
“It’s hard at frst, but it gets easier,” freshman and player Sara Chen said. “It’s really fun, especially if you have a friend to do it with.”
This season, the girls hope to add more victories to their record. Their main goal is to get more players interested so that eventually, Lynbrook can have both a JV and varsity fag football team.
“I think success in the sport is going to take time because it’s still new and growing,” Baugh said. “But I’m so glad we have it and excited to see it grow.”
