The Epitaph, Volume 57, Issue 1 by The Epitaph

NEWS

OPINION

LIFESTYLES

ENTERTAINMENT

Exercising your vote one year

Time to pay attention now that vaping kills

TikTok: A battleground for surrealism

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Distributing opportunities: U.S. school systems vs. Turkey

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The Epitaph Vol.57 Issue1 Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

@hhsepitaph The Epitaph The Epitaph https://hhsepitaph.com/ @epitaphHHS

redesigned the AP for the students to create a College Board account first, and when the scores are available, [they] will see the scores right away.” Despite the College Board’s rationale, teachers and students are skeptical of the benefits of an earlier registration deadline. “I think this can be awkward for students, because they’re just into class and don’t necessarily have a strong grasp of [the class], or if they’re going to be ready,” AP Literature teacher Mary Jo Gunderson said. There are also equity problems, since students not registered to take the exam cannot access the resources in AP Classroom. “If you’re in the class, you should have access to whatever resources everybody else has, especially if it’s an AP class,” Greg

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Early commitment supposedly contributes to higher test scores increase in scores of 3 or higher across multiple groups, including low income, racial/ethnic minority, and female STEM students. Additionally, the College Board has enforced the use of AP Classroom, where students must register for the AP exam in order to access course-specific study resources. The College Board said that moving the process online will increase the efficiency of test administration. AP coordinators can more easily manage student rosters to assign testing rooms and proctors. This year, each test taker will receive personalized registration labels, saving time and minimizing error. “Sometimes, there is a misinformation since [AP registration] is paper registration,” Clark, a College Board agent, said over a phone interview. “That’s why we

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Wednesday, September 25, 2019

College Board moves AP test registration The College Board has redesigned the AP registration process this year, with changes including an earlier registration deadline and the introduction of the AP Classroom. Historically, the registration deadline has been in March, but now the College Board has shifted this deadline forward to November, so HHS is requiring students to register by October 4. According to the College Board website, these changes were made with the intention of improving test performance, since committing to the exam earlier will encourage students to stay engaged throughout the school year, leading to greater success on the exam in May. A pilot program from the 2017-18 school year had 40,000 students register for AP exams in the fall, and the result was an

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Burroughs, an AP Calculus BC teacher, said. There is also speculation of an ulterior financial motive in these AP changes. “I think [fall registration] gives College Board a lot more money much earlier in the year than they would have before and that this allows them to make investments to grow their company more effectively,” senior Kelvin Hu said. Burroughs is inclined to agree. “There’s a money component, and [it] bothers me too,” Burroughs said. “[Earlier registration] definitely will get more money for College Board and I’m not sure that more money will benefit students across the whole country.”

Recalled judge hired at LHS Hiring decision causes controversy in district By Melody Chen, Kacey Rebstock, Andrea Sun and Renee Wang LHS recently hired former Santa Clara County judge, Michael Aaron Persky, as a JV girls tennis coach, which began a string of controversy and community protest. The former judge is best known for his ruling in the case People v. Turner in 2016 after sentencing a Stanford University student six months in jail for the sexual assault and attemped rape of a 22-year-old woman. His ruling sparked a national outcry for being too lenient for the crime committed, in which he was recalled by voters for the first time in California since 1932. Persky’s employment at LHS was terminated on Sept. 11, according to an email sent by FUHSD coordinator of communications, Rachel Zlotziver. The statement came a day after the district sent an email informing the staff about the recent controversy of his hiring. Persky said in a statement that Superintendent Polly Bove fired him “to protect the players from the potentially intrusive media attention related to my hiring.” Bove, LHS Principal Maria Jackson, athletic director Jennifer Griffin and head JV coach Gabriel Ibarra have not since responded to interview requests. Three petitions were created

through change.org to remove Persky from his position at LHS, one of which was created by LHS alumna, Shivani Kavuluru. “I think the big issue is [that] the decision to hire Persky is not survivor-centric with his lenient treatment of Brock Turner’s rape,” Kavuluru said in a phone interview. “What that says to survivors is very harmful and really does not respect women’s bodily autonomy.” After seeing the news coverage and rise of social media presence the event was having, Kavuluru said she decided to join forces with her peers and consolidate their efforts by creating a petition. “Currently, some organizers and I are forming a group wherein our mission is to aim to proactively create a culture of critical dialogue and accountability for issues pertaining to sexual violence, mental health, and student well-being in the FUHSD,” Kavuluru said. Contrary to Kavuluru’s stance, select LHS students have been reaching out with opposing opinions, both from the student congregation and the girls tennis team. Senior Anna Chiang said she disagrees with the argument that Persky would be shaping the

girls’ high school experience and identity in a negative manner. “It is overly simplistic to assume that these people would willingly let their values and beliefs be shaped by him,” Chiang said. Varsity girls tennis captain and senior Linda Goh expressed the district’s lack of regard for the team’s opinion. The controversy surrounding Persky was mainly fueled by LHS students who were not involved in the team. “It seems like many people are getting upset without knowing the full situation,” Goh said. “I don’t get why Lynbrook students that are not in the JV tennis team have a bigger thing against [Persky].” Persky first applied for an open coaching position in the summer after successfully completing the district’s requirements, Zlotziver said in an email sent to the district. In the same email, Zlotziver said Persky was a “qualified applicant for the position, having attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth and holds a high rating in the United States Tennis Association.” Yet, the district was not made aware of his connection as a former judge in the People v. Turner case until three weeks after the start of school. There was no in-

terview process to begin with nor a background screening, Chiang said. In addition, rather than applying as “Aaron Persky” — the name he used in court — he applied through his full legal name “Michael Aaron Persky.” In response to the concerns of the students and parents, LHS organized a meeting with the parents of the girls tennis teams on Sept. 9. Bove and Jackson provided parents information behind the hiring and answered questions. Persky was fired two days later. Ever since Persky’s recall, Judge LaDoris Cordell sup-

ported his ruling in the People v. Turner case and comtinues to advocate for his position as tennis coach in LHS. After learning about Persky’s recent firing, LaDoris Cordell compares the district’s decision to mob rule. “The decision of the superintendent of the school district was wrong, outrageous, and shameful,” Cordell said. “She caved in to the clamor of the mob … The only way that the district (the superintendent) should have responded was to ignore the mob and defend the district’s decision to hire him in the first place.”

Illustration by Elaine Huang and Saanvi Thakur HIRING CONTROVERSY ARISES: Petitions circulated around the

district in the wake of the community discovering Persky’s hiring.

PAGE BY ANIKA KARODY AND KACEY REBSTOCK

News

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

College fair draws families from district

College representatives gather, share information By Dexter Tatsukawa

By Shruti Magesh

CAMPUS:

working with individual college representatives to bring them to campus for informational meetings and presentations. At these meetings, which are usually held in the college and career center, students can talk face to face with college representatives. Lund said she works to schedule and announce these visits through Naviance with the goal of giving students the greatest amount of access to different college options as possible. “We have college representatives coming from all over the place,” Lund said, “we probably

Construction The GSS building will house the new college and career center and the administration building to allow for cross collaboration between departments, assistant principal Denae Nurnberg said. It is expected to be completed in fall 2020.

Legislative Leadership is adjusting the way legislative meetings, where certain issues are voted on, are structured. Changes include making the meetings an open forum, where elected students can come and voice their opinions, leadership member Jiyong Shim said

Photo by Dexter Tatsukawa COLLEGE REPS MEET: Students and parents from throughout the district crowd around bootths of over 100 college reps.

STATE: Assembly Bill 5 AB5, which essentially allows for labor protections such as minimum wage and other compensations for contract workers, has recently been passed by California. This bill guarantees employee rights for contract workers, according to CNBC.

Dive Boat Fire The dive boat fire that occured off the coast of Southern California resulted in the deaths of 34 people, who were sleeping below deck. The cause of the fire is unknown, yet it has been determined that the boat did not have adequate safety measures on board, according to ABC.

INTERNATIONAL: Refugees Refugee crises continue to increase, with countries such as the U.S. placing limits on the amount of refugees allowed to enter the country. In addition, refugees that fled ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, have relocated to camps in Bangladesh, where they face another hurdle, as the country cuts mobile internet access for all the refugees, according to the New York Times.

have over 80 scheduled … we try to schedule most [of the college visits] through lunchtimes and tutorial times so we don’t have to interrupt class time.” The in-person aspect of these visits is what makes them worth attending, Lund said. “I highly recommend coming to the college visits because the rep knows intimately everything about the programs,” she said. “All kinds of questions that we wouldn’t be able to know just by reading about it.” Because of the wide variety of colleges represented at the College Fair, people such as junior Gavin Murray can find themselves interested in entirely new colleges than what they may have

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initially been looking for. “I went in to [College Fair to] expand my horizons to new colleges I didn’t know before,” Murray said. “My mom is really trying to push me towards UCLA, but this one here, UC Merced, seemed like a really cool college.” For others, like Junior Nick Michelotti, the college fair is a place to find what colleges they are interested in. “Right know I don’t really know what I want to do,” Michelotti said. “so [I’m visiting College Fair] to get an idea of the selection of colleges that I could consider going to … later on, I’m going to do more research into those and then narrow down my options.” Michelotti said, the atmosphere of the classrooms is a major aspect when it comes to looking for potential colleges. “I’m interested in learning about class size,” he said. “A bigger versus smaller class: that changes the whole dynamic. Also, the acceptance rate. That’s important because I want to get accepted.”

Illustration by Nika Bondar

NEWS IN A MINUTE

Students and parents flooded the cafeteria and large gym, congregating more than 100 booths crammed into the two buildings. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, a multitude of college representatives participated in FUHSD’s annual College Fair to share information with students and parents. The college fair, which is hosted by a different FUHSD campus each fall, is one of the many events aimed at acquainting students with their potential future choice of college. In addition to the College Fair, college and career adviser Mary Lund has been

Exercising your vote one year early Election literacy among concerns in lowering voting age By Shruti Magesh and Renee Wang Under a proposed amendment to the California state constitution, the voting age in special and primary elections is set to be lowered from 18 to 17, according to CBS San Francisco. The measure passed 57 to 13 and awaits the approval of senate. California is among many states that allow 16 year olds to pre-register to vote, though one must be 18 to vote in federal and state elections. However, the weight of responsibility that comes with voting cannot be dismissed. To some, adulthood marks a new period of maturity and awareness, that others may have at a younger age, senior Kavya Shah said. “I know a lot of 17 year olds that are involved in politics and would love to have the opportunity to vote,” Shah said. “But there are also those that don’t understand the importance of that right and wouldn’t use it well or wouldn’t use it to express their opinion, and might be influenced by others.” For students who are not eligible to vote, pre-registering is an option. Pre-registering ensures a larger portion of the population is participating in the voting process,

since many adults are not registered to vote or only vote in presidential elections, Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein said. “To me, pre-registering, at least … puts a stake in the ground that, you know, you’re looking to vote,” Klein said. “And once you’re registered, then you start getting the election literature, which is also very important.” Students learn about government senior year. For most, this coincides with the time they turn 18 and are able to vote. “While we are teaching about government and voting rights in our classes, most of the students would be eligible to vote at the same time,” goverment teacher Christy Heaton said. “Studies have shown that if you vote once, you are more likely to vote again, and I think having your first election when you’re living at home and learning about government in class is a great way to start a habit that will get people to continue to vote in [the] future.” Moreover, it can prompt students to be more informed about the elections and the candidates, Heaton said, as well as encourage awareness about the issues and the approach

of the candidates. “Voting is one of the their [a student’s] duties as citizens to be well informed and make sure that their vote counts because elections have consequences,” Heaton said. “They need to realize that even if they don’t like the candidate running, there are many issues on the ballot and there is definitely one cadndiate better for them than the others.” While third party voting registrations are not permitted on campus, principal Greg Giglio said, students can pre-register to vote. In recent years, Heaton said she has provided students pre-registration resources through voter registration cards in her classroom and setting up voter registration tables. Pre-registering can also promote election literacy and allow students to understand the process and procedures associated with voting, even if they aren’t officially voting yet, Klein said. “From that standpoint, whether you can vote or not, if you start getting the mailers, if you start getting a ballot, it’s basically educating you on going through the process when you can vote,” Klein said. “So I think that there’s a lot of value in that.” PAGE BY NIKA BONDAR

News

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Homestead Student Club Association aims to change club culture Association serves as a platform in connecting both large and small clubs By Renee Wang HHS has over 50 clubs, according to ASB. With such a large and varied amount of clubs on campus, seniors Darren Hsing and Arjun Sampath created the Homestead Student Club Association (HSCA) with the goal of connecting different clubs on campus and encouraging collaboration for school wide events. “I think the [club] culture right now — in terms of being from FBLA —there’s a lot of tension against larger clubs on campus,” Hsing said. “And what [HSCA] wants to do is limit that tension and build in a new environment of collaboration.” Unlike larger clubs, smaller clubs lack of security in membership and funding, Kelly Mao said. Mao is apart of both FBLA and Frontier, as vice president of conferences and editor-in-chief, respectively. “Smaller clubs require a lot more effort towards marketing, since most people on campus have never heard of them or are hesitant to join if the member base is small,” Mao said. “Another thing is that it is harder to have successful fundraisers. Larger clubs get some security knowing that there will be a steady stream of members … more people al-

ready know about their club through word-of-mouth, whereas small clubs have pretty much only round-up and club fair to attract members.” Hsing is the executive vice president of FBLA, while Sampath is president of Speech and Debate and vice president of Robotics. Hsing said their combined experience and expertise with leading some of the largest clubs on campus translates well

to their leadership in HSCA. “As executive vice president of FBLA,” Hsing said, “I have realized that larger clubs have access to a lot of resources and people that newer and smaller clubs do not necessarily have. To elevate the club environment here, I want to not only give advice, but reach out and help every club.” The association is not affiliated with ASB, and it is important for the two entities to remain sep-

arate, Sampath said. “Our purpose and goal is separate from ASB,” Sampath said. “ASB helps in creating a club and provides some funding for it. But the whole plan of HSCA is to ensure that clubs have some sort of community.” HCSA is structured for interested clubs to join and attend meetings, in which they will brainstorm potential event ideas, Sampath said. Following that,

Infographic by Renee Wang

different clubs collaborating on an event will be grouped together with an HSCA board member facilitating the process. Board members can offer advice, point clubs to the right resources and facilitate connections, Sampath said. “[For example], bringing together an art-based club and a technology club … we are trying to create a place for everyone,” Sampath said. “So, for example, [an event for a technology club] could have the art club’s collaboration in designing banners. They don’t need to be physically there, but they remain a key part of helping with the aesthetics of the event.” One upcoming event is a joint business and technology night, according to Hsing. “Our success right now is mainly getting the ball moving,” Hsing said. “We started from just an idea in late June and are moving really fast … and that is fantastic.” In addition, interest for the association has been well-received, Sampath said. “We have reached out to different clubs and a lot of them have shown interest in this idea,” Sampath said. “That is definitely a good start.”

Latinx Mentors Program provides holistic support mentorships Students partner for academic, navigation help By Shruti Magesh The Latinx Student Mentors program, previously known as the Latino Student Mentors program has been revived after a two-year hiatus and was renamed to promote gender inclusivity. The program, which was discontinued due to the size of the committee and staff, has recently been reinstated. Geared toward partnering Latino students with Latino mentors, the program will provide mentorship and guidance for those students, dean Maria Trejo said. Mentors can provide students with direction in academics, as well as advice about navigating high school, Trejo said. “Latino students who wish to be mentors … [can mentor students] through anything that has to do with the high school experience, academics, lead-

ership, [and] skating through what it is that teenagers need to know in order to be successful throughout their four years,” Trejo said. Trejo said mentors can serve as a role model to younger students who may be struggling. Prospective mentors are selected through the assessment of a written application and an interview. Applicants are asked to indicate what their experience as a Latino student on campus is like, Trejo said. “Everybody’s going to have a different experience ... there are about 400 Latino here in a school of 2,400,” Trejo said. “What does that look like and what challenges do you face, but also what successes and how do you want to feel represented … are the questions [we ask] to get to know the mentor

a little bit better.” Sophomore Whitney Lopez said she applied to be a mentor because of the difficult experience she has had in high school so far. “I’ve had people say negative things towards me because I’m Latina … and it’s hurtful,” Lopez said. “I think I can relate to other people from that because people underestimate me.” This year, the program hopes to create more of a community through various leadership activities, Trejo said. Sophomore Sebastian Segovia said he applied to be a mentor for the bonding and friendship. “I joined this program to help people … and [become] friends with them,” Segovia said. “I do hope (the program) will become bigger.”

Infographic by Karen Li and Andrea Sun

Editors Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Senior News Senior News Senior Opinion Junior Opinion Senior Lifestyles Junior Lifestyles

Reporters Renee Wang Andrea Sun Shruti Magesh Dexter Tatsukawa Melody Chen Sahil Venkatesan Katelynn Ngo Nika Bondar

Senior Entertainment Junior Entertainment Senior Sports Senior Sports Design and Multimedia Junior Design Junior Multimedia Business Manager

Saanvi Thakur Shreya Partha Jackson Faria Jane Park Jacqueline Beaufore Kacey Rebstock Miya Liu Yukari E. Zapata

Naomi Baron Elaine Huang Anika Karody Karen Li Leila Salam Sara Shohoud Jack Xu Allen Zhang

Mission Statement The Epitaph is a non-profit publication at Homestead High School, 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014. The Epitaph is a forum for student expression and not subject to prior review, in accordance to Education Code 48907. The staff is comprised of HHs Journalsim students. Views Expressed do not necessarily represent views of the school, its staff, or the district. Editorials are opinions of the editorial board. The Epitaph welcomes all letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions. Letters

should be limited to 300 words. Include contact information. Unsigned letterrs cannot be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Send via homestead.epitaph@gmail.com, or drop letters in the newsroom or the office mailbox. If the Epitaph has made an error, please send corrections to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com. The corrections will be published in the corrections box for the next issue. To reach the Epitaph staff in C102 call (408) 522-2572 or fax (408) 738-8631

Advertising One email and you can reach over 2,300 students and teachers from Northern Sunnyvale to Southern Los Altos. If your target market is between the ages 14 and 18, contact The Epitaph at epitaph.ads@gmail.com and we can make it happen.

PAGE BY KAREN LI

Opinion

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

EDITORIAL

Time to pay attention now that vaping kills THE IMPATIENT PATIENT By Renee Wang

media can only go so far as to portray the consequences of vaping. It is up to each individual to assess their decisions. One of the most prominent anti-vaping campaigns, The Real Cost, is spearheaded by the FDA. The campaign utilizes graphic imagery to represent the health effects of vaping. According to a study by the National Institute of Health, 88 percent of teenagers report seeing the ads and a little over half report developing more negative attitudes toward using tobacco products. Despite the wide reach and overall effectiveness of the campaign, attitudes toward a life-threatening habit remain unchanged. Teens, including those here at HHS, have been presented with countless sources of information. Even with the efforts from schools and the media, the wake up call for teens to seriously understand the consequences of vaping must come from within. The solution is not that external sources need to work harder to ingrain the problem. Unless teenagers take responsibility, all that will remain is a stream of shocking reports, each signifying the next life taken from vaping. If teenagers continue to vape, we could see an outbreak of teenage deaths across the country in an epidemic of unrivaled proportions. Will you be next?

Illustration by Leila Salam

Throughout my three years on The Epitaph, I have written articles about the pressures of attending school in the Silicon Valley, from sleep deprivation to a culture of competition and the lack of mental health awareness. As I filled out college applications over the summer, I realized how a culture of stringent academic pressure has benefited me. While I did suffer under such a system, it would be disingenuous to not acknowledge how much it has helped me prosper as well. Before I came to HHS, I was not an ambitious person. In fact, I had preferred to take the easy way out my whole life. I expected the same in high school: to fly under the radar. I realized I could not longer try to coast through life, Being in such an environment pushed me to challenge myself. I took classes with reputations of being notoriously “hard” and impossible to get an A in. I applied for internships, where I gained valuable experience. Most important of all, I joined The Epitaph. Through The Epitaph, I had to overcome my introversion. Through The Epitaph, I realized what I wanted to pursue. The central issue in navigating high school, especially in this area, is learning to manage your expectations while also challenging yourself. The line between coming out of your comfort zone and overextending yourself is a turbulent one. If I could speak to my freshman year self, it would be to pursue activities that invoke genuine interest, not activities that will “help” in college applications. Most of all, use your peers as a source of encouragement, not point of intimidation and competition.

The time is up. With seven tention to the effects of vaping on dead and 450 hospitalized, vap- their health. Vaping has been proven ing is our nation’s invisible killer. more dangerous than originally Will you be next? Recently, Americans all over thought. Once a recreational acthe country have watched in hor- tivity, the flavored e-cigarette is ror as media outlets report shock- now jeopardizing the health of ing data of serious complications many adolescents. According to the Child Mind arising from vaping. While HHS has answered the Institute, vaping threatens the urgency of the matter, the school heart rate and blood pressure has not since solved the epidem- of teens and increases the level of carcinic of vaping o g e n s within the in their walls of the The issue is that until teenagteenagers take blood. campus. ers “Unless take responsibility, all that will This is In fact, responsibility, allshocking that remain are a stream of not just anteens have reports, each signifying the next will remain is a stream other study been prelife taken from vaping. of shocking reports, to discard sented with — there countless each signifying the next is physical informalife taken from vaping.” evidence tion to that vaping combat the is harmful problem. to teens. Adminis18-year-old Maddie Nelson tration has put up signs in restrooms attempting to discourage is one of several victims who vaping, but such posters are sim- opened her eyes to the dangers of ply ignored as students puff away. vaping after she fell into a coma Any student caught vaping is as a result of her habit. Nelson has automatically suspended, and va- since urged people to put down ping has been addressed at class their vape pens and claimed she meetings. The administration has will “never touch a vape again.” Nelson is just one of over 380 put significant effort into discourage vaping, yet no student patients who have been admitted to hospitals, leaving many docpays heed to these efforts According to a survey con- tors scrambling to treat a new ducted by The Epitaph, 60.1 per- vaping-related disease, according cent of students responded that to CDC. Such instances should be the school has not tackled the enough to alarm young adults to issue of vaping well enough. Now that vaping is lethal, it’s the dangers of vaping. But the reality is that the imperative that students pay at-

Mob rule prevails as Aaron Persky is fired

Former judge ousted from his coaching position at LHS By Sahil Venkatesan Remember Aaron Persky, the Santa Clara County judge who was recalled for simply following directions? Persky was recently hired as a JV girls tennis coach at LHS, and only days after protests of his contentious history surfaced, he was fired. According to FUHSD coordinator of communications, Rachel Zlotziver, in an email to district staff, Persky was “a highly qualified applicant for the position, having attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth and holding a high rating from the United States Tennis Association.” Persky was not fired because he was inadequate. He was fired because of mob rule, the same tactic that caused his recall. In June 2018, Persky came under fire for sentencing rapist Brock Turner to a mere six months in prison. Although the sentence was too short, Persky did not spontaneously decide to serve a small sentence, he was following a recommendation. According to NPR, the sixmonth sentence was a recommendation by the Santa Clara County Probation Department. Recalling Persky did one thing, and one thing only: encourage judges to give the maximum

sentences to criminals no matter what. Mob rule has been a problem for over a century, yet nothing has ever been done to prevent uninformed citizens from brazenly calling for drastic action against people who may not have done anything wrong. In 1838, during the Lyceum Address, Abraham Lincoln said: “such are the effects of mob law; and such as the scenes, becoming more and more frequent in this land so lately famed for love of law and order; and the stories of which, have even now grown too familiar, to attract anything more than an idle remark.” Mob rule did not just stop with ending Persky’s judicial career. The students who started a petition to fire Persky stated that Persky did not “respect the bodily autonomy of women,” and that he “is not the type of person our 14-16 year old girls on the JV Sports team should have for a coach or mentor.” Do these students realize that Persky committed no crime and has dutifully upheld the law for 15 years? For simply giving a lawful sentence, Persky has once again awakened the mob, and now he is paying dearly for it.

Three thousand signatures in a matter of days, all of which call for the firing of a coach is the definition of mob rule. LHS removed Persky before they fully thought about the consequences of their decision. Persky’s actions did not warrant the mob that ruthlessly went after him until he was unable to hold a job for more than a month.

Aaron Persky’s life is being ruined, only because he followed the Probation Department’s recommendation, as judges often do. As Abraham Lincoln said in 1838, “There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law . . . and in neither case, is the interposition of mob law, either necessary, justifiable, or excusable.”

Illustration by Jane Park PERSKY FALLS VICTIM: uninformed parents and students clamor for

his removal without full knowledge of the event.

PAGE BY ELAINE HUANG

Opinion

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Voluntourism teaches the value of scrutiny

Carefully researched organizations make voluntourism worth it By Shruti Magesh

With the numbers of students flocking to join volunteer organizations on and off campus, volunteering has become a norm for today’s students. Around 15.5 million youth ages 12-18, or about 55 percent of all teens participate in volunteering, according to the Government National Service. However, a new type of volunteering is becoming prevalent: voluntourism. Voluntourism is essentially a form of volunteering coupled with tourism, enabling participants to help out at charities overseas. Voluntourism ammasses to a $2.6 billion industry, and is steadily becoming the next travel trend, according to ABC News. Over 1.6 million people volunteer abroad each year, according to a study by Tourism Marketing and Research, yet the benefits of such an experience are widely debated. When organizations are not carefully chosen, voluntourism can be doing more harm than good. However, as long as sustainable and legitimate organizations targeting the participant’s specific skill set are chosen, voluntourism can create a lasting impact on communities, for both the participant and those they are helping. Voluntourists may lack the experience necessary to make an impact, and local volunteers might have to spend time redoing their work.

Illustration by Ashleigh Dong TRAVEL WITH CHARITY: Voluntourism is organized through charities, which helps partner voluntourists with communities across the world.

For example, participants, without much expertise in construction work or in the medical field required to treat patients may often impose unnecessary damage in the community, according to the New York Times. Voluntourism can be detrimental to a community, if the participants are not skilled in their work. They may actually end up slowing the construction of a building or cause a medical crisis, which could disrupt a community’s flow and undermine the purpose and intent of volunteering: to help. Additionally, certain orphan-

ages and charities cater to the voluntourism industry by becoming opportunistic business in an effort to succumb more profits, according to a report by the University of Pennsylvania. This may lead to an allocation of resources and services geared to maximize profits, instead of benefits for the community. In fact, these opportunistic voluntourism organizations take jobs from locals and disrupt their economy. To accommodate voluntourists, host families allocate their already scarce resources, according to World Vision. As such, if a charitable orga-

nization is well researched, participating in voluntourism enlists a plethora of benefits for those involved. Voluntourism can expose students to a new world and expose them to cultures and languages, as well as build interpersonal relationships with those they are helping. It also encourages an open mindset to the participants and a better understanding for smaller communities. If the volunteer work is specific to a participant’s skill set, the benefits will create a lasting impact. For instance, teaching English at a local school abroad will not only benefit the students, but also allow the teachers to build upon their approach to teaching, according to World Vision. Putting in the time and effort to research voluntourism opportunities and considering whether they will benefit the members of the community in a substantial way, and ensure the volunteer work being done has integrity and value. The trend of voluntourism brings with it many benefits to the participants, but to ensure that there is no harm being done to the community — it is essential to investigate further into the types of organizations and communities that we decided to invest ourselves in.

The school spirit debate

By Jane Park

Are school spirit events worth attending?

better off not attending rallies. In fact, the time I spend doing homework instead of attending rallies is time wiser spent. Such discrepancies make me a target of disapproval. Classmates claim I don’t like my school because I don’t devote my time to rallies, or attend meaningless sports games of which I have no connection to. The reality of this situation is that there are a number of factors that play into attending school events. Some people just don’t have the time or a reason to go. Some become anxious in crowded, loud places. Personally, I just have other things I’d rather be doing, like drawing or hanging out with my friends. Regardless of the reason, people should not be attacked for not wanting to go to a rally or sports game. Rallies just aren’t for everyone. Fortunately, people have the option to choose to go to rallies, which benefits both parties, whether you want to attend or do something else. Overall, school spirit can be something that brings people together. However, polarizing individuals with a proclaimed “lack of school spirit” can make them feel isolated inPhoto illustrations by Melody Chen stead.

I was recently rebuked for not attending rallies. I was criticized for not having school spirit and being antisocial. I disagree. I’m a member of several clubs on campus and volunteer regularly. I buy ASB every year to support the school, and my family participated in the Mustang run last year to aid the athletic boosters. My relatives donate to HHS’s programs constantly. I prioritize my school work and praise HHS to friends from other schools. My version of school spirit is having pride in my school and enjoying the time I spend there, and is not equivalent to wasting my time standing in a crowded, noisy auditorium. Rallies can be loud, redundant and pretty boring. They hold similar contests every year, they’re loud and I find that although they are considered social events, no one actually socializes. Much of the time spent in rallies is screaming, laughing, and posting on social media. Because I don’t feel like rallies bring anything to my life, I believe I am

By Jackson Faria

When it comes to high school, parents are eager to pass down advice on how to make these four years as enjoyable as possible. Not only parents, but siblings, as well. My brothers, who graduated from HHS, advised me to get involved in as many activities possible, claiming that if I don’t participate in activities like rallies, I will look back at these four years full of regret. Going into my junior year, rallies have consistently been a highlight of my high school career. I was fortunate to be selected to represent the class of 2021 in the Battle of the Classes both years and hope to do so again in the following years. If you attended the Welcome Back Rally during the first week of school, you may have seen me try to eat an oreo off my face without using my hands (it is harder than it looks). Rallies give unique opportunities for people to put themselves out there in front of the whole school. I have wholeheartedly taken advantage of such opportunities and recommend my fellow students to as well. I’ve built relation-

ships with many of my peers that I did not know prior to these events through practicing for, and participating in rallies alongside them. After participating in multiple rallies, people I do not know have come up to me to strike a conversation about something they enjoyed about the rally. Interactions like those motivate me to continue to step outside my comfort zone and participate more in school events. Rallies are also great opportunities to showcase the talent we have here at HHS with performances from our marching band, dance team and cheer team. Clubs and individuals on campus also have the chance to sign up and use rallies as their stage to show off their talents in front of the school. Even if you do not want to participate in rally events, you can still enjoy watching the festivities with your friends from the bleachers. This time is taken out of our busy school days five times a year for a reason. It is also a time for students to check out and take a break from their strenuous routines. Studying can be done at home after school, while rallies cannot be recreated anywhere else.

THE MELODIC LINE

By Melody Chen

With everything that’s happening in the world, only a handful of headlines will make it to the top. Ideally, the millions of things crowding news circuits at this moment all deserve a spot in the mainstream. Yet, the media has been accused of being unfair with news coverage. Such imperfections in the newsroom have been heightened in the wake of the Amazonian fire. The fire burned for three weeks before the media took notice, according to Fortune. Despite a global tragedy as big as the Amazonian fire, it struggled to make it into the newsroom. According to Media Matters for America, 365 cable news segments mentioned the Notre Dame fire in the week of the event, while only 25 segments mentioned the Amazonian fire in the week of the event. Much of the truth is compelled by the nature of the newsroom, yet a part of the decision to weigh one headline over the other is the value it has on the audience. When a question of significance between cultural and environmental values is debated across the newsroom, journalists must search for something that connects the event to the readers. Yet, there is a threshold that certain events must cross to become the next breaking news. It is unsettling when some stories dissolve under the larger fonts of breaking news. Perhaps the word choice hints something that is not entirely true. Take the implications of tragedy: this adjective now applies to events, such as conspiracy theories and celebrity fails, that do not merit the meaning it used to hold. But what counts as a tragedy when such a word is putting off its weight? In the tragedy of media inequity, journalists like me must expand our perception further than what we see, but more so, to the blind spots in the world. PAGE BY SHRUTI MAGESH

Opinion

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Have a secret? Don’t trust Facebook to keep it

Facebook user numbers declining at all-time low By Naomi Baron

THE PARTISAN PARTY

By Sahil Venkatesan “They have stolen our Intellectual Property at a rate of Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year, & they want to continue. I won’t let that happen! We don’t need China … our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China,” Donald Trump tweeted at 7:59 a.m. on Sept. 3. Less than 24 hours later, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 350 points. This is a mere hint of the roller coaster our president puts the market through with his careless tweets. Claiming, for example, that “we don’t need China and frankly would be far better without them” is inaccurate. According to Industry Week, the U.S. depends heavily on China to provide low-cost goods which provide for middle class Americans. It is clear Trump has no idea how his economic policies impact the economy as he flip flops through trade negotiations and leaves investors bewildered when he calls his own Chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, an “enemy.” According to CNBC, Powell attacked Trump for his harmful trade policies: “I think it is the case that uncertainty around trade policy is causing some companies to hold back on investment.” Powell is absolutely correct, and Trump’s fluctuating policies are forcing businesses to hold back on long-term investments, slowing economic growth. According to Moody Analytics, Trump’s trade war with China already cost the U.S. 300,000 jobs, which will grow to 900,000 jobs if the trade war continues into 2020. Trump’s trade war has negatively impacted citizens, buisnesses and the economy. There is one solution to rescue the country from an impending recession. Vote Trump out of office in 2020.

The famous saying goes, “if you’re not paying for it, you’re the product.” Recent media reports indicate this is exactly the case for Facebook users — and they are beginning to notice. Data from Edison Research numbers show fewer people are using the social media platform. The data shows 15 million people have stopped using Facebook since 2016. As a result, the significant decline in usership is causing worries for the future sustainability of the tech giant. In all likelihood, the reason for the company’s rapid decline stems from media scrutiny and reports that Facebook violates the privacy of its users and sells user data to third parties. According to a Washington Post analysis, since 2016, people are spending 10 percent less time on Facebook and Messenger in a given month than in the same month last year. This data shows Facebook suffered from a plummeting user drop in 2016, which is also around the same time as its anti-privacy scandal. That’s not a coincidence. Facebook’s user decline began with uncovered scandals relating to the 2016 presidential election. In 2014, Facebook gave its users an option to take a quiz to determine their personality type.

After millions took the quiz, reports suggested that Facebook sold those results to Cambridge Analytica, a political consultant company in Britain, which then psychologically profiled voters. With over 87 million users’ information, Cambridge Analytica used the information to construct ads to target certain groups with material to aid Donald Trump in his election. Facebook was complicit in such a scheme. This is only the beginning of Facebook’s many mistakes toward their downfall. Since then, more problems with Facebook have arisen. Just last year, Facebook started leaking private messages, contact lists and user information to major companies like Microsoft, Netflix and Spotify with the intention of helping these companies market specific ads to users, depending on their personal data. All this was done without the consent of users. Not only is the release of private information without consent illegal and unacceptable, it also puts users at risk. By jeopardizing users’ personal information, they no longer have any control of what information is exposed to companies and to where the information is transferred. The aftermath of the 2018

Facebook scandal resulted in another large loss of users. According to a study conducted by Edison Research, 82 million people between the ages of 12 and 34 used Facebook in 2017. However, that number decreased to 65 million users in 2018. More recently, Facebook has been working with the Donald Trump campaign and has been politically advertising in favor of Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election. Highlighting Facebook’s tumultuous history with invading the privacy of their users, there is some speculation that Facebook is also providing the Trump campaign with personal information from users to help with the promotion of certain ads. Selling users’ private information to political organizations or campaigns is even worse than selling it to high-tech companies seeking to advertise. Here, the stakes are higher. It is not a product being advertised, it is the government — with real power — gathering information and looking to sway people in a certain direction. With all the scandals and backlash from its users, Facebook’s future is not looking so bright. If the reports are true, Facebook deserves what it’s getting.

Illustration by Naomi Baron OUT WITH THE OLD: Facebook

usership is declining in part because of the recent data privacy scandals.

Infographic by Melody Chen and Sahil Venkatesan PAGE BY NITYA KASHYAP AND KATELYNN NGO

Lifestyles

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

French teacher creates own culture across continents

Muriel VonStein experiences France different from most By Miya Liu

FRANCE PLUS FAMILY: VonStein tours Paris with daughter Caroline.

her home as well. “Over the years, I developed a family of friends [who] are super important [to] me,” VonStein said, “That’s why being here is also home, because I have this community around me that I was lucky enough to develop.” Even though VonStein has multiple “homes,” she said she has just one culture. “Living in different countries, it teaches you about your culture, and there is no perfect place and no perfect culture,” VonStein said. “By discovering different countries and cultures, you can see what you like and what you don’t like, and then you create your own little personal culture.”

ya Part by Shre

Photo courtesy of Muriel VonStein

“I cannot recognise the money without looking at it like a foreigner. I feel like an outsider with that,” VonStein said. Luckily, she does not have the usual language barrier, which makes her feel like less of a tourist. On the contrary, even though she has lived in America longer than in France, she said she still feels like an outsider here. “I think the language, even though I’m fluent, is a barrier because people judge me because I make mistakes and I have an accent,” VonStein said. “That makes me feel like a tourist, like [I don’t] completely belong.” She said she has found that the fluency of a language has a direct impact on one’s connection to a country. “I cannot imagine how people who barely speak the language feel,” VonStein said. “It must be very, very hard.” Although she does not live in France, VonStein said she still considers the country her home. “Home is where the family is,” VonStein said. “Because a big part of my family is in France, it’s not [the country], it’s more the people [who] are important to me.” Based on this criteria, VonStein said she considers America

stration

“[I spent] most of the time with my family. My goal is to see everybody that I cannot see during the year,” VonStein said. As well as family time, she said she also always spends a day or two in Paris. “When I go to Paris, I’m really a 100 percent tourist ... I do all the touristy things,” VonStein said. But, it is not just the tourist activities that make her feel like a tourist.

lu Photo Il

French teacher Muriel VonStein grew up in France and lived there for a total of 24 years. As such, her visits to her native country are different than a typical tourist’s trip to France. This past summer, VonStein returned to France, staying in Lyon for the weekend, before journeying to a small town called Lamotte-Beuvron, where she stayed with 47 members of her extended family.

Dear Daisy... “I really want to be friends with benefits with this girl, but I have no clue how to even start up that conversation. What do I say?” Well, this all starts off with a simple question: what is your relationship with her? Do you have an established friendship already but you want more? Or is she in your math class and you happen to think she is cute? Either way, you need to decide what type of relationship you want and be confident. Hook-up culture is a big part of our generation. I’m not just talking about sex, but also making out, pillow talk and everything else that is before, during or after sex. It’s important for you to know what you want — whether it’s just sex or to build a bond first — before you talk to the person that you are interested in. The next step after you figure out what you want is to talk to her. Your current relationship with her will determine the method in which you build your new relationship. For example, if you just want to hook up and you barely know her, you can slide into her DM’s and see if she is interested in hanging out and doing a little bit more. However, if you know her but want to take it to the next level, then you have to flirt a little and try to hang

out with this person more one on one. If you are feeling a vibe, then move forward and tell them that you are feeling something and that you want to move from just being friends to friends with benefits. Remember to ask if she is fine with that and establish the boundaries of your new relationship. In each scenario, the common thing to do is to talk about the boundaries that you cannot cross. I will admit this may be one of the more awkward conversations you will have, but it is important because you do not want to make yourself or your new partner uncomfortable. When talking about boundaries, be very clear on what you want right now and what you may be open to in the future. For example, if you are uncomfotable with having sex right away and want to wait until you are more comfotable, then say that. When these boundaries get broken, be sure to be vocal about it as soon as possible. A simple “hey, let’s slow down,” Or: “I am not comfortable with that right now,” is necessary to say. Whenever you are ready to move forward, you can

We want to hear from you! Scan the QR code to submit your questions to Daisy about life or relationships. text or say, “Hey, what if we try …” Or: “I think I am ready to …” Whatever makes you the most comfortable is what you should do. Starting a new type of relationship or trying to start up a new relationship with someone is hard and scary, but you just have to take the risk. Chances are if you have been feeling some type of way for someone and you have been making an effort, they most likely will have noticed and you just need to “slide in” and say what you need to say. From personal experience do not by any means, send unsolicited images or phrases unless agreed upon before. This is uncomfortable, unnecessary and illegal. If you are really interested in seeing this particular person then call them or ask to meet up.

Photo illustration by Hana Baig

Love, Daisy! PAGE BY SAHIL VENKATESAN AND ALLEN ZHANG

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Fitness From overcoming fears about working out in the gym to making major lifestyle changes, see how fitness has inspired students to achieve their goals.

Infographic by Elaine Huang and Miya Liu

Finding common ground in an uncomfortable environment By Jacqueline Beaufore When I first started to work out, I always thought that people would look at me weird because I was not as fit as them, along with the obvious fact that I had no clue how to use any machines or weights. After asking friends and experiencing weird and uncomfortable experiences at the gym, I have come to the conclusion that everyone has the same experience. Let’s take it back and imagine freshman you walking into Crunch with your raggedy t-shirt and old Target leggings. You witness the sea of fit people lifting weights over a 100 pounds — all of whom are wearing t-shirts that are designed to show off all their muscles — and others running speeds beyond imaginable all while wearing cute matching workout apparel. This is truly intimidating. I used to go through

this experience when I first started to attend the gym. I was always frightened that I wasn’t doing anything right and that I would never be as fit as the people I was working out next too. In order for me to get over the unknowing of what machines to use, I started to make a list of the things that I wanted to work out on, and I also looked up workouts on Pinterest and Youtube. Learning the basics of how to work out and what machines to use is key to starting your fitness journey. If you don’t understand how to use something, just ask. It doesn’t have to be someone who is working out — it can be an employee, and they would love to help you. For me, I have always struggled with how I look when I workout because I sweat a lot. Having people see me do that at the gym where somehow, people look flawless and barely sweat is embarrass-

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I’m so much more focused now and I know what I’m fighting for.

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Health DIET

POV: My gym experience

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What is your personal experience with fitness?

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ing. So, what I started to do is wear colored clothes that do not really show sweat stains too much, such as black or printed clothes to draw attention away from me. Sweating is something we all do some more than others, which is ok. For some (like me) working out is a struggle because it is a personal reflection on how I feel and what I am striving to become. When working out or starting your own journey, remember that results will come and not to cut out foods to drastically. When cutting calories to drastically you risk not only burning fat but also protein and muscle. I used to get very frustrated when I started to work out because I never saw the changes that I wanted as fast as I wanted. Ask questions because even the muscular gods you see started out like you and me.

Photos courtesy of Kiarash Kalhori

BEFORE AND AFTER: Kalhori started his fitness journey in 8th grade. Currently he works out at Crunch Ftness everyday.

-Kiarash Kalhori

“[Training] gives me discipline. You don’t like it, but soon you realize why you did it and how it helps you.” - Rishi Zamvar (9)

“Wrestling is an intense sport to push yourself to the limit because you can push yourself as hard as you want.” - Brandon Wright (11)

[Dancing] really helped me learn to be mentally strong and push myself. We can’t just give up; it defeats the purpose of our whole workout. - Maya Sato (11)

Kiarash Kalhori: fitness freak Fitness teaches self discipline and goal setting By Emily Chung

Different Diets: Listed are three diets and their food limitations. These limitations include little to no carb, animal by-product and protein intake.

Although waking up at 5:30 a.m. is not a normal routine for a high school student, this is what senior Kiarash Kalhori endures to get his regular work outs in. “Right off the top, I don’t want to go to the gym, but I go because I know that I’m going to [come] out feeling better,” Kalhori said. Kalhori said he also follows the Ketogenic diet by avoiding all carbohydrates, and instead only eats foods high in protein and fat, along with implementing intermittent fasting. This means that his first meal is at 3 p.m. and his last meal is at 8 or 9 p.m. Kalhori said that his body is carbohydrate-sensitive, so he does his best to stay away from them. Kalhori said he also gets his cardio in through boxing at least one hour everyday. “It helps me focus. I don’t do it just to look and feel good,” Kalhori said. “But it keeps me energized, since carbs take a lot of energy to process and digest, [while] fats and high proteins don’t.” Kalhori was not always fit, though. He said he even considered himself to be a little obese. When he could not get the girl he liked,

he used fitness as a solution. “I’m changing my life,” Kalhori said. “That [first] step I took in the gym absolutely changed everything, and over the smallest reason, too. Now, I just go because it’s routine.” Even though Kalhori’s original goal was to become more fit, it has now evolved to pushing himself further than he can imagine, he said. By setting goals for himself, Kalhori has the motivation to achieve his challenges everyday. “When I first started fitness, I wanted to get abs,”Kalhori said.”Once I got the abs, now [I’m going to] bench 135 for five reps. Okay, I hit that. Now, I’m gonna set another goal. We’re going to bench 225 for five reps. Once I got [the hang of] it, the journey was so fulfilling.” Having a consistent routine makes a better workout, he said. “When I first started, I remember I went every day for 90 days. Once you have [a] routine, it [becomes] habit, and habit just makes everything easy,” Kalhori said. Getting into shape has also given him self-discipline, which

helps him succeed in other areas of life. Kalhori has learned that everything he does is more mental “This self-discipline came from holding back from meals, forcing myself to go to the gym every single day,” Kalhori said. “Now, I know how to utilize that self discipline in all areas of my life, [like] boost[ing] my GPA.” When Kalhori goes to the gym now, he has seen how much progress he has made and wants to give back by helping other people, he said. “When I first started working out, I couldn’t even lift the bar on the bench,” Kalhori said. “Progressively, people came over to help me do this or do that.” The community’s support has helped Kalhori and inspired him to do the same to others. Kalhori loves seeing people come back to the gym and feels super rewarded because he knows he helped catalyze that motivation in them. “It’s very rewarding to see someone [make] progress from the basis you’ve created for them,” Kalhori said. “You plant seeds and help them through the journey.”

“Physically the workouts [in football] are not fun, but in the long run, it makes us stronger and it makes us a better team.” - Jared Wade (12)

Photos by Emily Chung

PAGE BY JACQUELINE BEAUFORE, EMILY CHUNG AND MIYA LIU

Spread

Fitness From overcoming fears about working out in the gym to making major lifestyle changes, see how fitness has inspired students to achieve their goals.

Infographic by Elaine Huang and Miya Liu

“

I’m so much more focused now and I know what I’m fighting for.

“

Health DIET

POV: My gym experience

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What is your personal experience with fitness?

“

Photos courtesy of Kiarash Kalhori

BEFORE AND AFTER: Kalhori started his fitness journey in 8th grade. Currently he works out at Crunch Ftness everyday.

-Kiarash Kalhori

“[Training] gives me discipline. You don’t like it, but soon you realize why you did it and how it helps you.” - Rishi Zamvar (9)

“Wrestling is an intense sport to push yourself to the limit because you can push yourself as hard as you want.” - Brandon Wright (11)

[Dancing] really helped me learn to be mentally strong and push myself. We can’t just give up; it defeats the purpose of our whole workout. - Maya Sato (11)

Kiarash Kalhori: fitness freak Fitness teaches self discipline and goal setting By Emily Chung

Different Diets: Listed are three diets and their food limitations. These limitations include little to no carb, animal by-product and protein intake.

“Physically the workouts [in football] are not fun, but in the long run, it makes us stronger and it makes us a better team.” - Jared Wade (12)

Photos by Emily Chung

PAGE BY JACQUELINE BEAUFORE, EMILY CHUNG AND MIYA LIU

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Lifestyles

Marching band students balance practice, school

A deeper dive into Future Physicians of America

By Emily Chung

By Elaine Huang

Learning perseverance, commitment through music The HHS marching band delivers astounding shows on the football field. The preparation for the show takes a substantial amount of time and effort from the students. Nonetheless, marching band is a little different from what it was last year. Firstly, marching band membership has decreased from last year due to the outflow of graduating seniors. “We graduated 40, almost 50 kids last year. This year, 27 [seniors] are going to graduate,” band director Paul Rendon said. “The band is also a little bit younger, too, because [there] is such a big influx of incoming freshmen.” Marching band teaches students how to work diligently with the large time commitment. According to members, one of the most rewarding parts of being on marching band is competing with other bands. “[Marching band] is more fun than being in just a regular band, because you actually get to [travel] and you work as a team,” junior Kaitlyn Chow said. However, it is sometimes harder to recognize the joy of marching band when you have a difficult class schedule and other pressures such as preparing for standardized testing, Chow said. “Junior year is just a really hectic year and sometimes it’s really hard to balance marching band,” Chow said. “It does force you to actually work and be efficient with your time.” However, creating a balance between the time commitment of marching band and other activities can prove to be overwhelming,

junior Mia Tamura said. “I spent too many hours away from my family and I think my family is more important than going to band practice,” Tamura, who dropped out of marching band, said. “I feel I have just been a lot less stressed when I feel like I’m able to manage everything better with my own time.” Rendon said he misses the people who have decided to leave marching band behind. He believes that music is important because it teaches you the value of perseverance. “Music offers young people so many life lessons. You find out a lot about yourself. It’s about hard work,” Rendon said. “It’s the wonderful, beautiful experience of making music. We’re always trying to embrace everybody to do music.”

Photo by Emily Chung DRUM MAJOR CONDUCTS: Minji Kim

orchestrates band during halftime show.

Exploring path toward becoming a physician with FPA

Clubs provide opportunities for students to explore career paths and build communities through those shared interests. The same goes for Future Physicians of America(FPA). FPA is an on-campus medical club that aims to provide more insight into the medical field for students. The club meets every other Friday during lunch in S8, and holds events, such as dissections, on Fridays after school. Senior Shelby Jennett, the president of FPA, said she joined during her sophomore year after discovering her interest in the medical field. “I was talking to my mom the summer before and somehow was interested in being a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist,” Jennett said. Jennett joined the club in hopes of gaining a better perspective on other parts of the medical field. Although she joined FPA with the intention of stepping into the medical field, she said she recommends anyone to join. “They don’t even need to be interested in medicine at all,” Jennett said. “Joining the club could also allow those who are not initially interested to realize that this is something they want to pursue in the future, or not.” When asked about future events hosted by the club,

the activities director of FPA, Aditi Poddar, touched on some of the events she’s looking forward to. “I am especially looking forward to our pig heart dissection, sheep kidney and brain dissections,” Poddar said.“We are also hoping to finalize a tour of the Veterans Affair Hospital Pathology Department.” In addition to the volunteer opportunities advertised by FPA, the club is able to offer members a unique perspective of the medical field. Poddar made clear the differences between FPA and on-campus medical club Red Cross. “FPA provides students with more exposure in the medical fields, opposed to general CPR/

First Aid Training provided by the Red Cross,” Kaushal Raghu, vice president of FPA said.“The opportunities we provide to students are more specialized in the areas of dissections, hospital tours and medical games.” The FPA officer team is excited to meet new members of the club. “I think it’s always exciting to learn about and from the members: what they enjoy and their input on how to keep improving the club as a whole,” Jennett said, “I am also excited to implement more themes and events for the upcoming year.”

Photo by Elaine Huang FPA PRESENTS CLUB: President Shelby Jennett and vice president Kaushal

Raghu at the club fair.

College tuition limits opportunities

A contrast to the American education provided by a student from Turkey By Nika Bondar

“We all pass a test together, and [they use] the results to scale us one after another,” Demir, a high school senior in Turkey, said. Unlike in the U.S., students in Turkey cannot freely apply to colleges without first passing an entrance exam. The Student Selection Examination, the exam to which Demir is referring, ultimately determines students’ options for future careers. Although U.S. students possess more freedom in determining their future, their options are significantly limited by tuition budget. “I can’t count on your [American] universities because … they’re all really expensive,” Demir said. The desire for an equal education standard has brought many American schools and colleges to the same standard of quality but not the same standard of accessibility. All students are inevitably filtered into the schools that best match their socioeconomic background.

Although the success of no student is determined by the name of the college on their degree, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the high prices tacked onto their education. Something as personal as choosing a major can often depend on whether you are willing to spend additional $300 a year to complete your science labs, according to The Fiscal Times. “If a family or a student doesn’t understand the investment aspect of the degree, then I think it’s not even really a possibility,” AVID teacher Shawnee Rivera, said. “In our country, public schools aren’t that good … [there should] be a whole new revolution because I think it’s no good for anyone [when students] focus more on solving test problems and preparing [for their] university exams [instead of learning the material],” Demir said. The Journal of Education and Training Studies published a report stating that private school students in Turkey score higher

on tests and enjoy school more than students in public schools. Private schools are fueled by high tuition costs while most public schools are open-access. The cracks on the road to success begin as soon as you enter your first classroom. Many students’ futures are predetermined by their home district. Proposition 13, a California state law, requires the use of property taxes for school funding. In turn, the schools funded by the neighborhoods with the highest property value will receive a much larger budget, creating a socioeconomic gap between districts. “If we look at what opportunities and services available here at FUHSD compared to just San Jose Unified (SJU) — which is, you know, less than 10 miles away — it’s hugely disparate,” Rivera said. For instance, in SJU, the average proficiency in math is 42 percent and the average proficiency in reading is 53 percent, which

Illustration by Elaine Huang PRICE OF EDUCATION: What is keeping the U.S. education system

away from ideal equality?

can be compared to the 77 percent math proficiency and 84 percent reading proficiency at FUHSD, according to niche.com. “For schools that are in impoverished areas or low

socioeconomic status areas, it’s even worse. You [can see] schools that are literally falling apart next to schools that have new innovation hubs,” Rivera said. PAGE BY SHREYA PARTHA

Lifestyles Wednesday, September 25, 2019 11 Joining the army does not mean being on the front lines Misconceptions stem from public misinformation By Katelynn Ngo and Yukari Zapata Every month, uniformed military officers come to HHS to pass out flyers about their programs, answer questions or hand out army-inspired lanyards. This is how 2018 graduate Caleb Chai discovered his interest in joining the U.S. Army — one of the seven branches of the military — and it has deeply affected his post-high school plans. “I spoke to some of the crews that were around here — I didn’t have any idea of the options — and they told me about the scholarship opportunities, which has been huge in my college experience,” Chai said. Chai is currently a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), which is a program for college students that prepares them for the military after they graduate college. After college, Chai plans to have a part-time job in reserves, which is one of the three options for those joining the Army (the other two are active duty or the National Guard). He currently drills monthly with the 469th Combat

Photo by Katelynn Ngo ANSWERING STUDENT QUESTIONS: Caleb Chai was one of six graduates

who came to talk about post-high school experiences at the panel.

Sustainment Support Battalion, and wants to specialize in military intelligence, he said. For many, hearing the word ‘army’ or ‘military’ conjures up images of fierce combat on the front lines of a battle or war.

Army Staff Sergeant Lue Herr, an army recruiter, explains that this is simply not the case. “The Army has over 150 career fields [and] jobs. Yes, there are jobs that require some sort of combat if needed, but that isn’t

all of what the army is about,” Herr said, “Soldiers still engage fully within their career fields on a daily basis even though they might be located in a foreign country.” Chai also denies the misconception that those who join the military all go into combat. “You can basically be anything in the army. We have a corps of engineers. We have quartermasters. We have all types of stuff that you can study,” Chai said, “One of my good friends is graduating from the program this year, and she’s going to be working at Google. She’s also a cyber defense specialist for the U.S. Army.” Another misconception Herr clears up is that joining the military leads to a lack of a personal life. “Every soldier working for the military are just like others working for a civilian job [or a] corporation. Soldiers have families to take care of and do enjoy the better fruits of life just like everyone else,” Herr said. Still, even with all the potential benefits, making the choice

New librarian shares passions, interests

to enlist for the military is a serious decision that should be considered carefully. The commitment is no joke; enlistment contracts start at two years and go up to 20. If you go AWOL before your contract is done, you’d be considered a deserter, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. “The military is not a decision you make overnight, you don’t just say, ‘I want to go and commit my life to something like that,’” Chai said. College and Career Advisor Mary Lund said there are common reasons why some students decide to make this commitment. “For a lot of students, it’s to … give yourself a little more time to understand what motivates you and how you want to learn. It’s a great opportunity for those who just need a little bit more time to mature and figure out what they want to do,” Lund said. “It’s all what they call merit-based, so if they do well, they get promoted. It’s a really great pathway for kids who are highly motivated and competitive.”

Randy Berner looks forward to meeting teachers, students By Karen Li

As a group of freshmen approaches the library for orientation, new librarian Randy Berner is already propping the door open, greeting them with a broad smile and an energetic “welcome!” Berner’s enthusiasm is made apparent in his interactions with students and staff. He is always smiling and always eager to help. This is reflective of his excitement for his new role as the librarian. As a librarian of only two years, Berner is still relatively new to librarianship. His first year was with the San Francisco Unified School District, and last year he was at CHS, he said. Before becoming a librarian, he was a social studies teacher in Idaho and California. He got his teaching credential at Boise State and taught in Idaho for seven years. Later, he moved to California, where he taught in San Jose for a while and got his Master’s in history at San Jose State. Then, he taught at a Catholic school in Vallejo. Berner said he made his transition into the library after being a stay-at-home parent to his two daughters for seven years. During this time, he was able to evaluate his goals and ultimately decided that becoming a librarian would best serve them. “I thought about what I could do during that time to: [first], become a better social studies teacher, and second, to possibly move into another area of education, because there are so many options besides just classroom teaching,” Berner said. In 2015, he entered San Jose State’s Master of Library and Information Science program and

earned the credentials to become a school librarian. He holds two credentials: social sciences and library services. He said he hopes his experience in the library will translate to the classroom. “I felt like it would make me a much better social studies teacher in terms of research and a different way of looking at curriculum and teaching methods,” Berner said. Officially, his job title is library media teacher, meaning he supports teachers with his expertise on research, media literacy and other technological tools. However, his day-to-day roles expand far beyond his job description, and the spontaneity is what he enjoys so much about working in the library. “What I like about the job is that there are so many things going on at once. It’s very different from classroom teaching,” Berner said. “My day is just filled with whatever comes up that day.” Berner said he is delighted with the library’s environment and constant activity. Students are always flowing in and out, and he likes that there is always something for him to do. “This is a very busy library, which is wonderful, and it’s really exciting working here,” Berner said. So far, Berner said hew already loves the HHS community. He said he is especially looking forward to getting to know the teachers and students as the school year progresses. “Homestead is awesome,” Berner said. “There’s a great energy about this campus and the library in itself.”

Photo by Karen Li READY TO HELP: Berner can help students find books, navigate the shelves and help with research.

Infographic by Karen Li PAGE BY SAANVI THAKUR

Entertainment

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

TikTok: A battleground for surrealism

The app jeopardizes creativity in the age of forced impressions By Melody Chen

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHT By Saanvi Thakur One perk of being a social influencer or a celebrity is having a huge platform to voice anything, from sharing favorite skin care products or daily night routines, but there are others who use their platform to advocate for humanitarian issues that affect us on a daily basis. Since his days on the popular Disney show Jessie, thousands of fans, have seen Cameron Boyce’s passion to spread love and make everyone smile. Even through a screen, Boyce was able to make others happy and continues to inspire us through his project, Wielding Peace. Before the untimely death of Boyce at age 20 on July 6, Boyce was working on a project called Wielding Peace to bring awareness to the ongoing issue of gun violence. According to Every Town Research, 100 people are killed a day in the U.S., not including the hundreds more who are shot and injured. Boyce’s goal was to use his platform to promote using art as a form of expression instead of violence. While accepted his Pioneering Spirit Award, he spoke about leaving something bigger than you behind and his passion for using his power to help others. After his passing, Boyce’s family and friends continue to work on Wielding Peace in addition to launching the Cameron Boyce Foundation. After launching the project, a trend on social media went viral where teenagers took photos ‘wielding’ guns but the guns were replaced with household items. Before passing away, Boyce also started a clothing brand which is now his lasting tribute to the world and fashion itself. After seeing this trend blow up and the amount of money raised, not only was I inspired to join in on this trend but also amazed by the fact how much awareness and action can happen if one social influencer or celebrity uses their influence to support an issue that is affecting so many people.

Following the emergence of the viral app — TikTok — the world has shifted its attention from a social media platform led by culture and democracy to a place dominated by surreal humor. People are now looking into a new trend of humor that has taken another meaning of its own. Like any new social media storm, the world yet again renounced their go-to app for a trendier one.

According to a 2018 data published to CNBC, TikTok was downloaded more than 104 million times on Apple App store, 45 million times more than Instagram. It’s unbelievable how such a young and modest app has such a large say in the social media movement. In fact, the app has just reached 500 million active users worldwide, according to a 2019 data published in

Illustration by Elaine Huang APP CHANGING HUMOR: TikTok follows an algorithm of hashtags that challenges the meaning of ‘cringe’.

Datareportal. TikTok derives success from its parent company ByteDance, which purchased Musical.ly for a reported $1 billion, according to Slate. In Nov. 2017, ByteDance merged TikTok and Musical. ly into one platform with the purpose of creating a more diverse selection of entertainment. The app allows users to make short lip-sync music videos and skits, mainly for comedic effect. Yet, with the advent of TikTok, comedy has adopted a different meaning — one that skews towards a “gold mine of edgy, subversive, and surreal comedy,” according to Vox. TikTok highlights human absurdity in a way no other social media has ever risked doing. Apps like Instagram and Snapchat have created a culture where users feel the need to put forth the best version of themselves, so much so that they go as far to photoshop themselves. However, TikTok allows users to create an identity different from their own. In some cases, users are even inclined to show the worst and most bizarre side of themselves, often through the numerous editing capabilities mounted in the app. There’s a clear distinction between the digital and real self, but more so, there’s the question of forcing impressions just for the sake of reactions. TikTok is intended to be flawed and cringe-inducing;

that’s what makes it so addictive. Yet, the word “cringe” does not translate further than the inner circle of TikTok users. Everything, from VSCO girls to Clown Check, is “cringey” to an outsider, but it takes on a different connotation for users — one that makes us laugh rather than shrink in embarrassment. With an emergence of an app that welcomes such fads, it’s worse to dismiss it altogether. Like any new social media, people think it’s absurd right away, but such inventions tend to become the next favorite app for a reason. People rely on TikTok to create a space where they can post anything they want free of judgment. In fact, the app encourages users to become their own creators, but it fails to recognize that many users regurgitate what they see on TikTok by force-feeding their way into challenges and hashtags. In a way, group influence is a major factor that feeds into the app’s success. When we see other people act a certain way, we tend to mimic their behavior until we become clones of each other. This cycle repeats as more people replicate what they see on TikTok. The app does have some merits in equipping young adults with the tools to craft anything they put their mind to. But once users jeopardize their creativity by forcing themselves to be something they are not, the intent is lost.

Hollywood’s reality exposed by Post Malone

New album ruins the glamourous illusion of Hollywood

By Sara Shohoud

Hollywood is bleeding, but who’s at fault? Post Malone’s new album “Hollywood’s Bleeding” was released Sept. 6. The album focuses on the toxic culture that runs through Hollywood and on the consequences of fame and riches. While the public views celebrities as living their dreams out on stage, we can fail to see what is behind the scenes. The support system within Hollywood is unreliable. They can’t seem to find anyone they truly trust, always paranoid that they have an alternate and self-beneficial motive. In his song “Die for me,” Malone sings about his uncertainty in his trust in others. Malone compares his colleagues with snakes in “Take what you want,” describing their tongues as “forked” and with “lethal” venom. In “Take what you want,” Malone describes the betrayal that he’s faced from those waiting to benefit from his downfall, saying “yeah, you preyed on my every mistake … hoping I would drown.” Post Malone is not the only singer speaking out against the poison of Hollywood culture. Ed Sheeran’s song “Beautiful people” describes that the beautiful people of Hollywood are superficial. The singer writes, “we don’t fit in well ‘cause we are just ourselves.” More of the song talks

about how celebrities are superficial in their relationships, both romantic and platonic: “prenups and broken homes. Surrounded, but still alone.” Sheeran’s lyrics show he is afraid of becoming one of these beautiful people, due to the large amount of time he spends with them and the amount of influence they may have. In addition to Sheeran, singer-songwriter Halsey focuses on feeling empty and abandoned in Hollywood in her song “Alone.” She sings: “everywhere I go I got a million different people trying to kick it but I’m still alone in my mind.” Her song focuses around having many people by your side, but rarely, if ever, feeling like they are actually there for you. She describes herself as being unseen in a room full of people in her song “Angel on fire,” singing, “Nobody seems to recognize me in the crowd. In the background screaming, ‘Everybody, look at me.’” Due to his dark message, Malone’s songs on the album contain a gloomy undertone. His songs vary in harmonies and beats, some more mellow while some are more buoyant. However, all the songs have a dark theme in the music. The album sticks to its message and flows really well, with one song complimenting the next all throughout the album. His songs truly fit the depressing

tone of Hollywood. Thanks to Post Malone’s album, we’re able to see past these claims and realize that the illu-

sion of Hollywood is just that — an illusion with a depressing reality.

Photo Illustration by Sara Shohoud

Photo courtesy of Sony

THE REALITY UNCOVERED: Holly-

Photo courtesey of the Come Up Show

wood’s illusion goes up in smoke after Post Malone releases his new album attacking the toxicity of Hollywood culture.

Page by Dexer Tatsukawa

Entertainment

Too much or too little content? The truth behind streaming services’ necessity today By Andrea Sun A swipe through my phone will reveal two things: I have too many apps I don’t need and a large part of those are streaming services. Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and ABC. The truth is that while content is in surplus these days, it might not be such a bad thing, especially with the help of convenience. Avid fans and interested audiences will be able to see the debut of Apple TV+ and Disney+ this year while 2020 will bring HBO Max and NBCUniversal’s yet to be named streaming service, according to PCMag. Add that on top of the already existing original content developed by Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, these multi-billion dollar conglomerates are fighting for the attention of new and old subscribers. To those who say that it costs too much, I beg to differ from personal experience. As a T-mobile user, my family has access to Netflix for free, which means if I subscribe to Hulu for $11.99 a month, I’m only paying for one subscription service, according to Hulu. In addition, starting November 12, add a dollar to $11.99 a month and I’ll be able to access Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, according to The Verge.

Obviously, the argument of “who would ever need so much content?” Well, the average American spends 23 minutes per day flipping through live TV channels and searching the TV guide for something to watch, according to Ericsson’s 2016 ConsumerLab & TV Media Report. As a nation, Americans already spend 129 minutes a day watching TV, according to the same report. The availability of streaming services minimizes time spent in front of a screen doing nothing, approximately 15 percent, maximizing the amount of content consumed. And why watch something that you don’t like? With streaming services, personal customization and recommendations pushes to find more content that is enjoyable to the individual, rather than scattered shows and movies on cable. As the world is introduced to more shows and movies, having them at the tip of my fingers sounds like a good plan to me. Though it comes with its own complications and difficulties, the core still stands: streaming services are here to stay and for good reasons too.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Camila Cabello’s timeline to fame

How Camila Cabello built her musical career off an elimination in the X-Factor By Miya Liu and Shreya Partha From her humble beginnings at the X factor to winning multiple awards at the VMAs, Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao, or as she is more commonly known as, Camila Cabello’s rise to fame is one for the books. Instead of having the traditional quinceanera, Cabello’s 15th birthday present was auditioning for the X factor. She was turned down during boot camp, but Cabello was eventually called back onto the stage with four other girls — Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui and Dinah Jane — to later form a girl group known as Fifth Harmony. Cabello continued to perform with them for four more years, producing hits like “Worth it” and “Work from Home,” but she also did collaborations with other artists, like “I know what you did last summer” with Shawn Mendes in 2015 and “Bad things” with Machine Gun Kelly in 2016. On December 18, 2016, Cabello officially declared

“Havana”

Release date:

August 3, 2017

Genre: Pop Rating: 4.5

that she would be leaving Fifth Harmony because of an inability to simultaneously work with the group and produce singles. “It became clear that it was not possible to do solo stuff and be in the group at the same time,” she said. In the year of 2017, she released “Havana,” which was a major success, reaching the number one spot in nine different countries and the Billboard Hot 100. In the music video for Havana, Cabello takes on two entirely different roles, one as a studious Karla and another as a fun, quirky Camila. She goes on to explain that the music clip was a representation of the two personalities that simultaneously live inside her. “Karla and Camila represent two parts of my personality, but Karla in the movie is who I really am and always have been,” Cabello said. After a successful year, 2018 began with the release of her first studio album, Camila, on January 12, which on the same day, became number one in 98 different countries. This riveting album combined pop music with a Cuban feel by using traditional rhythms and instruments. Even without being classically trained, Cabello’s natural talent seeps through in this album and accentuates her raw voice.

“Camila” performed so well that Cabello received two more multi-platinum singles, a Grammy nomination and two major wins at the MTV Video Music Awards. From there, in April of 2018, Camila ventured on her first solo tour, Never Be the Same and directly after, she was offered the opportunity to be an opening act for Taylor Swift. This month, Camila released two songs, “Liar” and “Shameless.” Both songs are excellent and present different styles, “Liar” with a strong salsa-like rhythm and “Shameless” with more of a dark, electronic feel to it. Even through her success, Cabello continues to be humble. In an interview with Forbes, she admits that her greatest achievement was “singing with [her] dad in Mexico City.”

Photo courtesy of Syco

CABELLO RISES QUICKLY: Over the past 7 years, Camila Cabello has produced a plethora of music and now stands as one of the top artists worldwide.

Illustration by Elaine Huang

STREAMING BECOMES NECESSITY: Subscribing to streaming services gives better and more reliable content.

Old Taylor back in new album, ‘Lover’

Taylor Swift’s seventh album, ‘Lover,’ an instant smash hit

By Allen Zhang Country turned pop singer Taylor Swift debuted her seventh album, “Lover,” and not only did it break several sales records within a week of its release, but it also reminded fans why they fell in love with Swift’s music. Containing 18 songs, more than any of her previous albums, this album brings back elements from her old songs that propelled Swift to fame and reveals Swift’s innermost unfiltered thoughts. For fans alienated by the edgy, combative and more experimental style of her previous album “Reputation,” “Lover” is a breath of fresh air. The majority of songs in “Lover” are very voice-centered, with minimal instrumental support, which adds to a raw, unfiltered fresh vibe. The first song, “I forgot that you existed,” sets a perky vibe for the entire album. As many of her songs are autobiographical, fans have analyzed the lyrics and drawn the conclusion that

Photo courtesy of Republic Records GOING PLATINUM: “LOVER” racked

up 5.4 million streams within 24 hours of its release.

this song is her final word on her widely publicized feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Many of the songs in “Lover” are blatantly about Joe Alwyn, her long-time boyfriend. “London boy,” “Cornelia Street” and “Paper rings” reveal intimate details of Swift’s relationship with Alwyn. From the songs, listeners can tell that

Swift really believes that Alwyn is the one. The namesake of the album, “Lover,” is also about Alwyn and combines Swift’s harmonious voice and dreamy lyrics, making it one of my favorite love songs. One new thing that Swift chooses to do is to write songs expressing her political views. In “The man,” lines from the chorus express her reflection on how being a woman has made it harder for her to become successful and how much easier men have it in comparison. Another line of the bridge refers to how she has been criticized for being rich, even though there are plenty of male celebrities also making bank. The twelfth song, “Soon you’ll get better,” is a touching tribute to Swift’s mother, Andrea Swift, who was recently rediagnosed with cancer. The beautiful lyrics, “I hate to make this all about me / But who am I supposed to talk to? / What am I supposed to do / If there’s

no you?” add to the haunting chorus backed by the musical group Dixie Chicks, creating a song that represents Swift’s love for her mother and the singer’s hope that she will beat cancer again. The last song of the album, “Daylight” was a huge disappointment. The song is not particularly catchy, and with the last song of “Reputation” being “New Year’s Day,” a fan favorite of many, the bar had been set particularly high. The way “Daylight” concludes the album just does not do it justice. In addition, there are many songs in this album that I doubt even the most avid Taylor Swift fans would be able to sing, such as “Miss Americana & the heartbreak prince,” “It’s nice to have a friend” or “I think he knows.” These tracks simply lack Swift’s music’s charm and catchiness, causing some bland spots in her album. Taylor Swift’s “Lover” truly encapsulates love in every form

possible. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the songs, but there are a few songs that are not worth listening to.

Illustration by Elaine Huang

“Lover” Release date:

August 23, 2019

Genre: Pop Rating: 4.5 PAGE BY JACK XU

Sports

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

FARIA FOCUS By Jackson Faria The San Francisco 49ers have kicked the 2019 NFL season off on the right foot, starting 2-0 with a win against Tampa Bay week 1: 31-17, and a win against Cincinnati week 2: 41-17. 49ers fans hoped to see a better performance from starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who made his return to football in week one after missing the majority of the 2018 season with a torn ACL. Garoppolo was 18/27 passing with 166 yards, 1 touchdown and a costly interception that was returned for a touchdown in his first game back in almost a year. There were definitely expectations for Garoppolo to be a little rusty coming back, but he was capable of playing better than he did. Garoppolo made up for his week one woes as he put on a very convincing and efficient performance against the Bengals in week two. He threw for 297 yards on 25 attempts completing 17 passes, three of which were touchdowns. Garoppolo did throw another interception but overall looked a lot more like himself in the offensive eruption in week two. San Francisco was very excited about the play of their defense in Tampa. This past offseason they added the premier pass rush duo by drafting Nick Bosa and acquiring Dee Ford through free agency. They also added free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander and cornerback Jason Verrett. Although Verrett has not made his 49ers debut yet due to injury, Ford, Bosa and Alexander have all been key to the success of the San Francisco defense through the first two weeks. They are tied for third in sacks with seven to start off the season. The 49ers are also tied for most forced turnovers with five through the first two games. Hopefully the 49ers can maintain their level of play at home as they host the Steelers and Browns for their first two games at home.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The HHS defense was dominant in their showdown with FHS, allowing only six points in the win.

Photo By Jane Park

Battle of the Bell ends in Field hockey starts low-scoring affair year with confidence HHS and FHS renew their rivalry in a Mustang win By Jackson Faria For the past four years, FHS has beaten HHS in the Battle of the Bell game between the cross town rivals. That changed on Sept. 13 when the Mustangs won back the coveted bell. After winning a momentous game against South San Francisco the previous week, the Mustangs looked to remain in the win column with a big matchup against FHS. HHS was able to grind out the victory in a low-scoring defensive battle, winning 12-6. Senior captain and linebacker Chuck Rak said he was very adamant about staying focused on the task at hand. “Our goal was to go in and block out the hype and get the job done,” Rak said. At first, it seemed as though it could be that easy for the Mustangs, who were dominating early. They did not allow the Firebirds to get a first down and forced a punt on their opening drive. Senior running back Harold Rucker III returned the punt 60 yards for a touchdown. Rucker III was the heartbeat for the HHS team throughout the game, scoring the only touchdown and gashing the FHS defense once in the second quarter with a 41-yard run, and again in the third with a 70-yarder. Both big runs led

By Andrea Sun to two field goals from junior kicker Gabe Solorio, who went two of three on field goals for the night. Rucker III ended the night with 230 all purpose yards, 114 yards rushing and 116 yards on punt returns. “This game meant a lot to me,” Rucker III said. “It was the last time I will ever get the chance to win the bell, so I went all out” Both Rucker III and Rak said they credit the coaching staff for pushing the team to stay extra focused during the week of practice prior to the game. HHS knew they would have to improve their play from the South San Francisco game. “We knew we had to limit our penalties and stay disciplined if we wanted to have a chance to beat Fremont, who is a much better opponent than South San Francisco,” Rak said. “And that is what the coaches made us work on all week and it really showed in our performance” Rak said. HHS has hosted three home games through the first three weeks of the season against MVHS, South San Francisco and FHS. They have shown the ability to win at home going 2-1 in those games, but will have to be able to win on the road, as well.

Photo By Jane Park PREGAME LOCK IN: One of HHS’s main goals coming into this game was to

stay more disciplined and focused.

Team works hard toward another CCS run “We’re looking pretty good, to be quite honest, for the beginning of the season,” senior Sarina Singh said. Singh is a player on the varsity field hockey team. “There’s a lot of promise. And we’re also coming back from going to CCS for the first time in 11 years.” In the 95-degree heat, the varsity field hockey team continues to practice, ending Thursday’s practice with a scrimmage that included select JV players. The practice game stretches across the field as the girls call for the ball. The orange rubber ball flies between clinking sticks. The team’s goals revolve around getting to CCS this year and improving team bonding, team captain and senior Aria Badra said. Sophomore Claire Flickner said she agrees, citing improvement from the beginning of the season last year. “I think we’re doing better this year than we did last year,” Flickner said. “So last year, we went to CCS. We only made it

through one game, though, and I think this year, we’re going to maybe make it further.” As for team bonding, Badra said she believes there are more steps that can be taken to promote team inclusivity. One way is through continuing a tradition: Jamba Juice runs. “We like to have these things called Jamba Juice runs where we run across the bridge, go get Jamba Juice together and talk on the way there,” Badra said. In addition to the physical work the team puts in, Badra said there is a key to field hockey that lies within each person. “This year, we definitely want to have more intensity, because that’s what got us into CCS last year,” Badra said. “And just everyone working hard because that’s what field hockey is. You work hard, always. And obviously stick skills count, but you can’t get much anywhere without aggression.”

Photo By Andrea Sun WORKING TOWARD CCS: From left: Ellery Gee (11), Suhaani Morchi (11) and Emly Jennett (10) play with intensity.

PAGE BY JACKSON FARIA

Sports

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Girls varsity volleyball works hard to continue CCS reign

Team captains encourage positive mindset for upcoming season By Karen Li

Photos by Karen Li A GROUP TALK: (Above) Girls varsity volleyball gathers around coach Gary

Carroll during practice to discuss game strategy. (Below) The girls start every practice with T-25, pushing themselves through the intense workout.

As T25 trainer Shaun T steps forward into a lunge, the girls volleyball team follows in unison, not a single girl breaking focus or intensity throughout the 25-minute workout. They push themselves now, knowing that the quality of their training will determine their success throughout the season. Last year, the girls varsity volleyball team finished a hugely successful season as CCS Division 1 champions. This year, the team hopes to continue its steady momentum toward another strong season. The two team captains, junior Indy DeSmet and senior Sara Olsson said they feel that the stakes are higher this season because of their previous success. “I feel like there’s some pressure because we’re known at school now, when before we didn’t exist,’’ Olsson said. Ultimately, though, the girls said their personal drive motivates them far more than any external pressure. “When you’re playing, that [pressure] goes away for me,” DeSmet said. “You just want to

win. You can only focus on the ball and each other and making each other better.” Without last year’s seniors and with the addition of new players, the new team composition threatens the team’s cohesiveness. However, DeSmet and Olsson said they remain optimistic. “I think we can do just as well this year even though we have so many new players because of the talent we have,” Olsson said. “I have full faith in the team that we can go just as far or even further this year.” DeSmet said she looks forward to the challenge of building a strong, unified team. “[I’m excited for] getting to know how other people play, since there are so many new people,” DeSmet said. “We all have different styles of playing and [we’re] figuring out how exactly that works together,” Strong connections within the team are integral because every player contributes to the team’s overall success, DeSmet said. “[Volleyball] is such a team sport. You can’t play with only one good player,” she said.

To encourage greater unity, the captains said they enjoy organizing team bonding activities. One that they play before games is called Sally Walker. “Each team of two people makes up their own dance move, and then everyone else has to do it. It gets the team excited for the game and puts out really good energy,” Olsson said. While the team captains focus on unity, varsity coach Gary Carroll said he emphasizes a positive mindset, understanding that playing sports is not only physically demanding but mentally taxing, as well. “I firmly believe that fifty percent of the game is mental,” he said. “I spend my time developing the mind [by] making sure that their self talk is positive.” With nineteen years of coaching experience, Carroll said he knows that negativity is an athlete’s downfall and seeks to eliminate it from the gym. “They know that I don’t tolerate it, nor do the captains ... they don’t have to worry about anything leaving the gym,” Carroll said.“This is volleyball.”

Boys water polo dives into new season with high expectations The team begins new season with renewed committment, endurance By Melody Chen The first row of boys breaks into a swim across the pool before lunging forward in the air during one of their afternoon practices. As Coach Sam Hyrne signals the next group to go, a series of splashes follow behind the players’ path. This exercise is one of the many skill exercises Hyrne said he incorporates into practice to train the team’s endurance. In fact, the team is determined now because they know their success depends on the dedication the team puts in during practice, Hyrne said. Varsity co-captain and senior Archer Sauer said he has high hopes for his team despite losing

a number of experienced seniors from last year. This season, the varsity team has 10 field players and two goalies with four subs, he said. “I really think teamwork is the most important thing,” Sauer said. “It doesn’t matter how good your team is, but as long as you work together and do what you need to do, you can do a lot.” After securing third place in CCS last year with a wildcard pass, Sauer said, the team hopes to raise the bar this season and secure the CCS Championship. This season is Hyrne’s fifth year coaching for the team, and he is impressed by the level of commitment of his team, he said. The boys’ dedication to the

Photo by Melody Chen IN THE WATER: Senior Zachary Sheerer grabs the ball during a game against

Sobrato Aug. 30. HHS lost to Sobrato with a score of 13-14.

sport stems from their hope to win games and secure a spot in CCS, Hyrne said. With such a high focus, he structures his practice to mirror the team’s goals. “It’s not so much as me communicating my goals to them as it is trying to mix their goals into mine,” Hyrne said. The JV and varsity teams practice all days of the week, with Sundays off for two to three hours at a time. Before stepping into the pool, the team warms up, jogs and stretches for the first 45 minutes in a set of warm-ups called Dryland. Following Dryland, the team works on warm-ups, passing, scrimmages and conditioning. “You have to be ready for the pain. You got to be ready for what types of things we may be doing at practice, conditioning-wise and physically ready,” sophomore Sebastian Segovia, who plays for the JV team, said. “You got to watch what you eat [and] what you do before practice the next day.” Yet, to make practices a lot more enjoyable, Hyrne said he incorporates activities, such as Flop Friday, in which the boys can belly flop into the water. However, days like this are contingent on the amount of work the team puts in on previous days, Hyrne said. Hyrne said his coaching philosophy reflects his goals for the team: work hard and play hard. “I want to help the kids achieve and become the best that they can be,” Hyrne said.

Photos by Melody Chen REACH FOR IT: (Above) Varsity co-captain Archer Sauer reaches for the ball

in the second half of the game against Sobrato. (Below) Varsity captains Archer Sauer and Kyle Wynne lead the team in a set of ‘Dryland’ exercises. The team pushes themselves despite having fewer players this season.

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globe as students demand a change in climate change policies and practices.

Illustration by Elaine Huang

Thumberg is not alone in this. Up to 60 different Silicon Valley high schools participated in the Silicon Valley Youth Climate Strike on Sep. 20, 2019. “We can show people in power that we care about this issue, because it does affect us primarily,” sophomore Peri Plantenberg said. Plantenberg said the biggest problem in climate change is unsustainable consumerism. People contribute to unsustain-

YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE : raises awareness among teens across the

Silicon Valley Youth Climate Strike is giving young people in the Bay Area an opportunity to initiate call for action when it comes to climate change. “We are living at the beginning of a mass extinction,” Greta Thumberg, who is leading the global climate strike by giving the youth a chance to protest, said. “Our climate is breaking down. Children like me are giving up their education to protest.”

By Leila Salam

Students strike for policy change able consumerism when they buy things that are not ecofriendly or buy from companies whose practices contribute to climate destruction. “We need to stop funding things that destroy nature and pay for things that help it,” writer and environmental activist George Monbiot said in a recent viral video. The next big issue, Plantenberg said, is transportation. Carbon emissions are higher than they have ever been as 95 percent of transportation is powered by fossil fuels. Working against climate change means people need to start using public transportation, Plantenberg said. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, public transportation produces much lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than private cars. Senior Annabelle Law said she organized and rallied students to participate in the strike, as well as encourage the urgency of the climate crisis. “I thought it was some kind of faraway problem before,” Law said. “But if you really think about it, it affects our future.”

The youth climate fight

climate change

Taking action against

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

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Five and a half hours away at Plumas National Forest in Northern California, the state’s biggest wildfire of 2019 continues to spread. Currently, it has spread 54,000 acres. In fact, California has burned more acres in 2018 and 2019 than they have in the last 10 years. The greatest underlying cause of this is simple: climate change. Climate change has made California hotter and drier than it has been in the last 20 years, with temperatures increasing three degrees over the last century, according to the EPA. Not only can climate change contribute to deadly wildfires, but it can worsen droughts and increase coastal threats, according to the Climate

By Katelynn Ngo one person, I can’t do anything’ but it’s important for all of us to do the little things, like recycle, use less water or to not set fire to rainforests.” Sophomore Katherine Wang is one individual combating climate change, and helped make posters in the quad for the climate strike. “Everyone got a piece of cardboard and we shared paint palettes,” Wang said. “[Some posters] had rhymes. For instance, what I did was, ‘don’t spoil with oil.’” The time to act is now. The longer we wait, the hotter the planet gets and the less likely we’ll be able to combat it. “If we don’t act now, then our world will burn down and we will all die a fiery death,” Lee said.

PAGE BY LEILA SALAM AND KATELYNN NGO

Infographic by Katelynn Ngo

Reality Project. But, there are ways we can slow down climate change, by making lifestyle changes. These won’t directly end the slow trek toward a warmer planet, but the more people who make them, the more progress we’ll make. When people are suggested to make lifestyle changes for climate change, many believe they wouldn’t have much of an impact on the end result. The suggestion leads them to think, ‘How much of a difference can I really make?” “The most important thing is that people understand that individuals can make a difference, because individuals make up the whole,” senior Hanjune Lee said. “I think the general thought behind climate change is that, ‘Oh, I’m just

Individual actions can produce change

The time to act is now

Last Word