The Epitaph Volume 61, Issue 2, 2023-24

e The Epitaph hhsepitaph.com

Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

Volume 61, Issue 2

November 3, 2023

Community responds Community respondsas asIsrael-Hamas Israel-Hamaswar warescalates escalates

By Lindsey Steel and Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Photo illustration by Nicole Pimenta Innecco Photos courtesy of Yara Avu Saude and Pelleg Shani

Students have gathered both in and outside of school to show solidarity for Israel and Palestine, mourning, remembering and protesting for the people lost.

I

t has been nearly impossible to be on and asked to remain unnamed for fear of social media in the past month without retaliation, said she also has family in direct seeing posts and stories concerning the danger. She, along with many other Palesviolence unfolding in Israel and Palestine. tinians, have lost lives in recent weeks.

Tensions and conflict between Israel and “My grandparents, who are both AmeriPalestine have been occurring for over 70 can citizens, are in Palestine right now in the years, since the creation of the state of Israel West Bank,” the source said. “They were on in 1948, according to NPR. But on Oct. 7, vacation for a few months over the summer, Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack, but right now they can’t come back because firing thousands of rockets into Israel and ina lot of the flights in the area have been canvading towns, killing 1,200 and holding 200 celed. I also have a friend who lives here and hostage, according to the New York Times. has a lot of family in Gaza who have been Since the initial attack, Israel killed because of the airstrikes.” declared war In response to against Hamas, the Oct. 7 attack, My friends who support Palestine responding with superintendent a barrage of Graham Clark sent expect me to be pro-Palestine and airstrikes targetan email to the not have any layers to it. My friends ed at the Gaza FUHSD commuwho are Israeli, they expect me to be Strip, killing over nity on Oct. 9, propro-Israel without any layers to it.

7,000 Palestinviding a general And I cannot.” ians, according crisis response as to Gaza’s Minwell as resources Harshdeep Singh (12) istry of Health, to support students’ who is quoted by well-being, Clark AP News. Israel also declared a complete said. However, Gafter said she felt the resiege of the strip, blockading all food, fuel sponse was insufficient in acknowledging and water into Gaza, according to the New the severity of the situation.

York Times.

“They didn’t need to say we stand with As one of two Palestinian territories, the this, we stand with that,” Gafter said. “At the Gaza Strip, home to over two million Palesend of the day, there was a terrorist attack tinians, is referred to as an “open-air prison” in Israel and they just said the bare miniby the UN. It is nearly entirely dependent mum and [referred to it as] a ‘conflict.’ It is on humanitarian aid, as it is joint-blockaded not a casual conflict. This is the worst thing

by Israel and Egypt by air, land and sea, acthat’s happened to Jewish people since the cording to NPR. Since 2006, Gaza has been Holocaust.”

Clark issued a follow-up email the next controlled by Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. day, on Oct. 10, which included an apology for hurting “members of the community,” State Department since 2007, according to according to the email. But some students AP News. felt the email did not maintain the neutral Senior Noam Gafter said the ongoing stance the district claimed, senior Harshwar has touched the lives of every Jewish deep Singh said. or Israeli community — including her own.

“The second email was framed in a way “Israel is such a small place [where] to talk about one side over the other,” Singh everyone is connected,” Gafter said. “My said. “One thing I noticed in the email was, grandma is really close to the border and the it said ‘Gaza versus Israel’ instead of referterrorists that came in and started shooting ring to the region as Palestine. [Clark failed] were all really close to where she was. My to recognize the entire state of Palestine, other grandma who lives on the other side which is wrong and doesn’t respect the geoof Israel is impacted by sirens all the time.” politics and sovereignty of Palestinians.”

A junior, who identifies as Palestinian

“

Singh, who said he considers himself neutral, said the environment at school feels very divided right now, with people feeling pressured to “pick a side.”

“Those who feel very affected want to feel supported by their peers,” Singh said.

“But people want to know what the other is supporting, even when they have no clue what is going on in the region. My friends who support Palestine expect me to be pro-Palestine, and not have any layers to it.

My friends who are Israeli, they expect me to be pro-Israel without any layers to it. And I cannot.”

While sophomore Imaan Syed said she “stands for Palestine”, she said it is also important for people to understand what is meant when someone says they support a cause.

“I condemn Hamas, there is no justification for what they did,” Syed said. “What people need to get in their heads is that if you stand for Palestine, that does not mean you stand for Hamas. When I say I stand with Palestine, I stand with the innocent people of Palestine.”

Since the initial attack, the death toll on both sides has exceeded 8,000 as of Oct. 26, with many more thousands injured, according to AP News. The toll the war is tak-

ing is incalculable and difficult for many to understand, Gafter said.

“It’s really hard to be so far away when something like this happens,” Gafter said.

“It’s really hard to see so many people you’re close to in so much pain, and the loss that Israel is suffering right now, I can’t even comprehend it. It just makes you feel helpless.”

Community members have responded in different ways, with faculty being encouraged to remain neutral, principal Greg Giglio said.

“We understand that there’s going to be people on both sides that are going to be hurt throughout this war,” Giglio said. “We’re here to try and provide a safe place for everybody. Some people were looking for us to do a whole lot more and some people were looking for us to do a whole lot less.”

Although staff have been encouraged to maintain an inclusive environment for all voices, not all students believe they have done so, Syed said.

“There was a ‘We Stand with Israel’ flag posted in [a teacher’s] classroom,” Syed said.

“It has recently been taken down because it was making some students uncomfortable.”

See Israel-Hamas War, page 2

Healthcare strikes hit home National three-day strikes impact local community

By Kevin Miao Hundreds of strikers gather in front of the Kaiser Permanente on Homestead road from Oct. 5-7 as part of the nation’s largest healthcare workers strike, representative for Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers, Sonia Avila Rivas said.

The strike is for new contracts that will give the workers raises and bonuses that were kept from them last year, pro-

testor, lab assistant Yvonne Duque said.

The strike comes after frustration, as company higher-ups received bonuses, while regular healthcare workers were told the company did not make enough money to give them their bonuses, Duque said.

“Doctors got a bonus, admins got a bonus [and] managers got a bonus [from the company],” Duque said. “We worked through the pandemic and all we got was a bonus from the government, while [higher-ups] got both.”

See Kaiser strike, page 3

Opinion

Lifestyles

Arts & Culture

Sports

Editorial: New dress code impedes on students First Amendment rights

POV: Pressures resulting in sleep deprivation: Reflection on causes for lack of sleep

‘For All The Dogs’ is for the pound: Drake album review

The battle of the bell: football prepares for Bell Game

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PAGE DESIGN BY MAYA DUTT AND VERONICA ZHAO

2

The Epitaph

News

November 3, 2023

News in a minute

By Evelyn Wang

Local: New bill signed into law due to scammers exploiting Bitcoin ATMs Recently, instances of scammers using Bitcoin ATMs to exploit victims of thousands of dollars have been on the rise, according to the Los Angeles Times. In a deceptive phone call, a scammer in San Jose scammed Jim Meduri of $15,000 by claiming they were Meduri’s son and needed the money to be bailed out of jail. Due to the rising number of similar situations, Governor Gavin Newson

signed Senate Bill 401 into law, which limits cryptocurrency ATM transactions to $1,000 per day per person and aims to prevent scamming incidents, according to the Los Angeles Times.

National: The National Museum of Women in the Arts opens after two years of renovation The National Museum of Women in the Arts, first opened in 1987 and located in Washington D.C., was the first museum in the world dedicated to showcasing artwork

International: Overturned boat in the Congo River kills at least 28 people A boat was traveling from

Mbandaka to Ngondo at night and capsized due to overloading, according to BBC News. So far, around 200 passengers have been rescued and an unknown number are still missing. These incidents happen commonly in the area due to people’s use of makeshift boats and their tendency to overload them, according to ABC News. Because of the incident, the Congolese government prohibited river travel during nighttime in an attempt to minimize the number of accidents.

Israel-Hamas war

Do not disturb

Continued from page 1

Students, staff discuss increase in neighborhood disturbances

By Maya Dutt and Alicia Liste After an increase in complaints issued by nearby businesses and homeowners, administration made announcements reminding students to be mindful of how their behavior affects the surrounding community, principal Greg Giglio said. The announcements were made on Sept. 22, 25 and 29 through school-wide emails.

Complaints from neighbors are routine, and typically involve issues such as loud or unsafe driving, students smoking, cars blocking access to driveways, student gatherings on private property and littering, Giglio said. However, he received a more noticeable amount of complaints, approximately three phone calls from Sept. 24 to Oct 11, from various concerned neighbors, which prompted the recent announcements, Giglio said.

Other than through schoolwide announcements, administration tries to deal with incidents of bad behavior by having one-onone talks with offenders and explaining the possible consequences of their actions, Giglio said.

“Our hope is not to go and bust kids,” Giglio said. “It’s really trying to have conversations and letting folks understand that [they are] a part of this neighborhood. So treat it respectfully and let people who live here have their respect, too.”

From a survey by The Epitaph of 156 responses conducted by The Epitaph, 41% of the student body thought neighbor disturbance was a problem, but out of those people, only 20% thought it was serious.

Freshman Naveen Badrinath said although he thinks students should try to behave better, he does not think student misconduct

exclusively created by women, according to CBS News. The museum’s recent refurbishment cost around $70 million, leading to renovated spaces and new items being added to the museum’s collection. The museum now has around 6,000 pieces of art, which helps raise the profiles of women artists, according to CBS News.

Photo by Alicia Liste

Recent administration announcements highlight how students’ misbehavior negatively impacts school’s neighbors. is a big problem.

“I feel like you’d expect a lot of tomfoolery,” Badrinath said. “But I do believe that we should try our best to be respectful towards [neighbors].”

Similarly, senior Krishna Mishra, who lives in the apartments close to campus, said that students and various school events do not bother her and she has learned to tune them out.

However, junior Nathan Cadelina, who lives near the Shoppes at Homestead strip mall on Hollenbeck avenue, said he is disappointed with the irresponsible driving habits of those coming and going to school during student drop-off.

“That kind of bums me out because for the people that live [near school] and are trying to get to work, it’s hard to get through traffic in the morning,” Cadelina said.

Both student and parent drivers are part of the problem, junior Lana Kataeva, who lives nearby the 7-11 on Homestead Road said.

Photo by Alicia Liste

The corridor between Homestead and 7-11 is usually dirty as a result of student behavior, freshman Neveen Badrinath said.

“Student drivers are not the safest drivers, so I can hear all of the honking and loud engines revving every time I leave the house.

There’s always parents dropping off [their] kids [in] my neighborhood,” Kataeva said. “Sometimes when my mom gets home from work earlier in the afternoon, she can’t find parking.”

Students also hang out on her driveway, which is intrusive, Kataeva said.

“This isn’t school, this is private property,” Kataeva said. “It just feels weird to me to be going home and then seeing people chilling right outside my house.”

Moreover, students can be inconsiderate of their surroundings and often leave messes for the neighbors to clean up, frequently discarding their garbage on lawns, Kataeva said.

Giglio said he wants students to remember misconduct is not justified simply because of a business or home’s close proximity to campus, especially since the school receives plenty of support from the local community.

“A lot of times, neighbors around us will call us when something bad’s going on, [like] alarms going off or someone who looks like they’re doing something on campus they shouldn’t be,” Giglio said. “So people do try to look out for the school. We just want to make sure the school looks out for them, too.”

Giglio said he hopes this twoway street of support and respect between school and community can be maintained with the recent announcements.

“It’s really just a matter of being good neighbors and hoping that people do that. And sometimes, we just need reminders, right?” Giglio said. “Our hope is that with our announcements and reminders, kids will do the right thing.”

Students are able to express many Jews in one place for holitheir opinions regarding the con- days or at the synagogue but never flict, as long as it is done so re- so much for one purpose.” spectfully, Giglio said. In the last Hamas declared a ‘Global Day several weeks, both Jewish and of Rage’ for Oct. 13, calling for proIsraeli students have organized tests against Israel worldwide, aca number of school-wide events, cording to CBS. As a result, HHS including wearing Israeli flags for implemented heightened security senior walk-in and holding a vigil, measures on Oct. 13, which, along senior Pelleg Shani said. Shani, with the support provided by the lowhose siblings are in the Israe- cal Jewish and Israeli community, li Defense Forces, said he helped Gafter said, helped her feel more coordinate these events to raise comfortable coming to school. awareness.

“I have friends that live in oth“During senior walk-in, we er parts of the U.S. that don’t have felt it wasn’t fitting to dress silly this type of community,” Gafter as usual. We were able to get an said. “Around this area, the comamazing response from it,” Shani munity is so strong and it’s beausaid. “[We also] had a candle light- tiful to see.” ing ceremony with JSU [on Oct. 11] But not all students are able to where we went to the quad to read make their voices heard on cama few prayers and light memorial pus, the unnamed source said. candles for fallen soldiers.”

While there have been recent Syed said she believes everyone community gatherings in support should be able to express them- of Palestine, the source said she selves and how they feel during is hesitant to express her views at this difficult time. school out of fear of backlash.

“When it comes to people car“Palestinians are definitely a rying around Israeli flags, 100% I minority around the Bay Area,” feel like that’s OK,” Syed said. “I the source said. “[Palestinians was actually kind of proud of them are] Arab, and there is a lot of Isfor having the courage to show lamophobia going around, even their heritage and show what they though it’s not a war on religion. stand for. But I could only imagine I feel like Palestinians just want to if a group of Middle Eastern or stay away from the stereotypes and Muslim people were to wear their staying silent is how to do that.”

Syed, who identifies as Muslim, Palestinian flag? I’m very upset by the fact that people who also said in the past few weeks, she has support Palestine have been made felt unsafe and judged at school.

“People are so focused on hatscared to show it.”

Outside of school, rallies in San- ing each other rather than coming tana Row and San Francisco have together,” Syed said. “I have been brough people together in support called an idiot and a terrorist, and of Palestine, sophomore Yara Avu been told that my opinion makes Saude said. Although feeling un- me a monster. People need to unheard and underrepresented in the derstand that it’s OK to have differmedia, Saude, an immigrant from ences of opinion, and that people Jordan, said the protest made her are mourning during this time.”

All sides have taken to social feel less isolated and more conmedia to express their opinions, nected to her community. “[There] was a peaceful march Singh said. While posting can be through Santana Row,” Saude said. beneficial to spread awareness, it “There was nothing really violent. also causes hurt and spreads conWe started at an intersection, flicting information, Singh said.

“It’s natural that whenever stopped for a moment of silence and then kept marching. It made there’s chaos like this, everyone me feel powerful. When I would jumps in to talk about it, but it say something, everybody would ends up creating more misinforrepeat after me. It made me feel mation,” Singh said. “[Additionallike I could make a difference, and ly], I understand both sides have gave me a space to finally let out their own opinion and view of the whole conflict, but I think everyone my frustrations and feel heard.”

Across the Bay Area, Jewish is portraying their anger rather and Israeli community members than having an open dialogue. I’ve have also gathered to show sol- seen people posting each other’s idarity. One of these gatherings DMs, trying to criticize or harass was held at the Jewish Community them online.”

Regardless of their personal Center in Palo Alto, which senior Liana Johnson attended with her beliefs, Singh said people should make sure they are well informed family.

“It was one of the most mov- and foster constructive conversaing experiences of my entire life,” tions open with each other.

“I don’t know the entire history, Johnson said. “We sang Hatikvah, which is Israel’s national an- I only know from what I’ve read or them, and it rained on the crowd. what I’ve heard, or what I’ve seen,” We were all holding each other’s Singh said. “I’m not an expert. No hands and it was like 2,000 peo- one’s an expert on the issue. It’s ple, and pretty much every single just how much you can educate person was crying. I’ve seen that yourself on it.”

PAGE DESIGN BY NATHAN GU AND NAAGA SENTHIL

November 3, 2023

The Epitaph

Administration tightens grip on hall pass policies Longstanding policy requires all teachers to have hall passes

By Mikha Pilar, Elena Shim and Mackie Vu Recently, administration has placed a stronger emphasis on the hall pass policy in an effort to ensure student accountability, Principal Greg Giglio said. To enforce this hall pass policy, Giglio said reminders are being pushed out.

Giglio said the purpose behind the stricter implementation of the policy is to promote a better learning environment for all students.

“We don’t regulate how many times you go, but if you’re constantly moving around, it’s a problem,” Giglio said.

Aside from monitoring student activity, reminders for teachers have also risen regarding the stricter implementation of hall passes, Giglio said.

“We ask that [teachers] write passes so that we can keep an eye [on students],” Giglio said. “It makes it easier as the hall pass policy is a way for staff to know where students are during class when the need to step out of class arises.”

However, English teacher Hector Almendarez said the hall pass policy is ineffective in solving the issue of student misbehavior.

“I feel like [hall passes] are still a weird thing, that we don’t trust students to come back,” Almendarez said. “I’ve heard people use the hall pass and take forever

to come back, so it doesn’t solve that problem.”

Giglio said the stricter implementation of the hall pass policy is due to students getting too comfortable.

“The policy is not meant to be overly punitive,” Giglio said.

“It’s just meant to let us know that kids are Photo by Elena Shim doing work and Junior Stephen Heller uses a Minecraft sword as a hall we know what pass for Almendarez’s class. they’re supposed to be doing. If [students] are walk- knows”.

In order to mitigate these coning around without a pass, we’re gonna assume that [they are] just cerns, Fung said he is attempting to find the best materials for passgoofing around,” Sophomore Luna Cheng said es that can withstand frequent hall passes are necessary for mon- cleaning.

“I’m still researching [on] what itoring students’ actions.

“I can see where teachers are is the best material,” Fung said. coming from because they think “But in the meantime, I’m going to [hall passes are] the best way to wait [to get a bathroom pass].”

“We’re currently seeing how prevent things like vandalism in bathrooms and people loitering many people want an actual pass,” Giglio said. “And so then we’re gofrom happening,” Cheng said.

Giglio said all teachers should ing to print and laminate them, have a hall pass. Despite this, put a lanyard and go from there.”

Giglio said to best incorporate chemistry teacher Samuel Fung said he does not use actual bath- the hall pass policy, teachers must room passes for students as it rais- actively cooperate in the enforcees concerns on hygiene and safety. ment of it.

“We remind [teachers] that if “My concern is more about hygiene, especially after the you’re going to take your kids out COVID-19 pandemic,” Fung said. for a walk to take a break or let “You cannot stop people [from] them take a break, then go with sneezing or blowing their nose, them.” Giglio said. “If a kid during and do they really clean it? Nobody tutorial is going from one place to

A new era: College Board offers digital PSAT for first time

Students, staff experience obstacles with digital PSAT

By Parth Dhaulakhandi and Nathan Gu In January of this year, College Board changed the PSAT to a digital format, making the test shorter and easier, with features such as a built-in Desmos calculator. As a result, students who took the test on Oct. 14 encountered technology issues during testing, AP Secretary Patricia Houe said.

This being the first digital PSAT, Houe said extensive preparation was required to get students test-compatible devices that could run the Bluebook app.

The switch to digital testing came with a few issues, both before and during the PSAT test, Assistant Principal Susan Rocha

said. After students installed Bluebook, Rocha said students had to take a readiness check to ensure minimal technology issues on the day of the test.

“We had over 560 kids signed up to take the PSAT, so trying to get them all [accustomed to] the readiness ticket was challenging,” Rocha said. “[During the test], we had a handful of kids get dropped from the Wi-Fi and had to restart, which is I think nerve racking [for students].”

Despite the difficulties that arose during the test, Rocha said the PSAT went well, considering it was the first time HHS administered it digitally.

“Less than 10 kids had [technology issues],” Rocha said. “Since we had over 560 kids taking it, that’s a pretty good percentage. One piece we had to make sure was that there were backup devices in each classroom. You got to work

Photo by Nathan Gu

Rocha said the digital PSAT was more environmentally friendly but the new readiness check provided students with difficulties.

with that type of thing, so I think we learned some things from this time.”

While Rocha said testing went smoothly for the most part, sophomore George Pack said many students experienced problems with technology.

“I feel like a lot of people had trouble at the beginning,” Pack said. “The time wasn’t equal for everyone because the person [administering the PSAT] wasn’t as prepared as they could have been about what to expect [during] the login process.”

Looking past the negatives, junior Sanah Bhandari said the PSAT was a significant improvement over the physical test.

“I thought [the digital test] was way easier than the paper PSAT,” Bhandari said. “The environment was less stressful [because] during the paper and pen testing, there were passages, and I have a short attention span so it was hard for me to read through the entire passage and make it through.”

Despite the technology issues experienced by many students during the PSAT, Houe said she sees the benefits of digitized standardized tests coming in the future.

“With paper testing, I believe it’s three hours in total,” Houe said.

“With digital, it cuts down to two hours and 30 minutes in total, so a good thing is it’s shorter in time.

I’m sure there’s room to improve on the College Board’s side with digital, but this is the first one so there’s some flaws [to work out] before they roll out digital for SAT.”

News

3

Kaiser strike

Continued from page 1

The strike will hopefully make Kaiser realize how important their workers are to the company so the strikers will be able to have their demands met, Duque said.

“We risked our lives during COVID. We are family with the [patients]. We see them every day.

We see them during holidays. We see them more than our families,” Duque said. “When patients pass away, the families come and tell us, and they invite us to their funerals.

That’s how much they care about us, because we care for them.”

Kaiser workers have been ready to fight against the company since the initial planning of the strike and negotiations started around two years ago, but they never imagined it would become so large, Rivas said.

“Kaiser executives, [even] Kaiser’s CEO, Greg Adams, basically said in a nice way about 18 months ago, you are gonna be facing a fight,” Rivas said. “And sure enough, here we are. We never thought in all the years that we would have the nation’s largest healthcare worker strike, but look at us, here we are.”

Unfortunately, the patients are the ones that are affected the most, but employees were left with no choice after Kaiser executives refused to change contracts, Rivas said.

“It’s really hard for Kaiser employees to come out here and see that they had to reschedule their patients or cancel surgeries or close down clinics,” Rivas said. “But three days of a strike is the only way we had to show Kaiser that we mean business, and we are standing up for our rights.”

Physics teacher Danny Nunez said he had a back surgery delayed for around two weeks because of the strikes.

“It’s not like I’m in pain, but physically, I can’t start recovering until the surgery happens,” Nunez said. “Right now, I’m limited in some of the physical activities I can do. They are low-level impacts, but [they are] things I enjoy. It’s more on the annoying level than serious.”

Hypothetically, a major surgery probably would not have been delayed, Nunez said. The issue is un-

Photos by Kevin Miao

derstandable and reasonable, and he said he appreciates the reason behind the strike. However, Nunez said there is a bigger underlying reason other than fair wages.

“I think the issue isn’t really one of wages, ultimately, I think it has more to do with how the healthcare system is set up and how it often emphasizes profit over health,” Nunez said. “Healthcare workers are, especially in the last five years incredibly important, and they should be compensated accordingly. But I think there are also plenty of industries where you could say the same thing.”

Over the duration of the strikes, doctors have had to take over the roles of other Kaiser employees, causing an increased amount of stress for doctors and nurses and appointment delays, HHS parent and a doctor at Kaiser who wishes to remain unnamed said. “[Strikes] always sort of bring a little anxiety, because we work as a team,” the source said. “We ended up doing a lot of duties our medical assistant would usually do for us.”

Although the strike is negatively affecting patients at the moment, patients were not receiving the best treatment they should be receiving in the first place as healthcare staff are being overworked and their interests were being split, Rivas said.

“The medical assistant that is checking you in has three other doctors they have to work for and has to do a bunch of tests afterward, so your simple 15-minute office visit turns into an hour [or] hour-and-a-half wait,” Rivas said.

It is not just the nurses and doctors who make the hospital operate, but all of the healthcare workers, even the ones not in the healthcare field, and without those workers, the hospital would not be able to function, Rivas said.

“From your janitors to your pharmacy clerks, to your medical assistants, your lab [technicians], your radiology [technicians and] respiratory therapists, they’re the people that [are needed] to make this hospital run,” Rivas said. “So I hope Kaiser comes to their senses and gives them the fair contracts they deserve.”

Photo illustration by Kaiser Permanente (jump)

Healthcare workers gather to get Kaiser executives to give new contracts with fair raises, Rivas said.

PAGE DESIGN BY DANIELLE FELDSHER AND FAITH WATTERS

4 Opinion

The Epitaph

The Epitaph

Opinion Editors Anushruti Nagarajan Lindsey Steel Lifestyles Editors Ella Chan Zeinab Rakhshandehroo Arts & Culture Editors Parth Dhaulakhandi Veronica Zhao Sports Editors Nathan Gu Helen Tam Design Editor Mackie Vu

Watt ers

News Editors Brian Ling Evelyn Wang

Freedom of expression is a fun- are not widely recognized as gang Administrators have justified damental right in a democratic so- related, and they do not pose any the dress code by citing the fact ciety. Whether it is by voicing their immediate danger. that students live in the “safety opinions or expressing themselves In fact, according to the email bubble…[of ] Sunnyvale, Cupertithrough clothing, students are en- sent by administration, students no and Los Altos,” according to the titled to autonomy and individu- who have worn these logos have email. ality. However, the updated dress done so unintentionally and are Despite this, it is crucial to accode policy infringes on these con- not connected with gangs, and knowledge that our students come stitutional rights and perpetuates they do not deserve to be punished from diverse backgrounds and enforcing a restrictive dress code harmful stereotypes. for it.

Logos displaying San Jose, only creates a more sheltered enSJ or East San Jose (ESSJ) were vironment. banned on Sept. 30 after their Given that students live in this presence increased on campus, “safety bubble,” even if SJ is a gang-affiliated logo, according to an email sent to faculty by Dean Maria Trejo. that affiliation does not Administration cited safety as exist here, making the reason behind the ban, this ban even more unwarranted. given the logo’s potential gang affiliations, accordThis ban was made due to an ing to the email.

According to Califorassumption that nia EdCode section 32282, the logos could schools can ban “apparel that, signify gang relations, but if worn or displayed on a school campus, reasonably could be dethere is no direct connection between SJ aptermined to threaten the health and safety of the school environparel and violence. Bans cannot be made based on assumpment.” tions, and However, logos featuring references to The dress code was enforced despite there being no direct connecthere must San Jose, SJ or ESSJ tion between SJ logos and violence. be concrete

by F aith

Managing Editor Saira Ahmed

New clothing bans are a threat to our first amendment rights

ratio n

Editors-in-Chief Nicole Kim Rajiv Venkatesh

Staff Editorial

Illus t

Volume 61 · Issue 2 · November 3, 2023

November 3, 2023

proof that the clothing is connected to gangs on campus and are leading to violence for a ban to be enacted.

By branding certain symbols as off limits, administration also stigmatizes students who may not understand the alternative meanings attached to these logos. Rather than banning and punishing, students should be educated on why this clothing might be an issue, and then should be given the choice about whether or not they want to wear it.

While the intent is to maintain a safe and focused learning environment, the overly broad restrictions limit students expression without adequately addressing the root causes of safety concerns.

Although the primary objective of a dress code is to promote safety, administration must also prioritize raising awareness and fostering constructive dialogue before resorting to severe measures. In a community where people from so many backgrounds coexist, HHS must encourage diverse perspectives and educate students rather than restrict them.

Multimedia Editor Veronica Zhao

The unbearable cost of cashless businesses

Social Media Editor Annabelle Yip

Transition to digital-only payment exacerbates economic inequality

Art Editor Faith Watters PR Manager Harshitha Vijayakumar Reporters Sanah Arya Amanda Boles Maya Dutt Andrew Fekete Danielle Feldsher Annie Guo Parker Lin Alicia Liste Alan Ma Aviv Matas Kevin Miao Adam Orrin Mikha Pilar Nicole Pimenta Innecco Malar Raguraman Naaga Senthil Anand Elena Shim Varun Vijay Mani Jonathan Xue Catherine Yang 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 Journalism 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 letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit submissions. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Include contact information.

Unsigned letters 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.

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Thank You to Our Donors Lois & Sam Boles Faye Hane

By Parker Lin The digitalization of the world is quickening by the second, leading many stores to refuse cash as a form of payment. But as they transition to digital-only payment, businesses create barriers that prevent many from buying the things they need.

Businesses are turning to digital payments to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs, according to PayPal. In fact, nearly 60% of businesses plan to only accept digital payments within the next two years, according to Payments Drive. This will leave many without options.

For instance, businesses that do not accept cash push away the 25% of teens ages 13-17 who report not having credit or debit cards, according to IPSOS. This creates bar-

riers for teens who may be unable to make purchases without relying on someone else to pay for them.

Furthermore, cash is arguably the most important first step when learning about money management. 42% of teens ages 13-17 learn about money from real-world experiences, according to IPSOS. Younger children and teens who are ineligible for a credit or debit card are left with fewer opportunities to learn and understand money management.

However, children are not the only ones dependent on cash. 30% of Americans whose household income is below $30,000 a year use cash for all or almost all their purchases, according to Pew Research Center. As businesses go cashless, lower-income families will be forced to pay for a credit card that has annual fees of around $95 to $500, according to CNBC, creating another financial burden for them.

Cashless businesses are also inaccessible to the estimated 5.9 million households that do not

have a bank account, according to a ban in early October, according a 2021 survey by the Federal Re- to ABC7 Los Angeles. These laws serve. This includes the unhoused, must be passed on a national levwho are already struggling finan- el, to ensure everyone, regardless cially and often depend on spare of their financial situation, can acchange given by passersby. Over cess the items they need, ultimate400,000 people were unhoused ly promoting financial inclusivity in the United States last year due and equality. to rising costs, according to CBS News. If businesses refuse cash, these families will be unable to buy their necessities.

As we transition to a more digitalized age, it is imperative that restaurants and businesses continue to accept cash as a form of payment.

Twelve states have already passed laws banning cashless retail establishments, Illustration by Parker Lin and Los Angeles passed The digitalization of cash is expanding the wealth gap.

Working toward diversity, one book at a time Curriculum approval process is necessary to promote inclusivity

By Annie Guo People look to literature to see their experiences reflected. Diversity from every background is imperative in a class that focuses on the historical aspect of literature, but the American literature honors curriculum offers little variety.

However, it is important to realize that adding new lessons takes time and helps ensure the quality and material taught are relevant.

Introducing more diversity into the course is not just about checking boxes for representation, it is about exposing students to various perspectives and experiences.

It is crucial for students of every culture to feel represented, especially in a class that is intended to teach all aspects of American culture through literature. For

instance, reading the book “The this course are written by white cepting new books into the curHate U Give” in my ninth grade authors, though this varies by riculum is time consuming, it is literature class widened my un- teacher. meant to help maintain the standerstanding of other cultures, and While promoting inclusivity in dard of quality in the curriculum, broadened my outlook on discrim- the course should be a priority, American literature honors teachination against marginalized com- many barriers prevent the district er Ashley Pitta said. A new play timunities. from quickly implement- tled “The Crucible” was introduced As a student in a racially ing more variety in the as a placeholder for the summer uo ie G diverse school, I am curriculum. The time reading text to give American litAnn y b on trati disappointed by the it takes for new books erature honors teachers additional Illus lack of representato be approved is time to select a better replacement tive voices in our due to the lengthy that will add diversity to the curcurriculum. Alprocess our school riculum. though 51% Progress toward diversifying board uses before of our school adding new books the voices in the American literpopulation is to the curricu- ature curriculum is being made.

Asian and 21% lum, according Although the process is slow, we is Hispanic, to FUHSD’s En- must be patient to ensure we have according to glish Department a diverse, high-quality curriculum the HHS 2023of Procedures. in the future.

2024 school proTeachers must evalExpanding the cultural voices file, none of uate books in in our American literature honors the books we Various cultures and perspectives groups, and curriculum will help students of read in Amer- from around the world is important build a curric- all backgrounds feel understood ican literature ulum before and represented. Honoring every honors classes reflect these de- the school board can approve the culture should be the core value of mographics. In fact, at least half novel. the class, just as it is a core value of the four books analyzed during Although the process of ac- of America.

PAGE DESIGN BY PARTH DHAULAKHANDI AND VARUN VIJAY MANI

November 3, 2023

The Epitaph

By Harshitha Vijayakumar School spirit is the heartbeat of any educational institution. It fosters a sense of belonging, unity and enthusiasm that can significantly enhance the school experience for both students and staff.

Unfortunately, there is an issue that chips away at the foundation of school spirit: the reluctance of many teachers to actively participate. When teachers do not show enough school spirit, it sends a disheartening message to students, one that can lead to an overall lack of enthusiasm and participation in school activities.

Teachers are often disinterested in taking part in school events, like teacher dances hosted by the Equestriettes or other clubs around school. However, their active involvement is essential to building a stronger connection with students and improving their reputation as approachable educators. This can lead to students feeling more comfortable seeking their guidance, thereby enhancing the teacher-student bond.

Additionally, participating in school events allows teachers to create lasting memories, leaving them with a sense of fulfillment. They get to retire knowing that they contributed not only as a teacher but also to the vibrant school community and cherished memories of their students.

As role models for students, teachers influence the school’s atmosphere. When they decline to participate in activities such as dressing up for spirit days designed to enhance the school experience, it sends the message that these endeavors are unimportant, which may discourage student engagement in these activities, as well.

Teachers’ active participation in dressing up for spirit days is also crucial. It demonstrates a shared commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive school culture. When teachers join in, it sends a powerful message that school spirit matters, encouraging students to engage enthusiastically.

Being a chaperone at school dances is an area where teacher involvement can make a significant impact. Chaperoning goes beyond mere supervision; it’s an opportunity to demonstrate teachers’ genuine concern for students’ safety and happiness. While teachers are required to chaperone,

their reluctance or lack of enthusiasm in fulfilling this role can lead students to question the level of interest teachers have in their social lives, potentially diminishing their enthusiasm for school dances.

These interactions build a more personal and approachable relationship, reinforcing the idea that teachers are not only educators but also supportive, encouraging figures in students’ lives.

Faculty involvement is vital for campus spirit. When teachers are committed to bringing school spirit, it garners them respect from students. Everyone benefits when teachers get in on the action.

Vij ay ak

As soon as homework is announced in class, regardless of it being posted on Schoology, I write it down in my planner. After I get home, I open up my planner to number my tasks in order of importance, “starring” the tasks that are must-dos and writing the time it will take to accomplish them.

This way, I make it a little easier to get started, knowing that I can accomplish so much in the time I have.

Another technique that has proven beneficial is to organize my workspace.

Wo r ki n g around clutter can lessen productivity levels, indirectly increasing bad habits such as procrastination. I tend to work better in common areas so my mom can hold me accountable, while others are more productive in quiet spaces. Either way, having a set working place can help you get in the zone and focus quicker, according to Kids Health.

The high school experience comes with its share of stress and anxiety, between preparing for future endeavors and social stress.

By breaking down tasks into manageable chunks, setting realistic goals and sticking to a routine, students can navigate their tasks with calm and composure.

Lack of teacher involvement in spirit affects school culture

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COLUMN — As a student heavily involved in school and the community, I am often overwhelmed with a series of tasks I have to complete. Between fulfilling home duties and academic assignments, I spread myself thin, trying to accomplish everything at once.

Amid the chaos and worry, there has been one constant that stands by me with unwavering support: my shiny black and floral weekly “Day Designer” planner. This planner helps me stay sane throughout the day, as my important tasks are laid out in an organized fashion.

Organization plays an essential role in time management and planning, especially in high school.

In fact, 54% of students surveyed

by Regent University say their organizational skills helped them get better grades. By prioritizing and planning, students can find a balance between academic and extracurricular commitments.

Structure comes in many forms: maintaining a physical planner, utilizing online calendars such as Google Calendar or even using a note-taking app. For me, maintaining a physical planner alleviates the stress of missing tasks.

Teachers’ spirit is troublesome

Hars hi

By Anushruti Nagarajan

5

Illustration by

Organization: an essential skill

Opinion

When teachers are disinterested in participating in school-sanctioned events, it discourages students from caring as well.

AI chatbots threaten user privacy

By Jonathan Xue AI-powered chatbots have recently burst onto the tech scene with offerings from Bing, Snapchat, OpenAI and many more.

However, AI is not infallible. These chatbots suffer from the same biases, inaccuracies and misinformation that affect all Internet users.

As chatbot technology advances, users must remain cognizant of all the risks their usage entails.

Many questions, especially academic ones, lead to outputs suffering from rampant accuracy issues.

Misinformation remains the most dangerous byproduct of such inaccuracies. Malicious users can easily exploit chatbots to create lifelike images of people called deep-

fakes whose primary purpose is to produce a truly neutral answer to spread misinformation, according questions with various valid viewpoints, as human biases influence to Forbes.

As the use of AI applications AI outputs and present numerous continues to increase, deepfake misinformation risks, according to the Harvard Business use will also rise. For example, Jordan Peele’s deepReview. All chatfake video of Obama bot data remains uncharacteristically inplagued by unseen sulting political oppoInternet bias, so users must also nents, which tarnished take AI output rean otherwise amicable track record. Peele’s vidgarding complex eo provides a stark exand controversial ample of how deepfakes topics with a grain of salt. can misinform: deepfakes of politiFor example, Amazon’s AI algocians can spread rithm disf a l s e criminated against news to w o m e n citizens. during the Another issue with AI hiring prochatbots is bias. AI Chatbots can access sensitive information cess, accan never without user permission. cording to ration by Jonathan Xue Illust

Invasive MyAI, ChatGPT create artificial sense of accuracy

Prolific. Amazon’s discriminatory AI remains one of many similar incidents, as numerous AI have demonstrated complex, rooted biases against many marginalized communities.

However, privacy issues are the ultimate fear. Many chatbots have demonstrated invasive access to user information despite providers claiming the opposite. Simply attempt asking Snapchat’s MyAI directions to the nearest McDonald’s. Snapchat claims user privacy, yet MyAI knows exactly where we are even with location services turned off.

Even chatbots limited to certain information can access such user data if companies were to enable such a feature. Through AI, consumers may unknowingly reveal sensitive information to companies that are both susceptible to hacks and willing to sell user information, according to DataGrail.

Though chatbots struggle with subjective questions, they remain exceptionally accurate when answering fact-based questions, according to the Berlin School of Business and Innovation. Chatbots can pose as amazing learning aids for students of all ages, helping summarize and explain a wide range of content. Also, such chatbots facilitate creativity. From finding fantastic gift ideas to planning entire vacations, chatbots persist as amazing tools for the generation of new ideas and complex plans.

Despite these numerous positive applications, using AI still entails numerous privacy risks, inaccurate outputs, purposeful misinformation and underlying biases that define the current state of AI technologies. When utilizing AI, consumers must remember there are only some outputs you can take for granted.

Students deserve equal learning resources should be included in the roster of offered learning resources. Picking up a language or subject is incredibly difficult, and students deserve all the help we can get. Taking language classes is a requirement for graduation, so making the learning process as smooth as possible should be a priority.

Free access to this resource will reduce the learning curve for new students kickstarting their language-learning journeys.

Every student deserves the right to learn, and building up knowledge Many cannot afford premium versions of learnshould not cause holes ing applications, setting a boundary between a learner and resources they deserve. in your pockets. nb

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As someone who fluently speaks three languages and has studied two others, flashcards have been incredibly helpful in memorizing alphabets and terminology.

Studying via flashcards makes me apply what I’ve learned, forcing me to reach into my long-term memory as it quizzes me on what I know without looking at textbooks or additional notes.

Flashcards are a proven method of memorization that encourages learners to use active recall, the

flashcards, tests and games. While there is a free version of the learning app, its features are limited, which bars learners from being able to study some content. On the other hand, Quizlet Plus offers unlimited studying tools, no advertisements and the option to study anywhere with its offline mode.

This application can pose great benefits to all kinds of students due to its versatility. It helps students study and memorize definitions and terms, and tests them on their understanding of concepts through example questions. Quizlet Plus can emulate the assessments teachers give to students, which can better prepare them for tests and quizzes.

For these reasons, Quizlet Plus

o ati st r

By Mikha Pilar

strategy of retrieving information solely from memory, according to Carson Dellosa Education. By requiring the learner to utilize their memory skills, this method helps learners test their knowledge and prepare for an assessment on the subject.

However, creating, organizing and keeping track of physical flashcards is incredibly time and space consuming, as making a physical deck takes at least an hour. I have gone through a 50-pack in under a week when I was studying vocabulary. A solution I found to these setbacks was to make and store these flashcards digitally.

Quizlet is a web-based application that offers different active recall studying tools, such as

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Quizlet Plus should be provided to language students free of charge

PAGE DESIGN BY ZEINAB RAKHSHANDEHROO

6 Opinion

The Epitaph

Unlocking future success Additional AP classes for underclassmen will reduce student stress

By Evelyn Wang

The rigors of grind culture became apparent in my junior year, when the pressure to take AP courses reached its zenith, leading to an overwhelming workload and increased stress.

The lack of AP courses offered to freshman and sophomores only exacerbates this issue, pushing juniors and seniors to pile on AP courses.

Expanding AP course offerings to freshman and sophomores will reduce student stress and provide better exploration opportunities.

The lack of AP classes for underclassmen is due to a districtwide belief that freshman and

sophomore years are meant to prepare students for AP-level courses, Principal Greg Giglio said. However, due to the large difference in difficulty between non-AP and AP classes, the habits needed to succeed in each of these are completely different, meaning freshman and sophomore year classes often fail to prepare students for these courses.

For example, in my sophomore year, world literature had virtually no homework the entire school year and featured only a couple of essays each semester. Similarly, for world history, tests were infrequent and I did not need to invest much time to be successful in the class.

As a result, the transition to honors American literature and AP U.S. history was a profound shock this year. The increased homework load and course diffi-

culty meant I had to completely change my study and time-management habits to be successful in these rigorous classes.

For instance, in order to succeed in AP U.S. history, I now spend hours each week annotating and taking notes on the readings, as well as devoting substantial time to test preparation — both things that weren’t necessary in world history.

Thus, the only way to truly prepare students for AP classes is to offer more APs for freshman and sophomores.

For example, offering AP world history would be beneficial for students who want to take AP U.S. history in their junior year, as the course can help these students build the study skills necessary for success in the future.

Moreover, offering AP courses earlier allows students to more

November 3, 2023 deeply explore their interests and more deeply explore various subjects and discover their true interbetter plan their futures.

For instance, I studied AP biol- ests, thus allowing them to make ogy independently my sophomore informed decisions about their year, which allowed me to discov- futures.

Introducing more AP courser my interest in the subject and es for underclassmen reduces further pursue it in my junior year before I apply to college with a student stress and fosters related major. early exploration of interests and effective However, if I waited to take AP biology in school, future planning, creating a more I would’ve discovered my interest in the subject balanced high later, limiting time for school experience. a profound immersion in the subject before college.

Offering high-level courses in a variety of subjects earlier in Illustration by Danielle Feldsher high school allows stu- The lack of APs available to freshman and sophomores dents to leads to students piling on AP classes in later years.

Passion project or just Breaking barriers in politics California’s newest a paper chase? senator brings fresh perStudents pursue passion projects to boost their college applications

By Naaga Senthil In today’s competitive academic landscape, many high school students are starting passion projects in hopes of boosting their college applications. For now, this approach seems to be paying off — more than 75% of current Harvard students completed a passion project in high school, according to Acceptitas. Unfortunately, it is evident these pursuits are not always driven by the desire to change the world, but to enhance resumes.

This trend was likely started by private counselors or websites who convinced students passion projects, can help them showcase their skills and interests to college admission officers, leading students to start disingenuous projects such as volunteer service organizations or tutoring businesses, according to Mercer Educational Counseling.

In these organizations, students will give themselves an impressive title such as president or founder and promise volunteer hours and leadership experience to other eager students. In the end, their goal was never to improve their community or explore their interests, but to gain admission to a prestigious university.

All of this raises an important question — are students pursuing passion projects purely out of the

goodness of their hearts or are they merely to serve as a resume booster?

Let us take a look at Bloom Institute, a nonprofit organization founded by four HHS juniors, in hopes of promoting entrepreneurship, public speaking and leadership skills within our community.

Bloom Institute stands as a genuine passion project, showcasing student’s dedication striving to turn their creative ideas into real contributions for our community. In a system where grades and essays seem to define a student’s worth, the rise of passion projects among students deserves respect and admiration.

However, it is necessary to distinguish genuine passion projects from performative assignments.

Disingenuous passion projects divert attention and resources away from more meaningful passion projects, hurting both the student and their community.

When passion projects are pursued solely for college applications, students will lose interest in the cause and lack the enthusiasm to take their project to the next level. The irony is, rather than exploring their interests on their own personal journey, students are creating projects merely to impress college admission officers.

Ultimately, true passion is not manufactured; it is organic and it is born from a genuine desire to make a difference. The project is not what is important, the passion behind it is.

Illustration by Naaga Senthil

Although well-intentioned, students creating passion projects often have no interest in taking their project to the next level.

spective to Senate

By Kevin Miao Following the passing of Dianne Feinstein, Laphonza Butler became the newest senator for California, sworn in on Oct. 3 as the first LGTBQ+, Black and female senator. Her appointment is a step forward for representation in the U.S. government, and her experiences in different organizations help bring a fresh perspective on matters concerning minorities and low-income workers.

Butler’s appointment helps address the lack

of representation in the Senate.

California has over 2.7 million LGBTQ+ people and around 2.65 million Black people, according to the U.S. census, two groups Butler represents.

Along with her representation of minorities, Butler is also much younger than the average senator, 44 years old compared to the average of 65, according to the Fiscal Note. Her age gives her a better representation of our generation, allowing her to represent us better on topics like diversity and identity.

Butler has been the president of both California’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and EMILY’s List, two nationwide organizations that show her commit-

Illustration by Brian Ling

Laphonza Butler brings a fresh perspective into the US Senate.

ment to underrepresented groups.

Her work at California SEIU increased wages, as she was the driving force behind California’s minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, according to SEIU. In addition, her work at EMILY’s List helped hundreds of female politicians run for office, spurring a much-needed increase in female representation in government. Through these efforts, Butler has made an impact in all of America.

Questions about Butler’s representation in California have risen, with her primary residence recently being in Maryland. However, she is there to work for EMILY’s List, a group that helps female politicians, reflecting the progressive views of Californians.

While Butler’s background gives her a new view on many topics, her true qualification is her experience leading the SEIU and EMILY’s List. While it is a shame she will not be running for a full term in the seat in 2024, it is great she is focused on putting her all into her current term. If she ever does decide to run for office, her qualifications and background will make her a great candidate.

Developing an open mindset Diverse educational curriculums are vital

By Zeinab Rakhshandehroo Education plays a critical role in shaping our perspectives and outlooks on the world, influencing our ability to become active members of society according to the Center for American Progress. In today’s tumultuous social scenes, education is essential to prepare youth to address the issues that face our society. Thus, students must be exposed to diversity in their schools to apply that knowledge when they enter the real world.

At HHS, many teachers strive to include diverse perspectives in their curriculums. However, the school administration has little involvement in these processes, and does not monitor or interfere with teacher’s curriculums, principal Greg Giglio said.

Essentially, a teacher could utilize a lesson plan that lacks diversity, and the administration would remain unaware and not take any action. This is incredibly harmful.

Although teachers should have freedom in creating lesson plans, it is essential that there be a method for ensuring the materials they

teach are inclusive and diverse.

It is logistically improbable for the administration to personally monitor the lesson plan of every single teacher on campus. However, students should be able to share their voices in regards to their class curriculums. There must be an accessible and clear method for students to share feedback or complaints regarding a certain lesson plan to administration, thus providing the knowledge necessary to remedy the issue.

For example, in my sophomore year, my world literature class read “Persepolis,” a novel about the political revolution in Iran. Though intended to add representation to the class curriculum, the novel perpetuated harmful stereotypes about my culture and encouraged a negative perception of the Mus-

Illustration

by Zeinab Ra

khshandehr oo

lim community among my peers.

However, I could not express the detrimental effects of the novel as I was unable to launch a formal complaint or request for it to be removed from the curriculum.

Due to this, “Persepolis” could continue being taught within classes and spread its damaging narrative.

To ensure instances such as these do not occur, the administration must create a system for comments on curriculum inclusivity to be reported. A form could be made available on the school website to submit such grievances, allowing students to request improvements in the diversity of one of their class curriculums.

We must ensure class content represents our community. Methods must be established to give students a voice and guarantee inclusive representation.

Restrictions on diversity in education prevent empathy within youth.

PAGE DESIGN BY BRIAN LING AND ADAM ORRIN

November 3, 2023

Lifestyles

The Epitaph

7

Food fosters diverse cultural connections Students discuss value of food in understanding culture

By Evelyn Wang and Sanah Arya Food is a way for students to remain connected to their heritage, senior Jennifer Ren said.

“You might not be the most fluent speaker and you might not be the most culturally aware, but food brings everyone together,” Ren said. “Because food is such an integral part of your life, by continuing to eat Chinese food, it’s a way of preserving your Chinese culture.”

Specifically, cooking cultural foods can inspire this connection, Ren said. She feels that making food has brought her closer to her heritage.

“A major core memory for a lot of Chinese families is making dumplings together,” Ren said. “For New Year’s Eve or just in general, most Chinese people have made dumplings together at least once in their life, and it’s a really cool part of Chinese culture.”

Similarly, junior Amrutha Kadaba said some of her favorite memories include cooking South Indian dishes with her mother and eating dinner together with her family every single night.

“My cultural background has influenced my cooking style because I like to put a lot of spices and herbs into what I eat,” Kadaba said. “Or even if I go out to eat somewhere I like to put spices because a lot of spice is in Indian food.”

Kadaba said her favorite dish is dosa and green chutney, which is a thin, savory rice-based pancake with a mint sauce. Trying food from other cultures is also a great way to learn more about them, Kadaba said, and she suggests everyone try the great variety offered in Indian foods, as a lot of delicious dishes get overlooked.

Junior Kieu-Vi O’Brien said eating and cooking spring rolls is a special part of Vietnamese culture for her. “[Making spring rolls] is really fun because you have to make each roll by hand and you’re within a familial environment, so you are forced to talk to people,”

O’Brien said.

O’Brien said she has learned and connected with her Vietnamese culture through spending time and cooking with her mom. “[Vietnamese cuisine] is definitely big on trying to hit sour and salty; really, a blend of all those flavors along with a lot of fresh ingredients,” O’Brien said. “So I do notice that within my own taste, as well.”

When she was younger, Kadaba said she faced many challenges with people judging food from her culture. However, Kadaba said many people also understand the foods she eats because of the cultural diversity present in the Bay Area.

Cooking has not only the ability to connect people to their heritage but to also connect people from different cultural backgrounds with one another, Kadaba said.

“Cooking is meaningful to me because it unites a lot of people,” Kadaba said. “There is so much tradition and culture and with a lot of diverse people, you can cook many foods and eat them and enjoy the traditions that have been passed down from any family.”

Navigating high living prices Community shares impact of high cost of living

By Alicia Liste and Faith Watters In the heart of Silicon Valley, the American dream comes with a staggering price tag. The costs of living in the Bay Area are increasing exponentially — rising at a rate of 9.7% per year compared to the national average of 3.5% per year, according to The Mercury News. With inflation rates higher than ever before, it is difficult for many families to keep up with rising costs, Principal Greg Giglio said.

Rising costs have widespread impacts on the community and are a large factor in declining enrollment within the district, Giglio said. Living costs make it difficult for families with teenagers to live in the area, Giglio said, resulting in fewer students.

“Prices make it hard for people to live here and for younger families to move here,” Giglio said. “Older, more established families can [settle more easily], but that opportunity is rare.”

However, this problem is not limited to just students and their families. Many teachers are forced to commute for several hours to school and back because their pay is better in the FUHSD district, Giglio said.

For science teacher Adrianne Navarro, commuting is a necessity to maintain a livable income, she said.

“I have to choose between eating or not commuting,” Navarro said. “I live in Gilroy, and I waste three hours of my day [commuting] when I could be at home with my kids. Teachers in Gilroy don’t make as much money as we do here, but even then it’s not enough to pay for a small home.”

Growing up in the area, junior Shravya Eyunni said she believes the region’s cost of living is a price residents should expect to pay, given the Bay Area’s close proximity to high paying jobs, especially in the technology sector.

“Prices are definitely going up,”

Photo by Sanah Arya

Liu said she anticipates not being able to afford living alone in the Bay Area, much less buy a house.

Eyunni said. “But that really just comes down to jobs. You’re probably making more money and there are more opportunities here. If you were, for example, in a random state in the Midwest, you probably would not make that much money.

More money means [higher] prices — there is a correlation.”

However, Navarro said she does not believe the tech hub justifies the high cost of living, as tech workers only make up a small portion of the Bay Area’s high population.

“Not everyone works in tech,” Navarro said. “The people who work in grocery stores and restaurants don’t get paid like tech workers. Yet, they have to live here to work here, like teachers do.”

Because of the intense competitiveness of the tech industry, even many Bay Area students who decide to study technology-related majors in university cannot afford to move back into the area, Navarro said.

For students not planning to go into tech, staying in the Bay Area is nearly impossible, senior Isabel Hernandez Gamberg said. Hernandez Gamberg said they are planning on moving away after college because of how unaffordable it is.

“Inflation here is very bad right now,” Hernandez Gamberg said.

“The price of living in the Bay Area is getting higher and higher to the point where it’s not really feasible for a person right out of college to

Photo by Sanah Arya

Kadaba said when she was younger, she was scared to bring food from her culture, but now she brings Indian snacks to enjoy at lunch.

Learning with a side of milk tea Hong Kong Student Association introduces culture to all students

By Jonathan Xue Despite being 7000 miles away, the Hong Kong Student Association and its officers continue to illuminate many aspects of Hong Kong’s unique culture to members each meeting, club adviser Graeme Logie said. A persistent dedication to teaching members regardless of Hong Kongese origin or knowledge of Hong Kong is what distinguishes HKSA from other ethnic clubs, Logie said.

Although he does not originate from Hong Kong, Logie said he has consistently visited Hong Kong about twice a year since 2008 and became HKSA’s advisor in 2019.

“Hong Kong is a mix of both West and East and a truly fascinating place,” Logie said. “Over the years I have noticed small changes in the way people live [because now] people are moving to a more Chinese [lifestyle] than British, but there’s still lots of English signage tied to [Hong Kong].”

Eastern influences help differentiate Hong Kong’s culture from Britain’s, club president senior Elizabeth Wong said. On the other hand, she said many aspects of Western culture affect the language; a unique version of Cantonese and English are both spoken in Hong Kong, which differentiates Hong Kong from the rest of Asia.

“I really want to teach [the] community [about] my Hong Kongese culture [and language],” Wong said. “I think my own Hong

Kongese culture is very cool, and I want other [members] of the community to appreciate Hong Kongese culture [as much as I do].”

Logie said the remaining English influences in Hong Kong are a reminder of the personal connection between the club and himself. Officers have a deep connection, and Logie believes it is important for the adviser to share an equally personal link to the city.

“I’m British, and having been there many times, I have a deep appreciation for all that Hong Kong has suffered through under British rule,” Logie said. “I hope my replacement as HKSA adviser will share the same [level of ] personal connection as I have to Hong Kong.”

One of the biggest events every year is Lunar New Year when HKSA and many other Asian ethnic clubs get together to celebrate, Logie said. Logie said he appreciates the cooperation between clubs even in light of cultural differences.

“I love Hong Kong, it’s a great place and if you’re interested in it, give the club a try,” Logie said.

HKSA member junior Andrew Gao said HKSA has taught him valuable insights regarding the Hong Kongese culture. Gao said his main goal is to learn more about the special culture Hong Kong offers and become a more active member in the Hong Kongese community, as well as enjoy its diverse array of delicious foods. “[A shared] interest in Hong Kong brings us together,” Gao said.

“I like that everyone that attends meetings is part of a community [regardless of nationality].”

succeed in the Bay Area and have a comfortable life.”

Sophomore Noemi Liu said the only way she could ever see herself being a homeowner in Sunnyvale would be through inheriting her childhood home. Until then, Liu said she plans on renting with roommates.

The Bay Area’s diversity, both in class and race, makes the increase in prices hit extra hard, sophomore Anthony Greco said. Greco said he feels lucky to have privileges that give him an upper hand in overcoming the Bay Area’s high prices.

“The [cost of living] is talked about a lot in Sunnyvale because we have a really diverse community,” Greco said. “The high cost of living is mostly bad because it doesn’t allow lower class people to afford a house here or anywhere near Sunnyvale. [But] because I’m Photo by Catherine Yang white, I have an advantage in lots of things, so I do see a future here.”

This same diversity can put pressure on lower income students, who experience the wealth gap first-hand, Giglio said.

“There are a lot of haves and have-nots here,” Giglio said. “You have kids who live in Los Altos whose houses are huge and beautiful and lovely, and you’ve got families that live in apartment complexes where there are multiple families in one apartment. You’ve got it all here; that’s one of the beauties of our school, but it is also Collaborations with other clubs, such as at the mid-Autumn festival on Sept. 12, help spread awareness about Hong Kongese culture. one of our biggest struggles.”

PAGE DESIGN BY KEVIN MIAO AND ANNABELLE YIP

8 In-Depth

The Epitaph

Create a team 1 Bloom Institute Nonprofit that educates middle school students

Founders: Chloe Kim (11), Eric Ko (11), Kristin Lee (11) and Ian Yoon (11)

An initial team of students was formed to create and run Bloom Institute based on their individual interests, Ko said.

“I have some friends who are good at building websites, but there are people who were interested in graphic design,” Ko said. “I put together a team based on my friends who are passionate about each different aspect [of business].”

These varying interests allowed each member to contribute in unique and nonconflicting ways to Bloom Institute, Yoon said.

“In the initial phases, we struggled to exactly define what each person’s role was, but we all had unique passions towards what we wanted to contribute to the organization, so that helped with defining what each person was responsible for,” Yoon said.

1 Draw from previous experience Fondo Soccer

Coaches soccer to younger kids Founder: Mason Fondo (12)

s s e c c u s o t Map r path i e h t e ar Student entrepreneurs sh

Mango Madness

Sells handmade jewelry and keychains on Etsy Founder: Zoe Del Vecchio (12)

2Get initial clients

Let’s get down to business

By Alan Ma and Helen Tam With a multitude of business classes available on campus, students have the opportunity to learn skills useful to their future lives, regardless of if they major in business, accounting and international business teacher Helen Carlson said.

“We all want to be financially independent someday, and part of that is; how do you manage your finances?” Carlson said. “That’s where financial literacy is going to help.”

Virtual enterprise’s simulation of a running business prepares you for starting your own business because it mimics the full experience, virtual enterprise, principles of business teacher Graeme Logie said.

“In the class you execute a business plan; you walk through the entire hands-on process,” Logie said.

“When [students] come into class, it is their workplace.

Each of them has a job in a different department, including sales, marketing and IT.”

Senior Arnav Charkavarthy said business classes helped him with founding and managing his own business, Scilynk, a platform where researchers can find and analyze literature efficiently.

“The leadership skills that you take away from those classes, as well as digital tools for marketing – things that I learned last year in Ms. Carlson’s class really helped me out,” Charkavarthy said. “Different strategies and understandings of markets really help you [operate your business].”

Outside of electives, extracurriculars such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) also prepare students to succeed in business by providing unique opportunities, FBLA adviser Byron Lee said.

“The goal of the organization is to foster interest in [business], allow students to learn about business-related topics and improve their public speaking and leadership,” Lee said. “We provide speaking competitions and projects like Partnership with Business, where [students] work with another business,” However, former FBLA member, senior Daniel Matsui Smola said the club is not effective in preparing for the realities of the business world.

“FBLA has not taught me much about the business

Photo courtesy of Ian Yoon

The first step in founding his business was to get initial clients, Fondo said.

“Because I already had experience as a camp counselor and playing soccer for most of my life, I had a general idea of what to do,” Fondo said.

By going door-to-door and posting on Nextdoor and Facebook marketplace, he gained his first few clients and began coaching them, Fondo said. Since Fondo Soccer coaches kids from nearby areas, it was important to his business to keep the focus of his posts and advertising to small communities and neighborhoods, Fondo said.

Photo courtesy of Yusuf Jabbar

world other than that if you’re good at talking, you’re a decent way there,” Matsui Smola said. “There’s no [technical] content in FBLA.” Instead of participating in FBLA, which is overly competition-oriented, taking business courses are a more effective way to explore the field, Matsui Smola said.

“Principles of business, international business, and law are all very good classes,” Matsui Smola said.

“Making the business plan [in principles of business] is pretty similar to what you would actually do if you wanted to start a business.”

Photo courtesy of Arnav Chakravarthy

2 Make products

9

3 Expand

At first, Bloom Institute primarily contacted school districts and promoted themselves through fundraisers with other organizations they were working with, Yoon said. However, Bloom Institute eventually started advertising in a way that was more tailored toward certain communities, Ko said.

“Initially, we used social media, but not just regular social media [platforms] like Instagram or Facebook,” Ko said. “We got into smaller community social media groups, such as Korean mom networks or Chinese parent WhatsApp channels, and those really helped promote [us] to smaller communities and make it more personalized.”

Because Mango Madness is primarily a craft-based business, gathering materials and tools to create their products was their initial priority, Del Vecchio said. This included buying Perler beads for keychains and packaging materials to mail their products out, Del Vecchio said.

“I had some wrapping paper and bubble wrap, but I had to buy mailers and the actual posts for the earrings and the earring backs,” Del Vecchio said. “Luckily, my dad has a lot of tools, so I was able to use some of them, such as his pliers to bend the materials.”

Students explore business through classes, clubs

s to success

2 Promote

The many lessons Fondo learned from previous business experiences, including a clothing line, tutoring and dropshipping business, enabled him to grow and eventually establish something he was passionate about, Fondo said. Through an entrepreneurship course at the University of Michigan, Fondo said he learned many specific and helpful methods to keep a business running.

“One of the important lessons I’ve learned is that when you’re starting a business, you have to be starting it because you’re passionate about the business, not just for the money,” Fondo said. “Every time I failed, [it was] because I was more focused on making money and being successful, and I wasn’t actually enjoying it and having an impact.”

1Get materials

In-Depth

Once they established the business on Etsy, Del Vecchio said they could begin making products out of their materials as they got more orders.

“I drill a hole into whatever figurine I use and then glue the actual earrings into that,” Del Vecchio said. “Or for the keychains, I use Perler Beads, which is just making the Perler bead design and then ironing it.”

Creativity is essential to making their jewelry and operating the business, Del Vecchio said. “[At some points] I wasn’t able to create new products because I was running out of creative ideas, and could go months on end without making any sales,” Del Vecchio said.

Because Bloom Institute initially began as a project for FBLA, the group contacted interested FBLA members from other states and areas to create chapters of Bloom Institute in those regions, which eventually led to the creation of six different chapters, Ko said.

“One of my teammates had great connections and [reached] out to people from other states who were interested in starting one of those chapters, and that’s how we really grew further,” Ko said. “[During] the FBLA conference this summer, we had an opportunity to meet different people from different states, and that’s where we promoted [Bloom Institute] and encouraged people to start their own chapters in their area.”

3 Hire coworkers

When business started improving after six month, Fondo began hiring soccer players he knew well to help him coach, he said.

“Because I had more clients and school was picking up, I decided to pair more clients up with the other coaches and take a step back,” Fondo said. “I went around the [HHS soccer] varsity team and asked different soccer players, ‘Are you interested in doing coaching?’”

Fondo said he expanded to keep up with increased demand for coaching, allowing him to focus on recruiting clientele and mentoring new coaches, while still coaching himself.

Photo by Alan Ma

3 Create social media

Mango Madness was not making enough revenue to pay for ads on Etsy, Del Vecchio said, so they instead decided to create social media accounts for their business.

“I had to adapt and create social media accounts to feature the account of my Etsy shop,” Del Vecchio said. “I created an Instagram account and a TikTok account to create more publicity and recognition.”

Chakravarthy teaches entrepreneurship to exchange students at UC Berkeley.

PAGE BY ALAN MA, MALAR RAGURAMAN AND HELEN TAM ILLUSTRATIONS BY CATHERINE YANG

8 In-Depth

The Epitaph

Create a team 1 Bloom Institute Nonprofit that educates middle school students

Founders: Chloe Kim (11), Eric Ko (11), Kristin Lee (11) and Ian Yoon (11)

An initial team of students was formed to create and run Bloom Institute based on their individual interests, Ko said.

“I have some friends who are good at building websites, but there are people who were interested in graphic design,” Ko said. “I put together a team based on my friends who are passionate about each different aspect [of business].”

These varying interests allowed each member to contribute in unique and nonconflicting ways to Bloom Institute, Yoon said.

“In the initial phases, we struggled to exactly define what each person’s role was, but we all had unique passions towards what we wanted to contribute to the organization, so that helped with defining what each person was responsible for,” Yoon said.

1 Draw from previous experience Fondo Soccer

Coaches soccer to younger kids Founder: Mason Fondo (12)

s s e c c u s o t Map r path i e h t e ar Student entrepreneurs sh

Mango Madness

Sells handmade jewelry and keychains on Etsy Founder: Zoe Del Vecchio (12)

2Get initial clients

Let’s get down to business

By Alan Ma and Helen Tam With a multitude of business classes available on campus, students have the opportunity to learn skills useful to their future lives, regardless of if they major in business, accounting and international business teacher Helen Carlson said.

“We all want to be financially independent someday, and part of that is; how do you manage your finances?” Carlson said. “That’s where financial literacy is going to help.”

Virtual enterprise’s simulation of a running business prepares you for starting your own business because it mimics the full experience, virtual enterprise, principles of business teacher Graeme Logie said.

“In the class you execute a business plan; you walk through the entire hands-on process,” Logie said.

“When [students] come into class, it is their workplace.

Each of them has a job in a different department, including sales, marketing and IT.”

Senior Arnav Charkavarthy said business classes helped him with founding and managing his own business, Scilynk, a platform where researchers can find and analyze literature efficiently.

“The leadership skills that you take away from those classes, as well as digital tools for marketing – things that I learned last year in Ms. Carlson’s class really helped me out,” Charkavarthy said. “Different strategies and understandings of markets really help you [operate your business].”

Outside of electives, extracurriculars such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) also prepare students to succeed in business by providing unique opportunities, FBLA adviser Byron Lee said.

“The goal of the organization is to foster interest in [business], allow students to learn about business-related topics and improve their public speaking and leadership,” Lee said. “We provide speaking competitions and projects like Partnership with Business, where [students] work with another business,” However, former FBLA member, senior Daniel Matsui Smola said the club is not effective in preparing for the realities of the business world.

“FBLA has not taught me much about the business

Photo courtesy of Ian Yoon

The first step in founding his business was to get initial clients, Fondo said.

“Because I already had experience as a camp counselor and playing soccer for most of my life, I had a general idea of what to do,” Fondo said.

By going door-to-door and posting on Nextdoor and Facebook marketplace, he gained his first few clients and began coaching them, Fondo said. Since Fondo Soccer coaches kids from nearby areas, it was important to his business to keep the focus of his posts and advertising to small communities and neighborhoods, Fondo said.

Photo courtesy of Yusuf Jabbar

world other than that if you’re good at talking, you’re a decent way there,” Matsui Smola said. “There’s no [technical] content in FBLA.” Instead of participating in FBLA, which is overly competition-oriented, taking business courses are a more effective way to explore the field, Matsui Smola said.

“Principles of business, international business, and law are all very good classes,” Matsui Smola said.

“Making the business plan [in principles of business] is pretty similar to what you would actually do if you wanted to start a business.”

Photo courtesy of Arnav Chakravarthy

2 Make products

9

3 Expand

At first, Bloom Institute primarily contacted school districts and promoted themselves through fundraisers with other organizations they were working with, Yoon said. However, Bloom Institute eventually started advertising in a way that was more tailored toward certain communities, Ko said.

“Initially, we used social media, but not just regular social media [platforms] like Instagram or Facebook,” Ko said. “We got into smaller community social media groups, such as Korean mom networks or Chinese parent WhatsApp channels, and those really helped promote [us] to smaller communities and make it more personalized.”

Because Mango Madness is primarily a craft-based business, gathering materials and tools to create their products was their initial priority, Del Vecchio said. This included buying Perler beads for keychains and packaging materials to mail their products out, Del Vecchio said.

“I had some wrapping paper and bubble wrap, but I had to buy mailers and the actual posts for the earrings and the earring backs,” Del Vecchio said. “Luckily, my dad has a lot of tools, so I was able to use some of them, such as his pliers to bend the materials.”

Students explore business through classes, clubs

s to success

2 Promote

The many lessons Fondo learned from previous business experiences, including a clothing line, tutoring and dropshipping business, enabled him to grow and eventually establish something he was passionate about, Fondo said. Through an entrepreneurship course at the University of Michigan, Fondo said he learned many specific and helpful methods to keep a business running.

“One of the important lessons I’ve learned is that when you’re starting a business, you have to be starting it because you’re passionate about the business, not just for the money,” Fondo said. “Every time I failed, [it was] because I was more focused on making money and being successful, and I wasn’t actually enjoying it and having an impact.”

1Get materials

In-Depth

Once they established the business on Etsy, Del Vecchio said they could begin making products out of their materials as they got more orders.

“I drill a hole into whatever figurine I use and then glue the actual earrings into that,” Del Vecchio said. “Or for the keychains, I use Perler Beads, which is just making the Perler bead design and then ironing it.”

Creativity is essential to making their jewelry and operating the business, Del Vecchio said. “[At some points] I wasn’t able to create new products because I was running out of creative ideas, and could go months on end without making any sales,” Del Vecchio said.

Because Bloom Institute initially began as a project for FBLA, the group contacted interested FBLA members from other states and areas to create chapters of Bloom Institute in those regions, which eventually led to the creation of six different chapters, Ko said.

“One of my teammates had great connections and [reached] out to people from other states who were interested in starting one of those chapters, and that’s how we really grew further,” Ko said. “[During] the FBLA conference this summer, we had an opportunity to meet different people from different states, and that’s where we promoted [Bloom Institute] and encouraged people to start their own chapters in their area.”

3 Hire coworkers

When business started improving after six month, Fondo began hiring soccer players he knew well to help him coach, he said.

“Because I had more clients and school was picking up, I decided to pair more clients up with the other coaches and take a step back,” Fondo said. “I went around the [HHS soccer] varsity team and asked different soccer players, ‘Are you interested in doing coaching?’”

Fondo said he expanded to keep up with increased demand for coaching, allowing him to focus on recruiting clientele and mentoring new coaches, while still coaching himself.

Photo by Alan Ma

3 Create social media

Mango Madness was not making enough revenue to pay for ads on Etsy, Del Vecchio said, so they instead decided to create social media accounts for their business.

“I had to adapt and create social media accounts to feature the account of my Etsy shop,” Del Vecchio said. “I created an Instagram account and a TikTok account to create more publicity and recognition.”

Chakravarthy teaches entrepreneurship to exchange students at UC Berkeley.

PAGE BY ALAN MA, MALAR RAGURAMAN AND HELEN TAM ILLUSTRATIONS BY CATHERINE YANG

10 Lifestyles

The Epitaph

Club fever burns bright Students reflect on the pressure to join clubs

Photo by Malar Raguraman

Miniatures club is here to stay

By Maya Dutt

By Malar Raguraman and Catherine Yang Club fever, or the urge to join as many extracurriculars as possible, is a mentality that many students adopt, Key club president junior Lucia Liu said. From the extensive club fair to classrooms filled with students every day during lunch, it is obvious there is a lot of focus given to clubs, Liu said.

Clubs have multiple ways of gaining more members and getting students to join their email lists, Liu said, the most effective of which is club fair. “[During] club fair, we try to interact and bring over new members more forcefully, rather than just letting them walk by at our booth,” Liu said.

However, many students join clubs out of pure interest and not pressure, Korean Student Association and KREW president, senior Seoyoon Hwang said. For example, students join KSA primarily to learn about a new culture and join KREW to learn to dance and perform, she said.

“I joined [KSA] because I am Korean,” Hwang said. “I wanted to spread my culture because before I came to HHS, there wasn’t really a chance for me to let people know about it, since no one was interested. But now, Korean culture is getting more widely known, whether through songs, dramas or foods.”

Students join clubs to branch out and are drawn toward unique club experiences, freshman Poorva Khambekar said.

“People want to get involved in the community and try out dif-

November 3, 2023

Students come to an FBLA project meeting for multiple reasons, such as meeting other members with similar interests. ferent things,” Khambekar said. “I have friends who are constantly running to a bunch of different clubs. I joined the math club because I really want to participate in their competitions, but I’m not sure about the club meetings. I think [competitions] are fun and can be a good way to use the math I’ve learned, and apply it, and I just [find] them fun.”

Many students are drawn towards KREW for the various opportunities it provides, such as performing, Hwang said.

“People say that once they join KREW, it’s hard for them to not do it again because they enjoy performing,” Hwang said.

Involvement in clubs is also enticing because clubs allow students to take on leadership positions and eventually become officers, Liu said. Many students are searching for leadership positions that can impress colleges, Liu said, but to be an officer. You need to have an interest in the club.

“People shouldn’t be an officer for a random club just for the sake

of having a leadership position,” Liu said. “[You need to] have the excitement for a topic. [Being an officer] is wanting to share [your] passion as an officer.”

Since officer positions require so much commitment, most club members are underclassmen, Liu said.

“When [upperclassmen] become officers for clubs, they fully commit their time to the clubs that they’re an officer of,” Liu said. “If they don’t [get] an officer position for another club, they might ditch the club [completely].”

Khambekar said she loves the community in the clubs she has joined, and it’s important to her that club members are all kind and helpful so she has the opportunity to make friends.

“By joining many clubs, it means that you’re going to be a lot busier and things will get more hectic,” Khambekar said. “But [then] again, if a student is passionate about all of those things, then they’re [ just] having a good time.”

Among days filled with lectures, homework and stress, miniatures club is where members play board games, relax and get to know each other, miniatures club president, senior Bryce Lindberg said.

Miniatures club was founded by now-graduated Logan Pageler as a continuation of the original club at Sunnyvale Middle School (SMS), Lindberg said.

Thanks to their club advisor Christopher Roberts, the club would build miniatures, small figures used in tabletop games, in the SMS wood shop and play a game called wooden warships, member, senior Max Whalley said. “there was this tradition was passed down over time,” Whalley said. “Then we moved to high school and didn’t have time to play longer games.”

Factors such as the pandemic inspired the club to transition from larger games to more casual ones like Sushi Go and Munchkins, Lindberg said.

This

shift changed the clubs’ environment, adviser Kathleen Shreve said.

“The vibe was serious because [the members] were into a specific game,” Shreve said. “But now, we get more people coming to check what [the club is] about.”

There used to be other physical game clubs, but they’ve disappeared, widening miniatures club’s demographic, Whalley said. Part of its resilience is due to its adaptability, Shreve said.

“During COVID, we would have discord game sessions that would go for hours,” Shreve said. “A club that adjusts with the times is self-sustaining.”

Miniatures club is vital to the community because games are an excellent way to connect people, Shreve said. “[In miniatures club,] you’re getting to know other people outside of the normal school day,” Shreve said. “Sometimes you’re role playing, sometimes you’re doing strategy, sometimes you’re doing some lying games, it is something that lets you be a different version of yourself.”

Photo by Maya Dutt

Juniors Edison Li and Eduardo Alvarado play Star Wars X-Wing at a miniatures club meeting.

POV: Pressures resulting in sleep deprivation

By Parth Dhaulakhandi, Kevin Miao and Elena Shim Exhaustion are commonalities in the lives of high school students, but there are several factors that cause it. Reporters Parth Dhaulakhandi, Kevin Miao and Elena Shim share their experiences with the common problems that lead to sleep deprivation include extracurricular commitments, procrastination and academic workloads.

Parth: Extracurriculars Time management is an important skill, but sometimes, it is not the underlying factor behind a lack of sleep and relaxation. After-school commitments and an academically intense course load all contribute to a larger workload, and in turn, more sleep deprivation.

Of course, schoolwork is a

large priority of mine, but after that, I still have work to get done outside of school. I participate in cross country, and sometimes am unable to properly enjoy the sport, dreading the piles of schoolwork waiting for me afterwards. A fun social experience and great source of physical activity is soured due to excessive commitments.

I have to dig out time from my schedule to participate in these activities, time that is taken away from my school priorities, which are necessities I am willing to sacrifice my sleep over. Thus, my main reason for sleep deprivation is a result of my ambition and willingness to explore my passions outside of academics, something that is technically unnecessary but realistically imperative.

Kevin: Procrastination My personal battle with procrastination, caused largely by a

lack of time management skills and personal motivation, is a major lifestyle problem. While I have been improving my habits, there are still many days where I do not even glance at my pending work until late at night.

Poor time management skills are the main factor that causes procrastination, but a lack of motivation also has a profound impact.

I usually spend my time doing something I’m passionate about instead of doing schoolwork. I would devote most of my energy to completing work for other activities while I push school work back as far as I can, leading to success in extracurriculars but failure academically.

Pushing back important work leads to me leaving this schoolwork until the night before it is due. This leads to an eventual sleepless night through which I work tirelessly. Learning to moti-

vate yourself is crucial to getting your schoolwork done, and is something I have been trying to learn for the majority of my life.

Elena: Academic workload As a student, my sleep deprivation is a consequence of the overwhelming academic workload I am faced with. Tight deadlines

and my constant determination to complete work fuel me, but it certainly is not easy.

Most times, I have to stay up late at night, dealing with group projects and studying for big exams. No matter how productive I am or how efficiently I work, the sheer amount of assignments always consumes much of my time.

Photo by Varun Vijay Mani

Sleep deprivation is an unfortunate commonality in high school life

SAT Rush

Students share their study strategies, thoughts about the upcoming test

Rebecca Hsu (11)

Addison Baldwin (11)

“Honestly, I forgot the SAT is so soon. I’m using the Princeton Review textbook. The practice SATs are really useful.”

“I study twice a week with a tutor, so that is helping with the math section. For reading, I usually just review vocabulary words.”

Elizabeth Thornburg (11) “I studied for [and took] the PSAT, which let me know what type of questions would probably be on the SAT. Other than that, I’m using Khan Academy to prepare.”

Infographic by Sanah Arya

Cecilia Anderson (11) Briana Holquin (11) “I have the giant SAT prep book. It gives me an idea of what to expect.”

“I am taking practice tests and reviewing my notes, which is helping me get ready. I’m really nervous because I feel like I am not spending enough time studying.”

PAGE DESIGN BY NICOLE PIMENTA INNECCO AND MIKHA PILAR

November 3, 2023

The Epitaph

Lifestyles

Dancing to all South Asian cultures Indopak focuses on increasing South Asian representation

By Malar Raguraman Indopak is one of the largest cultural dance groups on campus and gives students the opportunity to either connect to their culture or learn about South Asian culture, Bhangra captain senior Thea Gomard said. The club is a very popular group that not only performs at school rallies and competitions, but also works to represent the many cultures of South Asia, co-president, Nashaa captain senior Sania Khanzode said.

Indopak consists of four teams, each team focusing on a different dance form of South Asia, Nashaa captain, senior Aditi Ghosh said.

Nashaa is Bollywood-focused, classical includes traditional Indian dances, Raas is a form from Gujarat and Bhangra is from Punjab, Ghosh said.

However, the majority of these teams are from North India, Kadaba said. The only team that represents South Indian dance is classical, which implements Bharatanatyam from South India and Kathak from the North, Kadaba said.

Additionally, none of the teams are from other countries in South Asia, classical captain junior Am-

rutha Kadaba said. This includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and many other countries.

Previously a classical member, junior Bindhya Parthasarathy said despite being the only team on Indopak that represents South Indian dance, classical does not have as large of an influence on campus, with a limited number of performances for students and a lack of social media presence.

This is because the movement of the dances are deeply traditional, which means fewer people have an appreciation for it, Kadaba said.

“It’s more of an art form that you enjoy when you know its meaning and when you’re connected to the culture,” Kadaba said.

“Classical has been represented for generations in South India.

Once you understand it, classical [performances] are actually very nice to see.”

On the contrary, Kadaba said other dance teams in Indopak, such as Nashaa and Bhangra, are more well-known because they perform at rallies and are more “hype”.

“I think because [Indopak] is not really aware of different kinds of dances, Northern [dances] are more popular than ones from the South,” Raas captain, junior Sara Shreya Murali said.

To address and increase the diversity of their performances, Nashaa is working towards repre-

senting other South Asian cultures, Ghosh said. Inclusivity is something Indopak highly values, so Nashaa has started to implement music from many other regions of India and South Asia, Ghosh said.

“I’ve been taking a lot of liberty into making sure that we have Kuthu mixes and different songs that are Telugu, Urdu and Kannada,” Ghosh said. “In Nashaa, we have been doing a really good job of not integrating just Hindi songs, but making sure that we are taking a little bit from everywhere.”

Nashaa’s choreography is decided by Nashaa captains, Khanzode and Ghosh, so the choreographing process is not very formal or focused on a specific culture. The steps are decided by what “vibes well” and goes along with the music, Ghosh said.

The Indian movies she has watched since her childhood have affected the dance steps and influenced the ideas she has, which are primarily developed from North India and Bollywood, Khanzode said.

Furthermore, most members in Indopak are North Indian, which could lead to the possibility of less representation and diversity of other regions in South Asia, Murali said. However, this will likely change in future years as awareness of multiple cultures improves, Murali said.

“As years go by, cultural awareness and representation will defi-

Going above and beyond English teachers advise seniors in the midst of college applications

Photo by Amanda Boles

English class is a place where all students can be expressive, silly or vulnerable, which nurtures the exploration of identity, English teacher Megan Rupe said. As a senior year Contemporary literature and writing teacher, Rupe said an important goal is to make the curriculum flexible so it can benefit students who need instruction on how to write their college application essays. By doing so, it provides support to students who do not have access to outside-of-school resources, Rupe said.

Contemporary literature and writing encourages students to explore their identity and consider values they want to exhibit in their essays, Rupe said.

“My goal, particularly for senior literature, is for students to come away with a deeper understanding of themselves,” Rupe said.

“Students have the opportunity to schedule an appointment with me where I give them my full attention. I look at their essays and it really comes down to having a conversation about what it is they are trying to convey.”

As the first person in her family to go to college, English teacher Shawnee Rivera, who teaches Senior Core said guidance is extremely valuable and important in the college application process, especially regarding essays.

“I know firsthand how important it is to have some mentorship in order to demystify the whole process and get the hard stuff out of the way, like essay writing, figuring out a timeline or figuring out what needs to go where in your list of tasks to complete,” Rivera said.

“My goal as a teacher is to remove those [barriers].”

Many of the activities in senior English classes are geared toward

Photo by Malar Raguraman

During a meeting on Oct. 22, Nashaa members practice a Kuthu-style dance, which is primarily from South India. nitely improve within Asia, and this will eventually influence Indopak to include more dances that are not North Indian,” Murali said.

Achieving a wide representation within Indopak is especially difficult when there are so many cultures that they encompass, but as the student body grows and develops every year, Indopak aims

Photo by Elena Shim

English teachers, Megan Rupe and Shawnee Rivera holds a discussion with their students, encouraging them to realize aspects of their identity they can utilize in their college essays. improving students’ college application essays, English teacher Megan Bridge, who teaches AP literature said.

“As a teacher, it is my goal to support them through the [application] process without explicitly telling them what to do,” Bridge said. “More in the sense of hearing what they need and trying to address that need.”

Oftentimes students struggle with writing application essays because it is more reflective, rather than fact-based like the formal writing usually done in class, Bridge said.

“One of the biggest pieces of advice I could have is for people to be vulnerable,” Bridge said. “That

does not necessarily mean telling your deepest, darkest stories, but it is being willing to show a part of yourself that a person would not get from a brief one-minute introduction” Senior Aaditya Raj said taking AP Literature has improved his understanding of how to be more creative and convey something more meaningful through his writing.

“We did some reflection activities for our personal statement, where we talked about our fears, our own values, what we believe in and our skills,” Raj said. “Reflection has helped me understand myself better and talk about that in more of my essays.”

more to expand cultural representation, Khanzode said.

“Every single year, we find things that we can improve on from the previous year,” Khanzode said. “It is so hard to represent all of [South Asia] because it is so diverse, but we are doing a pretty good job of representing as much as we can.”

Bringing engineering back to life Engineering club strives to provide members with new experiences

By Brian Ling

By Amanda Boles

11

The Bay Area is known for its famous engineering companies.

Because of this, the new engineering club hopes to get members excited about the field, club officer junior Auhon Haldar said.

In the past, a club dedicated to engineering existed but eventually became inactive. Therefore, Haldar said with his friends, he decided to restart the club.

“We live in the Bay Area and STEM [related subjects] in general are pretty important here [so] the club sounded like it would be important,” Haldar said. “So we’re trying to make [the club] actually relevant and popular.”

In order for members to get an effective experience with engineering, the club plans to host numerous hands-on activities and building opportunities, Haldar said.

“We have activities where people come and learn about basic engineering skills then demonstrate those in [various] forms of competitions,” Haldar said. “The [second general meeting was] a tower building where people come and form small groups and then build towers for a prize.”

In order to facilitate these activities for all members, the club has to purchase most of the building materials, club treasurer Sriram Joshi said.

“We’re obviously not going to make our members pay for the materials to build,” Joshi, a junior, said. “So I’ll personally be buying [things like] popsicle sticks, paper, tape, pipes or straws.”

For a new club, Joshi said it can get difficult running the club on top of all his other responsibilities.

“We aren’t really facing any major issues, we’re just disorganized,” Joshi said. “Because all of us are in our junior year and we’re all having really hard classes, a lot of us can’t make enough time for the club.”

In the future, Joshi said he hopes for the club to eventually compete in actual engineering competitions outside of just the club.

Junior Lior Pendler said since he has already taken both the Introduction to engineering design and principles of engineering courses, using what he has learned, he hopes to expand on what he has learned in these courses with the club.

“I wanted to join the engineering club because I like engineering and because my friend is an officer,” Pendler said. “I wanted to support him and I look forward to learning new concepts.”

Photo by Brian Ling

Members participate in a bridge building activity where they used spoons, popsicle sticks and tape to create the strongest bridge possible.

PAGE DESIGN BY ELENA SHIM

12

The Epitaph

Arts & Culture

November 3, 2023

Blood, guts and a fresh Spice-ing up her marketing Rapper Ice Spice takes take on fear the music industry by gery trap and the eventual idolface punishment as it incorporates aspects of the Mexican setting into the punishment. The movie includes many novel traps based

By Jonathan Xue on classic “Saw” concepts, all of which exceed the series’ standard Eyes vacuumed out as the vic- for high-octane, grisly traps. For tim fails to break his own fingers example, the finger-dislocating in time. “Saw X” takes place be- eye vacuum included novel non-fatween the first and second mov- tal punishments, while previous inies of the “Saw” series, detailing stallments were life or death. The John Kramer’s journey to Mexico sequel also appeals to fan nostalin search of an experimental med- gia with more traditional traps, ical procedure that ends up being such as the bone marrow decapia scam. Kramer spends the rest tator or the bomb gauntlets. of the movie exacting his revenge This movie also dives into the with his signature punishment: core ideology of the serial killer, death traps. “Saw X” creates an in- expressed through conversations teresting dynamic between Kram- with Amanda in which Kramer er and his victims, blurring the line sticks by his demented beliefs in between justice and murder to cre- an almost admirable manner. The ate a truly unique experience for genius of “Saw X” is including the franchise. a victim more evil than Kramer Unlike previous installments, himself, one motivated purely by which have quick abduction se- self-preservation and greed. Previquences, this sequel focuses on ous installments garnered a tinge evoking dread. “Saw X” dedicates of compassion for each victim, but more screen time to the pursuit of the latest installment shatters all the victims, heightening suspense sympathy for them. For me, the and creating a sense of euphoria 10th film achieves what the other once Kramer eventually catches nine could not — I completely side his prey. Scenes such as Peder- with Kramer. son’s and Gabriela’s capture are The 10th movie still suffers long sequences filmed in cramped from the usual cheesy gore and spaces, utilizing silence and slow- twitchy, dramatic sequences that ness to build fear until a fast-paced are hallmarks of the franchise. The abduction sequence ensues. Their bone marrow scene is especially kidnapping feels more akin to a inauthentic, as the bone marrow jumpscare from “Scream” than an and blood collection more closely expedited capture from the “Saw” resembles a melted cherry sundae. franchise.

But these cheesy practical effects I especially enjoyed the intri- and kidnapping sequences remain cate design of Mateo’s brain sur- hallmarks of the franchise, and “Saw X” includes Photo from Lionsgate a good amount of such scenes.

Featuring novelty, nostalgia and plot twists, “Saw X” is a compilation of everything I love about the “Saw” series. In an interesting shift, the movie portrays Kramer as not just the scheming mastermind the audience knows him to be, but also an elderly, vulnerable man. Yet within this depiction of a frail, old man is the same genius, corrupted by a twisted sense of justice and undying thirst for revenge, that remains the defining quality of the franchise.

“Saw X” provides a thrilling new take to a longtime horror franchise.

Photo from Teen Vogue

‘Saw X’ endures as a fun twist to beloved horror series

gan with the viral song “Munch (Feelin’ U),” in August 2022, which launched her rapping career and paved the way for hits like “Bistorm kini Bottom” and “In Ha Mood.”

By Anushruti Nagarajan This rapid ascension reached new heights with her iconic verse on Ice Spice’s success is not just “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” a mega-viral measured by chart-topping hits, hit created by PinkPanthress. Ice but also by her effective marketing Spice’s collaborations with Nicstrategies. The 23-year-old Bronx ki Minaj on “Princess Diana” and native and rising rapper has con- “Barbie World” showcased not only quered the music industry and her musical prowess through caemerged as a marketing genius, tering to popular hip-hop and rap reshaping the media landscape beats, but also her marketing acuwith her innovative thinking. men through collaborating with The rapper’s journey be- many well-established celebrities.

The artist eventually acquired the most Hot 100 Top 5 singles in 2023, according to Salon.

Despite her collaborations and unique hip-hop beats, Ice Spice’s ability to strategically navigate controversies is what sets her apart.

In February 2023, English singer-songwriter and record producer Matty Healy made offensive comments targeting her heritage, voice and body, according to the Los Angeles Times. In response, Ice Spice chose to be the bigger person, moving past Healy’s degrading words.

Ice Spice uses her quick thinking to gain Healy’s ex, Taylor Swift, lata cutting edge on the latest Gen-Z trends.

er featured Ice Spice on “Karma” which further solidified her position and propelled the track to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. The artist’s choice to ignore Healy led to fan support due to her maturity in handling the situation — a clever marketing strategy.

Beyond the music scene, Ice Spice has strategically extended her brand through partnerships, notably one with Dunkin’ Donuts.

The rapper’s signature drink, creatively named after her fandom, the Munchkins, was launched on Sept. 13 in partnership with Dunkin’, according to Salon. The official commercial for this partnership debuted during the MTV Video Music Awards, where Ice Spice was honored with the MTV VMA’s “Best New Artist” award in 2023. By doing this, she distinguishes herself as not only a great artist but also a savvy entrepreneur, making her stand out in the music world.

Ice Spice’s openness adds another layer to her persona, emphasizing not only her musical talent but also her shrewd understanding of the corporate landscape. As a cultural icon and marketing maven, Ice Spice continues to redefine success in an industry where Photo from Teen Vogue authenticity and innovation are increasingly important.

Finding joy in the mundane Trend of ‘romanticizing life’ proves beneficial

By Evelyn Wang As I open Tiktok, my feed is flooded with videos of people whisking viridescent matcha, studying for hours in bustling cafes and gently tending flourishing greenery — all representations of the recently popularized TikTok trend of romanticizing life. The trend, which encourages viewers to find joy in seemingly uneventful activities, is not only visually appealing, but has also been beneficial for people’s overall wellbeing.

The trend took its inspiration from TikToker Ashley Ward during the pandemic, when she posted a video encouraging viewers to romanticize their lives so that they can enjoy the details of everyday life. Since then, the trend has taken TikTok by storm, inspiring viewers to “romanticize” their own lives.

When the trend first emerged, many were restricted to their homes due to the pandemic; however, the trend encouraged viewers to discover contentment in simple, at-home activities, giving them a

sense of purpose and joy in times took time to make coffee for myof stress, according to The New self every morning — something York Times. Even after quarantine I looked forward to daily, as it alended, the practice of “romanticiz- lowed me to start my day with a ing life” still prevailed. sense of purpose and enjoy a small This concept improves mental moment in an otherwise monotohealth by promoting mindfulness, nous routine.

The viral trend also inspires according to The New York Times.

In a survey by Mental Health First people to adopt a more optimistic Aid, 71% of Americans believed perspective on life as a whole. Inthat self-care increases happiness stead of viewing life as boring and full of struggles, peolevels. ple who romanticize M o r e o v e r, their lives tend to because “roview it from a more manticizpositive lens, seeing life” ing potential for consists of finding joy improvement. A positive mindset in simple opens doors for activities, it perseverance in e n c o u ra g times of adveres people to look forsity and offers a ward to evtransformative journey of perery day and Illustration by Amanda Boles sonal growth. live with By emintention, ‘Romanticizing life’ helps make humphasizing even when drum activities more exciting. life might the beauty in seem boring and meaningless. mundane events, the TikTok trend I had a lot of idle time at home of “romanticizing life” inspires during the pandemic, so I made an mindfulness, self-awareness and effort to implement small details dedication acting as a valuable to give myself a feeling of struc- source of positivity and well-being ture and familiarity. For instance, I for many.

Swinging through ‘Marvel’s Spiderman 2’

For as long as I can remember, I have looked for a game that could push me, surprise me — one that could even impress me. Yet all I found was disappointment. Will “Marvel’s Spiderman 2” finally give me what I desire? Yes, it will.

Marvel released a new installment in the “Spiderman” game series on Oct. 20, bringing another unique plot to expand the intricate story. I felt involved in the captivating storyline of this latest edition, which ensnared me with its beau-

Much of the game focused on the Spidermen and the control they had over their emotions and thoughts. The symbiote is a creature that can bond with humans and make them more physically powerful at the cost of their inherent good nature. Eventually, this creature leads to a character that feels spiteful against Peter Parker, Harry, to transform into Venom.

This symbiote is a practical representation how deeply desperation can affect someone. Its corrupting properties, and Venom itself, represent the power of revenge and malice, something cleverly illustrated thorughout the plot.

One of my favorite parts of the game was the fight between Miles Morales and Mister Negative.

During this fight, Mister Negative well constructed, the game’s plot uses his superpowers to actual- could suffice for an entire movie. ize Miles’s fears and insecurities, With a carefully planned structure and characters I could symallowing Mr. Negative to, quite pathize with, “Marvel’s Spiliterally, get inside Miles’s head. derman 2” was quite an Watching Miles confront his amazing “Spiderman“ fears and break past his experience. self-imposed emotional barriers is a blissful experience, letting h a new and improved la k au Dh Spiderman emerge. h t Par Illustration by The game’s remarkable concept and its realistically ideal characters caught my attention very quickly, and the captivating story makes me desperate Spiderman perfectly combines an amazing for more. The world of “Spiderman” is so gaming experience with a comprehensive plot.

PAGE DESIGN BY ANUSHRUTI NAGARAJAN AND JONATHAN XUE di

By Parth Dhaulakhandi

tiful complexity.

Beneath the surface-level qualities of the game, such as developed graphics and great efficiency, lies the heart of the game: the story. Granted, much of it relies on events that occurred in the first “Spiderman” game, but it was still decently easy to understand most elements of the game without having all the details of the previous games.

The developers made a clever creative decision with Kraven, the main villain, who serves as a catalyst for the true conflict. The transformation of a person-versus-person conflict into a more meaningful personal conflict within the main characters was a smooth transition I enjoyed.

an

New ‘Spiderman’ game exceeds previous high expectations

The Epitaph

November 3, 2023

Escape the hive-mind bind Online reviews can cloud judgment, individuality

spread appreciation.

For example, a well-respected review channel, SaberSpark, gave the movie a lukewarm review upon release, but when the film gained traction, he released a new video praising its comeback and message.

My immediate reaction was confusion — if the film was great to begin with, why did so many reviewers trash it? Many studies show it has to do with the mob mentality: people in a group will be influenced by others’ opinions because of a desire for validation, often at the expense of critical thinking and good judgment.

Social media only amplifies this effect, according to a study by MIT. The study randomly selected the first comments on 100,000 Reddit-style posts and had an AI bot upvote or downvote them at random. The results demonstrated how a

Illustra tion by

single vote in a certain direction led to many similar subsequent votes. Votes from the bot influenced those of real people, and

By Faith Watters this effect applies to reviews as When Pixar released its latest well. movie “Elemental” this summer, While adopting a groupthink YouTube immediately began recmindset often obscures people’s ommending countless reviews to ability to exercise independent me. Over the next week, I watched judgment and maintain their indiat least 10, with all the videos reviduality, it does have positives. For peating the same things: Pixar is example, the effect can lend expofalling from grace, the plot was sure to underrated media, such as boring and uninspired and the deNetflix’s “Nimona,” which got the signs were cliché. It was impossipraise it deserved only after many ble to find a professional-sounding large review channels joined the YouTube review that rated the film hype train. The mentality can also well, which led me to establish low warn viewers about media not expectations for the film. worth their time, such as HBO’s However, when I watched the “Velma” or Crunchyroll’s “High movie for myself, I absolutely loved Guardian Spice,” both of which it. I will admit that were mediocre at best.

I shed a tear We must recognize that, as huwhen the mans, we are easily influenced main by the opinions character of others, for Ember better or for a n d worse. It is her father important Bernie honto go into ored each movies and other at the shows withend, contrasting out having with Bernie’s relaseen the reviews tionship with his own b e fo r e h a n d , father. While the movie allowing us was not flawless, it did to form gennot deserve the genuine opinions erally negative rewithout being sponse it received. influenced by Recently, howg r o u pt h i n k. ever, I noticed new The mob reviews for “Elementality is danmental” — overgerous, and it whelmingly posis important to itive ones. With recognize it as the movie fisuch. nally earning Just like how profit, a new my expectations bandwagon for Elemental were began. Critics, subverted, reviews along with publicashould not define your tions, started praising experience. Only you the film’s qualican decide what ty and message, The mob mentality influences peoples’ perception of media, preventing you take away igniting a wide- genuine opinions of content online from forming. from a movie.

Faith Watters

Exploring the world of ‘Tube Girl’ ‘Tube Girl’ captures and inspires viewer’s

By Amanda Boles In a digital age filled with influencers and internet phenomena, there’s one captivating character who’s been sparking intrigue across screens worldwide — “Tube Girl.”

After quickly gaining attraction by posting a video of herself fearlessly lip-syncing to a song on the London Tube, 22-year-old Sabrina Bahsoon sparked a wave of individuals to step out of their comfort zone. Her headstrong, unapologetic authenticity offers viewers valuable lessons, even from what may

appear to be lighthearted 12-second internet videos.

One of Bahsoon’s greatest talents is taking what may be a daunting display of exuberance to many and turning it into an effortless task. The casual nature of her lip-syncing videos makes embracing your true self seem like an attainable goal. Consequently, “Tube Girl” inspires many people going through their daily routines to join in on the trend, which has gotten over a billion views on TikTok under #tubegirl.

Whether or not you are active on social media, we can all benefit from a little bit of “tube girling,” which means engaging in activities regardless of what embarrassment might come from it. “Tube

Illustration by Amanda Boles

“Tube Girl” utilizes her charismatic aura to teach people to be fearless and confident in whatever conquest they take on.

girling” encourages us to push past baseless suggestions of what we can and cannot do.

There have been times when I have felt reluctant to say things, wear things or stand out in a way that makes criticism a possibility.

For both me and others I know, it is genuinely beneficial to witness someone doing something that could be considered obnoxious, and receiving positive feedback for their confidence. “Tube Girl” shows that taking pride in what you do does not always have to involve a struggle of deciding if it fits within social norms.

Since the trend usually takes place on public transit, there are often spectators when these TikToks are filmed. While a few judgemental looks are thrown around, most appear unfazed and go on with their day. The trend is a prime example of how pleasing everyone is typically unachievable.

Instead of trying to appeal to the majority, “Tube Girl” suggests that individuals should do what makes them feel good and confident about themselves.

While we all have varying levels of comfort in self-expression, the “Tube Girl” trend has a positive influence on anyone who wants to improve their confidence or add a little pizzazz to their day. The values it promotes help people elevate their sense of self-worth and lead to more self-driven decisions that positively impact our lives.

Arts & Culture

13

Drake’s ‘For All the Dogs’ is for the pound

By Saira Ahmed

several strong verses from him.

I appreciate that Drake takes From singing “Crew Love” with some amount of creative freedom my friends to doing homework with tracks like “Screw The World with “Passionfruit” in the back- - Interlude,” the twelfth song of the ground, Drake’s music has been album. It is not a traditional radio a major part of my life. At times hit, but the smooth production and he is unavoidable, with his medio- slowed vocals made me wish he cre songs being overplayed in too had more songs with this lofi-esmany public spaces. Regardless, I que approach.

That is where the positives end. was excited to hear his new album.

Released Oct. 6, “For All The After track 14, everything goes in Dogs” is 23 songs long, many of one ear and out the other. This alwhich feel like a mix of throwaway bum does not need to be 87 mintracks from other albums. It is not utes long: tracks such as “Drew a an awful listen, but, as is the case Picasso” and “Away From Home” with artists who have been popu- are unmemorable with lazy beats lar for over a decade, the album and lyrics.

Many lyrics in this album make pales in comparison to Drake’s me feel he and his collaborators previous work.

The album starts strong with did not put much thought into “Virginia Beach,” which features them, undermining the work of an interesting instrumental with good lyricists while stealing attenlayers and reversed components. tion from them. Some of these Drake’s vocals also sound less lazy lyrics include: “They say love’s like than in subsequent tracks. “First a BBL, you won’t know if it’s real Person Shooter,” featuring J. Cole, until you feel one” and all of “Rich is also a powerful track, featuring Baby Daddy,” the most annoying (and unfortunately catchy) Photo from Genius track on the album.

Drake has many creative, and catchy tracks in his discography, but only a select few will add to that. “For All The Dogs” feels drawn out, and sometimes, only the instrumental or the feature saves the track. I think it is time for him to take a break from producing music.

The “For All The Dogs” cover was drawn

by Drake’s son Adonis, who is also featured on the album.

“For All The Dogs.”

Grade: BArtist: Drake

Fame (sometimes) can equate to talent

By Catherine Yang In recent years, studios such as Disney have moved toward hiring celebrities for their voice acting roles. In movies like “Snow White,” “Pinocchio” and “Cinderella,” Disney casts actors based on their talent, not their fame. While the names of these voice actors are not commonly known, these films are timeless. Nowadays, it is more common to have a multitude of famous actors and singers portraying the roles of animated characters.

Celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson (Maui from “Moana”), Tom Holland (Ian from “Onward”) and Justin Timberlake (Branch from “Trolls”) have been the voices of some iconic characters in our beloved children films. Their exceptional performances have not only elevated the characters they portrayed, but also left an indelible mark on the hearts of audiences worldwide.

Celebrities are a huge asset to the production of these films: they push up ticket sales, make deeper connections with the audience

and popularize the movie among critics, making it more likely to win awards. Some people come to the shows specifically to hear their favorite celebrities performing. Thus, there are monetary reasons for companies to hire big-name celebrities to voice act in their animated films.

However, celebrities simply don’t have the vocal range nor the versatility of a trained voice actor, causing the quality of recent voice acting to go down. This does not imply that celebrities are doing a poor job. On the contrary, they are bringing our beloved animated characters to life with a familiar voice. After all, Hollywood stars are famous for a reason.

In the world of animation, the union of celebrities and animated characters has become a celebrated trend, and Disney and other industry giants are taking advantage of it, translating it into more box-office returns. Overall, the people who reap the most benefits from celebrity voice acting are the audience and production companies. From a business standpoint, it’s a win-win.

Illustration by Catherine Yang

Our beloved films have been revolutionized through the voice actors of our favorite characters, from humble talents to A-list celebrities.

PAGE DESIGN BY HARSHITHA VIJAYAKUMAR

14

Sports

Rolling with the punches

The Epitaph

Physical aggression is an integral part of girls water polo

Photo by Lindsey Steel

Physical contact in water polo can include scratching, kicking and pulling swimsuits, Fleming said.

Silverman said. “But in water polo, you are in the pool with a bunch of other people. Everyone can kind of just do whatever they want under the water, as long as a referee doesn’t see it.”

Excessive physical contact is not allowed, Silverman said, but it often goes unnoticed by referees because of the fast-paced nature of the sport. Consequently, water polo players can suffer from a wide variety of injuries, including dislocated shoulders, concussions, bloody noses and shoulder strains, sophomore, varsity player Sofia Tedesco said.

While injuries are commonplace in water polo, Tedesco said physical contact is often executed with precision to minimize harm.

“I have to make sure I’m careful about what I’m doing [in the pool],” Tedesco said. “It’s different to grab someone’s suit versus kicking someone in the face. There’s a difference between doing something that gives you an advantage

compared to doing something that can harm another person.”

While the intensity of water polo may be daunting to many, Tedesco said the physical rigor gives athletes an opportunity to test their limits.

“I get a challenge out of water polo,” Tedesco said. “I’m not very tall or anything but I like the fact that when you’re in the water, it doesn’t matter how tall or big you are, it matters what you’re doing when you play.”

By combining strength with strategy, water polo requires extreme dedication and athleticism, Fleming said. Despite being a demanding sport, Fleming said water polo is often overlooked.

“From the outside, girls water polo looks like throwing a ball in the pool and having a funny hat on,” Fleming said. “It doesn’t come across as physical as something like football, but it’s the consistency, the stamina of it, that makes it such a fun, yet challenging sport.”

The battle of the bell Players feel confident about performance at upcoming bell game

On pace for history Cross country star Julia Bouron races for the record books

By Annie Guo, Adam Orrin and Lindsey Steel Part swimming, part soccer and all adrenaline — few sports combine strength, speed and stamina the way water polo does. For a sport this intense, it is not uncommon to see physical aggression in the pool, varsity player Daniela Silverman said.

“It’s a pretty heavy-contact sport,” Silverman, a senior, said.

“You’re in the pool, so there’s not much you can do to block another person besides using your own body.”

Hand-to-hand combat is an essential part of the sport. It can range from kicking to scratching, coach Michael Fleming said. However, Fleming said referees often enforce measures to prevent excessive physical contact and injuries.

“One of the basic [procedures] before the games is a nail check,” Fleming said. “As silly as that sounds, you have to make sure that everybody’s nails are not too sharp or too long because of all the grabbing and scratching that occurs in the game.”

One common misconception about water polo is that it shares characteristics with swimming, Silverman said. Although they take place in the same pool, Silverman said the physical contact sets it apart.

“There’s no contact in swimming and you’re in your own lane, so there are physical barriers blocking other people from touching you and it is very individual,”

November 3 , 202 3

The game gives students at both schools a sense of pride, depending on who wins, Hook said.

Over the years, it has been the most popular game among the student body, with the stands usually filled with cheering students from both schools.

Senior outside linebacker and running back, Lance Persyn, said he is confident the team will perform well during their upcoming game. Currently, HHS is playing in the El Camino league, whereas FHS is in the lower De Anza league. As a result, Persyn feels the HHS team is better equipped with the skills and motivation to beat FHS. Likewise, inside linebacker and running back junior Jeff Huang has a lighthearted approach to the

game and said he hopes the team is going into the game with a positive attitude. Huang said the practices between varsity and JV has helped them simulate real games

By Naaga Senthil, develop their skills and plays.

Sanah Arya and “During practice, we go Veronica Zhao through our regular [drills], play our offense and defense and watch With the bell game right around film,” Huang said. “This helps us the corner, the football team works get ready as a team.” toward victory through preparation Hook said the team is constantand practice. Since the 1960s, this ly preparing for their next oppogame between HHS and FHS has nent, but they are always lookbeen a long-standing tradition, asing forward to the FHS game to sistant coach Shawn Hook said. showcase their skills and display “The greatest thing about the all the expertise they have gained bell game is that it’s such a rivalry,” throughout the season.

Hook said. “A lot of these kids have “Homestead has won the last gone to middle school together. Evcouple of games against Fremont,” erybody knows everybody. It’s like Hook said, “For [Fremont] to win bragging rights for Sunnyvale.” this game would be a big win for them, but they are not going to. Homestead will win.”

Similarly, freshman q u a rte r b a c k Neve Rubin said he feels HHS is in a strong contending position entering the bell game.

“I am not trying to be biased, but I think we will win,” Rubin said. “We beat them for four years in a row, and it is going Photo by Nathan Gu On the field, Lance Persyn and members of the varsity football team prepare for the upcoming to go to five game, hoping to gain a win against FHS. years.”

Bouron achieved a mile time of 5:38 at the end of her freshman year, and Sealy said he hopes she can get to 5:20 by the end of her

By Andrew Fekete, sophomore year. With a strong Brian Ling and Mikha Pilar work ethic even as a sophomore, the ceiling is high for Bouron, Cross country runner, soph- Sealy said. omore Julia Bouron has had a Bouron’s teammate, junior great start to the season, already Mika Cohen, said she is a very becoming a top runner in her rac- hard worker and her commitment es and being one of the leaders doesn’t go unnoticed. on the team. Head coach Kenrick “Even if things are hard, she Sealy said she is on pace to break still pushes through and will do five minutes in the mile by the the workout,” Cohen said. “She’s time she becomes a senior, which always [at practice,] no matter the would make her the third girl in weather [or] how she’s feeling, and school history to do so. always trying to do better.”

“I’m a very go-getter person,” Bouron said there are multiple Bouron said. “I set a goal for my- aspects of how she runs in her self to break five minutes on the races that she can improve on to mile by the end of high school, so reach her own goals. that’s something that I’m actively “I’d like to improve how I pace working toward every day.” myself and how aggressive I am during my races,” Bouron said. “My ultimate goal for [next] season would be to break 5:30 in the mile.”

Bouron is always trying to improve. She is always setting goals for herself, like achieving the five-minute mile by the time she is a senior. These goals and her strong mentality of improvement are what keep her going.

“I kind of hated [running] as a kid, and then I just did it so often I realized I was kind of good at Photo by Mikha Pilar it,” Bouron said. “Then I just Sealy said he is confident in Bouron started to find the silver linbecause he knows she will give it her all in ing in it.” every race she runs.

Family on the field Mother-daughter duo discuss dynamics as coaches of field hockey

By Ella Chan, Danielle Feldsher, and Elena Shim

tices are more intense and focused on speed skills and talking about leadership development,” Donna Keith said. “[Sydney Keith] is developing the new players, some of them that have never touched a ball, so she is helping them get those basic skills.”

After the program lost their JV coach, math teacher Katie Navarro, Donna Keith said she offered the position to her daughter, who had played on the HHS team as a defender.

“It is great,” Donna Keith said.

“She knows the sport and loves the job as well as the school, and we have a healthy respect for each other. She’s got her style and I’ve got mine, and then we get together to bring the [teams] together.”

Donna Keith said her favorite aspect of coaching with her daughter is the ability to easily communicate with each other about the teams “When we go home together, we talk about things we can do together to elevate field hockey,” Donna Keith said. “It is certainly great that she can come back full circle and coach here.”

Sharing the same last name and passion for the game, the mother-daughter relationship between JV field hockey coach Sydney Keith and varsity coach Donna Keith is a sight to see during games.

Their relationship provides an opportunity for the varsity and junior varsity teams to bond, Sydney Keith said.

Sophomore and JV captain Gali Tzoreff said the coaches’ enthusiasm brings out the best in the members of the team.

While the coaches are similar overall, they still take different approaches, Tzoreff said.

“Working with Coach Sydney is really fun and she is always really sweet, accepting and welcoming,” Tzoreff said. “Coach Donna is similar, but pushed me throughout the season and always knew how to get me to be the best I can.”

D o n n a Keith said she agrees she and her daughter have different coaching approaches, and said those changes create balance for the playPhoto by Ella Chan ers.

Sydney and Donna Keith get excited as JV wins, as both “My prac- contribute to the team’s success, Tzoreff said.

PAGE DESIGN BY AMANDA BOLES AND LINDSEY STEEL

Scoreboard

The Epitaph

Girls Golf

Football

“During the match at Shoreline, I was able to play with one of my best friends.

We played golf while laughing and making memories.

It definitely made the match less stressful.”

-Olivia Wang (11)

“My favorite memory was my big hit against Hillsdale High School, where the whole sideline went crazy.”

-Louis Montgomery (9)

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Boys: 3/21

Mt. SAC invitational

Cross country Girls Water Polo “There was a really big sense of community in the team, and it was really empowering to be supported by people working towards the same goal. You feel like you are a part of a team and want what's best for everyone, not just yourself.”

-Daniela Silverman (12)

“Senior night was really cool. The juniors did a really good job of planning it and the game was really fun. I had all my friends and extended family come, and I really liked the speech Ryan Anton (11) gave me.”

-Carter Beitel (12)

Boys Water Polo Girls tennis “[My favorite memory is] probably senior night. It’s pretty high up there, [or maybe] when we won our first game [since] that was pretty big for us.”

-Bridget Swineford (12)

Athletes share their Favorite mEMORIES Va rs

t. 2 ity r f Oc ecords o s a d update

“My favorite game [this season] was the Los Altos game, because we [had] lost to them, but then the last time we played them, we beat them. It was fun to play them because they’re also a good team and the score was close.”

-Lilian Logan (9)

eY an g

“[My favorite memory was] when all of our goalies weren’t there, and one of our senior soccer players stepped up and was able to do amazing in the goal.”

-Kenzie Murray (10)

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Girls Volleyball

Athlete of the Month Senior Bree Widmeyer rises above the net

By Andrew Fekete A common physical challenge many athletes face is height. This adversity, however, is nothing to senior Bree Widmeyer, a middle blocker on the varsity girls volleyball team, head coach Daniel Neri said. “[She has a] huge impact on the game,” Neri said. “[She’s] very quick, very undersized for her position, but it’s honestly something that works in her advantage because she’s so quick.”

Widmeyer said her jumping ability and her quickness are the product of strength training and time at the gym. In addition, Widmeyer said consistent practice plays a key role in helping her grow as an athlete.

Widmeyer’s scrappiness and playmaking ability on the court, along with her fun personality off the court, make her reliable and someone you want to be on the court with, teammate and opposite hitter Emily Su said.

Widmeyer said she has grown as a player and teammate in the past year. Last year, she said she would sometimes lose confidence,

but this year she has a lot more faith in herself due to the constant support from her teammates and coaches and sticking to her motto of hard work.

“Staying confident in yourself is hard, but at the same time, I feel that’s what helps you keep going rather than being scared of losing the next point,” Widmeyer said. ”If you’re confident and positive, then the other people around you will also be positive. That mentality helps us win in tough situations.”

She said she hopes to continue growing as an athlete after high school by playing club volleyball at her future university. She

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“We did a workout and I got to spend a lot of time with the rest of the girls. It was a little chaotic, but I had a lot of fun.”

-Beatrice Ho (12)

0-12

15 Photo by Amanda Boles

November 3, 202 3

Photo by Catherine Yang also plans to volunteer or coach in the future since volleyball has been a huge part of her life, which she would love to stay involved in.

Team members and coaches alike hope they never have to lose an impactful player like Widmeyer. When she graduates, her court presence will be difficult to replace, Neri said.

“She’s been a very big positive impact on the team that we rely on pretty heavily, being one of two middles,” Neri said. “Down the line, [when we lose her] because she is Neri said Widmeyer is a goofball, a senior, it’ll be pretty big shoes to but when it comes down to the game fill.” she takes it very seriously.

PAGE DESIGN BY ANDREW FEKETE AND ALICIA LISTE

16

Spotlight

The Epitaph

November 3, 2023

The gift of thrift Students provide insight into sustainable fashion Photo b

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“I usually thrift at the Goodwill in Sunnyvale downtown, mostly because it is so convenient. Plus, it is pretty empty, so you can find a lot of hidden gems there.”

-Keui-Vi O’Brien (11)

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“I go to the Goodwill in Cupertino, near H Mart and 85 Degrees. I got the jeans I’m wearing right now from there.”

-Brianna Young (12) Ph o

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by ation Illustr

By Sanah Arya and Aviv Matas To combat the harmful effects of fast fashion, students like junior Vincenzo Srabian are turning to thrifting, a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to traditional shopping.

Thrifting is more exciting than traditional shopping and enables people to shop through a lens of creativity and experiment with their clothing, Srabian said.

Srabian said he thrifts because the use of secondhand clothing is important to counteract the effects of fast fashion.

“Brands like Shein and H&M create so much waste,” Srabian said. “[The production] and manufacturing companies make [prices] very unfair.”

Srabian said the feeling of finding a cool item is similar to the joy he feels upon winning a game. He said he repurposes items that he finds to sell them, which can result in an even bigger profit after it is sold.

“I sell vintage clothes in my own shop on Depop [an app dedicated to buying and selling thrifted clothing] and it’s been pretty suc-

ha o

“I really like the Goodwill bins. Their hours are really bad, but they have really good stuff and everything’s super cheap.”

-Mason Di Leo (11)

han Ella C ah Arya Photo by San

Shopping for sustainability Students, professionals discuss benefits, challenges of thrifting

to by Veron ica Z

cessful,” Srabian said. “I just sold a shirt for $100 yesterday that I bought for $3.19.”

Similarly, sophomore Luna Cheng said her favorite aspect of thrifting is the community experience of going shopping with friends. Thrifting is not always ideal, however it can be difficult to navigate through disorganized stores,” Cheng said.

“Thrifting can be confusing, so sometimes I buy something that looks fine and then later realize it was really low quality or had a weird stain,” Cheng said. “But it’s a little less pressure because it’s cheaper.”

Along with being cheaper, thrifting offers a multitude of environmental benefits, Luna Shine, a sales associate at the Discovery Shop in Sunnyvale, said.

“Thrifting keeps a lot of [clothing] from going into the landfills and from being [mass produced],” Shine said. “Often, you get people who only buy clothes that will just get thrown away later, so it’s better to reuse.”

Shine said people also enjoy thrifting because the eclectic display of clothing makes the experience a treat.

“There’s a unique atmosphere [in a thrift shop],” Shine said. “You find a lot of items in a thrift store that aren’t in a new store, so it’s all one of a kind.”

Photo by Amanda Boles

Tips and tops “Know what you like and what you don’t, what type of fabric and style, because you are going to be wearing it for a while.”

-Madara Linde (12)

“Only get things that you would wear more than once. Make sure to check for stains and rips everywhere.”

-Noemi Liu (10)

“I was looking for a navy sweater in general, and I found this vintage navy zip up [from Goodwill]. I like it [because] it fits really well.”

-David Li (11)

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and Malar Raguraman

Sales associate Luna Shine said thrifting is ideal because it is good for both the environment and the budget.

PAGE DESIGN BY SANAH ARYA, ELLA CHAN AND AVIV MATAS