The Epitaph, Volume 58, Issue 5, 2020-2021

SEE INSIDE: ‘NOT ALL MEN’ on page 6 | ASIAN AMERICAN DISCRIMINATION on pages 8-9 | SEASON 2 SPORTS on page 15

The Epitaph Vol. 58, Issue 5 Homestead High School 21370 Homestead Rd, Cupertino, CA 95014

e

hhsepitaph.com @hhsepitaph The Epitaph

f

The Epitaph @epitaphHHS The Epitaph

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Student life returns to campus

ATTEMPTING NORMALCY: Campus is populated with the returns of staff and students.

Photos courtesy of Bobby Gorelick and FUHSD communcations team

By Naomi Baron, Nika Bondar and Sahil Venkatesan

S

tudents returned to campus for the first time in over a year on Monday, April 19.

For some students, this meant saying goodbye to remote learning.

Others chose to remain at home for the rest of the school year. All teachers and staff members, barring those with medical excuses, were required to return to campus four days a week.

The school day now begins with students filling out a form that is sent to their email, describing their symptoms to see if they are eligible to attend school in person.

Giglio said there are also QR codes posted at the entrances of campus for students to take, since some students do not check their email in the morning.

Every morning, Giglio and other staff members stand outside the entrances, asking students to show the green check mark from their survey, which indicates they are eligible to be on campus, Giglio said.

Even though the district plans to continue using this symptom tracker system, Giglio said they have experienced some technical issues with the program and student submissions.

After reviewing the results of all the submissions, Giglio said administrators noticed some student results indicate they should not be at school, even though they reported no symptoms.

Other than these minor glitches, Giglio said the entire staff is very pleased with how well students are following the mask mandate on campus. “[Students not wearing masks] was the biggest fear

of the staff,” Giglio said, “but the students are awesome.

They have been doing a great job and are taking [masks] very seriously. I’ve seen this very interesting shift in students since last year with the pandemic. I don’t know that we’re dealing with the same kind of teenagers we used to deal with. In this regard, they’re taking this so seriously.”

Outside of the classroom, procedures are in place for lunch, brunch and passing periods, Giglio said.

During lunch, students have the option of getting free, prepacked lunches and brunches using the grab and go stations in the cafeteria, facilitated by the cafeteria staff.

Students are allowed to eat in groups, Giglio said, as long as social distancing and masking rules are adhered to.

While all rules and protocols are being followed for the hybrid model, some teachers, through a survey sent out April 20, said they have been experiencing difficulty adapting to the new teaching style.

In a survey of 21 teachers, 20 reported that they find the hybrid model to be more challenging than remote-only learning.

“I feel like I am really being pulled into too many directions,” English teacher James Ratti said. “I can do great

“I NOW CAN SEE WHEN STUDENTS ARE CONFUSED AND I CAN SLOW DOWN IF I NEED TO OR GO OVER IT A SECOND TIME. [WHEN SOLELY ON ZOOM] IT’S HARD FOR ME TO TELL IF I’M GOING TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW.”

“” —Shawn Southerd

Campus construction continues into 2022

By Saanvi Thakur Throughout distance learning, HHS utilized the absence of students to ramp up campus renovations, and this is continuing into hybrid learning, principal Greg Giglio said.

In addition to the recent implementation of the Guidance and Student Services building, Giglio said in a Zoom interview that more construction is still to come.

The A building will be the first to undergo renovations, facilities manager Toby Mockler said in a Zoom interview.

While the outside structure of the A building will remain the

same, Mockler said the interior will be completely different.

Construction workers will replace the walls facing the library with large windows to bring in more natural light. Mockler also said he hopes this change will accentuate the new color scheme, which can currently be seen in the GSS building.

Second floor classrooms will also be renovated and be made larger while the lockers will be removed to make the building’s hallways smaller. The A building will also receive a new roof, along with updated electrical systems, Mockler said.

giving 100% to my Zoomers or I can do great giving 100% to my roomers, but at the same time I’m just okay, and that’s not acceptable to me.”

Senior Brandon Wright said online learning has been “underwhelming,” since in-person interaction is limited by the requirement to attend Zoom classes.

However, some students share a different opinion, including senior Misha Studenkov who said he has focused on the benefits of receiving his teachers’ attention in person.

“Discussing things with others in person feels more natural,” Studenkov said.

“The fact that there are fewer people in the classroom has actually made it easier to have deep discussions.”

Math teacher Shawn Southerd noted the differences presented with the hybrid learning model in a Zoom interview. “It is nice to see students taking notes and physically doing the problems,” he said.

Being present beside his students allows him to gauge the understanding of his students, Southerd said.

After the completion of the A building renovations, workers will move on to the B building to make similar renovations, Giglio said.

“The A building is going to be completed in May of 2022 and when that’s done, we’ll get [teachers] out of the B building and shut it down,” Giglio said.

“It will take about a year to 13 months, so the B building renovations should be completed in July of 2023.”

See CONSTRUCTION on page 3

See SCHOOL UPDATE on page 3

Student spectators prohibited from sports

By Lia Klebanov and Erin Loh A large portion of high safety precaution, only houseschool sports crowds are stu- hold members of athletes are dents, but that will not be the allowed to attend outdoor case this year. Administration sports games, but cannot attend announced in an email on Mar. any indoor games.

22 that students will not be al“We were given the directive lowed to attend school sporting by the state and county [that events due to limitations on we] can only have 400 people in crowd gatherings. an outdoor event,” Giglio said.

Although the first competi- “It comes down to the restriction season started on Feb. 15, tions that the county has given full crowds did not return with us and what our numbers are.” it and will not be able to until See SPECTATORS further notice by Santa Clara County, principal Greg Giglio PROHIBITED on page 14 said in a Zoom interview. As a PAGE DESIGN BY MIYA LIU, HOPE SAENA AND JACK XU

2

News

Thursday, April 29, 2021

NEWS IN A MINUTE

By Madhavi Karthik

Illustra tio n

y

b

Today is April 29, 2021, the 119th day of 2021. There are 247 more days until the end of this year. On this day in history, 31 years ago, the first steps were taken to tear down the Berlin Wall.

During the Cold War, in which the U.S. fought against the Soviet Union to stop the spread of communism, the Berlin Wall was built to divide East Berlin, which was occupied by the Soviets, and West Berlin, which was democratic. During the entirety of the war, the Berlin Wall was the physical symbol of division.

The wall making headlines today is the partially-constructed wall along the U.S.’ southern border.

While President Donald Trump campaigned heavily for its construction, the current Biden Administration has halted the project, according to a White House press release.

During Biden’s presidential campaign, he pledged that he would ensure that “not another foot” of the border wall would be constructed, The Washington Post reported.

While President Biden has been applauded for his decision, CNN reports he is facing one of his first tests as president with a current “border crisis.”

A surge of migrants have arrived at the southern border in recent months, and the Biden Administration has not taken a clear position to describe the United States’ immigration policy, The Washington Post reports.

Just as the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall marked a turning point in the Cold War, perhaps the demolition of the partially-constructed border wall will mark a historical moment for American immigration.

rtha

By Naomi Baron

a Pa rey Sh

NAOMI’S DAY IN HISTORY

Local:

Bay Area amusement parks to reopen: As restrictions ease, amusement parks are set to reopen in the springtime, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In accordance with California

public health guidelines, amusement parks are permitted to open when counties are in the red tier.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk opened rides, miniature golf and arcade games to the public on April 1.

Visitors are recommended to reserve entry spots as they are given priority due to limited capacity.

Currently, only California residents are permitted.

Additionally, California’s Great America will open on May 22. Prior to entering the park, visitors are required to wear masks and have their temperature checked. Then, visitors will scan their passes to avoid contact with others, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The park requires one member of each party to download the app for updates throughout their visit.

National:

Children’s book author Beverly Cleary dies: Acclaimed author Beverly Cleary passed away at the age of 104 on March 25, The New York Times reported.

According to The New York Times, Cleary’s books were based on the Portland neighborhood she grew up in. Her first series featured third grader Henry Huggins and his adventures with his dog Ribsy. Cleary also created a series following the early years of Ramona Quimby, which attracted more readers. Cleary, who sold over 65 million copies, depicted realistic experiences middle-class children face.

Cleary has amassed several awards and was declared a “living legend” for her literary contributions by the Library of Congress.

International:

Myanmar’s civilians continue to die amid military coup: In response to the Myanmar military coup staged against the democratic government on Feb. 1, individuals continue to oppose security forces, The Washington Post reported.

The Myanmar military organized attacks on peaceful protests, children and other civilians, which can be constituted as a form of terrorism, the Post reported. In total, 450 civilians have died, including children.

During the military coup, Myanmar is also facing a depletion in vaccine supply, according to The Washington Post. Human rights activists are calling for international aid to mitigate the unrest among Myanmar civilians.

Teacher of the year

By Shreya Partha and Saanvi Thakur Muriel Von Stein, French teacher and world language department head, was awarded teacher of the year by the Board of Trustees. The award — given on March 23 — commemorates Von Stein for her significant involvement in the HHS community, assistant principal Brian Dong said in a Zoom interview.

“For some students, [Von Stein] is like a second mom, and she really does love and care about them in every way possible,” Dong said. “She puts students first, motivates teachers to plan lessons with student interests in mind and also has some difficult conversations when things aren’t going well. Those characteristics make her exceptional.”

Principal Greg Gilgio ex-

pressed similar sentiments and teaching was something she said in a Zoom interview that would enjoy, but after her first if he had to describe the ideal year, she realized how much she Homestead teacher, he would be loved it and has now been teaching at HHS for 16 years. describing Von Stein.

For Von Stein, the most re“She’s extremely knowledgeable in her field. She has a huge warding part about being a teacher is the relaheart and cares a lot about not tionships she only her kids, makes as she but also about moves forward other students in her career. and staff on “That’s why campus,” Giglio this year has said. been so tough.

After leavThe part that ing her job as I love [about a pharmacist to teaching] has pursue teachbeen taken ing, Von Stein away and I’m Photo courtesy of Tricia Goulet said in a Zoom HHS STAFF AWARDS:Von left with the interview that Stein has pursued her grading and she wasn’t sure teaching career for 16 years. emailing, which

Classified staff member of the year

By Naomi Baron In a March 23 board meeting, HHS named Sanatana “Ana” Chavarria, a member of the facilities staff, the classified staff member of the year.

Chavarria has been working at HHS for 16 years and now holds a leadership position as the nighttime leader of the facilities staff. “[Chavarria’s] demeanor and work ethic definitely shines, and she models good behavior.

I’m very happy that she got recognized,” dean of students Maria Trejo said. “As an educator, you’re told there’s two people you need to know on campus: the principal and your facilities team. They help run the school, but sometimes their work gets unrecognized.”

Not only has Chavarria ex-

Photo courtesy of Tricia Goulet

THE NIGHT SHIFT: Chavarria

leads her all male team.

celled in her work, she has also risen to the role of the only female leading an all-male team.

Chavarria said it can be difficult to be the only female but “not impossible.”

“Having worked with her for eight years now, I know she is an extremely dependable and reliable person,” principal Greg Giglio said. “I don’t think you could find a single person on this campus that would say a negative thing about her.”

Chavarria said she was shocked when she learned she was selected for the award, but feels “so proud” she received it. Chavarria said her supervisor surprised her by calling the staff into his office for a training meeting, but instead showed a presentation announcing award winners.

“Everybody was listening and then the screen mentioned the teacher and student of the year. Then I heard my name and I was like ‘oh my gosh. I can’t believe it,’” Chavarria said. “The award is not only for me; it’s everybody’s, so thank you to my team who do a good job here … this is for all of us.”

aren’t as interesting,” she said.

“I was not interested in being a pharmacist because the profession in France is different, so I thought I can do something with languages,” Von Stein said. “I really love being in the classroom, so I went through the teaching program and realized I made the best decision ever.”

While being awarded teacher of the year is very humbling, Von Stein said it is also important to recognize other teachers who have worked hard this past year.

“Being interviewed as teacher of the year is nice, but I shouldn’t be the only one being interviewed and honored,” Von Stein said. “Homestead has wonderful teachers who are very caring and dedicated to their students, their learning and their well being.”

Foundation student of the year

By Madhavi Karthik with additional reporting by Karuna Chandran and Ritaja Subrahmanya Every year, each FUHSD school nominates a senior who has showcased admirable qualities to be honored as that year’s foundation student. This year, senior Evelyn Solis was chosen as HHS’s foundation student on March 23.

Principal Greg Giglio said in a Zoom interview that students are recognized as the foundation student if they have overcome adversities during their high school career.

“Evelyn really worked hard to get where she wants to be,” Giglio said. “She maybe didn’t start off with some of the advantages other folks had, but she has really made the most of it.”

AVID teacher Shawnee Rivera, who has been Solis’s teacher for four years, nominated Solis as the Foundation Student. Rivera said in a Zoom interview that Solis showcased her resilience by working with the Latino community to restart the Latinx Student Union club. “[Evelyn] has a really big heart and she cares deeply

about people who are marginalized or are not coming from positions of privilege,” Rivera said. “She wants to make sure that everybody has a fighting chance.”

Outside of school, Solis participated in a program where she volunteered to tutor primarily Latinx children.

“I talk a lot about Latinx problems and challenges, and it’s what I’ve seen in the neighborhood I live in,” Solis said. “ I really am grateful to have helped the kids in the program directly.”

Photo courtsey of Evelyn Solis

MAKING AN IMPACT: Senior Evelyn Solis tutors and revived the Latinx Student Union club.

PAGE DESIGN BY CHRISTINE KIM

News

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Meet the ASB Cabinet Learn about the ASB Cabinet elects for the 2021-2022 school year

By Madhavi Karthik and Ritaja Subrahmanya

Future ASB Cabinet Scan the QR code to learn more about the ASB Cabinet elects for the upcoming school year.

Daniel Sung (11)

Nikki Liu (11)

Nicole Lee (10)

Vice President

President

Secretary

Photo courtesy of Daniel Sung

Photo courtesy of Nikki Liu

Since the interactive aspects of clubs were lost during distance learning, Sung said he wants to hold seasonal club fairs to promote student involvement.

“I plan on giving more support to new clubs through workshops for prospective clubs and making sure they’re well equipped,” Sung said. “Also, providing them with a ‘get started’ guide so when clubs get approved, they are successful.”

Continued from page 1 Because the construction site of the A building is located in the center of campus, students will have to take multiple detours to reach different buildings. In the new schedule for the remainder of this school year, passing period has been extended to accommodate this, Giglio said.

“There are less than a quarter of the students that we have on campus normally and there are going to be directional arrows throughout campus,” Giglio said.

“Even if you have a classroom across the hallway, you may be asked to go out around the building and come back in. That’ll be a bummer but it’s going to reduce traffic jams.”

Aside from the building renovations on campus, Giglio said he also wants to focus on the library

quad in hopes of making it more meaningful by adding plaques to honor different graduating classes.

“My dream is to create something a little bit nicer,” Giglio said. “I’ve been to other campuses where they do something like an Alumni Plaza where it’s a nice nod to our former students with plaques and signs [in the quad] donated by [alumni].”

Mockler also said he believes an alumni-based quad would be a beneficial addition to the campus.

“When the library space itself was actually constructed, there was a beautiful big oak tree, but now, the library quad is not a place that you want to go to,” Mockler said. “It would be nice to revamp that space to make

Photo courtesy of Greg Giglio

HHS CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES: The A building will have

remodeled classrooms and hallways on the first floor.

it more usable and be a better space on campus.”

Through the creation of an Alumni Plaza, HHS could also establish an official Alumni Association, which can then be used to fund the library quad’s possible renovation, Giglio said.

“A school like ours that’s been around for over 50 years has thousands of alumni and so that’s kind of an untapped resource for us,” Giglio said. “It’d be great to get [alumni to] join an alumni group and help us create this patio,which would be a lasting mark on the campus.”

Through the Alumni Association, the database of former students could also be used for different events,such as internships or fundraisers, Giglio said. However, no official plans have been implemented yet for the library quad renovation.

Even though construction on campus is expected to continue throughout the rest of the school year and is estimated to be completed in July 2023, Mockler said he feels this renovation will bring about a nicer environment for everyone.

“The construction and changes being made are necessary,” Mockler said. “As a facilities department, we can keep things clean, but [buildings] do get old and tired, and it’s just time for those spaces to be remodeled.”

Editors & Reporters Nika Bondar Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Sahil Venkatesan Managing Editor Saanvi Thakur Senior News Naomi Baron Junior News Madhavi Karthik Shreya Partha Senior Opinion Junior Opinon Ritaja Subrahmanya Senior Lifestyles Leila Salam Junior Lifestyles Karuna Chandran Senior Arts & Culture Saanvi Thakur Junior Arts & Culture Amber Birrell Senior Sports Nitya Kashyap Junior Sports Raymond Ranbhise Creative Liaision Miya Liu

Photo courtesy of Nicole Lee

As a member of leadership since her freshman year, Liu said she wants to continue providing support to the student body through a myriad of ways that build on high school traditions.

“I really want to help students through [means] like academics and social life,” Liu said, “by partnering with different clubs and spreading awareness about social issues and using [the ASB] platform for that.”

Campus construction continues

Senior Design Elaine Huang Seoyoung Hwang Junior Design Allen Zhang Senior Social Media Senior Multimedia Miya Liu Junior Multimedia Mae Richardson Copy Editor Allen Zhang Business Manager Yukari E. Zapata Reporter Josh Cantwell-Nahrung Reporter Bobby Gorelick Reporter Christine Kim Reporter Lia Klebanov Reporter Macy Li Reporter Erin Loh Reporter Xochitl Neely

Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter

Ashley Orozco Plata Hope Saena Evelyn Solis Ariana Juliette Tejeda Moreno Jack Xu Alyssa Zimmerman

Adviser Natalie Owsley

3

With a mission to rebuild the community after experiencing hardships due to the pandemic, Lee said she hopes to implement a charity sponsorship system for ASB events.

“The student body would get to vote on whichever charity or local business they want to sponsor at the event,” Lee said, “and then hopefully, we would be able to give an allocated percentage to them.”

Return to school

Continued from page 1

“It’s easier in the sense that he is able to teach in-person.

I now can see when students “We’re in the middle of third are confused, and I can slow period when [my son] gets out, down if I need to or go over it so I couldn’t physically go get a second time,” Southerd said. him,” Southerd said. “I got him “[Solely] on Zoom, it’s hard for a little corner by the window me to tell if I’m going too fast, and I can use breaks to check in or too slow.” on him and check if he got his English teacher Debbie Van- work done.” ni, who is still teaching from Describing hybrid learning her home while some of her as “refreshingly challenging students attend in person, said and scary,” Southerd said it has she has faced new challenges as pushed him to think differently a result of the hybrid transition. about the way he teaches during Specifically, it has been chal- the pandemic, which is somelenging to coordinate between thing he enjoys. in-person and online breakout “This is a lot of fun,” Soutrooms, Vanni said in a Zoom in- herd said. “It’s a big challenge terview. Since literature classes and I know this is a profession heavily rely on small group con- that you can improve, but you’ll versations and presentations, probably never perfect.” the social distancing at school can make it challenging to efficiently organize classes.

Although teaching in person hasn’t been a viable option for some, especially those with health issues, FUHSD has worked to be flexible with teachers.

Southerd said because the district Photo by Bobby Gorelick has allowed teach- HYBRID LEARNING BEGINS: Some ers to bring their teachers said they face difficulty when they school-age children need to split their attention to both students with them to work, in the classroom and those online.

Mission Statement

Advertising

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.

If The Epitaph has made an error, please send corrections to homestead.epitaph@gmail.com. The corrections will be published in the corrections box for the next issue.

To reach the Epitaph staff in C102 call (408) 522-2572 or fax (408) 738-8531.

One email and you can reach over 2,400 students, teachers, administrators and community members from Nothern Sunnyvale to Southern Los Altos.

If your target market is between the ages 14 to 18, contact The Epitaph at epitaph.ads@gmail.com, and we can make it happen.

Corrections

In the article titled “Mental health illnesses increase among students during pandemic,” volume 58, issue 4, it was incorrectly stated that Leena Khanzode is a psychologist.

Khanzode is a child and adolecent psychiatrist.

PAGE DESIGN BY MADHAVI KARTHIK

4

Opinion

Thursday, April 29, 2021

‘Super straight’ sexuality promotes transphobia

By Josh Cantwell-Nahrung and Bobby Gorelick

Li

sy of Zoe

By Karuna Chandran When I entered high school as an eager freshman, I was extremely confident in my future: I was going to save the animals by becoming a veterinarian.

However, as time passed by, I felt this sense of discontinuity, that perhaps being a veterinarian was not my life’s dream after all. The thought Illustra of the coltio n by lege years ahead weighed d o w n on me.

As I started considering other FORCED TO CHOOSE:Students o p t i o n s , I felt an are pushed to odd emomake majoring tion: guilt. decisions much too early.

I had a C h a nd r a n

n courte

Society needs to move towards acceptance.

Students forced to choose path too early

un ar

Illustratio

EMBRACE TRANS PEOPLE:

The twisted college system

K

If you have ever purchased sumers who say they would pay something with a label boasting extra is even higher, at 78%. how eco-friendly the product is, Evidently, it makes sense you may have been a victim of that businesses wish to capitalgreenwashing. ize on that.

Greenwashing, also known While some companies truly as green sheen, is a marketing believe in making a difference strategy of persuading the pub- in their environmental impact, lic that a company’s products many others have found alterand policies are more environ- native means to gain customers mentally sound by providing without taking the proper steps. misleading information or usSimply redesigning a proding green-sounding buzzwords, uct’s packaging is much cheaper according to Investopedia. than adjusting business practicCompanies are often seen es and finding alternative mategreenwashing their products by rials, which can often be costly adding a vague sticker that says and otherwise inconvenient. “all-natural” on a beauty prodHowever, it is irresponsible uct, implying that the company for companies to pretend to has made an effort to improve take more green initiatives for their environmental impact the sake of marketing. By doing when they often have not. so, companies prey on the good While the label may seem intentions of customers to inbeneficial, the Food and Drug crease their profits while hiding Administration website states their environmentally damagthat the term “natural” does not ing actions. have a specific definition in cosIt is crucial for the governmetic labeling. As such, “nat- ment to regulate such unethiural” can be applied to almost cal practices to hold companies any product and is virtually accountable for their actions, meaningless. green or not. Standardizing It is crucial to realize that what products can be labeled most of the time, marketers “green” or “eco-friendly” and are taking advantage banning ads that flatof well-intenout lie about tioned cona company’s sumers’ desires policies and to help the procedures earth to push will help products. make steps in There is a the right digreat demand rection. for eco-friendly Meanwhile, products, and the next time marketing teams you see a laknow it. Accordbel reading ing to a report “eco-friendly” conducted by or “certified Statista in Sepgreen,” rememtember 2018, 67% ber to do your of U.S. consumers research so you say they are willdo not fall into ing to pay extra the trap these for products from STICKERS AND LIES: companies set sustainable brands. Companies use green up intentionally The proportion of labels to trick for unsuspecting Generation Z con- consumers. consumers.

a

By Allen Zhang

ar th

Companies hide harmful practices behind green logos

tion by Shrey aP

Greenwashing: an unethical business tactic

In his video, Royce tells his followers he does not identify trans women as female.

“That’s not a real woman to me,” he said. “I want a real woman.”

Stating that a trans woman is not a “real” woman invalidates her identity and creates a feeling of inequality, in which only those who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth are considered real or valid.

TikTok responded by banning the super straight hashtag for “hate speech and hateful ideologies” as well as permanently banning the creator, according to PopBuzz. This is a good first step in helping to protect trans people and rights. However, as a society, we must continue learn to respect and embrace transgender people for who they are, not ostracize them for their identity.

stra

blatant transphobia.

Royce said this himself in the original video posted to TikTok. “Straight men get called transphobic because I wouldn’t date a trans woman,” he said.

“Now, I’m super straight.”

This movement is harmful, as it proclaims that a certain gender identity is superior, and that in itself is a form of oppression.

Similar forms of oppression can be seen in groups like the KKK, that justify hate and violence toward people based on racial, religious or ethnic preference, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Personal beliefs and preferences become oppressive when they are used as excuses for targeted hatred. Though many considering themselves super straight are not violently attacking trans people, their intention to single them out as a group they would never date because of their identity promotes a hateful mindset that is damaging to the trans community.

Illu

When TikToker Kyle Royce created a new “sexuality” he termed “super straight” in early March, the spiteful parody of a sexuality was quickly adopted by thousands of teenagers and TikTok users, according to the Atlantic. Essentially, the term indicates a sexual preference for those of the opposite sex who were assigned that sex at birth, specifically excluding transgender individuals.

It is natural for humans to have sexual preferences, but it is harmful to create a group or movement against dating trans people. Promoting this idea to youth inherently dehumanizes trans people. The premise of this movement — in which people proclaim they would never date a trans person — opens the door for hateful comments and unashamed transphobia, attacking the transgender community.

The “super straight” identity was created by Royce as a loophole, so straight cisgender people can justify and enforce their traditional ideals of gender without facing backlash for their

spent so long being fixated on this path that I felt shameful for wanting to abandon it all.

This problem is rooted deep in the educational system. According to the College Board, one factor of admission decisions is whether a student’s extracurricular activities relate to their desired major or career. It is simply not good enough to have good grades or standardized test scores. One has to gear their entire high school career toward their chosen major, but as high school students take the time to hone in on their passions, they also need room to experiment and learn.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 30% of undergraduates that had previously declared a major changed it within just the first three years. This alludes to

high school students being unequipped to make correct college major decisions so early in their lives.

What furthers the problem is that, according to US News, experts say students should weigh what they are passionate about, the opportunities and salary a career might bring when making a decision. When teens are forced to think about problems as heavy as future payrolls and job opportunities, it distracts them from the difficult task of getting into college itself.

In order to ensure that students are able to succeed, colleges should modify their decision-making process to allow for student exploration before attending a university. By doing this, students will be able to make a decision on a major, and stand by it with pride.

Consequences of “boys will be boys”

Men need to be held accountable for their actions

By Ashley Orozco We’ve all heard the saying “boys will be boys” used to excuse the negative actions that men play a role in toward women so they don’t have to be held accountable.

One of the consequences of excusing such behavior is normalizing aggression and anger as standard male behaviors, according to SpringerLink. As a result, those men do not have to come to terms with their actions or emotions, which can lead to drug and alcohol abuse because they are not used to having to face the consequences of their actions, according to The Guardian.

Rather than calling men out for their actions and holding them responsible, many people

ANOUTDATEDSAYING:Thisline does not justify the reckless and hurtful actions of men.

say “boys will be boys,” unknowingly causing them long-term harm. The perpetual use of this expression teaches men that certain actions are endemic to masculinity, according to Psychology Today.

This line teaches men that women are worthy of victimization because as long as men will be men, women will be their victims, according to SpringerLink. The mindset that forgives men for harassment and instead blames women for being victims, is the root of the problem.

Not every man is a criminal or abuser of women, yet the internal misogyny of the phrase normalizes harassment towards women, according to Psychology Today.

People make excuses for men’s actions because the alternative — holding them accountable and having them reflect — seems unachievable, according to The Guardian.

Instead of telling girls to

Illustration by Shreya Partha

adapt to men’s behavior, we need to educate men on the consequences of their actions.

Women should not have to adjust their lives and behaviors to accommodate abusive and discriminatory threats.

We need to start pointing out acts of injustice instead of letting them fester. The more we let the abusers get away with these actions, the more they will believe their actions are excusable. We must not justify the stereotypes targeted to oppress women by justifying harassment as an intrinsic part of masculinity when it is clearly not. Being a man is not an excuse for being a bad person.

PAGE DESIGN BY XOCHITL NEELY AND LEILA SALAM

Opinion

Thursday, April 29, 2021

STAFF EDITORIAL

5

Reopening does not excuse irresponsibility As the sports season and school reopening are getting well underway, students can’t help but recognize some semblance of normalcy. However, outside of the school environment, vaccine appointments are being canceled and local hospitals are reaching record-breaking capacities, according to Mercury News. The pandemic is far from over.

At the start of the school year, we never would have thought participating in football games and learning in a classroom would be achievable realities. Now that they are, it is up to us to recognize that privilege and uphold a level of responsibility in order to keep our community safe.

With school reopening last week, safety protocols should be our utmost priority to ensure the safety of others and not abuse the privilege of going back to school. We need to consider that it’s not just other students' lives that are being put at stake. It’s the lives of their families and anyone else they may meet outside of school hours.

Preexisting health condi-

tions like chronic lung diseases, asthma and diabetes make people more susceptible to contracting COVID-19, according to the CDC. We need to consider that though our classmates may not have these conditions, their family members very well could.

Understandably, we associate reopening with going back to the normal we knew of before the pandemic. Despite the vaccine, however, we are far from it. It will require conscious correction of past habits to ensure the safety of everyone and the progression of reopening altogether.

We must remember we are not entitled to the high school experience we had before.

Reopening is a privilege we cannot afford to abuse.

E v e n though people have gotten tired of wearing masks, it is crucial that we maintain the same mental-

ity we had in the beginning of the pandemic. When the coronavirus was new to us, the fear of the unknown made us more wary of the consequences.

Since we have more research now, people have gotten accustomed to the looming threat, and they no longer make it out to be as big as it once was.

Yet, the virus is constantly changing, and new information about other strains of the coronavirus is being discovered daily, according to Johns Hopkins. The new developments of the virus should only serve as an incentive to be more cautious of our past habits that we can once again fall prey to.

With staff and students getting the vaccine, we have adopted the mindset that being vaccinated makes us immune to spreading the

ESSENTIAL COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS: The coronavirus vaccine does not deduct from the importance of following safety protocols.

virus as well as its effects, but in reality, it only lessens risk.

Even people who have been vaccinated can be carriers and put unvaccinated people at risk.

Moreover, the increase in deadly mutations of the coronavirus threatens to slow the progress the vaccines have initiated, according to The New York Times.

Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that only students 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine — around half the student population is not eligible yet.

This leaves a large percentage of people who are not under the protection of the vaccine, which means they are not protected from getting or spreading the virus.

Moving forward in this pandemic may feel like a long time coming, but that does not warrant negligence by being ignorant and not following safety guidelines. As members of the HHS community, it is our responsibility to wear masks and social distance so that we continue to take steps forward, not backward.

Recalling Gov. Newsom is Gun control is not the not an effective solution only solution

By Macy Li

By Nika Bondar

The drive to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has gained momentum, with proponents reporting over 2.1 million signatures — surpassing the requirement of 1.5 million — to trigger a historic recall election. Gov. Newsom’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the main catalyst of this recall effort, according to CNN News.

After the signatures are verified, voters across California will have the opportunity to replace Gov. Newsom with a new candidate. Although his inadequate leadership during the pandemic appears to be the leading cause of the recall effort, removing him from office would not solve the issues at hand.

While Gov. Newsom’s pandemic response has flaws, replacing him with one of the other candidates would likely lead to a rise in coronavirus c a s e s .

His most popular opponents include fo r m e r P M a y o r ho to Kevin c

Since the start of my research on the post-pandemic surge in mass shootings in early April, over 25 new incidents occurred in the U.S. That’s more than one shooting per day, which is already double that of April 2020.

Though, as both parties are locked in a stalemate over gun control, new studies suggest gun violence is merely a symptom pointing at the nation’s larger psycho-sociological deficit, the solution to which entails access to low cost, high-quality mental health resources and widespread crisis de-escalation training.

President Joe Biden passed an executive order banning assault rifles and high capacity magazines, according to CNBC, in addition to releasing a red flags guide for the states. The guide outlines laws that allow family members to temporarily revoke an individual’s firearm ownership through court appeal if the individual is believed to pose a threat to themselves or others.

According to CNBC, Biden also called on Congress to approve universal background checks, which is publicly supported, 84% according to a national poll. However, even though two such bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives, the approval of the final law seems unlikely as it would require some support from the Republican Senate, which has shown stoic disapproval on the matter so far.

Po

Faulconer, businessman Jon Cox and former Rep. Doug Ose, according to ABC News.

All three candidates are Republicans who are highly critical of Gov. Newsom’s strict safety measures and are hoping to reopen the state, according to ABC News. Eliminating restrictions before it is safe will leave damaging health impacts.

Before California voters rush to recall Gov. Newsom, it is important to consider the facts.

Data from The New York Times reveals that California’s response to the coronavirus under Gov. Newsom has actually been above average relative to other states.

As of now, California is ranked 23 out of 50 in the percentage of its population that has been vaccinated, according to the Times. Additionally, California is among the top 20 states with the lowest cases and deaths, which continue to steadily decrease.

While these statistics are only mediocre, replacing Gov. Newsom with one of the Republican candidates would likely worsen our situation, considering their determination to rapidly reopen the state before it is safe.

Ultimately, while Gov. ou rte Newsom’s response to the sy of pandemic has not been NY perfect, removing him from office at this time is simply CONSIDERING THE DATA: Gov. Newnot an effective som's response to the pandemic is better solution to the issues. than the media has portrayed. st

Recently, according to U.S. News, over a dozen states have introduced or passed bills nullifying gun laws. One such Florida bill, otherwise known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act, according to the Florida Senate online directory, prohibits any employee from the state from enforcing or attempting to enforce “any federal act, law, executive order…infringing on the right to keep and bear arms,” rendering Biden’s executive orders powerless in the face of federalism.

As crucial as it is to address overwhelming accessibility to guns in the U.S., it should not be the only focus of conversation when it comes to mass shootings.

Despite the common misconception, most shooters are not mentally ill, according to a study from Columbia University. They are, however, often traumatized and suicidal, yet still highly reasonable and capable of recovering.

Consequentially, arming staff with suicide intervention and de-escalation techniques has continuously proven to save more lives than arming staff with firearms, according to NBC. Researching and emphasizing the impact of mental health in mass shootings in addition to gun control policies is the only reasonable solution to this violent epidemic.

THE PARTISAN PARTY

By Sahil Venkatesan The Grand Old Party is waging a war against corporations. Yes, I know how absurd that sounds and I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing when it all first started.

It began with Georgia’s voter restriction laws. The Georgia Republican legislature passed a bill that heavily restricted voting rights around the state, and multiple high profile companies released statements denouncing the bill, according to CNBC Consequently, Republicans across the country began berating corporations and in some cases, enacting legislation against them.

Ironically, Republicans have been the ones pushing for major legislation to protect corporations in almost every way possible.

Insider reported that in December 2020, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stopped the COVID-19 relief bill because he wanted federal protection for pandemic related lawsuits against corporations if workers caught COVID-19.

Fox Business reported that the Georgia State Legislature voted to strip Delta Air Lines of their multimillion-dollar tax break after CEO Ed Bastian criticized the new voter restriction laws The Georgia Republicans didn’t withdraw this tax break for an economic reason, but rather because the company released a statement they didn’t like.

This entire situation has revealed the complete turnaround Republicans have made on the protection of corporations and their involvement in politics.

The question is, will we see a national push for more anti-corporation legislation, or will Republicans in Congress continue to protect the rights of corporations above those of average Americans?

PAGE DESIGN BY MACY LI

6

Opinion

Thursday, April 29, 2021

It’s ‘not all men’ but it’s Sex education lacks representation LGBTQ community undervalued in sex education, enough affecting all students

by

rt Pa ya ha

TIME TO DISCUSS: For change to happen, we all need to approach this

issue with open minds and clear goals.

During freshman year, students take a sex education course in their biology class. Here, they learn about STDs, consent and the basic vocabulary about the LGBTQ community.

The sex education course taught in high schools should cover more topics that would help students understand their sexuality and the experiences that come with that sort of self-discovery.

Instead of having to name the parts of the reproductive system year after year, we should be learning about sexual and gender diversity in sex education.

Learning about puberty, safe sex and reproductive organs is necessary. However, it is just as important to understand various sexualities and identities to be inclusive and helpful to all students.

Comprehensive sexuality education includes accurate and upto-date information about sex but also creates a space to talk about the physical, emotional and social aspects of sexuality, according to Planned Parenthood.

Schools in California are required to teach comprehensive sexuality education to students at least once in middle school and once in high school, according to the California Department of Education. However, more needs to be done.

When a school decides to gardless of sexuality or gender.

Repeatedly talking about sex teach the minimum amount of the comprehensive sexuality and sexual identity in high school course, they then cover the re- will help teens find themselves quired topics twice and miss out and learn about others with emon important lessons that help pathy while in an environment dispell incorrect stereotypes sur- where they feel safe to do so. rounding the LGBTQ community and educate students on issues beyond the basics.

I recently came out and this Without a safe book doesn’t answer many of space in sex ed classmy questions. es, students aren’t taught about the life-changing social and mental aspects of sexuality and are less likely to hear and unI ll derstand the experiences of their LGBTQ peers, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Comprehensive sex education should be taught every year in high schools. This will fill the knowledge gaps left by a regular biology sex education class.

Sex education is something everyone should feel SEX ED REFORM: Lacking proper sex education can knowledgable in re- leave students unprepared for the future.w Shreya Partha

Illustra tion

Sh re

By Ariana Tejeda Moreno

n by tio tra

posed a bill that men should have a 6 p.m. curfew, The Independent reported. This was not a serious suggestion.

However, it quickly triggered a defensive response from the public.

The trending hashtag on Twitter, “not all men,” was created because men felt attacked by some generalizations on social media.

This hashtag is an unacceptable response because it shows that men are more concerned in proving their innocence instead of solving the actual problem at hand. I know it is not all men but to stay safe, it’s not unreasonable to suspect every man.

However, the problem right now is not the accuracy of the hashtag “not all men.” It is the fact that so many women have felt violated, and yet we are still focused on arguing about how many men have harassed women.

We should instead acknowledge and learn from our mistakes so they are not repeated in the future.

Instead of saying ‘not all men’ we should hold people accountable by prosecuting all inappropriate behavior, and most importantly, not letting the consequences slide just because they are friends, family or high profile figures.

Whether we know the person or not, actions like these are unacceptable.

To see a significant change, we need to assess our previous behaviors. Men can make a difference by calling out inappropriate behavior towards women. However, one of the most important things men can do is approach these issues with an honest and open mind.

I know it’s not all men but it’s enough to pose a threat.

Enough where I do not feel safe walking at night alone.

Enough that men are afraid of what other men might do to their daughters, sisters or wives.

It’s not all men but it is 97% of women.

us

In the summer between sixth and seventh grade, I was catcalled for the first time.

It was a sickening rite of passage. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was walking home from my friend’s house —who lived only a couple of blocks away from me — and stopped at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change. All of a sudden, a gray pickup truck passed me, revealing a fully grown man in the passenger seat who stuck his head out of the window and catcalled me.

I stood there frozen, too in shock to process what had just happened. When I finally regained my wits, I had a horrible queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt small, dirty and most of all, scared, but I brushed it off and quickly walked the rest of the way home, pretending like nothing ever happened.

97% of women have been sexually harassed, UN Women UK reported, with some women experiencing much worse.

Take for example, Sarah Evergard, who was walking home alone at night. She was reported missing the next day by her boyfriend, whom she spoke to while walking home. Six days later, she was found dead, and a police officer was charged with her abduction and murder, ABC News reported.

If women cannot even be protected by the people whose job is to “protect and serve,” then any place becomes a danger zone, and any stranger a threat. To make matters worse, the police force, in response to this tragedy, recommended women to not walk alone at night, The Independent reported.

Not walking alone at night is a common safety precaution women, including myself, are taught. However, by making women adjust to threats created by men, we are reinforcing the casualty of assaults, instead teaching women to adjust to situations they shouldn’t undergo in the first place.

To make this point, British baroness Jenny Jones pro-

Scarcity of media coverage allows Asian hate crimes to ensue

By Amber Birrell and Ritaja Subrahmanya Asian hate crimes have been on the rise across the U.S., according to NBC News, and until recently, media coverage has been lacking.

In 2020, the number of hate crimes against Asians increased a striking 150%, with San Jose being in the top five cities, according to NBC News.

A rise in anti-Asian violence can be attributed partly to former President Donald Trump’s comments, calling COVID-19 the “China virus,” according to NBC News. Supporters of Trump followed his lead, blaming the pandemic on China and taking out their anger on Asian American citizens.

The first spike in anti-Asian hate crimes occurred in the March of last year when coronavirus cases were on the rise, according to NBC News.

These anti-Asian sentiments place unwarranted blame on Asian citizens despite the fact that a group of people cannot be responsible for the creation of a natural virus nor can they be assumed to carry it simply due to their race. In fact, CBS News reported a teen in Los Angeles was physically attacked last February because students assumed he had the virus solely based on the fact that he was Asian.

However, hate against Asians is not a new phenomenon. Asian hate crimes have been happening

Illustration by Amber Birrell and Ritaja Subrahmanya

By Amber Birrell

MEDIA COVERAGE LACKING: The media has waited too long to report on the horrible acts of hate happening in our country.

for centuries now, according to The Washington Post.

It has taken extreme violence and the deaths of many to bring even a minuscule amount of media coverage to this issue.

It is the job of media outlets to accurately report on race-related hate crimes, raising awareness and publicly condemning the wrongdoers and their hateful mindsets. Had the media been covering these events from the start of the pandemic, it is possible the recent tragedies would have never happened as people would feel empowered to speak out against the injustices.

According to NBC News, following media coverage of the shooting of six Asian women in Atlanta, the Senate began

debating legislation regarding COVID-19 related hate crimes, showing the power media coverage holds in pressuring policy makers into enacting much needed change.

It is important that we not only call out racist behaviors when we see it online but also when we see forms of stereotyping every day.

Making fun of Asian culture and harboring preconceived notions about their intelligence contribute to this vicious cycle of hate.

Left alone, these seemingly small stereotypes can quickly grow into violence.

Next time you hear someone making derogatory remarks about the Asian community, call them out. Be part of the solution and break this cycle of hate.

PAGE DESIGN BY ERIN LOH

Lifestyles

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Teachers incorporate mental health management techniques into classes

7

By Miya Liu French teacher Muriel Von Stein, recently awarded teacher of the year, said she works hard to find effective techniques for students. She said she attended a three-month-long compassion training workshop at Stanford University and reads articles and books like “The Mindful School.”

“Over the years, I have seen the stress levels of students going up, and since I give homework and tests, I am part of the reason why students are stressed, so I see this as part of my job to take Photo courtesy of Amber Tanger

Photo courtesy of Sarah Loyd

care of the students,” Von Stein said in a Zoom interview. “School is for learning how to deal with your emotions and strategies to feel better.”

Using mindfulness techniques like meditation has helped Von Stein personally, as well, she said.

“I started [meditation] in a moment where my daughter was not doing well and I felt like I was failing her, so it was a really difficult time for me,” Von Stein said.

“I needed to take care of myself a little bit in order to be able to deal with the other part of my life that was stressful.”

Von Stein has implemented several techniques, including breathing exercises called “Cohérence Cardiaque” with her French 3 students before quizzes. Additionally, for the past six or seven years, every AP French class began with a five-minute window for meditation or a rest and writing in gratitude journals.

“It’s taking almost 10 minutes out

Photo courtesy of Muriel Von

FINDING YOUR TIME: Teachers use valuable class time to show the importance

of mental health.

of every class, and every minute is precious,” Von Stein said, “But if it can help some people, that is perfect.”

Von Stein said she has three goals when incorporating mental health techniques into class. The first is to show students the importance of mental health, even if it’s not often talked about in class. The second is to open the door for students to find a technique they can use on their own.

Finally, the third is just for students to be more relaxed in class.

History teacher Amber Tanger said she also believes mental health is important.

“Regardless of how students are doing academically, they can’t be successful unless they have a positive mental health,” Tanger said in a Zoom interview.

Tanger has her students decorate a magnet anonymously at the beginning of the year.

“When students walk in the class, they move their magnet so we know where they are [mentally],” Tanger said.

Tanger said she has modified this activity virtually through a daily check-in survey, and if something’s off, she’ll check in with students, whether that be in a breakout room or after class.

Tanger emphasized the importance of simply listening. “[It is important to] encourage students that regardless of how they feel, it’s not their fault, and we can try and move forward and

see what they need in order to be successful,” Tanger said.

School based therapist Sarah Loyd said she recognizes the value of having teachers check in with students and offer support, especially for students that may not seem like they’re struggling because they’re doing well academically.

“It’s just paying attention to students, noticing if they’re down,” Loyd said in a Zoom interview. “Teachers, in theory, see you almost every day.”

Loyd said she noticed teachers have become more flexible and have extended more grace toward students. She recommends using techniques like weekly Google form check-ins, monthly one-onone talks and overall creating relationships with students where they feel they have a connection with someone at school. Loyd noted that students need to put in the time to take care of their mental health, as well, or it could end up affecting others.

“If you don’t have time to take care of [your mental health,] then it’s going to affect the other areas of your life [like your academics and relationships with others],” Loyd said. “You’re only as good to others as you are to yourself.”

Scan the code to see videos and pictures of these mental health practices!

An artistic frame of mind

Dan Chuang journeys from beginner to experienced animator

By Erin Loh What started off as a humble elementary schooler dabbling in Microsoft Paint during a class blossomed into junior Dan Chuang’s deep passion for animation and desire to pursue it as a career.

Now, several years since the days of Microsoft Paint, Chuang said he animates for fun, receives commissions and animates cultural videos to spread his Taiwanese culture. Furthermore, woven through Chuang’s journey is the theme of undying perseverance.

Chuang said in a Zoom interview that after discovering interest through Microsoft Paint, he went on to teach himself animation by practicing and watching videos. He later moved to Procreate, a platform he also uses for his other art hobbies of character design and world building. “[Microsoft Paint] was one of the earliest softwares I had access to that creates art digitally,” Chuang said. “I had the idea of making an animation by drawing it frame by frame. Tying [the frames] together and seeing the motion [was something] I found really cool.”

Frames are the individual images in animation that are displayed in a fast succession, creating an illusion of motion for the viewer, according to Studiobinder. An animation two minutes

long, the length of most of Chuang’s animations, may display between 1,200 to 2,880 frames.

Chuang said besides facing challenges with animating itself, he also struggled in persevering through his projects.

“There are times when I just can’t make the thing appear as good as I want it to be,” Chuang said. “[But] animation is not that hard in terms of technical skills.

It is just that you need to persevere to finish the project.”

While he struggles in animating close up facial features, Chuang said he excels in animating action. One project that tested Chuang’s perseverance was a commission from a band that needed an animation for their music video, which took him half a year to make.

“The project I worked on for the band was the biggest opportunity someone ever offered to me,” Chuang said. “So I was just really proud to finish the project, and pleased with how they really liked it in the end.”

The second major animation Chuang said he worked on was “The Legend of Sun Moon Lake” video representing the Taiwanese Student Association in HHS’s multicultural festival. Chuang said he animated with senior Zoe Li under the leadership of his brother, senior Mo Chuang, and

completed the seven-minute long skills to contribute to the world,” video in just four weeks.

Chuang said.

“For me, it was stressful be- Reflecting on his own jourcause at first, I really believed it ney in animation, Chuang said was impossible to finish within new animators should be open to this amount of time,” Chuang trying different things and persesaid. “But [because] it was for our vere through their work. club, I still persevered through it. “I just love to make animaIt was painful, but the result is tions,” Chuang said. “It is one of really good and satisfying. I also the fields I got interested in at a [learned] a lot of things while young age, and it is also one of working on the project, from my the fields I persevered through animation skills to working in a for the longest time. I just love group with other people.” making animation in general.”

Sharing the Taiwanese legend with the entire school was especially meaningful to Chuang, he said, since he lived in Taiwan until immigrating to the U.S. in sixth grade.

Photo courtesy of “[The video] is a great way to spread culture,” Chuang said. “[I hope people] enjoyed the animation, but at the same time understood more about our Taiwanese culture and recognized the TSA.” Chuang said he hopes to find more opportunities to animate larger projects and continue to animate in college and beyond. “[I want to go] anyPhoto illustration by Dan Chuang where that can allow PRACTICING ANIMATION SKILLS: Most of me to use my animation Chuang’s animations are short practice videos.

THE DAY DREAMER

By Karuna Chandran Out of all the things we are required to do in school, I dread group projects the most. I’m sure everyone can relate when I say they often involve a lot more work than what is shown on a small rubric. They usually involve an incredibly complicated art project to demonstrate the theme, some sort of presentation that needs to be wonderfully unique and a write-up compiling all of our sweat and tears into an essay.

Worst of all, there is always that one person who just refuses to do the work. When dealing with such a person, more often than not, I find myself pleading for them to do their fair share, saying, “I’m sorry to bother you, but when do you think you can finish your part?”

After continuously smothering my group mates with apologies for simply asking them to do their part, it struck me that it didn’t make sense for me to be the one constantly apologizing. I worked hard on the project and made sure to put in the work, so why was I the one who had to make reparations just to ensure it’s completion?

I was illuminated by the shortcomings of the word “sorry.” The word is intended to be used when one makes a mistake and wants to reassure others that it won’t happen again.

Now, though, it has become such a normal part of conversation.

Whenever two people don’t perfectly align on an issue, halfhearted apologies are used to smooth things over.

This normalization of constantly apologizing greatly affected my perception of the world around me, as I started to feel guilty for situations outside of my control.

As such, I came up with a new policy. By thanking others for their work and being unapologetically myself, I have become a more confident person, ready to accept whatever happens and move forward.

PAGE DESIGN BY ARIANA TEJEDA MORENO

8

In-Depth

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Asian Hate: The lesser known epidemic

Asian hate crimes in the bay area This map depicts the wide range and severity of incidents across the Bay Area.

COVID-19 has caused a rise in Asian hate crimes, especially in the Bay Area. As the anti-Asian sentiments hit closer to home, the effects of hatred have become more evident.

In Healdsburg and Sonoma, several Asian-owned businesses received hateful, racist letters from an anonymous sender, the Healdsburg Tribune reported.

The majority of Asian hate crimes in the Bay Area - 292 incidents have taken place in San Francisco, according to NPR.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Sun

‘This isn’t new’: unpacking Asian hate in the Bay Area

HOW IT all started

Photo courtesy of Bella Huang

“I was shocked because people in Taiwan after the first SARS epidemic had been more aware of the spread of diseases,” Huang said in a Zoom interview. “I remember Taiwan already had a mask system when I was visiting.”

These were not isolated incidents. According to NPR, over 700 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported in the Bay Area since the start of the pandemic, and many experts believe this is an undercount.

“The Bay Area is a lot more inclusive than other places,” sophomore Dan Penalosa said in a Zoom interview. “But there’s still racism and violence towards Asians here. It could happen anywhere.”

The increase in hate crimes has been concerning to many, including senior Katelyn Ma, who said she is worried because of the hate crimes happening a couple miles away.

“I have been more careful not going out after dark, always being with a friend, not really

Photo courtesy of Rajiv Venkatesh

ASIANS STAND UP: Huang said she is happy Asians have

been speaking out about the injustices their community faces.

walking around by myself,” Ma said in a Zoom interview.

According to The Washington Post, these hate crimes are not new and have been increasing over the years. Huang said many Asians, including herself, have gotten used to this constant stereotyping.

“Hate crimes have been happening for years,” Penalosa said. “It’s getting more attention now, but [it’s] always been like this.”

Ma said one of the effects of this prejudice is Asian girls feeling inadequate compared to others.

“The standard of beauty is to be white and to have blue eyes and blonde hair because that’s the image a lot of brands push,” Ma said. “A lot of girls of color, including Asian girls, always had this sense that we can never measure up to these standards.”

Additionally, Huang said in elementary school, many people made insensitive comments about her food, asking why it looked weird or smelled a certain way.

Freshman Rajiv Venkatesh said many stereotypes surrounding the Asian community stem from a lack of representation.

“A lot of Asian people felt the need to pretend to hate their own culture in order to fit in,” Ma said. “Liking anime wasn’t socially accepted until a year or two ago. It was really embarrassing to say that you liked stuff like that.”

In order to help Asians, it is important to check in with your friends to see how they are coping, Ma said.

“People need to understand where this problem comes from,” Ma said. “This is a product of systemic racism.”

As an Asian or Pacific Islander, have you experienced racism or xenophobia?

After hearing of the attacks, community members started Compassion for Oakland, an organization where volunteers walk with anyone in Oakland’s Chinatown to help them feel safer, according to ABC 7.

By Amber Birrell and Ritaja Subrahmanya

1900

By Amber Birrell, Ritaja Subrahmanya and Allen Zhang Senior Allen Zhang was on a walk around his neighborhood when he walked past an elderly white couple with their masks on their wrists. He said he had his mask on and was taking proper safety precautions and being mindful of others who were also on the sidewalk.

“When the woman saw me, she nudged the man and said ‘A Chinese,’ and the two quickly put their masks on,” Zhang said. “Although I was not physically harmed by this interaction, I was shocked at the blatant assumption that because of my race, I was more likely to have the novel coronavirus and was therefore dangerous.”

Senior Bella Huang said she had a similar experience when she returned from Taiwan last February. Huang said a classmate told her they could not be around each other because Huang probably had COVID-19, despite the fact that Huang said she had been taking more precautions in Taiwan compared to the U.S.

9

San Fransisco plague In 1900, the bubonic plague arrived in San Francisco. The first victim was a Chinese immigrant, and so the entire community was blamed, according to The Washington Post. Within a day, the entire Chinatown was barricaded by police.

1942

Japanese Internment during World War II

53.9% No

46.1% Yes

Have you witnessed racism against the Asian community in the Bay Area?

On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order leading to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in camps, according to AP News. This included two in California; Manzanar and Tule Lake, the largest of all camps.

2020

COVID-19 labeled the “China virus” When COVID-19 became more severe in March 2020, former President Donald Trump began referring to the coronavirus as the “China virus,” and these comments were copied by his supporters, according to NBC News.

2021

Georgia mass shootings On March 16, three mass shootings occurred across Atlanta leaving eight dead, six being Asian women, NBC News reported. Though the shooter claims his attacks were not connected to race, U.S. senator Tammy Duckworth said this crime “looks racially motivated.”

Is social media the right place for activism?

“It’s really disheartening how social issues are becoming social media trends.”

Photo courtesy of Katelyn Ma

—Katelyn Ma (12)

“Reposting a pastel infographic is performative activism at its finest. Sharing opinions or new information is different, but people tend to the blur the lines. I try to steer clear of that by adding in my own relevant experiences.”

—Elise Vambenepe (10)

Photo courtesy of Elise Vambenepe

“People can about learn about current issues through social media. However, viewers may become tired of seeing the same posts” Photo courtesy of Roopa Srinivas

—Roopa Srinivas (10)

Based on a survey of 76 Asian/Pacific Islander students

STUDENTS FACE RACISM: Out of

76 students surveyed, 46.1 % said they have experienced racism.

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa proposed a bill that will establish the county as a zero tolerance hate zone, according to CBSN.

San Jose has had 58 anti-Asian incidents since the start of the pandemic, according to NPR.

In March, Santa Clara County started a hate crimes task force to ensure hate crimes laws are properly enforced.

No

28.2% Yes

Scan here to find ways to help combat Asian violence.

71.8% Based on a survey of 110 students

LOCAL ASIAN HATE: Over half of HHS students surveyed have

witnessed racism in our community.

Illustration by Zoe Li

Amanda Sun uplifts Asian American voices

By Josh Cantwell-Nahrung and Mae Richardson HHS graduate Amanda Sun (‘18) said her past experiences with racism as an Asian American inspired her to found the Instagram platform Tell Asian Stories, creating an opportunity for Asian Americans to share and process experiences with racism.

“Some experiences from my past that happened years ago still affect me [as an Asian American] today,” Sun said in a Zoom interview. “I realized that maybe other people would want to share their experiences and receive validation for what they are going through.”

Sun also said the recent surge in hate crimes finally pushed her to create Tell Asian Stories, which she had been debating creating after experiencing racism numerous times in the past.

“The main purpose of [Tell

Asian Stories] is to help people process [their trauma from experiencing racism],” Sun said, “but also to [allow] non-Asians to educate themselves and learn about those experiences and learn how to be more sensitive to not cause that sort of discomfort or trauma.”

To create her posts, Sun said she uses quotes from Asian Americans who share their experiences by answering the questions on a Google form she created, which can be found in the organization’s Instagram bio. Sun said while a variety of issues are brought up in the Instagram posts, multiple unifying factors can be seen throughout the posts.

“For example, Asian women get fetishized a lot, and there is this phenomenon of white men dating Asian women, which I feel is a symptom of an underlying ste-

reotype that people have, where they look at an Asian woman and think of a mail-order bride, and I think that can be very damaging for young girls,” Sun said. “It’s very demeaning to be fetishized and looked at that way.”

In regards to the recent hate crimes against Asian Americans, Sun said while she is saddened by these events, she is optimistic people advocating for this issue will bring change.

“I think it is sad it takes something really devastating to spark people to start talking about … an issue that has been ongoing for generations,” Sun said.

Overall, Sun said she hopes her organization will provide a place where people can learn about others’ experiences and know they are not alone in dealing with the hate shared by a

large part of the country. environment, which makes sense In addition, Sun said count- because there is a lot of politiless people frequently message cal-correctness,” Sun said, “so it her account on Instagram, is good for people to see what telling her they finally feel as they should not say and maybe though they are being heard that can help them support their and how reading about others’ friends who are minorities and experiences with racism and are going through this.” thoughts made them think about their own experiences in a different way.

Sun said since there is little education covering this in school, a lot of people are scared to ask questions or do not know what to say because they do not want to make a mistake.

“I think non-Asians Photo courtesy of Amanda Sun can sometimes feel un- TELL ASIAN STORIES: Sun, saddened certain about what to by recent hate crimes, founded the say, especially in a liberal organization Tell Asian Stories.

PAGE DESIGN BY AMBER BIRRELL AND RITAJA SUBRAHMANYA

8

In-Depth

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Asian Hate: The lesser known epidemic

Asian hate crimes in the bay area This map depicts the wide range and severity of incidents across the Bay Area.

COVID-19 has caused a rise in Asian hate crimes, especially in the Bay Area. As the anti-Asian sentiments hit closer to home, the effects of hatred have become more evident.

In Healdsburg and Sonoma, several Asian-owned businesses received hateful, racist letters from an anonymous sender, the Healdsburg Tribune reported.

The majority of Asian hate crimes in the Bay Area - 292 incidents have taken place in San Francisco, according to NPR.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Sun

‘This isn’t new’: unpacking Asian hate in the Bay Area

HOW IT all started

Photo courtesy of Bella Huang

“I was shocked because people in Taiwan after the first SARS epidemic had been more aware of the spread of diseases,” Huang said in a Zoom interview. “I remember Taiwan already had a mask system when I was visiting.”

These were not isolated incidents. According to NPR, over 700 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported in the Bay Area since the start of the pandemic, and many experts believe this is an undercount.

“The Bay Area is a lot more inclusive than other places,” sophomore Dan Penalosa said in a Zoom interview. “But there’s still racism and violence towards Asians here. It could happen anywhere.”

The increase in hate crimes has been concerning to many, including senior Katelyn Ma, who said she is worried because of the hate crimes happening a couple miles away.

“I have been more careful not going out after dark, always being with a friend, not really

Photo courtesy of Rajiv Venkatesh

ASIANS STAND UP: Huang said she is happy Asians have

been speaking out about the injustices their community faces.

walking around by myself,” Ma said in a Zoom interview.

According to The Washington Post, these hate crimes are not new and have been increasing over the years. Huang said many Asians, including herself, have gotten used to this constant stereotyping.

“Hate crimes have been happening for years,” Penalosa said. “It’s getting more attention now, but [it’s] always been like this.”

Ma said one of the effects of this prejudice is Asian girls feeling inadequate compared to others.

“The standard of beauty is to be white and to have blue eyes and blonde hair because that’s the image a lot of brands push,” Ma said. “A lot of girls of color, including Asian girls, always had this sense that we can never measure up to these standards.”

Additionally, Huang said in elementary school, many people made insensitive comments about her food, asking why it looked weird or smelled a certain way.

Freshman Rajiv Venkatesh said many stereotypes surrounding the Asian community stem from a lack of representation.

“A lot of Asian people felt the need to pretend to hate their own culture in order to fit in,” Ma said. “Liking anime wasn’t socially accepted until a year or two ago. It was really embarrassing to say that you liked stuff like that.”

In order to help Asians, it is important to check in with your friends to see how they are coping, Ma said.

“People need to understand where this problem comes from,” Ma said. “This is a product of systemic racism.”

As an Asian or Pacific Islander, have you experienced racism or xenophobia?

After hearing of the attacks, community members started Compassion for Oakland, an organization where volunteers walk with anyone in Oakland’s Chinatown to help them feel safer, according to ABC 7.

By Amber Birrell and Ritaja Subrahmanya

1900

By Amber Birrell, Ritaja Subrahmanya and Allen Zhang Senior Allen Zhang was on a walk around his neighborhood when he walked past an elderly white couple with their masks on their wrists. He said he had his mask on and was taking proper safety precautions and being mindful of others who were also on the sidewalk.

“When the woman saw me, she nudged the man and said ‘A Chinese,’ and the two quickly put their masks on,” Zhang said. “Although I was not physically harmed by this interaction, I was shocked at the blatant assumption that because of my race, I was more likely to have the novel coronavirus and was therefore dangerous.”

Senior Bella Huang said she had a similar experience when she returned from Taiwan last February. Huang said a classmate told her they could not be around each other because Huang probably had COVID-19, despite the fact that Huang said she had been taking more precautions in Taiwan compared to the U.S.

9

San Fransisco plague In 1900, the bubonic plague arrived in San Francisco. The first victim was a Chinese immigrant, and so the entire community was blamed, according to The Washington Post. Within a day, the entire Chinatown was barricaded by police.

1942

Japanese Internment during World War II

53.9% No

46.1% Yes

Have you witnessed racism against the Asian community in the Bay Area?

On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order leading to the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in camps, according to AP News. This included two in California; Manzanar and Tule Lake, the largest of all camps.

2020

COVID-19 labeled the “China virus” When COVID-19 became more severe in March 2020, former President Donald Trump began referring to the coronavirus as the “China virus,” and these comments were copied by his supporters, according to NBC News.

2021

Georgia mass shootings On March 16, three mass shootings occurred across Atlanta leaving eight dead, six being Asian women, NBC News reported. Though the shooter claims his attacks were not connected to race, U.S. senator Tammy Duckworth said this crime “looks racially motivated.”

Is social media the right place for activism?

“It’s really disheartening how social issues are becoming social media trends.”

Photo courtesy of Katelyn Ma

—Katelyn Ma (12)

“Reposting a pastel infographic is performative activism at its finest. Sharing opinions or new information is different, but people tend to the blur the lines. I try to steer clear of that by adding in my own relevant experiences.”

—Elise Vambenepe (10)

Photo courtesy of Elise Vambenepe

“People can about learn about current issues through social media. However, viewers may become tired of seeing the same posts” Photo courtesy of Roopa Srinivas

—Roopa Srinivas (10)

Based on a survey of 76 Asian/Pacific Islander students

STUDENTS FACE RACISM: Out of

76 students surveyed, 46.1 % said they have experienced racism.

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa proposed a bill that will establish the county as a zero tolerance hate zone, according to CBSN.

San Jose has had 58 anti-Asian incidents since the start of the pandemic, according to NPR.

In March, Santa Clara County started a hate crimes task force to ensure hate crimes laws are properly enforced.

No

28.2% Yes

Scan here to find ways to help combat Asian violence.

71.8% Based on a survey of 110 students

LOCAL ASIAN HATE: Over half of HHS students surveyed have

witnessed racism in our community.

Illustration by Zoe Li

Amanda Sun uplifts Asian American voices

By Josh Cantwell-Nahrung and Mae Richardson HHS graduate Amanda Sun (‘18) said her past experiences with racism as an Asian American inspired her to found the Instagram platform Tell Asian Stories, creating an opportunity for Asian Americans to share and process experiences with racism.

“Some experiences from my past that happened years ago still affect me [as an Asian American] today,” Sun said in a Zoom interview. “I realized that maybe other people would want to share their experiences and receive validation for what they are going through.”

Sun also said the recent surge in hate crimes finally pushed her to create Tell Asian Stories, which she had been debating creating after experiencing racism numerous times in the past.

“The main purpose of [Tell

Asian Stories] is to help people process [their trauma from experiencing racism],” Sun said, “but also to [allow] non-Asians to educate themselves and learn about those experiences and learn how to be more sensitive to not cause that sort of discomfort or trauma.”

To create her posts, Sun said she uses quotes from Asian Americans who share their experiences by answering the questions on a Google form she created, which can be found in the organization’s Instagram bio. Sun said while a variety of issues are brought up in the Instagram posts, multiple unifying factors can be seen throughout the posts.

“For example, Asian women get fetishized a lot, and there is this phenomenon of white men dating Asian women, which I feel is a symptom of an underlying ste-

reotype that people have, where they look at an Asian woman and think of a mail-order bride, and I think that can be very damaging for young girls,” Sun said. “It’s very demeaning to be fetishized and looked at that way.”

In regards to the recent hate crimes against Asian Americans, Sun said while she is saddened by these events, she is optimistic people advocating for this issue will bring change.

“I think it is sad it takes something really devastating to spark people to start talking about … an issue that has been ongoing for generations,” Sun said.

Overall, Sun said she hopes her organization will provide a place where people can learn about others’ experiences and know they are not alone in dealing with the hate shared by a

large part of the country. environment, which makes sense In addition, Sun said count- because there is a lot of politiless people frequently message cal-correctness,” Sun said, “so it her account on Instagram, is good for people to see what telling her they finally feel as they should not say and maybe though they are being heard that can help them support their and how reading about others’ friends who are minorities and experiences with racism and are going through this.” thoughts made them think about their own experiences in a different way.

Sun said since there is little education covering this in school, a lot of people are scared to ask questions or do not know what to say because they do not want to make a mistake.

“I think non-Asians Photo courtesy of Amanda Sun can sometimes feel un- TELL ASIAN STORIES: Sun, saddened certain about what to by recent hate crimes, founded the say, especially in a liberal organization Tell Asian Stories.

PAGE DESIGN BY AMBER BIRRELL AND RITAJA SUBRAHMANYA

10

Lifestyles

Thursday, April 29, 2021

FPA hosts mock diagnostic case studies for members

Future Physicians of America bring creative, informative medical information

By Evelyn Solis Hosting interactive meetings is one of Future Physicians of America’s biggest obstacles, secretary, junior Shamoli Ghosh said. Prior to the pandemic, FPA’s most memorable event was conducting dissections during general meetings, co-president, senior Kaushal Raghu said.

“Having to do stuff at a distance makes us have to be a little more creative with how we try to engage our members,” Ghosh said.

In hopes of interacting more with their members, FPA officers hosted a meeting allowing participants to study different types of diseases, Ghosh said.

Members were separated in breakout rooms and presented

with a case study. They then had to diagnose and treat the fictional patients, Gosh said. Some illnesses the FPA officers covered included pulmonary embolism, coronary heart disease and UTI. Ghosh said their team of officers presented patient symptoms to the members, who would then have to order tests to try to figure out the correct disease.

“We would have test results that we found on the internet,” Ghosh said. “Then the participants would have to order more tests or do more research, trying to figure out what the patient has and come up with an accurate diagnosis or a treatment plan.”

Raghu said this activity was a

great way for members to learn about various tests like MRIs and blood tests as well as understanding how to treat different diseases.

Not only was the case study activity informative, but members interacted and collaborated with each other, Ghosh said.

Besides the case study activity, FPA has also hosted meetings with guest speakers with experience in the medical field who shared their professional and academic journeys, activities coordinator, junior Leah Jang said. “[The doctors talked] about their experience … starting from high school … up until how they got to where they are,” Jang said.

“Then we would open up a Q&A at the end of the presentation so

our members would be able to directly ask questions.”

The doctors presented case studies on topics like brain stimulation and issues pregnant women face, Jang said.

FPA hopes to have more in-

teractive activities once virtual learning is over, Jang said.

“We hope to volunteer at hospitals or local clinics [to] allow our members to get more experience in that kind of environment,” Jang said.

Photo courtesy of FPA

DISSECTIONS BEFORE COVID: One of FPA’s most popular

hands-on activities before virtual learning was dissections.

Miniatures club recreates fond middle school experience

By Alyssa Zimmerman

Having difficulties making friends during distance learning has become a relatable issue, seeing as students are given few opportunities to socialize outside of class, freshman Bryce Lindberg said in a Zoom interview.

Lindberg said the miniatures club, as an interest-based club, provides opportunities for him and other freshmen to make new friends with similar interests by providing a common ground to bond over.

The officers of miniatures club have devoted themselves to bringing the world of miniature games, which are board games that feature physical models, to fellow high school students, miniatures club vice president, senior Logan Pageler said in a Zoom interview.

“People come to play miniature-related games with their friends, to de-stress and learn new things about those games,” president of miniatures club, senior Eylam Tagor said in a Zoom interview. “In person, we’ll probably also have woodworking

and painting workshops for the miniatures themselves, but that wasn’t an option [yet] this year.”

Tagor said in a typical meeting, club members join groups on Zoom and play online miniature games with friends for a few hours. Tagor said he recommends the club to anyone interested in playing games and making friends, since no extraordinary commitment is required to join.

“There really isn’t a knowledge investment or a cult that you need to join to understand a lot of things here,” Tagor said. “You’ll just come to a meeting with no prior experience or knowledge and have a fun time.”

In fact, as someone who knows what it’s like to be a brand new member discovering the world of miniatures, Tagor knows what he’s talking about, Pageler said.

The club was originally founded by the officers’ middle school science teacher, Pageler said, who retired last year, disbanding the club.

“It was so popular in middle school that I know a lot of high

schoolers, including me, would go back to play with the middle school students,” Pageler said.

“We decided to start it up [at HHS] so the traditions wouldn’t die out.”

Lindberg said after a less involved adviser took the club over, he was the one to step up and lead the club in middle school.

He has since joined HHS’s version of the club.

The original club not only served as a blueprint for the group’s current club, but also provided them with fond memories the current club is seeking to recreate, Pageler said.

“We were able to go in [our school’s woodshop] after school and build our own ships,” Tagor said, recounting the time when his middle school club played his favorite game. “We painted them really nicely. It was a really unforgettable experience.”

Pageler added that the club was hoping to recreate the game wooden warships, in which players flick dice at each other’s ships from across a classroom.

One thing that sets miniatures apart from other board games is their large scale, both as far as the amount of room it takes up and the amount of people included, treasurer, senior Matthew Yu said in a Zoom interview, noting wooden warships as an example.

“The social aspect of miniatures always makes the game,” Pageler said. “You just have so many people working together on one team. It’s a lot of collaboration, and just a lot of fun.”

As a matter of a fact, many of the same people who made these connections in the original middle school club have joined HHS’s own miniatures club, Paegeler said, proving just how strong the power of this collaboration can be.

“The bond that is built by being on the same team and winning one of those games.

It’s pretty much what has kept us together,” Tagor said. “That’s why, opening up at Homestead, it worked, because the people still have that bond that came from playing the miniatures games.”

Photo courtesy of Eylam Tagor

Photo courtesy of Eric Pedley

DIFFERENT BUT ENJOYABLE:

Miniatures club adjusts from making miniatures for games like wooden warships to playing online board games.

HHS Cribs

Richard Porticos gives a tour of his brand new engineering room.

Making music in hybrid

Students are finally able to create music together on campus

By Seoyoung Hwang As hybrid learning begins, musicians in band, choir and orchestra are able to create music together for the first time since last year.

The music department is trying their best to figure out the

best way for students to play their instruments while ensuring their safety at the same time, band and orchestra director John Burn said in a Zoom interview.

“For band, we’re going to find

Photo courtesy of John Burn

SOCIAL DISTANCED PLAYING: Band director John Burn and

his band play music together while social distancing.

a space outdoors and spread out,” Burn said. “ I have special masks that have little holes in them, so the students can play their instruments but still wear masks.”

Besides social distancing, Burn said he has to figure out a way for students in-person to hear him from far away and, at the same time, attend to students on Zoom. Burn said he wants to let the students communicate with him and each other whether they are on campus or on Zoom.

Similarly, choir director Jeff Morton is also figuring out how students can hear his piano but remain socially distanced while singing. Morton said he is planning to implement small group

ensembles, similar to the singing valentines choir did back in February, so singers on campus can sing together and singers on Zoom can easily create a video together.

“Since we’ve already done [the small ensemble] once over Zoom, they know how to handle that,” Morton said in a Zoom interview. “I’ll just be switching back and forth, [checking in with them], but they have to be running it themselves.”

The students are also thrilled to get back to school, sophomore Chloe Wong said, because they finally get the opportunity to play with their fellow classmates and create music in person.

“I’m excited to get closer to

other people in my section who I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to yet and hopefully just feel more connected to people [when playing],” Wong said in a Zoom interview.

The directors are excited to be able to create music together and hear the students play live, Morton said.

Students sign up for band and orchestra for the fun of creating music together, not alone in their rooms, Burn said.

“My biggest frustration with Zoom is when cameras are all off, and I do not know if they’re paying attention until I ask them to unmute and talk,” Burn said.

“But now it’ll be better because it’s awesome getting to create music together in person.”

PAGE DESIGN BY SEOYOUNG HWANG

Lifestyles Community Service project aids community

11

Thursday, April 29, 2021

FBLA takes action on food insecurity in Santa Clara County

By Hope Saena and Jack Xu The lack of access to food for Santa Clara County communities has significantly increased due to COVID-19, according to Feeding America. FBLA’s Community Service project has made an effort to face food insecurity in the community through their partnership with nonprofit organization Loaves and Fishes, community service chair, sophomore Sara Tatke said in a Zoom interview.

“Our main focus is to raise awareness for food insecurity,” Tatke said, “because it’s definitely an under-publicized issue within our country and one of the biggest issues in our community.”

The project has conducted meetings for engaging participants and events in collaboration with Loaves and Fishes, community service chair, sophomore Jessica Zhu said in a Zoom interview. From the meetings and events, participants are able to get firsthand experience working with nonprofit organizations and apply their business knowledge, Zhu said.

“We recently had a business tour around

the Loaves and Fishes office,” Zhu said.

“Members were able to see how their organization was run, all the different rooms they had and how they functioned.”

Participants have also gained additional experience in graphic design and have had the chance to volunteer, member, sophomore Aaditya Patel said in an email.

“We definitely learned more about food insecurity and were given various opportunities through the year,” Patel said. “I was given the opportunity to improve my public speaking and graphic design as I got to design graphics and present ideas about the topic in the project meetings.”

In addition to these activities, participants have done weekly journaling, created hygiene kits and designed informational brochures that have been passed out around the Bay Area, Tatke said.

“In collaboration with Loaves and Fishes, they helped gather all the hygiene materials and we helped distribute the materials to our members, in which they created kits out of them to distribute to the community,” Tatke said.

The project contacted local middle schools as well, Zhu said, spreading awareness for food insecurity through presentations and fun activities.

“To further their understanding and encourage them to take acAs students gain first-hand experience tion, we held an Amazing Race style working with a real life business, the busigame, where teams of students would ness in return receives feedback to further compete in activities and race to see develop their services. which team could finish the fastest,” Zhu said. “These activities included

FBLA educates students

researching food insecurity and learning about ways to combat the issue.”

As the project has helped approve Loaves and Fishes volunteer events for HHS, FBLA plans on working on a future fundraiser for the organization, helping to further improve its services, Tatke said.

“We’re finishing many projects that we’ve been doing,” Tatke said.

“As of now, we are in the process of helping Loaves and Fishes re- FBLA SPREADS AWARENESS: FBLA educates local vamp their website by making a middle schools about food insecurity. page where our members can produce low-cost recipes that people can refer to.”

Committee member, sophomore Katia Bravo said in an email that working with dedicated members and sharing ideas made her experience enjoyable.

“Working with this nonprofit organization has been a positive experience as I was able to work with the project members to create a positive and lasting Photo courtesy of Jessica Zhu impact on the com- FBLA AIDS COMMUNITY: FBLA hosts fundraiser event to promote Loaves and Fishes. munity,” Bravo said.

A fly on the wall: An artist’s perspective

Students share how they have been able to express their views through art

By Karuna Chandran and Leila Salam “I feel like whenever I do art, my mind doesn’t completely focus on creating the artwork, but instead, my mind goes through a reflection of my recent life,” senior Mo Chuang said in a Zoom interview. “And often after two or three hours of doing art, I not only created an artwork, I also found solutions to some problems in my life.”

Chuang got into art through taking classes and drawing with his younger brother.

He said that art creates a safe space for him in relation to his life.

“It’s a way to just relieve the stress I have from either school or life or relationships, my friends

Photo courtesy of Mo Chuang

or stuff like that,” Chuang said.

“It’s just the place I can escape to temporarily.”

Outside of using art to unwind, Chuang said his skills have come in handy during group projects as well.

“It has served as an important tool for me because I often get the artist position in any team I’m part of, so I feel like art is pretty important in my life,” Chuang said. “In another way, it’s a tool for success.”

Similarly to Chuang, junior Emily Jennett said she has found art to be an immersive experience.

“Art has taught me how to express myself and has allowed me to interpret the world from my own perspective,” Jennett said in a Zoom interview. “Art has influenced my attitude towards life because I am constantly inspired by the work I create.”

Jennett said art gave her a way to connect with others when she was younger, especially since she was relatively soft-spoken. The budding artist often bases her art

Illustration courtesy of Mo Chuang

ART IS RELAXING: Mo Chuang (12) uses the time he does art

to contemplate and reflect on his life.

off of things she has witnessed.

“After I watched my favorite movie [“Call Me By Your Name”], I decided to make a painting and it was of two hands in the water, and I got to show how the light moved in the water,” Jennett said.

“I thought that was really interesting because it kind of represented how I felt when I watched the movie.”

Junior Whitney Lopez also tries to follow her creative impulses in her art.

She stopped taking art classes for this reason — to pursue her individualism.

“I really like drawing people, specifically women,” Lopez said in a Zoom interview. “Drawing males is harder. And also, I just feel like, as a body of people, women tend to be more diverse and their styles and their looks and their hair and just all

Photo courtesy of Whitney Lopez

these other unique factors about them.”

Using art to comment on society is also something Lopez said she tries to put emphasis on.

“I do tend to paint people of color just because I feel like they’re unrepresented in the art scene and the typical paintings you see in museums,” Lopez said.

“I don’t know if that’s my only motivation, but it is one of the motivations. I like being able to show the beauty of [those not commonly represented in media].”

Lopez and Chuang both said art is an essential part of their lives, allowing them to let go of their daily

Photo courtesy of Emily Jennett

Illustration courtesy of Whitney Lopez

DIVERSITY IN ART: Whitney Lopez (11) includes diversity in her artwork by painting

people from underrepresented groups.

stress to focus on creating.

“I feel like art is pretty inseparable from my life,” Chuang said.

“Anytime I do art, I feel like it’s a time for me to be alone and reflect on my life. It’s just a canvas [and] really a place for me to escape to. I can just avoid all my problems temporarily. That’s why I really look forward to it every week.”

Illustration courtesy of Emily Jennett

INSPIRATION FROM MOVIES: Emily Jennett (11)

creates artwork inspired by her favorite movie.

PAGE DESIGN BY ALYSSA ZIMMERMAN

12

Arts & Culture

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Young adult fiction moves Minority tokenism: all’s fair in love and fashion toward representation

By Shreya Partha

READING CREATES EMPATHY: LGBTQ characters help people understand the

struggles the community faces.

Amidst the backdrop of social issues we have faced this past year, fashion brands claim to have begun incorporating more “diversity” in their models.

As a person of color, the news of having such representation in the fashion industry was an enticing idea; I could hardly keep my excitement to myself. Yet, that naivety was soon lost in face of this new definition of “diversity.” Is diversity in any medium valid if it is done for the sake of public appeasement?

Let’s break this down. Often, I’ve noticed brands in the fashion industry will include people of color or people who are above their weight demographic to show they are diverse. Take, for example, Somriddho Dasgupta, a 20-year-old androgynous model who previously worked with big name brands like Nike, yet somehow felt incredibly singled out at a startup brand’s photo shoot.

“It seemed like they were trying to be inclusive. However, when I arrived at the shoot, I was the only ethnic minority.

All the other models in the campaign were white. I didn’t think much of it at the time. However, in hindsight, I realized they were using me as an accessory to seem inclusive and diverse. It felt a bit dehumanizing,” Dasgupta said in an interview with Aljazeera.

It should not have to be said at all: people of color and minorities, in general, are not props. They do not exist purely to be used to put up a facade of diversity. They have feelings, brains and deserve to be treated like their identity is valued, not like the color of their skin is their only identity.

No one should have to feel like they are not good enough to model because of something they cannot control. Yes, eurocentric features and traits have become the “desirable standard” for fashion and looks, but that is preventative thinking. Society will not progress if we are so stubborn that we cannot move past the tacit standard that was put up.

Something as trivial as skin color is not a factor that can be

changed and as a result, should not even be a topic of constant debate. Highlighting minorities only when it best suits the brand is tokenism. A decision to cast a model based on anything other than their qualifications, for example, size, sexual identity or race, is discrimination. We need to stop encouraging brands that are heavily centered around white people, bringing in minorities only to save face and prevent societal backlash.

Illustration by Shreya Partha

and subtle transphobia transgender people face. Yadriel also has important conversations with his family regarding his gender, helping educate readers about the transgender community.

Another LGBTQ book featuring a Latino protagonist is “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” an award-winning novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, which tells the story of Aristotle (Ari) and Dante, as they grow up in the 1980s. The dialogue flows and the prose is beautiful. I enjoyed the pacing of the plot; it is slow and helps the reader better understand Ari’s character. Most of all, I liked the relationships Ari has with his parents and Dante as they are realistic and perfectly developed.

Another novel centering around friendship is “Who I Was with Her” by Nita Tyndall.

After her girlfriend Maggie dies, Corrine struggles to cope. In the novel, Corrine has many conversations about coming out. These discussions are wonderfully written, portraying both sides so that sometimes I supported Corrine, and other times, I was terribly at odds with her. Aside from the main plot, there are side plots including one featuring Corrine’s friend, who figures out she is asexual through the story. I liked the addition of this plotline as it shows there can be more than one LGBTQ character in the story, and despite being a side plot, it is covered with care.

The final novel I would recommend is “I Wish You All the Best”

by Mason Deaver. After Ben DeBacker comes out as nonbinary to their parents, they are kicked out and forced to live with their estranged older sister Hannah.

Struggling with their parents’ rejection, the story explores Ben’s journey to acceptance. Despite touching on heavy topics such as Ben’s anxiety disorder, this powerful story is realistic yet provides hope for a better future.

These books are just a small part of the ever growing collection of LGBTQ young adult books. They stand out due to their content and style of writing, as you can tell the authors spent time carefully constructing their characters in a way that not only well educates others, but also helps teens in the LGBTQ community.

Photos courtesy of Goodreads

After hearing rave reviews for the book series “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Mass, I had high hopes. I was further excited when I heard the third book “A Court of Wings and Ruin” included LGBTQ characters. However, I was disappointed by the characterization of bisexual people shown through the character of Helion, who is portrayed as promiscuous, furthering stereotypes that bisexual people do not look for serious relationships. Helion is not an important character, so when his character is simply based on stereotypes, it feels like Mass is simply trying to bait readers and create false diversity without giving characters much thought or depth.

It is important for the LGBTQ community to receive representation in young adult books.

However, representation is often inaccurate when the author speaks for a community they do not belong to. Instead, it is better to support LGBTQ authors who can accurately represent characters in a helpful way without using stereotypes.

My favorite book with a LGBTQ protagonist is “Far From You” by Tess Sharpe, which features recovering drug addict Sophie, who struggles after her best friend Mina is killed in what everyone believes is a drug deal gone wrong. The novel is emotional, exploring Sophie’s substance abuse in a realistic manner without shying away from its darker aspects. What drew me most to the book was that Sophie’s bisexuality is not the focus of the book. Most books featuring LGBTQ characters focus on their sexuality or gender, so it was nice to have a main character who is confident in themselves and who has other focuses.

A similar mystery novel also centering around a murder is “Cemetery Boys” by Aidan Thomas, which tells the story of Yadriel, a transgender boy who desperately wants to prove himself a real brujo, someone who uses magic to ensure spirits pass safely to the next life. Unlike many books where the family outright rejects transgender characters, Yadriel’s family claims to accept him yet do disrespectful things such as calling him by his dead name.

These small details are important as it shows the microaggressions

MINORITIES DESERVE RECOGNITION: Diversity for the sake

of diversity is a marketing strategy that should not be applauded.

Redefining beauty ideals with makeup A series of celebrity makeup brands have transformed the world of cosmetics

By Macy Li A flurry of celebrities have adopted glamorous side hustles in recent years, such as launching their own makeup lines.

Among the sea of newly released cosmetic products, a handful of them have truly transformed the beauty world and redefined the industry.

Created by actress Jessica Alba, Honest Beauty is simply one of the best celebrity makeup brands I have used. In an interview with Marie Claire Magazine, Alba said she considers herself a “pioneer of clean beauty” and founded Honest Beauty with the goal of democratizing cruelty-free products.

Having experienced eczema and cystic acne, Alba developed a greater consciousness of the ingredients in her cosmetics, according to Marie Claire. Her brand offers a wide array of cruelty-free, eco-friendly and vegan products, all created with verified ingredients.

From the beginning, I was drawn to Honest Beauty’s cruelty-free status and its mission to promote the accessibility of clean beauty. I had always been

wary of products containing toxic chemicals, so I was ecstatic when I first discovered Alba’s makeup line.

Many of the beauty products I have used in the past have irritated my sensitive skin, and I have struggled to find cosmetics without harsh ingredients. However, trying Honest Beauty was game-changing for me. I experienced no skin irritation when using the products, which made them feel incredibly high-quality.

My favorite product is the dermatologist and ophthalmologist-approved mascara, which greatly enhances my eyelashes when I use it. The bristles of the mascara wand are positioned and sized perfectly, allowing for easy application.

Above all, Alba’s makeup line is fairly inexpensive, since all the items cost under $30. With numerous celebrity makeup products selling at unreasonable prices, I was appreciative of Honest Beauty’s affordable items.

Similarly, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna is another exceptional

Illustration by Macy Li

By Ritaja Subrahmanya

TRANSFORMING BEAUTY IDEALS: Honest Beauty and Fenty Beauty have left unique impacts on the world of makeup.

celebrity makeup brand that has captivated my attention since its first launch. Embracing its “Beauty for All” mantra, this makeup line has redefined the beauty industry.

Before her brand launched, there was an obvious lack of representation for women of color in makeup campaigns and product offerings. Adopting an inclusivity angle, Rihanna fully addressed this issue with the release of her makeup line.

What I admire most about Fenty Beauty is its opening gambit, featuring a range of 40 foundation shades for women of all skin tones and a diverse marketing campaign. Today, the foundation collection has expanded to 50 different shades, including a variety of undertones.

On her website, Rihanna wrote that she created Fenty Beauty for women everywhere to be included — and the success of her Pro Filt’r Foundation collection is living proof that is possible.

Given the wide variety of foundation shades available, I was able to select one that matched my skin tone with a level of accuracy that was never available before. The foundation itself applied smoothly, had great coverage and left a glow.

Additionally, I experienced no skin irritation with the product.

Among the myriad of celebrity makeup lines, Honest Beauty and Fenty Beauty ultimately stand out to me. With their clean beauty products and goals of promoting inclusivity, their makeup lines are truly redefining.

PAGE DESIGN BY YUKARI E. ZAPATA

Arts & Culture ‘Young Rock’ shines light on Samoan culture

NBC’s latest sitcom gives viewers taste of Polynesian life

By Hope Saena

Before the release of enrolls in a new school, the Dwayne Johnson’s sitcom principal believes he is an “Young Rock,” I was not in- undercover cop rather than a terested, as I assumed the student. Growing up, I’ve alsitcom would primarily focus ways been tall, being 5 feet, 7 on Johnson’s life. However, inches by the age of 10, leading when I watched the first ep- to many people also believing isode, I was shocked by the I was older than I actually was. prominently Polynesian cast. I enjoyed watching that scene As Johnson is Samoan, I ob- as I could relate to it.

Aside from the physical viously expected the show to have Polynesian actors, but characteristics presented in being able to recognize Samo- the Polynesian characters, the an representation on a sitcom show also spotlights cultural was a new and exciting experience for me.

When I think of Samoans in AmeriPhoto courtesy of NBC can entertainment, SAMOANS IN TELEVISION: The Johnson’s I instantly family depicted in “Young Rock” reminds me of think of my own family. sports. Marcus Mariota, JuJu aspects and customs.

Later in episode one, we Smith-Schuster, and Tua Tagovailoa are some of the many are introduced to Johnson’s names I can recall. Other than grandmother, Lia. She is repin sports, I rarely saw any resented as the head of the other Samoans on television. family and is greatly respectHowever, “Young Rock” is my ed by others. Watching Lia’s first time witnessing Samoan character is like watching my representation being show- own aunties or grandmother cased culturally, as the show on screen, as they share simalso spotlights Samoan cul- ilar qualities. I greatly admire ture and common experiences her character because to me, I’ve gone through as a Samo- she embodies the typical Samoan mother figure. an myself.

Additionally, I appreciatSamoans are a strong, large-built group of peo- ed the small cultural details ple and this is emphasized incorporated throughout the throughout the show as teen- show. Lia’s Samoan mumu, ager Rock encounters many a traditional dress worn by situations where people do women, her Samoan accent, not believe he is 15 due to his and her strictness all make Samoan physical characteris- her character feel more autics. In episode one, when he thentic.

Through Ata, Johnson’s mother, viewers learn the importance of family in Samoan culture, by the way Ata highly respects her parents.

In episode four, Ata and her dad sing a classic Samoan song, “Faliu le la.” As family is a significant aspect in our culture, watching that special moment between Ata and her father reminds me of my own time with my family.

Through tuning in every week, I also began noticing the frequent usage of the Samoan language. Simple phrases such as “sole” and “kalofae” are commonly incorporated into Samoan slang, so I appreciated the correct pronunciation of these Samoan words as it stays true to my culture.

Because of the accurate cultural representation, “Young Rock” displays a side of Samoans mainstream media has never encountered before.

Seeing Samoans in American entertainment aside from sports feels amazing as now I feel viewers are able to understand we are more than just athletes. Johnson’s portrayal of our culture in “Young Rock” could not be any better. The usage of our language and Polynesian actors, and the additional cultural details all present an honest image of the Samoan culture, and I appreciate Johnson’s efforts in making it as cultural as he could. The accurate incorporation of these cultural aspects and comedic situations encourages me to tune in every week.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

13

Love the sinner, love the sin

‘Montero’ video reveals battle between homosexuality and society

By Bobby Gorelick Montero Lamar Hill — more famously known as Lil Nas X — recently released an empowering new eponymous song and music video “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” full of ancient religious motifs, meant to draw a connection between ancient and modern-day persecution, according to Time Magazine.

Many politicians, public figures and fellow musicians took offense to the sexual and satanic imagery in the video, implying that God will punish him for proudly existing, according to Teen Vogue.

This was baffling to me. I felt empowered by Hill’s self-expression and prideful demeanor on social media, as well as in the video itself.

Later, when I saw TikToks and tweets of people criticizing the production, I was disheartened by the hateful reaction to “Montero (Call Me

By Your Name)” because it highlights a deeply rooted bias against gay people in conjunction with Christianity in our society, which consistently opposes the LGBTQ community of which I am part of.

Bridget Mack, a self-described motivational speaker wrote on Facebook that “Lil Nas is a whole new level of demonic,” according to the Washington Post. Mack’s comment is yet another reminder that the actions of gay people are “demonic,” that we are “going to hell” or that “being gay is a sin” -- comments members of the LGBTQ community have been hearing throughout our lives, when all we want is to be ourselves.

Hill came out as gay shortly after the success of his breakthrough song “Old Town Road,” which, at the time, did not prompt a negative response.

However, people are enraged by the lyrics and images in the video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” where Lil Nas X embraces his sexual identity through the use of religious imagery.

It’s disappointing that people have no problem tolerating a gay man dressed as a cowboy, riding a horse

with Billy Ray Cyrus, but suddenly become intolerant when he is shown gliding down a stripper Photo courtesy of pole to hell New York Times to give the HILL EXPRESSES devil a lap IDENTITY: Critics oppose religious and sexdance. “[Hill’s] ual imagery in music gayness was video. tolerated by folks who believe tolerance is a virtue,” Washington Post reporter Richard Morgan wrote.

But what makes “Montero (Call me by your name)” powerful for queer people — myself included — is it highlights the limit of gay tolerance.

Hill has intersected homosexuality with Christian imagery to explicitly show the discrimination he has faced for being gay. It is here that the limit for tolerance has been reached. When being gay is funny or cute or kitschy, it’s mainstream. But when it challenges religion and discrimination or calls people out for their lack of tolerance, it’s crticized.

The video should not be viewed as offensive or “demonic,” but instead embraced as a creative form of expression. Finally, we see a gay artist who is unashamed to strip away society’s expectations for him and embrace his identity as a gay man. This should be celebrated.

Lil Nas X teaches society there is no limit to acceptance. We need to embrace all aspects of a person’s identity to truly treat them as equal.

LGBTQ favorites

This Spotify playlist contains music from queer artists across multiple generations and genres.

The ‘Star Wars’ trap

Fandom’s conversion from safe haven to sexist, racist environment

By Sahil Venkatesan

I’ve grown up loving “Star Wars” and have become entrenched in the fandom, which can easily be seen from the “Star Wars” posters all over my room, the “Star Wars” video games I play and my love for “Star Wars” novels.

While I tried to ignore it for a while because I wanted to believe it was a small issue among a minority of fans, it’s finally time to talk about the toxicity, sexism and racism that has taken over the fandom I once loved.

I first noticed the sexism and racism with the fandom’s reaction to “The Last Jedi.” At first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the movie because it differed from what I thought a “Star Wars” movie typically was.

I went online to see if other fans thought the same thing I did, and it took one Google

search to find a playlist of different videos attacking “The Last Jedi.”

When I was watching the first video, I agreed with the points about the plot of the movie and how it broke the lore of “Star Wars.” Then, I found myself nodding along when the commentator criticized the “forced diversity” of the movie and blamed Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy for forcing “politics and a liberal agenda into Star Wars.”

I had fallen into the trap that had destroyed the fandom I once loved.

My dislike for the actual plot of a movie was transformed into subscribing to conspiracy theories about forced diversity and representation ruining a franchise.

Yet, as the weeks went by, I

became more and more disillusioned with the fans I had previously found solace in.

Hordes of community members harassed Kelly Marie Tran on social media with sexist and racist comments, as reported by The Guardian. The obscene harassment grew so bad that Tran left social media because it was severely affecting her mental health.

I was horrified, but at the time I only believed it was a minority of fans who were carrying out these actions. I began to reassess views of “The Last Jedi,” and questioned why I was so quick to believe diversity was being forced on the franchise.

I was still desperate to believe that my fandom wasn’t going against everything I stood for, so I turned to my favorite “Star Wars” YouTuber, Star

Wars Theory because I thought he was trying to heal the toxicity within the fandom.

For two years, I watched Star Wars Theory as he ignored the fandom’s harassment of actors of color. I thought his refusal to speak out against those members meant he was trying to heal the divide in the fandom. Then, I saw him fall into the same trap I fell into.

In a series of livestreams I avidly watched, Star Wars Theory allied himself with other channels like Geeks+Gamers, a channel that consistently makes videos about conspiracy theories of actor Brie Larson, who has never been in a piece of “Star Wars” content, ruining “Star Wars” while Kathleen Kennnedy openly forces an liberal agenda into content.

While at first Star Wars The-

ory just talked about the movies, it was no surprise to hear him comment about social justice themes within “The Last Jedi” and how they ruined the movie.

I have no doubt many of Star Wars Theory’s viewers have fallen into the trap with him, and with millions of people across the world subscribed to his channel, I truly worry about the direction the Star Wars fandom is going.

I know others who love “Star Wars” have fallen into the trap I very narrowly avoided. My dislike for one movie put me on a path that eventually led to a cesspool of racist and sexist fans who are unable to realize that “Star Wars” is not all about a white male hero anymore. It’s about a universe of hope where anybody can be anything, no matter their gender or race.

PAGE DESIGN BY RAYMOND RANBHISE

14

Sports

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Strength in numbers

Diego Puerta explores opportunities weight lifting offers

By Saanvi Thakur

RAYMOND RANTS

By Raymond Ranbhise The Houston Rockets: a team that was once so great is now just a shell of its former self. A team that formerly had superstars like James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela. At one point, they were number one in the Western Conference and rivaled the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. Now they are dead last in the west.

How did they fall so far?

It all started in 2018.

The Rockets were dominating the Warriors in the conference finals.

But in the fifth game, Chris Paul was injured and sat out for the rest of the playoffs, giving Golden State the chance to come back and win the series and later on, the finals.

During the next season, the Rockets found themselves facing the Warriors again in the conference semifinals, but this time, the Warriors were battered and injured.

Yet, the Rockets lost in six games. Things were bad, but it only got worse from there.

Tensions between Chris Paul and James Harden were rising, and in the offseason, Chris Paul demanded a trade.

The problem is that with his bad contract (four years for $159 million), Paul regressed significantly.

Chris Paul was traded to the Thunder for Russel Westbrook, which was a bad move considering that both Westbrook and Harden are ball-heavy stat padders that specialize in one-on-one situations.

The Rockets made the playoffs but lost in five games to the Lakers during the conference semifinals.

As expected, in the offseason, both James Harden and Russell Westbrook demanded a trade, so Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards for John Wall.

Later in the season, Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, completing the downfall of the Rockets. A great team that at one point was just as good as the Warriors is now in the basement of the west.

In a time when many athletes have been sidelined and are limited to watching sports reruns on TV, junior Diego Puerta said he has dedicated his time at home to taking up Olympic weightlifting.

Puerta said in a Zoom interview that in middle school, he was exposed to weightlifting in what seemed to be an ordinary conditioning session. However, this session — and additional bodyweight training in high school — is what led Puerta to a sport that has made a significant impact on his life.

“Really, it was just the first time I did [weight lifting,] and I just kind of fell in love,” Puerta said. “Quarantine has been pretty hard on me, and weightlifting has definitely been something that’s helped me [maintain] my mental health.”

For a sport that is less popular, weightlifting’s demands are intense, and the sacrifices it calls for paired with the possible lack of progress can be discouraging at times, Puerta said. On the other hand, accepting the sacrifices that come with training and maintaining a sense of discipline

is essential to being successful in the sport, Puerta said.

“You need to have the discipline to just push through those [hard] days because they’re going to happen and they’re mentally tough,” Puerta said. “You’ve just got to keep powering through and before you even get in the gym, you have to leave your ego at the door and know [weightlifting] is going to take a lot of hard work no matter what you do.”

Weightlifting at Hassle Free Barbell Club has allowed Puerta to connect with mentors and a community filled with comradery in spite of the sport’s individualistic competitions.

“Ryan Quinn [whom] I’ve trained with since middle school has been a really big inspiration to me in this field, and my new coach Kevin Doherty has also been really great,” Puerta said.

“There definitely is also that sense of brotherhood as you make really close friends, and your coaches also end up being pretty important people in your life.”

As Puerta continues to train at the gym and move forward in

Photos courtesy of Diego Puerta

WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION PREPARATION: Diego Puerta (11) has been

training for competitions for several months.

his weightlifting journey, there are different possibilities for the future.

“Weightlifting in the U.S. doesn’t pay very well because we don’t have a nationally sponsored team, so it wouldn’t be full time [for me,] but it’s still a day job to train outside of that,” Puerta said.

“I’d also like to study in the humanities or even kinesiology and go into the same fitness path.”

At the moment, Puerta said he

is training for upcoming competitions held by the Pacific Weightlifting Association in addition to the youth nationals hosted by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

The sport has unquestionably claimed a place in his future as well. “[Someday in the future], I would love to be an Olympian.

It would be a dream come true,” Puerta said.

Photo by Erin Loh

CROWDS OF FAMILIES: Household members of football, dance and cheer athletes sit distanced from other households at the football game against Gunn.

Spectators prohibited Continued from page 1 A maximum of four household members are allowed to attend for a single athlete, according to the Homestead athletic department.

These members will only be granted entry if they have an SCVAL player pass and must follow standard safety protocols during games.

“When [spectators] come to

the stadium, they sit as a foursome in a spot six feet from everybody else,” Giglio said. “Then it’s our job to make sure that people are sitting in those areas and they’re wearing their masks.”

To help visitors stay safe, bleachers are marked with tape that designates seating areas every six feet so spectators know how far to sit from other house-

Photo by Lia Klebanov

Photo courtesy of Elaine Huang AREAS OFF BOUNDS:Taped X’s on bleachers guide spectators on where to sit.

holds. Social distancing reminders are posted around the stadium, according to the athletic department. In addition, restrooms have signs to ensure only one person is inside at a time.

Although crowds are missing from games, athletes are not without support. The cheer team has done their part to motivate the football team and raise school spirit, Ananya Srivatsan, a cheerleader, said..

“It’s a little quieter during games,” Srivatsan said. “But I think us being here is probably what’s keeping the rest of the fans hyped, especially the players, because we need to cheer them on.”

Srivatsan said she misses being able to do stunts with the team and perform for a full season. However, as a graduating senior, she said she is thankful for all the opportunities she can get.

“All of us are still committed to the sport. We all show up to practice,” Srivatsan said. “Games are our reward for all our hard work, [and performing for the au-

dience] is a big part of what we do.”

For some students, attending football games every week proved to be an important high school tradition. Sophomore Amelia Craciun said she went to four of the six home football games last year. She said she misses having football games to socialize and recalls how her friends taught her the rules of football.

“It’s not just the game [that’s enjoyable],” Craciun said. “It’s also being able to spend time with your friends.”

Craciun said football games were one of the prime ways of bringing the HHS community together last year, since football is such a popular sport. Although she is disappointed, she said she understands why crowds cannot attend sporting events like football games.

“We don’t get to see friends as much since we can’t watch football games,” Craciun said.

“But the [limiting crowds was] the right decision since we’re in a pandemic.”

PAGE DESIGN BY KARUNA CHANDRAN

Sports

Thursday, April 29, 2021

15

Scoreboard

7-4

COED BADMINTON As of April 21, coed badminton has played eleven games with six wins and four losses.

I would describe the badminton season as fast-paced. We have practices everyday when we don’t have games, and games every other day. On the other hand, it’s fun because there is less pressure to win since the season is shorter.”

— Kristen Lee (11)

6-2

Photo by Miya Liu

Girls field Hockey As of April 21, girls varsity field hockey has played eight games with six wins and two losses.

y Elaine

Photo b

“I love field hockey because of the amazing community and how fast-paced the game is. It was really fun being able to return, catch up with my teammates, and play games since I have not been able to do that for over a year.

— Mallory Mitton (11)

Huang

4-4

Girls Volleyball As of April 21, girls JV volleyball has played eight games with four wins and four losses.

Photo by Miya Liu

SEASON TWO SPORTS: Pictured on the left: Kelsey Shan (10) and

Elaine Yang (11). Pictured top right: Kristen Lee (11). Pictured above: Mallory Mitton (11).

Seniors say goodbye to high school sports

By Amber Birrell and Seoyoung Hwang With the lockdown, many senior athletes including varsity soccer player Abigail O’Neill said they believed they would

Photo courtesy of Maggie Le

neither be able to play their sport in high school again nor say a proper goodbye.

However, with the recent developments allowing sports to restart, these seniors are happy to be able to play for HHS one last time, softball player Jocelyn Gonzalez Lim said.

“It’s definitely a huge season for me to play [since it ends my experience on the team for] all four years at HHS,” Lim said in a Zoom interview.

“Even though it seems small and it’s really difficult — especially during [the pandemic] — to play, it’s totally worth it to be able to finally get out of the house and go play my favorite ATTENDING SENIOR NIGHT: Seniors spend time with their teammates before graduating. sport and be around my teammates.”

Even though senior Erin Kelly said she is excited to get back to her sport, it does not mean that everything will be the same as it was before the pandemic started. Sports such as track and field have had their season cut in half along with other changes Kelly said.

“For the first time, the track coaches are going to have to do cuts,” Kelly said in a Zoom interview. “We also have to social distance when running, but the meets are going to be normal dual meets.”

Each year, teams have senior night where seniors get a chance to say goodbye to their team. Last year the swim team had to host senior night online; however, this year they were able to hold it in person,

senior Maggie Le said. “[The team] gave me really nice presents, and they had posters,” Le said in a Zoom interview. “So even though the other team wasn’t there to compete against [us,] it was still really nice, and the team gave nice speeches too.”

Playing soccer these past four years has built a community that provided O’Neill with many mentors throughout high school, she said in a Zoom interview.

“Soccer is about the people. It’s about the relationships I made in high school soccer,” O’Neill said. “You meet people that aren’t necessarily your age. It’s really special to have that relationship with someone who can mentor you.”

PAGE DESIGN BY MAE RICHARDSON

16

Spotlight

Thursday, April 29, 2021

True Stories

During this time of social change, women are bravely sharing their harassment stories on social media. Female students of all grade levels are suffering from issues with body image and feeling unsafe in their own neighborhoods. Now, we should be amplifying their voices and making a change.

78

oUT Of 138 students believe HHS does not do enough to prevent harassment.

Natalie Chin: Being comfortable in your own body

Illustration by Zoe Li

By Macy Li

How safe do students feel in a school environment?

Percantage of student respones

Based on a survey of 138 students.

I interviewed junior Natalie Chin about personal experiences with body image and struggles with overcoming harassment in public. Read their story.

I was probably 7 when I was told to dress more modestly and cover up. A family member told me they didn’t want boys to get the wrong impression about me. I have Photo courtesy of Natalie Chin been slut-shamed by family members and partners for simply wearing what I want.

Starting in middle school, I was told that I was too skinny. I was never self-conscious about it until people started making comments like it was a bad thing. People asked if I was eating and told me it looked like I had an eating disorder. They asked me if I had anorexia and told me I was unhealthily skinny. All of them were guys, and I will never understand why they would think it’s okay to comment on someone’s body.

My grandpa got safety alarms for all the women in the family. I went to San Francisco, and my dad gave me a whistle. I was, of course, appreciative. But then I got to thinking about how sad it is that they even thought to do that. Why do I need an alarm to feel safe? Catcalling and street harassment are universal experiences. I don’t feel comfortable walking alone in my own neighborhood at night.

1 (very unsafe) - 5 (very safe)

THE SCHOOL DYNAMIC: Feeling safe at school is vital for students’ academic and emotional growth. Some

HHS students feel as if there could be an improvement to the environment.

Anna Perronne: Harassment and body image

By Macy Li

Resources & Education Scan the QR code to find resources and learn more about harassment prevention.

School support regarding harassment cases COMBATING HARASSMENT:

Photo courtesy of Anna Perrone

I spoke with senior Anna Perronne about her past encounters with catcallers and her journey to feeling comfortable in her own body despite the presence of societal pressures. Here’s her story.

The first time I was catcalled, I was going on a run by myself. I heard a car slow down behind me, a couple honks, then a “hey sexy!” The car drove off. At the time, I felt awful. Did they think I, as a 14 year old girl, was slutty for wearing my neon shorts that day? I’m eternally grateful I didn’t deal with any physical harassment that day, but I banned those neon shorts for years after that.

As a child, I was always super skinny, and I wasn’t prepared for the ways my body would change as I became a teenager. I struggled with simply hating how I look and wishing I didn’t eat as much as I do. Everyone talks about social media influencers, but honestly, for me the hardest thing is seeing all my peers’ posts. I’m still working to feel comfortable with my body, and I know it will be a journey. It’s important to remember that every body is different and each person is uniquely gorgeous.

From the survey of 138 students, 78 students agreed with the claim that HHS is not doing enough to prevent harassment situations, and 60 students disagreed. The majority opinion supports the idea that many students want improvement in prevention.

56.5% HHS is not doing enough to prevent these situations

HHS is doing enough to prevent these situations

Abby Berwick: Taking precautions

By Macy Li

Photo courtesy of Abby Berwick

43.5%

46.4% Have not endured harassment

Student experiences with harassment

Have endured harassment

53.6%

DEALING WITH TRAUMA:

From the survey of 138 students, 74 students have endured harassment, and 64 students have not.The majority of students have suffered from it.

I sat down with sophomore Abby Berwick to discuss her experiences with feeling unsafe in public and her vision for combating sexual harassment. Read Abby’s story here.

When I walk home, I find myself doing things like looking around me and making sure I don’t wear my earphones. I’m scared to walk home alone, so I’ll try to walk with other people.

It’s disheartening how we have to take all these preventative measures just to feel safe in our own neighborhoods.

I think what can be done at Homestead is having more sexual harassment presentations. I think the culture of slut-shaming and not taking sexual assault seriously really showed in the comments that people typed in the chat during the Zoom meetings in Advisory.

A lot of people were apathetic or even making jokes about what was going on, but the second the speaker asked, “What if this situation had happened to your sister or your mother?,” people started realizing that it’s not something to laugh about.

I think the school has taken the right steps in having speakers and lessons about how damaging sexual assault can be and how important it is to listen to victims.

I hope that in the future, it doesn’t have to be such a taboo topic.

I think if Homestead could also extend sexual assault resources to people after they’ve become victims, that would be really good.

PAGE DESIGN BY JOSH CANTWELL-NAHRUNG, LIA KLEBANOV AND ASHLEY OROZCO