The Epitaph Volume 61, Issue 6, 2023-24

eThe Epitaph

Robotics qualifies for world championships for first time in school history

By Nathan Gu, Brian Ling and Kevin Miao

Robotics Team 670 won the Arizona East Regional competition on March 23, qualifying the members to compete in the global championship for the first time in the program’s history, president Geoffrey Edge said. The championship tournament will be held on April 17 in Houston.

“This is significant because our team has been around since 2001 and we’ve never actually gone to the world championship by qualifying for an official event,” Edge, a senior, said. “This is a really big deal because we made school history.”

The team received the prompt for the competition two months prior to the event and has been working hard to create their robot since, fellow officer, junior Auhon Haldar said. The prompt requires teams to design a robot that can take foam rings and shoot them into different goals on a field. Winners are determined using a point-based system.

With only two months to assemble their competition robot from scratch, Edge said the team was on a tight schedule and had to work fast.

“We’ve [spent] about 20 hours a

week in person and then some more out side,” Edge said. “First we started out with a rough sketch of what we wanted, and then we moved into designing each [component] starting with prototypes, then a more refined version. We eventually put together an alpha robot.”

The team’s first competition this sea son was the Silicon Valley Regional, which ended in a loss, Edge said. Despite this, the team was able to learn from the experience, better preparing them for the Arizona East Regionals.

“[We were able to] do small iterations to improve everything and then get a lot of practice in before Arizona,” Edge said. “We [had] very few issues in Arizona, just some minor mechanical things, nothing electrical, a couple of software bugs, [and] that’s par for the course.”

The robot’s design process was more ef ficient than it was in previous years, Haldar said, which played a part in the team’s over whelming victory.

“Our [improved] system and having two different revisions significantly helped us this year,” Haldar said. “Going forward, we want to keep that, because it allows us to have tech using the robot while having mech work on the electrical [side of the] robot.”

Throughout the season, robotics adviser Ed Taylor said he has seen steady improve ment in both the club’s organization, its technical capability and its ability to manage and gather funds.

“We had a push on fundraising to bring in enough funds so we can build two robots in parallel,” Taylor said. “That allows the students to make mechanical improvements and changes to the robot while the software team actually can work on the software, so it

Earth Day event to be held district-wide

By Danielle Feldsher, Parker Lin and Aviv Matas

The first ever district-wide Earth Day event is being hosted by the FUHSD Climate Collective at the Computer History Museum on April 11, freshman Sufee Kathane, who serves as the grant and booth sub-committee lead, said.

The free event is split into three different

Opinion

A necessary approach to U.S. history: Incorporating critical race theory is essential to history curriculums

Months of hard work culminate in unforeseen victory Page 6

sections. During the pre-program, local organizations will offer green career path-related internships and resources for students, Kathane said. Next, the event will include a short seated program with speakers like Rep. Ro Khanna and National Geographic explorers.

The third and longest part of the event features 50 student projects from all five FUHSD schools on different ways to alleviate climate change, such as recycling whiteboard markers, an interactive trash mural and short films and animations.

See Earth Day event, Page 2

Lifestyles

gy this year by creating a detailed prototype robot out of cheaper material first, so the tech team could develop and test the code while the competition robot was being built, Haldar said. This system made sure different teams worked as efficiently as possible.

On the first day of the competition, Team 670 placed first after facing off against 42 teams in qualification matches, Haldar said. The team’s victory allowed its members to choose their teammates for the playoff matches.

“Once we had our lines of three teams, we competed in playoff matches, which is a double elimination format,” Haldar said. “So if you lose two matches, you are out for good. We won all of our matches, so that was never really an issue for us.”

After two long months of hard work, the team secured the victory and its spot in the global championship, Edge said.

“Once the final scores got posted, everyone was really, really happy and excited,”

and it was just a great sense of accomplishment.”

In the weeks leading up to the world championship, the team is working to fix problems that were brought up during the Arizona East Regional, Haldar said.

“Before going to worlds, we want to make sure that the robot has as few points of failure as possible, especially making certain systems that are prone to getting hit more robust,” Haldar said. “Reducing any possible risks is our main priority.”

There will be over 600 teams from around the world competing at the world championship, so it is unreasonable to expect another overwhelming victory, Haldar said.

“Currently, we’re hoping to at least get to divisional playoffs,” Haldar said. “If we win and manage to make it to [the finals], then that would be incredible for the team.”

ASB revises prom due to funding issues

Prom to include juniors, seniors, more amenities

By Annie Guo and Veronica Zhao

Due to declining enrollment and a lack of funding, this year’s prom, scheduled for May 25 at The Tech Interactive Museum in San Jose, will merge the previously-separate junior and senior proms, leadership teacher Jessica Kirby said. The decision was made to maintain the quality of the dance while remaining within the budget, Kirby said.

Arts & Culture

‘Dune:

Sports

Although there were several options for what this year’s prom would look like, ASB ultimately decided on combining junior and senior prom into a joint event after examining the results of a survey the class cabinets conducted last school year, Kirby said.

“We will not be able to afford two proms unless both are on campus. However, in the survey, we found that people don’t necessarily want to have prom on campus,” Kirby said. “The consensus was to make one prom so we can make sure we get a nice venue, afford all the things and everyone can attend.”

See Prom preparations, Page 3

Sprint coach steps down: Disagreements disrupt track athletes’ training

Event aims to educate climate efforts of attendees

Photo by Evelyn Wang

“[The team] had many ideas and created many prototypes before deciding on a final one,” community lead Auhon Haldar said.

PE teacher awarded for impact on students

Kyle Bonvechio receives annual teacher of the year award from committee

By Elena Shim and Mackie Vu

Selected by members of the teacher of the year committee, P.E. teacher Kyle Bonvechio received the teacher of the year (TOTY) award on Feb. 19. The award is given for excellence in teaching by a committee of previous recipients.

A member of the committee, English teacher Shawnee Rivera, said she planned meetings with the other committee members to decide on the recipient of the award.

“Once we get all the nominations in, we have a meeting where for every single person that was nominated, somebody from their department talks about that person,” Rivera said. “It usually helps to fill in the gap of understanding the teachers from other departments.”

Rivera said that after gathering information on each of the nominees, several rounds of voting occurred until only the recipient of the award remained.

After the votes were finalized, the members of the committee collectively announced TOTY on the following Monday, Rivera said.

Chemistry teacher Chris Nafrada, who is on the selection committee, said he thought Bonvechio was a deserving candidate for the award, as he acts as a trusted adult for many students.

“Bonvechio goes above and beyond and

makes connections with every one of his students,” Nafrada said. “There are many students on campus who look at him as a trusted adult.”

As a close colleague of Bonvechio, Nafrada said Bonvechio has gone beyond just teaching students about physical education and has provided students with essential life skills.

“He’s not just about the physicalities of a sport, exercising or working out,” Nafrada said. “He really focuses on nurturing the body, soul and mind.”

Throughout Bonvechio’s teaching career, Nafrada said he has seen significant growth in terms of Bonvechio’s responsibilities.

“Seeing him go from a P.E. teacher to teaching academic foundations is a whole different ball game,” Nafrada said. “Seeing him transition into that role has been amazing.”

Freshman Timothy Lee, a student in Bonvechio’s PE 9 class, said he feels Bonvechio is deserving of the award as he defines rules and makes workouts enjoyable for his classes.

Bonvechio, who has been teaching at HHS for 11 years, said he aims to emphasize student-teacher connections, as it benefits the education of students.

“[Connecting with students is] an extremely important tool in the classroom to help students stay engaged and buy into what you’re doing in the classroom,” Bonvechio said.

As a result, Lee said Bonvechio’s approach to teaching is beneficial for the learning environment of students.

Earth Day event

Continuedfrompage1

The event is meant to highlight the many different ways students and teachers are tackling climate change as a community, Climate Collective student lead Elisa Floyd said.

With many of the people in attendance being youth, the pre-program and drama skit aim to educate students on possible careers that help the environment, Floyd, a senior, said. To reach a wide audience, planning a multidisciplinary event was key, which included the immersion of different subjects and topics that connect back to climate change.

“We intentionally reached out to not just science fields, where we typically associate with climate solutions, but all the different ways in which we uniquely tackle climate change,” Floyd said. “There’s a wide array, and we’ve split them into a narrative attendees can walk through when they come to our event.”

Additionally, FUHSD science lead Kavita Gupta said the activities being hosted at the event will broaden students’ understanding of climate change and influence others to start fighting against climate issues.

“We don’t have pathways to teach our students about environmental literacy or sustainability,” Gupta, an MVHS teacher said. “[The FUHSD] student population is curious about learning more about what’s going on around them in their community and they have a real appetite for this kind of learning.”

Floyd said the main objective of the event is to encourage students to voice their ideas on climate change.

“The whole idea of this event is to highlight students’ voices. We’re the ones that are going to receive this education in the classroom,” Floyd said. “Ultimately we’re the ones that are going to be affected the most as climate change worsens, and we’re going to be responsible.

Similarly, superintendent Graham Clark said this event is a celebration of all the hard work and dedication students have put into such projects throughout the year, both independently and collaboratively.

“There’s a lot of things that the school can do from a physical side, which we’re trying to do in terms of solar power, energy efficiency, using less power and making our buildings more [environmentally] efficient,” Clark said. “But as educational institutions, what we [can] do is [offer] more education

FUHSD Earth Day

Location:

Computer History Museum, 1401 N Shoreline Blvd.

Date: April 11

Time: 5-8 p.m. Scan here for tickets

and tell students, these are the types of issues that you need to be working on leading [into] the future.”

Climate education isn’t a required course in FUHSD and is mostly embedded into the curriculum of different courses, Clark said. The Earth Day event will help alleviate this need, allowing students to understand the impacts of climate change, how it affects the community they live in and what they can do to mitigate these effects, Clark added.

This event is the first of its kind and will become an annual showcase of everything created by students fighting against climate change, Gupta said. Gupta added that she is amazed and inspired by students’ desire to learn and create their own understanding of climate change.

“Our students are feeling a sort of urgency around it. They know that climate change is happening,” Gupta said. “They see the weather patterns changing around them, they see the impacts of the slow-changing things. They are worried for the future and they want to do more than what is being done right now.”

“It’s not like he demands everyone to follow certain rules but whatever rules he sets, everyone follows really well,” Lee said. “We all respect him as a teacher for everything that he does.”

Looking forward, Bonvechio said he wants to continue building relationships with his students, which he said is one of the most crucial parts of his job.

“Especially in the physical education area, student engagement is huge because we’re up and moving and not just at desks,” Bonvechio said. “So just maintaining and

continuing to find different ways to help students enjoy their experiences in physical education is important.”

Receiving the TOTY award is a significant achievement in any teacher’s career, Bonvechio said.

“I’m usually able to come up with some words to describe how I’m feeling but I didn’t know what to say,” Bonvechio said. “It felt really good to hear that what I do on this campus for staff and students is recognized, so [I am] extremely honored and privileged to receive this recognition.”

Behind the scenes of multicultural week

New events to include fire dancing, interactive cookbook

By Maya Dutt and Malar Raguraman

Every year, the English Learner program coordinates multicultural week, a time to celebrate the cultures on campus, leadership teacher Jessica Kirby said. This year’s multicultural week was held from April 1-5.

To prepare for this event, the EL commissioners planned for cultural clubs to host activities during brunch and lunch, EL commissioner Thien-Mai Vu said. Activities also included performances from outside groups including Mariachi and Jazz bands, Vu, a junior, added.

“[Planning was] a lot of sending emails to meet with different people and scheduling,” EL commissioner, senior Chetan Kurkure said. “We meet with all of the clubs to go over guidelines, what to do, the documents to fill out, what decorations they are going to have and what they are selling.”

Additionally, Vu said planning for multicultural week required advertising, both on campus and online.

“I’ve been doing a lot of the marketing and advertising side of [planning],” Vu said. “We had mic announcements and made a lot of posts and videos on Instagram. We also had specific posts for [the fashion show], which we shared to advertise the [sign-up] form that’s open to anybody.”

Most of this planning was for multicultural night, which will happen from 4:30-7 p.m. on April 5, Kirby said. The event features a fashion show as well as performances and food booths, Kirby added, all to happen in the HHS quad.

co-president Nitya Peumans said she is responsible for running Indopak’s booth alongside other officers.

“We are going to have a doorway arch [and] put up a flag of India,” Peumans, a senior, said. “Then we will have a booth to sell samosas and chai. We sell this every year [and] they are crowd favorites. We made a couple hundred last year and that was helpful in buying costumes and funding socials for our teams.”

New additions to multicultural night are a cookbook that is accessible to everyone, which will include the recipes of foods the clubs will sell, as well as a fire dance, Kurkure said.

“[The fire dance] has literal fire, so we had to get that approved by our admin,” Kukure said, “but we’re gonna have that towards the end of the night when it gets darker. It’s gonna be really exciting.”

Of all the school events she helps to plan, Kirby said multicultural week is her favorite because it brings the whole community together and celebrates the diversity of the student body.

“We have a huge range of students from all over the world,” Kirby said. “This week really speaks to a lot of students on campus who maybe do not feel connected to the school events that we do. I feel like the engagement overall is much higher in multicultural week compared to other events … it’s a reminder of how cool HHS is.”

Indopak Booths are one of the largest parts of multicultural night, featuring cultural foods and activities, senior Chetan Kurkure said.

P.E. teacher Kyle Bonvechio (right) practices flexibility with his student, Santiago Ruspini. Bonvechio said establishing connections with his students is important in his teaching practice.

Photo by Faith Watters

Infographic by Parker Lin

Photo by Natahan Gu

4

Prom preparations

Continuedfrompage1

Aside from combining junior and senior prom, another change ASB made to the event is hosting it on a Saturday instead of on Friday like in previous years, senior class cabinet member Cindy Wang said.

“The student body requested for prom to be on Saturday because it avoids conflicts with sports and gives people more time to hangout and get ready before the dance,” Wang said. “ASB decided to make this change to accommodate this.”

The venue for prom will include two separate floors in which both grades can enter. Additionally, this year’s prom will include amenities that were not available at proms in previous years, Wang said.

“We had to do a combined prom to maintain its quality without making the tickets super expensive,” Wang said. “For example, this year we're doing a lot more food. Last year we only had 50 desserts, but this year we have a caterer with mini appetizers and more dessert options. We're also planning on having a photo booth because we’re trying to provide more things to compensate for the fact that it's a combined prom.”

Ticket sales for the event will start on April 23 and can be purchased through the student store or on campus. The ticket prices will be $70 for students with ASB, $80 for students without and $90 for guest tickets, junior class cabinet member Devishi Mishra said.

However, a reduced price is

available by completing an income eligibility form to qualify for financial assistance. This form can be found on the 2024 prom information sheet, Kirby said in an email.

As ASB works on the finishing touches for prom, some members have set goals for the event, Kirby said. Specifically, Wang said her goal is that the remaining revenue from prom can be used for small events to give back to the senior class.

“If we make enough revenue, I hope to give back to the seniors, like an end-of-year treat for them,” Wang said. “Last year they gave cookies to all the seniors. This year, if we have remaining funds, we could do something similar to that. In terms of prom, our goal is to exceed people's expectations despite the fact that it's a combined prom.”

Similarly, another goal ASB has for the event is for it to serve as an inclusive outlet for students to have fun and participate in, whether they enjoy dancing or not, Kirby said.

“I hope everyone has a really good time and I hope people see the positives of having a prom at a unique location that gives access [to a lot more activities] and is a lot more inclusive for all students, even those who don’t want to dance,” Kirby said. “I've been to a lot of proms and there are a lot of students who do not like to dance but they still go because it's the one thing they want to do to culminate their high school experience.”

News in a minute

By Evelyn Wang

The Epitaph Aging infrastructure prompts construction outside campus

Cal Water project will continue to cause road closures later this month

By Saira Ahmed, Nicole Kim and Rajiv Venkatesh

Since December, the California Water Service has been replacing older, leak-prone infrastructure along Homestead Road, with the resulting road closures affecting traffic and crosswalk flow outside the staff parking lot, Cal Water superintendent David Tamburovic said.

The project’s first phase will wrap up by the end of the school year. Roads will be closed again around spring break, when the construction team plans to repave the road from Wright Avenue to Noranda Drive, marking the end of this phase of the project, Tamburovic said. The project is intended to replace the previous six-inch water main under Homestead Road. This pipe was identified by Cal Water’s leak database after it kept bursting, a common issue with aging pipes, Tamburovic said.

The newly installed, 12-inch water main has a wider diameter, allowing more water flow to nearby residents on South Mary Avenue and Samedra Street.

Meanwhile, the school’s water flow will remain the same, because it runs on a separate 18inch main pipe, Tamburovic said. Having separate pipes means the school is unaffected by routine water shutdowns that sometimes affect others in the area, Tamburovic added.

The construction team worked to replace the water main throughout January and February, excluding rainy days. The weather delayed the installation schedule, principal Greg Giglio said, so the team has been here longer than they were originally scheduled.

They closed off the intersection between Homestead and Samedra to pursue the project, rerouting senior Alan Ma’s walk home for two days. He said it took twice as long to get back home.

“It was mainly just an inconvenience,” Ma said. “I wish they had an extra notice, perhaps from the public authorities. I certainly didn’t receive anything myself and I don’t believe my parents did either, regarding the construction.”

Traffic along Homestead and Mary was also backed up, and depending on the direction in which students and staff were

coming to campus, certain turns were blocked, Giglio said. He said he also received an email from a neighbor who expressed frustration, assuming it was an HHS project.

“I think they’ve been a little annoyed with it just because it’s happening right in front of their houses,” Giglio said. “But other than that minor frustration, I’m glad that it’s getting done.”

Construction naturally slows things down, Tamburovic said, but the crew has tried to reduce the inconvenience for students and staff by doing most of the work during school hours. However, because students have the freedom to decide when they can leave campus, whether they have a free period or leave during lunch, Tamburovic said it was not always possible to work only at times when cars were not on the road.

“It’s harder to predict the flow of traffic here,” Tamburovic added. “In the morning it’s more predict-

able, but later in the day it’s harder with the way the school’s schedule is.”

Despite its temporary disruption of traffic, Tamburovic said the newly installed water main will ensure more effective fire protection with increased water flow from hydrants, and reduce the number of leaks overall.

“The main is brand new so it should hold for a while,” he added. “You have earthquakes and stuff you can’t predict, but overall, the job was worth it.”

The second phase of this project will begin in two years, Tamburovic said. This part of the project will go in the opposite direction as the current portion, running beneath the I-85 highway and toward Stevens Creek.

“It’s a first-world experience, because some people have to walk a couple of miles to get water,” Tamburovic said. “Here, you have a live river underneath the ground, and you don't even realize it.”

Local: California voters approve ballot measure that funds health initiatives for the homeless Proposition 1, a ballot that was narrowly passed on March 5, authorizes $6.4 billion in bonds to revamp the mental health care system and provide resources for drug treatment, according to CBS News. Spearheading the proposition, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the ballot plays a key role in addressing the issue of homelessness by increasing access to housing and treatment beds across the state.

As the first major update to the 2004 Mental Health Services Act, which taxed those with an income of over $1 million to fund mental health services, the proposition re-

allocates funds generated by the act. Specifically, the proposition authorizes California to build over 7,000 addiction and mental health treatment beds and 4,350 housing units, with half of them being reserved for veterans, according to CBS News.

National: Bipartisan government funding bill includes provision that bans pride flags from being flown over U.S. embassies

A bipartisan government funding bill signed by President Joe Biden included a provision which states that only the specific flags listed in the bill will be flown over embassies; the provision was part of a Republican effort to ban the

display of pride flags in government buildings, according to NBC News. After Biden signed a $1.2 trillion bill on March 23, his administration pledged to find a way to repeal the provision. Although it was unable to block the flag provision, White House representatives said that they prevented 50 others that targeted the LGBTQ+ community, according to CNN.

International: Russia and Belarus banned from the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony

The International Olympics Committee announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes are to be prohibited from partaking in the Parade of Nations at the open-

ing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to AP News. The IOC ban follows the International Paralympic Committee ban, which was announced two weeks prior. Russian and Belarusian athletes have already been banned from team sports due to the war in Ukraine and prospective individual athletes must be granted neutral status by the IOC and the governing body of their sport before competing, according to AP News. While publicly supporting the invasion of Ukraine has been outlined as a reason for denial, it is still unclear whether membership of Russian military sports teams, such as the soccer team CSKA Moscow, will result in the same outcome, according to AP News.

Photo by Saira Ahmed

Junior class cabinet officers Leela Menon (left) and Devishi Mishra (right) sell HHS merch to fundraise for prom.

Photo by Veronica Zhao

Construction on the Homestead-Mary intersection caused longer commute times for students like senior Alan Ma.

A construction team from Cal Water worked to replace the six-inch water main from Dec. 2023 to February.

Photos courtesy of David Tamburovic

Editors-in-Chief

Nicole Kim

Rajiv Venkatesh

Managing Editor

Saira Ahmed

News Editors

Brian Ling

Evelyn Wang

Opinion Editors

Anushruti Nagarajan

Lindsey Steel

Lifestyles Editors

Ella Chan

Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

Arts & Culture Editors

Parth Dhaulakhandi

Veronica Zhao

Sports Editors

Nathan Gu

Helen Tam

Senior Design Editor

Mackie Vu

Junior Design Editor

Maya Dutt

Senior Multimedia Editor

Veronica Zhao

Junior Multimedia Editor

Catherine Yang

Senior Social Media Editor

Annabelle Yip

Junior Social Media Editors

Amanda Boles

Elena Shim

Art Editor

Faith Watters

Reporters

Sanah Arya

Andrew Fekete

Danielle Feldsher

Annie Guo

Parker Lin

Alicia Liste

Aviv Matas

Kevin Miao

Adam Orrin

Mikha Pilar

Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Malar Raguraman

Naaga Senthil

Harshi Vijayakumar

Jonathan Xue

Adviser

Natalie Owsley

Mission Statement

Shots fired: administrators must reconsider stance on senior assassin

By Harshi Vijayakumar

Seniors don floaties and fill up water guns to mark the beginning of senior assassin, a competitive game where players are assigned targets and eliminate them with water guns. This lighthearted game is a final tribute to our high school careers, yet the administration treats it as a top-tier threat to our education.

In past years, administration has tried to reduce the number of people who play by informing the student body of the consequences that could occur from playing, including suspension, Saturday school, detention, losing the privilege to attend prom or losing the privilege to have a role at graduation, Giglio said. There have been instances in the past where students have gotten hurt because of the game, and end up missing school because they are scared or uncomfortable, Giglio said. However, such consequences are most-

ly unwarranted for a game that causes minimal harm.

Senior assassin is nothing but beneficial to the HHS community. Instead of being separated into cliques, the game allows ev eryone to bond as a collective class before we graduate.

IllustrationbyHarshi Vijayakumar

As col lege decisions roll out, it is in the school’s best interest to make sure seniors stay close, interacting and treating each other like friends instead of with animosi ty during stressful times.

Faye

The game also does not pose a risk on campus. The game is only played outside of school, with crosswalks near campus also des-

campus and only serves to unite students.

Restricting the ballot

Politicians should not determine candidates’ ability to serve

By Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

With a presidential election fast approaching, controversies have sprung up frequently, and even the election ballot has become contested. In February, Donald Trump, one of the Republican presidential candidates, was involved in a Supreme Court case about whether he could be present on Colorado’s primary ballot.

Colorado argued that because Trump incited an insurrection in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, he should be removed as an option on the ballot. Their reasoning was based upon the Insurrection Clause of the Constitution, which bans those who “engaged in insurrection” against the United States from holding elected office without the approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate.

The Supreme Court issued an opinion declaring that this power is only granted to Congress, so states do not have the right to disqualify a presidential candidate, according to Politico. Regardless of one’s personal opinions regarding Trump, this decision was a correct choice, ultimately protecting the democratic process of elections.

Despite the outcome of this ruling, the fact that disqualifying a candidate was raised in the first place is concerning. The idea of removing a candidate from the ballot is extreme and detrimental to democracy.

Elections are a way for citizens to choose someone who represents

their needs. However, if candidates can be so easily disqualified from elections, people could be prevented from electing a candidate who fights for their causes.

Given the violence at the Capitol on Jan 6. still has not been ruled upon as an insurrection, it would be unlawful to claim an insurrection as the basis for Trump’s removal from ballots. This might open a path for others to use such excuses to disqualify future candidates.

If the Supreme Court were to allow Colorado to remove Trump from the ballot, it would set a dangerous precedent, granting states the power to eliminate candidates from elections. In this scenario, states would have the ability to effectively silence the voice of the people by eliminating their opportunity to elect officials who represent them.

For example, state officials could narrowly win an election, then abuse their power in office to prevent their opponents from running. This could essentially establish a dictatorship with no opportunity for citizens to elect officials with differing or opposing views.

Elections form the very foundation of democracy, providing the public an opportunity to influence their government. A diverse variety of candidates, no matter how extreme, is essential in allowing people to vote for those who best represent them and their ideals.

Looking through an objective lens, the Supreme Court made the correct decision by preventing Colorado from removing Trump from the election ballot, preserving citizens’ crucial right to elect the government officials they want.

If class time is not disturbed and the game is entirely off campus, administration should not be able to dictate whether or not the game is played. and Seniors should not have to compromise having fun to follow administrators’ rules. As a senior, there is nothing more im-

portant to me than making lasting memories with my friends before graduation. I can think of no better way to commemorate our high school journey than with a light-hearted game, and it is disappointing that administration does not have this same priority. Instead, they discourage us from enjoying our remaining months together.

While administrators have valid concerns, senior assassin will likely occur no matter what staff does to mitigate it. Enforcing strict rules upon this activity builds an atmosphere of distrust among students regarding staff, destroying the very culture of inclusivity the school tries to promote.

Senior assassin is a testament to the time we have spent together as classmates. Instead of fixating on a game that will serve as a reminder of the memories created by the class of 2024, administration should let us enjoy the final tribute to our high school careers.

A disconnect with democracy

AP US Government lacks connections to real-world politics

By Lindsey Steel

Politics, while controversial, is an essential part of the world we live in, and there is no better place to begin engaging with these topics than in the classroom. Although courses like AP U.S. Government and Politics aim to familiarize students with the political arena, I’ve found that the class barely touches on these concepts, ultimately preventing students from making connections to the world we live in.

The objective of AP U.S. Government and Politics is to provide students with the foundation to make informed decisions and engage in our democracy by covering topics such as political participation, branches of our government and civil liberties, according to College Board. While these topics are necessary in helping students form their own educated opinions, the course is ineffective in preparing students for civic engagement.

As an AP Government student, I’ve consistently been disappointed by the lack of discussions or debates held in class. Open discourse is imperative as it encourages students to understand different perspectives, even when they do not

Illustration by Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

The Supreme Court ruled correctly when it kept former President Donald Trump on the primary ballot.

ization. Students cannot become effective advocates or influence our government if they do not fully understand the viewpoints around them. Depriving students of a place to hold these conversations is doing them a disservice.

With an election mere months away, as well as women’s and LGBTQ+ rights on the line, the need for classwide discussions has never been more pressing. For a course that is supposed to prepare students to make informed decisions, I’ve heard very few connections made between course material and its real-world implications.

For instance, the class covers how 18-year-olds got the right to vote with the passing of the 26th amendment, but not how to register to vote ourselves as we turn 18. This is particularly disappointing given the record-low turnout rates for the primary election, especially among young voters.

In the last several years, unprecedented events have occurred in American politics, from the Jan. 6 insurrection, to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, to a presidential race between the oldest candidates in our country’s history. Yet, there has been virtually no talk about this in the classroom, hindering students from grasping the extent of the events happening around us and preventing us from seeking important change.

Few classes have the ability to impact students and leave them ing skills the way AP Government does.

If teachers want dents fully grow as citizens, advocates and leaders, they must age these

In an era marked by turmoil, the need for political discussions is critical but is overlooked in government classes.

Eighteen: simply another number

Turning 18 comes with responsibilities, we must take accountability

By Anushruti Nagarajan

COLUMN — Seniors, as we near the end of our high school journeys, turning 18 and approaching adulthood has us envisioning all the freedom that comes with this milestone. It is easy to get caught up thinking about all the exciting opportunities we can embark on while finding our place in the world. However, this antici pation causes us to overlook how much we have to grow the next three months.

In American society, people often fixate on receiving praise for their achievements as they wait for the next significant milestone in their lives. From as early as elementary school, we would always be met with a “great job” sticker for completing our homework on time.

take the little time we have left in high school and our homes to grow, both intellectually and emotionally, into the individuals we aspire to be. Adulthood is not just about gaining independence and new privileges — it is about taking accountability for your actions, learning your weaknesses and being comfortable with making mistakes.

Moreover, let us remember that growth is not limited to a specific age or milestone. Learning is a lifelong process, and every moment presents an opportunity for growth and self-improvement.

Whether we are 18, 21 or 100, there are always new experiences to embrace. Every experience in life comes with its lessons to learn about yourself and from other people. We should not wait anxiously for life to happen, but instead actively participate in making ourselves into the people we want to be.

Advisory fails to make an impact

Repetitive lessons do not resonate with students

By Amanda Boles

For years, advisory and other similar programs have been a staple in every school I have attended. Advisory has a noble purpose: to eliminate discrimination and provide a safe learning environment. However, it has always lacked in execution.

At first, I embraced advisories, as they presented novel and useful information. However, after having seen the same video comparing consent to drinking tea at least five times, advisory is no longer presenting new, relevant information.

Repetition often works well to help students remember and reflect on important information. However, I often witness students grumbling at the thought of spending another 40 minutes of their day sitting through a presentation they have already seen. This is a clear sign that advisory needs to move away from monotony.

voke thoughtful conversation. This is because it allowed students to share their personal experiences with issues like racism and homophobia. That incentivized students to participate, because they were conversing about real events and people, rather than watching a video on the internet.

Moreover, sharing events on campus highlights conflicts within our community and provides the necessary context for advisory lessons. They helped me understand how and where the presented information could be applied within our community to make a positive impact, leading to a more fulfilling experience.

Additionally, being newly aware of current events allowed me and others to reflect on similar past events on campus. After seeing others share their experiences, we were inspired to share our connections to the topics being discussed. This advisory format is able to successfully set people up for more meaningful interactions because it does not rely on madeup scenarios to stimulate conversation.

Most importantly, student-led advisories can create a platform for underrepresented and marginalized communities. This system will allow HHS to address misconceptions or misconduct on a schoolwide level.

Many of the conflicts brought up within the last advisory were ones I was unaware of, such as people being called a slur or being body shamed. One of advisory’s greatest strengths is getting students and staff to collectively reflect on and learn about a topic. This shared time is something we should take advantage of to achieve advisory’s intended purpose.

If we truly want to expand the reach of advisory, it only makes sense to incorporate the opinions of the students the lessons are meant to benefit. I have witnessed our current method not working, with students being distracted and inattentive during every lesson. Regularly inviting students to work on advisory offers a valuable opportunity for us to advocate for changes that truly resonate on campus.

Suddenly, for every step we take, we expect there to be a reward of some sort for engaging in this mentality. Because of this, individuals often waste their time counting down to the next thing to look forward to, rather than making the most of their opportunities here and now.

Instead of focusing on what will happen next in life, we should

Private schools decrease diversity, resources

By Maya Dutt

So, to the Class of 2024, and to all who are embarking on the new and exciting journey of adulthood, let us approach this milestone with gratitude for the opportunities it brings. At the same time, let us stay vigilant and have the humility to conquer every new challenge.

With love,

Anu

The intended goal of advisory could be achieved much more effectively if more lessons were student led. When students decide advisory topics, it allows them to address issues within our community in a timely manner. Clubs and other student groups on campus should work on advisories to create lessons that are relevant to communities within HHS. They should implement activities that spread awareness around a topic to encourage positive changes on campus.

For example, last month’s advisory, co-led by Black Student Union’s president and contributed to by Pride Club, was able to pro -

Allowing students to use advisory as a platform to speak out about issues on campus incentivizes others to have meaningful conversations.

Are private schools worth the cost?

the world around us. This is the price we paid for a private school education.

Private schools open new horizons for students

After spending eight years in a small, private school, I wanted something different. When I was deciding on a high school, teachers recommended private schools because they said public schools did not provide adequate support and opportunities.

Nonetheless, I decided to attend HHS, and it was the best decision I could have made. HHS has reputed programs such as band and robotics, as well as a diverse, vibrant community. However, many people still flee to private schools because of stereotypes that began after desegregation.

After the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, white families turned to private schools to avoid racial integration, and enrollment in private schools increased 43%, according to the Southern Education Foundation. The effects can still be seen today. In 2017, 69% of private school students were white, while Black and Hispanic students made up 19%.

Private schools automatically exclude a huge demographic of families because of their hefty price tags. Socioeconomic diversity is just as important as other types of diversity, but is severely lacking in most private schools. In my private school, almost everyone was upper class, so we had never seen the struggles of lower-class families.

As a result, we internalized prejudices, and while public school has helped me educate myself, I can still see the effects of these biases. For example, some of my friends were aghast when I told them I take the bus to school, saying things like “Isn’t it dirty?” or “Aren’t there weird people?” These things are not true, but we had formed these ideas because of a lack of understanding of

Many private schools argue that their tight-knit community justifies their cost. However, the worst part of a small school can sometimes be the community itself. I was friends with most people in my school, but I knew others who struggled with loneliness. They were trapped because they were excluded and had no other community they could turn to because of the school size.

The lack of diversity also causes discrimination. In one instance, a friend of mine in a rich Catholic school said someone told her that no one liked her because she did not own a Tesla. We should not pay for a community that excludes children based on their perceived social status.

While private schools can help you get into prestigious universities, their cost cannot justify their damage to public schools and to their own students. Vouchers and scholarships will not solve the problem, but instead take away vital resources from public schools. We must bring resources back to public schools and dismantle the unhealthy hold private schools have on our society.

By Andrew Fekete

Whether they are public or private, schools are the gateway to a child’s success as they reach adulthood. Many wonder what the purpose of private school is if students can just go to school for free and mostly have the same opportunities. However, private schools provide many unique benefits, including a closer community, increased access to higher education and tailored advantages like better sports or academic programs, making the money a worthwhile investment.

I spent 10 years in a private Catholic school, and the biggest benefit I found was the sense of community there. At private schools, there are fewer students in each grade, so it is easier to connect with other students no matter their age.

This allowed older kids to learn how to be better role models because they were around younger kids more than in public school, while younger kids had more role models to look up to than just their teachers.

Additionally,

since there are not many students in each class, the teacher can spend more time with each student. Instead of just learning about academics, my teachers were able to show me how to be a better person, because they could help students individually since there were fewer of them. However, at HHS, it is difficult to have the same conversations with my teachers because of the large class sizes.

Another benefit of private schools is the ability to integrate religious teachings into the curriculum, which public schools are not allowed to do. During a typical school day, religious private schools integrate teachings, such as studying religious text.

This allowed me to grow closer to God and my faith as a whole because I was able to learn about my faith every day of the week. This also allowed me to not have to take Sunday school, which would have been difficult to go to because of the sports I play on Sundays.

Additionally, the prestige and connection of a private school paired with their more rigorous and specialized curriculum can help you get into a better college. Their sports programs can also help improve an athlete’s chances of getting recruited for their sport because of their facilities and coaches. While just 8.5% of high school students in 2019 went to private school, those students were 40% of the student body at schools like Harvard and Yale, according to Forbes.

When picking a private school, selecting the school that is the right fit for a student’s needs is key. For example, picking a private school with top sports programs is not worth it if you are strongest with your studies — it would be better to go to a highly educationally focused school instead. As long as you pick the right private school, the benefits they offer are well worth it.

Illustration by Annabelle Yip

Illustration by Amanda Boles

While private schools can offer extra support, their opportunities are restricted by income.

No ‘easy A’ in Advanced Placement classes

All advanced courses should be respected

By Faith Watters

Not a month goes by that I do not hear one of my peers say, “You should take AP Art or AP Psychology, they are so easy.” While this sentiment often comes from a place of wanting to help a fellow student succeed, it instead perpetuates a harmful narrative about the difficulty of these classes.

No AP should be considered “easy” or “free,” as many advanced classes require prior experience to succeed. High pass rates — such as in language exams — can be deceiving, as many students taking them are already fluent. For example, after removing native speakers, the pass rate for AP Japanese went from 75.5% to 53.5%, with other languages following similar trends, according to AP Central.

The “easy AP” myth is a by product of the area that we live in. HHS has an AP exam pass rate of 90% compared to the national average of 60%, according to Niche. It is essential to give ourselves

and others credit, and acknowledge that classes brushed off here are considered nearly impossible in other places.

As an AP Art student, hearing my peers describe the course like it is not an AP is very damaging, especially when they are not taking it themselves. I struggle with impostor syndrome, and have experienced lowered motivation when others undermine the work that goes in.

Taking AP courses can provide many benefits that are undermined by the “easy AP” culture. Advanced courses allow students to challenge themselves in a specific niche that they are passionate about, and if taught well, set them up for success in later life. These benefits are not exclusive to the most difficult courses — inversely, some “easy” courses like statistics provide more day-to-day benefits than calculus.

While some AP classes have more digestible content or simpler exams, they all pose a level of difficulty that should not be minimized.

The culture surrounding “easy” AP courses discourages students and undermines their efforts.

All advanced courses requires hours of work to succeed in, and students who are taking “easy” APs should not be put down for it.

A necessary approach to US history

Incorporating critical race theory is essential to history curriculums

By Nicole Kim

It is said the purpose of learning history is to ensure mistakes of the past are not repeated. While this remains true, there is another equally imperative purpose — to understand how those mistakes affect the present. In a nation where race and racism are deeply intertwined in our country’s history, students must learn history within the context of race, and all U.S. history curriculums should incorporate critical race theory.

On paper, critical race theory is a way of teaching U.S. history through the context of racism and analyzing how it informs modern-day disparities, according to AP News. Race and racism, with all of their complexities, lay at the root of U.S. history. By teaching critical race theory, students can enrich their knowledge of these constructs in the United States to understand modern-day issues.

An example of this is instruction on the Civil War. While basic teaching might attribute the end of the Civil War to the end of slavery, a CRT-based approach would consider how racism persisted during the Reconstruction Era and informed later social-justice movements. A correlation could then be made to how racism became institutionalized in voting and land ownership and how it continues to affect current legal systems.

France paves the way for abortion

America must follow France’s willingness to support women’s rights

By Annie Guo

After centuries of women from all over the world protesting for the fundamental right to make decisions about their own bodies, France has taken the historic step of becoming the first country to constitutionalize a woman’s right to terminate their pregnancy. This decision is not only a significant victory for women’s rights, but also serves as a reminder for the United States to follow in their footsteps.

Inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron has been working to solidify France’s position on the protection of women’s rights, proving that the right to an abortion is no longer up for debate, but is instead a central part of their democracy, according to NPR.

Unlike America, no major political party in the French parliament questions the morality of abortion.

81% of respondents in France voted in favor of adding the right to have an abortion to the constitution, while only 10% said they had a negative opinion on abortion being legal, according to a poll by IFOP in 2022.

On March 4, French lawmakers voted in overwhelming support of constitutionalizing abortion. Prior to the lawmakers’ decision, feminists all over France have been fighting and protesting for this right since 1971, when 343 Frenchwomen signed a manifesto written

CRT cannot be dismissed as part of the agenda of a political party. Instead, it must be seen as a tool to ensure history is taught in the most equitable and holistic way possible. To deny students the right to this level of understanding is to deny them a full understanding of history — an error no curriculum should impose on a student.

To achieve this, schools must offer training for history teachers. CRT originates from graduate-level concepts, so high school teachers cannot be expected to adapt the content for high school students without training. Even so, high school teachers may only be able to touch the surface of CRT, and that is OK — any step forward can have an impact.

From my experience, even the slightest inclusion of CRT in classes such as AP U.S. history, can transform the way students view history. And I, for one, am ready for this to be the norm in every history class on campus.

by the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir, demanding that the law banning abortion to be changed, according to The New York Times.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade stands as a setback for women’s rights and their health. Annually, 42 million women worldwide have an abortion, and nearly 20 million of those 42 million are unsafe. Around 68,000 women die from unsafe abortions per year, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Not only does unwanted pregnancy affect women’s health, but it also impacts their future. The right to abortion gives women the opportunity to pursue their goals, further liberating women to have control over their lives without blindsiding pregnancies. The ability to criminalize and therefore stigmatize abortions will only force women to turn to underground clinics or dangerous methods, further endangering women’s health.

its citizens to prioritize women’s health.

As a country that prides itself on being progressive, it is absurd that we cannot put aside our political differences to defend the fundamental rights of women. Regardless of political stance, we must understand the importance of giving women the freedom to choose their future. France constitutionalizing abortion serves as a beacon of hope for all women, and offers women from all around the world a fighting chance. By advocating for women’s rights, France is paving the way for significant improvements in gender equality.

Despite being one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries in the world, America continues to fall behind when it comes to women’s rights. The U.S. owes it to

The new amendment serves as a reminder that the effort we put in to make our voices heard has a purpose, and the fight for women’s rights is non-negotiable. The United States must work toward legalizing and consitutionalizing abortions to ensure equality across all genders.

Dropping extracurriculars helps promote a balanced lifestyle

Quitting unnecessary activities gives students more time

By Brian Ling

When you carry your backpack to school, the weight of all your school supplies can feel burdensome. Just as some leave excessive items behind to lighten their load for the day, students should learn to leave behind excessive extracurricular activities to prioritize their well-being.

To start, taking on too many responsibilities outside of school can lead to imbalance. Constantly having work to do takes away from leisure time and hurts students’ mental health. Less time also limits the opportunities students have to explore what their hobbies are or to bond with friends and family. I have personally had friends who were always too busy with extracurriculars and school to hang out or even play a game, resulting in strains on our friendship.

Furthermore, one of the most common reasons students participate in extracurricular activities is to make themselves stand out to universities. However, this motive often leaves people participating in extracurriculars they do not even enjoy, and prevents students from exploring and delving into their true passions.

Because of this, not only will the activity feel meaningless and shallow, but it will also inflict unnecessary stress on them. Addi-

tionally, putting an activity you do not enjoy on your college application may not even help, as you will not be able to write about or connect to it well.

I used to participate in Model United Nations just so I would be able to write it on my college application, but I really disliked it. Dropping it was one of the best decisions of my sophomore year, as in hindsight, I really was not gaining anything from it since my disdain for the activity hindered my participation. I also no longer had to spend weekends doing things I found tedious and monotonous and could instead do something more productive such as homework.

Additionally, too many extracurric ulars can lead to less time for each activity, causing performance to worsen. Espe cially in activities where students hold a leadership position, their failure to properly fulfill their role is to everyone else’s detri ment as others look to them for direction.

For example, an officer in charge of one of the clubs I am in was too busy balancing his school work and other extracurriculars, and therefore could not support us, leaving us clueless about what to do.

Students must learn how to let go of excessive extracurriculars when they are unable to balance their lives. This skill is crucial to develop for adulthood and other parts of life. If someone is dissatisfied with their job, it is perfectly fine for them to quit and find another one that better suits them, as it is unsustainable to just overwork yourself.

In doing so, students can improve their well-being by decreasing stress, discovering more about themselves and spending more time with family and friends. By dropping activities and reducing their workload, students can make time for a fuller and more enriching experience in the things

In

The New York Times creates ‘Connections’ to youth

Academic games rise in popularity

By Amanda Boles, Parth Dhaulakhandi and Catherine Yang

Students are hunched over a single phone centered between them, quietly thinking. Occasionally, someone blurts out a word, followed either by a round of applause or a disappointed sigh.

It has been several years since the release of many of these games, yet English teacher Megan Bridge said she has observed a recent increase in their popularity and social influence.

“My mom is in a text group with her siblings, and they text every day about their ‘Wordle’ results,” Bridge said. “I’ll [also] hear students during brunch and lunch talk about ‘Connections’ for that day and try to give hints.”

The games offer not only a fun distraction for a few minutes when you are bored, Bridge said, but also provide a great learning experience.

“I like talking through [the games] after the fact,” Bridge said. “After taking some time to go through and do my best guess, it’s nice to hear how someone else approached the same questions especially if I lost that day.”

Since starting to play NYT games two years ago, sophomore Yara Abu Saude said

she noticed a drastic increase in popularity in all the games, even the newer ones. Some of the games she plays are “Connections,” “Wordle,” “Spelling Bee,” “The Mini Crossword” and the newest game, “Strands.” Abu Saude said that the games are fun to play with friends at different times during the day.

“I enjoy that the gameplay is usually really simple,” Abu Saude said. “It is not something where you have to spend a lot of time thinking. The games are short, but still difficult at the same time, so you actually have to think a bit, but the gameplay in itself is simple.”

Sophomore Henry Hu said he finds NYT games interesting due to the diversity of games available, including both word games and trivia. Although he has stopped playing them recently, Hu said he continues to find them intriguing.

Similarly, sophomore Shannon Kunz said she is invested in the games due to the wide variety of games and the social opportunities. Kunz said she enjoys the ever-growing variety of games available to her, especially due to the mental stimulation they spark.

“It’s a fun thing to do when you’re bored, but it’s also like a mind trick,” Kunz said. “You could argue that it is somewhat educational and you’re expanding your vocabulary. I always feel smart when I play word games.”

Furthermore, Kunz said there is both a collaborative and competitive aspect to

Stepping-up for the planet

APES

students choose to volunteer for extra credit

By Aviv Matas

Volunteering is a way for AP Environmental Science students to experience what they learn in the classroom firsthand and what they as individuals can do to support the earth, APES teacher Jessica Wakefield said. From trail and beach clean-ups to removing invasive species and maintaining local gardens, Wakefield said APES provides opportunities for students to get involved with saving the environment.

As part of the class, students can earn extra credit for up to two, two-hour volunteer events, known as step-ups, Wakefield said. To receive credit, step-ups must have the approval of a teacher and a journal entry and photos, she added.

“When [students] leave this class, I want them to know how to make smart decisions that are beneficial to the earth and themselves,” Wakefield said. “It’s one thing to learn about different issues that we see in our community in terms of trash, pollution and invasive species, but it’s another thing to go out and experience it.”

Junior Briana Holquin said she volunteered with McClellan Ranch, where she gardened and removed weeds, enjoying her time in nature.

“It didn’t feel like I was volunteering or doing something for a class,” Holquin said, “I really enjoyed it and I would go back to volunteer with the group again, even if it was not for extra credit. I had a fun time meeting other people who went to nearby schools and getting to be outside for once.”

Looking back, Holquin said she would not have known about the volunteer opportunity without the course. Volunteering was a way to show her commitment to what she learned in class, Holoquin added.

“As we were walking over to [start planting], we saw plants [from] previous groups of the same organization,” Holquin said. “[You] see the effort of other people that came before you, and leave knowing you contributed to their work.”

Junior Rebecca Hsu said she volunteered at two trash clean-up events hosted by the Homestead Sikh club. Hsu said she enjoyed the event, especially because she was able to go with her friend and meet other volunteers there for APES.

“It seems like picking up trash wouldn’t be that fun,” Hsu said, “but you find out that being with your friends, talking while bettering your environment and getting compliments from strangers nearby is heartwarming.”

Hsu said the extra-credit opportunity motivates students to go out and gain insight on how they impact the community.

“[In class], we learned a lot about the effects of humans on Earth, like burning coal or fossil fuels and [other] large-scale impacts,” Hsu said. “Being part of something smaller and seeing the impact on our community matches the curriculum.”

Wakefield said each student can choose to share their knowledge, which is how the assignment will ultimately make a large difference.

“It’s not just the students I have that have the potential to make a difference,” Wakefield said. “The students I have will tell their friends [and] involve their families [who will] pass it on to their friends and neighbors.”

playing NYT games, which makes them fun to play with others.

“I do ‘Connections’ with my friend every weekday morning and it’s really fun because we get emotional over it when we fail,” Kunz said. “I also play it with my family. My dad would be like ‘Oh, did you get the “Connections?”’ And I’m like ‘no’. He’s like, ‘Me neither!’”

Ultimately, Kunz said the games have

developed into a fun habit for her, allowing her to enjoy time with friends and feel more confident about her critical thinking capabilities.

“Although word games might be seen as nerdy sometimes, they’re still fun,” Kunz said. “Honestly, it’s a nice challenge. When you get [the puzzle,] it’s really satisfying and you feel smart, even if you’ve looked up half the answers.”

Freshman freak-out

Class of 2027 weigh in on early college concerns

By Andrew Fekete and Aviv Matas

Freshmen have a lot on their plates: some are preparing to get a driver’s license, others deciding classes they want to take. College and career adviser Shay Bellamy said college should not be one of the stresses, and instead, freshmen should prioritize preparing for sophomore year.

Despite this, freshman Aarya Patel said she thinks about college all the time and feels surrounded by pressure to get into a good college, especially by her parents, who have already hired a college counselor.

“Mainly, I’m worrying about all the different criteria that colleges are looking into: grades, testing competitions, honors you can get and clubs you have to be in,” Patel said. “You also have to do an extracurricular in school, make sure you’re well-rounded, and do a ‘passion project,’ whatever that means.”

Patel said she is trying to major in computer science, which is a hypercompetitive field. Patel is heavily involved in computer science, hackathons, poetry and water polo, she said, taking after-school math, science and physics classes. In order to have a better chance at admission to a top school, Patel said she feels she has to excel in each activity.

Likewise, freshman Jonathan Raveh said he started to think about college this year because he felt it was necessary to start making decisions about his future. Raveh said he hopes to get into a good college but he is afraid of failure.

“The good colleges in the U.S. are expecting more and more from students every year and I don’t know if I can achieve what these colleges want,” Raveh said. “If I didn’t get into one of these colleges, I would be disappointing my family and myself.”

Bellamy said the amount of stress in high school is un-

healthy. She said she sees many students whose college decisions are influenced by outside factors.

“I always remind students that it’s the college they’ve chosen, not their parents, and should be a college they’re comfortable at and fits their personality,” Bellamy said. “I don’t encourage going to a school because they heard an Ivy League name, or because they think it’s the best school.”

Bellamy said she rarely encounters freshmen who come in to ask questions, but when she does, she encourages them to focus on grades, getting involved in the community and figuring out high school.

“Coming straight from middle school and ninth grade is too soon to be trying to guide them into a college,” Bellamy said. “Yes, I want them on the college path, but I also don’t want them to be influenced by college stress at the freshman level.”

Bellamy said she recommends working on self-discovery during freshman year, regardless of future career plans.

“Start to discover the things that you like and don’t like, for example, if you like working with people or even if you like animals and nature,” Bellamy said. “The simple things that you notice about your personality will guide you in the right direction.”

While Patel may stress more about college than other issues, she said she does not think the stress she has around college admissions is healthy.

“Freshmen need to remember that we are 14 years old,” Patel said. “In a perfect society, we should not have to worry about this yet and society’s putting a lot of pressure on us. You’ll always go on the path that’s right for you. It’ll all work out.”

Junior Briana Holquin said she was surprised to learn about the upkeep needed to preserve natural spaces.

Freshman Aarya Patel said she hopes to get into a college known for its science programs, like Stanford University.

Photo by Danielle Feldsher

Photo by Aviv Matas

Sophmore Henry Hu said he enjoys playing NYT games as they act as a distraction from academics while still allowing him to learn.

Photo by Anushruti Nagarajan

Sounds of a household

Students, staff discuss impacts of living in a multilingual home

By Nicole Pimenta Innecco

Language is not only a medium for communication, but also a mark of heritage, freshman Marie Suzano said. Suzano, who is Japanese and Brazilian, said she speaks both Japanese and Portuguese at home, as both of her parents are fluent in them.

“I’ll start a phone call with them in Portuguese, speak in Japanese and then end the phone call in Portuguese,” Suzano said.

However, Suzano said she is not equally fluent in both languages. Growing up, she was put in a Japanese school and spoke a lot more Japanese at home than Portuguese.

“I feel like my mom made more of an effort to teach [me] Japanese than my dad made an effort to teach [me] Portuguese,” Suzano said.

“My dad usually speaks to me in either Japanese or English, even though he’s Brazilian. I try to get him to speak Portuguese with me – I’ll start a conversation in Portuguese, but then it just slowly transitions into English because it gets awkward, as I struggle more with the language.”

Suzano said

speaking Portuguese is important to her, not just to connect to her culture, but also to communicate with her family members. Although she is able to easily call her Japanese family, the same isn’t true for both sides, Suzano said. With her Brazilian side, there is a bigger language barrier, especially when trying to talk to her grandmother who does not speak English, Suzano said.

“It’s almost like I’m valuing one culture over another, which isn’t what I’m trying to do,” Suzano said. “But, the fact is, I understand Japanese culture better than Brazilian culture.”

While Suzano does not have the same fluency in Portuguese as in Japanese, she said when she visits Brazil, her fluency increases drastically through exposure. Suzano said that despite practicing Portuguese every day using Duolingo, it is not the same, and she wishes she had more opportunities to learn.

“Because I’m not fully anything, I don’t feel comfortable calling myself Brazilian unless I speak the language,” Suzano said. “Subconsciously, I feel like knowing the language is the right to saying it.”

However, senior Shahar Ankonina said his cultural identity is not directly tied to being fluent in Hebrew.

“I feel like the way I consider it isn’t like, ‘Oh, if you can speak Hebrew, you’re Jewish,’ because sometimes, you’re not,” Ankonina said. “It’s just on the basis of belief. If you think of yourself as Jewish, you are Jewish. I would only truly be disconnected to my culture if I stopped believing I was Jewish.”

Ankonina said that at home, his parents speak to him in Hebrew and he responds in English, as those are the languages they are most comfortable in. Although he hopes to improve his Hebrew someday, Ankonina said that the language is not a priority to him right now.

“I’m not scared to lose it, because it’s like riding a bike,” Ankonina said. “Maybe later in the future, it’ll become more important to me and then I can learn it, but I’m not afraid of it being too late.”

In contrast, freshman Davisha Sasikumar, who moved to the United States from India three years ago, said that even while learning English in a new country, main -

GUJARATI

BURMESE

“It’s what you say when someone is gossiping. It means you’re forcing yourself or someone else to talk about something.”

- Jessica Lwin (10)

CZECH

“This is like the most common swear word that everyone says in every single sentence.

Literally, it means male cow, but you call people that, like ‘dude’.”

- Irina Lifantsev (9)

In all its diversity, HHS harbors a multitude of dialects. Community members speak on the importance of learning and speaking new

taining a deep connection with her Tamil language remained very important to her.

“When I go home, I speak completely in my mother because when I come to school, I speak English,” Sasikumar said. “I read books in Tamil and watch YouTube channels teach more advanced Tamil and writing. I don’t know write fluently, and I want to learn so that I can follow my heritage and teach my kids.”

Spanish teacher Gabriela Balas, who grew up in a community in Argentina, said she never learned Arabic and dish, the languages of her grandparents.

“My grandparents used to use their language to talk issues that they didn’t want their children to understand,” said. “They never really taught their children their native guage [in order] to make it their own secret language. [My ents] ended up picking some of it up, but they never formally communicated [in] their parents’ native language.”

Although her children are mainly bilingual and also some Dutch from their father, Balas said she wishes she put more effort into speaking to them in Spanish when were younger.

huh-they-rey-hee-no

“It’s a phrase; when you’re upset something went wrong, you say that. Like if you drop something, you just yell that out in frustration.”

- Ohm Bhakta

(10)

“There’s more of an emphasis now for many cultures make sure their children continue with the language of their parents,” Balas said. “It’s knowing your roots and your history. Language is important for that because it involves emotions, expressions and music. With my grandkids, I hope that I [can] stick only to [speaking] Spanish with them.”

Poetry: Grand Corps Malade

“There is one artist that I really like and he does slam poetry. I love his story, his voice, and the text is absolutely beautiful. He always talks about current subjects.”

- French teacher

Muriel Von-Stein

sowr-veh-jh

“[It’s] a specific word goes through your you have all the hate this; it’s a superstition, stand under a ladder.”

Photo by Parth Dhaulakhandi

Photo courtesy of Marie Suzano

Wearing a Japanese kimono adorned with the Brazilian flag, freshman Marie Suzano said that she hopes to continue speaking both languages, especially as an adult.

new languages.

remained tongue, Sasikumar channels that how to my family Jewish and Yidtalk about understand,” Balas native lan[My parformally know she had when they cultures to of

SERBIAN

gA‘Scrabble’of languages Studentssharewordsintheiruniquelanguages g l +

ghee-gheel

bre

“It’s something you feel when you want to squeeze something cute or are really annoyed

at something. It’s like an aggression of sorts but a light kind.”

“[It is] an exclamation… it doesn’t have a direct translation. It is used to emphasize what you’re saying, usually in an angry way when you’re mad at someone.”

- Luka Bulovic (10)

sowr-veh-jh

Vword for the wind that your entire house when doors open. Latvians superstition, like when you ladder.”

- Madara Linde (12)

- Micaira Catalan (12)

Game: “Ensemble Stars”

“[Students] love to play Japanese video games. They can [meet] Japanese people on the platform and have 10 or so Japanese people to communicate and play the game with. Those students come to me and talk with me with random, brand-new vocabulary and it’s really cool.”

- Japanese teacher Junko Birdsong

STATISTICS OF LINGUISTICS

60.8% of students using Duolingo use it to learn a language foreign to them

Spanish is the most commonly learned Duolingo language

Runners-up: French and Japanese Duo Streak Leaderboard

Ariel Jang: 1026 days

Julia Bouron: 931 days

Sean Tessone: 870 days

Based on a survey of 137 students

International entertainment

Language teachers share their media recommendations to better learn languages

Book: “Como Agua Para Chocolate”

“What I like about the plot is that there’s many things happening, so it may interest students. I also like the fact that cuisine is included in the plot, because that’s an important part of Latino culture.”

- Spanish teacher Francisco Arevalo

Movie: “Lost in Beijing”

“It symbolizes Chinese culture, Chinese traditions and how you will deal with people and how you should behave yourself. I think it’s a good one. It’s also a comedy.”

- Chinese teacher

Vivian Ju

Photo by Parth Dhaulakhandi

Photo by Adam Orrin

Photo by Nicole Pimenta Innecco

BY MIKHA PILAR AND NAAGA SENTHIL

Lifestyles

The Epitaph

Reading in the age of technology

Educators discuss pros and cons of physical, online books

By Danielle Feldsher and Evelyn Wang

The distinct smell and feel of a paper book are cherished by the reading community, library media specialist Shannon Vakili said, and remain special even with the new age of technology. Despite this, the alternative of using electronic books has become increasingly popular among many, offering a new resource for avid readers, Vakili said.

“It’s important to have another way for people to access books,” Vakili said. “It’s not always feasible for people to physically come to the library.”

Yet, Vakili said physical books

are just as essential as e-books, and come with their own benefits. For example, students can visualize their progress when reading and keep their eyes off of screens, Vakili said.

Fellow library media specialist Verna Grant said both physical and online books are critical components of the HHS library.

“We want to be able to help everyone, and everyone has a different way of being able to read,” Grant said. “It gives them more options and helps with the different learning, understanding and reading styles [of students].”

For readers like herself, Grant said paper books will always hold a coveted meaning.

Similarly, English teacher Ashley Pitta said she prefers to use paper books in her teaching. Physical books are more convenient for annotating, Pitta said, as not

all students have access to digital resources.

“For novels, we emphasize annotating and you can do it online, but sometimes that limits accessibility for certain students,” Pitta said. “The tools online might be a little bit more sophisticated [and] maybe not every computer comes with that.”

In addition to having greater availability, physical books also offer a more transformative reading experience, junior Abigail Anish said.

“Physical books just genuinely give me the experience of [reading] and I just can’t really get that from online books,” Anish, an avid reader, said.

However, in terms of schoolwork, Anish said she prefers digital textbooks over physical ones. They allow her to complete all of her schoolwork online, making things more convenient, she said.

Pitta also said e-books and online textbooks can be beneficial to students and allow for a larger audience to reach the content.

“[Online resources] allow for the ability to progress even if you’ve forgotten your physical book,” Pitta said. “In some of my freshmen classes, I have students that use digital books, which work into their IEP or 504 plan.”

While the use of e-books is becoming more popular, Grant said that as of now, reading physical books is still necessary in the reading world.

“There are some people, especially nowadays, where everything is on the screen,” Grant said. “It’s nice to move the screen away, rest your eyes and do something else, and paper books are really good for that.”

More than just club meetings

Animal welfare club hosts more events, increases membership

By Mikha Pilar and Annabelle Yip

After two years as president of animal welfare club, senior Desiree Poon had a plan to increase club turnout: host more events.

Throughout this year, Poon said the club implemented this change, consequently increasing member engagement. Although the club’s general meetings teach members about animal welfare topics, Poon said it is their multitude of events such as dog toy-making and park clean-ups that have people coming back for more.

To further achieve this goal, Poon said the club began hosting more events with other clubs on campus. Collaborating with other clubs not only brings in new members, but helps spread both clubs’ messages, Poon said.

“Maybe art club members wouldn’t think of joining animal welfare club or think about animal welfare at all,” Poon said. “But if we can do a collaboration with them, they’ll actually remember [us].”

As the club’s outreach coordinator, junior Leela Menon said her job is to organize two to three events per month, each in collaboration with either an outside organization or another club. In addition to participation, Menon said collaborating with other clubs also allows them to host more unique events.

“It’s really fun to come up with ideas with other clubs because they always bring a new perspective,” Menon said. “The reason I

like outreach so much is because you’re not alone. You’re coming up with cool ideas that might not have been on your radar, but now they are.”

Aside from just fostering awareness about animal welfare, Menon said hosting more events also provides an opportunity for members to gain service hours through the club.

“We want to provide enough service opportunities, so [seniors] have the chance to get those [graduation] cords,” Menon said.

Though participation is increasing overall, there is still variation in event attendance, with in-person events being more popular, activities director Alyssa Miyai said. The club’s in-person events such as craft socials and hikes tend to have higher attendance in comparison to online events such as petition signing and social media post

making, Miyai, a sophomore, said. Miyai, who schedules the club’s internal events, said the more successful turnout of in-person events could be attributed to club members inviting their friends. For Miyai, such events are essential because they combine her interest in animal wellness with the opportunity to socialize with others, she said.

Poon said hosting an increased number and variety of events helps the club achieve their ultimate goal of getting people interested in and informed about animal welfare.

“If you get people to come to the events, they’ll be more involved in animal welfare,” Poon said. “And if they know about it, they’ll be more likely to spread that message and actually act on it instead of just being like, ‘oh, I showed up to a meeting.’”

A new president takes the helm

Incoming PTSA president Manuela Silveira on new position

By Alicia Liste

The Epitaph spoke with newly elected PTSA president Manuela Silveira to discuss her involvement, impact and hopes for the upcoming school year.

The Epitaph: What has been your prior experience with the PTSA?

Manuela Silveira: I am currently the vice president of student programs. The vice president of student programs is broadly responsible for all programs and events organized by PTSA that are geared towards the student body. The vice president of student programs is also the main liaison in the PTSA board for ASB, student leadership and clubs. [For example], this year was the first time we rolled out the Job Shadow Day program in its full capacity since before the pandemic. It was exciting to bring it back and to see our students taking the opportunity to learn more about their careers of choice. We also had a very successful Reflections Art Contest in the fall and are in the midst of receiving entries for the Senior Essay Contest.

TE: What inspired you to first join the PTSA?

MS: I have always been heavily involved in all parent-teacher organizations for the schools that my children have been a part of, and I find it very fulfilling. I love being an active member of our community and I take a lot of pride in the things parent-teacher organizations do, both in terms of parent involvement and enriching the student experience. They have access to enrichment and different programs that wouldn’t otherwise be present, if there wasn’t parent involvement.

TE: Why did you decide to run for PTSA president?

MS: I really loved my job as VP of student programs this year. All the opportunities we have to engage with the students and to enrich the student experience are very exciting, and so I would have loved to continue in that position. However, our president’s term is coming to an end, [so] there was a need for somebody to step up and make themselves a candidate. I felt like I could contribute positively, so I decided to go ahead and give that a try.

TE: What new initiatives or ideas do you plan on implementing as PTSA president?

MS: I hope we are able to engage the student community more, and even work toward having student ambassadors participate

to bring the student voice into the decision-making process. I would love to see more participation in our student programs. To give you an example, we brought back Job Shadow Day this year in full force, where students could visit different workplaces … and we only had about 150 students participate, but we’re talking about a school of over 2,000 students. So, I would like to find ways for us to make these events enticing to the student body and connect with their hopes and dreams, so that we can see them engaging in these programs as much as possible.

TE: Are there any challenges you anticipate facing as president, and how do you plan to overcome them?

MS: I am relatively new to the community [since] I am the parent of a sophomore, so the first big challenge will be getting to know people. Our school is so large, and there are so many active members of our community—like teachers and support staff. [The challenge will be] figuring out who’s who and how I can collaborate with all of them in order to make this organization an integral part of our school life as much as possible.

TE: What has been your favorite part about participating in the PTSA?

MS: My favorite part has been being involved with the student programs this year as vice president of student programs. Though, last year, I had the opportunity to run the honorary service awards program for Homestead PTSA, in which we recognize our staff members and our superstar parent volunteers that go above and beyond to help our programs run. That was a really meaningful experience for me [because] I love recognizing the efforts of others in a public and appreciative way.

TE: What would you like to say to the school community as their new PTSA president?

MS: Thank you very much for the vote of confidence. I have loved being a part of the HHS community since 2022 and am inspired by all the amazing things happening at this school. I am excited to continue contributing to the PTSA and hope that our team can be a valuable partner to staff, students and parents. We have a great team in the 2024-25 Board and I am really looking forward to what is ahead.

Animal welfare club activities director, sophomore Alyssa Miyai and sophomore Sophia Zhong participate in a bracelet making event on March 22.

Photo by Mikha Pilar

Library media specialist Shannon Vakili said e-books are a crucial resource for readers to expand their horizons.

Newly elected PTSA president Manuela Silveira said she is looking forward to expanding student involvement in the PTSA.

Photo courtesy of Manuela Silveira

Photo by Danielle Feldsher

Taking audiences to the skies

Winter percussion works to shine at annual home show

By Naaga Senthil

Winter percussion and guard team performed their annual winter showcase on April 2, student teacher Dustin Bear said. This year’s show is called “Cloud Folk.”

“Throughout the course of the season, the two teams compete at different events, so it’s special that the students get to cheer on each other and celebrate all the hard work they put in,” Bear said. “Winter percussion and guard compete on the greater California and national stage, so the home show is a great opportunity for family and friends to see our students perform locally.”

Prior to the show, sophomore Claire Lee said she was looking forward to performing in a familiar

place with her fellow classmates.

“Our end goal is making finals at Dayton but also performing the best show we possibly can,” Lee, a pianist, said. “Everyone wants to make it to finals, but, more than that, we want to do our best and just perform our show the best we can.”

Winter percussion will perform songs tying to theme “Cloud Folk,” and winter guard will perform with the theme “Flight 21370,” Lee said. The indoor show consists of music exploring a group of imaginary visitors or aliens watching over humans on earth with curiosity, excitement, incomprehension and optimism, Lee said.

Additionally, the fundamental idea behind “Flight 21370” is taking a ride on an airplane, color guard director Noah Peters said.

“Flight 21370 follows the path of a plane ride with takeoff, reaching cruising altitude, where you get beverages and snacks, and

landing,” Peters said. “It figuratively represents the journey of the winter guard going from Cupertino to Dayton at the end of the season.”

During rehearsals, there were many challenges that the students needed to overcome, such as learning how to play together as a band, Lee said.

“With rehearsals, if one person misses out, that makes it really challenging for people to fill in to perform or practice for a show, so it’s important that everyone knows what they’re doing,” Lee said. “It can be stressful at times but it’s also really enjoyable because it brings you closer together and you get to know a lot of people that way.”

Students in both winter percussion and guard are also challenged physically and musically to push through the season and bring the show to life, band director John Burn said.

Lee said students must help the group in any way possible and watch out for each other throughout the season.

“Teamwork is huge and during performances, communication is key,” Lee said. “Everyone has to know the beat, know what’s happening, listen back to the drums and communicate with each other. If not, there could be a huge tear in the music, and we could mess up everything.”

Overall, Burn said the groups have been improving immensely and have formed a community that pushes each member to exceed expectations put on them.

“Being a part of the spring marching program pushes students to manage their time, work together as a team and fully commit to achieving [success] together,” Burn said.

A battle for students’ favorite song

Song March Madness enriches language and cultural learning

By Faith Watters

Language students tap their feet and nod their heads to the rhythm. After the song concludes, they eagerly pull out their laptops to vote for the winner that will continue in the bracket. At the end of the bracket, a song is selected as the class favorite.

The language department’s March Madness bracket tradition has continued for around a decade, French teacher and department lead Muriel Von Stein said. The activity originated from a national Facebook group of French teachers who came up with the idea as a fun way to engage more students in learning culture, Von Stein said.

“I had seen people doing [brackets] for a few years, then one year I just said, ‘Okay, I’m going to do it’ and it was a success,” Von Stein said.

The tradition has since branched out into other language classes. This year, Chinese classes are participating for the first time, Chinese teacher Vivian Ju said. March Madness has been a great way to expose students to a variety of cultural music, Ju said.

“I don’t want them to only be exposed to love songs, the most typical Chinese songs,” Ju said. “There are jazz, blues, rap, or even folk songs. Hopefully they will be able to learn more about Chinese culture while also having fun.”

The competition is also a way for students to stay up to date on the culture of the language they are taking, Chinese student sophomore Suri Yau said.

“As an American-born Chinese person, I don’t usually listen to Chinese music,” Yau said. “A lot of Chinese songs portray different perspectives [than Western culture], and I think it’s great to keep a fresh opinion.”

At its core, the tradition is meant to spread a positive message with music, Von Stein said.

“It’s a great way to apply the language that we learn in a very authentic environment,” Von Stein said. “We listen to music, share our opinions [and] react negatively or positively. That’s why we learn a language–to communicate our feelings, emotions and opinions.

Band director John Burn (right) oversees a group of drummers during their practice.

French teacher Muriel Von Stein said she discusses the results of each bracket with her classes.

Photo by Faith Watters

Photo by Jonathan Xue

‘Dune: Part Two’ engages viewers with stellar performances

Film masterfully adapts sci-fi epic in dynamic, riveting scenes

By Amanda Boles

As a dense epic filled with compex dialogue and rich wordbuilding, Frank Herbert’s book series “Dune” has earned a reputation for being notoriously difficult to adapt. Its 2021 film adaptation, “Dune: Part One,” took me by suprise with its great performances and stunning desert setting. Luckily, the same can be said about the sequel, which released on March 1.

The movie takes place on the desert planet of Arrakis, where two noble houses, Harkonnen and Atreides, compete for control over the planet’s most valuable resource: spice. The protagonist, Paul Atreides, the heir of the noble house Atreides, finds security among the planet’s skeptical Fremen population, the native people of Arrakis. This leads Paul to form an alliance with them to get the resources he needs to seek revenge against the Harkonnens.

The movie is visually and conceptually stunning. The strong vi-

Epitaph Picks

sual elements of the film capture the foreboding tension perfectly, while the video sequences effectively create a suspenseful setting throughout. The landscape shots of Arrakis felt so vast and elusive, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the desert. I am not joking when I say any scene would make a great wallpaper for your desktop.

Additionally, the movie masterfully alternates between color palettes based on locations and emotions. The Harkonnen residence is color-coded monochromatically, which conveys the extreme and jarring nature of their society. This color detail coupled with crowds of Harkonnen citizens cheering in unison during one scene immediately reminded me of Nazi propaganda films, which provided insight in how the Harkonnens’ political system is structured.

Another successful aspect of this movie is the stellar cast, as each actor accurately embodies the essence of their character. The main characters, played by Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet, do a great job of conveying emotions through their facial expressions. Chalamet’s powerful delivery of dialogue as a character who is re-

“I like the new songs off of ‘Guts (spilled)’ more than the originals. My favorite is ‘so american’ because it is catchy and romantic in true Olivia Rodrigo fashion.”

“The new game ‘KinitoPET’ is great, it is a refreshing psychological horror that is immersive while not being tacky.”

– Faith Watters (12)

– Nicole Kim (12)

vered by many is what really sold the performance. Before the final fight, Paul declares himself to be the messiah in a frightening but engaging speech where all eyes are on him.

However, the character that really stole the show was Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, played by Rebecca Ferguson. In the movie, Lady Jessica is forced to drink a special liquid that unlocks memories of her ancestors to gain a higher state of awareness.

The scene is quite eerie as she begins to writhe on the floor, eventually recovering but with noticeable changes in her persona. Compared to her previous, more calm demeanor, she becomes cold, scheming and unhinged. Ferguson does an amazing job of portraying this disturbed character who kept me on my toes with her threatening presence.

Although the film’s actors make it stand out, the mostly A-list cast is a little distracting at times. In the one scene involving Paul’s sister, I will admit I almost got jumpscared by Anya Taylor-Joy staring into the camera for a solid five seconds. Such cameos are distracting when they do not

“‘Snack Shack’ is everything and more, a hilarious coming-of-age story that is the perfect mash of ‘Superbad’ and ‘Adventureland’.”

“I love the book ‘Betting on You’ because it creates such engaging characters and tells a story beyond simple romance.”

– Malar Raguraman (10)

– Adam Orrin (10)

The soundtrack of the ordinary

‘Perfect Days’ teaches to live in the present by being present

By Adam Orrin

Just like the Velvet Underground sang, “Sometimes I feel so happy, sometimes I feel so sad,” “Perfect Days” perfectly captures the beauty of human emotion in the majestic world we live in, highlighting how we often take life for granted. With phenomenal acting and an amazing soundtrack, the Oscar-nominated film has something for everyone.

The opening scenes of the movie feature little dialogue, spotlighting the isolated life of the protagonist, Hirayama, who is the janitor of the Tokyo Toilet. Despite the lack of dialogue, intense emotion is displayed through these early instances. The initial moments in which he interacts with his co-worker and helps a lost child find her mother sets the stage for Koji Yakusho’s emotional performance as Hirayama and tells us everything we need to know about his character.

With Hirayama’s unique character comes a unique soundtrack, a crucial part of the film from the opening moments to the closing scenes.

Instead of featuring popular Japanese music, the film soundtrack is composed of songs by American artists like “The Velvet Underground” and “Patti Smith.” The music paints a picture of Hirayama’s outlook on the

world, as many of the songs, such as “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed, are dedicated to finding the small things in life that make a day truly perfect.

The simple yet thoughtful details of the movie offer a glimpse into the characters’ minds. When Hirayama chooses to use cassette tapes instead of upgrading to other forms of technology, it shows how comfortable he is with the consistency of his routine. Additionally, the beauty he finds in his specific cassettes and the connection he has with them helps his character become more emotionally intelligent.

The storyline of “Perfect Days” is told in what feels like many segments of Hirayama’s life. One segment shows the masterfully written connection he develops with his niece Niko, who has run away from her rich and materialistic home. Hirayama takes her in and allows her to accompany him to work.

serve an integral role in the movie’s storyline.

“Dune: Part Two” succeeds at polishing the book to create an understandable storyline. There are some scenes that felt a bit quick and could have benefitted from better pacing, but as far as adaptations go, this movie exceeded my expectations. I would

During their time together, Hirayama shows Niko the elegance of nature and the little beauties around them, the things we, as humans, rush past and forget in our daily routines. “Perfect Days” takes a delightful look at ordinary life as Hirayama finds what makes it magnificent. Although it is not the first movie to explore this premise, this movie has done the best job yet.

The film uses real human emotions that are incredibly relatable and relevant. “Perfect Days” is not made up of Oscar-bait actors or TikTok influencers. Instead, the movie tells a story full of simple yet powerful emotions.

Taking its place as my new favorite film, “Perfect Days” pulled on my heartstrings, allowing me to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of my life.

Movie: “Perfect

Grade: A+.

highly recommend this to anyone looking for a movie to watch if they are looking for a beautiful, well-told story, regardless of whether they have read the “Dune” books or not.

Movie: “Dune: Part Two.”

Grade: A. Rated PG-13. Watch in theaters.

Celebrities ozem-pick their weight

Influencers must stop misusing lifesaving drug Ozempic

By Annie Guo

As I scroll through social media, I often find myself wondering how celebrities seem to look so perfect. Many influencers push the narrative that their physique is all about hard work and consistency. While some celebrities do lose weight from hard work, abusing weightloss medications is becoming more common.

Ozempic, the newly popularized weight-loss drug, was originally meant to help people with Type 2 diabetes. The product lowers blood sugar by stimulating insulin production in the pancreas and controlling the appetite of medically diagnosed obese patients, according to UC Davis Health. While this drug is vital in helping people suffering from diabetes and in assisting obese patients in losing weight, influential celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey have been promoting the abuse of Ozempic as a weight-loss supplement.

With hashtags such as #ozempicweightloss having over 300 million views on TikTok, and as a result of the constant promotion of Ozempic through social media, its supply is starting to wear thin. In fact, the demand for Ozempic is so high there is currently a worldwide shortage of it, according to PBS News. This is a problem for individuals who have real medical issues and require the drug.

As a result of this trend, the average annual cost of Ozempic has risen by over 40% in the past five years, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Celebrities have the money to meet the increasing price tag on Ozempic, but many regular citizens need help to afford

the price change. Celebrities must understand the importance of average people having access to life-saving drugs.

Although Ozempic may seem like the easiest solution for celebrities when it comes to weight loss, it is selfish to abuse the drug, as it aids many with conditions such as diabetes.

Approximately 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, with roughly 95% of cases being Type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Many people suffering from this condition do not have access to these drugs that could significantly improve their quality of life as a result of the shortages and price inflation caused by celebrities’ actions, according to NBC News.

In addition to its impact on people with diabetes, Ozempic’s use as a weight-loss drug harms the body image of many young, impressionable teenagers. Celebrities serve as significant role models and idols for children, and the use of a pharmaceutical drug to achieve weight loss sends a dangerous message about selfworth. Celebrities and influencers must acknowledge their impact on younger audiences and endorse self-acceptance instead. They are responsible for recognizing their privilege and using their fame to help other people.

Rather than promoting aesthetic uses for Ozempic and making the life-saving drug less accessible in the process, celebrities should be advocating for the many people who are unable to afford healthcare due to the decrease in Ozempic’s supply.

In addition, celebrities must

stop focusing on superficial beauty standards. Instead, they should prioritize the health of others and support regular people who do not have access to Ozempic.

Rebecca Ferguson delivers a chilling and eerie performance as Lady Jessica.

Hirayama, a simple janitor, has found the beauty in his life and teaches us to do the same.

Photo from Warner Bros Media

Celebrities must stop using life-saving medications to conform to superficial beauty standards.

Photo from Neon

Days”

Rated PG. Watch in theaters.

Illustration by Annie Guo

Monsters under the bed

Horror in children’s media is not a bad thing

By Faith Watters

Since the dawn of gaming, children’s games have followed several trends: sandboxes, pet simulators, platformers and, for some odd reason, horror.

It is unsurprising that children-oriented horror games on platforms like Roblox and Steam are consistently popular. Horror is a harmless fascination that allows kids to test their boundaries and explore emotions like fear in a safe way.

This phenomenon is best shown through the popularity of the horror game franchise “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Though it was not originally intended for children, many kids have latched onto it, and over 80% of the audience from the game’s recent movie adaptation were between the ages of 13 and 24, according to The New York Times. The franchise also has a child-oriented book series, with is extremely popular on Scholastic.

The game features four animatronics and is credited to sparking the popularity of “mascot horror,”

where the main antagonist is anthropomorphic. Nowadays, most horror games on child-oriented platforms fall under this category. The colors and characters appeal to younger minds, while the clear boundary or something like that between the world of the game and reality provides a sense of security.

My own fascination with horror has also drawn me to darker themes in kids’ books. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is still one of my favorite series. Its unsettling illustrations give me chills even now, teaching me that horror is not limited to cheap jumpscares. While it is not for everyone, the genre has thousands of genuinely great games and stories.

On the flip side, many scary games for kids are low quality, filled with microtransactions and advertisements made to exploit their

vulnerable audience. All kids respond to horror differently, so adult supervision is strongly recommended when playing scary games, regardless of their rating or quality.

It is important to remember that most adult-oriented horror media contains gore or disturbing concepts. Many kids will gravitate towards horror whether a child-friendly option is available or not, especially with more children than ever before having access to the internet. Hence, it is essential to allow kids their own space to explore the

Media encourages toxic positivity

Excessive promotion of positivity impedes personal growth

By Elena Shim

On Instagram, I often come across videos reassuring me of my own ongoing hardships.

“It will be fine” and “you will get over it” are ex amples of phrases that I see in such videos, phrases that aim to evoke empathy within the audience and further encourage putting away negative emotions.

In the moment, such content provides comfort with issues I face with friendships, school or family. However, these videos provide false hope, fooling me into believing that my issues will resolve themselves.

The videos encourage toxic positivity, an attitude that causes me to stub -

bornly hold on to an unnecessarily positive mindset, in hopes that such a mentality, rather than action to solve my problems, will be the solution.

Toxic positivity is the belief that everyone should maintain a positive mindset, despite the difficult situations they may be enduring, according to Healthline. With high usage of platforms like Instagram and Youtube, social media becomes the easiest way to propagate toxic positivity, spreading the idea that optimism is key to overcoming serious difficulties.

It was during the pandemic that the trend of toxic positivity first became prevalent, as numerous people faced difficulties in finding stability in life, according to

Dazed. In such an environment, it was tough to find solutions, and naturally, people turned to social media for reassurance.

Social media’s emphasis on maintaining positivity never provides real support in the long term. For instance, as a student, it often makes me dismiss the thought of studying, as it reassures me on a daily basis that even without action, my academic difficulties will resolve themselves.

Instead of hiding from my problems, pushing myself to analyze what I could do to improve is the most important factor for growth. Therefore, true positivity is encouraging people to face their problems instead of telling them to cling to the illusion of extreme optimism. Content creators who share their difficulties and the journey to finding a solution are far more impactful, as they not only offer the audience comfort, but also provide them with a way to tackle their hardship.

Social media must halt fake positive messages that make the audience believe their issues will magically disappear. It is important to acknowledge hardships instead of hiding them to solve such issues and grow.

To only the Rajini fans

South Indian movie industry fails to address perspectives of women

By Malar Raguraman

To most, it seems like a normal romance scene. The South Indian superstar Rajinikanth, with his arm hooked around a beautiful Indian woman, lip-syncs to a love song filled with promises.

However, what many do not realize is that Rajinikanth has been acting in the Tamil movie industry for 40 years. He has starred in movie after movie with the same plots, the same roles and the same fight scenes. Most overlooked, however, are the same young, dehumanized actresses, who serve only as romantic interests.

Most blockbuster movies in South India are male dominated, with 68.5% of screen time occupied by male actors, according to Forbes India. In fact, many of these movies are highly anticipated only because of their male lead, seen by how Rajinikanth charges over 16 times more than Nayanthara, one of South India’s highest-paid actresses, according to India Today. Since these high-budget movies prioritize machismo over the stories of women, actresses rarely find success as protagonists.

In many of these successful movies, casting directors look for romantic interests who fit beauty standards of India. As a result, actresses in nearly all South Indian movies abide by these norms, further imprinting such harmful values into society’s expectations.

One such beauty standard can be seen in many countries worldwide: lighter skin. 61% of Indian women use skin-lightening creams and treatments, according to the World Health Organization,

demonstrating that Indians tend to accept light complexions as a necessity for real beauty.

An actress’s talent or ability should not be determined by her complexion. Nevertheless, by producing movies devoid of the real, unique stories of dark-skinned girls, Indian movies teach society to judge women in this way. Darkskinned viewers are consistently reminded, both directly and indirectly, that to achieve beauty they must change something that they do not have any control over.

As a darker-skinned individual who takes part in South Indian culture and watches South Indian films, I cannot help but be infuriated by this major societal issue that the industry ignores. The movies that South Indians enjoy are never about women, and even the limited roles of actresses promote gender stereotypes and strengthen harmful beauty norms. I rarely experience the joy of relating to someone on screen, which has pushed me away from truly enjoying any South Indian movie.

When it comes to societal values dehumanizing women, many are propagated by movies. 53% of India’s box office revenue is taken up by South Indian films, while the general Indian movie industry is one of the largest in the world, according to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Movies are a large part of South Indian media, so changing the values that these movies reflect can bring to light the people that society often forgets.

A good story makes someone see a part of themselves in it. Right now, the South Indian movie industry needs to stop ignoring a huge part of their audience, a decision that can combat the outdated values that continue to hurt women worldwide.

Disappointment to the perfect trilogy

Eight years later, new ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movie proves to be a failure

By Kevin Miao

Following the perfect ending of the third movie, the long-awaited “Kung Fu Panda 4” finally hit theaters on March 8. While I can see how the movie might be attractive to its producers’ younger target audience, its storyline pales in comparison to the first three movies.

Something I loved about all of the previous “Kung Fu Panda” movies was an underlying problem or plot twist that led to an unpredictable story. In the first movie, when a flashback reveals Tai Lung was Shifu’s old student and was falsely promised the title of dragon war-

rior, the audience truly understood his path to evil.

By contrast, this movie lacked depth, never developing beyond a surface-level story of two heroes going to fight the bad guy. Even the main twist was predictable: the betrayal and quick redemption of the new hero, Zhen.

In fact, the majority of characters, both new and old, lacked any strong story. A huge strength of the “Kung Fu Panda” series is their antagonists, each of whom have interesting and meaningful backstories. It is these backstories that make the movies and characters feel unique.

However, the antagonist of this story, The Chameleon, barely has a backstory. Her entire conflict is a result of insecurity about her size, the cause for her rejection from

several kung fu academies, forcing her to turn to sorcery to get revenge. Not only is her backstory weak and underdeveloped, but it never explains her motivation to take over the world.

There are plenty of negatives to the movie, but I did appreciate a few parts of it. I am glad the cornerstone humor of the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise continued into this movie. However, while the humor was enjoyable, it felt like the movie focused too much on trying to incorporate small jokes, instead of on the story.

The animation style and soundtrack, on the other hand, are excellent. The animation is of the same quality as previous three movies, which is impressive considering it was produced for only half the cost. The music matches

up perfectly with the scenes, and Jack Black’s remake of “Baby One More Time” is superb. The movie was entertaining, but it is not something I would like to watch again.

Unfortunately, “Kung Fu Panda 4” represents a new low point for

the franchise. There is expected to be a “Kung Fu Panda 5,” and I can only hope its storytelling will live up to that of the prior movies.

Movie: “Kung Fu Panda 4.”

Grade: C+. Rated PG. Watch in theaters now.

Whether it is a stale story, predictable twists or boring characters, “Kung

Fu Panda 4” has it all.

Toxic positivity in media avoids normalizing negative emotions.

Scary children’s media allows kids to explore their interests and emotions in a safe way.

Illustration by Faith Watters

Photo from Universal Pictures

Photo from Hindustan Times

Illustration by Elena Shim

South Indian movies cast actresses based on their looks, but male actors are not subject to this bias.

Tennis players adapt to the popularity of pickleball

Boys tennis players discuss racket sports

By Brian Ling, Alicia Liste and Elena Shim

Pickleball and tennis players are often at odds with one another, boys varsity tennis head coach Sundar Parthasarathy said. This rivalry is partially due to some tennis players’ view of pickleball as a second-class sport, Parthasarathy said.

“There’s a perception that [pickleball] is too easy,” Parthasarathy said. “It is looked at as very recreational, [while] pickleball players look at tennis players as ‘Hey, we have skill. There’s things in pickleball that you don’t get in tennis.’”

Despite pickleball’s negative perception among tennis players, JV tennis player, sophomore Garrett Cai said he has been playing

pickleball for the past two months and has so far enjoyed it more than tennis.

“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America for a reason,” Cai said. “It is more accessible for a lot of people, because with tennis, you have to pay hundreds of dollars for racket frames and for the strings, but pickleball offers a lot of the same aspects with wooden paddles.”

Apart from being more affordable than tennis, Cai added that pickleball is also a more exciting sport to watch as you can see quick net points. Additionally, Cai said he finds the sport to be easier on the knees.

On the other hand, boys varsity tennis player, junior Noah Sato said he is concerned with pickleball players potentially taking over tennis courts, but still sees the benefits of the sport. He also said another challenge of the sport is that it can be difficult to adjust to

the change in racket size when transitioning from playing pickleball to tennis.

“I like that [pickleball] is easy to play, so the skill curve is pretty low, and a lot of new people can play it,” Sato said. “However, it is pretty loud because the paddles are made of plastic and they make a really irritating sound.”

JV tennis player, sophomore Armaan Malkani, who has played pickleball in his P.E. class, said he believes pickleball should not be considered a tennis alternative.

“[Pickleball] is just a Walmart version of tennis,” Malkani said. “Pickleball is played with a wiffle ball. In baseball, when you are warming up, you hit with a wiffle ball. [Wiffle balls] are used for practice, not sport. Pickleball is a game, not a sport.”

However, Sato said he sees pickleball as a less physically demanding alternative to tennis.

“I can play pickleball with my

friends for two hours and not break a sweat,” Sato said, “But playing tennis, they’ll start sweating within the first 15 minutes. If

I want to just play something for fun, I’d play pickleball. But if I actually want to get a workout in, I’d play tennis.”

Sprint coach steps down in dispute over coaching styles

Disagreements disrupt track and field athletes’ training

By Nathan Gu

Sprint and hurdles coach Khoi Tran stepped down from his position on March 11, after four months of coaching, due to differences in training styles among the coaches, athletic director Chris Grossman said.

“I was having conversations with [head track and field coach Kenrick] Sealy about coming on as sprint and hurdles coach,” Tran said. “I was promised a space where I can train athletes. [During preseason], I was pretty much left to my own devices, and my methods were never questioned. I thought I had the buy-in from Coach Sealy.”

When asked about Tran’s claims, Sealy declined to comment.

Tran said he believed he could train athletes to run faster than a certain barrier. He said he also wanted to build an experienced

offseason group to depend on for winning meets, while allowing new sprinters to explore the sport and have fun.

“[Sealy] told me both of those things were impossible,” Tran said.

One of the athletes he trained, sophomore sprinter Kenzie Murray, said Tran helped her develop new techniques and overcome challenges.

“I always came into hurdles with a bad mindset,” Murray said, “He taught me how to four-step, which has gotten me really fast. He’s a great coach and a great person and I was really sad to see him go.”

Alongside Murray, sophomore sprinter Vivek Athavale said he and the other sprinters appreciated Tran and many people cried during his departure.

Before taking the sprint coach position at HHS, Tran said he was promised his own space to manage his athletes. However, Tran said Sealy frequently overruled his decisions during meets, giving him no control over his sprinters.

“To me, [Sealy] only saw athletes as numbers on paper, not as people,” Tran said. “He was putting first-year kids in four events, which is a lot. He was putting kids in events they have never trained for before, so athletes were getting hurt. Athletes feel all this pressure to perform and they weren’t having fun.”

Despite the increase in injuries this year compared to last year, Grossman said the data does not show the injuries stem from different training routines.

In hopes of resolving these issues, Tran said he had conversations with each coach to voice his opinions.

“By the end of it, what I asked for from them [was] trust and patience,” Tran said. “But that didn’t happen. It was just two and a half hours of them discrediting and disrespecting what I had done: my experiences, my knowledge and my years of study.”

Tran said he was finally presented with an ultimatum: follow Sealy’s coaching philosophy or walk away from the job.

“This is a high school program

where kids should be allowed to enjoy the sport and have fun,” Tran said. “How we win is so much more important than actual wins and losses, because if I can provide a place where kids can grow as athletes and as people, they leave Homestead with tools and a good character they can carry into the rest of their lives.”

In his short tenure at HHS, Tran said the athletes he worked with left a deep impression on him.

“The group of athletes I had at Homestead was the best group that I had in my 12 years of coaching, hands down,” Tran said. “I was really heartbroken I had to leave them, especially in the middle of a season.”

Exploring the process, challenges of athletics funding

Athletic community strives to meet uniform, equipment needs

By Zeinab Rakhshandehroo and Faith Watters

Roaring crowds, fast action and last-minute goals — HHS’s athletics program presents an impressive exterior. However, this

classic facet of high school life functions due to a hidden power: funding. The athletic department manages all funding for school sports, allowing them to run smoothly, athletic director Chris Grossman said.

Though the district allocates some money for sports, Grossman said it lies mostly on the teams themselves to fundraise. The money is then put into an account

which the department oversees, Grossman said.

Teams can request money from the athletic department, and if they have the money in their account, Grossman approves it for spending, he said. Balls, uniforms and other specific items are paid for by the teams’ accounts, while more general equipment, such as volleyball nets, are paid for by the general athletic department budget, Grossman said.

“The athletic department, in terms of funding, are paying league fees, official fees and most of those behind-the-scenes things,” Grossman said. “The uniforms, equipment [and other] needs for a particular sport, things like balls and nets, are usually what we’re fundraising for from the parents’ side.”

Despite this process, the financial needs of sports teams are not always met, softball team captain Sangeeta Vaidya said.

“Funding wise, it hasn’t been great,” Vaidya, a senior, said. “Our equipment is basically falling apart. Our T’s are held together by zip ties and duct tape. And our jerseys got pushed — we were supposed to get new jerseys last

year or two years ago, but everything fell [apart].”

Because of this, the team needs to fundraise, which is difficult for smaller teams, softball coach Chris Caires said.

Track and field also performs a great deal of fundraising in order to support their equipment and travel needs, track and field player, senior Caleb Leung said.

“We go on trips for races, and sometimes they’re not really affiliated with the school,” Leung said.

“If it’s an unattached one, my dad [the team manager] will cover all of our coaches’ expenses and then ask for donations from the people that went on the trip.”

Leung said the team manager had to pay $3,000 out of pocket earlier in the fall, as Grossman did not approve their spending on new jerseys. After extensive fundraising to cover the costs of the jerseys, the team manager has not been fully reimbursed yet, Leung said.

Another factor in the complicated network of funding is the athletic boosters, a nonprofit organization that raises money for the athletic department, boosters president Rob Greanias said. Run

by parents of the athletes, the boosters organize fundraisers and operate a website to gather donations from the HHS community, then distribute that money fairly to sports teams, Greanias said.

Despite these efforts, Caires said the team often lacks funding support from the athletic department and boosters.

“Not a single year that I’ve been here has anybody from athletic boosters ever reached out to me to ask about needs that we might have or how we could work together,” Caires said. “We feel a little isolated; the communication between administration and athletic boosters could be improved.”

To resolve this issue, the athletic boosters are actively working to increase communication with teams and the department, Greanias said.

“We have a monthly boosters meeting that has an open invitation to anyone interested,” Greanias said. “Building active board attendance across the sports is a goal we are working toward. I also feel a student representative would give us a more direct, realistic perspective on the teams and their needs.”

Athletic director Chris Grossman said mid-season coaching changes disrupt the training and reduce the comfort level of athletes.

Boys varsity tennis head coach Sundar Parthasarathy said there is a “constant battle” between tennis and pickleball players.

Photo by Alicia Liste

Photo by Nathan Gu

Due to a lack of money, the softball team must practice with old and broken equipment, senior Sangeeta Vaidya said.

Photo by Faith Watters

GYMNASTICS Spring season bursts into bloom BASEBALL

“Sometimes we’re tired from school and then we’d lose motivation to go to practice [but] we try to manage our time wisely and still go even when we don’t feel like it.”

SOFTBALL

2-1

“I think we are performing far better than I expected. We are playing some really good softball right now and I am enjoying every moment being out on the field and competing with these girls.”

— Courtney Smith (11)

BADMINTON

6-0

“So far, the season is going really well. The matches are really fun because each time you get to play with new people and learn from them.”

— Mixed doubles, Amy Li (10)

1-2

“Everyone’s a lot more aggressive on the field this year, compared to last year. We were lacking a little bit and our confidence wasn’t up.”

— Third baseman and pitcher,

BOYS

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

8-9

“The season is going alright. It’s definitely off to a rocky start, but we’re on an upturn. We’ve been playing pretty good at tournaments so I think we can come back in the season.”

— Setter and libero, David Li (12)

2-2

2-2

“The season has been great so far and I have enjoyed being able to learn new dives regardless of if I have flopped on previous tries.”

— Sydney Gutierrez (10)

5-2

“[The season is] going pretty well. We have a pretty good team and I think we can do big things this year.”

BOYS

2-2

extremely well. We’ve been implementing a lot of drills at practices. Hopefully this is

“[The season is] not going so great right now. We’re last or second last in the league so we might get demoted next year, [so] we’re just trying to prevent that from happening.”

— Sprinter, Vivek Athavale (10)

TRACK AND FIELD

Photo by Alicia Liste

PhotobyAnnie Guo

“Our performance may not be as good as last year, but we still do our best, which is honestly all that matters.”

— Sara Diep (10)

Photoby Mackie Vu

— Katy Pan (9)

Photo by Elena Shim

Photo by Pa rth Dhaulakhandi

Photo by A viv asMat

Photo by A ma nda Bo les

TENNIS

GOLF

Pho to by Da niell e Fel dsher SWIM

The Epic of Humanities

StudEnts sHarE THougHts On tHE fiEld’s progrEssion

Frontier

“Being [a part of] Frontier allows you to meet a lot of really creative and interesting people that you may not meet outside the club. I like the level of freedom that comes with writing because, in a lot of STEM fields, there’s only one right answer. Writing is really subjective in terms of what’s good, so you can have much more creativity.”

-Rohan Venkatesan (12), Editor-in-Chief

Senior Mira Haldar, who plans on majoring in data science, said she has a strong interest in both STEM and humanities-related fields.

Haldar said she was drawn to the humanities because she enjoys connecting the dots and finding patterns when analyzing passages. She said she likes the logic unique to the humanities, such as piecing together a seemingly irrational string of words to discover the message an author is trying to convey.

However, Haldar said she ultimately chose a STEM major when applying to colleges due to the numerous job opportunities it offers. Haldar said she is excited about the potential for innovation in STEM fields, with opportunities to work in start-ups or conduct research. On the other hand, the humanities job market is often overcrowded, Haldar said.

“In academia, jobs are dwindling,” Haldar said. “In the job market outside of academia, there’s a stereotype that it’s hard to find a job as a humanities major, and I didn’t really want to go through that.”

National English Honor Society

“I like the community we’ve created. The way some members share their passion for literature, it’s very special and unique to our club. Homestead is a very STEM-related school because of the area we live in. Everyone’s so focused on [STEM majors that] humanities get lost, and it’s not looked highly upon in our area.”

Emma

Haldar said she wants to do data science because of its interdisciplinary nature. The subject would allow her to pursue the humanities, which she said have helped shape how she views the world within a STEM

“Communication is crucial in data science, as well as connecting with others and making sense of findings,” Haldar said. “I hope it’ll offer a space between the two fields.”

Senior Sahana Santhanam, a future English major, said she is interested in pursuing the humanities, as it has taught her to look at the world through different lenses and consider all perspectives when approaching a topic.

“Seeing myself as a woman of color in America represented in literature has pushed me to pursue a career in publishing or in the literary world. I can do research or work that makes a difference,” Santhanam said.

Santhanam, who serves as the president of the literary society Lattes and Literature, said the student body’s gravitation towards STEM-related careers is a result of living in the Bay Area, as well as the minimal representation of humanities-related AP classes and clubs on campus compared to STEM.

“STEM makes a lot of money right now, [which is] why people pursue careers in STEM even if they’re not that interested,” Santhanam said. “The humanities are not really known for bringing in a big salary.”

Nonetheless, Santhanam said her parents’ unconditional support in pursuing her dreams has allowed her to seek out a degree she is passionate about without a second thought.

“I love telling stories and hearing other people tell sto ries,” Santhanam said. “Story telling is such an important part of our society and has been a part of our society for a very long time. It’s something that will continue to exist far into the future and something I re ally enjoy.”

PhotobySanah

PhotobyAviv Matas

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Fiedler (12), Public Relations Officer otoPh by Part h

Dhaulakhandi

Photo byEllaChan