April 2021

TJTODAY vol 6 issue 5

april 2020

thomas jefferson high school for science and technology 6560 braddock rd. alexandria, va 22312

As students move forward with their education, they also take the

the

NEXT step with part-time jobs.

ABSTRACT Dancing to the song “Dynamite,” Rose Du and Tiffany Ji enjoy themselves at the Class of 2021 spring senior celebration. The 2021 Class Council put together events to make up for the loss of senior traditions during virtual learning. “I’m looking forward to seeing all of the class together at the next senior event. I appreciate this class a lot and I miss being together. I hope in future events we’ll get to do more active games,” Ji said.

Photo by Ananya Bagai.

STAFF EDITORIAL BOARD

Print & Online Editors-in-Chief Broadcast Executive Producer Team Leaders Vikram Achuthan Annika Dunneja Stuti Gupta Sonia Kanchan Anuj Khemka Pratika Katiyar

Sean Nguyen

In-Depth Editor Minjoo Song

Social Media Manager Zia Sun

Aafreen Ali Rachel Lewis Christina Lu Nathan Mo Connie Ryu

TJ Podcast Network Editor-in-Chief Whitman Ochai

Advisor: Erinn Harris tjTODAY is the official newsmagazine of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. The staff is deeply committed

to a code of journalistic ethics that demands the exercise of accuracy, good judgment, and impartiality. The content of tjTODAY is determined by the editorial board. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff of tjTODAY, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

tjtoday.tjhsst @tjhsst_media

@tjtoday_news

tjTODAY

CONTENTS tjTODAY vol. 6 issue 5

4

8

10

17 cover story 06

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STUDENT WORKERS

18

04

SHAKING UP ELDERCARE Senior Eugene Choi creates an organization to educate senior citizens on virtual communication

14

16

LIKE TECH? JOIN THE CLUBHOUSE Clubhouse, an invite-only app, attracts venture capitalists and Jefferson students alike

12

MASCOT AFTERTHOUGHTS

17 A STEP TOO FAR? Why we shouldn’t cancel our mascot

THE NEW SUNDAY Why asynchronous Mondays are important this school year

entertainment 18

sports

POWER IN PRONOUNS Transparency regarding pronouns should be encouraged, but not required

Jefferson’s “Colonial” mascot is outdated, misrepresentative, and needs to change

sci-tech 10

12

opinion

Part-time jobs help Jefferson students gain real-world experience

features

POIGNANT PAGE-TURNERS Diverse readings to contemplate and enjoy

DUAL THREATS An out-of-the-box solution at quarterback propels Jefferson football to success

april. 2021

Junior Eugene Choi creates an organization to educate senior citizens on virtual communication

SHAKING UP ElderCare

by Robert Stotz and Aarya Kumar

T

echnology is not everyone’s strong suit. Unfortunately for many elderly citizens, they haven’t had the opportunity to grow accustomed with the latest devices, let alone the issues that coincide.

TAKING ACTION

Recognizing the hardships these elders face, junior Eugene Choi started ElderCare, an organization that works to educate older communities on the basics of modern communication and technology. With the help of Jefferson volunteers, Choi holds a mixture of one-on-one and group informational classes.

“We have a weekly program where volunteers meet with the elderly over a 40 to 60 minute Zoom call and cover topics surrounding technology. We just taught a lesson on how to use Zoom to communicate with their families,” Choi said.

With this past year barring any and all social gatherings, many seniors are missing out on much needed gatherings. Focusing on the idea of rebuilding these interactions, Choi modeled his lessons’ around the basics of virtual communication.

“We are able to rebuild our communities online through social media or gaming.

Unfortunately, the elderly are in social isolation. They are not as technologically savvy to connect with their families or talk to

people in their area, and this is a problem,” Choi said.

After running a pilot program with the Goodwin House, a retirement community in Alexandria, Choi saw just how large an issue he was tackling. Through advertising, the program saw a boost in popularity among both individuals and retirement homes.

“I originally planned for a four week curriculum. However, the seniors came back with questions, so I expanded it to a six month period. We’ve added 30 more students since the start and we have needed several more volunteers to help lead classes,” Choi said.

APPLICATIONS

While holding his first few sessions, Choi recognized another issue these elders faced that he had not initially addressed.

“A student came to me about an email with instructions on configuring a wifi extender.

As it turned out, the extender was a scam.

Seeing how it had already affected one of my students, I realized that privacy and security is a major issue for the elderly. ” Choi said.

Incorporating privacy lessons into his classes, although broadening the range of material, honed in on the main takeaway of the program.

“It all goes back to the idea of building the community. When we see a suspicious email,

we’ll make a Facebook post or message our friends. It’s that form of crowdsourcing that is a huge benefit of a strong online community. I want to bring that back to the elderly.”

Choi said.

Working towards his goal of strengthening current senior communities, Choi uses the experiences of his students to enhance his teaching. Focusing on their backgrounds, he engaged with them, incorporating aspects of their lives into a productive lesson.

“One of my students is a musician. He likes coming to the meetings for the sake of talking more than actually learning technology, so I went along with it. I got him to the point where he was able to reconnect with his old bandmates from highschool.” Choi said.

THE FUTURE

While Choi’s teachings help many elders through this time of isolation, it also provides a long term solution to a large population of seniors that have a harder time getting around.

“COVID has just highlighted an issue that already exists. A lot of the elderly are very limited in transportation and health, and really aren’t able to travel long distances on their own. Even without COVID, the number of people they can see is limited.” Choi said.

FEATURE 5 Choi hopes that even as COVID passes, his lessons will still provide seniors with the knowledge and capability to connect with others virtually.

“COVID is nearing its end, but there is still a lot of interest in teaching the elderly technology. I hope my program can harbor online communities for seniors that are

accessible anytime. I think they would really appreciate that.” Choi said.

With this being Choi’s final year at Jefferson, he hopes to continue his lessons while attending college and beyond.

and having a database of recorded lectures so that elders don’t have to join synchronously,” Choi said. “I’m working towards a creating panel of alumni to participate in this program.”

Updated on May 5, 2021.

“I hope to stay involved during college by expanding the program into multiple states

A DAY I

LIF

by Stuti Gupta, Sonia Kanchan, & Pratika Katiyar

RECEPTIONIST

BLOGGER

LIFEGUARD

DOG WALKER SERVER

TUTOR

DRIVER

CAMP COUNSELOR

PHOTOGRAPHER

BARISTA

BABYSITTER KITCHEN WORKER

WEB DESIGNER

CASHIER

IN THE

FEATURE 5

FE T

OF STUDENT WORKERS

ax forms. Safety precautions. Communication. Teamwork. Time management.

It’s these aspects of employment which Jefferson students have gotten the chance to experience

through partaking in part-time jobs.

According to the 2018 U.S. Census, approximately 20% of high school students are employed.

Whether it’s to support their families or just earn some extra money, part-time jobs help expose students to new skills they may not have picked up in the classroom.

I

jenalyn dizon

t was definitely scary being around adults all the time because I feel like I usually go to school and come home, so I usually don’t have to be in the ‘real world.’”

It’s the ‘real world,’ which senior Jenalyn Dizon has found through working at Einstein Bros. Bagels.

“Being able to interact with adults is definitely something that I have been learning,” Dizon said. “Even though it’s not a super professional setting, knowing how to speak to my manager when I’m talking about hours and wage is helpful.”

In addition to learning how to communicate with her manager, Dizon has had to adapt to certain situations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s definitely been pretty stressful, because it’s hard to control. We can control how safe we are with the other employees, but if a customer were to come in and not follow protocol, then it’s difficult to handle,” Dizon said.

In spite of the difficult circumstances, Dizon has loved certain aspects of her job.

“It’s not super demanding, so it’s nice to be able to interact with people, or even customers- like people that I wouldn’t actually see in my day to day life,” Dizon said.

CASHIER

CASHIER

CASHIER

CASHIER

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CASHIER

CASHIER

CASHIER

CASHIER

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I

never thought that I would have to memorize [my social security number]. Now I can recite it off of the top of my head,” senior Anthony Wong said.

Since the start of the pandemic, Wong has worked parttime at two bakeries. Leaving Paris Baguette in April, he currently works at Chateau de Chantilly Cafe. Through his job, he feels that he has gained many skills not taught in schools.

“I never thought about taxes before this job,” Wong said. “It’s tax season right now, and my mom [asked me] ‘Did you get your W-2 from your employer yet?’. And I [asked], ‘What is a W-2?,’ and it turns out that I have to get a tax form from my employers–I feel that that kind of stuff is really valuable knowledge because nobody covers taxes in school.”

Put simply, his part-time job has helped him learn the value of money.

“It’s when you get your first paycheck,” Wong said, “that you truly realize what it’s like to work a job and make your own money.”

anthony wong

COVER STORY 9

WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER WALMART WORKER

O

n the weekends, we have to unload a truck full of small types of merchandisemostly food and all kinds of things like cups, tables, sports equipment, car oil, pet food, and baby diapers.”

Junior Ahmad Barokah’s job at Walmart consists of a variety of tasks, from unloading merchandise to interacting with customers, but it’s his coworkers that make the job especially enjoyable.

“It’s definitely hanging out with base school friends- it’s number one. It’s a really light job honestly. You’re just taking things off a cart and then you’re putting it on a shelf,” Barokah said.

The hiring process for Barokah wasn’t entirely smooth. He didn’t even hear back at first.

“It’s a funny story actually. I applied and they never answered back. Then my friend applied and then he got hired immediately. So then he told them that I applied a while ago,” Barokah said. “I got hired because my friend basically gave word out that I wanted the job.”

Overall, Barokah values the skills and responsibility learned through working parttime at Walmart, specifically time management.

“It makes me feel kind of responsible.

When I first got the job, I was like, ‘Dang, I already have a paying job now.’ And it kind of makes me feel more adult,” Barokah said.

“If you want to have a part-time job, I would definitely recommend it because in the end, it is overall beneficial because it helps with planning and scheduling school work and work. It’s like taking on an afterschool activity and everyone says that doing an afterschool activity helps you manage your time better.”

ahmad barokah

WALMART WORKER

LIKE

tech? club HOUSE

by Rachel Lewis

JOIN THE

Clubhouse, an invite-only app, attracts venture capitalists and Jefferson students alike

A

t the end of January, senior Arjun Dhumne received a strange text from a friend living across the country in California, asking if he knew of an app called Clubhouse. This was the first that Dhumne had heard of the new social media-like platform that has taken the technology and entrepreneurial communities by storm.

It’s a voice-only app that allows users to join “rooms” where speakers can have casual, real-time conversations with a few or a thousand listeners.

media attention

Senior Niko Economos also attends events with famous entrepreneurs, but he uses the app more often to network with people who share his interests.

“I’ve met people through Clubhouse, just by randomly joining rooms and through mutual friends,” Economos said.

“I use Clubhouse [to listen] in on conversations with people talking about topics I’m interested in, like aerospace, or just talk to random people.”

Stanford University Graduate School of Business alumni Paul Davison and Rohan Seth launched Clubhouse in April 2020, as the pandemic lockdowns began and face-to-face conversations were no longer possible.

“The way they rolled it out was [with] exclusive invites, and they gave first access to all the top tech people, and all the top venture capitalists in Silicon Valley,” Dhumne said.

Both Clubhouse’s big-name events and its exclusive community have ensured that, although the number of its users is small compared to the larger population, the app receives near-constant media attention.

“They were all over the news the day [after] Elon Musk was talking to Vlad [Tenev] and grilled him. So the company, without producing a single dollar in revenue, they’re [sic] already valued at a billion dollars,” Dhumne said.

Clubhouse was mostly known by the likes of venture capitalists and CEOs until more public figures, like Elon Musk, joined and began to speak in rooms. At his Jan. 31 event, Musk spoke about a wide range of topics, including Tesla’s artificial intelligence development and civilization on Mars, before interviewing Vlad Tenev, the CEO of Robinhood. The number of attendees in that room surpassed Clubhouse’s previous cap of 5,000 listeners. Events like that one, where anyone on the app can listen in on conversations with leaders in technology and finance, are what drew Dhumne to Clubhouse.

“People were tweeting, ‘Hey, I just had a really cool conversation with Marc Andreessen’, who is a billionaire venture capitalist [and] investor, and everyone wants to talk to Marc Andreessen,” Dhumne said.

“They really built up this hype, specifically for these business people [and] for tech.

So once we all got on — people who were Current Jefferson students discussed not exactly all Marc Andreessen-level — it recent changes to the school’s physical and brought even more hype there because cultural environment with alumni working in technology and entrepreneurship on Feb. it [was] becoming more accessible for 25. Image courtesy of Arjun Dhumne. people.”

exclusive invites Each user has two invites when they join and can gain more invites by joining, speaking in, and moderating rooms. The invite system has not gone away — if you want to join Clubhouse, you need to know someone who is already on it and has an extra invite. Dhumne was able to get on after a contact pulled him off the waitlist, while Economos was added by a fellow Jefferson student.

SCI-TECH 11 SCI-TECH 11

Comedian Tiffany Haddish and tech CEO Howard Lerman are a few of the many celebrities, entrepreneurs, and tech figures that expanded their social media presence onto the exclusive voice app Clubhouse in 2020.

“[Clubhouse] had Elon Musk talk [in] the most unfiltered [way] he’s ever talked. Even though he talks very unfiltered on Twitter, he was even more unfiltered on Clubhouse because it was [only] him and four other people talking, and it was all only audio; he was probably in his kitchen,” Dhumne said. “The general public could not see that, [which] was definitely a disadvantage for the people who can’t get on.”

However, both Dhumne and Economos think that the invite system prevents Clubhouse from becoming overwhelmed with users who are not part of or interested in the topics that its original users joined the app to discuss.

“Not only would it get oversaturated, but in the beginning of clubhouse, we [saw] mainly people that joined to make connections, be professional, all that kind of stuff,” Economos said. “As Clubhouse has progressed, you see more and more trolls. That happens with any app, but it happens slowly with Clubhouse because [of the] whole invite thing.”

for students too Despite how relatively difficult it is for the average American to become a Clubhouse user, there are over 80 Jefferson students on the app already, and that number continues to grow.

“We had 80 on [the] TJ-exclusive waiting list that we created, and then off of that it’s been spreading around. [That’s] called gossip protocol: once you get into a community it’s gonna spread out by itself,” Dhumne said.

Clubhouse users talk about a wide range of topics in the app’s “rooms,” from obviously technology-related subjects

like cryptocurrency, to completely unrelated areas like speed dating. Dhumne runs some rooms himself that focus on professional topics, like the stock market and networking.

He was recently one of the speakers at an event specifically for Jefferson students and alumni, like Tenev and Howard Lerman, CEO of Yext. Dhumne also hosts guest presenters for Jefferson’s Investment Club on Clubhouse.

“These guest speakers are busy. That’s just the nature of their work, and they can’t really come in and spend 45 minutes [talking to the club], but a lot of them do have Clubhouse. [When] they’re just at home, they [can] just have Clubhouse there, and they can come in and chime in,” Dhumne said. “It’s really just like a phone call, rather than having [to] open Zoom.”

Besides club meetings, Clubhouse has enabled both Dhumne and Economos to freely socialize with other Jefferson students who are on the app based on shared interests rather than previous connections.

“Niko and I and alum [ha]ve talked to freshmen that we probably would have never met before,” Dhumne said.

“They don’t have to feel intimidated to come and talk to us.

They already are on the app, and if we invite them up, there they are.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically reduced the potential for in-person conversations, so Dhumne sees Clubhouse as a casual way to build new connections among students, alumni, and other community members. “[Clubhouse users have] free rein to go and talk to who[m]ever [they] want, just like it would be in school,” Dhumne said.

DUAL

by Anuj Khemka & Elliott Lee

An out-of-thebox solution at quarterback propels Jefferson football to success

THREATS S

enior Sabareesh Sundarraj entered the season as Jefferson’s undisputed starting quarterback. After three years as a backup, he would now take the field on every snap as the commander of the offense, respected and ready to guide the team to touchdowns.

That is, until practices for the season began.

ORIGINS

To offensive coordinator Michael Auerbach, it became clear that Jefferson had not just one starting-caliber quarterback — but two. Without a consistently wide range of athletes to work with at Jefferson, Auerbach approaches every season with a flexible offensive mindset, prepared to mold the scheme around the team’s strengths that year.

“Right away, in February we could see what our strengths were. We had a quarterback who was very fundamentally sound in the backfield, and when we have plays that really require a lot of precision timing, [he] was very good at that,” Auerbach said. “When we needed somebody who could sprint out of the pocket or throw the ball far downfield, we had a quarterback who was good at that. So it just became apparent that we needed to use them both.”

And so formed Jefferson’s unusual dual-quarterback system, starring Sundarraj and sophomore Gavin Hatalosky. The two rotate on and off the field depending on the play that Auerbach has in mind.

“A lot of times we call plays where the quarterback looks at the defense and determines the best

route to take and the best person to take the ball. I trust [Sundarraj] to make those decisions because he’s very fundamentally sound with understanding and reading defenses,” Auerbach said. “[Hatalosky] is just a sophomore, so he hasn’t had that much experience doing those things, but he has a lot of speed and a very strong arm. So when we rely on more natural athleticism from the position, I go with [Hatalosky].”

TEAM PLAYER

In Auerbach’s 18 years as a part of Jefferson football, this season marked the first time that he’s used such a system. It thus came as a surprise to both players that they would be splitting playing time. For Sundarraj, especially, the shift to two quarterbacks meant that his time on the field would drop drastically. Still, the senior quarterback accepted the newfound role without reservation.

“I want to be able to run as fast, but I’m just not that fast, so having a second threat like [Hatalosky] makes our offense a lot better. And for me, it’s nice to have individual glory but it doesn’t really matter if you don’t win,” Sundarraj said.

“We’ve been winning—we have two wins now—and I attribute those two wins to having [Hatalosky] come in and making some explosive plays and executing.”

SPORTS 13 Running sideways, Sundarraj launches the ball at his receiver. Having been a quarterback on Jefferson’s football team for three years, Sundarraj has a complex and thorough understanding of the offense. “[Sundarraj] has been in the program for four years, and he has a tremendously high football IQ. When he was the backup quarterback in 2019, [Sundarraj] had a better understanding of our offense than any backup quarterback I had ever worked with,” Auerbach said.

PHOTOS // Ananya Bagai // Fiona Zheng // George Evanisko

Auerbach and Sundarraj first witnessed Hatalosky’s game-changing potential in the team’s second game against Park View. Afterward, the team decided to fully embrace the dual-quarterback system.

“The second game, we were moving the ball, but once we got into the red zone, things didn’t go as well for us. So Coach [Auerbach] decided to diversify the offense, which I agreed with,” Sundarraj said. “Gavin got in and he was able to change the game. With the threat of two quarterbacks, they didn’t know what they were getting when each of us was in. So that kept the defense on their heels and we were able to win that game.”

BRIGHT FUTURE

Despite the team’s success with the dual-quarterback system, Hatalosky’s developing skillset makes it unlikely that they will employ something similar in the near future.

“I don’t think we’re going to use a similar system, at least for the foreseeable future. Maybe if some freshmen comes and can throw like 70 yards, but I don’t know, I don’t see how that will happen.

power in

Transparency regarding pronouns should be encouraged, but not required.

I

t’s time to change the narrative.

A new change

Pronouns are the words one uses to refer to someone in the third person. It has become common practice for people to share their pronouns on name tags and in introductions, email signatures and Instagram ‘bios.’

The problem

It’s not common enough.

Often, when speaking of someone in third person, one will use gender-implied pronouns, such as he/him and she/ her, which are generally associated with masculine and feminine appearances and names respectively. Sometimes, these assumptions can be incorrect. Pronouns are not always representative of one’s gender identity. Some may use specific pronouns, such as gender-neutral pronouns like ze/hir and they/them, and others may use any or none at all. Incorrect assumption of gender identity based on expression can bring discomfort, induce or trigger gender dysphoria and negatively affect mental health.

What needs to happen

It’s time to normalize asking others for their pronouns, even if you believe you’re sure. If one is introducing themself by name, if comfortable, their next sentence should acknowledge their pronouns. Taking this extra step during conversations will create a more welcoming environment for others to disclose their pronouns. Moreover, cisgender people—whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth— have the unique opportunity to create a more comfortable environment for non-cisgender people by normalizing giving and asking for pronouns.

But what should one do when they’re speaking of someone and can’t recall their pronouns? The best practice is to use their proper name, and if unavoidable, use gender-neutral pronouns.

According to a 2018 Pew Research Center study, 27% of adults said that they would be ‘very’ comfortable using a gender-neutral pronoun to refer to someone if asked to do so, 25% said they would be ‘somewhat’ comfortable, and the rest said they would be either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ uncomfortable using gender-neutral pronouns. While gender-neutral

pronouns

LEAD-ED 15

ILLUSTRATION // Aafreen Ali

pronouns have seen much more acceptance over the years, comfort is still a ways ahead. Comfort may not be a necessity, but options are—comfort may end up being a side effect.

Currently, students are not allowed to edit their names on Blackboard Collaborate, the platform used by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to conduct virtual learning.

In 2020, the ability to edit names was available to students.

However, after several cases of inappropriate edits to names, the function was disabled. Now, if a student would like to display their pronouns, or remove a dead name, they are unable to do so unless they reach out to their teachers. Dead names are the names transgender individuals used before they transitioned. Reaching out to teachers requires trust and can result in a large amount of additional work as those who are gender-fluid may change their pronouns on a day-to-day basis. A small number of students’ actions have resulted in consequences for every student. Students should be able to edit their names to display pronouns, as well as to get rid of dead names. Additionally, Jefferson’s Intranet does not allow students to change their gender, another feature which dismisses students’ gender identities.

Similarly, standardized testing should not limit gender and pronouns, but either include an ‘Other’ option or allow for fill-in questions so that students are not limited to just a few given choices. Their comfort comes with making discussion on this topic in-person and on-paper common practice, but for the other 48% of adults who said they were uncomfortable using gender-fluid pronouns—their comfort may come from exposure.

Importance

There is a fine line between encouragement and pressure.

Individuals should be encouraged to share their pronouns, but in no way required. They should be allowed to say that they don’t know and that should be normalized. If someone chooses not to share any information about their pronouns, that must also be respected. Lastly, operating from a gender-neutral approach should always be at the tip of your tongue. It shows that you are willing to make the effort to acknowledge another’s pronouns and embrace their gender identity. It’s time to change the narrative.

Mascot Afterthoughts Jefferson’s “Colonial” mascot is outdated, misrepresentative, and needs to change “Goooooo Colonials!”

We all know the slogan that began our school day inperson. It’s iconic.

It creates a sense of community Srilakshmi Medarametla at Jefferson. It’s Staff Writer us. But does our school mascot, the Colonial, respect and represent all of us?

Merriam-Webster defines “colonial” as “a member or inhabitant of a colony.” As Americans, the British settlers who founded the 13 colonies first come to mind. Historically, we praise these colonials for all the qualities they developed as pioneers: bravery, adaptability, and perseverance.

However, when we support the Colonial as our school mascot, we overlook its connection to colonialism, which inherently gave rise to racism, oppression, and economic exploitation.

When we support the Colonial as our school mascot, we choose which truths best fit our purposes and we bury everything else. We bury the fact that not only does colonialism represent a time when American colonists felt powerless to voice their opinions in British government, but that it also perpetuated the subjugation and enslavement of persons of color, especially indigenous and African peoples.

If we bury these truths, we deny a piece of our history. We deny that which inherently influences how our story continues in the present.

As we have seen over the past year with America’s racial reckoning, we cannot fix a problem that we do not acknowledge exists.

This is the issue with adopting a people, especially a group of individuals we do not know firsthand, as a mascot. Perhaps we can say that if we went back in time and met a colonial, we would find admirable qualities in that individual. But when we make the Colonial our symbol, we reduce the diversity of all colonists to the limitations of just one view of them.

Designating a group as a mascot inherently leads to that group’s objectification. To admirers, the Colonial was brave, adaptable, and persevering. To critics, the Colonial was tyrannical, repressive, and weak. To be a symbol, these two views of the Colonial cannot coexist and either story, by the very nature of its singularity, cannot fairly honor the whole truth.

Several schools have recognized this issue and have accordingly changed their mascots. Late last year in central Massachusetts, Grafton High School switched from “Indians” to “Gators,” and Athol High School dumped “Red Raiders” for “Bears.”

More relatably, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School voted to retire their Colonial mascot last October based on similar concerns, that the Colonial’s relation to colonialism represented “actions not to be placed upon a pedestal.”

The costs associated with changing our mascot are no small matter. A sense of loss for

the history of our institution would be inevitable.

However, as a school which highlights STEM education, fields which inherently bring forth promise of a new, better tomorrow, embracing change is nothing new for us. A new mascot can still come to represent the same values we strive to emulate in the Jefferson community today. We can choose a symbol that respects and represents all of us.

PHOTO //Minjoo Song

OPINION 17

A Step Too Far? Why we shouldn’t cancel our mascot For over 20 years, the Colonial has graced the grounds of Jefferson High School as its official mascot. Intended to pay homage to Thomas Jefferson’s 18th century origins, it often appears at Elliott Lee school events in the form Staff Writer of a costume in the likeness of our third president. However, a growing number of voices claim that the Colonial represents a symbol that has perpetuated injustice in America and should be removed.

Colonialism as an institution has an indisputable history of exploitation and abuse of native peoples. However, incriminating the word ‘colonials’ is a shallow attempt at political correctness. ‘Colonial’ is a blanket term for a group of people whose heritage is of some mother country but have settled in a foreign land. An individual European colonist is as much of an ambassador who endorses the execution of colonialism by a government as American veterans are for the My Lai massacre. Attaching a negative connotation to the word simply because it sounds too similar to ‘colonialism’ is a worrying sign of how extensively hypersensitivity plagues our current political climate.

It’s hard to argue that the Colonial as a mascot represents any ideals of prejudice today.

Rather, it is a celebration of American revolutionaries who fought for independence from imperialist Britain. Our mascot recognizes the contributions of our Founding Fathers, who espoused democracy and Enlightenment ideals such as liberty, freedom, and tolerance. Were the colonials perfect? Of course not. Many, including Thomas Jefferson, owned hundreds of slaves who remained enslaved after the owners’ deaths. Yet, our school still bears his name, because we appreciate his numerous accomplishments in science and the development of the early American government while still acknowledging his personal flaws.

If we choose to kick the Colonial to the curb, what’s stopping us from doing the same to Thomas Jefferson?

ILLUSTRATION // Aafreen Ali

The New Sunday

Why asynchronous Mondays are important this school year Once upon a time — a pre-pandemic time — students dreaded Sunday night.

A part of the Annika Duneja weekend only Online by name, it Editor-in-Chief was a time for catching up on all the work of the week before and studying for the week to come. For many students, it started to feel like Saturday was the only break they had before Sunday came to remind them of their responsibilities.

With the introduction of asynchronous Mondays this year, the whole 24 hours of Monday have become the new Sunday night.

With more school work given this year to make up for lost in-person teaching time, students tend to spend their Mondays finishing up work due that day and cramming for tests and quizzes.

Though it still is a lot of work, this is a welcome change given that it allows for more time than a stressful Sunday night ever did,

and actually gives students an entire weekend to take a break from staring at their computer screen for hours.

However, one of the main annoyances of asynchronous Mondays is the Monday check in Google form. Every Monday, I fill out my name and check the same boxes of none, none, and N/A. If I happen to forget the form, I am pestered with emails telling me to fill it out immediately or be marked with an unexcused absence. It is an unnecessary addition to a day where everyone is working on schoolwork anyway, and students should not have to worry about being marked absent on an asynchronous school day.

Despite this minor problem, the decision to have asynchronous Mondays replaces what would have been very inefficient online anchor days was a necessary one. These days are not something that should be continued in normal school years, but still hold importance in maintaining a balance of school and home life for students.

poignant

by Chris Yoo

PAGE-TURNERS Diverse readings to contemplate and enjoy

D

iversity is a big part of what makes the country, and the world, vibrant and distinct. There are many different cultures, religions, and unique stories that shape our experience. No single book can fully capture the diversity that the place we live in contains, but they each encompass specific aspects of the human experience. A majority of the common literature that students are exposed to mainly includes similar experiences of cultural, religious, or sexual identity. The following books are selected to reflect the perspectives of authors and stories with backgrounds that differ from the classics.

They Both Die at the End

by Adam Silvera

“They Both Die at the End” revolves around the concept of a company called Death-Cast, which can predict when people will die. The main character is Mateo, a teenager living in New York City that has been told by Death-Cast that he has less than 24 hours to live.

He meets Rufus, another teen with the same predicament, and they become close friends. They gradually build a loving relationship with each other in the time that they have.

Silvera delves into topics

Author Spotlight

Chris Yoo is a freshman at Jefferson who enjoys reading books.

Although he often likes to read nonfiction, Chris will pick up any book that looks interesting. He believes that reading is relaxing and a good way to gain insight and perspective into new things.

like death, sexuality, and the meaning of life, and has several subplots intertwined with the main one that brings even more insight into the author’s thoughts.

Bless Me, Ultima

by Rudolfo Anaya

“Bless Me, Ultima” is a semi autobiographical book that centers around the author’s transformation as a child to the cultural and spiritual changes around him. The story is told from the perspective of Antonio Márez y Luna, also known as Tony. Tony recounts his younger years and reflects on them as an adult. Ultima refers to a curandera (native healer) that his family houses.

Tony is conflicted by Ultima’s native Latin American beliefs and his mother’s wish for him to be a Roman Catholic priest. The book talks about growing up in periods of transition, as well as culture and tradition in such times.

Anaya integrates a multitude of traditional Latin American images and references into the story.

The Namesake

by Jhumpa Lahiri

“The Namesake” starts out with Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, who are Bengali immigrants that moved to Massachusetts from India. They have a son with the “pet name” of Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a

“good name” of Nikhil.

Nikhil originally prefers his pet name, which has a deep meaning that his parents fail to tell him, but starts changing his mind in an attempt to become more American.

This puts a strain on his relationship with his parents, as he grows resentful of his culture and becomes sensitive to mentions of it. The Namesake tells the story of resenting and embracing culture, something familiar to far too many people that immigrated to other nations.

Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee “Pachinko” follows Sunja, the daughter of Hoonie, a man with a cleft foot, and Yangjin, the daughter of a poor farmer. Sunja becomes pregnant, and this threatens to bring disgrace on her and her family.

Sunja gets a lucky break when she is given the opportunity to marry a minister, Isak, and flee to Japan. However, when she arrives in Japan, she finds out that Korean people are not treated well there, and things get even worse as World War II begins. The main themes in Pachinko are power, racism, and stereotypes. It offers a historical look at how these themes might have developed in earlier times.

ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE 195

by Riya Jone

Y A R R A AN

s

S R O H T OF AU eir

in th ry voices a r te li f o rsity sts ater dive e r g d eading li r e e d n e ir ls u o q ’ re Scho students How many times have you heard high-schoolers lament the ubiquity of old, white, straight, male authors and viewpoints in the classics? Students often have trouble connecting to the works they encounter in English class, and a large part of this disconnect is due to the fact that required books aren’t indicative of the journeys and struggles experienced by many students, particularly in relation to race, sexuality, and gender.

One of the best ways to simultaneously increase diversity in required reading lists and boost student engagement is to incorporate student choice into book selection. If teachers take time at the beginning of the year to gauge student interest in a list of works that fit the course and make an effort to include students in the conversation about required reading lists, this can give students a greater sense of agency in their learning. This will also give voices to students who do not feel represented in the typical western canon.

Another way teachers can increase the breadth of authors offered for study is to incorporate small reading groups into their classes. If students have some level of individual choice in which authors and themes they wish to explore, this can also improve classroom engagement.

Of course, not every title assigned by teachers has to be student chosen. Many students had valuable experiences reading novels they were assigned in class and would have never otherwise chosen. However, incorporating student voices to some degree in the creation of required reading lists, rather than leaving the process of choosing texts a mystery, could better reflect the lived experiences of a diverse student body and show students that they, too, have a say in what constitutes great literature.

ILLUSTRATION // Riya Jones

SKATING TO “

Before a meet, we have pep talks to always support one another in a friendly environment. We have this announcement app called Band, and teammates will congratulate one another on new records. I don’t really get to meet anybody else outside of that, so it’s really nice during quarantine to get out and run with friends.

PHOTO by Sean Nguyen REPORTING by Sean Nguyen

I passionately did figure skating for seven years, but because of quarantine and all these new restrictions, I had to quit. I didn’t do any sports for a while until I found cross country and track.

In both cross country and skating, you compete individually. Yet, in skating, I only have a close-knit community of three people, because we are at different levels from beginner to senior. We also have individual coaches who have private lessons, so the norm of skating is to practice by yourself. In cross country, the coach teaches you as a group and so you do everything as a group. We may compete by ourselves, but in practice, we run around as a team.

“

There is stamina in both sports because in figure skating, it can get really tough especially when you do a program, and in cross country, you need a lot of endurance. There are jumps you have to do with multiple revolutions in the air, but as soon as you finish landing, you have to find a smooth transition and then go right into another jump.

SPRINTING

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

Freshman

Lindsay Hwang