March 2017

TJTODAY THE MAGAZINE

6560 BRADDOCK RD. ALEXANDRIA, VA 22312

CULTURAL THE

CONVERSATION

6

RELIGION THROUGH TIME

Discussing generational opinions on religion

17

EATING DISORDERS

How does the illness affect individuals

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How generational gaps result in different understandings of religion while also bringing people together ACCEPTANCE OR ASSIMILATION

What’s the difference, and how does it happen

IN-DEPTH || 6 A GENERATIONAL GAP DEFINING OUR RELIGIOUS FAITH APRIL 5, 2017 || VOL 2 ISSUE 6 || www.tjtoday.org

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND TECH || ALEXANDRIA, VA

CONTENTS

NEWS

4

Prathik Naidu

5

Regional Science Fair Winners IN-DEPTH

6

Culture

12 iNite Photo Gallery

SCI AND TECH

16 Eating Disorders 18 Biology Culture Research

SPORTS

NewsMAKERS

NEWS

Photo courtesy of TJ Mythvestigations. The club meets during B b during 8th period on Fridays.

20 We Came for the Sports OPINION

24 LEAD EDITORIAL 27 The Truth behind Stereotypes

ENTERTAINMENT

28 Foreign Movies 30 Beauty and the Beast

WHAT I'VE LEARNED

32 Yadaven Saravanapavan EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ANKIT AGRAWAL, KATHERINE DU, ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, UZMA RENTIA TEAM LEADERS SABRIA KAZMI, ANGEL KIM, AVNI SINGH, BAYILSS WAGNER,CHRISTINE ZHAO BROADCAST EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ALEXA NGUONLY, LYNN NGUYEN, SHARON KIM BUSINESS MANAGER MIJIN CHO STAFF REPORTERS

PARSA ABEDI, RENA CAI, JAE CANETTI, JUSTIN CHANG, AUMENA CHOUDHRY, MEDHA GUPTA, NATALIE HONMYON, ALEX HOWE, ASHLEY HUANG, ARYAAN HUSSAIN, TANYA KURNOOTALA, STEVEN LE, GRACE MAK, MIKO MIWA, ANUSHKA MOLUGU, JOSHUA MUTTERPERL, VALERIE NAYAK, SHRUTI NYASHADHAM, BRIAN PARK, SINDHU RAGUNATHAN, NEHA SINHA, NIKITA SIVAKUMAR, SADHANA SURI, PATRICK TUMLE, SAMANTHA YAP

ADVISER ERINN HARRIS tjTODAY is the official newsmagazine of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology published by the journalism staff.

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.

Jefferson’s annual hackathon continues to grow, drawing in aroun students this year.

Photo courtesy of Yukta Chidanandan. Pictured above: A copy of C dan’s memoir “A Second Chance”.

ts during B blocks

NEWS

After recruiting, we’ll reply to their emails, and a big thing is that midway through HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE their projects, they have to send us a sumPLANNING COMMITTEE? BACKSTORY mary so we’ll look over them and grade Last year, as a freshman, during the As an eighth period committee, the them based on that to start our rankings.

8th period signups, I saw this club and I Mythvestigations team works through[thought] that sound[ed] so interesting. out the year to plan and prepare for an WHAT MAKES MYTHVESTIGATIONS Sometimes the name of the club is a little invitational science fair held at Jefferson.

UNIQUE FROM OTHER SCIENCE FAIRS? misleading because it sounds like we’re The group, including sophomore Serena I think we really try to instill this idea of busting myths, but we’re actually creating a Xia, promotes the Mythvestigations scian independent research project in whatscience fair for middle schoolers. ence fair to middle school and elementary ever field they’re interested in, and if they school students around Fairfax County to need any help, they can email students HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR MYTHVESfamiliarize younger students with serious from TJ to give them an idea of what a TIGATIONS? scientific research. This year the Mythvesscience project is.

When they present it, [First] we’ll usually send out emails to tigations science fair was held on March we make sure to give them a thorough elementary schools and middle schools to 18. rubric that’s really similar to what teachers either put it on their morning announceat TJ actually tell us. ments or to flyers to tell them to join.

Natalie Homnyom || STAFF WRITER

Samantha Yap || STAFF WRITER

BACKSTORY Jefferson’s annual hackathon, HackTJ, provided an intensive nights of coding for its fifth year in a row. This year’s hackathon, held on March 25-26, featured the projects of over 450 students -- only seventy percent of which hailed from Jefferson. Jefferson’s Coding Lady Colonials (CLC) and their teacher sponsor Ria Galanos organized the event.

ing in around 450

: A copy of Chidanan-

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APR 5, 2017

Ashley Huang || STAFF WRITER

BACKSTORY Sophomore Yukta Chidanandan won a Gold Medal for her personal memoir “A Second Chance.” The memoir was about Chidanandan’s grandparents, and how her grandfather was a major in the Indian army, and how her grandfather and grandmother had an arranged marriage.

Java - a lot of the times when they come DID YOU FACE ANY CHALLENGES to HackTJ they learn how to make an WHILE PLANNING THE EVENT? Computer Science teacher Ria Galanos: app that might be more user friendly.

Well, surprises. The play went on at WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF the same time, which just presented new HACKTJ? challenges, like roping off parts of the Galanos: building, and dealing with parking for No question, the enthusiasm the two large events, and we were happy to students exhibit when they’re working on share. Challenges always happen, but kind of makes planning an event exciting. their projects. As a classroom teacher, I have lovely students every day who seem interested in the material, who chat with WHAT DO STUDENTS LEARN? me, who are excited about their work. It’s Junior Sherry Xie: a whole different level at the hackathon; A lot of people learn how to use the level of passion, determination, different APIs, because a bunch of our excitement, urgency, enthusiasm is unpar[sponsors] are tech companies, so in the alleled. For me, it literally is the highlight real world they’re selling their product. of my year.

Especially people who are mostly doing WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE “A SECOND CHANCE”?

While my grandfather was in his final days, the relationship that my grandparents shared became really visible. It was the hope and the love that they showed that made their story really moving to write about. The memoir talks about how they worked together while my grandfather struggled with cancer. He died after I submitted the essay and before we found out that it did well in the competition.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG ASPIRING WRITERS?

Writing is about your views as much as it is about communicating. The best kind of writing happens when people don’t worry about how they “should” write, and just focus on putting their experiences and thoughts down.

WHAT DID YOUR MENTOR JENNIFER SEAVEY DO DURING THE WRITING PROCESS? Writing the essay was something I did by myself. Mrs Seavey did me the favor of being my second eyes, but any edits she did suggest were very minor. The memoir reflects my own words and feelings about the situation.

4 NEWS

SUCCESS BEHIND THE SCIENCE FAIR

Reflecting on performances at Fairfax County’s regional science fair Brian Park || STAFF WRITER

T

he Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair took place on Mar. 18 at Robinson Secondary School, and senior Prathik Naidu, sophomore Siona Prasad, and juniors Nikhil Sardana and Mihir Patel all received Grand Prizes.

The fair is a part of a competition with four levels, the highest stage being the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). “[The] FCPS science fair was the Fairfax division of the science fair, so there are nationals and below that state levels and the regional levels

RENOVATION UPDATE The remaining classes in the trailers will be moving inside the bulding after spring break.

The Geosystems hallway will be opening

below that and the school one,” Patel said.

There are also two ways to qualify to the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

Photo courtesy of TJColonials Twiiter

“If you win Principal Evan Glazer and Assistant Principal Gary Grosicki stand first in your with the grand prize winners (left to right) Nikhil Sardana, Mihir category at Patel, Prathik Naidu, and Siona Prasad. the TJ science fair or you get ISIS propaganda, by examining the Siemens semifinalist, then you go to images that they post. While on the the regional fair,” Patel said. “We other hand, Prathik Naidu worked qualified by getting semifinalists in with DNALoopR to identify 3D Siemens. So if you get top five in DNA Interactions in Cancer and your category you go to states and Siona Prasad used low cost sensors if you get grand prize, which are and drones to estimate CO2/CH4 the top nine projects overall, you emission. automatically go to nationals.”

“For the images we focus on the flag According to participants the atmosphere at the competition was light and sociable, though the mood changed when awards were announced since it was a make it or break it moment for contestants.

“There are a lot of categories and it’s not competitive, but more interesting to see what other people had done, especially [the] first half of Saturday,” Sardana said.

“Everyone is presenting at the same time. After lunch is when the grand prize nominees are left, around 30 groups, and then it’s a little bit stressful.”

Patel and Sardana worked on their project, creating an algorithm for instagram to detect

because their logo is something they band around,” Sardana said. “So if you look at Nike they will always have the Nike their logo at the bottom, so ISIS will do the same thing. So if we can detect that brand, we can use their logo against them.”

However the competitors are not finished with their projects, they will continue to make adjustments as the national science fair approaches.

“Our poster board actually turned out to be too graphic to present, so we’re gonna do some redesigning on the poster board,” Patel said. “We also have a demo website, so cleaning that up. Also contact people to see if they’re interested in our project.”

DESIGN // Sabria Kazmi

NEWS

5

APRIL 5, 2017

CRACKING CANCER

Prathik Naidu’s contributions to cancer research Nikita Sivakumar || STAFF WRITER

C

racking the cure to cancer is the dream of most post-graduate and Ph.D. students. Jefferson senior, Prathik Naidu starting making headway in such dreams his freshman year. Over his four years in high school, Naidu has diligently developed his research on computationally analyzing cancer cell development. On March 15, Naidu placed seventh at the Regeneron Talent Search; he was awarded for his long-term research in computational biology.

Naidu started his research in the summer of his freshman year at John Hopkins University. His nine weeks at Hopkins introduced him to an entirely new field of biological analysis: computation.

Naidu’s second year of work at Hopkins was a minor setback in his research aspirations. After conducting weeks of research, he was excited to showcase his hard work at competitions, such as the Science Fair.

However, there were issues in his data collection that prevented him from competing in prestigious competitions.

Regardless, Naidu notes that this is typical of scientific research, and encourages students to persevere in face of such obstacles.

“Even though that was initially a setback it really taught me what scientists actually do. They don’t really focus on trying to publish in the best-name journal or anything. They really try to do good science,” Naidu said.

“I still continued my research through junior year and tried to really answer my questions.”

“I envisioned myself wearing a lab coat and Photos courtesy of Amritha Justin goggles, and I was Above: Naidu works on his laptop.

Top Left: Naidu plans out parts of his research project on a white board. really excited to work in a wet lab Naidu did environment. But overcome his obstacles. Throughout his junior year and it turns out my mentor gave me a lab computer to analyze summer, Naidu completed his research and was recognized some DNA sequences,” Naidu said. by a variety of prestigious institutes.

Naidu’s experience at Hopkins would later inspire him to develop his own software to three-dimensionally analyze cancer cells and proteins.

“Placing in the top 300 semi-finalists [of the Regeneron Talent Search] really validated my work not just over the past year but over my four years of high school,” Naidu said.

“My question was really which enhancer activates which gene in the entire cancer genome. It’s such a fundamental He offers important advice to all students at Jefferson, question and it’s so simple, but it hasn’t been answered yet,” based on his work.

Naidu said. “And that’s what gives us a better insight on “To all the students who are interested in scientific how cancer forms and spreads throughout the body.” research: find a question and keep at it,” Naidu said, “There He developed his research on cancer development and will be obstacles— I know I didn’t accomplish much in computational biology in the summer of sophomore year at my first research internship. But I would say that is what the department of engineering at John Hopkins, and later at motivated me to find other questions that were really MIT in the summer of junior year. interesting and really find ways to solve them.”

IN-DEPTH= Photo courtesy of Kristin Myers

During a retreat at Watermarks Camp outside Charlottesville, VA, senior Kristin Myers’ church holds a bonfire.

ANCIENT TO MODERN, ASIAN TO AMERICAN - A GENERATIONAL GAP THAT DEFINES OUR RELIGIOUS FAITH Differences in religious beliefs can distinguish people from their elders while pushing them to strengthen their personal views

J

Bayliss Wagner || TEAM LEADER

unior Meghan Sivakumar identifies as a “special Hindu.”

Sivakumar and her brother, parents and grandparents celebrate Diwali and practice other Hindu rituals, but they also explore other religions—last year she and her parents attended a Christmas Mass service together. Her own views come from the Unitarian spiritual education classes that her family and her grandparents have attended for 12 years. They are part of the Sathya Sai Baba organization, founded by its namesake, an Indian spiritual guru.’

elder members of society, though, and this doesn’t just apply to politics.

“My human values come from something apart from Hinduism completely,” she said. “My parents have lived in a more diverse society in America for more than half their lives so they’re more accepting of other religions and other cultures, like I am, but one thing I notice that’s different is that my parents don’t like to question Hinduism. Neither does my brother, actually.”

Through Sivakumar’s continuous exploration of world religions Religion characterizes the culture of nearly every civilization, and questioning of her own beliefs, she has come to critique from Egyptian pharaoh-deities and Mesopotamian patron gods certain aspects of Hinduism that affect women differently than to Persian Zoroastrianism and the Ancient Chinese Mandate of men.

Heaven. Every young generation tends to be more liberal than the

IN-DEPTH

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APRIL 5, 2017

Photo courtesy of Abdalla Osman

Osman dresses in Muslim clothing for prayer at his mosque on the day of Eid Al Fitr, a celebratory holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Photo courtesy of Kristin Myers

TJ alums and former members of FCA attend math teacher Myra Spoden’s last day as the FCA sponsor in 2017.

“There are some things that I don’t understand like there are certain restrictions put on females and children, especially after female puberty, and that can get really frustrating especially when you don’t know why. Once a girl reaches puberty, [she’s] not allowed to enter religious places like temples or prayer rooms, they’re not allowed to take part in celebrations when it’s their time of the month.”

Ancient Hindu texts were written in the defunct language of Sanskrit, hindering easy access to guidance on matters that concern Sivakumar. When asking her grandparents for answers about the origin of practices like these, she couldn’t find them.

weekly Bible study group.

“I kind of am more conservative than some kids at school, but compared to my parents, I’m definitely more liberal.

They do hold the traditional conservative values, so, you know, they’re against homosexuality [and] very pro-life.”

“Older generations, they don’t want to questions. They don’t want new information. They don’t want to stray from what they know”

“Older generations, they don’t want to question,” she said. “They don’t want new information. They don’t want to stray from what they know. Their answers are always, ‘No, don’t question it, you’ll be fine.’ [My grandparents] don’t want to destroy [Hinduism] by adding uncertainty.

But I believe that the added doubt makes the religion stronger.”

Chan attributes his differing views to discussions he has had about social and political issues with his peers as well as to his personal search for answers.

Baptist senior Timmy Chan also has some differing beliefs from his parents.

He plays guitar for Jefferson’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and for his church’s student ministry band and also attends a

“It’s probably because I go to a school with such liberal views and my peers definitely shaped my status on things. If I have a really big question, I go talk to my pastor.”

-Junior Meghan Sivakumar

Myers repairs the home of an elderly homeowner at a mission trip in Abingdon, a town in Southwest Virginia.

Baptist senior Kristin Myers reads scripture and learns about others’ views to form her interpretation of the social values of Christianity. She has also explored the controversial relationship between science and Christianity, which many science-oriented Jefferson students ask her about. Some Christians say that because the first book of the Bible describes God creating the Earth in seven days and placing Adam on Earth Himself, evolution does not fit with Christian faith.

“People assume that because I’m religious, I don’t support science or I don’t put my faith in science,” Myers said. “I personally believe that Genesis is an allegory for God creating the Earth through evolution. I wouldn’t agree with someone who tries to disprove God through science. [Science] just goes to show how amazing God is.”

Senior and devout Muslim Abdalla Osman, on the other hand, holds very similar beliefs to his grandparents and other members of his family. Before moving to the United States three years ago, he lived in South Sudan, a country with Islam-compliant laws. He had Christian neighbors, but Muslim practices were much more common.

“It was just what everybody did.

Everybody went to the mosque and I

8 IN-DEPTH According to Osman, a generational conflict between Muslim-American youth and their parents results from the idea that Islam is not compatible with Western culture like that in the U.S. But he is optimistic about this generational gap.

“I know a lot of [Islamic youth] describe themselves as having a split personality, like at home they’re Muslim, outside they’re American,” he said. “But I don’t see anything that says you can’t be both.”

Photo courtesy of Howard Malc

Malc read the siddur, a Hebrew prayer book, at his bar mitzvah.

went with them. My cousins would go, my grandpa would go with them.”

Jewish freshman Howard Malc’s grandparents hold more conservative views than his family does, though they practice more reformed Judaism than is practiced in other areas of the United States. According to Malc, Orthodox Jews like those in Lakewood, N.J. have much stricter views about relationships between men and women, though these divisions are lessening over time.

“My grandparents, they were the first ones to leave the main

Orthodox group in New Jersey and move down here, although they still want my sister to find a nice Jewish boy and me, a Jewish girl,” Malc said. “They don’t really like it when we’re dating outside of the religion.”

Regardless of his differences with them, he has found that their shared religion brings them together, even in unexpected ways, just like Osman and his family.

“That’s kind of a big part of our culture, the Holocaust and its effect. A lot of my father’s side of the family died during the Holocaust. It’s always interesting to find another Holocaust survivor. When they give a speech, I feel like I can connect with them more than somebody else [can].”

Even with conflicts we may have with the beliefs of generations that precede us, we can also find comfort in sharing religion with our elders. Geosystems and AP Physics teacher Robert Culbertson, for example, has two children and follows a personal, religious philosophy to let his children form their own views. Therefore, he also holds a strong perspective on religion and its influence in today’s youth.

“We went to a Unitarian universalist church for a long time while they were kids. We sang in the choir, they went to

HOW DIVERSITY CAME TO AMERICA 1620: Sophomore, Clare Heinbaugh “One of my earliest relative to come to America was an indentured servant on the Mayflower in 1620 names George Soule. Apparently he has lots of... relationships, becasue a lot of are direct descendents from him, incluing my dad’s fourth grade teacher.”

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1848: 80,000 Mexicans 1619: U.S. Slave Trade Starts 1610-1700: British Americans arrive to avoid religious persecution

become American citizens as part of the Mexican cession 1807: U.S. Slave Trade Ends

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APRIL 5, 2017 what was called religious explorations--it wasn’t called Sunday school. It wasn’t about teaching a doctrine, it was about examining different approaches to spiritual practice. The communal aspects of it are to support each other in our own explorations rather than to dictate.”

EMBRACING CULTURE Avni Singh || TEAM LEADER

Culture can be very important in an individual’s life and can affect their values, views and fears and it can help them to understand the world around them. Junior Mariam Khan reflects on her culture and her religion.

In this way, Culbertson too connected his family with an institution that many believe to serve as the heart of every religious culture: the house of worship. Mesopotamians gathered at ziggurats. Egyptian shrines served as the economic and spiritual centers of civilization.

And today, synagogues, mosques, churches and temples can provide a space for people to support each other in understanding the mysteries of life. The Jefferson community has discovered a paradox: society and the family unit, with their shared views, can conflict with a personal practice of religion while simultaneously supporting it.

WHAT IS A TRADITION OR CUSTOM OF YOUR CULTURE THAN YOU ENJOY TAKING PART IN? For the first Eid, we usually go to a festival the night before and we get henna on our hands, and in the morning, we wear new clothes. Often my cousins and I match because our grandmother picks out our clothes, and then we go to the mosque and we pray. After the mosque, we invite people to our house, and it gets bigger every year. Recently we have been renting out halls but the traditions stay the same. At the end, my family comes to my house and we open presents.

“In cultures even before organized religion, fundamentally, religion provided two basic things: Why is there something, including us, rather than nothing?” Culbertson said. “And where do I find guidance? Where does my moral code come from? And I think that everybody needs that, whether they find it within themselves, or whether they find it from a religious community or from a spiritual practice. We’re all looking for answers to those questions.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR CULTURE? My culture, being American, Indian and Muslim, is something really important to me because I consider all three of those to be huge aspects of my life. I have a lot of pride in being those three things, and can call all three of those parts of my culture mine. There aren’t many American Muslims or Indian Muslims anymore, and so I feel that altogether they make up a unique part of me that nobody can ever take away from me.

GRAPHIC // Nikita Sivakumar 1820-1870: Irish and German immigrants arrive, in escape of civil unrest

1987: Freshman, Iman Anwarzai

1880-1920: Eastern and Southern Europe Immigration

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DESIGN // Uzma Rentia PHOTOS // Ankit Agrawal, Katherine Du and Angel Kim

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Clockwise, from left to right: 1. Freshman Shreya Raghuram performs a traditional dance for Namaste Underclassmen Girls 2. For his final year at Jefferson, Principal Evan Glazer, center, chose to perform with German Honor Society. 3. From left to right, math teachers Karilee Schmitt and Alouf Jirari Scavotto and counselor Andrea Smith perform with Namaste Senior Girls. 4. Black Student Union performs a step dance. 5. Chinese Honor Society performs a traditional dance. 6. Namaster Senior Girls swarm the stage, signaling the end of the show. 7.

Junior Katherine Barbano plays the role of Persephone for Latin Honor Society’s performance. 8. From left to right, juniors Kshamata Neupane and Nira Harikrishnan and freshman Medha Gupta sing of Show Choir sing Siyahamba. 9. Swing performs in unison. 10. Korean Culture Club creates a flower using fans. 11. Senior Kristin Myers narrates during Latin Honor Society’s performance about Persephone, Hades and Demeter. 12. Poi creates a phoenix pattern. 13. Senior Justin Lee performs for Korean Culture Club

14 IN-DEPTH

CULTURAL TUG F WAR The many meanings of having a mixed heritage

Shruthi Nyshadham and Miko Miwa || STAFF WRITERS Sabria Kazmi || TEAM LEADER

T

he United States is commonly referred to as the “Great Melting Pot,” a land of immigration where people of all creeds and cultures can come together and become one. This idea dates back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, but interracial marriage was illegal in the United States up until 1967.

While many people of mixed heritage still have strong connections to their cultures, in some cases, some feel that their mixed background does not significantly impact them.

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Today, the growing proportion of people that hail from a mixed heritage find different meanings in their unique backgrounds. “[Being of mixed heritage] is just a difference of experience, what you grow up with, and where you feel like you have roots,” senior Clara Fontaine said. “That’s how I identify myself, as coming from two different roots. I don’t think it makes me any less or better than someone else.”

In recent years, the mixed race population of the United States has experienced rapid growth. As of 2010, the United States Census found that the population of Americans who considered themselves mixed race had increased by 32 percent since 2000, as opposed to those who reported being of a single race, which had increased by 9.2 percent. This growth may be both a cause and an effect of the increased tolerance towards those with multiple cultural backgrounds.

“I think everyone’s really okay with [my mixed heritage]. I think they’re more surprised than judging me in any way,” senior Kiersten Paul said.

50% Caucasian 50% Korean

KIERSTEN PAUL

50% Mexican 25% Caucasian 25% Chinese

BRENDAN DIVNEY

50% Caucasian 50% Chinese

MAGGIE KIRTLEY

“[Having a mixed heritage] doesn’t really play a huge part in my life,” senior Brendan Divney said.

Perhaps the lack of connection to a culture is not necessarily because a mixed heritage, but just because of upbringing. While culture often contributes to the way someone is raised, personal ethics and morals can come from many sources outside of one’s race and heritage.

“I think that race is a big factor, but it’s not the only factor, that plays a part in how people are brought up,” Kirtley said, “My dad being [in the] military taught me a set of moral values that he learned himself in the military and that really played a big influence on my life.”

Those who still feel very connected to their cultures include eating exotic food, speaking many languages, and celebrating diverse holidays as other benefits to being of mixed race.

However, some also see downsides in having multiple cultural backgrounds.

“Sometime it’s a good thing [to be of mixed race],“ junior Maggie Kirtley said. “However I do see it as a little bit of an obstacle sometimes, because I wasn’t raised in a household where it was fully one culture. So, I can connect to more people, but it’s just not to the extent that I would be able to if I were fully one race.”

A mixed heritage can have a range of impact on a person’s life. Sometimes, it’s a way to better connect with other people or an opportunity to embrace different customs. However, other 50% Belgian times it can feel like a barrier to being fully 50% South Korean integrated into one culture. To some people, CLARA FONTAINE “I have engaged people from completely mixed heritage does not have much impact different backgrounds because it’s part of on them at all. Regardless of how one’s race PHOTOS // Shruthi Nyshadham and Sabria Kazmi who I am, so I think [my mixed heritage] has impacts the individual, unique cultural blends helped me become a better people person in certainly serve as an example of the remarkable communicating and connecting with other people,” Fontaine said. diversity that makes our country as a whole the “Great Melting Pot”.

Those who come from a mixed ethnical heritage see advantages to their situations. For instance, some find that their multi-cultural roots help them better relate and empathize with diverse groups of people.

IN-DEPTH

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NOT MADE IN CHINA The effects of “Americanizing” a culture

Ashley Huang || STAFF WRITER

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rom Taco Bell to Olive Garden to Panda Express, cultures and cuisines around the world can sometimes be altered to fit the American taste bud, and as a result, many Americans don’t often have a profound understanding of others’ culture, so they assume things or misunderstand aspects leading to untrue beliefs or perceptions.

the food industry often blurs the line between authentic food and Americanized food in order to cater to what the majority of Americans like.

“I feel like most Americans do prefer going to Americanized Chinese restaurants, whereas native Chinese prefer going to authentic Photo courtesy of Jason Lam via flickr Chinese restaurants,” Cao said. “Overall, I One example is Americanized Chinese food, just think that even though it absolutely is adopting Americanized Chinese food, so, which is served in many North American distorting the image of authentic Chinese this food that wasn’t created in China is being Chinese restaurants, and can be adapted to food, I have no problem with Chinese food thought of as real Chinese food.”

American tastes to differ significantly from diverging into two styles: American and Thus, this begs the question - What role those found in China. In reality, Americanauthentic.” does Americanized Chinese food play in Chinese cuisine is forming an identity of its the identity of American-born Chinese own, and as we acknowledge its growing “It is ignoring the people?

Like many people who grow up distinction from traditional Chinese food, it’s with more than one culture, American-born history, but it’ s also important to recognize how the diversion Chinese people and other Asian Americans a way for Americans happened. are sometimes caught between their parent’s to show interest in Whenever any cuisine crosses borders, it historical roots and the culture of the becomes morphed in some way due to the environment they were raised in. From Chinese culture.” availability of ingredients and the lack of outright denying their Asian heritage to not cooks fully knowledgeable in that cuisine. But speaking their cultural language well, Asian -Senior Samuel Liu when this cuisine becomes morphed, how Americans have almost redefined what it much of it loses a part of its original culture? means to be American. Reintroducing the topic of cuisine, American-born Chinese America has been coined the term “Melting Senior Samuel Liu favors Americanized people sometimes establish preferences of Pot,” a metaphor for a society where many Chinese food over authentic Chinese American cuisine over Chinese cuisine. different types of people blend together food.

Nonetheless, he also believes that as one. This is most often associated with However, Liu believes that regardless of the Americanized Chinese food misrepresents America, because some countries are made authenticity of Americanized Chinese food, America’s perception of what Chinese food is. of people who are almost all the same in or preferences between people, its historical terms of race, religion, and culture. Thus, “While Americanized Chinese food may roots are nearly impossible to be ignored. when cuisine such as Chinese food is changed sometimes taste better than actual Chinese “The historical aspect will never disappear within the American landscape, it may have food, I believe it does sometimes give an because people know the history behind lost some of its authenticity as being Chinese, inaccurate representation of what Chinese certain Chinese foods,” Liu said. “It is ignoring but is not necessarily Americanized. food really is,” Liu said. The funny thing is that the history, but it’s also a way for Americans to However, sophomore Shihao Cao believes a lot of authentic Chinese restaurants are also show interest in Chinese culture.”

DESIGN // Sabria Kazmi

SCI TECH DESIGN // Avni Singh

EATING DISORDERS: ARE THEY IN YOUR GENES? Certain individuals are at a greater risk of having an eating disorder MiJin Cho || BUSINESS MANAGER

T

he thing about eating disorders is that they are very private.

You don’t really talk to people about it. But it was diagnosed when I was finally at the point that I really needed help. I had to take the initiative to talk to my parents. That is the hardest part, being able to accept help,” senior Joya Bhattacharyya said.

Bhattacharyya was one out of at least 30 million people of all ages and genders that suffer from an eating disorder in the United States.

She became part of the 0.9% of American women suffering from anorexia in 6th grade, diagnosed before 9th, and fully recovered by 11th. Eating Disorder Hope defines eating disorders as “illnesses that are characterized by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape”.

“It’s an overwhelming obsession with food, with weight, with calories, and body image that could be very paralyzing,” boardcertified psychiatric nurse Julianne Brechtl said. “It doesn’t just happen one day. People who have not experienced eating disorders need to understand that people that do have eating disorders can’t just snap out of it. It’s not something that just by eating, that they are going to be cured.”With the highest mortality rate among mental disorders when combined with medical complications or suicide,

eating disorders have been the subject of research dedicated to finding its cause.

“There’s a social aspect-- the aspect of society perceiving the ideal woman, how they should look, the society’s view on women and perfection,” Brechtl said. “It can also be the family’s ideals. Family’s beliefs about body image, food, and weight.”

Although cultural norms bring emphasis to appearance, biological inheritance drives 59 to 88 percent of the liability of developing an eating disorder [NEDA]. Family history with eating disorders puts members of the family at a higher likelihood of developing specific disorders.

“There is a familial genetic component to eating disorders. Whether it’s siblings or the parent, I have worked with families where others have had histories with eating disorders and are maybe currently.

There Is a large biological component to this,” Brechtl said.

These genes contribute to the activity of brain chemicals that lead to a variety of disorders with three main categories of diagnosis: bulimia, anorexia and binge-eating. A study in University of Pittsburgh found a correlation between inherited abnormalities in

GRAPHIC // Avni Singh

EATING DISORDER STATISTICS

2.7% of teens struggle with an eating disorder

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness

Individuals who have had a family member with an eating disorder are 7-12 times more likely to develop one themselves

SCI & TECH

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the hypothalamus and significantly low levels of serotonin within individuals with bulimia. In addition, the study found that alterations in serotonin levels in women with anorexia may persist one or more years after recovery.

indicates that while recuperation is fully possible, relapses and other medical complications may occur, lengthening the recovery.

“I think it didn’t happen overnight. There were a lot of baby steps. I think the biggest baby step was when I discovered that I really liked pizza. Another one was being able to ask for seconds. It was really hard to force myself to eat so much when I first started recovering. I was eating twenty times the amount I would normally eat. It was really weird. I didn’t like it. It was uncomfortable,” Bhattacharyya said.

“There are a lot of different kinds [of eating disorders] and they are very different. It’s basically going to an extreme with eating.

There is anorexia which is not eating enough and there’s overeating or binge eating, which is eating too much. There’s bulimia, which is eating then feeling guilty and throwing up. An eating disorder is not having a healthy relationship with the food that you are putting into your body and feeling guilty about eating. It’s a “An eating disorreally big part of it,” Joya Bhattacharyya said.

For students like Joya, who have experiences with eating disorders, the road to recovery begins with a screening then a diagnosis by a medical professional or a licensed social worker or counselor. Students begin treatment with understanding the negative impacts of eating disorders on the body. Harmful eating habits may lead to disruptions in neurotransmitter activities, higher risk of neurological or nerverelated conditions, reduced heart rates, and a decrease in brain size.

der is not having a healthy relationship with the food that you are putting into your body and feeling guilty about eating.

-Senior Joya Bhattacharyya

“Screening and early intervention are key to having a better chance for a full recovery. Building awareness about eating disorders allows individuals to seek help more readily. Help is available,” Brechtl said.

Once treatment has begun, patients vary in terms of the time of recovery due to other internal or external factors, including mental health issues (e.g. depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc.), high substance abuse, and a lack of family support. NEDA

Students who go through the treatment process are re-integrated into the school setting. Teachers and students have crucial roles during this process and must understand how eating disorders affect not only the behavior, but a student’s ability to learn.

“In a learning setting, [we] have to be aware of how this would affect a child’s cognitive system.

They are going to lose their ability to pay attention and be distracted a lot. They are going to be more prone to illnesses. Their immune system is going to be weakened because of the different behaviors that they are engaging in,” Brechtl said.

Bhattacharyya’s experience began and ended at school. However, it will continue to impact her life--but for the better.

“I would say that I recovered right before eleventh grade. There’s not really a point where you say, ‘I’m recovered now,’” Bhattacharyya said. “I sometimes still would feel bad if I have too many fries. But I think that’s normal, right?”

Website for free and confidential screening: myneda.org/screening Only 1 in 10 with eating disorders receive treatment.

Over half of those who receive treatment will not have a medical team that specializes in eating disorders.

Ways to contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): -(800) 931-2237 -www.nationaleatingdisorders.com -Text “NEDA” to 741741

Information from eatingdisorder.org, anad.org and the National Institutes of Health

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SCI & TECH

Culturing Innovation

How biological cultures influence student research

C

Lilia Qian || STAFF WRITER

ells are not only essential components of the human body, but also they are also an essential part of senior Shreya Medepalli’s and sophomore Eric Sun’s projects. These two students are utilizing cultures to shake up the world of biology and open up new opportunities for other researchers along the way.

Sophomores in A.P. Biology use plants in the Artificial Selection Labn.

In the BioTechnology senior lab, Medepalli is studying the aging process of fungus Podospora anserina in hopes of applying findings to human health. She works toward extending the lifespan of the fungus using both mitochondrial and respiratory inhibitors. This research on the metabolic pathways of fungi may then possibly be used to expand on knowledge of the human body.

“My goal is to take this initial research toward the delaying of the aging process,” Medepalli said. “Hopefully other people can work off of this and try and keep people healthier for a longer period of time.”

In Jefferson’s JUMP lab, Sun and juniors Anish Karpurapu and Vandana Subramanian are using the genome editing tool CRISPRCas9 to study drug resistance and cancer. Drug resistance is a major obstacle in trying to cure cancer; in chemotherapy, after less drug resistant cells are killed, more drug resistant cells often grow back. By inducing mutations in MCF7 breast cancer cells, the three hope to alleviate the effects of drug resistance.

isolated. This strain will then be cultured overnight in preparation for aging tests.

“I feel like cultures are an experiment that everyone just kind of tends towards. I feel like I had to work with some sort of mammalian or some other type of biological cultures,” Medepalli said. “I wouldn’t say that it was necessarily the culture at [Jefferson], but more of the BioTech lab itself that influenced me toward picking a culture as my “I’m trying to use CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out certain genes that are study.” responsible for proteins that efflux drugs in xenobiotics out of cancer In addition to cells, Jefferson provides other means for research. cells,” Sun said. “I’m hoping to find that CRISPR Cas9 is pretty This year alone, the JUMP lab added several new pieces of effective in trying to reverse equipment accessible to students, including a new tissue cell culture drug resistance, and able to hood and a refrigerated centrifuge. re-sensitize the cancer cells “Being able to work at [Jefferson] is definitely great,” Sun said. “As to the drug I’m working an underclassmen, being able to work on a project [in the JUMP lab] with.” and try to successfully execute it-- it’s something that’s pretty rare In the Biotech Lab, in other schools, and even college students might not have [these] Medepalli also uses opportunities.” cells but focuses on Both Medepalli and Sun hope that their research may one day creating a streak plate, be implemented practically, whether as a stepping stone for other which thins bacteria researchers or for extended projects on the subject. populations and “For future research, I plan to find better delivery systems,” Sun allows a pure strain to be said. “There’s so much research in the wet lab, but being able to apply this research to the field of medicine is pretty hard. Making delivery systems that work and won’t induce an immune response or be broken down and metabolized in the body is something I want to try to work on.”

For now, Medepalli and Sun can only do as legions of researches have done before: keep calm and culture on.

DESIGN // MiJin Cho Photo courtesy of Lilia Qian

Senior Shreya Medapalli works with a vortex in her cell research.

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ADS

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ARPIL 5, 2017

Juniors - Let your Senior Year be relaxed!

"Crafting Your College Application" Summer Camp Choose from: July 31 – August 4 August 7 – 11 August 14 – 18 August 21 – 25

Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4pm

To sign up or for more information: Website: www.nancylevonian.com E-mail: nancy.a.levonian@gmail.com Class size: 8 students with 2 instructors Brought to you by Lives Under Construction

For rising seniors: The objective of this class is to finish the main part of your applications and some schoolspecific supplemental essays by the end of the week. We will cover: the character traits colleges are most interested in; how to refine your "message" about who you are; how to showcase your extra-curricular activities; and writing essays that will intrigue the reader. Interview skills training taught by a professional voice coach is included.

SPORTS

WE CAME FOR THE SPORTS

DESIGN // Angel Kim

Despite common perceptions, Jefferson sports prevail

Avni Singh || TEAM LEADER

A

Freshman Eva DeCesare completes a lap using the backstroke, one of the four swimming styles used in competitive swimming events

cademia.. Motivation. Stress. Sound familiar?

When thinking of Jefferson, athletics is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. Many people associate Jefferson with its rigorous academics and a student body largely aspiring to enter a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) field in the future. Because of this, Jefferson sports teams are often looked down upon by teams of other schools in the region, despite the fact that many, if not all Jefferson teams are able to perform at the same level.

Photo courtesy of Techniques

feeling like doing a sport is like an obligation instead of something that we actually enjoy going to, solely because the workload is too much to handle at times. So yes, participation in sports at TJ definitely drops because of the amount of work we get.”

Jefferson teams are also often faced with the challenge of having smaller teams and less participation, which can affect the outcomes of games negatively.

“If we were to consider the reason why we perform at a ‘lower level’ than other schools, it would be mainly because of the smaller teams we have, not because of the lack of athletic talent or skill,” Lin said. “In just about every track and field event in our conference, “I think the reason is that a lot of people think that TJ is we are competitive enough compared to schools like Marshall or more academic based and that many kids don’t have the time or Edison. However, it seems commitment to actually play sports,” junior Saket Bikmal said. as if we never get high Bikmal has participated in track since his freshman year at Jefferson, team scores, and this Class of 2015 alumni George Perry swings the and he is planning on participating during his senior year as well. is because we don’t racket at an approaching have enough people Part of Jefferson’s mission statement includes “[providing] ball during practice after on the team to earn school. students with a challenging learning environment”, which often Photo courtesy of Techniques enough points.” results in students having large amounts of homework and tests to study for, which can leave little room for commitment to sports teams.

“A lot of TJ students, especially juniors, tend to get overwhelmed by the sport commitment,” junior Ashley Lin said. “Many parents pull students out of sports because their schoolwork is too much to handle. And sometimes, and I hate saying this, my friends and I start

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Junior Margaret Covey, who has verbally committed to playing soccer for the United States Military Academy (USMA), also known as West Point, believes that the flexibility students have with practice schedules also contributes to the negative image of Jefferson sports.

“In soccer we got a day off, we didn’t practice all five days, and they’re a little more lenient with schedule,” she said. “For example, last year in soccer, I could miss [practice] twice a week to play soccer on my club team, and I was at a different high school, and at that high school they [were] a lot more serious. So TJ has a little more leniency, but that also goes with the school culture - it kind of needs that.”

Since Jefferson switched to Capitol Conference 13 of Region 5A-North in the 2013-2014 school year, its teams have earned 32 capital conferences 13 championships. While some teams may not have won conferences, they continue to make history. During the 2016-2017 winter season, for example, the girls basketball team was able to compete in and win the first round of the 5A basketball tournament, a feat the team had not seen before.

“We are able to compete against any school, it just depends on what particular sport it may be at the time, but we’re very unpredictable, and that’s a good thing,” director of student activities Rusty Hodges said. “There’s an element of surprise, so I think that’s something that a lot of schools have to contend with, and I think they do take us seriously.”

Despite facing setbacks such as smaller team sizes, long commutes and the constant balancing act of schoolwork and commitment to sports, Jefferson athletes continue to perform well in games and dispel stigma associated with the athletic program.

“We’re a full, comprehensive program, just like any other high school in Fairfax County,” Hodges said. “We compete competitively within and out of our

conference, and sometimes even with larger schools in the 6A region. Even without capturing a conference, region or state championship every year, we always finish in the top of our conference.”

In fact, Jefferson athletics as a whole has earned titles in various championships and VSHL events.

“Our program overall has captured 32 capital conferences 13 championships, 12 region 5A championships in golf, tennis, swim, debate, forensics, and boys tennis

has won the region 4 years in a row,” Hodges said. “Boys swim dive were state champs in 2015, debate was state champs in 2015, along with creative writing and scholastic bowl. We collectively overall are very successful across the board in our own conference. Even without capturing conference championships, boys basketball and girls basketball this year both advanced to region 5A. They both posted up the best records that they’ve posted in a number of years.”

Senior Rachel Martinka attempts to move around a member of the opposing team during an away game.

Photo courtesy of Techniques

22 SPORTS DESIGN // CHRISTINE ZHAO

Photo courtesy of Techniques

CHAMPIONS OF NUTRITION AND HEALTH The crew team on nutrition routines and sports performances

Justin Chang and Alex Howe || STAFF WRITERS Members of the men’s crew team erg on rowing machines.

Preparing for a sport is like preparing for a test. The competitor needs to practice so you can do well. Then, the student needs to eat well and get a good night’s rest so that their body is ready for their upcoming assessment, be it a game or an exam. Finally, you warm up by reviewing your practice material, and then the student can succeed.

cramped in over a year.”

Competitive crew members require a heavily carbohydrate-based diet to guarantee their muscles are full and rich with glycogen, the primary source of energy when utilizing their muscles. This technique of filling up on carbs, also known as carb-loading, is a strategy used by multiple endurance athletes.

“If I get less sleep, I will probably perform worse the next day,” competitive member Max Zhang said. “However, as long as I don’t lose a massive amount of sleep, I should be relatively the same after warming up.”

“Before competitions, our team will hold a pasta party,” junior Andrew Wang said. “Not only are we going to carb-load, the pasta party is also a really fun social event, where the whole team gathers and parties at someone’s house. It’s really fun.”

In addition to crucial nutrition routines and diets that ensures crew members are excelling in their sport and performing to the best of their ability, sleep is a crucial factor in every athlete’s’ performance as sleep deprivation negatively affects an athlete’s performance.

For those who plan on trying out for sports teams next year, focusing on nutrition can help them succeed in tryouts next year.

For example, freshmen Ray Bai and Sherzoy Jan plan on trying out for crew and soccer, respectively, and are now determined to modify their diet to better compete at tryouts.

While students in sports like crew may hold pasta parties before “I ate a lot of fruits and vegetables for this year’s tryouts, but am competitions, they also warm up together in the morning. This helps planning to change my diet and add more carbohydrates, in addition the team get in sync, as well as make sure everyone completes their to practicing more and working harder for the crew tryouts next preparations. year,” Bai said.

“Right before our race, we might warm up on the ergs, but not In addition, Jan strongly expresses his will to tryout for next year, much else,” Wang said. along with his goal to change his preparation for next year’s season.

On the other hand, freshman Jon Recta, a competitive member, also uses the carb-loading strategy. In comparison to Wang’s routine, however, he also eats other items.

“It may seem weird, but I also had to start eating more bananas because I was cramping during practice,” Recta said. “Haven’t

“I am going to change several things including my preparation for next year,” Jan said, “I am going to add more protein and carbohydrates to my diet, since nutrition is an important factor of soccer, and be practicing more and improving my cardio and stamina.”

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HAO

STRIKING OUT ON SOFTBALL: Softball issues with recruitment PHOTO // PATTY VITSUPAKORN

Brian Park || STAFF WRITER

The pitcher underhands the large ball, which races towards the batter. And out of impulse the batter swings to drive it down the diamond-shaped field as the fans go wild.

try out is because they feel uncomfortable with a new sport. On the other hand, beginners on the softball team disagree.

“Many people believe that [softball] is something that they would not be very This is the game of softball, a sport that good at, but they never know unless they requires teamwork, intensity and work try, and practice really improves how ethic. However, softball has not always people play,” novice freshman player been a popular sport during tryout season Gabby Heller said. among the Jefferson community.

In addition, many novice players, believe

The softball team is one of the smaller that joining the softball team was a teams at Jefferson because tryouts haven’t beneficial experience. recruited large numbers of players.

“I wanted to join softball because it “Softball is one of the smaller teams, sounded like a fun experience, and I there are few people who come into TJ believe that choosing softball was a good having ever played before,” senior pitcher choice,” Heller said. “I really enjoy the Diana Zavela said. “A lot of people in sport, which I could tell even after only the TJ community haven’t even heard of the first few practices and tryouts.” softball before, which is one reason why Even though the JV team is full of it’s really hard to get enough players.” novices, they are able to utilize everyone as The small number of people causes strain because there are fewer substitutes.

“I’m the only pitcher,” Zavela said. “This means that I can’t miss a game, can’t get sick or injured and can’t have a bad day, which is a lot of pressure.”

a part of the game plan.

“As mostly everyone on the team has not played before, everyone contributes evenly and assists in building a stronger team,” Heller said. “However, everyone also has their strengths and weaknesses, and our team tries to maximize everyone’s strengths.”

However, for this season, the team has taken extra steps to advertise to prospective players and is excited to have a According to the players, softball is a junior varsity (JV) team since there was no sport that is enjoyable and can be learned JV team last year. quickly. Especially on a small team, all of “As a senior I wanted to have a JV team a single player’s contributions will matter a to ensure that our softball program would great deal. flourish after I’m gone,” Zavela said. “We posted on Facebook, did announcements and posted on Ion. In the end, we did get two full teams.”

According to the players, one of the main reasons that people are unwilling to

“On the field there’s little room for error,” Zavela said. “It’s a fast-paced game although I know it doesn’t look that way from the stands, and it’s a great way to relieve stress. I would definitely recommend playing softball.”

Kanwal Sameen Ahmad prepares to pitch the ball.

OPINION LEAD EDITORIAL

DESIGN // Avni Singh

APPRECIATION VS. APPROPRIATION What’s the fine line between the two, and how do we help people embrace cultures without stereotyping or misrepresenting them?

V

ogue America’s March issue features seven supermodels who exude beauty and represent physical diversity in the industry. Within its pages, however, supermodel Karlie Kloss is featured dressed as a geisha. Styled with jet black hair, a pale face, and blood red lips, Kloss poses with a sumo wrestler in one shot and next to a tea house in another. An American model of primarily German descent, dressing in a traditional Japanese role for a diversity-themed magazine issue concerned many readers, especially since Kloss sparked controversy in 2012 for wearing a Native American inspired outfit for Victoria’s Secret. Kloss later apologized for participating in the Vogue shoot, stating she was “truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive.”

Whether cultural appropriation has occurred is ultimately tied to the reactions of the interpreters, especially those of the culture represented. If a culture feels that they are being misunderstood or misrepresented, then cultural appropriation is most likely prominent.

For example, provocative cultural Halloween costumes such as showy female Native American dresses are found offensive and disrespectful to Indians. Not only is their dress being distorted, but some natives may feel that white Americans wearing their traditional clothing do not connect with their background or recognize how they were historically oppressed.

This type of cultural adoption contrasts with Jefferson’s International Day, which is outwardly celebrated as an event for students to cherish and recognize their different cultures. When Indian friends lend saris to their peers for International Day, the sari-givers are giving noticeable consensus to allow others to embody their culture; they hold the power to allow others to share their culture.

If Vogue had used an actual Japanese model, it would have been more respectful in recognizing Japanese culture and contributing to their theme of diversity. However, this alteration may be interpreted as stereotyping. As geisha traditionally entertain male audiences, individuals may see it as showing that the main role of Asian women Culture is fluid and subject to mutual changes in interpretation. is to appeal more towards men.

Yoga, which used to be about finding your center, is more of an The motives behind a culturally reflective choice is what causes the exercise regimen in the present day. A lot of traditionalists find this interpretations to bend toward non-offensive or culturally offensive. frustrating, as over the years yoga has lost its spiritual significance.

Although there’s always going to be someone who takes offense at In a constantly transforming society, nothing can fully prevent others’ interpretations of cultures, slapping the label that the instance changing interpretations of cultures that strays farther from its roots. is “appropriation” is pressing a stricter interpretation on the specific But, individuals can actively strive to understand all various cultures culture. It is like locking the culture away, and creating even more to prevent this misrepresentation. Appropriation will be curbed divisions. The label gives harsher stereotypes and leads to more if people are consciously aware of the culture they’re embodying normalization of races. before they express it.

Examples of inappropropriate costumes Photo courtesy of halloweencostumes.com. Native American culture is often appropriated for costumes such as the one on the left. In Native American culture, weaving, beading and detailed work such as feathering are an important part of clothing. Feather headdresses are also commomly worn during ceremonial displays.

Photo courtesy of pinterest.com. The costume on the left is supposed to be a geisha.

The traditional dress of Japan is the kimono, which is generally made of silk. The wasaga, or Japanese umbrella ,was introduced to Japan from China. The umbrella acts as a fashion accessory and protects people from rain and sunlight.

OPINION

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APRIL 5, 2017

DESIGN // Avni Singh

BE DIFFERENT... REALLY

Promoting acceptance, countering assimilation

Angel Kim || TEAM LEADER

I

n elementary school, we’d sing songs about America’s “melting pot” in music class and learn that racism was left in the past. We were told to respect people for who they are. While this education was meant to raise us to be more accepting people, looking back, it fell short of being truly effective, as subtle cultural pressures continue to dictate how people should be.

as if it were their first language. Meanwhile, others who claim to accept diversity lack in action to show it. This subtle un-acceptance appeared in 1967 movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” which is about a marriage between a woman named Joey Drayton from a liberal family and a black doctor John Prentice. When Prentice is introduced to the Draytons, however, their prejudice is hard to hide. While the film For example, as a young child, I often doesn’t directly comment on assimilation, ended up gravitating towards what I the Draytons’ attitudes exemplify the lack of considered “American,” from playing with dolls with blonde hair to simply internalizing interaction with different people, which leads to inaccurate perceptions. the fact that Eurocentric beauty standards were superior to others. This seemingly Outside of ethnicity, misconceptions insignificant aspect of my childhood, when continue to surround people, even when placed among others’ experiences, begins shown in a positive light. For example, to reveal an issue in the way we learn to a story about an individual using their about acceptance: it turns into a type of disabilities as a positive trait can quickly assimilation that doesn’t necessarily require be treated as an “inspiration” about people to take on certain lifestyles, but “overcoming challenges,” though the expects them to. individual may not see their condition itself as a challenge that they must take on.

Many people in the U.S. have displayed efforts to show acceptance for immigrants, though anti-immigrant sentiments continue to exist, such as displaying discrimination towards individuals that can’t speak English

In another case, plus size model Olivia Campbell discussed the issue with the stigmatization of the word “fat,” which is often replaced with “curvy” to avoid

Photo courtesy of halloweencostumes.com. Mexican clothing is designed to keep individuals cool in the hot climate. Traditional Mexican clothing for women is simple and has vibrant colors.

Clothing is usually made from cotton, and traditional Mexican clothing has been influenced much by the arrival of Spamish conquistadores upon their arrival in Mexico.

offending people for their size. She stated in an interview, “[People] go, ‘You’re not fat, you’re curvy.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I’m fat.’ Why is it such a bad word?” In both situations, features that may be considered a central part of their identities for these individuals are erased. In whole, a lack of accurate representation in the media for different cultures and groups of people causes us to develop ideas of each other that may not truly reflect them.

We can argue that this assimilation is good for the U.S., as it cultivates a more definite “American identity” and mends issues that arise from differences. And it’s true, people like my family have been able to embrace American holidays and financial mobility through assimilating. However, in a country with a population of over 300 million people, it’s impossible for singular stories to define us. Those phrases saying to “be different” should apply for all people and their cultures, not just their quirks and personality traits, and we should try to appreciate people for who they are, not their ability to match up to others.

Photo courtesy of the Disney Store. The costume pictured to the left gained a lot of negative attention due to the fact that the skin of the costume was a browm color, amd Disney was accused of “brownface”. The character of the costume is the demigod Maui, and many critized the movie “Moana” for perpetuating the stereotype that all Polynesian people are pverweigjt.

26 OPINION

MY PRIDE VERSUS YOUR PREJUDICE How has our country changed the meaning of racism with the recent election?

Aryaan Hussain || STAFF WRITER

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President Donald J. Trump has recently issued a travel ban to prevent citizens of Middle Eastern countries with Muslim majorities from entering the U.S.

an AfricanAmerican man was stabbed multiple times by white man who wanted In January, we inaugurated a new president, a man who would undo all to make a of the work of our country has spent statement in two decades on. We have been trying the “media capital of the to abolish and eradicate racism and prejudice, which cloud the judgement world.” While and opinions of people and put labels the murderer faces terrorism charges for first and on our citizens. second degree murder and criminal As of now, multiple races are being possession of a weapon, the death of targeted and attacked due to false a man for nothing more than the color generalizations, including that all of his skin cannot be ignored. Since Middle Easterners are terrorists and all the 19th century, racism has been African Americans promote violence. abundant towards African-Americans, Shootings and other acts of violence and has slowly decreased ever since. that are taking innocent lives are However, with Trump’s new laws in still occurring. If Washington is not place combined with the lackluster directly taking action and preventing action of officials, racism levels have the root causes of the issue, it is just risen. The damage done will take years as guilty as those who harm racial to fix in the future. groups.

Many people say that Trump can Racial violence is now more present, signify a fresh start, be the president and proper punishment is not given that will make our country great as deserved. Just a few weeks ago, again. Trump believes that we must be according to the Washington Post, cautious, so in turn he has enforced

new laws to crack down on security. But, this also means using generalizations of who people are, where they come from, and their home to represent their identity and how they should be treated.

We will never be able to abolish nor eradicate racism and stereotypes, because of the right to free speech.

But we can reduce them.

Holding people to stereotypes may be common practice in the Trump presidency, but it only fuels racism.

Removing someone’s label will help one see individuals as a whole, not simply as the embodiment of a stereotype.

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RAISING AWARENESS:

A monthly satire column tackling TJ’s issues

Bayliss Wagner || TEAM LEADER

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BREAKTHROUGH STUDY EXPLAINS UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF LUNCH DEBRIS IN IBET COMMONS

fter months of analyzing the behavior of Jefferson stimuli like trashcans, used napkins, and paper bags. students in the IBET commons, top scientists have “Only 47% of freshman boys were able to recognize and locate concluded that freshman males believe their school is an a trash can in their immediate surroundings,” scientist John Lee all-inclusive resort. reported. “Of that 47%, a shocking 4.6% successfully distinguished In order to record naturalistic observations of the subjects, between a recycling bin and a trash receptacle.”

Professor Harry Debrise, head of the study, hid cameras in the large Lee’s first theory after reviewing the data was that the boys believed laptop carts surrounding the space. What he found shocked him. their trash to be picked up by robots designed by Jefferson seniors “In the first few weeks of the study, our cameras captured over 1,000 food items discarded on the floor and on various furniture items in the commons as well as 325 counts of tomfoolery,” Debrise said. “Even more unusual, we found that students had not only failed to discard their food in designated waste receptacles, but a common behavior was turning over their lunch trays and mixing fluids to create maximum mess.”

Confirming his analysis, the disturbing videos released from the study depict cafeteria salads overturned and their contents spread from wall to wall, one lettuce leaf at a time; swollen pieces of cereal in dangerous puddles of milk splattered on the tables; half-full juice boxes arranged in pentagrams on the floor and lunch meat forgotten in cubbies. Desperately searching for an explanation of this abnormal behavior, Professor Debrise and his team conducted experiments to test the cognitive responses of the freshmen males to

in the Proto lab instead of by the friendly janitorial staff, who are now forced to sort their yogurt our of the recycling bin. But after Debrise used brain activity sensors to analyze the cognitive behavior of students who regularly sit in the IBET commons, Lee’s theory was disproven.

“When consuming cafeteria lunch items such as milk cartons and mozzarella sticks, certain areas of the motor cortex were activated and dopamine was released,” Debrise said. “This is the same reaction that occurs after the end of a meal in a restaurant or hotel room when a human knows he does not have to clean up after himself.”

The cognitive anomalies of Jefferson students are well known, but fellow students are now called upon to teach their classmates the difference between a poolside taco bar in Cabo and a public high school’s brand new commons. Updates to follow after recruited PTA mothers arrive to discipline the young delinquents, I mean, bright

In related news...

Palm tree photo courtesy of pngimg.com.

DESIGN AND PHOTO // Bayliss Wagner

BIO SOCIETY PLANTS UNSIGHTLY FLOWERS IN NEW COURTYARD TO PROTEST INITE EXCLUSION

“Take that,” Biology Society president Ambrosia Artemisiifolia said, angrily inhaling fresh pollen.

The Aristolochia salvadoerensis invades the formerly attractive left corner of the garden.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia user Daderot, CC BY 1.0.

ENTERTAINMENT

Yukio’s Gift

of the cherry blossom trees.

The Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees made to the United States by Tokyo’s mayor Yukio Ozaki.

The origins of the cherry blossoms Celebrating the beauty, history, and culture of Washington D.C.’s cherry blossoms in D.C. offer a rich history, ripe with Josh Mutterperl || STAFF WRITER opportunities for celebration of Japanese culture. Freshman Hana Wong has been to the Cherry Blossom Festival five times in the past ten years. She argues that the cultural aspect of the cherry blossom festival With makes it a good opportunity for young adults to spring experience. on the “It’s a great cultural experience for sure,” Wong says. “It’s nice to horizon, alluring displays of flowers and trees are blooming across the experience your own heritage. I also like going because there’s great region. In the DC-Metro area, residents are lucky enough food, you get to see the awesome cherry blossoms, and you get to meet a lot of people that you wouldn’t had you not gone to D.C. for to witness the blooming of a historically and the festival.” culturally significant flower: the cherry blossom.

Wong has previously participated in another part of the In 1927, Washington D.C. hosted the first Cherry Blossom Festival, a humble celebration for children. Since then, many different groups have added and developed a variety of festivities, making it the national phenomenon it is today.

Due to the close proximity of Thomas Jefferson to D.C., many students have been able to visit the cherry blossoms multiple times. Junior Aman Shankardass has been to the cherry blossoms in previous years, and appreciates more than just the beauty of the festival.

celebrations: the Cherry Blossom Race.

“At the start of the Cherry Blossom Festival, they have a 5k run and a 10k run,” Wong says. “I ran the 5k with my friends, and it was so pretty to get up early in the morning and run by the cherry blossoms and along the Memorial Bridge. If I get a spot for the run, I will definitely go again this year.”

There is still time for Wong and other students who wish to go.

The Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 15 to April 16 and offers free performances daily on the ANA stage and a free fireworks festival on April 15. The peak bloom dates are when 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms, the most abundant species of cherry blossom in Washington D.C., are expected to be open.

“It’s very pretty to see the Jefferson Memorial along the tidal basin,” Shankardass says. “But one Despite the inconvenient cold, freshman Nishanth Alladi is still of my favorite memories is that inside the National looking forward to the parade and the concerts of the cherry Building Museum they have the actual festival part blossom festival. of it, with performances for kids and performances “The parade has been my favorite part of the festival every year,” to celebrate the cultural aspects of the cherry Alladi says. “Even in the cold it’s always great to see the amazing blossoms.” performers and impressive floats. It really makes me appreciate how The cultural aspects refer to the Japanese origins something simple like a flower can bring so many people together.”

PHOTO // JOSH MUTTERPERL

Cherry blossoms across the Potomac River from the Washington Monument in D.C.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Tracing the Culture in Foreign Films Natalie Homnyom and Grace Mak || STAFF WRITERS My Name is Khan follows a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome as he tries to regain his wife’s love after her son’s death in post-9/11 America.

Chinese film, 20 Once Again, is centered around an elderly women who magically regains her youthful appearance, as well as a second chance at happiness.

“It talks about how terrorism doesn’t equate to religion and how people treat [disabled people] as less than or dumber, but [he’s] really smart and crossed a lot of barriers. I think it’s a good message overall for equality. [Indian] gender roles are highlighted in Bollywood movies; women don’t have a huge character development. They’re mostly there to be the love interest but Bollywood progression is showing how India itself is starting to see women more equally.”

“20 Once Again revolves around this idea of living your life to the fullest while you’re at the peak of your youth.

The main character in the movie suddenly has the opportunity to relive her youth and finally fulfill her dreams as a singer. Throughout this film, youthfulness is portrayed as a special time where you can discover who you really are, reflecting the significance of youth in the Chinese culture, as well as the ancient quest for everlasting youth.”

Junior Mariam Khan

Year’s to the Girl 2017 Oscar feats for women in the film industry

Viola Davis First African-American actress to win an Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award

Meryl Streep Broke own record for most Academy Award Nominations (20)

Freshman Julia Chen

GRAPHIC // Christine Zhao

Popular Foreign Music Part of the album Wings, BTS’s “Blood Sweat & Tears” debuted at #26 on the Billboard 200.

J Balvin’s “Safari” reached #1 in many countries’ charts and features singers from three different countries.

First appearing in a hit Bollywood film in 2013, Nagada Sang Dhol quickly became popular among younger people and garba fans.

Éponine’s solo “On My Own” expresses her unrequited love and is one of the most famous songs in Les Misérables.

What foreign music do people listen to?

Indian - 17% Japanese - 12% Korean - 11% Chinese - 10% Spanish 10% Other - 40%

Based on a poll of 117 Jefferson students.

GRAPHIC // RENA CAI DESIGN // CHRISTINE ZHAO

30 ENTERTAINMENT

A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE

A comparison of two festivals celebrated by Jefferson students Steven Le, Anushka Molugu || STAFF WRITERS

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efferson prides itself on the diversity of our cultures, and with them come a variety of festivities. Some widely celebrated festivals include Lunar New Year, Holi, Eid ul Fitr, etc. These holidays reflect on subjects such as love, religion and family, while commemorating the noteworthy aspects of the cultures that make up the TJ community.

Ramadan, Eid ul Adha, and Eid ul Fitr

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Holi

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Eid ul Adha and Eid ul Fitr are the two parts of a set of Muslim holidays. Ramadan, which comes before both Eid celebrations is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is full of fasting, prayer and introspectivenes.

Participants fast from dawn to dusk, and avoid immoral behavior.

Only people who are healthy and have started puberty fast, with the exception of pregnant women.

oli, better known as the Festival of Colors, was celebrated on March 13, but is celebrated based on good weather and the Hindu calendar. It announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. During this celebration, people dress in white and throw colored powder at each other and the color symbolizes the love of Lord Krishna, a major Hindu god, and his devotees.

But that is not the only thing they celebrate.

“You wake up in the middle of the night before sunrise and stuff yourself, and go back to sleep,” Malik said. “The whole day from sunrise to sunset, you just fast. There isn’t much preparation. You pray and that’s pretty much it.”

“[Holi]’s basically a festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and it’s the Festival of Colors as well so that’s the cultural side of it,” junior Shivani Mullapudi said. “the religious side has a lot of legends and myths tied with [Holi] that again celebrate the triumph of good over evil.”

Eid ul Fitr takes place the day after Ramadan and lasts days.

“This holiday is to celebrate after a 30 day fasting period,” freshman Sameer Khan said. “It’s to celebrate that we made it through. In the morning, you go out to pray, and the rest of the day is just fun and you get gifts.”

Eid ul Adha, which takes place on the tenth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah (the twelfth month in the Islamic calendar), lasts for four days, is very similar to Eid ul Fitr. Both are celebrations, but the reason for celebrations are different.

“They basically celebrate two different things,” senior Subul Malik said. “One of the Eids [Eid ul Fitr] celebrates the end of the fasting month, Ramadan, and the other one [Eid ul Adha] celebrates the idea of pilgrimage.”

During these celebrations, people dress in white and throw colored powder at each other and the color symbolizes the love of Lord Krishna, a major Hindu god, and his devotees. But that is not the only thing they celebrate.

“The major prevailing story is there was this demon named Holika who was the sister of this very evil king. Holika takes the innocent son of her brother, who wishes the death of his own son.” Mullapudi said. “What happens in the end is Lord Vishnu, who is sort of the prevailing god here, takes pity on the son, who’s a true devotee and is innocent and instead Holika is burned in a fire. So everyone celebrates the burning of Holika which sort of symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and how good always wins in the end.”

DESIGN // Avni Singh

ENTERTAINMENT

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APRIL 5, 2017

DESIGN // Avni Singh

A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Beauty and the Beast’s spell cast on the TJ community Medha Gupta || STAFF WRITER

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GR

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nspired by the success of the live musical adaptation of Disney’s “From the trailer, the special “Frozen” and the live-action remake of “The Jungle Book”, effects for the furniture Disney has invested $300 million to pursue Beauty and the Beast. and everything look really realistic,” junior Katherine The original movie came out in 1991 and was released by Walt Disney Pictures. The storyline is based on a French fairytale and on Barbano said. “The technology has gotten so the ideas of Jean Cocteau, who directed the French version of the good I think special effects film in 1946. will be great! I think they Released March 17, live-action remake of the animated classic is [John Legend and inviting students to be its guest to follow the story of Belle (Emma Ariana Grande] Watson), Beast (Dan Stevens) and Gaston (Luke Evans). are a good fit. I don’t “The story of Beauty and the Beast is definitely one of my think the favorites,” freshman Joy Chung. “I really like how it shows the audience that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, not the outward appearance of the person. I’m not primarily excited for a certain actor, but more for the movie itself. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has always been an animated movie that I enjoyed since I was young, so I am very curious how everything will be when real life actors carry out the scenes.” soundtrack However, sophomore Priyanka can ever match Mehta, believed the message behind the original, but they’re the story could entail a deeper as best as we can get in my meaning. opinion.“ “I love this story and think that it Additionally, the filmography and direction has left students has a much better moral to it than impressed with the movie. a lot of the other fairy tales which “I thought the movie was beautiful,” freshman Cynthia Hu said. seem superficial. I think that when “The casting was perfect and I thought the CGI were done really you’re a little kid, you tend to believe in the morals of the well...the music was the best part. Disney [Alan Menken] added story, but after a while, it seems believable that she would many new original songs and brought legend Celine Dion back to be a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. This brings a new sing them.

They did a great job making some of the scenes really twist to the story that I feel a lot of people don’t want to touching, yes I cried.” accept because it would ruin their old views of the story. However, I also think that this twist adds a Additionally, some students were so entranced by the movie, they lot of character development and makes you were disappointed to see the end credits begin to appear. think about the story a different way.”

“I wish the story was a little bit longer; I feel like...the story sort Furthermore, the trailer further thrilled of cut off. But other than that, I really, really loved the movie,” students for the premiere of the movie. sophomore Ishika Govil said.

Assorted elements of the live-action Since it’s release, “Beauty and the Beast” had the seventh biggest remake such as the animated objects domestic box-office launch of all time and has been titled as the and soundtrack had provided to be of great number one movie in the world. interest.

DOESN’T FUNCTION IF “ AYOUTEAM HAVE A DIFFERENT GOAL.

PHOTO // Alexa Nguonly REPORTING // Alexa Nguonly DESIGN // Adithi Ramakrishnan

Everyone has to have the same goal. Everyone has to have the same mindset for the team to be successful and work together well.

When I see people do well, it makes me feel happy, even if they are doing better than me. WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE WILLING TO MOTIVATE EACH OTHER to push through whatever obstacles we may have, even if our own success is at risk.

You can’t just assume something is easy just by looking from the outside. YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE IT.

My mom had breast cancer last year and that really taught me what the value of your parents is. Knowing that I could lose her gave me so much more appreciation for what she does for me.

I have a couple of friends that are like ‘Oh, I hate my parents.’ YOUR PARENTS ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU. Your parents always will love you. Don’t forget that just because you might have a disagreement with them.

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JUNIOR

YADAVEN SARAVANAPAVAN

|| WHAT I VE LEARNED