Aquila April 2021 (Vol. 10, Issue 1)

Volume X, Issue I April 27, 2021

Aquila University Preparatory Academy

21 God Loves...

MOST?

Letter from the editors-in-chief Editors-in-chief Semantic satiation: a phenomenon in which the repetition of a particular word or phrase causes it to lose meaning for the listener, who in turn perceives it as a string of meaningless sounds; a term that defines much of the Pandemic Experience™.

Take the paradoxical devolution of the word “unprecedented,” for example. A term originally indicating a completely unique, distinctive event has been driven to a stale, trite way to close a pandemic-related email. (“We ask for your flexibility in these unprecedented times…”)

Even the original drafts of this letter were riddled with clichés—cut-and-paste opinions about how journalism is supposed to make you feel or help you process the current state of the world.

But the truth is, there is no right feeling to as- Aquila experiences hybrid learning as a staff for the first time when three sociate with our lives, or even one right way to seniors attend class from the Eastman classroom on April 19. process the last year.

Instead, we hope this 32-page issue serves as a resource by (page 5), when seventh grade students experienced their first day which to expand your empathy—to remove yourself from the on UPA’s campus two days after the one-year anniversary of camsame screen you have stared at all day or the same fridge you have pus closure. And because journalism in the first draft of history, peeked in three times a day for a year—and restore meaning to the those pictures might be on your future child’s APUSH DBQ. At a moment when more than a quarter of Californians are now words you have grown fatigued by these past 13 months. fully vaccinated, Ishan Madan and Amanda Reboredo recount the Vidya Achar has worked on our cover story “God Loves… experiences of a student (page 9) and several teachers (page 8) Most?” since January, investigating how the LGBTQ+ commuwho have been through the vaccination process. nity and religious beliefs intersect (page 21). As weeks bled into This is the fluorescent light at the end of the school hallway, if months, as they usually do in distance learning, she continually you will. widened the scope of her angle, including an increasing number So, grab a birria taco from one of the restaurants mentioned in of sources with unique but interconnected approaches to the inTyler Yuen’s Arts & Culture article (page 25) or a dessert from one credibly nuanced topic. She even spoke with lesbian pastor Caiti of the three Instagram-worthy dessert spots in the San Jose area Hamilton, who discussed where LGBTQ+ people fit in the framethat Chelsea Nguyen reviewed (page 30) and settle into the first work of religion. issue of Aquila for the 2020-2021 school year.

Although the pandemic has dominated news coverage, we We hope that through these pages you learn about those who knew not including the virus altogether would only disregard the look like you and those who don’t; those who think like you and fundamental context of how we got to where we are. Instead, we those who don’t; those who act like you and those who don’t; those decided to focus on how hope has infiltrated the American spirit who are like you, the antithesis of you, and every shade of meaning with school reopenings and vaccine rollouts. in between.

Alyssa Garcia documented the first day of hybrid learning

Alexandra Rozmarin & Janessa Ulug 1

Alexandra Rozmarin Editor-in-Chief

Aquila Staff

Janessa Ulug Editor-in-Chief

Chelsea Nguyen Katherine Nguyen Ishan Madan Managing Editor Web Manager Multimedia Manager

Haylie Yee Editor

Jenna Plasschaert Editor

Joe Shem Editor

Akshara Kollu Copy Editor

Alisa Tran Copy Editor

Ria Pandey Copy Editor

Christian Tucker-Allen Reporter

Christopher Alvarez Reporter

Dakota Pekar Reporter

Julia Wong Reporter

Kai McCormick Matthew Wallace Reporter Reporter

Shayna Tran Social Media Manager

Abhishek Mynam Publicity Manager

Akhila Ayyadevara Editor

Alyssa Garcia Editor

Kyla Ulug Editor

Thrisha Praveen Editor

Tyler Yuen Editor

Vidya Achar Editor

Cindy Tran Reporter

Chloe Luu Reporter

Allison Marin Amanda Reboredo Reporter Reporter

Elizabeth Felchlin Reporter

Nadia Hines Reporter

Evelyn Ramirez Reporter

Nayeli Brewster Reporter

Gael Padilla Reporter

Varshith Gunjapally Reporter

Jasmine Cabana Reporter

Laura Gordon Reska Adviser 2

ABOUT AQUILA MISSION STATEMENT Aquila is a student-produced, student-edited high school news publication. It serves as a designated public forum for student expression. We aim to reflect the diversity of our community and build unity through accurate reporting in hopes that each of our readers will find an article they can connect with.

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“SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS” From the shift of a black and white newspaper to a vibrant newsmagazine, to a broadcast channel and an active Instagram presence, we continue to innovate the way we tell stories and elevate our publication to new horizons. We do this not just because we are student journalists, but because reaching for success is what it means to be a member of Aquila.

SHARE AN IDEA Have a story to share? Scan the QR code to submit your suggestions or email us at aquila@upatoday. com.

3

ON THE COVER The front cover, created

by Alexandra Rozmarin, showcases light illuminating a stained glass cross at Holy Cross Romanian Orthodox church. See Vidya Achar’s “God Loves...

Most?” in-depth article on page 21 to learn about the intersection of religion and the LGBTQ+ community.

PHOTO BY NAYELI BREWSTER

table of contents

NEWS 5

Seventh grade first group to return to in-person learning

7

alumnus donates $100,000

8

educators receive covid-19 vaccines

9

student provides an inside look at vaccination process

11

New classroom to reduce class sizes

Features 12 WEIGHING WORKLOADS 13 in my own skin 15 ‘it’s been my savior in a way’ 17 breaking down the buzz

in-depth

ARTS & CULTURE

21

25

god loves... most?

26 27

Birria boom watch list Thrift it

opinion 19

the irony of America 20 why Minority-owned Businesses deserve more funding

29 30

Spirited Away From Ethnic Uniformity sweets in the city 4

Seventh grade first group to return to in-person learning Two days after the one-year anniversary of campus closure, 38 Track A students arrive back in classrooms REPORTING & PHOTOS BY ALYSSA GARCIA • DESIGN BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN Eighth grade students returned to campus for hybrid learning March 22, freshmen returned April 12, seniors returned April 19, and sophomores and juniors returned April 26. Students are split into two hybrid tracks—A and B—and are present on campus on alternating weeks. Students in Track C remain entirely in distance learning. Track A represents 20% of the student population. Track B represents 16% of the student population. Track C represents 63% of the student population.

Although the Howard classroom has a 14-student capacity for hybrid, only seven students filled in seats on the first day back in math teacher Liz Pettit’s third period Math 7 class.

Students still log-in to the Zoom calls to attend class, even while attending school in person.

“For over a year we have just looked at our screens and nothing more. Maybe when we go back to school, I can finally finish the year in somewhat normal school.”

—Thomas Carrasco (7) Seventh grade students sit outside the Horton auditorium on their lunch break while wearing masks. Bleachers are placed between outdoor tables to keep distance between groups of students.

5 | NEWS

Opposite: Andrea Guevara (7) wears a mask emblazoned with the UPA logo. UPA bought similar masks for every student, but no concrete plans for distributions have been announced.

NEWS | 6

Alumnus donates $100,000 The money will fund senior scholarships and teacher development

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ARTICLE BY VARSHITH GUNJAPALLY • ILLUSTRATION BY VIDYA ACHAR • DESIGN BY JULIA WONG

PA received a $100,000 donation in December 2020 from an alumnus who wished to stay anonymous so as to “not take away any spotlight from the hardworking teachers and staff at UPA.” The money will fund senior scholarships and teacher training and resources, but some students hope it could be used to upgrade technology and expand course offerings.

In a Jan. 18 email to UPA staff and families, Executive Director David Porter shared that UPA received the donation, and that the school has been receiving similar but smaller donations throughout the year from families.

The most immediately known use for the money is to expand the quantity and quality of scholarships that UPA offers to graduating seniors. The new scholarships will expand upon the ones already offered by the school, such as the Cathedral of Faith, PTSO, Golden Eagle and Founders’ scholarships.

“I think we’re close to nearly doubling the number of different scholarships we can provide within our own organization, so that’s pretty exciting,” Porter said.

The student scholarships would be expanded to cover not only academic awards, Porter said, but also awards for character, reminiscent of UPA’s Values Awards, which are given out at the end of the first semester. The Values Awards, however, will not be tied to the new scholarships that will be offered.

Executive Director David Porter (left) accepts a $100,000 check from an alumnus. In December 2020, the donor, who requested anonymity, gifted funds that will be used toward school enhancements. The donation is expected to have an impact over the next 10 years.

7 | NEWS

“This grant from this donor allows us to reposition ourselves effectively to say this: these are the qualities that we know are going to be successful in college and in life,” Porter said. “It’s thinking about community and integrity [which] are two [qualities] that really are important to me.”

The donation is expected to last at least 10 years before the money is completely spent.

Porter plans to extend the lifetime of the money by putting it into low risk bonds that accrue interest over time, also called Certificate of Deposit (CD) bonds.

These types of bonds are offered by credit unions as a way for institutions to invest and receive money back within a relatively short time frame. Approximately 60% of the donation will be used to buy CD bonds.

Director of Student Services Andrew Yau said the money would also be used for teacher training and resources.

Meanwhile, freshman Gabriel Castrence hopes for upgraded school laptops. He feels the current computers are somewhat old and cannot keep up with RAM-intensive websites teachers use simultaneously, like Nearpod and Zoom.

“I also kind of wish we could have an auto shop course,” Castrence said. “Now, I know that’s very unlikely, but something a bit more hands on I feel could be really helpful. I don’t think there’s enough demand for that specific course, but similar things would be really popular.”

Educators Receive COVID-19 Vaccines

A

ARTICLE BY AMANDA REBOREDO • PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELI BAILEY & AIMEE VERAPINTO DESIGN BY DAKOTA PEKAR

longside residents ages 65-plus, teachers, school staff and childcare workers in Santa Clara County were included in vaccination Phase 1B and therefore eligible to get their COVID-19 shots as of March 1.

Although UPA does not require teachers to get vaccinated, most teachers have already received their vaccines.

Science teacher Vivien Chern received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Feb. 25 at a mass vaccination center in Santa Clara. She described the system as being straightforward and easy to follow, with

When Levi’s Stadium opened as a mass vaccination site in February, it aimed to reach 5,000 people daily. In March, many of those visiting the site were educators after becoming newly eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. nurses stationed at tables administering shots. Chern said it felt better than any other shot she has received.

Spanish teacher Aimee Verapinto received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Levi’s Stadium on March 3. She described it as being a huge production with hundreds of people receiving their vaccines.

“As I looked around, there were a ton of teachers, and I found myself getting kind of choked up and emotional,” Verapinto said.

“It’s really been a long year for all of us, and I felt a sense of solidarity at that moment with these teachers that I don’t know personally.”

Verapinto described the sensation of the vaccine itself as being worse than a flu shot.

“I felt a lot of pressure when the injection was happening, and then the second

that they extracted the needle, that pressure went away and I just got sore,” Verapinto said. “But nothing unbearable.”

Science teacher Eli Bailey, who received the Pfizer vaccine on March 6 at Levi’s Stadium, said the shot felt similar to the yearly flu shot.

“That evening, my arm was a little sore, and then the next day my arm was still a little sore,” Bailey said. “By Monday [three days after], I was totally fine. I had no side effects at all.”

On March 3, science teacher Reo Sato received the Pfizer vaccine at Levi’s Stadium and only experienced soreness after the first shot. However, after the second shot, he experienced symptoms such as fever, chills and headaches.

According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, after being fully vaccinated, a person should still proceed with the routine precautions of wearing a mask, social distancing, staying six feet apart, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

Chern said that despite getting vaccinated, she is still wary around others in public.

“I feel a little bit safer, but I’m still wearing a mask, so not much has changed,” Chern said. “I’m still trying to keep my distance from other people. My boyfriend hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet, so I need to be more careful.”

Bailey is staying cautious as well because a few of her family members are not yet vaccinated.

“The last thing I want to do is get [COVID-19] and give it to them,” Bailey said. “Even though the shot is to help the severity of the symptoms, I could still get it and carry it and give it to somebody who hasn’t been vaccinated, so I’m very careful about going out still.”

Sato mentioned the possibility of visiting his parents after they are vaccinated.

“I haven’t visited my parents or anything, but they have also started to get their vaccines, so I feel a bit more comfortable in potentially visiting them,” Sato said. “I’m still wearing a mask, I’m still not going to

large meetings or anything, so it hasn’t really changed the stuff that I’m doing. But it does give me a little bit of more of a sense of safety.”

Chern believes the vaccine is critical for people to receive when they are able to in order to ensure the safety of the community. Though Verapinto acknowledges that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a choice, she still recommends getting vaccinated.

“I can only speak from my perspective, again of feeling confident in the science behind this, and I just think the more that every speck of our population is covered, the better off that we’ll be,” Verapinto said.

As a science teacher, Bailey stands by the vaccine and would prefer they be required.

“If I could make it mandatory that every single person get one, I would,” Bailey said. “I know that there’s some people who don’t feel comfortable taking it, and the scientist in me tells them that they are crazy.”

Chern hopes society will return to how it was prior to the quarantine orders.

“I can only hope by the end of this year things will start turning to normal,” Chern said.

Spanish teacher Aimee Verapinto captures a historical moment after receiving her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

NEWS | 8

STUDENT PROVIDES An INSIDE LOOK AT on-SITE VACCINATION PROCESS

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ARTICLE & DESIGN BY ISHAN MADAN • PHOTOS COURTESY OF AVANTI PAKRASI

unior Romita Pakrasi became one of UPA’s first vaccinated students when she received her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 14 and her second on Feb. 18. As a volunteer at the North San Jose Red Cross blood donation center, she became eligible for the vaccine on Jan. 7, when Santa Clara County began vaccinations for healthcare personnel under Phase 1A of California’s “Vaccinate All 58” campaign.

California and Santa Clara County have expanded eligibility since then, and on March 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced April 15 as the date when all individuals 16 and up would become eligible for vaccination.

“Since it doesn’t have to be paid work [to qualify], I know other volunteers are getting vaccinated, along with the paid nurses and phlebotomists,” Pakrasi said. “They’re all under tier one.”

Vaccinations in Santa Clara County occur through multiple healthcare networks, which maintain a “no wrong door” policy, allowing all eligible residents to receive vaccine doses from any location regardless of healthcare or insurance provider.

After scheduling appointments through Red Cross, Pakrasi received her doses at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds’ exposition hall, a

9 | NEWS

vaccination site organized by Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

“The building where everything happens is basically like a really long empty building, kind of like a hangar for airplanes,” she said.

The exposition hall is sectioned into three spaces: one for the Moderna vaccine, one for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and one as a waiting area for patients who just received a shot. Before entering the building, Pakrasi checked in at a registration tent, then waited in line to get her shot. She estimated about 50 people waiting at any point, with another 100 receiving shots or waiting to leave. In the two vaccine sections, rows of folding tables and chairs were spaced six feet apart for safety, and approximately 50 nurses administered shots or prepared for more patients.

As a minor, Pakrasi, 16, could only receive the Pfizer vaccine, which had been given emergency authorization for patients ages 16 and up. (The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for ages 18 and up.) Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots, as opposed to the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so Pakrasi returned five weeks after her first shot for a second dose. She noted the fairgrounds vaccination site only administered the Moderna vaccine to all individuals over 18 the first time she went due to limited supply of the Pfizer vaccine, but both vaccines were available to adults during her second appointment.

Pakrasi was one of very few minors at the fairgrounds site, so the process of registration, receiving the shot and supervision took slightly longer for her. After receiving her shot, Pakrasi remained in the waiting area, where EMTs supervised patients for allergic reactions for 15 minutes.

“The only side effect I had was being really tired,” she said.

“The nurse who administered the shot told me a lot of people just are really tired the next few days. I just always wanted to sleep. No one had an allergic reaction that I saw. [Officials] were prepared for it, but I don’t know if anyone’s had an allergic reaction.”

Although Pakrasi received the vaccine due to her volunteer work for the Red Cross, she said she does not entirely agree with the priority of vaccinations, as she believes teachers and educational professionals should have received vaccine shots early on as well. Educators were approved to get the vaccine on March 1.

“It feels weird knowing I got vaccinated before teachers because they’re the ones who actually should be getting vaccinated,” she said. “Teachers are exposing themselves too because they are interacting with children who aren’t necessarily looking after their hygiene or sanitizing themselves. Health care workers are obviously putting themselves at risk as well, but I feel like [teachers]

should be in there too because they’re doing a lot for us.”

Pakrasi does not expect her volunteer duties to change significantly after receiving both doses of the vaccine. She began volunteering in June 2020 and works as a self-described receptionist at the Red Cross North San Jose blood donation center. She is responsible for checking in donors, taking their temperatures and sanitizing any exposed surfaces.

“I’ve been volunteering pretty regularly before [receiving the vaccine] and I’m going to keep volunteering,” Pakrasi explained. “I don’t have anyone at high-risk at my home, so I wasn’t too concerned about that, and we take precautions at the Red Cross.”

Pakrasi also does not intend to change her social behavior as a result of the vaccination, citing the fact that her friends have not been vaccinated and are still susceptible to infection, and case numbers are still relatively high in her community.

“It’s not really going to affect anything at all,” she said. “I’m not as scared to go to places like Costco with my mom, but I never really was super worried. Having a vaccine doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want now; you should still social distance, you should still take precautions. Don’t go out and party just because you think you can’t get it.”

Top right: A nurse from the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Romita Pakrasi’s left arm.

Right: Pakrasi (11) fills out her COVID-19 vaccination record card as a nurse prepares to administer her first shot. Administering the shot did not require a parent or guardian’s signature; however, one was required to be present.

Opposite top left: Pakrasi’s vaccination record card after her two appointments. Pakrasi’s date of birth and information about her specific vaccine dose have been redacted for privacy.

Opposite left: Inside the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds exhibition hall, patients follow signage to the line for Pfizer vaccines on Jan. 14. Pakrasi estimated around 150 patients were in the building at any point.

NEWS | 10

New classroom to REDUCE class sizes ARTICLE BY AKHILA AYYADEVARA • PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN • DESIGN BY EVELYN RAMIREZ Over the summer of 2020, UPA’s landlord, Cathedral of Faith, approved the renovation of one new classroom in the Learning Center building.

The classroom, along with two others yet to be approved, will be used to foster smaller class sizes and expand UPA’s course selection.

“The desire to expand has always been part of the DNA of UPA,” Executive Director David Porter said.

Approximately $25,000 will be allocated toward refurnishing and replacing equipment in a former COF Sunday school classroom in the Learning Center building next to Georgia Tech. This classroom, currently known as 109, was renovated to have running water and is expected to be ready for UPA

use by the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. Porter estimated the total cost for renovating the two classrooms not yet approved to be between $50,000 and $75,000.

As of now, Porter said the classroom will need more equipment to be fully functional, like a projector, Wi-Fi and adult-sized furniture. Other undecided changes include where the lactation pod for new mothers on the UPA staff will be relocated, which Porter has no concrete plans for as of yet, and whether to paint over a wallpaper of squirrels on the northeast wall, which will be up to the teachers who move into the room.

Before classrooms can be assigned to teachers, they will need to be named after colleges.

A wallpaper featuring squirrels is located on the northeast wall of classroom 109. The other walls are painted bright shades of purple and green.

Installed in March, new doors to classroom 109 and a newly-paved walkway face the Learning Center parking lot and provide access to the classroom from the outside.

11 | News

Previously, the name of each classroom has been decided by a combination of nomination and voting. Colleges are chosen with consideration to schools UPA alumni have attended, or were named when the campus was first designed. The administration has yet to decide on names for the new classrooms.

Director of Student Services Andrew Yau said the expansion of the UPA campus will support students in maintaining safety protocols.

“We may be able to offer different classes, potentially, on campus, and be able to spread out a little bit more, which is even more important in these COVID times,” Yau said.

Porter said the school desires to keep the middle school and high school students separate instead of mixing in the hallways.

Both Yau and Porter emphasized the importance of preserving the feeling that UPA is a small school. Porter said the new classrooms will help decrease class sizes, which will help build better student and teacher relationships.

“We don’t want to lose the thought, or the feeling, that students [are] individuals and that they’re important,” Porter said.

Weighing Workloads Alumni compare college rigor and stress to their experiences at UPA

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ARTICLE BY MATTHEW WALLACE • DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LUU

PA’s mission statement describes its core goal as “[preparing] a diverse population of 7-12th grade students [...] to enter and excel in the best colleges and universities in the nation.” In efforts to align with the mission, a number of teachers pride themselves in the rigor of their classes, assigning coursework comparable to or more difficult than college-level courses.

Sophia Chacko, a Class of 2016 alumna, noticed numerous discrepancies between what UPA taught about the college dynamic—like how professors interact with students and how which college someone attends affects their college experiences—and average college workloads.

“UPA taught me that college was going to be so much harder and it’s like something scary,” Chacko said, “but honestly, I think that there was a lot of fear put into students in high school.”

Chacko, who graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 2020, observed her college courses assigning less overall schoolwork than her classes at UPA. “I would have a good 12 hours of homework to do for a class [per week], whereas in high school, it was a little bit more,” Chacko said.

Cynthia Jackson, a Class of 2018 alumna and current junior at Santa Clara University, realized that maturity gained since high school can make college work seem easier when comparing the time she spent on homework at each school.

“I was also very easily distracted in high school,” Jackson said. “[I worked for] a couple hours doing homework while doing

other stuff in between. [The homework] really only took me four hours, but it felt like a lot longer [than college].”

Amar Rama, a Class of 2015 alumnus, found the structure of college gave him more freedom to manage his time.

“When everything’s up to me, a lot of the times I end up just spending less time on it, so [the added freedom] is not always a bad thing,” Rama said.

Chacko compared upper division lab classes in college, where all assignments are given at the beginning of the term and due by midterms, to AP classes at UPA, where the pacing of assignments is decided by teachers.

“In terms of the layouts of [college] classes, the intensity is very similar to the AP classes,” Chacko said. “It’s just the timeline of that intensity that was different.”

After graduating from California State University, Chico, in 2019, Rama realized the concentration of overall stress throughout a term in college differs from the concentration of stress at UPA. “The more stressful times [at college] can definitely be worse than at UPA and the less stressful times can be a lot better than at UPA,” Rama said.

Throughout college, Jackson has experienced the highest and lowest points of stress.

“Throughout the quarter it’s not as stressful [as at UPA] until you hit midterms,” Jackson said, noting the finals she took in college differ from the mostly testbased finals she took at UPA. “For psych majors, we do more group

projects and presentation type finals, so it’s still worth a lot more of the grade compared to UPA, but it’s less stressful,” Jackson said.

In his experience studying for five college-level AP classes and studying for college exams, Rama discovered that the two types of exams were similar in terms of difficulty.

“I would definitely study five-plus hours for a [college] final or midterm,” Rama said. “[AP classes] were probably like five hours per class.”

However, the rigor of UPA classes has its advantages, as after taking AP classes, Chacko was able to take fewer general education classes in college.

“I was able to double major because I didn’t take a lot of my Gen Ed classes [in college] because a lot of them were fulfilled from the AP classes that I took,” Chacko said.

Chacko also reflected that UPA teaches students what college level work is like and good study habits needed for college.

After graduating college, Chacko realized her experiences at UPA provided non-academic benefits that became especially useful during her transition from UPA to college.

“Navigating the changes of college and moving away from home to a new state, there was an added stress, for sure,” Chacko said, “but I think if I didn’t have the foundation that I got from UPA, then that transition would have definitely been harder.”

FEATURES | 12

in my own skin Persevering through the struggles of having acne in high school

ARTICLE & ILLUSTRATION BY HAYLIE YEE DESIGN BY KYLA ULUG

H

ans Christian Andersen’s 1843 fable “The Ugly Duckling” tells the story of a duckling who, when hatched along with his siblings, is teased and ostracized because they perceive him as ugly, ultimately teaching readers that individuals should accept and love themselves no matter their appearance.

Junior Alyssa Hartmann learned the same lesson after dealing with acne in her early middle school years. She felt alone in her struggle with her skin, but after starting high school, she noticed other students her age began to develop acne, too, and she became used to it.

“I felt a lot better about myself because I stopped caring about what my face looked like,” Hartmann said. “I gained more self confidence by being comfortable with myself when I didn’t look perfect.”

Sophomore Maxine Dizon has also worked toward being confident by caring for her skin and taking pride in what she sees in the mirror.

Dizon was first introduced to skin care through TikTok trends, specifically skin care enthusiast and content creator Hyram Yarbro, better known as “Skin Care by Hyram.” Dizon learned to do research involving her skin and what she was putting on it. One of Dizon’s first mistakes was using retinol—a type of retinoid containing vitamin A derivative—too often and burning her skin.

Dizon struggled with slightly textured and reddish skin on her cheeks that was worse on her arms. This caused her to feel self conscious when wearing dresses that exposed her arms.

"I don't have perfect skin

right now, but I feel confident knowing that I'm taking care of it."

-Maxine Dizon “I don’t have perfect skin right now, but I feel confident knowing that I’m taking care of it,” Dizon said. “I’m working toward being a better person for myself.”

While factors such as poor

13 | Features

hygiene or diet can affect acne, they are not sole explanations for the condition. The pores in skin contain sebaceous glands that produce sebum, an oil that lubricates hair and skin.

As teenagers hit puberty, hormones cause excess sebum, and pores become clogged with bacteria trapped inside. Depending on whether the pores stay open or closed, they can become blackheads,

whiteheads, pimples or cysts. UC Davis Health estimates that more than 85% of teenagers have acne, and it is rare to have clear skin during high school.

Sophomore Celia Cuenca was first encouraged to start taking treatments like doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat severe acne, by her stepmother, who would

often point out when Cuenca’s skin had severe acne.

“When people point out certain things, it’s out of love, but it lowers your confidence,” Cuenca said. “I didn’t notice that until [my stepmother] pointed that out.”

Cuenca has seen two dermatologists under the advice of her family, once at age 12 and another visit more recently due to worsening acne. Cuenca’s world revolved around school, causing her stress and hormones to form fungal acne— small bumps and irritation—that later developed into cysts, a type of painful acne in which the infection goes deep into the skin, affecting large areas and leaving scars.

Cuenca felt out of place when she first developed acne as the people around her, including her friends, cousins and family, had clear skin. But as her acne worsened in middle school, she was taught that acne is normal and prevalent through health education and her friends and family. When the eighth grade and freshman year stages of acne hit, she found she could relate with her peers about it.

“People shouldn’t be insecure about acne at all,” Cuenca said. “It’s normal to have insecurities, but be the best confident person that you can be.”

Hartmann, too, felt frustrated with her acne in middle school. After talking with friends who would point out their pimples, which were miniscule in comparison to her own acne that started at her forehead, Hartmann came to a realization about her confidence that changed her perspective.

“I look in the mirror and I’m focusing on all the things that I don’t like about my face, but when you’re in public, people don’t even pay attention,” Hartmann said.

The attention acne or other skin blemishes recieve is often overestimated and exaggerated in the mind. The spotlight effect, a term coined by Thomas Gilovich and Kenneth Savitsky, refers to the tendency in people to think there is a spotlight on them at all times, highlighting all of their mistakes or flaws for all the world to see.

Hartmann has struggled with motivation to stick with her skin care routine, often not

"It's normal to have

insecurities, but be the best confident person that you can be."

-Celia Cuenca caring about it. Her mother originally suggested using a vinegar green tea toner recipe from a book called “Healthy at Home.”

While this method worked for Hartmann’s older sister, she was annoyed and grossed out by the pungent solution. Hartmann found the transition to distance learning actually helped her confidence, but encouraged her laziness with regards to acne and skincare because she rarely thinks about her appearance with her camera off in virtual classes.

“There’s less motivation in hygiene and washing your face because you know that not a lot of people are going to be paying attention,” Hartmann said, “whereas at school, it feels like everyone’s eyes are on you, and you want to be presentable.”

On certain days, Dizon still feels insecure about her skin, but she is inspired by the people around her who radiate confident energy. She admires their confidence and strives to be just as loving to her body, and has used the new year as a fresh start to introduce better habits.

Working to improve her overall health and confidence, she started with skincare.

“It’s human nature to care about what other people think of you,” Dizon said, “but in anything you do, people will have something to say, so you might as well do what you want.”

Features | 14

‘It ’s been my savior in a way’ How Emily Heery became an equestrian

ARTICLE & DESIGN BY JENNA PLASSCHAERT • PHOTOS BY TYLER YUEN

J

unior Emily Heery rode her first horse on a Girl Scouts trip in third grade, but it was not until her sister Caitlin went on that same trip two years later that their mom decided to put Emily in horse riding lessons and her love for riding truly blossomed.

“Looking back, I don’t really know what drew me to it specifically,” Heery said. “I think it just came really naturally to me in the beginning, and it just made sense. Horses are such sweet animals; they’ll take care of you. So I think that finding the bond between this really big animal and a human is just beautiful.”

Starting with 30-minute private lessons once a week at Spring Down Equestrian Center in Portola Valley, Heery began to learn basic aids—signals given to the horse with hands, legs, voice and weight— such as steering, stopping and starting. After a couple months, she eventually moved on and followed her former trainer, Sarah Morgan, to Webb Ranch. “[Sarah] helped me a lot in developing not just being a ‘potted plant,’ so to speak, on the horse, but actually learning how to use my aids that I learned as a younger and inexperienced rider to be more connected with the horse,” Heery said.

As she evolved in riding, Heery was able to learn more advanced aids such as collection, which allows the horse to be more balanced and fluid.

“A lot of people think it’s the horse that does the work for you,” Heery said. “I mean, up to a certain point, they are the one who jumps over the rail, but you have to help them.”

Heery decided Webb Ranch was not a good fit for her because it was often busy and crowded. In mid-January of 2020, she switched to her current trainer, Cindy Kuhn, at Glenoaks Equestrian Center and joined Kuhn’s team, Lake Forest Farms.

“It’s a really pretty facility; I really like it,” Heery said. “The more calm environment is really nice because I am able to focus and not necessarily have to worry about everything else going on in the arena at the time.”

Typically, Heery visits the barn six days a week, reserving Wednesdays to stay on top of her AP Calculus AB work. She primarily focuses on jumping

15 | Features

Emily Heery (11) and her horse, Bella, jump over a fence during practice at Glenoaks Equestrian Center on March 21. Prior to jumping, Heery warmed up by riding around the ring with friends.

Heery begins putting the necessary equipment and accessories on her horse and getting her horse ready—known as tacking up—before her practice begins on March 21. The process takes approximately 20 minutes total. two to three times a week and flatwork on the other days, which involves all the ground exercises a horse does while being ridden as opposed to over jumps, including circles, turns and trotting.

Of the several disciplines in horseback riding, Heery decided to enter the jumping division after riding school because she felt like it came most naturally to her and was more of an even playing field than other divisions, such as the hunters division which requires a more expensive and attractive horse.

Hunters are judged based on the movement and style of the horse, while jumpers are judged solely on the speed at which they finish the course, losing points for each rail knocked over during a jump.

“Because I’m a jumper, as we get closer to a show, I’ll do a lot more jumps and I’ll begin to focus on cutting my corners to cut the time off,” Heery said. “The smaller your turn, the better your turn, the clearer your turn, the quicker your time.”

After joining Glenoaks Equestrian Center, Heery was able to buy her own horse, a gray mare named Bella, which she believes allowed herself to take charge of her riding and make decisions for the horse rather

than having the horse make decisions for her.

“It’s so ironic because 2020 was such a bad year,” Heery said, “but I also find it one of the best years because it was a big step in my riding, and [Bella has] helped me so much.”

“I think that finding the bond between this really big animal and a human is just beautiful .”

—Emily Heery According to COVID-19 lockdown rules, only those who had leased or bought a horse were allowed to visit the barn. At that time, Heery was leasing her trainer’s horse, Beau, until she bought Bella on July 4, and was therefore able to continue her riding practices throughout quarantine.

Since then, COVID-19 protocols have changed and the lesson barn has reopened

to the public with a mask mandate.

Riding has provided Heery with an outlet to express herself and get out of her room during quarantine, benefiting her mental health.

“I think [riding has] been my savior in a way,” Heery said. “I’m able to get out and enjoy something that I do like. I think in terms of anything that you really love doing, it’s almost like an escape.”

Heery’s social life has also been positively impacted through making friends at the barn and being able to work over the summer teaching children the basics of riding.

“I’m with two or three different groups of kids that rotate,” Heery said. “It’s nice because they learn more independently, which I think is really helpful.”

This summer, Heery hopes to continue working to teach her students valuable life skills, such as thinking through their actions, and inspire a love of riding in her students that she continues to experience.

“I enjoy the jumping in the courses because it’s almost freeing,” Heery said.

“You see those horse movies and they’re galloping down a meadow and that’s what it feels like. It’s this happy feeling.”

Features | 16

Breaking Down the Buzz The causes and effects of caffeine dependency ARTICLE & INFOGRAPHIC BY KATHERINE NGUYEN PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN DESIGN BY JOE SHEM

A

fter countless hours of touring the coast of Australia during his own ninth-grade field trip, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Matt Daugherty finally took a respite in his hotel room. The jet lag from traveling to another country had been “killer.” A coffee maker stood on the counter as part of the hotel’s complimentary service.

“Let’s try this to see if it will help us stay awake for the trip,” his roommate suggested.

One cup of coffee later marked the start of Daugherty’s caffeine journey.

The trend of caffeine consumption has been around since as early as 3000 B.C. and has influenced newer generations to stop at their local Starbucks for a quick caffeinated beverage. However, the constant intake of the stimulant can eventually blur the line that distinguishes a casual enjoyment from a severe addiction.

Dopamine receptors are a reward mechanism that play a role in

A venti iced vanilla latte with oat milk from Starbucks contains 225 mg of caffeine.

The pictured beans are the espresso Gamut blend from Chromatic Coffee Co.

17 | FEATURES

cognition and movement, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Caffeine intake enhances the release of dopamine that stimulates those receptors, and the alertness it brings causes people to consistently consume caffeinated substances to be continually rewarded with that effect.

Verywell Mind—an online resource that provides health and wellness information—describes caffeine addiction as the excessive and harmful consumption of caffeine that negatively affects a person’s physical and cognitive functioning over time.

Jeffrey Kehoe, a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist with a specialty in addiction, finds that building an addiction is not dependent on how often a person consumes caffeine.

“If it starts to interfere with daily activities, work, and starts to present maybe other physical or psychological problems, those are all factors that I would say the medical community looks at more when it’s talking about dependence or abuse as opposed to a specific dose,” Kehoe said.

Introduction to caffeine can start with the family, like in the case of freshman Karen Heng, who began drinking coffee in the morning because of her father’s caffeine habits. She initially added creamers to her coffee and has gradually used less for a stronger taste. Others, such as junior Britney Stout, still use sweetened creamers in their coffee to mask the bitter taste. “[My family] saves a lot more money brewing our own coffee,” Stout said, “so I’ll just have two and a half cups of whatever coffee we’re brewing, like vanilla with oat milk creamer in it.”

Juggling the workload of classes and extracurriculars, students often consume caffeine for additional energy. This is especially true for Stout, who said she can “work it all off and then crash when [she gets] home.”

Stout’s compulsion for caffeine is driven by her need to start her day with energy and finish schoolwork that she tends to procrastinate on.

“I need more caffeine now than I did when we went to school [in person],” Stout said. “When I kind of just get out of bed and roll into class, I’m so tired that I need some caffeine to get me going.”

The effects of caffeine can persist for around six hours, but an individual can become tolerant to them and require greater doses to obtain the desired effects.

Caffeine dependence forms as caffeine blocks adenosine receptors from attaching to their corresponding neurotransmitters, inhibiting drowsiness as a result. Without caffeine to suppress the tiring effects of

adenosine, the body might experience withdrawal symptoms medical supervision depending on a person’s preferences. that range from headaches to lethargy. Daugherty experiences There is also a successful 12-step addiction recovery program withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue or headaches when he does that originated in the 1930s which Kehoe said helps “people not drink coffee in the morning to start his day, with his average rewire their nervous system response.” Recovery does, however, daily consumption being six to eight cups. first require the conscious decision to bring change for oneself and “I’ve gotten to the right spot where I don’t get all jittery and others. irritable when I drink it so it’s all good,” Daugherty said. “I don’t “There’s something called a harm-reduction approach where attach too much to it.” it’s not necessarily the idea that someone would ever eliminate As a Catholic, Daugherty once gave up caffeine during the caffeine or alcohol or even drugs completely, but can you reduce season of Lent which occurs before Easter and spans 40 days. it?” Kehoe said. “Can you create a safer environment?”

A meaningful sacrifice is expected from followers to reflect and Caffeine is widely accepted as the most consumed stimulant in practice self-discipline, although he admits he will always fall the world, with the National Library of Medicine reporting 85% of back into his caffeine routine in order to fulfill his duties at work. the U.S. population are consistent users.

Conflict arises on the issue of whether caffeine is bad for a “Sometimes we don’t do a very good job here in America of person’s health, with some claiming it poses no risk with limited encouraging people to ask for help or giving them the resources intake and others raising concerns about the long-term health that they need and especially when there’s a stigma attached,” effects.

Kehoe said. “So the biggest thing is to find someone you trust “You’ve got to be careful that you’re not jumping into something and let them know that you’re struggling, whether it’s caffeine or that your body’s not developed enough for yet,” Daugherty said. something else.”

“You don’t want to develop a dependency that early on.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends at most 100 mg of caffeine daily for children ages 12 to 18 and no intake for children under that age range.

Caffeine may disrupt the formation of key connections in the brain during # of survey respondents by grade/position adolescence according to Verywell Health. Other critical effects of excessive 34 41 39 33 34 36 20 caffeine consumption include sleep deprivation, calcium deficiency or 7TH 8TH 9TH 10TH 11TH 1 2 T H TEACHER/ ADMIN underlying heart issues.

New research suggests benefits are emerging for caffeine users as ongoing how do you Framingham and Cardiovascular Health consume studies demonstrated the reduction of COFFEE TEA SODA SUPPLEMENTS OTHER heart failure by 5% to 12% per cup of caffeine?

4% 5.1% 59.9% 52.7% 47.7% coffee per day. Other positive effects include improved moods and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and # of survey when do you consume stroke.

“I’m hoping after junior year and respondents by caffeine? during the summer I can find other gender identity ways to stay awake and motivate myself 1 EVENING without caffeine,” Stout said. “I’m just FEMALE: 144 hoping to find healthier alternatives.”

4 AFTERNOON Decaffeinated alternatives can MALE: 85 continue to satisfy the flavor and warmth that a beverage might serve for an GENDER NONindividual while reducing their caffeine 21 MORNING intake.

CONFORMING: 5 “You get into a habit, and I’m THROUGHOUT 36 just looking for something to fill in N/A: 3 THE DAY that habit,” Daugherty said. “If I like 0 10 20 30 40 sipping on a warm liquid while I’m working, that helps me multitask, I can of 62 responses classify add [decaffeinated] tea instead and that fulfills that niche.” themselves as addicted Options for recovery from caffeine to caffeine addiction can include support groups or

UPA'S CAFFEINE HABITS

43.5%

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t he ir ony of

am e r i ca Cost-Benefit Analysis

Blindspot

19 | OPINION

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AKSHARA KOLLU DESIGN BY THRISHA PRAVEEN

A Patriot

Why Minority-Owned Businesses Deserve More Funding

M

ARTICLE & PHOTO BY NAYELI BREWSTER • DESIGN BY JANESSA ULUG

inority-owned businesses have been forced to close or adapt to the circumstances of the pandemic. For minorities, the struggle is nothing new.

Usually, businesses are provided with government funding, grants and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans— loan programs established by the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to help businesses pay their employees and keep the businesses afloat in the likelihood of financial or natural disasters.

Minority-owned businesses are the last to receive the funds they need, not because they do not qualify, but because the federal government has given large amounts of money in PPP loans to those who should be last in line, such as Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Shake Shack, with a net income of $15.18 million, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which boasts a net income of $42.21 million, according to statista.com, are restaurant chains in no need of any money, especially since there are smaller businesses who are in jeopardy of closing permanently.

According to the Consumer News and Business Channel, a television businesses news channel, the U.S. Treasury Department privately encouraged banks to prioritize existing clients when implementing the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program.

This caused limitations for minority- and women-owned businesses since PPP loans were limited to existing customers only. This occurred under former President Donald Trump’s administration and was discovered by a Democrat-led select subcommittee. The Trump Administration did not consider minority-owned businesses while granting PPP loans, and the broken prioritization process has made businesses suffer.

Monika Diaz, my mother and owner of Phatefx—an Afro-Latino-owned hair salon in San Jose—has been in business for more than 24 years. She has only received one U.S. Small Business Administration grant of $5,000. Diaz has had to rely on customer donations and side jobs to keep her business running and her six employees employed, in addition to providing for me.

“Even though the landlord has gotten PPP loan assistance, we still never received any breaks on the rent,” she said. “It’s been difficult to stay open, but I have to keep going because it’s not just me involved. I have a daughter, and I have employees that depend on their jobs to provide for their families.”

According to a December 2020 article in the Washington Post, “more than half of the money from the Treasury Department’s Coronavirus emergency fund for small businesses went to just 5% of the intended recipients.”

Although some small businesses received money, “about 600 mostly larger companies that [supply between 50-500 jobs], including dozens of national chains, received the maximum amount allowed under the program of $10 million,” the Washington Post revealed.

Small businesses continue to be wrongfully overlooked, even while the U.S. Small Business Administration reports that nearly

27 million small businesses in the United States generate about 50% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Victor Diaz, my uncle, owns an Oakland shoe store, which he started in early 2020.

“It’s hard to be part of a community that is constantly being exploited, overlooked and not considered just because of our skin color,” he said in reference to the Latino community. “Especially with our last president, we knew that there wasn’t going to be any help or resources for us for a very long time.”

Minorities value their businesses just as much as white business owners do, and unfortunately for people of color, thriving in America is a constant uphill battle.

As Tupac Shakur wrote, “The American Dream wasn’t for me / Cause Lady Liberty’s a hypocrite she lied to me / Promised me freedom, education, equality / Never gave me nothing but slavery / But now look at how dangerous you made me / Callin’ me a mad man because I’m strong and bold.”

Although Shakur’s words are from 18 years ago, they still resonate with today’s climate. Despite not always having the resources and support that they need to survive and thrive, minority-owned businesses always come through to help each other. Minorities do not have as easy access to money and resources to support themselves and their families in a disaster like this pandemic; they have churches, other businesses, fundraisers and an overall sense of a loving community to aid them.

Jasmine Butler is a worship minister at Emmanuel Baptist Church, a predominantly Black church in San Jose. She said Emmanuel Baptist has contributed to the community for the 55 years it has been in service, from efforts like food drives, toy drives and fundraisers for the homeless. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the church has gone above and beyond, she said.

“Since October [2020], our church has become a testing site for COVID-19,” Butler said. “Now that vaccinations have started, we have become a vaccination site. Our site has become one of the biggest sites in the community, testing about 20,000 people so far.”

Minorities understand that with the help of one another, financial obstacles can be overcome.

“As Black people, we’ve always been given the short end of the stick, but still we rise,” Butler said. “It’s amazing to see how we continue to thrive with the help of one another.”

But the burden of keeping small businesses afloat should not fall squarely on the shoulders of minorities.

Minority-owned businesses have always been neglected, and it is time for them to get the recognition that they deserve. Although they do have the support of their community, imagine the opportunities that could arise for people of color with increased support from the federal government.

In the future, the federal government should target historically underserved businesses with special loans. And for the wellbeing of minorities, everyone in the community—no matter their race—should consciously make a commitment to support minority-owned businesses.

Opinion | 20

God Loves ...Most?

How LGBTQ+ experiences are impacted by religion

ARTICLE & ILLUSTRATION BY VIDYA ACHAR • DESIGN BY AKHILA AYYADEVARA

21 | In-depth

Editor’s Note: Taylor Renwick’s pronouns are “ve/ver/vis,” a gender neutral pronoun created by the LGBTQ+ community as an alternative to “they/them.”

Terms to Know Heterosexual: Attraction to someone of the opposite gender Cisgender: Someone whose identity and gender corresponds with their sex assigned at birth Omnisexual: A person who is sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity Queer: Used as an umbrella term referring to anyone who is not straight and not cisgender Genderqueer: People who have a non-normative or queer gender Nonbinary: An umbrella term, which encompasses genderqueer people, along with other genders that do not fit into the box of “male” or “female” Lesbian: A woman who is sexually and/ or emotionally attracted to other women Transgender: Someone whose identity and gender does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth Definitions come from OutRight Action International, an organization dedicated to human rights advocacy.

From Pope Francis’ announcement on March 15 barring priests from blessing samesex marriage to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s statement calling same-sex marriage acceptable and an individual choice, religion can play a vital role in shaping perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community.

In May 2019, Pew Research Center published data indicating 41% of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults identify as athiest, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” compared to 22% of straight adults who identify the same.

Sophomore Taylor Renwick, an atheist, was surrounded by gay loved ones throughout vis childhood, especially vis two male godparents whom ve visited often.

“I wasn’t taught that being gay is weird,” ve said. “It was more like, ‘These are your godparents; let’s go visit them for Christmas.’”

Homosexuality was normalized in the Renwick household, with vis parents recognizing that their child could be queer.

“My parents would sometimes make jokes about me having a crush on my [female] best friend,” Renwick said. “I didn’t have to come out for that because it was normal.”

Because both vis mother and father were not religiously affiliated, Renwick and vis sibling, Riley, a sophomore at UPA, were raised in a non-religious household. Renwick believes this lack of religion contributed to vis parents’ acceptance of same-sex couples.

Renwick’s advice for “deeply religious” people when interacting with members of the LGBTQ+ community is to accept them as they are.

“People in the community already have a hard time accepting themselves, so don’t make it any harder for them,” ve said.

Unlike Renwick’s parents, senior Ashley Nguyen, a Buddhist, described her parents’ stance as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“Growing up, we never talked about it,” she said. “[The LGBTQ+ community] was kind of a hidden thing.”

RILEY’S STORY

When Renwick’s older sibling, Riley, was in sixth grade, they came out as genderfluid.

At the time, Riley went by interchanging pronouns of he/him, she/her and they/them. Coming out was a shock for Renwick’s parents.

“They had to educate themselves on gender,” Renwick said. “They knew how to treat people with a different sexuality, but gender was a whole new concept.”

Nevertheless, Renwick’s parents were accepting and respected Riley’s pronouns. Renwick, on the other hand, was surprised to find the concept of gender-fluidity existed.

“When R i l e y came out, it was like my epiphany moment,” ve said.

“Like, ‘Whoa, there can be more than two genders.’”

One year later, as Riley entered seventh grade, they came out again to their family as non-binary. This led to Renwick realizing gender is a spectrum and a person can experiment with multiple labels before finding what is right for them.

Riley’s coming out encouraged Renwick to come out over quarantine as genderqueer and omnisexual.

“If I went to the same church as my greataunt, I probably would’ve had a much harder time coming out,” Renwick said, sharing that people can hold religion in high esteem, but should not use it as an excuse to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Religion is definitely not a reason to shun people,” Renwick said. “I don’t know why a religion would teach you to dislike a whole group of people.”

Junior Zaid Syed, a Sunni Muslim, does not agree with same-sex relationships, but believes that Islam does not prohibit an individual from having feelings for the same sex. “[Islam] does not punish you based on how you feel,” Syed said. “It punishes you based on what you do. So if you feel a certain way, that’s perfectly alright. But if you act upon [those desires], that’s a completely different thing.”

Senior Evelyn Soto, who identifies as Christian, believes homosexuality is a sin in the Bible. She grew up attending Cathedral of Faith, but switched to the Spanish-language church Alcance Victoria (Victory Outreach) about a year ago.

“I personally don’t have anything against the LGBTQ community and I support it even though I’m not supposed to,” Soto said. “Because the Word of God once again says that a man and man shouldn’t date because God created a man and a woman to be together, not men and men or women and women.”

Senior Isabella Bronner, who also considers herself Christian, believes God created every individual for a reason. Just as God created Continued on next page IN-DEPTH | 22

many people to be straight, he also created other people to be gay, Bronner said.

“It’s so weird to say you don’t accept certain people, when Jesus’ main message was love,” Bronner said. “Jesus accepted everyone. He loved everyone, especially the outcasts of society. In a way, people in the LGBTQ+ community are ostracized by society. They’re outcasts, but it’s our job to love them.”

Though she does believe that suppressing same-sex attraction is better than living openly as LGBTQ+, Soto does not believe in judging or commenting about other people’s sins.

“I know some people are afraid because they feel Christians will judge them, but we won’t really, depending on the [LGBTQ+] person,” Soto said, meaning LGBTQ+ individuals should be judged by their other sins, as would any other person.

“Because I’ve also heard stories about how some Christian women or men would From left to right: A Christian, LGBTQ+ community member and Buddhist disown their child or teenagers who are in stand together, representing unity and acceptance of one another. the LGBTQ.” She also disagrees with parents who dis- me mine.” Though he believes homosex- Christians are not accepting of LGBTQ+ uality is “morally and objectively wrong,” individuals, she does not try to change othown their LGBTQ+ children.

“Their kids are their responsibility no Syed does not believe that heterosexual er people’s opinions on the LGBTQ+ compeople are superior to gay people and con- munity. matter who they become,” Soto said.

“I try not to bring up the LGBTQ+ comAccording to True Colors United, an demns violence against anybody in the munity in my church,” Bronner said. “Like organization that works to combat LGBTQ LGBTQ+ community.

Soto agrees that “violence is never the if they’re being homophobic, I kind of tune homelessness at the local, state and federal levels, LGBTQ youth are 120% more like- answer” and would defend a person in the it out and try to not get angry because I know they’re never going to change their ly to experience homelessness than all oth- community from hateful remarks.

“I’ve never had an experience where minds no matter what I say.” er youth. The Trevor Project reported that LGBTQ youth represent as much as 40% I needed to stand up,” Soto said, “but if I of homeless youth, but only account for an were in a situation where another Chris- A PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE estimated 7 to 9% of the youth population tian was, say, harassing, a person from the The Rev. Caiti Hamilton, a pastor at LGBTQ community, I would step up, be- Open Door United Methodist Church in ages 8 to 18.

Because of prejudice toward LGBTQ+ cause that’s not right. We’re human.”

Richmond, agrees that persuading hoSoto, who believes living openly in a mophobic people who are not willing to youth, Bronner, Soto and Syed are vocal about preventing violence or harassment non-heterosexual relationship strays from question their beliefs is difficult. the word of God, said her church will actoward the community.

“It’s hard to say that anything I’ve said “Our religion does not say to hate ho- cept people no matter what sexual orienta- has really changed anyone’s mind,” Hammosexuals,” Syed said. “The same way we tion, but it might try to lead them down a ilton said. wouldn’t hate an alcoholic. We hate the sin, more heteronormative path.

Hamilton, who is a lesbian, has faced “[Some pastors] won’t look down upon challenges in her leadership role as a queer but not the sinner.”

Syed cites Chapter 109 Verse you if you’re gay, but they’ll try and con- woman in the middle of a social movement.

6 in the Quran, which trans- vince you and show you the ways of the On a local level, people attending Hamlates to “To you your Lord,” Soto said. “There’s actually a girl, ilton’s church are affirming of LGBTQ+ belief and to she’s a youth leader, and before she became individuals, many of whom are LGBTQ+ a follower of Christ, she was a lesbian. She themselves. But, as Hamilton explained, had a girlfriend and everything. But, she the larger consensus of the United Methgot into Christianity and the people started odist Church is that being LGBTQ+ is conteaching her about the Word of God sidered a sin. and everything and now she’s “So me and any LGBTQ people in my no longer lesbian.” church are kind of in this weird in-between Though Bron- where we’re fully accepted here [on the ner recogniz- West Coast], but on the global level in the es some United Methodist Church, we’re in this 23 | In-depth

huge argument about it,” she said.

Hamilton credits straight allies in her church with helping her achieve her goal of becoming a pastor.

“I had literally dozens of people break the rules for me and my queer colleagues,” she said. “You know, that was great.”

Hamilton feels a significant shift in the way people in her denomination think about LGBTQ+ issues, in part due to more visibility of the community and increased social acceptance.

“I think it’s people coming out, refusing to be in a closet and refusing to accept a lesser status in the church and in life,” she said. “And then, I think it’s allies responding. I think that oftentimes when people change their mind, it’s because someone they love has come out.”

She recognizes, though, that she can rarely change people’s minds if they are not already looking for a way out of that belief system.

“I try to look for why they believe [what they believe] and kind of speak to that,” Hamilton said. “If it’s biblical translations, I can give people resources if they’re open to reading them.”

In her experience, biblical verses have been mistranslated to specifically criticize gay and lesbian people. Hamilton noted that if a person opened up an English Bible in the United States, they would find the word “homosexuality” in it. She uses the example of the New Testament’s book of Romans, which condemns homosexuality in its English translation.

“It doesn’t take long investigating to find out there was no word for homosexuality,” she said. “In Koine Greek, which [is the language] that book was written [in], there just simply was not that word, so it even being translated in any way in the Bible is just wrong.”

To combat the negative depictions of LGBTQ+ people in certain religious texts, Hamilton includes the LGBTQ+ community in sermons she preaches. For example, she refers to God with pronouns they/them, instead of the traditional he/him.

“I have people in my church who use they/them pronouns,” she said. “And we know that God always being referred to as a ‘he’ had some issues. Referring to God as ‘they’ brings in the experience of our genderqueer nonbinary friends and lets them see themselves reflected in their own faith.”

Hamilton knows the importance of representation, so she tries to be as supportive to minority communities as possible.

“I want to be that person I didn’t have growing up to affirm queer people, queer relationships and queer identities,” she said.

Earlier this year, Hamilton prayed over a church member’s top surgery. She explained she wanted to validate that person’s experience.

“I think that’s always the pastor I’ve wanted to be,” Hamilton said. “Just real and [experience] life with people. And for me, that happens to be queer issues.”

Hamilton observed that heteronormative expectations can be harmful in furthering queer rights and recounted the expectations placed on her as a child.

“Growing up as a Christian woman, you are told that you’re supposed to act and look a certain way in life,” Hamilton said.

“You grow, find a man and you have kids, and you’re a good Christian wife.”

It was only during her college years that Hamilton realized she did not conform to such expectations. She came out to her church (not United Methodist), which had a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. She was not

“We’re told, ‘Here’s the template,’ and we just don’t notice that it doesn’t fit most people.”

—Caiti Hamilton kicked out of the church, but the leaders made it clear to her they did not support her. Only as an adolescent did she realize that her identity was something to be celebrated.

“I think that happens for a lot of people,” she said. “We’re told, ‘Here’s the template,’ and we just don’t notice that it doesn’t fit most people.”

MOVING FORWARD

Because of the lack of affirmation and support, Hamilton believes it is not only important to support queer people privately, but to show support publicly, describing how frustrating it is to see theologians, writers and pastors die and posthumously reveal they supported the LGBTQ+ community.

“They didn’t say anything,” she said.

“My challenge would be to be vocal about it. If you support the community, then support them in whatever way you can, even if it’s as small as having a pride flag.”

Nguyen, who grew up with little conversation regarding LGBTQ+ issues, believes in avoiding confrontation when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance, but recognizes that problems afflicting the community should not be ignored.

“Now I know that keeping an entire community quiet isn’t good,” Nguyen said.

“LGBTQ+ issues should definitely not be hidden. They need to be talked about.”

Syed, who has gay and atheist friends, enjoys discussing LGBTQ+ issues with people who disagree with him.

“These are definitely talks that need to happen,” Syed said. “I support any open conversation which is held with respect and kindness.”

Renwick agrees with the importance of acknowledging LGBTQ+ issues and believes ve understands why so many people are hesitant to stand up for members of the community.

“I think people are just uncomfortable being treated the same way they treat others,” Renwick said, using the example of homosexuality to illustrate vis point.

“Straight men who are friends with gay men would be called gay, and they don’t want to be subjected to the same treatment, so they just stop associating with [gay men].”

Ve has not encountered homophobic people in real life, but has experienced homophobia online.

“Honestly I haven’t really met many close-minded people,” Renwick said.

“Some people are like, ‘Oh, that’s perfectly fine,’ or they don’t have any particular feelings for the LGBTQ+ community as well.”

Although ve hasn’t experienced discrimination firsthand, Renwick has a strategy for how those outside the LGBTQ+ community should treat members of the community.

“Just be nice. Please,” Renwick said.

“You don’t need to understand them; just be empathetic and treat them like any other human.”

IN-DEPTH | 24

Birria Boom Social Media’s Tastiest Taco Trend

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ARTICLE & PHOTO BY TYLER YUEN • DESIGN BY ABHISHEK MYNAM

outhern California’s latest food trend can be described in only three words: cheesy, savory and crunchy.

Birria tacos have taken Instagram and TikTok by storm, providing a delicious way out of the quarantine slump.

Another variation is called quesabirria tacos, which is when Oaxaca cheese is added. They both start with birria, a meat stew usually made with beef or goat typically served at celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter in Mexico.

Despite birria’s Mexican origins, the birria taco craze originated in Los Angeles.

Ivan Gonzalez, the owner of Birrieria Gonzalez, a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, claims responsibility for starting the birria taco trend after an Instagram post in early November 2018. Since then, the demand for these tacos has exploded.

Through internet virality and hashtags, these tacos have made their claim to fame.

From March 2020 to March 2021, Google Trends reports a search for birria tacos increased 90%. Junior Christina Nguyen noticed birria tacos popping up everywhere on social media.

“I saw it all over Instagram and TikTok, and my friends were trying it and posting,” Nguyen said.

One taco shop in particular is serving these birria tacos to satisfy quarantine crav-

ings. Anna Martinez, the owner of Tacos Papo in Union City, has been serving birria tacos to customers since March 2020.

“I was seeing a lot of quesabirria and I was like, ‘I don’t know anyone close to here or in Union City that makes quesabirrias, so why doesn’t Tacos Papo add it to their menu?’” Martinez said.

Making these unique tacos starts with tortillas being dipped in a deep red stew, then laid on a griddle.

They are filled with juicy goat meat or beef and topped with grated Oaxacan cheese. They are then fried to perfection and served with a side of rich stew for dipping.

Despite birria tacos consisting of a few simple ingredients, Martinez has taken steps to ensure her restaurant stands out from the competition.

“It’s just a tortilla with cheese and birria, but how can we make it our own style?” she said. “Instead of doubling our tortillas, why don’t we make the tortillas handmade?”

After initially considering buying premade tortillas due to the influx of orders, Tacos Papo decided to put in the extra effort to make them by hand.

“Handmade tortillas did good, and we got a lot of orders,” Martinez said. “We started

that way, and we have to keep it that way.”

Restaurants are not the only places to obtain these tacos. With experience in taco-making, sophomore Joshua Asada’s love for cooking and trending TikTok videos inspired him to make birria tacos.

“I really like tacos, so I wanted to make a more complicated and flavorful version of it,” Asada said. “It took four hours, but it’s definitely worth it.”

During the summer of 2020, sophomore Jenna Reyna—encouraged by her friends and family—tried birria tacos for the first time from Neza Birrieria in San Jose.

“At first I wasn’t sure about them,” Reyna said. “I was shocked because I didn’t expect them to be that good.”

Food trucks and restaurants serving birria tacos can be found across the Bay Area.

Nguyen found her tacos at Con Sabor a Mexico in North San Jose.

“The food was so warm,” Nguyen said.

“When you bite into it, the cheese just hits you, and the meat is so soft. It’s so good.”

Quesabirria tacos from Tacos Papo in Union City are priced at $4 each.

25 | Arts & Culture

SHOWS STUDENTS CAN’T STOP BINGE-WATCHING REPORTING BY ALISA TRAN • DESIGN BY HAYLIE YEE

Naomi Abtew

(10) “Pretty Little Liars” is set in the fictional city of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, and follows four high school girls after the mysterious disappearance of their friend while an anonymous adversary threatens to reveal each of their darkest secrets.

IMDb rating: 7.4/10 “This kind of sounds like I’m a psychopath, but I love murder documentaries and all that mysterious type of stuff. The show is heavily Image courtesy of based on that and I just love it.”

Freeform/ABC

Nhi Do (8)

“Victorious” is a Nickelodeon sitcom that follows Tori Vega and her friends as they navigate high school at Hollywood Arts High School, featuring original songs like “Freak the Freak Out” and “Take a Hint.”

IMDb rating: 6.9/10 “I really like the elements of musical, weird drama, physical acting and stuff like that. It’s an arts school, and the characters are very strange, but in a good way— not your norImage courtesy of Aaron mal daily characters.”

Warkov/Nickelodeon

Gursimar Rana (12)

Isaac Rios (9)

“Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” is an animated television series that follows two Parisian teenagers who turn into the superheroes.

IMDb rating: 7.7/10 “Marinette is my favorite character because she thinks of others’ happiness before her own, so she has a lot of negative emotions bottled up. This one time she helped a girl have a better relationship with her mom by sacrificing and not going to New York even though it was Image courtesy of Zagtoon her dream.”

Image courtesy of USA Network

LJ Cerrato

Kedaar Chakankar

(11) “One Punch Man” is an anime series about the superhero Saitama, whose overwhelming strength allows him to defeat enemies in a single punch, making him long for a worthy opponent.

IMDb rating: 8.8/10 “I think it’s interesting how he’s basically just really, really, really strong and is essentially bored whenever he fights villains and whatnot. He just has a straight face Image courtesy of Spike the whole time.”

ChunSoft

“Psych” follows police consultant Shawn Spencer who makes such intense observations to solve crimes that others believe he is psychic.

IMDb rating: 8.3/10 “I always had a thing for detective shows or crime shows, like ‘Flash,’ ‘Lucifer,’ ‘Brooklyn NineNine’ and ‘Psych.’ They all revolve around that. And I like a lot of comedy shows; I want to laugh, so ‘Psych’ combines those two together.”

Image courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd. & Disney+

(7) “The Mandalorian” is a live action series based in the “Star Wars” universe that follows gunfighter Pedro Pascal after the fall of the Galactic Empire as he tries to protect the child Grogu and is pursued by the remaining Imperial forces.

IMDb rating: 8.8/10 “For one, I’m obsessed with baby Yoda. And for two, I just like the idea of how everything is not on Earth; it’s in space.”

Arts & Culture | 26

THRIFT IT The pros and cons of secondhand shopping ARTICLE & PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY THRISHA PRAVEEN • PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFANY TRAN • DESIGN BY AMANDA REBOREDO

J

unior Tiffany Tran brushs her hands along a rack of clothes, keeping an eye out for a vibrantly-colored dress. Suddenly, she find one: an asymmetrical, royal blue and purple glittery tie-dye dress from the brand Guess.

When thrifting with friends during her freshman year, the striking maxi dress caught Tran’s eye. Although her friends commented that the dress was “ugly,” as Tran recalled, she saw its potential and took the $10 dress home.

After trimming and hemming it into a short dress, this thrift find became one of Tran’s favorite pieces in her closet.

Tran began thrifting as a freshman while serving as the creative director for an Odyssey of the Mind club. She had $150 to use toward finding costumes for her team’s performance with the theme of “a carnival in space.”

Through thrifting, she found white joggers with red stripes for an astronaut costume and a skirt she altered to resemble a UFO with cardboard.

“I was scared to thrift at first,” Tran said.

“Growing up, my parents had this superstition that it would bring ‘bad energy’ into the house.

I think that’s because in my culture, after someone passes away, we donate their clothes.”

According to a 2018 article published by Time titled “History of Thrift Stores,” thrift store beginnings were waste management systems and pawnshops that appeared during the Industrial Revolution. Clothes became more affordable, so people increasingly thought of clothes as disposable. Initially, there was a stigma connected to buying secondhand clothing and prejudice against the predominantly Jewish sellers. Later, public perception of thrifting became more positive as Christian ministries like Salvation Army and Goodwill entered the market and offered social services. Once called “junk shops,” the name change to “thrift shops” in the 1920s had a better marketing appeal.

Senior Jordyn Roberson mainly thrifts vintage clothing, men’s clothing and larger-sized clothing. Roberson does not prefer the wom-

27 | ARTS & CULTURE

en’s clothing options available at thrift stores. “[Thrifted clothing] kind of has a different look to it, so you have to be confident in what you’re wearing in order to style it,” she said. “I feel like that outfit will look entirely different if you don’t have confidence in it.”

Junior Kaitlyn Than said thrifting is a cost-effective way to find clothing that is ontrend since fashion is cyclical. An example, according to the Atlantic’s article “How Mom Jeans Became Cool (Again),” are mom jeans— high-waisted and straight-legged jeans that grew popular in the 1980s, which are now sold in stores like H&M and Zara. Than adds that thrifting helps her buy clothing similar to her style inspiration, Emma Chamberlain, an influencer whose thrift store hauls on YouTube have amassed millions of views. Roberson, however, shops online instead for pieces that fit recent trends.

Before the pandemic, Tran thrifted every few weeks to add more unique clothing to her wardrobe, feeling a sense of competition as she thrifts since she knows other teens are also on the lookout for accent pieces.

“It does fuel my individuality complex a little bit because sometimes I find a piece of clothing and I’m like, ‘Oh, my friends probably don’t even have this because it’s probably one of a kind,’” Tran said.

James Maldonado, the store manager of HopeThrift, said new items enter the store every 15 to 30 minutes, and a shopper coming in at different times will find different items. Than added that based on her observations from thrifting once a week, the selection at thrift stores changes every visit, so the clothes can be a hit or miss depending on a shopper’s taste.

“I feel like it’s much more personalized to yourself because you’re looking through all these [clothes] not just suited toward you, but a variety [of styles], so you can experiment more,” Tran said.

Roberson appreciates that thrifting allows for wearing a range of styles while supporting

local businesses and a worthy cause since thrift stores are commonly known to donate their profits.

Purchases from HopeThrift, located two blocks from UPA, fund HopeServices, which provides “employment opportunities and resources for people with developmental disabilities and in-need Bay Area residents with vital resources,” according to its website. Maldonado said HopeServices supports 3,800 individuals and families in the community, noting the organization raised $201,922 for a family with quadruplets through their holiday campaign last year.

“I know for a lot of bigger corporations [the profits are] just straight going to those [in charge] and not really toward the people who are making the clothes,” Roberson said, “so I appreciate profits that are taken back to the people.”

In terms of thrifting to resell on secondhand fashion apps, like Depop, profits are taken by the sellers who, both Tran and Roberson noted, hike up prices on items that would originally be sold at a much lower cost. Maldonado has seen people come to HopeThrift and buy all the newest jackets to resell them online. He acknowledges this is beneficial for the store since it makes a sale from the purchase. However, he has also seen situations when a family comes in, but there are no more jackets for them because they’re all depleted.

Reselling apps have triggered a grow-

ing discussion on the ethics of thrifting.

According to a 2019 Berkeley Economic Review article titled “Rise of Thrifting: Solution to Fast Fashion or Stealing from the Poor?” growing concern over climate change and an emphasis on ethical consumption has led to the rise of thrifting in Gen Z and Millennials since brands that do fit these sustainable expectations, like Reformation and Everlane, are more pricey.

According to the article “How fast fashion hurts the planet through pollution and waste” published by Business Insider in 2019, “the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, [which is] more emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”

“Well, reduce, reuse, recycle—that’s a conversation that wasn’t happening as much, when, for example, I was in high school, so that’s a more modern social conversation for which I’m grateful,” English teacher Claire Ballard said.

She prefers buying secondhand, especially for home goods, to be more environmentally conscious and to save money.

“I think that now people are more willing to consider recycling than they were before,” Ballard said. “But I think that often adults are looking maybe for a better deal more than anything else, and a good beneficial byproduct of shopping secondhand would, of course, be being more environmentally friendly.”

Tran believes that due to the surplus of clothes at thrift stores, everyone, no matter their circumstances, should take advantage of the opportunity.

“I don’t think you need to shame people for trying to be environmentally friendly,” Tran said. “And I think that this should be open to everybody, not just poor people or [people] on the heavier side.”

Due to current fashion trends, another issue related to thrifting is buying clothes that are multiple sizes larger than the shoppers’ sizes. According to a blog post from 2019 on Dina’s Days titled “The Problem with Thrift Stores and Plus-Size Clothing,” plus-size clothing is rare in the new clothing market due to retailers’ and designers’ refusals to make plus-size clothing. Therefore, thrift stores fall prey to the lack of size inclusivity at the top of the clothing chain.

Tiffany Tran (11) poses in her thrifted blue dress, which she bought from HopeThrift.

Tran has seen TikTok videos discouraging thrift store shoppers from buying clothes that are multiple sizes larger than the shoppers’ size to avoid taking away options for plus-size thrift shoppers, but she noticed there have not been plus-sized people, those who would be affected, speaking out—only slim people.

“I have seen the younger people purchasing and wearing oversized outfits, but nothing dramatic,” Maldonado said.

“They’re actually buying what’s available.

[If] someone is a small [in clothing size] and they’re buying medium, that’s still within the level of product that we have a lot of, even from large to extra-large. The place where we will have less is with the 2X, 3X and 4X, but at this time, I haven’t seen a lot of that sizing going out other than the normal purchases.”

Critics online say the growing popularity of thrifting has increased the prices of goods at thrift stores, negatively impacting those who rely on thrifting for cost-efficient clothing. HopeThrift’s usual policy for pricing the item depends on how new it is, the quality and the brand. However, during the pandemic, HopeThrift has lowered the starting price for each of the tiers they have that are based on the quality of the item.

“Instead of pricing everything the same, we take it item by item, but we also think about how this year is impacting people,” Maldonado said. “Every dollar for a lot of people needs to go further than it did a year ago. We understand that, and we try to demonstrate that in our pricing.”

Over the five years Roberson has been thrifting, she has become more aware of her thrifting habits.

“I think overall thrifting is OK, but you just have to be conscious of how often you’re doing it and what products you’re getting,” she said. “If you’re taking away from someone that actually needs it, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing that.”

Tran has noticed that compared to when she first started thrifting, she is now more open to purchasing “crazy” thrifted clothing, as well as altering pieces to her liking, something she feels too scared to do with retail clothing. “[Thrifting] just makes me feel very prideful in my closet,” Tran said. “I guess because it’s my own. I picked it out myself.

It might have a history behind it. It’s not just made in some factory by some children and then just thrown into Forever 21.” arts & culture | 28

SPIRITED AWAY FROM ETHNIC UNIFORMITY

Anime audiences call for increased diversity in the Japanese animation medium

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ARTICLE BY AMANDA REBOREDO • DESIGN BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN

s anime has risen to prominence on the international white character they receive a lot of racism,” Michael said. stage, global fans have started calling for a greater deSophomore Emma Tran, who has been a fan of anime since piction of diversity in the Japanese animation medium. around fifth or sixth grade, thinks the question of whether to add Anime, a form of animated Japanese media, origi- more ethnic diversity depends on how the anime is written. nated back in 1917 with artists Ōten Shimokawa, Jun’ichi Kōuchi “I do like animes that are ethnically diverse, but [only] if they’re and Seitaro Kitayama, who are known as the pioneers of Japanese done properly,” Tran said. “They can take stereotypes, like super animation. Cartoons made on chalkboards or paper eventually de- bad stereotypes, and that’s not very good.” veloped into government propaganda due to the surge of Japanese She knows two characters from “The Disastrous Life of Saiki nationalism during WWII. The effects of the war, more specifical- K,” Takahashi and Mikoto, as being heavily stereotyped as carily the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, became evident in catures of a Black person, with Takahashi being “stupid” with big post-war animation, with films depicting atomic bombings. lips and a big nose and Mikoto being overly sexualized.

According to “A Nerdy “I feel like they would History Lesson: The Early have to actually get in Days of Anime in Amertouch with the people who ica,” it was not until the are actually part of those 1960s when anime would ethnic groups instead of become known to the West just going off stereotypes with the film adaptation of and what they think is cor“Astro Boy,” which was a rect,” Tran said.

Japanese comic—called Michael mentioned a manga—written and illuslack of representation with trated by Osamu Tezuka.

Hispanic characters in anThe topic of ethnic imes. representation has been “[Hispanic people are] brought up more recently I think, the least seen,” by fans, who started online Michael said. “I can only Image © 2001 Studio Ghibli - NDDTM think of one character discussions questioning why there are so few eth- This still from “Spirited Away” depicts the film’s main character, who is in all of the animes nicities represented. Eth- 10-year-old Chihiro, with Haku, a river spirit named “Spirit of the I’ve seen, and that’s Luffy nicity demographics in Ja- Kohaku River” in the English-dubbed version, demonstrating Benson [from the anime “One pan show that as of 2016, Doan’s reference to species diversity in Isekai animes.

Piece”]. And I don’t think 98.1% residents were Japthat counts because he was anese. The other 1.9% consists of mostly other Asian ethnicities.

Brazilian. So that’s actually not Hispanic, that’s [Latino.]”

Certain students at UPA see benefits in increasing ethnic diverTran noted she has never seen a Filipino or Vietnamese characsity in animes, such as increased representation and denormalizing ter in anime. racism against other ethnic groups.

“It would be more beneficial because having a broader range of Seventh grade student Benson Doan, who has watched anime diversities would attract more people to watch the animes,” Tran since third grade, is one of these students. said. “[Ethnic diversity is] a really good thing, but it’s still not used “Hetalia: Axis Powers,” Michael said, is an anime series that much,” Doan said. “But in terms of diversity, people mostly refer has taken a step in the direction of representation. to Isekai animes because there’s different species and everything.”

The show takes place around World War II and satirizes historIsekai animes are a subgenre of anime in which the main pro- ical and political events during the time period. The show consists tagonist gets transported into a new reality, with notable examples of characters from the Axis and Allied Powers, such as Germany, being “Spirited Away” and “Sword Art Online.”

Japan, the United States, France, Russia, China and Canada.

Junior Blain Michael has been a fan of anime since fifth grade “Each and every country was personified as a person, and they and believes that including a wider range of ethnic groups in an- were all based on the artist’s interactions with these kinds of peoimes would curb racism within the anime community. ple,” Michael said. “He used to move around a lot and he met a lot “Those who cosplay, like African Americans or Indian people of different types of people, and they’re all from his experiences.” or people who basically aren’t white, when they do cosplays of a 29 | Arts & Culture

SWEETS IN THE CITY REPORTING, PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY CHELSEA NGUYEN The most eye-catching desserts are aesthetically pleasing with unique spins on classics, making you want to post a photo of it on your Instagram story or feed. Here is a guide to three tasty and photo-worthy treat stops in San Jose to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Le Crème Cafe (3005 Silver Creek Road #134) Located in Silver Creek Plaza near Vietnamese restaurants and milk tea stores, Le Crème Cafe shines among the other businesses thanks to their Japanese-inspired glazed mochi donuts. Le Crème Cafe’s mochi donuts consist of eight donut holes connected in a circle that have a lighter and chewier consistency than regular donuts, as they are made with glutinous rice flour instead of wheat flour. The chewy texture resembles a fried sesame ball, which can bring back memories of eating fried sesame balls on Lunar New Year. Glazed donuts are too heavy for some tastes because the donuts are thicker and the glaze can be too sugary, but Le Crème Cafe’s donut glazes do not overpower the mochi donuts. Le Crème Cafe dips its mochi donuts in a sugary glaze with flavors that include matcha, black sesame, cookies and creme, strawberry and fruity pebbles. If you are craving donuts and want to experiment with new flavors and textures, visit Le Crème Cafe on your next donut run.

Caffe Bene (181 E Tasman Drive #80) This dessert and coffee shop will take customers traveling through Europe and Japan with its pastries. The shop has a cozy atmosphere because of the dangling lights, bookshelves and wooden chairs and tables.

Caffe Bene has a wide selection of desserts, from macarons and Japanese souffle cheesecakes to multi-layered cake slices and Belgian Liege waffles with whipped cream and fruit. Spaciously placed tables with yellow umbrellas are set up outside the shop, where patrons can meet and catch up with each other while enjoying their pastries and drinks.

The desserts are best paired with their milk teas or iced lattes. The Tokyo Roll, a Japanese vanilla souffle sponge roll cake with whipped cream and vanilla custard in the center, is a must-try paired with an iced classic milk tea. A quick trip to Caffe Bene is best during a sunny afternoon or at night when the dangling lights illuminate the space.

Cauldron Ice Cream (1088 E Brokaw Road #60) When it comes to the most aesthetic ice cream, no other ice cream shop beats Cauldron Ice Cream. The shop is best known for its handmade rose-shaped ice cream wrapped in a bubble egg waffle. Cauldron has classic ice cream flavors like vanilla and strawberry, but its most popular treats are tea-flavored and floral-based ice creams. One example is Sun, Moon and Stars, which is an oolong, jasmine and green tea ice cream topped with white star-shaped sprinkles. The bubble waffle is freshly made after ordering, so it comes out still hot once the dessert is ready. Immediately after receiving an order of Sun, Moon and Stars with an original-flavored bubble waffle, the ice cream will start to melt, so take out your phone quickly in order to capture the aesthetic dessert in front of Cauldron’s famous neon pink sign. Cauldron’s ice cream has a thick consistency and tastes creamier than expected since the creaminess of the Sun, Moon and Stars ice cream overpowers the tea flavor. Tearing off a part of the bubble waffle and dipping it into the ice cream is a recommended tip since the taste will resemble that of an ice cream sandwich.

Top: A cookies and cream mochi donut from Le Crème Cafe. Above: Class of 2020 alumnae Arielle Rose-Finn and Betty Nguyen catch up about college at Caffe Bene.

Left: Sun, Moon and Stars ice cream with bubble waffle from Cauldron Ice Cream.

Arts & culture | 30

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