Aquila June 2021 (Vol. 10, Issue 2)

Volume X, Issue II June 8, 2021

AQUiLA University Preparatory Academy

7 AND THEY LIVED

happily ever after

LETTER FROM THE EDiTORS-iN-CHiEF As brisk morning temperatures give way to tanlines and the smell of sunscreen; as lonesome computer screens are replaced by tentative reunions at amphitheater celebrations; as a school year defined by gloomy uncertainty comes to a close, Aquila and the UPA community leave behind an era of isolation and embrace a new season. With California set to remove COVID-19 social distancing restrictions on June 15, reporter Tyler Yuen sheds light on changes to come at UPA regarding COVID-19 policies, community development and learning loss in “Full in-person learning, other changes to come for 2021-2022 school year.” Yuen explores not only academic changes for the 2021-2022 school year, but also the social shock and mental health challenges that will inevitably accompany the shift back to full in-person learning, which the California Office of Education is pushing for As we return to regular social interaction with friends and family, we are forced to grapple with the perhaps unhealthy social habits caused by the pandemic. Reporter Alisa Tran explores the rising popularity of Twitch streamers during quarantine and the unhealthy social attachments students might have formed to fill the void. Reporter Vidya Achar provides a rundown of UPA’s new anonymous tip line, posted by Executive Director David Porter on March 30. The tip line will take submissions detailing bullying and sexual misconduct concerns to the administration for them to sort out disciplinary measures. Awareness of the tip line comes after the creation of a sexual misconduct awareness Instagram account: @awarenessforsurvivors.upa. Achar delves into the circumstances surrounding the creation of the tip line and provides an insider’s point of view from the @awarenessforsurvivors.upa account owner, Cheyenne, whose name has been changed to protect their identity. With a focus on the future, we are driven to consider what to leave behind and what to take with us from the 2020-2021 school year. The editorial board shares a Marie Kondo-style piece on page 18 highlighting the aspects of virtual and hybrid learning that “spark joy” and those that do not—for example, elementary student-sized desk chairs lined with plastic dividers. On the cover, we celebrate a reunion of the senior class at prom, a real-time social experiment illustrating the evolution from isola-

A few Aquila staff members attend the Issue 1 unboxing outside Horton on April 26. This was the first release of a physical newsmagazine since February 2020. tion to renewed cohesion—an osmosis, of sorts, facilitated by crab cakes, blaring music and dancing teachers. It was a celebration not only for the seniors, but also the staff, an honor of their journey to this point and a shared exhale. But while we welcome an impending school year of awkward reunions, we also must say our goodbyes to both the backbone of Aquila and the pillars of UPA—our dear adviser, Laura Gordon Reska, and our beloved seniors, respectfully. To Ms. Gordon Reska, we thank you for your unwavering support and spunk, driving us to be the authentic leaders we are and strengthening our resolve to cover the hard-hitting truths our community deserves to know. To all seniors, and especially those on the Aquila staff, we thank you for your hard work and resilience when the light at the end of the tunnel flickered. Adversity inspires brilliance, and you are the perfect example of that. We hope this issue of Aquila allows readers to reflect on a year unlike any other while highlighting a path forward. Our community holds the clay by which to sculpt the coming year; it is time to flip the page to the next chapter, honoring the losses and triumphs of a year at home but envisioning the possibilities for the next.

ALEXANDRA ROZMARiN & JANESSA ULUG 1

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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Volume X, Issue II June 8, 2021

AQUiLA University Preparatory Academy

7 AND THEY LIVED

happily ever after

The picture featured on the cover, taken by Tyler Yuen, showcases senior prom outside at Hayes Mansion on May 7. The theme of the evening was “Let Yourself Be Enchanted.” A prom photo gallery can be viewed on page 7.

STAFF Editors-in-Chief Alexandra Rozmarin & Janessa Ulug Managing Editor Chelsea Nguyen Multimedia Manager Katherine Nguyen Web Manager Ishan Madan Social Media Manager Shayna Tran Publicity Manager Abhishek Mynam Editor Akhila Ayyadevara Editor Alyssa Garcia Editor Haylie Yee Editor Jenna Plasschaert Editor Joe Shem Editor Kyla Ulug Editor Thrisha Praveen

Editor Tyler Yuen Editor Vidya Achar Copy Editor Akshara Kollu Copy Editor Alisa Tran Copy Editor Ria Pandey Reporter Allison Marin Reporter Amanda Reboredo Reporter Cindy Tran Reporter Chloe Luu Reporter Christian Tucker-Allen Reporter Christopher Alvarez Reporter Dakota Pekar

Reporter Elizabeth Felchlin Reporter Evelyn Ramirez Reporter Gael Padilla Reporter Jasmine Cabana Reporter Julia Wong Reporter Kai McCormick Reporter Matthew Wallace Reporter Nadia Hines Reporter Nayeli Brewster Reporter Varshith Gunjapally Adviser Laura Gordon Reska

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FAREWELL FROM

THE ADViSER BY LAURA GORDON RESKA

I am not good with numbers. Let’s just start there. Now I don’t mean this in a dramatically stereotypical or self-deprecating way; rather I own the fact that I need to—at minimum—triple check what is happening any time numbers are involved. (“Never trust me with numbers” is a catchphrase my students have heard me say countless times; they know to second guess me and rightfully so.) Still, despite the struggle, there is one set of numbers I never stumble over: 48907. That set of five digits represents the California Student Free Expression Law, known as Education Code 48907. This legislation protects Aquila from administrative censorship and supports its function as a designated public forum for student expression. I have taught about Ed Code 48907 at the beginning of every school year during our media law unit, and students are always shocked to find out what they are “allowed” to do. It has taken a lot of convincing—and educating—on my part to ensure students are putting their rights to use and covering what is important to them and their communities while pushing back against their inclinations to self-censor. Because we are a small school of 700 students and lease space on the property of a church, students often feel restricted in what they can express, and incoming journalism students are always fearful of offending someone. But, like any good journalist knows, we can never make everyone happy and, moreover, that is not our job. What is part of our job, however, is providing information and promoting dialogue so that we might all learn from one another. If the past 15 months have taught us anything, it is that—in distance learning or not—school life and the “real world” are relentlessly intertwined. It is a disservice to the lives in our community to believe in an invisible boundary where aspects of a student’s identity start and stop according to the environment they enter into. Indeed, public school is a microcosm of society, and equipping young people to use their voices in that space is as important as ever. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas wrote for the landmark 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines decision, “it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Carrying that torch, Aquila reporters are to be commended for their commitment to tackling complex topics and influencing change for issues both on campus and beyond. Behind the scenes of each piece of coverage—whether in print, on Instagram or through YouTube—are our co-editors-in-chief, making all final content decisions. If there is a point of contention, the editorial board addresses it as a team, with the co-editors-inchief making the final call. This is the power of Ed Code 48907 in action. My role as adviser has been to support reporters and editors in making their own decisions, facilitating reflection on the laws and ethics related to various situations and ultimately equipping Aquila members to work through challenging circumstances themselves. Through such autonomous experiences, journalism students have been “soaring to new heights,” Aquila’s official motto since 3

Laura Gordon Reska oversaw her first issue in November 2013. The eight-page newspaper contrasts the 48-page newsmagazine Aquila published last year. 2019. When I first began at UPA eight years ago, I never imagined my students would one day be session presenters at a national journalism convention, win distinguished awards at local, national and international levels, or that they would be wholly self-sufficient in executing a breaking news live stream press conference the day our campus closed due to a pandemic. And while these are only three of many student news media milestones that make me swell with pride, the achievements all tie back to what is most remarkable about Aquila: the team itself. Contrary to popular belief, journalism is not only about writing but a myriad of skills, all of which are needed to produce a publication, so having a team of students with varied abilities and interests is imperative. I am most proud to say Aquila’s staff has been truly representative of UPA’s diverse student body in terms of age, gender identity, ethnic background, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, abilities, and academic achievement. It is evident Aquila doesn’t just mean eagle; Aquila means everyone. As I move into a new administrative position at UPA as the director of community development, I am confident our journalism students will continue to represent and involve all voices, upholding Aquila’s mission to “reflect the diversity of our community and build unity through accurate reporting.” I am more than assured in this, for while journalism at UPA is most prominently affiliated with my name, the best word association for journalism is actually teamwork. This year’s staff especially has demonstrated an incredible and outstanding ability to come together successfully while never fully meeting in person. It has been my esteemed honor to be a part of Aquila and I will forever cherish the memories we made, the fun we had, and the important work we did. From an eight-page newspaper, to a 48page beast of a magazine created over distance last spring (and let’s not forget our digital presence on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify), I have seen UPA’s student news media expand to the limits of students’ creativity and talents, which are in fact endless. I cannot wait to see what brilliant work Aquila’s dedicated team produces in the future. It is sure to be evolutionary. I am counting on it. Scan this QR code to read “Reska: The Spine of Aquila” written by the 2019-2020 Aquila staff for Reska’s birthday last year.

CONTENTS NEWS 5 FULL iN-PERSON LEARNiNG TO COME FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR 7 PROM ENCHANTS SENiORS AT HiSTORiC HAYES MANSiON 9 ANONYMOUS TiP LiNE LAUNCHED

FEATURES 11 A SPLASH OF BUSiNESS 13 PURRFECT, PAWSOME PETS 15 BECOMiNG NOTORiOUSLY NEAT 17 SEMiNAR YiELDS GREAT DEBATE AMONG STUDENTS

OPiNiON 18 DOES iT SPARK JOY?

iN-DEPTH 19 SKiN DEEP

ARTS & CULTURE 23 CONNECTiNG THROUGH A SCREEN 25 NO MORE MR. RiCE GUY 27 MUSiCAL MEMORiES 28 NEARBY NATiONAL TREASURES 29 MY STRANGE ADDiCATiON: BOBA TEA

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Administrators and staff are planning for a full in-person return to campus next school year. Staff have prioritized safety to prevent any possible outbreaks. Rooms like Oberlin (pictured above) will have an increase of students in the space.

FULL iN-PERSON LEARNiNG, OTHER CHANGES TO COME FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR

T

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY TYLER YUEN • ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIDYA ACHAR • DESIGN BY JOE SHEM

he 2021-2022 school year at UPA might look drastically different from the 2020-2021 school year with the California Office of Education pushing for all students to return to in-person learning five days a week. Executive Director David Porter was initially surprised when he heard this decision. “We have work to do and a lot of conversations to have between now and the start of school,” Porter said. In light of this new information, UPA is working with the state and county to bring twice-weekly, rapid on-site testing for students next year. The administration is also looking for a part-time nurse to assist in maintaining COVID-19 protocols and to help bring everyone back to school safely. Temperature checks and pre-screening of students every day to ensure the safety of students and staff will continue next year as well. 5 | NEWS

“It’s constant talking, watching, learning,” Porter said. “You have to keep your mind open to what potential benefits [of safety precautions] and improvements could be.” Under emergency authorization, the Food and Drug Administration has made Pfizer’s vaccine available to ages 12 and up. Most UPA students will be eligible for vaccination, with the exception of those in seventh grade who are 11 years old. It is too early to tell if a COVID-19 vaccine requirement will be implemented. Vaccination requirements for schools in California would need to be made into a state law, which would have to be approved by the state’s legislation. Porter said UPA will develop plans over the summer for students who are hesitant about returning to school. Concerns include vaccination fears, at-risk family members and transitioning back to an in-person environment.

Senior projects will also shift for the Class of 2022, as well as future classes. Instead of the traditional service-based project, they will focus on internships, ideally appealing more to students’ personal and professional interests. It will also help give seniors a preview of certain fields and industries. Due to COVID-19, the Class of 2022 will have a shortened senior project, as the projects are typically started during junior year. Senior project details will be finalized sometime between mid-July and early August. Summer school will be seeing minor changes in order to prepare students for the 2021-2022 school year. Instead of starting in July, the program will begin the first week of summer break in June and be held fully in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the first time, high school level courses such as chemistry and AP World History will be offered for students to make up credits. “What makes this summer a little bit more challenging is that we are coming off of a really intense year,” Porter said. Outside of technical changes UPA might see next year, Porter has set a goal to improve community development through art shows, drama performances and other social events. This would help close the social gap created by isolation during distance learning and reintegrate students and parents into UPA’s community. “Whatever it takes to enlighten, engage and to make UPA that hub and space that is humming with vibrancy,” Porter said.

“WE ARE FOREVER CHANGED BY THiS PANDEMiC, AND iT’S NOT LiKE iT’S EVER REALLY GOiNG TO GO BACK TO THE WAY iT WAS GOiNG TO BE.”

—JiLL BUENSUCESO

One concern among teachers and students for next school year is the transition back into fully in-person learning. Student-teacher interaction will be difficult with physical barriers and masks, science teacher and counselor Jill Buensuceso said. Teachers and counselors will need to pay attention and listen in order to help students fully engage in learning, she added. “Because of this ‘survival sense,’ our basic needs are not met, so meeting that for everybody and finding that comfort level is going to be the biggest challenge, in my opinion,” Buensuceso said. Students have formed habits—such as multitasking—while at home, which will make the transition to an in-person learning environment challenging, math teacher Jaz Dhillon said. “My guess is that we’ll probably see struggles with students and teachers with some mental health issues where you’re transitioning from such a big life change being at home for months, then suddenly being out in the middle of the world,” Dhillon said. Junior Eros Garcia is hopeful for the return to in-person learning and reconnecting with friends and peers. Garcia is currently in full distance learning and fully vaccinated. “There is always the thought of [new variants], but I like to think positively and hope that these vaccines are working,” Garcia said.

The socio-emotional transition back into an in-person learning environment will be a struggle for staff and students, Jaz Dhillon said. In addition, teachers next school year will be assessing their students to determine content lost through distance learning. Based on this, teachers will shift their curricula to catch up students with what they need to know. Baselines will be set through diagnostic tests during the first marking period. It is unclear if this will occur in AP classes, which traditionally have strict content schedules to meet, since CollegeBoard has not released guidelines for next school year. Accompanying the goal to address learning loss, there will be a teacher in-service day at the end of each marking period, meaning students will get a three-day weekend. “There has to be some kind of response to the learning loss that took place, but we need to be able to identify it,” Buensuceso said. With the current school year quickly coming to an end, Dhillon looks to the next one in good spirits and is hoping for a swift return to in-person learning. “I would love to see [in-person learning],” Dhillon said. “I can’t tell you how strongly I hope and I wish for that to come to fruition. It makes me really excited.”

One-way walkways are a safety precaution that willl continue to be in effect next fall. NEWS | 6

PROM ENCHANTS SENiORS AT HiSTORiC HAYES MANSiON REPORTING BY JANESSA ULUG • PHOTOS BY TYLER YUEN & ALYSSA GARCIA UPA’s senior advisors, senior prom committee and staff held the seniors-only “Let Yourself Be Enchanted”-themed prom at Hayes Mansion on May 7, where seniors enjoyed a masked celebration filled with lively music, crab cakes and teacher-student reunions after more than a year of interacting through a screen. Students who were not fully vaccinated or who did not have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event were able to take rapid-results tests on site. Senior Rosalina Zamora, who attended the prom with date Steven Hardin from Rancho Cordova, did not expect that a prom would be in store for her this year. “It’s pretty fun,” Zamora said. “Honestly, I didn’t really think we were even going to have a prom, so to even have one is just kind of special.” While science teacher Matthew Bourbeau mostly observed from the sidelines, he noted being able to connect with his students more upon seeing them beyond the virtual confines of Zoom was enjoyable. “This is definitely the largest number of students I’ve seen at UPA at any one point in time,” Bourbeau, who is new to UPA, said.

“It’s really nice being able to process each other. Over Zoom, it’s hard to even know ‘who are my students’ friends?’ Now I can say, ‘These two people are friends’ and I had no idea because they’re in separate periods.” Senior Sunaina Karunakaran, who attended prom after switching to hybrid learning on April 16, said it was “nice to see everyone” as she sat catching up with friends while music played on the dance floor. “It’s nostalgic,” Karunakaran said. “It’s weird to see everyone in one place again, but it’s exciting.” While Karunakaran defined the night as “magical,” senior Kevin Tran pegged it as “extravagant,” spending much of the night dancing along with senior Alexander Pantoja to the high-tempo tunes coming from large speakers near the entrance of Hayes Mansion. “It feels great to see everyone again,” Tran said. “Everyone looks just stunning and, you know, dancing with others and having fun with my friends—it really takes me back, man. It’s just great to be gathered around with everyone like this.”

Seniors Evelyn Lopez-Perez (left) and Michelle Martino Murillo check in by verifying their vaccinations or negative COVID-19 test results with senior adviser Esther Chen.

A group of senior boys pose in a line for a photo in the grassy area of Hayes Mansion. 7 | NEWS

Seniors Adam Lawson and Matias Edwards conclude their dance duet in the center of the dance floor as the crowd cheers.

Seniors Akshara Kollu and Thrisha Praveen don the dresses they found together while shopping at Macy’s.

Seniors Niko Rajani and Parinita Gupta reunite for a laugh.

A rose in a glass dome decorated every table at prom, a nod to prom’s Disney-inspired theme and the enchanted rose in “Beauty and the Beast.”

Couples and friends group catch up on the Hayes Mansion lawn as the night begins.

Back row from left to right: seniors Haley Roberts, Matias Edwards and Adam Lawson. Front row from left to right: Elle Rose, Zuleika Cruz, Ravin Douthit, Celia Zimmermann and Anneke Nijmeijer. NEWS | 8

ANONYMOUS TiP LiNE LAUNCHED Instagram account prompts action from administrators after highlighting sexual misconduct ARTICLE & IMAGES BY VIDYA ACHAR • DESIGN BY AMANDA REBOREDO ter of opinion or if Cheyenne’s posts referenced an official source identifying the two individuals as sexual assault perpetrators. Cheyenne could not confirm that her information was accurate, nor was she sure any of the other three defenses would apply to her situation. Since she was unsure Executive Director David Porter rolled whether any of the four protections would out UPA’s first anonymous tip line on apply in her case, and wanting to avoid March 30, one day after the sexual misjeopardizing her future in college and her conduct awareness Instagram account @ own reputation, Cheyenne decided to arawarenessforsurvivors.upa deleted eight of chive all eight posts. its posts. The account, launched on Still, Cheyenne said if she had March 24, was an anonymously-run known about the possibility of being account that allowed survivors of sued for libel before she started the sexual harassment and assault on account, she still would have posted UPA’s campus to share their stories the stories, as well as the students’ publicly and without identification. names. Stories were collected first through “Obviously, I would’ve been a litdirect messages and then through an tle more organized,” she said. “Like anonymous Google Form, with posts used a Google Form since the beginranging in claims from assault in ning, but there’s not much I would school bathrooms to a “grab a-- day” actually change. If I knew that it when multiple girls were groped could be libel, I think I would’ve just without consent. pretended I didn’t know and posted Cheyenne, the senior who owns everything anyways.” the account and whose name has Ignorance is not a viable legal debeen changed since being granted fense against libel. anonymity, received three direct But before all except her last post messages on Instagram and 14 rewere taken down, Porter saw Cheysponses on her Google Form. Her enne’s post naming the two students eighth post, uploaded on March 29, on his Instagram feed and Chen’s explicitly named two sophomores as text “came at the perfect moment,” repeated perpetrators and was liked Porter said. Porter and Chen dis90 times and shared 58 times. That cussed their next steps in a Zoom same day, Cheyenne announced she This confession was posted anonymously on call and Porter decided to comment was taking a break from posting “to March 28. It was liked 81 times and shared eight on Cheyenne’s last post about taking figure things out” and posted a link times. It is reprinted here with redactions to a break from the account. In his comto UPA’s then-unreleased anony- capture the voice of a participant on Cheyenne’s ment, Porter wrote he “wants UPA to mous tip line, which had been direct- Instagram account. be a safe place where students can ly messaged to her account by math to a person’s reputation—that opens up the be free to be themselves” and that “if you teacher Esther Chen. Chen had been scrolling through Insta- accuser to a possible lawsuit. The four de- call for help, [he] and the UPA staff will gram when she saw Cheyenne’s account; fenses against libel are truth, consent, opin- answer.” The idea for UPA’s anonymous tip line per mandated reporter requirements, she ion and privilege. Cheyenne would be protected from a li- was first introduced by Director of Student reported the account to Porter via text. “I took down the old posts after that bel suit if the two students were guilty of Services Andrew Yau in the fall of 2019 as [eighth post],” Cheyenne said. “I got a lot the accusations, if they consented to having a possible resource for cyberbullying vicof hate texts after that, saying, ‘Why are that post published, if the post were a mat- tims, but Yau said the tip line was sidelined Editor’s Note: Given the sensitive nature of the topic, names have been changed to protect UPA students’ identities. Trigger Warning: Mentions of sexual harrassment and assault.

9 | NEWS

you causing drama? You’re ruining these boys’ lives.’ Honestly though, I’m not ruining their reputation. I’m just making it more accurate.” Cheyenne added that three or four other anonymous Google Forms implicated the two named sophomores. She also archived her old posts out of concerns raised by other students, warning her that she could be sued for libel. Libel is the written form of defamation—harm

because of the immediate need to respond to the pandemic. UPA’s anonymous tip line was not widely announced, only being linked on the @awarenessforsurvivors.upa account and Porter’s Instagram account. It has been on UPA’s website since Feb. 24. Both Porter and Yau are looking forward to a larger promotion of the tip line next fall, with Porter mentioning posters and Seminar lessons dedicated to using the anonymous tip line. “[Posting the tip line] is a reminder that we’re listening and doing our best to create a safe space,” Porter said. “I think those types of incidents are ongoing reminders, and we have to stay energetic; we have to stay focused; we have to continually communicate that students and staff and community members have the ability to reach out to get help.” Cheyenne, too, stressed the importance of a larger-scale announcement of the tip line, saying, “I don’t even think people know about this.” “I mean, it doesn’t have to be like as soon as you open up [the UPA website] ‘here’s our anonymous tip line’ in huge letters,” she said, “but it needs to be posted where people actually go, like if it was on Schoology. Everyone’s on Schoology, so it should be accessible from the search bar or something.” She also noted that since “nobody actually goes to the UPA website” and that “many students don’t even have Instagram,” the anonymous tip line should be posted on a widely visible platform. As of May 31, UPA’s anonymous tip line has received no reports, but Yau attributes this to distance learning rather than the small-scale rollout. He believes the tip line could see an increase in reports when students come back to campus in the fall. UPA’s anonymous tip line is accessible in two ways: first through the link posted on UPA’s website and the other through the mobile app Anonymous Alerts Reporting App available via the App Store or Google Play. The “Anonymous Alerts,” listed under “Documents and Links” on the UPA website, opens up to an informational poster with instructions to use the app, which opens with the code “upacademy.” Yau is the first point of contact through the UPA tip line and will communicate with the anonymous informant to learn details of the situation. Depending on the situation, Porter or other administrators will become involved, and the person using the tip line

will have to forfeit anonymity so that administrators can confirm details of the allegation and consequences can be implemented accordingly. Both Porter and Cheyenne believe UPA’s anonymous tip line can help solve issues her Instagram account could not. “I couldn’t actually do anything,” Cheyenne said. “I could only spread people’s

An option to remain anonymous on the Anonymous Alerts Reporting App. The app’s icon is red in the App Store. stories, but I couldn’t get the perpetrators to face consequences. In that way, I think the anonymous tip line can reach more people.” Porter agrees the tip line can help students get justice for what has happened to them, but also believes that conditional anonymity is what sets the tip line apart from the Instagram account. “I truly believe that [Cheyenne] was coming from a good place and really is trying to create some positive action,” he said. “But, I think that [because the Instagram posts are anonymous], if we don’t see it, we can’t investigate it.” The advantage of UPA’s tip line, he said, is that the informant can message back and forth with Yau, as opposed to the one-time Google Form Cheyenne’s account had in place. Additionally, the whistleblower will eventually be asked to share their identity, which adds credibility to the claim.

“I think that could be a problem though,” Cheyenne said. “Some reports are going to be pretty embarrassing or shameful for the victim to share, like sexual assault. It shouldn’t be embarrassing, but it is for many people, which might make them less likely to actually report.” She believes that even with the anonymous tip line, there should still be a place for students to anonymously share their stories on social media. “I think it’s important to talk about things that affect us,” she said. “Not just with administrators, but with the student community.” After posting her first story to the @ awarenessforsurvivors.upa Instagram account, Cheyenne was contacted by three UPA juniors on their personal accounts who wanted to work with her to spread awareness about sexual harassment. Together, the four planned to create informational pamphlets to put on display near UPA’s counseling center, as well as draft Seminar lesson plans to educate students. The three juniors also planned to run an Instagram account focused on providing resources and educating other students about sexual assault, while Cheyenne’s account would remain dedicated to sharing personal stories. A few weeks after creating a group chat, the chat went silent and the plans were suspended indefinitely. Cheyenne believed that she had “pushed [her account] to its limit” and realized that if she posted further, the administrators would take more serious action. Porter did not provide details on any of the allegations stemming from the account. Since Porter’s comment on her Instagram post on March 30, Cheyenne has not been contacted by any member of the administration and remains anonymous to them.

Scan this QR code to visit the Anonymous Alerts webpage. NEWS | 10

(A Splash of Busine) ARTICLE, PHOTOS & DESIGN BY CHELSEA NGUYEN Senior Rosalina “Rosie” Zamora’s TikTok “For You” page teemed with videos of small businesses at the beginning of quarantine, inspiring her to start her own business. Zamora noticed a trend in lash and lip gloss businesses, but decided to dedicate her endeavor to custom cups since she already had some materials ready to use at home. “Everyone adds their own special touch to their products and packaging, and I wanted to experience how it would feel like running a business,” Zamora said. “After watching a TikToker’s videos of making custom cups, I started watching more videos to see how everything was put together since I wanted to try it out.” Before launching her business, Zamora tested different types of reusable cups and waterproof vinyl stickers by washing the cups and scratching the stickers to make sure they would not peel from the cup. She gave her products to family members and frequently asked for feedback to find the correct stickers and cups to use for her business. Zamora also brainstormed names for her business with her older sister and strived to create a more unique name than simply “Rosie’s Custom Cups.” “It was so random, but I was like, ‘How about Splash of Customs?’ because you’re splashing your dressing onto a cup,” she said. At first, when Zamora mentioned her idea of starting Splash of Customs, her family and friends were not supportive because they considered her idea unrealistic, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They thought consumers would not buy her custom cups since they could purchase Starbucks reusable cups at local Starbucks locations. “The work I put into my products is not just something you can buy from a store and glue on,” Zamora said. “You have to go through hardships and other people’s doubts to motivate you to keep going.” Zamora’s parents believed that getting a job was more realistic than starting a small business, but she convinced them after 11 | FEATURES

presenting the pros and cons of running a small business, some of which included finding her passion as well as the possibility of not getting orders. After two months of trial and error and a $100 budget for supplies from her parents, Zamora launched her custom cups business Splash of Customs on Instagram (@ splashofcustoms) on May 30, 2020. Since then, she has sold more than 80 products. “I think custom cups are a good way to express yourself with a cup,” Zamora said. “You can personalize it however you want and that personalization, where you design your cup, can show who you are.” Customers send the @ splashofcustoms account a direct message with the type of cup they want to purchase and send Zamora photos of the designs they want on their cup. The cups she sells are plastic Starbucks tumbler cups, color-changing cups and sippy cups. The most challenging yet detailed cup Zamora has designed is one with Post Malone’s face. “I was so scared because I’d never done anything like this, but I just believed in myself and did it three times until I got it right,” Zamora said. “I wasted so much material on this cup, but I pushed myself and it came out good, so I’m really proud of myself.” Zamora uses a Cricut Maker, which is a smart cutting machine for arts and crafts, and vinyl sticker paper to make the stickers on her cups. She uploads a design she finds from Pinterest on her laptop to send to the Cricut machine, which comes with a free app. Then, the machine cuts out the outline of the design with the sticker paper and Zamora manually removes the details that have to be taken off of the final design. She takes three to four days to finish a cup, and after she is done, she sends a video of the cup to the customer to make sure they are satisfied with their finished product. Although there have been a few customers who have not liked their finished product, Zamora has asked them what she specifically needed

to fix and did not charge them extra unless she wasted a large quantity of material. Customers have three options for payment: PayPal, Venmo or in-person with cash. Her starting price for the custom cups is $15 for a customer’s name on it. The highest price is $35, which includes unlimited sticker designs. She usually sells her cups for $25. “I made the prices reasonable for people because it was a hard time in quarantine and people were losing their jobs,” Zamora said. She leaves customers’ packages at their front door where they leave the payment in an envelope for her to retrieve. Zamora usually does not charge for shipping, but if the customer lives farther than 30 minutes from San Jose, she will charge no more than $6 for shipping. Inside a customer’s package, Zamora also includes a card for her business that encourages customers to post a photo of their purchase on their Instagram stories and message Zamora how they feel about their cup. The card includes a scratch-off discount that reveals a 10% to 50% percent discount on their next purchase from Splash of Customs. With the profit made from customers’ orders, she paid back her parents’ $100 even though it was not a loan and paid her sister for assisting her with the financial aspect of her business. In November 2020, Zamora received an order from English teacher Claire Ballard, when Ballard requested a pineapple-themed cup for journalism teacher Laura Gordon Reska and a red, black and white Ruth Bader Ginsberg cup for social science teacher Ariana Rodriguez. When Zamora delivered the orders, Ballard was surprised to receive a customized baby cup for her son Levi along with the two cups she ordered. “I didn’t ask her to make it, and she specifically went out of her way and decorated a baby sippy cup,” Ballard said. “She not only put ‘Levi’ on it, but she also put Cricut-design dinosaur stickers because she knows I love dinosaurs.” As she received more orders, Zamora created ways to expand Splash of Customs beyond cups and began selling custom glass shadow boxes, Spotify song keychains and glass covers and stickers, which are all available through the Splash of Customs Instagram account. “A lot of people aren’t interested in Starbucks cups and maybe people don’t even like custom cups, so I thought that if I expanded my business, more people would support it,” Zamora said. Her glass shadow boxes contain cardstock roses inside the frame, and she uses Cricut to cut out the shape of the flowers. Then, she glues the pieces together and onto the box. The final version of the glass shadow box looks like a 3-D picture popping out of the box. Zamora sells differently styled frames for her glass shadow boxes, including wood, black, and white, for $35 to $45. The inside of the frame has a background with roses, but designs can be customized inside and outside the glass shadow box. “A customer’s grandparents passed away, so they wanted a picture of them and their song that they liked on [their shadow box],” Zamora said. Zamora’s $6 Spotify song keychains and $20 album glass

Left: Social science teacher Ariana Rodriguez’s red, black and white Ruth Bader Ginsberg Starbucks tumbler. The other side is emblazoned with Ginsberg’s quote, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Below Left: English teacher Claire Ballard’s dinosaur-themed sippy cup for her child, Levi, was a surprise gift from Zamora. Opposite: Zamora poses with a Valentine’s Day Stitch-themed custom cup and a Mother’s Day glass shadow box. (Photo courtesy of Zamora.)

covers have been the most popular item in her business so far. Customers usually combine the Spotify song glass covers with the glass shadow boxes. Zamora has gone on to think of more products to sell for her business, such as chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate breakable hearts, which are 3-D chocolate hearts with candies or gift cards underneath and a small wooden hammer to smash open. She plans on continuing her business and hopes to expand Splash of Customs with new products in the future. “When I first started my business, it was really fun,” Zamora said, “and I definitely enjoy doing this, so this motivates me to learn more about business in college.” FEATURES | 12

PURRfect, PAWsome Pets Beloved creatures bring amusement during quarantine ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY ALYSSA GARCIA

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dopted in January 2020, Bitsy’s their toes in the midst of social distanctwo white paws hopped into the ing orders. hearts of housemates and science “She’s pretty sassy,” Sato said. “The teachers Reo Sato and Matthew worst part is if I have to put her in the Bourbeau. However, the reason to car, I have to put her in one of those adopt this cute and cuddly black rabbit small cages and she’ll just thump her was a dark one. feet really loud because she’s being put “When my dad was young, he had in that little space. We’re just trying to a pet rabbit and it kind of behaved like appease her.” a dog because it would greet you at the Pets’ personalities are unique and rub front door when you walked in,” Sato off on owners like junior Hannah Gibsaid. son. Unfortunately, the friendly rabbit “Basically, my personality is my was also quite small at the time. pets,” Gibson said. “I love my pets so “One day, my grandma came home,” much. I have a [python] snake named Sato said. “She didn’t notice that it had Toothless; yes, it is named after the come to greet her at the door, so she ac- dragon from ‘How to Train Your Dragcidentally stepped on it and accidentally on’ because I have and always will love killed it.” the movie.” As grim and tragic as this event was, Owning two cats named Cleo and Sato decided that when he moved out Pepper, a chihuahua-weiner dog mix of his childhood house, he would own a named Rocco, a ball python, dozens of pet. Although Sato’s father lost his bun- guppies and even shrimp, Gibson has ny, he still loves Bitsy when Sato brings been surrounded by animals since she her to his parents’ house. was young. “I was saying, ‘If you’re OK with Intrigued with how each creature has her being here now, what’s wrong with a unique way of life, she notices how owning a pet yourself?’ But he couldn’t similar they are to humans. really give me an answer,” Sato said. Gibson described Toothless as an Since her adoption, Bitsy has not “escape artist” and her shrimp as “tap failed to show dancers” as they her owner her dance on the glass in bold attitude her aquarium. and stubborn Although she has personality. many little creatures “It’s her way in her house, Cleo is or the highway; her personal favorite. we’re just kind “I take a lot of of just doing pride in the fact that her bidding,” Cleo is only super Sato said. “If nice to me,” Gibson we don’t get said. “I don’t know her food, she’s I did to earn that, -Tania Anand-Kumar (12) what going to be but she likes to sit hopping mad. with me. She’ll sleep If we don’t move out of her way, she’ll on my bed at night and wake me up in bite you to get you to move. But, you the middle of the night by walking on know, she’s really cute.” my face.” Bitsy’s feisty personality has kept Senior Tania Anand-Kumar owns Bourbeau and Sato entertained and on two cats as well and is fascinated with

”My Pets have more love and compassion in them than most people I know.”

13 | FEATURES

Leo and Cole’s personalities. “They’re brothers but they couldn’t be more different,” Anand-Kumar said. “One of them is super affectionate while the other one definitely likes to just go outside and do his own thing during the day like, ‘Just leave me alone you human,’ and walks away like he can’t stand me.” Anand-Kumar also owns an adopted foster dog named Kiara, a pitbull and labrador mix, who was born in San Diego and adopted in March this year. Anand-Kumar’s dog Howie passed away in August 2020, and when her family decided to get a new puppy, they wanted to adopt instead of finding the “perfect” puppy from a dog breeder. “I know that most breeders like to breed dogs to make money, and I just know that there are so many dogs already out there who don’t have a home, and that makes me really sad,” Anand-Kumar said. “You can’t just go and pick the perfect one because they’re all unique and perfect in the eyes of the people who love them.” During quarantine, Anand-Kumar has grown closer to her animals. She said if quarantine had not happened, she would have been preoccupied with other responsibilities, and the trust between her and her pets would not have grown. “They trust me more, in a sense, especially with my cats,” Anand-Kumar said. “Sometimes they’re kind of wary of who pets them and when, but they’re so comfortable with me now, that I feel they trust me with anything.” The stay-at-home orders allowed Anand-Kumar to spend more time with Kiara. “Since she’s a new pet and she’s like a puppy, we just have all that time to take care of her and do everything with Kiara,” Anand-Kumar said. “If we weren’t in quarantine, we wouldn’t have time to spend and live every milestone with her.”

Cleo

Bitsy

Kiara

Hannah Gibson (11)

Reo Sato & Matthew Bourbeau

Tania Anand-Kumar (12)

Bruno

Howie

Toothless

Japanjot Kaur (12)

Tania Anand-Kumar (12)

Hannah Gibson (11)

Bonita, Honey & Gator

Benji

Felix

Catherine Dietrich

Evelyn Lopez-Perez (12)

Julia Wong (11) FEATURES | 14

becoming notoriously neat Your guide to the newest app built for organization: Notion ARTICLE, PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY KYLA ULUG

Notion is your new favorite online planning and organization tool. Notion Labs Inc. is a productivity software start-up founded in San Francisco in 2013 that launched its free app for Apple and Android, Notion, in 2016. Since then, usage has skyrocketed alongside aesthetic studying trends on the rise in the past two years. YouTubers like Rowena Tsai and krist & yu swear by this productivity app—but what makes it so special? For middle and high school students struggling to get through this year, using Notion could mean the difference between falling behind and excelling in classes. To get started organizing your life, create an account, then download the app from Notion’s website or use a browser of your choice. Grab a warm cup of creativity and set aside 45 minutes to an hour for set up, following this guide as you go along. INSTRUCTIONS Subpages: Utilize multiple subpages embedded on your main page. This will maximize your organization and allow you to go to one home “hub” page from which you can easily click through other embedded pages, similar to a website. For example, your main page could be “School Year 2021-2022” with “Marine Biology” as a subpage to house your teacher’s email, office hours and even assignments for that class. To do this, click the + sign on the left side of a block and from there select “Page.” This will bring up a new page where you can choose different templates or just continue with a blank page. From then on, you will have a button on your main page that you can click to go to your embedded subpages. Planning: Two helpful tools you can add to your main page are to-do lists and weekly planners. There are two ways you can do this: 1. Create a weekly planner with all the days of the week in columns. To do this, write out the days of the week on separate blocks and drag each block to the far right or left of your page until you see a vertical line, then release to make a column. Continue with the rest of the days of the week, and you will have a fully functioning online planner. 2. Create a database with multiple views, filters and sorting features to keep track of assignments or events. Now, databases 15 | FEATURES

can be tricky to work with at first, but once you figure them out, they are one of the most powerful organization techniques you can implement on your page. Because assignments, tests, quizzes and projects are constantly piled on top of each other, each with deadlines and specific instructions, it can be difficult to keep track of them. So, creating a database to store all that information is the way to go. In order to create your own database, first click the + button on a block and scroll down to click on “Table - Inline.” Then, change the title of the database to whatever you would like. From there, you will see two categories on the top of the table named “Name” and “Tags” and a + sign to add another category. Add more categories to the table, labeling and changing the property of each category. Properties are what define the type of data that the column can contain and are required when you want to add more views to your database, like “Calendar view.” My favorite database template is shown in the figure above, but you can pick and choose which categories you want to exclude or add onto. After these steps, you will have a fully functioning database to organize your school work, but there is still so much more organizational potential to unlock with filters, views and sorts, all of which will be discussed in the following section. FILTERS, VIEWS AND SORTS Filters, views and sorts are different organizational tools that can elevate your database to its prime functionality. Filters help you display only the items that meet specific criteria. Filtering by course, assignment type and marking period are all extremely useful when creating your “Assignments” database. To add these filters, click the three dots on the right corner of your database and select “Filter” then “Add a filter” (make sure not to click “Add a filter group”). Then in the first slot select the property you want to filter by. After this, navigate to the last slot and select the criteria that you want all of the items in view to fit. Experiment with different filters to find what is most helpful for you. I find that filtering by marking period or half marking period is the most useful way to filter your database as it helps to not clog up the table with assignments you have already done or do not need to see anymore.

Views on the other hand help you visualize your data in a different way. This might be helpful for someone who understands data better with visuals rather than just text. A calendar view might be helpful to switch to when you want to see what assignments are assigned each day and what you have coming up in the week. To add a calendar view, click right next to the title of your database where it says “Add a view,” then select “Calendar” and click “Create.” Then, your database will turn into a monthly calendar which automatically adds assignments based on what you put in the “Due Date” property on your table. To return back to table view, click “Calendar view” next to the title of your database and click “Default view” in the dropdown menu.

Similar to filters, sorts are a wonderful way to tidy up your database. Sorting based on what is completed and based on the due date of assignments are two of the best sorts that help streamline your focus to what is important. To add a sort, click the three dots on the right side of your database and select “Sort” then “Add a sort.” Then in the first slot, select the property you want to sort by and in the second slot select either “Ascending” or “Descending,” based on what you prefer. This will change the flow of the items you have to make it easier for you to see the most important ones on your table first. Efficiency at its finest.

GOING BEYOND THE BASICS Decorating can help you incorporate your own style into activities that would otherwise be unmotivating. So, whether your style is light academia, indie, scene or alt, make use of the different ways you can implement what you like into your page. 1. Determine which color palette you want to use on your page. Do you want to use rainbow colors? Just cool tones? Just warm tones? It’s all up to what you feel would look best for optimal aesthetics and functionality. To change the color and/or highlight the background of a text, click the six dots at the end of a block and go to “Color.” In that menu, you will see colors ranging from black to red.

2. If you want a bit more space on your page, change the width to cover the whole screen by going to the top right corner of your page and clicking the three dots. There is a section to choose “Full width.” Switch that on and your page will feel much more spacious. 3. If you are tired of the bright white of your page when you are working deep into the early morning, not to worry, you can change the appearance of your Notion to dark mode by going to “Settings & Members” at the top of the sidebar menu, then going to “Appearance” and selecting the dark option. 4. Tired of the default font? Notion actually has three font options. To change the font of your page, click the three dots on the top right of your page and choose between the default font, a serif font and a font called “Mono.” 5. You can embed pretty much anything into your page—even Spotify playlists, individual songs, YouTube videos and other audio or videos. One of the best ways to use this feature is to embed your Spotify or Apple Music playlist on the side of your page so that you can listen while you work. To do this, click the + sign on a block and scroll down to the embed section. Click the first option “Embed,” where you can paste your playlist embed code in the slot. Then, just click “Embed link” and you will see your size-adjustable playlist block in all its glory right on your Notion page. 6. Add gifs, pictures or even videos to liven up your page. As I mentioned earlier, the embed tool opens up a wide range of options for aesthetics––possibly even being the single most useful tool for it. So, make sure to grab some of your favorite media from your Pinterest board and spice it up. INSPIRATION If you are feeling less than creative, but still want an aesthetic and functional Notion page, check out templates from people on YouTube, Reddit or even from Notion itself. There is a plethora of information, tutorials and templates out there for your usage. And remember, you are never alone in your Notion journey. Phew, that was definitely a whirlwind. If you are feeling discouraged, I totally understand. Notion can be challenging sometimes, but stick with it, and you will reap the benefits of this amazing productivity tool. If you enjoyed creating your page, do not stop here. This guide is meant to give a basic outline of the most useful and popular tools Notion has to offer, but it does not mean this is the extent of what you can do. Notion’s possibilities are endless, unlike traditional notes, reminders or a planner app. Organize your daily routines, movie watchlists and AP schedules if you would like. With that, sip your last drop of that warm creativity cup you got earlier and look at what you created with pride. FEATURES | 16

seminar yields great debate among students

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ARTICLE BY RIA PANDEY • ILLUSTRATION BY VIDYA ACHAR • DESIGN BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN

very Thursday between 1:55 p.m. and 2:55 p.m., all UPA social interaction encourages people to more closely focus on students find themselves in a class different from academic self-reflection,” Luayon said. school: Seminar. After sixth period, it is a place where stuKeeping grade-level outcomes and feedback in mind, the Semdents receive guidance in organization and social develop- inar coordinators take on the job of designing a curriculum suited ment. Yet, the effectiveness of Seminar continues to invite debate toward meeting individualized goals. Sophomore Seminar cooramong students across grade levels. dinator Jaz Dhillon has the responsibility of developing lessons Sophomore Daniel Tarbet said that some aspects of Seminar for teachers to deliver to their Seminar classes and overlooking have been of great benefit to him, but sees no purpose in the con- any coordination that is required for lessons developed by another tinuation of using EduGuide, a platform added to the curriculum group. this year intended to aid students in pursuing their own growth “I try to develop lessons that cover topics that meet the needs goals in all aspects of life, including stress, study habits and health. of tenth graders. It ranges from community building activities to Instead, Seminar lessons put together by the Diverse, Equity, and college research or personal development,” Dhillon said. “Tenth Inclusion (DEI) Club, which covered “Rethinking Race” and a graders are in an interesting time because that’s when colleges are dive into implicit bias, sparked intrigue for him, holding prefer- looking closely at grades with college on the horizon, so it’s a comence over Eduguide. For Tarbet, reflection activities are not con- bination of working hard and also making plans for the future.” ducive to his learning or productivity. Reska said that despite disparities in Seminar class feedback, “Some of the stuff is really interesting, like the racial and polit- it is always important to adapt to what students need to be sucical lessons,” Tarbet said. “But whenever we do random stuff with cessful. As long as students are able to benefit from Seminar, the EduGuide, it feels useless.” school will continue to incorporate the curriculum into students’ Seventh grader Zayn Damji said the Seminar curriculum on journeys throughout their time spent at UPA from seventh grade EduGuide is not his platform of choice, and he sees no personal to senior year. benefit in the activities. “It’s like a continuum: going from real social emotional “It’s boring because you have to answer a bunch of questions, well-being in middle school, hybrid focus for freshman, and then which you already know,” Damji said. “So why do you need to thinking more about college and career readiness transitioning towatch videos and type paragraphs for that?” ward junior and senior year,” Reska said. “It just needs to be difSeminar coordinator Laura Gordon Reska said Seminar has ferentiated, fine tuning for particular grade level needs, and what consistently received criticism since before and after she took over their strengths are, what their areas of growth are and how we can the responsibility of managing the program five years ago. best support them.” “I support this social emotional curriculum [EduGuide], but I think that it’s important to note that there have been mixed reviews,” she said. “For some people, EduGuide feels like busy work, but not everything is going to work for people all the time. And so that’s why in Seminar we try to keep things mixed up, so that everyone finds something valuable at some point.” Junior Shreya Parikh said she has found benefits in Seminar lessons, saying she has saved a lot of time researching colleges and brainstorming accomplishments to list on brag sheets, one of the assignments given to juniors in Seminar. “Junior Seminar is useful because we talk about college and it’s helping us build our college list,” Parikh said. “So in the long run, it’s saving me time because I’m doing a lot of the work that I otherwise would have to do outside of class.” Eighth grade student Gabrielle Luayon credited Seminar for being a useful tool when used efficiently, mentioning that Seminar gave her an outlet for focused independent time. “During distance learning, we tend to focus more on mental health because being away from A student completes an activity from their path journal on EduGuide. 17 | FEATURES

spark joy?

Does it

It’s time to tidy up after distance learning

ARTICLE BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXANDRA ROZMARIN DESIGN BY CHLOE LUU

The opinions below reflect the majority opinion of Aquila’s editorial board. Marie Kondo took the organizational world by storm when her Netflix show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” based on her best-selling book, dropped in 2019. Kondo’s method emphasized introspection throughout the tidying process, encouraging organizers to ask themselves if an item still “sparked joy.” If an item no longer brought happiness, Kondo suggested thanking it for its service and discarding it. Distance learning has shaken up the educational world and created the occasion for the complete rethinking of teaching. Our editorial board is applying the Kondo method to education in order to evaluate which parts of distance learning sparked joy for us and should be carried over during the transition to in-person learning in the fall, and which aspects we hope to never experience again. Recorded lectures are arguably the most revolutionary learning tool to come out of distance learning. With recorded lectures, students are able to review lecture content again without fear of having missed material while taking notes the first time around. Access to slideshow presentations has always been a great study tool, but lectures themselves include more information, as teachers often elaborate on certain topics and provide outside connections. In an in-person setting, teachers should record their screens while projecting, being sure to record audio as well, in order to maintain this study tool for years to come. Loom is a digital Chrome extension teachers can use to record audio along with their presentations. School-provided tie-clip microphones would give teachers the ability to meander the classroom during these recorded presentations without worrying about degraded audio quality. Digital assignments, too, should stay, but not without amendments. Digital assignments spark joy in multiple ways, including having more flexible midnight deadlines and being more portable than paper assignments. The exceptions here are math assignments and science notes, as formatting equations digitally is difficult. The only caveat to digital assignments: teachers, for digital fill-in notes, please format the lines (to turn “_____” into “_____”) so they are not just underscores by hitting Command U. Students fill in these lines by double clicking and then typing, which completely erases the chain of underscores. If teachers format these lines to automatically underline text, students will thank them forever. Zoom office hours are easily the most convenient aspect of distance learning because their accessible na-

William Jessup’s Pillar

ture works around even the busiest of schedules. For example, a student might need to talk to a teacher after school, but their carpool has to get home and the situation between a teacher and the student will not get resolved until the next day, or even two days later—or the weekend if it is a Friday. Teachers no longer need to go through the hassle of locating a student and squeezing a meeting into the already packed hours of a school day because continuing one-on-one Zoom meetings for after-school office hours provides flexibility and opens availability for all students and teachers. A discovery from distance learning to keep is the free Chrome extension Schoology+. This extension allows students to add hypothetical grades for existing or ungraded assignments, helping them know exactly how much that chemistry test will bring down their grade and what score is needed on the next one to improve it. You can view all course grades at once and even change the color of the interface. Students, add the Schoology+ extension to your browser; it will literally change your life. There are certain aspects of pandemic learning that will need to change in the post-pandemic era. Each classroom is currently lined with desks meant for elementary students that are made even smaller with plastic dividers. Students who participated in hybrid learning know the struggle of trying to fill out a worksheet with two inches of free desk space and accidentally unmuting themself on Zoom because they had to write on top of their computer. We are not four-feet tall, so larger desks, or at least larger plastic dividers, would greatly improve the school experience next year. Students are excited to see their schedules for the new school year, comparing them with their friends’ to find any classes where they are together. That excitement lasts until they see William Jessup listed as one of their classrooms. The already tiny classroom is made even more compact with the large pillar in the middle of the room. Even though it is a smaller-than-average classroom, the class size of 30 students is still the same. Desks are clumped together, giving no one room to stretch or move around. When trying to leave the classroom or approach the whiteboard, students face the struggle of bumping into one of their classmates or being so cramped, there is no way to get to the other side of the room. William Jessup so closely resembles an obstacle course that students have seen others resort to crawling on the floor underneath desks to reach the computer cart. Administrators should only place the smallest of classes in this classroom in order to space out the desks. As we enter the 2021-2022 school year, we can thank distance learning—and all its quirks—for what it gave us: a way to learn even during a global health crisis. Into the bin it goes. OPINION | 18

19 | IN-DEPTH ARTICLE BY AKHILA AYYADEVARA • ILLUSTRATIONs & DESIGN BY HAYLIE YEE

How colorism impacts people of color

SKIN DEEP

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ophomore Sarah Cayabyab and her grandmother ready themselves for a photograph on their trip to Hawaii in 2019. As they take the picture, Cayabyab’s grandmother admonishingly tells her, “Wow, you’ve gotten so dark in the one week we’ve been here.” Cayabyab’s experience is a common one for people of color, and is an example of colorism. Colorism, coined by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walker, is “prejudice or discrimination within a racial or ethnic group, favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin,” and can run deeply through all communities of color, to the point where colorist ideals are reinforced in daily life. Senior Emani Byrd has found colorism affects the Black community in social aspects of life. “There even used to be certain clubs, sororities and other social groups in which light-skinned women denied dark-skinned women from joining,” she said. ASSOCIATIONS BASED ON SKIN TONES Junior Romita Pakrasi said in her experience skin tone can be used as an indicator of intelligence or value, adding that her Indian relatives have told her she should be friends with more fair-skinned people. “‘Your friend is a lighter skin color, so they must be smarter,’” Pakrasi said her family members have told her. “‘It’s OK if you hang out with them.’” These associations lead to a specific set of stereotypes for dark-skinned women. “I think the stigma of the darker-skinned being more masculine is negatively impacting dark-skinned

women, and is making them seem less feminine and more aggressive,” Byrd said. Senior Tania Anand-Kumar agrees with Pakrasi: having lighter skin is seen as an advantage. People who are fairer are perceived to be friendlier, nicer and more honest, she said. Often the value of a person is determined by the way they look, reinforced by biased beauty ideals and stereotypes. Darker skin has been associated with being uneducated or being of a lower social standing, Pakrasi said, since people of the working class would have darker skin. In the past, working class people were often farmers and spent time outside working in fields, leading to darker skin.

skin is considered more digestible on the big screen,” Byrd said. The concept of whiteness being better has bled into media, creating stereotypes presenting light-skinned people as kinder, while dark-skinned characters are vilified. “It makes me feel upset because [the dark-skinned character] is always the villain,” Anand-Kumar said, “and that’s just so unfair.” Colorism is perpetuated when roles created for Black and Asian characters are filled by their mixed counterparts, Pakrasi said. In Western media, the stories of people of color are marketed as a commodity. Cinema rarely allows Black characters to be multifaceted people, Byrd said, and instead they are presented as one-dimensional characters REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYwhose lives are defined by struggle. WOOD “Whenever there’s a TV show or In 2018, actress Amandla Stenberg movie with primarily a Black cast or mentioned in a CBS interview that she with a Black main character, a very removed herself from the “Black central aspect in their story is some Panther” casting type of trauma or some type process because of struggle,” Byrd said. she believed a “There are few rodark-skinned mance movies or Black woman few coming-ofwould better age movies with Colorism pits women suit the role. a Black teen as a of all shades against Dark-skinned main character; women are there’s always each other underreprethis trauma and sented in their struggle that is —Emani Byrd own stories, solely related which leads to to them being an oversaturation Black.” of actresses unrepreH o l l y w o o d ’s sentative of the roles they media has an international fill. reach, which can affect the way viewIn other words, colorism is further ers around the world see people of perpetuated by the casting of only color. Implicit bias suggests “people light-skinned women, Byrd said. can act on the basis of prejudice and “It’s the reuse of the same few Black actresses because their lighter Continued on next page

iN-DEPTH | 20

stereotypes without intending to do so,” according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Psychology. And implicit biases are reinforced by media, such as television shows and movies. The popular CW show “All American” and its all-Black cast has female characters who are all light-skinned, Byrd noted. “That’s a lot of representation for me, but for my younger sisters with darker complexions, or best friends who have darker skin tones, they aren’t getting the same representation and that does impact them mentally whether they know it or not,” Byrd said. “As they grow up, that value of skin tone is being subconsciously reinforced into our brains.” Byrd believes the solution to this issue is pushing for more perspectives on the big screen. “We just need more diversity in casting, more diversity in storylines, more diversity in the characters in general because each tiny detail that [Hollywood] chooses to put out on the screen creates m o r e i m plicit b i -

21 | iN-DEPTH

ases in the minds of people, and they don’t even realize it,” Byrd said. BOLLYWOOD & COLONIALISM Across the world, Indians face a similar issue in their own entertainment industry: Bollywood. Pakrasi noted the large proportion of lightskinned people in the industry is not “nearly representative of the Indian population.” “In India there’s such a multitude of skin colors, ranging from both ends of the spectrum, but in Bollywood you only see pale actresses and actors,” Pakrasi said. One way Indians have resorted to achieving the light-skinned standard is skin-bleaching creams. Glow & Lovely, formerly known as Fair & Lovely, is the beauty market’s most well-known skin-lightening cream. Prominent celebrities in the Bollywood world have endorsed skin-lightening creams. “It’s kind of heartbreaking when you find out they’re supporting these products that are, one, harmful [to your skin] and then continue these colorist beliefs,” Anand-Kumar said. The ideals products like Glow & Lovely perpetuate can impact Indian youths’ self image, Anand-Kumar said. “Companies selling this idea that [you’ll] be liked more and you’ll be prettier is something very attractive to youth of all colors, across all areas, nations and cultures,” Anand-Kumar said. In the 2015 hit Indian movie “Baahubali,” the protagonist is seen fighting a war against another kingdom. This kingdom, depicted as uncivilized, possesses a particular feature: its villains have dark skin. Other movies, such as “Devdas,” the “Dabangg” franchise and “Chennai Express” fol-

low similar tropes. Pakrasi connected this back to colonialism in India. “Being white was better; being white meant you had more power, you could do more, you had a better socioeconomic status,” she said. COLORISM EXPERIENCED When visiting family overseas, it is common to bring gifts, Cayabyab said. A gift her grandmother would often bring her and her sister was Skin White, a skin-bleaching cream. “There are these little pink bottles, it’s skin-lightening lotion, and she’d bring them for me and my sister without fail every time.” she said. Cayabyab said that balancing a relationship with her grandma comes from understanding that they are from two different generations. “Culturally, the Philippines is a lot different from America, especially in her time,” Cayabyab said. “When she was a kid, being light-skinned was what you wanted, and I think she just wants the best for us.” Cayabyab mentioned her skin would tan in the summer as a result of participating in outdoor sports. It has been drilled into her that becoming darker is a negative trait, she said. “I remember being a lot more cautious during the summer not to get tan,” Cayabyab said. At family parties, Cayabyab shared, the phrase “you’ve gotten dark” is uttered as often as “you’ve grown so much,” adding that she has observed her younger cousins putting on sunscreen and staying in the shade, avoiding the sun entirely. “A lot of my younger cousins are very adamant about putting on sunscreen, which is good because of skin cancer,” Cayabyab said, “but a part of me feels like it might be because they

I don’t need to be lighter to be beautiful. —Tania Anand-Kumar don’t want to get tanned.” THE EFFECTS ON SELF IMAGE Anand-Kumar said with the lack of representation, young people of color are unable to feel seen. “When you don’t see people who look like you, whether that be in skin tone or your ethnicity, in movies and TV shows, you start to think that you’re not important, or that you’re not desired,” Anand-Kumar said. Byrd agreed, noting that the way people of color are portrayed is not representative of the world. “There’s so much diversity that we see at school and out in public, but it’s not always reflected in the media,” Byrd said. “That’s something that is starting to change; we see Black actors and actresses, as well as other people of color being cast in a lot more roles, but they are all primarily lightskinned, and this results in young people viewing darker complexions as unattractive and of less value in the narrative.” In the context of dating, Byrd believes that this leads to a competition between light- and dark-skinned women. “Colorism pits women of all shades

against each other,” Byrd said. The effect of colorism is a two-way street, and Byrd acknowledged that as a light-skinned woman, she has benefited from the effects of colorism. “I, myself, am a light-skinned Black woman and I feel that I can’t provide a full picture of colorism because it has been something that I—and every other light-skinned person—have actually benefited from, whether we wanted to or not,” she said. CREATING CHANGE Colorism has existed in communities of color since the concept of race was first created. There needs to be a push for change, Pakrasi said, starting from within communities themselves. “There’s no one else who is willing to make that change unless we collectively, as a community, as a nation, do something about it,” Pakrasi said. One way to start is to become more aware of the language used by peers. “Colorist comments between friends might not seem like a big deal, but it starts small and it gets bigger, and those ideas in society are there because of these small ‘jokes’ that we’re making that people just brush off as,

‘Oh, you’re just too sensitive,’” Pakrasi said. Cayabyab agreed, and brought up the fact that if someone cannot change something about their appearance within five minutes, no one should comment on it. “There’s the Five Minute Rule,” she said. “Obviously someone can’t change their skin tone in five minutes, so don’t point that out.” Byrd wonders about the possibility for change. “Younger people are more impressionable based on what they see in the media and on television,” Byrd said. “So our portrayal of all these different races and all these different cultures needs to be more accurate and less stereotypical [...] to try to urge people to have none of these biases, but at the same time, thinking realistically, this has been an issue for 400 years, so I don’t know.” Cayabyab and Anand-Kumar think back to the phrase “stay out of the sun” and how it was used to demonize tanning and becoming darker. Anand-Kumar has learned to not listen to those words. “I don’t need to be lighter to be beautiful,” she said.

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Watching Twitch streamers can lead to attachment ARTICLE & IMAGES BY ALISA TRAN • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY KATHERINE NGUYEN Dream, GeorgeNotFound, Quackity and TommyInnit. These identities have become more than just usernames in a video game, but they will never be your friend. With more than 640 billion minutes watched since the beginning of 2021, according to TwitchTracker, the online live-streaming platform Twitch has provided its users with a space to both go live and watch others’ streams. After receiving a notification that a streamer they follow has gone live, users flock to the platform and often watch for hours until the stream ends. Due to the communicative nature of the platform and its live chat feature, Twitch has been a hub for streamers and viewers alike to fulfill their need for social interaction. Multimedia teacher Leo Salcedo sees this as a benefit, especially for more introverted viewers. “As a teacher, I see a lot of students have all kinds of different personalities,” Salcedo said. “Some are really, really social and some are very antisocial. So the ones that are antisocial, if they can find a platform where they feel comfortable being social, like Twitch, then I’m all for that.” Viewers might adopt a habit of keeping a Twitch tab open during most waking hours of the day. Reasons range from not wanting to miss out on special streams to simply needing the background noise. Regardless, the hours add up. “Streams are long, and you’re spending a long time with these people,” junior Jasmin Ho said. “And you might like their personality or connect with them, and then they become a comfort

23 | ARTS & CULTURE

streamer. They’re like a movie star, but just more personal.” Sophomore Sarah Cayabyab sees no distinction between feeling connected to comfort streamers over movie stars even though there are often more hours of a streamer’s content available to watch. “What’s the difference between being attached to an actor versus being

“They’re really social on Twitch, but they’re not really social in real life.”

—Leo Salcedo attached to a streamer?” Cayabyab said. “You’re still just watching their content, but people perceive it differently because of the fact that it’s live.” The factor of streams being live allows for instant communication between the streamer and their viewers. Chatters who are active in the stream’s chat can type messages to converse with other chatters or in hopes that the streamer will read it and respond. “A good streamer would talk to their audience,” Salcedo said. “So if there’s someone who struggles socially and

doesn’t really talk to people in real life, but all of a sudden you’re chatting in the chat room of a stream, and the streamer is acknowledging you and calling you out by name, that makes you feel kind of special, and I think that’s a positive thing.” A major part of a streamer’s appeal is their ability to make their viewers feel welcome. Being able to foster a positive community makes viewers more likely to return and offer support, often in the form of a paid subscription or donations. “If [the streamer is] more inclusive and accepting, they get a bigger audience,” freshman Alexis Le said, “which is a positive for them and a positive for the audience because they both can enjoy it.” Friendliness is a useful characteristic for streamers to have, but it sometimes misleads their audience into believing that there is more to the relationship. “I’ve heard of people referring to streamers as if the streamer really cares about that person,” Salcedo said, “but it’s just the streamer being personable and friendly to their chat. Sometimes people might look too much into it and that kind of relationship, but if that’s a viewer’s preferred mode of communication, then who am I to say that’s wrong?” Having a streamer as a reliably welcoming figure provides something familiar for viewers during difficult circumstances. Since some streamers have regular streaming schedules, viewers can expect to be able to tune in to a stream for some semblance of normalcy. “People see comfort streamers as someone they can go to when they’re

bored or under stress and they just want to watch something,” Cayabyab said. “I feel like having something you do when you’re feeling a certain emotion isn’t a bad thing.” Even though streamers are often perceived as being a familiar, friendly face, they often only act in such a way to attract a greater audience. Sophomore Tiana Phung noted the importance of remembering this now that watching the same few streamers for hours on end has become normalized. “You don’t know that much about them,” Phung said. “They still have boundaries. They only say certain stuff about their life, so you don’t fully know them, and they don’t know you at all. It’s definitely very dangerous, especially calling them your best friend or relying on them [for comfort].” According to Oxford Reference, psychological relationships where “regular viewers come to feel that they know familiar television personalities almost as friends” can be defined as parasocial. This relationship, which Cayabyab describes as “a weird, fake connection,” is only experienced by the audience. Though parasocial relationships are one-sided by definition, streamers can still express discomfort in regards to certain topics.

“Some people are going way too far and stalking or sexualizing or just being disrespectful [to the streamer],” sophomore Dahlia Paul said. “Most of the streamers I’ve watched say they’re uncomfortable with that kind of thing. If someone specifies that they’re uncomfortable or they find it disrespectful, you shouldn’t do it.” Not only do streamers set personal boundaries, but some also remind viewers of their impersonal relationship. “There’s one Twitch streamer named Wilbur [Soot], who usually reminds his fans ‘I’m not your friend, you don’t know anything about me. Don’t associate with me after I’m done streaming,’” Phung said. Though drawbacks are still present, understanding where a viewer lies in relation to the streamer can make a viewer’s experience on Twitch more healthy and valuable. It allows the platform to be a space for like-minded individuals to bond over shared interests. “I personally know people who aren’t super social, but Twitch allows them to come out of their shell,” Salcedo said. “They’re really social on Twitch, but they’re not really social in real life. It’s just another way for people to communicate with each other.”

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STREAM CHAT

Irish streamer JustaMinx announced on her May 17 stream that she would be joining the E-sports organization Envy. She primarily streams “Just Chatting” and averages 2,000 viewers per stream.

British streamer Tubbo celebrated his three-year Twitch anniversary on May 15 by playing Minecraft with fellow streamer Ranboo on the Dream SMP, a survival-multiplayer server. Send a message _

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ARTS & CULTURE | 24

No More Mr. Rice Guy Aquila reporter reviews fried rice dishes from around the Bay Area REPORTING & PHOTOS BY JULIA WONG • ILLUSTRATIONS BY HAYLIE YEE DESIGN BY JULIA WONG & DAKOTA PEKAR

Banana Leaf I did not expect to like Banana Leaf’s pineapple fried rice as much as I did; the idea of putting something as juicy as pineapple on fried rice did not initially appeal to me. The dish at this Thai restaurant included a variety of ingredients, such as pineapple, shrimp, cashews, peas, raisins and carrots, which work well together to incorporate a mix of diverse tastes. Although I greatly enjoyed this fried rice, it was not as delicious the next day; this rice is definitely better served fresh.

Benihana Normally, I love Benihana’s chicken fried rice, but this time it was disappointing. Granted, part of the experience is going in, watching the fried rice be prepared right in front of your eyes and eating it fresh off the grill. One reason it was not as good was it tasted like the chef dumped a ton of pepper into the rice. Although I could still taste the other ingredients—like the chicken, the garlic butter and the eggs—it was hard for me to really enjoy this dish as I usually would. Despite the pepper, it was still decent, and tasted good the next day.

Kyoto Palace For Kyoto Palace, I think it is only fair to mention that its chicken fried rice is extremely similar to Benihana’s; they are both typically prepared in front of you, so part of the fun of getting the rice was absent. That is not to say, however, that the rice was not good; I actually enjoyed it more than Benihana’s. The dishes are also extremely similar in their use of ingredients, so they are alike in terms of taste, except Kyoto Palace’s rice had significantly less pepper in it and tasted more heavily of garlic butter, which I enjoyed. And on the next day, it tasted just as good as it did the day before.

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Taste of China Although a first glance of Taste of China’s shrimp fried rice might lead you to believe the dish will be on the bland side due to the steamed white rice, in this dish it seemed the seasonings were toned down, letting the ingredients shine. Even though it had many of the basic ingredients of fried rice, like peas, scrambled eggs and carrots, the addition of the shrimp helped to give it a uniquely savory flavor. The next day, it tasted as good as before.

Top Cafe Top Cafe’s shredded beef fried rice is extremely good in the way that simple is sometimes better. The flavors from the shredded beef, eggs and green onions blended well and left me wanting more. It was as delicious the next day as when it was fresh. Although there could have been more ingredients added, I really enjoyed that despite only containing four main ingredients, the rice was bursting with as much flavor as Kyoto Palace or Taste of China.

Panda Express Panda Express’s fried rice did not hold up in any way in terms of flavor compared to the other restaurants’ dishes. Where dishes from the other establishments were packed with flavor, Panda Express only includes peas, eggs and carrots. Although this rice might be acceptable as a side to an entrée served at Panda Express, when contrasted to the other fried rice dishes, it did not stand out. The next day, it tasted the same as before.

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Musical Memories

o

m

Students recall tunes from the past and highlight new favorite songs REPORTING & DESIGN BY ABHISHEK MYNAM

Sneha Madan (7)

Yakob mesfin (8)

“Sometimes I would go out with all of my friends and we would just listen to music and we would all sing together. We would usually sing random pop songs that we found on the radio and we would have a great time.”

“One summer, we had a car ride to LA with my family and friends. We were just listening to different genres of music, and everyone was laughing, singing; it was a very fun time for me.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SNEHA MADAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF YAKOB MESFiN

CURRENT FAVORiTE: “THE BiGGER PiCTURE” BY LiL BABY

CURRENT FAVORiTE: “LEViTATiNG” BY DUA LiPA

m Sana Purdhani (9) “When I was young, my parents and I used to go on drives and listen to music and it was really fun. It was throughout most of my childhood and even sometimes now.”

m Justin tran (10)

z PHOTO COURTESY OF SANA PURDHANi

“I remember every single Christmas we would always come together at my grandmother’s house and we would always just be playing Christmas music the entire time. It was a really nice feeling; some people were singing along, and we overall had a great time.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTiN TRAN

CURRENT FAVORiTE: “LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN” BY BRUNO MARS

CURRENT FAVORiTE: “GODZiLLA” BY EMiNEM

z Jenica Phamm(11) “I feel like K-pop and video game music especially really resonated with me. I remember it was at the end of middle school or the middle of middle school that I got really into K-pop groups. I was able to just listen to their music a lot, especially when I drew. I felt so creative, and sometimes I would just put on that type of music, and it would make me feel really good.”

o

Ethan Sandoval (12)

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENiCA PHAM

PHOTO COURTESY OF ETHAN SANDOVAL

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“My favorite memory would be at parties. We’ll usually play Latin music, and it really brings me into those memories of having fun with the family. Latin music has a way of making you move your feet, move your hips, make you want to dance, and it is just a really joyful type of music.” CURRENT FAVORiTE: “ROBARTE UN BESO” BY CARLOS ViVES & SEBASTiÁN YATRA

CURRENT FAVORiTE: “FLOWER” BY GFRiEND

P

P

Album Credits: “Levitating” courtesy of Warner Music Group; “The Bigger Picture” courtesy of Quality Control Universal; “Locked Out of Heaven” courtesy of Atlantic Records; “Godzilla” courtesy of Shady Aftermath Interscope Records; “Flower” courtesy of Crypton Future Media; “Robarte Un Beso” courtesy of Sony Music Latin.

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A nearby National treasures C REPORTING BY VARSHITH REDDY GUNJAPALLY • DESIGN BY JOE SHEM With large trees and glacial formations, Sequoia National Park is nearby in Central California. Sequoia National Park is around four hours away from San Jose. Spots to see are the General Sherman Tree and the Tunnel Tree. The park is also a wonderful camping and hiking spot. Necessary items for camping include a tent, drinking water and warm clothes; the lack of direct sunlight and high altitudes makes Sequoia National Park feel cooler than one might expect. When camping, make sure to use an official campsite; unofficial campsites are not allowed and will harm the plants.

"Yosemite" by Edward Stojakovic is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

With 1,169 square miles of redwood forest, Yosemite National Park is one of the largest national parks in California. When visiting Yosemite in the summer, the commute is roughly three to four hours “Sequoia National Park, Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree“ by Arian from San Jose depending on traffic. Headline spots Zwegers is licensed uncer CC BY 2.0. to visit are Half Dome, Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley. Yosemite has the best views in all of CaliIf you are looking for your fornia; the park is dotted with large mountains and fix of caves and lakes, then cliffs like Mount Hoffman and El Capitan. For the Lake Shasta is the place for average visitor, Yosemite does not demand much you. It is four hours away on gear, but hikers should have a pair of sturdy boots, a good day with low traffic plenty of water and a functioning GPS handy. Avoid and is wonderful for getting Yosemite during the months of September and Octoaway from the heat of the ber due to the risk of fire from hot and dry weather. summer. There are only two camping spots, and these are often booked months in advance, so visitors should book a hotel room, which generally goes for $70 to "Lake Shasta" by Region 5 Photography is $100 per night in the summer licensed under CC BY 2.0. months. The best places to visit are the dam itself and the unique cave formations around the lake. Visitors can also take part in watersport activities on Shasta Lake. Hikers will have to reserve a tour guide for the cave formations. Essential items are the usual summer clothes, water resistant boots and swimming gear.

"Mt San Jacinto and Joshua trees at Joshua Tree Park 3-19-08" by George Lamson is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Joshua Tree National Park, which is located in Southern California, is well-known for its desert flora and unique rock formations. Joshua Tree is approximately eight hours away from San Jose. Notable hiking destinations are Barker Dam, Cholla Cactus Garden and Skull Rock. Joshua Tree’s campgrounds make multiple-day trips easier for people coming from greater distances. It is recommended to stay for more than one day as the distance to and from San Jose makes a day trip logistically useless. When camping, it is necessary to bring a tent and an abundance of drinking water. Other essential items include hiking boots, light backpacks and summer clothes. Don’t forget your sunscreen; there’s limited shade.

A

ARTS & CULTURE | 28

MY STRANGE ADDICTION:

BOBA TEA The rise in popularity of milk tea has inspired a new craving among the public

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY SHAYNA TRAN • DESIGN BY AMANDA REBOREDO Liu Han-Chen opened his boba tea store in the city of Taichung in 1986. Little did he know, this Taiwanese drink would lead to an obsession that would hook teenagers all over the world. Sophomore Alexander Yee believes drinking milk tea can satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. “I probably spend over $100 a month on milk tea,” Yee said. “I honestly have an addiction.” Similar to Yee, sophomore Maxine Dizon went through her own phase of craving boba. “I had to cut myself off because I used to get it a lot,” Dizon said. “The summer of 2019, I used to get it five to six times a month.” Boba tea, also known as bubble tea or pearl tea, is a sweetened tea with milk, but what makes the beverage unique is the inclusion of boba, also called tapioca balls—small, chewy balls made out of tapioca starch. Milk tea is sweetened tea with milk, but with no boba. Although these definitions exist, boba drinkers use these various terms interchangeably whether or not they align with the official definitions. When ordering their drink, customers have the option of either honey boba or regular boba. Honey boba has been cooked and is mixed with brown sugar syrup, while regular boba is just the pearls with no added syrups. For the boba experience to be perfect, Dizon believes the beverage must have the right boba-to-tea ratio and the correct consistency. For Dizon, the best ratio is two-thirds milk tea and one-third toppings. “Sometimes, the ratio between the boba and tea is so off,” Dizon said. “You’re drinking so much of the tea, and you have a lot of the boba left.” Yee believes the consistency and quality of the boba determines how good the drink is. He said tapioca pearls should be soft and chewy, not hard or mushy. “If the boba is hard or not sweet enough, it goes to the bottom of my list,” Yee said. “It ruins the whole experience.” However, not everyone likes the experience of chewing on something while drinking their tea. Freshman Soyme Mekuria does not get boba tea consistently, but in her experience, the boba has not always been good. “I don’t really like tapioca pearls,” Mekuria said. “I find it weird to chew something while drinking, so I literally have to scoop it out whenever I get milk tea because I forget to ask for no boba.” Sweetness also factors into the boba experience. At milk tea 29 | ARTS & CULTURE

places, customers can typically choose what level of sweetness they want from 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% or 110%, and there are various types of sweeteners customers can add to their drinks. Local milk tea shop Tastea has begun allowing customers to choose between a simple syrup and Stevia, a sugar alternative, for their sweetener. The default sweetness level at most milk tea shops is 100%, but Mekuria believes that level can be overbearing at times. “I tried this Thai tea once at Fantasia with 100% sugar,” Mekuria said. “I took one sip of it, and at that moment, I could hear diabetes knocking at my door, breaking the door and telling me I have diabetes.” The average price of milk teas range from $4 to $5 for a medium-sized beverage and $5 to $6 for a large-sized beverage. If a customer wants toppings, each topping costs an additional $0.70 at Tastea. “It’s not like Great-America-water expensive,” Mekuria said, “so it’s ok.” Toppings at all places vary, but the most common toppings besides boba are grass jelly, popping boba, pudding, salted cheese and fruit flavored jelly. Dizon believes $8 is too expensive for a milk tea beverage unless the added toppings complement the drink well. “I ordered the brown sugar mochi milk tea [from Ume Tea], and it had drinkable mochi,” Dizon said. “I added boba and oreo cheese cream. The cream came separately, so you had to pour it on yourself. It was expensive, but it was so bougie and worth trying at least once.” Yee said one of the best shops to get milk tea is Tiger Sugar in

“I probably spend over $100 a month on milk tea. I honestly have an addiction.”

—Alexander Yee

Left: A large House Coffee, iced Vietnamese coffee, topped with salted cheese cream and boba from 7 Leaves Cafe. Middle: A black sugar boba milk drink with cream mousse from Tiger Sugar. Right: A brown sugar milk tea with mochi, oreo cheese cream and boba from Ume Tea. Cupertino. Tiger Sugar is a franchise that originated in Taiwan and became popular worldwide due to its signature drink’s appearance: a dark brown sugar syrup swirled inside the cup made to look like tiger stripes. “Whenever I go, it’s consistently good to my standard,” Yee said. “The sweetness level is always consistently on point.” Dizon also tried Tiger Sugar when it first came to Cupertino, but it was not up to her standards after what she saw on social media. “I had such high hopes for it, and it looked so good,” Dizon said. “But it was honestly just brown sugar milk tea.” Boba’s popularity has skyrocketed since 2016. According to Grand View Research, the global tea market size was $2.1 billion in 2019 and is expected to have a growth rate of 8.9% from 2020 to 2027. Dizon believes teens are a big factor in boba’s success. “After school, my friends and I would walk to the boba shop near our school,” Dizon said. “Everyone would go, have some fun, buy drinks or food, and it definitely made Milk + Ice more popular.” Math teacher August Siu grew up drinking hot and iced milk tea in Connecticut and New York. If there is a boba shop nearby and she is with her friends, she is more than likely to go. “I don’t personally crave for boba tea,” Siu said, “but when I do go out and see a place, my friends and I will be like, ‘let’s go get it.’” Siu, and her sisters who still live on the East Coast, believes milk tea has become more popular in the last two years. “It used to be popular, but it wasn’t too, too popular,” Siu said. “Nowadays for my sisters back home, it is really popular and it’s everywhere.” A regular milk tea can have between 100 mg to 160 mg of

caffeine. An eight-ounce, brewed coffee at Starbucks contains 180 mg of caffeine, according to CoffeeMakingWorld. Yee chooses boba over coffee because of the lower caffeine content compared to Starbucks. “I choose to get boba because it’s a source of caffeine,” Yee said. “Coffee can be too bitter or too strong sometimes, and boba is sweet enough to power you through the day.” Trying to limit her boba intake, Dizon decides against getting boba whenever she goes out with her family. “When my family goes out and asks me if I wanted boba, I think to myself, ‘Yes I do,’ but then I don’t get it. I miss it, but I’m surviving,” Dizon said. Having a sweet tooth makes it hard for Dizon to go without boba and sweets. Her mood changes depending on the amount of sugar she eats in a day. “The days that I don’t eat sugary stuff, I get really sad,” Dizon said. “But when I do, it brings up my mood. I think that’s when you know you have a problem.” On days that Dizon does get boba, she goes with either her friends or family. They listen to music, drink their boba and enjoy each other’s company. “I don’t know if this is a universal experience,” Dizon said, “but when my cousins come over, we are like,‘Let’s go get boba,’ and then we all go vibe and have fun.” Whenever Yee and his friends go out, they always get boba. He recommends going with friends because it makes the experience better. “Especially if you haven’t had boba before and your friends have, they can help you choose a drink,” Yee said. “It’s better to get it with friends because you can socialize and have fun while drinking something that you like.” ARTS & CULTURE | 30

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