Aquila February 2024 (Vol. 13, Issue 2)

LETTER FROM EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN

BY KAREN HENG

Welcome to your 2023 Spotify wrapped! You spent 10,397 minutes listening and this year your top artists were…wait what? We’re already in 2024? This isn’t a Spotify wrapped? OH this a letter from the editors.

Before the issue starts off, we’d like to thank our wonderfully working staff. Of course this was business as usual for our expe enced reporters as we went through turmoils of unsaved designs, slow computers and headline deliberations but this was the first cycle of production for our 14 first years. Throughout this production cycle we’ve watched them meet their first deadlines, take-on their first interviews and become leaders in our newsroom. As this issue goes to print, we welcome them as full-fledged reporters and cannot wait to see what the new year brings for them.

So we can’t exactly give you a wrap of your musical genres, but here’s a wrap up of Vol ume 14, Issue 2.

fashion and its devastations on the environment. The article, on page 21, also looks into how we can keep the earth healthy for many more new years to come with alternatives like thrifting.

Clothing isn’t the only thing we’re recycling this year, specifically rap music has been brought up in regards to its 90s era. Read “Rap ” comparing the styles and messages of female rappers in the 90s versus the present. Find reporter Shelby Byrd’s insightful opinions and best of both era’s playlist on page 19.

Keeping up our musical theme of Spotify and rap, let’s throw in a band. Reporter Kara Luayon took on the story of Tinnitus, an indie rock band grown right in a UPA student’s garage, in “Ear-Blasting Brilliance.” Read their feature on

investigating the attractiveness of fast

CHLOE LUU

HAYLIE YEE

The Aquila staff poses at the Public Garden in Boston, MA on Nov. 4, 2023.

AbOUT aQuIla MISSION STATEMENT

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

Broadcast @upa_aquila upaaquila.org

“SOARINg TO NEW HEIgHTS”

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

SHARE AN IDEA

Have a story to share?

Scan the QR Code to submit your suggestions or email us at aquila@upatoday.com.

ON THE COVER

Popular BookTok novels stacked on each other in the perspective of an influencer creating content for the book community. Shot by Samira Madden, Sneha Madan and Angel Froumis.

Aquila

Aquila Podcast upaaquila

aQuila STAFF

Haylie Yee Editor-in-Chief

Samira Madden Multimedia Manager

Shibani Ghosh Team Editor

Angelica Froumis Design Editor

Alexa Garcia Web & Publicity Shadow

Celina Tandon Team Editor

Gagandeep Kaur Copy Editor

CeCe Le Messurier Copy Editor

Chloe Luu Editor-in-Chief

Zahra Shaikh Team Editor

Shayna Tran Managing Editor

Sneha Madan Team Editor

Kathryn Gong-Guy Adviser

Zainab Shaikh Design Editor

Taylor Nguyen Publicity Manager

Karen Heng Reporter

Iris Vong Team Editor

Layla Daniels Reporter

Matthew Tapia Reporter

Jacob Jimenez Reporter

Neha Jral Reporter

Kara Luayon Reporter

Rajeev Devanath Reporter

Kyla Ulug Team Editor Lead

Christopher Park Reporter

Abhishek Mynam Web Manager

Isaac Rios Copy Editor Lead

Lance Peraza Team Editor

Lorenzo Almario Reporter

Jessica Wall Adviser

Yun-Yun Fleischman Reporter

Shelby Byrd Reporter

Olive Loung Design Editor

Nadia Hamilton Reporter

Jessica Do Reporter

Aparna Ayyadevara Reporter

SnACK SWAp: IndiAn & KOREAn CHiLdHOOd SnACKS

Reporters Abhishek Mynam and Christopher Park swap Indian and South Korean snacks. Watch as they share their favorite cultural snacks and drinks while learning aspects of each other’s culture.

CAn gUYS WEAR UggS?

Reporters Shayna Tran and Taylor Nguyen go around campus to ask UPA students the question that really matters this winter: Can guys wear UGGs?

THE LOng dRIVE

“I spend so much time in the car that it takes time out of obvious things like studies,” Salazar said, “I try to study in the morning, but I get car sick really easily.”...

bEYOnd CATS And dOgS

“Developing a connection towards a bird is crazy and having the experience is immaculate,” Baher said. ...

THE “Up” In UpA

“Everyone really helps each other out. Like Ms. Buensuceso, anything you need help on, she’ll help you with.”...

REAd MORE On OUR WEbSiTE!

dESIgn bY KYLA ULUg

n S FOR M idd LE

ARTICLE BY LAYLA DANIELS • PHOTO, ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY IRIS VONG

during the first semester of the 2023-24 school year, middle school students engaged in “closed tutorial” instead of the normal “open tutorial.”

Previously, the entire school had open tutorial. However, this school year, middle school Seminar coordinators made changes for both middle and high school. High schoolers adjusted to digital sign-ups, while middle schoolers had a special closed tutorial rather than open tutorial on Thursdays.

Seminar Coordinator Claire Ballard, who is in charge of planning Seminar lessons, described it as a hiatus from an open tutorial.

The plan for the middle schoolers was to start with closed tutorial. When the school felt like the students were ready, the students would transition back to open tutorial.

During closed tutorial, middle schoolers would go to their own Seminar classes. Half of the time was allocated to lessons and the rest for study hall. Ballard explained that the study hall time was for tutoring except, unlike regular open tutorial, students could not go to different teacher’s classrooms.

Closed tutorial was separate from the existing Seminar class—which they hold on Tuesdays— and would have separate lessons.

Last year, there were some challenges with open tutorial, which led the school to have closed tutorial for middle schoolers.

Many students signed up for a tutorial class at the last minute, or even sign up too late, after open tutorial had already started.

issue with last year’s open tutorial.

“Some students would go with their friend groups and just talk, [and not] actually do any work,” Anwar said.

The whole purpose of open tutorial was to have a time to go to a class you needed help with, which a lot of students did not do.

“A lot of the ethos of open tutorial

“A LOT OF THE ETHOS OF OpEn TUTORiAL diSAppEAREd LAST YEAR, And [iT] WAS UnORgAnizEd.”

- pAbLO LOpEz

disappeared last year and was unorganized,” Lopez said.

Ballard added that this was not just a problem with middle school students though, it also occurred with high schoolers. The freshmen and sophomores could have closed tutorial instead of a normal open tutorial. Regardless, the school admin decided to change to closed tutorial for just the middle schoolers.

According to Ballard, the short lessons during closed tutorial taught middle schoolers prioritization techniques, how to keep track of their assignments, and scheduling when they needed to do their assignments.

Lopez added that other lessons were geared more toward social emotional learning, such as dealing with anxiety and stress. These lessons were taught to help the students make open tutorial more effective in the long run, when the time came for them to switch back from closed tutorial. Anwar expressed that closed tutorial was blocking them from actually getting help with schoolwork, which was what open tutorial was originally for.

“Everyone was just kind of tired of [closed tutorial], and at one point it became a need, like I actually need to go do this for a certain class, or I need to ask my teacher something,” Anwar said. “As much as you can email, and try to switch your Seminars for that day, it was such a hassle.”

The Seminar teachers realized that the struggle to navigate this new system was a problem. According to Ballard, it was one of the reasons why the middle Seminar teachers decided to transition middle schoolers back to an open tutorial.

Another sign that the middle schoolers were ready to transition back was when the Seminar teachers felt that they had taught all the skills that the students would need when they started open tutorial.

“There was a lot of miscommunication about where students were,” 8th grade Seminar Lead Pablo Lopez said. “They were supposed to be signed up at one spot, but then [ended] up [in a different one].”

Eighth grader Haania Anwar added that sign ups were not the only

This was because many high school teachers share students between high school grades, and if some high school teachers were to teach closed tutorial for the freshmen and sophomores, they wouldn’t be able to have open tutorial for the juniors and seniors.

Middle schoolers transitioned back to having open tutorial on Nov. 16, 2023 after a little more than a semester of closed tutorial.

“The middle schoolers [restarted] open tutorial, and as far as I can tell, they did a great job,” Ballard said.

8th grade students complete assignments in English teacher Kathryn Beary’s open tutorial.

UpA’S ALUMni MEnTORSHip pROgRAM STARTS iTS piLOT YEAR

ARTICLE BY ALEXANDRIA HAMILTON • ILLUSTRATIONS BY OLIVE LUONG DESIGN BY GAGANDEEP KAUR

At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, Director of Alumni Outreach and Support Andrew Yau started the Alumni Mentorship Program.

After starting the program, Yau created a board of UPA alumni responsible for the mentorship program’s direction, outreach, evaluation and finance—consisting of Jeanna Enriquez, Cristina Calderon, Sai Sanchula and Priya Mittal.

Enriquez—director and founding member—plans each meeting between mentors and mentees, attends Board of Trustees meetings to keep the alumni board informed and acts as a bridge between graduated alumni and current UPA students.

She hopes that the alumni network will evolve beyond the mentorship program to offer professional development opportunities—such as skills workshops and networking opportunities—with the vision of helping all UPA students reach their full potential. As the alumni network continues to grow, they plan to open these opportunities to all students regardless of their participation in the mentorship program.

“We know UPA is unlike many surrounding high schools,” Enriquez said. “We wanted to make our alumni program different as well.”

They started the program to replicate alumni programs of colleges and universities—on a smaller scale—and to provide career-enhancing opportunities to high school students. College alumni programs often offer job or internship opportunities in the same way and Yau felt that those connections could help upperclassmen jump start their careers. The alumni advise the stu dents on all things college-related and, hopefully, their commu nication can continue until the student is in college and the alumni can eventually provide them with job opportunities based on their major.

Mentors usually do not have a job or internship opportunity to offer high school students. However, if the occasion arises and the student fits the profile, the student can stand to gain from their relationship greatly. They are mostly receiving advice from someone who has attended UPA, had similar teachers and knows how UPA functions.

“We have worked closely with many of our alumni that graduated for the last four to six years,” Yau said. “They have opportunities that they can share with current juniors and seniors.”

Elise believes that the alumni program can benefit UPA students as a whole in this way. The alumni can support students on course selection, what extracurriculars to look into and how to perfect their resume with the specificity needed for their intended major.

“They have been there and done that at a school that both are familiar with,” Yau said. “They are able

to give very special, very specific advice to that student.”

While the program is still developing, the eventual goal is a mentorship between a high schooler, a UPA alumni in college and a college graduate alumni. The college graduate provides internship or job opportunities to the college student and the college student gives helpful advice to the high school students. The UPA alumni college students can also speak about their experiences on field trips.

“Every October, we close the school and all grade levels go to local colleges,” Yau said. “We have alumni speakers there so that’s how they can give back where they’re at.”

To join the mentorship program, UPA juniors and seniors must attend one of the informational meetings during seminar and fill out an application to participate in the program. Then, Yau and the alumni board members will pair a student with an alumni. The application includes a parent consent form and a teacher referral to ensure that the student will timely attend all the meetings.

When applying to the program, students fill out a questionnaire about their goals and preferences so that when they’re matched with a mentor, there is a greater likelihood that they will be able to provide beneficial advice. The ques-

students to share their plans for after they graduate, industries they are interested in, career goals, why they are interested in becoming a mentee, goals for their time with their mentor and things they would like their mentor to know about them. Additionally, the form provides a link for a personality test to match a mentee with a mentor that has a compatible personality.

Students and mentors can meet either in person on the UPA campus or on Zoom, depending on the school the mentor attends. To ensure everyone’s safety during Zoom meetings, the UPA student is the host and the meeting’s dialogue is recorded.

“We’re hoping that the mentor-mentee relationship goes beyond just the surface level,” Yau said. “We try to set up a mentor and a mentee with similar backgrounds.”

As well as similar backgrounds, the aim is to match students and alumni who have similar goals. The student’s aspiring major should align with the mentor’s current major so that they can best coach the mentee on how to attend the school they would like.

“We hope that students in the mentorship program receive more individualized and personal direction with their academic or career journeys,” Enriquez said.

Njogu expressed interest in the mentorship program; she aspires to be a cardiologist. She is looking for a mentor that is realistic and does not sugarcoat information when sharing about life in college so that she can be properly prepared in the future. She wants to learn about college life in addition to the college application process.

“I would ask [my mentor] about any regrets or mistakes they made,” Njogu said. “And what the most enjoyable part of the application process and college life are [so I] have some-

thing to look forward to.”

As an alumni herself, Enriquez likes to remind students to select a field that they are passionate about rather than prioritize success or wealth. In her personal experience, Enriquez desired to pursue medicine until she worked with doctors and realized that she was not as happy as she thought she would be. Keeping her options open, she assumed a research position that peaked her interest and led to her being an immunology PhD student at Stanford

year piloted the mentorship program, there were logistical aspects that the board and Yau have had to figure out including applications, recruitment, funding and a curriculum for the upcoming meetings.

“AS A CURREnT gRAdUATE STUdEnT, THiS HAS bEEn HARd TO bALAnCE HOWEVER, I TAKE A LOT OF pRidE in pARTiCipATing SinCE I KnOW SO MAnY pEOpLE CAn And WiLL bEnEFiT FROM THE ALUMni nETWORK .”

- JEAnnA EnRiQUEz

School of Medicine.

“Be open to new opportunities,” Enriquez said. “Find what makes you happy and what you are passionate about, and network!”

To encourage participation in the program, the alumni board ran recruitment online and in person through seminar meetings. Njogu initially found out about the program through an after school meeting and Yau’s presentation to the juniors. While she has had few experiences in the program so far, Njogu feels that a lack of communication is an issue she is facing at the moment.

As the 2023-2024 school

So far, the board held a dinner on Oct. 9, 2023 as a recruitment event, as well as another in-person recruitment on Oct. 24, 2023. On Dec. 22, 2023, they did holiday-grams for the students who had been accepted into the program. On Jan. 25 there was an informational meeting where students found out who their alumni mentor or mentors are.

The plans for the meeting were for students to share their goals with their mentors in person. At the end of the meeting, both parties filled out a survey for the board and Yau to read so that they could gauge the effectiveness of the meetings.

“As a current graduate student, this has been hard to balance,” Enriquez said. “However, I take a lot of pride in participating since I know so many people can and will benefit from the alumni network.”

RAISING

REPTILES

Snakes, geckos, husbandry and genetics—a club hoping to sell reptiles and stir a passion for science

ARTICLE BY MATTHEW TAPIA • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY RAJEEV DEVANATH

Backpacks unzipping, pencils writing... snakes hissing? Science teacher Matt Buchanan started the Reptile Club after sending an email to all UPA students to see if anyone was interested in joining the club. He already had snakes and geckos, wanting to grow student interest in reptiles. Buchanan first contacted students he thought could be good leaders for the club and asked them to be a part of creating it. He is active in participating with the club and helping members take care of the reptiles.

“We have put together ball pythons and leopard geckos in order to breed them,” Buchanan said. “We want to look at their genetic expression and use that in our classes to study the genotype and phe -

notype of the animals.”

Buchanan first started the club as a way to increase student participation in science classes at UPA. He looked into purchasing reptiles from online sites like Craigslist and MorphMarket as well as attending reptile shows.

The club formed a structure in which different branches of the club do their part in caring for the wellbeing of the animals and the club as a whole.

“We have four different heads: the husbandry head, the economics head, the club management head, and the genetics head,” senior and head of husbandry Taryn Ryan said. “Under them, we have leadership roles that help the heads and under that we have research and people to take care of the animals.”

These heads are like managers of the club that help to take care of both the animals and the club itself. The head of husbandry is responsible for the wellbeing and breeding of the reptiles which may include feeding them and managing the temperature within their enclosures. The economics head takes care of the club’s finance

and budget. The club management head helps maintain the club’s publicity.The genetics head helps to study the reptiles and the outcomes of their breeding.

“It’s also about husbandry,” Buchanan said. “Students can understand how to take care of these animals so that they are healthy enough to breed; then, we need to make enough money doing this, by selling animals and fundraising, to keep the program going.”

The Reptile Club also focuses on teaching members about husbandry, which is how to take care of the reptiles. As the club sells the reptiles, they are able to make money and breed even more reptiles. They are able to earn money as they need to fund the club and purchase necessities for the wellbeing and breeding of the reptiles. However, the club still has help with other funding.

The club has not started to sell their reptiles, but want to start sometime soon.

“We’re looking into websites that are approved and we’re looking into going to shows to sell our reptiles,” Ryan said.

These reptile shows are attended by people who want to sell and buy reptiles and function similarly to expos where items are shown for sale. These shows have not been attended by the club as a whole but Buchanan had bought the first three pythons from one of the shows.

The reptiles themselves need the money for their own food and habitat maintenance. Each reptile needs specific conditions to stay healthy.

Reptile Club member

Gorisha Runthala holds two geckos while other members look on.

“The main thing is keeping their humidity and temperature correct and we have enclosures that, as best we can, mimic their natural environment,” Buchanan said. “Then, of course, we have to bring in food that is a part of their natural diet.”

Along with the wellbeing of the reptiles, club members have to be able to keep AP students engaged with them. To understand their lifecycle, students need to be able to see the reptiles and help maintain the environments.

By founding Reptile Club, Buchanan was able to meet his goal in increasing student interaction in both the AP Biology and Marine Biology classes to study genetics realistically. The club hopes to also appear in the curriculum of regular biology classes taught to freshmen.

The club successfully increased student participation and engagement as Buchanan noticed a change in the understanding of topics during his AP courses. He has been able to use the reptiles to his advantage when teaching, since students can observe real examples of the topics taught in the classes. Students can predict what would happen if two reptiles were to breed, then see their assumptions play out in real life.

Phenotypes are the observable expression of genes of an individual that can be changed through their environment and different genetic mutations. The topic is already studied in Buchanan’s AP courses and he found that being able to observe and study examples of the topic in real life helps students to fully grasp the concept.

“[Along with observing the phenotypes of the reptiles,] we could also do the theoretical crosses to calculate what the phenotypes of the offspring would be, which is done in classes like [AP Biology or Marine Biology] anyway,” Buchanan said. “We can actually see if our predictions are correct as long as we can manage this population well, keep it healthy and get them to actually breed—which is no small chore.”

Out of all the reptiles, geckos require more attention because there are more geckos than snakes, meaning that buying food for the geckos will cost much more as well. Club members go through constant training throughout the entire year with videos and lessons about how to care for the reptiles safely.

“One of the requirements from our insurance is that we have to train, not just students, but faculty also,” Buchanan said.

“Ball Pythons are very gentle and easy to handle, but they can bite so we just do it so that we have the lowest chances of anything going wrong.”

The club’s leopard geckos must also be handled carefully. These geckos will drop their tails if handled incorrectly. Once they do, they are worth less money. After the geckos lose their tails, they grow back without its phenotypic characteristics.

The club hopes to sell animals, buy their reptiles’ food, breed, then sell more to enter a cycle in which selling reptiles gives the club enough money to take care of and study the animals. The club will sell

“They’re graceful and beautiful and benevolent.”

-Matt Buchanan

unneeded reptiles to help take care of the others.

“We haven’t sold any animals yet but we’re just getting our QR codes together for how we’re going to facilitate those transfers,” Buchanan said. “We just have to start advertising on MorphMarket, Craigslist and maybe even Facebook.”

The club hopes to also attend reptile shows and sell their reptiles with their own stand. They want to breed more expensive morphs of reptiles. These morphs are mutations in genes that give the reptiles a different appearance with different coloration patterns. Certain morphs can change the price of the reptiles as some are more rare in reptile markets than others.

“The really interesting morphs can be anywhere from $500 to $10,000,” Buchanan said.

UPA’s Reptile Club handles three of their snakes and one gecko during a club meeting in NYU.

However, once these more expensive morphs appear more in reptile shows and online markets, they lose their value as they become more common. The Reptile Club is trying to keep the amount of money that they have while also studying the different reptiles.

Teaching students about reptiles and familiarizing them with different ways to care for and breed reptiles remains the main goal of the Reptile Club, despite the economic struggles that may occur.

“These [reptiles] are mysterious creatures and snakes are generally something that people are absolutely scared of,” Buchanan said. “Once they get to know them, they realize that they’re not a threat but they’re graceful, beautiful and benevolent.”

GET READY WITH ME

Ultimate guide to Asian skincare and makeup

ARTICLE, pHOTOS & dESIgn bY AUbREY pHUng

Asian makeup and skincare proucts have risen to popularity in the past few years, especially in the Western world.

Asian skincare has powerful ingredients that are naturally derived from organic plants and extractions of insects, which provide soothing properties for the skin. Many people in Asia—especially Korea—view doing skin care as essential for hygiene, because maintaining high standards of cleanliness is an important value in society, and a basic step in their routine, similar to people brushing their teeth or showering. Because of social media apps like Tiktok and Instagram, many people from around the world have been introduced to Asian products, meaning more people have seemed to desire trying these items out in other countries. Another platform called Douyin, a Chinese social media app, has popularized skincare and makeup even more in Asia because of online expansion. After trying Asian products, western people seem to now prefer it, as western products that come from America tend to be bolder and harsher, and focus on exfoliating the skin. In comparison, Asian products are delicate and minimalistic, even in their packaging, which is appealing to buyers. For example.

the brand Anua whose products are mostly white and sleak, in their heartleaf line. Or Cosrx snail mucin line, with packaging colors of black, white, and yellow. Compared to popular Western brands like Cetaphil with a cluttered cover, and Drunk Elephant that has a line with colorful caps, and designs giving off as unorganized.

As the hype of Asian products spreads, a considerable amount of UPA students also use them, and have decided to start using Asian products instead of Western ones, or use a mix between the two.

Skincare has gotten popular amongst students with a desire to take better care of their skin. Many have switched to Asian skincare due to the benefits of dewy and even-toned skin, creating unique skincare routines.

Junior Kathy Nguyen uses various skincare products from Asia. These include brands like Round Labs, Beauty of Joseon and Abib from Japan and Korea.

“There’s a Naturie hatomugi skin conditioner milk toner,” Nguyen said. “It’s a Japanese brand. So whenever I’m getting inflamed or really dry I like using it because it calms my skin down.”

This toner quickly absorbs and penetrates through the skin to hydrate, soothe, and prep the skin for moisterizer and serums. In which it locks in moisture to keep the skin more hydrated. But western toners

usually focus more on exfolia tion rather than hydration, like the popular Paula’s Choice toner that has been trending re cently, to get rid of texture and control oil.

Nguyen also uses two Ko rean sunscreen sticks from Abib and Beauty of Joseon. She uses these specific products that suit her skin well and feel lightweight. The toner she uses has a watery consistency so it prepares her skin nicely soothes it as well, help ing prepare her skin be fore she applies make up.

“For makeup, I used the Korean Cleo Kill Lash mascara,” Nguyen said. “It keeps my lashes up all day. I also use Japanese mascaras as well. The Heroine black Volume one and the brown one. They sell mascara remover for it too, which helps remove it easily.”

Although Nguyen prefers using Japanese beauty products, because she likes the feeling of the application being very soft, she still owns items from Western brands. To avoid being wasteful, she is using them up before implementing more Asian products in her

“My advice would be, just do your research when you’re trying to find skincare or making a good routine. You don’t have to stick to one brand. Try new things and know what you’re doing frist.”

- Alexis Le

white cast,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen favors Koreans and Japanese sunscreens because of the innovative UV filters in the product that have a lightweight feel, whereas western sunscreens tend to leave a harsh white cast, even after thoroughly blending the product into her skin.

Sophomore Emily Uy started using Korean products three years ago when her Korean elementary school teacher introduced them to her. Additionally, Uy’s mom previously owned Korean products as well because she believed the ingredients are safer compared to most American products.

“In Asian beauty, they focus on specifically Asian features,” Uy said. “Like commonly for Asian lashes, they’re straight so it’s really hard to find a mascara that really works. I use a shiseido eyelash curler which is Japanese and it’s one of the most popular eyelash curlers in Asia.”

Uy expressed that Asian products are more beneficial than Western products, especially for Asian features Asian brands make products intending to assist Asian features, since sometimes they are harder to accommodate compared to Western features, in which products are more tailored to their needs. So what works for Western features doesn’t always work on Asian features, such as Uy’s eyelashes.

“Because of importing, it’s way more expensive than when you go to Asia,” Uy said. “But I think there are still a lot of affordable products. I go to an Asian beauty store called Kira Kira, and it’s a little more on the pricier side, but it benefits you because it can help your skin and while spending that money.”

Alexis Le, a Vietnamese senior at UPA has a large Korean skincare and makeup collection. As she enjoys getting ready and

doing her routine everyday.

“[Asian skincare] is something that I grew up around and then I just started adapting to it, like Japanese skincare brands that my mom has always used and recommended to me.” Le said.

As a child she was first introduced to using Japanese and Korean skincare from her mom and sort of grew her passion for it then, taking suggestions from her mom to also use the products, and as she grew she began using it because it worked for her skin.

“I use the MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB cream, Romand Liptints, and Canmake Heroine eyeliner and mascara. This is because I feel like it’s more suitable for Asian features, since they are Asian brands. It just feels like it suits me more and fits my complexion better because I’m pretty pale.” Le said.

When it comes to Asian makeup, BB creams are beauty balms that correct blemishes used as alternatives for foundation. It is lightweight but still gives some coverage and gives off a natural radiating finish. But in Asia most makeup products tend to be very light in color and aren’t as inclusive with their color range compared to Amer ica, because of beauty standards there to have lighter pale skin.

most popular products in Asia, because they give off high pigmentation that’s tint can last for a few hours after applying, and feel lightweight on the lips. They make the lips appear juicy, glossy, or smooth, depending on the type of liptint. There are dewy tints, lost lasting tint, velvet tints, and more.

the propolis ampoule, glow serum by Beau ty by Joseon and ocasionally the Goodal vi tamin c serum.” Le said.

various skin concerns, such as aging, hydra tion, brightening. They are found typically in a bottle with a dropper to easily release the serum on the face without having to

touch the skin directly. And with the dropper it limits bacteria spreading back into the bottle.

Asian skincare tends to boost the skin’s vitamin properties with their various different vitamin ingredients which is known to brighten the appearance of the face and get rid of dark spots. They do this in order to achieve a “glass skin” effect, giving the skin’s surface a smooth and glowy appearance like literal glass. This effect was popularized in Asia where it became the beauty standard.

Touring the World with Languages

AStudents power through new languages on top of their coursework

are immersed in a variety of cul tures and develop an interest for learning foreign languages. Curiosity for different languages prompts UPA students to seek enrollment in language courses offered outside of campus to learn more about their passion. Interacting with peers on campus who already know a foreign language also gives students a big push to learn the same language.

During his family get-together, junior Siddharth Shirhatti learned that his friend knew American Sign Language and this further motivated him to explore the language. Keeping his friend’s expertise in mind with the desire to one day hold up conversations with them, Shirhatti ventured beyond UPA to become fluent and began learning ASL online at Silicon Valley High School. Learning the same language to communicate with friends is a reason for students to take a foreign language course, though the larger incentive of required course credits offered to those who

ARTICLE BY IRIS VONG • DESIGN BY LAYLA DANIELS

learn at least three years of foreign language at UPA becomes another factor for students to pursue fluency of their language interest elsewhere since only Spanish is offered on campus.

“I took [Spanish] one and two in high school [but] I didn’t want to take AP Spanish,” Shirhatti said. “I wanted to try something else and I heard a lot of people talking about taking ASL.”

Having already completed UPA’s first three Spanish language courses, Shirhatti decided to make the switch to ASL (American Sign Language) hoping to both change up his curriculum and strengthen his friendship.

Students may also enroll in a

"I hope to be able to get around in a city where people can only speak that language. I don't want to be like stuck and confused all the time."

-Ciana Fortuna

course regarding a language spoken at home due to their parents’ pressure to uphold the family tongue.

The idea of learning a second language is not new to sophomore Lindsey Nguyen, as she began her foreign language learning journey early on through her enrollment into Vietnamese school from seven to 11 years old; after her parents wanted her to become fluent in their family’s language. Although she attended Vietnamese school for five years, Nguyen did not enjoy attending Viet school due to its rigorous curriculum and her disinterest in learning the language.

Already interested in Korean — after watching K-dramas for many years — and hoping to fulfill the three years of foreign language credits to graduate, Nguyen decided to pursue learning Korean through online courses at De Anza College during her freshman year.

Freshman Ciana Fortuna cherishes her Filipino roots and learns Ilocano and Tagalog

from her parents rather than taking an online course while dedicating much of her time to learning Spanish 1 at UPA.

“I’m curious, like ‘how do I say this word?” she said. “Then, [my parents] just tell me and teach me how to use it in sentences.”

Fortuna’s relaxed learning environment allows her to maintain her interest in learning Tagalog and Ilocano through conversations with her parents at home.

As much as she enjoys learning her native languages with her family, Fortuna belives learning new languages, such as Spanish, in school is easier with an instructor.

“I feel like it’s a lot easier to learn Spanish since I actually have an official Spanish teacher at school,” she said.

Nguyen on the other hand did not take any Spanish course at UPA and has since completed Korean 1 and 2. She will transfer to learning ASL next year since Korean 3 is no longer offered at De Anza College.

While learning her two home languages out of school, Fortuna also immerses herself in Spanish 1 to fulfill her language credits.

Fortuna enjoys learning new words from her heritage, though she admits that learning three languages simultaneously can be difficult from time to time since the words jumble up together.

“I feel like it’s not hard to remember the new words,” Fortuna said. “It’s more when you’re trying to speak the language. I get mixed up because some words are similar in both Tagalog and Ilocano like milk which is ‘gatas’ but other words would be different.”

Fortuna finds the language-learning process both casual and enjoyable, even incorporating the words she learns into her favorite hobby, crocheting.

“Sometimes if I’m crocheting, I count stitches or practice numbers in [those languages],” Fortuna said.

Similarly, Nguyen’s hobby of binge-watching K-dramas has helped her practice Korean.

“I’ve watched all the K-dramas and stuff like that,” Nguyen said. “So, it’s easier for me to figure out what the words mean.”

Although she is not able to consistently listen to people speak

time.”

Shirhatti also aspires to attain enough fluency in his language to travel in the future, motivating him to continue learning ASL.

His goal is not out of reach since ASL practice can be squeezed into his school hours and does not impact his performance in other classwork.

“I have [an] open period on Mondays and Wednesdays and an open seventh, so I practice then,” Shirhat-

"Its like any other language; when you're younger its much easier to pick up a language [than when] you get older."

Siddharth Shirhatti

the culture fading, Fortuna remains satisfied by learning the language from her parents.

For Fortuna, having the opportunity to learn three languages inspires her to travel the world and be able to speak to locals.

“I hope to be able to get around in a city where people can only speak that language,” Fortuna said. “I don’t want to be stuck and confused all the

ti said. “During the weekend, I spend about four to five hours total weekly.”

Opting to designate his open period to review ASL allows Shirhatti to go through the language learning process efficiently and have time to recharge himself over the weekend from the school week. In addition, Shirhatti believes that his professors are easy to get in touch with and that help is easi-

ly accessible.

“You can go back and rewatch [class videos] any [time],” Shirhatti said. “You can also email and get in contact with instructors if you wanted to. It’s not direct feedback, though you can rewatch the videos as long [or] as much as you want to.”

Nguyen also finds balancing learning Korean with the rest of her schoolwork easy to manage.

“I don’t really review it like outside of the time I’m taking the class,” she said. “But if I was taking the class right now, I would probably review it like 20 minutes a day.”

With the ability to learn any language online, students prefer it compared to learning Spanish that is offered at school, as they can navigate through the course at their own pace and maximize their time to complete other coursework.

Even though this process is easy, Shirhatti emphasizes the importance of learning another language while young.

“It’s like any other language,” Shirhatti said. “When you’re younger it’s much easier to pick up a language [than when] you get older since you retain the information faster.”

Through his journey, Shirhatti believes that thefunnest part of learning ASL is the self satisfaction that grows as he memorizes new vocabulary, which boosts his confidence.

Fortuna, Nguyen, and Shirhatti all vouch that having an authentic interest in the language they learn plays a big role in a student’s success at becoming fluent in the language.

“I feel like it’s very important to choose [a language] you would be interested in as you are more likely to actually follow through and learn deeply [enough] to master [the] language,” Shirhatti said.

Ear Blasting Brilliance

Tune into the origin of Tinnitus and the art of performing

ARTICLE BY KARA LUAYON • PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRENNER MALONE ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY LANCE PERAZA

the pandemic. After seeing him play, Huynh saw how talented he was. So, a year later when he asked her to create a band, she immediately agreed.

In the beginning, it was just the two of them. However, they wanted to bulk up the group, so Huynh suggested they add Heng as a guitarist even though she knew Heng had little experience in playing the guitar at that time. Huynh was unsure Heng and Pham would get along, but in reality, they did.

“I’ve been playing drums since sixth grade,” Huynh said. “After five years of playing, I wanted to bump up my skills and create a band with my friends.”

Huynh first gained interest in the drums after learning how to play simple beats and drumming basics on a bucket drum in a music class. She later had to perform a small test to show what she had learned.

“I tested and everyone was clapping because I did it perfectly throughout the whole thing,” Huynh said. “I felt praised for the first time in a long time.”

That feeling eventually drew her to committing to play the drums. Huynh’s drum instructor told her that playing with others could help bring her skills to the next level, so she always dreamed of being part of a band. Garnering some experience from recitals, Huynh was eager to find other talented musicians to play with.

Eagles Advanced Band.

Chinta has been in choir since middle school and often sings and performs Carnatic music, a type of South Indian music.

“I wanted to sing not just for my culture in India, but with my friends as well,” Chinta said.

She also performed at the 2023 talent show as a solo act, which was when Tinnitus decided to have a main vocalist in the upcoming school year. Originally, Pham did vocals for the band—which he showcased at the talent show—but there was no designated person for singing. Chinta asked Huynh to join Tinnitus in their junior year and became a confirmed member that summer.

At the time, Malone was also interested in joining a band. When Huynh offered him the bassist position in Tinnitus, he happily agreed. Due to Pham’s departure from the band after his graduation, Huynh recruited Malone after seeing his skills as Tinnitus was in need of a bassist.

Huynh does not describe herself as the leader but rather describes Tinnitus as a team and believes that each member has their own roles that they play. She wants to make sure that the other opinions for the band are heard and they all help make decisions rather than just one person choosing what they do.

When they performed at this year’s homecoming rally, both Malone and Chinta experienced stage fright. Chinta found playing at the rally especially nerve-wracking when the microphone was having trouble at the beginning of the performance. She deals with her nerves by faking her confidence until it feels real.

“It really does feel like a dream come true”

- Maryann Huynh

“Once I start singing, the fright goes away,” Chinta said.

Malone’s stage fright has stemmed from his anxiety that he currently experiences. He does not use any breathing techniques as he finds they do not work for him; instead, he faces his anxiety headon and waits it out until the end of the performance. His experience with the UPA Concert Band has also helped him overcome his stage fright.

“It’s fun enough to the point where I can just ignore it,” Malone said.

Malone has only been playing the bass for two years, but has been playing in the UPA Band since seventh grade. Originally, he was drawn to the bass due to his favorite part of songs being the basslines. He also attempted learning to play the guitar which he did not enjoy as much and decided to stick to bass.

Huynh also faces challenges with stage fright. When overwhelmed by nervousness, she reminds herself to keep a positive mindset.

“[I tell myself] I’m going to crush this, and I’m going to show everyone what we’ve practiced throughout the month.” Huynh said.

When preparing for a performance, rehearsals last from one to two hours in Huynh’s garage during school breaks. They also practice individually before performances. During rehearsals, they first practice their individual parts then combine them all together and practice a few times.

Outside of being a band, the members of Tinnitus are close friends. Chinta found

scheduling meet ups to be one of the most chal lenging aspects of being in a band because their extracurriculars interfere with their schedules. Despite that, they often use rehearsals to catch up with each other.

The band got its unique name, after Heng joked that their loud playing would give them tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears caused by exposure to loud sounds or head injuries, and the members unanimously agreed that would be their band name.

Three of the members take inspira tion from rock and indie artists. Both Malone and Huynh tend to gravitate towards indie music when it comes to their playing style. Huynh also enjoys the sound of Paramore’s alternative indie music from their earlier years. For Huynh, the simple beats that are often played in indie music make it one of her favorite genres to play. Indie artist King Krule is a big role model for Malone and he really enjoys his music. As for Chinta, singing rock and indie songs is not her usual choice. She tends to sing pop songs, but being in Tinnitus has helped expand her musical range. The range of the song “Still Into You” by Paramore, which they performed at the homecoming rally, was a bit higher than Chinta’s usual range, but she found it enjoyable being able to step out of her comfort zone.

In the future, Tinnitus hopes to perform for audiences outside of UPA. Chinta had the idea of busking or street performing and Huynh is interested in playing in a small cafe.

They also hope to have more performances for UPA in the near future at rallies and other events. Huynh hopes that Tinnitus could stay together after graduation, but it depends where the members choose to attend college. Aside from that, the members enjoy being able to play music with their friends and share it with others.

“It really does feel like a dream come true,” Huynh said.

From left to right, Seniors Karen Heng, Maryann Huynh, Brenner Malone, and Aahna Chinta take a group photo after practicing.

Delving into the interworkings of student businesses

ARTICLE BY SNEHA MADAN • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY ANGEL FROUMIS

ome students join clubs, some are athletes, but others decide to invest their time in starting their own businesses.

Sophomore Emily Uy designs toploaders for photocards and sells them to friends in and out of the UPA community. Uy’s love for K-pop led to her collecting photocards of different members of groups over the years. Hoping to keep them clean, she started obtaining toploaders, durable plastic cases to protect them. After trying out new hobbies about a year ago, she found

causing wasted materials, Uy enjoys running this business. Additionally, she believes the idea of a local business fur ther appeals to the school community as it increases students’ trust in what they’re purchasing.

“Some people don’t trust online sellers and they could probably get a scam or fake one, so finding one trustworthy at your school is helpful,” Uy said.

Uy started her business early in the year, selling her toploaders for $3 to $5, which she based on the prices of materials as well as the hope of making it reasonable for cus tomers. She hopes to provide for those who may not be able to buy online and mainly focuses on promoting her business through her Instagram account, @flwrseungminn, where she posts her toploaders for sale. She then reposts and advertises it more through her personal account and her friends do the same to help support her business.

“WHEN PEOPLE SAY ‘OH IT’S SO CUTE’, IT WARMS MY HEART” -KAYLEE NGUYEN

Ciana Fortuna and have crocheted since Sept. 2022 and started selling their handmade crocheted stuffed animals in January of 2023. Initially, both of them joined UPA’s crochet club, Yarn Over, and their interest grew, inspiring them to create a business. So far, they’ve been successful in their hopes to make money to pay for the yarn and other supplies to construct their products. They stick to only selling stuffed animals rather than clothing or other crocheted items due to the cost of making them as well as the complexity of the patterns. Together, they created their business—known as @ceekalecrochets._—on Instagram.

Both Fortuna and Nguyen find it rewarding as they see their customers happy with the prod-

“When people say ‘Oh it’s so cute,’ it

They take orders through their Instagram, charging $10 to $50 depending on

Fortuna and Nguyen work individually to evenly split the workload depending on the time, their availability and the amount of orders. While balancing the time they spend on their business with school and other commitments, they found creating a time-blocked schedule in order to prioritize their work helpful.

“Setting goals is really good, like finishing this part by this time,” Fortuna said.

Always having her supplies with her, Uy likes to create different ideas and designs in her freetime.

“Sometimes I want to not look at my phone and want a break because my eyes hurt,” Uy said. “So I turn to something that’s right beside me,” Uy said.

Additionally, she hopes to grow her business further and promote her toploaders online to other websites as she gets more income. She wants to continue building her presence as she advertises more online and eventually be able to sell her products throughout the Bay Area.

Similarly, Fortuna and Nguyen strive to keep growing their business in the future. As current freshmen, they aspire to continue it through high school on the side hoping to eventually put up an online store as well.

“We’re crafty people and we just wanted to share that with everyone else,” Nguyen said.

it is we who Plan the Protests

Gen Z makes activism widely accessible in the digital age

ARTICLE BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY ZAINAB SHAIKH

Protesting and boycotting have deep historical roots that allow communities to express dissent against certain powers. Throughout history, various movements utilized these forms of resistance to challenge oppressive systems and demand justice. The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. during the 1950s and 1960s is a notable example, where nonviolent protests and boycotts—such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott— played a pivotal role in challenging racial segregation.

The Editorial Board, composed of Gen Z, noticed that as technology evolves, so do methods of activism.

In the digital age of social media and online subcultures, we believe that Gen Z is one of the most tech-savvy generations. Towards the end of 2023, various communities begun calling for boycotts on companies that support Israel’s Zionist movement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Starbucks, McDonald’s and Disney. To support pro-Palestinian causes, Zoomers came up with creative methods of activism to advocate for change, while simultaneously using traditional ways of boycotting to stand in alliance with different communities in general.

Members of Gen Z create artwork to gather funds to donate to Palestine. Not long ago, a watermelon filter in support of Palestine went viral on TikTok for fundraising money in support of injured children in Gaza. According to the article “A TikTok Watermelon Fil-

ter Raising Money for Gaza Highlights the Platform’s Potential for Fundraising” by Moises Mendez II, augmented reality artist Jourdan Johnson created the filter and uploaded it to TikTok, which features a simple tracing game—users must drag a watermelon across a squiggly line to collect seeds, generating money. Through the “TikTok’s Effect Creator” program, every time someone uses the filter, Johnson earns money and then donates to charities in Gaza.

Multiple social media accounts are also spreading awareness about the conflict. TikTok account Eye on Palestine (@eye.on.palestine) posts hourly updates on Palestine, death tolls, the documented lives of Palestinians, and families being separated by the Israeli Defense Forces. Instagram has also given a platform to Palestinian creators and journalists actively living through the conflict. Content creator and journalist Bisan Owda (@wizard_bisan1 on Instagram) documents her and others’ lives while actively living in a warzone, broadcasting the physical and psychological damage done to her people and family. Thanks to Owda and countless other journalists, netizens and primarily those who are Gen Z, they share these posts to alert others about what is happening in Palestine.

Now you may be thinking; “Does boycotting actually work? Will I actually make a difference by ignoring the McDonald’s and Starbucks near our school?”

The answer to that is, “Yes, you will. Boycotting works.”

Ever since boycotts targeted Starbucks in mid-November, Starbucks lost $12 billion in stock market value; in fact, Starbucks stockshed 7.4% in the last month, the lowest it has been in years, according to the article “Consumer boycotts of Starbucks and McDonald’s show greater impact outside the U.S.” by Divya Murthy. Additionally, other brands such as Huda Beauty came out as pro-Palestinian. Huda Beauty’s founder and owner, Huda Kattan, has been vocal about the conflict on her Instagram and says she is prepared to “risk her entire business” on her pro-Palestine stance. With major companies standing in alliance with the people of Palestine, their voices are uplifted and projected on a global scale.

As fellow members of Gen Z and a voice serving the students of UPA, the Editorial Board implores you to take action. Now, unlike ever before, modes of activism have become accessible to everyone. As long as you have access to the internet, you have the power to use your voice to take a stand on what you believe in. There are no more excuses not to get involved in activism; your resources, amount of money you can donate or time you can spend lobbying are no longer limiting factors. With the press of a button—the use of a filter, the click of the “share” icon and the “follow” of an account—we have instant access to our own personal platforms for change. Understand this power you hold, and use it.

QUEENDOM Rap

Gender norms have shifted in the past few decades. So has the rap game.

ARTICLE BY SHELBY BYRD • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY CHRISTOPHER PARK

With the Spotify app, scan the barcode to listen to Byrd’s female rapper playlist!

Editor’s note: Explicit Language and Content

To step into the two generations of rap, you have to dig deeper. Growing up surrounded by African-American culture, music has always been associated with my identity. The specific details that make it music is what draws me in. The art of rap is an upbringing of lyrical flow and different ideas from people.

A lot of people listen to just the beat and not the lyrics. While growing up in a predominantly White neighborhood as a Black person, music was one of the only ways to connect to Black society. People of color have expressed the obstacles they face— like discrimination—in their music; the music videos show the culture of how they dress and act, and what is trendy to say. It was the only outlet that I had to connect to people who looked like me, which helped me find myself more because I did not just hear lyrics, I heard the meaning behind it and saw all of the different qualities of African-Americans’ thought process.

Having sisters that grew up in the 1990s meant that I spent much of my early childhood listening to iconic names: Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Salt-n-Pepa, Da Brat and Queen Latifah. As I got older, rap started to expand to a bigger crowd of people who were not just Black all over the U.S. From the early 2000s to today, more women felt comfortable producing in the music industry. I found so much information from researching women’s rap and how it rapidly started growing. According to Mediated Pop, as rap started to become popular in the 1980s and 1990s, the majority of the artists were men.

Even though the 1990’s produced female singers like Lauryn Hill, most of them were just features that appeared on male tracks. In recent decades, more women have had the courage to become standalone artists, some of these people being Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Ice Spice, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion and City Girls.

Adolescence is all about finding yourself and your interests. Music is a tool teenagers, like me, use to help pave the way for them. Teens usually find refuge in music because it can help them feel not alone. It is like an escape from reality when someone just needs to get away from their life. As well as messages that could help some-

one out of a dark place or encourage them to keep going. Modern-day music is really diverse and complex. Modern rap has key characteristics that consist of what is catchy and trending.

Women first “took over” over rap in the 1990s. When women started to enter the rap industry, they took the world by storm. The main names that you would think of at this time in women’s rap were Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Salt-n-Pepa, Da Brat and Queen Latifah. 1990s rap was more about telling a story and expressing the everyday struggles that they see through the life they live.

Since most rappers are Black, most rap songs are about love, growing up in lower income neighborhoods and the racism that they face. Queen Latifya was one of the most legendary female rappers and helped pave the way for rappers later on. Her lyrics spoke to both women and men across the world. To me, 1990s lyrics will forever be unmatched. She also set the way

Adolescence is all about finding yourself and your interests—music is something teenagers use to help pave the way for them.”

for Black women to be able to rap and feel comfortable doing it. When I hear her music, I can tell she is doing what she is meant to be doing.

In this generation, Nicki Minaj is considered the queen of rap by many. Her lyrics in certain songs hold meaning to her and her fans. Her audience also tends to find it very entertaining. However, her songs are more upbeat. Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and many more also maintain this style of rapping. I also consider her to be the queen of rap. She just personally is not my favorite female rapper.

They focus more on trending, fast and upbeat music. Do not get me wrong, their music is still really good, but it is hard to find people who use their words to convey messages in a less whimsical way within this generation. However, rap is more than

just about having a deeper meaning—it is a way for people to have fun and express themselves.

Nicki Minaj and Cardi B both speak about more fun aspects of life and show how it can be more amusing. I personally like to listen to more upbeat rap songs that show a more playful side. I do like when rap songs have a calmer beat and express a message at the same time, but sometimes I just do not care to listen to something calm and heavier. I often tend to want more of a fun time than a serious time.

Their use of rap to convey a message is similar between the two different generations. They use their lyrics to represent their feelings. Although both generations might be talking about different situations, they are still both doing it for a reason and have a meaning behind their lyricism. Though the 1990s still has more of a deeper meaning to tell the world when relating a message to their audience, the 2000s seems to deal more with lust, love, and anger in the music.

If someone asks me which generation is the best, it would depend. When it comes to lyrics and beats, I would consider it a tie based on what type of mood I am in when listening to music. But when it comes to the melody, the 2000s win. For the best 1990s rapper, I would choose Queen Latiyfa for her poetic words. I like her lyrics and how it flows with her music.

However, the way of the 1990s just does not really interest me as much as the 2000s style does. This could partially be due to the fact that I was not born in the 1990s so I care less for it then I do in the 2000s. But overall, if I had to pick, I like the 2000s music better. I choose the 2000s because it is very playful and loose, which goes more with my personality. I enjoy more of an ecstatic mood which the 2000s can give me more than the 1990s does.

ARTICLE BY JESSICA DO • ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY CELINA TANDON

ehind he BT S eams

Cutting into the fast fashion industry’s societal impact.

Somewhere in the world, a person scrolls and buys from Shein, unknowingly contributing to the afflictions on our planet. Over-consumerism has struck a recent rise in society—and one of its biggest contributors? Fast fashion. With its addicting trends and low pricing, the industry of fast fashion presents dangers to the planet and the humans who live on it.

Fast fashion companies are brands that produce low-quality and low-priced clothing. They quickly provide pieces that are trendy or hot for the time. Commonly known stores include H&M, Zara, Forev er 21 and Uniqlo. Affordability and style ranges make the industry so hard to let go for the millions of people it attracts. These brands are deeply integrated into society. Not only can these stores be found in local malls, but most companies have easy-ac cess websites filled with more products to browse and shop. Despite the seemingly high list of pros, fast fashion carries many negative effects.

While looking into why fast fashion con tinues to dominate the community, sopho more Thu Nguyen and freshman Ceesay added consumer perspectives.

“I find it more affordable for me per sonally because in person when I go into stores, it’s a lot more expensive,” Nguyen said. “I just don’t feel comfortable spend ing that much on a pair of jeans.”

Shein—one of the major leading com panies in the fast fashion industry—is an accessible online storefront that has reached many loyal customers through its justifiable pricing.

In the same manner, Ceesay frequently shops at Shein. She admires the effective ness and quick arrival of well-priced cloth ing.

“It’s really cheap, affordable, quick and easy to get in a matter of a week or so,” Ceesay said.

As time progresses, regular stores increase the prices of their products, leading people to turn to more cost-effective solutions. Like Nguyen said, it seems unreasonable to spend large sums of money on clothing when you can go somewhere else for much cheaper. Hoodies regularly range from $40 to $150, while Shein provides the same style for under $20. The public faces the dilemma of prioritizing affordability over being sustainable.

“They update their trends a lot more quicker and they have more variety,” Nguyen said. “There’s more clothes to pick from.”

Fast fashion helps people stay up to date with trends and connect with their online community; they rapidly cater to all kinds of styles. People can quickly look for all their fashionable needs in one place, with a couple of clicks.

In most cases, the industry focuses on the quantity of their clothing over its quali-

ample, Madonna’s start to the low-rise jean trend. Since its popularity, the piece continues to pop up as a trend every few years and can be seen on fast fashion websites today. When people see celebrities wear a certain style or piece of clothing, they want to replicate their idols. The items become popular, and fast fashion companies are quick to produce them for the mass public. The swift production and affordable prices are why it is extreme- ly appealing.

Junior Melawit Solomon

Instagram and TikTok give a place for people to access and connect to these fastpaced trends. Not only do trends start from celebrities, but they also blossom from regular people wearing clothes and posting about them on social media.

With price tags too great to turn down, buyers will mindlessly fill their closets. Spending most of its time in the depths of a person’s wardrobe, the clothing is rarely worn or touched. They become considered “old” after the trends pass and are rarely worn once or twice. Ultimately, it will be thrown out into landfills when the trendiness of the article dies down.

“There’s so many microplastics that endanger animal life in the sea, sea life, and it damages people’s sources of water,” Solomon said. “In many countries, the places people go to get water are all polluted.”

According to Boston University, 34 billion pounds of textile waste and clothing end up in landfills each year. The built-up waste brings an abundance of health concerns for those living near the landfills and affects climate change entirely.

Environmental activists like Matilda Lartey warn others on the environmental risks. Fast fashion products encourage textile waste. When pieces of clothing decompose, they emit chemicals like methane that pollute the land, air and soil. The pollution then endangers the health of people, animals and other living beings. Clothing can block gutters and limit the normal flow of water, as well.

and cleaning. Exposure to these chemicals can cause problems like skin irritation and other health issues.

Shipping is a large aspect of the industry and is known to be a major contributor to carbon emissions. According to the Carbon Literacy Project and Center for Biological Diversity, from shipping alone, fast fashion makes up 10% of the global pollution through carbon.

On top of the extreme waste, fast fashion factories poorly treat their workers. Laborers face working long hours, unlivable wages, and health risks. In 2017, workers of H&M’s factory in Myanmar protested for better wages with their monthly pay being $63. In comparison, the average monthly salary in Myanmar is 106 per capita.

Because of its lack of quality, the material lacks comfortability. Together, with several reviews on the internet and the company website itself, there have been multiple complaints about the clothing. Some note about the breakage in washing machines and relentless wrinkles.

Despite its controversies, regular clothing stores are very expensive and buying from this industry seems to be the best solution. However, there are many ways to be sustainable as well as cost-effective when buying clothing. A great, sustainable alternative would be thrifting: buying things second hand. Thrift stores vary in different styles and have affordable prices, similar to what makes fast fashion so attractive.

Freshman Azlyn Pasco, an avid thrifter, finds it is a perfect way to meet her fashionable desires.

“Obviously, it’s very appealing because, if you can’t afford the original, and you still want it, you’re gonna go to a cheaper source”

- Melawit Solomon

Fast fashion plays a role in the world’s water pollution. The production of clothing requires extreme amounts of water. Results from studies conducted by the Business Review at Berkeley University stated that 79 trillion liters of water are used yearly in the processes.

When the used water is dumped into waterways, it is filled with toxic chemicals from the mixture of dyes. The harmful toxins are due to the toxic dyes that are widely used for the clothing. In addition to the dye residue, microfibers and metals are found in the water. Weak regulations lead to the water imposing another threat by contaminating clean water for drinking

In the past years, Bangladeshi workers had a weeklong protest against the factories they worked in, companies these manufacturers belonged to included H&M and Zara. The toxicity and exploitation of workers continue to be unaddressed.

Along with the environmental and ethical issues, the material of these cheap clothing pieces is not likable in some cases.

“I typically avoid fast fashion because they are not going to be really high quality for me,” Gamino said. “I like all my high quality stuff, and mainly what’s pushing me away is the reviews on there. I see a lot of reviews that say stuff like how the T-shirts are low quality or uncomfortable,” Gamino said.

“Thrifting is really diverse,” Pasco said. “You find a lot of people and styles there. You can get a wide variety of clothing that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

To continue sustainability, one should always opt to donate unused or unwanted items. Instead of disposing of clothing that are no longer wanted, decide to bring them to local thrift or second-hand stores.

“I definitely recommend thrifting to others,” Pasco said. “It’s really convenient, cheap and easy. You could also donate your clothing and continue the cycle.”

Some stores can include Goodwill and Hope Thrift. Keep in mind that waste build-up can be composed of anything thrown into the landfills, not just fast fashion productions. In donating, clothing pieces will find new closets and be happily worn, not polluting the planet or sitting in the back of your closet.

“The production of fast fashion is environmentally terrible,” Solomon said. “It produces so much waste and it’s all non-renewable sources.”

Solomon foresees that fast fashion companies will continue to affect our planet as long as people continue to give into its facade. There are various ways to find places to buy clothing, but only one planet: one chance.

Brews & reviews

Student opinions on the Cathedral Cafe

ARTICLE, PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATION, & DESIGN BY SAMIRA MADDEN

The Cathedral Cafe is operated by the Cathedral of Faith. After a temporary shutdown to UPA students in 2022 and renovations, the cafe became the campus’s new hot spot. The cafe became especially popular to highschool students as it is near the school amphitheater. The cafe serves a variety of coffees, smoothies and pastries with accompanying seating both inside and outside. Senior Sharon Pham is a student employee at the Cathedral Cafe, working every Wednesday afterschool. When the 7 p.m. rush arrives, Pham’s adrenaline is pumped.

“I like when it’s busy because I get to lots of drinks and every thing is just double the

fun under pressure,” Pham said.

In her first solo shift, she was fulfilled with words of encouragement and opened a new passion for interacting with customers. These interactions build up Pham’s love for the Cathedral Cafe as it is a very positive and family friendly environment where everyone is welcome. She appreciates how close knit the community is.

Pham’s Favorite menu item to make is espresso, describing it as a latte but in dif-

“Seeing all the care and precision I put in and turning into the perfect shot of espresso makes me happy every time.”

On the menu, she recommends espresso based drinks such as lattes and mochas as well as the raspberry hibiscus tea and the smoothies for non coffee drinkers. Pham considers the toasted marshmallow latte and hot chocolate the most overrated drinks on the menu and recommends the s’mores mocha instead because of its s’more-accurate flavor.

Senior Joshua Joseph enjoys his regular order of a chocolate chip cookie.

“Its cheap and a good substitute for when I don’t have lunch,” Joseph said.

Although Joseph enjoys the food items from the cafe, he dislikes the long line and believes the menu items to be a little pricey.

Senior Naman Nair indulges in a cheese danish.

[The danish] “ Its nothing too fancy but its a salty and savory snack” Nair said.

He enjoys the cheese danish heated up as it is better warm in the cold conditions outside. Nair enjoys the cafe but finds it to be a little pricey.

Freshman Abigail Vo invests in a toasted cheese bagel.

[ The bagel] “is warm and its nice as it has been cold outside” Vo said.

When Vo doesn’t have lunch she goes to the cafe to get a Cheese bagel as the cafe is on campus and A decent price.

ICED COFFEES

Sophomore Meghana Satty experiences a great deal of stress and sleepless nights in which she attributes caffeine as her energy boost.

“I’m usually very sleepy, so I need a caffeine booster, so I come to the cafe,”Satty said.

Satty recommends a caramel frappuccino to any curious students at the cafe.

Sophomore Leona Cerrato visits the Cathedral Cafe about once every other week. Cerrato enjoys a vinilla latte priced at $5.75

With the uprising of the cafe, students have rated and suggested their favorite and not so favorite items to other students who have not been to the cafe.

ICED TEAS

For non coffee lovers, Cerrato recommends a strawberry black tea priced at $5.

“It is refreshing and tastes like strawberry lemonade, it is also cheaper than some other drinks,” Cerrato said.

Cerrato enjoys the Cathedral Cafe because they have good quality coffee and teas, and it’s convenient.

Sophomore Mia Munoz finds joy in going to the cafe.

“I sit at the cafe with my friends and I love the vibe of the cafe, it’s cozy and aesthetic, it’s also my source of lunch” Munoz said.

Munoz recomends the peach black tea because it is refreshing, not too sweet and affordable, priced at $4.50.

Sophomore Amanda Ortega enjoys a raspberry hibiscus green tea one to two times a week.

“It’s a good drink for people who don’t like [drinks that are] too sweet,” Ortego said.

in a while,

CROC-odile

With the infamous Classic Clogs’ rise to fame, UPA students with their own pair tell their stories.

ARTICLE BY ZAHRA SHAIKH • PHOTO, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY NADIA HAMILTON

These practical rubber shoes have been categorized as “ugly” for a while now, with only parents purchasing them, but times have changed and so have the trends. Is the footwear that was once labeled as only for kids making a comeback as the epitome of the perfect go-to shoes?

Crocs, a company manufacturing shoes of different styles, made its name known all around the globe. Their shoes are made out of their trademarked “closed-cell resin,” Croslite, designed to absorb impact and maximize cushioning. The successful brand is most notably recognized for its Classic Clogs. The popularity of these shoes stem from their comfort, practicality and the trend-followers on social media platforms in early 2020. In the past years, Crocs have been credited as an ugly shoe, but social media boosted their popularity.

Junior Sumeyye Koc has been an active user of Crocs since elementary school. Koc owns three pairs of the Classic Clogs, in three different colors: purple, yellow and tie-dye. Koc bought her first pair of Crocs in second grade when she and her elementary school friend bought the purple Classic Clogs together. By the time Koc bought her second pair of Crocs in 2021, they had become a trend on social media platforms. Despite their growing popularity, she continued to buy Crocs due to her fond childhood memories of the shoes rather than their popularity online.

“The comfort of Crocs and being able to do anything in them [like] run around and go on hikes [made great memories],” Koc said. “I just wanted to buy Crocs again.”

Aside from her yellow Crocs, which shrank due to being left in the sun for too long, Koc emphasizes the shoes’ durability.

“My purple ones, the first ones I ever bought, lasted for a few years,” Koc said. “I was wearing them on and off even when

my foot grew. They’re not restricting.”

TikTok, along with other social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, have popularized these shoes through sponsorships, celebrity endorsements and fashion trends. Before 2020, Crocs were seen as “ugly” and were mostly worn by kids. During the pandemic though, Crocs were just one of the many items to be popularized.

“My brother said ‘Don’t get them, they’re ugly’, but once they became a trend he wanted them too,” Koc said.

However, she also thinks the popularity of Crocs is justified through their features.

“I feel like Crocs are more practical than regular slides or slippers,” Koc said. “I have had them since I was little, so it’s not really a trend sort of thing. I got it because I’ve been wanting them even before they were a trend.”

“Sports mode,” a term popularized by

“The comfort of Crocs and being able to do anything in them [like] run around and go on hikes [made great memories]. I just wanted to buy Crocs again.”

- Sumeyye Koc

teenagers on social media, is used to describe how the Clogs are worn when the strap attached on the Clogs is behind the ankle, providing support when users are walking or running. With the reinforcement and security, it tends to help people’s feet not slip out and makes them run faster. Creating a joke out of putting Crocs into “sports mode,” the Tiktok community further propelled the brand into internet fame.

“With sport mode, you could run quickly. With regular slippers you can not do that because you are scared of slipping,” Koc said.

Though with the brand’s prosperity, there have also been some issues that arose. Freshman Ruhi Vashishat got her

first pair of Classic Clogs in April 2023 for her eighth grade Washington D.C. trip. Vashishat had been wanting the clogs for a while and thought the school trip was a perfect opportunity to wear them. Vashishat noticed that ever since Crocs became trendy, their prices increased. According to World Trade, it takes approximately one dollar to make a pair of Clogs; yet, they can retail for around forty dollars.

“I feel like that’s TikTok’s fault and all the trend ‘followers’,’” Vashishat said.

Additionally, Vashishat has had problems with tripping on the front portion of the Clogs because of their wide shape.

“[Crocs are] the reason why I sprained my ankle,” Vashishat said. “I got hurt from it multiple times because I fell.”

Even so, Vashishat does not feel that one bad incident takes away from her overall experiences with Crocs. She still wears them on a daily basis and enjoys decorating them too.

Jibbitz, charms to put on the front portion of the Clogs where there are holes, are another reason why the shoes have gotten popular. Crocs sells them on their website, but Jibbitz are also sold on different storefronts as well. Vashishat has decorated her white Crocs with basketball Jibbitz, a memorable sport for her.

“It just reminds me of my childhood because I would play with my cousins a lot,” Vashishat said. “I love the basketball [Jibbit].”

Ultimately, Koc’s opinion is that Crocs are practical shoes that are easy to wear and durable.

“I wore Crocs once and told my friend how comfortable it is, and then she wanted Crocs,” Koc said. “ [Crocs] always have that nostalgic feeling so I love wearing them.”

“Let’s get Chaat and Chat!

Reviewing Indian snacks around the Bay Area

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY NEHA JRAL & APARNA AYYADEVARA • LLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY NEHA JRAL

Chole curry from Chaat Paradise Express in Evergreen.

Pani Puri from Chaat Bhavan in Fremont.

hard, too crunchy and flaky which was unappe

Samosa Chaat from Chaat Cafe in San Jose.

#PageTurner

Digital influencing changes the reading landscape

ARTICLE BY CECE LE MESSURIER • ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY KARA LUAYON

. rom book recommendations to tips on writing novels, book content on social media has been trending since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This side of social media has earned various nicknames over different platforms, such as “Booktok” (Tiktok), “Bookstagram” (Instagram) and “Booktube” (Youtube). Booktok is known to have originated from writers wanting to promote their upcoming work, but eventually turned into a platform for readers, writers and publishers around the world to discuss opinions of books and interact within the

read that I found online has been incredi ble,” Guevara said.

Book content is not only viewed on Tiktok, but also across multiple other social media platforms. Sophomore Inayet Husain keeps up with book related content through Instagram. He has been familiar with Bookstagram for about a year, acknowledging the rise of book social media since then.

through just one genre as there are many types of genres that could be included as well. Guevara agrees and notices the similarity in the genre of books recommended on her feed.

“I think it’s definitely appealing to more people,” Husain said. “More people

“It definitely tends to focus more on romance, which is great and awesome. However, I definitely would like a wider range of topics,” Guevara said.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid as well as “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston. Eighth grader began reading as a hobby during the pandemic and soon after she found out about “Booktok eventually made me want to read more,” Anwar

She was hooked on Booktok after reading “Six Crimson Cranes,” by Elizabeth Lim, which she was recommended to on Tiktok.

Similar to Anwar, sophomore Andrea Guevara discovered Booktok just prior to the pandemic. Guevara has been a reader since she was in second grade, but her passion for reading spiked after spending time on Booktok, becoming a big fan of the books recommended to her.

“Almost every single book that I’ve

“I’ve found myself reading something I’m not really interested in just so I could feel included.”

- Andrea Guevara

these days are scrolling on Instagram Reels so I definitely think it’s open to more people.”

There have been quite a few books that Husain wishes to look into that he has discovered through Instagram, including the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series by Sarah J Maas. He enjoyed the first book in the series and wishes to continue the series for that reason. He found that most of the book recommendations he encountered, including the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, appeals to his favorite genres: science fiction and fantasy.

While he recognized that most recommendations are of similar genres, he

Despite the initial good recommendations from Booktok, Anwar later became disappointed after reading various books, including “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros and “Spice Road” by Maiya Ibrahim due to a dislike of the plot line or the overcomplication of the plot. She also found some Booktok recommendations to be overly fastpaced and crammed in order to fit the rest of the story in instead of telling the story in a more enticing and concise way.

“I really liked some books that I found but some books are a complete waste of my time,” Anwar said.

The recommendations Anwar comes across seem to greatly disappoint her despite the large amount of fanfare a book may get.

“A lot of the time, Booktok [recommends] books that are gonna put you in a reading slump because they overhype them,” Anwar said.

Guevara has a similar notion. She believes that the impact social media is having on readers is immense and push es reading towards many more people. Despite that, she ob serves there to be a

sense of peer pressure for people to read books just because they are popular and a stereotype that readers read the same way and the same books. This leads Guevara to feel a need to fit in by doing what social media portrays as “what everyone else does”.

“I’ve found myself reading something I’m not really interested in just so I could feel included,” Guevara said.

Anwar believes that there is a stereotype on Booktok of readers being a fixed type of person, with everybody liking the same genres and authors.

“They stereotype it a lot that readers are like one thing, one genre, one setting,” Anwar said.

ommendations from Booktok, she finds it difficult to find the right books for her.

overhyped on booktok,” Anwar said. “If you go in depth into Booktok, like really in depth, you’ll find really good books. However, other books will just be so bad because you see them everywhere.”

trends on social media like Anwar which seem to possess a narrow view of the hobby of reading and the books shown on various platforms. He wishes for Bookstagram to delve deeper into the reader’s experience too, not sim ply giving a book review.

have other hobbies and reading is not always encompassing one’s entire life.

Guevara feels as if there is also a stereotype on Tiktok, and frequently notices through videos on Tiktok that readers seem to need to have a large collection of books to be considered a ‘real reader’. She thinks that there are so many alternatives to reading books other than physical copies, such as audiobooks and ebooks, as well as many cheaper options to find books at places like

“They never really talked about the experience of reading itself,” Husain said. “It’s more of the book they’re reading and whether you should read it.”

Anwar found that Booktok influencers put out a narrative on social media saying that readers absolutely love every book they find and spend their entire life reading when in her experience as a reader, she believes that to be completely untrue. In Anwar’s eyes, reading does not have to be one’s entire personality to identify as a reader, and that not everything in somehas to connect back to books. People can

Reading doesn’t need to be this super expensive hobby,” Guevara

impacts that Books

tagram has on Husain led him to become

Book Recommendations

Haania’s:

“In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle “Caraval” by Stephanie Garbe

“Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo

“The Inheritance Games” by Jenniffer Lynn Barnes

“We Hunt the Flame” by Hafsah Faizal

“An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabah Tahir

“All my Rage” by Sabah Tahir

Inayet’s:

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas

“The Hobbit” by J R. R. Tolkien

Andrea’s:

The “Heartstopper” Series by Alice Oseman.

“Six Times We Almost Kissed” by Tess Sharpe

subject. Husain became specific type of book rec ommendation he receives as well as the lack of a reader’s experience por trayed. However, he views the book recommendations and reviews as fun to watch and intriguing to learn about, which also contributes to his overall opinion on

“A Good Girls Guide To Murder” by Holly Jackson

“Shadow and Bone” by Leigh Bardugo

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins

On the other hand, Guevara gained multiple positive influences from Booktok. Her favorite genre of books changed drastically after spending enough time on Booktok, gravitating to young adult rated romance from fantasy. Although she tries to have variety in her reading choices, romance is definitely now her preferred category of book.

“I tend to gravitate towards YA romance novels because I’m a total hopeless romantic but the content featured in regular romance novels feels gross,” Guevara said.

Anwar possessed a similar ideology, acknowledging that despite her negative experiences with Booktok, it helped her branch out to other genres she had not been interested in before, such as romance.

Another aspect of Booktok Guevara realy enjoys is that her experience of seeing

“I see lots of videos about people’s reactions to things and they don’t feel staged at all,” Guevara said. “They’re very authentic and I had the same reaction reading those books.”

Guevara thinks highly of Booktok despite the some negative implications, believing in the good motive that it was based on. Book content on social media has made a lasting impact on the subject of reading in general and has influenced many people in many ways, whether positive or negative.

“I really think that it is pushing reading out to more people,” Guevara said.