Aquila May 2025 (Vol. 15, Issue 3)

Letter FROM THE Editors -IN- Chief

PHOTOS COURESTY OF UNSPLASH • DESIGN BY LAYLA DANIELS

Four hours, a bottle of eyelash glue (don’t ask) and hundreds of stickers went into the creation of one large mess and two summer scrapbooks for the last cover of Aquila we will ever produce together. It seemed only fitting to end our time together as a dynamic duo with a chaotic creative endeavor completed with a side of Gracie Abrams blasting in the background. As our last year together comes to a close, we hope this issue inspires you to reflect on the year you’ve had and create memories over the summer as incredible as the ones we have made together as a part of Aquila

An annual tradition at almost every high school, “Prom Transports Students to a Night in Venice” on page 5 unpacks this year’s junior and senior prom. Reporters Kriti Pendyala and Hanna Lubinsky get student and teacher opinions on the night filled with memories, including the changes and expectations that accompanied this year’s event.

As the school year comes to an end, the graduating senior class has been through it all and has left their most important advice for all of you, collected by reporter Neha Jral. Their tips cover a variety of topics from academic stress to social life, so we hope you take their expertise to heart and give yourself the best high school experience possible. Read “25 Tips From The Class of ‘25” on page 8.

And of course, we all look forward to relaxing and resetting over summer break. Aquila’s editorial board has put together the ideal summer bucket list full of inspiration and ideas to have a summer filled with fun on page 19 in “Aquila Summer Bucket List”. We hope you make memories this summer with those you love and check off these list items as you go (and we strongly en-

and featuring other artists and their effects on listeners–like all of you–and their mu sic tastes. Read “ Time” on page 31. This issue brings us an extremely bittersweet feeling, knowing that it’s our last one togeth er after all the mem ories we’ve made. We are so proud of our staff and for all the dedica tion and hard work they’ve put into not only this issue, but the past couple as well. We’re also so thankful to all of you for supporting us constant ly and being a part of our journey with Aquila. Without further ado, from your favorite cochiefys, we present to you, Volume 15, Issue 3.

However, the need for a restful summer wouldn’t be as needed without the immense amount of burnout from the school year that preludes it. In “Burn” on page 26, reporters Cece Le Messurier and Kara Luayon dive into the effects of academic and social burnout on UPA students and teachers throughout high school.

But what is a summer without the songs you blast in the car as your eyes take in a glorious sunset in the rearview mirror? Reporter Miles Hines reveals the ways the music industry has evolved through techniques like sampling

Farewell FROM Angel

Illustrating Barbie dresses, eating door-dashed ice cream in a Boston hotel room, becoming well-versed in media law and speaking at two national student journalism conventions are all on the list of things I’ve been blessed enough to do as a part of the Aquila. This publication has changed me, challenged me and altered my perception of what is possible to accomplish not only in high school, but in life. I am endlessly indebted to the people who make up this publication, who were gracious with me when I made mistakes and who never ceased to encourage me during the most stressful moments. I am going to miss this loving family that I’ve been privileged enough to be a part of.

This class was my introduction to the wonders of digital illustration, design editing, leadership and publication management. It is the very reason why I am off to Cal Poly SLO to major in Graphic Design this fall and why I hope to pursue my MBA one day. When I say this class shaped me, I really mean it. Aquila made me realize that this is the kind of inspiring work I want to do every day out there in the real world. I could not have come to this conclusion, however, without some very important people.

I would like to first and foremost thank my amazing Co-Editorin-Chief and best friend Sneha, who fought and won battles with me, dared me to be braver and who stood by my side through every one of our difficult decisions as leaders. I truly could not have taken on this role without you by my side. Our occasional crash outs, our freakishly similar editing style and our shared creative visions are something I will always look back on with such a full heart. Thank you for making me better, thank you for making me laugh and thank you for being one of my most favorite people in this world. Graduating without you makes me incredibly sad but I also know that you will continue to lead this publication with care and skill just as you have done this year with me. Please don’t ever forget how powerful, smart and special you are.

I would also like to thank my incredible editorial board, for making production seamless (most of the time), and for always sharing your fun and fresh ideas. Hearing your input and collaborating with you has been the highlight of this whole experience. You guys are the changemakers and innovators that will make this world a better place.

And of course, Olive, you have been our right hand woman all year long, and I am so incredibly excited for you to step into my role. I have the fullest, most unwavering faith in you and am so incredibly eager to see what you and Sneha will accomplish together as the new dynamic duo.

I also want to take a second to hype up all of our first year student journalists that came into the class this year. You absolutely hit the ground running and astounded me with your bold reporting and your creative and complex designs. I know Aquila will contin-

ue to be in good hands long after I’m gone with you guys at the helm.

Ms. Beary, I was lucky enough to see you tackle your first year as an advisor of this chaotic and incredible publication. I adored watching you learn the ins and outs of the class and rise up to the challenge of leading us. Thank you for your support this year, and for making my last year of journalism a positively scrumptious one.

Lastly, I want to thank Mr. Porter, who made me a better leader and who challenged me to become a stronger journalist. Your support of our publication and your help in establishing a freedom of expression policy made this a historical year for Aquila, and I look forward to seeing what Aquila can continue to do in collaboration with our school.

With that, I sign off for the very last time, and want to leave you with this: Try EVERYTHING, no matter how inadequate you feel, no matter how much the voices in your head tell you that you can’t, take the leap. I did, and I discovered my life’s passion and gained

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.

Aquila Broadcast @upa_aquila upaaquila.org Aquila Podcast upaaquila

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

STAFF ON THE COVER

Editors-in-Chief Angel Froumis & Sneha Madan

The front cover, shot by Samira Madden and designed by Angel Froumis and Sneha Madan, features snacks, drinks and scrapbooks, all representative of the perfect summer beach day. Read “Aquila Summer Bucket List” on page 19.

Managing Editor Olive Luong

Managing Editor Shadow Lena Nguyen

Web Manager Jup Singh

Web Manager Shadow Shelby Byrd

Multimedia Manager Samira Madden

Multimedia Manager Shadow Miles Hines

Publicity Manager Alexa Garcia

Publicity Manager Shadow Aparna Ayyadevara

Copy Editor Lead Cece Le Messurier

Copy Editor Gagandeep Kaur

Copy Editor Hanna Lubinsky

Copy Editor Jayden Tran

Team Editor Lead Nadia Hamilton

Team Editor Haania Anwar

Team Editor Beza Mitachew

Team Editor Kriti Pendyala

Team Editor Aubrey Phung

Team Editor Zahra Shaikh

Team Editor Dylan Sim

Team Editor Lynette Tran

Design Editor Layla Daniels

Design Editor Neha Jral

Design Editor Kara Luayon

Reporter Malhar Desai

Reporter Tasneem Elsayed

Reporter Alana Estrada

Reporter Juliann Jaison

Reporter Solomon Ghebregziabhier

Reporter Harshad Vaidhyanathan

Reporter Yunji Zuo

Adviser Kathryn Beary

BY KARA LUAYON

PROM TRANSPORTS

STUDENTS TO A NighT iN VENiCE

ARTICLE BY KRITI PENDYALA • PHOTOS & DESIGN BY HANNA LUBINSKY

Amelie Bacio (12) and Matthew Tapia (11) browse the dinner selection.

Juniors Kaajil Grewal, Thu Nguyen and Soham Bhatia socialize while waiting for food to be ready.

Physics teacher Matthew Bourbeau gets into the groove to Jhené Aiko’s While We’re Young.

Students are greeted by teachers Loren Schwinge and Esther Chen as they enter the GlassHouse.

This year, UPA’s annual junior and senior prom occurred on Sunday, March 30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The GlassHouse in downtown San Jose. The theme was “A Night In Venice,” meant to recreate the serene, romantic atmosphere of a classic Venetian night with colors like navy blue, ivory and gold incorporated into the decor. The senior prom committee narrowed down theme ideas to a couple of options which were then voted on and finalized by the senior class. The theme this year was one that senior seminar and ASB advisor Esther Chen was very excited about, specifically because of the decorations. The committee used long teal floor to ceiling curtains and white flower centerpieces to create an immersive look that would transport the students to the water filled streets of one of Italy’s most famous cities. The addition of the disco ball and its reflections also contributed to the venue’s natural beauty. Chen felt this year’s prom was extra special and unique for a variety of reasons.

“The biggest [reason] is the location,” Chen said. “We’ve never had [prom] at the GlassHouse before.”

Besides the venue, many students also looked forward to the food at prom, which consisted of a make your own pasta and salad bar with chicken skewers, mini cheese pizzas and garlic bread on the side.

“The food was very luxurious, because of its wide variety of options,” junior Meghana Satty said.

There was also a chocolate fountain with fruit, biscuits, churros and wafers for dessert, as well as unlimited sodas and juices for drinks. Satty felt that the food at prom lived up to its expectations.

By the end of the night, both students and teacher chaperones were under the disco ball dancing to songs like “Gasolina”, “Baby” and “Starships” and classics like the “Cha Cha Slide” and “Cupid Shuffle.”

Overall, many students were happy with UPA’s 2025 prom, from its new venue to the variety of food choices to the songs played on the dance floor. Students like Satty were pleased with the experience and would definitely recommend that future juniors and seniors go to prom.

DiViNg iNTO DEEPSEEK & iTS SPLASh wiThiN ThE Ai iNDUSTRY

ARTICLE BY YUNJI ZUO • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY GAGANDEEP KAUR

What is DeepSeek?

On Jan. 27, 2025, NVIDIA’s stock dropped almost 17%, shedding $598 billion in market cap (the total value of all stock owned by the company), breaking the previous record for market cap loss. This record-breaking loss occurred due to the release of DeepSeek. DeepSeek, a large language model (LLM) created by Liang Wenfeng, CEO of Chinese hedge fund company High-Flyer, uses AI to automate investment decisions. A BBC report explains that DeepSeek can help with everyday tasks in addition to being capable of summarizing text, reportedly being as strong as ChatGPT’s o1 model. However, since it is made and based in China, it may not answer certain questions that are sensitive to the Chinese government, including questions regarding the protests in Tiananmen square from 1989. It is also reported to collect as well as sell data from all users under Chinese laws. According to cisecurity.org, the CCP, with the National Intelligence Law of 2017, requires “any organization or citizen [to] support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work,” also allowing them to compel firms to install backdoors

in equipment or software. Likewise, the 2021 Data Security Law allows “access to, and control of, companies and data within China.” Due to privacy concerns, many countries have banned or restricted its use. Specifically, TechCrunch states that Australia, Japan and South Korea have banned it on government devices.

What is a large language model and why is it important?

Amazon Web Services states that an LLM is a deep learning model with the ability to encode and decode relationships from a sequence of text. They give artificial intelligence models the ability to formulate a response. However, in order to do this, they need good data to be trained on. This process involves feeding data into the LLM and comparing its response to the desired response. Then, the LLM adjusts its response to better fit the desired answer and changes answers for similar prompts. Large language models have many different applications in everyday life. An article from Microsoft states that some uses include providing customer service for businesses, researching topics from the internet and analyzing documents. Furthermore, they can also write code, along with solving complex math equations. Large language models have become pivotal across industries, doing everything from powering customer service chatbots to being used for code generation.

What makes DeepSeek special when compared to Chat GPT?

Business Insider states that it costs OpenAI up to $700,000 a day to keep ChatGPT running. This is due to the large amount of computing power required to generate each message and the costs of maintaining the servers. In comparison, DeepSeek was only trained on a collection of NVIDIA H800 chips, as stated by research from Stanford. Furthermore, SE Ranking indicates that DeepSeek averages a cost of $2.74 per million words processed, while ChatGPT costs $75 per million. A report from Zapier ex plains that DeepSeek specializes in tasks that involve more reaso ning as well as coding tasks. On the other hand, ChatGPT is better at tasks that require more creativity. For example, it is better at writing stories, composing music and generating art. ChatGPT is also integrated into more workplaces and can be customized to answer in more unique ways.

What impact will DeepSeek have on the market?

When ChatGPT first came out, it caused a storm, as it appeared to be a better google search and had many other uses. Other companies quickly scrambled to get their own working LLM, such as Google’s Bard (which later became Gemini), and Facebook’s Meta AI, though none of them came close to ChatGPT. According to Digidop, ChatGPT had control over a large part of the AI sector of the market until the release of DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s release proved that large AI centers are not necessary to train good LLMs, as smaller, more efficient models can still achieve high performance with more optimized techniques. It also decreased the demand for large amounts of high quality GPUs to train good language models, as DeepSeek was only trained on a small collection of H800s, compared to the multiple large data centers used by OpenAI. Ultimately, the release of DeepSeek represents a turning point in the AI industry. By showing that efficiency can outperform raw computational power, it challenges traditional approaches, reshapes AI development and creates a more competitive market.

ARTICLE BY NEHA JRAL • PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLASS OF 2025

• ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY KARA LUAYON

A25 Twenty-Five Tips From Class of

fter four long years of tests and hard work, graduation season is coming, and it’s time for the class of ‘25 to say goodbye. Some members of the class of ‘25 have given advice for everyone to remember during high school or when it’s their turn to be seniors.

#1:“Surround yourself with people that don’t drain you and be sure to stay on top of things for school because it really packs on.” - Abi Beyene

#2:“Don’t let anyone tell you you can't do what you want to do.” - Matthias Rediet

#3:“My personal advice for younger students is to have fun.” - Timothy Le

#4:“For juniors, start your applications early, like in August.” - Elise Njogu

#5: “Take time for yourself and your mental health.” - Austin Clement #6:“Using AI is NEVER an option.”Mathew Carpenter

#7:“Don’t put all your heart into little things. Not everyone is going to like you and don’t care what others think. Focus on yourself. Focus on your future.” - Matthew Kavanattu

#8:“Don’t listen to what others say about you because they’re not going to live your life, so you should be yourself.” - Bethlehem Mitachew

#10:“Just study hard and don’t procrastinate.” - Anthony Hamoud

#13:“Get to know your teachers and the whole staff.” - Gabriel Villavicencio

#16: “Don’t take highschool too seriously, enjoy it.” - Daniella Alvarez

#19:“Have a good social and school life balance.” - Heyab Russom

#11: “Don’t be scared to try new things.” - Dagmawi Kassahun

#9:“You’re going to know when you have finally found your people and circle and you’re going to feel it. It’s not something you have to question.” - Caitlin Earle #12:“Stay true to your own character.” - Emilio Martinez

#14: “Do your work and if you need help, ask teachers and go to office hours.” - Andre Pansoy

#17:“Study, but don't spend all your time and weekend studying.” - Ruth Mengistu

#20: “My advice is to not care so much about what other people think because the only one really judging you is yourself.” - Ashleen Bains

#22: “Enjoy the time you spend with your friends now because it’ll be harder to spend time with them - Catherine Coquilla

#24: “I would definitely use Flip Math for calculus.” - Landon Nguyen

#15: “Take advantage of the fun moments.” - Jesse Jimenez

#18:“Don’t procrastinate and be ahead of your work.” - Sinit Russom

#21:“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. If you change so others would like you, you wouldn’t be you.” - Bucky Isaac

#23: “Take one day at a time. Do not overwhelm yourself. Just focus on what you can do in the present because at the end of the day, you did the most you can, and you did a good job and should be proud of yourself for making it through the day.” - Nhi Do

#25:“Start taking classes that you’re actually interested in and figure out what you like to do. Once you know you’re interested in something, focus on it through internships or volunteer programs or anything like that.”Akshaya Ganesh

Left to right: Angelina Alvarez, Karanveer Singh, Alyssa Cruz and Daniella Alvarez at the Glass House for their senior prom night.

Left to right: Sahasra Vellanki, Daniella Alvarez and Caitlin Earle pose with their mics before the Bachelorette senior event.

Left to right: Gabby Luayon, Ky To, Mathew Carpenter, William Felchlin, Dawson Nguyen, Mark Karegin, DJ Metzger and an outside guest dressed up for their senior prom.

Left to right: Mia Pujol, Bucky Isaac and Anjoleha Flores pose for a picture at the senior movie night.

Memories In Full Bloom

Uncovering the roots beneath UPA students’ favorite flowers

ARTICLE BY JAYDEN TRAN • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY ZAHRA SHAIKH

Walking into a local Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or any produce store for that matter, there’s always what seems like a million options of flowers. Roses, tulips, orchids–each in thousands of different colors. Everybody has their own flower preferences; there’s not one flower that fits all.

Roses have always been seen as the flower of love, single handedly reaching the utmost height of popularity. They’ve made appearances in Greek mythology through tales of the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and in classic literature like “Romeo and Juliet”. While they may be seen as the most popular flower from a general consensus, that’s not always true.

The results of a survey that was sent out to UPA students showed that roses only made up 31% of students’ favorite flowers. Other runner-ups were lilies, tu- lips and orchids mak - ing up 35% of the responses. The other 34% of the graph was made up from around 30 unique choices.

“[Lilies, blue orchids and tulips] spoke out to me more… [other flowers] are basic,” sophomore Galai Ceesay said.

For Ceesay, the desire to be distinct from others plays a role in her choice of favorite flowers. She likes these flowers not only because of the way they look, but because they’re uniquely special to her. Additionally, Ceesay likes these flowers because they’ve made an appearance in various movies she enjoys, like “Cinderella” and “Snow White.”

Junior Jaydan Haddad on the other hand likes roses because of how “underground” he feels they’ve become.

“My favorite [flowers are] roses…a lot of people look over them because they used to be really popular but people started to switch to tulips [and] lilies,” Haddad said.

Correspondingly, special memories and experiences also play a key role in people’s flower preferences.

“My favorite flower at the moment is lavender, because it reminds me of my partner,” freshman TJ Sarmiento said.

Flowers from loved ones hold a special place in Sarmiento’s heart. It was the first time he’d ever gotten flowers, receiving a sign of affection from someone close to him. He also believes that flowers aren’t the only way to show your dedication to someone, but they’re a way to let someone know that you care.

“Many people go out of their way, especially men, for their partners, they always give flowers and gifts but never receive any,” Sarmiento said.

“My favorite flower at the moment is lavender, because it reminds me of my partner.”

- TJ Sarmiento

Both Sarmiento and Haddad agree that it should be normalized for guys to receive flowers. They both agree that it’s unfair for flowers to be singled out for girls, and it’d be nice for guys to receive flowers as well.

Whether for sentimental reasons, aesthetics or individuality, everyone has a story behind their favorite flower. Take the initiative to find out what that story truly is!

made with love

An insider’s guide to creating the perfect homemade drinks

ARTICLE BY AUBREY PHUNG • PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY NADIA HAMILTON

In recent years, according to Mayo Medical Clinic, more than 80% of teens from the age of 13-18 consume caffeine almost every day in the United States. Likewise, 90% of adults ingest caffeine daily as well. For high school students, many of them lack proper sleep from staying up late to study or do home-

work, so they tend to lean on caffeinated beverages such as coffee or energy drinks to get through the day. However, some students and faculty have turned this matter into a hobby, something they incorporate into their daily routines.

Junior Hanane Yimer’s personal drinks of choice are typically either a chai latte or matcha latte. She drinks them mostly in the mornings when she is getting ready for school, and if she doesn’t have the time in the mornings, she will make a drink after school for a little boost of energy.

“I got into drinking chai from Starbucks. I was done paying $7 for my drink, so I began making my own drinks at home,” Yimer said.

Purchasing drinks from cafes and stores isn’t the most affordable, especially for high school students. So after watching a few tutorial videos and exper-

English teacher Edward Voss enjoys drinking a multitude of different tea blends, typically brewing tea leaves and doing focus sessions throughout his day.

In the mornings though, Voss enjoys matcha in the form of usucha, which is a straight concentrated beverage that consists of just water and matcha powder.

“I get a Chawan, my whisk, and a scale out, then weigh out usually, 2 grams of matcha,” Voss said. “Then with my Chashaku, I scoop the Matcha powder and then sift it, and make sure it’s all whisked together, using 10 to 20 milliliters of water to make a paste.”

The process of making usucha can take some time, so Voss usually makes matcha in the mornings when he wakes up, because he knows it will take a bit longer.

imenting, Yimer decided to begin making her own lattes at home.

“I chose chai as my drink because it was easy to make,” Yimer said. “Now, I just buy the pre-made chai tea bottle from Target. My secret is to boil the chai instead of just pouring it directly in the glass, because it makes the flavor stronger.”

Making chai lattes for Yimer has always been something she finds super fun and simple to do. She doesn’t think it takes a lot of effort to make her own delicious drinks, and she can experiment with the recipe too if she doesn’t like something about it.

“Once the paste is even and there’s no more powder that’s just sitting by itself, then I add another 50 to 60 mils of water, and then I whisk it again,” Voss said.

Matcha has a higher caffeine content than tea, so he feels the caffeine hits him faster, which is why he drinks it earlier in the day so he can have more energy at work.

“Matcha, just the energy and the calm and the relaxation and focus, I really feel like it helps me get the day started on the right foot,” Voss said.

When Voss started working at UPA, he was drinking about half a pot of coffee every day. But he decided to make the switch to tea, since it releases L-theanine which is soothing to the brain and helps calm the human body.

Senior Sahasra Vellanki began drinking coffee in the beginning of her senior year. She wasn’t really a coffee person before, but when she started her college applications she needed something to keep her going.

“I drink caffeine because it just helps me wake up and get the day going. I literally feel irritated if I don’t drink some sort of caffeine,” Vellanki said.

Vellanki feels like her De’Longhi espresso machine is a good choice for beginners who don’t know where to start.

After drinking an espresso shot, she believes it should leave a taste of foam on the tip of the tongue, giving a smooth and milky taste. She uses Fa!rlife milk because it has a little extra protein.

“My favorite is Philz beans. They’re medium roast. You can get those beans blended up,” Vellanki said.

Vellanki generally keeps her daily lattes super simple, adding the espresso shots to the milk, a little honey and a dash of cinnamon on some occasions.

When she feels like doing something extra special, she adds homemade syrups to her drinks, which is a cheaper alternative that people can adjust to their taste preferences.

“You can make [syrups] yourself though, like a banana [syrup], for example is very easy because it’s just sugar, water and mashed up bananas, adding a natural sweetness,” Vellanki said.

Overall, Vellanki recommends that people make their own drinks as it saves a lot of money and is environmentally friendly as she uses glass jars which result in less waste.

To everyone who’s ever told me that money doesn’t equate to happiness, respectfully, you’re wrong. To not only live comfortably, but to survive, making effective money choices is an essential skill in today’s world. Unfortunately, most youths walk into adult life completely unaware of the meaning and importance behind financial literacy. Law AB 2927 was passed in June 2024 requiring schools to offer a semester-long personal finance course, but it will not go into effect until the 2027-2028 school year. So what about the youths who will become adults before this mandate is in ef

understanding credit

It feels like a canon event to be 18 and get your hands on a credit card; you can finally make all the purchases you’ve dreamed of.

Owning a credit card has its benefits, especially since certain services may require a credit card whether for identification or to ensure payment. Credit cards also keep a record of purchases, which makes it easier to keep track of spending. As we advance into the modern age, more and more places are transferring to cashless payment. Opening a credit card early is beneficial in building credit on the condition that you

(<30%) is also recommended. In other words, utilizing more credit means taking on more debt, which may suggest trouble repaying what you borrow and negatively impact your credit score.

Unfortunately, the convenience of credit cards is often the root of reckless spending, or overspending. It is easy to pile up on debts you can’t repay. The general rule of thumb is to not purchase something you cannot afford to pay off in full.

savings

When owning credit card(s), you will have something called a credit score–a three digit number typically between 300 and 850 that reflects your credit worthiness and likelihood of paying debts back on time. A range closer to 300 is considered poor, closer to 850 is considered excellent. Credit cards are different from debit cards in that they do not take from money you already have, but allow you to spend on the condition that you’ll eventually pay off your purchases. Hence the name “credit” card, where users make purchases using borrowed money from the bank and are “credited” to pay back the debt. Now, the word “debt” can inherently appear scary, but is not something to be feared if you are a responsible spender, only buying what you know you can eventually pay off. It’s even better to pay off the debt during the grace period, the time period where no interest is charged, with federal law mandating at least 21 days, but some credit card

Building your credit score to higher values can qualify you for certain perks, such rewards, higher credit limits, easier loan approvals credit utilization–the percentage of your available credit–low

According to the Federal Reserve Board, 32% of U.S. adults do not have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency. Most financial advisors suggest keeping about six months’ worth of earnings for contingencies.

It’s easy to imagine just putting money into a savings account every month, but you’d be surprised to see that many are unable to set aside savings.

The most important thing is to ensure that the money you do have is not sitting idly, but instead growing. The worst places to keep long-term investments are in general savings accounts, mostly because the interest rates for these are significantly less than that of a high yield savings account, where your money can grow at a much faster rate.

Making passive income can be as easy as opening a high yield savings account (HYSA), which functions almost exactly like that of a regular savings account. A few key differences to keep in mind are that many HYSA are online-only, may impose withdrawal restrictions, have higher minimum balance requirements and have variable rates that fluctuate with the market. However, despite these differences, the main reason why not many people utilize a HYSA is simply because they don’t know about it, or know how to use it.

If there is another thing any in-

finessing your finances

LENA NGUYEN

come-earning person should do, it’s invest. Invest. In. A. Roth. IRA. Anyone at any age can open a Roth IRA, which is a type of individual retirement savings account that allows you to contribute Your contributions can grow tax-free and you can withdraw it after age 59.5. Money in a Roth IRA is typically invested in as sets such as bonds, stocks, etc., which grow through capital appreciation dends or interest payments invest your returns through these methods of growth, your past earnings generate their own earnings. The earlier you start putting away money for retirement, the more time the money has to grow.

investment and stocks

Many people have probably heard of investing in the stock market, especially associated with making and growing your money.

The stock market is a place where in vestors buy and sell shares (stock) of pub licly traded companies. Owning a share of a company means that you legally own a small part of that business. Prices of stocks are determined by supply and demand. If more people want to buy a stock, its price goes up; if there is less demand, prices fall. Investing in the stock market involves risk. The value of stocks can fluctuate, and you could potentially lose money if the value of your investments decreases. Stock fluctuates depending on company perfor mance, how investors feel about a com pany, the state of the economy and several other factors.

However, the stock market also offers high returns in the long term. When you in vest in the stock market, you put your mon ey into companies that grow and expand, which makes their stock prices and the val ue of your investment go up. By holding these stocks, you can make money in two ways: dividends–companies pay you just for holding the stock, or selling the stock after it has grown to a higher price.

Historically, the stock market has re turned around 7–10% annually, while infla tion has averaged about 2–3%. Investment in stocks outpace inflation, so ideally, your money is still growing.

For beginner investors, some to consider are Fidelity, Robinhood or Van guard. However, there are many other great ones out there as well.

When first starting out with invest ments, many people pick individual stocks and invest. This can be extremely risky;

word bank

Cash back: A percentage of money returned to you from purchases (usually with credit cards).

Credit union: Member-owned financial institution, like a bank but usually with lower fees.

High-yield savings account: A savings account with higher-than-average interest earnings.

Roth IRA: Retirement account where you invest post-tax dollars and withdraw tax-free later.

Post-tax dollars: Money you’ve already paid income taxes on.

Capital appreciation: Growth in the value of an investment over time.

Dividends: Company profits paid to shareholders, usually in cash or extra shares.

Interest payments: Money earned from lending or saving (e.g., in a bank or bond).

Brokers: Platforms or people that help you buy/sell investments.

Index funds: Investments that track a market index (like the S&P 500).

S&P 500: Index of 500 of the largest U.S. companies — a snapshot of the stock market.

t s o s u btle

Racial microaggressions & their lingering impact on society

ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY SAMIRA MADDEN • PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNSPLASH AND PEXELS

Editors Note: The following article contains topics surrounding student experiences with racism. Due to its sensitivity, names have been changed to protect UPA student identities.

“Shave your head and go back to where you came from” is what 10-year-old me was told by someone who was supposed to be my safe space. Such words felt like an order coming from a mentor. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized this was a racist “joke” to exaggerate my differences from the rest of the team. This form of subtle racism is also known as racial microaggression. Racial microaggression is “a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group,” according to Oxford Languages. The University of California, San Francisco claims that one in every five Americans experiences microaggressions daily. How-

until my third or fourth year swimming. Being a competitive swimmer has its difficulties, but being the only African American swimmer on a team of 100 swimmers added another layer of difficulty. I never thought I had personally experienced racism until I realized it was just normalized. I had always noticed most of my teammates had straight hair while mine was curly, but it didn’t become an insecurity of mine until it was used to exaggerate my difference in appearance. Having curly hair required me to use significantly more hair products, which resulted in my swim cap always slipping off. The non-inclusive silicone left me swimming without a cap at all, damaging my natural hair. I continued to swim without a swim cap until one day

ly losing my passion for something I once loved doing.

Racial microaggressions don’t just affect individuals in the moment, it leaves a lasting impact on one’s self esteem and character development. The University of Colorado Boulder Center for Teaching and Learning states that racial microaggressions’ cumulative impact can lead to isolation, disengagement and stress especially in educational settings.

Student Catherine has experiences with racial microinsults and their lasting impact. Catherine believes that it’s a common stereotype in both society and the educational environment that Indians have bad hygiene. This stereotype has affected Catherine drastically, causing immense paranoia that

“I drown myself in hygiene products before school so people don’t say I have bad

Furthermore, some individuals use more

Asians of having bad hygiene by saying “they smell,” they use a more subtle approach such as saying “wear deodorant” even if they don’t have an odor.

Catherine wants to prove the stereotype wrong, finding it frustrating and incorrect as all the people she knows who live in India have very good hygiene.

“My grandma showers twice a day and is very hygienic,” Catherine said.

Despite the social environment in schools intending to be a safe space for all students, many students push despicable stereotypes onto marginalized groups. Similarly, student Kaylee has experienced racism within the education system. Being Middle Eastern, Kaylee has endured many racist encounters, specifically involving hurtful comments revolving around the events of 9/11. Students in Kaylee’s everyday life make microinsults toward her, such as referring to her as a “bomber” or “terrorist.” Many of these students play off such racism as a “joke”, implying they do not truly mean these horrid things.

“People think it’s funny but it’s disrespectful and not their place to say,” Kaylee said.

Not wanting to start any drama, Kaylee often finds it difficult to stand up to such racism, especially within a learning environment that is supposed to be her safe space, resulting in Kaylee’s feelings of regret for not standing up for herself in the moment.

“[These racist stereotypes are] the furthest thing from the truth about me, my family and my people,” Kaylee said.

The Queen’s Journal, recognizing the acceptance of subtle racism, claims that “despite the general understanding that racism is bad, it’s still normalized. It’s just expressed in more covert ways, so many people who still maintain racist attitudes are fooled into thinking they’re more progressive than they actually are.”

Another common pattern seen within schools is the use of the N-word pass. The N-word pass can be described as someone, typically from African American descent, allowing someone not African American to say the derogatory term. Some African Americans give the pass to their friends thinking it is okay as it is a “joke” or said within their intimate friend group.

The SPLC Learning for Justice, “Straight Talk About The N-Word,” claims, “If you could keep the word within the context of the intimate environment [among friends], then I can see that you could potentially own the word and control it. But you can’t because the word takes on a life of its own if it’s not in that environment.”

There has been an increase in normal ization of people using the term in a more casual manner. Many African Americans will casually refer to their peers as the N-word, eliciting the idea that it is not a big deal. Non-Black indi

“A lot of times someone [who is not black] will say the N-word and when you try and tell them they can’t say that, they say ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ or ‘it’s just a joke,’” Elenor said.

When said individuals claim their racist remarks are just a “joke,” it leaves Elenor and many others feeling invalidated. Elenor believes racial microaggressions are more common within the age group of 15 through 17.

“They are not as mature and don’t understand the extent of how serious it is,” Elenor said.

Although not always directed towards her, Elenor frequently hears the N-word being used by someone not socially allowed to say the term, but rather than speaking up, which could ensue into a possible conflict in most cases, she chooses to just ignore it. Elenor thinks it is very important for individuals of all ages to become educated on the N-word and learn that it is not acceptable to say anyone. Having been called the

racism to persist, resulting in the idea it is socially acceptable, or that it doesn’t bother anyone.

Sometimes, it’s easier to turn a blind eye to this disguised hate and play along, but this normalizes hate, dehumanizing both the perpetrator and the victim of racism.

casual use of the word as a pass to say it in itself, deeming it socially accept able if also used in a “joking” way.

Similarly to Kaylee, student Elenor was introduced to racial microaggressions through school.

been consistently present throughout social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more recently TikTok. Despite

efforts made by these apps to regulate their content on their platforms, there is still racist content. These racist memes are classified as “jokes” and typically involve various degrading stereotypes. Catherine encountered many videos that illustrated South Asia to be dirty with the caption, “Comment on this video if India shouldn’t exist.” That video received millions of comments. When taking a deeper look and opening the comment section, Catherine recalled seeing comments saying “Like this comment if you would never date an Indian.” These remarks led Catherine to feel disappointed in society for being so hateful in a time of social progression.

“People see those street videos and assume all of India looks like that even though they probably know it doesn’t,” Catherine said.

However, she appreciates those few replies sticking up for the Indian community.

“I wish people took [racism] more seri

cause they are made fun of for the race they currently are,” Catherine said.

Social media is not only a plat form for racist content but it is also consumed by the mass public. Therefore, racism on social media is inadvertently accepted in consumer communities. The dangers that fol low the consumption of this hate can result in the spread of racism from social media to everyday life.

In more recent years, I have ex perienced subtle racism within the work space. In my past place of work, it is common for the staff to receive refreshing treats as the job requires staff to be outside in the sun.

After one shift in particular, I had gone to get a popsicle from the break room and I was stopped by a colleague and asked if I was going to get the watermelon or fried chicken flavored popsicle

“These racist stereotypes are the furthest thing from the truth about me.” -Kaylee

Rather than standing up for me or calling out this behavior my boss laughed uncomfortably, not sure what to do and not wanting to make the situation bigger than it needed to be. These events led me to feel extremely uncomfortable and underrepresented in the work environment. I felt unable to talk to anyone and felt alone. I didn’t feel safe or heard, which led me to dread coming to work, something I once loved doing.

Racial microaggressions of all kinds have become quite common in today’s society due to a combination of everyday interactions, language, media and institutional policies, making them difficult to recognize and challenge. Due to the dismissal of subtle racism, many victims subconsciously downplay the severity of their experiences, allowing it to persist unchecked. The underlying harm of racial microaggressions leads to the seclusion and accumulation of hypervigilance and emotional exhaustion. This not-so-subtle form of racism is very dangerous.

By educating and bringing awareness to racial microaggression, and with the encouragement and sympathy of those standing out against it, the future could consist of a little less hate.

“Racism is taught and learned throughout life,” Elenor said.

Suffering...is bad?

Yes, and we highkey need to stop our toxic glorification of it

ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS &

DESIGN

BY OLIVE LUONG

We’ve all heard of the “work hard, play hard” mindset. When you spend hours cooking something, you might say it tastes all the better. When we hear a “rags to riches” story, we’re moved to tears. So deeply ingrained in us is the idea that suffering for an eventual success is a tantalizing, natural life process that makes the success all the sweeter. Apparently, this is wrong. I say apparently because when I first came across the idea that this mindset is toxic, I too was a willing victim of the mindset. What’s so wrong with celebrating somebody’s hard work?

A lot, actually.

What followed was a two month long research project to find out what, and to deduce for myself if it’s really all that bad and if I needed to escape it. By “research” I mean I really just thought about it a lot and now you guys get to read about it. I’m gonna start off with this: the romanticism of suffering is the root of a lot of our problems. It’s the basis for overworking, systematic struggle and self-neglect.

The main examples I collected are our exhausted medical workers praised for their labor, as society ig-

nores the failure of the healthcare system; the romanticized poverty trope of being uncomplaining, hard working citizens, bypassing the systematic issue of why the flip they have to be at rock bottom in the first place; survivors of abuse, assault and war as they’re commended for their bravery; and immigrant struggles of getting a foot in the door in a new country, but there are countless other examples. The immigrant struggle truly embodies the glorification of suffering to an ugly degree. “I worked three jobs and never complained” should never be something you are proud to say.

Because what you do, when you celebrate the end result of someone’s bare survivability and struggle to stay afloat, is completely bypass the cruelty of the struggle itself. You ignore the suffering, the pain, the time, the very essence of the struggle, and by ignoring it, you justify it. You make it seem okay; it’s not. It should never be this hard to just live above the baseline for survival. You should never have to fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But because of the very silly way society has evolved, we think that we do and we think that we need to “deserve” good things. If you aren’t productive, you don’t deserve relaxation. If you aren’t working hard, you don’t deserve prosperity. If you aren’t suffering, you don’t deserve happiness.

As if! As if suffering should be a prerequisite for relaxation, prosperity and happiness. We all deserve good things and the only prerequisite should be that we exist. That’s the basis.

The glorification of suffering, like the overachiever it wants us all to be, generously has another negative aspect too. It also manages to stigmatize mental health. The toxic positivity of suffering disguised as ambition romanticizes having to work hard, subsequently shaming not working hard. These days, I can’t even take a dump without thinking about all the other things I could be doing. Idleness scares me and I haven’t paused to just think and breathe in years, God forbid I let my own thoughts

actually get to me.

Society tells us rest is a waste of time and we should always be working toward something; what else is life for? It’s all about getting to the next step, moving forward, unlocking better versions of ourselves. So embedded in us is this urge to do more that we think it’s our intrinsic drive. It’s not. It’s a conditioned drive. So how were we conditioned?

My first theory was that it evolved from the early makeup of American society, stemming from the “American Dream” of individualism and working hard for prosperity. There were settlers pressured to make names for themselves, miners who desperately needed to strike gold, factory workers providing for family and all this social mobility to independently climb with. But this doesn’t explain everything; the glorification of suffering isn’t just an American plague, but a global epidemic. It’s in the brutal education system in South and East Asian countries, in national athletes pushing through their injuries, overworking habits of adults and massive stigma of mental health all over the world. This gaslighting couldn’t have naturally evolved in all these countries: we’ve established it’s a bad thing and bad things aren’t natural.

My next theory was that maybe it was the mark of an industrialized wealthy country. With export economies comes rough factory work but unlimited wealth, providing justification for the labor being put in for it. This then becomes a synecdoche that blankets jobs and suffering nationwide. Pressured by your superiors, your nation, your family; how can you compare? Try not to think too hard about it and just be proud of everything you’re doing for them, who cares if it comes at a personal cost! The math checks out. But it’s not just rich big product exporter countries plagued by this form of toxic positivity. It’s omnipresent. Which led to my next theory: guess what

else is omnipresent? Culture and religion!

How many religions center

came worshipped martyrs? How many religions have traditions of self-denial or sacrifice?

A vast majority of religions directly or indirectly revere suffering, whether as a test of strong faith, path to get closer to the divine or for redemption. There’s Christianity’s “Blessed are those who are persecuted” and Jesus’s crucifixion, Buddhism’s Four Natural Truths that “life is suffering,” Hinduism’s belief that suffering equals the purification of karma and various forms of self-denial and fasting in a rainbow of religions. I know from a Catholic viewpoint that the full phrase goes “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” which essentially says that you’ll face obstacles when fighting for what’s right, but it’s a-okay because at least you get to go to heaven in the end. This is quite the clear example of bypassing the struggle of living; letting the end reward speak for itself and justifying the cause. These teachings are mirrored in various other religions that many of us grow up with, the romanticization of suffering becoming seen as a normal—even good—process.

But religion couldn’t be it either; religious beliefs venerating suffering were a reaction, not the action itself. Religion itself is a harmless part of life and suffering’s romanticisation is just one aspect of it. So where did religion get it from?

My last theory combines all three into one simple conclusion: suffering in life is inescapable and humanity had to find a way to cope.

Everyone suffers or hurts at some time in life. You’re gonna feel sad about it, beaten down and lost, and then you’re gonna want to get out of it. You’re gonna work to get out of it, maybe by investing whatever dredges of energy you have left towards a new goal, passion and ambition masking the demoralization and exhaustion, your shiny new aspiration providing ample

enough purpose and direction. At least until you inevitably face another obstacle. And then you’ll get exhausted again, but like society has taught you, you’ll just get up and go back at it. You’ll keep trying and compromising, giving more and more of yourself to this mystical dream in an endless cycle of overworking, never getting back 100% of yourself before starting a new goal again. A wound that never has the circumstances to heal. And thus the stigma behind mental health is sustained. Unbothered people who avoid suffering for success are seen as lazy, the creation of negative connotation names like couch potatoes, bums

“You keep working and you’ll run out of things to work for.”

and lazy kids further undermining “taking things easy.” You’d think that with its claws in all these other negative side effects it’d stop there, but no, this stigmatization also manages to project real sadly onto trade and service jobs. It’s why there’s such a criticism of the “not too glamorous” jobs like waitressing and artistry for not being “high-achieving” enough. As if these jobs are “lesser” on the invisible scale of social superiority that we all put way too much value into.

We can so easily shift perspectives from this judgement by exchanging negative nicknames for more accurate language, like intentioned and strategic kids. If these happen to take a nicer tone, then maybe the raw truth is just nicer. Work smarter, not harder people! There is no

award for suffering the most.

So how did we start glorifying this suffering? Too often in our lives, suffering is just survival. We have to work hard to make money to keep our family afloat. And then we have to learn to deal with hardship. So we force an optimistic lesson from going through it so at least there’s some sort of moral takeaway, trying to prove to ourselves it wasn’t all for nothing, even as we have to keep working because it’s never enough. We say, hey, at least all this hardship toughened us out, made us better since we learned from it; maybe made us appreciate the good more.

But the celebration of a climb is not an apology for the pain of it, the absence of cruelty is not kindness, and hardship cannot be defended like this, as if it provides a reason to work hard. When we give hardship a purpose—the purpose to invigorate ourselves to push past it—we justify its existence. We allow hardship to exist, like it doesn’t need to be obliterated. And then we focus entirely on the wrong thing when we should be focusing on how wrong, unnecessary and changeable this hardship is.

Now I know we can’t just exterminate all forms of struggle from society. Apparently that’s a bit optimistic. What we can do though, is recognize the insanity of some of the struggles we have to go through to survive, recognize that there can be change and take the steps to initiate it. You might be wondering, “What the heck! Is this not just replacing one hardship for another?”

And yeah, it lowkey is, but one of these hardships will just keep feeding into the hardship while the other has the potential to incite good, lasting change. It’s still up to you, it’s always entirely up to you if a different future is something you want to invest in. You just have to ask yourself: am I happy where I am right now? Is there something better for me out there? Something better for the people I love? Do we need it? Are we okay with staying afloat for the rest of our lives, or do we want to soar? Survive? Or thrive? For those of us who are in a place of unnecessary, systematic struggle, one of these

choices will be easier, but one will be much more needed. And for these people, I urge you all to fight for that brighter future. You’re gonna struggle either way, might as well do something good with it. Don’t just fight to survive; fight the fight to survive. Take the second derivative. Avoid just accepting your circumstances. If there is something to be upset about, naturally there is something equal and opposite to it that could’ve otherwise happened to be not-upset about. Newton’s third law in live-action; if you won’t listen to me then listen to the really smart white man from centuries ago, he seems to be onto something.

Here I bring back to you the “I worked three jobs and never complained” thing. How is this ever a good thing? Please do complain! Please cry and rant and vent so I know you’re reacting to this like a normal human being and not suppressing it all down somewhere. You’re allowed to feel wronged because you are being wronged. An ugly multitude of adjustable variables are at play here: racism, discrimination and the cycle of poverty, all systems we perpetuate by not actively fighting them. What we need to do is be outraged. Scream and cry. Call for attention. And hold it. Understand that this is a freedom you should have as a human flipping being that terrifyingly, not all of us can have in this day and age: so those of us who do, have the very valuable choice of utilizing it like we’re making up for all the thousands of people before, during and after our time who can’t. Because nobody gets change when people just shut up and take what they’re given. Remember: the systems you are surrounded by today are only given power by your belief in them.

So, if you care—and it’s entirely up to you if you care to take on this other struggle—, let’s change “Hey at least you got there!” to “I’m glad you’re in a good place now but it shouldn’t have been so hard to get there, how can we use your newfound

status of comfortability to change the system for future generations?” and watch as society slowly heals itself.

When I say you need to fight the system of struggle, I’m not saying you need to fight productivity. There’s a difference even if some of us are too conditioned to notice it. Productivity itself isn’t inherently bad; civilization needs to function and productive people in jobs are required for that. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that hyperproductivity is bad. You shouldn’t have to and don’t need to be working towards something every waking second of your life. You keep working and you’ll run out of things to work for. There is nothing wrong with letting yourself be bored for some time a day to just sit down and breathe.

It should also be common sense that taking breaks increases energy and mood levels, also sustaining our passion and aiding the productivity we all love so much. It also reduces the need for one big fat break at the end of the day which we all know can too easily turn into hours of doom scrolling before bed, feeding into disrupted sleep schedules and detrimental exposure to blue-light and addictive stimulation right before sleep, starting a chain reaction of you’re-gonna-die-early-ness that we should all strive to avoid. Remember guys, we love life! Or we can, if we all just stopped overworking ourselves and curating our own personal worlds of suffering. Resilience can be valuable, but so are we. Don’t ignore mental health. The future will wait.

You might think: no it won’t. What future will wait for me? I need to work for my future, I need to get ahead, I need to be locked-in. Well of course you should make a future for yourself that you’ll want to live and that can take lots of work. But you need to have a balance and that’s the part a pretty chunky portion of you guys are tripping up on motivation-wise. And so here I present to you this really cool thing called…fact. It is fact that when you work too hard you will burn out. It is fact that when you burn out, you need a break. It is fact that during a break you do not actively work or move up on the invisible scale of society. And so by transitive property, working too hard will not get you to your destination faster, but will tire you out and take you out of the game, ruin your passion and ultimately put you behind your invisible opponents. Just like the tortoise and the hare story. A beautiful thing

these facts.

So, glorifying suffering is to cope with perpetual suffering, contributing to over-productivity which is bad and also adds to our perpetual suffering which is bad because then we become unexamined thinkers only focusing on what’s in front of us and never fighting for change while what we actually need is to prioritize our mental health and to find work-life balances. So simple! But I know— this is gonna be a lot harder for us to actually do.

I understand, we’re all UPA-ers. Suffering is our thing! How can we possibly slow down when this is our most essential time to curate our careers and futures? All I can say is you just have to decide for yourself if it’s worth it or not.

Do you want to be a young teen that is burnt out and fed up with life already living on survival mode for the rest of it, or do you want to be a young teen that is well-paced and ready to thrive because you took care of your young- self and built all these healthy practices and a brighter fu- ture for yourself in- stead of justifying this nonsensical pain you put yourself through? I can tell you right now that this is the one big

choice of your teen years that will actually affect your adult life. And I can tell you right now what I’m choosing after doing this whole deepdive.

So UPAers—try living life fully with me?

ARTICLE BY EDITORIAL BOARD

DESIGN BY LYNETTE TRAN

Beach day with friends

Make a new dish

Go berry picking

Redecorate your room

Bake with friends

Make new friends

Go stargazing

Collect seashells

Take a pottery class

Go on a road trip

Sunset car picnic

Make S’mores

Go to a waterpark

Binge watch a new show

Pizza making night

Visit national parks Go camping Make friendship bracelets Night Swim

Expression Not Supression

UPA’s

students perceptions of modesty and how they define and express it

ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY HAANIA ANWAR • PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH & PIXABAY

Editors Note: All names have been withheld and sources remain anonymous to protect the privacy of those sharing personal

In a world full of those who celebrate self expression, yet often critique the restraint of conservatism, the concept of modesty remains both deeply personal and widely debated. From religious teachings to cultural norms and personal convictions to modern challenges, one can define modesty in a multitude of terms.

For student Jasmine, modesty is defined by the influences of religion, culture and family.

“It’s a mixture of all three,” Jasmine said. “In my religion [Islam], modesty is a really big thing. I grew up in a family where members dress up modestly. I think that has influenced me to dress up modest ly as well. It was never really pushed upon me.”

Islamically, both men and women are told to dress modestly. For women, it is loose fitting clothing covering their body, including their arms, legs and hair. For men, it is loose clothing that at least covers the body from the navel to knees. Though Jasmine was raised in a household where modesty was never forced upon her, she felt inspired to begin dressing in that way, taking after her mother who wears a hijab.

“If you were to ask second grade me, it was because of my mom. She was shocked I started in second grade since it’s not re ally common,” Jasmine said. “My mom never ever pressured me to do it. It was my own choice.”

culture.

“I’m Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, so I’m not supposed to put my body out there, and reveal it in those kinds of ways,” Dalia said.

The Ethiopian Orthodox tradition embraces modesty as a form of spiritual and cultural identity unlike much of the world where fashion often equates liberation with exposure.

“Our culture is very integrated into our religion,” Dalia said.

For Dalia, modesty isn’t about just simply covering one’s body, but it is also a reflection of faith and commitment to the values that transcend trends. Modesty is a

generations are being more influenced by western ideas,” Dalia said. “Because of social media, I think everyone is trying to be [revealing] and modesty is being overlooked.”

The tension between traditional modesty and modern beauty ideals is especially evident among the younger generations who navigate social media. Dalia notices how platforms like Instagram and TikTok tend to present people with algorithms that favor bold fashion choices, leaving little space for modest dress to be seen as aspirational.

On the other hand, Jasmine has also seen how social media has given rise to count

Similarly, for student Dalia, modesty is heavily in fluenced by her religion and

“You also have to act modest,” Luna said. “If you’re gonna be modest, it’s about the way you present yourself to others.”

Similarly, Jasmine believes that as a society, the external aspects of modesty are focused upon more, while often neglecting the behavioral side.

“[Modesty] is about the appearance, the way you present yourself, the way you talk to others, the way you talk about others,” Jasmine said. “As a society we don’t really focus on the actions part.”

Student Violet also believes that modesty is perceived through one’s actions being a checkpoint for how that person acts in day to day life. Growing up in an Indian-Christian household, her religion

who dresses conservatively as subjugated and restrained, that is often not the case. Without always showing one’s outer appearance, they feel that they are honoring their beliefs and allowing people to judge

“Modesty is a form of individuality, because you’re choosing to go against [American] societal norms that try tO push you on to a certain standard.”

- Dalia

them for who they truly are–not just for how their exteriors suggest.

who choose to dress modestly, wearing the hijab, long skirts, loose fitting clothing etc, she feels there is often an assumption of oppression and enforcement into choices. These biases of modesty exist, especially when tied to religious identity. In environments where modest dress is less common, she notices that those who practice it may face stares, exclusion and even discrimination.

Unanimously, all four individuals also agree that gender roles greatly impact the idea of modesty. Men have less societal standards, and overall less expectations and restrictions. This has been evident all throughout history. Women often faced stricter expectations regarding dress such as longer skirts and covered shoulders. Men’s expectations were often less restraining with looser standards.

“Guys could go shirtless and in shorts, but nobody would say anything to them,” Dalia said.

If modesty was redefined according to Jasmine, Dalia, Luna and Violet, they would all agree that modesty is rooted in dignity, striking a balance between outward appearance and inner character, without the pressure to conform to societal beauty standards. Rather than being dictated by external expectations, modesty would be seen to them as a personal expression, allowing one to present themselves in a way that aligns with their values. These students share sentiments that in today’s society, that constantly demands validation, modesty would be considered a defiance–an unwavering declaration that worth is not measured by the gaze of others, but by the depth of one’s character.

The progression of women’s rights and its importance in the UPA community ARTICLE, ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY JULIANN JAISON • PHOTOS COURTESY OF CREATIVE COM MONS, PEXELS, UNSPLASH, RANSOM, OPENVERSE & NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Editor’s Note: The following article contains information regarding sexual assault/rape, abortion and insensitive misogynistic humor.

Hand in hand and heart to heart, the women of the world march together to celebrate National Women’s Day on March 8 every year. Not only are they marching for

cial, cultural and economic belief that women deserve equality. Although the movement became popularized in the early to late 1900s, the term dates to the European Age of Enlightenment, when philosophical thinking and reform became widespread. History.com states that despite the feminist movement’s origins dating to the late 1830s, its predominant timeline began 18 years later, with the convening of the Seneca Falls Convention. Hosted on July 1920, 1848, this small-scale convention was closely tied to the surfacing abolitionist movement, with four of the five organizers

at all.’ However unwise and mistaken the demand, it is but the assertion of a natural right, and such must be conceded.”

After the Seneca Falls convention, a re convention was held with the goal of a larg er audience. However, much of the rights they desired would not be given until far later in the future, as stated by History.com.

Unlike the miniscule coverage feminism had in the 1800s, the modern technologies and tools of the 21st century have allowed for social issues like feminism to be spread much more easily and effectively.

cuss the 11 resolutions of women’s rights and the reformation of the Declaration of

“People forget that [we have certain rights] because of the women that fought for those rights before us,” AP U.S. said. “[Obtaining our rights] wouldn’t have happened without

Also according to History.com, as a whole, the convention demanded that women be treated as equals and given the

tion they desired, the ability for women to

ly, the editor of The New York publican is asked to say quate reason he can give for refusing the demand of women to

tion with men in political rights, swer, ‘None

According to the National Organization for Women, with the newly evolving technologies available to the public as well as the discouraging of public gatherings due to the pandemic, the use of social media has allowed feminists to reach a larger audience with much less of a hassle. Generation Z, those born between 1997 to 2012, has especially contributed to the rise of social media as well as feminism’s online coverage. Their presence on social media has also allowed for feminism to be perceived in more of a casual and relatable manner.

In particular, the rise of the #MeToo movement could not have been accomplished without the use of social media. According to History.com, created in 2006 by Tarana Burke, this hashtag initially aimed to shed light on women who fell victim to sexual assault, especially by those in power such as celebrities and politicians, and later expanded to be inclusive of all survivors.

However, the discussion of feminism online was also met with its own share of scrutiny.

According to The Inquisitive Mind, consuming misogynistic content online, especially consumption by the impressionable youth, can cause them to become desensitized to the topic of equality and believe that rape and anti-feminist jokes are acceptable to say in real life.

“I feel like jokes are jokes to an extent…

said. “It does go deep er than that and it proves that society is still

Although Swaroop notices that attain ing equality is still a struggle for many around the world, many of the rights and freedoms that exist today are because of the feminists and suffragists who’ve fought throughout history, especially for

Following the Emancipation Proclama tion which abolished slavery and the 15th Amendment giving black men the right to vote, many suffragists were frustrated that women were not included in the Amend ment. In response, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an influential organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention, and fellow suffragette Susan B. Anthony established the National Wom an Suffrage Association in 1852 and sent a letter to the U.S. Senate requesting for the equal voting rights of men and women to be acknowledged, which they refused. Additionally, suffragette Lucy Stone and her husband founded the American Wom an Suffrage Association, which petitioned

laws such as Title IX (1972) in modern society has allowed the discrimination that has prevailed in the past to greatly diminish.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Title IX states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…”

This allowed for women to be nationally recognized as equal to men on a wider spectrum, specifically enabling the sports and activities many women participate in to be protected by law.

For sophomore and swimmer Jessica Do, she believes that Title IX has allowed her to be pushed to the best of her ability as an athlete.

“I feel like guys, obviously they’re much stronger than us, and they’re more physically equipped for doing all these sports, and I guess if [Title IX] wasn’t a thing, [coaches] would probably gravitate towards the guys more,” Do said.

However, Do has also recognized the lack of representation for women in sports despite Title IX.

“[Women’s sports are] more popular now, but for me I usually hear about men’s sports,” Do said. “Even when I was a little kid, I didn’t really know there was a women’s version of sports until I was way older. I just never saw much about it online.”

Following the establishment of Title IX, also harboring attention, in 1973, the divisive case of Roe V. Wade would emerge into national debate.

“Roe V. Wade was the Supreme Court Case that established that women have a right to privacy, and that included privacy with her own bodily autonomy, that she could decide whether or not to have her pregnancy be either terminated or have the baby,” Rodriguez said, “This is where it’s legal on the federal level in the first trimester, and then after that it goes to the state.”

According to the Center of Reproductive Rights, Roe v. Wade acknowledged that the right to an abortion fell under

the jurisdiction of the 14th Amendment, which protected individual privacy. Although the right to an abortion was passed onto the state once the fetus was considered viable, it required that abortion always be an option if the patient’s life was at risk and before the fetus was considered a sentient being. However, as of June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the hearing and allowed abortion laws to be under the full jurisdiction of the state. As a result, 12 states have banned abortion, 11 states have enforced strict limitations, 11 states have allowed expanded access, 13 states have protected abortion and 3 states have kept it unprotected.

Regardless of law or country, various communities, including UPA, have worked to spread equality to the best of their ability.

Women Empowerment is a newly established UPA club which discusses important issues for women and offers volunteer opportunities for all. Do, the co-president of the club, states that when they offer volunteer opportunities, their club typically receives a mix of all genders. Their goal is to build a sense of togetherness and learn and share experiences to be able to provide support for each other.

“I think feminism is learning from how women before us fought for the things that we have today and that we should appreciate what they’ve given us and strive to advocate for them and others who can’t,” Do said. “It’s also important to be open minded, because sometimes people put feminism in a box, but it’s just about being open [towards equal rights].”

Initially, Do was inspired to start the club after watching a man give a misogynistic graduation speech online.

“I guess it just made me really angry or confused as to why anyone would have let him do that, and why he thought it was okay to do such a thing,” Do said.

Each meeting, Do and her club members create crafts like cards and bracelets and provide comfort to women in

need, striving to make a difference through each meeting they hold.

Even outside of UPA’s community, the principles of feminism must be remembered in order for women to achieve the equality they desire.

“We can’t be complacent and there’s always going to be a constant struggle [for equality]. Learn from past mistakes, learn about how laws are made and how they can be changed, and how our voices, even though we seem like we might be in the minority in certain ways, that there are people that agree with us and support us,” Rodriguez said.

Now more than ever, Rodriguez, Do and Swaroop believe it is important to understand the origins of feminism and why equality is deserved for all.

“The world is evolving. It will keep evolving, and it’s important for everyone to have their own voice, to have a sense of independence and not have to rely on a man,” Swaroop said.

urnout is a response to stress that leads to decreased motivation and creates lasting impacts on one’s mental and physical health. It can be characterized in three different ways: a sig nificant loss in energy, increased negativity towards daily tasks and reduced profes sional efficiency.

The US is the country that is ranked first in regards to most stressed students. According to Cross River Therapy, 55% of students in California report feeling stressed out, with 45% of high school stu dents and 50% of middle school students admitting to feeling stressed about school daily.

Both senior Jesse Jimenez Avanthiga Vijay said that their academic burnout began in their sophomore year.

“Everything changed very quickly and I experienced a lot of stress that was very fast acting,” Jimenez said.

While Jimenez’s burnout started in the first half of his highschool ca reer, he felt the major effects of his burnout during his junior year. He found that the combination of a higher ASB position, taking three AP courses and dual enrollment el evated his stress levels. In Vijay’s case, she began to feel major burnout during the second semester of her sophomore year. Sophomore year was the first year she took an AP class, AP World History. She felt as though she was constantly overworking herself to accommodate her heavy work

“I put all the effort I could…when I re

What will light the match when the flame of ambition turns to ash?

ARTICLE BY CECE LE MESSURIER & KARA LUAYON

• ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY

KARA LUAYON

ally didn’t need to,” Vijay said.

she has found herself less motivated as an

effect of her burnout.

“I’ve just given up on that mentality because I just don’t have that energy to put in that much effort anymore,” Vijay said.

For Jimenez, his perception of school also changed drastically as a result of his burnout. Although he previously found school to be something he enjoyed, in recent years he lost his passion for learning and is less satisfied to be in an academic environment. He also noticed that the stress of his academics impacts his enjoyment of spending time with his friends outside of

Jimenez has found that in some instances, his burnout progresses to a point where it affects his physical health. He recounts a time when he became physically sick for multiple days as a result of his stress and mental exhaustion. His workload as a senior combined with his job at Starbucks, working about 16 hours per week, caused him to shut down and be in need of recovery.

Both Jimenez and Vijay are involved in multiple AP courses and have obligations outside of school. The correlation that exists between these highly active students is key when understanding the causes and consequences of burnout.

While the stress and burnout that one acquires from their high school experience can feel neverending, will it really affect you in the long run?

Biology and Principles of Biomedical Jacqueline White attended UPA for high school, and has first hand experience of academic burnout in a com-

her junior year, when the weight of tak ing so many workload-heavy AP classes caught up with her. This struggle only progressed into her senior year, where she had to juggle doing college applications on top of her other advanced classes and extracurriculars.

“It got to the point where I just would want to lay in bed and do nothing,” White said.

though high school was dragging on and it was never-ending.

“Sometimes it begins to feel like you’re just doing the same thing over and over again,” White said.

White believes that the more AP courses and general advanced classes someone takes, the sooner they will feel burned out because of the constant pressure and stress that goes into completing many assign-

day and constantly hav-

“[Taking lots of APs is] mentally exhausting,” White said. “Just trying to learn all of that information, cram it in your

Jimenez and Vijay share the same viewpoint. Jimenez thinks that AP classes add a different type of stress onto a student, as though they need to prove themselves through their results on the AP exam to show their skills to colleges and universities. It adds a looming stress about what happens beyond high school and causes students to feel more obligated to get a

“It isn’t that I just didn’t do well in this class,” Jimenez said.

“It’s like I’m failing on my end goal of trying to get into a good

Vijay noted the dense content that comes with AP classes and the frequent testing that occurs in these

“It’s just a lot of pressure,” Vijay said. shares a contrasting view on how AP classes affect students. Currently taking four AP classes himself and being involved in multiple extracurriculars like UPA’s robotics team and theater program, he finds that stress from AP classes are all dependent on the mindset

“It’s all about knowing your own perNigam has felt as though he has been academically oriented for most of his life, always enjoying going to school, learning new things and understanding the importance of education in one’s life. He found that this motivation has been what has helped him take multiple AP classes. He also thinks that an understanding of how school can help someone and caring about one’s own education can motivate someone to work hard on their academics.

Burnout tends to loom over Nigam towards the middle of the school year, when he finds himself unable to have a break, but it doesn’t stick with him for long periods of time. He thinks that the pressure to per-

form well in high school perhaps contributes to why burnout can be more common for this age group, as well as outside sources like parental figures.

“For most classes I enjoy the knowledge,” Nigam said. “So I’m less likely to get burned out versus someone whose parents are the only reason that they’re doing something.”

This pressure applies not just in a parental context, but in an overall envi ronmental context as well. Vijay thinks that since UPA is such a competitive environ ment, there is a high expectation from oth ers to perform and that can take a toll on one’s mental health.

“If you’re already a high-performing student, they expect you to keep that men tality and that status,” Vijay said.

Jimenez finds that although there are multiple attempts made by the UPA com munity to counteract burnout, the sheer en vironment of UPA itself is what contributes to the harshness of academic pressure and consequential burnout. Similarly to Vijay, he feels that others in UPA are so focused on receiving A’s and attending a college that he has to as well.

“It’s like an obligation [to get A’s],” Jimenez said. “It’s exhaust ing.”

After White’s graduation from high school, her burnout didn’t stick with her and have long-lasting effects on her in her future. Her eagerness to go to higher education overpowered her burnout and caused her to have a fresh start when leaving high school.

“I was excited for something differ ent, something new,” White said.

White found that self-care and doing something she enjoys was her key way to overcoming her burnout, basketball in her case.

“Basketball was my outlet,” White said. “I used it a lot to de-stress and do some thing that I enjoyed.”

To help prevent and overcome her burn out, Vijay sets a schedule for herself in order to complete her work in a non-over whelming fashion, forcing herself to sit at her desk instead of from her bed.

“I don’t listen to myself,” Vijay said. “I’m easily influenced to just go sit [in my

bed], and if I do that then

I’m gonna go on my phone and lose valuable time I could have spent studying.”

Jimenez thinks that protecting one’s peace and not making decisions to appease people is the key advice when it comes to academic success and avoiding burnout.

“You have to be able to relax yourself,” Jimenez said.

Although burnout didn’t have a long-lasting impact on Nigam,

these activities is equally as important as having it at all.

“If you start pushing [your hobbies] back, then you’re just not doing anything you enjoy,”

The Show Must Go On

Actors describe their journey towards working in community theaters and balancing acting with their many other responsbilities

The warmth of strong stage lights, the last-minute jitters, the hundreds of eyes all waiting for you to make the opening line and the well wishes to break a leg. This is the life of so many actors around the world. But beyond the glamour, there’s also a struggle for actors to find the balance between all their acting and non-acting commitments.

At the Bay Area’s acting company, Palo Alto Players, a-play-within-a-play comedy “Noises Off” opened on Jan. 18, 2025. Actor Kimberly Mohne Hill plays the characters Dotty and Ms. Clackett. Hill has been acting on stage since she was nine years old. She began acting in her school years and continues to work on productions when she can, while also having a job as a professor at the University of Southern California (USC).

“[Work events] don’t always mesh with a rehearsal schedule so there is some giveand-take that has to happen between both elements,” Hill said.

ARTICLE BY HANNA LUBINSKY • PHOTOS COURESTY OF SCOTT LASKY • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN

BY LAYLA DANIELS

working in professional acting companies where directors and stage managers may be less laid back about missing rehearsals, especially as an actor progresses in their career. Despite these difficulties, Hill’s family has been a large support as she’s

“[They assume] you’re just going to go and try to be famous and it’s so much more than that very limited view of what theatre does for a person.”

Although her family didn’t seem to completely understand why she chose acting as her passion, they continue to support her and push her forward as she navigates through her tedious schedule and shows.

“Rehearsals are three to four hours a night and if you have a full-time job, it makes balancing your personal and professional life a lot harder.”

- Kyle Dayrit

Hill feels that the necessity of having a day job, especially as an actor in the Bay Area contributes heavily to the stress of

“I can’t say they always understood the choice. I think when you say you’re going to major in theater, [people] only have a limited idea of what that means.” Hill said.

Actor Kyle Dayrit performed as Lloyd Dallas in “Noises Off.” Dayrit has been acting since high school, following the footsteps of his older siblings who also participated in acting in high school. He began his performance journey in choir at his high school, and a friend from choir had him join a production of “Once Upon a Mattress.” After that, the Director of the Theatre Department wanted him to continue and always found a way for him to be able to be a part of the department. From then on, Dayrit has continued to act throughout his life other than a small break during college.

“It was very tiring. Now with my life, I’m kind of burnt out, and the past year I’ve

Braden Taylor, Brandon Silberstein, and Kimberly Mohne Hill playing Tim Allgood, Garry Lejeune/Roger and Dotty Otley/ Mrs. Clackett for “Noises Off” at Palo Alto Players, Jan 17.

Michelle Skinner and Kimberly Mohne Hill playing Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent and Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clackett in “Noises Off” at Palo Alto Players, Jan 17.

only been in a show or two,” Dayrit said.

During the day, Dayrit works at an afterschool program at a charter school where he plans lessons. Luckily, the job only calls for him to arrive in the late morning, meaning he can leave in time to make it to rehearsals. Dayrit finds himself planning out days with his partner, figuring out scheduling and making arrangements work.

“Rehearsals are three to four hours a night and if you have a full-time job, it makes balancing your personal and professional life a lot harder,” Dayrit said.

Finding the time to try to balance not only his life and responsibilities, but also making time to prioritize his partner, family and friends, makes life just a little more strenuous. Most of Dayrit’s family lives in Orange County, making seeing them more difficult. He does his best to visit his family as often as he can and usually makes time during his vacation days to see them.

“It’s really like looking at my schedule and trying to figure out when I can see them, which is a weird part of being an adult,” Dayrit said.

In “Noises Off,” David Boyll played the role of Selsdon/the Burglar. He has been acting since he was young, his father was a professional opera singer, leading him to pursue a few productions when he was a kid. His first performance was the opera “Midsummer Night’s Dream” when

David Boyll and Kyle Dayrit playing Selsdon Mowbray/Burgular and Lloyd Dallas for “Noises Off” at Palo Alto Players, Jan 17.

he was four years old. He continued to do some acting growing up and through high school. While he has been acting for most of his life, during college, Boyll felt bored with acting.

“I was doing it for the wrong reasons because of expectations from other people,” Boyll said.

Due to Boyll being an actor because of his parents and his involvement in the community, he felt that the emotional work of acting was too overwhelming. He didn’t feel like he had any creative pursuits at the time, and overall felt stuck. Some people call it a midlife crisis but Boyll prefers to call it his personal awakening of the possibilities for him in the world other than performing arts. He was on a journey of self discovery to find what he truly wanted out of life.

Boyll also talks about the constant feeling of being a fraud or not living up to the standards of many actors.

“I suffer from something called imposter syndrome, and I’ve called myself a recovering perfectionist,” Boyll said.

Boyll feels that the thought in actors’ minds that they have to always perform above and beyond every time they are on stage can affect their mental health and how they perceive acting as a career or hobby.

Despite the struggles actors face, almost all of them have someone they care about

Brandon Silberstein and Adriana Hokk playing Garry Lejeune/Roger and Brooke Ashton/Vicki role for “Noises Off” at Palo Alto Players, Jan 17.

who has supported them throughout their busy lives and their time in the acting profession.

“My late husband was very a big fan of my work and he was always my biggest supporter and so I carry his encouragement in my heart all the time,” Hill said.

“[My sister and I] are really close, especially after I graduated high school and she moved away and so she’s always been my support system,” Dayrit said.

“My wife is infinitely supportive of my creative pursuits and she always makes space for last-minute schedule changes,” Boyll said.

Through the ups and downs of all their careers, these actors have found the people and groups that support them the most, making their chaotic lives a little easier and keeping the spirit of the theatre alive.

TRemixed Remixed Over Time Over Time Over Time

How sampling and feature techniques have influenced artists and their music styles over time

ARTICLE BY MILES HINES • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY DYLAN SIM

he music industry is one that is constantly evolving and grow ing everyday, with new artists on the horizon and established ones rating their favorite artist.

Sampling is the use of a song or recording in a separate clip. On the other hand, features are where a guest artist that is not part of the album or project contributes to a song. This could be done in a variety of ways from having a separate verse on a song or editing the sound that is used in the project. Both sampling and features have the intention of improving their song or the quality in

In the older music industry (before the 2000s), artists and their listeners thrived off of originality. Their unique

part of the industry since 1970, the 20th century’s increase catches the attention of people the most. Many within the industry use this style of music to incorporate their favorite technique of other artists and cater to a larger audience.

“In 2024, 17% of Billboard’s top hits used sampling.” - News24

use of lyrics allowed them to communicate a story within their music. As music has continued to evolve, so has the use of sampling, however it has still been deemed not as original by an older genera-

According to News 24, sampling was used once in every five songs produced in the past year. While sampling has been a

This also applies to the older generation of listeners. The use of sampling appeals to many for the nostalgic feelings it evokes. Sampling makes it easy to take what they once heard in an old song and relate it to a new song at a different point in their life.

Sampling and features may have become more popular as it is easier to obtain

Naan-Stop Masala

A taste of Indian cuisine across three Bay Area spots

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY BEZA MITACHEW • ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGN BY KRITI PENDYALA

With the Bay Area being home to the second-largest Indian-American population in the United States, there are hundreds of Indian restaurants located here. Indian cuisine consists of a huge variety of regional foods from all over India that all contain spices that are based on the diversity and climate of that region. There is also a variety of Indian diets based on religion which includes vegetarian-based, meat-based and Jain (nonviolence). With so many available options in the Bay Area, I chose three top rated Indian restaurants and determined which is the best one. I evaluated them based on the appearance of the restaurant (out of two), taste of food (out of four), customer service (out of two) and affordability (out of two).

Mehak of India

Mehak of India is a small North Indian restaurant located in East San Jose on N Capitol St. The overall restaurant appearance is very small and it has traditional seating with wooden chairs and tables. As I entered, there was no host as it was a self-seating setup, but after a few minutes, someone came to take my order. The waiter was very friendly and gave me a complete rundown of the menu, guiding me on the most popular dishes. I ordered Garlic Naan, Vegetable Samosas, Butter Chicken, Aloo Tikki Chaat and Chicken Tikka Masala. The food was ready in around 20 minutes and everything came piping hot. As an appetizer, I ordered the Vegetable Samosas. It came in two huge pieces with mint and tamarind chutney on the side. The outside crust was very crispy and smelled amazing. I took a bite and it was the most flavorful bite I have ever experienced. The warm potatoes with the green peas and garlic created a unique savory and smoky flavor. I dipped it in the chutney which added a huge boost of Indian spices. With the fresh taste of mint and the crispness of the samosas, it brought a level of deliciousness and complex flavors I

Ranking:

Appearance of the restaurant: 1/2

Customer Service: 2/2

Taste of food: 3.5/4

Affordability: 2/2

Overall ranking: 8.5/10

didn’t know was possible. The curries came in two medium sized bowls and the Butter Chicken had a very vibrant orange color while the Chicken Tikka came in a dark yellow color. The Garlic Naan was very fluffy and had a fragrant garlic taste. I dipped the naan in the Butter Chicken and oh my…the warm, buttery chicken merging with the thick curry that had hints of tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger had a subtle smoky flavor and a gentle kick of spice. Next, I dipped it in the Chicken Tikka Masala and the flavor was very similar to the butter chicken but the curry was less thick and the chicken was extremely tender, which I didn’t really like. I also ordered Aloo Tikki Chaat which is crispy fried potato patties topped with chutneys, curd and chaat masala, and was recommended by the waiter. The dish was very vibrant with lots of different sauces and toppings on it. As I took a bite, the warmth of the potatoes melted in my mouth but there was a quick contrast of cold yogurt-like sauce, creating a very tangy, spicy taste. There was also a crispy yellow topping called sev, which is fried chickpea that added a depth of saltiness. I paid $55 for everything, which is a great price considering the amount of food I got.

Chaat Bhavan

Chaat Bhavan is a popular Indian vegetarian restaurant chain located in the Bay Area with five locations. I went to the one located in Sunnyvale which was quite big with indoor and outdoor seating. Upon entering, the seating was spacious with many booths and tables to choose from. I was greeted by the waiter who took me to a table and I ordered the 2pc Samosas, Bhalla Papdi Chaat, Pani Poori, Garlic Naan and Aloo Tikki with Chana. The samosas were similar to the ones I had at the previous restaurant; they were huge, crispy and hot with warm potato filling. Dipping it in the chutney enhances it to a whole other level with the faint minty taste. The Bhalla Papdi Chaat is crispy flat wafers and lentil fritters layered with potato, sev, onion, chutney, yogurt, chickpeas and spices. It was such a colorful dish and served cold. As I took a bite, the fritter tasted a lot like bread but the yogurt and mix of sauces added a well-balanced tangy flavor. Next, Pani Poori is crispy puffed wafers with a hole in the middle that are served with spicy mint water, chutney and chickpeas. I added the mint water into the puffed

Ranking:

Appearance of the restaurant: 2/2

Customer Service: 2/2

Taste of food: 3.5/4

Affordability: 2/2

wafer and as I ate it, the crispness melted in my mouth from the water. The Pani Poori was amazing. The crispiness from the puri, with the burst of spicy but cool flavored water creates a unique combo of flavors as well as the chutney which added sweetness. Next, I tried the Garlic Naan which was soft and fluffy, but there wasn’t enough garlic in my opinion. Lastly, the Aloo Tikki with Chana is a dish that has spiced potato patty with garbanzo curry and a mix of different chutneys. The patty was crispy and had a warm potato filling. The chana (chick peas) added a nutty flavor that complemented the potato. Together, the dish included a blend of tangy chutney, cooling yogurt and spices, which created a delicious contrast of spicy, tangy and savory flavors. Overall, it was a delicious mix of crunch, warmth and freshness in each bite. I paid $45 for everything which is amazing considering the medium portion sizes and the quality of food I received.

Overall ranking: 9.5/10

Aappakadai

Aappakadai is a highly rated Indian restaurant in the Bay Area that serves South Indian Chettinad food. There are two locations: one in Sunnyvale and one in Santa Clara. I went to the one located in Santa Clara. From both the outside and in side, the restaurant had a very cozy feel. The seating was very similar to the Chaat Bhavan with booths and tables to pick from. I was greeted by the wait er and ordered Tandoori Chicken, Dosa, Chicken Biryani and Chicken Chettinad Curry. The food came in under 20 minutes and everything was ex tremely hot. Starting off with the Tandoori Chick en, it was a fiery red color and the inside was white and tender. It tasted very dry and did not have a lot of flavor as you would expect based on the color. The taste was very similar to regular chicken. The Dosa was a flatbread similar to garlic naan, hot and buttery. Next, the Chicken Biryani was a fragrant rice dish with the chicken being heavily marinated with aromatic spices like saffron, cardamom and cloves. I loved how seasoned the chicken was and the overpowering flavor of the saffron. Next, the Chicken Chettinad Curry, which was a brownish color with roasted spices, coconut and curry leaves. When I took a bite, it was very rich and had deep heat and spice from all the peppers and chilies. It had a unique combo of coconut that allowed for a more calming taste aside from all the pepper. Overall, the flavors of all the foods had such an amazing taste. The food here added up to $57, which was a little on the high-end for the amount of food I got.

Ranking:

Appearance of the restaurant: 2/2

Customer Service: 2/2

Taste of food: 4/4

Affordability: 1/2

Overall ranking: 9/10

All in all, the restaurants I went to all had amazing foods and I greatly experienced Indian culture. Although, the best restaurant had to be Chaat Bhavan due to the deep and unique flavors of all the foods I tried. Their affordable prices and customer service was topnotch and in my opinion deserves top place.