Volume 54, Issue 5, March 16, 2024

elESTOQUE

LETTER FROM THE

EDITORS

“When I was your age, I used to play outside.” This is a phrase that our parents often say to us, especially when we have our noses buried in our phones, iPads or computers. It’s easy for them to say — after all, when they were younger, such technology didn’t exist.

However, for our generation and the generations to come, technology has become a crucial aspect of our lives, and we quite literally cannot live without it. Phenomena such as iPad kids emerge from children relying on technology for stimulation, communication, education and other aspects of their daily lives.

In this issue, our Arts & Entertainment section explores how growing up online shapes our world, with social media setting new standards for the music we listen to, our definitions of girlhood and how we get our news. We can already see how social media is influencing the next generation, starting trends such as Sephora Kids — elementary and middle schoolers who feel the need to wear makeup and develop skincare routines without realizing that it can be harmful for them.

21840

Editors-in-Chief:

Taryn Lam, Kalyani Puthenpurayil, Lillian Wang

Managing Editors:

Meggie Chen, Lauren Chuu, Sarah Liu, Michelle Zheng

Design Editor:

Sonia Verma

Graphics Editor:

April Wang

News Editors:

Jason Chu, Brandon Xu, Alyssa Yang, Eric Zhou

Features Editors:

Kathryn Foo, Dahlia Schilling, Alan Tai, Mihir Vishwarupe

Opinion Editors:

Anika Bhandarkar, Crystal Cheng, Megha Mummaneni, Sagnik Nag Chowdhury

In many ways, the next chapter of our lives is filled with the unknown, and sometimes, progress is as terrifying as it is promising. Our coverage of AI in the classroom reflects the shifting reality we live within, as we find ourselves asking how AI will affect our lives in the future and see the beginnings of this change already taking root.

Technology has always been a pillar in our lives, but as we see new, unfamiliar versions of it, we must learn to face it head on, ready to discover the power and faults it holds.

Samika Bhatkar, Ananya Chaudhary, Jami Lim, Aashi Venkat

Sports Editors:

Arjun Dhruv, Daphne Huang, Lily Jiang, Manas Kottakota

Staff Writers:

Abha Dash, Leah Desai, Sophia D’Sa, Ethan Eisler, Niveda Hari, Aletheia Ju, Jillian Ju, Ethan Kellogg, Isabelle Kok, Pranati Kotamraju, Corinna Kuo, Giljoon Lee, Joyce Li, Elizabeth Liu, Suhana Mahabal, Riya Murthy, Sania Nadkarni, Dylan Nguyen, Stella Petzova, Aidan Ruan, Trisha Sannappanavar, Arshiya Sen, Aaryan Sharma, Ananda Singh, Arushi Singh, Varun Singh, Amberly Sun, Lindsey Tang, Raj Thapliyal, Eshika Tiwari, Brandon Wang, Asha Wojciechowski, Ethan Yang, Shannon Yu, Kaia Yuan, Benjamin Zhang, Stephanie Zhang

Advisers: Vennessa Nava, Julia Satterthwaite, MJE

Mission Statement:

El Estoque will accurately inform our community through well-researched, unbiased and in-depth accounts of stories of the student body and staff, local news and developments and taboo topics prevalent in and near the MVHS realm. By investigating a variety of voices and credible perspectives, we hope to foster active discussion, effect positive change and spread awareness of timely and relevant content. As a trustworthy, consistent and reliable source of information, we strive to be accountable, adaptable, and ready to correct and address our mistakes. Constantly striving for improvement, we will uphold integrity and ethics to be respectful and empathetic to one another, our sources and our readers. We will exercise our press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and California Ed Code 48907 while maintaining a community of reporters with a strong passion for our work and journalism as a whole.

PHOTO | KRISH DEV

04Climate changers

FUHSD Climate Collective establishes its initiatives toward mitigating climate change

18Gaming around the globe

Students and staff reflect on their experiences playing cultural board games

22 Treat yourself

Buying small treats for self-motivation can have large impacts

34Entering a new era

Students and staff comment on the rise of ‘girlhood’ as seen on social and mainstream media

40 Blazing trails

Students share how being part of Scouts BSA has encouraged them to be more active 38

EL ESTOQUE |

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAVITA GUPTA | USED WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO | LILLIAN WANG

PHOTO | LAUREN CHUU

CLIMATE CHANGERSILLUSTRATIONS|DYLANNGUYEN

FUHSD Climate Collective establishes its initiatives toward mitigating climate change

BY SARAH LIU AND DYLAN NGUYEN

Thirteen years ago, AP Chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta was teaching about acids and bases when she noticed her students were especially fascinated by the topic of ocean acidification. To supplement this curiosity, Gupta allowed the students to complete a climate-related project at the end of the school year, supporting the enthusiasm her students harbored. Gupta credits this experience as the initial inspiration for her joining the FUHSD Climate Collective (FCC) and jumpstarting its initiatives toward mitigating climate change.

“The lesson resonated with the students — they loved the learning that came with it,” Gupta said. “It resonated with our community. These students are engaged in it. They want to learn, and it helps bust some myths and move all of us toward a sciencebased understanding of what ocean acidification is, its issues and what we can all do. How can we all do our part rather than each of us thinking about something that might come in the future?

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

How do you bring images, immediacy to this issue and bring it close to home?”

Currently, Gupta serves as one of two teacher advisors for the FUHSD

ClimateWCollective, a team consisting of students, teachers and district staff from all five high schools. The FCC started in the fall of 2023 and meets monthly to build curricular pathways for environmental literacy and sustainability education. Gupta attributes the current successes of the FCC, such as imposing paper recycling at FUHSD schools, to the passion of the students leading the team and hopes that more students will get involved in the future.

Junior and MVHS recycling lead

Anushka

Kumaran says the FCC is currently focusing on two district-wide projects: a recycling initiative and an FUHSD Earth Day event. Because she is more involved in the recycling initiative at MVHS, Kumaran is trying to increase the number of student volunteers for the recycling program by creating school announcements and sending out volunteer forms. She says that one area of improvement for the team is the type of material the recycling initiative encompasses. Although the recycling program is only focused on recycling paper this year, Kumaran hopes to expand the program to include bottles and other types of trash in the future.

“We hope to increase awareness of recycling in general and make sure that students within our community are aware that they do have an impact in the things that they do,” Kumaran

said. “And a lot of people, oftentimes when it comes to climate change, feel like they can’t make a big change. But it’s every small little change — even if you recycle a piece of paper or the water bottle that you drink out of, it’s going to make a big impact.”

While Kumaran works primarily on increasing student engagement for the recycling initiative at MVHS, Cupertino High School senior and marketing team member Xinpei Lu is focusing on outreach for the Earth Day event. Their role in the marketing team is to promote the Earth Day festival by putting up flyers, creating school announcements and working with teachers and ASB members to spread awareness about the event.

“I want to help the district transition. I think that we’re in a crucial pivotal moment of climate change and awareness — that stage where we have to do the most we can do to prevent lasting, irreversible damage,” Lu said. “And so that kind of urgency pushes me forward to be like, ‘Okay, what can I do today to minimize the damage and do my part as part of a community?’”

The FUHSD Earth Day festival will be held on Thursday, April 11, from 5-8 p.m. at Mountain View’s Computer

in the first hour, a seated program with keynote speakers and performances in the second hour and a student project showcase where students will

“We’re trying to be more holistic about what voices, ideas or perspectives we want to include,” Lu said. “So we want to include perspectives from all fields of studies like arts, humanities, STEM, all that stuff. We want to try to inform students about green career pathways and sustainability, what they can do with it and open their eyes to new possibilities.”

Ultimately, Gupta believes that the collective’s initiatives from both students and adults make the FCC unique in its establishment.

“We co-create — that’s a very powerful word,” Gupta said. “There are not many spaces in our system where we co-create stuff. So the FCC is unique because this is something students want to learn. They have an appetite to learn and want to dedicate their time to learn. And we are making that happen.”

The emergence of AI-based tools has swept classrooms across the nation in the past two years, with a sharp increase in student usage. Most notably, almost 90% of students reported usage of ChatGPT, just months after its release in November of 2022, according to a Forbes survey. These movements have since sparked ethical concerns regarding privacy, effective and responsible use, AI literacy and the implementation of regulation in classrooms.

year, beginning with the formation of the AI Task Force in spring of last year. The AI task force is led by FUHSD Coordinator of Educational Technology Menko Johnson and is currently in the process of forming policies to navigate the issues at hand.

There have been various attempts, both statewide and nationwide, to educate and assist educators in the face of this transition. For one, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochestor of Delaware and Rep. Larry Bucshon of Indiana introduced the national Artificial Intelligence act last December, which would systematize AI literacy into digital literacy and provide $2.75 billion to establish grant programs that promote digital inclusion and equity.

Two months ago, the state of California released its own guide — Artificial Intelligence: Learning with AI, Learning about AI — as part of a movement by 13 states offering informative guidance for students and staff in districts across the nation.

FUHSD, meanwhile, has initiated its own approaches to adapt to the new

Johnson states teachers’ primary concern is they feel students have a more clear understanding of AI than they do themselves, setting them on the backfoot when tasked with teaching AI literacy in classrooms. He therefore uses an approach that begins with not only presenting teachers with guidelines for recognizing ethical and unethical AI use, but also opportunities for staff themselves to familiarize with AI and its tools.

INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTEGRATING

FUHSD takes several approaches to addressing

BY JASON CHU AND RAJ THAPLIYAL

“As you can imagine, anytime you become more familiar with a tool, you might start to think of extensions of how you could use this tool with students, but right now, we just need to get teachers to start using it themselves to really even understand the possibilities,” Johnson said. “You can get some very immersive experiences that you wouldn’t think of if you’ve never used it before, and so we want to kind of give them that level of experience.”

WE TRY TO TEACH WRITING AS A SKILL AND AS ANY NORMAL SKILL, YOU NEED TO LEARN IT AS A PROCESS. “

WORLD LITERATURE SHOZO SHIMAZAKI

Johnson has observed teachers discovering the potential of AI tools. For example, he says computer science teachers have found benefits in using AI to provide explanations, as it can provide unique ideas for the process of solving a problem. In addition, the AI task force is also encouraging staff to share other unique uses in other subjects.

“Everyone is looking for new ways to deal with this,” Johnson said. “We

INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTEGRATING

addressing AI in classrooms

are looking at some teachers who may be very creative with uses of AI, and they would be doing conferences and other things for other teachers, to show them or give them ideas. Once you see the ideas, I think it’ll work, but it’s just that right now everyone’s afraid. It’s the fear of the unknown.”

However, Johnson and many teachers also recognize that AI presents opportunities for misuse. World Literature teacher Shozo Shimazaki states that the process has been a challenge for English teachers particularly, as AI can serve as a hindrance to learning to write.

“serious problem in MVHS that can grow rapidly if not attended to with urgency.

Both Shimazaki and American Literature teacher Lynn Rose use various tools to help them check essays for AI writing before and after submitting.

“We try to teach writing as a skill and as any normal skill you need to learn it as a process,” Shimazaki said. “But when you can instantly get a well written assignment or essay without going through the whole process, a lack of learning will occur.”

FUHSD TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR

IT’S ONLY BEEN 18 MONTHS AND AI HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF WHAT WE DO. MENKO JOHNSON

“Three things we have been implementing are we can see revision histories, we require students to turn in the document that they had been working on step by step throughout the process of writing the essay and we perform different scans,” Shimazaki said.

Shimazaki sees the ease of access to well-written assignments by AI as a

One such example is Turnitin, used by many teachers at MVHS for assignment submissions, which developed a built-in AI detection feature last

February that is “highly proficient in distinguishing between AI and human-written content,” according to its website.

Senior and co-president of AI club Andrew Zhou agrees with the implementations regulating the use of AI, acknowledging that AI may detract from learning in the short-term. However, he believes that over time people will see it as a tool and nothing more, following a similar path as past inventions like calculators.

“‘I’m just concerned that like any other tool that can be used for education, AI will detract from students’ actual learning, for example, with the invention of calculators, people probably got worse at mental math,” Zhou said. “So I think it’s definitely important that you teach students how to properly use these tools, not as a crutch, but as a support tool to help you develop your skills.”

Ultimately, Johnson hopes to continue involving and educating not only staff, but students and families as well.

“If we think back, it’s not even been 18 months, and AI has completely changed the landscape of what we do,” Johnson said. “So I can’t imagine what the three or four years from now are going to look like, but we’re on this journey together.”

MVHS students advance in PTSA Reflections Art Program

“I AM BECAUSE…”HOPEFUL HOPEFUL HOPEFUL

BY SUHANA MAHABAL AND ALYSSA YANG

After the National Parent Teacher Student Association Reflections Art Program asked students to address the theme, “I am hopeful because…” sophomore Monisha Preetham chose to submit a photograph of two squirrels, titled “Finding Hope In Nature.” In February 2024, she learned that her photo had advanced to the Sixth District PTSA, which serves the counties of Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey.

“After winning, I feel differently about my pictures because I won a couple awards,” Preetham said. “Before, I didn’t think they were good. But now I think they’re okay.”

Since the National PTA founded Reflections in 1969, it has continued to inspire and encourage K-12 students nationwide. MVPTSA selects the top entries from MVHS in each category to advance to the Council, a local group of PTSA members who judge submissions. The group serves school districts within Cupertino, Fremont and Sunnyvale. From there, the chosen

advance to Sixth District. Besides Preetham, junior Elisabeth Lin and senior Aahana Yadav also received recognition at the Council level for entries in Visual Art and Literature, respectively.

MVPTSA Reflections Co-Chair Cathy Chen has worked with Reflections for nearly a decade. She’s learned that selection criteria are weighted toward how well an work reflects the theme. Chen particularly enjoys the theme “I am hopeful because…” as it not only allows students to express individual stories but is also easy to interpret.

side and says, ‘Our voices matter.’”

For Preetham, choosing which of her photos best fit the theme was difficult. She recalls deliberating between two landscape photos and the squirrel photo, which she took in her backyard while quarantining for COVID-19. Nature brings Preetham hope, which she wanted to convey.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

That kind of interpretation is precisely what MVPTSA Reflections Co-Chair John Ling was hoping to see when he first learned the 202324 theme.

“Sometimes, having a theme makes Reflections difficult for kids who might say, ‘I don’t resonate with this particular topic, so it’s hard for me to create something,’ and that’s OK,” Chen said. “I really liked this year’s theme because it’s on the positive

Contemplating the crises the world has faced over the past few years, he sees “I am hopeful because…” as a breath of fresh air.

“The theme was fitting because it lets the kids express how they feel about hope in this world, and to show the positivity out of what’s happened from their last few years of their lives,” Ling said.

A major obstacle Reflections faces at MVHS is a severe decline in participation. MVHS produces considerably fewer submissions than other schools in the area. For instance, this year Lynbrook High School received 38 works, a stark contrast to MVHS, which only received eight.

The majority of Chen’s experience with Reflections comes from Kennedy, which sees greater participation. Chen and Ling aren’t sure why submission rates are so low at MVHS.

“The Reflections Program isn’t new, but somehow when kids get to the high school level, it just doesn’t seem to click as much,” Ling said. “I understand these kids are all busy with their high school careers. But this is actually something that’s very meaningful. And it could look good on your college application or resume.”

One factor they’ve considered is COVID-19 — Chen, Ling and Preetham all recall more people participating prior to the pandemic and believe MVHS students may be no longer aware of the contest.

Preetham believes another factor is the lack of promotion. If it weren’t for the one email through which Preetham learned about Reflections, she would never have known the contest existed.

According to Chen and Ling, the high-achieving culture at MVHS may limit them from participating. Chen reflects on other art competitions’ emphasis on technique, which may subsequently lead high schoolers to believe their works aren’t advanced enough. However, Reflections operates on a different philosophy. Judges value artistic ability, but place just as much emphasis on how uniquely and authentically students can express themselves.

“The whole point of Reflections is that you just need to resonate with the theme,” Chen said. “You need to have a lot of feelings about that particular topic in order to write something that makes the judges go, ‘Oh, yeah, this totally like makes me feel very hopeful.’ That’s really cool compared to other art contests.”

ABOVE — “Finding Hope In Nature” by sophomore Monisha Preetham advanced to Sixth District PTA, which serves the counties of Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey.

BELOW — “Smiles” by Elisabeth Lin was one of three works from MVHS which advanced to be considered by the Council, which serves Cupertino, Fremont and Sunnyvale.

PHOTO | MONISHA PREETHAM

ILLUSTRATION | ELISABETH LIN

NEW YEAR, SAME SCHEDULE

FUHSD decides not to implement an alternative schedule in the 2024-25 school year

BY ISABELLE KOK AND STELLA PETZOVA

An eight-period bell schedule initiative will not be implemented in FUHSD for the 2024-25 school year, as disclosed by Superintendent Graham Clark on Wednesday, Jan. 24.Despite the Fremont Educators Association’s (FEA) vote in favor of the reformed schedule, the plan has been delayed due to logistical challenges.

According to Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits, bell schedules were first standardized throughout FUHSD after returning from online school in 2021. That was when the 8-period day was initially brought to the FEA’s consideration.

“At that time, the decision was, ‘We’re not going to open this can of worms now,’” Avvakumovits said. “And then we revisited it early this school year. The district is still working through a number of questions to

determine if it is indeed a possibility for the future.”

Communities (PLC), to host collaborative meetings. Another potential advantage is for students to have additional free periods. Despite this, as there are still unknowns regarding its feasibility, there is di culty in cementing the new schedule.

“been agreed upon with the district beforehand,” Belshe said. “There’s frustration on that part. Others who were unsure feel like this can give them a little more time in preparation.”

Avvakumovits recognizes that the reformed schedule’s advantages could include common open periods for teachers of the same courses, called Professional Learning

“We’d like to explore more and talk to teachers in di erent subject areas,” Avvakumovits said. “Can we cram the same amount of instruction infewer instructional minutes? If we run a test schedule in the spring, we’ll know more answers to that.”

ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT TOM AVVAKUMOVITS

Also undecided on whether or not an 8-period schedule would be beneficial, sophomore Aaron Tang acknowledges that although an extra free period wouldhelp his workload andtime management, the additional class time that the seven-period schedule provides is necessary in some cases.

“There already isn’t enough time in class,” Tang said. “There’s been some classes I’ve attended where teachers will skip over important sections of lectures. Those classes really need that extra time.”

For students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP), a certain number of minutes of service are specified in each student’s plan. The fewer number of minutes under an 8-period schedule could disrupt educators’ abilities to fulfill students’ IEP.

“We need to think of what we’ll explain to parents and students with IEP,” Avvakumovits said. “Are we reallocating the minutes of service? Are we diminishing them? Involvement and communicating with the community will let us know if this is really a viable, good idea.”

The delay in implementing the schedule has led to varying reactions in the sta community. FEA Negotiations Chair Bonnie Belshe has received diverse feedback from members.

As the district proceeds with preparations for the 2024-25 school year, a “sandbox” course schedule will be constructed to simulate what an 8-period day would look like for students — the mock schedule will use data from student’s current course selections to determine the feasibility of an 8-period schedule implementation.

“We communicated a lot and worked within a timeline that had

“We’re going to use the course selection information from all five sites to build an eight period schedule and see what it really looks like,” Avvakumovits said. “For us to have a more accurate representation of course data will help us in our decision-making going forward.”

Dealing with rejection

We need to learn to value ourselves in the midst of rejection

BY SONIA VERMA

Rejection never feels real when it happens.

Your world turns upside down as the linear train of success you imagined is thrown off track.

You can’t help but spiral into a dark train of thought:

But just because you’re not ‘good enough’ for them doesn’t mean you aren’t good.

When we face rejection, we need to stay in the moment and focus on being the best version of ourselves for those who appreciate our strengths.

There are people who value us more than a faceless admissions committee or a onesided crush.

‘If my crush rejects me, I’m going to die alone.’

‘If I don’t get accepted into this program, I’m going to end up on the streets.”

While acceptance to an academic program or entering a relationship are some markers of success, they aren’t the only things life has to offer. In the face of rejection, find your own path.

MVHS students and teachers rethink traditional grading practices

BY MEGGIE CHEN AND MIHIR VISHWARUPE

Over the years, physics teacher Sushma Bana and the other AP Physics teachers have emphasized a more simplified grading system that focuses more on improving student learning of the content rather than other categories such as participation and attendance. The current grading system that the AP Physics classes use is divided into strictly summative and formative assessments. With this grading system, Bana says although things like time management and engagement are important, in the end, the grade that is on the transcript should reflect the student’s knowledge and not so

much as the amount of times they were tardy or asked for homework extensions.

Senior Iniyaa Suresh has a different opinion, pointing to the grade distributions present in some science classes — where the tests can weigh up to 80% of one’s grade — higher compared to other classes. Although she understands that classes such as AP Physics 1 are meant to simulate a college class, which tend to have fewer exams with more weight, Suresh also explains that it may detract from some students’ learning experience.

“I think it puts more pressure on the students to perform well on the test,”

Suresh said. “So while that might mean studying more and trying to do better on those tests for some students, for others, they might just try to do as many assignments and memorize the model of different problems just so they can score better, rather than trying to conceptually understand the problem.”

However, despite the fact that participation is not a requirement in the gradebook, Bana still believes collaboration is essential to improving as a student and learning in a more supportive and cooperative classroom environment. The seating arrangement in Bana’s class — and many other

physics classes — reflect this push to increase student collaboration.

“Supportive classroom culture is really important in supporting the grading practices, which in turn creates a kind of an optimum environment for learning,” Bana said. “So grading practices in isolation don’t work. It has to be grading practices plus supportive classroom culture where students work collaboratively — they depend on each other, learn from each other and do problem solving together.”

Suresh also draws attention to the paradoxical thinking of some grading systems. For example, most AP classes at MVHS are graded on a 50% curve, where any score above the median receives an A. Although she doesn’t definitively believe it’s a good or bad grading system, Suresh highlights that it may give students a skewed perspective. Many students may desire a high curve, because it means their resulting grade may be higher than expected. However, a higher curve means that overall, the class had a worse grasp on the topics being tested, thus students might hope for an outcome that indicates less learning has occurred.

On the other hand, Fremont High School English teacher Stephanie Fujii emphasizes a non-traditional grading system for her Honors American Literature course, focusing much less on the grades and more on improvement. Fujii does not use letter grades or points but rather a descriptive paragraph-length

description for each stage of growth or a letter grade. The idea for this type of grading originated when Fujii had read a book called “Pointless” by Sarah Zerwin, whose ideas resonated deeply with her.

For Fujii, focusing more on a holistic approach can prioritize learning over grades and provide useful life skills beyond just the course.

FEATURES

of reading comments and feedback that Fujii adds is an active learning strategy that doesn’t revolve around desiring a specific grade percentage.

SUPPORTIVE CLASSROOM CULTURE

IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN SUPPORTING THE GRADING PRACTICES.

PHYSICS TEACHER SUSHMA BANA

“You look at the whole picture with this grading system, which I think benefits students a lot more,” Fujii said. “It requires a greater deal of reflection and self awareness, which I think are essential life skills to be able to evaluate your own performance and to be able to accurately assess how you’re doing is super powerful, not just in the classroom, but even in a relationship dynamic or in a job. And so I think those are huge benefits that a traditional grade scale does not offer.”

Fuji explains that this type of grading system — while potentially frustrating for students at first — can open up greater possibilities for students to actually interact with their work and identify areas of growth rather than simply treating an assignment or an essay as a letter grade. The process

“When you look at Schoology, it’s much like a narrative story of learning,” Fujii said. “I have comments, I have words, I have language, I have descriptions. And so even as a parent, you can look into your student’s grade book and read about what they’re actually doing and producing and how they’re showing their thinking, which is something that you cannot see in traditional grading systems. Even if you’ve got all A’s on everything, that doesn’t actually tell you anything about what the student’s doing or what they’re producing.”

However, ultimately, Suresh highlights that grades still play an important role in how she learns. For her, whether or not they make a positive or negative impact, grades are her learning experience.

“It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy in the sense that if I do well, I want to keep doing well, so I put in more effort, and I think that because of that I perform better,” Suresh said. “Whereas if I’m performing badly, or if I’m performing less than ideally, I get demotivated, I put in less effort, and then I perform even worse. So I think that’s definitely impactful.”

ROOTED IN TRADITION

Traditional Chinese medicine in the modern world and how it has helped the community

BY ELLIE WANG

ACUPUNCTURE

Jennifer Fang, a retired clinic manager and acupuncturist, found herself struggling with many chronic health conditions, including severe allergies and digestive issues in her twenties. After visiting many Western doctors to no avail, she decided to try a different approach. Giving traditional Chinese medicine a chance, she enrolled in medical school, learning about human anatomy, physiology and the rich history of Chinese medicine.

“Learning about Chinese medicine was very eye opening for me,” Fang said. “It was fun and challenging, and it gave me a lot of new perspectives.”

Acupuncture stands as one of China’s most renowned medical traditions, dating back more than 3,000 years. According to Fang, Chinese doctors believe that the human body harbors 12 main meridians and acupoints, and by pinpointing these meridians, doctors can restore balance to a person’s Yin and Yang energies, leading to effective metabolism, stable moods and energy levels.

Fang finds the philosophy of acupuncture, which is rooted in Taoism, admirable, as it encourages patients to take more proactive approaches to managing their symptoms through diet, lifestyle and meditation.

“It really helped me to improve and get rid of a lot of the conditions I had,” Fang said. “It really helped me manage my mental health.”

Similarly, Chinese teacher I-Chu Chang states that she has had many positive experiences involving acupuncture, as it has helped her son recover from severe sports injuries.

Chang recommends acupuncture to any student athlete who wants an effective way to cure injuries. Fang agrees, suggesting that there are many good acupuncturists who can help athletes if they sprain their ankles

or knees.

However, according to Fang, there are some things that acupuncture can’t assist in. She says that though there have been a few stories of success, more complex problems such as insomnia and infertility may be difficult to address.

Many people seek acupuncture treatment for chronic issues and pains such as addiction, menstrual cramps, allergies and asthma, but because acupuncture has no scientific validity, there are also people who find it difficult to trust. According to Chang, this may also be because people who are unfamiliar with Chinese medical practices don’t wait for the result, or that they found a doctor who lacks expertise. She emphasizes the importance of finding experienced doctors.

“You have to be more patient and keep an open mind because sometimes the needles scare people away,” Chang said. “Maybe when we resist, the result won’t turn out well. People should try to keep an open mind and not be so afraid of needles. That’s my advice.”

out that the only reason why Tam couldn’t make a sound was simply because of a throat infection.

“The doctors just said, ‘Your baby’s fine, just give her some painkillers,’” Tam said. “But my mom hated the idea of giving a baby painkillers, so she went to a Chinese medicine doctor, and he told her to make a kind of soup. Then she forced me to drink it every day, and then it got better.”

As a result, Tam says that her family, and now herself, prefers traditional Chinese medicine over modern drugs due to how it has little to no side effects, even if it acts slower.

“Western medicine kind of just smashes the symptoms,” Tam said. “Then it lets go and it’s still there. But Eastern or Chinese medicine puts emphasis on gradually getting better.”

WESTERN MEDICINE JUST SMASHES THE SYMPTOMS. CHINESE MEDICINE PUTS EMPHASIS ON GRADUALLY GETTING BETTER. “ SOPHOMORE SOPHIE TAM

Ling-Jung Kao, a Chinese medicine practitioner, says the reason why Chinese medicine is relatively sideeffect free is because it is essentially food. However, she says that just like food, consuming too much can cause negative side effects.

HERBAL MEDICINE

When she was a toddler, sophomore Sophie Tam remembers her mom’s surprise when she suddenly stopped crying. Worried, her mom brought her to a Western clinic. Luckily, they found

Kao states that the most popular herb used worldwide is goji, along with astragalus, glycyrrhiza and Chinese red date. She mentions how goji has liver repairing qualities, and how goji and chrysanthemum tea have vision repairing and energy boosting attributes. Observing the

prevalence of eye problems among high school students due to intense study schedules, she recommends goji to any student.

Drawing from personal experiences with infection and allergies, Tam suggests people who are struggling with these conditions to consider Chinese herbal medicine. She states that not only is the medicine cheaper, but it also promotes overall health. Kao adds that while some remedies can be prepared at home, she advises getting a prescription for more severe illnesses.

“TCM is a more holistic approach,” Fang said. “They try not to treat only the symptoms because they always believe there are other underlying causes. Otherwise, you can only have a band aid solution.”

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

Fang mentions how Eastern or Chinese medicine and Western medicine each have their own merits and drawbacks. She highlights the technological advances and precise diagnosing of Western medical practices compared to the limitations of Chinese medicine in treating diseases like cancer, which Western medicine has found solutions to.

“We have a lot of medicines where we use animals as well,” Kao said in Chinese. “We use scorpion poison as well as silkworms and even deer antlers.”

Kao mentions that some exotic ingredients utilized in traditional Chinese medicine are banned for the sake of protecting the ecosystem — pangolin scales, for example. Some herbs, like ephedra, are prohibited by the U.S. for health and safety risks.

“Chinese medicine is very versatile,” Kao said. “If the diagnosis is correct, it should bring very good results. If it doesn’t? Find a better doctor.”

CUPPING THERAPY

The first time Fang attempted cupping therapy was during a class at her medical university, where the students’ first patients were their other classmates. Initially, she was intimidated by the presence of fire in the treatment, but after receiving cupping therapy herself, she found it deeply relaxing.

The most traditional way to start cupping therapy, also known as suction therapy, is by lighting a fire to create a vacuum in the cup. According to Fang, putting the heated cup on a meridian can stimulate blood circulation and relax the surrounding muscles. She mentions that many people also try cupping when they are suffering from han pain.

Fang also emphasizes that cupping in combination with massage therapy increases the effectiveness of both. She mentions an Indian practitioner from her clinic who specialized in cupping along with Ayurveda therapy, a traditional medical practice native to India. She adds that this combination has been effective for many complicated cases cupping alone couldn’t cure.

“I think massage therapy is very powerful as it also forms a connection between the practitioner and the patient,” Fang said. “We believe that qi, the lifeforce energy, between a good practitioner and patient can awaken the healing power.”

Fang suggests patients to take care of their bodies from a young age, as qi deteriorates the more health is neglected, weakening the body. She says that a patient’s lifestyle also determines if cupping gives long lasting results.

“It’s a very mysterious gift from the universe,” Fang said. “When you’re in your youth, your body is very rich,. You are like a rich man, and you have a tendency to take it for granted. So, to young patients, I would say to always optimize your lifestyle, habits and mental well being.”

GRAPHICS | ELLIE WANG GRAPHICS | APRIL WANG

MVHS students share their experiences with the Health & Ethnic Studies course

BY SOPHIA D’SA AND DAHLIA SCHILLING

Growing up, Ethnic Studies teacher Usiel Meraz-Cerna’s favorite parts of his History and Literature classes were when he felt ethnically represented. He cherished these instances, though occurrences of Mexican American representation and education were sparse. Later in college, Meraz-Cerna took it upon himself to learn more about Mexican American history and literature due to its connection to his cultural identity. He also studied African American literature because of the diversity of Oakland, the city he grew up in.

“Any group of friends in my high school was a pretty mixed group, in terms of ethnicity and language,” Meraz-Cerna said. “And so that’s something that I also felt kind of

ILLUSTRATIONS|APRILWANG

solidarity with, and that I connected with. So in college, it was something I was driven to study.”

As a result, when Meraz-Cerna was interviewed for his current position, a U.S. History teacher, before the 20222023 school year and was asked about his willingness to teach an Ethnic Studies class, it was a perfect fit. Newly required by the state of California, the one semester class aims to teach freshmen the history of minority groups in America. Other than that, it was up to the district teachers to decide how to approach it for the pilot program, and Meraz-Cerna jumped at the chance to help develop the curriculum for this school year.

“topics he wanted students to know about but that don’t fit into state biology standards. One of his main goals was to have a mental health unit, as he believes skills like stress management are crucial for students.

I DO WHAT ALWAYS WORKS FOR ME. I MAKE IT RELATABLE. POOYA HAJJARIAN

HEALTH TEACHER

Similarly, when FUHSD emailed district science teachers with an opportunity to be part of planning the new Health course, biology teacher Pooya Hajjarian signed up right away. He saw an opportunity to incorporate

“To me, these are life skills that I think every student needs to know,” Hajjarian said. “It deserves much more time than just a little sprinkle here and there. And there’s so many things I want to bring to the table that are important to me, not just as an educator, but to the 14 or 15-year-old version of me that wishes he had these things.”

Hajjarian also wants the Health class to focus on students’ improvement rather than solely on lectures and tests. Students often work on data-driven projects that connect the class directly to them by analyzing how their health habits affect them and how they could be improved. In one project, students collected three weeks of data on how much they slept, and then analyzed how the amount of sleep they got impacted their academics and mental health.

“I do what always works for me — I make it relatable,” Hajjarian said. “I learn really well if I know how this relates to me. If it doesn’t relate to me, it’s hard to feel engaged. So I work on their prior knowledge, and then I tie everything we do to our students.”

Relating to students doesn’t just involve talking about personal topics — it also involves listening. According to

freshman Siya Joshi, Hajjarian creates an atmosphere in which students are willing to share their own experiences, which helps them reflect more deeply.

“Part of what made the class so enjoyable was Mr. Hajjarian. He made students really comfortable in the classroom,” Joshi said. “There was never any need to have your guard up. The class really focuses on personal things. It makes it centered around you.”

Meraz-Cerna uses a similar strategy in the Ethnic Studies class, encouraging students to bring in their personal stories. This then becomes a springboard for students to independently explore parts of their cultures.

“It’s an opportunity to reflect on your identity, to connect with your community and to think about your place in American society,” MerazCerna said. “It’s also in a way to build solidarity with other groups of people around your community — in terms of gender, race and ethnicity and in terms of all sorts of ways that people identify themselves.”

Meraz-Cerna believes that the goal of Ethnic Studies is to understand how communities form, which is a different focus from History classes. Additionally, he says the class is integral to freshmen because it introduces tools they can use throughout their high school career.

“of this stuff that they’re learning in their other classes connect.”

Meraz-Cerna thinks the personalized structure of Ethnic Studies has been successful because the class doesn’t have to cover content like a History class. While History teachers are often under pressure to boil down the content to and remove “side stories,” Ethnic Studies can put diverse voices at the center of the conversation.

Coming from middle school, Joshi realized the history classes she had previously taken often left out large parts of the story. This year in Ethnic Studies, the diverse narratives in the curriculum grabbed her attention.

“A lot of the classes I’ve taken in the past were not the full story,” Joshi said. “It was mostly the common narrative. The Ethnic Studies class definitely made me see the views of other people.”

things that aren’t usually in the textbooks.”

Although Arellano Mena didn’t originally intend to take Health & Ethnic Studies, she found it more fun and insightful than she expected. Similarly, Joshi found it to be much more impactful in her life than she thought it would.

“If they can understand how a community is formed, how different ethnic communities have formed in the past, and why they call themselves a community and then apply that to their own lives, then that’s the success of the class,” Meraz-Cerna said. “I hope that moving forward, they’re able to take that experience of Ethnic Studies to ask better questions about how all

IT’S NICE THAT YOU GET TO EXPLORE YOUR BACKGROUND, NOT FEEL ASHAMED OF IT. DIANA ARELLANO MENA

Senior Diana Arellano Mena agrees that Ethnic Studies offers a unique opportunity to explore topics often overlooked in other classes. She believes that this and the project-based curriculum make the class less stressful and more interesting.

SENIOR

“It’s nice that you get to explore your background, not feel ashamed of it,” Arellano Mena said. “Everyone will be getting a safe space to talk about certain things that you don’t usually talk about in other classes. You’ll learn

“I was planning to take PE senior year and avoid it the other year because I don’t really like PE,” Joshi said. “But knowing how much it can help made me rethink my decision.”

Now, Joshi plans on taking PE next year and starting a sport outside of school to maintain a good level of physical activity throughout high school. Ultimately, this is exactly the goal that Hajjarian and Meraz-Cerna expressed for the course — giving students a new lens through which to view the world, even though they realize it’s not what students expect from the class.

“It’s going to change your life in a way where you can be a healthier, happier person in all the things that you do, in all your other classes, at home, and in your future,” Hajjarian said. “It’s a game changer.”

GAMING AROUND THE GLOBE

Students and staff share their experiences playing various cultural board games

BY LAUREN CHUU AND NIVEDA HARI

When Spanish teacher Maria Autran reflects on her childhood, she looks back to elementary school, remembering the sounds of laughter and the shuffling of La Lotería cards as they were passed out in the extra time before class ended. She recalls the excitement and competitiveness of her clasWsmates as they reached into the bucket of beans to place on their board each time their card was called.

La Lotería is a traditional Mexican game that blends elements of bingo with colorful and lively pictures. The game traveled to Spain and finally reached Mexico in 1769. While it was initially played exclusively by the higher social classes, the broader

Mexican community eventually incorporated it into the culture.

Similar to American Bingo, in La Lotería, a colorful image is selected from a deck of 54 cards. An unlimited number of players each have a different version of a board, which has 16 images organized in a 4x4 grid, and the announcer gives a short problem or phrase that refers to the image. To win, one person has to get all 16 of their images on the board, also known as a “blackout” in American Bingo.

However, when Autran plays with her students, she has them announce a short phrase when they call the card or be the announcer for the class, tailoring the difficulty to the level of Spanish she is teaching. She only

plays with her class once or twice a year, typically bringing out her Lotería board when she hosts class parties for holidays like Cinco de Mayo.

“It comes in handy for a celebration,” Autran said. “No matter where I’ve taught it, this game is liked by children or adults. Any class I have taught, and at any level I’ve taught, I always bring out my Lotería for fun.”

While Autran plays Lotería to spread Spanish culture, for sophomore Darren Hsu, traveling to different places was his segue into cultural games. After visiting Japan in 2018 and 2020, his interest in Japanese culture and philosophy peaked. When he decided to research the culture on his own, he discovered Shogi, a variant of chess.

Senior Catherine Chen plays mahjong with her family.

Unlike other forms of chess which differentiate sides by color, Shogi uses the orientation of the pieces. In addition, Shogi has rules where players can even redeploy their opponent’s pieces to their side.

“

SENIOR YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF CONVERSATION. PEOPLE CAN SOCIALIZE AND CONNECT WHEN WE ARE PLAYING. CATHERINE CHEN “

As an avid self-taught chess player for the past 11 years, Hsu was immediately drawn to Shogi’s similar strategy-based game mechanics.

“The pieces are very versatile because for instance, like in chess, the pieces have a unique set of movements which make them suited to specific goals, but you can do the same thing with many different pieces in Shogi,” Hsu said. “For me, Shogi is a bridge between in Japanese and my enjoyment of strategy and mental thinking.”

While Hsu plays Shogi for fun, senior Catherine Chen enjoys playing mahjong competitively with her family. Mahjong originated in Southern China in the mid 19th century. The word ‘“mahjong” means sparrow, referring to the clicking sound made when players reshuffle the tiles. It is a four-player game, consisting of 144 tiles and two dice. The game is similar to poker — get a good hand and you can win the game. To win, a player must get four sets, 3-4 identical tiles or a three consecutive tiles, and one pair, which is two of the same tiles. She says her parents taught her to play because they considered it a basic life skill — most of her family in Taiwan plays mahjong, so the game connected her

with her Taiwanese heritage. Although Chen’s favorite part of the game is winning — citing a memory where she once won $20 playing against her parents and brother — she also values the time spent with family.

“For mahjong, people sit together for an hour or even more,” Chen said.

“So it’s kind of like you have to have some kind of conversation. People

Autran also appreciates the time spent bonding over playing these games, though she mainly plays Lotería with her students or her theater group rather than her family. She recalls a time when her theater troupe played Lotería backstage, pausing momentarily to run onto the stage to perform. Her passion for theater and culture even inspired her idea for a new Lotería-themed play, emphasizing Lotería’s influence outside of the game. Although they didn’t perform the play, she explains how she often sees people post pictures of families playing Lotería for celebrations or parties.

“Sometimes, for Halloween, you would see people dress like a character from the game,” Autran said. “I’ve seen the ‘La Dama’ Lotería card and they have created a costume. Again, that’s very popular, it’s part of the culture, and it’s a common thing to play during birthday parties or things

Hsu adds that cultural games have become more widespread because people can casually play and connect with people of their culture. Hsu often plays Shogi for fun during lunch or brunch, describing a light-hearted dynamic where he and his friend take turns moving pieces and going back to the conversation.

Similarly, Autran appreciates the fun culture that has grown around playing Lotería and hopes to pass on its culture and memories to her

“Everybody in Mexico knows what Lotería is and it matters to me, culturally speaking,” Autran said. “That’s why I want to teach this to the kids, and why I want them to enjoy the game like I did. I think it’s a fun game and everybody should have a set in their classrooms. We should play it more often because it’s one way for students to relax and learn about the

AI

THE AISSUE

Students must be equipped with skills to face AI’s inherent biases

Tiktok has seen a surge in the use of AI filters, whether to modify facial features or to generate seemingly realistic photos. Many companies, not just investing in these tools, hoping to appeal to consumers.

However, some users have noticed filters tend to “whitewash” their features and change their body shape to fit a more societally attractive look. In a Washington Post article, “This is how AI image generators see the world,” text-to-image artificial intelligence platform Stable Diffusion produced disturbing results — given the prompt, ‘attractive people,’ Stable Diffusion generated images of white people with blue eyes.

men and brown teddy bears holding guns. Furthermore, given the input ‘Latina,’ Stable Diffusion generated pornographic images of women in sexy lingerie.

STAFF EDITORIAL

OPINION OF THE EL ESTOQUE EDITORIAL BOARD

Despite claims from Stable Diffusion’s parent company that its mission is to be as unbiased as possible, the AI platform still displays racially and sexually stereotypical images. This is especially problematic for younger audiences, who are impressionable and may internalize such biases.

SCAN TO READ THE WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE

For ‘cleaning,’ women were shown holding sprays and wipes, and when asked to produce images of ‘toys in Iraq,’ the program depicted little plastic

Fortunately, with the passing of Assembly Bill 873, California students in grades K-12 will be exposed to lessons on media literacy. The education will go beyond helping students discern

THROUGH THE FILTER

We tested a Snapchat beauty filter on students with different skin tones and the filter not only whitened their clothes and surroundings but their faces as well. The results produced three faces with lighter skin tones and bright red lips, ighlighting implicit biases present in AI and how the technology is unable to differentiate between races.

real images from AI-generated ones, ensuring students are aware of moral and ethical concerns in social media. Literacy education should help people comprehend the underlying biases in AI tools, especially in social media platforms like TikTok where filters are a click away.

To understand why AI has these inherent biases, we have to dig deeper into where AI-generated information comes from. AI is trained to recognize human language patterns from books, movies and even social media posts. However, because our society holds preconceived notions surrounding topics such as race and gender, these notions are present in the text that AI sees. Thus, AI will absorb simple associations such as white people being the most attractive race and women being born to cook and

BEFORE AFTER

clean, and will reflect that in what AI generates.

Yet even in the face of these pressing issues, some companies remain uninterested in investing money into inclusivity within AI. The inaction has led others to take on projects to examine AI’s biases. In 2023, four professors from the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences received a seed grant to use computational linguistics and psychology to examine the role of racial biases in media. Using Natural Language Processing, an AI linguistics model, the four could test how race was perceived by viewers and how viewers’ racial biases were changed. However, such projects are still in the works and have not made their way to popular platforms with AI.

82% of MVHS students

have seen AI filters or editing software in the posts that they have seen

*According to a survey of 150 people

filters were seen as novelties to be used for fun. Who wouldn’t want to give themselves pink dog ears or flaming sunglasses at the press of a button? But some filters are not as innocent as they seem. For example, in 2017, FaceApp’s skin-lightening filter garnered attention as many users were outraged at its racial insensitivity to their differing skin tones. Since then, beauty filters have come a long way. Social media platforms like TikTok utilize advanced AI to make one’s face appear flawless, shaping and resizing eyes, noses, chins and other features. The recent improvements in AI technology have led social media users around the globe to label beauty filters as terrifyingly realistic.

social media platforms daily. Whether we scroll through TikToks or make content ourselves, it is important to recognize how these AI filters might be passing on inherent biases to the users. Curating media literacy lessons that teach students to be prepared for scenarios where AI produces inaccurate results is beneficial for our community.

As our society becomes increasingly dependent on AI, especially with potential impacts on graphic artists, screenwriters and even cashiers, it is important to recognize that AI too has its flaws. It can distort our reality and make its usage dangerous. Individuals who constantly use AI and filters may find themselves and those around them influenced by AI’s subtle racism, sexism and more. They may buy into Eurocentric beauty standards, which is damaging to their mental health. Using AI for the occasional computation or for feedback on an essay paragraph may not cause a big problem, but at the end of the day, AI is not a human being. It is unable to recognize its flaws or fix them. It is not unfAIling.

When introduced to social media,

Many of us use TikTok and other

BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER

TREAT YOURSELF

Buying small treats for self-motivation can have large impacts

BY JILLIAN JU AND STELLA PETZOVA

During her freshman year, the Biology pig practical hit sophomore Sara Lele hard. She felt drained of energy and unmotivated to study, so she asked her mother to recommend a coffee place that was not Starbucks. They ended up going to Peet’s, a coffee chain that Lele’s mother frequented when she lived in New Jersey. Between the motivation that the coffee provided and the quality time with her mother, going out for coffee together became a routine.

After studying hard or getting a good grade on a test, Lele likes to buy herself coffee from Peet’s, and it leaves her more energetic and ready to work. She says the practice helps

adjusting because everything is so much harder,” Lele said. “But the small treat helped me get through the day and it has become a tradition.”

The concept of rewarding oneself for hard work is nothing new, but in recent years, the practice has taken on a new title: little treat culture. On Twitter and TikTok, clips of people rewarding themselves with snacks and small purchases have garnered thousands of views. Making transactions as a work incentive has become a

“

recognizes that it’s only an effective strategy in moderation.

“If I reward myself with coffee too often, I’ll overindulge because I have a habit of stress-eating,” Lele said. “I feel like if I do it as much, it won’t be as special, and it won’t uplift me as much as it usually does.”

IT CREATES A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM FEEL LIKE THEY

DON’T DESERVE THE SMALL TREAT UNLESS THEY’VE DONE SOMETHING TO DESERVE IT.

According to senior Naomi Mhamunkar, the positive effects of small treat culture can come with potentially damaging ramifications. She noticed that it causes an unhealthy view of food by creating a toxic association between deserving food as a necessity and rewarding oneself with it.

SENIOR

NAOMI MHAMUNKAR

Evan Hong can be found with his friends at 7-11, where he usually spends $5 to $10 on ice cream, candy or chips to reward himself for getting through a stressful week. He also goes out to lunch with his friends every couple of months to keep himself motivated in the weeks leading up to break. However, he notes that the habit can become counterproductive if not regulated and tries to set boundaries for himself.

While Hong limits his consumption so he can feel more motivated when he does treat himself, Lele sets boundaries for her health. She’s aware of the diminishing returns that come with spoiling herself with rewards and

“A lot of people like to reward themselves for studying or cleaning their room or performing a strenuous activity with a small treat,” Mhamunkar said. “And while this is beneficial for a lot of people and it helps them get out of the house and do things that they don’t really want to do, it creates a toxic relationship with food because it makes them feel like they don’t deserve the small treat unless they’ve done something to deserve it.”

Mhamunkar recalls seeing students being rewarded with candy in elementary school for good homework and attendance. But when Halloween rolled around, she found herself wondering if she deserved the candy if she didn’t do anything to

earn it. To combat this, Mhamunkar suggests rewarding oneself with something other than food, such as social time or hobby-related items, like art supplies.

“There should be some kind of variety to the rewards,” Mhamunkar said. “If you’re always rewarding every task you do with food, that’s going to create an unhealthy relationship with it. It’s training yourself like a dog: if you tell your dog to sit, they’ll get a treat. You shouldn’t be treating yourself like an animal like that.”

Hong agrees that non-food purchases can also motivate him after a long week, in addition to being healthier than snacks or soda.

Recently, he bought a shirt from TikTok, which he considers a good way to support small businesses at the same time.

Lele finds that motivation can come from spending quality time with loved ones as well. Her family has started completing 1,000-piece puzzles, and she considers the time spent with her sister to be an alternative to small treats. She sees the puzzle time as something to look forward to, the same way she might look forward to a cup of coffee.

While small treats can come in many forms depending on the person, Mhamunkar urges particular caution with the unhealthy mindset that might

come with rewarding oneself with snacks. She says that nourishing oneself shouldn’t be inextricably linked to productivity, and seeing labor as a prerequisite for food can have harmful consequences.

“A lot of people need to understand that you do deserve sweet treats outside of productive things,” Mhamunkar said. “If you’re attending a birthday party, just because you didn’t do your homework, it’s not like you don’t deserve a slice of cake. We should be able to understand that even though food isn’t something you ‘deserve’ through work, it is something you deserve as a person.”

HOW DO SMALL TREATS MOTIVATE YOU?

high five, please

We must change how we view consent

BY ANIKA BHANDARKAR

Meeting relatives often goes like this: my parents greet them first, exchanging a customary “how have you been,” followed by my brother getting a wave or a high five. Eventually, they turn to me, extending an arm not for a handshake, unfortunately, but for a hug. Like a practiced routine, I shrink away, attempting to placate the mildly annoyed and confused look on their face with an awkward laugh, followed by an “I don’t like hugs.”

I stopped liking hugs sometime in the past few years — they stopped being a source of comfort I could find after a bad day, and started making me feel uncomfortable instead. With this newfound aversion to hugs came a dilemma: while I would much prefer getting the high fives people give my brother over getting strangled with a hug, communicating that to every person I meet would be exhausting, especially because it seems like my relatives expect me to hug them.

One study by professors from the University of Arizona, Kent State

Some of us like hugs...

ILLUSTRATIONS | ANIKA BHANDARKAR

University and San Diego State University found that women are genetically predisposed to showing more physical affection, which could explain the expectation for women to accept hugs. Conversely, when men show affection, it is stigmatized as taboo and emasculating. While some women may enjoy hugs and some men may not, a problem arises when we generalize these patterns — based on populations — to individuals. When we make assumptions about someone’s comfort with hugs, going in for a hug (because it’s “just a hug”) risks making someone uncomfortable by crossing their boundaries.

HUGS SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED FROM ANYONE, NOR SHOULD THEY BE SEEN AS SOMETHING EMASCULATING OR INHERENTLY ROMANTIC. “

Making assumptions about whether someone like hugs also perpetuates unfair standards when it comes to physical affection, which stigmatizes men showing physical affection and creates an expectation for women to show it. This ultimately results in an overall lack of consent when it comes to hugs.

To combat this problem, we must recognize that consent ultimately extends into every aspect of our lives. Saying no to physical affection, even from someone close to us, should be perfectly OK; people who don’t like hugs should not have to make themselves uncomfortable for the sake of others’ comfort. Additionally, hugs need to be treated like any other method

Others prefer non-physical displays of affection...

of showing and receiving affection. From a young age, parents should not pressure their kids to hug anyone and instead reinforce concepts of consent and body autonomy.

Hugs should not be expected from anyone, nor should hugs be seen as taboo — something emasculating or inherently romantic even when they aren’t.

“

but at the end of the day, displaying affection consensually, regardless of how, is what matters.

In order to give each other the space to establish our boundaries and preferences, we need to stop treating consent as something that purely arises in sexual situations, and that is something that starts at a young age. We cannot only start learning consent in sex education units in science classes — consent is something that must be introduced at a younger age, when kids first start

PARENTS MUST TEACH KIDS TO ASK FOR CONSENT WHEN NECESSARY TO HELP REINFORCE ITS IMPORTANCE IN EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS.

interacting with others. Parents must teach kids consent early and outside of the context of sex by reinforcing their body autonomy and teaching them to ask for consent when necessary to help reinforce the importance of consent and destigmatize it as something that does not exist purely during sexual situations, but in everyday interactions. Whether we get consent by asking someone before hugging them, borrowing someone’s clothes or planning to meet up with friends, we must give people the space to say no without facing judgment.

For me, knowing that people around me will not hug me without my

own confidence in asking for a hug when I do need a one. My friends and family have created an environment that makes me feel comfortable both asking and saying no to a hug, whether by opting for high fives instead, or simply spending time with me rather than showing physical affection. This brings me a lot of comfort because I know that the people around me understand that my aversion to hugs does not mean that I value them any less. Ultimately, the way we show affection, whether through physical touch, quality time or something else entirely does not diminish the meaning behind it: not wanting to hug someone doesn’t mean you care about them any less.

BY ABHA DASH AND MEGHA MUMMANENI

MVHS should implement a driver education program

One of the biggest milestones of being a teenager is getting a driver’s license — it’s a symbol of freedom and of finally being old enough to do something without the help of parents. However, getting a driver’s license is more than just a perk — to many, it is considered a skill needed for everyday life. Despite this, the number of teen drivers has been decreasing over the years — according to a study by the University of Michigan, two of the three major causes of a decline in teenage driving include time constraints and cost.

Instead of being seen as a skill necessary for transportation, taking time outside of studying and other extracurricular activities can be seen as another responsibility.

AccordIng to Section 5 of the California Constitution Article IX, students are allowed to receive free driving training from their public high school, but only if the school district offers it. There are many benefits to implementing a driving course — for one, it can alleviate the financial burden of having to pay for a driving school or instructors. In California, students must complete a minimum

of six hours with a driving educator, which normally costs between $350 to $650 and can put extra pressure on those who need to pay the cost themselves.

AdditIonally, pressure from schoolwork and college applications may get in the way of students’ driver’s education. If MVHS offers driver’s education, students will have time to manage their extracurriculars along with learning fundamental driving skills. Moreover, a school-provided course would be free of cost and an easy elective credit.

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

over the years, we must incorporate a driver’s education course into the MVHS curriculum to help encourage more students to learn these skills early on. As seniors graduate each year, several students move away from home, making driving a skill that guarantees them mobility wherever they go.

IT’S

TIME TO SHIFT GEARS AND STEER TEENAGERS TOWARD INDEPENDENCE

Online courses generally don’t assure that students will retain the information taught due to the vast information covered and no way to truly verify students are knowledgeable on a majority of the information — not just the common questions found on the permit test. In comparison, taking driver’s ed in a classroom setting allows students to receive a more comprehensive understanding of the subject as a result of greater teacher support, allowing for better drivers and safer streets.

With the decline in teenage drivers

By bringing driver’s ed into the classroom, we can ensure that young drivers are more confident and safer on the road, which benefits the entire community. It’s time to shift gears and steer teenagers toward independence and responsibility with the support and guidance they need. Let’s make driver’s education an option and a valuable part of our high school experience.

Students and staff share how social media has shifted the social standards for kids

BY ANANDA SINGH

cross numerous social media platforms, videos are going viral of young children rummaging through Sephora stores, wasting samples and being rude to employees, eventually leading to the term “Sephora kids.” Math teacher Mia Onodera points out how these recent events stem from the upbringing of this young generation’s parents.

“I think millennials, as parents, lost something along the way,” Onodera said. “They had technology in their hands from when they were babies, and so their idea of what is OK and what’s not OK is very clouded. They have no concept of what they’re doing, why they’re doing it and what is cool.”

Being exposed to media outlets, Kennedy Middle School seventhgrader Ella Lin owns almost any trendy product a teen can dream of, from Alo Yoga to Drunk Elephant. Lin says her parents are skeptical about the products she buys, such as their components, her age relative to it and the overall concept of buying trendy products.

“My parents judge me sometimes for the things that I buy and think that it’s either dangerous for me or I’m too young for it — for example Sephora,” Lin said. “They think I’m only buying it because everyone else is buying it. I can see where they’re coming from, because a lot of kids do buy the same products as me and my mom has been telling me that she’s afraid I’m turning into a clone of the trends.”

Social science teacher Hilary Barron has also noticed these trends. having read articles about children buying anti-aging skincare due to older influencers on social media.

“As a parent, I worry about how I did not grow up with social media, so I don’t know what the proper boundaries are to set around how my child interacts with social media,” Barron said. “It’s just a whole new ballgame. We have so much available to us all the time, so it is a parenting shift in terms of how to help our children be successful with technology being such a huge part of their lives.”

When she was in sixth grade, Lin downloaded social media platforms Pinterest and YouTube on her phone. According to her, these apps were turning points in her building her own style and aesthetic. She also attributes this change to her peers, who introduced her to new products.

“My friends always owned things that were considered trendy at the time, so this made me want to get those specific products too,” Lin said. “Sometimes I thought that the product just looked cool and other times I thought you had to have that in order to be the ‘cool girl’ at school.”

Similarly, Barron relates to Lin’s statement about wanting to own products. Reflecting on her own teen years, Onodera relates to the idea of fitting in and participating in trends, or buying certain clothing to send out a specific message to classmates. However, she believes that today’s generation has di erent role models causing them to “act an age that they are not.”

“Admittedly, I was someone who wore name brands when I was in high school,” Onodera said. “Now, influencers are not of these kids’ age and these trends don’t necessarily match their needs or expectations.”

Fit the

Students share their perspectives and experiences with stereotypes surrounding their favorite music genres

BY VARUN SINGH

World History and AP Macroeconomics teacher Scott Victorine recalls sitting in the car with his grandmother listening to the Beatles together. He finds this a distinctly impactful moment in his childhood. Music — specifically rock, metal and hip hop — has been a recurring joy throughout Victorine’slife.

“It was what everybody around me was listening to in school and what was popular at the time, and then I just jumped right into it,”

Victorine said

Vibe

“When I got to college, I definitely started listening to more and more. Not just rock but hip hop and even some electronic music, and that’s where my music portfolio really diversified.”

Despite the variety of genres that Victorine listened to in college, he explains that a lot of the music communities in his life were filled with stereotypes that made it difficult for him to feel like a part of these communities.

“At the time, it was kind of like you listen to one or the other, that’s it,” Victorine said “It wasn’t as open minded as I would say it is today. If you listened to rock music, you were probably also a skater. If you listen to hip hop, you tended to dress in baggy clothes or sports related materials. It was one or the other, very few people listened to both. And if you did, you run the risk of being called out for being a poser.”

Victorine’s experience of being judged for the types of music he listened to is not rare. Sophomore Vikram Aditya Srikanth describes his

own experiences with being judged for his music tastes.

“I mainly listen to EDM and also to classical music, and I definitely get a lot of flack because those are very conflicting [genres],” Srikanth said. “People think like I should make up my mind, and also in general, they think that I just say classical music, I don’t listen to it, and that I’m trying to be pretentious.”

Srikanth further explains the image classical music is a genre many see as pretentious and arrogant. However, Victorine states that as his musical tastes developed, the genre became something that he used to reflect his feelings.

“I’ll put on classical music when I want to unwind,” Victorine said. “I’ll put on something more electronic with a trippy kind of beat just to mellow me out. There’s other times I’ll put on classic jazz music, it depends on my mood.”

While Victorine has found that using classical music as a way to match his own emotions proves effective, Srikanth explains how others might not see the genre the same way. He explains that

many who enjoy classical music play instruments themselves, creating a high barrier of entry for the community.

“There’s almost no way to socially learn about classical music,” Srikanth said “You can learn about hip hop or pop at parties or from people who listen to it, but there’s no way to really get into classical music. Even if you don’t play an instrument, it’s extremely dated, which definitely sucks because I think it is really cool. It’s actually good music and people should try it.”

Sophomore Rishi Salvi mirrors Srikanth’s experiences with his own exposure to the stigma surrounding the rock genre.

“Generally rock is seen more as like a lonely, anger-inducing genre,” Salvi said. “They call people lonely, call people depressed for listening to rock, because it’s not a typical popular thing. If you really listen to a rock song, they get pretty vulnerable with the topics they cover, the emotions and how they express them. A lot of people don’t fully get the message behind it and just think of it as noise and without actually understanding the power of the instruments or the power of the lyrics.”

Salvi goes on to explain how modern platforms have changed this perception, allowing people to more easily interact with different kinds of music and creating a more open environment around genres.

“I think it’s more normalized to really be yourself nowadays,” Salvi said. “You can like what you like at this point

because everyone has their own opinions on music.”

However, in Srikanth’s experience, this normalization is not the case for a lot of the stronger and more deep rooted stereotypes, such as those surrounding classical music.

“I wanted to be able to connect with more people using music, but when you say classical, I feel like that almost pushes you away,” Srikanth said. “So it just became normal for me to not even bring up classical music, even with people who I think wouldn’t really care.”

Similarly to Srikanth, English, AVID and ELD teacher Mark Carpenter recalls their experiences in an environment that they felt was too intense for their tastes, alienating them from that scene.

“I’m in Los Angeles, and Crystal Methyd is playing a show at the Shrine Auditorium,” Carpenter said. “So, I buy a ticket and I go to the show, and I realize I’m at a rave. I don’t do drugs or know anything about fashion, and people are very neon, and obviously experiencing the music on a level that I can’t. So I just left, and that told me that that scene was not for me.”

Even so, Salvi explains the role of music and how people should not be pushed away from it by culture or stereotypes.

“I think music is very versatile

in the sense that it serves many purposes, everyone should listen to a variety of genres and not hate on someone just because they listen to a different song than you,” Salvi said. “It’s important to understand that music tastes come in a whole spectrum, and it’s important to be accepting and welcoming.”

TIKTOK TUNES

TIKTOK TUNES TIKTOK TUNES

Students weigh in on how social media sets a new standard for mainstream music

BY GILJOON LEE AND ASHA WOJCIECHOWSKI

OOOn the night Taylor Swift’s album “Midnights” dropped, MV ‘23 alum and current college freshman Jiya Singh had a listening party with her friends. As a self-proclaimed Taylor Swift lover, Singh had high expectations for the album and its lead single “Anti-Hero,” but noticed something that bothered her on her first listen.

“The second I heard the lyric, ‘It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me,’ it very much felt as if she was creating it for TikTok,” Singh said. “And the next day, my whole For You page is just people using the audio to make TikToks about themselves being a problem that became a TikTok trend.”

“

make them recognizable for catering to audiences on social media.

“I think it really has to do with the lyrics,” Singh said. “There’s a certain section of a song where it’s so clear that it’s a dialogue. It’s like something you would say to your friends and it’s so casual, versus a lot of normal music, which is more poetic and not as literal. And the more literal lyrics are what’s getting those songs famous, because people can use them in TikToks to act or lip sync to.”

“ “ TIKTOK IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST USED APPS BY NEWER GENERATIONS WHO ARE MORE LIKELY TO LISTEN TO NEW ARTISTS AND EXPAND THEIR MUSIC TASTE.

Singh says she felt conflicted Taylor Swift would write a song that, in Singh’s opinion, was made for going viral on TikTok and other social media apps. She was surprised Swift would feel the need to make a viral audio out of a song when she already has a strong and well-established fan base that would support her music without extra promotion.

Beyond Taylor Swift, Singh says she has noticed a pattern among other mainstream artists like Drake, Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo of releasing music she views as tailored towards audiences on social media. Singh says certain traits of songs

discovering new music through TikTok, smaller, aspiring artists are beginning to make use of the opportunities presented by the platform to get their music to wider audiences through posting videos.

“I do understand why artists promote on social media,” Singh said. “Not necessarily top artists because they have such a big platform already, but smaller artists, because TikTok is probably one of the most used apps by newer generations who are more likely to listen to new artists and expand their music taste.”

The benefits of marketing songs on social media are undeniable, and catering to the platforms’ audiences could simply become a good business practice for both the label and the artist.

MVHS ‘23 ALUM JIYA

Junior Elizabeth Trotter adds that a catchy beat or tune can be just as powerful in boosting a song’s social media fame. These musical traits are popular for a reason — oftentimes, according to Trotter, songs that go viral are just generally good songs.

SINGH

“A lot of different genres go viral and there’s not really a pattern,” Trotter said. “But a lot of them have really good music and that helps boost their popularity.”

Sophomore Anika Ramachandran agrees, saying she has discovered a lot of songs suited to her taste because of TikTok and Instagram. Several artists and music genres she previously did not listen to have now become a regular part of her listening experience.

Singh and Trotter say that because of users like Ramachandran

According to data analyzed by Tatiana Cirisano, 40% of TikTok users pay for a monthly subscription music service, compared to 25% in the general population. 17% buy artist merchandise monthly, while 9% of the general population does. However, while promoting on social media is a great way to reach an audience, Ramachandran says all the content can become overwhelming.

“My music taste is honestly dictated by what I see in the media, which is not a good thing,” Ramachandran said. “If I see a new song, I will play it on repeat until I’m sick and tired of it and won’t listen to it again. It’s not my choice, but it’ll just get to that point.”

There are also unforeseen impacts on the standards for mainstream music, according to Singh. She notices viral social media music is not always to people’s tastes — for example, a new trend in music she’s seen where nursery rhymes are being turned into songs, such as Gayle’s “ABCDEFU”

and Leah Kate’s “Twinkle Twinkle.” Despite Singh’s dislike for this type of music, she says such songs are marketed so heavily on her For You page that she has the lyrics to some unintentionally memorized just from making fun of them.

“It is interesting though, because I looked up the songs at one point and they did have a lot of streams, but I’ve never heard of anyone actually liking the song,” Singh said. “So I feel like a lot of those artists probably get a lot of streams from people who hate listening to their songs, in a weird way.”

does make me really upset because I just remember how we used to have songs coming out that are meaningful to a lot of people. Like poetry, the music has a cathartic effect whether it brings you happiness, melancholy, nostalgia, whatever. A lot of songs that are being promoted on TikTok are not for that purpose.”

“

“

“SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAVE A VERY INTERWOVEN RELATIONSHIP. AT THIS POINT, I DON’T THINK EITHER ONE CAN EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER. SOPHOMORE ANIKA RAMACHANDRAN

Ramachandran says she has experienced a similar phenomenon to Singh, and adds that it feels like the standards for mainstream music have changed. Streams can now be gained through notoriety of a song instead of being earned through quality of the music itself. Ramachandran has noticed this in recent songs on social media, where she may like the chorus or a small snippet of a song but find the rest of the song to be not up to the same standard.

Newly released music from more established artists like Taylor Swift and Drake is being viewed by some as tailored for social media. Singh attributes artists suddenly changing their musical style in this manner to the monetization opportunity from being an audio on social media. She also says this is the reason why she feels the quality of recent music has dropped compared to older music.

“I honestly think it’s really unfair, and I think it really neglects what art is really about,” Singh said. “I do understand why artists do it, but it

Trotter also believes that standards for the creation of music have been lowered by apps like TikTok and Instagram. However, she says that the standards for quality have actually risen due to criticism from people who are comfortable critiquing from behind a screen on social media.

“I feel like the good outweighs the bad,” Trotter said. “A lot of technology is available out there now, which means a lot of bad music is being created but also means we have a ton of really good artists and music that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

With the constantly-fluctuating trends on social media, Ramachandran says even established artists may be feeling the pressure to stay relevant. She has observed artists being forgotten due to their songs no longer being viral, and artists new and old having to push qualities unrelated to their music to maintain longevity, such as their personality, a certain hairstyle or generally being “relatable” or “iconic.” While Ramachandran finds this sad, she also accepts it as the new reality of music and social media.

“Social media and the music industry have a very interwoven relationship,” Ramachandran said. “At this point, I don’t think either one can exist without the other.”

GRAPHIC BY GILJOON LEE

VERIFIED

NEWS OUTLETS ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO ADDRESS MISINFORMATION, BUT NEWS ORGANIZATIONS CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH WHEN EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAN SAY PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

MVHS ‘19 ALUM

ROSHAN FERNANDEZ

when every single person can say pretty much anything on social media.”

Sharing similar concerns as Fernandez and Vasudevan, Homestead High School literature teacher and advisor of the Epitaph, the school’s student-run publication, Natalie Owsley finds that the increase in misinformation has caused people to distrust the news on social media. To combat this issue, Owsley teaches the importance of media literacy to her students, specifically focusing on the importance of fact checking news sources on social media platforms.

as journalists is ensuring that all of the information we’re putting out there can be backed up by real time sources,” Owsley said. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so you can’t believe everything that you read. A lot of times you have to do additional research in order to fact check that what you’re reading is true, which can actually end up sucking up more time.”

misinformation, Fernandez believes the use of social media for journalism still has its benefits. He asserts that it keeps readers informed, despite the decrease in reader viewership.

the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal — all these big outlets have the who, what, where, when, why on their social media posts,” Fernandez said. “The entire idea of social media is that viewers have a quick ‘Here’s what you need to know about what happened.’ Readers can read the full story, but we understand that people aren’t doing that, so social media allows them to still consume news.”

newsrooms are grappling with how to draw the attention of younger audiences. As people can access news on social media for free, he explains that they are less inclined to pay to read. According to Fernandez, newspapers are trying to find different ways to

continue providing news to the public while trying to drive traffic back to their platforms, like websites and newsletters.

Vasudevan says some are scared that journalism may be endangered due to its seemingly decreasing value and people’s reliance on social media for news. However, seeing new students apply to be a part of the Daily Orange every year, Vasudevan is reassured there are still many people in the younger generation who enjoy media reporting. He believes that the next generation of students will keep

who are passionate about journalism will read it.

“Everyone’s kind of scared right now, but I think journalists have a very important role,” Vasudevan said. “And there is a generation that’s coming up that wants to be journalists. And that’s what’s really exciting. The people that actually care about journalism will go out of their way to read stories and read writers they like. The fact that kids are interested in writing means that there are some out there that are interested in reading what they’re writing. So I think everything’s going to

A new era

Students and staff comment on the rise of ‘girlhood’ as seen on social and mainstream media

BY AASHI VENKAT AND APRIL WANG

From pink bows to the lights and glamor of Barbie Land, social media has seen a surge of femininity, coined as ‘girlhood’ by the various trends highlighting what it means to be a girl today. Women have also begun taking over realms beyond social media, making their way to mainstream media and award shows such the 2024 Grammys, where women won in all four major categories: Record of the Year (Miley Cyrus with “Flowers”), Song of the Year (Billie Eilish with “What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture ‘Barbie’]”), Best New Artist (Victoria Monét) and Album of the Year (Taylor Swift with “Midnights”).

The rise of girlhood followed the release of the live-action movie “Barbie” in July 2023, as the movie inspired women to begin posting their appreciation for being a woman on social media. History Department Lead and AP U.S. History teacher Bonnie Belshe says the “Barbie” movie serves as a litmus test for the men in one’s life, as their reaction to the film speaks volumes on their stance in the feminist movement. She also comments on the events at the Grammys, stating how these further prove the evolution of the feminist movement in the past year.

“For a very long time, women have been very vocal and very

active, not just at the Grammys, but in every aspect of social and cultural movements,” Belshe said. “It’s not that the events at the Grammys are coming out of nowhere, it’s that there is this long thread of work that women in the past and current have done to get to this point.”

Belshe remembers growing up with shows and toys that were heavily marketed towards boys and expressed excitement to see the media shift from being patriarchal and male-focused to more gender inclusive. However, she notes that feminism was and remains a non-inclusive experience.

“White women centered their experience as kind of as default, not considering a very intersectional look at feminism,” Belshe said. “As a white woman, it is very important that we understand our whiteness affords us much more safety and privilege.”

feminism can be a limited movement and notes that the concept of girlhood combats that lack of intersectionality. According to Yung, girlhood has made feminism more inclusive for women of color, as the movement is relatable to everyone, regardless of ethnicity.

“There’s two types of feminism: there’s feminism and then there’s white feminism, where it’s white women only focusing on themselves or the rich,” Yung said. “I think girlhood spans across everything because it’s just girlhood. I don’t think it has a look to it. It’s just girls being girls.”

Belshe also brings up the Smithsonian’s display on girlhood, which features a dress created by Isabella Aiukli Cornell, who is part of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma. Cornell created the dress for a high school prom, and the red dress features elements from Indigenous culture. Belshe cites this as an inspirational and key example of intersectionality between the feminist movement and ethnicity. Junior Lucy Yung agrees with the idea that

What does “girlhood” mean to you?

You feel this intrinsic connection and the girls who get it, get it.

At the same time, Belshe has seen a recurring gender divide in how products are marketed, with a clear separation between what toys are advertised for what gender. She notes that toys and shows are specifically marketed towards boys or girls. She says this sends a toxic message that contradicts the gender unity proposed by feminism.

According to Belshe, the heightened representation of girls comes in a pink hue, with toys and other media being packaged in a pink, stereotypically feminine manner, which contrasts with how toys intended for boys are marketed in a more stereotypically masculine way. Belshe states that the best way to combat this issue is to

eliminate gendered packaging as a whole, raising all genders the same way rather than creating expectations that separate them.

Similarly, senior Miriam Law dislikes how the concepts of girlhood shown on social media create a gendered message. For her, attaching girlhood to simple concepts undermines the seriousness of the movement, as many stereotype women as ditzy rather than intellectual.

“

and girlhood TikToks help create a community for women to understand themselves and what it means to be a woman.

“I think the trend is good because the world is just not equal and I think it’s really hard when other girls are hating on other girls,” Yung said. “And so when girls start supporting girls, it makes our lives a lot easier.”

‘Girl math’ and ‘girl dinner’ subconsciously bring out misogynythethat’s been incorporated in the media.

Senior Miriam Law

“I feel like ‘girl math’ and ‘girl dinner’ subconsciously bring out the misogyny that’s been incorporated in the media,” Law said. “‘Girl math’ implies that girls are dumb, or they don’t have common sense and they need things to be explained to them at a kindergarten level for them to understand, and ‘Girl dinner’ is promoting eating disorders and unhealthy eating habits that girls are supposed to have.”

However, Yung disagrees, and finds many of these TikToks relatable. She sees them as lighthearted jokes that can even be unifying since they highlight the mutual experiences of many women and add positivity to potentially toxic situations.

“I see how some people don’t like ‘girl math’ because it’s not actual math, but I think it’s funny, but not in a bad way, ” Yung said. “It makes sense to me because that’s also how my brain works. I also love ‘girl dinner.’ I think it’s good for people who struggle with eating because a ‘girl dinner’ is a happy dinner, and you get to eat whatever you want. It’s a way to bring joy.”

Law also says this appreciation for girlhood and femininity should be integrated into how children are raised, as this will allow them to feel more comfortable with their gender earlier on in life. She hopes this will unify genders and decrease misogyny for future generations of women.

“It will help fight against what girls may experience in real life,” Law said. “I know that even from a young age, they will still face misogyny like objectification. So while social media isn’t the healthiest for a young audience, at the same time, hopefully there’s enough of that media that will reassure them that girlhood is good to experience.”

Belshe agrees with Law, noting how social media has historically been toxic by creating a misogynistic environment, impacting teenagers the most. She notes that parents and teachers must support and empower children to leave behind the misogynistic mindsets of the past and instead strive towards a united society.

Ultimately, Law and Yung say the concept of girlhood has helped women come together and become more confident in their selfexpression. To them, media like the movie “Barbie”

“Part of girlhood is the mentors that have been there before and how we can help hold the hand of girls going through life because it’s not easy, especially now with social media in particular,” Belshe said. “That’s part of my role as a teacher, holding your hands and telling you that there are going to be difficult times, but you’ll always have the women that came before and we’ll make sure that you

The bonds I have with my girl friends, the time we spend together and the moments that we have, girlhood is a peak platonic relationship.

Junior Razia Getachew

Being a girl means saying no to plans because of your hair wash schedule.

Sophomore Emily Lin

Girlhood is about solidarity and understanding all of our unique situations. Freshman Madiha Wahid

Fans of Formula One share their love for the sport

BY TARYN LAM AND LILLIAN WANG

At the age of eight, building a Lego vehicle set with her sister fueled sophomore Mahika Pandit’s long-standing interest in the inner workings of cars. This project also jump-started her love for Formula One (F1), the world’s largest motor racing competition. Years later in 2019, it was the thrill of putting together the toy car that Pandit would remember while watching the first season of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” docuseries.

“F1 completely changed what a car looks like,” Pandit said. “It’s not just taking a car and revamping it — it’s completely from scratch. It’s on the floor as a completely different innovation. I was like, ‘The front nose is a little wider here, a little narrower here, how does that change the car?’ That was something that drew me in.”

Like Pandit, “Drive to Survive” also piqued MVHS ‘23 alum Nameek Chowdhury’s interest in F1. Chowdhury recommends new viewers watch the series for an introduction to F1 as each season covers the annual World

fuel F1 F1 fuel

Championship, in which teams of drivers and constructors compete in a series of Grand Prix races around the world.

“F1 is basically reality TV because of the level of drama,” Chowdhury said. “It’s interesting in that sense — it gives you the ground rules very well if you don’t know anything about F1”

Chowdhury believes the different aspects of F1, from meticulously designed cars to teams of strategists and drivers, make it appealing for audiences to watch.

ADDING ADDING TO MVHS ‘23 ALUM

“There’s a lot to watch and a lot going on at the same time,” Chowdhury said. “It’s one of those sports where TO

FROM THE RULES TO STRATEGY TO HOW THE CARS ARE BUILT, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO FOLLOW. NAMEEK CHOWDHURY “

you wouldn’t have fun watching it in real life because you only get one little section of it. On TV, they’re constantly feeding the audience. From the rules to strategy to how the cars are built, there’s something for everyone to follow, whether you like the technical stuff or the drama, like I do.”

In addition to keeping up with the dramatics of the sport, Chowdhury also enjoys supporting drivers such as Max Verstappen, a Dutch driver and three-time World Champion. Chowdhury fondly recalls memories of watching the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where Verstappen beat British driver Lewis Hamilton in the final lap,

despite both drivers being nearly tied throughout the season.

During the season, many F1 races are scheduled around a European viewer base, and as a result, viewers often have to wake up at odd hours to watch races. Pandit initially woke up between 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. to keep up with the live journaling of the races, but ever since she purchased a subscription, she watches the live race rather than the journaling of each race. She also makes predictions with her family the night before the race and eagerly updates them in the morning about the results.

10% of MVHS students regularly watch Formula One

memes while the race was going on,” Chowdhury said. “I like having somebody to talk to and argue with — it’s really fun. I showed them memes that were popping up on Twitter, which was basically what I would do in a group chat but in real life.”

*According to a survey of 125 people

Watching F1 at 6 a.m. on race days is also a common tradition for senior Riddhika Sharma and her dad, who sit on their sofa together to watch livestreams and highlights.

“What I do is I scream at the screen, like ‘What on earth are you doing?’” Sharma said. “Sometimes Ferrari has really weird strategies and I yell at the engineers, like ‘Why would you do that?’ My dad’s more of a neutral person — he just wants to see it, and I’m more of the hyper person.”

Chowdhury recalls a similar experience watching F1 with other fans. Although Chowdhury — who is currently a freshman at the University of Washington — was content with watching F1 in his dormitory by himself, he was surprised to find a group of students watching the race in the lounge while he went to heat up his dinner. As a result, Chowdhury soon found a group of students he could connect with and plans to watch future races with them.

“Similar to any other sport, there’s people reacting on social media, so there were people making

Pandit also enjoys discussing races in real life and online. She often browses online forums such as Discord for more unfiltered analyses of F1, as she finds “Drive to Survive” highly unrealistic. She also maintains a blog where she shares her personal predictions for F1 events and adds that she has even managed to get some of her friends interested in the sport.

For both Sharma and Pandit, watching constructors build cars that regularly surpass 200 mph is their favorite aspect of the sport, connecting their passion for engineering with their love for F1. One of Sharma’s favorite aerodynamics engineers is Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer of Red Bull Racing, who Sharma says always designs the best cars on the track. Sharma’s interest in electrical engineering inspired her dream to work on a F1 team in the future.

“I really want to get a chance to engineer a car or even be a race engineer, just in the middle of all the action that’s going on,” Sharma said. “I’m really interested in electrical engineering and I’d love to work on that.”

After five years since watching “Drive to Survive,” Pandit fondly reflects on her favorite memories of F1 — both electrifying moments, like the

SPORTS

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and heartbreaking ones, like watching Lando Norris skid off the rainedon track during the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. Beyond the adrenaline of watching her favorite teams compete, Pandit has always loved following the technical innovation that goes into building each car, and the thrill of it is ultimately what keeps her watching.

“With F1 cars, the racing portion is just the tail end of it,” Pandit said. “There’s years of preparation that go into building the car itself. They’re trying to make the car go as fast as possible, but also safe as possible. Because they’re going at such fast rates, a crash can be deadly. So seeing how the cars get better, and how the drivers can be

BALANCING THE

Students share the differences between the coach-led MV Dance team and student-run dance clubs

BY AARYAN SHARMA AND BENJAMIN ZHANG

Senior Aarushi Jain joined MV Bhangra her freshman year of high school, hoping to explore the folk style of dancing that originated in Punjabi, India. Having danced all her life, Jain was accustomed to the numerous aspects of dancing. However, one particular characteristic marks a unique distinction from her previous dance teams: the Bhangra team is not led by a coach.

In comparison to all of the sports teams at MVHS, MV Bhangra is a club, which means it is managed by three or four student captains every year. These teams have many performances throughout the year for fun, whereas the MV Dance Team — legally required to have a guardian — competes in national competitions. Yet, Jain believes that the lack of coaches or competition does not diminish the value and dedication of the clubs.

“Every set of captains since my freshman year have done a wonderful job, even if it may be their first year,” Jain said. “It always works out really well because our students who turn into captains have a lot of fresh experience and also a lot of creativity.”

Now a captain and entering her fourth year of Bhangra, Jain attributes much of her personal growth to the unique environment created by an absence of coaches. Jain emphasizes that there is a large responsibility that comes with being a captain, coupled with a high level of maturity and understanding needed for the role.

“I feel like I’m the mother of the team sometimes,” Jain said. “I’m always in charge of the well-being of my members and reaching out to help them if they’re not caught up on all the choreography. It really helped me grow in my leadership skills. I learned

BEAT

how to resolve conflicts, how to work under pressure and how to be a good leader who is detail-oriented and empathetic toward the team.”

MV Bhangra is one of the three Indian dance clubs on campus, the two others being MV Andaaz and MV Raas. All three teams are completely studentoperated. Sophomore, MV Andaaz captain and MV Dance Team member Shreeya Setty says that having a coach for these clubs would add a level of unnecessary stress and rigidity.

“In my opinion, it makes it more of a serious deal,” Setty said. “I think if the clubs were a sport that competes, it would make sense to have a coach. But as a club, having a coach just takes the fun out of it. I think the dynamic we

BEAT

have right now — with all of us being friends, being able to talk to each other and having fun — is great. I don’t think we need a coach because, as a club, we should be student-run, and I think we’re doing a great job with that

Jain shares a similar sentiment, citing that some of her favorite moments from Bhangra come from hanging out with friends and that the bond between them often can’t be replicated with the presence of a coach. One moment Jain specifically recalls is getting ready for a show they were running late on. With all the members rushing around, zipping up costumes for one another, she finds that despite all the stress, it became a great bonding experience for the team because — in the absence of a coach — they had to all rely and

“I feel like sometimes, coaches can be really strict,” Jain said. “I think student captains are able to be strict but at the same time connect with the students on the team more because they are students, and there is a lot more understanding. And I think it’s really cool to have student to

However, Setty believes that there are still undeniable benefits to having a coach. According to Setty, the MV Dance Coach Joy Lee helps hold the team accountable and ensures they are always on top of things. “Our coach is very necessary for our team to function,” Setty said. “She does a lot of the planning, and she

is the backbone of our team. Last Saturday, we went to Sacramento for a competition. She organized everything so that we didn’t have to worry about it. It’s very hard to deal with so many high schoolers and it’s nice to have someone who can do that. She does a great job.”

Setty adds that her coach’s duties are impossible for a student to fulfill and that even with the captains and officers on the team, it would still be overwhelming without adult support. Lee shares a similar sentiment and believes that having a coach who is a respected adult is essential for the well-being of both the team and its members. She believes that along with teaching dance, coaches should also have integrity and passion to help the team succeed beyond competing.

“I think coaches help teams by being able to rally them together, especially when the team needs it most,” Lee said. “It’s really important for the kids also to learn those leadership skills because we don’t expect everyone to be a dancer, but we do expect everyone to be a good person in the future.”

Ultimately, Setty notes that she doesn’t favor having a coach over not having one. To her, it is never about which is better but rather about each team’s unique experiences.

“I think having both a coach for one and no coaches for the other is nice and manageable for me,” Setty said. “If they were both so competitive, that would be really hard to manage mentally and physically. I’m glad that one is a space where I can have fun and not take it too seriously, and the other is a space where it is a little bit more serious, more competitive and a lot more work put into it. I really like the contrast between the two, and I get the best of both worlds.”

Blazing trails

Students share how being part of Scouts BSA has encouraged them to be more active

BY LILY JIANG

Freshman and Tenderfoot Radhika

Dharmapurikar initially joined Boy Scouts of America (BSA) during eighth grade after constantly hearing her friends discuss the camping, community and friendships that were all essential to scouting. Dharmapurikar did not enjoy camping before she joined, but she was drawn to the community side of scouts as opposed to the campouts. As a Tenderfoot, Dharmapurikar still has to climb five more ranks to become the highest rank, Eagle scout, which she hopes to achieve before the cutoff age of 18.

Becoming an Eagle scout requires patience and commitment, as prospective scouts will start off with no rank and work their way up through seven ranks. The ranks, in order of progression, are Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle scout. According to senior and Eagle scout Moulik Lohmor, becoming an Eagle scout requires the most dedication as prospective Eagle scouts must complete a community service project and a final board review, on top of meeting all other requirements for eligibility.

Lohmor had initially joined due to his affinity for camping, as his father would often take him out on weekends with his family. Becoming a scout allowed Lohmor to embark on more campouts, where he was able to participate in a variety of activities, ranging from going on hikes to playing soccer with his troop.

Similar to Lohmor, sophomore and Life scout Pranay Subramaniam joined scouts due to his interest in camping, as well as the opportunity to improve his public speaking. According to Subramaniam, scouts allowed him to go camping more frequently than before instead of having nothing to do while spending time at home. Subramaniam notes that he goes on several campouts per month, and he has become more active as a result of the numerous hikes.

“Because you’re outside and you don’t have access to technology, it’s a good getaway,” Subramaniam said. “We backpack through San Francisco and then backpack up Angel Island. It’s just a nice treat.”

Junior and Life scout Shashi Bhagwat, who has also attended the Angel Island backpacking trip, agrees

that it is one of the most memorable trips from his scouting experience. He initially joined scouts because his father believed it would teach him good values, but later on grew to like the camping aspect of scouting. Dharmapurikar also mentions the campouts as her favorite aspect of scouting. Since Dharmapurikar goes on a campout every month, she is able to spend more time with her troop, as well as participate in a variety of outdoor activities. Dharmapurikar notes that her first summer camp, Camp Waunakee, in July 2023, allowed her to experience new opportunities that she never would have otherwise experienced. However, on Dharmapurikar’s first campout, she was underprepared due to her lack of experience.

“The first time I went camping, it was a disaster since it was my first campout,” Dharmapurikar said. “I under-packed, I was freezing and I was on my period. I still look at that experience with fondness because now I know better. Before that, I never used to go camping, maybe I would go once or twice with family, but now I go so often.”

Lohmor, Dharmapurikar and Subramaniam all attribute becoming more active to scouting, and Dharmapurikar emphasizes the physical aspect of being a scout, specifically citing Camp Philmont, in New Mexico, where there is a weight requirement and all attendees must be able to backpack 25 to 35% of your own body weight.

“It takes a lot of strength, I feel like anyone can just sign off requirements and stuff to go camping,” Dharmapurikar said. “But if you want to jump over the hurdles, you need to be able to have that strength.”

According to Dharmapurikar, her friends, in preparation for Camp Philmont, had to go on practice hikes every single week while carrying over 100 pounds on their backs. They would increase the weight each hike and have pack checks. It was a risk because if scouts slipped up even a little, it could be fatal, as the weight was so high. Dharmapurikar plans on participating in Camp Philmont once she meets the weight limit as a potential final venture.

41% of MVHS students were not aware that girls can join Scouts BSA

Subramaniam completed the climbing badge, despite not being an Eagle-required badge, as he had an interest in rock climbing. Though the badge is usually done through climbing in a gym, he was able to complete it at a summer camp on a mountain and was able to enjoy the scenery there. Lohmor was also able to go white-water rafting as a scout four years ago in Sacramento, which he still remembers to this day as his favorite campout. Based on his experience, he believes that everyone can benefit from joining Scouts BSA.

*According to a survey of 149 people

“We went to this place in Sacramento and we did whitewater rafting for a couple of hours there,” Lohmor said. “It was just fun, being on the river and some of the rapids were really strenuous. Even if you don’t start with any physicality, you will gain some by the end of your scouting experience.”

especially in this environment. She attributes this uneven participation to how being a scout was originally promoted with the image of physicality and how it was more marketed toward boys.

“When it first started, it was only supposed to be guys; you would not see any girl,” Dharmapurikar said. “Our troop only recently started their girls program four years ago, so it’s very new. We’re still growing and I think since it’s been advertised as Boy Scouts of America, all the guys are like ‘Oh it’s like outdoors in nature and it’s for me.’”

Bhagwat echoes Dharmapurikar, as he is not aware of how the girl troops operate in comparison. He reflects on the change of the name of the scouting program from “Boy Scouts” to “Scouts BSA” as an effort to become more inclusive as well, but has not noticed much change.

In addition to campouts, scouts must complete merit badges. To become an Eagle scout, there are certain required merit badges that scouts must complete. Dharmapurikar completed the Personal Fitness merit badge, which is Eagle-required. Though it was a challenge for Dharmapurikar, she believes that this helped her be more active each day and improve her physicality. According to BSA, scouts must have knowledge of the benefits of fitness and create and execute a 12-week physical fitness program to earn this merit badge.

Though Dharmapurikar has enjoyed her experience as a scout, she notes the gender discrepancy since Scouts BSA, originally Boy Scouts, were targeted towards boys. She chose to join Scouts BSA as opposed to Girl Scouts as most of her friends had previously joined Scouts BSA. Dharmapurikar is part of Troop 2466, which is the sister troop to Troop 466 which is composed of boys. Dharmapurikar observed that she had to be able to stand up for herself and speak out,

“I thought the whole point was to make it so that girls could be in Boy Scouts, but then they didn’t do that,” Bhagwat said. Dharmapurikar is thankful for the physical aspect of being a scout since it motivated her to go on more hikes and be more active, as well as spend more time with her father.

BadgesRequiredMerit forEagle Scouts

laying the odds

MVHS community dives into the sports betting culture

BY ARJUN DHRUV

Student A will remain anonymous due to privacy concerns.

Social Studies teacher Scott Victorine recalls when he was in his 20s, a time in which he gambled money on different sports games. Especially during events like the Super Bowl and March Madness, Victorine would place bets on various games and players, as well as create parlays through the Prize Picks app. However, after experiencing the world of betting firsthand, Victorine concluded that gambling money on sports was not for him.

“I’m not into gambling myself, just because I feel like I work hard for my money and there is a lot of stuff I have to spend it on,” Victorine said. “I’d rather not leave it to chance because I would rather spend it on something tangible, like a new jacket. That chance at winning a lot of money quickly is why I think people get addicted.”

bit lower, since when you become an adult, that’s when you start to make all of the financial decisions in your life.”

Unlike Student A, legal sports bettors such as Victorine believe that the current legal age is perfect for people to get into sports betting, also because the legal age for gambling at casinos across the country is 21.

Anything in excess that gets in the way of doing other things in your life can be an addiction,” Victorine said. “Gambling is certainly one of them and it can be a destructive and dangerous one. I think that sports betting before 21 could get a little out of hand and developing this type of pattern early on in life could potentially lead to such an addiction.”

SCAN FOR MORE COVERAGE

Contrary to Victorine’s belief that sports betting is purely by chance, Student A believes that there is more strategy involved in the process. However, due to Propositions 26 and 27, which outlawed sports betting in California, and the legal age for sports betting, Student A has to place bets on sports games through relatives’ accounts.

“I have my money and I should be able to spend my money on whatever I want,” Student A said. “If I can buy a Juul at the age of 18, why can’t I bet money on games? I somewhat understand because it depends on how developed your brain is, but at the same time, I think it should be a little

According to Victorine, addiction in gambling has become a huge problem, and according to a poll from the American Gambling Association in November 2022, 71% of sports gamblers place at least one bet a week, with the average betting amount being around $35. However, Greg Matson, owner of betting consulting company California Wager sees this problem differently. Although he agrees that it is a major issue and takes action within his company to try to raise awareness and prevent addiction from happening, he views addiction as an unsolvable problem that will occur whether or not he runs his company.

Matson began his company in 2019 with the main incentive of

bringing information to sports bettors through social media and advising them about the best ways to place bets on different sports. Although the illegality of sports betting and the legal age decreases Matson’s potential clients, he actually supports the restrictions on betting.

“It makes my product a more invaluable, because its harder to get a hold of,” Matson said. “However, with the availability of betting on phones, there is just too much availability.”

The Baller To Beat

Varsity Girls Basketball shooting guard Vivian Ong reflects on reaching 1000 career points

BY SONIA VERMA

Three minutes and 54 seconds into the first quarter of Senior Night, senior and shooting guard Vivian Ong scored the 1000th point of her 4-year career on the MVHS Varsity Girls Basketball team. If she could give the moment one song, Ong, a relatively new but passionate Taylor Swift fan, says it would probably be “Wildest Dreams.”

Although she was aware of players on other teams reaching 1000 career points, Ong never thought it would be a possibility for her. However, at the end of her junior year season, senior and basketball team manager Nathan Liu told her that if she averaged about 11 points per game, she could surpass 1000 points by the end of her senior year. Ever since, the team has wholeheartedly supported Ong in reaching the milestone.

“We were always looking for Vivian to get that shot,” point guard and senior Carolyn Ruan said. “Starting from our game against South San Francisco, we were really giddy and planning it like, ‘If you get 20 points against this team, then you only need like this many points left’”

The team had anticipated her scoring1000pointswithintheprevious three games, but Ong calls it a “happy coincidence” that she reached her milestone during senior night. Festive countdown posters adorning the gym walls, which had accompanied the team to the previous three games, were finally accompanied by giant

purple balloons reading “1000.”

Ong started the game with a career total of 997 points — three points away from her goal. Ruan believed Ong would either reach 1000 with a three-point shot or score the point with a layup. However, neitherofthoseendedupbeingOng’s thousandth point. During the first few minutes of the game, Ong narrowed the gap to a single point with an initial layup. After missing few subsequent shots, Ong caught a rebound and shot it back into the hoop, reaching the 1000-point threshold.

“I called the timeout and all her teammates ran to her,” Head Coach Sara Borelli said. “It was so nice to see her happy, and she gave me the biggest hug.”

The moment was emotional for Borelli, who had seen Ong’s growth from a quiet freshman to a confident, versatile player and energetic cocaptain. Borelli also supported Ong to her goal by having her play as much as possible, giving her the green light to shoot when the opportunity arose

“The team has been really encouraging,” Ong said. “Everybody wanted me to get to 1000. Knowing how everybody had my back, even if I didn’t get it, I’d still be happy.”

THANKS

PHOTO | DAPHNE HUANG

PHOTO | KAIA YUAN