Winged Post Volume 25, Issue 3 by Harker Aquila

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VOL. 25 NO. 3

THURSDAY, NOV.16, 2023

Harker hosts first ever Social Justice Conference

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE RECEPTION WEDNESDAY, NOV. 29

inside the

opinions ........... 9

features ............ 05

stem .................. 14

a&e/lifestyle ..... 07

sports ............... 17

Honor Council kicks off annual Honor Week kinnera mulam

Harker Honor Council organized Honor Week activities, which commenced on Monday to allow the community to learn more about the school’s Honor Code. Monday’s activities centered around “Honesty” and invited students to share their thoughts on the matter on walking billboards during lunch. For “Accountability,” Tuesday’s events included a school meeting discussion. To explore “Respect” on Wednesay, the community wrote about the topic on campus chalkboards. On Thursday, advisories participated in an “Environment”-related activity. Tomorrow, the week closes out with the “Honor,” and the community can write and receive a “card of affirmation.”

New kid on the block: Furry friend turns campus cat kinnera mulam

A cat began frequenting the upper school campus in early September, typically wandering around the Nichols and Dobbins buildings. Associated Student Body (ASB) sent out a form to the community requesting names for the cat and provided details of the animal like “very friendly to humans and squirrels,” “meows if you meow at it” and “likes climbing trees behind Dobbins.” Students and faculty voted on the final name of the cat at Tuesday’s school meeting.

Harker hosts “get to know the upper school” event for current eighth graders

REFLECTIVE RECAP Sophomores Charlotte Ludlow and Pavitra Kasthuri share their takeaways from the conference. The event hosted three workshop sessions and two keynotes addresses open to attendees from all campuses.

felix chen, alison yang, brandon zau & vivek moorjani

arker’s inaugural Social Justice Conference garnered a crowd of 275 people at the upper school from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 10. The conference featured a series of workshops on social justice, human rights and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) topics. Students and staff from all campuses, as well as attendees from schools across the Bay Area, listened to three workshop sessions and keynote speakers. “My favorite thing that I saw today was a lot of laughter, a lot of smiles, the community supporting this,” Director of DEI Brian Davis said. “Your own story, your own experiences [are] enough for you to have the power and influence to make change — not only here [at] Harker, but beyond Harker as well.” Vassar College professor and morning keynote speaker Dr. Maria Hantzopoulos opened the day with a discussion of the core tenets of social justice in the Athletic Center. Dr. Hantzopoulos incorporated her personal experiences as a public school teacher and advocate for education in New York City to help define

AMY TONG (9)

ATTENDEE

The upper school hosted an open house event for current eighth graders on Monday from 5-7:15 p.m. The event consisted of dinner and a following session where parents could explore different extraccuricular activites by visiting activity booths outside the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC). Attendees watched performances from Downbeat and Kinetic Krew and listened to presentations from upper school head Paul Barsky, assistant division head Kelly Horan and a student panel.

ananya sriram

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It gave me some new perspectives that I never thought of

Analyzing Western media’s coverage of the IsraelHamas conflict

key terms such as equity, equality and social justice. Throughout the keynote, Dr. Hantzopoulos encouraged discussion between attendees through question prompts that participants could write about or discuss. “I really wanted to set the tone for the day as the keynote because the workshops will be meatier to look deeply into things,” Dr. Hantzopoulos said. “I wanted to look at what social justice is and how it might manifest in our lives while also allowing the audience to reflect a little bit about our own personal experiences and how they might relate to some of the concepts we were talking about.” Following the keynote, attendees moved on to the first workshop session where they could hear about topics like “Pushin’ P: Power, Privilege, Positionality,” “Rooting our Futures in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights” or “Revolutionary Love: Practices for social justice collective care, wellness, and joy.” In the second session, attendees learned in workshops “Finding our Role in Social Change,” a genealogy workshop and “Towards an Understanding of the Earth’s Voice.” Genealogy workshop co-host and Berkeley Gender and Women’s Studies Associate Professor Courtney Desiree

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08 09 a&e/lifestyle opinions So you wanna be a climate change coach?

Please select a gender — No, not agender

Morris emphasized the importance of attendees making present decisions for the betterment of their own futures. “Remember that you are a subject of history,” Morris said in her presentation. “You are a product of history and you’re also shaping history. If you can remember that, then I hope it will make people more conscientious about the choices that they’re making right now and that they really take seriously their ability to shape the kind of future world that they want to see.” A third round of workshops preceded University of San Francisco International and Multicultural Education Professor Dr. Monisha Bajaj’s afternoon keynote. Dr. Bajaj, who attended Harker Academy from 1985 to 1987, closed the conference with her presentation on human rights. She highlighted the concepts of accompaniment, amplification and action, encouraging attendees to consider the action that they could take in the face of inequality and injustice.

DR. MARIA HANTZOPOULOS

BRIAN DAVIS

DIRECTOR OF DEI

LOVE FOR LEARNING Guest speaker Darius White hugs upper school history teacher Mark Janda during workshop “Pushin’ P: Power, Privilege, Positionality.”

ALISON YANG

news ................. 02

ALISON YANG

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Change starts with you. You don’t have to have a title to make an impact on the world

19 sports

Chief of my heart: Swift-Kelce romance spotlighted

VASSAR COLLEGE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

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D O N ZA

I wanted to look at what social justice is and how it might manifest in our lives

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOW

@harkeraquilaDIA DESIGN BY KINNERA MULAM AND ANANYA SRIRAM

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thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Learn in LIFE, explore in Eagle Buddies

JESSICA WANG

felix chen

PLANNING YOUR LIFE Frosh Jennifer Liu and Joyce Zhang compare schedules during the Nov. 2 frosh LIFE meeting. “They emphasized taking classes that you are genuinely excited about not just for having more APs,” attendee Finley Ho (9) said. “It helped me know how to allocate my time and really focus on what I want to do and get better at.”

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JCL is there to tell you that it’s ok to love Latin, and it’s cool to love Latin

eniors, sophomores and frosh attended Living with Intent, Focus and Enthusiasm (LIFE) sessions while juniors spent time with their Eagle Buddies at the upper school campus on Nov. 2. Upper school Psychology teacher Julie Turchin held the seniors’ LIFE meeting in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC), where she discussed how to have difficult conversations and emphasized how to frame an issue to keep a situation from escalating. Prior to the workshop, students received the opportunity to submit their topics of greatest concern through a survey. During the meeting, students had the option of filling out a worksheet about things to consider for a potential future difficult conversation. “I went in expecting something about college but definitely got more out of it,” Anaya Mandal (12) said. “It was how to talk about problems in relationships, but really could be applied anywhere. Even

TRISHA IYER (12) KI

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jessica wang & vivian chen

NATIONAL JCL HISTORIAN

For Harker JCL members, the day began at 6:45 a.m. when a bus carrying middle and upper school students left the upper school campus for Sacramento. Arriving in time for registration just before 10 a.m., students then attended the General Assembly with all other attendees before being dismissed to academic testing. Each student who attends the convention needs to take at least one test in categories that include Roman Daily Life, Mythology or Grammar. JCL member Samuel Tong (10), who was attending Ludi for his first time, shared his thoughts on the benefits of Ludi. “Ludi is a great way for people who take Latin to congregate and enjoy each other’s company,” attendee Samuel Tong (10) said. “I plan to attend [more JCL events] such as state conventions and other Ludi Novembres in the future.” Harker has had a long history in the JCL. A member of the California Junior Classical League for over two decades, Harker has had students and teachers represent the school in various positions on the state board and executive committee since 2002. Students also have served as national officers, most recently as First Vice President and Historian. Currently, Harker Latin teachers Scott Paterson and Lisa Masoni are the California Academics Chair and the Treasurer, respectively. “This year was at St. Francis, which was funny because the first Ludi I ever went to was also at St. Francis back in sixth grade,” Trisha said. “Now I’m in 12th grade, so it’s [a] full circle. This is my last experience doing it as JCLer.”

surroundings: we all need to take into account the decisions we’re making in order to drive safely and prevent these deaths.” The frosh class attended a LIFE session in the Auxiliary Gym led by Assistant Upper School Division Head Kelly Horan, who discussed class scheduling. Finley Ho (9) recounts their experience learning about what classes to take and the requirements for their graduation, as well as how to choose the classes that fit their interests. “They emphasized taking classes that you are genuinely excited about, not just for having more APs,” Finley said. “It helped me know how to allocate my time and really focus on what I want to do and get better at.” The fourth and eleventh grade Eagle Buddies groups spent their time together in activities spread out between activities scattered throughout Davis Field, the Athletic Center (AC) and the RPAC like friendship bracelet making, karaoke and board games. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

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It helped me know how to allocate my time and really focus on what I want to do and get better at

FINLEY HO (9) LIFE ATTENDEE S SI C A W A

“The number one cause for death in teenagers are car accidents,” Anika said. “People should be aware of our

VIVEK MOORJANI

DECA hosts club month, raises muscle dystrophy funds

ICY COOL Caden Ruan (10) holds ice cream and syrup at a DECA ice cream social. As part of DECA month celebrations, DECA will host various activities throughout November.

JONATHAN SZETO

gabe sachse, vivek moorjani & katie tcheng

LIVING LATIN Harker JCL members sit in the bleachers during the Ludi General Assembly. Hundreds of Northern California Latin students attended the convention.

KARAOKE AND COMMUNICATE (Top) Eagle Buddies sing karaoke in the RPAC. (Bottom) Seniors hear about conflict resolution and relationship communication.

though you can’t always compromise your values or someone else’s, it’s important to find common ground.” The sophomores attended a presentation by Chris Miceli in the Nichols Auditorium on the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings. Anika Akkiraju (10) reflected on both her takeaways from the event and its impact on her community.

ANANYA SRIRAM

KINNERA MULAM

Harker Latin students and Junior Classical League (JCL) members attended the 2023 annual the Northern California JCL gathering L udi Novembres at St. Francis Catholic High School on Nov. 4. At Ludi, attendees participated in activities ranging from academic testing and certamen, a quiz bowl-type game with classics-themed questions, to a mythological spelling bee and art competitions. “JCL is there to tell you that it’s ok to love Latin, and it’s cool to love Latin,” National JCL Historian Trisha Iyer (12) said. “[At Ludi,] you get to do a lot of fun activities and really put yourself out there and bond with other people.”

Harker DECA held an ice cream social in honor of DECA month outside of Manzanita Hall on Nov. 3 after school. Every November, people from various parts of North America celebrate their membership in DECA. As part of the celebration, DECA hosts various events and activities like the ice cream social. Around 30 members of the community

attended the event, including students and teachers. DECA officer team representatives helped to ensure that everything operated smoothly and served vanilla ice cream along with toppings like oreos and chocolate sauce. One of the festivities included in DECA month celebration involves Dine with DECA, an event where students can interact with business professionals over lunch on topics such as how technology has evolved as well as job opportunities.

This year’s activities fundraise for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Director of Engagement Eden Kelly (10) notes one of her most memorable moments from DECA’s events. “Last year, I went to Dine with DECA as a freshman, and it was really fun,” Eden said. “I got to hear a lot about career opportunities and recent developments in tech. It was a really good opportunity to learn about tech and potential career opportunities.” Another event that DECA holds is the Hustle for Muscle volleyball game, which is an event where students and faculty compete for boba and gift cards. Representatives from each grade participate in a tournament leading up to the ultimate Students vs Faculty match. The juniors beat the sophomores while the seniors beat the frosh in the preliminaries on Nov. 6. The juniors and seniors played in the student finals on Nov. 14. To raise money for the cause, DECA is selling winter wishes, which are bags of treats that students can send to other community members on campus. Later this month, from Nov. 16 to 18, DECA also plans to attend a business conference, known as Power Trip, in Austin, Texas. DECA strongly encourages underclassmen members to attend. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. DESIGN BY FELIX CHEN

NEWS

volume 25 • issue 3

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Prospective families attend Open House

Harker hosts Muwekma Ohlone speaker panel

HELLO HARKER Attendees at the Open House gather in the Zhang Athletics Center to listen to opening statements on Nov. 5. The day also allowed visitors to attend mini lessons and to hear from representatives of various student groups to learn more about the school.

SHREYAS CHAKRAVARTHY (11) FE L

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SPEECH AND DEBATE REPRESENTATIVE

designated classrooms, in which faculty and staff discussed various academic and extracurricular programs offered at the upper school. After a ten-minute session,

ANDREW LIANG

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I hope prospective students understood the culture at Harker of flexibility and pursuing yourself

groups switched to a second lesson about a different program. Starting at 11:10 a.m., volunteers directed the visiting families to the Nichols Atrium, where school groups, including Speech and Debate, DECA and Robotics, set up information stations. The representatives at each booth spoke with the prospective students and answered their questions. Speech and Debate representative Shreyas Chakravarthy (11) interacted with families interested in Harker’s program, shared his experiences in the organization and provided advice on participating in the activity at school. “I hope prospective students understood the culture at Harker, that culture of flexibility and pursuing yourself,” Shreyas said. “I hope that they got introduced to speech and debate and, wherever they go to school, were encouraged to pursue it.” Alongside the information booths, visitors could indulge themselves in snacks, desserts and drinks at a table near the entrance of the Atrium.

JUSTICE Charlene Nijmeh discusses the tribes’ struggles for land and federal recognition with professors.

Panich spoke next about the Muwekma tribe’s drawn-out fight for federal recognition. He described the tribe’s historic struggles achieving federal recognition. In particular, he mentioned how California’s first governor Peter Burnett vowed to remove native populations from California and how the tribe still struggles to achieve federal recognition. After Panich, Jones gave her talk: “Supporting Indigenous Survival: Historical and Modern Displacement of the Muwekma Ohlone People.” She explained how the Spanish mission system forced the people of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe out of their ancestral lands in the bay and talked about how the community can preserve the people and traditions of the tribe.

Staff share unique college experiences in DEI panel charlize wang & tiffany zhu

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We plan to continue to invite them to speak because it’s part of a team effort

of fun as she had. I was involved in clubs, and there was a lot that happened on campus that made it feel like I was still in school.” Other panelists soon followed suit and shared their own experiences of attending certain colleges due to economic restraints. Mostly paying for their education on their own, many had to work long hours or resort to other methods of earning money. Stoll dropped out after one year in college and joined the military

for six years. He later attended California State University, East Bay and credits his success there to his time in service. “When I started my accounting major, I couldn’t get motivated because I knew I was going to quit,” Stoll said. “So I walked into the recruiting office and asked, ‘Can I join the Navy?’ The military allowed me to grow up and mature quite a bit. When I got out, I realized that I actually can learn, I just have to just study.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

TIFFANY ZHU

EDUCATION EVERYWHERE Olson speaks to attendees about their educational journey in high school and college during the panel. Olson attended online high school, state university and community college before discovering their passion in technical theater.

JENNIFER GARGANO OF

Upper school staff discussed their distinct academic backgrounds, showcasing their determination to reach educational dreams, at the First Generation and Community College Attendees panel discussion during the Nov. 8. lunch period in English teacher Susanne Salhab’s room. The event featured panelists from Harker’s own staff and focused on illuminating their individual experiences growing up in disparate socioeconomic backgrounds and pathways through higher education. The panelists included math teacher Jeanette Fernandez, history and social science teacher Carol Green, learning, innovation and design director Diane Main, assistant to upper school head Michelle Martinez, assistant technical director Aren Olson, librarian Amy Pelman and math teacher Bradley Stoll. Salhab, who moderated the panel, first invited the panelists to talk about their educational journey. Fernandez began the discussion and shared her college experience as a first-generation immigrant. She attended West Valley Community College and highlighted her positive experiences there. “I had a great time at the community college,” Fernandez said. “At the time, my sister was in a sorority at a four year college, and I had about the same amount

ver 300 prospective Harker students and parents attended the upper school’s annual Open House last Sunday, observing minilessons with faculty, learning about extracurricular offerings and more. The opening ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. in the Zhang Athletic Center, with upper school Admissions Director Jennifer Hargreaves welcoming the group. She then handed the stage off to Cantilena and Harker Dance Company, who performed as representatives of the Conservatory. Following these acts, Head of School Brian Yager greeted attendees, once again welcoming them to the campus. He explained the importance of Open House and then introduced Head of Upper School Paul Barsky and a panel of community members to speak on the environment at Harker. Seniors Edis Mesic, Dhruv Trivedi and Cynthia Wang, as well as English Department Chair Pauline Paskali, discussed their experiences on campus

and what activities they partake in at school. Families then exited the AC, where student tour volunteers waited outside. After parents and prospective students gathered into their groups, the tour leaders directed the visitors to

Around 50 people engaged with speakers at Harker’s joint speaker event with the Muwekma Ohlone tribe on Nov. 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Assistant Head of School Jennifer Gargano opened the event, titled “The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe: Moving Past Federal Recognition – A Call to Action.” The event featured talks from professors Michael Wilcox and Laura Jones from Stanford and Lee Panich from the University of Santa Clara, as well as the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh. In his talk “Muwekma Ohlone: Landscape, History and the Narratives of California Natives,” Wilcox focused on the history of the Muwekma Ohlone people, detailing how the people first settled in the San Francisco Bay Area thousands of years ago and witnessed the formation of the bay. He described how the tribe lost their lands at the hands of Spanish colonizers and were forced into missions.

shareen chahal & emma gao

SHAREEN CHAHAL

andrew liang

C O M M UN

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Harker has historically put a large emphasis on recognizing and helping the tribe. In 2018, the school dedicated a plaque near the front parking zone honoring the tribe’s ancestral ownership of the land. The school has also invited Nijmeh to speak to middle school students on multiple occasions and helps out the tribe’s other initiatives. Harker is also looking at inviting the tribe back to speak again. “We plan to continue to invite them to speak because it’s part of a team effort,” Gargano said. “We don’t want to say ‘this is what we need’ because it’s not about us.”

DESIGN BY FELIX CHEN

GLOBAL

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Russia conducts wave of nuclear drills

Israeli forces surround Gaza City Israeli ground forces have split the besieged Gaza region into northern and southern parts and encircled Gaza City amidst resolution of the third power cut in the area since Oct 7. Reports from Israeli media indicate that their forces are entering Gaza City, where Palestinian militants are anticipated to engage in street battles and employ a complex network of tunnels for ambushes. This move follows a series of attacks from the Israelis.

Poland’s president Andrzej Duda tasked the outgoing prime minister to attempt to form a new government, despite the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party losing its parliamentary majority in a recent national election. Duda, who aligns with PiS, asserts that the PiS party deserves the first chance to form a government, considering that the largest party in the country traditionally receives that opportunity.

Myanmar rebels recapture city

SELINA WANG (10) C

Polish president stalls formation of government

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It’s definitely something that can escalate because desperation causes irrationality and that could be what Russia’s aiming for

The air pollution in New Delhi has reached nearly 30 times higher than the recommended air quality set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has already enforced a temporary shut down of schools due to the hazardous smog and doctors also reported an increase in respiratory illnesses. Air pollution in New Delhi has steadily increased within the past few years due to vehicle fumes, crop burning

he Russian Armed Forces simulated a large nuclear strike in a military exercise on Oct 25. The Strategic Rocket Forces fired a nuclear-capable RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s far east, according to the Kremlin. A nuclear-powered submarine launched another missile in the Barents Sea, and a Tupolev Tu-95, one of Russia’s strategic bomber aircraft, tested multiple cruise missiles in a simulation for responding to an enemy nuclear strike. The Russian Ministry of Defense published several videos showing military aircraft taking off from an airfield and various long-range missiles flying overhead in the night sky. Hours earlier, the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s legislative branch, passed a bill to repeal the nation’s

ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the legislation passed by the Duma into law on Nov. 2, officially rescinding Russia’s commitment to the treaty, which bans the testing of nuclear weapons and explosions.

New Delhi air quality worsens

mihir kotbagi & jonathan szeto

At least 10 people are dead and thousands more are trapped and displaced following flooding and heavy rains in Kenya and Somalia as of Nov. 6. The United Nations' humanitarian agency estimates that over 100,000 people have fled their homes, while around 2,400 may be trapped in inundated areas along the Juba River in Jubaland. The flash floods have resulted in a growing number of casualties, and the Somalian government has declared a state of emergency.

LIFTOFF A nuclear-capable RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launches from a silo in the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East in Oct. 2022. One year later, State Duma approved a bill withdrawing Russia from the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

CIF MEMBER

10 die from floods in Somalia

COM MUN

Although the CTBT has not been in force since its adoption, almost all of

SOURCE: RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE

janam chahal, disha gupta & claire yu

the world’s countries have signed the agreement, but many countries with nuclear capabilities have yet to ratify it. In practice, it is widely considered to prohibit nuclear testing, as only North Korea has done so since the 1990s. Putin stated that his move would parallel the stance of the United States, which signed but never ratified the CTBT. Upper school computer science department chair Eric Nelson advises the Harker chapter of the Critical Issues Forum (CIF), a program focusing on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. He viewed the tests and backing out of the CTBT as a show of military force and an indication of recent rising tensions between Russia and the United States. “The nuclear tests and Russia’s repeal of the CTBT aren't surprising to me,” Nelson said. “The nuclear drill was primarily saber-rattling by Russia after the United States’s announcement that they were beefing up [their] nuclear arsenals. It’s an indication that the Cold War is warming up again, but it’s also different because the world is not the place it was when mutually assured destruction was the basic policy of both [Russia and the United States].” Russia rehearses employing their nuclear weapons almost every year. However, the recent tests are the first of its kind in terms of scale and scope, particularly in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. CIF participant Selina Wang (10) indicated another possible underlying cause for Putin’s decision to conduct the test at this time. “I know some people perceive [the nuclear tests] as a warning to the West because it’s a reminder for people who lived during the Cold War era and think that we might be returning to that time,” Selina said. “But I think it also could show Putin’s desperation because currently right now with Ukraine it’s a standoff, and so it’s his last stand. It’s definitely something that can escalate because desperation causes irrationality and that could be what Russia’s aiming for." Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang passes away mendy mao Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang died of a heart attack in Shanghai on Oct. 20 at the age of 68. Li served in the position of premier, the top Chinese economic official and the nation’s second highestranking official after the president. He served from 2013-2023 and left office in March 2023. Keqiang served as a pivotal political figure who advocated for a more open Chinese economy and market-based reform in the style of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and guided China’s economy through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Li’s political influence was greatly diminished due to current Chinese

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He had a lot of good policies during COVID, in terms of helping the economy get back on track immediately

Rebelling forces commandeered a district capital by seizing a police station and state offices in Myanmar on Nov. 6, following a years-long conflict with MODEL UNITED Myanmar’s military-run government. AN G After the elected government succumbed NATIONS OFFICER D R E W LIA N to the army in February 2021, Kawlin, which is in the Sagaing region, became president Xi Jinping’s consolidation of the the first administrative capital that rebel nation's power. forces have overtaken. The Standing Committee, a group of Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. powerful seven-member senior leaders,

SASHA MASSON (12)

DIPLOMACY AT THE TOP Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang speaks during a summit between China and the Association of South Asian Countries (ASEAN) in a 2022 summit.

expelled Li from the committee at a party congress in October 2022. Sasha Masson (12), one of the secretary-generals of Harker Model United Nations, commends the policies that he supported in the Chinese government and commented on Li’s removal from the Standing Committee. “That's honestly a testament to the fact that he was creating change,” Sasha said. “I think people wouldn't have seen him as a threat or tried to do that if what he was doing was not [significant]. He had a lot of good policies during COVID from what I remember, in terms of helping the

SOURCE: AP NEWS

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economy get back on track immediately after instead of slowing it down.” Xi also undercut Li’s economic policies by investing in state-owned companies rather than following through on market-oriented changes. Xi appointed himself to head a party commission overseeing financial reform, which decreased Li’s economic influence. He supported the use of domestic suppliers over imports. Upper school economics and history teacher Matthew McCorkle reflected on what a more open market could do for China. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. DESIGN BY ANDREW LIANG

hima thota & vika gautham

The eruption of the IsraelHamas conflict on October 7th stands as a devastating event for individuals of both Israeli and Palestinian descent. Since 1948, Israel and Palestine have shared a contentious history, but this latest conflict between the two countries is the largest in decades. In times of conflict, millions around the world rely on news and media to stay informed about the latest developments. However, it is common practice for news sources to sometimes not do their own reporting to report on an event. Few may be aware of this, and will not delve deeper into the sources of their news and how the delivery impacts their understanding as readers.

“Media is overly simplified, whether that’s lacking the historical context, or lacking the political context,” entrepreneurship teacher Michael Acheatel said. “Media is attempting to either showcase the result of one side’s suffering as a result of the others, regardless of whatever the media’s angle is, even though not every media type is equipped with giving that information.” News outlets compete for viewers’ attention in a phenomenon called “attention economy,” often generalizing and simplifying stories to sensationalize them. Today’s media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war mainly focuses on the present conflict, ignoring the long history between Israel and Hamas. Many news outlets reported on the casualties of the

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Analyzing Western media’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict

Oct. 7 attack, but few mentioned the historical events that caused alreadypresent tensions between Israel and Palestine. “From what I’ve seen in the news, I feel like the narrative is trying to make it seem like the war started with the attack of Gaza on Israel instead of the previous conflicts in the past 75 years,” Reza Jalil (12) said. “And I think it kind of removes part of the history of the conflict and makes it seem like it’s a whole new thing.” Many journalists also use terminology to elicit emotional reactions from readers. Especially in times of conflict, the media intentionally attempts to impacts their thoughts, emotions, or communicate views through stylistic behavior. elements that go unnoticed by most Ultimately, Western media can readers. Such elements include the easily exacerbate social divides caused connotation of certain words used by war. Stories filled with covert bias, as well as the placement of loaded misinformation and generalization aim phrases surrounding an ongoing to provide a one-sided account of the event. These elements frame a story, and readers may be unaware of this narrative that while not necessarily bias. it falls upon readers to verify their being truthful, can influence public sources and practice media literacy to perception by appealing to readers’ assess diverse perspectives. pathos, which is their emotional “The focus needs to be on people to side. be truth seekers and to validate or know Office of Communication their sources, and to not get their news news and information Zach Jones from social media,” Acheatel said. “They also commented upon the varying need to recognize that misinformation, use of terminology that reporters disinformation and fakes exist on social use. Echoing Reza’s sentiments, media and to not allow that to be”. he found a stark difference in the Visit harkeraquila.com for full language used to report on Israeli article. and Palestinian deaths. “Just little things about the coverage that you will notice don’t come across as outwardly biased,” Jones said. “The question then becomes, well, how did they die?” According to Jones, this frequent strategy in media coverage emphasizes the need to raise awareness about media literacy, a strategy for readers to analyze the information they read. Media literacy offers a new approach to consuming information present online, and encourages readers to fully understand the way that OUTSPOKEN Protestors gather at Stanford University the information they are reading to express support for Palestine on Friday, Oct. 20.

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The same footage and pictures, but people analyze it completely differently. There’s a lot of misinformation, and it takes time for the actual numbers to come out DANIEL DORFMAN (11) AN

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We can’t control the media but we can talk about the actual history. People have to not believe the first thing they see online JUDI ABDELRAZIK (10) HIM

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Words can depict the morality or humanity of the sides, and I think it’s unfair to pick and choose which side to use them for REZA JALIL (12)

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There is still this attempt from the Western media to appear even handed, [even though] this is not a symmetrical war ZACH JONES

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S O N YA N G

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION NEWS,INFORMATION MANAGER

PHOTO BY FELIX CHEN; ILLUSTRATION BY ARIANA GOETTING

Pulse of the People addresses current issues related to social justice. The significance of media portrayal in shaping public perception is discussed in this piece.

FEATURES Unmasking Narratives

PHOTOS BY FELIX CHEN

OF THE PEOPLE

ILLUSTRAATION BY PRAMEELA KOTTAPALLI

volume 25 • issue 3

DESIGN BY HIMA THOTA

06 winged post

FEATURES

Continuity of cultivating community

Itaewon One Year Later: What Happened?

Alumni Director Karan Lodha (‘04) returns to Harker to reconnect

sidak sanghari & tiffany zhu

COM MUN

TIFFANY ZHU

AT I

Days after the incident occurred, blame was thrown back and forth between higher officials and local police. The government took no responsibility with the excuse that these festivities were unofficially planned without consent of the government. Instead, they pinned the blame on the police for neglecting the calls made by the people stuck in the crowd that very night. On the other hand, ongoing legal proceedings have only indicted 12 local policemen, with no higher police officials taking any sort of responsibility for the consequences of their actions that Halloween weekend. The reactions from both the government and police highlight a prominent and continuous issue in South Korea’s hierarchical society today: the shielding of higher ranking officials from responsibility. President Yoon Seok Yeol himself ignored meeting requests from the victims’ families for a formal apology and also dismissed their wishes for the firing of top safety officials who were partly to blame for this incident. He also permitted the National Police Department to investigate this incident, despite it being about themselves. This issue became even more prominent after some decisions were made in the dragged-on trials taking place up to this day. The court cleared any charges against high ranking police officers and officials. The families of the victims particularly wanted a structural change in the government to prevent something similar from reoccurring. “It was a pretty big incident,” math teacher Walter Han said. “There was a lot of things that went wrong that day. There’s a lot of grieving following this year following that incident.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

C O M M U NI

KARAN LODHA

ALUMNI DIRECTOR

and appreciate how my colleagues and my former teachers really put a lot of trust in me, and I think that is a testament to the kind of institution that Harker is.” After leaving Harker to pursue a degree in education, Lodha taught humanities classes at Windward School and Wildwood School in his hometown

of Los Angeles for a few years. There, he felt that he did not connect with his students like he was able to at Harker, so two months ago, Lodha returned once again and took on his current role as the Director of Alumni Relations. “Even though I really connected with individual students, and even groups of students sometimes, it was not the same as teaching or working at the school that I went to,” Lodha said. “I know the values here [and] what motivates not only the student body, but also the alumni, the parents and the faculty. I just felt like [working here] wouldn’t feel like being new again, which it doesn’t. It feels like I’ve worked here forever.” Upper school math teacher Bradley Stoll, who was also Lodha’s teacher in high school, played a pivotal role in encouraging Lodha to return to Harker as an educator. “He really is brilliant,” Stoll said. “He’s just quick to learn things, and he could do whatever he wanted, so the fact that he’s chosen education, to me, is a testament to who he is. He saw the impact that teachers made on him, and he wanted to do the same thing. of impact.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Seniors leave their mark with graduating gifts charlize wang

With Harker’s expansion to a K-12 school, the eighth grade class stopped this tradition as they no longer bear the title of a graduating class. Harker maintains the tradition of receiving gifts from the highest class as a way of commemorating their time at Harker. Upper School Director A RESTING PLACE The class of 2012’s graduation gift. of Advancement Kimberly Lobe The bench sits outside of main near Brian Davis’s office. works closely with the seniors in which are taken into consideration during the gift giving process and explains the the final deliberation. They then meet with importance of this tradition. the alumni director and discuss potential “Class gifts started as a way for a class areas of the campus to house their gift. to leave their legacy behind at school, and Funding also plays a large role in the it was a way of giving back,” Lobe said. decision making process, as graduating “Most importantly, it’s the first step of classes have to raise money throughout alumni involvement, because any private the year to pay for their class gift. school wants their alumni to stay involved. Harker’s administration has discouraged So I think by making a class gift, you are fundraisers in recent years. setting the stage for your alma mater, and Although gifts vary from class to the fact that you will stay involved as an class, some of the most common class gifts alum.” include benches, monuments and wind To choose their gift, student council chimes. around the campus. The Nichols members of the graduating class meet Hall rotunda furniture donated by the to brainstorm possible gift ideas. class of 2019 constitutes one of the most Student council members often receive recent gifts given by graduating classes. SCENERY The outdoor classroom donated by the class of 2007 sits in graduates’ grove. suggestions from their entire class, Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. What defines a legacy? How are they maintained? Although such questions pose a plethora of responses, the Harker School answers with a simple solution: class gifts. From gardens to monuments and everything in between, gifts from graduating classes bring a new sense of character to the campus, filling it with the love and memories of previous students. The gift giving tradition from graduating classes began in 2002, which also marked the year of the first graduating class at Harker. Before the tradition made its way to the Upper School, the eighth grade class had already adopted the giftgiving tradition, leaving behind benches and other gifts upon their departure.

CHARLIZE WANG

MATHEMATICS TEACHER

“

I know the values here [and] what motivates not only the student body, but also the alumni, the parents and the faculty. It feels I’ve worked here forever N

WALTER HAN

“When I was a student, my teachers really trusted me to take risks,” Lodha said. “At Harker, they pushed me not to just focus on things I already knew but also to take intellectual risks, try things I didn’t know and be okay with being vulnerable. Then they did it for me again, when I became a history teacher. I love

“

It was a pretty big incident, There was a lot of things that went wrong that day. There’s a lot of grieving following this year following that incident

BACK TO THE START Alumni Director Karan Lodha engages with Harker graduates, which allows him to foster a deep sense of community that he values and provide support for.

REMEMBRANCE South Korean Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min lays flowers in honor of the Itaewon incident victims.

You may remember Karan Lodha (‘04) as your middle school adviser, or maybe as your US history teacher from eighth grade. Perhaps this is the first time you’ve seen his face. Regardless of when you meet him, Lodha remains a recognizable face on the Harker campus. Lodha first joined Harker as a student at the high school, where he developed passions for sports and activism, which he explored through writing for the Winged Post. After graduating in 2004, Lodha continued furthered those interests as writer for The Harvard Crimson, where he focused on sports journalism, a topic he still follows today. “One of the things I wrote for the Winged Post was sports,” Lodha said. “Then, I ended up doing sports journalism and was the editor of the sports section of the school paper in college. I’ve continued to be really interested not just in sports as a consumer, but [in] sports as an institution, and I like to consume a lot of media around it.” Following college, Lodha worked in the software field for around nine years but eventually started considering a change in his career. Coincidentally, a position as a long-term eighth grade substitute history teacher at Harker’s middle school opened up. With the encouragement from his former teachers, Lodha returned to the community, and what started as a substitute position became a full time history teacher. Although Lodha found humanities unfamiliar, he fondly remembers the invaluable support he received from his Harker teachers and now colleagues, whether it came during his time as a student or his return, 13 years later. IL L

CHARLIZE WANG

PROVIDED BY AP NEWS

young min

One year since the horrific crowd surge in Itaewon took 159 lives. One year since and yet unanswered questions still float around. What has actually changed? Without the presence of police officers, crowds in the streets of Itaewon, South Korea began to grow at an uncontrollable rate a day before Halloweeen last year. This catastrophe resulted in the passing of 159 people, primarily young adults who simply sought to enjoy a fun night on Halloween weekend.

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

DESIGN BY VIKA GAUTHAM

A&E/LIFESTYLE

volume 25 • issue 3

winged post

Blurring artistic boundaries

students that if they work with people who have different talents than them, that they can create something really beautiful together.” The duo then rehearsed their original choreography and music, titled “Dancing in the Eye of the Storm.” During the creative process, Kim and Rowe engaged with the audience, seeking feedback on dance movements. Kim and Rowe concluded the masterclass by addressing students’ questions. Violinist Moni Simeonov then joined Kim for a powerful rendition of “Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.” As Kim and pianist Dominic Cheli played the music, Rowe took the stage with her interpretive ballet piece. After an intermission, Kim and Rowe once again combined music and dance, with Rowe performing “The Dying Swan” to “Le Cygne.” Kim, Cheli and Simeonov concluded the concert with “Piano Tri No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67.” “I loved hearing the folk melodies they played because I haven’t really been exposed to that before,” concert audience member Mindy Truong (10) said. “The music and the dance went well together,

chayce milheim

PERFECT DUO (Top left) Julia Rowe holds an arabesque during her practice performance of her self-choreographed piece. (Above) Jonah Kim plays “Viola da Gamba Sonata No. 1 in G Major.”

jessica wang & jonathan szeto

DUNCAN MARQUART (9) JE

SSIC

A WAN

MOISÉS KAUFMAN IN FALL PLAY

performed shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Patil Theater of the Rothschild Performing Arts Building (RPAC). Tickets cost $8 for students and $15 for adults.

For the first time since 2005 and the death of their drummer Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones, considered to be the fathers of the rock-and-roll image, released a collection of original songs on Oct. 20. An attempt to reestablish The Stone’s musical dominance, the collection embodies one of the worst attributes of their image: eternal avarice. Nearly every track tries to capture the essence of their previous songs instead of finding a new, unique voice for The Stones. These men are nearing or at their eighties, known for their saucy indulgence in their youth, forced into tightly-wrapped boxes to match their sound from over twenty years ago. The result is a bland, overused Frankenstein’s monster of an album.

ACTION Sergeant Hing, portrayed by Thomas Campisi (10), gives a monologue to to other members of the Tectonic Theater Project in this year’s fall play “The Laramie Project.”

“The Laramie Project” revolves around the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student, due to his sexual orientation. After Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson beat and tortured Shepard on the night of Oct. 6, 1998, the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to the titular town of Laramie. Through the voices of Laramie residents, law enforcement and Shepard’s family and friends, the play examines how the murder affected the town’s reputation. It highlights the stark divisions in public response, from shock and grief to anger and confusion. Unlike a traditional narrative, the play unfolds as a series of interviews,

monologues and reenactments based on real conversations by members of the Tectonic Theater Project with Laramie residents following Shepard’s murder. Audience member Sophia Bagley (10) recognizes the importance of continuing Matthew Shepard’s legacy to help increase awareness of LGBTQ+ discrimination. “[‘The Laramie Project’] has a really deep, meaningful story,” Sophia said. “It was a really important story to tell. My biggest takeaway was learning about Matthew’s story and being more aware of hate crimes. This really educated me on the story of Matthew Shepherd, which I had no idea what it was about.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

edward huang & ashley mo

ILLUSTRATION BY YOUNG MIN

‘For All The Dogs’ by Drake

JONATHAN SZETO

“

[‘The Laramie Project’] is very important and, unfortunately, still relevant to today

BTS member Jungkook released his first solo album on Nov. 3. Despite being a long-awaited release, the album lacked memorable tracks and fell short of monumental. The title track, “Standing Next To You,” sounds like a failed impersonation of The Weeknd, while the B-sides, “Yes or No,” “Please Don’t Change” and “Somebody” sound like the same song in different fonts. This album ultimately failed to achieve anything mind blowing, earning a mediocre ratingd.

‘Hackney Diamonds’ by The Rolling Stones

Fall Play invites audiences to reflect on tolerance A pale-yellow spotlight illuminates a table at the center of the stage. Sergeant Hing, played by Thomas Campisi (10), slings his feet onto the tabletop and delivers his thoughts on living in the small Wyoming town of Laramie. Rebecca Hilliker, portrayed by Holly Templeton (10), joins him, voicing her thoughts on happiness and self-reflection. Characters file on and off-stage as the story progresses. So begins this year’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” written by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project. The production takes its audience through bars, courthouses and media frenzy while emphasizing the necessity of compassion in the face of hate. The cast

young min

ILL YO USTR UN AT G M ION BY IN

Y ZHU

TIFFAN

and Julia Rowe danced beautifully. There was also so much emotion in Jonah Kim’s facial expressions and clarity in the music.” Kim and Rowe’s concert reminded the audience that art flourishes when it’s a collaborative endeavor across multiple cultures and disciplines. Sharing in the creation of art elevates its quality and impact. “My teachers, growing up, always talked about how great art is made on the borders of cultures, where cultures meet and clash and fuse, yielding incredible results,” Kim said. “But I think moving forward, we can go beyond just the borders. We can explore ways that we already overlap. The only difference is how we do the same things.”

ZHU

he audience settles in hushed anticipation as cellist Jonah Kim draws his bow across the strings, conjuring the first note. As the stage brightens to a radiant glow, dancer Julia Rowe makes her entrance adorned in a gray long sleeve and a wispy skirt, mirroring the tumultuous storm portrayed through her choreography. Kim and Rowe share a marriage and an artistic connection. Nationally-renowned cellist Jonah Kim and San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Julia Rowe performed in the Harker Concert Series in the Patil Theater on Friday, Nov. 3, teaching a masterclass to student musicians earlier that afternoon. A South Korea native, Kim received an invitation to the Juilliard Pre-College program at just seven years old. Since then, Kim has soloed with the National Symphony and Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra and captivated critics, who deem his skills eloquent and exhilarating. Rowe’s journey in classical ballet commenced in Pennsylvania, and after moving to California, Rowe underwent further training at the San Francisco Ballet School. She joined the San Francisco Ballet Company in 2013 and received a promotion to a soloist in 2016. Upper school instrumental music teacher Jaco Wong invited Kim and Rowe to Harker after meeting Kim at a recording studio.

Around 70 students attended the masterclass at 3:10 p.m. on Nov. 3. Wong began the session with an interview, where Kim and Rowe shared insights about their disciplines to the student musicians. “I knew that Jonah would have a huge impact on our orchestra program, and he gave us a really good masterclass,” Wong said. “They also showed how to collaborate between different disciplines and how successful that can be. They showed our

TIFF ANY

tiffany zhu & jeremy peng

ILLUSTRATION BY YOUNG MIN

Lackluster releases in recent albums Kim and Rowe wow in Harker Concert Series performance ‘Golden’ by Jungkook

In his newest, 23-track long album “For All The Dogs,” Drake appears to grapple between options for his next persona. This results in an inconsistent album, littered with several songs that shine brilliantly on their own but seem thrown together without much thought. The lengthy, meaningless filler songs dilute the album’s abundant highlights, making “For All The Dogs” a much longer and mind-numbing listen than necessary. The confused artist struggles to regain his identity and instead overcompensates by trying to be everything at once, ultimately keeping this album from achieving anything more than a mediocre rating. DESIGN BY YOUNG MIN

08 winged post

A&E/LIFESTYLE

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Climate Coach?

Book Corner:

Michael Coren claims climate for laypeople

Nine Perfect Strangers mia tang

What about home wind?

A promise of rebirth, of restoration, of reinvention. A chance to leave tragedy and hopelessness behind. Namaste, and welcome to the Tranquillum House, where a new you awaits. Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty, is labeled as a psychological thriller novel. As the name implies, the book follows the story of nine strangers encountering each other at a health resort, before meeting their slightly overzealous resort instructor, a woman named Masha.

Communal wind farms will help blow

Personal care hides plastics?

“

We continue life to find that cheesy, corny happy ending. That hope is what keeps people going during the lowest periods of their lives

MIA TANG

Masha.

anwen hao

hat can I do to help solve climate change? A look at climate change coverage unleashes a barrage of headlines sounding the alarm on environmental apocalypse. In this deluge of dire news, the massive scale of natural disasters can leave us feeling powerless and detached from the problem. Enter Michael J. Coren, a Washington Post journalist offering a unique solution. Coren turns the seemingly insurmountable problems of climate change into bite-size, manageable action

items that regular people can take on. Coren creates a sense of agency and hope, empowering and urging individuals. “There actually has to be behavioral change,” Coren said. “There actually has to be people, individuals involved to make that change happen.” To Coren, awareness is necessary for individuals to make change. By providing useful information applicable to everyday life, Coren empowers his readers to make more informed decisions. “Technically, I’m an advice columnist,” Coren said. “What I do is more about insight or illumination. I give

How to “have good stuff (not too much)” for not too much

people advice on how to make their own mind up.” The advent of a new generation, Coren argues, always brings scientific and cultural advancement. According to Coren, change occurs in a stepwise fashion: gradual change in the present generation followed by sudden, dramatic change with the advent of a new generation. “Physicist Max Planck said ‘science progresses one funeral at a time,’” Coren said. “There will be a change of culture, a change of consciousness, a change of priorities among the younger generation.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Keep it cool in Cayucos sidak sanghari

NINE PERFECT STRANGERS Nine strangers meet their slightly overzealous resort instructor, a woman named

COACH COREN Michael Coren helps people make informed and climate-aware daily decisions. His Washington Post column “Climate Coach” began in 2023.

How about secondhand?

Over Labor Day weekend, my extended family always chooses a location within California to stay and explore in. This year, we chose Cayucos for its convenient location about halfway between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. The town itself has many small inns and hotels along the beach and on the Main Street. There are also VRBOs available for rent, which is what we opted for. Because of the close proximity of all the town’s attractions, we walked to any meals we ate out, and the beach was a two minute walk from the house.

Mia’s ranking

BEACH DAY (top right) Waves crash on the shoreline of Cayucos State Beach. Besides the cold waves, visitors can enjoy the tide pools and the pier boardwalk. PAST BLAST (bottom right) Shoppers mill about antique store Remember When. They sell items from clothes to cutlery to jewelry. BIJOU BEST (center) Bijou Bakery showcases fresh baked goods along hot pastries and breakfast sandwiches. They also serve a variety of specialty drinks. SID AT SEA (left) My family went on a short hike at the Estero Bluffs National Park, with a view of a shipwreck in the water below. A three minute drive from the town, the hike follows right alongside the Pacific Ocean, giving views of the waves crashing against the rocky coast.

SIDAK SANGHARI

During the present reality at the Tranquillum House, Masha is introduced as an incredibly athletic, healthy, practically glowing woman who obsesses over her “rebirth.” Previously, she was a struggling, unhealthy corporate CEO, who, after suffering a heart attack and deciding to quit her job, was transformed. And that is the essence of the Tranquillum House — it is meant to be a transformative experience. It seems impossible to pull a person from the lowest point in their life and to place them on a pedestal, recovered and ready to start anew. To me, the story presents their version of said meaning: it is to fall, over and over again, and to move forward, hoping for the better, because that is life. Anyone can stop the journey, as the son of Marconis did, but to kill oneself is to give up on that meaning. There is no “rebirth”, no full “renewal” — there is simply moving forward and changing your future path. It gives the reader hope, that no matter how old you are, where you are in life, there is always a way to move on, and that there are always new chapters in your life to reach. We continue life to find that cheesy, corny happy ending, and that hope is often what keeps people going during the lowest periods of their lives. That, I believe, is what Nine Perfect Strangers is trying to say – that this constant search for happiness is their meaning. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

PROVIDED BY MICHAEL COREN

Finding sustainability in better shampoo and soap packaging

HARI SIDAK SANG

SIDAK SANGHARI

The message might be a little cheesy, a little too happy-go-lucky, but it goes much deeper than simple optimism.

SIDAK SANGHARI

4/5 eagles

DESIGN BY ALISON YANG

OPINIONS Select a gender — No, not agender

winged post

volume 25 • issue 3

Discovering an identity beyond the norm despite difficult conversations

aris was so close. I fantasized about a seat by the Seine with the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the dark distance, a steaming plate of beef bourguignon and toasty bread in front of me. I imagined strolling through t h e marble galleries of the Louvre, admiring the sculptures and royal jewelry I had previously only known from Wikipedia articles. I snapped back to reality at the check-in kiosk. The sensor wasn’t properly scanning my passport, so I had to manually enter my information. It was the standard fare: name, date of birth. I glanced at the next input field, asking for gender: Male or Female. I froze. My father tapped the screen, entering female.

“

Navigating conversations feels like tiptoeing over a minefield as they look down at their feet to avoid setting off an offense in you I looked down at my passport photo. Long, meticulously brushed hair and a big F stamped under Sex / Sexe / Sexo. I opened my mouth to say something, but I was hurried along to the check-in counter. Linguistic oversights and mishaps aren’t reserved for just the airport. My parents are both native speakers of Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin has two

“You should get your profile changed. It will cause confusion and trouble for others.” “Confusion.” “Trouble.” Although IZ AB the world is ETH ZHANG becoming more accepting of those who do not conform to the gender binary, some people find it difficult to change their negative perceptions and biases. Far too often do they assume nonbinary people “decided” to be nonbinary to attract attention. Even m o r e common is the simple misgendering or offhand comment, demanding a side. On one hand, I, and m a n y others in similar situations, don’t want to make life more difficult for everyone else. Constantly nagging about pronouns seems counterproductive. Still, being seen as someone we’re not leaves us feeling like a shell of a person. Ignorance hurts, but so does “special” treatment. I’m not very good at coming out, but whenever I do try, some people acknowledge my lack of gender but distance themselves from me. They make a great show of tolerating but not accepting. Many people in this part of the world are knowledgeable about LGBTQIA+ issues, but I sometimes regret telling them about my gender identity. Navigating conversations feels like tiptoeing over a minefield as they look down at their feet to avoid setting off an offense in you. When it becomes safe enough for any gender-nonconforming person to come out, we’ll begin to feel like actual humans. Not just landmines to sidestep. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

jessica hu

genders to refer to people, the feminine ‘‘她’’ and the m a s c u l i n e ‘‘他,’’ both pronounced “ta.” Because spoken Mandarin doesn’t distinguish the two, everyone is “ta.” As a child, I noticed my parents would mix up pronouns in English. When they were talking about me, I would hear something like, “Is Jessica making friends with his classmates?” When I entered my sophomore year and became a full-fledged reporter for Harker Aquila, I needed to write up a brief biography for my staff profile. By then, I had realized I was agender, not identifying with any particular gender. I decided to use he/him in the description, almost as a suggestion to readers: hey, I might have a “girly” name and appearance, but being called “he” is fine, too! I didn’t think much of it until I published my first article and excitedly sent it to my mother for her to read. Minutes later, she came into my room, laptop in hand.

What is your opinion on gendered pronouns?

“

To me, gender is really strange. Because I don’t identify within the binary, I like to think of my gender as kind of elusive. I just recognize that I am not a cisgender person, but I don’t identify as any specific category

IRIS FU (12) STUDENT JE

REM

Y PE N G

“

My attitude towards my gender pronouns is that they’re sort of meaningless. I don’t particularly care what people decide to use to refer to me, but it causes less problems if I just say he/him and don’t explain further

NEO ALPHA (12) STUDENT JE

REM

Y PE N G

“

When it comes to pronouns, respect and understanding come first. Using it to help us better understand ourselves and the world, that’s what pronouns are all about

FERN BISWAS (11) STUDENT JE

REM

Y PE N G

emma li

Outspoken, rebellious to the norm and open to experimentation, young people stand at the forefront of societal trends. In the age of the

SKIBIDI TOILET Gen alpha’s first meme refers to videos with a head in a toilet.

internet, the influence of today’s youth is undeniable. Although millennials were latecomers to the internet, they have left their mark on the web over the years, providing many an online relic for Generation Z to mock. Gen Z’s obsession with condemning anything remotely “cringe” has resulted in bullying towards any millennial-based content. Throughout the past few years, millennial bullying spread on TikTok, where videos parodying millennials’ filming and editing styles garner millions of views. These quirks, including the “millennial pause”, generally arise from millennials’ familiarity with older technology. Moreover, millennial humor is a reflection of cultural phenomena from the 2000s to early 2010s from the corny jokes on Buzzfeed to parody songs prevalent in the early days of the internet. In other words, the cringiness of millennials is a product of their time. The oddities that Gen Z mocks today were considered humorous back when millennials held the reins of relevancy. Beginning in August of this year, people online have been causing a stir over a new contender in what could be a pervasive bullying cycle. Netizens have dubbed the explosively popular web series

Skibidi Toilet as Gen Alpha’s first meme, referring to the generation born from the early 2010s to 2025. The series consists of animated YouTube videos filled with singing heads in toilets, anthropomorphic cameras and explosions. Baffled at the series’ popularity, this time it is Gen Z, not millennials, who struggle to understand. Generation Z, which has long prided itself in an absolute understanding of meme culture, is feeling out of touch. Some have retaliated towards Gen Alphas, claiming that they are cringy because millennials raised them. This assertion only seems like a desperate attempt to reclaim the throne of relevancy and memorialize Gen Z as the superior generation. At the end of the day, the generational gap between Gen Z and millennials, and now Gen Z and Gen Alpha, is merely the product of societal changes throughout the years, further widened today by the internet’s increasingly shorter trends. If Gen Alpha is to continue the cycle of bullying in a few years’ time, it’s best we Generation Z-ers accept that we are indeed cringe. In any case, we had it coming. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

GEN Z CONFUSION Members of Gen Z criticize the new trends from Gen Alpha.

DESIGN BY ISABELLA LO

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ElMMA LI AND JESSICA WANG

Who’s cringe? The internet’s generational divide

10 winged post

SPOTLIGHT

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

From innovatio

AI’s influence through ChatGPT, song c channel or challenge for learning?

74% SOURCE: FORBES

SOURCE: FORBES

of students think using ChatGPT is cheating

34% SOURCE: FORBES

of educators think ChatGPT should be banned

51%

of students find ChatGPT helpful for studying

“

The writing style that ChatGPT promotes is sufficient but not very polished. We want to encourage all students to find their own voices

of students have used ChatGPT for schoolwork

SOURCE: FORBES

“Tell me a fun fact about the Roman empire.” “Recommend a dish to bring to a potluck.” “Come up with concepts for a retro-style arcade game.” These examples offer just a glimpse into the wide array of prompts users can submit to artificial intelligence language model ChatGPT. Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has sparked global debates as both a tool that unleashes new possibilities and a human creation susceptible to errors. OpenAI acknowledged several of the model’s shortcomings upon its release, including its occasional “plausible-sounding” but inaccurate responses, sensitivity to slight changes in user wording and tendency to repeat certain statements due to biases in its training dataset. Additionally, the model sometimes fails to detect inappropriate requests. “ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, in a Twitter post last December. Concerns about ChatGPT, particularly its potential to hinder student learning, have impacted education at the K-12 and university levels. For example, several public school districts including The Los Angeles Unified School District

and New York City Public Schools banned ChatGPT usage on school devices and WiFi networks in January. Capable of generating human-like written responses in seconds, ChatGPT could discourage students from developing independent analysis and reflection skills. “We’ve asked this platform to do all these things for us, so now we’ve got to ask, ‘how can we use it as a way to promote critical thinking?’” English teacher Nicholas Manjoine said. “The

89%

ella yee

COM MUN

ChatGPT usage in limited scenarios. In AP U.S. Government and Politics classes, for example, students may use ChatGPT to “clarify uncertainties in course materials” or “inquire about specific topics,” though all submitted work must be written in the student’s own words. On the other hand, the upper school science department prohibits students from using AI as a reference source for any submitted work, due to the challenges of “cit[ing] or even know[ing] the sources of this information.”

NICHOLAS MANJOINE

ENGLISH TEACHER

writing style that ChatGPT promotes is sufficient but not very polished. We want to encourage all students to find their own voices.” Harker reflects these evolving attitudes towards ChatGPT and education, with some classes allowing

song covers stealing the stage charlize wang Imagine Drake singing a K-pop song, or Ariana Grande on a SZA track. With AI technology, these covers have been brought to reality in the form of AI song covers. AI covers have taken social media by storm, replicating artists’ voices with such precision that the line between reality and AI grows increasingly blurry, and at times, almost impossible to discern. AI covers first went viral on TikTok in early 2023. The hashtag “aicover” currently boasts over 11 billion views on TikTok, a testament to the trend’s rising popularity. Some of the most popular AI covers include Ariana Grande’s cover of “Everytime” by CHEN and Punch, Ariana Grande’s cover of “Kill Bill” by SZA and Drake’s cover of “OMG” by NewJeans. As the copresident of Beats and Bytes, a club t h a t combines AI and music, Bhavya Srinivisan (11) has listened to AI song covers on YouTube and recalls her first impressions after listening. “It’s really cool to hear other artists’ voices on other songs,” Bhavya said. “You

can kind of hear that it’s not them. But it’s really cool, and it’s something you wouldn’t imagine.” The surge in popularity of AI song covers raises new questions about what the future holds for AI and music, and whether music will still continue to be a human-driven art in years to come.

most popul

Ariana Grande – Everytime

Ariana Grande – Kill Bill (SZ

Michael Jackson – Die For Y

Kanye West – Summertime

Drake – Cupid (Fifty Fifty)

721.6k likes

301.3k likes

280.1k likes

272.1k likes

208.1k likes

SOURCE: THE TAB

SPOTLIGHT

volume 25 • issue 3

winged post

on to intrusion posing a threat to privacy claire yu Artificial intelligence, despite its name, lacks true intelligence. It operates by collecting and regurgitating data, never truly generating anything new. Instead, everything it puts out is solely a

compilation of everything that has been fed into it. Hence, data is the center of artificial intelligence; without it, artificial intelligence would be powerless. “For stuff like ChatGPT, companies can take all your personal information and throw it in their model and you can’t really do anything about it,” AI

“

For stuff like ChatGPT, companies can take all your personal information and throw it in their model and you can’t really do anything about it

COM MUN

ANIKETH TUMMALA (12)

AI CLUB PRESIDENT

club president Aniketh Tummala (12) said. “If someone wants to search ‘what’s my social security number?’ and if that was leaked

somewhere, then the model would have access to that and then get [their] social security number. It’s not protected.” This lack of transparency and awareness regarding the use of people’s personal data is dangerous. When personal information falls into the wrong hands, it can be exploited for manipulation and lead to absolute chaos. People in positions of power can weaponize this data to threaten or blackmail individuals, utilizing knowledge about their interests and affiliations. As of now, there is a significant lack of awareness when it comes to where peoples’ data is being spread and used. The majority of people enter their personal information when signing up to websites using their information without thinking twice and fill out forms without blinking an eye. “I think that’s a huge black hole of a problem. We’ve been increasingly desensitized to the dangers of putting our data into the internet and not knowing where it’s going, not knowing who’s using it.”

policies enforce ethics

(Chen & Punch)

ZA)

You (The Weeknd)

e Sadness (Lana del Rey)

NELSON GOU (11) FI

song covers

“

There have to be guidelines on designing AI, like the rules for your data and how they can be used and trained

lar

AI has grown tremendously in recent years, with its powerful capabilities finding a home in countless fields. But as AI’s reach has expanded, so have concerns about potential misuse. Mirroring the rise of AI are growing discussions surrounding AI ethics. To address the problem of AI misuse and curb the increasing dominance AI companies hold, governments have turned to regulation and policy as a solution. “There have to be some sort of guidelines on designing AI, like the rules for your data and how they can be used and trained,” Harker Dev member Nelson Gou (11) said. “I know there’s been some conferences with big tech companies about how they can use AI.” The Biden Administration signed an expansive executive order about AI on Oct. 30, marking one of the most highprofile AI policy moves in American history. The piece of legislation is the longest executive order issued by any president. Concurrently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been holding regular AI forums with high-level tech executives, the most recent on Oct. 24. In similar fashion, European countries have also begun taking a stricter stance on AI. The EU passed its AI Act in June, a piece of legislation which was the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for AI. The law mandates that tech companies release details about their AI models to the government and adopt increased transparency in their development practices. “This is a great step because acknowledging that there is something

that needs looking into is the first step,” upper school CS teacher Anu Datar said. “I know that it’s very new, and a lot of people aren’t even really aware of how exactly it works, or what’s happening behind the scenes. Very few people in the world have the power to really control or make decisions about how this is going to impact the entire world.”

jonathan xue

COM MUN

HARKER DEV MEMBER

Since policymakers are generally inexperienced with technology, regulation has often lagged behind the fast-paced developments of industry. This trend has plagued policy for decades. In 1996, after years of overturn and monopolization in telecommunications, the Federal Communications Commission finally passed the Telecommunications Act, the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in over 62 years. This delay in regulation also applies to AI, where effective policy has only begun to emerge despite years of rapid AI development. Given the slower upkeep, most AI policy espouses general ideals, like transparency and equity, rather than specific action items. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

81%

of people think AI will allow companies to misuse their personal data

BIDEN’S AI EXECUTIVE ORDER the fast facts

TITLE: executive order on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence LENGTH: 63 pages TOPICS:

• new standards for AI safety • protecting Americans’ privacy • promoting innovation and competition • ensuring responsible and effective government use of AI DESIGN BY ARIANA GOETTING AND EDWARD HUANG

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DALL·E 2

covers, privacy and policy frameworks

OPINIONS

There is a latte to love about coffee

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

A TEA-RIFFIC DRINK Leaf a healthier life with a cup steeped in happiness

jessica wang DON

As the leaves change color and the air takes on a crisper chill, there’s one thing every coffee lover eagerly anticipates — Starbucks’ fall coffee drinks. It’s that time of the year when Starbucks unveils its delectable autumnthemed beverages, igniting a sense of cozy warmth and pumpkin-spiced euphoria. And it’s no surprise that it is the pumpkin spice latte and the apple crisp oat milk shaken espresso — two coffee-based drinks — take center stage in this time of peak comfort. Coffee holds a clear advantage over tea with its elevated caffeine content. It provides a swift and potent energy boost, making it the preferred choice for individuals seeking a morning kickstart or an afternoon pick-me-up. Tea, while certainly caffeinated, cannot rival the boost that coffee delivers. Whether you’re facing a demanding day at work or need that extra push to meet deadlines, coffee’s higher caffeine levels come to the rescue. From the vibrant and zesty notes of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe to the deep, chocolatey richness of Colombian brews, if you want to savor a beverage with depth and diversity of flavor, coffee is the clear winner. Coffee's various roasting profiles and brewing methods allow it to cater to everyone’s unique palate. While the fruitier blends never appealed to me, the nuttier specialty roasts from Brazil have captured my taste buds, and, subsequently, my heart. There is a drink for everyone!

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts often turn to coffee as a pre-workout beverage. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels and releases fatty acids into the bloodstream, providing the body with an additional source of energy. This property makes coffee an ideal companion for those leading an active lifestyle. Moreover, the caffeine in coffee can significantly enhance mental clarity and focus, making it a preferred choice. There is something indescribable about the experience of walking through a glass door to have one’s nose fervently greeted by the fantastic smell of a fresh brew. Though some establishments provide customers with both coffee and tea, I’ve found such chains to lack the depth that coffee-specific stores share. Drinking the beverage at an institution specially curated to deliver the optimal coffee experience is something incomparable to anything else. It is more than a thing of aesthetics: savoring a mug in air that

“

Coffee holds a clear advantage over tea with its elevated caffeine content. It provides a swift and potent energy boost can only be described as coffee-infused never fails to give me a boost beyond that delivered by the caffeine content. While tea undoubtedly boasts its own merits, the advantages of coffee render it the top pick for those seeking an energizing and flavorful beverage. Whether you’re in need of a quick morning boost, a delightful taste experience or a substantial improvement in mental and physical performance, coffee stands out as the clear victor. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

charlie wang DON

As I heat up water in my kettle in the morning, readying my supplies to make a nice cup of tea to wake me up, I glance at my dad’s corner of the kitchen stacked with his coffee-making paraphernalia, and I briefly think to myself why I drink my leaf-infused water

“

Even with its lower caffeine content, tea creates long-lasting alertness during the day while giving a sense of relaxation and calmness when coffee could jolt me awake quicker. That thought quickly dissipates as I remember why I enjoy tea: the alertness coupled with a sense of calmness. I get my green tea leaves, my favorite type, and put a pinch into my cup. The anticipation of a wakening drink of tea in the morning reinforces my fragile sleep schedule and the creation of each drink provides me a chance to think for a bit. Perhaps this brief period of reflection comes from the traditions of tea ceremonies in Asia, which help instill attention to detail, patience, tranquility, mindfulness and calmness. Drinking tea is also very calming. I enjoy the subtle earthy notes in my plain green tea, one of the reasons I far prefer it over coffee. Tea has a soft and refreshing taste that is gentle and not overstimulating, which keeps the mind clear while drinking it. Dulling coffee’s intense flavor with the addition of milk or sugar requires much more sweetener than tea does, which is unhealthier and overpowers the base aromas of the drink. Tea keeps me awake but not jittery due to its unique amino acid, L-theanine, which suppresses caffeine’s anxiety-inducing properties while giving a sense of relaxation and calmness. Tea

creates a long-lasting alertness during the day, while coffee causes hyperness with sharp increases of energy which quickly crash. Additionally, tea does not cause the withdrawal symptoms such as headaches or anxiety that not consuming coffee does, sparing you from the thralls of caffeine addiction. Even after I get home from school, I can still brew a pot of tea for focus during my study sessions. Its lower caffeine content coupled with its calming effect negates any sleeplessness that it may create. Furthermore, drinking tea and enjoying its flavors at dim sums with my parents and siblings or at family gatherings with many of my relatives connects me to the long culture of drinking tea and relaxing with family and friends. Sipping some tea gives me a chance to break away from the evergoing conversation, amplifying my enjoyment and appreciation for my relatives and the event as a whole. While tea’s caffeine content is less than coffee’s, its calming properties and flavor make it the perfect drink for anybody who needs long lasting energy to get through the day. At day or night, plain or flavored, hot or cold, tea truly invigorates the body and refreshes the mind. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA WANG

ROAST TO THE RESCUE

12 winged post

DESIGN BY JESSICA WANG

OPINIONS

volume 25 • issue 3 Editors-in-Chief Kinnera Mulam Ariana Goetting Managing Editors Edward Huang Ananya Sriram Shareen Chahal News Editors Felix Chen Andrew Liang Features Editors Vika Gautham Hima Thota

winged post

Editorial: Fragmented freedoms silence speech

A&E/Lifestyle Editors Alison Yang Young Min Opinions Editors Jessica Wang Isabella Lo

Video/Podcast Editors Aishani Singh Anwen Hao Sports Columnist Gabe Sachse Adviser Whitney Huang, CJE Aquila Editors-in-Chief Ella Yee Alena Suleiman Aquila Managing Editors Margaret Cartee Emma Gao Desiree Luo Kevin Zhang Medha Yarlagadda Selina Xu Humans of Harker Editors-in-Chief Olivia Xu Katelyn Zhao Humans of Harker Managing Editors Michelle Wei Sidak Sanghari Jonathan Xue Humans of Harker Profiler Aryana Bharali Reporters Vivian Chen Angelina Burrows Jeremy Peng Lindsey Tuckey Eva Cheng Janam Chahal Jessica Hu Disha Gupta Emma Li Mihir Kotbagi Vivek Moorjani Mendy Mao Mia Tang Jonathan Szeto Charlie Wang Katie Tcheng Claire Yu Charlize Wang Tiffany Zhu Elizabeth Zhang

ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET CARTEE

STEM Editors Victor Gong Claire Zhao Sports Editors Emma Milner Katerina Matta Copy Editor Saahil Herrero Photo Editor Brandon Zau

EDITORIAL: THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST

editorial board The opportunity to engage in civil, respectful discourse is a privilege we share at Harker. However, the Israel-Hamas war has made it evident that this privilege and America’s constitutionally-protected right to free speech is not upheld in prominent U.S. institutions as well as in America’s public sphere. Following the Oct. 7 Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee released a statement which 33 organizations signed. The statement expressed support for Palestine and held “the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” Their letter of support went viral. Five days later, a “doxxing truck” appeared on the Harvard campus. The truck displayed the names and faces of specific members of Harvard’s organizations under the title “Harvard’s Leading Antisemites” despite the letter only being signed by organizations and not individual students. Websites popped up throughout the internet with the names and background history of the

members linked to student organizations that signed the letter. The consequences extended far past just targeting students. In the days that followed, the doxxed students and their families faced harassment online. Harvard donors pulled their fellowship money, and a billionaire couple left the school’s executive board. Wall Street executives and at least a dozen business executives called for the compilation of a list of the students’ names in order to blacklist them from hiring processes in the future. The right to freedom of speech is one of America’s defining features — it should not be a contingent clause on an individual's rights. Especially in periods of politically-charged moments, every individual in America should be able to speak with the assurance that they will not lose their jobs, their safety and their reputations over their own words. These unprotected university students’ words were not suppressed, but they faced publicly propagated media prosecution and serious long-term ramifications with little protection as a result of association with the letter as well as their views.

Corrections TO ISSUE 2

Visit The Winged Post online at www.harkeraquila.com Follow us on Instagram @harkeraquila

NI GH

SIN

NSPA Pacemaker Winner: 2019-2020, 2017-2018 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist: 2020-2021, 2018-2019, 2016-2017 CSPA Gold Crowns: 2023, 2019, 2018, 2016 CSPA Silver Crowns: 2022, 2021, 2017

FRONT PAGE: Sophomores, not juniors, came in last place for spirit competition

AIS

The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks exceptduringvacationsbytheJournalism:NewsandAdvanced Journalism:NewscoursesatHarker’supperschool,500Saratoga Ave., San Jose, California 95129. The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, news, sports and STEM articles in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The Harker School. Editorials represent the official opinions of The Winged Post. Opinions and letters represent the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Winged Post. All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Winged Post in no way reflects the official policy of The Harker School. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Harker board, administration, faculty or adviser. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 or emailed to harkeraq@gmail.com and must be signed, legible and concise.The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to Post style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenities and letters that call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. Letters sent to TheWinged Post will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff. The Winged Post is the official student newspaper of Harker’s upper school and is distributed free of cost to students. It provides a student voice forum for members of our community. Students hold the copyright to work published in Harker journalism publications.

The reaction of the public, especially those in power, amplifies a serious message in today’s public forum: Speak at your own risk. These potential consequences do not represent the true conditions of freedom of speech — they stand as an implicit threat to one’s future should they choose to speak out. The civil environment within Harker is not prevalent outside of the school, and as we move into the next stages of our lives, understanding those with differing views without personal attacks on identity is essential to promote cohesion as well as free exercise of our rights. Successful civil public discourse acknowledges the complexities of ongoing social issues, and is a stepping stone towards change. Most importantly, with a clear understanding of our rights, it is necessary to directly call out and discuss the shifting standards for freedom of speech. Constitutionally protected rights come with the implication that they remain unchanged, no matter the circumstance, and our generation should not be afraid to shoulder responsibility for the integrity of this nation’s freedoms. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

NEWS 3: • Doug Burgum and Mike Pence missing first names • “Debates” misspelled as “devates” in infographic FEATURES 5: Photo credit on archive photo should be “Charlize Wang” A&E 7: “Respondents” misspelled as “respondentes”

ariana goetting, kinnera mulam, shareen chahal, edward huang & ananya sriram Welcome to the third issue of the Winged Post for the 2023-2024 school year! It’s hard to believe this marks the final issue of 2023. To finish off the year strong , our dedicated staff has invested considerable effort into bringing you another comprehensive 20-page issue, covering a range of events and topics that matter to our community. In the spirit of gratitude and with Thanksgiving on the horizon, we present a selection of reflective pieces, including a feature piece honoring the one-year anniversary of the Itaewon Halloween

crowd crush in features, an opinion article discussing agender identity and some heartwarming gratitude-themed Thanksgiving love stories on our back page. This issue also delves into some weighty subjects such as the Israel-Hamas war, the influence of AI and the dangers of sleep deprivation. We hope you’ve found an article that interests you. Your thoughts and feedback are always valuable to us. Feel free to share them via e-mail at harkeraq@gmail. com or by scanning the QR code on the right. Thank you for exploring our issue, and we look forward to your continued support with our upcoming double issue in February!

OPINIONS 13: "STEM 16" should be "BACK PAGE" in corrections box BACK PAGE: Missing a space between "Sriram" and "and" in photo credits CORRECTIONS POLICY: Our staff strives to represent our community fairly and conduct accurate, truthful storytelling. We list all errors of an issue, along with the page number of that error, in the next issue’s corrections box. Feel free to provide feedback via the QR code to the right. DESIGN BY JESSICA WANG

14 winged post

STEM

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Whats Sprouting

in our STEM classes?

Environmental science students unearth soil fertility

Chemistry classes experiment with absorption spectophotometry

REACTI O

ILL

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R ATI O N B Y C

emma milner Juniors and seniors in upper school chemistry teacher Dr. Mala Raghavan’s Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry class determined the mass percentage of copper in a brass sample, using absorption spectrophotometry, over the course of two class periods.

PHOTOS BY EMMA MILNER

DILUTION DYNAMICS Five test tubes with concentrated solutions stand in a test tube rack. Students performed a calculation to find the needed concentration of each solution.

PIPETTE PRECISION AP Chemistry teacher Mala Raghavan assists a student in using a volumetric pipette. Students used these pipettes to transfer their diluted copper solutions to the test tubes

Students used the end of the first class period to prepare their solutions, massing a piece of brass between the range of 0.3 and 0.5 grams and adding concentrated nitric acid in the fume hood. They observed a reddish-brown nitrogen dioxide gas form once the acid reacted with the metal and a deep bluecolored solution once the reaction went to completion. Lab partners then transferred

their solution to a volumetric flask and performed a dilution by adding water until the calibration mark. During the second day of the lab, students added calculated volumes of a copper sulfate pentahydrate stock solution and water to five different test tubes. Students saw a linear relationship between absorbance and concentration, which they then graphed on a plot.

FERROFLUID PHENOMENON Honors Nanoscience teacher Mala Raghavan demonstrates how ferrofluid reacts to magnets to form designs. Students studied the nanoparticles that formed a classic spike pattern.

shareen chahal Shiny black fluid dances and shifts as Dr. Mala Raghavan’s Nanoscience students use magnets to rearrange the ferrofluid on their weighing boats.

Dur ing their class periods on Nov. 2, students combined a mixture of iron (II) chloride and iron (III) chloride into a beaker. Then, they slowly dropped ammonia into the solution with a pipette, stirring the mixture continuously in order not to cause the suspension of magnetite, or Fe3O4, to precipitate. Students used magnets to draw the magnetite aggregation to the bottom of the mixture, decanting the excess liquid out of the beaker.

DE XI

AN D A M M O

IR O N

FER RO F

UID LIQ NG I T

EACTION DR I LU

Nanoscience students use magnetism to shape Ferrofluids

With the remaining substance, students rinsed the contents of the beaker with deionized water two or three times, leaving behind a purer form of the magnetite precipitate. Drops of tetramethylammonium hydroxide suspended the magnetite nanoparticles in a colloidal suspension, creating the ferrofluid that forms the well-known spikes when exposed to a magnet. After draining the remaining liquid, students explored the reaction of the Ferrofluid to different sized magnets at different distances and directions. Finally, the class took home their creation in test tubes.

PHOTOS BY SHAREEN CHAHAL

PROVIDED BY YOUNG MIN

ED ISH N I

N DIOXIDE GE G

read so much because there’s a ginormous catalog that you can choose from and then the company makes it for you. You choose the sequence, but you obviously can’t make it yourself. You have to ask a biotech company to make it for you. I think that was the hardest part because there’s just so many options and at the beginning, I was like, where do I even start? What do I even choose? What am I even looking for? But then there was actually previous research on the two peptides that I chose to kind of like fuse together. So that part was based on previous research. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

D NITRI CA

DE CA N

think honestly, it was choosing A: Iwhich peptide. You actually need to

NI T

obstacles during your research?

Q: Did you encounter any big

because that took me maybe two weeks, so it was a really fast process. But the main one was to choose which cell-penetrating peptide I wanted to use for the project, and that took about four to five months, I believe. I just read paper after paper, seeing which peptide would have been good and fit for the pancreatic cancer cell. That was really the extensive part of my research.

UR E

So I think the longest portion of it was A: actually not the experiment section,

TEXT

steps you took in your research?

REVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH Young Min (11) pipettes a chemical into a microcentrifuge tube. Young conducted research on cell-penetrating peptides, hoping to inhibit a gene that limits chemotherapy efficacy in Pancreatic cancer cells.

Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science students participated in a soil analysis lab from Oct. 7 to 9. For the lab, students brought in halfgallon samples of soil from their homes

Q: Could you describe the process or

kinnera mulam

SI T

siRNA, which will then inhibit this gene in pancreatic cancer cells which limits the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. I got into this because, actually, my grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer, which sparked my interest in the major issues with pancreatic cancer, because it is also known to be one of the deadliest forms of cancer. And I believe the five-year survival rate is about 7.2%, which is really low. I also came across a Stanford professor’s article — I think his last name is Chen — and he basically did research on this gene. It said that it caused a resistance to chemotherapy, so that’s where my interest stemmed from.

POR O

ST TE

So my research is basically using a

A: cell penetrating peptide to deliver

FERTI LIT YT

how did you get started?

Q: What is your research all about, and

SOIL SECRETS Seniors Kaitlyn Wang and Anika Maji study a soil sample to test for porosity. In the lab, students also conducted pH, texture, moisture, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level tests.

“I learned a lot about the different factors of soil, which I never knew before,” Reshma Kosaraju (12) said. “It was also a lot of fun to learn that there are so many different types of soil.”

T ES

This is the fourth installment of Research Revelations: Conversations with Our Student Researchers, a podcast where Aquila staff members talk to student researchers about their projects and research goals. In this episode, Aquila coSTEM editors Victor Gong and Claire Zhao meet with Young Min (11) to discuss her work in cell-penetrating peptides.

to utilize for analysis and testing in the experiment. On the first day of the lab, participants poured soil in a cylinder with water and also in an aluminum tray for heating. Students used these two soil samples on the second day to test for soil texture by rolling the wet soil into shapes with their hands and soil moisture by recording the mass difference before and after the sample underwent the heating process. Additionally, students placed a small sample of soil in another cylinder to test for soil porosity. Lastly, lab participants tested for soil fertility by measuring pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels in the samples with testing kits. Students analyzed their results and made conclusions on the potential benefits and harms of the soil at their respective homes.

PHOTOS BY KINNERA MULAM

victor gong & claire zhao

DESIGN BY CLAIRE ZHAO

STEM

volume 25 • issue 3

winged post

Spinning sustainable smoothies

Blending smoothies with only the power of the pedal

The ongoing H5N1 avian flu outbreak, which began in 2021, has spread across the globe, reaching places as disparate as Eastern Europe, California, and even the Antarctic, worrying scientists who fear that flocks may be ravaged by this deadly pathogen. Millions of birds have already been killed, and cases have been detected within commercial poultry stock as well. Although the avian flu is not particularly dangerous to humans, this has resulted in supply chain disruptions and increased prices.

SPIN TO WIN A Harker Day attendee rides Green Team’s smoothie bike on Oct. 7 in the Auxiliary Gym. The club collaborated with the Harker Robotics team starting earlier this year to build the zero-energy bike consisting of only upcycled materials.

NASA’S PSYCHE LAUNCH

NASA sends Psyche spacecraft into asteroid belt

NASA launched a spacecraft named Psyche on Oct. 13 to explore the Psyche asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft was sent into space using SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and plans to rendezvous with the Psyche asteroid in 2029, spending over two years in orbit to study the asteroid’s surface, magnetic field, composition and gravity. The Psyche asteroid resembles Earth’s core and is supposedly entirely metal, distinguishing it from other asteroids.

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE Partial solar eclipse visible in Western Hemisphere An annular solar eclipse made its way through the Western Hemisphere on Oct. 14, commencing in Oregon at around 12:15 p.m. Eastern time. Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas also experienced the eclipse, which was described as a “ring of fire” because the moon perfectly encircled the sun. Millions in cities like Seattle, Los Angeles and Houston encountered a partial solar eclipse despite their locations beyond the annular path. The event sparked early watching gatherings in many locations.

COMMU

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GREEN TEAM ADVISER

pedal power, they managed to raise around 1,500 dollars in combination with the money raised from their Harker Day candy shop. Going forward, the smoothie bike will appear again in Green Team’s Earth week activities after some mechanical improvements, alongside returning events like Earthchella. Green Team adviser Diana Moss explained how initiatives like this highlight how young people, students in particular, can make a meaningful impact on the environment in their local communities through collaboration with other groups. “It’s really important for students to get behind climate solutions,” Moss said. “Let’s get off the fossil fuels; let’s get off those dependencies. I’m very hopeful that smart, young people will take the initiative to solve these problems.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Earthquake ShakeAlert shakes phones nationwide claire zhao

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIANA GOETTING

“Earthquake detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself.” Confused murmurs trickle between students near Manzanita Hall. What seems like a typical morning office hours quickly transforms into a mass of fear and speculation,

Radio bursts detected by scientists

annual earthquakes

ILLUSTRATIONS BY YOUNG MIN

worldwide

SOURCE: USGS.GOV

20,000

UNEXPLAINED FAST RADIO BURSTS

Australian astronomers announced on Oct. 19 that an 8 billion year old radio burst detected on June 10, 2022 was stronger and originated further away than earlier observed signals. Researchers in Australia and the Netherlands have found that these previously unexplained “fast radio bursts” are not as rare or unique as originally believed. Before these findings, astronomers had struggled to understand the underlying factors that contributed to these ephemeral blips. These bursts range in duration from one millionth of a second to a couple of seconds. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

DIANA MOSS FI

ost people probably make a smoothie by plugging their powerful blenders into an outlet, dumping in an assortment of fruits and vegetables, and pressing down on the lid. Instantly, the blade accelerates to thousands of revolutions per minute (RPM), turning the contents into a consistent puree ready for serving to the community. However, nearly 775 million people worldwide lack access to electricity and live without the everyday commodities that many have grown accustomed to. The upper school Green Team, working together with Harker Robotics, designed a bike capable of blending smoothies solely powered by pedaling. Talk and ideas for a collaboration between Green Team and Harker Robotics first began in the beginning of last school year as a way to promote sustainability through upcycling materials. Green Team sourced all of the parts for the bike from thrift stores like Good Karma Bikes or bought them secondhand, demonstrating the utility and possibilities of reusing resources.

“It was kind of a cool way to show how stuff has a longer life than we think it does,” Green Team Co-President Siddhi Jain said. “You can repurpose things that you’d normally throw out. Obviously some of it isn’t the most practical, but the point of [the bike] was to show that you can do zero waste things and sustainability can be fun.” Although delays caused by the Robotics regular season pushed back the construction of the smoothie bike, Harker Robotics managed to build the bike in around one month’s time, finishing the design at the end of September before Harker Day. During the process, the team ran into a lot of issues. Firstly, the ovular shape of the gears in the bike resulted in an uneven feel as the rider pedaled. They eventually reduced this problem by designing a tensioner to prevent the bike chain from skipping on the gear. Additionally, in order to achieve an RPM high enough to blend fruit, the team combined gears of various sizes to increase the number of blade rotations for every pedal cycle. Harker Robotics Mechanical and Machining Co-Director Akul Goyal (11), the primary leader for the smoothie

victor gong & mihir kotbagi

“

Let’s get off the fossil fuels; let’s get off those dependencies. I’m very hopeful that smart, young people will take the initiative to solve these problems

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION

2021 avian flu spreads across and disrupts the world

AVIAN FLU OUTBREAK

mihir kotbagi & ashley mo

bike, remarks on the project’s results and success. “I think it’s a success because it addresses what the project was meant to do,” Akul said. “The smoothie bike gives you an idea of the amount of energy it takes to blend a smoothie and the effort that goes into it, and it also reminds you to be more carbon efficient.” During Harker Day, Green Team used the bike to fundraise money for Good Karma Bikes, a nonprofit community bike shop. Selling smoothies blended through

as a series of loud buzzes come from the tables next to mine. Before the first wave is over, the next starts, and in no time, the same message pops up on my phone screen. This was the United States Geological Survey (USGS)’s ShakeAlert, an earthquake early warning test delivered across California, Oregon and Washington at 9:29 a.m. on Oct. 18. A similar alert from USGS partner MyShake was scheduled for

10:19 a.m. the following morning but only reached people who had the MyShake app on their phones. “Everyone gets that message: duck and cover,” upper school environmental science teacher Jeff Sutton said. “That’s better than an administrator getting it and then having to go to their office and call and say, ‘Everyone, duck and cover!’ By then, it’s too late.” Sutton holds plenty of personal experience with these natural

phenomena. Having lived in Guatemala, a country prone to earthquakes, he recalls a particular one that struck as he was teaching his students there. “I was in the middle of class teaching, writing on the board, and I was like, ‘oh, I feel a little seasick,’” he said. “I turned around, and all my students were running out of the room.” This day of annual earthquake preparedness drills in 2008 is collectively referred to as “The Great ShakeOut.” DESIGN BY CLAIRE ZHAO

16 winged post

STEM

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Waking up from sleep deprivation cycle How chronic lack of sleep affects the teenage mind

76.5%

of high school students sleep <8 hours

Green Team Volunteer Garden kinnera mulam

ERA M ULAM

VOLUNTEER

jessica hu & victor gong

A box of airy, bubblegum-pink Peep marshmallows perches on a shelf. Next to them lie packages of Ring Pops like ruby jewels and scarlet ribbons of Fruit by the Foot. Candy and snack aisles are stocked with brightly-colored, sugary delights, but that all may change soon. California has now banned Red No. 3,

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ANDREW IRVINE FI

KINNERA MULAM

JENNY ACHTEN E

C O M M U NI

ACADEMIC LIFE COACH

Sophomore Audrey Yang noticed the effect of sleep deprivation on her other habits as well, with her inability to focus

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA LI

hours of sleep advised for teens

on school work leading to a dependency on coffee. She reported only getting a maximum of six hours of sleep on a school night, which forced her to turn to caffeine to provide her with enough energy. “I live off of coffee,” Audrey said. “I started drinking coffee at the beginning of ninth grade, and I drank it around once a week. That made me stay up really late because I was so energized, and so the next day I was even more tired. Now I get coffee at least three times a week.” Whether by building new habits or making little schedule adjustments, students can break out of this cycle of chronic sleep deprivation. Upper school academic counselor Hui-Hui Chang highlights the importance of selfcompassion, especially when students are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. “Be kind to yourself,” Chang said. “Change takes time. Having good time management within academics is going to play into the sleep that we get. If we are prioritizing sleep, then we can see if [it’s] realistic to fit [the work] within the four hours that I have. If it's not, we have to make a change.”

Coloring agent Red No. 3 dyes in California, banned

Coal-tar dyes are made out of these large organic molecules that were not intended for human consumption

REPLENISH Green Team Secretary Sophie Grace Degoricija (11) waters a patch of grass in Martial Cottle Community Garden.

“

They end up with more homework because they didn't get as much done during the day. That chronic cycle is really bad for students' health

8-10

ILLUSTRATION BY SHAREEN CHALAL

n the back corner of the classroom, a student slumps forward in their chair, eyelids fluttering shut for a moment before they catch themself and snap to attention. Their focus shifts to the clock, where the seconds seem to be ticking by excruciatingly slowly. As fatigue begins to cloud their vision, their head begins to droop once again, the heaviness in their body dragging them into a fitful sleep ended by the startling chime of the bell. 76.5% of a group of 7,705 high school participants in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021, slept for less than the recommended minimum of eight hours per night. These students were more likely to experience difficulties with their school work and mental health, and the prevalence of sleep deprivation continues to increase, according to data collected by the CDC from 2009 to 2019. At Harker, the hustle mindset and pressure to succeed worsen the problem. Two-thirds of the Harker population does not obtain adequate sleep, as revealed by a time management survey sent out to students by upper school Academic LIFE Coach Jenny Achten at the beginning of the school year. While a majority of

students sleep six to seven hours per night, one in five students does not meet this amount. “Students who get in the habit of staying up very late or starting their homework every night at 10 p.m. are exhausted while doing their homework, so it's harder to do well,” Achten said. “Then they end up tired the next day, so it's harder to absorb material and then they end up with more homework because they didn't get as much done during the day. That chronic cycle is what's really bad for students' health.”

Our City Forest, a Silicon Valleybased nonprofit, advocates for urban forestry health by gathering volunteers to cultivate local gardens. The organization also aims to help people start their own at-home gardens. They offer options for people without the finances to support a garden through initiatives like “Cool and Green” in which Our City Forest transports and plants trees for free. Additionally, volunteers can also plant seeds at Our City Forest’s gardens, and the organization will help take care of the growing trees so that the volunteers can come back and visit their plants. Green Team plans to revisit Martial Cottle Community Garden next year after the wildflower garden grows. Looking ahead, Green Team prepares for their upcoming club meeting on Nov. 16, including a visit from Jessica Holmes (‘03), who works for the Climate Reality Project.

eva cheng

students at Harker sleep <6 hours

C O M M U NI

CHEMISTRY TEACHER

a popular additive in processed foods, following in the footsteps of previously outlawed red dyes. Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is derived from petroleum and is considered to be a coal tar dye. Many

companies, such as candy manufacturers, use the dye to add color to their various products, ranging from bubblegum to bacon. Furthermore, f o o d s containing Red No. 3 often target children as an audience, adding a vibrant and attractive look, despite potential health risks such as cancer. “Coal-tar dyes are made out of these large organic molecules that were not intended for human consumption,” upper school chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine said. “I don't know where the limit is — we eat a lot of weird things like food preservatives, sodium sorbate, sodium nitrate. All of these things are terrible. Eat enough of it, and it's going to make you sick no matter what.” The founding of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which shortly followed the 1906

Pure Food and Drugs Act, ushered in an era of increased monitoring of food products in the U.S. Red No. 3 was listed f o r food use a year later, and it escaped scrutiny until Feb. 1, 1990, when the FDA banned the dye in cosmetics and externallyapplied drugs. However, the administration continued to allow manufacturers to use the chemical in food products. Even with discoveries of the dangers of Red No. 3, resistance from petrochemical and dye companies stalled progress to ban Red No. 3 in food. The Certified Color Manufacturers’ Association, formed in 1925 representing the collective body of color pigment companies, fought against such policies. Governor recently Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act on Oct. 7, banning Red No. 3 in all food items.

DESIGN BY VICTOR GONG

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIANA GOETTING

SATHVIK VEMULAPALLI (10)

ENDLESS EXHAUSTION Staying up late at night can lead to deterioration in mental health. Sleeping for less than seven hours also damages the vital systems of the body.

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I’ll hopefully do a better job with my own personal garden in terms of taking care of it, and I now have a lot more respect for nature

1 in 5

Green Team attended a community service trip to take care of the Martial Cottle Community Garden in San Jose on Nov. 4. Accompanied by Green Team Adviser Diana Moss and upper school English teacher Nikolai Slivka, the 10 attendees worked with the Our City Forest organization to tend to the gardens. Participants spent the day watering plants and creating pinecone bird feeders with seeds and sun butter. To clear up the gardening land for Our City Forest’s wildflower garden, which is scheduled for seeding in a couple of months, attendees also cleared out the 1-foot deep mulch and weeds. “I really enjoyed it,” Green Team member Sathvik Vemulapalli (10) said. “I learned a little bit more about what plants need and how mulch is actually used. I’ll [also] hopefully do a better job with my own personal garden in terms of taking care of it, and I now have a lot more respect for nature.”

winged post 17 SPORTS Finding fuel Calm on court, persistent in play formula for athletes

volume 25 • issue 3

Pavith Khara pursues tennis, improving her mental strategies on her journey of self-discovery

Y PA V I T H

TENNIS PLAYER

habits and personality along the way. “I’ve gotten to learn what my strengths [and] weaknesses are,” Pavith said. “Being able to learn more about myself has played a huge role in how I can better myself outside the court.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Paddle power: Pickleball garners public appeal Nearing a neighborhood park, one can hear the rhythmic thud of racket against plastic as pickleball players engage in a fast-paced battle at the intersection of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Amidst the laughter and friendly banter, this sport took the world by storm. Pickleball’s origins trace back to Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965. The game was the brainchild of three friends: Congressman Joel Pritchard, engineer Bill Bell and businessman Barney McCallum. Together, they created pickleball by combining elements of other established racket games. The sport’s name comes from the Pritchard family’s dog, Pickles, who chased after the stray balls during the game. The game begins with an underhand serve that must clear the net and land in the diagonal service court on the opposite side; the server must keep one foot behind the back line. Games are typically played to 11 points, and only the server can score points. If the score reaches 10-10, a twopoint margin is required to win the game. Common faults include stepping into the

non-volley zone, failing to clear the net with the serve, and hitting the ball out of bounds. Players pride pickleball due to its accessibility and inclusivity, making it an ideal choice for social gatherings, physical activity and competitive play. The sport’s smaller court and slower pace also reduce

PADDLES UP Avid pickleball player Albert Wong returns the ball as he plays at John Mise. Wong works at Stanford University, which offers free pickleball lessons.

the physical demands, appealing more to older players. Albert Wong, who frequently plays pickleball at San Jose’s John Mise

ISABELLA LO

isabella lo & jessica wang

Park, speaks about the community aspect of the sport. “I got into [pickleball] initially just trying to get other people involved but realized that when we come to the court and just play, pick up ball people are really friendly,” Wong said. “It’s a very social gathering, so that’s what I like. Everyone is just really welcoming and, so it’s really easy to pick it up so easy in the sense that, you know, they encourage you to pla Tennis player Audrey Feng (11) acknowledges that pickleball seems more like a casual sport that provides an easy way for community building. Although she considers playing pickleball in the future, she holds reservations about the sport overtaking tennis. “It’s especially good for older people,” Audrey said. “Since the court is so small, it doesn’t require as much movement, but younger people are starting to pick it up too now.” Pickleball’s often loud gameplay disrupts quiet neighborhoods, with some believing it encroaches on existing tennis courts. Additionally, disputes have arisen over equipment specifications and scoring systems, causing divisions within the pickleball community. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

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Carbo-loading works for me. In the morning, your stomach is really empty, so it’s important to get a lot of food the night before, especially when you have a morning race

AVA ALVAREZ (9) E

COM MUN

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER

Most athletes should prioritize energy sources like carbohydrates in their diets, according to Leung. She recommends eating high volumes of foods like bread and pasta before high-intensity activity, in order to build an energy reserve and support endurance. Similarly, protein’s essential ability to repair muscles allows athletes to grow stronger after each workout, but too much protein can cause dehydration and kidney problems, making moderation the key to athletes’ success. “There is a common misconception that high protein, low carb is best for performance when in reality it’s actually the opposite,” Leung said. “Since carbohydrates are our body’s preferred fuel source, it should be the main focal point of meals.” Moreover, the timing of meals also plays a role in athletes’ performance. Leung advises eating at least three meals and two to three snacks a day around scheduled games and practices. However, the optimal types of food, as well as quantity and timing varies based on the person or activity. Upper school strength and conditioning coach Lauren Brown emphasizes that proper eating before training or competing provides athletes with necessary, sustainable energy. “A lot of kids here and even up into the professional level say, “Oh, I didn’t have enough time to eat,” Brown said. “Then that becomes the routine, and they’re never getting out of that pattern. [...] Now you’re working at a deficit, and that’s just going to cause long term effects.” Misconceptions about nutrition steer athletes away from proper nutrition. Heavily advertised protein supplements encourage excessive amounts of protein consumption, although studies conducted found they are often an unnecessary addition to the average person’s diet. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT A Harker lunch tray consisting of food from Mexican Fiesta, the salad bar and the cookie station.

DESIGN BY EMMA MILNER

ARIANA GOETTING

PAVITH KHARA (10)

By breaking down the issue of balanced eating, student-athletes especially can take their performance to new heights. According to registered dietitian Sara Leung, the adolescent years comprise an especially crucial period for athletes. “Because teen athletes are still growing and developing, it’s important to ensure they’re getting enough nutrition and hydration,” Leung said. “Good nutrition is essential in helping to sustain and even improve the performance of athletes, no matter what the sport.”

“

Being able to learn more about myself has played a huge role in how I can better myself outside the court, as well as just being able to enjoy myself

katerina matta & eva cheng

n the scorching 100-degree Fahrenheit heat of Las Vegas, Pavith Khara (10) battles her opponent on the other side of the tennis net. The match neared four hours of play as she recovered from her first set 1-6 loss and then dragged out victories in the next two sets, winning the tiebreaker 15-13. Tears of joy stream down her face as her determination and relentless prowess mold themselves into triumph. Two years later, she remembers the moment as “the best tennis” she’s ever played. Pavith started playing tennis when she was four years old as a replacement for daycare in order to accommodate her mother’s work schedule. “I really enjoyed playing and the time passed so fast,” Pavith said. “There was a smile on my face every day playing, and I knew this was something that I wanted to continue doing, regardless of how good I got at it.” At the age of eight, she began pursuing tennis competitively and currently trains every day for three hours. Pavith’s training program consists of practicing one-onone with her coach to hone her technique,

as well as preparing for match play with a group of 12 girls at clinics, implementing certain aspects of her game to mimic a tournament scenario. “I think it’s worth it in the end because I get to do something I love,” Pavith said. “There [are] definitely consequences of not being able to spend that chunk of my afternoon at home studying or doing other things, but I think it’s worth it.” At the Junior Girls 16 and Under Singles Sectionals in October, Pavith made it to the quarterfinals, ultimately placing fifth in the competition. Though playing against top-ranking players, she finds obsessing over opponents’ rankings futile and instead works on establishing a consistent approach to the game. “No matter who I’m playing against, I should be playing the same way,” Pavith said. “As long as I play my best, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter what the outcome is because it all evens out at the end. That’s what keeps it so enjoyable for me as well. I just care about how I play.” Pavith recalls her on-court emotions, where dealing with her nerves was an important area of improvement and growth. For her, full immersion in the match requires immense focus and

emma milner

control, as she blocks out the outside world and the pressures that come with it. “I was so zoned in and locked in that it just went by,” Pavith said. “During match point, I definitely did get tight. I got nervous, but I think that’s just a normal part of it. Finessing [and] getting that down to just being able to stay one shot at a time — it’s a lot of discipline. I’m still working on that every single day.” During the fall season, Pavith plays on the varsity girls tennis team, playing one singles this year. She contrasts her usual individual setting to the team environment, where she feels that the girls’ cooperation contributes to their combined results and offers a space for Pavith to share her passion for the sport with others. “I’m playing with all these other girls, and it doesn’t matter how I do in my match compared to how the overall scores are,” Pavith said. “But at the same time, it does matter how I do in my match because I contribute to that score. Being able to have a tight-knit team rely on each other and go through these experiences playing against other teams [is] so much fun, and it’s such a unique experience.” Whether playing in an individual competition or as part of a team, Pavith attributes tennis to touching upon multiple areas in her life, shaping her

PINPOINTING PASSION Tennis player Pavith Khara (10) tosses the ball atop her racket. She plays for the varsity girls tennis team and competes nationally in the girls under-16 category.

KINNERA MULAM

A PEX

18 winged post

SPORTS

thursday, nov. 16, 2023

Battling between bat and ball

Mascot melee: NHL edition

The Cricket World Cup marks a global showdown for the trophy

3. Buoy Seattle Kraken

ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIKA GAUTHAM AND ALISON YANG

Introduced in 2022 as a tribute to the Pacific Northwest’s aesthetics, the Seattle Kraken’s Buoy is a polarizing addition to the NHL. His mess of helmet hair and smile endear him to younger fans. Wild and energetic, he resembles Gritty in both appearance and appeal.The teal troll maintains an active presence online, often squabbling with other mascots on his various social media accounts. Forged in a furnace of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Seattle roadside attraction lore and, in the words of the NHL, “a mysterious tentacle encounter with the Kraken,” Buoy is sure to be a character to watch in upcoming seasons.

RIR

YA S

scorers in the World Cup. Many fans in the cricket world feel that India is the most likely to come out on top. Cricket fan Isha Kotalwar (12) expressed her surprise that India’s biggest competitors trailed in the rankings early in the tournament. “I think India is going to win because

Chief of my heart: Swift-Kelce romance spotlighted katerina matta & aishani singh

Sparks flew one night in Arrowhead Stadium as Taylor Swift wowed at her famed Eras Tour. Travis Kelce, current Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, two-time Super Bowl champion and celebrity himself, was no exception to the spectacle. As he would later announce on his podcast, he even endeavored to gift Swift a friendship bracelet, a tradition among her fans. Although his regard for the star began as an offhand comment, a combination of Swift’s massive fanbase and media outlets’ intense focus on the two thrust the celebrities into an even brighter spotlight. As paparazzi caught them together repeatedly and Swift began attending Kelce’s games, the quasic o u p l e captured the focus of National

Football League (NFL) fans and Swfties alike. However, the intensive media coverage prompted a range of adverse reactions. Many football fans complained about constant camera cuts to Swift in the stands, claiming that the imbalance of coverage detracted from the game itself. Football fan Lucas Chen (10) noted that the primary viewers of the games, football fans, prefer to watch their teams and not celebrities on the sidelines. “People are more invested in football, and that’s what they want to see coming out of t h e

m e d i a ,” Lucas said. “I feel like it’s definitely over-exposed. Every time there’s a game, after Travis Kelce scores a touchdown, it always zooms onto Taylor Swift. People are tired of seeing Taylor all the time.” The NFL also changed their bios and profile pictures on many of their social media

accounts, such as their X, to reference Swift’s lyrics and include photos of her at games. They soon received backlash, with football fans continuing to highlight the extensive coverage and Swifties accusing the NFL of exploiting Swift’s image. In response, they issued a statement to People defending their involvement in pop culture. “We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what’s happening in and around our games, as well as culturally,” the statement read. “The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we’ve leaned into in real time, as it’s an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we’ve seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport.” Despite the controversy, the phenomenon’s culture clash could give both parties positive exposure.“This relationship is typically more public than relationships she’s had in the past,” Kashish Priyam (11), a Swfitie, said. “I think both parties are going to benefit from the publicity.” Visit harkeraquila.com for full article. DESIGN BY KATERINA MATTA

ILLLUSTRATIONS BY ANANYA SRIRAM

Fans consider the Detroit Red Wings’ gargantuan mascot to be a talisman of playoff success. Introduced i n 1995, Al now rallies fans every game with his flashing red eyes and tough scowl. A tradition of sacrifice precedes Al. Fans threw a dead octopus on the ice before their 1952 8-0 playoffs sweep, birthing the Legend of the Octopus. Dead octopi are still a common sight on Red Wings playoffs ice. The legend n o w encompasses m a n y techniques and “twirling etiquette” for launching dead octopi.

2. Al the Octopus Detroit Red Wings

they’re undefeated and have been doing really well so far,” Isha said. “I thought England would lead this World Cup with South Africa and India following, but I’m surprised because India is first in the standings right now and England is last.” 17-year-old Siddharth Madapura, an avid cricket fan from the age of six, echoed these sentiments. For Siddharth, watching cricket matches started as a family tradition and later became a way of life. “My dad used to watch cricket when I was young,” Siddharth said. “I grew up watching it with my dad, and then it became something I wanted to do because I’d seen it on TV, and it just looked cool to me. At the age of seven, I started playing for clubs in the US and on the weekends with my dad whenever he was free.” For many, cricket serves as not only an entertaining IL sport but also an allencompassing hobby. Reflecting on the game as a whole, Siddharth underscores the significance of cricket in many countries, describing the unparalleled exhilaration of being in the stadium during a pivotal match. “It’s almost like everyone’s riding on someone’s back or the shoulders of a couple of players,” Madapura said. “When you go to any sporting event, it’s very hype and there’s a lot of support. It could come down to a single ball.” O

The Philadelphia Flyers’ seven-foot mascot, Gritty, embodies the wild and passionate energy of his city. Since his 2018 introduction, Gritty terrifies and entertains his fans alike, hiding depths and dangers behind his bulging googly eyes. Gritty transcends the NHL, appearing in sitcoms like “Abbot Elementary” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Recently, he made his wrestling debut with World Wrestling E n t e r t a i n m e n t ’s ( W W E ) Extreme Rules events. His Philadelphia cult rallies strong behind him, hosting 5K races and building shrines in his honor.

Thousands of passionate fans cheering enthusiastically from the stands, each one rooting for a specific batter or fielder to lead their cricket team to victory. Enthusiasm that starts just feet away from the match but echoes millions of miles across the world, carried on by onlookers staring intently at their 55inch TVs. This is the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Hosted by India, the tournament features ten teams playing in 48 matches and touches the lives of almost four hundred million fans globally. The 2023 World Cup opened with a match between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. The current win-loss ranking indicates close competition between India, South Africa and Australia. Coupled with the Indian team’s home turf advantage, their swift victory over South Africa on Nov. 5 suggests that they are well on their way to a third victory. Ahead of this tournament, cricket journalist, author and television commentator Vijay Lokapally expected different outcomes. He predicted closer matches across the board, instead of the landslide victories. “I thought the matches would be well contested,” Lokapally said. “India was my favorite, and I expected Pakistan to do well too. [...] I had originally backed Sri Lanka too, but it fared poorly. India is clearly the strongest right now.”

Several factors contributed to the Indian team’s success, like their elite players, immense home crowd support and familiarity with pitches and playing conditions all across the country. Star players like Virat Kholi scored over 550 runs in the first month of the tournament, placing him among the t o p five run-

RA TI

1. Gritty Philadelphia Flyers

disha gupta & mihir kotbagi

Although the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs are still a season away, the battle of the NHL mascots is upon us. Winged Post presents the top three winners of this year’s mascot melee – a ranking determined by mascot’s fan appeal.

alison yang

SPORTS

volume 25 • issue 3

winged post

fall season HIGHLIGHTS

Curated by our 23-24 sports editors

emma milner

JESSICA HU

his year’s fall sports teams — girls volleyball, girls and boys cross country, girls golf, girls and boys water polo, girls tennis and football — ended the fall season of sports on Oct. [IN]. Varsity girls golf made history by making it to State Championships, which took place on Wednesday. Varsity girls volleyball played in the Central Coast Section Championship quarterfinals, ultimately losing to Carmel. Earning a spot in the CCS Division II semifinals, varsity girls water polo succumbed to Aptos. For the second year in a row, varsity boys water polo competed in the CCS Open Division, ending their run in the quarterfinals. The varsity boys cross-country team competed at CCS on Saturday, while varisty girls cross-country runner Emily Bryan (10) competed as an individual.

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I didn’t expect it at all, especially since we were seventh an hour before the results came out, so I’m really happy about it BRANDON ZAU

JOYCE HE (9) GOLF PLAYER LE Y M O

overall records

PROVIDED BY KIMAYA MEHTA VIKA GAUTHAM

REACHING FORWARD (Top) Varsity girls water polo captain Keren Eisenberg (11) stretches for the ball to regain the offense. The team beat Lynbrook 19-4 in a home game on Sept. 14. This year, the team held the number one standing in their league. SEIZE THE MOMENT (Top Right) Senior Lachlan Rossi holds the ball in possession, preparing to score a goal. He was one of two seniors on the varsity boys water polo team, along with Sasha Ivkov (12). The team lost to Palo Alto High School 14-16 in their last home game. OPERATION BALD EAGLE (Right) Running and defensive back Jackson Powell (10) shaves varsity football assistant coach Chris Wulf’s hair after a pregame promise for a win at their first home game. The team prevailed 62-14 against Turlock Christian on Sept. 2. tense

BRANDON ZAU

EMMA MILNER

PROVIDED BY IE-CHEN CHENG

EAGLES UP (Top) Varsity girls volleyball teammates cheer after scoring a point. The team triumphed over Priory in a three set victory during their senior night on Oct. 24. This year’s seniors include Margaret Cartee, Carol Song and Juhi Madala. Teammates presented the seniors with gifts and flowers in a pre-game ceremony. ALL IN (Right) The varsity girls golf team lines up to honor their three seniors, Emi Fujimura, Metrica Shi and Katelyn Hsu. The team went undefeated 16-0 in their league, followed by earning third place at CCS and third place at NorCals. With these results, the team advanced to the State Championships on Wednesday.

BRANDON ZAU

ASH

GRACEFUL GRIT (Top) Veyd Patil (12) traverses the Crystal Springs course at the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Finals on Nov. 2, the team’s last meet of the season. CHAMPIONS CIRCLE (Middle Bottom) The varsity girl golf team gathers around their CCS awards. Six players competed at CCS, including Emi, juniors Allison Yang and Khanhlinh Tran, sophomores Ashley Mo and Kimaya Mehta and frosh Joyce He. FOREHAND FLOURISH (Bottom) Frosh Claire Xu prepares to hit a forehand. The varsity girls tennis team suffered defeat against Castilleja in their final home game.

18-9 3-7 16-0 2-5 16-10 18-10 girls water polo boys water polo football girls golf girls tennis girls volleyball DESIGN BY EMMA MILNER

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BACK PAGE

Feast your eyes on these Thanksgiving Break activity ideas

Tiny love stories: Family edition gabe sachse BR

As we approach the end of the semester, stress is high in the air with final exams right around the corner. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving break. So put down the pencil and throw your laptop to the side and browse through my favorite Thanksgiving break activities.

Celebrate Friends-giving

GUPTA BY SANIA PROVIDED

Show your friends some love and appreciation this Thanksgiving by celebrating Friends-giving together. For me and my friends, our annual traditions i n c l u d e cooking a hearty meal toegether and baking warm chocolate chip cookies

Visit a local bakery

KINNERA MULAM

Seasonal baked goods are by far the best part of fall. The tempting smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and maple take over every bakery at this time of year, so take a stroll over to your nearest cafe and try out a fresh, warm-spiced baked good yourself. If you’re on the hunt for a new bakery, I’d recommend checking out Sue’s Gallery Cafe.

Take a nature walk

KINNERA

MULAM

There’s nothing more peaceful than taking a long walk through nature, the crisp autumn air still present. My favorite places to pop in my headphones and take a stroll include Los Gatos Creek Trail.

Decorate a gingerbread house

KINNERA MULAM

If you’re anything like me, the Christmas season kicks off the second November starts. Even though I don’t celebrate the holiday, I love the traditions like decorating gingerbread houses. To make the tradition fallesque, my friends and I create spooky gingerbread houses.

AND

ON Z

aishani singh

In siblings, you find pieces of yourself whether in locks of curly hair, favorite flowers or vivid laughs. One morning, I woke up to my youngest sister, face scrunched, staring at the school clothes draped over my chair. The outfit was nice, but nothing crazy — just a black sweater and green pants. An hour later, now dressed, I turned around and saw her wearing an almost exact replica of my mundane outfit. We cracked smiles at each other and continued on our way. Seeing my reflection in someone I love so much made my day.

AN D

ON Z

My favorite way to bond with my family is by going on drives. We have a system: my dad drives, my mom’s in the shotgun, my sister sits right behind my mom and I sit right behind my dad. We drive together everywhere and anywhere: the grocery store, restaurants or even sometimes down Highway 1 to see the beautiful coast. We talk, play music and laugh while we look outside the window to see the world around us. It’s a beautiful reminder that time is short, and we should experience the world with our family whenever we can.

mihir kotbagi BR

AND

Whether at home or across the planet, my family connects through stories that highlight wit and whimsy. Tales ranging from “Alice in Wonderland” to “Phantom Tollbooth” elicit emotions like happiness and confusion, but the excitement of opening a new book with my family is everlasting. Although stories of questionable quality like Big Nate may sneak onto our shelves, the memories we share reading them are nonetheless delightful. We’ve come a long way from collectively reading Dr. Suess, but the communal magic of storytelling never goes away.

Pie-ce together

these puzzles! shareen chahal

Hone in on your unscrambling and crossword-solving skills and try your hand at these puzzles! Once you have your answers, check your work at harkeraquila.com.

ariana goetting BR

D O N ZA

Scents of cinnamon and nutmeg waft through the cozy confines of our kitchen as pumpkin pies bake in the oven. Each year, without fail, my stepdad and I embark on our cherished Thanksgiving ritual — baking two LIBBY’S Famous Pumpkin Pies. Some years, the pies emerge slightly burnt, their tops adorned with a touch of caramelization; other years, they’re perfectly golden. But each year, the love and laughter is tangible, reminding me why Thanksgiving is such a special holiday.

CREATED BY SHAREEN CHAHAL

kinnera mulam

across

4. A staple Thanksgiving food, often served with stuffing 5. Another word for the fall season

down

CREATED BY NEIL KRISHNAN

hint: A Harker talent show that occurs in February!

1. A savory topping for mashed potatoes 2. An expression of thanks and appreciation 3. An orange fruit often baked into a pie with spices DESIGN BY SHAREEN CHAHAL AND KINNERA MULAM

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BY SHAREEN CHAHAL AND KINNERA MULAM

B-ready for break

thursday, nov. 16, 2023