Winged Post Friday, April 4, 2014
THE HARKER UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER, VOL. 15, NO. 6
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SPIRIT WEEK sharanya balaji reporter
Spirit Week will take place the week after Spring Break, with dressup days and spirit activities taking place each day. On Monday students can wear their pajamas while racing across mattresses during lunch. Puzzle Trivia will take place on Tuesday with students dressed up as their favorite Disney or Pixar characters. Wednesday is Sports Day and Powder Puff will take place during long lunch. The traditional but revamped regatta will take place on Thursday, when students can dress up as tacky tourists. Spirit Week closes with the Spirit Rally when classes can wear their class t-shirts along with some green to show support the senior class.
SECURITY CHANGES roshni pankhaniya Aquila sports editor
Several new policies have been implemented to heighten campus security after six students’ laptops were stolen from their backpacks during a lacrosse game on March 7. These policies include closing the orchestra room and shed at 5:00 p.m. and locking the lockers in the girls’ locker rooms. Additionally, each student has been given the school security number to report suspicious activities or people. Security advises that students use their lockers to store expensive items such as laptops and wallets. In addition, students and teachers should report any strange activity by calling the school security number at 408-639-0743.
CLASS COLOR CHANGE shannon su
Aquila copy editor Students will not only be voting for ASB candidates today, but also for the opportunity to rotate class colors each year, an idea that was generated by the Dean’s Committee. “If they had a different color shirt each year, nobody could complain,” said junior class Dean Diana Moss. Though classes would lose their ownership of their color, they would be given the opportunity to wear all the colors. “Some of the classes don’t like their color; so should color be by year? In other words, every senior is always green,” said Dean of Students Kevin Williamson. The implementation of this proposed idea will be considered for the fall of the next school year after voting takes place.
Anthony Silk named new Dept. Chair
Trash system updated
New procedure starting a er break separates wet and dry li er
vineet kosaraju & tara parimi
vineet kosaraju & shannon su
copy editor & Aquila copy editor The Upper School is working towards a cleaner campus, especially around the eating locations, by improving student habits through a grading system and spreading awareness. ASB created a grading system that includes punishments and rewards in January due to the worsening of the clean-up after lunch. These include giving ice cream as a reward, and punishing students by removing the Mexican food bar, and the desserts section. Since the beginning of the year, people have been seeing improvement. “They pay attention more on these things,” said Gustavo Parra, who is in charge of assigning the daily lunch grades. “Even some of the students, [if] they see trash on the table, they go and pick it up even if isn’t theirs so they have improved a lot.” Members of the Green Committee also support the grading system and hope that the system will remind students to clean up after themselves. “There have been no repercussions for students who leave their messes,” “I heartily approve of the students’ losing their Mexican food and desserts and hope that through peer pressure, everyone will think how their actions affect everyone else,” said Green committee member Diana Moss. Other students, like co-president of the Green Team, Sabrina Sidhu (11) agree, and believe that the best solution to this school-wide issue would be for students to simply clean up after themselves. “I think the biggest thing students can do to help the current situation is just clean up after themselves and remind their friends to do the same. As simple as it sounds, it’s essential,” she said. Other students think that the system is working but disagree with the rewarding system. “I think that even if we do well, we shouldn’t get ice cream because cleaning up for ourselves is something that we should know how to do already,” Annie Zhou (10) said. Student council will be monitoring the system in the upcoming weeks to improve student habits.
copy editor & reporter
KEEPING IT CLEAN Seniors Dora Tzeng and Elizabeth Teng eat lunch in the bustling Edge. After lunch each day, the kitchen staff evaluates how well the student body cleaned up after itself.
STUDENT RESPONSE
On a scale of 1 to 5, how serious is the trash and li ering problem on campus? Out of 124 respondents
LOOKING FORWARD
What to expect from the new trash policy
Continued page 8
70%
of collected waste diverted from landfill,
according to Head of School Christopher Nikoloff
Upper School mathematics teacher Anthony Silk will replace Bradley Stoll as the new chair of the Mathematics department at the beginning of next year. Stoll has held the position as department chair for the past 14 years since joining the school in 2000. Department chairs act as a conduit between the faculty of a department and the administration, communicating with students, teachers, and administration alike. The role involves consulting with teachers about the courses and curriculum in their respective departments, settling the concerns of students and teachers, evaluating students for placement in classes, observing and improving courses, maintaining a budget for the department, directing the usage of programs like Mathematica and The Geometer’s Sketchpad, and administering math exams such as the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC). “I think the main thrust of the job is making sure we are working as a single department and not as 10 separate teachers,” Silk said. Silk is looking forward to working closely with his colleagues while forging new relationships with students and teachers. “[I anticipate] working more closely with my fellow teachers and the administration. I love being able to collaborate and exchange ideas about how to make our school and our department the best that it can be. I am thrilled that I will have more time to do that,” he said. Both Stoll and Silk recognize the importance of being cognizant of the “wants and needs” of both the administration and the students to successfully manage the department. “I always tried to remember that it’s not about me being right or wrong, it’s about the student. I liked that I was able to communicate a great deal with parents,” Stoll said. “The little moments of when a conservation with a parent went the way I [thought] was best, are something that I will cherish.” Silk states that he is looking forward to the upcoming year.
Tinker Tour promotes student free expression apoorva rangan & elisabeth siegel
managing editor & copy editor Celebrating the First Amendment for United States youth, the “Tinker Tour” made a stop at the Upper School gymnasium today from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. The tour features Mary Beth Tinker, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), which culminated with the historic decision that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Tinker refers to the tour as a “pep rally for the First Amendment.” “I realize that it’s really for everybody when students have a voice and are able to have input into the decisions of our society, and I realize that it’s good for adults too,” Tinker said. Tinker’s experience as a former pediatric nurse exposed her to students’ limited voice in government. “I’ve gotten [...] tired of patching up kids paying the price for policies
SYMPOSIUM, 2
that they had absolutely no part in as the executive director of the Fred T. from the very people who fought for making. Like car crashes are the lead- Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights their rights, which can be a powerful ing cause of death in teenagers, but and Education, an institute she co- experience,” Rees said. the schools have cut way back on driv- founded in 2009 in her father’s honor. Funded in large part by the ers’ education,” she said. United States History teacher SPLC, the Tinker Tour has had stops In September of last year, she be- Katy Rees anticipates that the assem- in private and public high schools, gan traveling in a bus alongside SPLC bly will provide effective context for colleges, technical schools and juveattorneys. As of February, the tour has the judicial branch. nile detention centers, all in the name logged over 20,000 miles and 58 stops. “What’s great about this is that of inspiring young people to speak up. She also travels in support of continu- students will hear about these issues For more information, go to page 9. ing civics and journalism classes, programs that have received significant cut-backs due to revised budgeting in many school districts. The Upper School is one of the five stops in Northern California, which include Whitney High School, Monta Vista High School, Convent of the Sacred Heart, and Palo Alto High School. Accompanying Tinker will be Frank LoMonte from the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) and Karen Korematsu. Korematsu’s father, Fred Korematsu, stood up to the United States government in Korematsu v. United States (1944) against the Japanese internment camps during World FACES BEHIND THE CASES Mary Beth Tinker and her brother pose with the War II. armbands that began the Tinker vs. Des Moines case in 1969. Tinker spoke to Karen Korematsu now operates the student body today alongside Karen Korematsu and Frank LoMonte. SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
4 SEN. YEE CORRUPTION CASE 6 COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 8 BAN BOSSY CAMPAIGN 9 FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS 10 FLIGHT MH370 11 HEALTHY LUNCH OPTIONS 14 JAWBONE REVIEW 15 FACIAL RECOGNITION 16 HOSCARS OVERVIEW
CONTINUED MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE OVER SPRING BREAK
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WHAT’S INSIDE
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INTERNATIONAL CRISES, 10
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW, 13
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
NEWS
Ninth annual Research Symposium draws crowd vivian isenberg & priscilla pan reporters
The ninth annual Harker Research Symposium featured a myriad of poster sessions, presentations, and corporate exhibitions in Nichols Hall and the gymnasium last Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Symposium, organized by Science Department Chair Anita Chetty and leaders in WISTEM club, displayed exhibits from Cervin Ventures, Eweclid, Google, IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Marvell, MuseMaze, NVIDIA, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto Networks, SeaLife, South Asian Heart Center, Tesla, Tynker, and various student hosts. Throughout the day, attendees were able to walk around and engage with representatives from numerous companies at their booths, interact with students both at poster sessions and at breakout sessions, listen to keynote speakers, and have mini interactive demos at Stem Buddies activities. Sahana Rangarajan (11) presented her research on the possibility of oxygen in the atmosphere of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. “If you think that you’re doing everything you can, there’s always more to do and better ways you could have used your time, so its a constant learning process,” she said. Keynote speakers included Claire Max on the topic of adaptive optics, alumnus Ilya Sukhar (‘03) on entrepreneurship, Nikhil Par-
thasarthy (‘11) in a special invite-only keynote on reflections on his undergraduate experiences, and Salman Khan on education. “For anyone who wants to go into education or anything, I would say ‘get your metaphorical hands dirty’ and go out there [and] start doing things,” Khan said. Khan’s talk in the Auditorium was one of the most popular events; those who were unable to obtain tickets were able to view the talk from the gym, where his speech was livestreamed. For the second half of his Q&A, Khan moved to the gym to answer questions from the audience.
Explore a little bit. Generally to do something extraordinary in life requires meandering off the path. Ilya Sukhar (‘03) This year, Q&A sessions during the keynotes were conducted using Sli.do, an online application that allowed the audience to submit their questions online via a laptop or mobile device and other users to vote up the ones they most wanted answered. Ilya Sukhar, who graduated in 2003 gave some advice to students for their futures. “Explore a little bit.” he said. “Generally to do something extraordinary in life requires
meandering off of the path.” Lunchtime featured the annual Chemistry Magic Show, led by Rachel Freed, Andrew Irvine, Smriti Koodanjeri, and Robbie Korin, the Upper School chemistry teachers. Demonstrations included the incineration of a gummy bear and the explosion of several balloons. Another highlight throughout the day were Tesla test drives, which allowed attendees over the age of 25 to drive, and those younger to take a short drive to get the feel of the cars. “It’s always good to expose high school students to us, if they are interested in engineering and sciences, Tesla can be a great opportunity in the future,” said Kim Rogers, an owner advisor at the Tesla retail store in Santana Row. Students that will be attending the Tanzania trip in July sold food to raise funds for charitable donations they plan to make during the trip. “We’re raising money for several of the charities that we’ll be supporting while we’re in Tanzania, among them an orphanage, a school for which we’ll be buying a whole bunch of books, and we’ll also be providing 17 goats to the Masai villagers that we will be visiting during the trip,” biology teacher Mike Pistacchi said. Khan shared some advice at the end of his talk when he said, “Get your education, but also be working on things, hacking things, and doing things outside the traditional system as well.”
ALL PHOTOS PRISCILLA PAN - WINGED POST
FIRED UP (Top) Chemistry Teacher Andrew Irvine lights up blowtorch to prepare for burning a gummy bear. VROOM (Middle) Attendees over the age of 25 were allowed to test drive a sleek and shiny Tesla car during the duration of the day. KHAN DO IT (Bottom) The speech by Salman Khan, founder of KhanAcademy, was one of the highlights of the Symposium. He advocated for the education of students and described the scope of Khan Academy’s effect on people worldwide.
Senior privileges begin a er Spring Break
• SENIOR PRIVILEGES •
What do you plan to do with senior privileges? I’m really excited for senior privileges because we get to off campus for lunch and it just gives us more freedom during the day. Sahithya Prakash (12) Senior privileges are great because now I can leave school in the middle of the day to get Burger King. Varun Cherukuri (12) ALL PHOTOS MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST
Seniors can soon make use of open campus policy mercedes chien & kj mulam design editor & reporter
The administration will enforce senior privileges to the Class of 2014 starting the week of April 14. Senior privileges are a set of rules that apply only to the senior class. Seniors will request their desired privileges prior to spring break, and depending on approval by Head of the Upper School Butch Keller, the seniors are granted specific benefits in their last quarter as high school students.
“What’s a closed campus for everyone else becomes an open campus for seniors,” said Dean of Students Kevin Williamson. The privileges, according to Williamson, vary each year. This year, the senior lounge, called the “Sledge,” has been open for a longer period of time compared to that of past years. The most requested privilege is leaving campus during the academic school day. “Senior privileges are cool because they give us a lot more freedom and options during the school day,” Allen Chen (12) said. Allen, who has one free period, specifically noted the luxury an open campus policy gives him to go out and buy food. To leave campus, seniors must change their current school ID to a new red ID at Dobbins office. Students must turn in a completed permission
slip with a parent’s signature to be issued a red ID. They will show the security guard that new red ID and only then are they allowed to leave campus. “The privileges are great because I’m sure every senior feels like they’ve put in so much work for three years and now as a second semester senior, it feel like we have done our time and now we can finally enjoy high school,” Sean Pan (12) said. These privileges do not come without responsibility. The sole rule is returning to campus tardy. “You are going to lose that privilege if you leave campus and come back late for a class,” Williamson said. Seniors who abuse their senior privileges will receive disciplinary consequences, including Saturday Fives. The privileges may be revoked if seniors depart from the school without permission or miss their next obligation after leaving campus.
Orchestra travels to Chicago for music festival riya chandra reporter
Eighty-seven orchestra members along with eight chaperones depart on a trip to Chicago to partake in the Chicago International Music Festival tomorrow. Chris Florio, Upper School Instrumental Music Teacher, applied for this trip about a year ago and the Upper School orchestra was accepted based on its video performances. “That was exciting to begin with, of course, because we are going to go there and perform at the Symphony Center in Chicago, and Chicago’s one of the top symphonies in the United States and the world,” Florio said. Florio also described the features of the Symphony center. “Their hall is a really great place to
perform, because it’s really well-known and has great acoustics and is beautiful and all that,” he said. This is the first time the Harker orchestra will go to this particular festival. Previously, they have performed and competed in London, Los Angeles, and New York City. This festival differs from others as previous ones have been specifically for either competing or performing. This Chicago trip is intended for ratings, but also for being able to perform. They will also be meeting other groups and sharing what they do with other schools. The orchestra group was selected to receive a commission with Jeremy Van Buskirk from the Boston Composer Coalition. The Coalition teamed up with the organization that runs this festival. Florio and the students have been working with the composer
to learn his works for the past several months. They will be premiering them in front of the other schools. “[This is] extra special and it’s sort of a unique process that we have been doing and it’s been really exciting and fun and I’m really looking forward to it,” Florio said. During the trip, students will also have down time to tour Chicago and bond with friends. “I’m really excited for the Orchestra Trip, because last time I went to London in Freshman year, and I got to talk to other people in orchestra that I usually wouldn’t talk to, and I became friends with a lot more people that weren’t in my grade, so I’m excited for this year,” Madelyn Wang (11) said. The group will return next Thursday after five days of performing.
RIYA CHANDRA - WINGED POST
Boston Composer Coalition invites students to perform
CHICAGO Clarinet players practice their music for their trip during spring break. The orchestra group will travel to Chicago over Spring Break from April 5 to 10.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 NEWS • APRIL 4, 2014
SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
Students and faculty crowded into the gym on March 27 for the annual Hoscars multicultural talent show, hosted by the student council and Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club. Emceed by seniors Efrey Noten and Kenneth Zhang, the show revolved around a “Star Wars” theme, including references and decorations to the series. After the 19 performances, a second assembly was held at the end of the day to announce the award-winning acts, as well as a surprise act. Varun Cherukuri (12): A celebrated returning performer from three years ago, Varun Cherukuri danced to a Michael Jackson medley, incorporating signature moves such as the Moonwalk. His act, which was left as a surprise until the end of the show, won best overall performance. “I was really nervous the entire day until the show, but once on stage it was fun,” Varun said. “It’s cool to be able to get up in front of the entire school and showcase your talents.” Students in the audience even held a sign reading “#TheReturn” before Varun’s act, expressing the excitement floating in the crowd. Bollywood: Adding a multicultural aspect to the show, 14 seniors collaborated in performing a Bollywood Remix dance. Sporting traditional Indian clothing, the group danced to a series of popular cultural movie songs that had the crowd swaying and cheering with the beat. “It was amazing performing with all my friends and family,” Adithram Rengaramchandran (12) said. “It also tied back to my Indian culture,
MAY THE TALENT BE WITH YOU (Top left) Samir Chaudhry (12) and Pooja Chirala (12) dance to a medley of Bollywood songs. (Top right) Noa Sasson (9) won the Hans Solo award for her performance. (Below) Head of School Christopher Nikoloff rocks out on the drums in a joint performance with students and teachers. (Left) History teacher Carol Zink and Biology teacher Matthew Harley sing and dance to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” alongside 11 colleagues. SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
Voting for upcoming year’s ASB council held at lunch sheridan tobin & melina nakos opinion editor & reporter
Voting for next year’s Associated Student Body (ASB) Council will be held in the journalism room at lunch today after a week of campaigning and speeches. Nine candidates are running to fill four positions: Sarah Bean (11) for president; Jessica Chang (11), Ransher Dhaliwal (11), Nikita Mittal (11), and Madhavan Nair (11) for vice president; David Lin (11) for treasurer; and Shikhar Dixit (11), Shannon Hong (10), and Anokhi Saklecha (11) for secretary. Although the only candidacy requirements are one year of prior student council experience for those running for president and a grade point average above 3.0 for all candidates, elected council members are expected to commit between three and four hours per week, in addition to two weekly meetings. During Homecoming week, spirit week, and other school spirit events, extra hours are required from the officers. They are also responsible for decorating for holidays and planning Hoscars.
Each candidate presented a speech during Wednesday’s assembly to present their platforms and urge students to vote for them. “My main goal is to help the students have more fun, and just a more enjoyable high school experience,” Sarah said, when asked what she hopes to accomplish if elected. “I am really interested in making an impact at this school for the better.” Because all of the candidates are rising juniors or seniors, underclassmen often rely more heavily on speeches to select the candidates that possess the characteristics they wish to see on ASB. “I think that [the candidate] should be easy to talk to in person, and smart so that they know what they’re doing,” Sana Aladin (9) said. “I guess a nice person is what I look for more than anything else, so if I wanted to talk to them I could.” Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will vote today for the candidates they feel will best serve the student body. “My hope is that the student body has representation they feel good about and that there’s officers that best representing their needs,” said Dean of Students Kevin Williamson. Election results will be officially announced to the student body at school meeting on April 14.
SHERIDAN TOBIN - WINGED POST
reporter
which was nice.” The “Imperial March” prize for the best dance was awarded to the Bollywood performance during the awards ceremony. Teachers: Teachers collaborated in performing a song and dance rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Diane Main and and Carol Zink served as the lead singers while 11 other members of the faculty staged a routine in the background. The performers were dressed in African tops, skirts, and headpieces to emanate the traditional and cultural feel to the music. The act later received the “Stormtrooper” award for the best group performance. “The teachers’ act was really entertaining,” Manthra Panchapakesan (11) said. “It was fun seeing teachers out of their usual zone.” MIT Logarhythms: After the awards were announced and the audience was preparing to leave, the emcees introduced a final surprise act: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s very own male acapella group, the Logarhythms. Following a traditional warm up routine, the troupe leaped onto the stage, immediately welcomed with an astounding round of applause. They sang and danced to a series of five love songs, including the Logarhythms theme song, “We Are the Super Logs.” Additionally, for one of their numbers, the group called up a volunteer from the audience, Namitha Vellian (10), and sang to her in a huddled cluster. “I was really nervous at first, and my heart was palpitating,” Namitha said. “But the experience was super exciting.” The Logarhythms held an acapella workshop open to all students following the show.
JUHI GUPTA - WINGED POST
anokhi saklecha
SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
Upper School holds Hoscars talent show
ASB David Lin (11) delivers his speech for ASB Treasurer in front of the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes during Wednesday’s assembly.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 NEWS • APRIL 4, 2014
Students prepare for Spirit Week meghana appalaraju & meilan steimle reporters
Spirit week is fast approaching as the four grades prepare to contend for first place in the class competition. Each class randomly selected two musical genres and a geographic location at a school meeting as their themes for their events. Along with the traditional events and dress up days that will take place, one key change has been made this year in regards to the regatta. Pool noodles will replace duct tape this year as the material of choice for constructing the boats. Student Council has decided that the copious amounts of duct tape used in previous years were a waste of resources. With that in mind, different grades are adapting to the challenge differently. Freshmen: Freshmen, who picked their dance themes last, are drawing on Oldies, Disco, and Australian traditions for choreography inspiration. “Our theme lends itself to a very cohesive dance,” said freshman vice president Eddie Shiang, who is organizing the routine. “The freshman
class is looking forward to spirit week because it’s a great opportunity for us to showcase our dance skills.” After the regatta material change, the freshmen have decided to use zip-ties to secure the pool noodles to each other.
I think our class can adapt to whatever comes our way. Kenny Zhang (12) “We’re trying to use less building materials and more reusable items for construction,” said freshman spirit coordinator Haley Tran. “[This] will allow us to create a better model for future boats and let us better utilize resources.” She continued to say that although winning would be nice, it’s not the objective. Sophmores: The 10th grade dance, which is being choreographed by class president Michael Zhao and Helena Dworak, draws on Disney and Indie styles of music, as well as the heritage of Russia. The sophomores are plan-
ning on having their first practice over spring break. Edward Sheu, sophomore spirit coordinator, is excited about how reusable materials might make boat building easier in later years. “Hopefully, the noodles will be passed down from class to class so that nothing is wasted,” he said. As of Monday, the sophomores have not started work on their regatta. Still, Edward is confident that their enthusiasm is uncurbed. “We’ve got a lot planned and currently in the works, and I think we’re going to impress and do some work in this class competition.” Juniors: Diana Moss, dean of the junior class, along with other members of the Harker community are glad that for the first time, Spirit Week is addressing environmental concerns. “This year’s regatta is a move away from the wasteful use of hundreds of dollars of duct tape, that can’t be recycled in any way, so they have gone directly into landfill,” Moss said. Junior spirit coordinator Aaron Huang is helping guide his class in its selected themes of Bollywood and Mariachi and geographical location of
MEILAN STEIMLE - WINGED POST
Changes to class competitions include use of pool noodles rather than duct tape for regatta, culturally-themed music for rally dances
FLOAT OR SINK The freshman class works on building their raft. Spirit week starts April 14; events include dress-up days and daily class competitions.
Africa. “I feel that the theme this year is very good in that it promotes more diversity at Harker, and opens our eyes to all the different cultures we have here as well as those that we don’t,” Aaron said. “On one hand, the genres are pretty specific, and it is relatively easy to come up with dances, but on the other hand, their cultural specificity makes it a little restrictive in terms of the dance and creativity.” Seniors: The senior class is tasked with the challenge of effectively incorporating its chosen themes of tribal, jazz, and
Recreate Reading signups begin Exclusive Q&A with author Mary Roach
VASUDHA RENGARAJAN - WINGED POST
vasudha rengarajan Aquila features editor
The month of March marks the beginning of the Recreate Reading process at the Upper School, with students choosing selections ranging from fiction fantasy to graphic novels. Included in this year’s reading list is a graphic novel, Avatar: The Last Airbender, sponsored by math teacher Dana Lieberman. The library staff also opened selections up to certain “genre groups,” in which students can choose which novel in the series they wish to read. Director of Upper School Community Service Kerry Enzensperger chose to sponsor the genre group of supernatural, including series such as Twilight, Blue Bloods, and The House of Night. Other selections range from culinary such as From Scratch, to science literature like Packing for Mars by award-winning journalist and author Mary Roach. Book selections opened March 20 for rising seniors, the next Tuesday during class meeting for rising juniors, and that Thursday for rising sophomores. On April 2 after ASB speeches, students met in their Recreate Reading groups. In a question-answer Skype session with The Winged Post staff, Mary Roach described her writing style and her approach to science writing. In addition to Packing to Mars, Roach has published Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, and Spook: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Winged Post: Sometimes people think that if you write about science, you need to be a scientist. Can you talk a little bit about how you figured this out and what role science plays for you? Mary Roach: I got going with science because someone called from Discover magazine, as they had read something else I had written. I was talking to that editor and I told him that I didn’t have a science background, but he said, “No, but you know how to ask questions and you have a lot of curiosity, and we like the way you write.” I use my sources not just as sources but as unpaid tutors. I will have just no hesitation to sit down with them, and say “You need to walk me through this.” I’ll never hesitate to sound like an idiot and say, “Back it up, can you just walk me through this? I’m really sorry, but I don’t have a background in it.” I find that a person is worth five journal articles and 10 books, and a person can just zero in on an aspect that you are interested in, bringing you up to speed, and telling it in an interesting way. I mean, not everybody is, but most people are incredibly useful and helpful and willing to explain things. WP: What do you think about when structuring, and how you orga-
ON THE SHELF Recreate reading selections are displayed in the library. Students met with their groups on Wednesday.
nize all the research you get? MR: I keep my outlines. I have around 150 outlines, because I never follow them for more than a few days. I’ll have an outline, and I’ll say “Oh, this is how the book might go,” and then I’ll realize when I do more reporting, the real story is here, so this outline doesn’t make sense. I think it’s important to be fluid and not worry too much about changing the structure. WP: As someone now both in the humanities and the sciences, what do you think about the advantages of a humanities centric education as opposed to STEM-centric education, or vice versa? MR: I think that ideally for high school, I think it is important to have a balance, because you don’t really know. From my own experience, I had no idea of what I wanted to do at that age. I think it is important to keep doors open, so you have an opportunity to experience different topics and see what you connect with. I’m not an educator, I’m not specialized in education, but you just never know where that spark is, and if you don’t expose yourself to it, it becomes too late. WP: How do you strike that balance between writing pieces for readers that don’t specialize in the field, yet still do justice to the science? If a specialist were to read your piece, how do you make them feel like you covered all the science involved? MR: I’m always writing with a little bit of fear that someone who is an expert in the field, or one of my sources is going to read it and think “Oh, what an idiot, she got all these things wrong.” I’m always careful; I have someone review it factually to make sure I didn’t make some kind of stupid mistake.
Mexico. “I like the ability to combine two different themes to make acreative mashup. I think our class can adapt to whatever comes our way,” said senior spirit coordinator Kenny Zhang. As of Monday, the senior class plans to use rope and pool noodles to construct their boat. “I personally liked the original duct tape regatta, but I understand that it wasn’t the most environmentally-friendly of spirit events,” Kenny said. “I still like the fact that we were able to keep the regatta, but just using different materials.”
Senator Yee arrested for alleged crimes Yee steps down from position, faces weapons-smuggling charges alyssa amick
Aquila managing editor State Senator Leland Yee was recently arrested after an FBI investigation allegedly implicated him in political corruption and gun-trafficking charges. The charges accuse Yee of smuggling weapons illegally in exchange for campaign money for his shot at Secretary of State of California. Since his arrest, however, he has dropped out of the running. On March 28, he stepped down from his job as State Senator from District 8, which includes San Francisco. “I think it’s a real shame that a politician that was so respected before was corrupted by personal interests,” Felix Wu (11) said. “He’s fought so hard for a number of progressive issues and for the East Asian community, so it’s just shocking to see that he’s been exploiting his role as an elected official.” Many people are now discussing the hypocrisy of Lee’s actions as he was both a supporter of tighter gun control laws as well as limiting the influence of money on a political campaign. “I am proud to stand with the California Clean Money Campaign,” Yee said in a 2012 press release. “It is imperative that we update our laws to limit the influence of money in our political system.” Some of the evidence against Yee consists of audio clippings from undercover FBI agents who set up meetings with Yee to discuss various illegal activity including arms deals and marijuana distribution. According to The Sacramento Bee, Yee acted in order to gain more money for his campaign Secretary of State of California, especially after he lost the race for Mayor in 2011, which put him into debt. “It’s awful that he broke the law and actively supported criminals,” junior Ayush Midha said. “But more importantly, as an elected official, he failed to meet his responsibility to his constituents and has set a terrible example for the community.”
alexis gauba reporter
Arjun Subramaniam (9) spoke at this year’s We Day on March 26 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The event is held a few times each year in various locations in the United States and Canada, and brings together students, actors, speakers, athletes, singers, and others focused on making a difference in the world. We Day is hosted by Free the Children, a charity organization that encourages children to make a difference in the world for other children. They focus on a variety of different causes, including ending child labor and helping provide citizens in developing countries with education and clean water sources. Arjun describes the event as “a collective movement of young people who want to make a difference.” Arjun joined Free the Children last year, even holding an assembly at the middle school to educate his peers on the global issue of child labor. When We Day came to California, he was asked to speak at the event. “When they came to California they asked the Mountain View office who they would like to speak there, because they have a local person who is involved in the cause speak about the story of the person who inspired the founder,” he said. Arjun spoke about Iqbal Masih, whose story inspired the found-
ers, Craig and Marc Kielburger to start Free the Children. He talked about his experience speaking in front of a crowd of thousands. “There were all these people [who] had done a lot of community service, because that was a requirement to come to We Day, so there was just a collective power in that room,” he said. “I think that when you’re up there in front of that many people who are with you, who are understanding your story, it really makes you feel like you are empowering thousands of people.” The event was hosted by Rico and Raini Rodriguez and featured many celebrities including Selena Gomez, Magic Johnson, Martin Luther King III, Evanna Lynch, Seth Rogen, and more. Arjun was able to meet many of these figures, and recalled his interesting encounter with former N.B.A. player Magic Johnson. “I was waiting to go to the bathroom, and then the door opens and Magic Johnson walks out. That was pretty awesome, waiting in the bathroom for Magic Johnson, and then his head knocked against the doorframe,” he said. Arjun expressed his biggest takeaway from his We Day experience. “I think that being at We Day was transformative in terms of seeing the collective power of so many people. I think that when you put that many people in a room who are inspired to make a difference, there’s really a lot that you can do.” The next We Day will be held next Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada.
SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
Freshman speaks at We Day event at Oracle Arena
WE DAY One of the many speakers whom Arjun met was Spencer West, a double amputee who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
OPINION
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014 your choice college
Road to college
Freshman and senior perspectives on the application process From navigating the daunting new world of high school as a freshman to college tours and SATs as a junior to applications and decisions as a seniors, the road is definitely long. But it does end. For everyone. You will get there, you will go to college, and you will have a great experience wherever you end up.
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Grade 9 There’s a Stanford pennant hanging above my desk. It’s been there since before I started high school, before I got a new desk to handle the middle school workload, before we moved when I was in elementary school, and before I started kindergarten. As I grew up, it got frayed and worn, its color faded and its letters blurry. And yet I’ve never taken it down. I used to see college admissions the same way I used to see high school, with underlying apprehension. When I was a fifth grader with too many books and no older siblings, I thought that high school was some sort of hellish environment where anyone not on the football team was cruelly and frequently slushied. (I think it was also the result of an abundance of “Glee” episodes on
I worry about college applications. Not about where I’ll get in, but about what the process will do to me. lunch to nap in Main and think, “Will that be me?” I watch seniors frantically refreshing their emails on admission days and think, “Is that who I’ll become?” The truth is, I worry about college applications. Not about where I’ll get in, but about what the process will do to me. I wonder if I’ll crack under the pressure, or if I’ll be forced to sacrifice my social life. Most of all, I fear what the ruthless elimina-
tion game will do to my friendships. What if my friends and I want to go to the same place, but only one of us is accepted? If it’s me, will I lose a friend? If it’s not me, will I be a big enough person to be a friend? My mother has always said, “I know you’ll get in somewhere great, I just don’t know its name yet.” Despite all the jokes my family makes about Stanford being our religion, my pennant has never represented a pressure, external or internal, to go there. I hang it on my desk because it reminds me that Stanford educations have built my family up from a small village in China in two generations, because it demonstrates a proud legacy of hard work, and because it proves to me that any college education is an immeasurably powerful tool. Now I know that as I progress through high school, my stress-free outlook will at least partially disappear. I’ll stress about my self-worth, my grades, and whether I’ll go to the college I want. I’ll collect APs, formulate strategies, and “play the game.” And I’ve accepted that. I just hope I don’t lose myself along the way.
Nov. 2013
Aug. 2013 Common Application opens
Straight Talk
anishka agarwal sports editor
Grade 12 It’s over. The years of stress and pressure put into the college application process have finally come to an end for me. I often find myself asking if it was all worth it: the late nights, the SAT classes, the extracurricular activities. But then I realize, that as cliche as it sounds, the things I did while in high school should not have been done in hopes of building the perfect resume that will get me into a top-five school, but instead to pursue what I love and to learn what I am passionate about. It’s important to not let the Ivy obsession get to you and to not get blinded by the innate competition in our society. I’m not encouraging slacking off or losing focus to slack off and lose focus. But what I
Jan. 2014
Early applications due
Most regular applications due
Dec. 2013
Early decisions released
of engrossed students. The multitude of sessions reflected the realm of possibiliNew York ties within journalism that is limited only state of mind by the expanse of our own creativity. The interaction with other editors reminded A never-end- me how lucky we are to have a dedicated ing flow of rush- staff, supportive administration, and ining people dressed credible resources. sheridan tobin in black peacoats The biggest impact, however, came opinion editor storms through from being surrounded by students from the Grand Central all over the country who all share the Station turnstiles, each one bee lining same passion. They all understand the towards a different track. Navigating the stress that often accompanies student subway station publications – the during rush late production hour becomes nights, the reThe biggest impact, however, zigzagging sponsibility, and came from being surrounded by through the the time commitcrowds of peoment – but they students from all over the country ple rather than love it anyway. who all share the same passion. reading the When I run signs, and agoff to the journalgressively pushing past people becomes ism room during lunch or to interviews the only way to get anywhere fast. after school, a lot of people don’t underAfter successfully making our way stand why I willingly put so much time to 116th Street, the swarms of people into a non academic class – everyone at heading to work quickly became groups the conference did. of high school students wearing blue lanWith all the craziness of junior year, yards and carrying reporters notebooks. I often found myself dreading doing I didn’t have very many expectations work that I used to enjoy, simply because when I signed up for the annual Colum- it was another task to add to my to-do bia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) list. Being surrounded by fellow student conference, but the three days packed journalists, in a city brimming with thewith journalism lectures and workshops sky’s-the-limit, won’t-take-no-for-anshattered all of them. answer dreamers, renewed the spark that The renowned professional speak- I found in the journalism room my freshers shared their insights with rooms full man year.
am saying is to go through high school with an undying love and excitement to learn and explore new topics rather than the stressful goal of getting into some college. Take AP courses because you want to challenge yourself, not to impress a board of readers. Once I clicked submit on my last application, I realized
The things I did while in high school should not have been done in hopes of building the perfect resume [...], but instead to pursue what I love. that the decision was no longer in my control. I had no idea what would happen with my application. Would the regional reader pass it on, or would there be too many other applicants who had slightly more compelling applications? The only thing that can keep you calm between the time the application is submitted and when results are
released is knowing that you did your best. In the end when results come out, whatever they may be and for whatever reasons, you should be excited for your future and looking forward to making the most of wherever you go rather than regretting that you took four APs instead of five your junior year. There is no doubt that the end of March comes with an exponential escalation in nerves regarding admission results. As they roll out and Ivy Day (or “Trauma Thursday” as it’s often called) passes, an interesting environment is created. One filled with hopes and aspirations, but often permeated with frustration and disappointment. Some people walk around with smiles from ear to ear and others with their head down. When talking to current or past college students, I’ve found most of them don’t even remember which schools they applied to, let alone how excited or disappointed they were by the decisions they received. Instead, they remember the moments they had at whichever college they went to, even if it wasn’t what they thought was their dream school.
May 2014
College selection deadline
March - April 2014
Aug. - Sept. 2014 Current seniors matriculate
Most regular decisions released
JUDGE JUHI Talking trash
juhi gupta
Aquila multimedia editor March 25, 2014. The ill-fated day when school administration, the kitchen crew, and ASB partnered to close down Fresh Mex and rid us of desserts. The cause? Trash. Lots and lots of it. And despite the crows of “Why am I being punished for other people’s crimes,” I can’t help but be a little satisfied. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Fresh Mex just as much as anybody. After making my routine venture to the Bistro, Edge, and journalism room to scope out food, I am drawn by the lure of milky horchata through the courtyard and the open doors of the gym. But, to be honest, revoking this privilege is a pretty good idea. Before everyone gets anxious, let’s take a look at the situation. For the purposes of this analysis (and to resemble a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel), we’ll call the litterbugs Dirties and the non-litterbugs
Cleans as we look at the benefits. One. Hypothetically, the Dirties all undergo a simultaneous epiphany and realize that trash is, in fact, a grave problem at the Upper School. They will stop littering for the rest of their lives. Two. They’ll figure out that ASB isn’t messing around. This is an issue with real consequences, and punishment is going to be inevitable. Three. At the very least, at least that pesky aluminum foil and those paper cups won’t be left around. As a generation, we don’t seem to be quite competent when it comes to cleaning up after ourselves. Despite the 4.0s and the 2400s, one thing we haven’t perfected is the art of picking up trash. Time for flashbacks to the Challenger School. From preschool to eighth grade, the way we dealt with trash was a simple ultimatum: make sure your table in the auditorium is clean or you don’t get to go outside for lunch. We cleaned tables till our noses burned of Lysol, scrubbing off food regardless of whose it was. It wasn’t about “that grape is yours so I’m not going to
pick it up,” it was about helping each other out so that we could leave early. Obviously, this strategy doesn’t work for the spread-out, independent lunch of the Upper School, but some lessons can be taken from it. Those of us that do actually pick up after ourselves shouldn’t take this decision as a personal affront to our values–removing Fresh Mex and desserts isn’t just meant to punish all of the Cleans. At the same time, the goal isn’t to punish individual Dirties. It’s to cultivate a clean, respectable campus and a student body that understands the obligation for a certain level of social responsibility. That being said, hopefully we’ve learned our lesson this time–I don’t think I can suffer another day without tacos or a @harkercupcakes Instagram post. Stay clean! VASUDHA RENGARAJAN - WINGED POST
meilan steimle
Hulu.) I realized this year that college admissions days aren’t necessarily the never-ending nightmare that they were portrayed as on Harker Confessions, with nicknames like Trauma Thursday and Cryday Friday. And yet, there’s still that background hum of anxiety that permeates my thoughts. I look at the upperclassmen who skip
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 OPINION • APRIL 4, 2014
The Winged Post Editors-in-Chief
Nikhil Dilip & Meena Chetty
Managing Editor
talk d aroun s campu
“Equal opportunity in jobs based on education and not based on race or gender.”
“Universal education.”
Apoorva Rangan
Design Editor
Mercedes Chien
Assistant Design Editor Shay Lari-Hosain
News Editor Trisha Jani
Opinion Editor Sheridan Tobin
Features Editor Kacey Fang
Lifestyle Editor Samar Malik
Global Editor Sindhu Ravuri
Sports Editor
Anishka Agarwal
riya godbole
What’s one cause you would stand up for, regardless of possible consequences?
Assistant Sports Editor Vivek Bharadwaj
Tech Editor
Vedant Thyagaraj
Business Manager Stephanie Chen
Aquila Editor-in-Chief Darian Edvalson
Adviser
Ellen Austin, MJE
Aquila Contributors
Alyssa Amick
Emily Lin
Ashi Gautam
Roshni Pankhaniya
Kaity Gee
Vasudha Rengarajan
Riya Godbole
Shannon Su
Juhi Gupta
Mariam Sulakian
Maya Jeyendran
Allison Sun
Reporters
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Priscilla Pan
Trisha Dwivedi
Tara Parimi
Ria Gandhi
Kavya Ramakrishnan
Alexis Gauba
Meilan Steimle
Catherine Huang
Stanley Zhao
Visit The Winged Post Online at www.harkeraquila.com Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/harkeraquila The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks except during vacations by the Journalism and Advanced Journalism Newspaper Concentration courses of Harker Upper School, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129. The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, news, and sports in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The Harker School. Editorials are the official opinions of The Winged Post. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion 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 advisor. Advertisements are accepted in the Post. However, The Winged Post reserves the right to deny any ad. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 or emailed to wingedpost@harker.org 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 which call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. Letters sent to the Post will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff. Mast eagle courtesy of photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen. The Winged Post is the official student newspaper, and it is distributed free of cost to students.
2012-2013 Silver Crown-winning publication 2010-2011 Gold Crown-winning publication 2009-2010 Silver Crown-winning publication 2007-2008 Pacemaker Award-winning publication 2010-2011 Silver Crown-winning www.talonwp.com 2009-2010 Gold Crown-winning www.talonwp.com
Savi Joshi (11)
Aquila lifestyle editor
Nicolas Bean (9)
“Literacy because there is no frigate like a book to take us worlds away.”
“Women’s and children’s rights around the world.”
Meredith Cranston, Librarian
Shannon Hong (10)
Embracing our First Amendment freedoms EDITORIAL THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST
What do an Iowa girl who was suspended from her school in 1965 for wearing a black armband to protest the Vietnam war and a Japanese-American man who questioned the legality of internment camps in the Supreme Court in 1944 have in common? They were both landmark figures involving First Amendment freedoms that we, as students and as citizens, enjoy today. During today’s assembly, we will hear their stories. Mary Beth Tinker, Fred Korematsu’s daughter Karen Korematsu, and Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), will each speak about the facets of the First Amendment. If you ask students about the First Amendment, most will spew back a contrived response about freedom of speech or textbook verbatim that they memorized for a U.S. History test. If you ask them about how the amendment impacts them as students, however, most will respond with blank stares. In an informal poll of 125 students conducted by The Winged Post, 87.2 percent of students were unable to list the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition).
While 90 percent of our student body expressed the desire to have the same First Amendment rights as adults in another survey, the fact that approximately the same percentage of us do not know what that entails suggests that perhaps we should be more aware of our right to free expression. The 45 words that make up our First Amendment rights are empowering. Understanding what defines our independence and backs our individuality is a blessing. Taking advantage of our rights without full understanding of their meaning, however, is disrespectful of the freedom of expression that we as teenagers work so hard to preserve. Students in California go to school every day under the protection of California Education Code 48907, which provides the highest degree of free expression legislation for any student in the U.S. These protections, however, may
Dilip’s Dissertations Theater throwback Fear, nervousness, anxiousness, elation, excitement. I nikhil dilip went through the entire range of emotions editor in chief in the three minutes waiting in the wings for our “Hoscars” talent show performance last week – it had been a while since I last performed before such a large group of people. As regretful as I am about it, I remain relatively out of touch with my cultural heritage. Sure I eat Indian food at home and celebrate select holidays, but the buck stops there. I’m lucky if I can speak above a kindergarten level in my native language – forget watching the latest Bollywood movie. And that’s why I valued our culturally-themed Hoscars performance; it was a way to reconnect with my Indian side while simultaneously experiencing the forgotten feeling of performing before such a large crowd. I loved performing in middle school but had to abandon the stage due to other commitments. Watching plays, musicals, and dance shows over the past four years have made me consider
have to be fought for. Following the suicide of Saratoga High School student Audrie Pott last year, the editors of The Saratoga Falcon, the school’s newspaper, fought administrative and community pushback after publishing a story refuting the original claim that half-naked photos of Pott went viral. Through careful reporting, they discovered that roughly 10 students saw the photos, not the majority of the student body. Arguably as impressive as the story itself was the way the editors handled the aftermath. Under the guidance of a media attorney, they cited the California Shield Law to defy the Pott family lawyer’s subpoena and protect the anonymity of their sources. Her death is tragic. But the courage and professionalism with which these student journalists handled the situation was inspiring: they stood behind their reporting, their sources, and ul-
the alternate paths of my high school existence. Would my life be significantly different had I indulged myself in performing arts throughout high school? Would I be more or less content with the last four years? These thoughts finally broke through to me and forced me to actively contemplate performing again. Though I couldn’t audition for SDS or the musical this year, I felt that I owed myself a final return to performing before leaving for college. On Matriculation Day back in August, I created a “senior year bucket list” – all the activities or experiences I wanted to complete before graduation. While I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to complete all of them, “no regrets” has remained my personal motto for the last few months. The free time I enjoy during this semester has offered me the opportunity to rediscover several old pastimes, everything from finding more time to read for pleasure to picking up my guitar again after months of little practice. Regret often accompanies remembering a past hobby, but the only way to overcome it is to ease your way into it and revisit it with the same passion as before. Had I lazily worked my way through the motions during Hoscars, I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much. Dancing with passion, despite not remembering half the moves, made the experience far more enjoyable, which is all that really mattered to me. And so I encourage all to revive a forgotten love, whether that be playing a sport again during your senior year or reaching out to a friend from whom you have grown apart. It’s only natural to find yourself engaging in new activities during high school, but make sure not to discard old ones too quickly. Feel free to revive them if you can, giving them their proper due before allowing them to perish. I am content that I can cross something else off the list I created at the beginning of the year. Here’s hoping we all can.
KACEY FANG - WINGED POST
Copy Editors
Vineet Kosaraju & Elisabeth Siegel
timately, their story. They spoke about their experiences alongside Tinker, Korematsu, and LoMonte at Monta Vista High School on Wednesday. Although we are a private school, and thus, not directly protected under 48907, our administration chooses to support our creativity, expression, and individuality. “I think that it’s our responsibility as a school to have the kind of environment where students learn to be able to express their voices and do so in a way that’s still constructive and respectful,” head of school Christopher Nikoloff said. Our artists are able to communicate their independent ideas through their work. Our literary aficionados have access to books that are commonly banned elsewhere. Our actors have the ability to take on roles that could be considered controversial at other schools. Our journalism publications are able to determine content independently. So when you’re walking to today’s assembly, take a minute to appreciate the art on the walls in Main. When you’re sitting in the library, revel in unrestricted reading. And while you’re reading the words in the student newspaper, take pride that you get to read this content unfiltered and raw.
rum e e nations
curiosity to simply being a second semester senior. As a recently legal adult, I want to embrace our inherent childlike characteristics more than ever. If there is anything that turning 18 has reminded meena chetty me of, it’s not that I can now editor in chief legally buy a lottery ticket or As my classmates and I sign a contract; instead, it’s that dragged ourselves into our seats I now have more reason to apat the beginning of period 2 on proach my surroundings with a slow morning last week, Dr. intentional awe and appreciaAdler looked at us for a moment tion as a kid would. After all, I and asked us point blank: “Do only have two more months of you ever wonder anymore?” high school to learn authenticalDespite the simplicity of ly without the added pressure of the question, I was stumped. I grades that will affect my college knew what I hoped the answer admissions or resume. to be: as a Harker student who Granted, this proposloves to learn for the sake of learn- al probably sounds idealistic, ing, of course especially I still wonto seniors der! But I who may I now have more reason to also knew be counting approach my surroundings what the down the with intentional awe and real, unfildays until tered answer appreciation as a kid would. graduation. was: Over I don’t think the course of wonder can the past year, I probably haven’t be forced, but it can be cultivatpaid enough attention to my sur- ed. A genuine interest and desire roundings to know. to question our surroundings Siloed into my insular might allow us to better underworld of college applications stand the world around us rathduring first semester, I nar- er than isolating ourselves in our row-mindedly cared more about own opinions and experiences. framing the perfect opening Despite my rote attitude sentence to my personal state- towards life over the past few ment. And during the past few months, I hope to be able to months of second semester, I maintain a childlike curiosity have approached school more as I transition into college so mechanically than I’d like to that I can approach the next few admit, doing coursework for the years with fresh, open eyes and sole intention of completing it. be in constant admiration of the Perhaps Senioritis muffles our world; life seems to be more inunaffected sense of wonderment, spiring that way. but I think it’s unfair to attribute I may be 18 in age, but I’m my potentially decreased general now aiming for eight at heart.
Eighteen going on eight
FEATURES
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
Teachers as artists
Culture Blend
Instructors express creativity outside the classroom
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SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
Aguero-Esparza exhibit at MACLA
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Martinez exhibit at Chico State University
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SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
To students, teachers may seem to simply teach classes and grade papers, shutting down like a computer right after the school bell. But many teachers pursue creative interests outside the walls of their academic setting. From painting and drawing to exotic expeditions to study foreign art, art teachers regularly practice in the fields of their choice. A former photography professor
Where they’ve exhibited: • Denmark Bongers: • Holland • Sweden
• New York Martinez: • Venice • Mexico
Top: Art Teacher Pilar Aguero-Esparza displays handmade Mexican sandals. Aguero- Esparza spent the summer of 2010 in an artist residency in her parents’ sandal shop Middle: Jaap Bongers performs a variant of spurensichrung, a form of artistic performance that involves reenacting fragments of history. Left: Photos taken by Joshua Martinez
Intel finalist presents at capital kacey fang
features editor
faced during his project involved applying the programming he had learned from school to practical uses. “A lot of these real-world constraints on programming that I never really had in the classroom started to become an issue in the lab, so that was a big learning experience for me,” he said. Sreyas began his research during the summer before junior year and conducted the majority of his work in the summer before senior year. After spending between 400 and 500 hours in the lab, Sreyas continued research at home and during the school year. “The day until I submitted my project, I was doing new research,” he said. Through his research, Sreyas came to appreciate engineering and math on a greater level. “I wish I took a lot more math courses in high school because what I started to realize in my project is that if you don’t have good math knowledge, it’s really hard to gain intuition to apply in engineering problems,” he said. Sreyas plans to continue his research as an undergraduate at Stanford University. The next steps involve applying to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a grant to physically build the scanner. Sreyas hopes to pursue bioengineering for his undergraduate major and ultimately follow a career in medicine.
FAST FACTS
A typical Senior Sreyas Misra’s very first PET scan: research project spent him hours humched over a laptop or in a lab. After months of work, it would take • lasts 30 him as far as the nation’s capital. to 45 As an Intel Science Talent Search minutes finalist, Sreyas presented his work with other student researchers from March 6 to 12 at Washington, D.C. • costs After setting up his poster, he spent from $850 the first couple days sightseeing and to $4,000 touring the capitol and had the opportunity to meet with President Barack • can be Obama. The following days consisted of presenting his poster to judges and used to to the public at various science fairs. detect The judge’s questions cancer, stood out the most for Sreyas. brain “They try and see how you disorders, think because you’re not expected to know the answer directly. It’s more and heart like you have to go through multiple problems logical steps before you can arrive at the solution,” he said. “It’s basically • is adtrying to see if you can do the scienministered tific method in real-life situations.” His experiences with other fi1,129,000 nalists and with judges sparked his times a interest in a broader range of topics. year, as of “Every time I finished the in2005 terview, I would go up to my room on my computer and start looking up all the answers for the questions I just had,” he said. His project focused on using alternative imaging techniques to reduce the size of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, which physicians use to monitor and diagnose diseases like cancer. The currently room-sized equipment poses a significant cost. By designing a handheld device that can achieve the same function, Sreyas hopes to allow hospitals more access to medical imaging. “When you make technology a lot smaller, you start to change how it’s used in the hospital. For example, you can’t bring a room-sized PET scanner into the OR, but you can bring a hand-held scanner into the surgery PET PROJECT Sreyas Misra (12) gives a talk on his project room to aid the surgeon,” he said. at the ninth annual Research Symposium. From March 6 to One of the challenges Sreyas 12, he presented his research among other Intel finalists at
SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
asst. sports editor & reporter
at the University of California, Berkeley, photography teacher Joshua Martinez has exhibited works in galleries in New York, Venice, and Mexico. “What really made me love photography was this idea of having control over the image and being able to have your hand in it,” Martinez said, recalling his start in photography in the eighth grade. In 1970, architecture teacher David Takamoto opened his own architecture studio. “I’ve done work in the United States and Asia, everything from homes, to schools, to hospitals, to universities, destination resorts, hotels,” Takamoto said. His drawing skills in grade school and high school led him to pursue architecture as a career. “I would say the most important thing in designing a house is to find out what the client really wants out of a house, the lifestyle,” he said. “The site is also important.”
SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST
vivek bharadwaj & tara parimi
Art Teacher Pilar Agüero-Esparza maintains a studio in her home, where she creates drawings, paintings, and occasionally sculptures. She was inspired to study art in college by her high school art teacher. “[Drawing] was one of those things that I used to do since I was a little kid. I always had pencils, I always sketched. I just loved it,” Agüero-Esparza said. In 1998, Agüero-Esparza received the San Jose City Art Commission for a series of murals in the Biblioteca Latin America public library. The murals, collectively titled La Vida En Los Dichos (Life in Proverbs), feature themes relating to San Jose and Spanish aphorisms about life. Agüero-Esparza has exhibited works in galleries including the San Jose Museum of Art, Santa Cruz Museum, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In 2010, she completed a residency at her parents’ sandal shop to learn about the intricacies of making handmade Mexican sandals and to document the work of her parents. “It’s a tough field, because it’s very competitive. So if it’s something that you want to pursue, you have to do it 200 percent, a lot of energy,” she said. “Putting yourself out there, making art, going to museums, visiting shows, it’s kind of all a network and it’s all this process.” Visual arts instructor Jaap Bongers has exhibited his work in the United States, Holland, Sweden, and Denmark.In 1981, Bongers received a study tour grant from the Dutch government to study art in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He worked closely with the Pygmy tribe of Africa. “When I was 15 years old I was looking through a book with sculptures by Michelangelo,” Bongers said. “I was very taken by the plasticity of the forms in the close-up pictures of his marble sculptures.”
Washington, D.C.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 FEATURES • APRIL 4, 2014 Trash le over in the Edge last Friday
encourages young female leadership ashi gautam
Trash collected
Recycling collected
Classrooms cleaned
times a week
time a week
times a week
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Aquila opinion editor
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A on Feb. 18
Data provided by student council
Lunch grades
Progress report
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NO AN SH
F on Jan. 23
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Two hands shoot up in a classroom when a teacher asks a question. Two hands that look nearly identical. If one hand was a girl’s and the other a boy’s, would that affect the teacher’s decision? According to Mary Wollstonecraft’s essays, the instructor would have picked the male student in the nineteenth century, but now the situation is changing as Sheryl Sandberg’s “Ban Bossy” campaign aims to bridge the gender gap in classrooms today. According to banbossy.com, girls speak less in classroom discussions and a girl’s self esteem drops 3.5 times more than a boy’s in between elementary school and high school. Ban Bossy, an organization founded by Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, strives to empower young females to become leaders in their communities without being called “bossy.” According to banbossy.com,, “bossy” is a word that can be used to subdue some girls. In the promotional video for this campaign, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter states, “I am not bossy. I am the boss.” With the support of luminaries including Beyoncé, Condoleezza Rice, and Jane Lynch, Sandberg promotes Ban Bossy through a variety of social media networks. On the Ban Bossy website, viewers have the option to pledge that they will #BanBossy by sharing their support via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google Plus. Along with displaying inspirational quotes, the campaign website provides a handbook of leadership tips for girls, teachers, and parents. These handbooks include a range of exercises and goals for teachers and parents to help include girls in leadership positions. “Teachers can be the catalyst for this change by recognizing that every time a girl is ridiculed or maligned for being forthright, bold or ‘bossy’ that this is a micro-aggression being perpetrated on her self-esteem,” Donna Gilbert, Head of History and Social Sciences Department. At the Upper School, there is only one female representative each in the freshman and sophomore class councils as well as in the Associated Student Body (ASB). “If you are a girl who wants to run for ASB President, then do it,” Sarah said. ”Your voice will be heard just as loudly as a male candidate’s would if you are just as knowledgeable, receptive, and passionate.” To learn more about the initiative or make a pledge, you can visit banbossy.com or post on social media sites with #banbossy.
Cont’d New system APES project
The AP Environmental Science (APES) class started a project two weeks ago to spread awareness of the waste students produce daily. Environmental Science teachers Kate Schafer and Jeff Sutton assigned students to carry around a plastic bag for a week to collect self-generated trash items and record a tally of all their solid waste. “Students collect all of their trash for a week to get a better idea of the types of waste and the amount that they generate,” Schafer said. “We hope to give students a better awareness of the waste that they are generating and to get them thinking about simple ways they might reduce waste.” The project was successful in that the students’ takeaways were in sync with the intentions of the teachers. “I will recycle more because a lot of the stuff that was we use is reusable,” APES student Vikram Naidu (12) said. From the collected data, students were able to determine the percentage of plastic and cardboard in their waste.
Under custody The leftover sandwich, a bowl with marinara, a Caprisun pouch, eraser shavings on the classroom floor. Where do all these items end up after we go home each day? The custodians are responsible for maintaining cleanliness of our campus. The current plan for the new trash project is to downsize the number of trash cans around campus. Previous implementations have failed due to students throwing everything in the wrong bin. “I think that if the Harker community as a whole gets involved, it would be successful,” said Upper School Maintenance Director J.R. Del Alto. “If everyone picks up after themselves, just a little bit, it’s going to make all the difference in the world.”
Members of the Green Committee will be implementing a new trash system on the Upper School campus on April 14, to make handling of trash easier and more eco-friendly. Last year, the City of San Jose adopted a new system in which garbage is sorted into wet and dry piles, rather than sorting recycling and garbage into various sections. Jeff Sutton, co-head of the Green Committee, said that separating the trash into a dry section, and a wet section with compostable items, would make the trash collection process more efficient. “To help [our trash collectors] out, we want to, on the campus, split our trash into two streams. One stream is called the dry stream. Anything not compostable like cups, plastic, or metal, would be in the dry stream. And in the wet stream, would be anything that is compostable,” he said. The Green Committee believes that the
new trash system will also help address the problem of trash left in eating areas. “I think the concerns that students not disposing of their waste properly is inevitably going to get folded into [this],” Schafer said. “In a way, I think that it is going to kill two birds with one stone: there is a problem that already exists, and I’m hopeful that this will help address it.” Members of the faculty are currently in the process of educating students about the new trash system, to create a smooth transition to the wet-dry bins.
CAPRISUN Michael Zhao (10) finishes one of the cardboard collection boxes set up around campus to recycle CapriSun packets.
KACEY FANG - WINGED POST
Humans of Harker, based off Humans of New York, documents the unique, inspiring, off-beat, or surprising individuals that breathe life into this school. Each issue, five students are chosen at random.
juhi gupta
EDWARD SHEU (10) Edward’s favorite genres of music are indie and alternative. While he has been playing piano since age three, Edward currently teaches himself guitar and wants to learn drums.
Aquila multimedia editor SNEHA BHETANABHOTLA (9) Sneha has been studying a form of Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam, for two thirds of her life. She learns attends a dance school in Berryessa. Looking toward the future, Sneha hopes to run her own dance school one day.
“My favorite thing about it is the expression and how much you have to work to get each piece to be perfect.”
“One day, I just want to start a band.” “At the end of the day, I think I prefer my mom’s chai over everything.” SAVI JOSHI (11) Unbeknownst to many, Savi is a tea aficionado. Visiting tea houses around the Bay Area and when on vacation, she enjoys how tea can bring out different emotions: certain variations can calm you down whereas some can make you energetic. Savi’s favorite type for relaxation is Valerian Root tea, and for “classic tea” she prefers Earl Grey.
EFREY NOTEN (12) Over the summer, Efrey made it a mission to bake something new each week and post a picture to Facebook. His interest in cooking began in first grade, when he learned how to type by transcribing magazine recipes.
“I got really fancy with these chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter and ganache and all that.”
“I didn’t want to take another academic class so I wanted to do something that might be a little more fun for the day.” NIKHIL PARMAR (10) learned how to juggle a couple years ago. Instead of taking “another boring class,” he decided to find something more interesting: a session on juggling taught by members of the Stanford University Juggling Club.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 5 FEATURES • MARCH 12, 2014
45 words
83%
of you believe students should have the same First Amendment rights as adults
36%
said you know the First Amendment “very well”
But, of the “five freedoms,” religion, speech, press, assembly, and petitioning the government, here’s how many you knew
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
case studies
standards for expression and community intersect
“Posing as the creator of words, ideas or methods that are not one’s own.” - Student Press Law Center
PRIOR REVIEW
The review of a publication’s content by administration prior to printing Monika Lee’s piece “Constructive Criticism” hung in the AP Studio Art exhibit earlier this year. “There were freshmen who were scared,” Monika said. “But I think [Harker’s] pretty open.”
by elisabeth siegel and apoorva rangan Harker simultaneously prides itself on “appreciat[ing] individual similarities and differences,” and “personal integrity,” as reflected in the student handbook. As a school campus though, the First Amendment can intersect with community standards. With no existing written policy for what content flags concern, most decisions about appropriate content on campus largely fall to teachers. “I want students to feel like they could express their opinion. I really like that kind of exchange,” Head of School Christopher Nikoloff said. “Sometimes community standards are there to be challenged. But sometimes they’re they’re for a reason.”
drawings in ink and pencil, shown above and described by many as “dark.” Her style, according to her, was inspired by her Japanese classes. “I think it’s pretty open,” she said of the climate of free expression at the Upper School. “You can say a lot at Harker and get away with it.”
english department
freshmen
the first amendment
sophomoores
first amendment
juniors
the first amendment amendment first amendment seniors
SOME STUDENT PRESS LEGAL TERMS PLAGIARISM
Many schools across the nation have books that are banned by the discretion of the administration or through parent complaints. Upper School librarian Lauri Vaughan discussed the nature of the reading environment at school. “Should we ever be challenged about a book, we feel pretty comart department fortable that we’d be able to defend Art classes on campus center on it,” Vaughan said. “We professionally developing a student voice. self-select things.” Nicolette Vandendries (10) had Vaughan mentioned that a book her artwork separated from the Study that had warranted attention in previof Visual Arts exhibition near the art ous years was Stieg Larsson’s bestseller building at art teacher Joshua Marti- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 2 8 8 4 3 that I 5 haven’t5read things 3 not10 3 nez’s 8discretion. 7 The 4 image 3 featured a 2 “It’s 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 picture of a gun with the word “amor” that aren’t equally graphic or violent 1/5written 2/5next 3/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 in4/5 5/5 to it.4/5 5/5 nature, but I don’t freshmen “It would change the know that it had any juniors meaning from gun viogreat literary value,” sophomores SOMETIMES Vaughan said. “So I lence to something like made the choice to ‘love hits you like a bullet’ COMMUNITY just say you know or “love is as powerful as STANDARDS Blurb: the Winged Post conducted a 8 4 3 we’re not going to buy a bullet,” Nicolette said. about Upper School students’ AREsurvey THERE 2 “I3worked 10 really 5 hard5 on 3 8 7 4 3 /5 4/5 5/5 this Amendment. series of books knowledge of the First Each and have on the that. ” TO BE 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 student was asked to namethem the five freeMartinez clarified men doms guaranteedshelves by the and Firstpromote AmendCHALLENGED. them. ” that he juniors chose to remove ment. SOMETIMES, sophomores the piece of artwork due drama THEY’RE to concerns that it might 1 5 9 4 5 2 4 12 5 3 be misinterpreted if perTHERE FOR A department 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 Blurb: the Winged Post conducted a ceived in the wrong set1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 The First Amendment surveyting. about Upper School students’ REASON. intersects with the Perseniors faculty knowledge “I ofthink the First Amendment. Eachhead of people should forming Arts departstudentbe was asked to name the five freeable to create absolutement as well. Acting 2 school 8 8 4 3 doms ly guaranteed by the whatever they wantFirst andAmendJeffrey Draper christopher 2 3 10 teacher 5 3 say8whatever 7ment. 4 want, 3 5 1/52 2/53 3/5 they 10 4/55 5/55 7 4 3 commented on play nikoloff 1/5 but 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 and 4/5musical 5/5 selections something we need 3/5 4/5 5/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 to consider is the ven5 freshmen 9 4 5 2 for the conservatory. 12 5 3 juniors ue where you’re saying it, ” juniors “Of all the plays I can choose, no 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 sophomores 3/5 4/5 5/5 ophomores Martinez said. “We try to make sure one’s told me not to do anything,” the elicited reaction is in line with the Draper said. niors faculty intended reaction. As an artist, this is For the upcoming fall, Draper says Blurb: the Winged Post conducted a sticky territory.” Blurb: the Winged Post conducted a that he plans to invite student discusabout Upper School students’ Martinez also said that he plannedsurvey survey about Upper School students’ sion and opinion over his next choice knowledge of the First Amendment. Each 4 3 on showcasing it in the end-of-year knowledge of the First Amendment. Each of play. student was asked to name the five freestudent asked 4 to name 2 3exhibition, 10 remarking 5 3 8 was 7 3 the five free“This year for some 5 on the differ-doms guaranteed 4/5 5/5 by the thefirst Firsttime, Amenddoms guaranteed by the First Amendence between a casual and formal pre- people have felt that the play wasn’t ment. 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 ment. sentation of art. something that they would have chon “Itjuniors would have been different if the sen, so that’s why I’m opening it up,” he 1 5student9had been 4 in 5 the AP2exhibition said. “But there’s never been anything sophomores 4 12 5 3 9 4 5 2 or in2/5 the end-of-year 1/5 3/5 4/5exhibition, 5/5 ” he that’s openly contentious.” 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 /5 3/5 4/5 5/5 said. “Our discussion over including Draper cited The Laramie Project seniors faculty it orWinged not including it would have culty Blurb: the Post conducted a been as one of the more controversial recent much more and I think we plays at the Upper School. The play survey about Upperdeliberate, School students’ would have included it. ” knowledge of the First Amendment. Each featured the response of a community Nicolette cited concerns student was asked to name the five about free- her to the murder of a gay student in Wyoown expression. doms guaranteed by the First Amendming, drawing attention to the lack of “Before, I thought that doing art hate crime laws in many U.S. states. ment. here would be something that would “I basically turned in the script help me express myself, or express my to Mr. Nikoloff, and I asked what he 5 9 4 5 2 2 5 3 ideas,” she said. “But now, I realize that thought,” Draper said. “I felt support1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 /5 4/5 5/5 I can express my ideas, but some peo- ed and free in artistic expression, and ple may not be able to see it because he gave me a post-it note of things to ors faculty someone might say it’s too heavy.” look at, and so I did some adapting. I Read the winged post’s In the AP Studio Art Exhibition, took almost all of his advice because it Monika Lee (12) featured a series of was well thought through.” editorial on page 6
faculty
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
PRIOR RESTRAINT
The withholding of material prior to printing
CENSORSHIP
The action of a government or school official preventing information from reaching an audience
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states test civics and/or history on state-sponsored exams
“If you don’t know your rights, you can’t stand up for your rights” - Mary Beth Tinker
PENDING STUDENT PRESS HOTSPOTS ONGOING The administration of Sheridan High School, Ark. censored the Yellowjacket yearbook for its inclusion of a senior profile on a gay student at the school. all information from the student press law center
MARCH 2014 Fond du Lac High School, Wisc. students face board restriction after the newsmagazine published an article criticising a school culture of “rape jokes.”
NOVEMBER 2013 Neshaminy High School student editors decide to ban the word “Redskins,” the school’s mascot, writing that the word was racist and “a term of hate.” The school principal mandated that paper accept any advertisements or staff articles submitted with the word.
MARCH 2014 Ninth Circuit court in Calif. supports the administration at Live Oak High School for making students turn American flag t-shirts inside-out during a Cinco de Mayo celebration, due to “threats of race-related violence.” graphics: shay lari-hosain photos: shay lari-hosain, creative commons page design: apoorva rangan model: leon chin (11)
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
GLOBAL
CREATIVE COMMONS
HOTSPOTS IN TURMOIL
CRIMEAN PROTEST Approximately 100,000 people were present in Kiev during a pro-European rally in Euromaiden, Ukraine.
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NORTH + SOUTH KOREA: Notorious for political turmoil and censorship, the already strained relationship between North and South Korea worsens. North Korea threatened retaliation if anti-government demonstrations by activists in Seoul were not forcibly stopped.
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CRIMEA: Russia’s sudden annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine leads to economic sanctions from European leaders and exacerbates a tense situation.
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VENEZUELA: Massive protests and anti-government demonstrations continue in Venezuela, as people remain furious about crime, corruption, food shortages, and high inflation. Recently, three generals attempting a coup were arrested, as the number of dead rises to 32.
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Students share their perspectives on the crisis in Crimea
SOMALIA: On March 1, 2014, several high profile attacks were committed against government officials. As a new Somalian government is established, several terrorist attacks are striking fear into the heart of the country.
AFGHANISTAN: Although the war has stalemated and peace talks have begun, negotiations yield few results and the country remains in turmoil.
vineet kosaraju, tiara bhatacharya, & ria gandhi copy editor & reporters
Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on March 18, in a move spurring international discussion over the validity of Putin’s actions. Crimea belonged to Russia until 1954, when the peninsula was gifted to Ukraine under the direction of the Soviet Union. In late 2013, protests against former President Victor Yanukovych raged on in Crimea, causing nearly 100 casualties and 1000 injuries. Yanukovych was removed from office on Feb. 22 and Russian forces took control of the region, according to The New York Times. The Crimean state ultimately held a referendum on March 16, in which 97 percent of Crimeans voted to rejoin Russia instead of maintaining their status as an independent Ukrainian state, according to The Straits Times. “Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of the people,” Putin said in an interview. Following Ukraine’s annexation, Putin’s approval
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DECEMBER 1: 800,000 protestors occupy Kiev city hall and Independence Square after President Yanukovych creates an economic agreement with Russia.
ratings skyrocketed according to The New York Times, drowning out voices of opposition. The announcement was well received by the Kremlin as well. “It was a terrible idea - it gave Russia the pretext in order to invade,” freshman Misha Tseitlin said. “On the other hand, Russia shouldn’t have invaded because of the violation of international law and boundaries.” The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly dismissed Russia’s territorial claim as “having no validity,” and the country’s G8 membership was suspended. Concern has risen for the autonomy of countries within the Eastern European region, influencing Vice President Joe Biden’s decision to declare US protection against Russian aggression to Poland and Baltic states. “The precedent Russia set puts all the other nations in the region on alert and is going to increase instability everywhere around Ukraine,” said History and Social Science teacher Damon Halback. Despite the escalation of tensions, Ukraine seeks to maintain its diplomatic relations with Russia according to The Straits Times, announcing that both countries are aiming to ease the situation.
January FEB. 20: In almost 48 hours, at least 88 people are killed, in Kiev's worst day of violence for almost 70 years.
February FEB. 23-26: Arrest warrant is issued for President Yanukovych. Olexander Turchynov is elected by Parliament as Interim President.
March MARCH 20: European Union leaders condemn Russia's annexation of Crimea and impose economic sanctions against officials.
THE MYSTERY OF MH370 asst. design editor
“Good night Malaysian three seven zero” were the last known words spoken by MH370’s crew to Malaysian air traffic control, nearly forty minutes after the Malaysia Airlines flight departed Kuala Lumpur International at 12:41 a.m. local time on March 8. A red-eye, routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished from international radar tracking systems in one of the most baffling enigmas in aviation history. Malaysia Airlines says it first lost contact with the Boeing 777-200ER, with 239 aboard, at 1:30 a.m. local time, five hours before its scheduled arrival in Beijing. Air traffic control in Subang Jaya, Malaysia lost contact
with the aircraft an hour and ten minutes later. A global search endeavor has ensued. Six countries are currently collaborating on an effort to locate the wreckage of the wide-body Boeing, with the Malaysian authorities pioneering the operation. Assisting the initiative is the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and London-based telecommunications company Inmarsat. Data analysis by Inmarsat using the Doppler effect of radar showed that the flight almost certainly plunged into a remote area of the Indian Ocean, approximately 1200 miles off the coast of Perth. “Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean. As
you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, new analysis of satellite data suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean,” the airline said in a press release on March 24. Global speculation has run wild. Some argue these systems were deactivated in order to divert the aircraft, while other theories speculate that equipment was damaged in an electrical fire; still others conjecture that the electrical systems were intentionally switched off to hinder such a fire. “[The pilots] went up to 45,000 feet, which would pretty quickly deprive all the passengers of oxygen, and make them all pass out, so they could do what they wanted without any passenger or flight attendant interference,” said history teacher
and ex-Navy Captain Carol Zink. “They clearly didn’t correctly calculate their distance-to-fuel ratio, because they didn’t make it to wherever they intended to go.” Mathematics teacher Anthony Silk has a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Silk has a similar theory about how the flight has been hijacked. “The transponder was turned off, which is a very unusual circumstance. If somebody was trying to divert the plane, that is the first thing they would do,” he said. “I’m only guessing from what I’ve seen in the papers, that the plane was diverted, started flying out towards the Indian Ocean, and then […] they ran out of gas.” Nikhil Parmar (10) has a different opinion. Nikhil presumes the disappearance was merely an aircraft-
many items, insulation, seat covers, plastic bulkheads that burn violently and quickly. The fumes from this stuff are almost always toxic. I’ve flown through that same airspace in a 747 numerous times. There is a piece of that airspace which is not under radar coverage. If [the pilots] were overcome by the smoke, [the autopilot would] maintain its altitude and heading. [That] would’ve taken it out into the south Indian Ocean. [They] would’ve put maybe eight hours of fuel on the airplane for their six-hour flight. Given that airplane was last radar tracked at 12,000 feet, [the aircraft was] burning about double the fuel per unit of distance than they would have at altitude [35,000 feet]. That would have given them a range of about 1500 miles. The problem with that part of the Indian Ocean is not only is it deep,
but the terrain down below is extremely mountainous. That part [is] so incredibly remote. WP: So what different types of equipment are on board an aircraft for conveying location data? HD: [On most flights such as Malaysia 370], there’s nothing at all on an airplane that sends out where it was. The only way you knew where an airplane was, was by receiving the transponder reply. Transponders send back a code which [a] computer immediately [identifies], plots on the screen, and keeps up with the location of the response in real-time. The media refers to the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder as ‘black boxes.”They’re not; they’re orange and they sit back in the rear end of the fuselage. They have a battery on them that sends out a radio signal for about 30
days; and we are coming up real close to that 30 day mark, with about a week left [to find it]. If [the search teams] don’t get within a mile of the wreckage, they will never hear those pings. WP: So I know a lot of people are asking, how is it possible that not a single passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight ever used their cellphone to make a call? HD: Cellphone antennas are ground-wave only. The ability for a cellphone above about 2500 feet to pick up a ground-based signal is pretty much nil. When these pilots made this abrupt,
A Veteran Pilot's Take shay lari-hosain asst. design editor
Capt. Harlan Davis is currently a Senior Pilot for United Airlines. He has piloted almost all Boeing aircrafts, including the 777 for almost 40 years. He has flown many routes in the East in the same airspace where Flight MH370 disappeared. Winged Post: What is your theory on what happened to the Malaysia Airlines flight? Harlan Davis: We know for sure that the airplane was carrying a significant amount of lithium ion batteries. If fire worked its way forward from the cargo compartment, it could have very quickly done serious damage cutting off power supply to the transponder. Now, when you get a fire on an airplane, you [have] about anywhere between 15 but no more than 30 minutes to get it on the ground or get it in the water, or you’re a goner. There are too
related mechanical failure. “Probably an engine just failed, and the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean,” he said, “It seems most probable considering that we can’t find the plane; it doesn’t seem very likely that it would’ve been hijacked, especially after 9/11.” Less than a week remains before the plane’s ‘black box’ will run out of battery power and cease transmission of pings signaling its location, rendering it far more difficult to locate. However, the data on the chips will remain intact for years. The device contains aircraft telemetry data and an audio recording of the cockpit for the last two hours of a flight. The search for the wreckage of the aircraft currently encapsulates a wide area between 1200 to 1500 miles off the west coast of Australia.
almost U-turn, they were a hundred miles from any landmass, so there was no way any consumer equipment could possibly have connected to anything on the ground. Visit www.harkeraquila.com for the extended interview.
SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
shay lari-hosain
LIFESTYLE
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
Clean eating: Healthy cafeteria lunch options
Samartime
eat. drink. be healthy. samar malik
Teriyaki with potatoes and veggies
Chicken with rice and spinach
350 calories
Bok Choy, Fried Rice, and Pineapple Slices
300 calories
250 calories
460 calories
priscilla pan & lavinia ding reporters
Green-leafed vegetables are a staple of any diet: they’re full of nutrients and vitamins. The salad bar offers many options for a unique and tasty combination. We put cherry tomatoes, edamame, mushrooms, chicken, and croutons on our spinach and lettuce base and instead of a cream-based dressing, drizzled on some balsamic vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar and olive oil). The meat carving station has juicy proteins with side sauces - chicken and paprikash sauce, which are made of vegetables and sour cream.
If you’re not feeling too hungry some day, fruit is a light and sweet meal that is a good alternative to traditional carbohydrates. The salad bar offers a huge collection of fruits - strawberries, cantaloupe, persimmon, pineapple, etc. Most of the main dishes come with a side of vegetables and carbohydrates for a balanced meal. For example, on the side of the Chinese glazed ribs was a serving of bok choy and fried rice; pineapple was added for dessert. Adding small bits of fruit and veggies to your meal can help boost your energy without being too heavy.
Online shopping on the rise
Bowl of Fruit
o
mercedes chien & arthi iyer
MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST
try on things. But, if it’s not clothing related then I will definitely go online shopping because it’s easier to shop,” design editor & reporter Evani Radiya-Dixit (9) said. Many clothing stores give conOnline shopping is quickly besumers the option to make purchases coming a convenient, time-effective online alternaand the tive to reduced I feel like [online shopping] won’t really grow in-store prices of shopto a huge extent because shopping is an online ping for experience and there is no way to try on stuff goods c o n and frewhen you go online shopping. sumers quent over the Evani Radiya-Dixit (9) d i s past decount cade. opporAs tunities make the prospect of online an entry level employee at Forever 21, shopping very appealing. Deepa Gupta notes the popularity of Some students, acknowledging in-store shopping, despite the increase the pros and cons of browsing online, of online options. “[Teenagers] just see shopping as prefer a combination of both in-store a way to hang out with their friends and online shopping. “I look at clothes online from and have fun. So I don’t think physical time to time. I feel like I like most of stores are on the decline at all, but ononline clothing because if you can’t line shopping is definitely growing,” fi nd something in a store then it’s Gupta said. available online,” Shivani Awasthi (9) She accredits the increase of onsaid. “But, sometimes it sucks because line shopping to its time efficiency, esit takes a really long time to ship to pecially for working adults who do not your house.” always have the physical energy to go Evani noted the opportunities out shopping after work. She added shopping in stores gives consumers that the prevalence of online coupons and believes that online shopping, no are attractive to consumers. matter how popular it becomes, can For students, especially high not take away from that experience. schoolers burdened with homework “People are now using online and extracurricular activities, online shopping more and more but I feel shopping serves as a satisfying pastime like it won’t really grow to a huge exwithout having to leave their homes. tent because shopping is an experience “Online shopping is convenient and there’s no way to try stuff on when because I don’t have to drive someyou go online shopping,” Evani said. where and look around the stores,” Despite its disadvantages, online Katy Sanchez (11) said. “I can just shopping is on the rise among teenshop from my couch instead.” Others prefer the advantages of agers and adults alike due to its convenience and increased availability of shopping in stores. “It’s easier because I can actually products.
184 calories
120 calories
If you can eat seafood, fish is probably one of the best sources of protein that you can find. Friday’s meals consisted of quite a bit of salmon: salmon clam chowder for soup and salmon with spicy teriyaki sauce from the meat carving station. From the meat carving station, salmon with some teriyaki sauce will keep you alert, but apply these toppings to your meals sparingly. On the side, cold salads are wonderful supplements, and usually they come with the main meal.
it
. Y . D.I
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Students discuss preferences
Caesar Salad
A visit to the Farmer’s Market will not disappoint - a myriad of salads are available for your choosing. Caesar salad provides a good amount of calcium, essential vitamins, and many different tastes. The farmer’s market provides fresh salads and vegetables to add to your meal daily, as well as soups to try. Some of the salads contain meat (e.g. seafood, chicken) to amp up the protein content of your plate and keep you satisfied during the day.
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Veggies with chicken and vinaigre e
PRISCILLA PAN AND LAVINIA DING - WINGED POST
lifestyle editor
Yo u r s e
When I step on the treadmill or approach the squat rack, I don’t imagine an aesthetically pleasing physique when seeking motivation. I imagine me as my fittest self: healthy, active, strong. I work out to be as fit as possible for as long as possible, for a higher quality of life and a higher standard of living. Consistent reminders dictating that I “don’t need to work out,” or should “just relax” never cease to app me; they come across as shallow assumptions that my efforts are an attempt to temporarily boost my appearance or body image. Setting goals is an important step to making progress in any workout regimen, but the final result we strive for shouldn’t revolve around the number we see on the scale or the idea of being noticed by friends and family. Our fitness is measured by the way we feel, the way we look, and the way we feel about the way we look. Muscle weighs more than fat; I’ve managed to do away with regularly weighing myself altogether in place of simply studying the alterations in my figure in the mirror,. More rewarding are my newfound energy, boosted mood and the noticeable changes in my strength both in and outside of the weight room. True fitness is measured by the self, not by the eyes and perspectives of others. Getting in shape for the right reasons proves rewarding on multiple levels.
D.I.Y. Nail Art riya godbole
Aquila lifestyle editor
The nail art craze does not seem to be disappearing anytime soon, spotted at countless runways at New York Fashion Week. Embellish your fingernails for the spring with darling flowers, delectable strawberries, or marbled swirls. Chic manicure? Nailed it! You will need: Various colors of nail polish including red, green, and white • top coat • base coat • cotton swabs • tape • toothpicks • nail polish remover • water • bowl • small makeup/nail art brush • small flowers (real or synthetic) • paper towels • heavy books • tweezers
Water Marbling
1. Place Scotch tape around the edges of your nail. 2. Apply a base coat to your nails. 3. Paint your nails with two coats of a white polish. 4. Drop a small amount of polish on the surface of the room temperature water in a bowl. 5. Using a second bright polish, drop a small amount of polish over the existing polish on the surface of the water. Repeat the process with a third bright polish., then again in the same order.
6. Use a toothpick to create a design on the surface of the water. 7. Lay your nail onto the surface of the water, making sure to align it with the design you created. 8. Leave your nail underwater for about 5-10 seconds. 10. Remove your nail from the water and peel off the tape surrounding it. 11. Use a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover to clean up any polish around the edges of your nail and seal with a top coat.
Strawberry Shortcake
1. Apply a base coat to your nails. 2. Paint your nails with two coats of a coral-red polish. 3. Using a green polish, paint three rounded blobs at the outer tip of your nail. 4. Using a small paint brush or the back of a makeup brush, apply white dots to the red portion of your nail. Try to keep the dot pattern symmetrical and consistent for best results.
5. If desired, apply a green glitter polish over the leaves to add a hint of sparkle. 6. Seal your design with a top coat.
Flower Nails
1. Place 4-6 small flowers on a paper towel and then cover them with another paper towel. 2. Place a stack of heavy books over the paper towel. Leave the flowers underneath the books for 2 days until they are completely dry. 3. Begin with a regular French manicure on all nails. Apply a top coat. 4. Apply a small amount of a clear top coat to the surface of your nail. Using a pair of tweezers, apply
one of the flowers to the nail and maneuver it so that it lays flat. 5. Repeat with as many flowers as desired. Use 2-3 flowers for best results and apply a top coat. 7. Dot a colored polish in a ring underneath the French tip of each nail. using a small brush. Use the color of the center of the flowers used earlier for best results. 8. Seal your design with a top coat.
Quick Tip: French manicures can be created in many different ways. After applying a base coat to your nails, try keeping the brush of a white polish steady and rotating your finger underneath the brush. Alternatively, lay a Band-Aid with a rounded tip over your nail, and use the curved edge as a guideline for the white polish. ALL PHOTOS RIYA GODBOLE - WINGED POST
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
SPORTS
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
juhi gupta & kavya ramakrishnan
Spring Update
Aquila multimedia editor & reporter
So ball
Under the guidance of Head Coach Raul Rios, the senior-less Varsity girls softball team is led by captains Vivian Isenberg (11), Sarah Bean (11), and Alisa Wakita (10). The team’s first win of the season was against Andrew Hill last Wednesday. “I think [our win] will really get our momentum going as we start getting into league play,” Tong Wu (10) said. Their next home game is against Mercy Burlingame on Tuesday, April 15, at 4 p.m.
Kevin Hu (10), Varsity Track
Matthew Ho (11), Varsity Volleyball
Kevin Xue (12), Varsity Tennis
mariam sulakian Aquila news editor
Shrish Dwivedi (11) Boys’ Golf
MARIAM SULAKIAN - WINGED POST
Medalist honors: 3 Games: 7
Varsity Captain Shrish Dwivedi (11) was on par for his leading team performance. “Shrish is as good as he is today because he’s a complete student of the game,” Coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “His work ethic, his approach to the game, his attention to detail is what typical PGA Pro’s do. ” The golfer was the low-scorer with a 32 in the victorious 182-230 game over Crystal Springs and a 34 against the 191-221 winning match against Kings Academy. Shrish earned medalist honors in six of seven matching and was the leading West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) golfer in scoring as of last week. “Shrish is a very focused, driven kind of guy,” Captain Nikhil Reddy (11) said. “We always joke around, and I make fun of him for swaying when [his swing is] actually really good. I’m really happy to be captain with him.” In addition to his three years on Varsity, Shrish has played golf since second grade. “As an athlete, Shrish is extremely dedicated” sister Ila Dwivedi (‘12) said. “He is very well mannered and strong-willed.” The boys’ stand 7-0 record in league, breaking the school record of six over.
Allison Kiang (11), Varsity Lacrosse
JUHI GUPTA - WINGED POST ROSHNI PAKHANIYA - WINGED POST
Track & Field
Students participating in Varsity track & field practice under Head Coach Brent Woodcock and Asst. Coaches Scott Chisam and Mike Bassoni. 42 boys and 14 girls are on this year’s team, a larger roster than that of any other spring sport. “Our numbers, attendance, and commitment have improved,” Chisam said. The track team will be competing at the Stanford Invitational today.
IN FULL SWING Captain Shrish Dwivedi (11) practices for the boys’ upcoming match today in the Champions Invitational Golf Tournament at the Terra Loga Golf Club.
KAVYA RAMAKRISHNAN - WINGED POST
KACEY FANG - WINGED POST
Briana Liang (11), Varsity Softball
REGINA CHEN - TALON
Nikhil Reddy (11), Varsity Golf
Nicolas Bean (9), Varsity Baseball
ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Christine Lee (12) Lacrosse
Varsity captain and goalie Christine Lee (12) has totaled 114 saves in nine games, only half way through the season. “Christine is an amazing goalie and an amazing athlete,” Head Coach Andrew Irvine said. “Every team we play, the coach comes up to me afterwards and says, ‘Your goalie is like a ninja.’ She’s going to be a hard person to replace next year.” The goalie saved 22 shots in the match against Burlingame High School on March 20. She followed the game with another 19 saves versus Archbishop Mitty on March 27. “She really, really cares about the team,” captain Brinda Perumal (12) said. “Every time one of us scores a goal she always runs up to the other defenders and does a little stick five or a handshake.” Christine totaled 15 saves against Gunn on March 25 following her two 13-save games against Sequoia on March 6 and Burlingame on March 17. “Overall, Chris is an amazing person,” captain Hannah Bollar (11) said. “When I first met her, she was always happy, and she was always cheering everyone else up.” The team faces Woodside High School today at home.
Saves: 114 Games: 11
ROSHNI PAKHANIYA - WINGED POST
Boys Tennis
The Varsity boys tennis team has been practicing daily under the leadership of Head Coach John Fruterro and Asst. Coach Hanna Pajujen. “We’re doing pretty well as a team, considering last year we were stronger in terms of doubles and singles,” John Dobrota (11) said. The team will play an away match versus Pinewood after spring break on April 15 at 4 p.m.
Boys Golf
The Varsity boys’ golf team is progressing through an active spring season. “The highlight of the season so far would probably be when we shot even par at Poplar Creek,” Dakota McNealy (10) said. The senior-less team is coached by Ie-Chen Cheng, and juniors Shrish Dwivedi and Nikhil Reddy are captains. The boys’ golf team will play in the Champions Invitational Golf Tournament today and tomorrow at Terra Lago Golf Club.
JONATHAN DAI - TALON
Lacrosse
The Varsity girls’ lacrosse team, practicing under coach Andrew Irvine, has split into JV and Varsity for the first time in the program’s history; the Varsity captains are Christine Lee (12), Brinda Perumal (12), Mabel Luo (12), and Hannah Bollar (11). “We have a great class of freshman so having our first JV team has been awesome,” Elizabeth Edwards (10) said. The lacrosse girls are at 1-7 overall, so far having scored a win against Santa Catalina. The team plays Woodside today on Davis Field at 4 p.m.
Albert Chu (12), Varsity Swimming
SHAY LARI-HOSAIN - WINGED POST
Boys Volleyball
Currently at 9-2 overall and at 3-1 in league, the Varsity boys’ volleyball team is progressing swiftly through its season. The boys are led by Head Coach Dan Molin, the Upper School Athletic Director, and Asst. Coach Mike Aitken. Andrew Zhu (12) is the team captain for this season. “I’m really looking forward to having a strong team that will make and do really good in CCS,” Shikhar Dixit (11) said. Varsity boys’ volleyball plays in the Bellarmine Tournament today.
Baseball
After launching into the season with a series of scrimmages, the Varsity Baseball team is currently well into league play. Varsity baseball plays under Head Coach Mike Delfino, and is captained by the sole senior Varun Kamat. “We’ve been exceeding expectations,” Nicolas Bean (9) said. “I think we’re improving a lot and we’re really on our way to rebuild.” Currently 0-8 overall and 0-4 in league, the boys face Livermore Valley Prep at home tomorrow at 4 p.m.
MARIAM SULAKIAN - WINGED POST
Swimming
The Varsity swim team dove into a rigorous season with the start of practice at Singh Aquatic Center on Feb. 3. The team practices under Head Coach Ronni Gautschi and Asst. Coach Alisha Garcia, and captains Kimberly Ma (12), Manon Audebert (12), and Grace Guan (10). “I think we really want our boys to make CCS,” Gautschi said. “I think every meet we’ve had multiple improvements and that’s huge for me.” The team will compete in a home meet against Sacred Heart Prep on April 23 at 4 p.m.
MAKING THE SAVE Goalie Christine Lee (12) prepares to save a goal in the Eagles’ match against Menlo-Atherton High School on March 7.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 SPORTS • APRIL 4, 2014
Jawbone Review anokhi saklecha
reporter
UPSETS #14 Mercer beat #3 Duke (1st round) [78-71] #11 Dayton beat #6 Ohio State (1st round) [60-59] and #3 Syracuse (2nd round) [55-53] #8 Kentucky- #1 Wichita (2nd round) [78-76] #10 Stanford beat #2 Kansas (2nd round) [60-57] #7 Connecticut beat #4 Michigan State (Elite Eight) [60-54]
reporter
ESPN
March Madness excitement is brewing as the nation awaits the results of the Final Four matchups to see which team will be crowned champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Basketball Tournament. College basketball transcends the nation through March and into April as committed fans, basketball newcomers, and everyone in between predict the scores and winners of the tournament. March Madness is an American tradition where people watch as favorites show off their refined abilities and Cinderella teams rise to the occasion. Students and teachers alike urge the Harker community to take part in bracket groups across campus. Teachers Jeff Sutton and Julie Wheeler encourage their students to fill out brackets. “It is an American cultural experience that they need to be aware of whether they know anything about college basketball or not,” Wheeler said. “It gets very exciting; and it sparks conversations on a number of different levels. Overall, it’s fun for
CHAMPIONSHIP TRAIL The 2014 bracket shows the live standings and scores of the NCAA College Basketball tournament. Wisconsin, Arizona, Kentucky, and Connecticut will play in the Final Four.
everyone to get involved, and it adds some fun competition into my class.” Students also took the opportunity to participate in the tournament. Srivinay Irrinki (11) started a bracket group for the junior class. “I’m a really big basketball fan, and I think it’s a good way to bring our class together. You never really know what’s going to happen,” Srivinay said. “People who maybe don’t normally watch basketball start getting really into it, and it’s a really exciting three weeks.” The close scores and major upsets that have occurred throughout the tournament continue to fuel the excitement. Duke’s loss to Mercer in the first round and Dayton’s advance to the Elite Eight are among the most notable upsets of the season. Florida ended Dayton’s unexpected tournament run, and Wisconsin beat out favorite Arizona in a 64-63 victory to advance to the Final Four along with Connecticut and Kentucky. Natasha Mayor (10), who creat-
ed the sophomore class bracket, got involved with March Madness for the first time this year. “This is my first year making a bracket, and all the excitement around March Madness is intoxicating,” Natasha said. “The biggest upset for me was Duke losing to Mercer in the first round. I had thought Duke would win the entire competition, so I was definitely upset when they lost.” With popular apps and websites, students have found it easier than ever to keep up to date with March Madness scores and brackets. It is easy to make and follow the progress of brackets with the ESPN Tournament Challenge App. Live streaming on the NCAA’s live website (www. ncaa.com/march-madness-live) allows students to watch games in real time. The semifinal games between the Final Four will take place tomorrow and the Championship game will be on Monday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Whether you are running, sleeping, or eating, the UP wristband by Jawbone will have you covered. The UP band is a fitness tracker and accessory that monitors physical activity, sleep patterns, and calorie intake. Perhaps one of the most attractive features of the UP wristband is its slender design. The lightweight bracelet comes in eight different colors and has a faint zigzag pattern over the top. Unlike other computerized pedometers, the UP band does not resemble a utilitarian gadget but rather an everyday accessory. Wireless sensors in the bracelet automatically track both fitness (number of steps) and sleep. Food intake, on the other hand, must be physically entered into the system by selecting consumed substances. This manual input can be cumbersome, but, at the same time, can spark a more vigilant awareness of diet. Visual bar graphs displaying the degree of success in meeting daily goals are revealed on the home page of the app. By swiping to the main menu, one can then view his or her lifeline trends, goals, and profile, each with a simple tap of a button. The battery life is marketed to last for 10 days, and stays true to its word, making the Jawbone program one of the longest lasting of its kind. Besides its long battery life, one of the most unique features of the UP band is its tracking of sleep patterns. The program monitors when you fall asleep, when you are in deep sleep, when you are in light sleep, and when you wake up, displaying this data in a visual graph upon opening the app. The wristband can easily be switched to night mode with the press of a button, enabling it to track
your sleep. Additionally, the band can be programmed to wake you up at the lightest point of your sleep cycle, a tactic that will leave you fresh and rejuvenated every morning. The wristband’s inbuilt pedometer constantly tracks the number of steps you have taken in any given day. The app also displays the number of calories burned, and the longest active and idle times in a day. One major fallback of the software is its inability to monitor activities other than walking or running, forcing users to manually input durations of activities other than walking or running. Although the device’s manual input can be inconvenient, the Jawbone UP band is a very appealing, reliable, and practical system. When used to its fullest extent with all food intakes and athletic activities manually recorded, the software can truly revamp one’s life into a happier and healthier one.
ANOKHI SAKLECHA - WINGED POST
megy appalaraju
JAWBONE
The Madness Continues Teachers and students await results of the NCAA March Madness Tournament
FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE The UP band provides information about fitness, sleep, and diet patterns. Jawbone released the UP band last year and currently markets it at $129.99.
TECH
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014
Bridging educational gaps with mobile apps
“Tech” Talk With Thyagaraj
Useful educational apps to supplement student learning emily lin & raveena kapatkar
Aquila opinion editor & reporter With the release of the Apple App Store in 2008, apps from a wide variety of categories have become popular for consumers of all ages. The education category, in the case of children and teens, is designed to help students with their academics. Apps such as Quizlet and Memrise help students study before tests and quizzes. Instead of using old-fashioned paper notecards, Quizlet allows students to create online notecards, which can be used as tools to help studying. “I used to use Quizlet for vocab,” Avinash Nayak (12) said. Quizlet was first released in 2007 by Andrew Sutherland, and in 2012, it made its first appearance on the App Store. Quizlet helps with the memorization of certain sets of information, for example learning vocabulary for languages. Users can create sets of flashcards, where they can input terms they need to memorize, which can then be studied in various modes: Learn, Speller, Space Race, Scatter, and Test. These modes help users test themselves, making memorization easier. “I think the Learn function on Quizlet is especially useful for vocabulary in other languages because it forces you to learn the correct spelling of the words and it allows you to test yourself both ways,” Alayna Richmond (9) said. Along with Quizlet, Memrise is another community-driven tool students use to help learn new courses and languages. Ed Cooke and Greg Detre launched Memrise in 2010. Lucas Wang (9) has been using the app for the past year and believes it to be extremely beneficial. “The best part is the community because everyone from around the world posts different sets on different
things. I started to relearn Spanish and even explore some French with it.” In addition to Quizlet and Memrise, many students use Evernote, Google Chrome, and Google Drive—three apps that are recommended by teachers as well. “On the first day of school, I had all my students download these three apps (if they didn’t already have them), and I require they be used in my class every day,” said Upper School English Teacher Ohad Paran. He emphasizes the use of these three apps in particular because all the data gets backed up on the cloud. Google Drive is one of the apps that he values the most because of its easy accessibility and the fact that his work is always backed up. “I grade [the essay], and then send it back to them electronically,” Paran said. “No paper to print, no paper to lose. No need for a binder. I don’t have a filing cabinet in my classroom because all my files are in the cloud.” Paran encourages students to continuously back up their files, which these three apps do, in order to avoid the stress of redoing work in case a laptop is stolen or crashes. Advances in cloud storage have made the backup process between computers and the internet more seamless. Dropbox and Box.net are two widely used storage websites that students use in addition to Google Drive. “I think Dropbox is nice because it gives you storage space outside of your own computer that also gives easy access to others. I know debate uses it frequently to share research and it works wonderfully,” Allen Huang (11) said. Many other apps such as Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, Khan Academy, and Notability are also used by students on a daily basis. Students use these various apps through devices such as iPhones and Android smartphones. Currently on the App Store, Lumosity Mobile, Duolingo, and Quizlet are in the top ten for most popular free educational apps.
What apps do you use? “I used to use Quizlet for vocab.”
vedant thyagaraj tech editor
Avinash Nayak (12)
“I use Quizlet and Memrise because they help me review right before a test.” Hazal Gurcan (9)
“I use Quizlet, WordReference for Spanish, and I use Khan Academy for math.” Nathan Dalal (11)
Facial recognition: no longer science fiction business editor
Facial recognition technology might have sounded like science fiction ten years ago, but today, it is used in everything from security to social networking to pet retrieval, both bringing users benefits and creating privacy concerns. A commonly used facial recognition service is Facebook’s photo tagging system, which suggests tags for users’ photos based on matches to photos of their friends. Earlier this month, Facebook announced its new DeepFace facial recognition software, which can identify faces with over 97 percent accuracy—nearly as well as a human can. Another widespread application of facial recognition is device security. Users of most Android phones and certain laptops can unlock their devices simply by holding them up to their faces, and recent versions of Android even include a “liveness” check that requires the user to blink. Nikhil Manglik (9) owns a phone that can tag photos with contacts based on their faces as well as a facial recognition login, but he uses neither feature. “It’s too much hassle and [the developers] haven’t gotten it down very well,” he said. He would use facial login if it were improved, however, because it “feels more secure.” Despite the potential simplic-
ity and security benefits of facial recognition, critics have voiced privacy concerns about storing their faces in company servers, where they could be accessed by employees or government
surveillance. One of the most controversial applications of facial recognition is the NameTag application for Google Glass, which can match photos of
INNOVYA
stephanie chen
RECOGNITION Facial recognition technology is now being used for everything from security to social networking. Multiple facial recognition services, such as Facebook’s photo tagging system and Android’s facial unlocking system, are finding more widespread uses.
strangers snapped on Glass to social networking profiles, sex offender registries, and other publicly available data. While its creators say their intention is to make social interactions safer and enabling people to connect with each other, critics have condemned NameTag for violating basic privacy rights. “It’s kind of creepy,” Sandhana Kannan (10) said. “[Using NameTag is] like stalking people—you know who they are, and they don’t know anything about you.” Assistant Director of Instructional Technology Diane Main found NameTag’s potential “exciting but a little creepy” and pointed out a potential benefit of a similar mobile facial recognition service: assistance for the visually impaired. “If facial recognition would enable [a visually impaired] person to function more in their job or their social life […] then that would be a good thing,” she said. Google has stated that it does not intend to support facial recognition on Glass due to privacy concerns. Main emphasized the role of users in determining the future of facial recognition and its applications. “The technology itself isn’t bad,” she said, “but it comes down to how it’s going to be used and how trusting our society is.”
HEART MONITORING Wearable devices for monitoring health have found useful applications in the commerical market. Alivecor, a San Francisco-based startup, has built a sensor. which attaches to any iPhone or Android phone, that measures heart rate variability and cardiovascular activity.
MOTOROLA
ALIVECOR
NIKE
Wearable devices for fitness, health monitoring, and gesture detection
SMARTWATCH The Moto 360 (above) resembles a regular watch but houses an Android computer system within. The device serves as an intermediate between users and their smartphones. Nike’s Fuelband (top right) is another wearable device that tracks fitness. Google Glass (bottom right), the first wearable to debut on the consumer market, allows users to perform normal smartphone functions from a device that resembles a pair of glasses.
Wearable technology has been labeled the future of the 21st century computing revolution. Synthesizing powerful technology with the latest trends in fashion, these wearable devices serve many practical functions, which range from fitness tracking to health monitoring. The wearable revolution started in 2012 with the launch of Google Glass (see bottom right). This nifty little device, which resembles a pair of glasses, can perform normal smartphone functions, such as taking photos, replying to text messages, and providing voice-guided map instructions, in a much easier and more novel way. A really cool device, in my opinion, because smartphones need not be the middlemen anymore in pushing notifications to the user. Since then, the wearable technology industry has exploded. Especially competitive is the sector for fitness wearables; Jawbone, Nike (see bottom right), and Fitbit are just three of the many companies that have launched devices to help consumers actively track their exercise and workout regimen, as well as their diet and supplement intake. Consumers are coming to rely more and more on these devices for their health goals. And it doesn’t stop with fitness. Wearable technology has also played a constructive role in the medical field, helping patients monitor their ailments and associated symptoms. San Francisco-based startup Alivecor has leveraged the power of the wearable device industry by building a sensor that measures heart rate variability by recording patients’ electrocardiograms (EKGs), or cardiac electrical activity (see bottom left). Alivecor Chief Technology Office, Ravi Gopalakrishnan, believews that the future of wearable medical devices is saturated with potential. “Given the recent advances in wearable technology, the medical field has been significantly impacted,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Wearable devices can empower patients to take control of their diseases and help them in the recovery and management process.” Do these wearable devices serve any practical uses, or are they simply additional “nice-to-have” gadgets? Honestly, I think the paradigm for mobile technology is slowly shifting towards wearable technology, which has the potential to become huge if developed and marketed properly. Like I mentioned earlier, many people find it annoying to take out their smartphones to receive notifications. For them, having a wearable device that directly pushes notifications and other information from their phone to the device would help in ease of use. “There are three types of wearables at the moment. Notification medium, fitness trackers, and gesture detection devices, ” said Rahul Iyer, a software engineer at a stealth mode startup. “What’s making all of this possible is sensor technology, specifically electromechanical systems. The two significant challenges with wearable devices currently are fashion statements and battery capacities.” Iyer is part of a team developing gesture detection devices. And it’s not that these wearables look horrible on people. In fact, it’s just the opposite: these gadgets have a sense of style embedded in their design. One of the more recent examples is Motorola’s “smartwatch,” the Moto 360 (see bottom middle). This device, which resembles a finely polished aluminum watch, has a touchscreen display running the Android operating system. The Moto 360 smartwatch seems to do everything that was previously only possible in science fiction movies. The watch can provide voice-guided directions, notify and reply to text messages, and even record sound. It’s not a smartphone. It’s a watch. Even though these devices might seem superfluous , the concept behind wearable technology is definitely a unique one. With more time and development, these devices will soon find themselves a new home on our bodies.
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VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 6 APRIL 4, 2014 JESSICA “FRED” CHANG (11) AND CONNIE LI (12) TALENT: ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
VARUN CHERUKURI (12) TALENT: CAPTURING HEARTS
Connie and Fred won the Galaxy Far Far Away award for most creative performance, transitioning from a traditional Chinese dance routine to a hip-hop routine.
19 ACTS MAILE CHUNG (9)
Senior Varun Cherukuri, reprising his freshman HOSCARS performance, moonwalks to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” He won best overall award for his smooth moves.
AVINASH NAYAK (12)
STAR WARS ELISABETH SIEGEL AND APOORVA RANGAN
CHRISTOPHER NIKOLOFF TALENT: ROCKING OUT
Remixed Chinese dance, poi routines, a math teacher impersonating Darth Vader with bladder incontinence and a spot-on Michael Jackson impression. A hodgepodge of elements under a common banner—Hoscars. Hoscars, the Upper School’s multicultural talent show, was hosted by student council and Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club on March 27. A flurry of vocal performances, Bollywood dress, hula dancing and jazz music, 19
KENNY ZHANG AND EFREY NOTEN (12) TALENT: BAD PUNS Efrey and Kenneth introduce the next acts in the Hoscars show. The two were voted emcees by a wide majority at a senior class meeting.
acts took the stage in a morning assembly, with an awards assembly held in the afternoon. During the show, emcee Kenny Zhang (12) took this selfie with the student body and faculty. Some performers are magnified throughout the page. Kenny and his co-emcee Efrey Noten (12) used Harker’s talent to drive off senior class dean Dr. Victor Adler, posed as the talent-fearing version of Darth Vader. May the force be with you, Dr. Adler, as you recover from that show of talent.
ABEL OLIVAS TALENT: JUDGE
NATHAN DHABLANIA (12) MEENA CHETTY (12) TALENT: LOOKING ADORBS
GUYS’ GIG TALENT: HARMONIZING
BEST OVERALL, YOU ARE Varun Cherukuri GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY (Most creative) Connie Li (12), Fred Chang (11) HAN SOLO (Best solo performance) Noa Sasson (9) IMPERIAL MARCH (Best dance) Bollywood Group (all grade 12)
ISHANYA ANTHAPUR (11) MAYA JEYENDRAN (10)
STORMTROOPERS (Best group) Faculty
ANDREW RULE (9)
Guys’ Gig, performs an a cappella rendition of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, with Gurutam Thockchom (10) dressed as lead singer Freddie Mercury. The singers speed-changed in and out of the singers’ signature yellow jacket.
JAZZ BAND
Shreyas Parthasarathy (12) Meena Chetty (12) Dr. David Hart Andy Wang (12)