Winged Post Volume 21, Issue 2

Pg. 3: ROAD TO 2020 In conversation with Ro Khanna

Pg. 7: FALL FASHION

Pg. 15: HOMECOMING

Students express themselves through style

Highlights of the night

LIGHTS

WINGED POST THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE HARKER UPPER SCHOOL

500 SARATOGA AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95129

VOL. 21 NO. 2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019

OUT After the conclusion of a hazardous wind event, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) issued an “all clear” for the Bay Area on Oct. 10 and has completed restoration efforts to customers across the Bay Area and the rest of northern California, bringing an end to last week’s public safety power shutoff.

A total of 738,000 customers in 24 counties were impacted by the severe wind event that prompted PG&E to take this safety measure, according to a news release issued by the utility on Oct. 12.

The Bay Area outage, which was scheduled to begin in the Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties at 8 p.m. on Oct. 9, was part of the second phase of the utility’s “public safety power shutoff,” an intentional outage designed to prevent widespread wildfires caused by wind damage to power lines.

According to PG&E’s safety report, more than 100 instances of damaged power lines that could have been a source of ignition were found during inspections following the wind event. At an Oct. 10 press conference, PG&E CEO Bill Johnson stated that while PG&E will continue to improve its approach to wildfire prevention, power shutoffs may become a more prevalent option to prevent fires in dry, windy seasons.

“Our goal over time is to reduce wildfire risk further across the system, to shut off power less frequently and to further minimize the impact of shutoffs,” Johnson said. “Given the risk to public safety and the desire to have zero spark during conditions like the ones we’ve had over the last several days, we are very likely to have to make this kind of decision again in the future.”

Throughout the execution of this public safety measure, PG&E has received criticism for its failure to effectively communicate accurate, updated information to its customers regarding the shutoff. On Oct. 9, the utility’s website crashed due to a flood of traffic, even after adding capacity in preparation of the shutoff, and maps released of the impacted areas often proved to be inaccurate or vague.

Impacted customers were particularly frustrated with the uncertainty regarding the duration of shutoff, which PG&E only vaguely warned “could last longer than 48 hours.” The ambiguity led many customers to stock up on emergency supplies, depleting stores of water, food and other necessities earlier this week.

Even though the upper school campus was not directly affected by PG&E’s fire precautions, the school has taken its own safety measures to prepare for California’s fire season. In the wake of hazardous smoke events from widespread wildfires in

2018 a n d in 2017, the upper s c h o o l purchased PurpleAir air quality monitors over the summer and has begun testing the devices, which are expected to be more accurate than generalized weather reports.

“We invested in the technology to become part of the network to allow us to make decisions about what level of response we need to undertake in the event of damage to air quality,” Assistant Head of Student Affairs Greg Lawson said.

“We’ve established a protocol for response on each and every campus based on the air quality index that occurs.”

In the case of an on-campus power outage, Lawson says that classes will likely continue in “natural lighting” and “without technology,” although afterschool programs and other

Harker Athletic Hall of Fame inducts 4 new members during Homecoming ceremony Near-Mitra scholars hit first benchmark with their theses jessie wang sr. copy editor

The eight 2019-2020 Near-Mitra scholars had their thesis defenses over the weeks of Oct. 6 and Oct. 13, going from provisional to full scholars. Scholars presented their thesis and the work they’d done over the summer to a panel consisting of all of the Near-Mitra instructors. The final papers will come out in April.

“I’ve done so much research, now it’s just going to be really interesting to start bringing together that research,” one of four Near scholars Simar Bajaj (12) said.

anna vazhaeparambil & aditya singhvi co-sports editors

Adhir Ravipati (‘05), Kristina Bither Gurney (‘09), Maverick McNealy (‘13) and former assistant athletics director Chris Collins were presented with awards following speeches from upper school athletic director Dan Molin and lower and middle school athletic director Theresa “Smitty” Smith. “[The Hall of Fame] is a way of honoring anybody that we feel has made an impact at Harker athletically,” Molin said.

Ravipati was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for football, basketball and volleyball in his senior year and earned all-league honors in track.

After graduating from the University of

San Diego, where he continued playing football, he served as the head football coach for Menlo-Atherton until 2018, leading the team to their first state championship and a NorCal title.

Gurney was a four-year soccer and volleyball player during high school and was part of the 2007 volleyball team that won NorCals. Although she eventually chose to play volleyball for Villanova, she dominated both sports: she was named to The Mercury News All-Star volleyball team during her senior year and was the CCS leading scorer in girls soccer the following season.

McNealy, a four-year golfer, won the WBAL individual title his junior and senior years and went on to golf for Stanford and now the PGA tour. Even after graduating from Harker, he has left behind

IMPACTED AREAS A map of the Bay Area during the public safety power shutoff, which first hit the Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties Wednesday night, according to data released on Thursday by PG&E.

activities may be cancelled. The upper school has analog fax machines that can facilitate limited phone communication without electricity, and the emergency communication network is located offsite.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

kathy fang aquila editor-in-chief

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE LIU

Bay Area electricity returns after second phase of PG&E outage shuts power

POSE FOR POSTERITY Athletics directors Dan Molin and Theresa Smith pose with the new Hall of Fame inductees, who were honored on Oct. 12.

a reputable legacy.

Collins served in the athletic department from 2001 to 2015 and was Molin’s assistant for nine years. She is remembered for her dedication to the program throughout her time at Harker, whether that be through volunteering to sell spirit wear at games or getting flowers for senior nights.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

2 WINGED POST

Judge rules in favor of Harvard in affirmative action battle Federal District Court Judge Allison Burroughs ruled on Oct. 1 in favor of Harvard, finding the university’s admissions practices non-discriminatory.

The plaintiff, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), filed a notice of appeal on Oct. 5, continuing what many expect to be a long, ongoing battle around affirmative action.

SPOTLIGHT Austin Killam (11) reads for a part in one of this year’s four Student Directed Showcase plays. The stage readings occured on Sept. 23 and 25.

Student Directed Showcase releases cast list for 4 shows jessie wang

editor-in-chief & features editor

The case began in 2014 when SFFA, led by Edward Blum, accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants by holding them to a higher standard than other students. In her ruling, Burroughs found no evidence of such discrimination and defended using race as a factor in admissions decisions, writing “ensuring diversity at Harvard relies, in part, on race conscious admissions.”

According to Harvard representatives at the trial, the university uses a “holistic review,” to evaluate its applicants. “[Colleges] are picking you because they think you’re going to be interesting to talk to at lunch, an interesting dorm roommate to have, someone bringing a perspective to the classroom,” Nicole Burrell, director of college counseling, said.

“Can you tell that based on numbers? Colleges will say, ‘No, we can’t.’ Whole person [review] can be anything that gives the college a sense of what is that experience, what is that background [that you bring to the table].”

Many Asian American groups believe that this practice of holistic review gives Asian Americans a disadvantage. In an analysis of over 160,000 applications to Harvard, Asian Americans were found in the lawsuit to regularly rank lower than other racial groups on personality scores despite having the highest rankings for grades and extracurriculars, according to an article from the New York Times.

“I think holistic is just a pretty euphemism for having an untransparent admissions process,” Swan Lee, co-founder and board member of the Asian American Coalition for Education, said. “Even though [Asian American applicants] excel in all the objective categories, [when] it comes

to the only subjective category, which is the personality rating, then Harvard staff would subjectively mark Asian Americans overall just the lowest.”

The case also reinvigorated discussion of other practices, including admissions of legacy students, athletes and children of donors or staff. A study published last month found that 43 percent of white students admitted to Harvard fell in one of the aforementioned categories, as opposed to less than 16 percent of all other racial groups.

Although the judge ruled that Harvard did not discriminate against Asian Americans, she conceded that the university’s admission process was not perfect and recommended implementing implicit bias training to improve.

Additional reporting by Gloria Zhang and Kathy Fang. Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Annual picnic brings Harker community together erica cai

humans of harker profiler

KATHY FANG

Over 1000 students, parents, and faculty descended on the Blackford campus on Oct. 6 to celebrate the 69th Annual Family and Alumni Picnic. The picnic featured 25 game booths, a dunk tank, and a velcro wall. This year’s festivities introduced new attractions as well, such as the mechanical unicorn, the velcro wall and bumper cars.

Due to the positive reaction to last year’s free admission in celebration of Harker’s 125th year, admission to this year’s picnic was also free.

At 11 a.m., performers across all three campuses danced and sang during the annual picnic show, which loosely followed the popular children’s board game CanCANDYLAND Irene Yuan (10) and the dyland as part of the picnic’s theme. Some Harker Dance Company perform a licorice-themed dance number to Billie Eilish’s performances included upper school “bad guy” at this year’s picnic performance. choir Downbeat’s acapella arrangement This number, along with other performanc- of “Na Na Na” by Pentatonix and Harker es by student groups, was featured at the Dance Company’s choreography to a cov69th annual Family and Alumni Picnic, held er of Billie Eilish’s “bad guy.” at the Blackford campus.

Freshman Keesha Gondipalli, who has been to the picnic nine times, enjoys watching and performing in the show.

“I love watching my friends perform, and I love watching how you evolve over time.” Keesha said.

Carnival booths also featured candy-related activities, such as the Class of 2020’s candy store, dubbed the Senior Sweet Spot, which raised money for their senior class fund. Several upper school clubs and organizations, such as the Green Team, National Honor Society, Harker Robotics and DECA also volunteered at booths.

Aside from the numerous rides and attractions, upper school Spanish teacher Diana Moss believes that people, from long-time friends to new faces, are what make this event enjoyable every year.

“The fact that people are together from all four campuses, it gives us a chance to reconnect in a setting that’s not work,” Moss said.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full arti-

CATHERINE FENG

eric fang & sara yen

This year’s Student Directed Showcase (SDS) held auditions over the week of Oct. 6. Callbacks were held on Oct. 16.

SDS will feature four shows, each directed by a current senior: “Chinglish” directed

by Kathy Fang; “Marvin’s Room” directed

by Joel Morel; “An Absolutely True Story, As Told by a Bunch of Lying Liars” Directed by Shyl Lamba; and “Booby Trap” directed by Katelyn Chen. The shows will be performed on the week of Jan. 5, and rehearsals will take place over the next few months.

PENCILS DOWN Rows of tables and chairs are set up in the Nichols atrium in preparation for the PSAT exam yesterday

Sophomores and juniors take PSAT as freshman attend service day in Rancho Cañada mark hu

STEM editor

Grade 10 and 11 students took the Preliminary SAT this Wednesday in various classrooms and buildings around campus. Juniors were eligible to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program while sophomores took the test as practice. The test is divided into a reading and writing section and a math section with both scored out of 760. Freshmen went on their annual community service trip to Rancho Cañada del Oro while seniors had the day off.

VISIBILITY & SUPPORT Bennett Liu (12) shares his Coming Out Story during school meeting on Monday. His speech highlighted the importance of kindness.

NINA GEE

ILLUSTRATION BY ARELY SUN

sr. copy editor

Stickers and speaker mark National Coming Out Day mark hu

STEM editor

The Harker community celebrated National Coming Out Day, with a speech given by Bennett Liu (12), co-president of the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club, describing his coming-out story on Oct. 14. Although the holiday was on the eleventh, the school celebrated it later. Abel Olivas, GSA club advisor, and club members handed out rainbow stickers outside Manzanita Hall during lunch.

IRINA MALYUGINA

21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019 NEWS VOLUME

WINGED POST 3

21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019 NEWS VOLUME

In conversation with Congressman Ro Khanna

Settling into a comfy suede chair, Congressman Ro Khanna assumed a tranquil posture and took a slow sip of his coffee.

We sat diagonal from him, discussing his work as a public servant since 2016. Over the next half an hour, Khanna touched on his childhood, his achievements, and key issues he has either penned or supported legislation on. Khanna represents California’s 17th congressional district, which encompasses cities in Santa Clara and Alameda counties. He also serves on the Armed Services, Oversight, and Budget Committees in Congress.

Winged Post: How did you get involved in politics and know you wanted to be a Congressman?

Ro Khanna: My grandfather spent four years in jail with Gandhi, and he had a big influence on my thinking. My parents were immigrants, I went to public school, I had teachers who encouraged me to get active in public affairs and that’s what made me interested. Then I worked in Barack Obama’s very first campaign when he was running for the State Senate and got a sense of what it was like to work for someone in elected office.

WP: From your town halls and interactions with constituents, what have you seen to be most pressing issues facing this district as a whole?

RK: The cost of living. The cost of college becoming exorbitant, and the cost of housing being so exorbitant. How are young people even going to live here?

The traffic, the transportation issues. But I would say affordable college, affordable housing, affordable transportation

ALYSA SULEIMAN

winged post editor-in-chief, news editor & sports editor

ALYSA SULEIMAN

eric fang, arushi saxena & anna vazhaeparambil

or more access to transportation.

WP: And what issues facing young adults like us do you think are most pressing in this district?

RK: Getting a good-paying job and also a good career, and understanding what those jobs of the future are going to be. Making sure that you don’t go into debt going to college, and that you can have a good education, and making sure that we have a planet that is inhabitable and doesn’t have catastrophic consequences.

WP: I have a study about vaping by the Santa Clara County, and it says that about 1 in 3 teens in Santa Clara County has tried vaping. How is your office planning to address this?

RK: Wow is it that high? I’m part of the vaping caucus, and I have said that we ought to ban flavors when it comes to vaping and ban marketing to young people and advertising. We have to regulate it similarly as we regulate cigarettes.

WP: Earlier you referenced the climate crisis and how youth activism is playing a large role in that direction.

You’ve previously written that California can and should do a lot more to combat the climate crisis including enacting a no-tolerance policy for new fossil fuel projects. What do you think the Silicon Valley in particular can do to address climate change?

RK: We can come up with extraordinary new solutions. For example, I was meeting with an entrepreneur who had a company to plant a trillion trees within one year. There are solutions when it comes to geothermal and how to create geothermal that scales. There are solutions on battery storage, to figure out how do we store the energy that we’re producing. So Silicon Valley can lead the way in coming up with these new technologies.

WP: With recent mass shootings, I think school safety has been a very big concern, especially for my fellow classmates and teachers. How would you work to ensure the safety of students against shootings?

RK: It’s a huge issue and that I hear a lot about from constituents. We ought to have an assault weapons ban, we

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Khanna weighs in on impeachment, political activism and the housing crisis

have to ban high-capacity magazines, we should have a universal background check. These are common sense laws that would protect people and take dangerous weapons off our streets.

WP: On the topic of Trump, you’ve been a vocal advocate of impeachment in Congress. Why do you think this impeachment inquiry will benefit the American people and your district?

RK: We have to stand up for the Constitution. We can’t allow a president to go get dirt on political opponents from foreign leaders, and we can’t allow that kind of foreign influence in our elections.

WP: What do you think makes this district unique, and why are you proud to represent this district?

RK: I think what makes it special is its incredible diversity, people from back-

Clockwise from bottom left.

IN BETWEEN WORDS Eric Fang (12) and Arushi Saxena (11) interview Congressmen Ro Khanna. Khanna represents California’s 17th district, including parts of South and East San Francisco Bay Area.

SPREADING AWARENESS Congressman Khanna speaks to a group of constituents at a town hall in September. The congressmen hosts several of these events each year to discuss key issues and inform people of new legislation he is sponsoring.

ROUND OF APPLAUSE Constituents applaud Congressmen Khanna following an October town hall. His office spreads the word about these events through their website and social media.

grounds of all over the world that come here, they’ve chosen to come here to contribute. And the innovation, we lead the world in innovation with Apple, Google, Intel, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Cisco, Tesla. I also think the values of this area are very much about respect and tolerance and the search for mutual understanding, so I’m very proud to represent the area.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

Fall Play 2019: “Almost, Maine” kicks off rehearsals with both casts alysa suleiman & catherine feng

IRENE YUAN

sports report & asst. copy editor

YOUNG LOVERS Sarah Raymond (11) plays the character of Gayle, with Austin Killam (11) as Lendall, in this year’s production of “Almost, Maine.” The cast will perform on Oct. 24, Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Patil Theater. Due to the large volume of students that auditioned, there are two separate casts for the show, one featuring juniors and seniors for the evening shows, and one feauring freshman and sophomores for the Saturday matinee.

On September, Thursday, Sept. 5, the annual upper school fall play, “Almost, Maine,” was officially cast after the opencall auditions and is currently in production. The cast will continue to rehearse until the final dress rehearsal on Oct. 23.

Tickets will go on sale two weeks before the performances on Oct. 24 through Oct. 26.

This year’s fall play, directed by upper school theater teacher Jeffrey Draper, celebrates the beauty of human relationships by displaying the tribulations and rewards love has to offer.

Due to the abundance of students that auditioned, there is a swing cast composed of freshmen and sophomores that have only one performance on the Saturday matinee show at 2 p.m., where actors can invite any of their friends and family,

while the evening cast have three official performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The final shows will take place in about four weeks.

“Mr. Draper wanted to give everyone a chance to perform, but since the play is meant for a smaller cast, he split them up as an opportunity for underclassmen to learn from the experiences of the upperclassmen and their acting choices,” said Callie Mayer (10), who is in the evening cast.

Set in the fictional town of Almost, Maine, the play exhibits a series of 11 vignettes depicting the various facets of love. Although there is no storyline connection between each scene, interlogue and epilogue scenes, each story takes place within the same ten minutes.

“It’s a perfect show. It rivals the greatest writing of the last century because it is so well designed,” Draper. “It makes the audience smile and laugh and hug the person they’re next to a little tighter …

[and] does all the things great theater can do.”

Directors Tanna Kienitz and Tony Kienitz, along with stage director Cordelia Larsen, were hired to help cast the actors and work directly with the swing cast, while Draper is the only director for the evening cast.

Stage manager Geneva Devlin (11) appreciates the consistent practice and cohesion of the backstage crew so far.

“I’m overall just really happy with the choices that have been made so far, and I really love the way things are going,” Geneva said.

As the show date rolls near, Draper hopes to enact his vision of creating joy in the audience and leaving them grateful that the performance of so many passionate young actors in the play.

“They are going to do a fantastic job,” Draper said. “I’m working with them, those same actors. . . and I know they’re going to be fantastic.”

4 WINGED POST

21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019 GLOBAL VOLUME

Campaigning for Canada

Hong Kong protests escalate in violence

An 18-year-old Hong Kong protestor was shot in the chest and critically injured on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and a 14-year-old protestor was shot on Friday, Oct. 4, inflaming tensions between the police and protestors.

On Friday, Oct. 4, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam announced a ban on face masks, prompting a weekend of violent demonstrations that shut down most of the city’s metro stations. Tens of thousands of people wearing masks, openly defying the ban, marched through the city on Sunday. Violence broke out as protestors attacked businesses and metro stations with rocks while the police responded by spraying tear gas and pepper spray at the crowds. Protestors continue to demand democracy and an investigation into the violence of the police force.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSA SULEIMAN

Attack on Saudi Arabia increases oil prices

lucy ge

asst. news editor

Drones and missiles attacked two oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 14, causing a sharp increase in oil prices.

Saudi Arabia claims that seven missiles and 18 drones were used in the strike. The Houthi rebels from Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attack, while Iran is denying involvement. The attack resulted in a loss of 5.7 million barrels of crude oil and affected about 5 percent of the global oil supply.

ILLUSTRATION BY ARELY SUN

Singapore “fake news” law goes into effect

lucy ge

asst. news editor

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act went into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Media companies and other online platforms are now required to remove content that is found to be untrue by government ministers.

Critics of this law say that the law will impose on the freedom of expression of millions of people.

aquila managing editor & asst. news editor

Canada’s 43rd general election will take place on Oct. 21 in order to elect members of Parliament. Canadian Governor General Julie Payette dissolved Parliament on Sept. 11, officially marking the start of the election campaign.

In the upcoming election, current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be seeking reelection to retain the Liberal majority in Parliament while Andrew Scheer is running on behalf of the Conservative Party, Jagmeet Singh is representing the New Democratic Party and Elizabeth May is with the Green Party.

In contrast to American elections where the legislative majority party does not necessarily align with the executive branch’s political views, Canadian voters select individual members of Parliament, and the majority party forms the government with the leader of that party.

“In reality, this means that many people do not know about their local representative and, instead, vote based only on their view of the national leader,” Gerald Boychuk, Professor of American and Canadian Politics at the University of Waterloo, said in an email interview with the Winged Post.

In the United States, the government is dominated by the Democrats and Republicans whereas in Canada, there are two major parties, the Liberal and Conservative Parties, as well as one minor party and several third parties that oscillate in influence.

The two countries also have extremely distinct campaign programs: American presidential candidates launch their campaign more than a year in advance, but Canadian campaign seasons last from the day of Parliament dissolvement to the date of the upcoming election: 40 days.

Additionally, Canada has strict campaign finance laws that prevent any group, whether a political party or a third party, from spending over a set amount of money.

“The cap that any party can spend this time around is $28 million,” Anna Esselment, Professor of Canadian Politics at the University of Waterloo.

“This law is in place to level the playing field among parties and candidates.”

Elected in the 2015 election, Trudeau has focused on issues like gender representation, resettlement of refugees, and action against climate change. Additionally, throughout his time in office, Trudeau adopted a socially liberal mindset as he apologized to both indigenous peoples and members of the LGBTQ+ community for the discrimination and marginalization against him; he also self-identified as a feminist in an interview with CNN reporter Poppy Harlow.

He has also taken a clear stance against the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump as he announced that Canada will “move forward with retaliatory measures” in response to Trump’s tariffs on metal imports from

Canada, according to a news conference at the 2018 G7 Summit.

“In 2015, Mr. Trudeau seemed to be able to transcend some of the fundamental conflicts between the following: support for energy development and action against climate change; support for increased immigration and celebration of diversity and multiculturalism; and, finally, support for economic development and support for indigenous rights,” Boychuk said.

Trudeau’s reelection campaign was rocked by a recent unexpected scandal. Old photos of Trudeau wearing blackface makeup were publicized after TIME Magazine published them in September. After his approval ratings dropped sharply, Trudeau delivered two public apologies last month.

“My colleague Jason Roy and I recently completed a study that examined the impact of different types of scandals and found that they only reduced the probability of voting for the scandalous party by 1-3 percentage points,” said Christopher Alcantara, Graduate Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario. “If anything, [the Trudeau scandal] has helped the New Democratic Party mainly because its leader [Jagmeet Singh] is a visible minority and he has benefited from occupying the moral high ground on this issue given his experiences and his reaction to the scandal.”

Scheer, who is representing the Conservative Party, is currently focusing on cutting the carbon tax, which was implemented under Trudeau in an effort to cut greenhouse emissions, and other taxes.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU LIBERAL PARTY

Trudeau has been Canada’s Prime Minister since Oct. 2015. He is a member of the Liberal Party which supports stronger gun control and action against climate change.

ELIZABETH MAY GREEN PARTY

May has led the Canadian Green Party since 2006 and served in Parliament since 2011.

The Green Party has historically supported nonviolence and social justice efforts, while also proposing legislation to encourage

“[The Trudeau scandal] has helped the New Democratic Party mainly because its leader [Jagmeet Singh] is a visible minority and he has benefited from occupying the moral high ground” CHRISTOPHER ALCANTARA GRADUATE CHAIR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT WESTERN UNIVERSITY

The reaction likely would have been much stronger for Mr. Trudeau’s leading rival, Andrew Scheer, had he found himself in the same position,” Boychuk said.

Jagmeet Singh became the first person of a minority group to hold the leadership of a Canadian federal political party, the New Democratic Party.

According to polls from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, support for Singh surged after the Trudeau scandal, as he gained five percent in eight days. Singh has based his campaign off of fighting for human rights.

The final candidate, Elizabeth May, who leads the Green Party of Canada, has mainly spoken publicly about a need for environmental awareness.

Canadian citizens will head to the polls on Oct. 21 to cast their votes for the political party that will become the face of Canada for the next four years.

JAGMEET SINGH NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Singh is a Canadian politician and lawyer who has served as the leader of the New Democratic Party since 2017. This party has historically supported the expansion of medicare across the country and a tax on the top 1%.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY NICOLE TIAN

lucy ge

asst. news editor

varsha rammohan & lucy ge

PROVIDED BY CHRISTOPHER ALCANTRA

ILLUSTRATION BY NINA GEE

Justin Trudeau defends his position as Prime Minister

ANDREW SCHEER CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Scheer has served as the leader of the Conservative Party since 2017, serving in Parliament since 2004. Canada’s Conservative Party has historically supported lower taxes, a more centralized government framework, and tougher action against criminal offenses.

OF THE PEOPLE POWER IN NUMBERS Roxanne Gaona (12) holds forth a banner saying “standing together for Juristac” at the front of the march. Roxanne is a senior at Central High School in Fresno.

Protesting to protect Local tribe protests Santa Clara County mining operation editor-in-chief

JOINED TOGETHER Eleanor Castro, a member of Amah Mutsun’s governing council, leads a group of activists during their march through downtown San Juan Bautista. She emphasized her tribe’s responsibility to preserve Juristac for future generations.

Operation info What: proposed construction of a 320-acre sand and gravel mine Where: sacred Native American land called Juristac at the southern end of Santa Clara County OUR LAND Members of the Amah Mutsun tribe stand while listening to speakers prior to the march. Protesters walked on Sept. 8 to show their opposition to the quarry.

When: building project proposed for the spring of 2020 Pros: could create up to 20 union jobs, cut transportation distances of sand and gravel to the county Cons: disturbs sacred grounds, disrupts the migration of threatened species, could contaminate nearby water sources

SIDE BY SIDE Blanca Alvarado, formerly on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, stands with her daughter (left) and Teresa Castellanos (right), who is on the San Jose Board of Education.

All information from Santa Clara County Government Project Introduction

At the southern end of Santa Clara County, green and gold hills stretch for over 6,000 acres. Oak and sycamore trees dot the rolling landscape known as Sargent Ranch. For thousands of years, the Amah Mutsun tribal band, a local Native American group, has called these hills “Juristac” and considered them sacred ground. Soon, these hills may serve as the site of a 320-acre sand and gravel mine.

Over 100 current shareholders of Sargent Ranch submitted the mining proposal for approval by Santa Clara County in 2016. Since then, ongoing efforts to promote or protest the quarry have revealed tensions between different groups in the Silicon Valley, including developers, Native Americans and environmentalists.

The quarry would create three 200-foot-deep pits and supply 40 million tons of sand and gravel to Santa Clara County over 32 years to make concrete. As the Silicon Valley undertakes an increasing number of development projects, more building materials are required to meet the demand.

“Increasing construction projects in Silicon Valley’s undeveloped land may bring negative impacts in the future,” Natasha Yen (11), vice president of Harker’s Green Team, said. “Public land may be placed in the hands of construction projects, and natural resources such as our air and water may be jeopardized as well.”

This growth may also come at the expense of local groups like the Amah Mutsun tribe. They believe the quarry will disturb their sacred grounds, which houses their spiritual leader Kuksui, as well as villages and burial sites dating back 15,000 years.

As the county reviews the impact of the quarry proposal, members of the Amah Mutsun have intensified efforts to raise awareness of the environmental and cultural significance of Juristac. EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, executive director of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, said that the quarry is unnecessary and would cause irreparable harm to the environment.

“[The landowners] are suggesting that in order to be able to preserve and protect the majority of the land, they need to create a quarry, and that’s absolutely not true,” Khalsa said in an interview with Harker Aquila.

To demonstrate their opposition to the quarry, protesters walked five miles on Sept. 8 from Mission San Juan Bautista to the eastern edge of Juristac. Roxanne Gaona, a senior at Central High School in Fresno, led the procession of over 200 indigenous people, environmental activists and allies.

“I’m involved because it’s not right to take away where our ancestors were,” Roxanne said in an interview with Harker

“It’s not right to take away where our ancestors were.

[Being Amah Mutsun], it is our responsibility to make sure Juristac is protected.”

ERIC FANG

eric fang

ROXANNE GAONA (12) LEADER OF PROCESSION

Aquila. “As [an Amah Mutsun] youth, it is our responsibility to make sure Juristac is protected.”

According to the project description submitted to the county, the quarry would not disturb any river ecosystems and would create up to 20 union jobs. However, environmental groups warn that runoff from the quarry will contaminate nearby water sources.

The public will have 60 days to comment on the Environmental Impact Report when the Department of Planning and Development releases it. The county will hold public hearings for the proposal, likely in the spring of 2020, and then the Santa Clara County Planning Commission will vote on the quarry. The county Board of Supervisors will then decide whether to proceed with the project.

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ALL PHOTOS BY ERIC FANG

WINGED POST 5

21 • ISSUE 2 FEATURES VOLUME OCTOBER 17, 2019

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21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019 FEATURES VOLUME

The essence of Indian festivals varsha rammohan & alysa suleiman

After nine sacred days of religious piety, Dussehra, which fell on Oct. 8 this year, commences with joyous celebrations of singing and dancing and food preparation. In celebration of Durga’s defeat of evil as well as appreciation for her protection, devotees burn a small statue of Ravana, an evil god with 10 heads and the main antagonist of the Indian folklore behind Navaratri.

“Like most Indian festivals, there’s going to be a lot of life and color during Dussehra,” Aaditya said. “The sweets and fruits are a huge part, but we also always wear and decorate the parties with a ton of colors to represent the fact that there’s so much positive energy fighting against evil and we have succeeded in purifying and cleansing ourselves of evil.”

During the Dussehra celebration, devotees also honor the deities that safeguard them through traditional Indian dance known as garba or dandia, a folk dance performed with short wooden sticks.

aquila co-managing editor & sports reporter

Women adorned in jewelry and draped in yards of colorful silk around the waist and shoulder, known as the traditional saree, vividly complement an assortment of brightly colored Indian sweets and snacks lining the table. Sticky little hands demolish the tower of sweet morsels, which range from ladoo, a sugary flour ball speckled with nuts, to murukku, a crunchy, swirl-shaped treat made from chickpeas.

As the gathering moves into the living room, the focus falls on the golu display, a towering festive arrangement of clay dolls and figurines representing Hindu figures and gods. The golu dolls, along with the presence of traditional foods and music, were held in celebration of Dussehra, the celebratory party that ends one of the most significant festivals for Hindu devotees: Navaratri.

As October rolls around the corner, billions of Hindus begin the annual preparations to honor the traditions specific to Navaratri, Dussehra and Diwali, the main Indian festivals during fall.

Navaratri is a function dedicated to the divine feminine goddess Devi, or Durga “the invincible,” a protector and source of positive energy for Hindus. The golu presentation is more prevalent to those who hail from south India, while north Indians and Nepalians create pandals, temporary shrines built in the community. Navaratri spans over nine days; this year, festivities began on Sunday, Sept. 28 and ended on Oct. 7.

Some worshippers believe in meditative fasting during Navaratri, which includes strict diets composed of fruits, nuts, milk and a few flour products. For Indian families, fasting, along with bathing and cleansing every day, is a method of removing all the dirt and evil that has accumulated throughout the year and to purify themselves to pay respect to the deities.

MICHELLE LIU

Navaratri, Dussehra and Diwali embody family and tradition

Similarly, Diwali, known as the “festival of lights,” is another trademark Hindu festivity, from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, that emphasizes community and family unity against symbolic forces of dark and evil.

Diwali directly translates to ‘row of lights’ and tells the love story and gripping saga of Sita and Rama, who eventually found their way back together by lighting

“During festivals, we wear and decorate the parties with a ton of colors to represent the fact that there’s so much positive energy fighting against evil and we have succeeded in purifying and cleansing ourselves of evil.”

AADITYA GULATI (10) HINDU DEVOTEE WHO HONORS INDIAN FESTIVITIES Minali Kapadia (10), who has practiced dandia for over 10 years with her family, appreciates that she can stay connected to her culture through traditional rituals as well as utilize the opportunity to introduce Indian culture to other people.

“My favorite part of Indian holidays other than the food is the ability to feel super included in a community, which is something that we are not really able to do on a daily basis,” Minali said.

rows of clay lamps despite being initially separated by the evil god Ravana.

Anu Datar, upper school computer science teacher who practices Hindu traditions, recalls the first 36 years of her life spent in India where she and her family celebrated Diwali with careful preparation.

As a child, Datar performed rituals and traditions such as buying new clothes,

bathing in scented pastes and oils before sunrise, making ladoo and chakli sweets, and bursting fireworks, all with her parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts together. However, without the endless family members that played such integral roles in creating the familiar rituals and festivities back in India, Datar finds different ways to continue and preserve her traditions.

“I’ve definitely cut down [on Diwali preparations]; I just make a couple things,” Datar said. “In India, it was a communal effort, and [that] makes things a lot easier, but I wouldn’t say the significance or importance of Diwali has gone down because for me, it’s a very very important festival. I just cut down on the amount of things I do.”

Datar also realizes the significance of emphasizing traditional Indian holidays such as Diwali and continues tradition by exposing her culture and childhood to her own children.

“I feel that it’s not just me. My kids otherwise would not know about any of these [traditions] because they have not spent any Diwali in India,” Datar said. “I feel that they’re losing out on a lot of important cultural things that they should be aware of, and as people of Indian origin, I want them to be aware of these things and stay connected to what was important for me and my parents and generations before that.”

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Sketches and snippets Kismet Singh experiences the world through art

irene yuan

IRENE YUAN

asst. photo editor

Gray lines trace down the page, leading left and right, creating sharp edges and soft curves. Each stroke is unique. Precise, careful lines jumble together to form an abstract face. Shapes are shaded with varying degrees, accenting specific areas.

A single word scribbled in the bottom right corner of the page encapsulates the depiction.

Tumble.

Below that, the details of the work.

Year, name, medium.

This piece is just one of many doodles, sketches, and poetic snippets and words contained in the sketchbook of Kismet Singh (12). Spontaneously writing and drawing is not unusual for her, as she brings a notebook with her everywhere, always within arm’s reach so she can take it out and write things down whenever inspiration strikes. Kismet’s interest in creative studies throughout her life has given her a different perspective of the world.

“From the artist’s vantage point, it’s hard to see everything and just not feel this sense of bliss and gratitude,” Kismet said, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been enamored by everything, the concept of everything, and so, I think art is the closest way to achieve infinite consciousness … I feel like that viewpoint — being enamored by everything — kind of affects everything I do.”

Another major influence in her life is her family. With her cousins, she participates in Bhangra, a dance associated with the Punjabi harvest festival.

“It’s a really energetic, jovial type of dance. It’s really fun. It’s really good to just get in the rhythm and feel connected with my heritage,” Kismet said, “At the same time, with all the people I care about surrounding me, it’s just really, really nice.”

The sketchbook closes, black cover now protecting everything between its pages. Kismet smiles and she slides the book safely back into her bag, easily accessible for the next time she’ll need it.

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“The way I see it is for as long as I can remember, I’ve been enamored by everything, the concept of everything, and so, I think art is the closest way to achieve infinite consciousness...I feel like that viewpoint—being enamored by everything— kind of effects everything I do.”

KISMET SINGH (12) ARTIST, DANCER, ATHLETE, CHEERLEADER

LIFESTYLE

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VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

COLOR BEFORE CONFORMITY ILLUSTRATION BY JIN TUAN

With her closely-cut electric blue hair bouncing in the breeze, senior Gina Patridge, explores color schemes on a wider range, pairing together colors from all across the spectrum.

Gina agrees that putting forth her own foot in the wake of fashion history by constantly promoting color is why she loves dressing her own way at school everyday.

“I love wearing color. Even if my pants and shirts aren’t too vibrant, I always make sure to make up for it by wearing colorful socks,” Gina said. “As it gets colder, I’m probably going to be transitioning to printed pants, turtleneck sweaters and blazers.”

BOLD COLORS

alysa suleiman sports reporter

ALYSA SULEIMAN

SUBTLE PRINTS WEARING COLOR Gina Partridge (12) wears a collared shirt with blue and orange patterns.

“I love wearing color. Even if my pants and shirts aren’t too vibrant, I always make sure to make up for it by wearing colorful socks,” Gina said.

where style meets comfort As bustling students transition into their back-to-school lifestyles, the outfits and accessories of students seem to be evolving from summer style to fall fashion. Among upper school students, it’s safe to say that with the new school year starting, creativity and style exploration are currently on the move.

Current trends seem to be comfort, vintage and hidden pops of color.

With a cooler fall season rolling right around the corner, students find inventive ways to combine more casual, flowy summer flair with warmer fall wear.

Regardless of the time of year, students agree that accessibility and comfort are important, especially in regards to daywear and athletic wear for after-school sports.

Despite the appeal of comfort, students enjoy focusing on specific types of outfits as well. From heavier grunge styles stemming back from spring through summer trends, fall seems to bring about a warmer vibe.

At the end of the day, self-expression and being comfortable in your own skin seem to be what students value most.

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SNEAKER FEATURE

ITH W TY OLOR I C PLI OF C M I S PS PO

CL SN

WHITE TO WILD Seniors Giovanni Rofa, Ryan Brown, Vance Vu and Jack Connors display their shoes, which range from plain white to wild color, a style known as the “hypebeast” trend.

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ALYSA SULEIMAN

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BOLD SNEAKERS

Shoes varying from plain white to wild colors seem to appear along with a style known as the ‘‘hypebeast trend,” which has caught the attention of senior Vance Vu and his style.

“I really like shoes and I feel like they can be really unique; they are a good way of expressing myself,” Vance said. “I’ve always had unique shoes since sixth, seventh grade, so as I grew up I started to get really into [shoes] by myself.”

Vance realized from an early age that defining and differentiating his look from everyone else’s was important to him He found ways to incorporate staple items such as hoodies along with his favorite type of bottomwear, cargo pants, into his neutral black, white and grey outfits with occasional pops of color.

“I try to establish a look for myself that no one else has and is unique to me,” Vance said. “I don’t strive to be anyone else other than myself.”

FASHION REPLAY: Y2K

GENTLE PASTELS

TENNIS SKIRTS OLD SCHOOL Sophomores Ava Lett and Ainsley Mariko wear “old school” outfits with pastel colors. “It’s nice to know that you can stand out by wearing something different and unique to yourself, so I really like going to school and being able to showcase my outfits,” Ainsley said.

CLASSIC NIKE AIR FORCE ONES

ALYSA SULEIMAN AND AREY SUN

Describing their outfits as “oldschool,” sophomores Ava Lett and Ainsley Mariko wear similar styles: the former in a navy pleated skirt with a pastel blue sweater and Nike Air Force Ones and the latter sporting a floral print tank top, pale baby blue pleated skirt and white Nike Jesters.

“For me, fashion is kind of an escape,” Ava said. “I’ll always give myself some time to plan my outfit, so it’s a really nice 10 minutes out of my day where I can just relax and have fun with myself.”

Ainsley agrees that fashion is a significant facet of her identity, especially as she transitioned to lighter, pastel colors for a more innocent, charming look this fall.

“My outfits really define my personality,” she said. “It’s nice to know that you can stand out by wearing something different and unique to yourself, so I really like going to school and being able to showcase my outfits.”

8 WINGED POST

“Young people have a sense that we’ve left them in an awful mess, and they are correct, on everything from climate change to gun safety. I’m running for president to try to fix it for [their] generation.”

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ANDREW YANG

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IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC FANG

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“Generation Z is working so hard to change our country’s gun laws and make it safe, so I’m just hoping people all across the country recognize this is their moment.”

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CORY BOOKER

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JOE BIDEN FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

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MILLION DOLLARS RAISED

43

MILLION DOLLARS IN SMALL INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS DELAWARE’S LONGESTSERVING SENATOR

6TH

ELIZABETH WARREN

YOUNGEST SENATOR EVER WHEN FIRST ELECTED TO THE SENATE IN 1972 AT AGE 29

8

MILLION DOLLARS RAISED

17

MILLION DOLLARS IN SMALL INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

THIRD TIME RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

Joe Biden is currently the leading Democratic nominee for the 2020 L election. He commenced his campaign “In 2020, millennials will be the biggest for president on April 25, 2019. demographic of voters in this country Biden grew up in Scranton, for the first time. That creates Pennsylvania prior to moving to Delaware. He later worked as a public a huge opportunity for defender before campaigning for county young people to be council and later the Senate. Biden served the ones who dictate as vice president during Barack Obama’s the direction and the presidency from 2009 to 2017. future of this country.”

Biden envisions rebuilding the AR US HI middle class by offering two years of TULSI GABBARD SA XE IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC FANG community college without debt, raising NA the federal minimum wage to $15, allowing “I said on day one I would declare a state every American the right to Medicare and bolstering Social Security. of emergency on climate

EL YS

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC FANG

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MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

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IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC FANG

“I am inspired by the Bay Area because what I see here is inclusiveness, I see innovation, I see equality and I just think that if I see that here, we should be able to see it anywhere.”

AN VA NA ZH AE PA R

13.3% FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER

Elizabeth Warren announced her campaign for the presidency on Feb. 9, 2019. While she polls lower than frontrunner Joe Biden on average, she has surpassed him in several recent national polls.

According to her website, Warren’s main plan of action is to end corruption in the White House, including by ending lobbying and making candidates post their tax returns online.

Warren also hopes to bolster the middle class and support workers. She proposes an Ultra-Millionaire Tax on the 75,000 most affluent families in the country to fund childcare, relief for student debt loans and her Green New Deal.

30%

of students said environmental policy matters most to them

26% 8%

of students said gun control policy matters most to them

L

JAY INSLEE

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Inslee has since dropped out of the race.

MILLION DONORS

Bernie Sanders rose to prominence during the 2016 presidential election as a challenger to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.

Sanders, who hails from Vermont, served in the House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007 and has been a member of the Senate since 2007.

He is a self-described democratic socialist, with one of his key proposals being a more equitable redistribution of wealth. Sanders has also advocated for Medicare for All and cancelling student debt.

A heart attack in early October shocked many voters and revitalized the debate over candidates’ ages.

Carbon emissions Most Conservative In June, the Trump administration released a climate plan that relaxed carbon emission regulations, allowing states to decide their own emission reduction goals.

Trump has implicated video games and mental illness as contributors to gun violence.

He supports expanded background checks but not stricter gun control.

Swalwell has since dropped out of the race.

“I am very proud of what [the state of Washington] has done for public education.

We’ve done the largest educator pay increase in the United States.

KA We’ve got the best TH YF AN financial aid package for G college students.”

1

VERMONT SENATOR

Student debt

NO MORE DEBT Bernie Sanders spoke at a town hall on college affordability in San Francisco on Aug. 23. Sanders promotes canceling all student debt and eliminating tuition for public colleges.

Most Progressive Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Kamala Harris and Andrew Yang support taxing carbon emissions by corporations.

Beto O’Rourke proposed a cap-and-trade program, limiting the yearly total amount of carbon emitted.

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren back Green New Deal proposals for strict federal regulations on emissions from buildings, vehicles and electricity generation.

Most Democratic candidates support a ban on assault weapons, and some include banning high-capacity magazines. Biden, Steve Bullock, Buttigieg, Castro, Tim Ryan, Sanders and Yang also advocate for community or federal voluntary buyback programs for firearms.

Cory Booker and O’Rourke call for mandatory buyback programs, requiring gun owners to sell their firearms to the government. Bill de Blasio, Kirsten Gillibrand and Eric Swalwell also supported this initiative before dropping out of the primary race.

Buttigieg, Castro, Wayne Messam, Warren and Yang proposed programs that partially forgive the loans of borrowers who meet certain standards. Most Democratic candidates support reforming the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and lowering federal loan interest.

Sanders calls for canceling all existing student debt, amounting to $1.6 trillion and affecting 45 million Americans. The plan would be paid for by a new tax on Wall Street transactions.

Assault weapons

of students said education policy matters most to them

ERIC SWALWELL BI

78 YEARS OLD, OLDEST PRESIDENT IF ELECTED

Twelve Democratic candidates spoke on these issues on the debate stage in Ohio this Tuesday

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC FANG

AM

BERNIE SANDERS

15.7%

Where do candidates stand on the issues Harker students care most about?

ERIC FANG

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“Learn. Read. Listen to the candidates. Read up on the issues and then listen to your heart and do what you think is best in America.”

15.2%

REPUBLICAN UNTIL MID1990S

BI

TOM STEYER

Poll among 140 upper school students National polling data from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, 2019

35

WOMEN ACCUSED HIM OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR IN 2019

JULIÁN CASTRO

AR

editor-in-chief, aquila sports editor, features editor & editor-in-chief

MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHY FANG

because in fact if we don’t start on day one, we will miss the window to keep control of the situation.”

eric fang, aditya singhvi, sara yen & gloria zhang

EMILY TAN

“I released the first education plan that calls for universal higher education, tuition-free public universities, community colleges and job training and certification programs.”

AM

THE STATE

4.8%

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE TIAN

AN VA NA ZH AE PA R

26%

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Our reporters have been in conversation with the candidates for the last eight months.

27.8%

ROAD TO 2020

KATHY FANG

What have the candidates said to Harker journalism?

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

In August, Trump signed a memorandum to cancel the student debt of over 25,000 disabled veterans. Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos have called for eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which cancels debt for some public service workers.

SOURCE: POLITICO

ROAD TO 2020

OF THE ELECTION With the presidential election a year away, the candidates’ playing field continues to shift. Most likely, one of these six Democratic frontrunners will challenge Trump in 2020.

16.9% 14.5%

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA MAYOR

CALIFORNIA SENATOR

FORMER CA ATTORNEY GENERAL

DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENT

TRUMP VS BIDEN POLLS: TRUMP 43 BIDEN 50 SOURCE: OCT. 14 RealClearPolitics Average

SOURCE: ECONOMIST

ANDREW YANG ENTREPRENEUR

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MILLION DOLLARS RAISED

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“[Warren’s] entire career has been very solid, she’s very clean, she’s been good at whatever she’s been doing her entire life. Especially coming out of the Trump era, we need that symbol of social justice.”

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TIFFANY ZHAO (12)

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MILLION DOLLARS IN SMALL INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

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“I support Joe Biden the most for president because I feel like it’d be good to have a more moderate president in the White House, especially during this time of extreme polarization.“

FA N

ERIC FANG

2.7%

Kamala Harris’ campaign addresses tax cuts for the middle class, affordable medical and housing reforms, reduction of education costs and elimination of race inequality in the criminal justice systems.

According to her website, she champions for civil rights, immigration and women’s healthcare, including reproductive health services. Harris is also an advocate for other minority politicians.

Native to California, Harris served as District Attorney of San Francisco in 2004 and 2007 before being elected as California’s first woman and African American Attorney General. In 2016, she became the second African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

An entrepreneur before he was a politician, Andrew Yang announced his campaign for the presidency in 2017.

His campaign highlights the economic risks in the United States. On his website, Yang states that automation is driving unemployment. To address this, he advocates instituting a universal basic income (UBI), or Freedom Dividend, for all American adults. Paid for by a tax on technology companies, this UBI would provide Americans with $1000 a month.

Yang, after studying economics at Brown and law at Columbia, worked at start-ups and later became the CEO of Manhattan Prep, an American test preparation company.

Q&A with Warren staffer Felix Wu (‘15)

PROVIDED BY FELIX WU

Trump holds Bay Area fundraiser at alumni McNealys’ home Donald Trump visited the Bay Area for the first time as president on Sept.

17. He courted Republican donors at a private campaign fundraiser at the Portola Valley home of Scott and Susan McNealy, parents to Maverick (‘13), Dakota (‘16), Colt (‘17) and Scout McNealy (‘19).

While in the Bay Area, Trump criticized the rate of homelessness in San Francisco. He warned that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would issue a notice to the city for the pollution supposedly caused by the homeless population.

While many Silicon Valley donors supported Trump at his fundraiser, several protests occurred near the event.

Trump’s last visit to the Bay Area for a San Jose rally in June 2016 resulted in physical altercations between Trump supporters and protesters.

PERCENT OF TRUMP VOTERS SUPPORT YANG

What has the upper school said about the candidates?

26.5%

AIDAN LINCKE (10)

G

4.5%

Pete Buttigieg, nicknamed “Mayor Pete”, launched his presidential campaign in April, riding a wave of hype spurred by a young support base. Buttigieg has been the mayor of South Bend since 2011.

He came out as gay in 2015 and has been a fervent supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, vowing to pass an Equality Act that would criminalize discrimination based on personal religious belief.

Buttigieg also supports single-payer healthcare, stronger gun control and abolishing the electoral college. He faced criticism after a white South Bend police officer shot a black man in June—many residents of the city felt that he had not done enough to address police brutality.

10

FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT IF ELECTED

ARUSHI SAXENA

37 YEARS OLD, YOUNGEST PRESIDENT IF ELECTED

MILLION DOLLARS RAISED

ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSA SULEIMAN

5%

KAMALA HARRIS

24

PETE BUTTIGIEG

KATHY FANG

FIRST OPENLY GAY PRESIDENT IF ELECTED

WINGED POST 9

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

Winged Post: How did you first get involved with political advocacy?

Felix Wu (‘15): The first time I got involved was as a sophomore in high school at Harker. I’d always been interested in public affairs, and I kept up with what was on the news. One day I got an email in my inbox that President Obama’s reelection campaign was opening up a field office in San Jose. I showed up at the office opening, met some of the staffers there and eventually was brought on as a fellow on the 2012 re-elect. I would spend my weekends at the downtown San Jose office, making phone calls, training other volunteers, doing anything that needed to be done. I fell in love with the work, so I stayed at it.

WP: What is your role in the Warren campaign? When did you get involved?

FW: My role is Regional Special Projects Director in the Iowa City area, so it stretches from Iowa City down about sixty miles to Ottumwa.

There’s some small cities that are also in my region, Washington, Fairfield, Oscaloosa, these communities in Iowa that will be key to us being successful i n

the caucus. My job is an organizing job and an operations job. I actually started a little over a week ago.

The Warren effort I think is unique in its focus on community organizing. I’m talking to you right now from Washington, Iowa. It’s a town of about 10,000 people.

So we’re really making sure we’re talking to every community, from Des Moines to the rural areas of the state.

WP: What made you put your support behind Warren?

FW: I was diagnosed with epilepsy the summer after my sophomore year of high school. I think most of us when we’re teenagers think we’re invincible, at least healthcare-wise, and that went away from me at a pretty young age. Since then I’ve had a passion for making sure that healthcare is affordable and sensible. With Warren’s plan, Medicare for All, everyone would be covered and have access to healthcare. I think most people would find that they can relate some aspect of their personal or professional life to the plans the senator has laid out.

AD SIN ITY GH A VI

“I don’t really support a candidate. I think gun laws are very important right now considering that there have been a lot of mass shootings in the nation recently.”

EILEEN MA (9)

“I hope that through the current Trump administration’s policies, we will be able to continue supporting corporations and other business entities, which I don’t think any of the Democratic candidates would be able to do.”

AD SIN ITY GH A VI

NIKHIL SHARMA (12)

ELLIGIBLE VOTER FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION

“I like [Pete Buttigieg’s] overall stance on everything, and he seems likely to win.”

GRACE HOANG (9)

AD SIN ITY GH A VI

AD SIN ITY GH A VI

“The person I’ve taken the most interest in is Andrew Yang because he’s so fresh and he’s gotten close to swaying me on some of his policies like Universal Basic Income.”

ANDREW SUN (11)

140 upper school students surveyed on voting plans

52% IDENTIFY AS DEMOCRATIC

17.9% Don’t know 9.8% Prefer not to say 8.1% Independent 4.1% Republican

6%

WP: How do you think your early political activism shaped who you are now?

9.1% Will be old enough to vote in the California primaries WILL VOTE IN THE on March 3, 2020 6% Will vote in the CA PRIMARIES Democratic primaries

FW: It’s a professional pursuit but it’s also a personal one. I’ve worked on campaigns in Iowa, Georgia, California and Florida, so I’ve had the chance to meet people from diverse backgrounds and learn about issues pertinent to people from all around the country.

23.3% Will be old enough to vote in the general election on Nov. 3, 2020 WILL VOTE IN THE 18% Preregistered GENERAL ELECTION to vote

ON MARCH 3

16%

10 WINGED POST

Perspectives

In this repeater, two authors with contrasting viewpoints discuss an issue of prominence within our local or broader national community.

Columbus Day, celebrated three days ago on the second Monday of October, has become a point of contention in recent years. With many cities and some states opting to change the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the question arises: should Columbus Day be celebrated? Juniors Arya Maheshwari, Aditya Singhvi and sophomore Catherine Feng debate.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY TAN

Conversation on Columbus Day

21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019 OPINION VOLUME

Day celebrates more than Columbus Columbus Day oversimplifies history catherine feng copy editor

1891, New Orleans, 11 Italian-Americans die in the single largest mass lynching in American history. Their killers? “The first, best, and even the most law-abiding, of the citizens,” according to the case’s grand jury.

During the wave of immigration from 1880 to 1920, anti-Italian sentiment was high in the United States. Oct. 21, 1892 was designated to be a “general holiday”

by President Benjamin Harrison on the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. Over the years since, Columbus Day has come to represent more than just a celebration of Colum-

Columbus Day is about the immigration that happened as a result and the many triumphs since. bus. It has become a celebration of the 500 years of immigration that followed Columbus’s arrival in the Americas and a day when Italian-Americans celebrate their heritage. Columbus Day isn’t about who Christopher Columbus was or what he did, instead Columbus Day is about the immigration that happened as a result and about the triumphs associated with that immigration.

For many Italian Americans, Columbus Day has been a day about their Italian heritage and the contributions of Italian Americans to the United States. During

10

federal holidays are celebrated IN TOTAL, one of them being Columbus Day

periods in American history when anti-Italian sentiment was present, Columbus became a figure for Italian Ameriarya maheshwari cans to rally around. John M. Viola, the & aditya singhvi former president and chief operating aquila managing editor officer of the National Italian American & aquila sports editor Foundation, wrote in an op-ed for the “They would make fine servants New York Times, “We believe Christo… With fifty men we could subjugate pher Columbus represents the values of them all and make them do whatever we discovery and risk that are at the heart of want.” As he first encountered the Taíno the American dream.” people of Guanahani (San Salvador) on Christopher Columbus was vioOct. 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus lent toward and exploitative of Native wrote his first impressions in Americans; that is undeniable, his journal — that they were but what he has come to repfit for servitude. resent to so many people That was only the is worthy of preservabeginning. Columbus tion. The values assoand his crew prociated with him, such ceeded to pillage, as freedom and courrape and enslave the age, are now more native people, many a part of Columbus WHAT DO YOU THINK? of whom chose to Day than Columbus SCAN THIS QR CODE TO SHARE commit suicide. Then himself.

YOUR OWN OPINION ON came the wanton murAll historical figders. When Columbus ures have flaws. ColumTHE ISSUE. first arrived, historians esbus deeply wronged natimate that therve were about tives in his treatment of them, 300,000 Indians living on the isbut if we refuse to celebrate the land of Hispaniola. By 1550, there were achievements of every single historical only five hundred left. figure that was wrong, we might as well Yet how is Columbus best rememstop celebrating the Fourth of July due bered in the public eye? Columbus Day to the founding fathers’ misogyny and is a holiday designed to instill a sense ownership of slaves. of fascination for the explorer and celeColumbus Day isn’t about just brate the connection between the “old” Christopher Columbus. It’s about Italian and “new” worlds. All most Americans American heritage. It’s about the many remember is that “In 1492, Columbus stories of immigrants coming to Amerisailed the ocean blue” — neglecting the ca. It’s about what makes America what painful history of many Native Ameriit is today. cans by overly simplifying their story. In Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

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states give workers paid leave on Columbus Day

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CITIES HAVE CHANGED Columbus Day TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

the context of our 21st century world, celebrating Columbus Day stands out like a sore thumb amidst our collective attempts to foster diversity and respect in our roles as global citizens.

In the context of our 21st century world, celebrating Columbus Day stands out like a sore thumb amidst our collective attempts to foster diversity and respect.

Although many argue that Columbus’s importance in world history justifies holding a day for him, designating a holiday for a person carries a significance of commendation that goes beyond solely remembrance. Other major observances — Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veterans Day — all celebrate those who sacrificed to uphold ideals of liberty. Should someone who persecuted an entire population be placed on the same pedestal as a MLK, a man who led his people out of brutal oppression?

To be sure, Columbus and his voyages remain an integral part of world and U.S. history, and they can not and should not be forgotten. Not observing Columbus Day does not imply that this history will be neglected. Rather, it would affirm our commitment to remembering both a tale of discovery but also its repercussions on the victims when we reflect on the lasting effects of Christopher Columbus.

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of UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN A COLLEGE PULSE POLL WOULD SUPPORT replacing Columbus Day

WINGED POST 11

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

Editors-in-Chief Eric Fang Gloria Zhang News Editor Arushi Saxena Assistant News Editor Lucy Ge Features Editor Sara Yen Assistant Features Editor & Graphic Designer Emily Tan Lifestyle Editors & Graphic Designers Arely Sun Nicole Tian Opinion Editor Srinath Somasundaram STEM Editor Mark Hu Sports Editor Vishnu Kannan Senior Copy Editor Jessie Wang Copy Editor Catherine Feng Photo Editor Irina Malyugina Assistant Photo Editor Irene Yuan Design Editors Nina Gee Jin Tuan Columnists Kushal Shah Jin Tuan Adviser Ellen Austin, MJE Aquila Editor-in-Chief Kathy Fang Aquila Managing Editors Arya Maheshwari Varsha Rammohan Aquila Sports Editors Aditya Singhvi Anna Vazhaeparambil Aquila Sports Team Vishnu Kannan Alysa Suleiman Kushal Shah Saurav Tewari Muthu Panchanatham Humans of Harker Editor Saloni Shah Humans of Harker Team Erica Cai Esha Gohil

Reporters

Sriya Batchu Michael Eng Anmol Velagapudi Visit The Winged Post online at www.harkeraquila.com Follow us on instagram with the handle /harkeraquila The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks except during vacations by the Journalism: Newspaper Concentration and Advanced Journalism: Newspaper Concentration courses at The Harker Upper School, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, California 95129.

The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, news, sports and STEM articles in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The Harker School.

Editorials represent the official opinions of The Winged Post. Opinions and letters represent the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Winged Post. All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Winged Post in no way reflects the official policy of The Harker School. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Harker board, administration, faculty or adviser.

Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 or emailed to wingedpost2020@gmail. com and must be signed, legible and concise. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to Post style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenities and letters that call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication.

Letters sent to The Winged Post will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff.

The Winged Post is the official student newspaper of The Harker School and is distributed free of cost to students.

2017-2018 NSPA Pacemaker 2017-2018 NSPA Best-in-show publication 2017-2018 Gold Crown-winning publication 2016-2017 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist 2016-2017 Silver Crown-winning publication 2015-2016 Gold Crown-winning publication

EDITORIAL: THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST

eart of Harker scott engelhardt guest writer

An introduction!

Race-conscious admissions maintain diversity in college Two weeks ago, Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Harvard University’s use of race in the college admissions process is legal and not discriminatory against Asian Americans as was alleged by the group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) in 2014. In short, the court upheld affirmative action, the legal policy that colleges

Race-conscious thinking allows admissions officers to create a diverse student body may incorporate applicants’ racial background into admissions decisions in order to counteract the effects of racially-based educational opportunity differences.

Race-conscious thinking is often misidentified as a “racist system” that foils a meritocratic system’s success. However, this argument fails to account for the fact

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY TAN

OPINION

that the educational system of the country is not a fair meritocracy; because of enduring systemic racial biases, people simply do not have equal opportunities.

In reality, race-conscious thinking, such as currently instituted in some universities, includes race as one of many factors and allows the formation of a diverse student body, which creates a better social and academic learning environment for all students.

Everyone is undeniably affected by their race whether through implicit biases in their interactions with others or systemic biases and discrimination, so a college admissions process that lacks the ability to include race in its view of applicants is not holistic, fair or effective in creating a racially diverse student body. This case has set minorities against each other seeking an end to a race-influenced educational system, an end that would hurt minorities as a whole and only serve to alienate them from higher education.

Hey Eagles, it’s Mr. Engelhardt or Mr. E, the new attendance coordinator! I haven’t had the chance to meet all of you yet, so I wanted to take this chance to introduce myself.

I’ve loved the vibrant community here at the Upper School and I hope that everyone feels totally comfortable coming and speaking with me, whether it be about attendance or anything at all. At home, I love to play video games and Esports, and I would be happy to talk to you all about them. Right now, I am currently playing League of Legends, Borderlands 3 and many more when I have spare time.

I also try to play a lot of soccer. Since I was young, my position has always been stopper or forward. When I’m not playing sports or playing video games, I enjoy watching and cheering for the 49er’s, the Sharks and Team Liquid.

I’ve loved the community here at the Upper School and I hope that everyone feels totally comfortable speaking with me.

Reading is another one of my passions. I thoroughly enjoy fiction, sci-fi and fantasy books. My favorite authors are Brent Weeks and George R. R. Martin.

Lastly, I am a huge movie buff, with horror being my favorite genre.

For some background on me, I have a big family and am the eldest of five children. I have two brothers and two sisters.

I am also happily married to my wife Karolina. For pets, I own two dogs named Arrow and Niko and I would definitely call myself a dog person.

Looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Boys can dance

Prince George ballet remarks establish toxic stereotypes continue – but shouldn’t arely sun

lifestyle editor

Imagine a ballet dancer. Did you summon an image of a lithe woman with a bun, clad in a tutu and pointe shoes? Or did you instead conjure a sinewed, muscular man elegantly leaping several feet in the air?

Now consider these iconic men from professional sports and Hollywood: Rob Gronkowski, Herschel Walker, Lynn Swann, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev, Gene Kelly, Patrick Swayze, Channing Tatum. What do all these famous iconic male figures have in common? They all studied ballet.

Thank you for being supportive partners. Thank you for lighting up the stage with your artistry Although the ongoing movement against toxic masculinity has liberated men from restraints of long-standing gender-based roles and expectations, these pejorative tropes still live on in the world of dance.

When Good Morning America anchor Lara Spencer joked about 6-year-old Prince George’s dance curriculum on Aug. 23, her comment first spread throughout

the dance community, then went viral in pop culture. “Oh, he looks so happy about the ballet class,” she said. “Prince William said Prince George absolutely loves ballet ... I have news for you, Prince William: we’ll see how long that lasts.”

As a ballerina and an advocate for gender equality, I felt vicariously hurt by Spencer’s comment.

Male dancers play a crucial role in dance as both partners and individual stars. Every male partner I have danced with has been nothing but kind, respectful — and strong.

Dance demands the same conditioning as any traditional sport, if not more.

Several videos have compared the physical abilities of male ballet dancers and football players, finding that the two occupations make men equally strong.

In addition to athleticism, dancers must also possess a sense of aestheticism: how to make movements and transitions smoother, how to accentuate positions, how to use the body to express emotion or desire.

Last month, 173 students auditioned for the annual themed dance show production which will take place in January — a school event which is always sold out.

Of the dancers, 54 were male, according to dance instructor and director Karl Kuehn.

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These young Harker men clearly believe in the power of dance so much that they will set aside many hours this fall to perfect not a new math concept or an essay but instead a kick-ball-change combination.

Spencer’s mistake was to assume that Prince George would grow to despise dance. Speculating that males look down upon dance promotes the idea that male figures must only be strong, powerful and sometimes even callous.

Instead, I would like to praise all the boys who dance.Thank you for being supportive partners. Thank you for lighting up the stage with your artistry. Thank you for staying strong and loving what you do, despite the challenges.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

WINGED POST 12

21 • ISSUE 2 STEM VOLUME OCTOBER 17, 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE LIU

Community rallies for climate action

reporter, aquila editor-in-chief & news editor

SPEAKING UP A woman holds up a sign calling for climate action. 37 Harker students and nine faculty members attended the strike.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Avi Gulati (12) listens to a speaker at the Climate Strike.

The upper school Green Team organized a shuttle to San Jose City Hall.

“So there’s a lot more that we need to do [against climate change], but I’m not going to stop” ASH KALRA STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER

“It’s amazing to see all those people stand up because students have a voice that they sometimes don’t realize that they have. When I stand up and say we need to be doing something about climate and taking action, there’s all kinds of associations that people make about who I am or what my motive might be that sometimes shut down the conversation. I think that students can have those conversations in a way that adults are more open to than if I am trying to have that same conversation,”

said biology teacher Dr. Kate Schafer, one of the faculty advisors for the upper school Green Team. Like many teachers and students across the globe, Dr. Schafer took part of the day off to attend the rally and show her support.

Teenage speakers from Bay Area schools were joined by state assemblymember Ash Kalra and Sam Liccardo, the mayor of San Jose. Both talked about the current climate problems and changes that need to be made in the American government. Liccardo drew attention to a recent move by the city council to declare a climate crisis after a popular referendum was brought to the council’s attention, and Kalra plans to implement certain bills to decrease the rate of climate change. “[There are] a number of bills of other bills I’ve introduced, including one that had to do with tropical deforestation. I have a bill to remove those small shampoo and conditioner bottles in hotels, I have a bill that protects migratory bills and I’m supporting a number of other bills such as ones phasing out single use plastic, and phasing out fuel vehicles, and on and on.

So there’s a lot more that we need to do, but I’m not going to stop,” Kalra said in an interview with Harker Aquila.

Across the world, in over 150 countries, youth activists are mobilizing to organize “Fridays for the Future” climate strikes. Students and adults alike joined the movements, skipping work and school to advocate for greener environmental policies, especially turning their attention to changing the minds of politicians.

“This is going to be our planet next,” said Harker middle schooler Savitha Satish (6), who attended the rally with the middle school Green Team. “We need to do something before it falls to waste.”

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

ALL PHOTOS BY KATHY FANG

A CALL FOR CHANGE Assembly member Ash Kalra speaks to activists during the San Jose Climate Rally. Both Kalra and San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo gave speeches at the rally.

As a student speaker dressed in a red shirt finishes her speech and steps away from the microphone, the vast crowd of mostly young people erupts in cheers while waving brightly colored handmade signs with slogans such as “I’d be in school if the planet were cool” and “The climate is changing so why aren’t we?”

On Friday, September 20th, 28 Harker upper school students, 10 middle school students and nine faculty members took a bus from Harker to downtown San Jose after school to join other young activists in a historic worldwide youth climate strike to raise awareness about the environmental situation of the world.

The upper school Green Team organized an after school shuttle to the protest, which upper school students were allowed to take to the rally if they had previously turned in the required permission slips.

Many students from other schools who came to the rally did not attend school in support of the strike.

“I think that youth have the biggest stake in this issue. As the future, we have the biggest role to play when addressing this crisis as well as the biggest role to play in raising awareness and coming up with viable solutions to address this. That’s why I think it’s important for youth to be involved,” said senior Sriya Prathuri, who attended Friday’s rally.

The strike began at 2:45 p.m. with a march starting from Diridon Station in downtown San Jose and ending outside city hall, where a collection of speakers, student and adult, demanded that the government take action against the rap-

idly worsening problem of global warming. The march was down the east-bound side of the road, and traffic stopped to let the marchers through with many drivers honking and cheering in support.

After the march through downtown San Jose, protestors convened in the City Hall plaza for a rally, where about a hundred protestors were already waiting.

Harker students and faculty also met the marchers at the City Hall plaza at around 4 p.m., when the speaker lineup began.

Even though the rally was led by youth leaders, people of all ages showed up.

Among young adults and teens, some parents marched with small children while other adults and older generations also demonstrated their support.

NILISHA BAID

sriya batchu, kathy fang & arushi saxena

GLOBAL STRIKE Protestors carry a sign during the San Jose climate march. The march culminated in a strike in the city hall plaza.

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21 • ISSUE 2 STEM VOLUME OCTOBER 17, 2019

Hurricane Dorian strikes coast

Tech Talk

Rebuild process begins after 8 billion dollars in damages

anmol velagapudi reporter

anmol velagapudi & irene yuan

Nanotechnology opens doors to future

reporter & asst. photo editor

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we are seeing n o w ,” Ilian DeCorte, a third-year graduate student in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences department at UCLA said. “Essentially, in future projections, it depends on how much more emissions we emit and how well we do at taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, so that’s where the variability comes in, but if we continue to release emissions, we will continue to see an increase in the phenomenon that we are seeing now.”

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of homes damaged or destroyed in the Bahamas

Graphene leads charge toward new innovations

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In the recent Avengers movie, Endgame, Iron Man’s new suit is made out of nanobots and is able to create whatever he wants. In reality, nanotechnology is not that advanced but has been making enormous steps in the field of biomedical sciences.

According to an article in Science Daily, scientists at Rice University have created a thermometer for cells. The nano thermometer uses light-emitting elements of molecules and changes based on temperature and viscosity of the environment around it.

“I believe nanotech is going to be really useful in the future especially for research in the sciences and later in the actual application,” Arthur Jakobsson (11), Mechanical Lead for Harker Robotics said. “I don’t think there are any major downsides to nanotech.”

New research is being done to see if nanotechnology can help cure diseases.

Currently the only solution is chemotherapy and because it is a nonspecific treatment, meaning it can’t be controlled or targeted to certain cells, it can damage healthy cells. But by using nanotherapy for cancer, doctors will be able to deliver anticancer medications directly to the tumor without affecting the patient’s surrounding organs and cells.

In the future, nanotechnology will be used in many different ways, and we may be able to create our own Iron Man suit.

mile per hour Wind speed when Dorian hit the abaco Islands

8 billion dollars in damages

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Recorded deaths due to Hurricane dorian

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Dorian, the latest major incident of climate change, was the most intense tropical storm on record to hit the Bahamas. Causing more than seven billion dollars in damages, it is just one of the many hurricanes and cyclones that have occurred this year. As weather changes, storms escalate and the planet warms, there have been many who oppose the evident consequences that stem from disregarding global warming.

On Aug. 24, Dorian hit the Abaco Islands at a max speed of 185mph.

The category five hurricane killed over 61 people.

“Hurricane Dorian, along with other natural catastrophes, worsened due to global warming,” Camilla Lindh (10), a member of the green team who attended the climate strike said.

The warming of the earth can factor into the frequency, intensity, severity and duration of natural catastrophes such as hurricanes like Dorian. According to the UCAR Center for Science Education, the sea surface temperature increased by an average of 1.5 F between 1901 and 2016.

These warmer waters intensify hurricanes and tropical storms, causing faster wind speeds and high levels of inland flooding.

But it is not just hurricanes and tropical storms that are affected by this.

Different extreme weather events are intensified: for example, more drought is expected in dry places. Similarly, in wet places, there can either be more rain and moisture expected, or the same annual average of rain, but coming in shorter spurts of higher precipitation. In predictions for the future, the trend of an increase in extreme weather, drought, flooding and hurricanes is expected to continue.

“The projections are essentially ones in which we simulate the environment and global climate, and then add in what we expect to see in future scenarios in terms of say, carbon dioxide. So what we expect to see based on these simulations is just more of what

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In recent years, scientists have been experimenting in the field of graphene, a very thin but durable material. One of the many graphene conferences being held in the near future is in Incheon, Korea, in March 2020. Some of the many topics and discussions are about the growth and synthesis techniques, modification and functionalization and chemistry and biology studies of graphene.

“Nanomaterial science is one of the most popular fields in research today because it offers such a wide variety of applications,” Betsy Tian (11), an avid researcher said. “Graphene is an example of why nanomaterials hold such great potential.”

Once the production of cultivated graphene has been mastered, its possibilities are nearly endless. It can be implemented in almost everything from cell phone screens to chemical sensors to filters that have the ability to desalinate water using holes the size of nanometers.

“Properties like high surface area and conductivity give it a lot of flexibility in design,” Betsy said.

Graphene is a part of a complex system of nanoparticles and is considered the future of nanotechnology. With the ability to be practically two-dimensional, stronger than steel but still be flexible and conduct electricity extremely well the applications of graphene will be endless in the future.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article.

14 WINGED POST

SPORTS

College athletes deserve compensation for their efforts

The NCAA made close to $1.05 billion in revenue in 2017.

But where did all that money go if the student-athletes didn’t get any?

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY TAN

$173.1M financed the day-today operations of the NCAA

kushal shah sports columnist

On Sept. 30, free labor in California’s college athletics programs finally came to an end with California’s newly instituted “Fair Pay to Play Act.” While students can’t expect anything like Stephen Curry’s $37.46 million annual salary from their schools — in fact, they won’t get any salary whatsoever — they can finally earn compensation from endorsements or outside activities such as teaching athletic workshops for kids. It’s a change that’s long overdue.

NCAA athletes work hard, and paying them for their hard work is the right thing to do. A 2015 NCAA study discovered that Division 1 baseball, basketball, and football players spend an average of 40, 34 and 41 hours at practice weekly, respectively, — the equivalent of a fulltime job! These players work day and night, honing their craft.

Moreover, students earn astronomical sums for the NCAA and their schools; so why can’t they earn a mere crumb of the pie? According to the unaudited financial breakdown that the organization released, the NCAA reported close to $1 billion in

total revenue just in 2017! Meanwhile, colleges and universities earn piles of money from merchandising, television contracts and ticket sales. In 2017, for example, the University of Texas earned $215 million from its athletics programs

to play football again. All the time and work Walker dedicated to football was destroyed by a single play without any financial gain.

I do concede that the new law doesn’t come without its detractors. Take Urban

These players work day and night, honing their craft. Do we expect medical residents to work for free? Why should studentathletes be any different? according to its annual finance report sent to the NCAA. Isn’t it hypocritical for these organizations to frown on students earning money while they line their own pockets at the same time?

Allowing student-athletes to be paid will also help secure these students’ futures, especially if they become injured in college. After all, playing college sports is a risky business. One of the most tragic examples is Devon Walker, a former safety for the Tulane Green Wave football team, who in a game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, collided with a teammate and was paralyzed from his neck down for the rest of his life. He would never be able

Meyer, for example, the former football coach of Ohio State University who articulated the common argument about losing “the purity of college athletics.”

What does that even mean? The idea that college athletes are somehow motivated by a nobler sense of competition than their professional counterparts, that money taints their perfect morals, isn’t credible in an atmosphere where the programs are soaking in the financial benefits of the free labor that college athletes provide them. Objections about purity went out the window when NCAA president Mark Emmert cashed in his $2.4 million paycheck and when Meyer himself

$633M was given to Division I schools to help pay for NCAA sports and athlete scholarships $125.8M funded studentathlete support programs $74.1M funded Division II and III NCAA athletics programs STATISTICS COMPILED FROM THE NCAA’S WEBSITE

received a $7.6 million paycheck in 2018.

For the past few weeks, the NCAA has been threatening to expel California schools from the organization altogether if the bill passes. But I’m relieved that this didn’t dissuade Governor Gavin Newsom from signing the bill into law. Other states such as Washington and Colorado that are part of the Pac-12, the collegiate athletic conference based in the Western United States, are already following California’s example. This means that the Pac-12 will become the most followed and most competitive conference in the country as the biggest athletic stars will no doubt flock to it for fair compensation. If the NCAA kicks all these states out of its conference, the NCAA itself risks reduced popularity by its myopic perspective.

So, to the NCAA: please, stop fighting the bill. Instead of threatening to expel California schools from your organization, wouldn’t it be more advantageous to support your athletes in their endeavors?

It’s said that these student-athletes are at the heart of the NCAA’s mission. Prove it. Stop fighting the Fair Pay to Play Act, and help fight for the student athletes that work so hard everyday to make your organization so successful.

irene yuan asst. photo editor

As students mill around Davis Field after school, the Singh Aquatic Center bustles with activity. Swimmers get into the water and swim laps of varying strokes.

Despite all training in the same vicinity, the goals and dreams of each individual are different. For some, swimming is merely a form of exercise, for others, it’s preparation for high school swim meets.

But for one swimmer, swimming is not just something fun to do on the side, and practice is not just a routine focused improving for high school swim meets.

For Ethan Hu (12), all of the workouts and competitions are leading up to a much bigger goal: the Olympics.

After setting two state records at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Swimming Championships last May, Ethan continues to aim for new ambitious goals.

“I would like to get the national high school record that I missed by 0.2 [seconds]. I’ll have that chance [this] year,” Ethan said. “Other goals would include going to the Olympics. I think I’ve got a pretty good shot in 2024, in Paris.”

Ethan’s speed and success do not come without hard work and dedication.

Like all other activities, swimming comes with its challenges. The time commitment has increased from one hour daily when he was seven to three to five hours every day now as a senior.

“It’s not easy going back every day and when you aren’t improving despite going [to] practice, that’s definitely one of the most challenging moments in swimming,” Ethan said. “Just being able to persevere and push through that [and] eventually you’ll see the results.

Although the many hours of practice he attends every day certainly contributes to his swimming successes, this commitment does not come without its consequences.

A sacrifice Ethan has had to make for swimming involves one of his extracurriculars: performing arts.

Although he has been a huge performer throughout his childhood, participating in multiple Harker choirs and dance groups, including the Lower School Choir, Dynamics, Harmonics, Kinetic Krew and more, Ethan had to take a step back in his junior year to focus more on swimming as the time commitment grew.

Despite quitting performing arts, Ethan still gets to experience being part of a team through swimming, which is widely considered to be an individual sport. While Ethan has achieved many solo records at meets over the years, he also participated in the relay event with juniors Matthew Chung, Rhys Edwards and Jason Kwok.

“It was fun. I think that year is [when] the whole team just came together. We were able to perform in a way that we have never had before,” Ethan said of the Harker swimming season last spring. “Everyone has grown so much from last year. I think

SWIMMING SENSATION Ethan Hu (12) sits beside the Singh Aquatic Center pool.

After setting two state records last May, Ethan now focuses on a new goal: the Olympics.

being able to have a team that has each other’s back really made CCS and states just so much more fun.”

Tania Chadwick, the varsity swim coach at Harker, attributes Ethan’s success to more than just endless repetition and practice.

“There’s so much technique involved [in swimming], and swimmers [who] don’t pay a lot of attention to technique never really reach those upper levels,” Chadwick said. “But I think Ethan is so technically sound that I think that’s one of

the [reasons] why he wins a lot.”

Ethan keeps an eye on his goals and strives to achieve them. Whether it is practicing for several hours at a time or getting up early to attend a meet, he always gives swimming his 100 percent.

“He really understands what he wants to do in swimming and how he’s going to get there. He works really hard,” Chadwick said. “He demonstrates that hard work results in success.”

His hard work may bring him to the 2024 Olympics in five years.

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Senior swimmer Ethan Hu aims for the Olympics

WINGED POST 15

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 2 OCTOBER 17, 2019

Harker faces off against St. Vincent de Paul for annual homecoming game aditya singhvi

aquila co-sports editor

Under the bright lights of Davis Field, the Harker football team fell 34-6 to the St. Vincent de Paul Mustangs in front of an enthusiastic Homecoming crowd filled with students, parents, faculty and alumni on Saturday night.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Harker families participated in the pregame tailgate, socializing and enjoying a variety of food options ahead of the game. Members of the freshman class also sold pizza and drinks as part of their annual fundraiser both before and during the game.

Half an hour before kickoff, the sophomore class wore down the freshmen in a gritty 45-second tug-of-war battle to clinch third place, and the junior cheerleaders and Eaglettes from the lower school entertained the crowd.

After a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by members of the upper school choirs, the game began, with the Mustangs electing to kick off to the Eagles.

After failing to convert on their first drive of the game, the Eagles attempted to punt, but kicker Lazlo Bollyky (10) was tackled in the endzone for a safety. The Mustangs then scored a touchdown to race off to a 9-0 lead with five minutes left in the first quarter.

On the next Mustangs possession, Nick Coulter (11) forced a fumble to gain possession, but the Mustangs got the ball right back on the next play and scored

to put St. Vincent up 15-0. Despite the slow start from the Eagles, the jazz band and cheerleaders continued to hype up the crowd, who remained enthusiastic throughout the game.

“The energy from the crowd, the fans, it was just amazing. I mean, yeah we didn’t win, but we had a few big plays and it was great to have the crowd there for it,” quarterback Vijay Vyas (11) said.

The Mustangs went on to score a trio of touchdowns off two Harker interceptions, putting them up 34-0 to end the half.

To begin the halftime festivities, the juniors upset the seniors to take first place in the tug-of-war contest, after which both the varsity dance squad and cheer team performed. The homecoming court then took centerstage as seniors Grant Miner and Kathy Fang were crowned homecoming royalty.

“It was a huge honor [to be part of homecoming court],” Yejin Song, a sophomore homecoming representative, said. “The entire court this year was so fun, and it was the most amazing experience ever.”

Now on a running clock, the third quarter began with the Eagles forcing the Mustangs to punt. After a 16-yard completion to receiver Rohan Varma (11), Devin Keller (12) snuck through the defense to convert 4th and 2 for the Eagles. Another connection between Vijay and Rohan then gave the Eagles a first down on the Mustangs’ 17-yard line.

“We fought, we competed, we

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played a solid game on both sides of the ball, we put all our effort in and that’s what counts at the end of the day,” Rohan said.

The Eagles then capped a gradual drive to the endzone with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Anderson (11) to score the final points of the game, which ended 34-6 in favor of the Mustangs.

For many seniors, the game was an emotionally charged event.

“I’m about to tear up,” Devin said following the game. “Football for me, it’s been my whole highschool. All my best experiences have come from it, so just being here for the last Homecoming almost brings tears to my eyes.”

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Members of the coaching staff

People in attendance before the game

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Harker’s record in the last 6 Homecoming Games

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Athletes on the roster

KATHY FANG

STRIKING A POSE Homecoming queen and king Grant Miner (12) and Kathy Fang (12) walk off Davis field. There were 6 total members of senior court.

JAZZY TUNES Andrew Chavez (11) plays his brass instrument in the jazz band’s performance before the start of the homcoming game. Directed by Dr. David Hart, the jazz band put on performances during both the homecoming game and spirit rally.

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ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

CHARGING AHEAD Running back Devin Keller (12) sprints toward the end zone during the team’s game against St. Vincent de Paul.

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MUTHU PANCHANATHAM

Football’s record this year

TURNOVER TIME Nick Coulter (11) forces a fumble that Marcus Anderson (12) recovers during Harker’s annual homecoming game. Harker lost a tough game against the St. Vincent de Paul Mustangs 6 - 34 last Saturday.

KATHY FANG

SPORTS

FANTASTIC FLEXIBILITY Karina Chen (11), Elaine Xiao (11) and Chloe Chen (12) strike a pose during the Harker Dance Company’s halftime performance.

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21 • ISSUE 2 BACKPAGE VOLUME OCTOBER 17, 2019

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SHOW YOUR SPIRIT The junior class cheers during the annual Homecoming rally. The junior class triumphed over the others in the four-stage relay race.

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GET LOUD Sophomores yell as loud as they can in the scream-off competition during the Homecoming rally. Sophomores won first place in the competition, beating the juniors, seniors, and freshmen, in that order.

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e e g om e ran

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ght i r b es with t a r b ele game e c l o cho the big ry them s r e upphts and s. count lig city v a TUESDAY

ALYSA SULEIMAN

kathy fang

ADVISORY PARADE

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DODGEBALL

CATCH IT IF YOU CAN The senior dodgeball team plays against the freshmen in the finals of Harker’s annual dodgeball tournament.

The match to decide third and fourth place was held just before the finals, in front of the entire student body. The Seniors placed first, the freshmen second, the juniors third and the sophomores fourth. The preliminary rounds were played over the preceding lunches to much fervor from all four classes.

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MARCH OF COLORS Junior Advisory representatives march in the annual advisory parade. Each advisory sent a representative decked out in their class colors to march from in front of Nichols Hall, through Main Hallway, to the Zhang Gymnasium, where the dodgeball finals were held. The representatives marched past the entirety of the school, led by the upper school jazz band.

TUG-OF-WAR

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TRUE GRIT Vance Hirota (12) and Kevin Chen (12) of the senior tug-of-war team strain against the rope in their match against the sophomores, attempting to pull a flag to their side. The preliminary rounds were held during the preceding lunches, and the finals of the annual tug-of-war competition were held during halftime of the Homecoming football game, with the juniors winning overall.

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Friday’s spirit rally wrapped up this year’s homecoming week, bringing students and faculty together in the athletics center for a series of festivities and competitive events before yesterday’s homecoming game against St. Vincent De Paul High School.

Sophomores won the scream-off, and juniors placed first for the lip sync and relay.

The results of the eagle competition were also announced at the rally, with seniors placing first and juniors placing second, followed by sophomores in third and freshmen in fourth.

Throughout the rally, the four classes bonded over each challenge and each triumph, uniting in cheers and chants in support of their peers.

“It’s this magical feeling when your class—which is 200 separate people, each with their own personalities—it’s truly magical when they’re all coming together, all cheering the same chant, all cheering for our class and making loud noises,” sophomore spirit coordinator William Chien (10) said.

“It’s amazing because I get to witness that in its full intensity.”

Earlier in the week, a variety of activities and events ranging from an advisory parade on Tuesday to the tug-of-war semifinals on Wednesday and Thursday built up spirit throughout the upper school community. Each day also featured a specific dress up theme, and across campus, students and teachers donned unique outfits, dotting hallways with cowboy hats, flashes of pink and swarms of black, white, green and yellow.

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IRINA MALYUGINA

WEDNESDAY

aquila editor-in-chief

ALYSA SULEIMAN

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KATHY FANG

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KATHY FANG

g n i m o c :

YEEHAW Martin Bourdev (12), decked in a cowboy hat for spirit dress-up day, claps during the senior vs. sophomore dodgeball game.

Visit harkeraquila.com for full article

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1250 points

1025 points

(excluding some events)

550

IRINA MALYUGINA

625 points

A previous version of this article, published in the Winged Post on Aug. 30, incorrectly attributed the following quote to Ms. Carol Green: “In the United States, there are over two million low-scale jobs available, and native-born Americans can’t fill them, even if everyone without a college degree filled them. This damages the economy because of the high demand for these jobs that need to be filled.” The article has been updated on Harker Aquila on Sept. 7 to correctly attribute this statement to Maddie Huynh (12).

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KATHY FANG

Issue 1 Corrections:

Spirit points so far:

(4) OVER THE RAINBOW Lucy Feng (9) lipsyncs to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz during the homecoming rally. The rally took place last Friday.

(5) DANCE LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING Emiko Armstrong (12) strikes a pose during Harker Dance Company’s performance during the Homecoming rally.

(6) SHOW YOUR SPIRIT Chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine leads the advisory parade in a shiny, silver jumpsuit, which he wears every year. The parade took place on Tuesday.