Winged Post Volume 26, Issue 4

WINGED

POST

THE UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF

Trump takes Silicon Valley by storm

Tesla, Meta, Amazon, Google, OpenAI. Major tech companies’ donations flooded Trump’s committee in the weeks leading up to his inauguration, totaling to a record-breaking $200 million.

With a new administration on the horizon, Silicon Valley leaders are capitalizing on the opportunity to create profit. Tesla founder Elon Musk spent over $277 million backing Trump’s campaign, making him the largest donor in the 2024 election cycle. Other prominent tech figures like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg who previously condemned Trump, have now changed course to endorse him.

“In recent times, DC has frowned upon big tech,” economics teacher Dean Lizardo said. “You often see folks like Zuckerberg or even the TikTok CEO being questioned about how our data is being used, but Trump has run his platform in the context of deregulation. So one could make the argument that if big tech sides with Trump, he’ll look on

them favorably in terms of regulations.”

Only a few weeks into Trump’s presidency, the tech industry is already witnessing the potential rewards in supporting him. Trump recetnly announced a $500 billion joint venture called Stargate, which would fuel AI innovation in the U.S. through a new partnership between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. This initiative would help OpenAI stay ahead of foreign competition like DeepSeek, which recently released a chatbot challenging ChatGPT, and cement their dominant position in the domestic AI sector.

“In a world where we give whoever is in power broad powers to dramatically change the regulatory environment or the enforcement of those regulations, whoever is large and is able to curry favor will have an advantage,” economics teacher Matt McCorkle said. “It is now as it always has been, so I don’t see this as a particular change from that norm.”

Generally, the growth of large tech companies creates new jobs as markets expand and opportunities arise with innovation. Especially in an area as dynamic as Silicon Valley, this would

spur economic activity and drive up employment amidst a period marked by frequent layoffs. On the other hand, looser AI regulations in the workplace under the Trump administration could also contribute an opposite effect as automation replaces human labor.

“You could look at it in one way where if the company has more money, they’re going to start up more projects which is going to create more jobs,” Oeconomia officer Leana Zhou (11) said. “But at the same time, for things like Stargate, they’re trying to improve efficiency. When it’s easier to do something, less workers need

to be hired to do the same thing.”

Beyond larger economic effects, Silicon Valley’s alignment with Trump could also impact consumer rights in digital spaces. Without the necessary restrictions, companies like Meta gain more leeway in handling user data, which may raise privacy concerns.

Many tech companies backing Trump also control major social media platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram, and changes to their algorithms could lead to political censorship with greater content filtering. Civics teacher Carol Green teaches her students about similar conflicts of interests. With an increasing reliance on social media as a news source, she reflects on the political influence that these platforms now hold.

“Social media really is the fifth estate,” Green said. “They need to make sure that they don’t lose protections that allow their company to be profitable, but at the same time they’re seeing implications that deal directly with what people know to be true about their government. My biggest concern is that we need to continue to be aware, have media literacy and be able to vet sources.”

victor gong, claire zhao & lily peng

TECH TURNOVER Silicon Valley’s biggest players, like Tesla, Amazon and Meta, all turned to endorse Trump following his presidential victory. “In a world where we give whoever is in power broad powers to dramatically change the regulatory environment, whoever is large and is able to curry favor will have an advantage,” economics teacher Matt McCorkle said.

CAROL

Investment Club invites Stanford financial literacy coach

samuel tong

Investment Club hosted financial wellness program manager Danial Khan of Stanford University’s Mind Over Money program to discuss financial literacy topics and money management strategies on Monday.

As a certified financial social worker, Khan helps others become more financially stable by gaining credit and minimizing debt. He discussed managing fixed costs like housing and groceries while also effectively budgeting the remainder for savings or personal use.

“People should learn financial literacy because everyone has an interest in personal finance,” Khan said. “Sharing perspectives on personal finance makes us comfortable having a healthy conversation about what we want in our life and how money influences that.”

“Personal financial literacy is important for students in general, because we are the younger generation.”

RUHAN ARORA INVESTMENT CLUB PRESIDENT

Khan asked the audience to share their general financial goals and experiences with employment and trading on the stock market. When making decisions like choosing interest plans, Khan emphasized learning from successful investors but also conducting individual research.

MONEY MATTERS Danial Khan speaks on accruing interest on

Knowing how to choose optimal interest plans is key to being financially

Khan urged students to reflect on which items are indispensable to them like school supplies, and which items are ultimately regretful purchases, like unused subscriptions. To avoid such financial mistakes, Danial recommended creating a conscious spending plan.

“Personal financial literacy is important for students in general,because we are the younger generation,” Investment Club co-president Ruhan Arora (11) said. “We will be leading and paving the path for what’s going to come in the future, so promoting financial preparedness will entitle kids to be more financially stable.”

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Eagle Buddies reunite at ‘Clown Day’, musical

Juniors met their fourth grade eagle buddies to watch a circus show together in the Zhang Gymnasium, while seniors watched their fifth grade buddies’ musical “Joust!” at Bucknall on Jan. 31.

Performances for Clown Day featured the People’s Circus Theatre’s balance boarding, acrobatics and club juggling acts. After the performance, the clowns taught students circus tricks like balancing feathers, juggling scarves and face painting. The People’s Circus Theatre has performed for the Eagle Buddy program for over a decade.

Opening clown Annie Fraser reflected on both her performance and interactions with students afterwards.

“Having such a welcoming response

from the staff and the students has been really nice,” Fraser said. “I love seeing how engaged and willing all the students are to try out new things and have fun with the circus skills. It was super fun because the kids are so smart that they were teaching themselves, and we could just watch.”

“I would be excited for more instruction-based activities because that would definitely help us connect as a group more.”

Junior Danika Gupta found that the playfulness of the circus-

themed activities helped her bond to and talk with her buddies.

“They had fun with every single activity, especially face painting,” Danika said. “In the future, I would be excited for more instruction-based activities because that would definitely help us connect as a group more.”

Seniors saw the musical “Joust!”, which retold the legend of King Arthur with the twist of boomwhackers replacing swords. After the performance, eagle families bonded over their favorite moments, which happened to be the same show that the seniors staged six years ago.

Director of Student Organizations Eric Kallbrier emphasized throughout the day that the event was organized around the principle of “spreading joy.” He encouraged students to be open to try all the activities. Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Poetry Out Loud garners record engagement

A record 26 students participated in the annual Poetry Out Loud contest in the

Senior Eric Zhang and junior Daniel Miao won first and second place, respectively, and will participate in the Santa Clara County competition next week. The judges honored sophomore Abigail Sachse and junior Holly Templeton as the third place and honorable mention winners, respectively.

Eric performed “Backdrop addresses cowboy” by Margaret Atwood. He appreciates the different interpretations and rhythm of the lines, especially when spoken out loud.

“The poem was interesting because it had so many twists and turns,” Eric said. “There was intense emotion that you got to portray. Poetry breaks the formal rules of grammar and form to create that emotion through the language itself. It really highlights the beauty of how authors can put together words and syntax and to get this beautiful output. ”

Participants chose poems from an online selection ranging from the historically inspired “Charge of the Light Brigade” by Lord Alfred Tennyson to the dialect poem “Ships that Pass in the Night” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Frosh Angela Pang selected the poem “The Gamble” by Laura Hershey because of her current volunteer work at a disability center and her speech research topic on assisted dying.

“A lot of people, even outside of disabilities, are being restricted by their

own mind or the people around them,” Angela said. “People are confined and restrained — no one should put up with that. So, the poem reminds me to not stay in that trapped situation and actually make a move.”

“ My hope is that there’s even one or two students who fall in love with poetry and have a deeper understanding of literature.”

English teacher Jennifer Siraganian hosts the competition annually to foster students’ appreciation for the interpretative art that poetry embodies.

“Poetry changed my life for the better,” Siraganian said. “My hope is that there’s even one or two students who fall in love with poetry and have a deeper understanding of literature. I’m proud that so many students signed up and attempted to recite poems. The fact that they devoted time and energy to this competition shows that poetry is alive and breathing on campus.”

Nichols Auditorium on Jan. 27.

LILY SHI

CLOWN COLORING Junior Spencer Chang receives a makeover from his eagle buddies at the face painting station on Clown Day.

Participants used various colors of face paint markers to adorn each other with everything from hearts and mustaches to scribbles.

isabella lo, kairui sun & samuel tong

Executive orders threaten immigrant communities

To start his second term, President Trump signed several executive orders reshaping immigration policy following “Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States.”

For California, home to 10.6 million immigrants and sanctuary cities like San Francisco, Berkeley and Los Angeles, the Trump administration’s aggressive action on immigration sparks conflict between federal and state policies.

Courtney McCausland, codirector of the East Bay Community Law Center’s immigration unit, describes the administration’s hard press on deportations and plan to turn Guantanamo Bay into an immigration detainment camp as a more efficient and extreme repeat of his 2016 presidency.

“It’s a negotiation tactic that if you ‘flood the media’ and come out with a super outrageous offer, then the next offer seems very reasonable by comparison.”

COURTNEY MCCAUSLAND IMMIGRATION LAWYER

“It’s a negotiation tactic that if you ‘flood the media’ and come out with a super outrageous offer, then the next offer seems very reasonable by comparison,” McCausland said. “If I spend 8 hours a day just trying to keep up, then that’s 8 hours a day less I have to help people. We try to remain informed of the situation, but also be the calm in the storm.”

California’s sanctuary cities can refuse to provide local police aid under the California Values Act to what President Trump claimed would be the “largest deportation program in American history,” but cannot restrict federal agents like Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) from apprehending people.

Model UN officer Rahul Sundaresan (11) highlighted the political strings and balances attached to immigration policy, on a national and more granular level.

“There’s a lot of fear-mongering,” Rahul said. “People on each side are complaining that America is going to cease to exist if another guy’s in power for 4 years. I don’t think situations that could impact national security should really be partisan—not everything has to be cut along political lines.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration is viewing anyone “who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal” in her first press briefing on Jan. 28. President Trump’s first-day series of executive

orders suspended the CBP One app, which began as an asylum-processing app in 2023. Migrants are now stranded in a legal gray area at the border.

McCausland highlighted the importance of maintaining nuance in discussions about immigration.

“It’s really important we not moralize,” she said. “There’s a very problematic narrative in many immigrant communities of ‘I did it the ‘right’ way, why can’t somebody else?’ There are people who didn’t have permission who obtained it later, or did have permission and lost it. It can be difficult to stay on the ‘right’ side of the laws when the target is constantly moving.” Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Presidential inauguration sparks protest at Santana Row

Over 300 participants gathered to protest President Donald Trump’s inauguration and his executive orders, specifically those regarding immigration, at Santana Row on Jan. 20.

Students, immigration advocates and socialists of all demographics condemned the hypocrisy of deporting undocumented immigrants despite the key role of immigrants in the nation’s past. University of California Santa Cruz Student Democratic Society founder Sam Si denounced Trump’s policies.

“Anti-immigrant rhetoric hurts everyone, even when it's being targeted only towards illegal immigrants,” Si said. “It's just an excuse for racism, especially towards those who are the most marginalized in our society and are the backbone of our society.”

Some protestors had a personal connection to the injustices they were fighting against. Nearly 1.8 million Californians are undocumented, and Trump’s policy would forcibly remove them from their homes. Silicon Valley Immigration Committee member Uriel Magdaleno worries for his community.

Panama President declares canal closed to negotiations

Panama’s president José Raúl Mulino rejected negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal on Jan. 30. President Trump has repeatedly indicated his intent to regain control of the Panama Canal, citing worries over China’s influence and overcharging of U.S. ships. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panama on Feb. 2, which reiterated Trump's stance on the canal but also addressed the issue of migration.

Serbian revolts disrupt urban traffic

Serbian students disrupted traffic in Belgrade to protest government negligence after 15 people died from the collapse of a concrete canopy in Novi Sad, Serbia last November. Citizens worked with prosecutors to press charges against former construction minister Goran Vesic, leading to his temporary detention in December. President Aleksandar Vucic accused activists of working for foreign governments and ordered an end

Belarusian president wins 7th election

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko won 87% of the popular vote on Jan. 27 and started his seventh term since 1994. After removing the term restriction, Lukashenko maintained his autocracy through staged elections every year, arresting 65,000 civilians and 1,300 political dissenters this year. Opponents have fled or been imprisoned, and ballot alternatives support his regime. Exiled politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Belarusians to boycott corrupted ballots and foreign nations to reject the

Rwandan militia group invades Goma, Congo

“Since day one, he's promised to pass a bunch of executive orders that attacked the immigrant community and the broader Chicano Latino community,” Magdaleno said. “A lot of us have family members who might have come here as children, who grew up without papers.”

During the protest, queer and women’s rights activists marched side by side expressing their objections to Trump’s policies.

“The most important thing is to be around people who don't necessarily think the same as you but will take action to fight for people they love.”

JOSIE SMITH PROTESTER

“One of the biggest tools of everything that we're talking about — capitalism, racism, patriarchy — is isolation,” protester Josie Smith said. “The most important thing that we can do is to be around people who don't necessarily think the same as you but will take action to fight for people they love.”

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Rwandan fighters led by the M23 rebel group invaded Goma in the North Kivu province of Congo to secure control of the mineral deposits and mines on Jan. 27. Rebels damaged local hospitals and humanitarian aid supplies, killed civilians, looted stores and triggered a fire that allowed more than 2,000 inmates to escape from prison. The U.N. failed to contain the conflict, forcing thousands to flee from the fighting and leaving many struggling to obtain food, water and clothing.

New Zealand reconsiders funding for dependent island nation

President Taneti Maamau of Kiribati, an island nation funded by New Zealand, canceled a scheduled meeting with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Kiribati has received $58 million from New Zealand for national income and public infrastructure improvements. The New Zealand government performed an audit to determine if Kirbati was effectively using their funding. In response to Mammau’s actions, New Zealand threatened to revoke New Zealand resident visas of Kiribati citizens and prevent them from working in well-paying industries.

emma milner & alison yang

samuel tong

MASS EXPLUSION Handcuffed undocumented immigrants board a flight for deportation. President Trump has promised the "largest deportation program in American history."

samuel tong

VOCALIZING CHANGE A protester speaks about the injustices of Trump's immigration policies. "It's just an excuse for racism," Student Democratic Society founder Sam Si said.

CHARLIE WANG

SOURCE: AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL

Judging stifles self-improvement Competitions foster creativity

Hungarian composer Béla Bartók famously quipped that “competitions are for horses, not artists.” In the decades that followed, however, creative competitions of every kind have flourished, from writing to music. Competitions have permeated my process of growing up as an artist. I started out competing locally against Bay Area peers who also played the piano, gradually building up to nationaland international-level competitions.

My journey through this artificial system has been far from perfect. I’ve failed, failed again, succeeded and regained confidence, only to fail again. With every trial, I constantly questioned if competitions were even worth my time. Maybe Bartók was right, and art was just subjective after all.

But this past year, I’ve rethought my perspective. After two injuries and a summer of travel greatly hurt my chances of competing in 2025, I began learning my repertoire at my own pace, something that I’d expect to feel freeing. It wasn’t. I improved slowly, putting practice at the bottom of my to-do list.

For example, take the familiar topic of scientific research. The investigator chooses between endless unknowns from quantum mechanics to protein folding. However, the harsh truth is that very little research is done for its own sake. Students and adults alike compete for tangible rewards, and research competitions are too often evaluated subjectively by panels of judges, much like their artistic counterparts.

I don’t believe that creative competitions are perfect; after all, I’ve experienced their frustrating subjectivity firsthand. But the alternative? A world where generations deprioritize their artistic skill, extinguishing millions of creative talents before they can even be discovered.

I acknowledge the worth in my own creations.

Students and parents alike praise competitions for building character and recognition. But competitions inherently pit talented students against one another, spurring pressure to win and prove a sense of superiority. Choosing the final winner can be up to luck and random chance.

Creative submissions have no strict interpretation: a short story or art piece resonates differently with everyone. If an early-round judge finds a work unappealing, it could be eliminated without ever getting a chance at recognition. A piece with a strong ideology behind it like a critique of the government or a commentary

on feminism could also be vetoed for having too direct of a message.

Rewards are intended to acknowledge competitors who have poured more effort or time into one competition than anyone else, but unfortunately incentives arise in more than just the cash prizes or poems

For me, impressing colleges has become a major source of my motivation. When I check my Scholastic Art and Writing awards, my first thought is always whether or not my submissions are enough for applications, not for myself. Underwhelming results often lead to self-doubt, an unhealthy thought cycle that competitions fuel.

Of course, competitions can challenge students, spurring them into creating and developing community. I welcome the chance to look over someone else’s writing or discuss their interpretations. But these benefits don’t appear in every competition, and every collaborator is more often a competitor. When I have nothing to gain from competitions but nervous speculation over results, the competitive process feels lonelier than ever.

A petition to bring back class trips: Learning through exploration

High school can feel like an endless cycle of assignments, tests and college prep. We’re constantly working, and the pressure to succeed academically often overshadows everything from hobbies to much-needed sleep. I propose a solution — a chance to step away from the classroom and build connections in new ways.

“ These lessons aren’t in any textbook but are just as important as anything we learn in our academic subjects.”

I’m talking about the kind of class trips Harker students enjoyed in middle school, like the unforgettable week in Washington, D.C., where we toured historic sites by day and danced on a yacht by night. That sense of adventure, camaraderie and learning outside the classroom is something we need more of in high school.

Remembering those trips, it’s clear that they were more than just a break from academics. They were a chance to bond with classmates in ways that don’t happen when you’re sitting next to each other in

a classroom. When you’re navigating a city together, facing new experiences, the barriers between people disappear.

I still remember my first class trip vividly: two days spent exploring the Marin Headlands in fifth grade. On the last night, our group gathered around a bonfire by the beach. One of my classmates, who was usually quiet in class, started telling hilarious jokes. I realized how much more there was to the people I had never truly gotten to know.

As we get older and face more responsibilities, it becomes harder to make those deep connections with classmates because we’re often too focused on grades, test scores and the endless pressure of high school life. A trip would give us the time and space to really get to know each other beyond the confines of our schoolwork. This could be achieved in just one weekend or during one of our current fall break long weekends.

But bonding is only part of the equation. There’s also a kind of learning that can’t happen inside the classroom. Class trips give us the opportunity to develop real-world skills, navigating new environments away from home.

These lessons aren’t in any textbook but are just as important as anything we learn in our academic subjects. Whether it’s learning how to work together to

plan a group activity or figuring out how to communicate in a new city, these experiences shape us in ways that can’t be replicated through a lecture. We all know the pressure of keeping up with homework and studying for exams, but taking a break to recharge, reflect and connect with others is just as important. We need to give ourselves the chance to make those deep connections that we’ll carwry with us for years to come. It’s time to bring back class trips — not just for the unforgettable experiences they provide, but because they help us build stronger friendships and discover new perspectives that define our high school years.

disha gupta

NATIONAL PRIDE A group of eighth graders pose for a photo in Washington D.C. Students typically visit various museums in the nation’s capital during the week-long trip.

CThe importance of walkable cities

gabe sachse

ascades of people move through the New York City streets as I sit on my windowsill, watching the morning commute below me. Over my summer in the city, people-watching captivated my attention — a unique feature of living in a place brimming with humanity, as evidenced in its vibrant culture, ease of transportation and liveliness. As someone who grew up in the endless suburbs of the South Bay, the newness of the Big Apple begged the question: why doesn’t America have more New Yorks?

New York City is not a singularity in the United States. Transit-accessible and compact cities like Chicago and San Francisco offer a similar respite for those interested in a car-free lifestyle. It’s clear, though, that urban sprawl and suburban uniformity dominate modern America, with the recipe for attracting new residents synonymous with these types of areas. The image of the U.S. as a nation of compact urban centers has transformed into one of massive highway systems and cities that lack personality, marking a disastrous point for the nation’s future.

Densely populated areas often seem night-dystopian to many Americans, who seek expansive single-family houses with large yards, the freedom of cars and the peace of littledisturbed, spread-out residential zones. This version of the American dream robs the public

of an America that works for them. Urban sprawl may seem daunting, but it would increase the quality of living in many ways. Converting spread-out city centers into denser neighborhoods would create additional houses, driving down costs for struggling families.

Additionally, America’s cardependent infrastructure is a financial drain for many. The burdens of vehicle upkeep reinforce themselves until individuals reach a breaking point. Mass transit, from high speed rail to intercity metros, provides a way out.

“

Urban sprawl may seem daunting, but it would increase the quality of living in many ways.”

Beyond practicality, there comes a humanized advantage: culture. In urban centers, homogeneity is almost nonexistent. Take just a few of the Big Apple’s neighborhoods as an example: Little Italy bleeds into Chinatown, the New York University campus crosses into Little Ukraine, and TriBeCa shares its swank with Broadway. These instances enrich the cultural lexicon, but also foster something greater: a sense of shared kinship across cultures, races and classes.

To be fair, dense areas often experience increased crime, a natural consequence of proximity.

To attract new residents, regulators and oversight bodies must ensure that public institutions like mass transit are kept orderly. This problem is often overblown for

political leverage, though, and ignores confounding variables like wealth disparity that stem from antihousing and anti-urban policies.

elizabeth zhang

With countless YouTube channels offering educational content, it can be hard to know which ones are worth your time. Whether you’re cramming for AP exams or just curious about the world, YouTube teachers help you learn by capitalizing on the entertainment factor of videos. I ranked my five favorite YouTube teachers in this list.

TED-Ed is a staple of educational channels. The varying animation styles catch your eye and keep viewers engaged while still being informative. TED-Ed videos cover a variety of topics, ranging from ancient civilizations to ethical dilemmas. One drawback is that the topics covered in each video are often too specific. Although these videos pique audience interest, TED-Ed often chooses what to cover based on oddity rather than educational value.

Some critics of urbanization argue that building and powering these dense cities create a drastic increase in harm to the climate. Denser populations ease the transition to renewable energy grids, reducing energy use for transportation and public utilities. The sheer innovation and economic growth on display in these cities also leads to gains for climate-conscious infrastructure. Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Depop diminishes in-person thrifting experience

My nose itches as I step into my local Goodwill, the faint tang of detergent and old fabric hanging in the air. Metal racks of clothing stretch out before me, colors eclectic and textures varied. There’s a sense of potential here, a thrill in the hunt for something unique, something waiting to be found and cherished again. This is the magic of thrifting: it’s personal and unpredictable, which makes it all the more satisfying when the perfect piece finally finds you.

“Thrifting is sustainable and community-driven. But with online thrifting, it’s all ‘take’ and no ‘give.’”

Thrifting has earned its reputation as a sustainable and ethical alternative to fast fashion. Thrift stores offer unique, high-quality finds at affordable prices and also reduce textile waste. When people donate clothing they no longer need, they provide others affordable fashion. Buyers then extend the life of these items, giving

them renewed value instead of tossing them out.

Thrifting is cyclical: you find pieces that fit your current style, and when you’ve outgrown them, you donate them for others to enjoy. It’s sustainable and community-driven. But with online thrifting, it’s all “take” and no “give.”

Instead of fostering the thrill of discovering hidden gems or the satisfaction of passing along one’s preloved items, online thrifting platforms like Depop and ThredUp have turned thrifting into yet another exercise in capitalism. New drops, limited-time deals and the pressure to snag items before someone else does mirror the tactics of fast fashion brands. This results in clothing being treated as a fleeting commodity. The supposed sustainability of these platforms becomes little more than a marketing tool.

Online thrifting misses the magic of the in-person experience. Typing something into the search bar and clicking through the filters, scrolling through listings on Depop, will never match the joy of stumbling upon the perfect piece after hours of searching. The whole process feels transactional,

devoid of the community-driven heart of thrifting.

While individual sellers aren’t solely to blame, they incentivize overconsumption and normalize the commodification of secondhand clothing, perpetuating a cycle that benefits profit margins over meaningful change. This trend represents a betrayal of the original values of thrifting — values rooted in sustainability, accessibility and community.

CrashCourse, known for its vibrant animations and engaging hosts, includes fun segments like when the hosts play the same video clip of an army of Mongols whenever the Mongols are mentioned. While the entertainment value is high, this sometimes slows down the delivery of information, making the videos less efficient when studying. However, Crash Course still provides videos on most of the historical and scientific topics taught in high school, making it a better option than Ted-ED.

ACDC Econ is a go-to resource for students tackling AP Microeconomics or AP Macroeconomics. This channel is strictly for review, offering quick and reliable explanations of key concepts without fluff, lowering its benefit for students struggling to understand the economic concepts. On the other hand, its fast pace makes it ideal for lastminute prep covering all the topics you need without excess information.

2. The Organic Chemistry Tutor, contrary to his name, covers an extremely broad range of science and math topics beyond just organic chemistry. In each video, he guides you through simple problems before increasing the difficulty to help you fully understand a topic. He is my go-to for math or science topics, but the monotony of his voice and slow pace of his videos prevent him from ranking first.

1. Heimler’s History claims the top spot for drastically reducing the amount of time I spend studying AP World History. His videos neatly cover key concepts and vocabulary terms. Iconic lines like “Y’all ready to get those brain cows milked?” and witty jokes make the material more enjoyable, transforming what could be a tedious study session into a productive experience. For any student tackling AP History courses, Heimler’s History is a must-have resource that combines clarity and entertainment.

jessica wang

JESSICA WANG

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP Avid thrifter Melody Yin (12) poses with a laptop in a Goodwill.

Breaking the locks: Harker’s Competitive environment

victor gong, lily shi & chelsea xie

Secret summer plans. Hidden nonprofits that don’t emerge until they’re featured in the news.

Entire lives outside the classroom, beyond campus, that go entirely unacknowledged. Even between the closest of friends.

At Harker, withholding information, known colloquially as “gatekeeping,” is an increasingly common practice among students. In our context, the strategy involves keeping extracurricular activities low-profile so as not to attract competition from peers, typically providing only general comments or even lying when asked.

“With some people, if you ask them what they’re applying to, they’ll just say, ‘Oh, I’m applying to some programs,’ and they won’t say which ones,” Brenna Ren (11) said. “People are gatekeeping even in middle school. It’s also a problem in other competitive schools, but they’re not as bad as Harker.”

Behind the gatekeeping epidemic lies a greater web of problems. College admissions grow more and more selective each year, with acceptance rates for top schools dropping to single digit percentages. Popular extracurricular opportunities like summer programs reflect this trend and have essentially transformed into miniature college applications, with some institutions even offering early decision options. Amidst this hyper-competitive landscape, students gatekeep opportunities in hopes of improving their chances at standing out.

“One conversation I had about it is, [students] want to do something that not everyone else is doing,” Director of College Counseling Nicole Burrell said. “They want to have one place where they can shine, especially if it’s kind of a unique or special opportunity that not everyone else is doing. They don’t want everyone else jumping on that bandwagon.”

When students feel pressured to keep certain activities a secret, they lose the opportunity to bond over shared interests with peers. The act of concealing things between friends dismantles trust, instead fostering confusion over whether peers are seen as merely competition and discouraging students from relying on each other for support.

“

People are gatekeeping even in middle school. It’s also a problem in other competitive schools, but they’re not as bad as Harker.”

Systemic

BRENNA REN (11) STUDENT

“Finding out that your friend is deliberately gatekeeping would leave a very sour taste in your mouth,” Demi Zheng (10) said. “It makes you feel like they might not trust you, or that they’re not close enough with you to share that information. If you’re in that situation where you thought you were close friends with that person, then it would definitely strain your relationship.”

Have you ever concealed academic information from your peers?

As the practice of gatekeeping becomes more common, students may feel isolated as they are constantly immersed in an environment where every acquaintance is a potential competitor rather than a potential friend. Gatekeeping fosters an academic culture where students’ hesitance to share information and discuss interests hampers curiosity and collaboration.

“Since you all think you are competing for the same thing, you do whatever you can so that other people don’t reach that,” Assistant Upper School Division Head Kelly Horan said, “You all feel like you have to play that game here, but in reality, it’s a choice. It’s not a zero sum game. It’s not ‘I win and you lose.’”

Although many students choose to gatekeep to protect their hard-earned opportunities, the practice is often unnecessary and creates an overly competitive environment. When friends aren’t even direct competitors, it’s counterproductive to treat them as rivals and withhold information.

“There’s not really a point in gatekeeping what you apply for, because you’re probably one of a thousand people who apply,” Brenna said. “In the end you’re competing with everyone else in the world, so it shouldn’t matter if your friend is competing for the same thing.”

“

You all feel like you have to play that game here, but in reality, it’s a choice. It’s not a zero sum game. It’s not ‘I win and you lose.’”

Harker’s gatekeeping culture fosters secretive practices

Instead of following the instinct to protect one’s personal interests, realizing that students can still thrive by sharing and collaborating with others will create a more supportive community and a more enjoyable high school experience.

“When you guys pool your talents, you can do amazing things that uplift a bunch of people, as opposed to thinking, ‘If I keep this to myself, I can get ahead,’” Burrell said. “That mindset isn’t really good mentally for your outlook or your place in the Harker community at large. And the reality is, there’s no real evidence that it even makes a difference.”

The stress of competitive admissions may make gatekeeping seem like an intrinsic part of a college preparatory school. However, no single program or opportunity will make or break a person’s future. Through genuine collaboration, students can gain more than just acceptance letters. They can build lasting relationships and a supportive community that will outlast any application cycle.

“If you can’t fully share yourself and what you’re excited about, you’re not engaging with others in authentic ways and creating true relationships,” Horan said. “Every time we participate in the culture, we perpetuate it. So, at some point, you all have to stand up and say, ‘I don’t want to play this game anymore. Let’s just all do our best.’”

What kinds of topics do you withhold?

“ If you’re in that situation where you thought you were close friends with that person, then it would definitely strain your relationship.”

DEMI ZHENG (11)

“

When you pool your talents, you can do amazing things. There’s no real evidence that [gatekeeping] makes a difference.”

NICOLE BURRELL DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING

marginalized groups from opportunities and industries. Read

Employers may use ambiguous terms like “culture fit” to exclude groups like women or people of color from the workplace.

Influential individuals and groups within the film industry hold power to choose what films, shows and content to fund and produce.

Editors-in-Chief

Katerina Matta

Victor Gong

Managing Editors

Young Min Jessica Wang

Claire Zhao

Assistant News Editors

Samuel Tong Lily Peng

Chelsea Xie

Features Editors

Janam Chahal Mendy Mao

Assistant Features Editors

Caden Ruan Elizabeth Zhang

A&E/Lifestyle Editors

Suhani Gupta Disha Gupta

Assistant A&E/Lifestyle Editors

Lindsay Li Cynthia Xie

Opinions Editors

Mihir Kotbagi Emma Li

Assistant Opinions Editors

Leah Krupnik Risa Chokhawala

STEM Editors

Ashley Mo

Jonathan Szeto

Assistant STEM Editors

Claire Tian Nathan Yee

Sports Editors

Eva Cheng Tiffany Zhu

Assistant Sports Editors

Wenjie Zou Sam Li Claire Xu

Senior Copy Editor Saahil Herrero

Copy Editor Jeremy Peng

Assistant Copy Editor

William Jiang

Photo Editor Kairui Sun

Multimedia Editor

Charlie Wang

Assistant Multimedia Editor

Lindsay Li

Adviser

Whitney Huang, CJE

Aquila Editors-in-Chief

Alison Yang

Emma Milner

Aquila Managing Editors

Hima Thota

Aishani Singh Isabella Lo Gabe Sachse

Charlize Wang

Humans of Harker Editors-in-Chief

Sidak Sanghari

Jonathan Xue

Humans of Harker Managing Editors

Ella Guo Aryana Bharali

Humans of Harker Profilers

Heather Wang Vivek Moorjani

Victoria Li

Reporters

Angelina Burrows Mirabelle Feng

Emma Lee

The Winged Post is the official student newspaper of Harker’s upper school and is distributed free of cost to students every four to six weeks except vacations by the Journalism: Newspaper and Advanced Journalism: Newspaper courses at The Harker School, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, California 95129. We aim to publish balanced stories following professional standards while serving as a public forum for Harker students. All content decisions are made by student editors. Opinions and letters represent the viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Winged Post, Harker board, administration, faculty or journalism advisers. Editorials represent the official opinions of The Winged Post editorial board. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to Manzanita 70 or emailed to harkeraq@gmail.com and must be signed, legible and concise. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to Winged Post style, and letters will be published at the discretion of editorial staff. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenities and letters that call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. Students hold the copyright to work published in Harker journalism publications.

NSPA Pacemaker Winner: 2019-2020, 2017-2018

NSPA Pacemaker Finalist: 2023-2024, 2020-2021, 2018-2019, 2016-2017

CSPA Gold Crowns: 2024, 2023, 2019, 2018, 2016

Editorial: College counseling and students need to reconnect

“K-12 College Prep.”

Harker’s consistent success in college admissions bolsters its reputation as a “college prep” school — even one meriting a $64,800 a year price tag. But are we getting our money’s worth?

Harker’s four college counselors advise a 200-person class, a counselorstudent ratio far lower than most institutions nationwide. However, students don’t meet with them until the second semester of junior year, instead tasking academic counselor Kelly Horan with all questions for almost the first three years of high school.

“We call our academic planning ‘college counseling,’” Horan said. “When [students] are that young, [academics] are the crux of college counseling. We are more focused on the journey and making kids individuals.”

Though Harker shields students from the admissions process to cultivate authenticity, it only distances families new to the process from internal counseling. The majority of respondents in an anonymous poll posted to Schoology cited parental pressure

and uncertainty about the process as their reasons for pursuing outside counseling. These packages offer extensive services like essay reading or extracurricular and summer program advising, costing up to thousands of dollars.

Students and families feeling the need to seek outside counseling, spending additional thousands, should not be the norm.

Our counselors’ decades of combined experience should be shared more regularly. Proactively correcting myths and misconceptions about the high school experience and admissions early on helps allay anxieties and empower students in their decision-making rather than leaving them to fend for themselves along their paths of “organic” discovery.

The groundwork for this shift already exists. Counseling meets with parents in the early high school years, clarifying what to look for in a summer program, among other topics. Looping underclassmen into these conversations gives them the tools to define their education for themselves.

It’s also time for us students to evaluate what we want out of a college prep process.

Winged Post Strategic is excited to present our first issue of the new year! Before we head off for February break, we wanted to capture our community’s spirit as we kick off the year with intention. As seniors contemplate their legacies on campus, juniors begin the college application process, sophomores anticipate becoming upperclassmen and frosh settle in, we encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect.

In this double-issue find various tributes to the different members of our community. We strive to both celebrate our community’s achievements and shed light on our challenges.

This issue marks the second-tolast of our tenure as your Winged Post Strategic. With that in mind, we’d love to hear any feedback you have about our paper, pitches or any questions and concerns. Please reach out to harkeraq@ gmail.com or using the adjacent QR code. We look forward to your comments!

In exchange for Harker’s steep tuition, we receive the “name brand” of our course rigor, and access to unprecedented exploration and academic support at the high school level. Arguably, the best use of these opportunities would be true intellectual development and curiosity — not the highest GPA possible. The same philosophy extends to our extracurriculars, our leadership and more. But in pursuit of the acceptance from our university of choice, we often abandon true passion for the ‘perfect’ resume.

Is it fair to ask our counselors to help us to tell our authentic stories, if we aren’t authentic with ourselves?

Realistically, we won’t stop appealing to an admissions system that defines much of our future success, and one that is a primary draw for our school. But to improve our system, we must honestly reflect on ourselves. That can’t be accomplished without transparency and support from college counseling and administration.

We must meet each other in the middle: honesty about what we expect of each other will clear the path to find our organic journey forward together.

NEWS 1: “Keynote” should be lower case

NEWS 2: “Marinara” mispelled “Mariana” in infographic

NEWS 3: “Get out the vote” caption missing period

A&E 7: “Sexy Pink Lychee” mispelled “Sexy Lychee” a few times

OPINIONS 12: “ChatGPT-4o” mispelled “ChatGPT-o4”

SPORTS 17: “Design by Eva Cheng” is blacked out by a bar

CORRECTIONS

POLICY:

Our staff strives to represent our community fairly and conduct accurate, truthful storytelling. We list all errors of an issue, along with the page number of that error, in the next issue’s corrections box. Feel free to provide feedback via the QR code to the right.

editorial board

EDITORIAL: THE OFFICIAL OPINION OFTHE WINGED POST

News Editor Lily Shi

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the technology sector faces a paradigm shift in its near future. As AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini and the recent model DeepSeek become more proficient in programming, the question of whether AI will replace developers grows increasingly relevant.

AI EXPLOSION The rapid-growing U.S. generative AI market size will reach approximately $20.3 billion in 2025.

“We’re

still at the infancy of AI, but it does seem like a pretty pivotal time. How that affects humans and job prospects remains to be seen.”

MARINA PEREGRINO COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER

Junior developers are often tasked with writing basic code to implement certain features, performing routine maintenance tasks for existing applications or fixing bugs in a piece of code. These responsibilities often

more efficiently. As companies start relying more on artificial intelligence to reduce costs and increase productivity, a reduction in the demand for entry-level developers has emerged, limiting job opportunities.

“We’re still at the infancy of AI, but it does seem like a pretty pivotal time,” computer science teacher Marina Peregrino said. “We might be at [the] level where we ask AI to generate code for us. It’s no longer clunky or weird, and it’s actually pretty decent code. Where does that leave the humans?”

Nonetheless, a slim majority of students remain confident in the value of human developers in the current computer science industry. In a survey sent out to upper school students on Jan. 21, 55% of 101 respondents said recent developments in generative artificial intelligence had not influenced their likelihood of considering a career in computer science, while 29% of respondents stated that they were now less likely to do so.

Given the limited capabilities of generative artificial intelligence currently, it remains unlikely that artificial intelligence will fully replace human developers. Few companies plan to use artificial intelligence to complete tasks independently due to its limited intelligence and flexibility, according to artificial intelligence investor Raymond Xu (‘16), who works at the venture capital firm Bond.

“Models are not yet smart enough,” Xu said. “It’s some degree off, and that difference is huge in a world where you want things to be production-ready. There are a lot of internal systems around coding that haven’t been codified formally, like where to pull different requests or who are the best people at the firm that know the right

things and use that context.”

Workplaces will likely evolve into a collaborative space where developers will expedite their work using artificial intelligence tools. With the ability of artificial intelligence to assist in tasks like coding and finding errors, developers can focus on high-level tasks involving design and problem-solving.

“One approach is to use AI as a collaborator, or an augmenter in addition to human creativity and capabilities,” Xu said. “Integrated environments for coding will have AI capabilities and allow for streamlining a lot of the actual coding work, but it’s still human directed.”

While the fundamentals of programming and solving basic coding questions may grow less useful due to artificial intelligence, the study of computer science still encompasses essential skills that will continue to apply to the industry and in personal work.

“I don’t think it’s wrong to teach Java or nested for loops.” Peregrino said. “I don’t think it’s wrong to teach algebra even if our calculators can do it for us now.

organized. We learn to problem solve, and we learn to debug — those are the skills that will go with us elsewhere in

WORK

As the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence in computer science continue to advance, the technology sector faces a paradigm shift. In the future, workplaces may evolve into a more collaborative space where developers expedite their work with AI assistants.

Tech professionals face fierce industry competition

ashley mo & claire tian

Once seen as an immediate gateway to stability and high salaries, careers in computer science now face intense competition and a wave of layoffs. In a survey sent out to students on Jan. 21, 35% of 101 respondents indicated that they are considering a computer science career. However, their confidence in the opportunities available in the field are mixed, with 4% being very optimistic, 28% feeling slightly optimistic and 24% slightly pessimistic.

29% of Harker alumni pursued careers in CS over the past 25 years based on public LinkedIn profiles, more than any other sector. Yet, many question the future of the industry given its recent turbulence and oversaturation.

Software engineer Katherine Zhang (‘19) works at autonomous vehicle startup Applied Intuition and witnessed this shift firsthand. She observed a dramatic rise in highly qualified job applicants for computer science positions due to the appeal of financially secure tech jobs.

“Computer science was perceived as the stable option,” Zhang said. “It pays well, you’re not doing anything

physically strenuous, the hours are pretty good. It’s a desirable job.”

CS STRUGGLES Survey respondents were roughly evenly divided on their view of

As the market grew more competitive, applicants faced greater challenges in securing once-assured well-paying employment. Even some ostensibly entry-level roles now require two to three years of technical experience in the industry, according to computer science teacher and former software engineer Swati Mittal.

“Fifteen years ago, you would have four offers in your hands,” Mittal said. “You were the one negotiating. Now, the coin has flipped. The companies are saying, ‘take it or leave it.’”

The tech sector experienced a surge in demand for digital technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, like video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. Companies increased hiring in anticipation of longterm growth, assuming that the shift to digital reliance would be permanent.

“Boom-and-bust cycles and hireand-fire cycles have always been a part of any industry,” said Zhang. “When things are looking good, companies like Google that are really large and can afford to spend a lot of money will hire tons and tons of engineers, including ones that they don’t necessarily need.”

Many businesses reduced their oversized workforces during the past few years of economic downturn. Tech companies like Meta and Microsoft laid off a collective 10,000 employees in the last month alone. Computer science professionals face the daunting prospect of potentially losing their jobs.

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

HYBRID

EMMA LEE

Senior Juliana Li detects lung cancer with 3D modeling

chelsea xie & elizabeth zhang

Q: What is your research project about?

A: “I’m trying to detect lung cancer and improve treatment. It’s a bioengineering project through various methodologies: AI modeling, computational anatomical modeling and bioinformatics.”

Q: How does 3D modeling help with lung cancer treatment?

A: “From CT scans you can only see three branches of lung airways. My algorithm figures out a way to generate 20 to 22, and it’s helpful in planning treatment and seeing how a tumor might affect the rest of the lung airways.”

Q: Were there any obstacles or challenges that you came across?

A: “One was not having much literature, so advice from my mentor and undergrads was helpful. Another was the detail needed in data analysis. I developed the skills of being meticulous and resilient when I messed up.”

Q: What did you learn from your project?

A: “It has allowed me to develop a more creative mindset. Math and computer science olympiads need a problemsolving mindset, but it’s not the same creative process in research.”

Q: What impact do you see your project having?

A: “I hope it can be implemented in the clinic. I want to keep working on it and see where it can go to develop better treatments for diagnostics and treatment planning.”

Stronger storms, fiercer fires

Extreme weather threatens buildings across California

jeremy peng & jonathan szeto

From rising sea level to retreating glaciers, global warming has caused radical changes in our world’s oceans, forests and ecosystems. But few places across the globe have seen as impactful a shift in climate conditions than California, with its extensive coastline and variable meteorological conditions.

Throughout the state, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly intense and common, damaging buildings and displacing residents from their homes in heavily populated areas.

The changing climate has only exacerbated the existing array of weather conditions in California. The state has

seen less rain and hotter, drier conditions, leading to larger and more frequent wildfires, even in urban areas. The recent Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles destroyed over 12,000 buildings in four square miles of high-density city blocks.

“Each year [the weather] gets weirder,” AP Environmental Science student Sophie Grace (12) said. “This year, there’s been a lot of unusual weather with wildfires. It’s super windy in Southern California, where they have huge wind advisories — that’s a result of climate change.”

California experiences intense floods and higher waves, which threaten the state’s numerous coastal buildings, including beachfront homes and hotels.

A strong storm in December produced hurricane-force winds, record flooding

and 60-foot waves, causing the partial collapse of the Santa Cruz wharf. Rising sea levels also exacerbate the gradual but long-term erosion of the California coastline.

Atmospheric rivers form often above the Pacific Ocean, bringing strong gusts and large amounts of rainfall from the equatorial tropics to the Bay Area in the form of long streams of water vapor. AP Environmental Science teacher Jeff Sutton explained how these rivers arise.

“The two big things that determine weather are pressure and temperature, and those two go hand in hand,” Sutton said. “We get these long tails of air movement that come often out of the tropics, and they can hold mind boggling amounts of water in the air.”

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Bioinformatics offers intersection of disciplines

nathan yee & william jiang

High schools across the United States rarely offer bioinformatics due to its recent emergence and need for extensive resources and equipment. However, this year Honors Bioinformatics debuted as a science elective for students who have completed one semester of biology, taught by science teacher Zane Moore.

After a Harker family donated an Illumina DNA sequencer in the summer of 2023, science department chair Anita

Chetty pictured a course that dived into the essentials of DNA sequencing, the technique of determining the exact order of nucleotides in DNA molecules.

Dr. Moore followed that vision and developed a class curriculum where students learn about the sequencing process and apply their understanding in labs. He believes that students can apply the knowledge and experience gained from bioinformatics to various fields.

“I’ve always been interested in using computational biology and mechanisms to solve biological challenges, and

I thought that this new class would be the perfect opportunity,” Honors Bioinformatics student Krish Nachnani said. “In the fields of ethics and biology, it’s important to be using these new machine learning and computational tools to further the field.”

“In the fields of ethics and biology, it’s important to use these new machine learning and computational tools.”

Bioinformatics relies heavily on computer science to make sense of collected data to reach meaningful conclusions. DNA sequencers generate roughly 100 billion gigabytes of raw text, impossible for a human to manually interpret. Dr. Moore hopes that students will understand natural phenomena by generating targeted questions.

“Sequencing is an easy thing to throw around, but sequencing with intention about what you are trying to test, that’s what I want to teach,” Dr. Moore said.

WEATHER BEWARE As global temperatures and sea levels rise, climate change intensifies weather patterns, creating stronger and more frequent wildfires, drier, hotter droughts and stronger winds and waves during storms in the state of California.

CULTIVATING CURIOSITY Honors Bioinformatics teacher Dr. Zane Moore holds up a bottle of lysogeny broth, a nutrient-rich medium containing the bacteria ampicillin.

KRISH NACHNANI BIOINFORMATICS STUDENT

ELIZABETH ZHANG

Teen vaping declines, awareness grows

Vaping decline among younger generations hints toward a broader discussion surrounding the ethical and health implications of vaping and its production.

In 2024, studies from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control revealed a decline in youth use of e-cigarettes and nicotine products. 2.25 million middle and high school students reported using a tobacco product, compared to the 2.80 million reported teen users in 2023.

Student Diversity Coalition leader Ariana Gauba (12) noted that social media serves as a platform for promoting vaping.

“Social media definitely glorifies vaping, normalizing it to teenagers and presenting it as a way to cope with stress or be happier,” Ariana said.

Across TikTok and Instagram, promotion of e-cigarette products occurs through social media influencers as well as ads. These promotions can take the form of casual, lifestyle-oriented content, making vaping appear trendy and socially acceptable. Influencers are often paid by companies to promote their products, and Instagram contains roughly 18,000 profiles solely dedicated to promotion of vaping.

Ariana also voiced concern over the environmental impacts of e-cigarette technology, emphasizing the challenges that surround the proper discarding of vapes today.

“In terms of the environment, I think that many people, especially teenagers, don’’t really have a way of disposing [of] their vapes,” Ariana said. “It comes from a place of ignorance or lack of access to hazardous waste centers.”

Student athlete Gia Emelie (12), a member of the varsity soccer team and an active weight-lifter at Harker’s weight

commented on the disastrous impacts of vaping on health, especially on people who are involved in athletics.

“As an athlete, I will not put anything in my body that can interfere with my health,” Gia said.

“Vaping, especially, is harmful to the lungs and liver, which could reduce endurance and stamina.”

Vaping’s most detrimental human impact comes in the damage it inflicts upon the lungs. Inflammation, injury, and scarring are the

e-cigarette products.

The impact of vaping is also tied to a global system

of resource extraction and labor. From the lithium in vape batteries, sourced through environmentally damaging mining and labor practices, to the plastic waste accumulated in landfills and waterways, vaping perpetuates a cycle of harm that extends beyond the user.

Biology teacher Eric Johnson stressed the importance of understanding the farreaching consequences of vaping. They encouraged students to think beyond the immediate health risks and consider the broader ethical and environmental implications of their choices.

“I think being educated is so important,” Johnson said. “If I introduce this consumerism into my life, I’m now part of the large group of people all over the world that don’t understand that every time I vape, it’s connected. My vape over here in Silicon Valley is connected to labor in Africa, to mining in Ecuador. That education pipeline has to be born.” Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Alcohol consumption increases hidden cancer risks

It’s commonly known that smoking causes cancer. Most have seen the warning labels on cigarette packs and the anti-smoking ads — the dangers of tobacco are common knowledge. But another carcinogen, just as deadly, remains largely ignored in public conversation: alcohol.

Despite decades of research, less than half of Americans realize that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen in the same category as tobacco and radiation, according to a recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General. The advisory calls for an explicit warning label on alcoholic beverages linking alcohol consumption

to cancer, similar to the warning labels on many tobacco products. Med Club CoPresident Kashish Priyam (12) highlights a growing awareness of alcohol’s true health risks, which extends beyond warning labels of packaging.

“There has been a recent shift in the discourse around alcohol,” Kashish said. “The Surgeon General has recently come out and said that alcohol has negative consequences that are often hidden

lily peng & vivek moorjani

Public Health Club members played the video game Plague Inc. to learn about the effects and properties of infectious diseases on Thursday.

Around a dozen students gathered in adviser Patrick Kelly’s room to play the game and understand how diseases affect populations worldwide. With this knowledge, the Public Health Club hopes to promote innovations and novel thinking to solve healthcare crises.

In the three-leveled Plague Inc., students acted as a bacterium or virus with the goal of infecting and killing the entire world population. The game introduced members to the origins behind illnesses and how scientists create vaccines to mitigate them.

“The game is surprisingly advanced in a way that conveys scientific ideas about spreading diseases.”

TERRY XIE (11) VP OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Vice Presidents of Internal Affairs Terry Xie (11) and Ritisha Chakravarty (10) navigated through the game options. Players picked a starting location for their pathogen, which they named Harkerrea. As Harkerrea started infecting more people, students gained more DNA points that they used to buy symptoms, transmission techniques and other perks to level up their disease.

“Because we didn’t have any speakers lined up for today, we needed a backup plan, and Plague Inc. was the idea,” Terry said. “The game was actually pretty interesting — it’s surprisingly advanced in a way that conveys scientific ideas about spreading diseases. By trying to spread the disease you can see the causes and then think about ways to counter that.”

Bars at the bottom of the screen indicated the lethality, contagiousness and population infected or killed by Harkerrea. Club members strategized buying air transmission to increase the dissemination of their bacteria, symptoms like organ failure to increase death rates and genetic strengthening to avoid antibiotic developments.

Using his background in medical history, Kelly proposed methods to improve the deadliness of the disease. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of considering the human population’s responses to mutations.

“It was really fun,” Kelly said. “I didn’t expect this to be so scientific. It was interesting to say when we were going to evolve antibacterial resistance or different symptoms.”

and not discussed because alcohol is so commonplace in our social interactions — it’s very normalized in our world.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, drinking alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer: mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, breast and colon. Scientists have identified several mechanisms through which alcohol increases the chances of developing the disease.

CHEMICAL CATASTROPHE Vaping impacts lung health via exposure to toxic chemicals. Many vaping products contain high levels of nicotine, which can lead to brain damage.

ALCOHOL ALERT A little-known but widely-consumed carcinogen is alcohol, a substance used by approximately 60% of Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.

DESIGN BY ASHLEY MO, JONATHAN SZETO

charlize wang & lily shi

hima thota & aishani singh

INFOGRAPHIC BY EMMA LEE AND JONATHAN SZETO; SOURCE: FDA

SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok faced a nationwide blackout in the United States on Jan. 18 after the Supreme Court upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Within 12 hours, however, services were restored following President Trump’s executive order that granted TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, an additional 75 days to finalize a sale.

“Users seek content that is authentic, humorous or emotionally resonant.”

This sequence of events proved to many users just how deeply social media embedded itself into daily life: TikTok’s brief shutdown was more than an inconvenience for creators and users, with the single app igniting global controversy. Understanding the influence and impact of these apps requires a look back at the origins of the internet and how it evolved into the powerful industry it is today.

The origins of the internet trace back to the late 1960s with ARPANET, which was a project

smaller packets and transmitted it across different routes before reassembling at the destination. This was the first implementation of packet-switching technology.

On Oct. 29, 1969, engineers at UCLA attempted to send the first message over ARPANET to another computer at the Stanford Research Institute. The intended message was “LOGIN,” but only the first two letters, “LO,” as in, “Lo and behold, the age of the Internet is here,” were transmitted before the system crashed.

Following this success, ARPANET rapidly expanded, and by the 1980s, the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol standardized how data was sent and received, which allowed different networks to interconnect. In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web, revolutionizing how people accessed and shared information.

What started as a militaryfunded research project had, within just a few decades, transformed into a global communication network that connects billions of people worldwide in the current day. As the internet grew more accessible in the 1990s and early 2000s, it shifted from a tool primarily used by researchers and institutions to become a platform for public communication and personal expression. Online forums,

SKYROCKETS IN POPULARITY

expanded, making it a key platform for live events and public discourse. Instagram capitalized on the visual storytelling trend, while Snapchat popularized ephemeral content that disappeared after viewing.

By the mid-2010s, social media’s integration with

REEL EFFECT (UPPER) According to a paper survey conducted on the Harker campus with 211 respondents, 61.9% of students watch short-form videos more than any other form of media. Shorter clips engage viewers more quickly than traditional content, which keeps interest levels high and motivates scrolling. LIFE ONLINE (LOWER) Most respondents reported spending 1-2 hours on social media daily, although some reported screen times of 4 hours and beyond.

user engagement. Apps optimized for smartphones made it possible to stay connected anytime and anywhere. The introduction of algorithm-driven feeds, live streaming and features like hashtags transformed social media into a dynamic, personalized experience. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok leveraged video content to captivate users. Then arrived the era of influencers, individuals who build massive followings through curated content and personal branding. Social media’s growth is intertwined with technological advancements: improved internet infrastructure, the proliferation of smartphones and the development of artificial intelligence.

In 2025, new trends shape how people engage with one another. Shortform, algorithm-driven content, which originally started with Vine, now dominates most platforms with popular options being TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. In a poll given to Harker students during school meeting on Jan. 27, 61.9% of respondents said that the type of content they consumed the most were short-form videos.

Users seek content that is authentic, humorous or emotionally resonant, with platforms such as BeReal encouraging users to share “unfiltered” snapshots of their lives becoming increasingly popular among younger demographics. Meanwhile, X remains a platform for

jessica wang & victor gong

INFOGRAPHICS BY VICTOR GONG

LIFE & CULTURE

“All You Need is Love”

“All You Need is Love” A vibrant celebration of love in motion

Directed by Rachelle Haun

“ This year’s theme was one of the best ones that I’ve been a part of. Everyone knows love, everyone has love and it’s something that we can all relate to. Each choreographer tapped into the theme in a different way, and that was communicated to the audience.”

An exuberant ode to self-love. A whirlwind epic about a newfound romance. A soft, pensive ballad exploring the bond of sisterhood. The upper school’s 2025 Dance Production, “All You Need is Love,” featured each of these different forms of love — and more — amidst colorful costumes and props. See A&E/Lifestyle Page 4 for more details. “

Assisted by

Jill Yager

“ This year was a lot more fun because everyone was inclusive, and there were a lot more people.”

“ Our tap dance has a great group. For example, people have been tapping with me for the past 3 years, so it’s bittersweet to see them go. We have a really close knit group this year, and we’re all really dedicated to tap. It’s super fun to meet people with similar passions.”

1. HIT THAT Kinetic Krew captain and senior choreographer Arthur Wu performs his choreography in “I Like It.” 2. REACHING OUT Harker Dance Company captain Yasmin Sudarsanam (12) stretches out an arm in her self-choreographed “My Love.” 3. FADE TO BLACK Junior Lily Shi holds the final pose of “Secret Love Song,” choreographed by senior Maya Affaki. 4. ARMS WIDE Harker Dance Company co-captain Serena Lau (11) performs a back attitude in her “Love in the Dark.” 5. HAPPY FEET Junior Sofia Shah smiles in the only tap number of the night.

SOFIA SHAH (11) TAP DANCER

SERENA LAU (11) HARKER

Community fears media control

Billionaires shape media, threaten press freedom

mendy mao & lily shi

ulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post cartoonist Ann Telnaes drew a sketch depicting major media and tech executives, including the Post’s owner Jeff Bezos, bowing before Donald Trump. When an editor rejected the cartoon, she resigned, citing a violation of free speech and Recent controversies surrounding editorial decisions reveal the influence that powerful figures exert over the media. Media ownership has become increasingly concentrated among a few individuals and corporations, and the public is raising concerns over the dangers that powerful oligarchs like Elon Musk and Bezos can pose to a free press.

“No one is saying that directives are coming from Bezos himself, but for a paper with a historically liberal slant to suddenly be unable to endorse political

longer endorse presidential candidates before the 2024 election, reportedly blocking endorsements of Kamala Harris that had already been written.

“

The worrying part for

me

is losing independence and having media organizations be fearful of retaliation.”

AARON BAO (12) STUDENT

“Journalists have the ability to take on powerful institutions and write about them, and we’re well aware of our First Amendment rights that allow us to do that,” Mercury News reporter Shomik Mukherjee said. “But at all times, newspapers and journalists are probing the boundaries of that independence to the extent that they can. They often worry about upsetting the private owners funding their publications.”

While these controversies play out at a national level, similar concerns have arisen across the Bay Area, where media consolidation limits the number of reliable and available news sources. Large corporations have increasingly acquired local newspapers, as when five local papers were merged into the East Bay Times and Mercury News under the hedge fund Alden Global Capital in 2016. When one company owns multiple media outputs, viewpoints tend to be less diverse, which may create bias in investigative reporting.

STOMPING AND SILENCING In the months since President Trump’s election, media watchdogs and public advocates have sounded alarms over threats to media freedoms.

“I’ve seen a lot of individuals buying up media corporations, and that’s a massive problem because it hampers their ability to report independently and report without bias,” senior Aaron Bao said. “A lot of people get their information through news organizations and not much else, so if you don’t have that independent reporting it

makes it hard for true information to get out there.”

The Bay Area is also home to many of the world’s most influential tech corporations like Google, Meta and X, which play an outsized role in shaping the news people see. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok dominate how young people receive information, and the types of stories that gain visibility can be influenced by the financial and political interests of media owners.

“Just the fact that tech companies are extremely powerful and wealthy — the media likes to question power, so I think that relationship is often really fraught,” Mukherjee said. “But broadly speaking, whether it’s Trump, Elon Musk, Obama or Joe Biden — anyone in a major position of power can pose a unique threat to the press. The press exists to hold power accountable, so this dynamic is always at play.”

It’s when the people in power hold political interests that their influence on free press appears most evident. Bezos, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and attended the inauguration in a front row exclusive seat, is among numerous tech executives accused of seeking favor with the new president — a theme that Telnaes illustrated in her cartoon. His prominence warrants news coverage, but his ownership of the Post limits the paper’s ability to report on him freely.

“It’s a really worrying trend for newspapers that reporters who stick their necks out to cover the people who own their papers are putting their jobs in jeopardy,” Mukherjee said.

The rise of AI-curated news feeds and social media algorithms, often controlled by tech companies with non-transparent interests, makes this even more crucial. Sena argues that a free press depends on an informed and engaged public.

“Since many people in the Bay Area will go on to work at these companies, I hope that they will take their own integrity into the boardroom and speak up when decisions are being made,” Sena said. “There’s a responsibility for all of us to squash untruths.”

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‘Not as much of a foreigner’: Students share stories of multilingualism

From the occasional Mandarin phrase sprinkled into lunch table conversation to the Bollywood music at school dances, Harker’s multiculturalism permeates the linguistic fabric of daily student life.

While we often celebrate the strong presence of different cultural groups at Harker, with East and South Asians being the most represented, students report enduring a wide array of experiences with their multilingualism. Commonly, Harker students local to the Bay Area attend language-specific schools throughout their younger years — an option particularly popular with Chinese and Korean communities.

Still, many members of our community share stories that differ from this linear trajectory, frequently grounded in their personal experiences with immigration. One such senior, JiaJia Jiang, left China as a child for Canada. She struggled to adapt to the French-English bilingualism, having only spoken Chinese before. Despite the initial difficulties, she now attributes her confidence in self-expression to the moving experience.

“Learning French really made me open to speaking English because I realized that I just have to communicate my thoughts,” JiaJia said. “It’s not about being perfect. Because everyone was learning French, but English was something that everyone else was comfortable with, I realized, isn’t that the beauty of learning languages? Just being able to speak whenever you want.”

“

Learning languages has really made me want to help others learn languages.”

JIA JIA JIANG (12)

SPEAKS CHINESE, FRENCH AND ENGLISH

Although learning English as a second language can prove difficult, it may benefit those with the support to successfully navigate its structural challenges. Studies sponsored by the NIH reveal that childhood multilingualism contributes to neural plasticity and prevents cognitive decline. Apart from

biological benefits, there is an intangible sociocultural value to speaking one’s native language. Junior Judi Abdelrazik (11), who was born in Egypt and has lived in the United States and Germany, uses her Arabic to maintain her relationships with her family abroad.

“[Arabic] helps a lot, because when I go home to Egypt over the summer, I can talk with my grandparents whose English isn’t that good, or family members that don’t speak English” Judi said. “It makes me not as much of a foreigner.”

Although English fluency is essentially a requirement for a Harker education, many students hold onto lessons from their pasts where English fluency was never a given. JiaJia’s personal experiences fuel her sense of empathy and passion for language today.

“Learning languages has really made me want to help others learn languages,” JiaJia said. “I know

how it feels when everyone understands something, and you’re just struggling with it. That’s something that has

Times announced that they would no

katerina matta

Period shame disrupts school experience

Stigma around menstruation remains a prevailing concern

Periods affect half of all high school students, and yet stigma around menstruation is a prevailing concern in many high schools, where teens face embarrassment for openly talking about the issue. Combined with the physical discomforts of periods, juggling school life while on one can be a hassle.

“There’s the general worry about other people seeing it if you walk around, you didn’t cover it up enough — just that fear,” senior Shruti Srinivasan said. “The worst part is going to school and having to deal with that and having to get through the cramps during class because you do want to focus as much as possible, but if it becomes intolerable, what can you do?”

Upper school nurse Jennifer Olson says she treats an average of eight to ten people per day for cramps. Her office offers pads, tampons and medications.

“[Periods are] something that we have to figure out how to manage, and it’s overwhelming and hard,” Olson said.

Better resources for menstrual care can help address the issue. Bathrooms

across campus offer pads and tampons in dispensers, but students have observed that the materials are inefficient at curbing blood flow.

“There’s the general worry about other people seeing it if you walk around, you didn’t cover it up enough.”

SHRUTI

SRINIVASAN

(12) STUDENT

“Having pads in the first place is already such a privilege, but the pads we have just don’t work very well,” junior Shimeka Sahu said. “The pads are very small and they’re short, so they don’t hold as much blood. Usually, my friends that have heavy flow have to stack two pads on top of each other.”

Sophomore Student Council members Samaara Patil and Nicole Dean proposed an initiative with ASB Treasurer Ananya Pradhan (11) to supply

higher-quality pads and tampons in upper school bathrooms.

“We’re trying to see if we would be able to get more store name brands because it would make students’ lives easier,” Samaara said. “If we’re spending money on pads that are already in the restroom, there’s no point in getting them if they’re never used.”

Samaara hopes that improved bathroom accommodations can lessen that public embarrassment. She aims to implement her plan for higher-quality pads by mid-to-late February.

“There’s a bit of awkwardness that often surrounds [periods],” Samaara said. “People don’t want to go to the nurse to ask for a pad. That’s why we want to implement the everyday bathroom dispensers, so we can give people ease when they’re looking for these products.”

Olson encourages students to have open health communication with the school nurses no matter the topic.

“Don’t ever hesitate to come to the nurse because you’re scared about something,” Olson said. “You’re always going to find comfort care here, and communication is the best way to work with that issue.”

Understanding impacts of military sexual trauma

Trigger warning for topics of sexual assault.

In discussions about military trauma, an oversimplified division is often made between combat trauma and sexual trauma, with the former associated with men and the latter with women. However, the reality is far more complex.

“ There’s no therapy, no real follow-through with any procedure, and survivors suffer the rest of their life.” KAREN HALEY HISTORY TEACHER

A national study by the Department of Veteran Affairs found that about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men go through some form of MST. MST is defined by the VA as “any unwanted sexual contact, threatening sexual behavior or sexual harassment that occurs during military service.” It remains unacknowledged and underreported despite its large impact on the psychological and physical health

of numerous service members.

History teacher Karen Haley, who served in the Army’s Adjutant General Branch, recounts how MST was often ignored by 05s (Lieutenant Colonels) and 06s (Colonels).

“The full bird colonel, if they’re an 05 or if they’re an 06, they don’t necessarily want MST on their watch,” Haley said. “They transfer you and magically give you new orders, so you go to a different military installation. There’s no therapy,

Campus Compass: Bear statue

A metal teddy bear with a collar and tie sits perched atop a platform, smiling at the dozens of students that pass by. To the right, berry vines stretch across wires, boasting juicy blackberries and raspberries in the fall. Its plaque informs readers of the memorial’s dedicatee, former English teacher and soccer coach Jason Berry. Berry joined the Harker School in 2008 when then-Head of Upper School Butch Keller reached out in need of an English teacher. Berry’s nickname, Bear, was coined by math teacher Jane Keller, and was quickly taken to by the Harker community.

“His last name was Berry and he was always huggable,” Jane said. “I’d hug him every morning and I told him, ‘it’s just like a big old bear.’”

Berry was beloved by his students, and his classroom was a popular spot to gather and socialize. He was deeply passionate about English, inspiring students and fellow teachers alike with his enthusiasm for reading and literature.

“I would sit in the back sometimes and learn so much from just listening to him,” English teacher Jennifer Siraganian said. “He was just hungry for more knowledge, more reading, more books and more film. When you think about lifelong learning, he encapsulates that.”

Berry was loved within the community. The senior class of 2013 had chosen him to speak at their matriculation at the end of the year. However, Berry passed away in the summer before the 2013 school year.

“ When you think about lifelong learning, he encapsulates that: he wanted to learn everything.”

no real follow through with any procedure and survivors suffer the rest of their life.”

“Leadership really needs to set a different culture of that does not permit any form of misogyny, sexual orientation discrimination, and sexual harassment or abuse,” MST researcher and psychology professor at Alliant International University Carolyn Allard said. “It needs to come from the top. It needs to be very clear. It needs to be zero tolerance.”

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The Kellers and several students decided to erect a statue in memory of Berry. He was nicknamed “Bear,” which served as the inspiration for the statue.

The statue was installed in the spring of 2014 in what was known as the vineyard. After campus remodeling, the statue was moved to its current spot in front of the Head of Upper School’s office. Some of the vines from the original vineyard were also moved alongside the statue to where they currently grow today.

BETRAYAL Even with severe post-traumatic outcomes, many military sexual trauma incidents, especially involving male survivors, go unreported due to fear of ostracization.

mendy mao & lindsay li

MIRABELLE FENG

young min

KATERINA MATTA

BERRY BEAR The bear statue, backed by berry vines, serves as a tribute to late English teacher Jason Berry.

JENNIFER SIRAGANIAN

ENGLISH TEACHER

CLAIRE ZHAO

emma li

BOOK CORNER

lindsay li

Set in an alternative history of 1830s England, R.F. Kuang’s “Babel” explores the British Empire through a fascinating form of magic. Scholars who specialize in silver-working at Babel are tasked with translation, breaking down the meaning of words to achieve effects such as ringing the clock towers automatically.

At the same time, the covert Hermes Society aims to dismantle Babel’s immense control over silver. This silver monopoly drives Britain’s need for conquest of China, who receives much of the silver in exchange for tea, porcelain and other goods.

Introduced to R.F. Kuang via her 2023 release “Yellowface,” I had high hopes for “Babel” after hearing high praise. Although I’ve found most recent young adult novels drab and running through the same structure, “Babel” cuts through that monotony with its fresh history-based concept. Unlike many love-driven books with flimsy setup, any romance is minimal and at most implied and every introduced plot element contributes properly to the rest of the story.

Kuang blends direct and abstract sentences to create smooth-flowing prose. She writes with a preference for telling over showing, which though preventing some opportunities to peer into Robin’s mind, didn’t hinder the overall experience, keeping the narrative and pacing well-written for a nearly 550-page book.

“ Kuang enriches the narrative with vivid imagery and descriptions of academia.”

The single aspect of “Babel” that easily gives it a high rating is the worldbuilding. For an entirely imagined tower within Oxford University and a magical system reliant on the etymology of words, Kuang enriches the narrative with vivid imagery and descriptions of academia. I could feel myself ascending the steps of Oxford with Robin, marveling at the magical silver bars or suffering during final exams.

I also loved the dynamic characters and the connections between one another, particularly the deep friendships. Robin is not a perfect protagonist in the least, but his experiences feel real and his thoughts natural. Kuang drives Robin’s actions with raw emotions like guilt and anger, portraying a college student exposed to the cruelty of his gilded life. Supporting characters are equally as flawed and yet just as sympathetic.

Annual dance production fosters love

Harker’s annual dance production highlighted over 130 students and nine student choreographers in three shows on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in the Patil Theater.

This year’s show explored the different dimensions of love, both as a word and as an experience. Act One, titled “Love Language,” focused on songs that prominently featured “love” in their lyrics while Act Two, “What We Love,” delved into the passions and emotions that fuel our lives.

Choreographed by Director Rachelle Haun and Assistant Director Jill Yager, the opening number united dancers from Kinetic Krew and Harker Dance Company in an explosive routine of athleticism and excitement choreographed to “Baby Don’t Hurt Me” by Anne-Marie, Coi

Cancel culture

Fans noticed that co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni appeared uncomfortable during the press tour for the movie adaptation of “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover. Following the tale of a woman in an abusive relationship, the film criticizes domestic violence, but when Lively promoted her alcoholic products while on tour, she received a flood of online hate for focusing on her products over the film and its message.

However, in December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment on set, and The New York Times published articles investigating Baldoni’s actions. In response to the backlash he received online, Baldoni issued his own lawsuit against both The New York Times and Lively herself.

After following the outcome of the scandal online, sophomore Kristiyan Kurtev realized that he should not immediately believe all the information that he sees online. He noticed that a lot of people also regretted believing the allegations about Baldoni before hearing the full story.

“Cancel culture attracts people to social media because they are looking for an outlet of gossip or scandalous stories,” Kristiyan said. “It’s like a mutual

Leray and David Guetta. The dance team members utilized grand, luminated hearts throughout the routine, creating a whimsical scene that brought the production’s theme to life.

“I’ve been doing the dance shows at Harker since 4th grade, and as a senior last one is really special.”

YASMIN

SUDARSANAM (12) HDC CAPTAIN

Kinetic Krew captain and student choreographer Arthur Wu (12) comments on the production’s creative use of props.

“The four hearts are a good representation of love,” Arthur said. “These big, red heart cutouts serve as

both a prop and background image to remind us of the theme throughout the show. The props elevated the show into something even more fantastical.”

Seniors Maya Affaki, Yasmin Sudarsanam and Sonia Yu performed a heartfelt contemporary ballad in the HDC senior dance, “Sisters.” Dressed in differently-colored yet identical costumes, each senior had their own solos before dancing together and posing at center stage in each other’s arms.

Yasmin reflects on what this year’s dance production means to her.

“I’ve been doing the dance shows at Harker since 4th grade, and as a senior this was my last one,” Yasmin said. “It was my last time dancing with these girls who’ve been by my side for 9 years and having my parents watch me perform my own dance on stage, so this production was a really special one.”

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creates social media cesspool

relationship because social media drives cancel culture, but then cancel culture also attracts people to social media who want to be a part of that—to judge and hear sensational and entertaining stories about people.”

According to a 2022 study by Pew Research Center, 46% of teenagers have been affected by cyberbullying. As more people turn to social media as their primary source of news and even opinions, some users may adopt a herd mentality, joining in on backlash if everyone else is doing the same. U.S. History teacher

James Tate believes that the fear of being “cancelled” can take an enormous toll on teens’ emotional and mental well-being.

“[Cancel culture] puts this incredible artificial pressure on you to watch over your shoulder and worry about whether what you’re saying is right or wrong,” Tate said. “In life, you encounter a broad variety of people with different perspectives, but your likelihood of being canceled at work or at school is really small. However, the social media echo chamber amplifies everything.”

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CANCELED Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni faced online backlash after their press tour for the movie “It Ends with Us.” Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harrassing her on set.

LINDSAY LI

lily peng & chelsea xie

BEAT DROP (LEFT) Demitri Ajlouny (11) grooves to the beat during “Who Do You Love,” a hip hop routine directed by guest choreographer

Kento Vo. SOARING LEAPS (TOP RIGHT)Ava Ding (9) leaps in the air during “My Love,” choreographed by Yasmin Sudarsanam (12). DOWN TO EARTH (BOTTOM RIGHT) Maya Affaki (12) dramatically approaches the ground for floor work in “If You Don’t Love Me Now”.

PHOTOS BY EMMA MILNER AND KAIRUI SUN

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Seniors exhibit Honors Directed Portfolios

disha gupta, suhani gupta & cynthia xie

From depictions of organs representing emotions to a closet of memorabilia from senior year, seniors Keren Eisenberg, Mirabelle Feng, Ethan Guan, Eva Li and Sophia Liu explored artistic purpose in the HDP class. They spent a semester creating portfolios based on themes that spoke to them.

As a post-AP art course, HDP is only available to seniors who seek to push their art portfolios to the next level without rigid requirements.

“What I really like about the class is that you’re really given the freedom to explore what you might want your exhibition to look like until you finally settle on something that’s specific and in one direction,” Sophia said. “I didn’t know what my theme was going to be at first. My art is usually more positive, focused

on how much I’ve grown, but I wanted to do something different this semester.”

Throughout the course of the class, Ethan also discarded many ideas before discovering his medium.

“As the semester went on, I gradually got acclimated to the idea that the art that I create has to benefit the community in some way, shape or form,” Ethan said. “I’m part of a small group of students whose work will be displayed to all the students on campus and potentially be a conduit for change. I learned that the things that appeal to people are not accusatory statements, but rather vulnerability and care.”

For Eva, her interest in religious and traditional Chinese culture prompted her to take the class in order to further explore the topic.

“I faced a lot of challenges because I don’t usually work super detailed when I paint,” Eva said. “I can’t say I one

hundred percent enjoyed the process, but I definitely learned a lot. There was a lot of mentally pressuring myself, but I was able to expand my approach and be challenged and produce this product that I’m comfortable with.”

“I learned that the things that appeal to people are not accusatory statements, but rather vulnerability and care.”

ETHAN GUAN (12) HDP ART STUDENT

Like Eva, Mirabelle’s experience in HDP allowed her to explore new aspects of creating art and branch out.

In her case, she experimented with different, less conventional mediums.

“In the past, I did primarily paintings and digital artworks, all of which were 2D media. But through my time doing what I did in HDP, I started exploring 3D media, so sculpture collages in 3D, and also 4D media”

In her portfolio, Keren wished to relate her theme and her interest in historical artwork. Through critiques and talks with Mr. Martinez, who teaches HDP and directs students on their creative path, Keren realized how to combine her creative interest with her theme.

“With my exhibition, I’m trying to evoke the idea of leaving things unfinished,” Keren said. “As people, we are constantly improving ourselves, but there’s a lot of pressure to focus on the end goal. My artwork takes a moment to reflect on the process.”

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‘BookTok’ fuels new interest in reading but prioritizes popularity over substance

isabella lo & jessica wang

From authors like Colleen Hoover and Sally Rooney to books such as “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “Song of Achilles”, the TikTok trend colloquially dubbed BookTok led to the growth of new genres like “romantasy” — a portmanteau

“BookTok recommendations are hit or miss, since different people like different things.”

KRISTIYAN KURTEV BOOK ENTHUSIAST

how recommendations on his TikTok feed introduce him to new titles.

Part of the success of BookTok books lies in the videos’ ability to resonate with readers through relatable content. The platform’s emphasis on personal stories and genuine reactions creates a sense of community among readers, fostering trust and engagement.

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“I would say the BookTok recommendations are sometimes a hit or miss because different people like different things, and I’ve been thoroughly disappointed by books which people have recommended to me,” Kristiyan said. “I was recommended a book that there that I’ve heard people recommend.”

TIKTOK LACKS SUBSTANCE ‘BookTok’ books do not always succeed in creating an engaging storyline, despite their advertising.

SENIOR SHOWCASE Seniors Mirabelle Feng, Ethan Guan, Keren Eisenberg, Sophia Liu and Eva Li created art portfolios in the first semester of their Honors Directed Portfolio class. They came up with a theme that spoke to them before making pieces with many different mediums to match their idea.

“[This] time is really important, because it’s a way to see family connections in your life that you don’t always get to see.”

ANDREW SHIN (10) SEOUL, KOREA

Fheather wang & katerina matta

“

[On] Lunar New Year...we [remember] time is limited, and we appreciate every moment we have together.”

MINDY TRUONG (11)

irecrackers. Lion dances. Red envelopes — “hong bao.” Every year, families celebrating Lunar New Year reunite to spend time with elders and relatives, pay respects to their ancestors and enjoy the festivities as they welcome happiness and prosperity into the incoming year.

Falling on the first new moon of the lunar calendar, the 2025 Lunar New Year occurred on Jan. 29 and commenced the Year of the Snake, named after one of the 12 zodiac animals. According to legend, the 12 animals were selected after a race held by the Jade Emperor, with the rat

representing and the pig as a widely recognized Year is celebrated Malaysia and as well as Okinawa.

Celebrations

Lunar New Year’s together until fifteen days, Festival on the In preparation deck their houses red lanterns prepare dishes to ensure a lucky ward away bad

CLAIRE ZHAO

the first year of the cycle as the twelfth and final. As recognized holiday, Lunar New celebrated in China, Korea, Vietnam, and many other Asian countries, Okinawa.

people light firecrackers, watch lion dances, give and receive red envelopes and visit relatives, spreading joy and reflecting as they enjoy the festivities.

Celebrations begin the night before on Year’s Eve, where families feast until midnight, and stretch across culminating in the Lantern the night of the first full moon. preparation for the event, families houses with decorations like and hanging fu ornaments and dishes with symbolic meanings lucky and prosperous year and bad luck. Over the 15 day period,

Sophomore Alexis Leo, who is Chinese and Malaysian, values Lunar New Year as an opportunity to spend time with family members and those close to her.

Frosh Amber Wee, whose parents are from Daegu and Seoul in South Korea, echoed Alexis’ appreciation for her family during the holiday.

“My favorite part about celebrating is just being able to be with my family,” Alexis said. “Every year we age, and it reminds me that we all don’t have unlimited time, so we have to cherish it very well. That’s especially the case with my grandma because I know that, someday, I’m not gonna be able to celebrate with her again, so I just want to cherish all of that time.”

“My family and relatives will get together in Korea and we’ll honor our ancestors and have food together,” Amber said. “[We] ask them to give us privileged lives and make sure we’re healthy. We also take turns in age order to bow to our ancestors individually. Really, ‘Seollal’ [the Korean word for Lunar New Year] is one of the more important holidays in my life because it’s one of the only holidays that I actually get to meet my grandparents.”

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Mandarin Vietnamese Korean

saehae bok

What’s on the menu?

Cultural foods symbolize traditions

shaped like gold or silver ingots to symbolize wealth and prosperity.

savory meat dumplings wrapped with egg omelets

danjiao

homonym for fortune, gold color symbolizes wealth.

shaped like gold or silver ingots to symbolize wealth and prosperity.

savory meat dumplings wrapped with thin dough

jiaozi

tang yuan

steamed whole sea bass with soy sauce and green onion homonym for abundance and prosperity.

glutinous rice dumplings with sesame filling round shape symbolizes family togetherness and reunion.

Choosing the right courses at Harker is a high-stakes balancing act. Each year of high school presents its unique opportunities and challenges, and it’s crucial to strategize wisely. As a junior, I’ve learned a lot through trial and error, and I’m here to share my advice for navigating this process.

“Junior year has a bad reputation for being the hardest year of high school, and honestly, that’s the truth.”

Sophomore year is when your schedule finally opens up. This is the perfect time to dive into areas that interest you or try something completely new. Harker offers a wide variety of options, from computer science and robotics to journalism, theater and advanced art classes.

That said, don’t feel pressured to overload yourself. Sophomore year is about building a strong academic foundation while easing into the increased demands of high school.

Junior year has a reputation for being the hardest year of high school, and honestly, that’s not far off from the truth. Between advanced classes, leadership roles and college prep, it’s a lot to juggle. However, with some strategic planning, it’s definitely completely manageable.

When it comes to choosing classes, focus on subjects you’re genuinely passionate about. I’ve always loved science, so taking AP Physics and Honors Biology in the same year felt like a natural fit, but continuing my language class wasn’t as meaningful to me anymore, so I dropped it to make room for other courses.

It’s also important to think about balance — not just in your course load, but also in your overall schedule. Junior year is when extracurriculars start to take on a bigger role and consume more of your time. Focus on a few activities you’re truly invested in rather than trying to do everything.

After the intensity of junior year, senior year is your chance to take a break, and I personally cannot wait. Visit harkeraquila.com for more

So you wanna be an...

chelsea xie

When Claudia Chee walks into her local Costco, she’s not just shopping — she’s creating content. She selects a cardigan, props her phone on a shelf, hits record and models the item, showcasing the price, brand and fit.

Later that day, after adding some quick edits and a trending audio, she posts her latest Costco fashion find to her social media page.

However, Chee didn’t always know she wanted to be an influencer.

After graduating from UC Davis, Chee worked at Google and the Santa Clara County Fire Department. Still, she felt unfulfilled by the monotony of these jobs, so she decided to drop everything and open her own yoga studio, Chee Yoga.

“After I worked at Google, I’d done everything I was supposed to do, but I was never satisfied,” Chee said. “I was making money for a billion dollar company that I wasn’t very passionate about. To me, that sounds like handcuffs.”

Instagram Influencer?

During the pandemic, Chee was unable to continue yoga coaching, so she opened Claudia’s Music Studio, teaching piano to students from six to 70 years old. In her free time, she visited her local Costco, a habit she picked up while working at the fire department to wait out the traffic after work. After frequent chats with the staff there, she developed the idea for Costco Claudia — a social media account showcasing her favorite Costco finds.

“When I first started Costco Claudia, it was about raising awareness for clothing that was a hidden gem at Costco,” Chee said. “I feel like I’ve

“ I want to make sure I’m always living my values and that they’re aligned with my goals”

CLAUDIA CHEE INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER

accomplished that now — whenever I post a video, that clothing piece sells out. Now, I realize that I started [my page] to build a community. I still talk to my followers like they’re my friends and respond to all their messages. I want to be viewed as somebody that’s conscientious, compassionate, thoughtful and caring.“

Over the course of two years, Chee’s Instagram account has grown to over 215K followers and counting. Her growing online influence attracted the attention of major news outlets. She was even highlighted in a New York Times article featuring notable 33-year-old millennials in America.

“It’s one thing to make American news,” Chee said. “My parents didn’t care

much until my articles started to appear in Chinese news. People were sending these pieces to my parents, asking ‘Is that your daughter?’ When it started coming from my aunts and uncles in Hong Kong, they really started to see my success.”

The recognition she received encouraged her to see Costco Claudia as more than just a hobby.

“We as humans are constantly changing and evolving,” Chee said. “What my values were two years ago are different from today. You can’t just be stagnant. You want to be growing with what you do. Even now I’m still trying to prioritize my own values, like being mission driven.”

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Behind the blind box boom: the strategy powering Pop Mart’s successer

Pop Mart pioneered the designer toy market in 2010 by turning toy-buying into a trendy pursuit among young and affluent customers. While maintaining a strong foothold in its home market in China, the company is now focusing on global expansion, possessing 450 stores in 30 countries.

Just last year, Pop Mart earned 636 million dollars in revenue, with 424 million dollars in gross profits. The brand’s popularity stems from its ability to tap into dynamic youth culture trends by collaborating with talented artists and designers like Kasing Lung, Kenny Wong and Ayan to create a diverse range of characters like Labubu, Molly and Dimoo, respectively.

In addition to this, strategic partnerships with highly renowned franchises and highend fashion brands, including Harry Potter

and Moncler, have bolstered the brand’s appeal. Sophomore Zoe Wang, who owns four Pop Mart figures, emphasizes the uniqueness of Pop Mart’s designs compared to other collectible brands.

“They have the widest range of cute collectible stuff,” Zoe said.

“It’s a lot more interesting than some other stores would be.”

However, Pop Mart’s success truly depends on one strategy: the blind box concept. Their packaging conceals the toys’ contents which in turn fosters anticipation and uncertainty.

Priced between 10 to 20 dollars per box, this unique format has fueled a collecting frenzy among consumers eager to secure rare “chase” figures.

“I only try to buy blind boxes where I want every single one in the series,” Aliecia

said. “I feel excitement about what I might get, but also a little bit of dread because what if it’s not the one I want.”

Pop Mart’s success demonstrates the power of emotional engagement and strategic marketing in motivating consumer behavior, despite the perceived “uselessness” of collectible toys.

“ I feel excitement about what I might get, but also dread because what if it’s not the one I want”

Pop Mart’s early success in the U.S. through elaborate in-store experiences and strong online presence shows a promising future for a loyal and stable international customer base. As the company continues to expand, its ability to adapt to different markets while staying true to its core identity will be crucial in sustaining growth and maintaining its status as a leader in the designer toy industry.

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Three Pop Mart figurines show off the different styles of the brand.

toys have signature spiky teeth.

disha gupta

ALICIA RAN (12)

A PEX Sophomore Xianyao He builds resilience through table tennis

Serving up success on the global stage

victoria

Each rally in the table tennis tournament intensifies as both players hit the ball with increasing speed and precision. Eyes darting, sophomore Xianyao He lunges forward, ready to strike the ball at the next pass. In a fraction of a second, Xianyao swings his paddle, sending the ball flying across the table and bouncing off the edge of his opponent’s paddle, securing Xianyao’s win at the semifinals of the US National Championships tournament.

Xianyao’s table tennis journey began when his grandpa introduced him to the sport.

Although he lost his first recreational tournament match at age seven, the experience sparked a determination that led him to start playing competitively. Almost three years of practice and tournaments later, Xianyao earned the chance to participate in the US National Championships in the ten and under category.

“Table tennis taught me a lot about hard work and perseverance,” Xianyao said. “During a time period [when I wasn’t improving], I managed to win the second greatest national tournament, just because I worked extremely hard in the

months leading up to it. There's probably no one else who worked as hard as me. I had no regrets when I stepped onto the court to play.”

“There's probably no one else who worked as hard as me. I had no regrets when I stepped onto the court to play."

XIANYAO HE (10)

Varun Kaushik (10) commends the way table tennis has shaped Xianyao's priorities and interactions with others.

“What sets him apart from other people is his work ethic in table tennis and his talent to even learn from his friends because he really works hard,” Varun said. “He prioritizes table tennis first and other stuff second. At first, I thought he was super serious and always talking about table tennis. Now, I see Xianyao is more funny and really diverse.”

Xianyao is currently placed fifth in the nation for players under sixteen. In 2023 he won first place at the Pan American Youth Championships in the under-fifteen category and reached the quarterfinals in doubles at the World League Championships.

Close friend

TABLE TENNIS TRIUMPHS Xianyao represents Team USA at a variety of international table tennis torunaments. Since his introduction to the sport ten years ago, Xianyao has competed at events around the world.

TABLE TENNIS PLAYER #

Having played tennis before picking up table tennis, Xianyao noticed vast differences between the two seemingly similar sports. In table tennis, winning an entire tournament is more important than scoring individual points. On the other hand, tennis players must battle for every point in order to win a match, a process that takes longer in the slow-paced game.

Xianyao’s dedication to table tennis constantly inspires those around him.

When playing in a tournament, Xianyao focuses on staying mentally sharp, understanding that his success will come from sustained focus.

5 USA TABLE TENNIS 2024 U17

1 PAN AMERICAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 st RANK PLACE

2 U15 BOYS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 nd PLACE

“I always repeat to myself ‘next point’ no matter what happens,” Xianyao said. “At this point, it could be the opponent got a lucky net or an edge. One point lost doesn't matter as much in table tennis because those are bound to happen. If you want to become really good in table tennis, there's more nuances in the game that are different from in tennis.”

Cruising down the fast lane to friendship

Lively chatter fills the school bus as varsity girls soccer team members file down the aisle, squeezing into the cramped rows between teammates and backpacks. With an hour-long journey to their opponent’s field, they make themselves comfortable, pulling out pregame snacks and singing along to upbeat songs. As the bus speeds down Interstate 280, the players inside exchange embarrassing stories and share laughter, taking advantage of the opportunity to grow closer together.

“I love away games mainly because of the bus ride,” varsity girls soccer player Ronica Khattri (10) said. “Hanging out with my team while listening to music and playing games on the bus is a great way for us to build chemistry on the field and friendships along the way.”

One of the rare occasions where the whole team can spend time together, bus rides allow players to build connections with their teammates.

Varsity boys basketball head coach Alfredo Alves noted that players from different grades and social groups do not interact frequently outside of their sportrelated activities.

“Throughout the season, there are times when we try to do things to get the team to bond, but naturally I see the majority of the team hang out in different

groups,” Alves said. “With this team, I see the seniors with the seniors and the juniors with the juniors.”

Training often consists of running drills from start to finish, and water breaks serve as rare occasions to rehydrate and rest. Although they may know that their goalkeeper is left-footed or their point guard has a strained muscle, athletes cannot truly get to know their teammates solely on the field.

“There are not a lot of times where we get to just sit with each other and talk,”

varsity boys tennis player Yinan Zhou (12) said. “The time between practices is really when we get to know each other not just as teammates but as fellow students. We get to know our personalities besides what we see on the court.”

It’s not just the teammates that make bus rides so impactful — bus drivers also play an important role in setting the tone for a pre or post-match drive. From hype playlists to celebration music, they contribute to bolstering team morale. Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

“Listening to music and playing games on the bus is a great way for us to build chemistry on the field."

RONICA KHATTRI (10) VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER

“ Throughout the season, we try to get the team to bond, but naturally the majority of the team hang out in different groups."

ALFREDO

The time between practices is when we really get to know each other not just as teammates but as fellow students."

BUS BONDING Varsity girls basketball player Finley Ho (10) leans over the seat to talk to captain Emily Mitnick. While players from different grades often hang out in their own circles, time on the road allows them to get to know each other outside of their sport.

ALVES

BOYS HEAD COACH

YINAN ZHOU (12)

VARSITY BOYS TENNIS

li EVA CHENG

eva cheng

Super Bowl LIX

Students and staff share predictions

tiffany zhu

Super Bowl LIX, marking the culmination of 32 weeks of NFL games, will take place on Feb. 11. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will compete for the title at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The NFL season brings upsets and victories, sparking excitement and discussion at the upper school.

“I’ve learned it’s a bad idea to bet against the Chiefs. Even with the Eagles’ talented roster, the Chiefs are still going to find a way to win.”

NIRAV ADAVIKOLANU (10) FOOTBALL FAN

“I’m personally rooting for the Eagles They’re the underdogs of the game, but they have a strong team and can pull off the upset.”

KIMAYA MEHTA (11) FOOTBALL FAN

“The Chiefs will probably win because they’ve been there done that and are a really good team that I don’t see losing soon.”

SAHIL VARMA (12) FOOTBALL FAN

“I’m predicting the Chiefs will beat the Eagles. The game will likely be very close with the Chiefs only winning by four points or less.”

MATTHEW HARLEY STAFF FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION ‘24

Overcoming mental game in matches

Athletes emphasize relationships, reset routines to conquer internal obstacles

With a clear path to the basket and no defenders ahead, varsity boys basketball player Lucas Huang (9) drives down the court, spectators urging him on loudly. His steps slow as he sets up the shot and sends the ball arcing towards the hoop. Clang. The ball bounces off the rim, intercepted by the opponent. As the crowd’s cheers fade, so does Lucas’ composure. His mind reels, his shaking hands misplacing pass after pass: What went wrong?

“A lot of the time I can hit that mental roadblock and when I do, my performance just decreases at that point,” Lucas said. “Getting discouraged is probably the most common thing that will happen if you play a sport. When you get over that hump and find more of your confidence, that’s when you find out what you can really do.”

As athletes ascend to more competitive levels of their sport, the constant pressure from not only coaches

and parents, but also themselves, can have a severe effect on their game. A misplaced pass or accidental foul can spark a cycle of negativity.

Even before the first whistle, a wide variety of factors can impact an athlete’s focus and attitude in approaching the match. Distractions from a difficult math test to a conflict with friends can cloud their concentration, leading to mistakes that fuel self-doubt.

“Before each game I’m always nervous because I don’t know how good the other team will be,” varsity girls soccer player Audrey Yang (11) said. “Sometimes when I had a bad day, I make a lot of mistakes during the game and my mentality drops. But my teammates are always there encouraging me.” Youth sports performance coach Alana Asch, who works with Female Footballers to promote mental health awareness, emphasized the importance of building nurturing connections.

“One of the big things that people don’t talk enough about is relationships,” Asch said. “It could be any of the people that you surround yourself with. That could be a mentor in any aspect of life.”

Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

Pro-athlete idealization creates harmful mindset

tiffany zhu & lily shi

Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault and domestic violence.

When Dutch beach volleyball player

Steven Van de Velde stepped onto the court at the 2024 Olympics, he faced boos and jeers echoed from the stands. In 2016, Van de Velde was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. His inclusion in the Olympics sparked widespread outrage among those who called for greater accountability, but others defended him by arguing he deserved a chance to move forward.

“

This idealization can definitely skew a child’s judgment between what’s right and what’s wrong.”

ALEXIS LEO (10)

VARSITY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Van de Velde’s story highlights the minimal consequences athletes may receive for their his misconduct while continuing to be given opportunities. Oftentimes, it seems as if the public fails to see the offenses of these athletes while glorifying their achievements.

Varsity girls volleyball player Alexis Leo (10) noted the dangers of this idealization for youth.

“If kids think, ‘This guy committed crimes, but he’s allowed to compete on the world stage at the Olympics,’ that makes them think you can get away with anything if you’re really good at sports,” Alexis said. “This idealization can definitely skew a child’s judgment between what’s right and what’s wrong.”

One example where an athlete’s talent may overshadow immoral behavior is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. While playing for Oklahoma State, Hill pleaded guilty to domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend and was dismissed from the team in late 2014. Despite this, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him two years later.

Hill apologized and vowed to improve, but in 2019, he faced allegations for abuse against his son. The Chiefs temporarily suspended him, but the NFL did not, raising questions

about whether his skills and potential for money influenced the decision to keep him in the sports league.

“We will always idolize the best athletes for being the best,” former strength and conditioning coach Lauren Brown said. “Their crimes will be small compared to their achievements in their sport. Unfortunately, we can’t get away from that, no matter how bad they are as a person. That’s just how the world is.” While most fans accept Hill has flaws because of his major crimes, athletes like Tiger Woods’ who have smaller misdemeanors remain uncontested. Woods, a renowned golfer, has faced significant personal and professional challenges, including a highly publicized infidelity scandal in 2009 and a DUI arrest in 2017.

Despite his controversies, Woods continues to receive admiration for his resilience. This raises questions about whether he should serve as an inspiration or if that promotes unethical and unhealthy behavior. Visit harkeraquila.com for more.

LET DOWN Varsity girls soccer player Audrey Yang (11) looks out into the bleachers while sitting on Davis Field. After close losses, athletes often feel the sting of their supposed failure, but reset routines help mitigate pressure.

ON TRACK Athletes share their methods for creating mental clarity during games.

LEADERS

wenjie zou & claire xu

Being a team captain means more than donning an armband — it requires leadership, drive,and a willingness to pick up the slack. Captains pump up teammates during pre-game preparations but also break down strategies in the team room. They need to be ready to step up at any given notice. They’re the ones directing traffic, calling

of the Pack

after practice to help the new teammate master a move, lifting spirits after a tough game and holding everyone accountable during conditioning.

Outside of refining skills in the sport, captains bring the team closer together, scheduling team lunches and hosting bonding activities for the athletes to unwind and build camaraderie. They look out for every team member by setting models of open communication, keeping the team connected and focusing on both individual and collective growth.

ATTACK (LEFT)

“Not everyone responds to the same type of actions or dialogue. Some people are fine with constructive criticism. For others, if you encourage them, it works really well.”

BOWEN XIA (12)

VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL CAPTAIN

FUELING UP (ABOVE) Varsity girls basketball captains Isabella Lo (12) and Emily Mitnick (12) exchange stories with other teammates over pre-game snacks. SWERVE FOR THE Varsity boys basketball captain Vyom Vidyarthi (12) maneuvers around defenders as he runs towards the hoop. BEAR THE BAND (BELOW) The varsity boys soccer team captains all wear arm bands to display their authority to referees and opponents. OPEN COURT (MIDDLE LEFT) Isabella dribbles the ball down the court to set up a clear shot on the basket.

ANGLED

Varsity girls soccer captain Claire Anderson (12) swings a cross into the 18-yard box off of a corner kick.

GATHER ‘ROUND (ABOVE) The varsity boys basketball team huddles up before a game. Captains Vyom Vidyarthi (12), Advay Monga (12) and Bowen Xia (12) frequently motivate the team to improve on-court morale and performance. TAKING CHARGE (LEFT) Varsity boys soccer captain Cyrus Ghane (12) stretches into a lunge to help his teammate steal the ball from the opposing team.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, appreciation, and connection. Whether it’s for a partner, a friend, or even yourself, gift-giving has become a key part of the holiday. The perfect Valentine’s gift isn’t about the price tag; it’s about showing someone you care in a meaningful way.

Gifts to celebrate this holiday don’t have to be extravagant to be meaningful. Whether it’s something soft to cuddle, a bouquet of fresh flowers, a self-care treat or a handwritten note, the best gifts are those given with thought and care. Small gestures, like preparing a favorite meal or planning a cozy movie night, can be just as heartfelt as a physical gift. It’s truly about creating moments of joy and connection that leave lasting memories. No matter how you choose to celebrate, the most important thing is making sure the people in your life feel loved and appreciated.

Winged Post’s gift guide to 1

PENNED PUNS (TOP) Funny cards with “punny” quips are a popular option to show affection for a partner in a more light-hearted fashion.

2

Handwritten cards

are one of the most meaningful gifts you can give. It doesn’t cost much — just time and effort — but it carries immense sentimental value.

Expressing your appreciation, love or admiration through words can be more impactful than any store-bought gift. Whether it’s a simple note or a beautifully crafted letter, a heartfelt message will always be cherished. Writing these cards also allows for ample opportunity to make inside jokes and have fun with the present. Drawing or decorating the card adds another level of personalization and creativity.

Va l en t i ne ’ s d ay 3

Self-care items like makeup, skincare products and perfume and colognes make fantastic Valentine’s Day gifts, especially for those who love to pamper themselves. Knowing your partner’s preferences, and making purchases accordingly, can show your significant other that you care and are paying attention to them. Many beauty and skincare stores offer gift sets around Valentine’s Day, making it easy to put together a thoughtful present. When choosing a perfume or cologne for your significant other, consider their favorite scents and personality. Floral and fruity fragrances are great for those who love fresh, light scents, while woody or musky notes suit someone who prefers deep, warm aromas. Many stores offer sample sizes or testers, so you can explore different options before committing to a full bottle.

FLUFFY FRIENDS (TOP RIGHT) Themed plushies in the shape of cute animals or Valentines-themed objects comfort the reciever of the gift. The messenger bunny on the right even allows gifters to add a touching note.

farmers’ markets are good places to check. If you’re on a budget, consider hand-picking flowers from your garden or a nearby field and making a DIY bouquet! 4

PHOTOS BY

ROSES ARE RED Flowers, ranging from elegant peonies to vibrant tulips, are classic options for a Valentines Day gift.

young min & jessica wang