Vol LVIII, No. 3

SMOKE SIGNAL THE

A PeEk Inside

Spanish Honors Society Hosts Día de Los Muertos Celebration

To celebrate Día de Los Muertos, MSJ Spanish Honors Society hosted an ofrenda scavenger hunt and shared the holiday stable, Pan de Muerto. Enjoy the coverage of this event on pg 2.

Just Stop Ignoring Climate Change

Just Stop Oil protesters prompt ed headlines around the world when they threw food at famous paintings, shining light on an increasingly urgent problem of climate change. Read more about the Smoke Signal’s opinion of this issue on pg 5.

Alumna Spotlight: Jessica Wang

Class of 2018 Jessica Wang is a food stylist on Instagram, the owner of Crystal Cafe, and a competitor on this year’s Holiday Baking Championship. Check out this alumna spotlight on pg 7.

Clue: e Musical Review

A show with 216 possible out comes, Clue: The Musical is flled with comedy, witty lyrics, and a beguiling score that carries the investigation depending on the audience’s decisions. Find out about the Smoke Signal’s review of this musical on pg 13.

Student Wellness

MSJ has explored many ways this year to support the mental health of students, including the Well ness Center and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Advisories. Join the Smoke Signal for these high lights of mental health resources on pg 19.

Service Week: Appreciating Our Community

By Anandita Devata, Sarah Hu, Vidyuth Sridhar & Amelie Wu Sta Writers

Known as National Gratitude Month, November is a time to remember and give thanks. In order to spread kindness to local communities, Leadership 2’s (L2) Community Committee organized MSJ’s first Ser vice Week, in which five service clubs across campus collaborated to bring the student body a week of positive impact and love.

Having conducted mostly donation-based events in the past, the Community Committee decided that this year they wanted to give back to student volunteers. “A lot of our events are like blood drives, clothing drives, and food drives. We wanted to host an event where students can come and receive something in return. Service Week was to help them to [gain] service hours,” L2 Community Committee Member Senior Siyona Vinaik said.

As the very first Service Week at MSJ, there were several dif ficulties in organizing the event — one major di culty being esti mating the number of people who would attend. “Projecting the amount of people that would come [was a problem] because it’s the first [time] this event happened, so we had no idea how large our ac tivity should be,” MSJ Best Buddies President Senior Priyal Jain said. Nevertheless, the Community Committee and the participating clubs were able to successfully host their events and hope to make Ser vice Week an annual tradition. “I absolutely think that we should bring back Service Week next year because ... we had a pret ty good turnout,” Vinaik said. “So I think if we do it next year, because we've done one year, we'll have even more people.”

“I loved the idea of making dog toys out of old t-shirts. It’s very creative and a great way to make use of and recycle old clothing I might not wear again. My favorite part was prob ably working with my other friends to make the dog toys. It was just a lot of fun working togeth er.” — Zoe Lee, 11

“I think the [Letters of Support Service Event] is different be cause it focuses on the more emotional aspect OF mental health. I think most service events

— Aleena Gao, 9

“It was fun, my favorite part was making the lollipop ghosts. I thought it was really creative. We want ed to attend because of the Halloween Spirit, and I en joyed being able to spend time with the Buddies.”

— Audrey Tong-No moto, 10

Halloween Crafts Dog Toy Making

On October 31, Halloween spirit filled N7 as stu dents poured into the classroom to make spooky crafts such as illuminated drawings and lollipop ghosts with special education students. Organized by MSJ Best Buddies, MSJ Service Week started o with a bang as special education students, or Buddies, and students were able to bond in the collaborative environment. During the event, each participant helped their randomly assigned partner with cutting paper and tying ribbon, working together to make a gift to celebrate the Hallow een season. “This event was a huge opportunity for us to ... get more people involved in our mis sion,” MSJ Best Buddies Vice President Junior Colleen Yu said. “A lot of the [students] were happy to see new faces [during the event].”

This month, four Smokies compete to cre ate their own scented candles from scratch. Check out the Smoke Signal’s full video cov erage online.

On November 3, MSJ Interact and MSJ Key Club col laborated to bring students a dog-toy-making event. As the event began, the lights were dimmed for a short tu torial to teach participants how to create dog toys out of old T-shirts. With around 50 dog toys made by the end of lunch, the clubs plan to donate them to the Tri-City Animal Shelter, providing the animals there with enter tainment and allowing the shelter to spend their funds in other imperative places. Success of the service event can partially be attributed to its time during lunch, when many more students were able to attend and make dog toys. “[A] majority of the service events that MSJ Interact hosts are typically during the weekends, so the oppor tunity for us to run an event at school was really incred ible,” MSJ Interact Co-President Senior Amy Luo said.

On October 31, MSJ Girls Golf won the NCS Girls’ Golf Division 1 Championship for the rst time in 10 years. Find out more about the team’s performance online.

Letters for

On November 4, MSJ Generation She (GenShe) and MSJ LEO collaborated to host a service event to support women battling breast cancer. Both clubs aimed to help the community around them and found this event to be a perfect opportu nity to help each other reach their goals. Working with the Girls Love Mail program based in northern CA, students wrote personal letters of encouragement and motivation for women diagnosed with the life-threatening disease. In addition, the event allowed both attendees and club o cers to connect with each other, bonding over their shared expe riences with and love for volunteering. “The Letters for Better Event was a really amazing opportunity for students to help contribute to their communities from the school campus. ... It was an eye-opening experience to interact with and befriend these young volunteers."

GenShe President Senior Jackie Wang said.

DHTH MAKE SCENTED CANDLES GIRLS GOLF NCS

focus on how hands-on you can get, but this one is how per sonal you can get.”

Spanish Honors Society hosts a Día de Los Muertos celebration

Through celebrating this holiday, the club hopes to expose more students to Spanish culture and traditions.

By Maryam Naseer & Priyanka Shah Staff Writers

On November 1, MSJ Spanish Honors Society (SHS) celebrated Día de Los Muertos, a Spanish and Latin American holiday in which family and friends honor their deceased loved ones. Gather ing in N11 on that rainy day, students warmed the room with their spirit as they collaborated in a scav enger hunt and bonded over traditional pastries.

Dating back to Aztec culture, Día de Los Muertos celebrates the reunion of life and death with vibrant colors and delicious food. To re member departed family members, families tra ditionally create ofrendas, altars decorated with marigolds, skulls, tissue paper fowers, and can dles. This holiday is believed to be the day on which the souls of the deceased visit the living.

After a short presentation about the meaning, importance, and traditions of Día de Los Muertos, students participated in a scavenger hunt, in which they searched for objects typically placed on an ofrenda, such as mariposas monarcas (monarch butterfies signifying messengers of spirits carrying souls of the dead), candles, skulls made out of can dy, and native fowers. “Doing the scavenger hunt was probably the most memorable part of the event because it was a fun way to learn about the holi day.” Participant Senior Saanvi Nandanwar said. Since the pandemic, this was the frst time

SHS hosted this event, and many students at tended, quickly flling the classroom and par ticipating in the advancement of the club’s goal. “We want to expose the kids in Mission to [Spanish] holidays and customs and the lan guage.” SHS Co-President Junior Ania Wong said.

While planning the event, the club offcers faced the challenge of making the activity inter active for students. “We didn’t want to make it super boring where we were just talking about what [Día de Los Muertos] was, so I think just fguring out what we wanted to do and organizing the scavenger hunt itself were some of the chal lenges.” SHS Co-Activities Coordinator Junior Anushka Vasudev said. As an end to the celebra tions, students enjoyed the holiday staple, Pan de Muerto. The round shape of this tangy and sweet bread signifes the cycle of life, and its intricate design on top represents the bones of the dead.

In the future, SHS hopes to continue spreading Spanish culture to the MSJ community. Recently, the club took a step forward by adding a unique program to assist Spanish learning students. “We have implemented our own program called Rincón Español (Spanish Corner) where some of our off cers will help students with Spanish speaking and culture, especially the Spanish 3, 4, and AP stu dents,” Co-President Senior Samuel Li said. Along side assistance with speaking, the club will host future events for celebrating upcoming holidays. ▪

-Participant

“This event has always been a tradi tion for a club, since we’re a Span ish culture club. It’s always a fun event that we do every year to honor and celebrate this day of the dead.”

-MSJ Spanish Honors Society Co-President Senior Samuel Li

-Participant

LOCAL

From

New Twitter CEO Elon Musk begins mass company layoffs

On October 31, Elon Musk announced his position as the Chief Exec utive Offcer of Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion. Since Musk took over the social media company, he eliminated roughly half of Twitter’s 7,500-employee workforce across several divisions. Many workers had their email accounts shut off and received unemployment letters in the middle of the night. By reducing the global workforce, Musk envisions his layoffs will place Twitter on a healthy path. However, after the acquisition, Musk has encountered problems of fnancial pressure after accumulating about $13 billion in debt, and some advertisers have also signaled that they may no longer be spending on the platform because of the change in leadership.

of people who fought for reproductive freedom in this country,” Newsom said.

Itaewon’s Halloween stampede

On October 31, a tight crowd of nearly 100,000 people trampled through an Itaewon alley for restaurants, pubs, and Halloween festivities, resulting in one of the deadliest peacetime accidents in the history of South Korea since 2014. In this deadly stampede, about 150 people were crushed and killed in the crowd and more than a hundred more were trapped and in jured. As unaware Halloween-goers continuously fled into the crammed al ley, emergency service personnel had diffculty reaching those injured and little could be found on the cause of the incident. South Korea remains in mourning for the lives lost in this terrible tragedy and will investigate fur ther to set up precautions to prevent similar events from happening again.

“I think this year we have the best SHS committee and officers. They are very active and very cul ture-loving kids, which is a differ ence from last year. The students that I have love to represent His panic culture on our campus.”

-MSJ Spanish Honors Society Advisor Leticia Magaña

More than 150 people died in Seoul due to crowd surges during a Halloween celebration.

Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images

Twitter CEO Elon Musk enters Twitter’s headquarters Twitter Account of Elon Musk / AFP via Getty Images

Students celebrate MSJ Relay for Life’s Blitz Week

October 24-28, MSJ Relay for Life (RFL) hosted its annu al Blitz Week, in which they aim to recruit and educate more students to join their fght against cancer. During lunch at the BTQ, students engaged in activities such as sack races, spike ball, and balloon games. Around school, RFL also had registration booths and members of their Event Leadership Team providing students with information about their mis sion and how to join the team. The week culminated in information al meetings, in which participants had the opportunity to ask questions about the relay, learn how to fundraise, and hear from student speakers.

During Blitz Week, more than 230 students signed up to join the ght against cancer.

Courtesy of Relay for Life Co-Publicist Ashley Tao

Abortion activist Laura Miner posthumously pardoned

On November 4, CA Gov. Gavin Newsom posthumously pardoned abor tion activist Laura Miner. Miner was a licensed chiropractor who provided wom en abortions in the 1930-40s, a time when abortion, except in life-threatening cases, was illegal in CA. According to her appeal of her conviction, Miner was arrested after an investigator for the district attorney’s offce kept her clinic un der surveillance for more than three months. She was then convicted in 1949 for abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion and sentenced to four years in prison. “Laura Miner’s story is a powerful reminder of the generations

Abortion Activist Laura Miner pardoned by CA Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Allen J. Schaben / Getty Images

“The event was a lot of fun, and the scavenger hunt helped me practice my Spanish and learn a lot about the diverse cultures in the world. It was really interesting seeing how much culture exists at MSJ.”

Senior Sanjana Rathore

“I’ve always enjoyed Día de Los Muertos celebrations in Spanish classes, so I was super excited to be celebrating this important cultural tradition with friends. It really was a great and memorable experience.”

Senior Saloni Gune

MSJ Spanish Honors Society of cers, Treasurer Junior Aaron Chen, Co-Public Relations Of cer Senior Kaavya Saini, Co-Public Relations Of cer Senior Edward Lin, Co-Vice President Senior Sana Nazeer, Secretary Junior Shivi Narang, Co-President Junior Ania Wong, Co-Activities Coordinators Junior Anushka Vasudev, Co-President Senior Samuel Li.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS MARYAM NASEER & PRIYANKA SHAH

Pan de Muerto, a tasty holiday staple which represents

the

cycle

of life.

Families create ofrendas, altars decorated with marigolds, skulls, tissue paper owers, and candles, during the holiday.

Compiled by Tanvi Deshmukh, Kaylee Liu, Ashley Pang & Anushka Vasudev Staff Writers

After three years, CAIFF attracts hundreds of flm-lovers

The film festival hopes to celebrate the art of film by highlighting internationally

By Vedesh Kodnani & Aaryan Suri Sta Writers

From November 10-17, the 23rd An nual California Independent Film Festival (CAIFF) was hosted at the Orinda Theatre, Orinda, CA. Taking place for the frst time in more than three years, the festival cele brated the art of flm by highlighting mov ies and creators from around the globe. As the doors opened, Orinda locals fooded the theater with elegant tapestries, rich murals, and large speakers surrounding the theater. Typically, CAIFF receives thousands of short flm submissions and airs them over the course of a week. However, for the frst time since its inception in 1997, the Se lection Committee curated a program of

lesser-known feature flms while inviting directors and actors to speak about their ex perience in the flm industry. Coming back from a prolonged break from hosting the festival, the lighter workload allowed for a smooth transition for the CAIFF directors and staff back into action.

For the first time since its in ception, the Selection Com mittee curated a program of lesser-known feature films while inviting directors and ac tors to speak about their ex perience in the film industry.

With theaters still struggling to sell tickets due to the coronavirus pandemic, CAIFF Founder Derek Zemrak was un sure whether the festival would receive ad equate turnout. “It's tough. The kids still aren't coming back for kids' movies because now the parents are used to just streaming at home, so it’s a hard transition,” Zemrak said. Still, despite this continuously chang ing flm landscape, the event is serving as a haven for the over 300 cinema lovers at tending the festival throughout the week, even resulting in the directors having to switch to a larger venue to facilitate the in creased demand.

screening room, CAIFF organizers and sponsors spoke about their connection to the industry and upcoming events. A speech from Director Pan Nalin left at tendees thrilled for the airing of his movie, Last Film Show

To kick off the opening night, attendees visited the welcome reception with the op portunity to take photographs on the red carpet and purchase treats from the conces sion stand. As the audience settled in the

Throughout the rest of the week, the cinema continued to feature international movies with works in Czech, Korean, and even Persian, showcasing the distinct and uniquely diverse universe of cinema. Hop ing to expand the flm industry's horizons to the younger generation, they hosted a free family movie night on November 12, allowing open entry and a screening of the hit 70s flm, Grease , with remarks from its director Randal Kleiser, on November 14. Zemrak and his team hope to increase youth interest in the flm industry and have put great focus on their outreach this year to accomplish this.

A fnal speech from Zemrak concluded the frst day of the flm festival. Recounting his journey to the spotlight, he explained his path in the flm industry. “I’ve always wanted to do something in entertainment because of the [impact] that some of the frst movies I ever saw have had on me … [Over time], you grow and every time you host a festival, you hope that they'll get better,” Zemrak said. ▪

White feminism in social media hurts WOC voices

By Goonja Basu, Angelina Chen & Katie Tang Sta Writers

“As white women ignore their built-in priv ilege of whiteness and de ne women in terms of their own experience alone, then women of color become ‘other,’ the outsider whose experience and tradition is too ‘alien’ to com prehend,” radical feminist Audre Lorde said in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. White feminism is a recently coined term that re fers to the uplifting of white women’s rights while failing to address the systemic inequal ities that women of color (WOC) face, such as discrimination in the workplace and taking credit for WOC’s accomplishments. Conven tional social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have fewer active WOC than white women, making white, feminist principles the de ning image of gender equality. WOC have just as an important position in the feminist community as white women do, yet they don’t have the chance to make their voices heard due to white-dominated media discourse.

WOC have just as an important po sition in the feminist community as white women do, yet they don’t have the chance to make their voices heard due to white-dominated me dia discourse.

White feminism originated during the suf frage movement, which advocated for voting rights for white women. According to e New York Times, Black women were barred from demonstrations and forced to walk be hind white women during protests. Howev er, throughout the last 100 years, prejudice against WOC has prevailed through work place discrimination and underrepresentation on mainstream media, especially for important political issues. To fully address the issue of

gender inequality, the idea of feminism should apply to all women, regardless of race.

Today, social media platforms are the big gest catalysts of female empowerment move ments, including #MeToo. However, despite increasing numbers of WOC expressing their concerns through online campaigns, the media still silences them through white savior com plexes — white people taking it upon them selves to help WOC even if they don’t need it — and tone policing (criticizing someone for the way they deliver their argument). By restricting the voices of WOC on social media and undermining their beliefs, white feminists centralize mainstream media around a biased idea of feminism. Instagram accounts like @ feminist, infamously run by men, are criticized for posting generalized stereotypes of women.

e parent group for this account, CHNGE, once reached out to two Black female photog raphers on Instagram asking for a collabora tion, but when they asked about compensa tion for their work, CHNGE did not reply. CHNGE sees their platform as nothing more than a brand, using feminism as an agenda to expand their popularity. something to expand and not actually rooting for feminism. Addi tionally, white feminist in uencers such as @ miapolitics on TikTok intentionally ostracize WOC from the movement. In response to a Black woman calling out the lack of inter sectionality in feminism, she responded with, “ at’s not very feminist of you. at doesn’t sound like girls supporting girls to me.” When white feminists don’t understand that white women have more privilege than WOC, fem inism as a movement loses the ability to em power and unite people for a cause.

White feminism supporters bring explic it harm to an inclusive movement through stances such as colorblindess. Colorblindness is particularly harmful because it ignores the e ect of race on many formative life experienc

es, including gender-based a rmative action policies that have bene white women to a far great er degree than their nonwhite counterparts. For example, according to e New York Times, WOC had higher rates of job loss and pover ty-level wages compared to their white counterparts during the pandemic. wage gap is just one of the issues that white feminism overlooks. For every dollar that white women earn, Black women are paid 81 cents and Hispanic wom en are paid 72 cents. disparity places WOC in positions of less power and eco nomic bandwidth. Ignoring this puts WOC at a less economically-fortunate level than their white counterparts.

In order to account for the rights of marginalized groups and make a tangible impact, race and class must be incorporated into the feminist movement.

White feminists believe they have good in tentions, but in reality, they diminish margin alized voices by humiliating WOC who share their experiences. Journalist Joan Smith did exactly this when she criticized Ra a Zakaria, author of Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, twisting Zakaria’s personal experi ences to attack her, telling her that they aren’t true. According to a Harper’s BAZAAR article, white feminists also argue that their platforms have been undermined by WOC talking about intersectionality. But, white feminists need to reevaluate their position of privilege and step aside so more voices of color can speak up.

Positive action occurs when WOC can create change without the fear of ostracization. e lone white woman, break ing the barriers of patriarchy through her male-conformist qualities, should not be the norm of today. Instead, WOC should have an equal voice within the fem inist community because they make up such a large part of it. MSJ has a predom inant population of WOC: much of the white feminism students en counter is online, particularly on social media. Students can take the initiative to educate them selves on this issue by using their voices to discuss how implicit racism in feminist movements af fects them as a marginalized community.

Organizations such as INCITE!, which is nation-wide and run by WOC, works to end state and domestic violence in communi ties. Everyday Feminism is an online magazine that features pieces on intersectional feminism. MSJ has many organizations that are focused on sharing inclusive, feminist ideas, such as MSJ Generation She, Women in STEM, SW ENext, and the feminist magazine, Exit Zine To bring change to the feminist landscape, students can participate in these organizations that amplify the unheard voices of WOC and help people understand the extent of white feminism. As well as tangible organizations, being mindful about the media consumed is also very important, since humans internalize everything they see. By being conscious of this, internalized racism and sexism can be avoided. In order to account for the rights of marginal ized groups and make a tangible impact, race and class must be incorporated into the femi nist movement. ▪

recognized movies

“The kids still aren't coming back for kids' movies because now the parents are used to just streaming at home, so it’s a hard transition.”

-CAIFF Founder Derek Zemrak

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS VEDESH KODNANI & AARYAN SURI, GRAPHICS BY WEB EDITOR JENNIE WANG

www.thesmokesignal.org

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SCHOOL POPULATION 1877 students

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Helen Tian, Jerry Yuan

NEWS Rohan Bhagat, Shelley Li

OPINION Esther Lau, Annika Singh

FEATURE Julia Peng, Elton Yu

CENTERSPREAD Christy Huang, Angela Xiong

A&E Sanah Bhardwaj, Joanne Park

SPORTS Karina Han, Kaitlyn Wang

GRAPHICS Sarina Li, Hannah Shen

WEB Jennie Wang, Bryan Xiong

TECH Chahak Gupta, Jason Tang

BUSINESS Chloe Gao, Sahas Goli

CIRCULATION Elaheh Khazi, Amy Luo

ADVERTISING Annie Xu, Aaron Zhou EVENTS Andria Luo, Nessa Tong

WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Goonja Basu, Angelina Chen, Novak Chen, Ruhani Chhabra, Tanvi Deshmukh, Tushara Devapatla, Anandita Devata, Jiyun Guo, Jacob Han, Sally Han, Sarah Hu, Shuhan Jin, Ayushi Kashyap, Vedesh Kodnani, Keerti Koya, Abha Kulkarni, Waylon Li, Kaylee Liu, Maryam Naseer, Ashley Pang, Daphne Senecal, Priyanka Shah, Vidyuth Sridhar, Praamesh Siva, Aaryan Suri, Katie Tang, Anushka Vasudev, Amelie Wu, Lucy Yao, Callie Yuan

ADVISER Sandra Cohen

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The pursuit of passion

By Annika Singh Opinion Editor

One of my favorite movies is 3 Idiots, a story about three friends and their experiences in college. As I rewatched the lm for what felt like the thousandth time last week, I could nally relate to its message about the di culty of choosing a career that truly ts you. ere’s a lot of pressure to know what you want to do in life, especially when you’re in high school, but it’s hard to make a choice when you’re not in love with any of your options.

MSJ’s de nition of academic success stereotypically involves being a whiz at all STEM subjects and planning to be a computer science major. But, what about those who feel drawn to the hu manities or have an a nity for the arts? I’ve always felt the need to do what’s expected of me from my peers and family, which is typ ically STEM. Pursuing a subject I’m passionate about has never felt like an option to me.

But, as I watched Farhan Qureshi (a character in 3 Idiots) tell his dad how much happier he’d be as a wildlife photographer than an engineer, I nally realized that there’s never been a reason for me to accept the life of a math or science enthusiast. Making the decision to study something you’re passionate about, especially when it’s considered unsuccess

ful or unconventional by those around you, is di cult, but the pressure of expectations is always going to be present in life. We’ve got to start asking ourselves: Will following the ‘guaranteed’ path to success really make us happy?

e struggle to understand the possibility of making your pas sion your profession lies in our mindset. On multiple occasions, I’ve forced myself to enjoy certain subjects and have compared my self to my STEM-focused peers. I used to ask myself why I couldn’t nd as much joy in learning about molecular orbital theory as oth ers, but I’ve since realized that fo cusing on activities we nd unin teresting causes us to lose sight of the numerous other possibilities in front of us. Unlike attempting to t into an overused template, dedicating more time and e ort to my passions and trying out new activities has helped me develop my interests. More importantly, it’s made me so much happier.

Although I still don’t know ex actly what I want to pursue in the future, I’ve grown to give myself the opportunity to learn and dis cover new career paths by embrac ing what I love. Even if you’re not sure where your interests lie, take a leap of faith and try something new — it may end up being more enjoyable than you think. ▪

The fne line between rejection and overcompensation

As the school year progresses and we are given more responsi bilities, we often nd ourselves unable to attend certain extra curricular events or grab a quick cup of co ee with friends. While it’s important to know when to say “no,” it’s equally important to abandon the mentality of mak ing up for past actions.

According to Social Psycholo gist Susan Newman, Ph.D., people often nd di culty in saying “no,” whether it’s to avoid confrontation or to appear more likable. “As young children and teens, we have had ‘no’ drummed out of us,” Newman said. “We’re taught to do what our parents say and what authority gures tell us.” Consequently, overcom pensation, or overexerting your self in an attempt to “atone” for a rejection, stems from this desire to meet demands and lack of set boundaries.

We have the mentality that if we outright refuse a request, we fail to prove our worth and thus disappoint the requester. For example, to make up for missing a meeting, a club of cer might overcompensate by claiming the responsibility of planning the next meeting, even if they don’t have enough time.

ough this appears to strike a balance between acceptance and at-out rejection, the conse

quences of overexerting yourself can be just as severe. Although you may have declined the initial task, you now have to bear the burden of the proposed alterna tive task, negating the bene ts of this “soft” rejection. is can lead to worsening mental health for those who bite o more than they can chew, overloading them with unneeded stress.

Overcompensation is espe cially relevant at MSJ, where students’ self-image tends to be de ned by the amount of initia tive they take or work they do. is unhealthy mindset fosters the desire to make up for lost opportunities, even though the decision to reject a request does not invalidate one’s past contri butions. For situations outside of your control — such as having to miss a team meeting for a project and trying to balance it out by taking on a signi cant portion of the work — the overcompensa tion ends up taking more e ort than the original. For example, if you cancel an event last-minute, common courtesy would deem compensation necessary — how ever, if you stated beforehand that you were unavailable, there would be no obligation to make up for it. e desire to contrib ute to your commitments is not a bad trait by any means, but when this desire negatively impacts

you, drawing the line for the sake of your own well-being should be emphasized above sacri cing it for others. Participation in events like these is not always possible, and we must learn to di erenti ate between when there is cause for compensation and when there isn’t.

In the long run, continually amending our actions feeds into the mentality that we have to make up for things that may be out of our control. Knowing your limits is important, and nding the balance between resoluteness and compensation is key in such situations. In cases where you know that you can’t complete a task or attend an event, instead of saying “I can do this instead,” you should reject others with a simple and solid “no.” We must remember that rejection re ects a respect for your own bound aries, not your opinion of the person being turned down. Your decision to accept or reject a re quest should hinge on whether or not you have the time and capability to complete it, rather than a misconstrued perception of how your rejection is viewed by others. ▪

On November 8, the midterm election results de ed all odds as the widely predicted “red wave” did not reach the shore. is was due to young adults aged 18-29 who voted overwhelmingly Demo cratic; had they not showed up to the polls, Republicans would have won decisive victories in both the House and Senate. Although the midterms showed promising re sults, many youth have grown tired of engaging in a system that is broken and hopeless, with deeplyrooted systemic problems render ing our e orts near useless.

As someone who’s active in the youth political organizing space, I’m no stranger to the “rise and fall cycle” of activism. Events such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the midterm elections are sig ni cant driving forces for engage ment, but once the initial wave of enthusiasm passes, a period of burnout hits.

Whether it’s caused by exhaus tion or a lack of tangible results from our e orts, I often feel guilty for taking a step back during these periods. In our modern age of widespread activism through social media, we’re expected to know and contribute to everything ranging from social issues to the environ mental crisis. Because we’re always consuming information about global issues, it’s easy to feel as if

The exhaustion of activism

By Esther Lau Opinion Editor

there’s a whole mountain of prob lems waiting to be solved.

While it’s true that there’s always more that can be done, we must acknowledge that this “rise and fall cycle” is normal, and that it’s absolutely okay to experience the exhaustion of activism. No mat ter how much you’re politically in volved, challenging the status quo often comes with emotions such as anger and frustration, which can be physically and mentally drain ing, leading to severe burnout. In order to continue ghting against global issues, it’s important to nd our own balance between plugging into movements and taking time for ourselves to recharge.

At the end of the day, activism isn’t limited to marching at pro tests or lobbying your elected o cials. It’s also as simple as research ing candidates and ballot measures up for election to make informed decisions, or volunteering at your local soup kitchen to help commu nity members in need. More than anything, it’s showing up for your self so you can show up for your community, too. As we move for ward from the midterm elections with renewed hope, let's remember to give ourselves the space to ebb and ow and recognize that not ev erything can be solved in one day — but still be willing to take the next step. ▪

By Chahak Gupta & Lucy Yao Sta Writers

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ com munity and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

Just stop ignoring climate change

By Keerti Koya, Ashley Pang & Anushka Vasudev Sta Writers

“What is worth more: art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justce? Are you more con cerned about the protecton of a paintng or the pro tecton of our planet and people?” Just Stop Oil mem ber Phoebe Plummer said afer gluing her palm to the wall behind her. On October 14, Plummer, along with fellow actvist Anna Holland, threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Vase with Fifeen Sunfow ers” at the Natonal Gallery in London. 10 days later, members of a German environmental group, the Letzte Generaton (Last Generaton), threw mashed potatoes over Claude Monet’s “Grainstack (Sunset)” in the Museum Barberini. Both actons were done to draw atenton to new destructve fossil fuel licens ing and producton, as well as emphasize the urgency of climate change. However, many news outlets and public responses have been debatng whether dam aging societal symbols are viable means of protest instead of discussing the underlying intent of them. In order to prevent further damage to the aspects of our lives we value, it is crucial for the community to truly understand the consequences of climate inacton through everyday advocacy instead of acknowledging these issues only when they come to light through ex treme measures like the Just Stop Oil protest.

Ever since the frst art protests, the public and media became shocked at the outrageous nature of these actons. Unlike pri or climate acton, splashing food on historical and prized paintngs was able to immediately garner people’s atenton, afer a wave of general apathy from traditonal methods of advocacy. However, headlines tended to focus on the alarming nature of such protests rather than the underlying intentons. For example, an artcle by The New York Times notes recent climate protests with paintngs are rather “a debate about tactcs.” Similarly, AXIOS said that “some [warn] that the tactcs are counterproductve while others respond with a careful silence.” While the goal of the art protests is to urge people to take immediate acton, unfortunately, the intent gets lost in debates as people use these protests to cast a dark light on the climate change movement as a whole. According to the Associated Press, some share this sen tment: "People will draw negatve associatons with

climate advocacy,” climatologist Michael Mann said.

According to the Pew Research Center, 62% of Americans say that their community has been af fected by climate change “a great deal or some,” whereas the year prior, “59% reported at least some local efects of climate change,” indicatng the popu laton’s growing recogniton for climate change afer feeling the efects within their own communites. As a result of the worsening climate change cri sis, communites contnue to face the di rect repercussions of their own actons. On September 28, Hurricane Ian, one of the deadliest and most powerful hur ricanes in US history, destroyed nearly 800,000 homes and lef more than 2.5 million citzens without electricity. Simi larly, climate change has also impacted the frequency and intensity of recent earth quakes due to deglaciaton, which magnifes the force inficted upon faults. On October 25, an earthquake of 5.1 magnitude struck San Jose, making history as one of the largest earthquakes in the Bay Area since 2014. Evidently, human-induced climate change has disastrous efects on future generatons, and they’ll only worsen unless immediate acton is taken to pro tect the environment.

Historically, severe forms of protest have been used when conventonal legal and politcal ac tons were unsuccessful and empty promis es were insufcient. Crucially, an assess ment by Rhodium Group, a company that provides original, independent re search, data, and analytcs on a range of critcal global topics, found that giv en current federal and state guidelines in place as of June, the US is predicted to reduce emissions by 24-35% by 2030, which is stll largely behind the US’s pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions by 50-52%. As a result, climate actvists are now likely to take part in increasingly radical eforts whether this means targetng societal symbols negatvely.

In recent years, there has been an increase in signifcant climate change movements around the world. For example, an organizaton created by youth climate actvist Greta Thunberg highlights young ac tvists such as Tahsin Uddin from Bangladesh, who promotes recycling, local community clean-ups, and mobile journalism training for teenagers. Additon ally, NASA data scientst Peter Kalmus has been us ing social media and initatng public protests to call atenton to the urgency of climate change. Kalmus has spoken at many climate rallies, writen books to educate others about climate change, and reduced his individual carbon emissions by 90% by becom ing a vegetarian, compostng, and avoiding elec

msj voices

tricity dependent transportaton. Earlier this year, Kalmus and a group of other like-minded scientsts, who have named themselves the Scientst Rebellion, chained themselves to the JPMorgan Chase building in downtown Los Angeles to protest their funding of fossil fuel projects. These ongoing actvism eforts have had substantal efects on their communites and beyond, yet many people have not given them much thought. People should consider why serious acton to support our climate has not been getng sufcient atenton, while severe actons have. With the in creasing occurrence of such protests, society becomes responsible for dis tnguishing between actons that truly help our planet and actons that foment further divide and controversy about cli mate advocacy.

From fooding to extreme heat, and from for est fres to meltng icebergs, the impacts of climate change are felt worldwide. Recent disasters have provided glimpses into what our future will look like if we contnue to live as recklessly and ignorantly as we currently are. While being informed is the frst step, knowledge by itself is not enough. We must ac tvely look for ways to adopt environmentally friend ly practces in our day-to-day lives. Being watchful of our energy use, adoptng clean fuel alternatves, eliminatng food waste, and being resourceful about what we buy and how we use those items, are all actonable ways we can help the environment. How ever, our individual contributons are not enough. We must advocate for and lobby local politcians to invest in bills that take serious acton to address the climate crisis. For example, S.966 would have the Natonal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administraton create a climate change educaton program to boost climate literacy and provide learning opportunites to all so they can understand the implicatons of new scientfc and technological programs. Moreover, for those who are fnancially capable, donatng money to organizatons that support climate acton is an efec tve way to reach farther communites in more need. Outrageous methods of advocacy are never going to make a permanent impact. Instead, contnuously recognizing the efects of climate change will have a large scale impact on future generatons.

Climate change has impacts that extend beyond what just afects our own communites. We should not sit complacently as another hurricane strikes the East Coast or a brutal winter freezes the Midwest. Every tragic climate disaster has real and devastatng consequences, not only for the communites they di rectly afect, but also our planet at large. Each one of us is responsible for actng now to protect our planet, before climate change changes it forever. ▪

“Climate change is one of the most dire issues we have right now, and I can understand a lot of the anger and frustraton, as it’s not new. We’ve known about it for over 100 years, but we can see that not enough has been done. New reports keep coming up about how we’ve reached so many tpping points, yet governments and corporatons stll don’t take enough acton to tackle these issues, even though they’re one of the main contributors. I think the actvists’ way of protestng by throwing soup at paintngs is their form of expressing all of that [frustraton].”

— MSJ Green Club President Kaylee Wei, 12

“I would like to see: (1) [climate acton being] promoted as some thing students/staf can see the direct impacts of; (2) have students/ staf be educated on what explicitly to do to replace the environ mentally unfriendly behavior; and (3) have the replacement opton be as (or more) convenient to do.” — Living Earth & AP Environmen

tal Science Teacher Lisa Ishimine

bay area climate change

heat waves

From August 31 to September 6, Fremont temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. Cites across CA shatered temperature records, and Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a State of Emergency in response to the extreme heat.

wildfires

Wildfres are a direct result of increasing temperatures and extended droughts. As of October 31, more than 300,000 acres were burnt in 7,211 wildfres. In 2020, wildfres came incredibly close to Fremont and forced families to evacuate.

droughts

CA has been in a three year drought, and the Alameda County Water District has been classifed in Stage 2, meaning there is a moderate wa ter shortage.

what you can do

•

•

•

• Do full loads of laundry

• Avoid unnecessary electric use: take shorter show ers, turn of the lights when it's naturally bright enough/when you leave the room, unplug idle elec tronics

• Bike, walk, or use public transportaton as much as you can

Contnue to educate yourself and stay up-to-date with the latest climate-related informaton — it'll help

make informed decisions and contribute to helping our environment. These actons alone may not reverse the climate crisis overnight, but they can inspire those around you, fostering societal optmism and passion to take ac ton before it becomes too late.

“Protestng and being involved in our community through various projects like tree plant ing or bay cleanups can help you reconnect with the environment and not only feel like you’re making a big impact, but also make a tangible impact. People should also start learning about local politcians and their climate policies, especially for seniors who will soon be able to vote.”

— MSJ Green Club Vice President Anushka Sinha, 11

The Consequences of Hate Speech

"Kanye West should not be stripped of ttle as a billionaire just because he simply has his own opinions. Free speech doesn't mean that you should be punished for it. I support Kanye West's actons not because I agree with him, but because it is free speech, and I represent free speech."

"I think celebrites such as Kanye West have a very large platorm and as a result they have the capability of being able to infuence others and spread ideas. When these ideas or statements are harmful to certain populatons, especially populatons that have sufered in the past from hate, it can be extremely detrimental. Regardless of whether people actually listen to him, the fact of the mater is that he has the ability to make himself and his views heard, and when these views are hateful, consequences are necessary."

Alumni

A professional food stylist and baker, Class of 2018 MSJ alumna Jessica Wang now brings her childhood culinary pas sion onto the big screen in Food Net work’s ninth Holiday Baking Championship Wang’s journey started at the age of four with cake mix and canned frosting. She began cultivating her culinary knowledge while helping her mother bake desserts for different occasions. However, it was not until she watched the anime Yumeiro Patis siere in 6th grade that she decided to follow her passion and pursue baking as a career. In her freshman year at MSJ, Wang started her YouTube channel Sugar Crystal Kitchen at the suggestion of a classmate interested in baking. As she posted video tutorials for different desserts, she learned to enhance her content, picking up skills in flming and video editing. The channel now boasts 25,000 subscribers and has been active for seven years. “It was something that I kept up with consistently and [it] helped me continually develop my skills,” Wang said.

"When a public fgure talks about stuf, there's usually always a public audience listening. There's a sense of connecton between the audience and the creator. For example, if a creator gets sponsored, the audience is more likely to purchase a product or a service because they trust them and they want to follow them to all ends. So, when a public fgure such as Kanye West, who has a massive following and a huge infuence, engages in hate speech, that's just terrible, and it's karma that he's losing brand deals and sponsorships."

"Public fgures who engage in hate speech should sufer these consequences. Kanye West is hands down one of the most famous people, not even just in the music industry, but in branding, politcs, and other felds. He's very well aware of how large his audience is, and he deserves to lose his status as a billionaire. With that much fame and atenton, public fgures need to watch what they say."

"I think that these companies fully have the right to revoke these sponsorships. They sponsor who they want, it's their money, and it's in their right to choose who that money goes to. I do acknowledge that freedom of speech is a thing. But personally, I dislike that such a big fgure is making such comments. And in my opinion, someone of this popularity who has this much respect should not be making these kind of comments, and they should be more mindful of what they say."

Spotlight: Jessica Wang

By Katie Tang & Nessa Tong Staff Writers

After graduating from MSJ, Wang at tended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, where she spent countless hours refning pastry-mak ing skills with her peers. There, she also gained valuable experience with food pho tography and videography working for the CIA’s marketing department as a restaurant photographer and content creator for the four student-run restaurants at the school. With her professional photography skills, she was able to land her current food stylist position at So Yummy, where she works in food photography and flming. Wang re calls her time at the CIA to be extremely rewarding and a huge stepping stone into her baking career. “You create lifelong con nections and friendships with others who share the same passion as you. It truly is a bond that I would not have gotten any where else,” Wang said.

In September, Wang opened her homebased patisserie shop, Crystal Cafe, which she named after her YouTube channel. Crys tal Cafe customers order through its online form every month. Despite the cafe’s focus on desserts, Wang is not limited to pastries; she also sells afternoon tea sets at Crystal Cafe through her Instagram account @crys talcafela. In the coming years, Wang hopes to expand her menu and eventually open her own cafe.

Recently, Wang competed in Food Network’s ninth season of the Hol iday Baking Champi onship. When audi tions for the show were announced, Wang recalled watching the previous seasons at a young age, and in hopes of furthering her culinary passion, she applied and was cast to participate. Aired on November 10, Wang competed alongside 11 others to bake the best hol iday-themed desserts, which turned out to be one of the most challenging yet re warding experiences for her. “I pushed my self beyond my limits and also in the pro cess made passionate pastry friends who I will treasure for years to come,” Wang said.

In the future, Wang looks forward to par ticipating in more events similar to the baking championship. While she intends to establish a physical store for Crystal Cafe, her main focus in the coming years is to travel the globe to learn new culinary techniques. For many MSJ students, following a child hood dream and building a career out of interest may seem intangible. Wang’s achievements prove that anything is possible with hard work and passion. “A lot of my milestones have led up to one another, [getting me] to where I am today ... Nothing happens by accident,” Wang said.

“You create lifelong connections and friendships with others who share the same passion as you” — Class of 2018 MSJ Alumna Jessica Wang

"Recently, rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, engaged in racist and ant-Semitc hate speech that caused him to lose sponsorships from adi das and GAP, removing his previous status as a billionaire. What are your thoughts about public fgures engaging in hate speech, and therefore suf fering career-impactng consequences?"

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS RUHANI CHHABRA, SARAH HU, KAYLEE LIU, PRAAMESH SIVA & CALLIE YUAN

Guide to Family Heirlooms

by Jacob Han, Abha Kulkarni & Praamesh Siva Staff Writers

November is the month of remembrance, grat itude, culture, and giving. For many, family heir looms play a major part of this month. To get a view into diverse culture at MSJ, the Smoke Signal interviewed staff and students on their family heirlooms.

Gold Necklace

In Hinduism, gold, heavily associated with Laksh mi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, and good health, is thought to have the ability to purify. In many Hindu families, like Junior Saahil Sheth’s, gold is a common heirloom passed down between gen erations. Sheth shared the story of his heirloom, a beaded golden necklace with a diamond pendant, that was passed down from his grandmother to his mom. “It was a really beautiful moment. My mom got really emotional. It was really sentimental … and it got me a bit emotional as well … [and] it made me real ize the importance of family,” Sheth said. He also hopes to one day share the same special moment with his kids.

Bangles

In India, bangles, a representation of health, luck, and prosperity, are the symbol of a married woman. Sophomore Bhavani Kalluri shared her story of her grandma’s bangles and its rich history. “My great grandfather had these made for her when my grand mother got married … as kind of like a wedding gift,” Kalluri said. These bangles represent an ancient

Recipes

Sept21,1990 July

Photographs

1.

Although not all families pass down heirloom ob jects, many learn about their heritage and culture through traditional recipes. Coming from India, Geometry Teacher Mugdha Patil did not have too many personal possessions. However, out of the few things she brought with her, the most important were her mother’s handwritten recipes and special cooking apparatus: a unique rolling pin, made from slender wood. In India, most celebrations center around food and for Patil, using these recipes are a way of connecting to her roots and family in In dia. “It’s that precious bond … she could send the recipes to me on WhatsApp now, but it’s not the same as writing it down,” Patil said.

Teacups

For some, heirlooms represent culture, but for Assistant Principal Jeana Nightengale, her heir loom is a symbol of her great grandmother’s world travels. Her heirloom, teacups, tell the story of her great grandmother’s independence as a woman born in the 1920s. The teacups are tied to fond memories of the holidays and learn ing about her great grandmother’s travels and allow her to stay connected to the memory of her great grandmother. “She was a world traveler and I love traveling the world … So it’ is like a remem brance to me that’s been … passed down to me.” Night engale said.

Social Studies teacher Anthony Bellotti spoke of a picture of his father’s family. To Bellotti, it rep resents a combination of the past and present, and serves as a symbol of his family’s legacy. “There are two worlds, one in Italy [and one] con necting with that culture, and a different one here in America,” he said. It’s common for immigrant families to lose some of the language, food, and culture they grew up with as they adapt to the American way of life. But for families like Belot ti’s, they remember the amazing memories and experiences from their home town, be cause it has played such an in tegral role in who they are.

Jade Bracelet

In Chinese culture, jade represents purity and pros perity. Often called “the stone of Heaven,” jade jew elry is traditionally passed down as a blessing of good fortune from one generation to the next. Senior Nathan Singh shared his family’s history through his jade bracelet. Passed down from his mother’s side of the family hailing from the Guangdong region of China, the jade bracelet was initially owned by his grandmother, who on her 94th birthday, passed it on to her sister, who ultimately gave it to Singh.

“As a direct connection to my grandmother, the bracelet serves as a physical re

When the term “heirloom” surfaces, physical objects that represent family lineage are often the first things that come to mind. However, others hold experienc es and memories to the same standard. Growing up, Principal Jeffery Evans didn’t have the opportunity to see the world. Now, his goal is to show his kids their culture and to foster memories that will turn into “heirlooms” one day. “I think it’s more valuable than … a trinket that you have, [because] you have that experience,” Mr. Evans said. “You understand those cultures … that with their children.”

DieHard TryHards: Scented Candles

By Chloe Gao,

Goli, Priyanka Shah & Aaryan Suri Staff Writers

Aaryan Sahas Chloe Priyanka

My growing collection of dusty, unburned candles, talented olfactory system, and exceptional eye for aesthetics are guaranteed to give me a 100 per-scent success rate in making the perfect can dle. My expertise in chemistry and fool proof skill to pour liquid into containers (demonstrated best when I accidentally poured a toxic substance in chemistry class with my bare hands and definitely did not spill any) ensure my proficiency in pouring hot wax into a mold. Oh! Do you smell that? I’m getting a whiff of the sweet scent of victory — unless that’s my hair getting caught in the flame …

Going into this, I’m feeling not-so-confident, to say the least. Being quite artistically challenged and possessing the sense of smell of a noseless donkey, the odds are stacked against me for this candle-making confrontation. My strategy going into this is to copy Priyanka’s every move. Why would I do this, you may ask? Because unlike me, Priyanka isn’t empty-headed and also has a whopping one hour of extra candle-making experience compared to us amateur chandlers. With that being said, I hope my strategy works and wish me luck for this challenge because, boy, am I gonna need it.

Since my last DieHard TryHard, baking fall-themed bagels, I’ve learned that overconfidence is not the key. This time, I’d like to greet my win with a plea-scent surprise. Although, I would like to say I have the upper hand. Unlike my other competitors, I have experience in the candle-making realm as I have been to Glow Candle Lounge two times before. However, this time it’s going to be different. Glow Candle Lounge is going to have a VIP in town; one that they never saw coming. My tactic of choosing an array of colors and a concoction of exotic scents will create a competitive s-candle between us fellow Smokies.

While my com petitors may be going all fancy-schman cy trying to make some overly fragrant candles, I will take a more sophisticated path and pur sue a candle that espouses edibility. I mean, you can’t look at a brand new colorful candle and tell me it doesn’t look delicious. Why would candles even have food scents like vanilla if they’re not supposed to be eaten? I’ll make a candle so appetizing the judges will have to change the ranking system to be based on taste instead of aroma. On a completely unrelated note, I’ll have the number for the Poison Control Center handy.

2 3 4

What did I say? Call me Candle Jenner because my magnifi-scent first-place creation is totally runway-ready. Despite the difficulties I faced, including trying to pick up Sahas after he gave us the wrong address three times, my hours spent scouring for the perfect shape, combing through colors, digging out matching designs, sniffing scents, and adding a 15% tip paid off. After my disappointing fifth place in last year’s Christmas Cookie DieHard TryHard, I’d say my talents have truly outshined the rest. Catch my work of art on the next episode of Too Hot to Candle!

Well, I got second. Am I mad? Yes. Should I be? No. After the intense candle-making session filled with a roller coaster of emotions, from sadness to hints of happiness and then the inevi table sorrow, I felt defeated. Expecting last place after my shortcoming in chopping and cutting, taking the longest time while still producing the most me diocre candle out of all of the Smokies, I was depressed. However, after being absolutely hyped up by Sahas Goli himself, when he told me that I had crafted a candle of Picasso caliber, I was expecting an easy first place (he lied). In the end, the moral of the story is to never trust Sahas (or Priyanka).

Third place seems to have a very special place in my heart. However, this time, I’ll take it. Walking into Glow Candle Lounge, familiarity and victory flooded the air. The lady who worked there even called me a professional chandler. My plan of straying from the beaten path and choosing unique colors seemed flawless to begin with, but boy was I wrong. At least now I know that brown and green don’t make a very pretty combination. Al though my candle’s visual appeal may not have been the best, I still think that my Christmas-themed scents should have won. Sigh. Maybe the third time’s the charm.

Genius is never understood in its own time. Despite confirming that the can dles were made of food-grade wax, my appeals for the candles to be judged by taste were completely ignored. What a shame. I had even chosen a candle shape that would make for easy snacking and a nice eucalyptus and Polynesian vanilla flavoring. This irrational decision by the judges has left me in fourth place. How could I have failed to convince the judges to switch to taste-based judging? This intolerable miscarriage of justice deeply reflects the prejudices in our society against eating candles.* I am devastated.

As the weather gets chilly and leaves start falling, the time has come for candles to light the way through au tumn and the upcoming holiday season. In this intense battle at Glow Candle Lounge, located at 1140-7 Lincoln Ave., which flame-boyant Smokie will emerge victorious for the in-candle-scent crown?

*(Note: We do not condone candle consumption and no candles were eaten during this event.)

Sahas

joji’s smithereens blows its listeners away

By Callie Yuan Staf Writer

George K. Miller, famously known as Joji, released his long-await ed third studio album SMITHER EENS on November 4 after a twoyear hiatus. SMITHEREENS serves as a culmination of Joji’s evolution of sound and production, expertly blending his signature alternative, R&B, and trap sounds into a fow ing stream that carries the listener through his pensive emotions.

The album consists of two discs: the frst follows Joji as he takes the growth he’s achieved in his soph omore album Nectar and delves deeper into ruminating ballads while the second mixes in lo-f, returning to his roots as heard on his debut album BALLADS 1 SMITHER EENS opens with the charting single “Glimpse of Us,” a heart-wrenching song accompanied by elegant pia no motifs. Joji cherishes his current partner and considers their perfect relationship a blessing with how much she’s helped him, “She’d take the world of my shoulders / If it was ever hard to move.” However these feelings of wanting to treasure his perfect partner confict with his disloyal thoughts that stray back to a previous lover. “Said I’m fne and said I moved on / I’m only here pass ing time in her arms,” Joji laments as he reminisces on his past relationship through his current lover’s eyes.

Throughout the rest of the al bum, Joji dissects the aftermath and the recollection of all the shattered smithereens of one’s heart from this failing relationship. The repeated opening chords on “Die For You” imitate Joji’s incessant self-degrada

GAMEBYTES

By Tushara Devapatla Staf Writer

Released in May 2019, missed mes sages. is an indie horror-romance visual novel created by software developer Angela He. With a moving soundtrack and detailed graphics, the game takes 15-30 minutes to play through, though, with four diferent endings the game can take over an hour to play fully. Focusing on the importance of receiving and ofering help for those in need, love and friendship are vital themes throughout the game.

The game starts with the player get ting a message from someone named “goth gf” asking them out. As the game progresses, the player sees how their choice impacts the people around them, specifcally her relationship with her roommate May. The game is sto ry-based, limiting the number of in teractive elements to two or three for every 20 frames, making each choice afect the ending signifcantly.

With great nuance, He discusses incredibly complex topics through her game, the innocuous beginning juxtaposing the rest of the game as it delves into more serious issues such as depression and suicide through the player’s roommate May. Using of hand comments and sparse interac tions, the game lets the player choose whether they should check on May or not, urging the audience to check on their loved ones or at least to reach out. With this story-based approach, the game allows the developer to show of her strongest skill set: art. Having worked on games such as a new life and YOU LEFT ME. previously, He’s colorful and immersive art is a constant throughout her games, adding another layer of emotion the audience can feel. As the game delves into emotional topics, the art gives them more depth, making the story more heartfelt.

missed messages. is a free game avail able for PC, Mac, and Linux with the fan pack costing $4.99, which includes extra art as well as in-game wallpapers. With a moving plot and amazing art, anyone looking for a heartfelt, impact ful game would adore this.

tion and bombardments of regret. Despite the character’s mental health steadily declining and his heart hav ing been blown to pieces because of the breakup, Joji belts in the chorus, “I heard that you’re happy without me,” wishing for his ex-partner’s happiness nonetheless. As Joji piec es together his fragmented heart, he maneuvers through the aftermath of the breakup in “Before The Day Is Over.” With the opening verse, “Things changing course, smiles fade to grin / Now the moment’s gone, just as I feared / … and I was hoping this time,” he acknowledges their re lationship has to an end, but abhors that fact and instead tries to latch on to the remnants of their time togeth er. Finally, Joji realizes the eternal de votion to each other he had wished for was naive since just as the warmth of the day is gone after the sunset, re lationships also all reach an inevitable end.

In comparison to Joji’s previous works, SMITHEREENS is much more cohesive in regard to melodic zeniths and consistently captivating

vocals. All the tracks craft a world of broken relationships that tie into each other like no other album of his has done before. This is considering his frst self-produced song “NIGHT RIDER” since BALLADS 1, which features syncopated beats paired with crescendoed singing that enchant the listener. However, with its short run time of a little over 24 minutes, Joji’s third album has less content and lacks Nectar’s musical diversity. Even so, the short album allows the audience to spend more time engrossing itself in and relistening to the tracks.

Joji crafts an atmosphere the au dience can immerse itself in by con trasting the universal feelings of fer vent attachment to bygone times and numbing isolation from losing what’s precious all in only nine tracks. As he cleans up his production and sound, SMITHEREENS serves as a paragon Joji album, and both diehard fans and new listeners can look forward to more ambitious projects that have yet to come.

Grade: A-

drake and 21 savage nearly win in her loss

By Waylon Li Staf Writer

Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake Graham and British American rap per Shéyaa “21 Savage” Bin Abra ham-Joseph released their frst col laborative album Her Loss, following two of their recent hit songs, “Knife Talk (with 21 Savage ft. Project Pat)” and “Jimmy Cooks (feat. 21 Sav age).” Released on November 4 after a week-long delay, Her Loss comes less than fve months after Drake’s heavily criticized Honestly, Never mind. However, despite the excite ment surrounding Drake and 21 Savage’s long awaited collaboration, Her Loss doesn’t live up to the hype; rather than a collaboration, the proj ect feels like a solo album by Drake with an occasional 21 Savage feature. Drake and 21 Savage don’t need introductions. Drake’s iconic music career has consisted of intense mu sical variety on albums such as Take Care and Views, and 21 Savage rose to fame quickly with staple albums such as Issa Album and Savage Mode. 21 Savage often incorporates themes of his troubled, violent past, trickling in traumatic experiences of gang violence in his childhood. On the other hand, Drake is known for his melodious, moody tone while lyr ically rapping about his past and ro mantic relationships. Drake’s and 21 Savage’s past songs are a mix of two worlds, and their musical diferences often result in experimental, fascinat ing pieces of music.

The album opens up with “Rich Flex,” with the two rappers hyp ing up each other preceding a beat switch. Drake speaks directly to 21 Savage in the chorus: “21, do your thing 21, do your thing (21).” This explicit collaboration is rare in Her Loss, but when it happens, it’s faw less. In the sixth track “Spin Bout U,” Drake and 21 Savage feature a 1995 R&B sample that transitions

the album’s tone from trap-based and cocky to romantic and brooding. One of the deep cuts in the album “Hours in Silence,” details one of Drake’s relationships in a melodious R&B tone. Although the song’s low energy mood perfectly fts Drake’s voice, it drags on for more than six minutes, and the melody quickly be comes stale.

In addition, Drake takes unnec essary stabs at other icons such as Megan Thee Stallion and Alexis K. Ohanaian. In “Circo Loco,” Drake toys at Stallion’s claims of being shot by rapper Tory Lanez. In “Middle of the Ocean,” Drake calls Reddit co-founder and husband of athlete Serena Williams a “groupie.” The small comments of misogyny and controversy play a major role in the album’s overall feel, as the project’s enjoyability is tainted by Drake and 21 Savage’s lack of sensitivity.

The pair’s musical synergy fails to overcome the imbalance to deliv er this long-awaited album. Her Loss is not a fulflled masterpiece due to unnecessary comments and contro versiality, but it can be considered as an undeniable, unique evolution into the modern rap industry. While the album had smooth rhythms, cadences, and high energy, Drake and 21 Savage indubitably have not unleashed the potential they created from previous song collaborations.

Grade: B

black panther: wakanda forever’s lasting impact

By Praamesh Siva Staf Writer

Filled with breathtaking visu als and action-packed thrills, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever exceeds expectations and leaves viewers fulflled. Though there was uncer tainty regarding how the flm would turn out after the tragic passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Bose man, Director Ryan Coogler and countless others involved in the pro duction of the flm honor the late ac tor’s legacy by creating a sequel that lives up to the original.

At the end of the frst movie, viewers are left with excitement and suspense as T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) reveals the true nature of Wakanda to the United Nations. In the beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, T’Challa passes away from an unidentifed ailment that he kept a secret from every one, sufering alone while inspiring hope. Following T’Challa’s demise, Wakanda becomes more accessible to the world, just as he promised.

However, without T’Challa’s lead ership, Wakanda fnds itself in a compromised situation, with other nations trying to gain possession of their coveted metal, vibranium. The US discovers the Talokan un derwater realm while searching for vibranium, which angers its king, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), resulting in a major confict between the two kingdoms.

Throughout the movie, two of the prominent female charac ters, Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) overcome their state of desolation following T’Challa’s death. They struggle to come to terms with a loss that neither they nor the viewer ex pected; in this way, the viewers and the characters are interlocked on a deeper level. The sudden loss of their hero challenges their beliefs, their culture, and everything that they know. The core part of the flm is how the characters process and learn to overcome this tragic loss.

Apart from just the intriguing set-up, the actors are what make

out. For example, Bassett’s passion and tenacity as Queen Ra monda bring the character to life: in a meeting with the representatives of Wakanda and the United Nations, she threatens that the countries plot ting to steal vibranium will be met with appropriate responses if they don’t stand down, showing that she is not afraid of anyone and is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect her homeland. This scene is memo rable because Bassett’s loud and pas sionate voice defes everyone who is plotting against her country.

The soundtrack mirrors the emo tions of the movie very well. The lead single, “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, uses a slower, almost spiritual tempo to create emotional remembrance. The speed of Rihanna’s ballad is reminiscent of a hymn, swathing its listeners in an embrace of comfort and hope. Each line of the song is powerful and compelling, honoring the memory of the deceased.

Though stellar in many areas, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

doesn’t quite reach the splendor of its predecessor. The flm struggles with narrative and pacing issues that create a runtime of two hours and 41 minutes In addition, Nam or’s backstory is explored well, but hard to connect with. Compared to Killmonger’s intensity and charisma from Black Panther, Namor falls short as the villain: his history and struggles do not feel as personal and impactful as Killmonger’s.

Despite a few shortcomings in plot, Black Panther: Wakanda For ever is still a terrifc flm. The movie is more emotional compared to the other movies in the Marvel Cine matic Universe, and it handles this emotion with grace and nuance through its takes on grief, growth, and unity. Coogler proves once again that he is a flmmaker to be reckoned with. Overall, with fan tastic cinematography, direction, and phenomenal acting, Black Pan ther: Wakanda Forever is a mustwatch.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever stand

MOVIE: American Psycho — Ethan Tang, 11

TV SHOW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Melissa Jin, 10

ALBUM: Her Loss by Drake, 21 Savage — Anish Sanku, 12

BOOK: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini — Alyssa Chen, 9 GAME: Guardian Tales — William Wang, 11

November 2022 MSJ Faves

SPOTIFY COM

ANGELA: “Style” by Taylor Swift | ANNIKA: “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen | BRYAN: “November” by Tyler, e Creator | CHRISTY: “7 Years” by Lukas

Graham | ELTON: “Down” by Jay Sean, Lil Wayne | ESTHER: “Love Story” by Taylor Swift | HANNAH: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne | HELEN: “DINOSAUR” by AKMU | JENNIE: “Fire ies” by Owl City | JERRY: “Dreams Come True” by aespa | JOANNE: “More an a Feeling” by Boston | JULIA: “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars | KAITLYN: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz | KARINA: “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire | ROHAN: “I Want It at Way” by Backstreet Boys | SANAH: “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse | SARINA: “Everything She Wants” by Wham! | SHELLEY: “Hello” by Adele | MRS. COHEN: “California Girls” by e Beach Boys

SPOTIFY COM

IMDB COM

Clue: The Musical Review

Amy Luo & Daphne Senecal Staf Writers

On November 4-6, the Milpitas Commu nity eatre presented their rst ever dinner theater show with the interactive o -Broad way musical Clue: e Musical. Based o the Parker Brothers’ murder mystery board game, the show left the audience spell-bound as it mixed a comedy set, music concert, and game night into one.

e room was set with colorful ambient lights and a live pianist played a jovial tune, creating a fun yet mysterious atmosphere. Immediately, the eccentric yet captivating room arrangement made it clear that this was no typical musical — guests were seated in intimate dinner tables circling a beige game board, with six separate stages surrounding the exterior, each of which modeled a loca tion featured in the Clue board game, from the study to the kitchen and the conservatory to the billiard room.

Families and friends excitedly conversed among themselves as they enjoyed fruit and refreshments in anticipation of the start of the show. Each of the attendees was given an answer sheet to note down clues throughout the musical that would aid in solving the

nal mystery.

e show kicked o with the center-stage appearance by murder victim Mr. Boddy (Ifedayo Famojuro), who was explaining the premise of his death through the opening number “ e Game.” e six quirky suspects of his murder were subsequently introduced, as were the six potential murder weapons and murder locations. One of the key com ponents distinguishing Clue: e Musical was that the outcome of the mystery was decid ed by the audience — in typical Clue board game fashion, three attendees were called at random to blindly select a trio of cards deter mining the location, weapon, and murderer for that night’s show.

While the concepts and overall thematic elements of the show were extremely intrigu ing, the performance had its shortcomings. e music, while entertaining, lacked sus tained melodic themes, and the songwriting was overly dense, with too many jokes and witty one-liners packed in. It was often di cult to hear the actors’ vocals over the instru mental backing, resulting in confusion over

plot points. Because guests were intently following the lyrics to mark down relevant clues, it became obvious when actors would accidentally stumble over lines, causing im portant moments and details to be cut short. Additionally, the catered dinner provided by the California Catering Cafe was mediocre at best, with many guests leaving their plates un nished. Part of the show’s advertising in cluded the fact that the food would be Clue themed with dishes such as Mr. Boddy’s Sliced Beef or Colonel Mustard’s Chicken. However when the food was served, it came in very small portions, leaving many guests’ stomachs still growling after the show ended. Not all the dish options were served at once, causing some guests to nish their meals be fore others had even received theirs.

But what the production lacked in expe rience and precision, they made up for in en thusiasm and energy. e actors personally interacted with random audience members, feeding into their excitement. Mr. Boddy’s maid Mrs. White (Jameela Huq) would put her arms around the guests and weep about

the hardships of her job in a comical manner, while the erudite Professor Plum (Cordelia Willis) would stoically excuse herself as she made her way between dining chairs as she moved to and from stages. is connection heightened the guests’ investment into the mystery, with every dinner table eagerly dis cussing amongst themselves the behavior of the characters and clues they had collected.

As the nal clues were revealed by Mr. Boddy, the audience handed in their answer sheets before the cards chosen at the begin ning of the night could be revealed. One by one, the murderer, weapon, and location were revealed to be Miss Scarlet (Adriana Casas) with a pipe in the Study, causing the auditorium to erupt into laughter and shouts. ose who had guessed all three of these facts correctly were entered into a ra e for a chance to win a two night stay at Son esta Silicon Valley. With the show coming to an end, the entire cast came out to sing “She Hasn’t Got a Clue (Reprise)” before disap pearing backstage, leaving the audience with a night to remember.

Oddity is a marvelous musical curiosity

By Goonja Basu & Sarah Hu Staf Writers

In October 2021, Sophomores guita rist and vocalist Ishaan Awasthi, drummer Vidyuth Sridhar, acoustic guitarist Aditi Lagisetty, saxophonist Amy Zhang, electric guitarist Arya Chatterjee, and bassist Ris habh Bommana started playing together as a semi-formal band after their Freshman Homecoming live airband practices. ey would have never known that a year later, they would be a complete six-musician band in the process of writing an original, 12-track album with professional bookings.

It all started with Sridhar and Awasthi playing together in Sridhar’s basement. “We decided to start a whole other group, so that we can continue playing together,” Zhang said. Awasthi, who was especially interested in starting a band, started taking interviews

view was held right then and there, and soon after, Chatterjee became an o cial member of their band. e band continued to grow, and after the last member, Zhang, was invi ted to play with them after airband practice, Oddity was born.

eir name, Oddity, comes from the mispronunciation of Lagisetty’s rst name: au-di-ty. Aside from being a small inside joke, the name also references the amalgama tion of di erent music genres the band pro duces — from rock, with Bommana’s bass, to jazz, with Zhang’s saxophone. In fact, Od dity is a mixture of each member’s unique

interests. Sridhar’s inspiration often comes from rap music while Bommana is intrigued by the Japanese power metal scene, yet inter estingly, they have never clashed over which direction they should take a song sonically. “It’s like a combination of all these comp letely di erent musical styles that forms our own unique sound … we kind of dabble in everything and make sure we explore all our interests,” Awasthi said.

Oddity is a tightly-knit band that works cohesively together, regardless of their diver se music taste and musical instruments. Alt hough the Oddity’s mix of instruments do not align with traditional bands, they manage to produce unique and personal music. “It’s more of being able to play with actual people. We all have this passion and music and the fact that we can all come together and express our love for this particular art is what makes me really love this band,” Zhang said.

Despite not running into many problems with their music, the six members are high schoolers with schoolwork and other extra curriculars outside of band practice, so most of their issues have been with time manage ment. Tests, projects, labs, and more are all reasons practices may be delayed. “It’s all a matter of priorities,” Lagisetty said.

ey are currently working on their debut album, which will dedicate one song to each month of the year that re ects the band’s musical perception of that speci c month. e tracks for February, April, and May are already on their social media (@oddity.music on Instagram), along with another original song and a cover of John Mayer’s “Gravity.” e band is also working on an EP that will include six tracks. One band member will lead each track to ensure everything follows their personal artistic vision. e goal of the EP is for each member to explore their interests with the support of the rest of the band. Beyond the EP, Oddity plans to con tinue playing throughout high school, with a focus on playing more at live events, commu nity events, talent shows, open mics, and any where else they are welcome. ey hope that someday, they will be able to make a name for themselves and gain recognition outside of the MSJ community. “I want it to be part of your life and [for everyone to] be like, yeah, that’s Oddity,” Awasthi said.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS AMY LUO & DAPHNE SENECAL. GRAPHICS BY A&E EDITOR JOANNE PARK

Oddity members from left to right: bassist Rishabh Bommana, drummer Vidyuth Sridhar, electric guitarist Arya Chat terjee, saxophonist Amy Zhang, guitarist and vocalist Ishaan Awasthi, acoustic guitarist Aditi Lagisetty.

FALL SPORTS RECAP

by Novak Chen, Chloe Gao, Shuhan Jin, Waylon Li & Andria Luo Staff Writers

GirlsTennis

Entering the season with high expectations, Girls Tennis continued their undefeated streak, placing first in the league, winning MVAL Championships for the fifth year in a row, and advancing to NCS Cham pionships. The greatest challenge for players this year was the pressure of playing doubles, because in a lot of matches, doubles were the deciding factor for a win. Although players faced a few tough matches, including one preseason loss to Cam polindo High School, their solid encouragement for each other kept players fighting hard. They were able to beat American High School, a team that put up tough matches in the past three years, by a score of 4-3 in both of their matches. Girls Tennis had a blend of mostly veteran players and a few new faces who have integrated well into the team. “The team really cared about working for each other this year,” Girls Tennis Coach Michael Jan said. “When it came to weaknesses of certain players, people were willing to really help out to develop each other and just have the support of the whole team. So I think team chemistry wise, this is probably one of the best in a while.”

Girls Water Polo Boys

Girls Water Polo ended their season with a bang, qualify ing for the NCS Championships for the first time since 2014 and breaking their eight year dry spell. Despite many new changes this sea son, including new coaches, the team pushed through, exceeding expectations. With a full team of veterans, one of the team’s greatest strengths this season was their cohe sion. “I feel we’re more a well-rounded team,” Girls Water Polo Coach Felice Tran said, describing the girls’ ability to work as a unit during games. “We have a good amount of shooters, we have a good amount of girls who defend, and we have a good number of girls who are fast at swimming.” Though each girl has their unique strengths, the team was able to make use of everyone’s individual talents and work as a whole. This was a key aspect of the team’s success this season, as it helped them put up a good fight when playing rival teams like the James Logan High School Colts and the Washington High School Huskies. “It just shows how much work these girls have put in,” Tran said.

Vo

Girls Volleyball had yet another strong season this year, placing third in the MVAL Championships and continuing to NCS Championships for the second year in a row. Despite having six new freshman members, the team had a natural chemistry from the beginning. “The freshman girls came in really strong, [with] a lot of skills, a lot of experience from club … and on top of that, they were led by three really great seniors,” Girls Volleyball Coach Thien Nguyen said. One game in particular that really showed the team’s fighting spirit was their first match against Washington, where the Girls Volleyball made a comeback after being down 0-2, ending with a final score of 3-2. “I felt that was the time of the season where I realized this team can go really far. And that really sparked the fire in all of us,” Nguyen said. One of the greatest challenges the team faced this season was during the middle of the season, when injuries and illnesses struck. However, many girls stepped in to fill these positions, and the team quickly bounced back. As for the upcoming year, the team is looking forward to another successful season. “Our team chemis try was immeasurable, which makes me excited for the next season,” Girls Volleyball Co-Captain Sophomore Allie Tong said.

With a strong starting lineup consisting of mostly seniors, Boys Water Polo worked together well and ended the season with a 9-9 record, placing fifth in MVAL and getting the best win rate at MSJ in the last five years. The team had a strong offense, sometimes scoring more than five goals in a single quarter. According to Boys Water Polo Coach Ryan Tang, Goalkeeper Senior Mat thew Lau was the best keeper in the league, though the individ ual defense and rebounding of the team could have used more work. Despite challenges in team coordination due to new players expanding offensive strategies while old players habitually ran old plays, the team was able to recognize their weaknesses and im prove throughout the season. The months leading up to the game against Irvington High School, a tough rival they hadn’t beaten in six years, built tension and excitement for the game; through out the whole game, the score remained 13-13 until MSJ scored a goal with 11 seconds remaining. “We focused on the game, we got in the right headspace, we followed the game plans, and we won,” Boys Water Polo Co-Captain Senior Riley Cheung said.

Boys and Girls Cross Country had an impressive showing this year, advancing to the NCS Champion ships after taking first in the Junior Varsity and Frosh/Soph Boys divisions and runner-ups in the Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls, and Junior Varsity Girls divisions in the MVAL Championships race this season. Although many seniors graduated last year, it was clear the freshmen were ready to fill in their spots. “The first time we lost in our first MVAL meet, I was afraid of seeing a drop in attendance or work because of this. How ever, spirits were still high and everyone put in more work to change this,” Girls Cross Country Co-Captain Senior Audrey Lee said. The team experienced many changes through the season — Assistant Coaches Tom Scrutton and Haley Skinner joined the team, and morning practices were implemented twice a week. “It was cer tainly tough to move some of the practices to the morning, but it has been very refreshing to see people put structure into their lives [and] a little bit of discipline to be on this team,” Boys and Girls Cross Country Coach Edward Njoo said.

Girls Golf went into their season with high expectations and surpassed them, placing first at the MVAL Championships and winning the CIF Division 1 NCS Championship for the first time in ten years. Composed mostly of veteran athletes, one of the team’s strongest suits this season was their sense of camaraderie. The cap tains were quick to take over their responsibilities and helped the team stay united and motivated as the season went on. “We spent a lot of time together this season. We had a bunch of prac tices, we lived in a hotel together for NCS,” Girls Golf Co-Captain Senior Audrey Wang said. “We became even better friends off the course.” Going into NCS, the girls knew they were up against a lot of talented players and faced pressure in terms of both performance and mental state. “We knew that there are a lot of talented girls in this area. We knew we would have to have our A-game,” Wang said. However, the team pulled through to win first place, and Wang won individual champion with the tournament low score of 68. “Watching them so excited and celebrating with their families ... made me feel like I was young again,” Girls Golf Coach Tai Chung said.

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

By Tanvi Deshmukh, Ayushi Kashyap & Waylon Li Staff Writers

BOYS BASKETBALL

After experiencing a tough 2-12 league record last year and saying goodbye to eight graduating seniors, Boys Basketball is dedicated to improving their standings this upcoming season. During the summer, Boys Bas ketball Coach Mike Kenney prepared the team for the season by polishing fundamental skills and introducing unique drills. “[Our new team] worked with him during the summer so he has a really clear picture of how good we are and how we work as a team,” Boys Bas ketball Co-Captain and Shooting Guard Junior Brandon Bao said. Throughout practices, the players developed a close-knit brotherhood that propels their communi cation and teamwork, while also creating an enjoyable environment on the court. “I know our kids get excited, so I get excited because it’s just fun, and I hope it’s fun for them as well,” Kenney said. Together, the team is ready to improve their performance by taking on the season with high energy and determination.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

As Girls Basketball return for the winter sea son, two new underclassmen and promoted players motivate the team. “I’m looking for ward to the challenge of getting this team to blend and mesh well on the court, while also providing enough positivity so they can thrive togeth er,” Girls Basketball Coach Chris Joo said. After playing tournaments together in the summer league and having some successful moments, the players began familiarizing themselves with each other and developing team chemistry.

“Our seniors are taking in our younger players and doing a good job of leading so [everyone] feels more comfortable [com municating],” Girls Basketball Captain Senior Reina Shimomura said. Shimomura especially has her eye on Freshman Stephanie Yu, whose young spirit and Amateur Athletic Union experience will be an asset to the team. With a driven mindset, they all anticipate an enjoyable season filled with wins and hopefully a league title. “We’re shooting to have the ‘nothing to lose and everything to gain’ mentality for every game,” Joo said.

GIRLS SOCCER

After a rocky season riddled with injuries last year, Girls Soccer are looking to improve their performance and skills on the field. Last year, the team heavily relied on new players due to the number of incapacitated elite players and a major ity of practice time was used teaching them the basics. “We have a good amount of people actually com ing out to try out this year,” Girls Soccer Co-Captain Senior Diya Sen said. They are looking to hone in on the less experienced players’ skills in the upcoming season while working off of the prog ress they made from last season. “We have a lot of new players and it’s exciting to meet them and do team bonding,” Girls Soccer Co-Captain Senior Johanna Talavera Chavez said. With a lot of new faces, Girls Soccer are looking to shake things up on the field.

BOYS WRESTLING

Coming off several individual NCS qualifiers last season, Boys Wrestling is hoping to continue their successful run with a changeup in technique and coaches. After previ ous Boys and Girls Wrestling Head Coach Thomas Thomsen retired, Boys and Girls Wrestling Head Coach Bob Nishiyama, along with several other assistant alumni coaches, have taken up the responsibility. “We’re having more coach es come in with different techniques,”

Boys Wres tling Co-Captain Senior Anthony Kangas said. Wres tling has also seen an increase in players in response to the additional coaches. “Now that we have more members on the team, we’ll be able to have more people in the different weight classes,” Nishiyama said. “We have a really big team this year and more experienced wrestlers,” Kangas said. With daily practices and a young, motivated team, Boys Wrestling is looking to place high in upcoming tournaments and meets.

BOYS SOCCER

After ending a strong last season with one of their historically best records which was 105, Boys Soccer are hoping to continue their success as the players strive for new heights in the upcoming season. The team is looking to not only make NCS again, but also score better in comparison to last year against competitors such as Kennedy High School and American High School. “The biggest thing we’ve done [in] the last few years is changing the mentality in the team,” Center Senior Vaishak Sandeep said. They are looking to improve and maintain the growth mentality in the team to consistently work towards their next goals. Despite losing 17 seniors from the last season, the team is eager to mentor the younger players to not only develop their skills, but also retain the team’s high standards. Coming in late into the year, Boys Soccer Coach Ian MacK enzie hopes to push the development of the team and acquire much-needed equipment. “I’m looking forward to taking a team at this level and seeing how I can narrow the gaps [in] skill, so that we have a more balanced team,” MacKenzie said.

GIRLS WRESTLING

With a notable run by the previous co-captain, Alumna Catherine Zheng, to the CIF State Championships last season, Girls Wrestling is looking to continue that legacy. Girls Wrestling hosts their practices at the same time as Boys Wrestling. “We have a more aggressive approach when it comes to learning technique,” Nishiyama said. All the coaches are looking to apply the same new techniques to both the girls and boys teams. “A lot of the girls have more experience compared to last year … the fresh men girls from last year are a lot more confident,” Girls Wrestling Member Junior Emily Koo said. With the now experienced members, the team hopes to improve their stand ings in the dual meets and tournaments. This season, the team is prioritizing good team chemistry to improve the overall skill level. “Even though we don’t have any senior girls this year and our size did not grow, I think it’s actually helpful since we’re able to work more closely together,” Koo said.

Boys and Girls Tennis Coach Michael Jan Receives the 202122 NCS Coach of the Year Award

By Aaron Zhou Staff Writer

After seven years of coaching for MSJ, Boys and Girls Tennis Coach Michael Jan received the 2021-22 NCS Coach of the Year award on October 25. This award refects Jan’s exceptional dedication and leadership as the coach for the Boys Tennis team and recognizes his impact on the tennis community.

Although this is Jan’s frst time receiving the Coach of the Year award, both Boys and Girls Tennis have performed exceptionally since he began coaching at MSJ in 2016. The teams awere awarded Scholastic Boys Tennis awards in 2018 and 2019 and a Scholastic Girls Tennis award in 2021 in addition to winning their respective NCS Championships last season. “I’m kind of shocked [about receiving the award], but I guess it makes sense because both the girls and boys won NCS [this season], and usually coaches don’t win both categories in a year,” Jan said.

Through powerful team chemistry and a positive culture, Boys Tennis improved their team spirit, which boosted their overall per formance. While tennis focuses on individual skill, Jan emphasized the importance of study ing the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and encouraging teammates. During the games, constant cheering from teammates helped each athlete play to their full potential. As a result, the team was able to take down tough opponents and secure a 14-0 MVAL record in addition to

winning NCS. “We went undefeated in MVAL last season, and a lot of the credit goes to Coach himself. He gives great advice on the court, and he’s super fun off the court. He’s both a team member and a coach, to be honest,” Varsity Boys Tennis Co-Captain Senior Marco Yang said.

In the future, Jan hopes that the award will motivate Boys and Girls Tennis to strive for more victories and sustain a positive environ ment for its athletes. “I want the team to keep the same culture that we have right now, but I also want kids to be able to enjoy tennis later on in life,” Jan said. ▪

Jessica Wang's patisserie shop, " " Cafe

Sport that Senior Ryan Ma plays

last name of Mr Boddy actor in Clue: The Musical

First name of the first Gen Z senator in Congress

Gaslight, gatekeep,

A tropical yellow fruit, indigenous to South America

State with the most naturally formed lakes

Social Learning Advisories

NaNoWriMo month

It's me, hi, I'm the , it's me

The harmful infuence of ftness infuencers

By Ruhani Chhabra & Kaylee Liu Staff Writers

The ftness industry has drastically changed with the rise of infuencers on video plat forms, blogs, and articles. Countless creators showcase their eating habits and gym routines, encouraging people to take on challenges such as endurance routines on the treadmill. However, important qualifcations, such as training certifcates or a health-related degree, tend to be overlooked. Infuencers do not have to go through the education and training professionals in the industry do. Anyone can give ad vice and post tutorials, even though they may not be true, and there is no one to hold infuencers account able and check the factuality of their content.

All bodies differ

Many ftness infuencers priori tize popularity over education. They take advantage of their “ideal” body shape and size to gain attention from people who want to achieve that type of fgure. Infuencers leave out the un derlying genetic factors that help them achieve the “perfect” body, creating the false illusion of effective workouts.

According to Harvard Health Pub lishing, metabolism — the rate at which people’s body expends energy or burns calo ries — partially depends on the genes some one inherits. Individuals who inherit genes that promote faster metabolism can eat more than others while gaining less weight. Meanwhile, those who tend to have slow metabolism ex perience the opposite. Because of each indi vidual’s unique genetic code, two people who do the exact same exercises will see different results. When content creators claim that cer tain workouts are guaranteed to show success after a week or two, they do not consider the genetic and environmental factors that affect each individual’s results.

Altered images, false promises

In addition, many ftness infuencers post photoshopped body checks, showing pictures of their body before and after workouts, often

with drastic, eye-catching changes. This visual falsifcation aids the deceptive idea that their bold claims, which overlook each person’s unique genetics and current physical health, are factual. Viewers can feel insecure if they are not able to achieve the outcomes the pho tos promise. “Clickbait, false expectations, and unrealistic body goals are among the reasons that, two years ago, when I started my ftness journey, led me to overexercise.

It affected both my physical and mental health. I felt really bad when, after do ing an exercise for 14 days, I didn’t get my fat abs and small waist,” an in ternet commenter

Many con tent creators post workouts target ing certain “is sues” in the body, claiming that their exercises will “fx” them.

This type of con tent promotes social media’s harmful “beauty standards,” lowering self-es teem, especially in young, impressionable au diences.

Another notorious piece of ftness misin formation is spot reducing fat — the idea that doing targeted exercises for a certain part of the body will burn fat in that specifc area. Trends such as “losing thigh fat” and “getting rid of hip dips” imply that people can spot re duce fat. However, spot reduction is scientif cally proven to be inaccurate.

According to BarBend, while targeted exer cise can cause localized muscle growth, it does not lead to localized fat loss. Fat loss is due to the oxidation of fatty acids that come from the bloodstream, so while exercising a specif ic part of the body can encourage fatty acid oxidation, it does not lead to fat loss specif cally in the targeted training area. Yet, this fal

lacious concept is continuously promoted by ftness infuencers, including YouTuber Chloe Ting, who has amassed more than 24.2 million subscribers from making workout videos. Ting acknowledges that spot reduction is untrue with a note hidden at the end of her YouTube video descriptions. However, the disclaimers are diffcult to notice and never personally mentioned in Ting’s videos. As she uses such dishonest methods to avoid accountability, she continues to promote spot reducing fat in her videos with constant unachievable, unrealistic promises targeting certain areas of the body.

Avoiding misleading content

While not all infuencers create misleading content, the industry is dominated by such cre ators. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing inaccurate information. The health effects of and science behind these promoted exercises are not well-known, making it hard to differ entiate between myth and fact.

Many argue that regardless of accuracy, people can still be motivated to exercise and lead a healthier life. However, while some posts and articles can be motivational, what in fuencers show do not refect the consistency and lifestyle changes required for lasting im provements in physical health. “I think what’s more important is that people fnd a healthy lifestyle where ftness is built into who they are and what they do,” MSJ Cross Country Coach Edward Njoo said. “For example, … running and being a part of a sport that makes peo ple aerobically ft and keeps people in shape is something that is a part of my everyday routine, and it helps me feel good about my ftness level, it helps me to stay on top of the rest of my day, and it keeps me focused.”

In addition, mo tivation is ineffective when many of the exercises infuencers post are fawed in technique. According to A Healthier Michigan have detrimental effects, increasing the risk of injuries. Muscle pulls and sprains

could result from extra strain placed on the body from using muscle groups that were not intended to be used in the exercise. Ac cording to Omega Rehab & Sport, a physical therapy clinic, the inaccurate squat form with inward-facing knees could cause joint injury. This incorrect technique, along with count less others, are abundant in the online ftness community. According to a 2021 analysis of ftness content on TikTok done by money.co.uk’s mobile service team in partnership with cer tifed personal trainer Maiken Brustad, one in four infuencer workout videos give inac curate advice. In addition, they found that in videos, kettlebell swings were being incorrectly performed up to 80% of the time. When un educated infuencers show and encourage im proper exercise technique, they inadvertently increase the possibility of harm for those who try the workout.

Beware of instant gratifcation

The media places an emphasis on instant gratifcation rather than consistency. Instead of following certifed ftness professionals, viewers fall for the pressure of quick results that are marketed as applicable for everyone. People should understand that what ftness infuencers show on social media is not neces sarily ideal or the truth. For stronger physical and mental health, it is important for people to make educated decisions based on their own needs. “We need to be aware of fads, and we need to be aware of false promises, because not just teenagers, but our society in gener al, is very eas ily swayed by things that sound good, by people who make nice promis es,” Njoo said. Instead of turning to the media, people should do their own research and look for credible web sites, scientifc studies, and advice from certifed trainers. ▪

MSJ Student Wellness

By Vidyuth Sridhar & Annie Xu Staff Writers

From host ing de-stressing events to posting weekly self-care tips, Peer Resource aims to assist students with wellness and mental health awareness. Ad ditionally, the Peer Mentor Program provides one-on-one support, where students pair up with a personal mentor with similar interests and experiences. “These kinds of mentors can help students address their mental health needs, and make them feel that school is like a home, rather than an origin of stress,” Peer Mentor Head Junior Sairisheeth Venkat said. In the future, Peer Resource hopes to broaden the scope of their services by publicizing the Peer Mentor Program through partnering with other school clubs and committees and hosting weekly self-care events in order to shift MSJ’s current discourse around wellness. “As a school, we can improve by cultivating a more open environment [with] more awareness about the services we offer,” Peer Resource Presi dent Senior Rohan Bhagat said.

Out side of school, students can also look to wards other larger-scale services for mental help. Bay Area Community Health, which is federally qualified to serve southern Alameda and Santa Clara counties, can be contacted through counselor referral or at 510-770-8040. In addition, the Hume Center’s South Asian Community Health Pro motional Services offers off-campus and on-campus individual and family consulta tion services. See https://thesmokes ignal.org/2020/10/30/stu dent-wellness/ for more information.

As part of a broader dis trict-wide initiative to improve students’ mental health and social development, MSJ has implemented Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Adviso ries this year. Occurring quarterly, the cur riculum consists of curated lessons present ed by teachers that cover topics ranging from managing stress to maintaining healthy relation ships. The project, primarily developed by So cial Science Teacher Nancy Benton and English Teacher Nina LaRosa, aims to raise awareness throughout the MSJ community about the need to combat psychological challenges students face and improve their mental health. “My main hope is that teachers, students, par ents, everybody, take away from this that we as a school think this is important … you can’t do well in academics if you’re not mentally healthy.” Benton said.

assisting students academically, MSJ’s counselors also support students with personal issues. “I hope that students feel comfort able coming to talk to me if they’re struggling mentally. I’m here to talk to students if they’re going through some thing,” Counselor Ashley Sutcliffe said. Not only do the counselors work with students on difficult personal issues throughout the school day during in-office meetings, but they also attempt to make MSJ’s mental health services more open to the student body. Through publiciz ing the Student Wellness Center and maximizing its open hours to students, they hope to raise stu dent awareness and engagement with school services. Students can also access on-campus and off-campus providers which offer services including ther apy, such as the Hume Center, through counsel or referral. “I feel like a big goal this year is to remove the culture about not sharing and talking about mental health is sues, or if some thing’s wrong. We really want to focus on opening the conversation to build a safe environment,” Sutcliffe said.

Lo cated in C2 and expanded for the 2022-23 school year, the Student Wellness Center is designed to be a space where students can go to re lax, reflect, and interact with their peers. Created last year by the MSJ Mental Health Committee (MHC) and supported by administration, the room contains a variety of activities such as wa tercolor art, games, and yoga that aim to reduce stress and increase mindfulness. In addition, scattered throughout are couches and bean bag chairs, designed to make the space more inviting.“We put a lot of hard work into making it a space where people feel comfort able to go and take time for themselves away from anything at school that’s worrying them,” MHC Head Priyanka Shah said. The Student Wellness Center is open during lunch and Advisory during the week, though teachers can also reserve the room for class use.

From holding panels with MSJ community members who have battled with mental health issues to promoting self-care through social me dia challenges, the Mental Health Commit tee (MHC) strives to advocate for and inform students about resources they can use to im prove their well-being. “The main thing is making sure people, our students, and our fellow peers at MSJ are not feeling alone, because a lot of peo ple have been going through mental health issues since quarantine,” MHC Head Junior Priyanka Shah said. In addition to these projects and running the Student Wellness Center, the MHC plans to open a garden this year in the C-Wing, growing therapeutic herbs and collecting essential oils that they hope to distribute to students. These initiatives focus on empowering students to connect with oth ers and be conscious of their own struggles.

“The overall message of the [MHC] is for students to take a step back, realize what they’re feeling and try to understand how they can address [it],” Shah said.

Facing a demanding schedule, extracurricular commitments, and family situations, many students may struggle with maintaining a mentally healthy lifestyle. To promote student wellness, the Smoke Signal has compiled resources the MSJ community can utilize and reach out to for support.

Team USA Makes National History at the BWF World Junior Championships

By Jason Tang & Aaron Zhou Staf Writers

From October 17-30, 13 badminton athletes, including MSJ Senior Ryan Ma, represented the US and competed at the 2022 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Junior Championships in Santand er, Spain. The representatives were chosen after placing top two or three in their re spective Under 19 event at the Junior Inter national Trials tournament in April. After 10 long days of intense team and individual matches at BWF, Team USA fnished off the mixed team championships in sixth place, the highest ranking that the US has ever achieved.

In the mixed team championships, which occurred from October 17-23, Team USA frst faced off against Armenia, Sri Lanka, and the Czech Republic as the top seed

among the four countries. The team with the best record after a round-robin bracket in this randomly selected group would ad vance to the elimination stage. Eight Team USA players then battled representatives from other countries for their respective events. Through numerous close match es in the round-robin bracket, Team USA persevered and came out with a 3-0 record, qualifying for top eight in the double-elimi nation tournament. In the elimination stage, Team USA frst lost against Team Japan 0-3 in the regular bracket. However, Team USA proceeded to defeat Team Spain in the los ers bracket 3-0, securing them at least a 6th place fnish. Team USA then fnished in 6th place overall in the losers bracket after los ing to Team China 0-3 in the third round.

Senior Ryan Ma, who competed in the tournament, believes that Team USA per formed well compared to past years. Ma, who has been aiming for recruitment in the 2024 Olympic Games for badminton, participated in both the mixed team championship and the proceed

ing individual championship stage for men’s singles and men’s doubles, which occurred from October 24-30. During the mixed team championships, Ma and his doubles partner Aaron Bai received a bye in the frst round and defeated Hungary in the second round in a two-game match with respective scores of 21-12 and 21-18. Unfortunately, the duo was eliminated in the third round by Germany with respective scores of 1221 and 15-21. In the individual champion ships, Ma won his frst men’s singles match against Garri Ter-Karapeytan of Georgia with respective scores of 21-7 and 21-5 but was eliminated from the tournament in the following match after facing a tough loss against Hu Zhe An of China with re spective scores of 16-21 and 10-21. “[Hu] is China’s best singles player according to Team China. [The fact that] I was able to get a game against a player like him was pretty memorable to me, since it showed me that the gap between us is not extremely big,” Ma said.

Team USA performed particularly well in women’s singles during the individual championships, as every player represent ing the team in this category won their frst match. On the second day, Team USA members Veronica Yang and Natalie Chi were knocked out of the tournament, leaving Ella Lin as the team’s only player remaining in women’s singles. However, Lin went on to win her next two matches against Switzerland and Thailand, becom ing the frst Team USA player to reach the quarter fnals in the tournament’s history. Unfortunately, Lin was defeated by Yuan An Qi of China in a two-game match with respective scores of 19-21 and 6-21, ending Team USA’s run in the tournament.

Though Team USA did not secure any top three fnishes at the tournament, Ma believes that the experience is major prog ress for the future of badminton in the US. In the future, Ma is also looking forward to representing the US at the World Junior Championships next year. “I learned a lit tle bit from each [player I faced]. Their styles are really fast, and I’m thinking of ways to modify my own style to [match them], and hopeful ly reach the same success as they did,” Ma said.

■

September 6, the Art De partment

ed its latest mural, “Star

E1B, the mural features an outer space landscape flled

the department’s efforts to

MSJ’s campus, and its completion

of a

part

Before starting the mural’s construction, students in AP 2-D Art and Design brainstormed potential designs. Hobbs hoped to orga nize a large-scale group project in her class, so designing the mural was an assignment and opportunity for students to show case their work. The muralists and their classmates drafted a total of fve compositions using colored pencil, one of which was “Star Fish.” After the designs were completed, Hobbs asked the staff to vote for a fnal composition through Google Forms. Of the 88 respondents, 46 chose “Star Fish”, causing it to become the mural’s offcial design. Aiming to create an aesthetically pleasing piece, the muralists took inspiration from their love for animals. The mural’s right side displays an image of Earth surrounded by a misty atmosphere, and the left side depicts a coral reef teeming with anemones and tropical fsh. Bridging the two sides is a stream of goldfsh fying toward Earth. The muralists named their piece “Star Fish” as a pun that references the mural’s outer space and undersea elements. The muralists started the process by gridding their design onto the wall according to the dimensions of their original sketch. Once this step was fnished, they laid down the basic colors of the mural using acrylic paint. However, this step proved challenging due to the scale of the piece, as the artists were used to working with smaller dimensions. “You would all kind of get sucked into adding more and more detail trying to make it as accurate to the sketch as possible,” Lou said. Despite this challenge, the muralists covered the entire space, balancing the big picture with fner details. Upon the mural’s completion, the muralists expressed their pride in the fnal prod uct, as well as their work’s ability to contribute to a positive environment on cam pus. “It’s kind of a stark contrast to Mission culture … it just has absolutely nothing to do with [academics], and I think that’s something that a lot of Mission kids need,” Hamid said.▪

On

complet

Fish.” Located between classrooms E1A and

with vibrant sea creatures and underwater fora. The piece is

of

beautify

marks the end

painting process that started in May. Muralists includ ed Juniors Isabelle Fu, Karen Lou, Estee Teo, Marissa Wang, Senior Saira Hamid, 2022 Alumna Allison Lao, and AP Art Teacher Jenna Hobbs.