SPORTS

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

By Tanvi Deshmukh, Ayushi Kashyap & Waylon Li Staff Writers

BOYS BASKETBALL GIRLS 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 Basketball 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 Basketball Co-Captain and Shooting Guard Junior Brandon Bao said. Throughout practices, the players developed a close-knit brotherhood that propels their communication 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. As Girls Basketball return for the winter season, two new underclassmen and promoted players motivate the team. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of getting this team to blend and mesh well on the court, while also providing enough positivity so they can thrive together,” 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 [communicating],” 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 majority of practice time was used teaching them the basics. “We have a good amount of people actually coming 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 progress 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 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 MacKenzie 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.

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 previous 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 coaches come in with different techniques,” Boys Wrestling Co-Captain Senior Anthony Kangas said. Wrestling 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.

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 freshmen 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 standings 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 performance. While tennis focuses on individual skill, Jan emphasized the importance of studying 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 environment 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. ▪

photo by staff writer aaron zhou

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Check your answers here!

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ACROSS 1. Jessica Wang' s patisserie shop, " Cafe

4. Sport that Senior Ryan Ma plays 6. last name of Mr. Boddy actor in Clue: The Musical 7. First name of the first Gen Z senator in Congress 9. Gaslight, gatekeep, ________ 10. A tropical yellow fruit, indigenous to South America DOWN 2. State with the most naturally formed lakes 3. Social _________ Learning Advisories 5. NaNoWriMo month 8. 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 platforms, 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 advice and post tutorials, even though they may not be true, and there is no one to hold infuencers accountable and check the factuality of their content.

All bodies differ

Many ftness infuencers prioritize 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 underlying genetic factors that help them achieve the “perfect” body, creating the false illusion of effective workouts.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, metabolism — the rate at which people’s body expends energy or burns calories — partially depends on the genes someone 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 experience the opposite. Because of each individual’s unique genetic code, two people who do the exact same exercises will see different results. When content creators claim that certain 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. 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 photos 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 doing an exercise for 14 days, I didn’t get my fat abs and small waist,” an internet commenter said. Many content creators post workouts targeting certain “issues” in the body, claiming that their exercises will “fx” them. This type of content promotes social media’s harmful “beauty standards,” lowering self-esteem, especially in young, impressionable audiences.

Another notorious piece of ftness misinformation 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 reduce fat. However, spot reduction is scientifcally proven to be inaccurate.

According to BarBend, while targeted exercise 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 specific part of the body can encourage fatty acid oxidation, it does not lead to fat loss specifcally in the targeted training area. Yet, this fallacious 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 creators. 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 differentiate 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 infuencers show do not refect the consistency and lifestyle changes required for lasting improvements 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 people 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, motivation is ineffective when many of the exercises infuencers post are fawed in technique. According to A Healthier Michigan, improper form can 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. According 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 countless 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 certifed personal trainer Maiken Brustad, one in four infuencer workout videos give inaccurate advice. In addition, they found that in videos, kettlebell swings were being incorrectly performed up to 80% of the time. When uneducated infuencers show and encourage improper 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 necessarily 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 general, is very easily swayed by things that sound good, by people who make nice promises,” Njoo said. Instead of turning to the media, people should do their own research and look for credible websites, scientifc studies, and advice from certifed trainers. ▪

By Vidyuth Sridhar & Annie Xu Staff Writers

From hosting de-stressing events to posting weekly self-care tips, Peer Resource aims to assist students with wellness and mental health awareness. Additionally, 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 President Senior Rohan Bhagat 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. Out side of school, students can also look towards 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 Promotional Services offers off-campus and on-campus individual and family consultation services. See https://thesmokesignal.org/2020/10/30/student-wellness/ for more information.

As part of a broader district-wide initiative to improve students’ mental health and social development, MSJ has implemented Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Advisories this year. Occurring quarterly, the curriculum consists of curated lessons presented by teachers that cover topics ranging from managing stress to maintaining healthy relationships. The project, primarily developed by Social 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, parents, 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.

Aside from assisting students academically, MSJ’s counselors also support students with personal issues. “I hope that students feel comfortable coming to talk to me if they’re struggling mentally. I’m here to talk to students if they’re going through something,” 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 publicizing the Student Wellness Center and maximizing its open hours to students, they hope to raise student awareness and engagement with school services. Students can also access on-campus and off-campus providers which offer services including therapy, such as the Hume Center, through counselor referral. “I feel like a big goal this year is to remove the culture about not sharing and talking about mental health issues, or if something’s wrong. We really want to focus on opening the conversation to build a safe environment,” Sutcliffe said.

Located 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 relax, 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 watercolor 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 comfortable 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 media challenges, the Mental Health Committee (MHC) strives to advocate for and inform students about resources they can use to improve 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 people 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 others 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.

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 Santander, Spain. The representatives were chosen after placing top two or three in their respective Under 19 event at the Junior International 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 advance to the elimination stage. Eight Team USA players then battled representatives from other countries for their respective events. Through numerous close matches in the round-robin bracket, Team USA persevered and came out with a 3-0 record, qualifying for top eight in the double-elimination 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 losers bracket 3-0, securing them at least a 6th place fnish. Team USA then fnished in 6th place overall in the losers bracket after losing to Team China 0-3 in the third round.

Senior Ryan Ma, who competed in the tournament, believes that Team USA performed 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 proceeding 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 championships, 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 respective 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 representing 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, becoming 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 progress 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 little 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 hopefully reach the same success as they did,” Ma said. ■

PHOTOS COURTESY RYAN MA & USA BADMINTON

the Art Deed its latest mural, “Star Fish.”

On September 6, partment completLocated between classrooms E1A and E1B, the mural features an outer space landscape flled with vibrant sea creatures and underwater fora. The piece is part of the department’s efforts to beautify MSJ’s campus, and its completion marks the end of a painting process that started in May. Muralists included Juniors Isabelle Fu, Karen Lou, Estee Teo, Marissa Wang, Senior Saira Hamid, 2022 Alumna Allison Lao, and AP Art Teacher Jenna Hobbs.

Before starting the mural’s construction, students in AP 2-D Art and Design brainstormed potential designs. Hobbs hoped to organize a large-scale group project in her class, so designing the mural was an assignment and opportunity for students to showcase 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 product, as well as their work’s ability to contribute to a positive environment on campus. “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.▪