Volume L, No. 8

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 50, NO. 8

In-Depth Report:

Class Scheduling

Count course tallies

The system reports how many students have signed up for each class, and the number of sections of each class are based off this. According to Assistant principal Carli Kim, the master schedule is student driven.

It is built around student requests because they are indicators of interest in core and elective courses.

Early March

Counselors and administrators go to Hopkins Junior High to talk to incoming freshmen about signing up for classes.

Students turn in forms, and counselors process the classes and enter them into the system over a week.

Early April

Incoming freshmen

Pre-registration talks

The counselors hold pre-registration luncheons in C-120, during which they discuss guidelines for class selection.

Administrators visit classes to talk about registration.

End February

Teacher and section projections

So, what would prevent all students from getting the classes they signed up for?

The master schedule is largely student driven, but there are some unchangeable factors that do affect it. The limit on teachers, number of teachers in a department, and section counts determined by the district are primary reasons.

Here are two situations in which students would not get all the classes they wanted.

Based on the projected enrollment for the next school year, FUSD determines how many teachers and sections MSJ will get. The teacher projection is based on the contractual limit for student-teacher ratios that has been agreed on between More sections the Teachers Union and the School Board at the district of a class are level. The number of sections that MSJ is able to offer is requested determined by the district as well. On average, each section than staffing can accommocosts $15,000-$20,000, and so district-level budgeting date. limits the number of sections a school can offer.

See IR NEWS Page 2

2

New Open House concept “MSJ Spring Expo” to make its debut May 21

By Gelsey Plaza Staff Writer This year, MSJ is implementing a new structure for Open House. The event’s slogan is “MSJ Spring Expo.” Open House will be on May 21 from 6-8 PM. This student-centered event will create a much more active and engaged environment than in past years.

Journalism Adviser and English Teacher Sandra Cohen is the chair of the Open House Planning Committee. She says, “The goal is to showcase everything that’s great about this school and the students who go here; not only their academics but also all their extracurricular pursuits. So this is a chance to get interactive with all the different de-

partments and really see and hear and feel what it is that the students do at this school.”

The committee, which includes 18 staff members, hopes for Open House to feel like an interactive event. It will be set up with departments located in venues around campus. A mini Maze Day will allow numerous clubs to showcase their work to current as well as incoming students. Guests will be given flyers detailing a schedule of events and their locations on one side and a map of the school on the other side. There will be student leaders around campus as emissaries to guide visitors.

Musical groups, such as choir and band, will greet people coming in at the entryways. Instead of teachers staying in their classrooms, as in past

cif award winner

japanese speech contest

Senior Roshni Iyer was chosen from 760,000 candidates as one of two recipients of this prestigious Spirt of Sport award.

MSJ students competed in a Bay Area speech contest, and placed first in all three categories.

today

today

Draft schedules sent

The schedules only confirm the classes that the students put down on their pre-registration forms.

The classes on the draft schedules are not the final ones that the student will receive on MAZE day.

Students might still be placed in their alternates, due to scheduling Departments create sub-schedules conflicts.

Each department creates a minischedule based on student requests, determining which teachers will teach which classes.

Mid May

Early March

Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors get forms through their English classes. Some teachers sign off on classes and make recommendations to their students on which classes to take.

The staff has been notified about important procedures and policies, like prerequisites, so they can make sure students take classes that are good fits for them.

Forms are submitted, and counselors and administrators spend a week entering the course selections into the system.

End March

Pre-registration forms distributed

After registering for classes in February, students tend to forget about their schedules until Maze Day. Behind the scenes, however, MSJ’s administrative staff and counselors are working carefully to create the master schedule and ensure that as many MSJ students as possible get to spend their year in the classes they choose. In this in-depth report, the Smoke Signal explores the various steps and requirements that factor into the approximately 2200 schedules delivered to students in August.

Students submit pre-registration forms

Mid March

By Sarina Chitre, Harshita Gupta & Annie Tang Staff Writers

Mid February

May 1, 2015

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

There

1

45 students sign up for a class, but the class maximum is is between 32 and 34.

aren’t enough students to offer an additional section of that class, and two cannot be offered because the class size comes down to 20. Classes with 20 students may not be offered because of insufficient staffing and the restriction on total number of sections. One more of Class A means one less of Class B. Assistant Principal Carli Kim says, “That’s when you have to make some of those tough decisions about, ‘Can we offer this class?’

If there is only one credentialed

‘But how many students requested class A?’ ‘And so do we want that section to go to class A with low enrollment?’ ‘Or

teacher to teach class A,

do we want it to go to class B with more enrollment?’

and eight sections are

‘How many students requested one class over

requested, not all eight

the other, because we can’t split it

can be offered.

into two.’”

years, the event will take place in centralized areas from the horseshoe for food trucks to the amphitheater. Venues include all cafeterias, the library, main gym, among others.

Each department is assigned a venue, and students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their accomplishments. For example, the English department will be holding poetry slams in the library, with students reading their own works of poetry. Additionally, students will be performing excerpts from famous literary works, and family members can participate by trying to figure out which book or play they are performing from.

Virtual invitations, School Loop messages, and flyers will be sent out to students and incoming freshmen parents encouraging them to attend the Open House. Flyers will promote “This Is Your Mission.”

MSJ is the first high school in FUSD to pres-

boys’ golf

MSJ’s Boys’ Golf team recently took first place in MVALs and had the third lowest score in MVAL history along the way. today

ent an Open House like this. FUSD School Board Vice President Ann Crosbie says, “I think the community has a very narrow idea of all the things that are happening at MSJ. This is an opportunity to showcase the variety of things going on at [the] school.”

Guests are urged to come early, as there will be food trucks in the horseshoe beginning at 5:30 PM, as well as some special surprise performances.

The administration and staff are looking forward to the new Open House concept. Principal Zack Larsen says, “The students and programs at Mission San Jose are remarkable and first rate. The public deserves an opportunity to get a glimpse into the life of our students and the opportunities they have at our school. Open House or Spring Expo features all of the opportunities public education can afford students at this award winning high school.” ▪

FOR MORE COVERAGE,

VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

A nearly-final draft of the master schedule is created.

The administrators return for the new year and make changes to the schedule to accommodate staff changes, drops due to second semester grades, and transfers due to summer school.

April and May

Master schedule created

All the individual teacher assignments received from departments are assembled together by the administration. Teachers are assigned to periods. A program checks the distribution of classes and ensures that there are enough seats for each student. Balance is carefully checked for 100 and maintained, to ensure that there aren’t uneven clumps of concentration. For example, there have to be enough seats for freshmen, sopho80 mores, and juniors in first period. Not all junior classes should be concentrated during a few periods. A program then drops students into the 60 master schedule, seating them in classes with as few conflicts as possible. Usually 95 percent of students are seated without conflict, after which 40 administrators move students back and forth manually to create a zero-conflict schedule.

Some periods might need to be moved or 20 students are placed in their alternates. Kim says, “There’s not really a perfect way to try to get everybody into every class that they want, within 0 a six-period day.”

This is the schedule most students will have for the rest of the school year. Any clerical errors in schedules are dealt with before the first day of school.

PE miscellaneous

11.3%

performing arts

9.2%

2%

By Deeksha Raina Staff Writer MSJ’s upcoming switch to Common Core in the 2016-17 school year will bring many changes to education, most notably to the math department. According to current Common Core standards, Pre-Algebra in seventh grade will be replaced with Common Core Math 1 (CC1) and similarly, instead of Algebra 1 in eighth grade, there will be Common Core Math 2 (CC2). Algebra 1 will be pushed back to freshman year for most students, resulting in Precalculus being taken in senior year. According to Math Department Head Scott Sugden, the theory behind this change is to ensure that every student has a solid foundation in mathematics.

However, for those students that want to get ahead, there will be three new accelerated math pathways. These pathways are options to compact three years of math

10.1%

9.2%

The SmokeartSignal

10.5% Friday,

10.1%

May 1, 2015 7.4%

7.2%

social studies

60 Elective

changes are made, if the 16.4%occamath schedule permits.

On rare sions, entire sections are collapsed and reassigned to optimize the 40 schedule . foreign language

17.6%

29.1%

26.3%

art

12.4%

17.6%

29.1%

26.3%

1.3% 3.7% 6.4%

1004.1%

12.2%

80

7.5%

17.5%

18.6%

25.5%

25.7%

10.9% 13.6%

12.1%

8.7%

7.4%

16.4%

foreign language

9.6%

10.1%

7.2%

math

1.5% 3.6%

10.1%

10.5%

social studies

With a journey that spans17.1% from 16.2% science February to September, the master 0 schedule is finally 2006-07 completed a 2008-09 month into the new school year.

2% 7.5%

60

18.4%

40 25.2%

20 science

2006-07

21.2%

16.2%

17.1%

2008-09

Teacher and student requests play a large role in adding a new class to the MSJ course catalog. If 1.3% many students express interest in bringing a class to campus, and they have a teacher 3.7% who is willing to teach it, they can propose it for adoption. Before it is finalized and approved, the 6.4% proposed class has to go through multiple rounds of screening, which include a curriculum 12.2% or UC board, a parent-teacher forum, the district, and the College Board (if it is an AP class) Doorways (if it is an A-G class). A suitable textbook must then be approved by the district. The lifespan of all electives offered at MSJ is dependent on how popular or successful it is12.1% among MSJ students. Class success is measured by the number of student sign-ups each year. If student interest declines over the years, the class may be taken off the course listing.

18.6%

Common core brings changes to math department

performing arts

20

Adding/removing a class from the course catalog

Accelerated math pathways

First 3 weeks of school

continued from page 1

Maze Day

IR| Prereg

End of July

www.thesmokesignal.org

End of June

2 News

80

2010-11

20.3%

20%

2012-13

0 2014-15

The Smoke Signal compiled this data by going through master schedules from the past nine years and counting the number of periods of each elective offered. The percentages are calculated by dividing the 4.1% number of periods in each elective category by the total number of 7.5% elective periods. e.g. 152 total elective periods were in the 2006-07 master 10.9% schedule. 26 were science electives, therefore the percentage of science electives is 17.1 percent.

13.6%

18.4%

into two in order to get a year or two ahead Calculus and Multivariable Calculus. compared to most students. Students will be 25.7%Students who did not apply or pass the 25.2% given two opportunities to apply into the ac- placement test in sixth grade will be given celerated math system. The first chance will another similar test at the end of their freshbe at the end of 6th grade. As in previous man year Algebra 1 course. This next math 20.3% years, a placement test will be administered 20% pathway will compress Geometry, Algebra 2, in late March or early April to determine and Pre-Calculus into sophomore year and if students can move ahead with the 2012-13 path- junior year. 2014-15 ways. In this particular pathway, three years In the past, students that passed a placeof math, CC1, CC2, and Algebra 1, will be ment test were given the option to skip PreAlgebra and instead, take Algebra 1 in sev“...we don’t know how well enth grade. According to the Common Core the acceleration program will State Standards for Mathematics Appendix, work yet...but I strongly be- by skipping a whole year, students that went lieve that we should not be al- ahead sometimes missed out on the founlowing kids to skip topics to dational concepts and were taught watered make sure there are no holes down versions of Algebra 1. The goal of in their mathematics. ” the new accelerated math pathways is to -Math Dept. Head Scott Sugden eliminate that risk by compacting three years compressed into 7th and 8th grade. of mathematics into two instead of simply Once in high school, students will be skipping a year, and therefore ensuring that given two options. They can return to the all the essential fundamentals of algebra are one course per year routine and finish Pre- strong. Sugden says, “Students should not be Calculus by the end of junior year, or con- skipping classes. That being said, we don’t tinue along an accelerated path by taking know how well the acceleration program will Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus in work yet because there is a lot of material to freshman and sophomore year. This case cover in these complex topics, but I strongly will allow students to finish Pre-Calculus in believe that we should not be allowing kids sophomore year, leaving two more years free to skip topics to make sure there are no to take advanced math courses such as AP holes in their mathematics.” ▪

Faculty shadows students MSJ administration makes move to better understand student body

By Sayan Ghosh Staff Writer In order to gain more insight into the daily life of an MSJ student, several MSJ teachers and administrators participated in a process known as shadowing. For one day, members of the MSJ staff were paired with certain MSJ students, followed the students around their classes, and interacted with them outside of classes. This process, which occurred throughout the month of February, helped the staff understand more about the challenges faced by MSJ students and made them reflect about what students are asked to do outside of school on a daily basis.

Principal Zack Larsen was inspired to conduct the shadowing process after reading an article about others that did the same. 15 staff members, including counselors, teachers, and administrators, volunteered to participate in the process. Each

See SHADOW NEWS Page 3

corrections

for the march 27, 2015 issue Feature Page 7: Voltage of Imagination (VOI) won the third place Inspire Award and third place Rockwell Collins Innovate Award.

A&E Page 13: Tom Wilkinson’s name is misspelled.

A&E Page 15: Photo in MSJ Band Europe trip is courtesy Band Teacher Monica Kraft.

NEWS IN

brief

Compiled by Staff Writers Kylie Cheung, Harshita Gupta & Monica Tang

sfgate.com Silicon Valley Comic Con to take place in San Jose at the McEnery Convention Center.

news.discovery.com US Navy to develop drones that would improve underwater detection techniques.

uk.news.yahoo.com Aid comes in the midst of food shortages for Yemenis isolated in cities due to the fighting.

First Silicon Valley Comic Con to US Navy developing tracking drone to UN seeks humanitarian aid for Yebe held in 2016 gain tactical advantage men Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak announced on Friday, April 17 that they will be collaborating next year to host the first Silicon Valley Comic Con. The convention will take place in San Jose at the McEnery Convention Center from March 19-20.

2016. Lee and Wozniak shared a teaser video for the event, and Wozniak proclaimed his excitement to bring the “Age of Geek” to Silicon Valley.

In response to a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the US is developing a drone to track enemy ultraquiet diesel electric submarines in order to limit their capacity for surprise. The report said that the US navy must prioritize the development of new underwater detection techniques. A prototype vessel is already in production, and the Navy could potentially move to the next phase of development by 2018.

The United Nations (UN) launched an emergency appeal of $274 million on April 17 to aid those affected by the conflict in Yemen between Saudi Arabia and Iranian-allied Houthi rebels, who have overthrown the Yemeni government.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to cover the full cost of the aid, which will provide food and other assistance to over seven million Yemeni people as fighting continues to intensify.

2010-

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

SHADOW| Student

MSJ Debate makes comeback

continued from page 2

Debate team qualifies for prestigious national tournaments

By Andrew Choi Staff Writer MSJ Debate has seen a rapid rise in success this year as many of its members qualified to prestigious national tournaments including the Tournament of Champions (TOC), the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grand National Tournament, the National Speech and Debate Tournament, and the California State Debate Tournament. It is a complete turnaround from previous years where teams struggled even at small, local tournaments. A total of six MSJ teams have qualified to at least one of the four major tournaments held throughout April, May, and June.

MSJ Debate is involved in two different formats of debate: Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas. Public Forum is a two vs. two debate format and Lincoln-Douglas is a one vs. one debate format. MSJ Debate had seen great success back in its prime, more than a decade ago in 2004, as the LincolnDouglas team had even been ranked first in the country. Additionally, MSJ Alumnus Andrew Garvin was the Lincoln-Douglas TOC champion in 2003. Unfortunately, from 2007 to 2009, the team lost its footing when it was suspended. This year, however, the team has achieved incredible success that has put MSJ Debate back on the map of the national debate community.

Four Public Forum teams qualified for the major tournaments. The team of Freshmen Devesh Kodnani and Ankush Swarnakar qualified for all four tournaments. The team of Sophomores Max Wu and Nikit Shingari qualified for TOC and the California State Debate Tournament, while the team of Sophomores Rohan Saxena and Ansh Patel qualified for TOC, the California State Debate Tournament, and the NCFL Grand National Tournament.

Meanwhile, two Lincoln-Douglas debaters

courtesy debate coach victor rivas

Front row (From left to right): Speech president Senior Claire Dobyns, Freshman Ankush Swarnakar, Sophomore Nikit Shingari, Freshman Devesh Kodnani, and Senior Claudia Shao; Second row (From left to right): Sophomores Ansh Patel, Rohan Saxena, Max Wu, and Junior Shivane Sabharwal

qualified for the major tournaments. Junior Shivane Sabharwal and Senior Anand Balaji have both qualified for the TOC and the California State Debate Tournament. Sabharwal is currently ranked 12th in the nation and Balaji is ranked 43rd.

To qualify for the NCFL Grand National Tournament, the National Speech and Debate Tournament, and the California State Debate Tournament, debaters compete in qualifier tournaments months in advance. If they perform outstandingly there, they are given a spot to these national tournaments.

However, to attend the TOC, debaters must have at least two bids, earned by placing at a certain level at a national tournament that has been approved by the TOC. Because of this, debaters consider attending TOC as the zenith of their debate career.

When asked about the team’s recent achievements, Wu said, “I think the recent improvement really is thanks to our hard work, motivation, and constant competition with our peers. Last year, the team was really uncompetitive because no one was motivated

to do well except for a select number of students. I also think our coach Victor’s dedication contributed greatly [to our success].”

MSJ Debate hopes they can continue to achieve much success throughout the remainder of the season, especially at the four major tournaments. Reflecting on the progress of MSJ Debate, Balaji said, “When I first came

“I think the recent improvement really is thanks to our hard work, motivation, and constant competition with our peers. ”

-Sophomore Max Wu

on the debate team as a freshman, we had less than 25 members, no coaching, and only went to about six local tournaments a year. Now we have more than 60 members, a professional coach, and we compete in tournaments all over the country. Seeing the tremendous growth of our organization over the past four years has been truly remarkable. MSJ’s Debate program is going to continue to be a powerhouse for many years to come.” ▪

SERVICES COLLEGE APPLICATION Providing comprehensive services in college application submission and admission essay writing. 

   

ENGLISH CLASSES Enhancing skills in English writing, reading, grammar, and vocabulary to get an early start in the SAT/ACT preparations.

Four Master’s Degrees M. Phil. And Ph.D. from Columbia University 30 Years in U.S. Higher Education Guided many students into their dream colleges. His son went to Harvard and his daughter to Cornell University

SAT & ACT PREP CLASSES Increasing overall test scores by applying Dr. Jiang’s magic strategies in tackling all types of test questions. 

ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING

For Class Registration or Inquiries, please contact





Phone: 408-982-3425



Website: www.theivyadvisors.com



Email: dr.ivyadvisor2@gmail.com

staff member was paired with a random MSJ student, which ensured that the staff could analyze the experiences of MSJ students with a variety of course loads and extracurricular activities.

For one day, the staff members that participated in the program sat, along with their respective students, through all six periods of the day, and did everything the students did in the class, whether it was listening to a lecture, doing classwork, or doing a lab. They took notes on the materials teachers gave during class, such as handouts and worksheets, as well as the homework they assigned. The shadowers also kept in mind that for many MSJ students, the day did not end at the closing bell, and therefore, they followed up with their respective students over the next few days to know more about how extracurricular activities affected the students’ school-related activities.

Assistant Principal Jeff Evans said, “We decided that we were going to be committed the whole day. We weren’t going to be on our phones and checking our email. We weren’t going to eat, and we weren’t going to leave. We were fully committed to experiencing everything the student experienced.”

He noted that although only certain students were shadowed, the purpose of the program was to look at what happens during the actual classes. The shadowers also recorded the nature of each class, such as whether the majority of it was spent listening to a lecture, or whether it was more interactive.

Evans also said, “The physical nature of sitting in the classroom for nearly an hour was also very revealing. Oftentimes, even we got the urge to use our cellphones to check email, and we understood that that happens for students as well.”

Overall, according to Evans, the shadowing program was a very enlightening experience for those who participated. It is something that will likely be conducted in the future. Although immediate measures may not be taken due to the program, as Evans noted, “Shadowing serves as a very good reminder to teachers about how MSJ students manage school-related and extracurricular activities.” ▪

Dr. William Jiang’s Qualifications:





News 3

4675 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 120, Santa Clara, CA 95051

4 Advertisement

Fremont

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015

the

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Opinion 5

Smoke Signal

Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 50, No. 8 | May 1, 2015 www.thesmokesignal.org

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-3600 Editors-in-Chief Tingting Bi, Laura Chen News Michael Hsiu, Tiffany Huang Opinion Alice Cheng, Catherine Wang Feature Megan Ren, Katie Sun Centerspread Katrina Cherk, Vivian Liu A&E Melissa Peng, Andrea Tam Sports Arti Patankar, Abigail Wong Graphics Kevin Chen, Lillian Zhao Web Jacinta Chang, Nithya Rajeev

AnAliceis

Catalyst

By Catherine Wang Opinion Editor

Browsing the college Facebook groups for admitted students gives me mixed feelings. It’s exciting to connect with potential classmates, but sometimes there are posts that just leave me shaking my head. One such post Tech Santhosh Paramasivan, Peter Qiu in the UC Santa Cruz Class of 2019 Business Anand Balaji group is a Reddit link that describes a Circulation Hairol Ma Ads Grace Dong, Madeline Zheng controversy about cultural insensitivity Events Tanvi Raja, Apoorva Rajanala at UCSC. At one of the residential colleges, a recent College Night theme Writers & Photographers was “Intergalactic,” and the event Andrew Chen, Kylie Cheung, Sarina Chitre, featured a Mexican food buffet. The Andrew Choi, Sayan Ghosh, Purvi Goel, next day, an administrator e-mailed the Harshita Gupta, Pratham Gupta, Chakshu Hurria, Amrith Krishnan, Ansh Patel, Gelsey student body to apologize for insulting Plaza, Iyesha Puri, Deeksha Raina, Rishab the Latino community by accidentally Ramapriyan, Shivane Sabharwal, Neha associating them with “aliens.” The Shah, Ruiwen Shen, Annie Tang, Monica Tang, Brian Tseng, Hanson Wang, Didi Wu, e-mail concluded with a promise that Rebecca Wu the school will work “to increase the cultural intelligence (CQ) of our staff.”

Adviser Sandra Cohen This was an overreaction that’s Send letters to the editors to opinion@the pretty out there, but it made me smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words wonder about how colleges in general may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliaare placing more and more emphasis tion. The Smoke Signal reserves the right on political correctness. That’s a to edit for clarity and length. good thing in some cases, like how The Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of schools are boosting awareness speech and press is protected by the First of gender pronouns. However, Amendment of the Constitution. many college communities are overly sensitive when approaching topics that need open discussion.

To advertise in the Smoke Signal, In the past year, more students e-mail ads@thesmokesignal.org.

Advertising that is included on the across the nation have started calling pages of, or carried within, the Smoke for the implementation of “trigger Signal, is paid advertising, and as warnings” in college academic material. such is independent of the news and feature content.

These are statements which preface writing or other media, explicitly

warning that the material includes potentially distressing content such as war, depression, or rape.

For example, a student at Rutgers University called for The Great Gatsby to be labelled as containing “gory, abusive and misogynistic violence.” Trigger warnings may give a sense of security to certain students who have suffered from traumatic experiences, but at best it’s a false sense of security. The real world doesn’t come with trigger warnings.

It’s ironic that colleges used to be at the forefront of the free speech movement several decades ago, yet now, the focus has shifted for some to protecting student “safety.” These recent sorts of protective measures imply that students aren’t expected to challenge themselves and grapple with tough topics. Professors are also less motivated to present and discuss these topics in the first place if they’re limited by trigger warnings.

I don’t think that concerns like political correctness and mental health awareness are unimportant, but the problem is that there’s too much sensitivity. The UCSC incident begs the question: shouldn’t the administrators be spending time on more pressing issues instead, like examples of blatant racism recorded in their online HateOr-Bias Incidents Report? More importantly, we students come to college to explore. We hope to be safe, but not sheltered – more people should know the difference. ▪

By Alice Cheng Opinion Editor

What do Warren Buffett, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, LeBron James, Hugh Jackman, and Sandra Day O’Connor have in common? Is it that success leaks from the very pores of their skin? Yes, but more than that, they’re part of a campaign called #LeanInTogether, launched by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook.

The campaign strives to promote gender equality in both the workplace and at home by encouraging men to join the feminist movement.

On the surface, #LeanInTogether sounds like a wonderful idea, but upon delving into the implications of this campaign, #LeanInTogether may not be as ideal as it sounds.

As a follow-up to her publication of Lean In in 2013, Sandberg co-wrote an article with Adam Grant last month in the New York Times delineating the benefits for men in a world with gender equality.

For example, the authors indicate that the more women in senior positions, the more successful the company will be, creating a happier and more prosperous environment for the company – men included. However, presumably, we should treat each other impartially because as humans, we all deserve fairness, not because this treatment will help the business.

When we base our ethics and our treatment of those around us on selfbenefit, we fail to think critically about our convictions and let our short-term, pleasureseeking selves make the decision. In this case, we might make the same decisions anyway,

but we need to make the right decisions for the right reasons. Ultimately, it’s our rationale that drives our future actions. If men choose to value fairness, their subsequent actions will show that they are purpose-driven and fair. But, by treating gender equality as some sales pitch, the unpromised benefits of this “product” could fail to come to fruition and instead create negative reactions – it then becomes easier to see gender equality as an option and not so much as a must.

Speaking of the rationale behind our actions, if #LeanInTogether is to truly support workplace and gender equality for women, this support needs to be extended to all women, including those of lower socioeconomic statuses. While certain high-tech Silicon Valley companies have joined the movement, #LeanInTogether doesn’t really address the workplace equality problem for blue-collar occupations. In fact, when a group of female housekeepers contacted Sandberg asking for support to start a union, she declined, stating she was busy. #LeanInTogether is meant to be an impactful movement and a point for feminists, but until we can effectively integrate all women, it has yet to become revolutionary.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for gender equality, and I think Sandberg’s movement is a step in the right direction. But, we need to take a look at the big picture and ask if our approach to our goal is correct and whether we’re truly being inclusive. Our intentions may be good-hearted, but others’ perceptions of our actions may not align with our intent, which we should keep in mind in our daily actions and consider when it comes to #LeanInTogether. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Fixing Pre-Reg

“I’m not taking that class because my friend told me it’s hard.” Most of us at MSJ have identified with this statement at one point or another. As high school students, we have a tendency to make choices based on the facts we make out of opinions, and selecting classes is no exception.

What results is a problematic status quo: we shape our schedules based on hearsay and the anecdotes of a few friends and upperclassmen. The criteria we judge classes by often emphasizes perceived time commitment and imagined difficulty. All too often, we discount whether or not the course material actually piques our interest.

Efforts are being made to introduce courses to prospective students beforehand, but they aren’t as widespread as they need to be. Currently, students enrolled in classes such as AP Human Geography and Ethnic Studies visit classrooms, promoting their respective class by providing a general overview and answering questions. While drop-in visits may introduce the basics of the course, we need to capitalize on those efforts and approach them in a more formal way.

Rather than a meager seven days for students to select courses and procure teacher signatures, the registration process can be expanded to a few weeks where teachers can implement information sessions similar to the one held by AP Literature earlier this year. These open forums could discuss what kinds of course material students will encoun-

ter, the pace of the class, and how much prerequisite knowledge is expected. For example, students could browse through mouse trap cars and excerpts of the Iliad to get a grasp of whether or not they would be comfortable with their future work in AP Physics 1 or AP Literature.

Current students could pitch in a more personal perspective, sharing their input through question and answer panels or “letters to prospective students.” These letters could include comments on what it takes to succeed in the class and tips on how to do so.

Currently, the result of many misinformed decisions in March is a logistical nightmare in September, as students shuffle around different classes and counselors are drowned in schedule change requests. Yet much of the back-to-school stress could easily be avoided if students can more carefully assess their fit beforehand. If information is provided sooner, pre-registration transforms from a frenzied week of pressured decisions into a more thoughtful and less hectic process.

With more resources to reflect upon for our future schedules, we will likely be able to reduce the number of changes counselors have to process in the fall and help ourselves better understand our course selections. ▪

Send letters to the editors to: opinion@thesmokesignal.org

staff writer purvi goel

6 Advertisement

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Misrepresentasian in the Media By Andrew Chen & Didi Wu Staff Writers

The ABC television show Fresh Off the Boat has been praised as a landmark for diversity, given its Asian-American protagonists.

Highlighting one important aspect of this positive reception, New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum said, “The show has a radical quality simply because it arrives in a television landscape with few Asian characters…”

Asian-Americans have always been underrepresented in the media, but the misrepresentation of them that perpetuates the “model minority” stereotype is the real problem here. This is the view that as “Being at MSJ certainly has changed my perspective because I watch these shows where we’re represented in a certain way, but then I come to school and see people who are the same ethnically but are so much more than the stereotypes assigned to them.” -Ruchika Shukla, 10

a whole, Asians are intelligent, studious, self-reliant, and obedient. As these are good traits, the categorizing of Asian-Americans as the model minority seems to be welcome praise. But as with all groups of people, a generalization cannot be applied to every person. Furthermore, it helps preserve stereotypes which cover up very real social problems.

The few TV shows and movies containing Asian characters show Asians in a different light – one that is just as shallow. Asian-Americans are depicted as mere caricatures without real complexity. The different stereotypes are many and numerous: from the evil genius that first became prominent because of fear of the “yellow peril” during the mid-19th century, to the nonthreatening, emasculated Asian man first seen in the character Charlie Chan, a British detective, to the submissive, obedient female “doll”. All of them perpetuate the view of Asian-Americans as exotic and foreign and offer a fully one-dimensional, cardboardcutout, and poster child version of what it means to be Asian American.

Opinion 7

says, “I think stereotypes are damaging and pigeonhole any individual group whether positive or negative. How are young students going to deal with stereotypes as they continue to build their own ethnic identity?”

Obviously, more Asian-American representation in the media where there was little to none before would be better, but as flawed as it currently is, is representation even worth the dangers of misrepresentation? Many examples say no, such as the 1994 sitcom All-American Girl, one of the first Asian-American sitcoms to feature an Asian lead. The show was blasted by critics and the public for its overemphasis of Korean cultural values, stereotypical personal values like education and success, and extreme accents that almost come across as farces. And even today, Fresh Off the Boat, the very next Asian-American sitcom, nearly 20 years later, is labeled as offensive and racist for its jokes and stereotypical portrayals of AsianAmericans themselves, along with inconsistencies with the book in order to keep ratings up by connecting better with a primarily white audience.

However, Asian-Americans are becoming more visible – take a look at reality TV shows, where many more of the winners are Asian, and in new media, such as Youtube, where the stars have much more control of production and their own portrayal. From reality TV, Jun Song won on Big Brother, Yul Kwon won on Survivor, and Kat Chang won The Amazing Race, to name a few. And from Youtube, a notable example is David Choi, who went from

“I hope to see a world in which seeing an Asian on screen doesn’t create any more of a ripple than seeing someone of any other race. I want the mold of ‘hardworking but boring’ to be broken, so that when an Asian-American achieves success, there’s no general sentiment of ‘well, he/she is Asian, what do you expect,’ but rather something attributed to the person’s unique perspectives and depth of thought.” -Claire Chiu, 12

singing in his bedroom to writing songs for Warner/Chappell Music, releasing three albums to date, and going on tour around the US and Asia. And there’s also Ryan Higa, who started out making skits with friends to producing and starring in two short films that sold out in theaters in Hawaii and California.

As students at MSJ, a school with a student body that mostly “I know that we live in a little MSJ bubble, and no consists of minorities, the stereotyping and Asian-American portrayal matter how much representation there is here, in media has a direct impact on many of us. It shapes how many once we step out into the real world, the status quo at this school view ourselves and especially how others see us. gets pushed back into our faces and once more we So what should we see in media? First of all, an end to the perpetuation become painfully aware just how little represenof common stereotypes, such as faked accents, TV tropes, and pinpointed, tation Asian Americans get outside of the Mission overemphasized cultural values, would be a great start and help dispel the area.” -Sonya Wong, 11 There are many character traits flying around that can be used to false notions that lead to the popularity of such TV tropes. This especially describe what seems to be society’s view on Asian-Americans. Being nerdy, means more Asian protagonists in main roles and the highlighting of technology-savvy, logical, submissive, sexy (in the case of women), mystic nonconventional traits. Just because a certain portrayal is “positive” doesn’t fortune tellers, and having trouble speaking English are just a few. None of mean any group of people should be allowed to marginalize a minority or them address the issue that lies at the core of how Asian-Americans are often hold control over how a minority is presented. We have come a long way portrayed in media: there is no complexity; there is no acknowledgement from Fu Manchu, the devious criminal mastermind, but there is still more of the mix of cultures influencing an Asian-Americans’ life, the diversity of that could improve. While not every Asian-American will identify with Fresh Asian-Americans (a population spread out over more than 30 countries), Off the Boat, it can still be a catalyst for widening the nationwide dialogue or the sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle racism that affects and is the first in a new line of Asian-American appearances in media. ▪ people socially and professionally. Ethnic Studies Teacher Risha Krishna abc.go.com, shoutfactory.com, jpopasia.com, realitytea.com, youtube.com

new school ranking system: a more holistic approach On March 11, the California Board of Education voted unanimously to suspend the use of Academic Performance Index (API) scores for a year in favor of developing a more comprehensive measure of a school’s excellence. This change represents an important first step towards creating a metric that can be more considerate of the different circumstances in California’s more than 1000 public high schools. The Board of Education is planning on waiting for at least one year after the results of new “Smarter Balance” tests before releasing their modified evaluation system. Board members are hoping to include critical factors like dropout rates, English proficiency, student attendance, access to educational materials, and suspension rates into the new rubric. The move from using simple test scores towards adapting multiple data points in the state’s evaluation will hopefully create more targeted assistance for the students and schools that are struggling the most.

The API is an annual measure of the performance of schools and districts based on test scores. API is represented by a single number on a scale of 200 to 1000 calculated using the results of the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) program and the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam), and it does not account for many more detailed indicators of improvement in the academic performance of a school.

Pam Slater, spokesperson for the California Board of Education, told the Sacramento Bee that the board was “hitting the reset button” and that “This year’s results will establish a new baseline for the progress we expect students to make over time.” This is at a time when pure standardized testing (which is all the API system relies upon for ranking) is coming under intense scrutiny in America. The modified Common Core Testing has faced immense backlash over the last year and people are becoming more critical of only using a test to determining a student’s or a school’s performance.

The criticism is well founded as teachers dedicate excessive amounts of class time towards test taking strategy because of how crucial the examinations can be in assessing an institution’s performance. High-stakes standardized testing can also create a hostile environment for education, as shown in the recent Georgia cheating scandal where teachers and administrators face prison sentences for changing their students’ answers to improve the school’s ranking.

While MSJ typically scores well when it comes to simple API score rankings, our school has come up short in other areas of evaluation that API does not take into account. Last year, U.S. News and World Report left us unranked in their evaluation of public high schools.

“I think looking at a wide variety of factors … would hopefully give a more accurate picture of how a school is doing.

When every single school is measured with the same ruler, it isn’t equitable because schools are composed of different students.”

-Principal Zack Larsen

By Anand Balaji & Santhosh Paramasivan Staff Writers

Though MSJ’s API scores for the period of evaluation would have placed in the top 10 high schools in the state, the school was rendered ineligible because of the low scores of our disadvantaged students. Hopefully the new API scoring will increase the emphasis that schools place on underperforming students and allow for a more equitable way of assessing school performance.

The MSJ administration remains strongly optimistic about the proposed changes to the API system. When asked about the changes, Principal Zack Larsen said, “I think looking at a wide variety of factors … would hopefully give a more accurate picture of how a school is doing. When every single school is measured with the same ruler, it isn’t equitable because schools are composed of different students.” However, he was also clear to emphasize that any ranking system doesn’t truly define the success of MSJ students, stating, “I’m always optimistic about proposed changes but I’m skeptical of ranks that try to capture the entire value of a school by a numeric value. I don’t put a lot of stock into them because they only look at one snapshot of one part of the school.”

Given the problems with API and other test-based scoring methods in the past, it seems as though the Board of Education has taken an important first step in moving towards a truly holistic way of evaluating California schools. While it may seem a little premature to end API scoring without having a new framework in place for school evaluations, the Board has to wait until the new standardized testing data comes back from this school year before creating their new system. If the new framework is as comprehensive as the Board of Education has promised, it may force schools to expand their concern beyond just test-training and pay more attention towards helping the lower-performing students in the classroom. ▪ images.google.com

8 Advertisement

www.thesmokesignal.org

IvyBoost

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

Start from y our passion

名門教育 專業顾问，親切服務 名校之門，輕鬆得入

IvyBoost’s college admission services have helped many students get into colleges of their choices!

College Application 大學申請 (12th Grade)

Boost your chances of getting into top colleges ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒

4 Assessments 90 Ivy-class colleges 1-stop application for admissions & financial aid Certified admissions counselors & writing mentor

“I was admitted to Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, and John Hopkins with scholarships from $35000 to $56000 per year. Thanks to IvyBoost for its great counseling service guiding me through each milestone.”

–Henry L. “My counselor was organized, had flexible scheduling for meetings, and was very active in the application process. We were always on task and he answered all questions at the end of the meeting and went over every section of apps before submitting. He always replied quickly through

College Planning 大學規劃 (9th-11th Grade)

6 Modules to get you ready for top college admission

email. Also Karen was a really good editor and helped me greatly with my college essays.”

–Winny C.

10 Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Feature 9

A Guide to the teacher misconceptions Perfect Mother’s Day

By Amrith Krishnan & Brian Tseng Staff Writers

From being around teachers seven hours a day, students should know what their teachers’ jobs are like. However, everyone seems to have different opinions on the lives of teachers. The Smoke Signal talked to MSJ staff to clear up some common misunderstandings.

Teachers don’t work over the summer.

Teachers spend their summers planning for the coming year, adjusting their lesson plans to comply with new district and state standards. Contrary to popular belief, teachers don’t only have to teach; they have to deal with logistics such as replacing old textbooks with the new edition or installing technology. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are lesson plans.

2 TWO

1

Teachers are the only PEOPLE responsible for students’ learning.

Teachers provide guidance, but it is ultimately up to the student to learn the material teachers provide. Keep in mind that teachers are a resource to be used, not USB drives that download knowledge into your head.

Teaching is easy.

Teaching isn’t easy. Teachers have to deal with students of all sorts and cater their educational methods to each individual. Students often think that teachers merely read from a lesson plan and regurgitate information, but being a teacher isn’t robotic. Teachers have to connect with their students and make sure that each student, regardless of individual ability, is keeping up with the curriculum.

“I’ve always thought that grading papers is a lot more work than students give teachers credit for.” Gus Person, 10

4

Teachers do use test scores, but you are more than a number to them. A teacher doesn’t greet you by the score you earned on your last test, but by your name. Teachers want you to learn and they do everything they can to prepare you to succeed in your future education. Assessments are a way of making sure that students are on task and doing what they are supposed to.

Teachers teach the same way every year.

Teachers change their lesson plans every year. Changing district and state standards force them to have to constantly switch their curriculums and remove and add information. This ties in with the misconception that teachers don’t work over their summers. This year, especially, with the implementation of Common Core, teachers have had to collaboratively rework their lesson plans to fit the new standards.

“Some people think that teachers don’t care much about their students, but they spend a lot more time than we think coming up with lesson plans and ways to optimize student learning.”

-Shivam Patel, 11

6 SIX

8

5 FIVE

A teacher’s day ends at 3:00 PM. Teachers rarely leave school when it ends. They often meet with students who need help or grade papers all the way until 5:00 PM. Student’s days are much often shorter than teachers’. With every assignment that each student does at home, a teacher has a hundred of those assignments to grade the next night.

Teachers have favorite students.

Teachers may need to treat students differently based on what they need to learn.

This doesn’t mean they’re playing favorites: on the contrary, they’re ensuring that each student learns to his or her fullest potential. On the surface, this may not look fair, but teachers put in the time and effort to help each and every student learn.

7

SEVEN

Teachers don’t necessarily need to be experts in the subjects they teach.

A common derogatory phrase is “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” This could not be further from the truth: teachers need to know their subjects like the backs of their hands. How else could they answer questions and introduce new concepts? Imagine trying to teach someone how to drive a car without knowing how yourself; you’re going to crash and burn.

“It’s easy to talk about what you know, but it’s a lot harder to get people to understand what you’re saying.” -Tyler Robinson, Teacher

teachers believe grades correspond to intelligence.

Teachers don’t judge their students at all. Most teachers see vessels in front of them just waiting to be filled with knowledge and information. They aren’t there to call you dumb when you fail a test. Teachers want you to succeed as badly as you do yourself.

10 TEN

3 THREE

Teachers put the most emphasis on test scores.

FOUR

EIGHT

ONE

9 NINE

Teachers don’t have social lives outside of school.

By Shivane Sabharwal & Madeline Zheng Staff Writers

Mother’s Day 2015 is right around the corner—Sunday, May 10. Make sure you’re at the top of your game by perusing the Smoke Signal’s tailored suggestions for a day perfectly spent.

For Shopaholics If you and your mother love to relax and be pampered on your days off, consider treating your mother for Mother’s Day. Begin the day by bringing your mother a nice breakfast in bed, full of her favorite foods. Get creative by making either blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes instead of the classic, buttermilk ones. After that, take her for a day of shopping at the variety of clothing stores in the Bay Area. After stocking up on the latest in fashion apparel, it’s time for a lunch at a classy restaurant, with anything from the area’s best sushi to its most authentic Indian food. Head into a spa for a massage, manicure, and pedicure to rest up after lunch and rejuvenate yourself for the rest of the day. Watch a heart-stopping thriller, the latest rom-com, or both to pass a couple of hours. If you’re hungry for dinner, order some food nearby and pick up some milk tea as an after-meal drink before heading home for the night.

This outing is sure to provide your mother with a day she will remember!

For TV Enthusiasts

Many mothers and their children love to watch a favorite television show together. Whether it be catching up on the latest episode of Modern Family or binge watching Breaking Bad, you both share an undeniable love for the show. Make sure your Mother’s Day’s theme is reflective of that. If you’re watching Sherlock, slap on a deerstalker hat and a tweed coat, or a nice suit and tie to be Mad Men’s Don Draper, and sit down to rewatch your favorite episodes. Prepare a classic movie snack, whether it be popcorn, chips and guacamole, or just some classic potato chips, so you stay fed during the day-long TV marathon.

Eat something unique that links to the show like Parks and Recreationinspired waffles or some medieval food from the Game of Thrones era.

Share some laughs and pig out while you’re reliving the memories.

Sometimes a simple Mother’s Day is all you need.

For Adventurers

Say hello to the great outdoors! For you and your mother’s inner Dora the Explorer, consider spending a day trekking through nature. Perhaps keep it tame with a hike up Mission Peak and a walk around Lake Elizabeth. Or venture farther to attractions such as Muir Woods and Sycamore Grove Park. There, you’ll delight not only in fresh air and bright sunshine but also quality time together without modern distractions. Outdoor adventures will be especially timely in the sunny spring weather of May, and as Robin Williams put it, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” Get out there and enjoy that party with Mom.

For Foodies

Start the day out at home and make your mom a prebreakfast smoothie to prepare her palate for this full day of food. Then head out for breakfast at a local restaurant; if in doubt, keep it classic—pancakes never fail. For lunch, maybe put your own skills to the test! Whip up her favorite dish and enjoy it together, bonding over your cooking (be it excellent or terrible). And then there’s dinner: this one should be fancier! Look for a place with both ideal ambiance and taste bud satisfaction. Of course, on top of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and smoothie, feel free to add brunch, a midafternoon meal, a nighttime snack, and more—after all, who said you couldn’t have 113 meals a day? Celebrate the occasion with no inhibitions. Happy eating!

Though teaching is a full-time job, teachers still spend time with their family and friends. Teachers do have social lives, but due to limited interaction, some students don’t see teachers as anything more than authority figures.

As surprising as this shouldn’t sound, teachers are people too. desktopaper.com, 4vector.com, pixshark.com, clker.com

10 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

By Grace Dong, Purvi Goel, & Monica Tang Staff Writers

The Smoke Signal presents the 2015 edition of the ‘MSJ Icon Pop Quiz’!

Submit your responses at tinyurl.com/msjiconquiz.

The first two people to get all the answers correct will each win a pair of movie tickets.

graphics by staff writers grace dong, purvi goel & monica tang, & feature editor katie sun, 4vector.com, clipartse.com, freevector.com, imgkid.com, stockphoto.com, vectorfantasy.com, vectorstock.com

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Centerspread 11

By Grace Dong, Sayan Ghosh, Apoorva Rajanala & Ruiwen Shen Staff Writers

Throughout each of the themed days during Multicultural Week, MSJ displayed their pride and love for a variety of cultures. Take a look at just a few of our favorite outfits below.

“I didn’t really get to dress up besides on American day where I just wore red, white, and blue and I’m glad my mom lent me a Vietnamese dress today because even though I don’t get to show my culture throughout the year I’m really glad I got to today.”

-Karen Trinh, 11

“I dressed up in a Hawaiian shirt because I was singing a song with chorale about the Hawaiian island of Molokai, and from MC week I got to see many and interesting types of performance/art from various cultures. MC week was a good experience. It was my first time performing.”

-Jamin Chen, 11 Myra Awan, 10

Pragathi Guruprasad, 11

“It’s a great opportunity to see the whole school come together and show their cultural diversity.”

-Miranda Zhou, 11 Sara Tsai, 11 Sara Panjwani, 11 (left to right)

Asmita Gaggar, 12

Eliana Arroyo-Fang, 9

Bryneth Fuller, 10

Nikhil Mehta, 11

Lillian Joy Feng, 10

“I wore an Indian Anarkali suit. My overall Multicultural Week experience was really great because it was my last Multicultural Week and the food was delicious. The performances were enjoyable and I enjoyed representing my culture.”

-Vaishnavi Shrivastava, 12 (right)

Thi Luong, 11 photos by centerspread editor katrina cherk, staff writers grace dong, sayan ghosh, apoorva rajanala & ruiwen shen

12 Centerspread

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

MSJ’s Multicultural Assembly took place on Friday, March 17 after a week of delicious, cultural food fundraising. Relive the exciting performances through the photos and voices from each talented group. *The quotes were collected in advance, so they refer to Multicultural Week in future tense.

By Grace Dong, Sayan Ghosh, Apoorva Rajanala & Ruiwen Shen Staff Writers

Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

Link Vos, 11

“Working with these girls has been such an amazing experience. We really bonded and became a family. We became close enough that we even had our occasional fights but it was all worth it in the end. I would like to thank each and every one of them for making this MC special.”

-Meixuan Qu, 10

Ricky Chu, 12

Sonam Bhuptani (11), Meera Patel (12), Kathy Liu (12), Samantha Lin (12), Aashna Shah (11), Shubha Jagannatha (10), Annaliese Lemler (12), Saumya Arora (12), Asmita Gaggar (9), Abirami Murugappan (12), Tulsi Patel (9), Aarushi Agrawal (9), Maya Krishnan, 12, Shreya Atitkar (11), Nitya Vakil (10), Tulika Mohanti (10), Chelsy Simran (11), Rashi Ambashta (11), Pratibha Jagannatha (12), Kanika Rao (9), Keval Parikh (10), Rudrik Suthar (11), Shourya Jain (11), Anish Shourie (10), Srinath Gopalakrishnan (11), Pranav Swaminathan (12), Joshua Cade Nauman (12)

“It was a great experience working with people we don’t normally practice with. Although it was hard finding something that worked for everyone, we eventually pulled through and performed above our expectations.

I can’t wait to see what we can come up for next year!”

-Jemmy Zhou, 10

“The most rewarding part of being in charge of an MC performance is seeing how much effort everyone puts into making the dance live up to its full potential. Seeing everything come together the way we imagined it is an inexplicable feeling and we’re so glad to be dancing with a group of 20 amazing new friends.”

-Sonam Bhuptani, 11

Benjamin Wang (10), April Huang (10), Hanlin Wang (10), and Michelle Zhang (10) “Our actual quartet name is the “IVivo Quartet” since IV is roman numeral 4, and vivo is musical terminology for lively! Our act at MC Week will be “Evolution of Music,” and our quartet members are Benjamin Wang, April Huang, Hanlin Wang, and me (Michelle Zhang). We’re all sophomores. Our performance is a short rendition of how music evolved through the history of mankind, from the classic “Greensleeves” tune to today’s “Rather Be.” we arranged all of these pieces ourselves and try to give equal melody opportunities to everyone!”

-Michelle Zhang, 10

Hanlin Wang, 10

Claire Lin, 10

Hannah Folk (12), Catherine Hou (12), Meixuan Qu (10), Amanda Wang (10), Emily Chang (9), Iris Bai (9)

“So we have always practiced every Friday covering artists that we aspire to become.

You know, we tried to participate in any school events that we can, whether it was for HC, MC or club events. We practice regardless of upcoming events just for our enjoyment.”

-Jihwan Seo, 12

“It was kind of difficult diverging off of our hip hop roots to put together a more “cultural” performance but we were able to incorporate it pretty well and had a great performance!”

-Sagar Samantarai, 12

Shenlum Tang (12), Daniel Jean (12), Melissa Chin (11), Alyssa Lo (10), Jemmy Zhou (10), Wallace Lim (9), Jasmine Syu (9)

Centerspread 13

Jihwan Seo (12), Ricky Chu (12), Jason Stiltz (12), Junsong Kim (12), Albert Chang (12)

“The assembly was super fun and it was exciting to perform for everyone! It was also bittersweet because it’s Sagar and Steve’s last year. I’m really gonna miss them.”

-Nishir Shelat, 11

Andy Zhou, 10

“This year it’s me, Kathy Liu, Samantha Lin, and Claire Wu. We actually decided to perform actual ballet variations this year, because we felt that it represented ballet better. Last year we choreographed our own, and even though it worked out, we really wanted to show people what true classical ballet looks like. This is an important year to us because as you saw, three of us out of the four in our group are seniors, so this will be the last year we perform. It’s pretty sad to us, because ballet will most likely not be performing next year. We already had a hard time finding dancers this year. Personally, this performance is really important to me because Sam and Kathy are both majoring in dance, but I’m not. I’m quitting at the end of May, so this will be one of my last performances! I’m really hoping it turns out well.”

-Deborah Chew, 12

www.thesmokesignal.org

Steve Yung (12), Sagar Samantarai (12), Liang Kuan Lee (11), Nishir Shelat (11), Timothy Chen (11), Justin Lau (10)

Laura Chen (12), Katherine Liu (12), Allisa Tran (12), Jamin Chen (11), Brian Chou (11), Liang Kuan Lee (11), Elliot Suh (11), Christine Wu (11), Andy Zhou (10), Emily Jean (9) “For the last two months we’ve been working on an original KPop medley I arranged for Multicultural Week. We see MC Week as our opportunity to go all out and we plan to transition from a slow acoustic serenade to full-on acapella. Kathy put together some choreography and we started Spring Break by thrift shopping together for our Kpop outfits. We’re pretty hyped.”

-Laura Chen, 12

Katherine Liu (12), Samantha Lin (12), Deborah Chew (12), Claire Lin (10)

Jemmy Zhou, 10

Meera Patel (12), Amrin Khurana (12), Mina Afnan (12), Asmita Gaggar (12), Mansi Shah (12), Pratibha Jagannatha (12), Madeline Fajilan (12), Jessica Helder (12), Abirami Murugappan (12), Rose Chang (12), Cari Gan (12), Arvindh Natarajan (12), Yash Bisen (12), Mudit Mittal (12), Arsalon Pirzada (12), Pranay Hegde (12), Vayum Arora (12), Hershal Bhatia (12), Dustin Chiang (12), Anuj Desai (12), Pranav Swaminathan (12), Adithya Jayachandran (12)* “Satisfying my freshman year dream of being Senior Bhangra captain was one of the best experiences of high school. After months of happiness, struggles, and exhaustion, we killed it out there in the assemblies, and I love that I got to meet some great people on my team as a side benefit! I miss it already! Go class of 2015!”

-Harpaul Hari, 12 *Principle dancers listed. Thanks to all the seniors who joined in!

Hannah Folk, 12

Hershal Bhatia, 12

Mansi Chopra (12), Roma Modi (9), Riya Modi (9), Meera Patel (12), Shubhreet Bains (10), Shreya Hegde (9), Nitya Vakil (10), Rose Chang (12), Mansi Shah (12), Jasmine Mehta (9), Neha Saxena (10), Tulika Mohanti (10), Alisha Matharu (12), Rashi Ambashta (11), Saumya Arora (12), Jennifer Chin (12), Annaliese Lemler (12), Arvindh Natarajan (12), Arsalon Pirzada (12), Allen Hsiao (12), Zach Kekoa (12), Ayush Gaggar (9), Mihir Baya (9), Mudit Mittal (12), Mohan Saxena (12) “Leading MC Bollywood and Senior Bhangra will no doubt be one of my best memories of high school because watching my teams putting so much effort in the performance and improving every week, made my experience as a leader even better. They are the reason why we managed to pull off good performances as a team.”

Tulika Mohanti, 10 -Mansi Chopra, 12

Psychology and World History Teacher Carl Hui

Annie Lee (12), Adam Schaps (12), Samantha Lin (12), Denise Chan (12), Amber Chen (12), Stephanie Lee (12), Kush Patel (12), Allen Hsiao (12), , Matt Jin (12), Ben Nguyen (12), Arthur Lin (12), Jay Menon (12), Ehmer Jafar (12), Maya Rajan (12), Rahul Dayal (12), Rashi Ambashta (11), Heather Wang (11), Nicole Li (11), Joy Feng (10), and Raymond Yin (9) “Being in Tinikling for the past three years has been incredibly difficult practicing for countless hours, working on perfecting the routine when there are so many members a part of it. I think aside from the struggles we face, the best part about an experienm ce like this is bonding with 19 other people who are working towards the same goal. The dance itself is extremely tiring, as the sticks we use are made of bamboo and the routine is constant, nonstop movement, increasing speed throughout the entire thing and so we come across a few injuries at times too. Besides the physical aspect of putting this dance together, teamwork is the most essential part that makes Tinikling ‘Tinikling’, since missing only one person makes a huge difference in the dance as a whole. We hope you enjoy the hours of hard work we have put into this performance!”

-Annie Lee, 12 Ehmer Jafar, 12

Mattie Fajilan (12) , Jessica Helder (12), Amrin Khurana (12), Cari Gan (12), Andrew Xu (12), Mina Afnan (12), Natalie Sin (11), Christopher Kwok (11), Julie Kim (11), Rashi Ambashta (11), Sophia Huang (10), Anthony Bowser (10), Rosabel Wu (9) “MC hip hop was absolute insanity with 7 AM practices, teaching new choreo a few days before the performance, and doing our best not to goof off (often without success), but it was so worth it. We loved how we had students from all four grades who otherwise would probably never have talked to each other, but we have come together for our love of dance, and have become so close. The feeling you get when you finish performing and you know that you all -Mattie Fajilan, 12 killed it is like nothing Jessica Helder, 12 else in the world.”

Amrin Khurana, 12

Rashi Ambashta, 11

Katherine Liu (12), Sebin Yoon (12), Catherine Ha (12), Gelsey Plaza (12), Spencer Whaley (12), Brett Whaley (12), Tiffany Huang (12), Lara Khamisy (12) , Hairol Ma (12), Ian Park (12), Michelle Chen (12), Albert Chang (12), Vincent Ding (12), Katherine Tsay (12), Soukhya Inamdar (11), Abhay Dewan (11), Rohan Panuganti (11), Erica Mao (11), Lois Zhou (11), Ajitesh Vedula (11), Jamin Chen (11), Rishiv Chugh (10), Matthew Lee (10), Ashlesha Sathe (10)

Kaylyn Arima (12), Sydney Hiroto (12), Adrienne Peng (12), Sean Li (12), Twan Sia (10), Hayley Arima (10) “We practiced every Saturday morning using practice drums made of tires and clear packaging tape. All our music is live/ no pre-recorded music. The new people were Twan and Adrienne. Overall, it was a fun experience. I really enjoyed teaching Taiko to the new members and seeing our final piece come together! I look forward to doing it next year (hopefully!)”

-Hayley Arima, 10

Teacher Carl Hui

Sydney Hiroto, 12

“We’ve worked hard to perfect this performance as much as we can. We hope you appreciate the song’s beauty and brightness - representative of the island we sing of.”

-Catherine Ha, 12

Jared Pingue (9), Jessica Kim (9), Claire Mi (9); Mackenzie Lim (10), Tanuj Kalakuntla (10), Christopher Kwok (11), Charles Han (11), Daniel Chiao (12), Bryant Chin (12), Abigail Wong (12) “We’re here to represent Taekwondo and Korean culture as well as our school, Mach Martial Arts.”

-Chris Kwok, 11 “Personally, it means something to us, the leaders because we have been given the honor to lead this team by our seniors.”

-Charles Han, 11

Ian Park, 12 Abigail Wong, 12 photos by GRAPHICS EDITOR KEVIN CHEN AND staff writers GRACE DONG, RUIWEN SHEN

14 Centerspread

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

By Grace Dong, Sayan Ghosh, Apoorva Rajanala & Ruiwen Shen Staff Writers

Throughout Multicultural Week, clubs sold all sorts of delicacies from red velvet cupcakes to samosas. Through food, various cultures were represented at each stand. The Smoke Signal is providing a gallery below that will give you a taste of MSJ! MSJ Odyssey of the Mind: Ramune

MSJ Interact: Spam Musubi Academic Challenge: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Model United Nations: Pineapple Fried Rice

MSJ Social Entrepreneur Society: Vietnamese Sandwhiches Pho: Youth Alive

Class of 2016: Chipotle

Food for Thought, Kefi: Cinnabons Mission Japan: Onigiri

MSJTV: Donuts

MSJ Mock Trial: Thai Tea

Yearbook: Samosas Class of 2017: Inn N Out

Class of 2015: Milk Tea

JTASA:Wingstop

iKnit: Falafels

Chinese Chess Club: Bento Boxes photos by staff writers SAYAN GHOSH, RUIWEN SHEN, GRACE DONG & APOORVA RAJANALA

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Feature 15

By Chakshu Hurria, Tanvi Raja & Rishab Ramapriyan Staff Writers

images.clipartpanda.com, thumb101.shutterstock.com, wallpaper-download.net​

16 Advertisement

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Arts & Entertainment 17

Unfriended

UNDER THE RADAR:

LEFTOVER CUTIES

ATL Wins Our Hearts

By Chakshu Hurria Staff Writer Alternative pop band Leftover Cuties brings an interesting jazzy flair to all of its music with prominent instrumentals and soothing lead vocals.

Despite not having been signed by a label, the four-member band has released two well-received albums since its formation in Los Angeles in 2008.

Lead vocalist Shirli McAllen’s sultry voice, similar in style to that of old-school jazz artist Billie Holiday, allows listeners to hum along to the feel-good melodies featured on the band’s two albums. Leftover Cuties’ debut 2011 album, Places to Go, introduced their talented blend of ukulele, accordion, horns, drums, bass and McAllen’s distinctive voice to the music scene. Tracks such as “Everything I Got” and “Movin’ On” send powerful messages behind their soft instrumentals and soothing auras. McAllen described the album as “…real voices, real instruments. Everything is kind of organic and acoustic and it’s just pure music.”

The band’s second album, The Spark & the Fire, released in 2013, takes a slightly more upbeat tone with melodies somewhat reminiscent of those of jazz pop artist Michael Bublé. With uplifting lyrics such as “In time this too shall pass and clarity will come to you at last,” this album was lauded by critics for its charming, subtle blending of jazz and rag-time.

Leftover Cuties have managed to keep their vintage jazz sound as fresh as ever in these past six years. The band’s success has manifested itself in their current six-week tour across the US, and they are definitely a band to keep an eye on as they ride their wave of success. ▪

By Peter Qiu Staff Writer

By Anand Balaji Staff Writer

Unfriended, a groundbreaking cyber-horror film hit theaters nationwide on Friday, April 17. The film, attracted a lot attention due to its unconventional format, particularly the use of Skype to witness what was happening with each of the characters. Though the movie does have some weak parts particularly involving the story’s resolution, the novel way in which the movie is taken is sure to drastically change the genre of modern horror.

The story revolves around the suicide of high school student Laura Barns (Heather Sossaman), who kills herself amidst the cyberbullying that resulted from a video that was posted of her drunk at a party.

Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig), a close friend of Barns, and five of her friends gather for a Skype hangout on the anniversary of her suicide.

An anonymous user joins the call from Barns’ account and begins to exact revenge on each of the six friends, all of whom had some role

movies.disney.com

to play in Barns’ suicide.

While the plot for the film is fairly formulaic as far as horror films go, what distinguishes Unfriended is the unique perspective through which the viewer gets to view the action on screen. The entire film is shown from Lily’s laptop screen as the action unfolds on Skype, Facebook, Messager, Youtube, and Google Chrome. The movie truly makes you feel like you are at home staring at your own laptop screen from the clock and battery life in the top left corner to the several randomly opened tabs on Google Chrome.

The unconventional format of the film draws the audience in and keeps them riveted for the full 80 minutes of the film. It is tremendous how much essential plot detail can be obtained from search history, scrolling through Facebook pages, and looking at things Lily considers typing but edits before sending.

While the pioneering format of the film was superbly executed, the film has a thoroughly unoriginal plot and the movie concludes in a

very lazy manner. The opening minutes of the film present very interesting questions that demand to be answered: Who is responsible for hacking Laura’s account? How is she successful in killing the characters? Unfortunately, the filmmakers never provide an explanation to any of these questions and the answers that they do allude to through Lily’s Google searches are particularly clichéd and unsatisfying.

The movie also isn’t really scary.

While it is very entertaining to watch and builds powerful suspense in a handful of scenes, there aren’t any parts of the film that truly invoke fear from the audience (except for a few jump scares). While the film may lack in substance, there is no denying that director Levan Gabriadze has tapped into an incredible new genre of horror. We can surely count on many more innovative cyber-horror movies in the foreseeable future. ▪ Rating: B+

Woman in Gold Takes Silver

A&E

Updates

By Pratham Gupta Staff Writer

Avengers: age of ultron 5/1/15

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Samuel Jackson and Scarlett Johansson, Avengers: Age of Ultron involves the Avengers fighting Ultron, a technological terror bent on human extinction awakened after Tony Stark jump starts a dormant peace-keeping program.

special effects

tech n9ne | 5/4/15

The newest album from rapper Tech N9ne hits stores on May 4. This is the most anticipated album of Tech N9ne yet.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 5/15/15

Starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, Mad Max: Fury Road is the next installment of the 1979 classic Mad Max. Hardy tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where people fight to the death over resources.

SAN ANDREAS 5/29/15

Starring Dwayne Johnson and Alexandra Daddario, San Andreas is an upcoming disaster film directed by Brad Peyton wherein a helicopter pilot sets out to rescue his daughter after a massive earthquake strikes California.

By Kylie Cheung Staff Writer

Set nearly 50 years following World War II, Woman in Gold portrays the subtle remains left by Nazi tyranny against the backdrops of both 1998 Los Angeles and the historical city of Vienna, Austria. The drama follows the true story of Holocaust survivor Maria Altmann’s (Helen Mirren) struggle to legally obtain the iconic “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” a painting of her beloved aunt stolen from her family by the Nazis. With the help of Randol “Randy” Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), an inexperienced but determined lawyer and grandson of Holocaust survivors, Maria embarks on a complicated journey through American and Austrian courts while experiencing haunting pre-war flashbacks of her younger self (Tatiana Maslany). Initially motivated to work on the case solely by the painting’s $100 million net worth, Randy convincingly develops as a character upon learning more about his past.

Famous for his film My Week with Marilyn, Director Simon Curtis once again demonstrates his mastery of bringing to life dominant female leads in Mirren’s stubborn, witty Maria.

Maria and Reynolds’ energetic performance of Randy are immediately dynamic, with witty, biting exchanges that serve as comedic relief throughout the grim events of the film. Their progressively affectionate relationship, which draws on the shared suffering of their Jewish families, is heart-warming to watch. Throughout Maria’s flashbacks, her younger self is portrayed by Maslany. Her transformation from uncertain child to courageous woman culminates in a suspenseful getaway scene, as she and her youthful husband (Max Irons) must summon all of their bravery and wit to narrowly escape Nazi police and flee from Vienna.

The film follows an organized plotline true to the landmark historical events it is based on. Accompanied by music from Hans Zimmer and Martin Phipps, the historical tensions that wracked Nazi-Vienna are effectively conveyed throughout Maria’s flashbacks. The lush cinematic photography offers visually captivating glimpses into pre-war Viennese architecture, fashion, and art.

However, wrested beneath charismatic leads and exciting pre-war flashbacks, the film harbors serious flaws.

To a viewer lacking solid knowledge of trial procedures and legal terms,

hollywoodreporter.com

many dialogues, court scenes, and Randy’s drawn-out research sessions are a confusing blur that’s difficult to invest emotion into. The film makes little effort to help viewers without beforehand knowledge understand the meaning behind the trial’s verdict, detracting from the triumph of the ending. Equally confusing are Maria’s sporadic and unsubstantiated changes of heart that occur throughout the film.

Woman in Gold’s ultimate flaw lies in its emotionally bland present day scenes’ and Maria’s passionate, suspenseful flashbacks, which are so lengthy that present day scenes are rendered difficult to focus on or really enjoy.

Featuring both likable, relatable characters and musical and visual mastery, Woman in Gold is worth a watch.

However, for all the film’s confusing courtroom plot twists, dry dialogues, and uneasy shifts between past and present, research of its historical context is highly recommended prior to viewing it. ▪

All Time Low’s (ATL) Future Hearts topped the UK album charts for good reason, as the album’s reinvigorated feel, catchy anthems, and experimental steps away from typical songs both plays to their fan’s interests and keeps them in suspense for diverse music to come.

Much of the album alternates between a wistful, “emo” feel and a call-to-arms that rallies the “Kids in the Dark,” drawing them out “Kicking & Screaming.” For the most part, the album sticks with the typical pop punk, ATL sound. Power chords combine with sometimes enthusiastic, sometimes antagonistic, sometimes sympathetic lyrics, while compressed vocal chants and vibrant music videos add to a sense of youthful freedom. However, compared to previous ATL singles, this album is slightly less “angsty” and does a much better job of lyrical storytelling. It is infectious and expressive, catchy yet not repetitive.

As much as this album sticks with ATL’s familiar sound, it is not entirely formulaic, beginning with a rare acoustic, nearly folk-like song in “Missing You.” The other heavily acoustic songs are versions of “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Cinderblock Garden” only available as bonus tracks. Besides this surprising acoustic guitar, what begins as a lighthearted tune in “Missing You” soon reveals heavy lyrics dealing with self-medication in the quiet of a “suburban tomb.” In the midst of the album, this song simultaneously jolts us back to reality, a symbol of the band’s maturation, and sends an encouraging message.

Two singles, “Tidal Waves” and “Bail Me Out,” feature Mark Hoppus and Joel Madden as lead singers, who are respectively from the wellknown bands Blink-182 and Good Charlotte. As singles, these songs are put together very well, but in the overall structure of the album, they sound just a little out of place. Hoppus’ distinct vocals instantly draw connections to Blink-182, while Madden’s “Bail Me Out” has more of a “pop” feel than the other ATL singles. Listening to the album for the first time, their presence creates slight bumps in the experience, but a few more play-throughs solves this problem.

Future Hearts is on track to become one of ATL’s most successful albums to date, and its 13 singles are a testament to how ATL have improved their songwriting over the years. Their lyrics have added weight in singles like “Missing You” and “Something’s Gotta Give,” and hints of EDM show that ATL is evolving and adapting with current music trends. ATL has not only proved their relevance, but cemented the band’s presence in the pop-punk scene for years to come. ▪ Rating: A-

Rating: B

alltimelow.com

allmusic.com

Tutoring Gurus

18 Advertisement

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 1, 2015

Tutors: UC-Berkeley, UCLA grads

Score High Stay Ahead

SAT I, SAT II, AP 300 points increase from diagnostic SAT I score guaranteed Finest tutors (UC-Berkeley, UCLA grads) $100 Small class size < 12 (others 20-60) early 1:1 feedback (none by others) registration 8 wk in-depth English/Math review (most offer short 3wk-5wk) discount!

Best content in the industry (others recycle the same old content) Intensive 8wk Summer Boot Camp

     

College Admission Counseling Superior strategy, selection of 15 best matching colleges 

  

Personalized college selection - private, UC, CSU Counseling by experienced UC-Berkeley and UCLA grads Essay, Application, Financial Aid, Interviews Counseling for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders

$200 off of any package!

G7-12 Tutoring

One grade up in first quarter guaranteed   

Small class size (2-3), highly experienced tutors Novel one-step-ahead tutoring Leader in summer subject previews

Free trial class!

Common Core, Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Cal, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Computers, Statistics, English, Biology, G7-8 Math/Science (510)449-9233 info@tutoringgurus.com www.tutoringgurus.com #202, 3755 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538

Friday, May 27, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Arts & Entertainment 19

spotlight:

New Murals at MSJ

By Iyesha Puri & Rebecca Wu Staff Writers courtesy national art honors society students

The design for National Art Honor Society’s mural features symbols from various books MSJ students read as part of their high school curriculum.

MSJ has murals all around campus that symbolize the various aspects of MSJ. Two new murals are being painted in the E-Wing, one by Art 2/3/4 students and another by the National Arts National Society (NAHS). We sat down with the Co-Presidents of NAHS, Seniors Samiha Alam and Angela Hu, as well as Sophomore Nicki Lee, who is in charge of the Art classes’ mural to learn more. The Art students will be finishing the mural next week and NAHS plans to complete its mural by the end of May.

Smoke Signal: When did plans to create the mural begin, and

how did National Arts Honors Society get picked to make it?

Samiha Alam: The E-Wing mural started off in 2012 as the former NAHS Officers’ idea. The plan was approved by the administration because of the club’s talent and dedication to the arts.

SS: Who created the design and how was it chosen?

SA: The design has been primarily created by the NAHS officers with input from members from time to time. So, each year’s officers create the next part of the design.

SS: What message is the mural intended to convey?

SA: We are trying to represent the books a typical MSJ student will read throughout his/her four years. We want a mural that makes people excited about literature as they pass by and maybe even feel a little nostalgic.

different symbols easy to recognize for any student or teacher.

SS: What has been the most rewarding?

AH: It was really exciting to see a simple design on paper translate into an actual mural on the campus walls, so that was something that was really gratifying to see.

SS: Once the mural is completed, where can students go to see it?

AH: It’s inside the E-wing, right outside of Ms. Christensen’s art room!

Smoke Signal: How did you get involved in the project?

Nicki Lee: Ms. Christensen proposed her plans for the mural and told everyone in the class to brainstorm ideas. I was interested, so I decided to start making designs with the mural theme she provided us. She asked everyone to create a design regarding Fine Arts - choir, painting, etc.

SS: How was your design chosen?

NL: We had a voting process; the designs were numbered and laid out on a table, and my design ended up winning the most votes!

SS:

What

is

the

mural

meant

to

represent?

NL: The mural’s main theme is the Arts, but it also represents other classes in the E-Wing such as digital photography, animation, choir, ceramics, etc.

SS: What steps were involved in creating the mural?

NL: First off, we had to measure the actual size of the mural that was going to be painted onto the wall.

Then, we gridded the entire wall area, labeling each box with numbers and areas, making it much easier to sketch out the design. After sketching, we started preparing the paints and began painting. ▪

“I’ve realized that creating a mural requires a great amount of commitment and hard work, even when we have 6 or 7 people working on it at the same time. Even though this is a long and difficult process, I am looking forward to the finished product after our many months of hard work.”

-SOPHOMORE NICKI LEE

SS: What were the steps involved in creating this mural?

Angela Hu: We first made a digital design, and then transferred the rough sketch onto the wall using grid lines.

Currently we’re still in the process of putting down base colors, and afterwards we’ll paint in the details!

SS: What has been the hardest part in completing this project?

AH: One of the difficulties we had was designing something colorful and visually appealing that incorporated pieces of literature from the MSJ English curriculum. Our designs went under constant revision to make

staff writer rebecca wu

From left to right: Art 2/3/4 students Evalina Chinn (11), Rachel Suk (12), Tracy Mao (11), Sneha Patkar (12), and Vipula Racha (12) work on a mural depicting the Arts and other classes in the E-Wing.

Which Avenger Are You?

By Purvi Goel & Chakshu Hurria Staff Writers

With Avengers: Age of Ultron finally releasing early on May 1, you might be wondering exactly where you would fit in on the team. The Smoke Signal has you covered! Take our Avengers quiz to find out what sort of superhero you are.

Go home. There is no place for weaklings in the Avengers. Try again after you’ve been through a few more lifethreatening situations.

toothandnailcomic.com

20 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

A kimono is a must-have for any festival. However, you may also notice that most kimonos are off the Forever 21 Festival collection. Don’t fall into the possible trap of (God forbid!) wearing the same kimono as some other girl. To avoid this problem, you simply need to create your own kimono. No girl will have the guts to use a bed sheet. Make sure to pick the oldest, floral, musty smelling one you can find in your household so you can tell your admirers that it is “vintage.”

The Smoke Signal

Music Festival Essentials A Smoke Signal Field Guide

Friday, May 1, 2015

As a basic part of any man’s festival attire, be sure to wear at least one 5 panel. You could be the mastermind behind the Leaning Tower of 5 panels. In order to capture everyone’s attention at the festival, a necessary feat for any music festival goer, cut up a bunch of 5 panels to create a T-shirt or shorts out of the sides. You know what they say, 5 panels are worth a thousand words. *5 panels are a type of hat similar to a snapback except with- as the name suggests- only 5 panels or sides.

By Hairol Ma & Neha Shah Staff Writers

Youtubers such as Jenn Im always wear a ton of necklaces at music festivals. However, we’re way beyond that level. Fashion is all about lateral thinking, so why limit yourself to necklaces? Make sure you put everything you can find around the house around your neck, including (but not limited to) lanyards, clothes hangers, and Christmas tree ornaments. The possibilities are endless.

Year after year, you’ve seen the Instagram pictures of your friends dressed from head to toe in Forever 21 at Coachella. This year is your year. The Smoke Signal is here with an inclusive guide to all essentials you need to rock your With the burning weather, you’ll definitely need shorts to keep you cool. However, stay away from chinos upcoming music festival.

or other typical festival gear. Who else will have the inspiration to wear bloomers? You’ll be kept cool with the airy fabric that will also provide ease of movement.

The lineup this year is- hm, looks like only one of these artists looks remotely familiar. Well, it’s not like we come here for the music anyway! Make sure you bring a selfie stick to take a picture of yourself with every single band, or else the world won’t know you were here!

Have you actually been to Coachella if you didn’t have a voluminous crown of hundreds of plastic flowers adorning your heat damaged curls? A flower crown is a must for any music festival. However, you need to stand out from the rest of those girls with their silly homemade flower crowns. Step it up by crafting a crown out of branches, leaves, and assorted vegetation found around the festival grounds. Suggested materials include fragrant wild garlic and you will not only be eco-friendly, but you will also be promoting native wildlife.

Watermelon salads? Nachos? Huaraches? Tacos? Donut cheeseburgers? Shakable salads? Half the time you’re wondering what you’re eating and the other half you’re speculating how this food is remotely different from the food you can get back at home. However, it’s way better to hand over your money than to try to make these easy concoctions yourself, so make sure you bring lots of money to drop at food trucks. fashions-cloud.com, graphics by hairol ma

Smoke Signal Ticket Giveaway:

WARPED TOUR

www.indiegogo.com

The Smoke Signal is giving away two tickets in raffle for Warped Tour, the largest running North American music festival. This year’s headliners include Black Veil Brides, Escape The Fate, Never Shout Never, Pierce The Veil, and The Wonder Years. Here’s how to enter!

1. Go to the Smoke Signal’s Facebook page to find the link to our Google form.

2. Fill out the form to enter your name once in the raffle.

3. For two extra entries, submit an entry in the caption contest below through the same online form.

4. The form will close on May 3. We will announce the winners on Facebook on Friday, May 10.

Caption this: _________ _________ _________ graphics by purvi goel

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Sports 21

bringing you our ‘a’ game

By Abigail Wong Sports Editor

wong

versus

protein shakes with a teaspoon of ego...

“I want to shoot like Stephen Curry.

And no, I don’t stand for gender inequality.” Praising a man makes a woman no less, especially when the right personal values are upheld.

Usain Bolt’s 100-meter dash world record of 9.58 seconds is significantly lower than Florence Griffith Joyner’s women’s world record of 10.49 seconds.

Hicham El Guerrouj’s one-mile world record of 3.43.13 is significantly lower than Svetlana Masterkova’s women’s world record of 4:12:56… and the similar comparisons go on. Women aren’t as naturally gifted with strength and speed, the baseline components of present day athletics, as men are. They are just not built the same way. We can’t change that sports lies upon a showcase of exterior physicality and that women inevitably do not have the upper hand. What we can consider is our attitude for what makes a man or woman valuable. Choose a big heart before big biceps any day, and it won’t matter that he throws further.

The average sports fan looks forward to a windmill dunk with much more enthusiasm than to an old-school layup.

Both are worth the same point value, but we are a community of aesthetic inclinations. We admire the pizazz and shows of intense athleticism, and for both male and female followers, that is the crux of their fandom. It is not a surprise that the number of subscribers to the official WNBA Youtube channel is 49,934 in comparison to the 6,182,779 subscribers of the official NBA Youtube channel. The truth is that professional male athletes have a greater physical capability to aesthetically sensationalize their

arts than women do based upon their predisposed body build. It is therefore logical that an organization like the NBA is more popular than its female counterpart, the WNBA. Again, this is an inevitable byproduct of nature, both as a result of the male build and the human aesthetic appeal.

The masculine ideals also play their role in the primadonna show biz, and let us not forget the universal encouragement given for living up to those stereotypes. As a whole, we are a society that endorses the desirable macho man: the Stephen Currys or the Madison Bumgarners of the world. This isn’t inequality; it’s fan-girling. Nonetheless, their achievements should not be dumbed down just because the average woman can’t throw a 92 mph fastball. There is nothing wrong with females being in awe of a male’s ability. If we are truly confident of our own potential and strive for our personal bests in sports, love, and life, there is no shame in recognizing another’s strength.▪

dailymail.co.uk

Usain Bolt wins the 200m race at the 2012 London Olympics.

patankar

By Arti Patankar Sports Editor

The name of the game...

It’s a commonly recognized but uncommonly addressed truth that women in sports don’t receive the same attention as their male counterparts. I can’t ever remember seeing a trending article about the WNBA, or stumbling across a piece about a female golfer. In fact, when I typed “women in golf ” into Google, I got page after page of the “most beautiful women in golf ”. However, when I tried the same thing for “men in golf ”, I received a leaderboard for the most recent tournament.

The disparity is shocking. This obscure example outlines the necessity for gender equality among athletes. All athletes deserve to be treated with respect.

A major factor that plays into this issue is media attention. Of course, there are female athletes who dominate in their regimes and are recognized nationally and internationally – Yuna Kim, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Abby Wambach, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Shelly-Ann FraserPryce, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson, and Missy Franklin, just to name a few. But most sports fans can name five, ten times as many famous male athletes.

That’s the way sports have worked – for too long.

In USA Today’s article “Equal pay?

Not on the basketball court”, we can see that this inequality is not an illusion.

Take two players – Tamika Catchings from the WNBA and Kevin Garnett from the NBA. Both players have comparable stats – roughly 20 points per game, nine rebounds, four assists. Yet one player’s career earnings add up to approximately four million dollars (including a Nike endorsement) and the other’s add up to approximately 291 million dollars, excluding

endorsements. Is it hard to guess which is which? Unfortunately not.

The list of grievances could go on and on. Men in sports earn more, land more endorsements deals, and become heroes of the media.

We are stuck in a cycle that builds on itself. Women in sports don’t get the attention they deserve. They don’t get the money, the fame, the endorsements. Thus, they become increasingly marginalized.

The name of the game is respect. Let’s make a conscious effort to recognize these female athletes. Let’s celebrate their achievements and make sure that their talent doesn’t go unnoticed. Skilled athletes – male and female alike – deserve to have their moments of triumph. Let’s make that happen. ▪

wnba.com

Indiana Fever Forward Tamika Catchings is a nine-time AllStar, the 2011 Most Valuable Player, and the 2012 Finals Most Valuable Player.

Dance Classes for All Ages Sign Up Now!

MISSION DANCE & PERFORMING

ARTS

Your neighborhood dance studio since 1978

Beginner Dance Classes for Teens

Hip-Hop • Tues. 6:30, Thurs. 7:30

& Sat. 1:30 Zumba • Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 A.M. & Sat. 10:30 A.M. Jazz • Fridays 5:30 Lyrical • Fridays 6:30 Ballet • Friday 4:30 MISSION DANCE & B-boy/B-girl • Wednesday 6:30 PERFORMING ARTS Tumble, Stretch, & Strength • Thurs. 6:30 42068 Osgood Rd. Now is the time to join!

Fremont, CA 94539 Also classes for experienced dancers in Jazz,

(510) 651-2783

FREE SHOES

Hip-Hop, Ballet, Tap and Lyrical

www.missiondancefremont.com with two consecutive months enrollment and registration fee for ages 3-5.

New students only!

www.thesmokesignal.org

mina dong

si

ty

kerri zhang

willis wang

swata gade Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Lin Dan

Austin zuo

jack yu

In its second installment of the Freshmen Varsity Athletes series, the Smoke Signal showcases the budding talent present in spring athletes. Sports featured include Baseball, Softball, Boys’ Golf, Boys’ Volleyball, Boys’ & Girls’ Swimming, Badminton, and Boys’ Tennis. Read on to find out more about these freshmen who do not shy away from a challenge!

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Lee Chong Wei

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Saina Nehwal

Badminton Role Model: Teammate Howard Tay

danice long

By Harshita Gupta, Chakshu Hurria & Hanson Wang Staff Writers Badminton Role Model: Coach Halim Haryanto

Golf Role Model: Golf player Jordan Spieth

Tennis Role Model: Tennis player Roger Federer

Golf Role Model: Golf player Jordan Spieth

montgomery hirsch

Ethan Chen

Cindy yuan

shrey vasavada

Golf Role Model: Golf player Tiger Woods

rian ta

Baseball Role Model: Baseball player Brandon Phillips

Badminton Role Model: Coach Ambrish Batheja

christopher casipit Rohan dalal

sean li

Hannah scherer

Agnes Zhou Track and Field Role Model: Badminton player Akane Yamguchi

carleen li

robert chen

es

et

Kayla Fibrow

Lorin moyer Softball Role Model: Baseball player Brandon Crawford

Felisha li

howard tay

Eric li

en

Badminton Role Model: Coach Liu

Softball Role Model: Teammate Alia Monges

Softball Role Model: Track and Field athlete Maddie Merriam

Track and Field Role Model: Soccer player Clint Dempsey

upasana mustafi

Swimming Role Model: Coach Mark Carter

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Raju Rai

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Lee Chong Wei

hl

Swimming Role Model: Swimmer Nathan Adrian

Friday, May 1, 2015

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Raju Rai

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Lee Chong Wei

At

wynne zheng

Clarissa kung

Softball Role Model: MSJ Softball Alumna Jazmin Moyer

m

melody lin

dante tanjuatco

Swimming Role Model: Brother Nicholas Kung (c/o 2014)

andrew nguyen

Swimming Role Model: Teammate Christopher Ha

Spring Badminton Role Model: Badminton teammate Sean Li

Badminton Role Model: Badminton player Lee Chong Wei

h es fr

Albert li Swimming Role Model: Upperclassmen on swim team

Volleyball Role Model: Volleyball player Dmitriy Muserskiy

Swimming Role Model: Swimmer Michael Phelps

Swimming Role Model: None

The Smoke Signal

brandon Lam

mars lu Swimming Role Model: Swimmer Ian Thorpe

Va r

22 Sports

photos by staff writers harshita gupta, chakshu hurria & hanson wang, clker.com

Friday, May 1, 2015

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Photo 23

photos by staff writers pratham gupta & didi wu

24 Special

www.thesmokesignal.org

American brass player and MSJ Alumnus Mic Gillette (Class of 1969) is a world-renowned musician and former trumpeter for Tower of Power.

Smoke Signal: When and how did you first get involved with your musical career?

Mic Gillette: I am probably most well known for my many years as one of the founders and horn section leader from a group called the Tower of Power, a band that originated in Fremont.

Smoke Signal: What are you working on right now?

Walt Buteau: I just wrapped up covering the “verdict watch” for the Aaron Hernandez case. I’d been chasing documents tied to that investigation for two years so it was great to see the outcome.

MIC GILLETTE

Smoke Signal: Did you initially consider acting as a viable career option, or is it something that came unexpectedly? Did your community and family encourage you towards the performing arts?

Meera Kumbhani: I came from a family of scientists. The idea that I could pursue a career that has no standard trajectory or roadmap seemed ludicrous, both to myself and my family.

So, at first, it was really hard for me to take that chance, that leap of faith.

meera kumbhani

Smoke Signal: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?

Natali Morris: I went to the White House last year to interview the Vice President.

That was thrilling for me! I’ve also had the opportunity to travel quite a lot for work to several countries. These are big experiences for a small girl from Fremont and I am always grateful for them. It is never lost on me how lucky I am to have stumbled upon this career.

natali morris

Real estate broker and MSJ alumnus Manuel Gallegus (Class of 1981) is a former CBS News correspondent who was also associated with KRON-TV in San Francisco.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Reporter and MSJ Alumnus Walt Buteau (Class of 1980) is an investigative reporter at WPRI-TV in Providence, Rhode Island. Buteau has won several Associated Press awards as well as a pair of EMMY awards.

TV actress and MSJ Alumna Meera Kumbhani (Class of 2000) stars on the Fox TV Show Weird Loners. After attending MSJ she went to UC Berkeley, studying both theater and neurobiology, and proceeded to Columbia University in New York City to get a Master of Fine Arts in acting.

Technology news journalist and MSJ Alumna Natali Morris (Class of 1996) is an online media personality who has written for a variety of publications, such as the San Francisco Examiner, PC Magazine, CNET, and CBS. She is currently a freelance contributor to CNBC, CNBC.com and the TODAY Show.

The Smoke Signal

TV journalist and MSJ Alumnus Kevin Wing (Class of 1981) is the San Francisco Bay Area Producer for ABC’s Good Morning America. In 2013, Wing received the Governors’ Service Medallion from NATAS’ San Francisco/Northern California Chapter for public service, and was inducted into its Silver Circle for his career contributions to Bay Area television.

walt buteau

Smoke Signal: What would you say to your high school self ?

Kevin Wing: I’d tell my younger self to study harder, and don’t think you’re going to coast through school, because you’re not. I’d say that it’s not always going to be easy when it comes to a career in TV, so don’t think once you’re in, you’re in. The business is a very tough, competitive business; you really have to know what you’re doing and you really have to be knowledgeable about the world. I would say, start thinking about this at 16, 17 or 18, and be prepared for what’s to come.

ALUMNI interviews

kevin wing

The Smoke Signal reached out to notable alumni to speak with them about their experiences in high school and beyond. Read some of the highlights from each interview, and find full interviews at www.thesmokesignal.org.

American San writer, Dianimator, ego and MSJ alumState Aztecs nus Don HertzCoach and MSJ feldt (Class of 1994) Alumnus Lev Kiru shner (Class of 1987) is an Academy-Award aW is the head coach for the ecc b nominated filmmaker e &R San Diego State University a t p who has received over 200 u rs men’s soccer team. ita G aff Write h s awards for his films, which r St y Ha B have been presented around Smoke Signal: When and how did the world. Hertzfeldt is the only you first get involved with your coaching career? filmmaker to have won the Sundance Lev Kirshner: I still wanted to pursue playing Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Short professional soccer after college, so I took an assistant Film twice, and has had seven of his films position with Harold Whittemore at Ohlone College. Bacompete at the Sundance Film Festival, setting sically, this tact was so I could kick the ball around with a a festival record. team while going to trials. The next semester, Frank Mangiola,

Smoke Signal: Did attending MSJ affect or shape you in any way?

Manuel Gallegus: Compared to where many kids grow and go to school, I was very fortunate to have gone to MSJ. Mission was pretty relaxed and still kind of country when I was there. I think I wore a plaid shirt, down jacket and Levis every day of my life.

offered the women’s head coaching position and men’s assistant at Cañada College. I found great joy working with men and women utilizing the avenue of soccer to help nurture the development of responsible, quality human beings. At that point, I changed my ambition and directed all my efforts to become a prominent coach at a major Division 1 university.

lev kirshner

Manuel gallegus

"I think the main thing I'd like to write, if it's okay to go off-script, is something to those students who are maybe a bit like me when I went to school at MSJ. There are some people in the world who really actually enjoy high school and that's great I guess, but there are other people who are really having a miserable time, even if they don't always show it.

I didn't really have many friends in high school. I had bad clothes, bad hair, bad skin. I ate alone a lot at lunch, and it's extra depressing when all the adults around you are constantly saying, ‘Enjoy it kids! These are the best years of your life! It's all gonna be uphill from here!’ And you think, ‘My god, you can't possibly be serious...’ and it makes you start to genuinely wonder if there's just something wrong with you. So to any students who can relate to any of what I'm writing about, please know that life gets better. It really does get better after this. Stick through these years, do your best, tough it out, and I promise you that it gets better.”

don hertzfeldt photos courtesy manuel gallegus, mic gillette, lev kirshner, kevin wing, boston.com, imdb.com, wpri.com, coverage led by staff writers grace dong & hairol ma, layout by sports editors arti patankar & abigail wong