MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
VOL. 50, NO. 6
February 27, 2015
41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
Counselors Expand Dialogue on Mental Health
AP Contract Implementation
Guest speaker focuses on mental health at presentation on parent night
Contracts to be added to all registration packets By Amrith Krishnan Staff Writer Following the example of other local high schools, the administrative board of MSJ has recently decided to implement an AP contract system when registration packets come out in March. These AP contracts are being used in the hopes of decreasing course overload, making students think twice before signing up for rigorous schedules, and subsequently lowering class dropout rates. The AP contracts consist of a single sheet of paper added to all registration packets requesting a list of all the weighted classes that a student is taking during his or her following year in high school. Students and their parents will read through a list of responsibilities they will have once they are enrolled in AP classes, and the challenges that come with any weighted course.
“It’s not just about the contract and about AP’s, but also [about] breaking misconceptions about college…[students] just get more stressed if everyone else is taking four or five weighted classes.”
-Jeff Evans, Assistant Principal
These AP contracts serve as another stop sign on the downhill slope of taking an overloaded schedule. They encourage both students and parents to stop and think about whether they are going to be able to handle their coursework and lead balanced lifestyles with their scheduled number of AP classes. When course schedules become unmanageable, counselors have to deal with large numbers of students attempting to drop their AP classes with no free space in other classes to move these students into. “It’s not just about the contract and about AP’s, but also [about] breaking misconceptions about college…students are compared to their peers, and they just get more stressed if everyone else is taking four or five weighted classes,” Assistant Principal Jeff Evans says. At MSJ, many students take challenging schedules as a result of no limit or cap on the maximum number of AP’s they can take per year. According to Evans, when colleges look at students and compare them to their peers, they see that the relative competitiveness of the school is very high due to the high average number of weighted classes taken.
See AP NEWS Page 2
staff writer apoorva rajanala
Counselors (left photo) and clinical psychologist Helen Hsu (right photo) speak at the freshman parent night.
By Apoorva Rajanala Staff Writer In their efforts to promote mental health at MSJ, counselors invited clinical psychologist Dr. Helen Hsu to speak at the incoming freshmen’s parent night on February 12. With more awareness at school and at home, MSJ students can stay happier and healthier on a regular basis. The counselor team and other professionals believe that early education is key, especially when it comes to mental health. Previously, these nights focused on the academic aspects of the next year, but this year the focus will also emphasize the importance of mental health, particularly that of mental health during the adolescent years. Coming from the City of Fremont Youth & Family Services, Hsu has been working with adolescents for 17 years.
Her office handles child and family counseling, school-based counseling at 19 FUSD schools, services in conjunction with the police department, and intervention for alcohol or drugs. Hsu stated that mental illness is much more common than we would expect. One in four Americans have a close relative that will suffer from mental illness; this statement came as a surprise to most of the parents and attendees. Hsu explained that these illnesses tend to hit people during the most productive years of their lives, 16 to 25 years of age. Because a teenager’s frontal lobe—responsible for judgment, comprehension of consequences, and thinking ahead—develops last, the decisions that teenagers take can be detrimental to their health. However, with the correct education and stigma reduction, students can easily become successful, both mentally and physically.
Almost all health risks that students face are preventable, and the first step in the right direction is raising awareness. The top concerns for parents of teens include: academic performance, bullying, peer pressure, relationships and sexuality, substance use, and mental health. Parents were given a tip sheet that highlighted trigger points and educated parents about when to take immediate action. Hsu went into detail with examples of two young students and the outcomes that varied depending on when and how the teens received the appropriate attention and treatment. The last point that Hsu discussed was communication, mainly between parents and students. She pushed parents to open their ears
See HEALTH NEWS Page 2
MSJ Constitution Changes Proposed Amendments to change school mascot, club fund management policy By Andrew Choi Staff Writer MSJ ASB is proposing two new amendments to the MSJ Constitution regarding the school’s official mascot and regulation processes for inactive clubs. The ASB Cabinet, which includes all the ASB and class officers, unanimously passed the changes on February 8 and ASB Leadership Council voted to pass the amendments on February 11. A two-thirds majority vote was required in both votes for the amendments to go to a school-wide vote, which is scheduled to occur on Thursday, March 12. The amendments were first suggested by the school’s auditor when he noted that the MSJ Constitution does not specify what happens to clubs’ funds once clubs are dissolved or become inactive. ASB President Dustin Chiang said, “Very often, clubs lose interest among the student body and es-
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Students vote on sending the Constitutional amendments to a schoolwide vote.
sentially become inactive, but what happens to the club’s money once it became inactive was extremely vague.” Chiang also noted that the last time amendments were made to the Constitution was in 2005. The auditor recommended that ASB make changes based on the Associated Student Body Accounting Manual, published by the California School Informa-
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Take a look at the coverage of the Rockstar Energy World Tour performance in San Francisco, featuring Sleeping with Sirens and Pierce the Veil. today
MSJ will be holding its annual Boosters Club crab feed on Saturday, February 28 in the gym from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. today
tion Services (CSIS). The manual states: “All student club and trust accounts are part of the general ASB, so if a club becomes inactive, the funds should be transferred to the general ASB.” This led to ASB presenting Proposition
See AMEND NEWS Page 2
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AP| Contracts
Prize money to go towards touchscreen monitors, speaker system
As a result, students take more AP classes to match the schedules of their peers. While this can sometimes lead to positive competition, it can also lead to stress, depression, and anxiety. According to Evans, the “norm” for the amount of weighted classes to be taken per year is influenced by the expectations of their parents and peers for them to perform by taking harder courses. “Students need to comprehend the collegiate level of the courses they are about to take and the work that comes with any AP class,” says Evans. The counselors and administra-
“Students need to comprehend the collegiate level of the courses they are about to take and the work that comes with any AP class.” -Jeff Evans, Assistant Principal tors also hope that the contracts will help students think twice about their schedules and understand that unwise course decisions can potentially entail stress and academic overload. Evans hopes that, “the contracts will help students make choices about life decisions that aren’t just related to school.” The AP contracts’ goals of promoting higher scores, decreasing competitiveness, and having a more balanced day-to-day schedule will be tested in the upcoming months as rising students determine the difficulty of the courses they will be taking next year. ▪
AMEND| Changes continued from page 1
2, which states: “Add the following text to Article V, Section 5 of the Constitution: ‘G. If a club becomes inactive, the funds from that club account shall be immediately transferred to the A.S.B. General account. An inactive club shall be defined as any club that has been dissolved per the A.S.B. Club By-laws.’” Chiang and Leadership Advisor Benny Breazeale decided to propose the idea of officially changing the school’s mascot to the Warriors since there were changes being made to the Constitution anyway. MSJ’s
“This change can help clear things up...and makes sense considering that we have ‘MSJ Warriors’ put up in many places throughout our campus.”
-Sophomore Anthony Chen,
mascot had been the Indian Warriors originally but was changed to the Peaks in 2005 due to concerns about the name being offensive toward Native American groups.
News Page 2: Joseph Weinstein’s name is misspelled. Opinion Page 3: Luis Buñuel’s name is misspelled. Feature Page 6: The calendar is from www.blogilates.com. Feature Page 7: Cassey Ho’s name is misspelled. CS Page 10: Neil Pasricha’s name is misspelled. A&E Page 15: Staff Writer Santhosh Paramasivan’s name is misspelled. Sports Page 18: Ted Valentine’s name is mispelled.
Friday, February 27, 2015
MSJ Places Second in FanKave Contest
continued from page 1
corrections for the jan. 30, 2015 issue
The Smoke Signal
1.53 million points $1000 prize
MSJ
2 News
By Anand Balaji Staff Writer MSJ finished in second place in a fundraising competition sponsored by the social media and sports app FanKave. The competition, which ended February 1, was between 12 local high schools for cash prizes based on the number of times students at the respective schools downloaded and used the application. MSJ won $1,000 for coming in at second place. The competition first started on Oct. 15, 2014 as a promotional event for the FanKave app, which connects friends through sports and includes articles, quizzes, game updates, and predictions. Students earned 500 points for their school by downloading the app, 50 points for inviting friends, 10 points for posting through the app, and 2 points for every
“My committee and I are very happy that we were able to lead our school in this competition and we are extremely thankful to everyone who downloaded the app and helped support our school.” -Senior Sanil Gupta, L2 Fundraising Committee Head
message sent through a “Kave” (FanKave’s messaging system). To raise awareness about the fundraising effort, L2 frequently made announcements in the morning bulletin, during reading period, and on Facebook to encourHowever, the Peaks mascot never caught on with the student body and MSJ has maintained the use of the name Warriors, without the Indian affiliation, even though the MSJ mascot is officially the Peaks. ASB therefore presented Proposition 1, which states: “Amend Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution to read: ‘The mascot of this organization shall be the Warriors.’” At present, it reads as follows and this text would be removed if Proposition 1 takes effect: “The mascot of this organization shall be a Peak. Though, keeping in mind that the name ‘Warrior’ is still in use and that the students shall be known familiarly as the ‘Warriors.’ The peak serves as an image to place words such as ‘Mission San Jose High School’, M.S.J., or ‘Warriors’ against.” Many students were surprised that MSJ’s official mascot is not currently the Warriors. “Honestly, our previous mascot was relatively unknown if not confusing,” said Sophomore Anthony Chen. “This change can help clear things up and start over so that everyone on campus and in our league will actually know who we are. It also makes sense considering that we have ‘MSJ Warriors’ put up in many places throughout our campus.”
2 touchscreen monitors
improving speaker system
$600
$400
images.google.com
age students to download and share the app. Although MSJ had the most FanKave downloads (300 more than the first place winner), William C. Overfelt High School won the contest with 2.06 million points to MSJ’s 1.53 million because of how frequently their students used the app once they had downloaded it. The next runner up, San Leandro High School, had 375,000 points. Senior Sanil Gupta is the head of L2’s Fundraising Committee and led the effort to encourage MSJ students to participate in the FanKave contest. According to Gupta, $400 of the $1000 that MSJ won from the competition will be used towards purchasing two touchscreen monitors for the student store to help expedite purchases and keep inventory. The remaining $600 will go towards improving the school’s speaker system, a project L2 Junior Iris Lin, however, did not think that the proposed amendments would have that large of an impact. “Considering that most people didn’t even know we were the Peaks, I don’t think it makes too much of a difference.”
“Very often, clubs lose interest among the student body and essentially become inactive, but what happens to the club’s money once it became inactive was extremely vague.” -Senior Dustin Chiang, ASB President Students can expect a school-wide vote on March 12, during read. Chiang said that ASB would schedule the voting during read to limit the amount of distractions the vote may cause. A two-thirds majority vote in the school-wide election would make the amendments effective. ▪ Per Article VIII, Section 1 of the MSJ Constitution, amendments to the MSJ Constitution must be printed in the Smoke Signal prior to a schoolwide vote.
has been working on for the past year. When asked about the overall fundraising experience, Gupta said, “My committee and I are very happy that we were able to lead our school in this competition and we are extremely thankful to everyone who downloaded the app and helped support our school. Even though we are disappointed with the results, we are proud to see MSJ join together and we look forward to organizing more super fun fundraisers in the future.” Leadership Advisor Ben Breazeale also had a positive outlook after the results, saying, “The Committee did an outstanding job and persevered even on the days when they weren’t getting a big response from the school. Hopes were high and they demonstrated a continued effort throughout, but unfortunately we fell a bit short.” ▪
HEALTH| Speakers continued from page 1
and provide support for their children so that they can create and maintain healthy relationships. One of the most supported and proven ways of preventing mental illness is through a strong support system, which parents can create for their children at home. Throughout the presentation at parent night, Hsu reiterated the fact that students and families have certain rights and various support and treatment options if needed. The City of Fremont provides call and text hotlines for teens to reach out, and the Human Services Department continue to provide support, counseling, and treatment for families and teenagers who are suffering from mental illness. The counselor department was happy with the presentation and the response it received from parents. “We are reaching out into the community to learn more about what we can do to help, and hopefully we are able to spread that awareness to the rest of the MSJ population,” said Counselor Lindsay Rotter. The next parent night is on March 5, where incoming students and their parents can attend a presentation from EMQ FamiliesFirst, an organization that focuses on family health. ▪
NEWS IN
brief
Compiled by Staff Writers Brian Tseng, Monica Tang & Kylie Cheung
japantimes.co.jp Figure skater Polina Edmunds competes in the free skate at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
Polina Edmunds wins gold
San Jose’s Polina Edmunds won gold at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on February 15. Skating to “Tinker Bell” by James Newton Howard, the 16-year-old Olympian finished with 184.02 points, beating Satoko Miyahara’s 181.59 points and Rika Hongo’s 177.44 points. “Coming into this I wanted to skate well because I knew it was a great opportunity for me to gain momentum,” Edmunds said. “I’m happy I was awarded the gold medal for it.”
cnet.com President Obama speaks at cybersecurity summit at Stanford.
White House creates new division focusing on Cyber Intelligence President Obama signed a cybersecurity executive order on February 13 at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University. The order promotes sharing of cyber threat information between the federal government and private sector. The White House also created a new division of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence called the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, which will collect intelligence from existing government agencies in the case of a cyber crisis.
thestar.com Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s inauguration ceremony was attended by thousands of supporters.
Croatia’s first female president is sworn in Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the first Croatian female sworn in as Croatian president, began her five-year mandate on February 15 at St. Mark’s Square in the capital city of Zagreb. After taking the sacred oath, Grabar-Kitarović signed the presidential oath and received the presidential ceremonial sash. She said in her inaugural address that she will do her best to make Croatia a better and more prosperous country to live in.
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MSJ Students Create Signaling Device for FUSD Students engineer $70 solution to $27,000 problem By Iyesha Puri Staff Writer Sophomores Katherine Xiang and Valerie Choung, Juniors Alan Shen and Austin Wu, and Senior Kevin Zeng recently created a device that provides FUSD Board members with a simple signaling/ voting system, allowing the President to gather the entire board’s vote at once rather than individually. FUSD school board members aim to establish a vision for the community’s schools that reflects a consensus of the board, community, and district staff. At the FUSD district office, each topic of discussion ends with Board President Desrie Campbell, asking each individual Board member a series of questions related to the topic. At each meeting, Board members cover a large number of topics,
“Even in the past few weeks, we’ve still been facing some issues with the system malfunctioning, but we’ve definitely learned alot.” -Senior Kevin Zeng each with many points of discussion. The new signaling system composed of five buzzers and one central node allows all members to respond at once. The central node has five LED lights that indicate whether each light’s corresponding buzzer has been pressed and a reset button that turns all lights off. Each buzzer acts independently of the others, so it is
courtesy senior kevin zeng
Left photo: (From left to right) Principal Zack Larsen, Junior Alan Shen, Senior Kevin Zeng, Sophomores Katherine Xiang and Valerie Choung, and FUSD Superintendent James Morris pose at the FUSD office (not pictured: Junior Austin Wu). Top right photo: The team works on the device. Bottom right photo: The signaling device.
possible for all 5 LEDs to be lit at the same time (as opposed to Jeopardy-style buzzers, which allow for only one to be lit at a time). “I think really in the beginning we really had a rough start: we faced problems but we didn’t have enough people nor a solid foundation in electrical engineering,” said Zeng. “So, in the beginning we built a lot of prototypes to get a feel of how building the rest of the system would work. Even in the past few weeks, we’ve still been facing some issues with the system malfunctioning, but we’ve definitely learned a lot and the fact that the district has been really supportive about all our
efforts really motivated us to keep on going along with our curiosity and enjoyment of engineering pursuit.”
“...the fact that the district has been really supportive of our efforts really motivated us to keep going along with our curiosity and enjoyment of engineering pursuit.” -Senior Kevin Zeng After finding a contractor willing to install a similar system for close to $27,000, Board members and Superintendent
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James Morris were ecstatic to see MSJ students build a solution to the recurring problem for just $70. This team of students has been going to the district office for several days to install the system; it was intended to be used at the Board meeting on February 11. While setting up, however, the team ran into problems with mounting the buttons in the tables, and so the system has not been put to use yet. With a solution in mind, the team plans to go back to the district office and hopefully have the system ready for the next meeting. ▪
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Opinion 5
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Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 50, No. 6 | February 27, 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
At the start of a new quarter in third grade, the new seating chart didn’t go over well. My teacher had arranged the desks into groups of five, with each group labelled after a different college to get us thinking ahead about our Tech Santhosh Paramasivan, Peter Qiu futures. I was assigned to the Ohlone Business Anand Balaji group. We were complete losers, as the Circulation Hairol Ma Ads Grace Dong, Madeline Zheng Stanford kids were quick to inform us. Events Tanvi Raja, Apoorva Rajanala The New York Times published an article earlier this month, “Is Your Writers & Photographers First Grader College Ready?”, which Andrew Chen, Kylie Cheung, Sarina Chitre, describes the growing popularity of Andrew Choi, Sayan Ghosh, Purvi Goel, early college awareness curricula in Harshita Gupta, Pratham Gupta, Chakshu Hurria, Amrith Krishnan, Ansh Patel, Gelsey American elementary schools. In a Plaza, Iyesha Puri, Deeksha Raina, Rishab rising number of schools, students Ramapriyan, Shivane Sabharwal, Neha are led to assert their dream colleges, Shah, Ruiwen Shen, Annie Tang, Monica Tang, Brian Tseng, Hanson Wang, Didi Wu, work on mock applications, and Rebecca Wu even attend campus tours. As Laura Pappano wrote about a student trip Adviser Sandra Cohen to the University of Maryland, “By Send letters to the editors to opinion@the lunchtime, having rubbed the mascot smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words Testudo’s nose for good luck (twice!) may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliaand piled their cafeteria trays with tion. The Smoke Signal reserves the right chicken fingers, fries and pizza slices, to edit for clarity and length. students were sold. David Oladimejij, The Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of 11, plans to attend. ‘At first I wanted to speech and press is protected by the First go to Harvard,’ he said, ‘In the news I Amendment of the Constitution. heard that Harvard is the best college, but I think Maryland is the best.’” The idea behind the movement To advertise in the Smoke Signal, is simple: motivate kids to picture e-mail ads@thesmokesignal.org. Advertising that is included on the themselves at college, so they’ll want to pages of, or carried within, the Smoke work hard and plan ahead to get there. Signal, is paid advertising, and as This is especially important for students such is independent of the news and feature content. from low-income backgrounds who need all the encouragement
they can get. My issue isn’t that earlier college awareness is bad; it’s the way kids are being “informed.” College is far from being the “X” on the map or the end of the rainbow, but it’s tempting for us high school students to believe that, let alone elementary schoolers. Many groups, like the Alliance for Childhood, also argue against the added pressure of choosing a dream school (or college over another path) too early. It’s the universal question of whether to let us wander or to map out our paths for us. My parents and I recently had a talk about financial aid and affording college. We ended up talking about how I should maximize my return on investment and get the most that I can out of my college experience. Elementary school students, regardless of background or income, likely don’t understand that the return from going to college can’t be measured by money or ranking. At the end of the day, many of these premature college prep activities try to tell students what to think, not how to think. If I could go back to third grade and tell my slightly sillier self that I don’t even end up applying to any Ivy League schools, I think she would have been disappointed. But I’m not. The bottom line is what we’ve probably heard many times by now: we shouldn’t think that going to college makes us successful – it’s what we do there that really empowers us to define and reach our own idea of success. ▪
By Alice Cheng Opinion Editor
A few weeks ago, upon watching me buried in books and information the weekend before finals, my dad decided to disclose the brilliant tactics he used in high school to study for semester finals. He told me that every weekend, he would go over to his high school library in Shanghai, grab any seemingly-interesting book, and spend the afternoon reading for the sheer joy of reading because #YOLO. Who needed textbooks when you had Chinese translations of Robinson Crusoe, The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights, and The Hound of the Baskervilles? Brushing off my dad’s anecdote, I simply plodded on with my studying, but little did I realize that he got one thing right: leisure reading is valuable. While he spent his free time with books, we spend ours with our textbooks, laptops, cell phones, and television. When we, as students, are not obligated to read books for school, we rarely seek material for leisure reading. In fact, only 20.6 percent of 198 MSJ students read over ten books for leisure last year (throwback to last issue’s “MSJ Arts & Entertainment: By the Numbers”). According to a Huffington Post poll that asked 1000 people in the U.S. about their reading habits, 28 percent did not read a book for pleasure over the past year. For students, it’s certainly difficult to juggle academics, extracurricular activities, and still find time for leisure reading, but at what point does lack of outside reading indicate
apathy for knowledge and imagination rather than simply a busy schedule? Besides the obvious benefits of leisure reading, such as increased reading comprehension and vocabulary usage, leisure reading empowers us differently than the functional reading we have to do for school. It makes us think about a topic we enjoy and shapes our imaginations, identity, and day-to-day actions based on the characters who influence us. According to Imagery and Text: A Dual Coding Theory of Reading and Writing by Allan Paivio and Mark Sadoski, leisure readers build mental models and engage in more mental imagery than non-leisure readers. We learn to be thinkers, to interpret things on our own -- independent of the book analysis by our peers and teachers, and to focus on how we imagine the setting, the people, and the plot. Instead of being told what a character or setting looks like, as with television, we test the limits of our imagination by filling in the intricate details and description with what we read. If we only read books that other students are reading, we can only think the way others are thinking, causing the uniqueness of our thoughts to diminish. Of course, there’s no way to enforce leisure reading; instead, we just have to understand that our literacy is an advantage and that we should use it to discover more, to expand our imagination, and to explore our beliefs through stories. A propensity to indulge ourselves in books indicates our eagerness to learn, and books are a tool to help us think outside the scope of school curriculum. ▪
The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board
Editorial: Hills Over Houses Like all schools, our school is dynamic. There will always be incoming freshmen and graduating seniors, new teachers and retiring administrators. The only thing that remains constant is our backdrop: the rolling hills colored golden in summer, green in winter, and dotted with cows all year round. Remarks about erosion aside, these hills are undeniably a symbol of MSJ. The Fremont City Planning Commission recently recommended to the City Council the Dias Residential Project, a housing project that would add 20 houses on the hills above Mission Boulevard. In 2002, voters approved a measure to preserve the hills by restricting construction to below the toe of the hill – generally regarded as when the hill gradient gets to 20 percent. However, the proposed two-story houses for this project are to be built on 4.5 acres of land above the toe of the hill currently zoned as open space with an agricultural contract. The City Council will decide whether or not to approve this project and add any modifications. One issue with this development is that it sets a poor precedent for future housing projects. If measures approved by voters in the past can be so easily overturned, what’s to stop contractors from building more and more houses above the toe of the hill? The same point can be made regarding noise, traffic, and population. One decibel of sound from multiple housing projects can quickly add up, an average of two cars per household can steadily increase traffic congestion, and overcrowding in schools may become an imminent problem. The population growth in Fremont during the last 50 years has also resulted in an influx of students to its five public high schools. Four of those five high schools have at least 1500 students, and MSJ has consistently had over 2000 students. There is already a new street of two-story houses
under construction on Palm Avenue, and the addition of students from 20 new households would put more strain on teachers, counselors, and administrators. With less resources available per student, the quality of individual education would decrease and the threat of overcrowding is likely to cause certain residential areas to be rezoned to different schools. Many of the residents who attended the Planning Commission also voiced their concerns regarding possible consequences of the Dias Residential Project, which include school relocation, traffic, noise, and aesthetics. The representative from the project planning committee said that school assignments have already been made, and that the houses are zoned as part of the Chadbourne Elementary School area for the time being. He also stated that the development would have no significant impact on traffic and only add one decibel of sound. Financially, the Dias Residential Project is expected to greatly benefit the city of Fremont. While the Dias Residential Project can considerably help the Fremont economy, the end result is that there are fewer open hill spaces to enjoy, higher risk of overcrowding in schools, and more traffic and noise. As city council members prepare to make their decision, they should consider whether the financial profits really override residential and student comfort and quality of education. And as residents and community members, we are stakeholders as well. It is up to us to take action by calling city council members, writing them, or speaking at the City Council meeting. The hearing will take place at 7 PM on March 3 in the Fremont City Hall. The Fremont City Council contact information can be found at www.ourfremont.com/contacts.html. ▪
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News Legitimacy By Peter Qiu & Monica Tang Staff Writers
Would you rather support illegal aliens or undocumented workers? Likely the latter, and the media knows it. While the media strives to be neutral, some sources, whether popular or obscure, will inevitably contain bias in one way or another. As MSJ Librarian and FUSD District Librarian Maile Ferreira, who recently gave a talk on bias and misrepresentation, said, “Bias is not bad, necessarily, but knowing that it is there is important. You have to ask yourself, ‘What is behind the news agency, what is their agenda?’...Whatever you read, always question it.” Rather than impulsively labeling everything as true, we must distinguish between partial and impartial sources to prevent from belittling or having a slanted view of an important issue. However, since our generation tends to be more disconnected from politics and the news in general, we may struggle to determine what sources to trust, and as a result, shun the media entirely.
After his recent State of the Union address, President Obama attempted to bridge this gap between the happenings at the White House and the to-be voters by sitting down for an interview on January 22 with three YouTube stars: makeup artist Bethany Mota, video blogger Hank Green, and comedian GloZell Green. However, the interview received a lot of backlash from the media because of, ironically, its potential for bias. As The Washington Times wrote, “...members of the press expressed unhappiness with Mr. Obama’s seeming dodge of the tough questions they could fire in favor of a softball sit-down, question-answer session.” Even during the interview, Hank Green requested an autograph from President Obama after thanking him for Obamacare, and Bethany Mota admitted that she did not previously follow politics very often. With no follow-up questions or challenges to any of President Obama’s statements, the interview could have easily turned into a public relations campaign. But it didn’t, suggesting that social media can potentially be a viable news source. Despite the interviewers’ unprofessional backgrounds, the questions they posed were unexpectedly candid and reflected Americans’ concerns. For example, GloZell Green asked, “How can we bridge the gap between African-American males and white cops?”, and Hank Green expressed the public’s doubts that none of what President Obama claimed in his State of the Union address was feasible. Therefore, we can conclude that simply because the interview was not conducted in a traditional manner, does not signify that it is invalid—but of course, that doesn’t mean that all news on social media is legitimate. We live in an age where social media puts the world at our fingertips, and it’s hard to ever feel truly separated from the world and all its news. MSJ students are no different, as the graph shown depicts a heavy reliance on social media for news. Lightning-fast communication brings
Friday, February 27, 2015
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a new meaning to “news spreading faster than wildfire,” as features such as Facebook’s “Trending” section and hashtags keep users constantly updated. But this flood of information, while great for a brief overview of current news, contains a large amount of bias. Much of what a user sees is what their family and friends choose to publish, and this filter injects their personal opinions into the news. Combined with “clickbait” articles that try to generate traffic instead of honestly reporting the news, social media should be used to accompany multiple news websites instead of replacing them.
If you do read the news, which of the following do you read most often? other 15.1%
Yah o
oN
New
ews
21.
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9%
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News networks today have been quick to adapt to online platforms, with mobile apps and social media pages maintaining a strong presence in a rapidly changing reporting environment. However, falling profit from actual newspapers forces networks to resort to online advertising by creating traffic through outrageous headlines, stories with sections omitted, and patterns of stories published only for popularity’s sake. The Huffington Post has been accused of using this “clickbait,” and traces of it can be found in Yahoo News as well – think BuzzFeed articles used for current news. MSJ students should be wary of these types of articles because according to the survey, of the students who read the news, many read Yahoo or Huffington Post. Other stories are exaggerated to draw in readers. Look at the dozens of headlines from ABC, NBC, and CBS that called California’s drought “the worst on record” before squeezing in a few controversial, traffic-generating articles that said there really was no drought. Perhaps the worst offense to news is actually created by social media’s rise: a heavily constricted reporting window. As Ferreira said, “Sometimes things are rushed to print without the whole story, so you have to ask those questions about the source, what their agenda is, and is the whole story there or are there questions that are unanswered.” In the race to cover breaking news, stories are often incomplete, poorly written, or contain the writer’s opinion in order to patch up the unknown. Ferguson was a prime example of journalists racing to be social justice warriors before the grand jury finished deliberating and the evidence was ever released. The resulting fallout that turned into anti-police demonstrations, a race war, and an allaround mess would not have reached that scale if the media had published stories with a bit more caution. Social media and news can become a powerful combination as long as one does not overtake the other. Although social media’s convenience floods us with information, there’s often no better way to stay updated with current events, and along with dozens of news websites, sifting through the pieces becomes crucial to understanding multiple perspectives. With a good eye and a bit of common sense, identifying the hastily written from the well-thought-out becomes simple, and a strong, informed opinion forms naturally. ▪
stop to form your own opinion 42.5%
After reading a news article, you...
read over other people’s opinions 41.1% believe it to be true and move on 16.4%
*Conducted as an online survey posted in the MSJHS 2014-2015 Facebook group; received 73 total responses
na Jo
.2%
images.google.com
10 “Success is reaching the point in your life when you hate weekends and look forward to Mondays.”
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C
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t i n e H s u , 11
“Success is defined as pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to accomplish your goals. It is also working as hard as you can to achieve a state of happiness in your life.”
“Success is when you’re completely satisfied with where you are and what you’re doing and all. But I don’t know if you can ever reach that point in life because you’re always wanting more for yourself, so maybe you only reach true success when you’re about to die and you think ‘my life was pretty good.’”
an An
t H a r i, 1
2
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“I define my successes as failures. There is no such thing as a difference between the two. It’s how you interpret events in your lives that counts. You can take failures and treat them as the end of the world, or you can treat them as successes, as you now know how you can get better as a person and what you can improve on.”
“Success is defined as figuring out what your best is and then doing better than that.”
photos by staff writers adele shen and didi wu
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
Libraries: Then and Now “I don’t think the library is threatened. Circulation of physical books has never been higher. But I wouldn’t even agree that libraries are in the book business. I think they are in the information sharing business. And it just so happens that books have been the primary method of sharing information for half a millennium,” states an individual interviewed for a Humans of New York post. Many people speculate about what the future holds for libraries, and whether they will become obsolete in this modern age. It is vital to recognize the value of libraries as sources of free-flowing information and resources that are accessible to all members of a community. Public libraries flourish out of a commitment to the principle that knowledge and access to information empower the individual. Today, though we receive information faster than ever, the essential function of the library is unchanged. The public has the right to unrestricted access to information, as this is key to informed consent. Democracy is constructed on the basic premise of well-educated populations, and libraries are created to maintain this sense of cognitive security, the reassurance that we can pursue knowledge freely. The immense amount of knowledge held within the walls of a library serves not only to empower the individual, but also to allow for the fluid expression of ideas and discourse. Maile Ferreira, MSJ Teacher Librarian and FUSD District Librarian, states, “A library is resources and a location. It’s a location for gathering and exchanging ideas, as well as collecting information. A library is not only printed resources, but digital as well. We believe in the right to read, and you have the right to learn about whatever you want to know.” In addition, she is a firm believer that a library must continue to evolve. “Take a look at our library at lunch. Is it quiet? No, it’s the opposite. But if you look, 95 percent
www.thesmokesignal.org
Opinion 7
By Sarina Chitre & Rishab Ramapriyan Staff Writers
of the students that are in here are studying, collaborating, and working in this environment, which is not the environment that would have been typical ten years ago,” Ferreira said. Sophomore Vineet Advani reaffirms the importance of libraries by stating, “In my opinion, a library has four main functions. First, a library supports literacy instruction by providing applicable resources to all students. Second, it exposes students to a variety of new novels and encourages them to read. Third, it serves as a gathering spot where students interact with each other and discuss academic related subjects. Lastly, it offers access to computers for educational/research purposes.” In the past four years, the Alameda County Library system has received backlash for discarding books in bulk. Discarded library books are offered to Friends of the Library groups, nonprofit organizations that sell used books and donate the proceeds back to the library, while unwanted books are recycled for paper. With increased funding for materials this fiscal year, managers are making room for newer books, and as a result, have been trashing older ones in mass quantities. The practice, according to many employees who had spoken with the San Francisco East Bay newspaper East Bay Express, has been rushed and haphazard, and not in line with the standard guidelines for “weeding,” the term librarians use to describe the process of moving books out of collections. Although traditionally the books would be donated or given away, the rapid pace at which the weeding is occurring has led to a large percentage of books being discarded. The Library Book Savers, a group of local activists, strongly oppose the Alameda County Library’s weeding efforts. The members demand transparency on the library’s part concerning which titles have been dispensed, and where the books ended up. Realistically, it is impossible for a library to house every single book that readers want to keep in circulation. The Alameda County Library throws out books that haven’t been circulated for three years or old medical or computer texts that have outdated information. So, is weeding a necessary task that reflects an evolving, “living library”, or has it led to a disturbing loss of knowledge contrary to its tradition of giving information to all? In this Internet age, libraries do not seem to be as appreciated as they once were in the past. Leisure reading has lost popularity, while
Netflix streaming and social media usage are on the rise. Determining where our libraries stand today in the face of rapid technological advancements can be difficult. Preserving the right to unhindered access to information at public libraries is crucial. Many individuals rely on the information available at libraries for their personal growth and education. While it is quite unrealistic to think that we can simply retain all
95% of the students that are in here are studying, collaborating, and working in this environment, which is not the environment that would have been typical ten years ago. -Maile Ferreira, MSJ Teacher Librarian and FUSD District Librarian
the books on the shelves, we should look to alternatives that allow the information to be retained while striking a balance with public interest. Libraries should continue to expand access to computers and promote the shift towards a technologically advanced society. If libraries are to fulfill their information sharing function, they must do so in every form that information takes on today. A potential solution to the dilemma at hand could be scanning and uploading publications in PDF form to a library’s website. As time progresses, physical books seem to become more and more obsolete. Through this method, works that are on their way to be donated or discarded are able to continue to live on digitally. The Alameda County Library has already taken steps to modernize by working with Bookshare and OverDrive, the site’s technology partners, to introduce the Library eBook Accessibility Program (LEAP). As long as the library continues to offer free usage of computers and the Internet, this method would serve as a resolution for the library, its patrons, and those opposed to weeding. The essential function of a library has not changed, but its means of achieving that function has evolved. There are practical solutions to maintaining the knowledge held within the walls of a library without overstocking the shelves. A balance between popular opinion and cognitive preservation must be achieved. Only then will the public library meet its overarching function of securing the fluidity of information and empowering the individual by maintaining access to information, by whatever means. ▪
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8 Advertisement
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 27, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
www.thesmokesignal.org
Feature 9
By Sayan Ghosh Staff Writer
This month, the Smoke Signal spotlighted the second MSJ alumnus to be named in the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 List: Vikrum Aiyer (class of 2003), who is the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property (a high ranking official in the Commerce Department who is appointed by the president, and who directly advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce), a department which oversees a multi-billion dollar budget and several thousands of employees. In addition, he worked for Senator Ed Markey, and serves on committees for Refugees International, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Aiyer recalls that being on the MSJ debate team developed his interest in politics. However, until his senior year at UC Berkeley, he wasn’t sure if he would end up working in the government. “What really captivated me was a keen moment towards the end of college when I started voraciously consuming political blogs & newspapers -- and realizing that sometimes when those in politics spoke in front of different audiences, they would frame the same argument, but in a multitude of ways
-- depending on who they were talking to,” he said. Afterward, he decided to pursue graduate work in the field of politics/government in Washington D.C. and received the opportunity to work for politicians. Ayer said, “…when I had the chance to contribute to a Congressman’s speeches & media strategy at 20 years old, and realized how a word alone could spur public opinion to shift, and laws to get contemplated, I was addicted and immediately drawn in.” Upon receiving such a prestigious honor, Aiyer said, “It was incredibly kind and thoughtful for Forbes to even consider me on the same wavelength as some of my peers who were listed, but you can’t also help but wonder if it was undeserved.” He also acknowledged MSJ’s contribution, saying, “MSJ had an incredibly motivating community… They [the skills he developed at MSJ] empowered me to speak up for myself and for others, and I can connect any one of those muscles that I might flex in a meeting today in Washington, D.C. back to those extracurricular activities on Mission’s campus.” Aiyer’s biggest piece of advice about pursuing careers to MSJ students is to “never stop being hungry”. He said,
“Grab any opportunity that comes your way… life won’t unfurl with a perfect plan,” but whatever opportunity that people seize will contribute to their growth “because you never know how one extra class, or one new friend, or one new experience in life will shape you or open new doors.”
photo by jason dixon, courtesy vikrum aiyer
By Purvi Goel Staff Writer
SAVE (Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments), a Fremont non-profit By Gelsey Plaza organization, works with high Staff Writer school student groups to raise awareness about dating violence and to promote healthy relationHomophobic – Threatening to “out” you to ships among youth. SAVE’s Teen people who do not know your sexual orientation. Dating Violence Program (TDVP) engages in various awareness efDestructive Acts – Actual or threatened asforts throughout the Fremont comsault of your property or pets to scare you. munity, leading presentations, events, and youth collaborations. (http://save-dv.org/what-is-abuse/) Two years ago, Alumna Praveena Fernes (Class of 2014), a volunteer at Team members went to a Fremont City SAVE, suggested that Peer Resource Council meeting to show their support advocate TDVP. It adopted the cause, for TDV awareness month. Shah, Patel, creating the StrongerTYT campaign. Hu, and Chiang were interviewed on This year, a group of students at MSJ are KTVU Channel 2 News on February continuing efforts to promote teen dating 3, where they talked about how SAVE violence awareness. Team Stronger Than has helped them learn more about You Think (STYT) includes seniors Divya TDV. Shah says, “I don’t believe Patel and Angela Hu, juniors Chelsy Simran that anyone should have to endure and Neha Shah, and sophomores Kristie emotional or physical trauma at the Chiang, Vivika Fernes, and Simran Bhullar. hands of another person. By being Team STYT meets with SAVE’s Director a member of TeamSTYT, I am of Clinical and Prevention Services, Dr. Yasi able to support the cause as well Safinya-Davies, on the first Sunday of every as educate my peers about the month to learn more about the danger and issue.” warning signs of TDV, and to discuss ways to Since February is National further promote teen dating violence awareness Teen Dating Violence Awareto family and friends. At MSJ they go to different ness and Prevention Month, classrooms every Tuesday and Thursday and quiz Team STYT will place orange students on how much they know about TDV. They hearts around the school, share statistics and help students realize the imporwhere students will have tance of understanding how dangerous and prevalent the opportunity to write teen dating violence is in society. what they think a healthy There are various forms of abuse that can take place relationship is, as well as in TDV. Here are a few examples (not limited to just what they think an unthese): healthy relationship is. To learn more about Physical– Hurting your body, including kicking, punching, SAVE’s youth proshoving, slapping, pushing, or restraining. grams, visit: http:// save-dv.org/youthEmotional – Assaulting your self-esteem. relationships/, follow SAVE on Facebook Psychological – Undermining your sense of reality and quesat https://www. tioning your rationality or decision-making, causing you to feel facebook.com/ as if you’re “going crazy.” save.dv, or Twitter at @SAVE_ Spiritual – Attacking your spiritual or religious beliefs. ComproagainstDV. mising your ability to participate in your faith or socialize with your faith community.
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10 Feature
www.thesmokesignal.org
By Hairol Ma & Madeline Zheng Staff Writers In light of many recent Valentine’s Day fiascos, the Smoke Signal has recognized a hole in our education here at MSJ. 5 Steps to a 5 might prepare you for Calculus, but where is the edition for AP Dating that you oh-soIt is desperately need? In this 5 Steps to a 5, two of the exceedingly impormost seasoned Smoke Signal gurus come dutifully tant to make sure that your date to the rescue, releasing never before seen advice knows of your impeccable style right and tips to make sure your first date goes as away. For all the macho men out there, girls smoothly as your AP tests.** love to see huge upper body muscles. If you’re worried that you aren’t swole, don’t fret. Simply browse through tops in the little boys’ section. That way, once you manage to pull on the tiny shirt, it will appear as if you have bulging muscles regardless of your true physique. Ladies, you’re constantly pushing the boundaries of fashion with cutting edge technology, such as using scissors to cut up shirts. Take it further and just distress every article of clothing you have. Upgrade your advanced tools to rarely seen products such as paper cutters to distress your shoes. Your date will immediately be impressed by your insight in fashion and your grungy hobo-chic look. It’s important for your first date to be at the perfect location. Does your date prefer to frolic through fields of wildflowers with the sun gleaming in his/her lustrous mane, or does he/she prefer spicy urban settings filled with high rise buildings and old socks on gum stained pavements? Regardless, it’s crucial to find a place where your date has never ventured. That’s why the perfect location is definitely outer space. How else will you expect your significant other to know that he/she is truly out of this world? Plus, it will take years to get back to If you Earth, and by then you will really have no idea be married. what you have in common with your date, play it safe and pick an activity that will allow you two to blossom into a full-fledged couple with shared interests and ideals on deep topics such as world peace or Kim Kardashian’s cheekbones. As Harry Potter put it, “There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.” Unfortunately, mountain trolls haven’t been discovered yet, so how about mountain lions? Take your date on a peaceful two-person bike stroll in the Sierra Nevada. While you each pedal furiously, you will learn to trust each other so the proper turns can be made and you will avoid tumbling off the mountainside. If you encounter a fierce mountain lion, charge towards the beast while the person in the front steers and the person in the back practices high kicks against the mighty foe. This teamwork will synchronize your Want a hearts together by the end of the surefire way to ensure snowy trek. that your date likes you? Shower him/her with compliments! We all know that flattery is the reigning champion of successful romantic conquest. Comment on his rippling pectorals, his razor-sharp jawline, her un-knobby kneecaps, or her sleek, luscious hair. (Don’t forget: hair includes the strands on her head, legs, and mustache area. Compliment them all.) Even better, take compliments a step farther by excelling in delivery. For each and every compliment you give, you must compile a PowerPoint presentation of minimum 20-slide length, complete with pictures, evidence, and compelling arguments to force your date to accept what you say. Just remember: no matter what, only flatter physical appearance. Personality is much Date’s too personal. nearly over, but you might have yet to make clear that you are not an ungrateful blockhead. Still, consider roses, chocolates, verbal or written notes of gratitude—that’s all too elementary. You want to end with, as Jessie, Nicki, and Ariana put it, a bang! So express your thanks in extravagance. Prior to your romantic excursion, assemble an arsenal of synonyms for “thank you.” Then head over to a tattoo parlor and have your right arm inked with all of these words to express your eternal gratefulness. Now all you have to do at the end of the date is clear your throat, roll up your sleeve, and shove your arm of appreciation into your date’s. You will undoubtedly receive a reaction of unparalleled rapture and awe. So rejoice—you’re in! This is the indisputable sign of a first date well done.
The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 27, 2015
Which
HISTORIC AMERICAN PRESIDENT Are You?
By Tanvi Raja & Hanson Wang Staff Writers
February generally comes and goes uneventfully for an MSJ student, with the highlight being the President’s Day holiday. This year, the Smoke Signal has decided to honor our nation’s finest leaders with this patriotic quiz: “Which Historic American President Are You?” What do you consider to be your greatest quality?
A) I consider myself to be independent.
B) I’m always right, no matter what.
C) My honesty.
D) My body! *flexes*
How do you use your money?
What is your greatest insecurity? A) Paying taxes D) To quote a famous doctor: “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”
B) Insecurities?!?! Psh, ain’t nobody got time fo’ that. C) Preserving the Union
You’re throwing a party. How many people do you invite?
A) Buy my father new cherry trees.
B) Put it anywhere but the bank.
A) …I hate parties…
C) Stuff my shoes with them. How do you think I’m so tall?
D) I buy the biggest stick that I can carry.
C) Some important people from the North and some important people from the South.
B) Everyone’s invited! Open invitation to the public! D) All my P.E. buddies.
Favorite Board/Card Game? A) Uno.
B) Whatever game that I choose.
C) I don’t play games; I’m all business.
D) Anything but Monopoly.
Mostly... A’s
You Got: George Washington A prime example setter, you are not afraid to show everyone how it’s done. Even though your risk-taking backfires at times, your calm persona prompts your peers to know you as innovative and a good leader. You’re simple, but focused. You possess great strength but also great restraint, two qualities which form a killer combination. You Got: Andrew Jackson A social butterfly, you love meeting and talking to new people. You know what you want and are determined to accomplish your goals through any means, whether or not they seem unscrupulous. Although you’re not very open to the ideas of others, you get the job done. Even though most of your friends are probably scared of you, you don’t need them to do well.
B’s
You Got: Abraham Lincoln Determined and calm, you know your duties as a leader and don’t hesitate to make compromises. You’re not afraid of challenges and respond to urgent situations with well thought out but timely actions. Although more defensive than proactive, your choices are well intended. People also look up to you immensely, mostly because you are so tall.
C’s
You Got: Theodore Roosevelt The embodiment of “started from the bottom now we’re here”, your success may be completely unexpected but well-earned. Following your motto, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” you don’t need to assert your dominance for others to know you’re in charge. As the jock of your friends, your swaggering attitude and charming persona lets everyone know you’re probably the coolest person in the room.
D’s
graphics by staff writer monica tang, images.google.com
graphics by feature editor megan ren, images.google.com
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
www.thesmokesignal.org
Feature 11
By Ansh Patel, Peter Qiu, Didi Wu & Rebecca Wu Staff Writers
This issue of the Smoke Signal will be bringing you the first of a two-part article on mental health at MSJ (make sure to stay tuned for the next installment in this series too.) In this spread, you will be able to look over national and worldwide statistics for mental illnesses. We hope to encourage discussion between students and staff members alike, as this is a serious topic that deserves attention. No one should have to handle a mental health problem or any other type of struggle alone, and there are resources and people available to help for those that want it.
Below are a list of resources available for various types of crisis support at any time. More can be found under the “Counselors” tab on the MSJ website. Please note that these resources are not only for yourself; if necessary, you can use them for advice on helping others in need as well.
Alameda County Teen Crisis Support Services: National Domestic Violence Hotline: A 24-hour hotline for all types of crises. A 24-hour counseling service for those (800) 309-2131 experiencing domestic violence. www.crisissupport.org www.thehotline.org 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to California Youth Crisis Line: 77054 A staff of highly-trained volunteers ready to counsel through text messages 24 hours a day. National Teen Dating Abuse: www.crisistextline.org Their website has a lot of information Text “CTL” to 741741 on healthy dating and defines various types of abuse. It also Suicide Prevention App: MY3APP.org: offers confidential, one-on-one chat MY3 is an app made for iPhones and Androids sessions to answer any questions about by Link2Health Solutions, Inc., the administra- relationship abuse and provide counseltor of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. ing if needed. It is designed to help individuals having suicidal www.loveisrespect.org sources: National Institutes of Health (NIH), teenmentalthoughts stay safe. 1-800-799-7233 (24/7) or text health.org, psychiatry.org, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevenwww.my3app.org “loveis” to 22522 tion (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), ahrq.gov graphics by feature editors megan ren and katie sun, images.google.com
12 Centerspread
www.thesmokesignal.org
The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE PURPOSE OF GSA AND HOW IS IT CURRENTLY CARRYING OUT THIS ROLE?
HOW DO YOU THINK MSJ CAN BECOME MORE ACCEPTING OF THE QUEER COMMUNITY OR CHANGE FOR THE BETTER? “Tell kids that we [membersof the LGBTQ+ community] are their friends, their neighbors, the people they eat lunch with. Chances are they know one of us and that person would appreciate their support. Make them empathize with their potentially closeted LGBTQ+ friend, not just ‘the gays’. With teachers it’s the same thing, tell them explicitly through the newspaper, in staff meetings or something. Your students may be queer. Look at your teaching methods. Are you dividing them by gender? Well you might be making them very very uncomfortable. Tell them their actions may be a huge positive or negative influence in a queer kid’s life and to act accordingly. Definitely show [queer kids] examples of successful non-straight-and-trans adults. Show them they can shine as LGBTQ+ people. Tell them they can email any of their counselors with any concerns and it’s 100% confidential.”
Friday, February 27, 2015
“To provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ kids and to raise awareness of and help current events. We go over lots of info and do really really well.”
“PEOPLE AREN’T USUALLY OUTRIGHT RUDE BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY AREN’T PREJUDICED.” “People don’t care [about the queer community] that much in my opinion. Kids throw around ‘gay’ and ‘fag’ like nobody they know will ever be LGBTQ+. Teachers divide the class on gender binaries and always talk about LGBTQ+ people as ‘they’. As if we are some special group of people. As if none of their students will ever be LGBTQ+.”
“The purpose of GSA, I think, is to create a safe environment for people to voice their opinions about LGBTQ+. Also to discuss everything in relation to bring awareness to people who don’t know...The club shows informative videos about the history, bring up current issues, talk about the differences between transsexual/ transgender etc.”
Sexual orientation: Physical attraction one feels toward a group or groups of people. Romantic orientation: Emotional attraction one feels toward a group or groups of people. Biological sex: Sexual anatomy, chromosomes, and other phenotypic and genetic aspects of one's body that one is born with. Gender identity: One's innate identification as a man, woman, or nonspecific gender identity, which may or may not correspond to one's biological sex. Independent of sexual and/or romantic orientation. Gender expression: External expression of masculinity or femininity, a combination of dress, demeanor, social behavior, and other factors. Independent of sexual and/or romantic orientation. Queer: A word that is sometimes used an an umbrella term for the entire LGBTQ+ community and includes anyone who feels outside of the standard gender or sexuality norm. Transgender: An adjective that describes someone whose gender identity does not match that of their assigned or biological sex. Eg: a transgender man was born biologically female but identifies as male Cisgender: An adjective describing someone whose gender identity matches their assigned or biological sex. Eg: A cisgender male was born biologically male and identifies as male.
RESOURCES:
Peer Resource
P: I think that MSJ could improve by having a more open discussion and maybe having events where we spread awareness and information about LGBTQ+ issues. Teachers could also encourage discussion in classrooms. SS: What is Peer Resource, and how can it help students dealing with their identity? P: Peer Resource is a really great on-campus resource. We have a zero period class, where we discuss a lot of topics and how to deal with them and best approach the issue. With Peer Resource, students have an opportunity to pair up with a peer mentor who can help listen and guide them through issues such as: gender identity, academic stress, mental health, and overall anything the student may be going through. Everything said is completely confidential; the only exception is to tell a counselor if a student is in danger.
According to Peer Mentor and Junior Pooja Nair, Peer Resource is a zero period class that lets students pair up with a peer mentor who can help listen and guide them through such issues as: gender identity, academic stress, and overall anything the student is going through. Anything said to a peer mentor is completely confidential.*
The Counselors
The Smoke Signal's interview with the counselors is included on the bottom right of this page.
Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)
GSA is a club at MSJ that offers a safe place for students to meet and talk about issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. It is open to all students and meets on a biweekly basis in P25. Anyone can attend regardless of gender identity.
*The only exception is if a student is in danger of hurting themselves, danger to others/threat to others, being hurt by others, or has given their permission to break confidentiality.
BEING RESPECTFUL:
Preferred gender pronouns (PGP): The pronoun or set of pronouns that one would like others to use when referring to that individual. eg. Most cisgender females prefer she/her/hers. Common gender neutral pronouns are they/them/theirs. Identity of all sorts lies along a spectrum. Every person’s identity is highly personal and integral. It’s important to respect an individual’s desire for self-identification and expression.
“EVERY PERSON HAS A UNIQUE WAY OF IDENTIFYING
themselves. If a person asks to be identified in some way, then respect their identity. If you’re not sure, ask them what their identity means to them; don’t just make an assumption. It is never wrong to be non-straight or genderqueer. No one should ever have to feel like their identity is a problem, especially if it doesn’t affect anyone else.”
Joanna Jensen: Counselors are always available for students to speak to. We can provide students with outside community resources, on campus support, and offer a safe place for them to discuss anything that is needed. Lauren Todoroff-Anaya: Another thing that may be valuable to know is that we’re not here to help them discover if they’re one sexual orientation or another—we’re here to help validate their feelings, tell them that it’s normal and okay if they’re still navigating their feelings. We’re not going to help them find an answer, that’s not the goal of talking to us. The goal is to help them feel supported and validated. SS: Comment on your confidentiality policy. JJ: For anything, if we needed to break confidentiality, it would be if someone is in danger of hurting themselves, danger to others/threat to others, or being hurt by someone else, and then the last one would be if they give us permission.
LT: Just being open-minded, that’s the biggest thing. A listening ear can go a long way—you might not necessarily agree with somebody, you might be completely against somebody being transgender or transsexual or any of the above, but just listening to somebody, without judgment, can go a long way. Again, you don’t have to problem solve, but just knowing that somebody is there for you can make a difference in somebody’s life.
P: Talking to counselors and Peer [Resource], searching online, or even talking to a friend really helps. A lot of people feel that there aren’t a lot of options, but if they reach out to a counselor or peer mentor, they’ll find that there are a lot of options for them to choose from. Counselors and peer mentors can really help guide students to find resources. SS: Do you have anything to say about how people could be sensitive about this topic?
The Smoke Signal: How can counselors be a resource to students who are questioning their identity or orientation?
SS: What advice would you give to someone who’s trying to be more supportive to their peers and to their community?
SS: Are there any other resources you think students at MSJ who are struggling with or questioning their identity would find helpful?
P: If you or a friend are dealing with any issues, don’t be afraid to talk to a counselor or Peer Resource. We all want to help.
“We need to be careful about making gender starkly male or female. It can be very uncomfortable for many people. The recent graduation gown/ cap decision is definitely a step in the right direction.”
COUNSELOR INTERVIEWS WITH LAUREN TODOROFF-ANAYA & JOANNA JENSEN
By Harshita Gupta, Neha Shah & Didi Wu Staff Writers
SS: How do you think MSJ can become more accepting of the queer community or change for the better?
SS: Closing comments?
No one wants to feel like an outsider. That can be a really difficult barrier to overcome. As a society, we need to be more accepting and understanding, and welcome differences rather than straying away from them.”
“The most difficult barrier is yourself. You’ve lived your entire life listening to stories about Prince Charming and all these princesses, and all of a sudden you don’t feel the same way?
“Some stereotypes to avoid are basically assuming anything about anyone. It usually turns out not to be true. Also, someone can be indecisive about their gender and can switch several times. This doesn’t make them a different person.”
The Smoke Signal: What do you feel the current atmosphere at MSJ for the LGBTQ+ community is like?
P: I think that the best thing a student could do is educate themselves. A lot of times in school I hear offensive remarks, but I believe they are caused more by a lack of understanding. I think that if students took even an hour to open themselves up and learn more, it would make them a lot more sensitive.
“WE NEED TO MAKE BEING DIFFERENT ACCEPTABLE.
WHAT ARE SOME STEREOTYPES OR MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL/ROMANTIC ORIENTATION AT MSJ THAT WE SHOULD AVOID?
The Smoke Signal conducted interviews with GayStraight Alliance (GSA), Peer Resource, and counselors to shed light on MSJ and the conversation around identity and the LGBTQ+ community, and to promote greater awareness and understanding.
INTERVIEW WITH PEER RESOURCE
Peer: There isn’t really an ongoing LGBTQ+ discussion at MSJ, so people don’t really think about it. But the truth is that there are students at the school dealing with gender and sexual identity questions, more than [students] would expect.
Centerspread 13
“Even though flagrant bigots are a massive problem, I feel that those people who say, ‘I’m not homophobic, but-’ are as much of a problem as bigots. There are far more of the latter at MSJ. These people stop others from correcting them, which is inherently a selfish and bigoted notion.”
“PASSIONATE STUDENTS NEED TO SPEAK THEIR mind and correct people when students abuse terms/act disrespectfully. If a friend says, “don’t be a fag” don’t just laugh it off. Rationally explain why it’s offensive and the history of the word, and urge the friend to change.”
“When people bring up transgender people or anything other than lesbian/gay, people struggle to understand what’s actually going on. ‘Is he a he, or a she?’ ([This is] an actual quote from something I heard.).”
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WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT BARRIERS TO OVERCOME: OUTSIDE PRESSURE, INNER CONFUSION, ETC.?
“STOP THROWING AROUND THE WORD ‘GAY’.”
WHAT DO YOU FEEL THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE AT MSJ FOR THE QUEER COMMUNITY IS LIKE?
SS: Anything else that you want to add in general?
Where can I find more information about transgender health, advocacy, and human rights? American Psychological Association lgbc@apa.org www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/index Family Acceptance Project www.familyproject.sfsu.edu National Center for Transgender Equality: NCTE@NCTEquality.org www.transequality.org
National Center for Transgender Equality: NCTE@NCTEquality.org www.transequality.org Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Transgender Network (TNET) info@pflag.org www.community.pflag.org/page.aspx?pid=380
Trevor Project: The Trevor Hotline, 866488-7386, is available 24/7 for anyone who needs a safe place to talk or is in crisis. The Project also offers educational resources on its website at www.trevorproject.org.
JJ: I think it’s important for students and readers of the article just to know that there is support out there. If they are trying to figure things out for themselves, they don’t have to do it alone. There are people out there, different resources even on campus like GSA, Peer Resource, Counselors, and teachers. A majority of teachers would sit down and have a conversation. We’re safe, trusted adults. These resources are also available for peers who know something about a close friend, but don’t really know how to take in those feelings, or if they’re struggling with how to help and be supportive, we can talk to those students too. It’s always an open door to anything that pops up into our offices.
14 Arts & Entertainment
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smokie Book Nook By Kylie Cheung, Deeksha Raina & Brian Tseng Staff Writers
Looking to unwind and explore with a new book? Follow the flowchart below and discover the genre of literature most suitable for your personality. Then select one of the Smoke Signal’s very own recommendations for your appropriate genre and enjoy!
Follow your instincts and explore the city When you travel abroad to a famous city, you:
In your free time, you’d rather:
Visit all the historic sites and museums
NONFICTION
Enjoy the picturesque sights and take a lot of photos
For dinner at a nice restaurant, you want:
Get an adrenaline rush on the tallest, fastest roller coaster at Six Flags
MYSTERY/ THRILLER
Teach yourself how to play a new instrument or cook a new dish
COMING OF AGE
A candle-lit meal with flowers and violin music
ROMANCE
Exotic new dishes with unpronounceable names
FANTASY
NONFICTION Boy: Tales of Childhood By Roald Dahl This charming and relatable collection of stories from Dahl’s childhood showcases an endearing side to the famous author’s life.
The Creation of Anne Boleyn By Susan Bordo A sassy study analyzes portrayals of the notorious Queen Anne Boleyn in history and pop culture, revealing misogynistic stereotypes that endure in modern society.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers By Katherine Boo
The Devil in the White City By Erik Larson
A fast-paced and astonishing depiction of a hidden world in the slums of Mumbai explores tensions over religion, caste, gender, power, and poverty.
This book follows architect Daniel Hudson Burnham and charming murderer Henry H. Holmes as they navigate the Chicago’s World Fair in the 1800s.
FANTASY The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern
Tear You Apart By Sarah Cross
American Gods By Neil Gaiman
City of Bones By Cassandra Clare
Celia and Marco, two young magicians, are forced to compete against each other despite their budding romance in this spellbinding tale of romance, dreams, wonder, and magic.
In the city of Beau Rivage, where fairytales arae just a part of everyday life, Vivian struggles to avoid her doomed fate as a modern SnowWhite.
A rich blend of modern American fantasy, ancient Greek mythology, and psychological thriller, new worlds collide with old in a race to save a lost culture on the brink of destruction.
Clary, a seemingly mundane 15 year old girl, gets swept into a world of demons, vampires, and shadowhunters when she witnesses a murder of a boy whose body vanishes into thin air right after.
ROMANCE A Walk to Remember By Nicholas Sparks
Something Borrowed By Emily Giffin
Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan seem to be as different as the sun and the moon, but after a series of events pushes them closer together, they realize that perhaps opposites do attract.
When Rachel falls in love with her best friend’s fiancé, she discovers that love and morality walk a thin line, as enduring passion faces off with decades of friendship.
Boy Meets Boy By David Levithan
The Time Traveler’s Wife By Audrey Niffenegger
In a high school of diverse gender values, Paul seeks new love in Noah amid relatable struggles with friendship and angst.
The romance between Clare Abshire and involuntary time traveler Henry DeTamble endures across a sea of time, but every one of Henry’s disappearances may be the last time they ever see each other.
COMING OF AGE
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close By Jonathan Safran Foer
The Book Thief By Markus Zusak
The Last Days of California By Mary Miller
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who struggles with insomnia and depression, explores the boroughs of New York to learn about a mysterious key from his father, who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center.
Liesel Meminger, an ordinary girl in Nazi Germany, finds her quaint life turned upside down when her foster parents help to hide a Jewish refugee.
As Jess and her family, led by her evangelical father, rush to California to prepare for the apocalyptic return of Christ, epiphanies in her own religious beliefs and the fragile standing of her family mark the end of innocence.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith This novel follows the life of reserved Francie Nolan as she navigates through abject poverty, rollercoasters of emotion, and finding her niche in the ever-changing world of the early twentieth century.
MYSTERY/THRILLER And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie Ten criminals all find their way onto a mysterious island where they start to drop dead one by one of causes paralleling an eerie nursery rhyme.
The Eyre Affair By Jasper Fforde
The Tiger in the Well By Phillip Pullman
The Cuckoo’s Calling By Robert Galbraith
In an alternate 1985, where time travel is routine and cloning is a reality, literary detective Thursday Next pursues a master criminal through the pages of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
When Sally Lockhart finds a stranger posing as her husband, she must summon all of her wits to fight the mysterious and increasingly violent forces threatening her daughter and her life.
One-legged investigator Cormoran Strike is hired by the brother of a supermodel to investigate his sister’s supposed suicide, only to discover the ugly truths behind a veneer of celebrity superficiality. IMAGES.GOOGLE.COM
Friday, February 27, 2015
Spring musical PrevieW:
Seussical
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Arts & Entertainment 15
Jupiter Descends
Night Visions 2.0
By Santhosh Paramasivan Staff Writer
On March 6, 2015, MSJ Theater will hold its first performance of Seussical. Based on the works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical has huge musical numbers and lights in addition to a theater decorated with colorful backdrops. Its music and lyrics were written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, respectively. The story of the play is an intricate combination of many famous Dr. Seuss books. However, Horton Hears Who! is the basis of the plot. Some other books that contribute characters to the play include How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Lorax and Green Eggs and Ham. The story begins with a boy on stage and an odd red and white striped hat. The boy conjures up the Cat in the Hat. The Cat becomes the narrator of the play and creates the Seussian world around himself and the boy. From here, the boy imagines “Jungle of Nool” where Horton the elephant exists. The plot begins with Horton hearing noises from a speck of dust. He then alerts the other jungle animals of his discovery, but they do not believe him. In the play, the Cat in The Hat is the only character with “adlib”, meaning that he has the freedom to perform impromptu. Nick Dunlap, who plays the Cat In The Hat said, “It’s exciting. I think it’s really fun-you get a lot of free reign but also a lot of pressure. You have to make sure you know what you’re doing. But it’s fun, it’s a lot of improv and I like that.” With regards to MSJ’s student-produced backdrops and costumes, Play Director and Drama Teacher Tanya Roundy said “The Who’s are a very bohemian, Indian type, bright colorful world that Dr. Seuss originally was writing in that time frame during the 60s and 70s. All of his books are built on that color and free flowing, free thinking, free feeling type of idea.” MSJ Theater will perform Seussical on March 6, 7, 13 and 14 in the MSJ Little Theater at 7:30PM. Ticket prices will be $12 per adult, $10 per student or senior citizen and $5 per child or with discount card. For more information, visit www.msjup.org.
By Andrew Chen Staff Writer From the creators of renowned titles like The Matrix and Cloud Atlas comes a new movie, Jupiter Ascending. However, Andy and Lana Wachowski have missed the mark with this movie, whose plot issues, cliché action, and romance scenes bungle the film. The story begins with the everyday life of Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis). Almost like a modern Cinderella story, she goes from scraping by in life by housecleaning with her mother to a monarch of the galaxy, saved by a fluke of genetics. She has the same exact genetic imprint as the dead queen, meaning that she owns Earth and countless other planets, which are really just farms for some sort of elixir of youth. Furthermore, the three royalty children are after her life since Earth is worth so much. It only gets weirder: enter Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a half-wolf, half-man fallen angel (who was literally stripped of his wings) with anti-gravity roller
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skates. He mysteriously shows up to save Jupiter from any harm and helps her to discover the true nature of her new social position. While this sounds like a wacky rollercoaster of a plot, it is introduced much too quickly and lacks logic. This, combined with an implausible introduction to the story, makes the movie very unsatisfying. Furthermore, corny scenes where Tatum saves Kunis time after time after time in drawn-out fighting scenes tire the viewer out quickly. Even the sound effects get old quickly, as every hero scene ends with a loud baseline blare. The character development is shallow as well. Jupiter is whisked through the story at light speed, resulting in awkward scenes where she is just confused at everything that is going on. She has very little free will in the film, constantly being taken here and there by the bad guys, leading to more and more confrontations where Caine saves her again. And no amount of good
acting can save the cringe-worthy romance scenes. On top of that, the portrayal of Balem Abrasax (Eddie Redmayne), one of the royalty brothers, is overly flamboyant. Only whispering with the exception of a couple of ridiculous angry outbreaks, Redmayne drags the film down further. Jupiter Ascending does have a few redeeming qualities, however. The unique imaginings of the various creatures of the galaxy and the C.G.I. make great eye candy and the stunning visuals of celestial bodies, city landscapes, and intricate spaceships almost make up for the horrendous storyline. And the plot is corny to a point where it’s funny, even when it’s not supposed to be. But even that doesn’t make up for the film’s blunders, so unless clichéd action romance films are your type of thing, stay at home. Rating: D
Kings-‘Meh’
A&E
Updates By Ruiwen Shen Staff Writer
NEWSIES
Orpheum Theatre | 1/17-3/15/15 Newsies has won two Tony Awards since its Broadway debut in 2012. It tells the story of Jack, a newsboy in early-1900s New York, who bands together with young, poor laborers to protest. This is based on the newsboys strike of 1899 that shook the city.
kelly clarkson PIECE BY PIECE | 3/1/15 Piece By Piece is the Kelly Clarkson’s seventh studio album, her first studio album with original material since Stronger in 2011. The single “Heartbeat Song” from the album which was a top forty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS Madness | 3/17/2015
Sleeping With Sirens’ fourth full-length album, Madness, is produced by John Feldmann, who produced for Panic! At The Disco and is lead guitarist for the band Goldfinger. Madness is the follow-up album to Sleeping With Sirens’ previous album, Feel.
images.google.com
By Rishab Ramapriyan Staff Writer
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a postmodern, dystopian spin on the James Bond movies. Matthew Vaughn’s new spy action comedy film, based on the comic book The Secret Service, is an ambitious attempt to reconcile the attributes of British spy thrillers and slapstick comedy, wrapped in action, suspense, and drama. The movie also explores themes such as classism, loyalty, honor, and nobility along with providing great entertainment. The plot of the movie revolves around the Kingsmen, a secret spy organization made up of gentlemen, each representing a member of King Arthur’s round table. Due to the death of a member, a spot in the Kingsmen is open and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is brought in for the rigorous training. The villain in this movie is Internet Billionaire Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), who has announced a worldwide giveaway of SIM cards that allow free phone calls and Internet access. Valentine can broadcast signals
through the SIM cards to cause people to become uncontrollably violent, which he deems will keep population size in control to prevent existential risk. With the fate of the world at risk, it is up to the Kingsmen to prevent mass violence from breaking out all over the world. The well-done cinematography in the movie results in a cohesive frame of action. Many of the important action scenes are well-0choreographed and the camera angles capture the energy in the scenes perfectly. The well-coordinated background music contributes to the atmosphere is many scenes. Some fight scenes are even choreographed to be in sync with the beat of the music. The sets used for various scenes are well designed and showcase various parts of London as well as more futuristic sets like outer space. Many important themes develop through the storyline of this movie. British classism is well demonstrated through the Kingsmen organization, a group of elite gentlemen. The movie also explores dystopian visions of
technological development through Valentine’s mind control technology. The training to become a Kingsman revolves around ideals of loyalty, honor, virtue, and strength. While at first sight, the movie may come off as another action comedy film; there are many themes like classism, virtue, respect, and honor deeply engrained within the plot. The lack of plot development and creativity is one major shortcoming of the movie. The movie lacks suspense and the events unfold as the audience expects. The plot gradually develops at first but rushes along in the end with a lack of closure. Transitions between various parts of the movie are slightly disconnected, not allowing for a cohesive flow of the plot. Kingsman: The Secret Service is worth watching and will definitely meet most of your expectations. Despite the fact it has shortcomings in term of plot, the movie provides quality entertainment and has something for everyone to enjoy. Rating: B-
By Grace Dong Staff Writer Imagine Dragons returns to the mainstream music scene with their sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors. Since their massive success with their debut album, Night Visions (2012), the Dragons’ signature cacophony of classic rock and folk music blended with modern day pop angst has become instantaneously recognizable for most teens. Smoke + Mirrors follows this formula to the dot, creating a catchy album but presenting no surprises, minimal creativity, and little growth as a band. The album opens with “Shots,” a song surprisingly reminiscent of Katy Perry’s cheerful pop hits and Taylor Swift’s upbeat dance rock songs despite the depressing lyrics, “I had a loaded gun and then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved.” The rest of the tracklist follows a similarly desolate theme with the lyrics, with the self-pity fest hitting a max with “Dream.” Lead singer Dan Reynolds laments how “everything’s a mess” and “life ain’t what it seems” providing quotes ideal for average teenage angst. With every track, Imagine Dragons reaffirms their ability to deliver trite, heart-wrenching lyrics. Beyond the relatable and banal lyrics, Imagine Dragons also presents what appears to be a melting pot of almost every music genre in existence –except not all of the rough edges were smoothed out. With the title track “Smoke + Mirrors,” Imagine Dragons deals out the classic rock falsetto and general screaming. On a different note in “The Fall,” rock styles are mixed with folk music and with “Friction,” the Dragons perform an odd mixture of Eastern strings, hard metal, and R&B, all heavily overlaid with electronic synthesizers and auto tune. The band crams a surprising amount of genres from the expected rock to folk to R&B into their songs, sometimes producing an altogether unpleasant experience for headphone users. However, “Release” and “My Hopeless Opul” are definite standouts on the album. With “Release” comes a welcome respite from the loud drums and EDM in the form of a heart tugging ballad. The more gentle melodies, toned down vocals, and accompanying acoustics create a song worth swaying to. On the other hand, “My Hopeless Opus” is extremely catchy with lovely Oriental winds and more subtle pop influences. For avid fans of the first album, the second album is almost a guaranteed favorite since it is a near musical twin of the band’s debut album. Smoke + Mirrors once again presents Imagine Dragons as the band labeled as an American rock band who delivers intergenre mash-ups with every track. The lack of growth from Night Visions to the new Smoke + Mirrors is disappointing, to say the least. For a band that is so new to the A-list scene, their journey to a lasting level of stardom already seems to be decelerating. Nevertheless, with Smoke + Mirrors, Imagine Dragons churned out another twelve songs that are full of generic angst and catchy synths that will likely be played on high schoolers’ smartphones everywhere. Rating: B-
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Friday, February 27, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
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y n o h p m
y S d n i kW a e P n o i People ss i M
MPWS welcomes all students from grades 8 to
Founding
12, accepting motivated musicians through au-
In July 2014, Debra Watanuki and Travis
Students gather for rehearsal every Monday
Nasatir founded the Mission Peak Wind Sym-
evening at Hopkins Junior High, where Music
phony (MPWS) as a 501(c)3 nonprofit group
Director Travis Nasatir leads them in practice.
dedicated to providing high school wind
Nasatir previously worked as a trumpet coach at
players and percussionists with advanced
Hopkins, which lent a familiar face to the orga-
dition. They come from around the FUSD area..
music literature. As a member of the Fremont Human Relations Commission, Watanuki actively works to promote civic engagement of youth in the community and especially wanted to emphasize the arts. The Mission Peak Wind
nization and helped build credibility. Meanwhile, Program Director Debra Watanuki and Secretary Serena Tan are both parents of students who
Arts & Entertainment 17
Looking to the Future MPWS looks to expand out of Fremont and grow
attract more students from across the Bay Area. “At some time I also want to establish different groups,
By Madeline Zheng Staff Writer
Events
including an intermediate-level wind band and a string program,” said Nasatir. In addition, he, Watanuki, and Tan aspire to form a development program, a fundraising program, and, as Watanuki,
MPWS recently held its first public concert on January 31, 2015 at Chabot College with a repertoire of pieces including “An American Elegy” by Frank Ticheli. The event was a joint performance between MPWS
said, “get the symphony’s name out in the community so people know who we are, what we’re about, and what we provide.”
and the Hopkins Junior High School Wind Ensemble. Attendance was high and the concert was very successful. “Even my optician came,” laughed Tan. As for upcoming events, MPWS has another performance with Washington High School scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2015. The ensemble has also received requests to
A Lasting Inspiration The Smoke Signal: What has your greatest
perform at other local events and will be holding audi-
takeaway been from being a part of MPWS?
tions for next year from February 16 to April 18, 2015.
Debra Watanuki: “For me, it’s utter joy. Just seeing
are active in MPWS. In terms of her son’s expe-
the smiles on their faces after rehearsals, I get
rience, Tan said, “Music is a release for him, and he loves it.” Similarly, Watanuki added that for her
so much more than I could have ever asked for.”
Symphony fit perfectly into that cause. The
son, “The symphony provides him with the venue
Travis Nasatir: “I’m continually astounded not
group stands now at 48 members, three volun-
and the opportunity to really immerse himself in
only by the level of talent in the group, but also
teer adult staff, and aims to give students the
very challenging music, giving him that place of
opportunity to explore above and beyond
respite from the pressures of being a student.”
the dedication and the breadth of experience that this group has. I learned very quickly that if
what is available to them at school programs.
I wanted something to change, all I had to do Conductor Travis Nasatir
was ask for it.” Serena Tan: “It’s a good place for community, and a very good place for kids to be.”
photos courtesy travis nasatir, missionpeakwinds.org
By Grace Dong & Monica Tang Staff Writers
Embrace your inner child and participate in the Smoke Signal’s Coloring page contest! To enter, you don’t need to color (but it is pretty fun), just guess the names of the books, albums, and movies drawn below and enter through the answer form on our Facebook page, the Smoke Signal. The first person to send in ten correct answers will win a prepaid admission ticket good for any movie at any Cinemark theater. P.S. There’s no need to color in the lines.
graphics by staff writer grace dong, arts & entertainment editor melissa peng, and staff writer monica tang
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Friday, February 27, 2015
Smart Students Plan Ahead & Start Early “Thanks for making my life a little easier. Checking all those college apps, going over my essays countless times, and answering my many questions helped me get into college with a smile on my face.”
College Admissions Advising Services • • • •
College Admissions Counseling Services for High School Students in: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades UCs & Private College Admissions: Essays, Applications, Interviews, Financial Aid Summer Internship Applications for High School Students High School Admissions for Middle School Students, SSAT, ISEE, HSPT
Summer SAT Intro Class and Boot camps (Now in Fremont) • •
Summer SAT Intro Class- 54 hours of comprehensive class study (starts June 15) Summer SAT Boot camps- Intensive Test Prep-10 SAT Diagnostic Tests + 45 hours of Lecture and Test review (starts July 25)
Summer ACT Intro Class and Boot camps (Now in Fremont) • •
Summer ACT Intro Class- 54 hours of comprehensive class study (starts June 16) Summer ACT Boot camps- Intensive Test Prep-10 SAT Diagnostic Tests + 45 hours of Lecture and Test review (starts July 28) ming o c p u n o s e t a For upd eminars, S s n io s is m d College A ite: visit our webs
on.net i t a c u d e t h g i www.ins
ble la i a v a s e s s la c er ● All Summ T now! in FREMON lass c / x a m s t n e d u ● 12 st p club m a c t o o B + s ● Intro clas le b offer availa
: Call or e-mail today to enroll for the Boot camps
(408) 252 5050, (510) 400 7600 e-mail: info@insight-education.net Fremont: 39335 California Street, Ste 209
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Scan the QR Code with your smartphone for more information.
Advising Mission San Jose Students Since 1999
Friday, February 27, 2015
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By Chakshu Hurria & Shivane Sabharwal Staff Writers Popular Atlanta-based food chain Chick-fil-A, known for its fried chicken, opened its newest Bay Area branch on Fremont’s Mowry Avenue on January 29. An approximately 15 minute drive from MSJ campus, this busy, newly opened restaurant is one of the nine Chick-fil-A’s within a 100 mile radius of San Jose. This new location had an approximately 10 minute line on a Friday afternoon, and a lengthy drive-thru line. This busy location’s remarkable service, decent prices, and delicious food is definitely worth a visit (or more if you like it as much as we did).
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utes. Colored placeholders with Chick-fil-A sauce are given to each customer and employees use these effectively to keep track of orders. Employees are polite, friendly and efficient even though the restaurant has only been open for a short time. Chick-fil-A’s service is definitely commendable for a fast-food chain restaurant. FOOD QUALITY: A
The hustle and bustle of the popular restaurant is pleasant and helps create a lively atmosphere, although the decor and planning of the restaurant take away from the pleasantness. The restaurant’s tan walls are decorated with big posters of items on the menu, and the long line runs somewhat awkwardly through the restaurant, but this does not have a significant effect on the Chick-fil-A experience. The children’s playground within the restaurant is a welcome addition to the restaurant, increasing its familyfriendliness.
We ordered a spicy chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken sandwich, waffle fries, chicken strips, and a fresh-squeezed lemonade, with Chick-fil-A sauce, ketchup and ranch as condiments on the side. Chick-fil-A’s namesake sauce tastes like a mixture of honey mustard and barbecue sauce, and we found that it tasted delicious with all of the food we ordered, except for the waffle fries. The spicy chicken sandwich was a bit too oily but still flavorful, with its buttery bun, pickles, and well-cooked meat. The spiciness wasn’t enough to start a mouth fire, as the packing warned, but it still added considerable flavor to the meat and served to separate the sandwich from other, bland fast food sandwiches. The grilled chicken sandwich had less flavor than the spicy chicken sandwich, but the meat was soft and the green leaf lettuce and tomatoes added texture that would otherwise have been missing. All of the sauces were great additions to this sandwich.The famous Chick-fil-A waffle fries were cold, but it’s quite difficult to go wrong with cross-cut potatoes and salt and we still found the waffle fries delicious. The chicken strips were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and tasted best in the famous Chick-fil-A sauce. We found the lemonade a bit too sour to be satisfying, and were unpleasantly surprised upon realizing that lemon seeds had been left within the lemonade. All of the food items we ordered were delicious, and we’re confident that Chick-fil-A will rise in popularity to become one of the premier fast food restaurants in Fremont.
SERVICE: A+
Overall rating: A-
PRICING: B+
Chick-fil-A’s prices were considerably higher than those of other fast-food chains, with the spicy chicken sandwich at about $4 and the grilled chicken sandwich at $5. A meal of a spicy sandwich, small waffle fries, and a small lemonade cost $7, which is still quite reasonable. Our entire order was about $17 and left both of us full and satisfied. *All prices are approximate and do not include tax. AMBIANCE: B+
Chick-fil-A’s employees were easy to carry a conversation with and delivered our food to the table within min-
Arts & Entertainment and Sports 19
photos by staff writers chakshu hurria and shivane sabharwal
bringing you our ‘a’ game
By Abigail Wong Sports Editor
wong
versus
PRo sports, houseFlies, and trash...
Think of professional sports as a gleaming metal trashcan that starts with nothing in it. We could mistake it for a toy container, a storage bin for your old homework packets, or a laundry basket. But the moment we throw a banana peel in it, it exclusively becomes the rubbish bin. In parallel, a large portion of pro sports’ identity is defined by the trash that the spectators, players, and coaches throw in it. It is the incessant namecalling, Twitter wars, and elbow jabs caught in high-definition that make the competition juicy. As spectators, we feed off of the opponents’ misery as much as we do of our own ability. I was recently at an Irvington High School boys’ home basketball game. The most riveting moment of the game was when a Viking blocked an opposing players’ shot and the entire student section from IHS stood up and yelled, “You got SWATTED (clap, clap, clap-clap, clap). You got SWATTED…” Swatting in basketball is much like a racket knocks a housefly onto the cold, hard ground, except the racket is the arm that obliterates a potential shot at the basket. The loud act was obviously more of an embarrassment rather than a cheer for the positive gain, yet it was still one of the most memorable pieces of the game. I loved it, yet I dunked my head in a pool of cynicism. Go figure. As players, it is inevitable that emotions run high. As the trite saying goes, “we want to win and if we don’t, we better go down trying.” Both halves are true, but the second is especially difficult to swallow. Frustration inwards is usually dispelled on those around us, and it is convenient to blame our difficulties on the referees, coaches, and dirty plays by other team. We sometimes even utilize the liberties of social media to offend our challengers personally. In the end, it really boils
down to the desperate hunt to succeed. This concoction of vengeance and pride, as unappetizing as it may seem on the outside, has a very similar composition to the determination of a team trailing by one with five seconds on the clock. When emotions run high, teams can win big. There is also a blurred line between showing off your competence and slighting your opponent’s. It is arguable that they may sometimes come off as the same thing, regardless of the player’s intent. Forty-niners fans: when Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman flexed his biceps after tipping Colin Kaepernick’s pass to Michael Crabtree at the 2014 NFC Championship game, was he flinging an insult? No, but then why were we so offended when he did? Sherman’s interviews after the game rightfully confirmed an extremely bitter taste, but let’s talk real: it was a beautiful play. The view of athlete-to-athlete defamation is skewed toward our preferences and your own risks and incentives, much like the bet you lost to your friend who resides in Seattle. To each of those fans, I’m glad you saved your money this season. Go spend it on a new team’s jersey. ▪
mercurynews.com
Richard Sherman deflects a critical pass for the 49ers late in the fourth quarter of the 2014 NFC Championship game.
patankar
By Arti Patankar Sports Editor
brain over brawl (Physical or otherwise)...
Imagine football players lining up for the snap or basketball players swarming the ball in an aggressive battle for possession. Suddenly, bam, players are looming over each other, fists are flying, teeth are knocked out of mouths. Maybe it doesn’t always go that far, but it wouldn’t be completely unbelievable. Brawls are another one of the juicy, extraneous side dishes that enhance the appeal of sports. We stare when tempers flare. But do I have to spell it out? Brawls - physical or otherwise - are absolutely pointless. They serve no purpose and are only another distraction that detracts from the game. One of the most obvious reasons that brawls are stupid is the potential for injury. Athletes’ bodies are well-oiled, finely-tuned machines. And for the sake of pride, someone could get very seriously injured. An NFL, NBA, or NHL brawl is no playground scuffle. In 2004, Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks knocked out Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche with one punch. Moore fell and was crushed by an ensuing brawl. Moore had a concussion and broke three vertebrae. He never played again. Athletic careers are short-lived and injury-prone as they are. Why throw such petty fights into the mix? Athletes need to learn how to settle things in the court, not in the ring. (Unless, of course, they are boxers.) Another less life-threatening but serious result of such inflated and air-headed squabbles is the image these athletes are presenting. For one, these professionals are role models to young and aspiring athletes. When they fight like children, they are condoning the brawl game over the ball game. Brawls turn respectable stars into primitive animals. Instead of making the rational decision to stop the nonsense, many athletes
choose to think with their fists instead of their brains. Imagine seeing a shining and powerful athlete in all their bodily beauty in a cereal ad or a power drink commercial in one moment, and then seeing that same person pounding the face of another athlete in the next. There’s the role model. Athletes are already societally notorious for lacking prowess in the mental department. And when athletes fight, it doesn’t become brain versus brawn – it becomes brain versus brawl. Brawls are absolutely, futilely pointless. Why would they be anything but? They destroy the sanctity of the sport. It would be much more useful if, again, athletes channeled their anger and frustration into maybe scoring some points? Wow. What a concept. But nonetheless, we still get nasty brawls like the one between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks that marred an otherwise heroic and noble ending to Super Bowl XLIX. By all means, Bruce Irvin and predecessors, if you want to pay the league a nice slice of your paycheck, continue to push and shove. If you want that to be your legacy, please sock on. At the end of the day, the Seahawks still lost and life went on. Let’s choose baskets and passes and touchdowns and goals over brawling. Real shots over cheap shots any day. ▪
bleacherreport.com
A brawl between the Seahawks defense and the Patriots offense breaks out in the final minutes of Super Bowl XLIX.
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Rachel Tevlin
In the last issue of the Smoke Signal we brought you the first edition of “Teacher Athletes: The Men Edition”. Delve into our sequel and learn about MSJ teachers’ athletic activities and past experiences.
By Pratham Gupta, Deeksha Raina, Ruiwen Shen & Brian Tseng Staff Writers
Math Teacher Freddy Saldaña wrestled in high school and currently coaches the wrestling team at Bellarmine College Preparatory. He still remembers going to the CA state wrestling meet as a freshman and seeing all the wrestlers that inspired and still continue to inspire him. In his senior year, his whole team won second place at the Central Coast Section Wrestling Championship. He advises students to try wrestling, as it is a strategy sport that helps with building confidence.
Special Education Te a ch e r Stephanie Atwell was inspired to play basketball like Pete Maravich after watching The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend at age five. She played varsity basketball in middle school and high school and for one year in college. Her favorite moment was in her sophomore year of high school, when her team scored the winning shot in the last five seconds of the game and earned themselves a spot at state. After the game, everyone from the stands rushed onto the court to celebrate.
Stephanie Kearns
Sports 21
History a n d Psychology Teacher Stephanie Kearns has played softball since she was five. She played varsity softball, volleyball, and soccer in high school, and now coaches her daughter in the San Lorenzo Girls League. On her softball team, she was known for getting hit on the head by pitches, and one of her proudest moments was when her team beat their cross-town rival. Softball was not available to Kearns in college, so she did cheerleading. From these sports, she has made lifelong friends, stayed out of trouble, and learned to overcome pain.
Principal Zack Larsen swam for the Highlands swim team from age five to 19 and swam two years of JV and two years of varsity in high school. He most enjoyed the excitement of standing on the block, waiting to compete, and the adrenaline of seeing competitors out of the corner if his eye. His biggest fear was that his swimsuit would fall off when he dived. Now, Larsen mostly does weight training and Crossfit. Both swimming and weight training have helped him de-stress and improved his physical and mental health.
PE Teacher Stephanie Randazzo ran crosscountry for five years. To this day, she regularly runs and sometimes plays volleyball. She still remembers when she went to the state meet while in high school and how she bonded with her teammates, many of whom she is still friends with today. She won the ‘Most Valuable’ award in her freshmen year. Her most crucial advice to students who want to pursue athletics is to “just do it” and don’t hesitate because you only experience high school once, so don’t have any regrets.
Math Teacher Tyler Robinson started biking two years ago when his friend invited him to bike with him from Canada to San Francisco. He bikes regularly and keeps his skateboard easily accessible so that he can skateboard whenever he has the time. His favorite memory is riding his bike along the Grand Tetons Range in Wyoming. His advice to all students who are interested in biking is to “take small steps”. Biking has helped him stay in goodshape and increased his concentration.
Tyler Robinson
Math Teacher Jan Frydendahl was on MSJ’s swim team all four years of high school, becoming swim team captain in his senior year. He also began surfing in college, though he mainly focused on swimming. When Frydendahl was in eighth grade, he knew that he wanted to swim for MSJ, so he got involved in club swimming in freshman year. He competed in swimming for 17 years. He was an all-league swimmer five times, won several events, and was an NCS finalist. He likes the goal-setting mindset and fitness that swimming provides. He says swimming is a valuable lifelong skill.
The Sequel
Stephanie Atwell
Jan Frydendahl
U S History Te a ch e r Rachel Tevlin swam from age six to 18 and then coached until age 22. She got into swimming because her mother frequently took her to a pool near her house. Some of her proudest moments were when she beat a friend in the 200m breaststroke tryouts whom she couldn’t beat for years and helped a young lady learn butterfly. Tevlin still swims for fun and would tell students that swimming looks harder than it actually is. Without swimming, she probably would not have married a competitive swimmer.
Teacher Athletes:
www.thesmokesignal.org
Zack Larsen
Jennifer Moore
English Teacher Jennifer Moore enjoys running. Moore did not start running until her late 30s, when she realized she had to make exercise a part of her life. She participates in mud runs and short distance runs, and she hopes to take part in a 10K in the future. Her weekly routine used to consist of Crossfit and Boot Camp on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while running on Sundays. Recently, she participated in a mud run at Dell’Osso Family Farm, which donated a portion of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and other local organizations.
Freddy Saldaña
P E Teacher Julia Madsen grew up playing sports with her twin brother. In high school, she was known as a “threesport athlete,” participating in volleyball, basketball, and cross country. Although she was best at track and field, Madsen says her favorite sport was basketball. Her only regret is that she didn’t continue playing a team sport in college. She encourages all students to participate in a sport in high school, whether it is by joining an official school team or by playing an intramural event.
Physics and Chemistry Teacher Robin Van Deusen played football, basketball, and baseball. He continued to play division one basketball and football in college and has coached football, baseball, and softball. He remembers being part of a team and learning the importance of teamwork. One of the most vital lessons which playing sports imparted to him was how hard work and dedication are prerequisites for success. He advises students who want to play sports to give it everything they’ve got.
Stephanie Randazzo
The Smoke Signal
Robin Van Deusen
Julia Madsen
Friday, February 27, 2015
photos by staff writers pratham gupta, deeksha raina, ruiwen shen & brian tseng
22 Sports
www.thesmokesignal.org
The Smoke Signal
Friday, February 27, 2015
By Amrith Krishnan & Annie Tang Staff Writers
Taha Ali Senior Taha Ali is a devout Lakers fan and his favorite player is Kobe Bryant. His choice of delicacies range from a simple spaghetti dish to the classic Cup Noodles entrée. Ali will be taking part in all the senior activities and is known for his love of dance. He is one of the team’s key players and can shoot and pass the ball with skill.
Ramon Chavez Although Sophomore Ramon Chavez’s favorite food is the burrito, he also enjoys growing fruits and vegetables in his garden. He is incredibly talented at bowling and enjoys playing basketball as well.
Moises Barrington
Sophina Chan
Justin Chau
Sophomore Moises Barrington practices his shooting skills every day and is an avid sports fan. He enjoys watching the Golden State Warriors and their star player, Stephen Curry. His interests outside of school range from cooking and gardening, to eating pepperoni pizza and Cup Noodles.
Junior Sophina Chan, a skilled shooter in basketball, has a fancy for any type of food that includes chicken. She also has an affinity for Disney princesses.
Sophomore Justin Chau loves to cook. He is the force that brings together the team he is helpful, polite, and caring - qualities that are vital in a sports team. Chau is able to empathize with his teammates both in the huddle and on the court with his teamwork and athleticism.
Catherine Chen
Josh Ganguli
Kevin He
With the uncanny ability of hacking Special Education Teacher Sujata Singh’s laptop password each time the opportunity is presented to her, Freshman Catherine Chen is an avid technology user and a Monsters Inc. fanatic.
A nature enthusiast, Freshman Aurojit (Josh) Ganguli enjoys the trail walks that he goes on when the sun is out. Although Ganguli prefers individual activities to team sports, he wholeheartedly cheered his classmates on during the basketball competition.
Freshman Kevin He has a knack for making friends due to his talkative, enthusiastic nature. He loves eating barbeque chicken and playing marbles with his sister. The team is worried that his caring personality might cause him to befriend their Olympic competitors and cause them to lose the game.
MSJ’s Special Olympics Team George Heckman Sophomore George Heckman is a dedicated young basketball player who is an adept dribbler. His favorite food is sushi. George spends his time away from basketball and school by watching movies. His favorite is Bewitched, which stars Nicole Kidman.
Ather Kerawala An incredibly affectionate and curious teenager, Sophomore Ather Kerawala enjoys giving people hugs and playing with silly putty. Although Kerawala enjoys eating healthy, he doesn’t discriminate against any type of food, as he enjoys eating everything.
Jessie Ramerez The blood of an artist runs through Freshman Jessie Ramerez’s veins, as his creativity is expressed through his various types of artwork. He is known for gifting some of his creations to a few of the administration.
By Amrith Krishnan & Annie Tang Staff Writers
Alice Jen
Two teams of MSJ Special Education students took part in the second Annual Special Olympics Basketball Event at Newark Memorial High School on February 20. The two teams, composed of 16 students, were among 20 teams participating in the three-skill-set event. The students practiced for one hour a week in order to prepare for this competition. Special Education Teacher Tai Chung’s and Special Education Teacher Sujata Singh’s students both focused on the most basic skill set so that the students could excel without being placed under too much pressure. The Smoke Signal sat down with these talented students to learn a little more about their lives both on and off of the courts.
Kaido Kimura
Skyler Landry
Sophomore Alice Jen is a basketball specialist who is as much a presence on the court as her favorite movie character, James Sullivan from Monsters University. She likes to eat noodles - a food that fuels her drive to score. In her spare time, she likes to watch TV and cook cheese pizza.
Vincent Quan
Sophomore Kaido Kimura enjoys playing all kinds of sports, including basketball and soccer. His favorite food is Trix cereal, and his favorite activity is watching Tom and Jerry on TV. Kimura’s constant smile lights up the classroom and the court, and he hopes to lead his teammates to victory.
Freshman Skyler Landry is not only a social team player, but is also considered by his teacher, Sujata Singh, to be one of the key players in this competition. He enjoys the outdoors and going on camping trips with his family.
Junior Vincent Quan is an athletic team player. He enjoys going to Barnes and Noble, watching talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien, and watching soccer on TV. His easygoing attitude and friendly personality make him a great candidate for a future talk show host.
Kailani Santiago
Chad Sumagaysay
Monica Tang
Junior Kailani Santiago is a quiet observer who enjoys car rides and reading books. Preferring drawing over painting, Santiago is considered quite the artist by those surrounding her.
Freshman Chad Sumagaysay is a very tactile teenager who dislikes seeing things disordered and messy. He has a deep love for pizza, enjoys going on walks, and playing with puddles when it rains.
Although Sophomore Monica Tang won’t be participating in the event itself, she will be there to cheer on her classmates. She will be a strong supporter for the team as they look to their first Olympic gold.
photos by staff writers amrith krishnan & annie tang, graphics from images.google.com
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
www.thesmokesignal.org
Photo 23
photos by staff writers andrew choi, peter qiu & graphics editor kevin chen, graphics by aapt.org, eventbrite.com & images.google.com
24 Special
www.thesmokesignal.org
MSJ THROUGH THE YEARS:
SPORTS
1:26
10 9
19
1972
12
2000
*based on report by California Department of Education
1993-94
2004-05
19.5% 20.6%
100000 50000 0
1993
1980
32
Staff size of the Smoke Signal 1990
Filipino: 2.1%
Filipino: 2% Hispanic/Latino: 2%
Filipino: 2% Hispanic/Latino: 3%
African-American: 1%
African-American: 1%
MSJ’s population 1993-2015
2500
1994
2000
500 0
$20
2152
2167
2108
1000
1981
1500
2225
51
2013
Asian: 49%
Hispanic/Latino: 4.8%
1832
50
2010
2000
Asian: 86%
27
2015
2013
1990
1980
White: 44%
White: 58.5%
African-American: 1.5%
2005
1970
White: 8%
1985
32
1960
1999
Asian: 32.6%
54
53
Fremont’s population 1964-2010
200000
41.5% 37.0%
31.9% 31.6%
1995
45
250000
2008-09
7 5 3 4 9 4 3-9 998-9 002-0 006-0 013-1 2014-1 2 1 2 2
199
Multicultu
201
4
Yearbook Prices
06
1973:
les
20
$19,000
$12,000
2002
$30,000
ral week sa
2014:
$6.50- $77.00$8.50 $95.00
e t price s
14
10 male teams
150000
1 3-1 4 1976
3 coed teams
tic k
1966
2013-14
om
Num b
44 20
99 8 - 9 9
11 male teams
9 female teams
Percentage of students taking advanced math courses
us mp ca
of clubs on r e
1966-67
Aloha Dance Homecoming Dance Winter ball Sadies Junior Prom Senior Ball
2014
40 1
6 8- 6
Halloween Dance Homecoming Dance Discotheque a Go Go Coronation Ball
1 female team
2014
1:24 19
Dances
2000
2005
1966
Teacher to Student ratio
1:24
To celebrate MSJ’s 50th anniversary, the Smoke Signal has compiled statistics to highlight the changes in MSJ throughout these years. Marvel at the changes in our school, from ethnicity ratios to prom statistics, and see how far we have come in the last 50 years.
BY THE NUMBERS
By Chakshu Hurria & Brian Tseng Staff Writers
Friday, February 27, 2015
The Smoke Signal
Pr
2014
$110
images.google.com, coverage led by staff writers grace dong & hairol ma, layout by news editors michael hsiu & tiffany huang