Volume LI, No. 9

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 51, NO. 9

June 3, 2016

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Debaters compete at Tournament of Champions MSJ students participate in University of Kentucky competition

By Carolyn Ge & Tanushri Sundar Staff Writers MSJ Debate competed at the Tournament of Champions from April 29 to May 2 at the University of Kentucky and the Campbell House, a hotel in Lexington, Kentucky. MSJ sent three Public Forum teams, one International Public Forum team, and three Lincoln-Douglas debaters to the competition. MSJ also won first place for the sweepstakes award, which is based on the overall performance of the team.

The Tournament of Champions is an invitational debate tournament held near the end of the debate season. In order to attend, students must first qualify by winning bids from other nationally competitive tournaments throughout the year. The Tournament of Champions Committee hands out a certain number of bids to the tournament based on the size of the tournament and the prestige level associated with it. Debaters can earn these bids by advancing to high level rounds, such as octofinals or quarterfinals of these nationally competitive tournaments. Teams that earn two bids are invited to compete at the Tournament of Champions. Another method to qualify is called “applying at large.” If a debater has one bid and had previously qualified for many bid rounds, rounds in which bids are given to the winners, he or she can apply to compete at the Tournament.

FUSD adopts new textbooks Math and English books chosen for 2016-17 school year

By Amber Lee Staff Writers MSJ, along with all other high schools across FUSD, will begin using new textbooks for math and English in the 2016-17 school year.

New math textbooks were adopted for Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry from the Big Ideas Math series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. They will replace the current Algebra 2 and Geometry textbooks published

by Holt. The Big Ideas textbooks correspond to the new math pathways, in which students take Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Geometry in 10th grade, and Algebra 2 in 11th grade, unless they are on an accelerated pathway. During the 2016-17 school year, the new Algebra 2 textbook will be used for the Honors and college prep Algebra 2 courses. There will be no Honors Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 classes after the 2016-17 school year.

Between the old and new math textbooks,

The three MSJ Public Forum teams that competed at the tournament are: Sophomores Robert Chen and Devesh Kodnani, Juniors Keshav Kundassery and Max Wu, and Juniors Ansh Patel and Steven Shi. Juniors Neha Dubey and Angela Shalizi competed in the International division. Sophomore Lavanya Singh, Junior Prachit Bhike, and Senior Shivane Sabharwal competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Kundassery and Wu qualified for the final round and earned second place in the entire tournament. Regarding their achievement, Wu said, “I didn’t expect to do as well as we did, but at the same time I’m not too shocked because I knew that we were capable of going far.” Sabharwal and Singh both qualified for the quarterfinal round, which is a rare feat for two students from the same school. Singh said, “At the end of the tournament, when I took a step back and realized that we had an amazing weekend, I was really proud of myself and the team. I was very happy that our hard work paid off.”

MSJ also did well in terms of winning speaker awards. To determine rankings for these awards, the judges of the rounds give each debater “speaker points” on a scale from one to 30, with 30 being the highest score. At the end of the tournament, the points are totaled and speaker awards are given based on the sums. Wu received 8th place, Kodnani received 9th place, and Kundassery received 16th place. As for the sweepstakes award, in which MSJ debate much of the content is the same, although the new books follow Common Core standards. In addition, the Big Ideas books have practice sections that include more word problems focusing on different math practices such as critical thinking, mathematical connections, and abstract reasoning. Math Department Chair Scott Sugden said, “I like the structure of the math practices and the layout of the books, so we can really focus on those math practices, and really give a deeper understanding for the students.” Math Teacher Tyler Robinson also said, “I might argue the reason I decided I liked this book best was because they primarily have a lot more word problems in the homework section, which I think students need a lot more practice with. So, I think there’s a lot more critical thinking and reading that’s in this book.”

The new English textbooks are for grades 9 through 12 and are part of the California Collections series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. These books will replace the current Literature and Language Arts books by Holt.

Between the old and new English textbooks, there are differences in how the curriculum is organized and the pieces of writing the publisher chose to include, in addition to the Common Core standards integrated into the new book. The old book is arranged by time periods, with literature from each period’s authors, but the California Collections series is orga-

MSJ SECOND ANNUAL COLOR RUN

Read about MSJ’s most colorful event of the year!

courtesy lavanya singh

Public Forum debaters. (Back row) Juniors Keshav Kundassery, Max Wu, Angela Shalizi, and Neha Dubey. (Front) Junior Steven Shi, Sophomores Devesh Kodnani and Robert Chen, and Junior Ansh Patel pose after the competition.

won first place, judges take many factors into account, such as high-placing teams in different debate events, how far teams made it past elimination rounds, and speaker awards. Winning the sweepstakes was a huge accomplishment for MSJ because last year, no teams from MSJ advanced to the elimination rounds.

MSJ Public Forum Debate Coach Victor Rivas Umana was very proud of the team’s

achievements and overall performance.

He said, “We were the top performing school at the tournament, so it was not only impressive but also extremely rewarding, considering the trials and tribulations of the past year and the amount of work that we all put in prior to each day of the tournament.” The team has high hopes for next year and has already begun preparing for future competitions. ▪

nized by themes connecting the subject matter.

To evaluate potential textbooks from different publishers, teachers from the math and language arts departments of each high school in FUSD joined book adoption committees.

At the first meeting in the adoption process, publishers presented their textbooks to the committees. Then, committee members independently looked through or taught out of the books. At subsequent meetings, the teachers would discuss the books according to certain criteria.

The book adoption process for math began in 2014-15. Sugden and Robinson represented MSJ in the adoption committee that school year, and they helped evaluate math books using criteria that included how well each publisher presented the curriculum and followed Common Core State Standards. However, the committee did not come to a decision on which textbook to adopt that year.

In 2015-16, another committee for math textbook adoption was formed, and Robinson and Math Teacher Denise Nguyen joined. The adoption process was repeated, and this time the group chose the Big Ideas series. Robinson said, “We decided that Big Ideas, which is one of the more traditional books, was the most rigorous and most clear, and covered the content the best and was most beneficial for the majority of the students that were all in the

district [sic].” The FUSD Board of Education finalized the decision to switch to the Big Ideas textbooks at a meeting on May 11.

For English, the book adoption committee assessed new textbooks during this school year. English Teachers Sandra Cohen and Ryan Marple represented MSJ in the committee. Criteria for the English book evaluation included Common Core standards as well as the cultural diversity, the mix of genres, and the variety of the reading selections. In the end, the committee voted for California Collections. Cohen said, “This particular book has the best blend of subject matter and it has the most user-friendly focus for teachers and for students. It does have an online component, and it does have affiliation with the History Channel and with A&E [Arts and Entertainment Network].”

There will be professional development sessions for math and language arts teachers from across FUSD in June and August this summer. At the training sessions, the teachers will learn about the different components of the new textbooks, such as how to customize tests and use digital resources connected to the books. However, teachers can still design their own teaching plans to implement the new textbooks for their own classes instead of adhering to a set system. ▪

MSJ SYNCOPASIANS

The Syncopasians recently placed first in the San Francisco Asian Youth Talent Competition, and were offered a chance to perform at Carnegie Hall.

FOR MORE COVERAGE,

VISIT www.THESMOKESIGNAL.ORG

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Green Week

By Andrew Kan, Lucille Njoo, Deeksha Raina & Victor Zhou

School Improvements Over the course of the year, the Mission Possible Parent and Faculty Association (MPPFA) helped renovate many parts of the school.

They funded the installation of three new hydration stations around campus; these hydration stations help save water and are much cleaner than the old pipes and water system.

MPPFA also donated money to getting new iMacs in the library that are much faster and are capable of processing much more than the old iMacs.

Mission Night Live The Park family donated money to the school in memory of their son, Jason Park, and to acknowledge the school’s support for their daughter, Danika Park. The money went towards landscaping the area from the Horseshoe to the service access road near the A-Wing.

The non-native plants have all been dug out and replaced with native, drought resistant plants.

Additionally, a few new walkways have also been created.

HOSA and DECA

MSJ’s Career and Technical Education clubs have had outstanding performances this year. MSJ HOSA obtained 52 awards at the state conference, and will have 18 attendees at the National Leadership Conference. MSJ DECA sent more than 70 people to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). At ICDC, six teams placed top three in their event, and more than 20 teams were finalists.

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Year in Review

This year, MSJ held a revamped Green Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness about the environment. Each day was themed after an environmental concept, and lunchtime activities were held based off the day’s theme. For example, Friday’s theme was Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. At lunch, students watched the different grade levels display the boats they made out of recyclable materials, and compete in a boat race in the school pool. Three speakers from Wildlife Associates came in to present wild animals they were taking care of during a Green Week assembly.

Teen Esteem

The drama department and Universal Performers put on three improv shows over the course of the year.

Named Mission Night Live, the shows drew inspiration from Saturday Night Live and were a big success. They also showcased Fools, a comedy by Neil Simon, as the annual spring play.

Teen Esteem, a non-profit organization that works to empower students and increase mental health awareness, held an assembly at MSJ. They brought in many speakers to their Parent Night, during which they informed MSJ parents of students’ mental health issues and encouraged them to be supportive of their children. Teen Esteem then held a school-wide assembly, encouraging students to be optimistic and find support in counselors, teachers, parents, and peers. Several speakers shared personal stories, including Chaplain Nick Vleisides, who works with the San Ramon Fire and Police Departments, and college students who had struggled with and overcome mental health issues.

Sports

STEM Competitions

MSJ has continued to have a strong showing in STEM competitions. Sophomore Michelle Song advanced to the USA Junior Math Olympiad, and Junior Tomas Choi, and Seniors Tiancheng Qin and Austin Wu advanced to the USA Math Olympiad. Juniors Brian Tseng and Jennifer Yu became part of the USA Physics Olympiad team. Robotics teams Team Voltage of Imagination and Team Roboknights participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship.

MSJ’s Science Olympiad Green Team placed 4th overall at the NorCal Science Olympiad State Finals.

Speech and Debate

MSJ’s Speech and Debate teams dominated their competition. MSJ Debate is the local circuit’s district champion. One team became a finalist at the Tournament of Champions and qualified several teams for June’s national tournament. MSJ Speech team has had 13 Novice finalists, 34 Varsity finalists, and three state semifinalists throughout its season.

Throughout the year, MSJ Athletics played through several exceptional seasons, with many teams qualifying for postseason play. In the fall season, cross country, girls’ tennis, girls’ volleyball, girls’ golf, and boys’ water polo continued to the North Coast Section (NCS), and the cheer and gymnastics teams won several awards. Wrestling dominated the winter season, not only in qualifying for NCS, but also placing Senior Eric Yang in the CA Interscholastic Federation (CIF) tournament. Boys’ Soccer also won their first league game in almost two years, defeating Irvington High School. In the spring, boys’ golf, track and field, swimming, and badminton qualified for NCS. Five MSJ badminton players will also compete in the Pan Am tournament this summer.

Arts

This year, MSJ excelled in the fine arts. Freshman Gloria Yang was the global and North American regional winner for the 24th International Children’s Painting Competition, and Freshman Vicky Lin was also in the top 10 of North America. MSJ teams also won first for two out of three categories in the Directing Change Program and Film Contest. Sophomore Mallika Gupta won second in the LegiSchool Art Contest, and many other MSJ students were runner ups. photos from the smoke signal archives

corrections

for the APRIL 29, 2016 issue News Pg. 3: The Senior Class earned $1,100 in revenue for its milk tea fundraiser.

Centerspread Pg. 17: Freshman Jenny Jia Miao’s name was misspelled. Seniors Saurabh Kamble and Anton Wang replaced Seniors Rudrik Suthar and Nicholas Wen in the Ti-

NEWS IN

brief

nikling performance. Freshman Evelyn Yun is part of the Tahitian performance.

Photo Pg. 21: Sophia Irena Elenya Zubritsky is the Fools character’s full name.

Special Pg. 32: Staff Writers Mallika Gupta, Chloe Velasquez, and Didi Wu worked on the Statistics on MSJ Mental Health coverage.

Compiled by Staff Writers Ishika Chawla, Zen Thumparkkul & Lucille Njoo

alliancesd.org Californian voters registration doubles compared to previous elections.

nytimes.com Obama speaks about various issues including removing the ban and human rights.

cnn.com EgyptAir Plane is still missing after crashing on May 19.

California registration skyrockets With the CA primary elections occurring on June 7, voter registration is skyrocketing in preparation. More than twice as many Californians registered to vote than in the same four-month period in 2012 with the majority of the demographic being young and Democratic. From January to April, more than 850,000 Californians joined voter rolls, while another 600,000 re-registered, and another 200,000 registered through Facebook on May 16 and 17.

Obama removes ban on Vietnam President Obama announces that the US is lifting its arms ban on Vietnam starting on May 23, allowing the sale of military equipment to the country 40 years after the war. Obama said in a news conference in Hanoi that the true purpose of the ban is to develop a strategic partnership for strengthened defense cooperation. Many advocates also believe that Obama should have used the ban lift to pressure Vietnam into improving its human rights records.

EgyptAir Plane crashes into sea EgyptAir Flight 804 went off the radar during its flight from Paris to Cairo and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on May 19. The plane, carrying 66 passengers, swerved and crashed one minute after entering Egyptian airspace. Several investigative submarines were deployed to the site on May 22 to search for debris.

So far, no group has taken responsibility for the crash, nor were any of the crew members found at fault.

Friday, June 3, 2016

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A voter’s guide to the

Opinion 3

CA PRIMARY ELECTION

By Anu Asokan, Kylie Cheung, Michelle Dalarossa & Didi Wu Staff Writers

With election season revving up, the Smoke Signal brings you a voter’s guide to the upcoming CA Primary Election. We detail propositions to be voted on and positions US Senate candidates have taken on hot-button issues. Ballot items covered include those appearing in the primary and general elections.

WHAT’S ON THE CA BALLOT - JUNE 7, 2016 MEASURE I

PROPOSITION 50

Proponents say that Measure I would use a $73 parcel tax to:

–Fund local education programs

–Relieve overcrowding in schools

–Attract qualified teachers

–Replace Measure K, which had a $53 parcel tax and expires in

December 2016 Opponents say that FUSD already has enough money to fund these programs because FUSD has an ending balance of $41 million

Allows the Legislature to suspend its members and withhold pay and benefits.

Opponents warn that it will silence minority opinions and political opposition.

MEASURE AA By the San Francisco Bay Clean Water, Pollution Prevention, and Habitat Restoration Program

PRIMARY ELECTION CANDIDATES Passed in June 2010, the Top Two Open Primary Act modified the CA election process for certain offices.

Candidates of all parties will appear on the same ballot, and voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party preference. Two members of the same party may run against each other in the general election.

The US President election will still be party-nominated: voters may only vote for a Presidential candidate from a party they are registered under.

How Something Qualifies For the Ballot: A constitutional amendment 585,407 signatures; a “veto referendum” (a law which can be put on a ballot to be ratified or rejected by voters) needs 365,880 signatures. must get at least

CANDIDATES’ HOT TOPICS MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

INCOME INEQUALITY Most acknowledge the existence of a substantial income gap but ultimately disagree on whether and how to address it. Measures such as higher taxation on wealthier Americans, demilitarization, universal healthcare, free public college, and higher minimum wage are all specific proposals to address income inequality at large.

Recent polling by the Public Policy Institute of America reveals that 55 percent of voting Californians support legalization. Politicians of both major parties are increasingly acknowledging scientific research indicating marijuana’s positive effects for cancer, seizure, and paralysis patients.

Over the past few years, America's top 0.1 percent has accumulated as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent in America.

-National Bureau of Economic Research

Those who favor marijuana legalization for medical and recreational purposes argue that education and public health initiatives can be funded by excise taxes on sold marijuana.

Others advocate for lower taxes and a free-market approach driven by supplyand-demand theory rather than government involvement to bolster economic growth.

Others remain concerned with minors obtaining and abusing the drug, due to research indicating marijuana’s negative effects on developing brains and the susceptibility of youth to addiction.

HIGHER EDUCATION At last year’s State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama proposed to make “two years of community college free for responsible students."

The America’s College Promise Act of 2015, introduced to Congress July 8, 2015, would allow federal money grants to states to waive tuitions at community colleges.

Supporters believe they will make college affordable for all, lower student loan debt, and prepare young people for entering the workforce.

Opponents say that such measures would not be the most productive use of taxpayer dollars, as low-income and minority students who need the most assistance often go to high schools with low graduation rates and require remediation, and are skeptical of the benefits of stretching resources without necessarily improving quality of education.

MINIMUM WAGE Currently, CA’s minimum wage is $10 an hour, amounting to less than a $21,000 annual salary for full tim workers earning minimum wage. Cities in CA have already attempted to change this law, with Los Angeles and San Francisco councils both voting to raise their minimum wages to $15 over the course of several years.

CA voters will be able to vote on the issue in November with the Fair Wage Act of 2016, a statewide measure that would incrementally increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2021.

Some say that this act would attack income inequality and end cycles of poverty for millions of people.

Others argue that increasing the minimum wage would fundamentally change the way restaurants and other slim proft margin businesses are run.

Funded by an annual $12

parcel tax

Aims to reduce pollution and trash, improve water quality, restore natural habitats, protect communities from floods, and increase public access to shores.

Opponents say that the parcel tax is unfair because it charges the same tax regardless of income level, meaning that corporations like Facebook will pay the same amount as a homeowner.

Does not require taxpayer approval for the distribution of funds, so money can be used for political purposes rather than environmental reasons.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS Some states have drastically cut funding for women's health organization Planned Parenthood and passed regulations that have reduced access to clinics and family planning services after videos, ruled by the Supreme Court to be obtained through misconduct, surfaced.

CA has more family planning clinics than any other state. CA Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed into law the Reproductive FACT Act, which requires healthcare facilities to notify patients about “immediate free or low-cost” family planning services.

Some politicians advocate for women’s rights to bodily autonomy and government investment in public health.

Others maintain ideological arguments against abortion procedures and economic qualms with government spending on women’s health.

PUBLIC K-12 EDUCATION K-12 education has become a contentious issue with US Senate candidates who are divided on how to best provide quality education for students.

Supporters of investing more money in state or federal programs, such as services for disadvantaged students, believe such expenses give all students an equal chance at obtaining a good education, which is crucial for their later success.

Opponents of investing more money support abolishing federal guidelines like Common Core and advocate for returning education to the state and local level, believing multiple layers of bureaucracy only complicate communication in the educational process.

The Smoke Signal selected issues that would concern high school students as well as issues relevant to California. Information for the overviews of issues are summarized from perspectives gathered from US Senate candidates’ official statements and party websites. We are reporting common arguments for all sides of each topic. graphics by staff writer anthony chen, layout by staff writers anthony chen & tanushri sundar

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guest graphic opinions

IRIS LIN, 12

ALISA LAU, 9 PHOEBE HSU, 11

IVY CHAN, 11

SHUBHA JAGANNATHA, 11

CELINA LEE, 10

VICTORIA SCHMIDT, 11

JASMINE SYU, 10

What third-wave feminism’s critics fail to understand

By Kylie Cheung Staff Writer

Throughout history, there has been no shortage of oppression for women to struggle against and ultimately triumph over. Firstwave feminism entailed voting and property rights throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, while second-wave feminism tackled stillcontroversial reproductive rights in the 20th century. And today, through widespread use of social media, third-wave feminism has garnered both passionate support and criticism.

Third-wave feminism represents previously mentioned women’s rights issues that its past incarnations addressed, but were not quite able to resolve. While most of its critics respect previous versions of it, they frequently portray the modern movement as picking unnecessary fights, backing inconsequential issues, and even infringing on free speech

rights. For examples of this, look no further than online think-pieces and Reddit threads.

To some, predominantly those who have never experienced some form of genderbased harassment or discrimination, feminism has already won its battle and therefore is irrelevant. British writer Emily Hill at the Spectator wrote last year, “[Feminism] should be celebrating its triumphs. Instead it has descended into pointless attention-seeking.”

However, statistics show that crucial battles for equality continue to rage on. The National Sexual Violence Research Center reported in 2015 that 20 percent of U.S. women, and about 1.5 percent of U.S. men, will experience sexual violence. Only between two and ten percent of reported sexual crimes end up being false, despite ingrained stigmas and even legal obstacles that tend to discredit victims.

Meanwhile, the prevalent 78-cents-on-the-

dollar statistic regarding the wage gap can be misleading due to the differing proportions of men and women in high-paying fields.

However, we rarely consider the cultural attitudes that steer women away from certain fields, devalue feminized work, and influence percepsstions of who is more skilled, experienced and deserving of higher salary.

In the sphere of women’s health, access to clinics providing crucial resources is becoming increasingly limited. As of 2016, in Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, only one women’s health clinic remains, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families, and around the world, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs reports only 29 percent of adults in developing nations had access to contraceptives in 2011. As for the issue of male-centric representation, despite

how women form 50 percent of the population, they constitute only 20 percent of U.S. Congress. And a 2015 UCLA study found that in American films, male characters are featured twice as often as females. Women had the lead in just 25.6 percent of films.

Sometimes, issues are polarized and sensationalized by Internet activists who can be a bit quick to being offended and angered. But in the same vein, who really gets to define what a “serious” issue is? Not third-wave feminism’s critics, nor anyone else, really. In a nation built on the free speech rights that critics of feminism so frequently weaponize against third-wave activists, no one has the sweeping authority to dismiss an issue as unworthy of critical discussion and protest. It might be fair to say that individuals could be a bit less “sensitive,” but simultaneously, couldn’t everyone stand to be more respectful of others, too? ▪

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Smoke Signal

Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 51, No. 9 | June 3, 2016 www.thesmokesignal.org

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-3600 Mission Statement: The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the Mission San Jose High School community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

School population: 2072 students

Editors-in-Chief Alice Cheng, Katrina Cherk News Michael Hsiu, Apoorva Rajanala Opinion Grace Dong, Harshita Gupta Feature Chakshu Hurria, Katie Sun Centerspread Neha Shah, Annie Tang A&E Sarina Chitre, Andrea Tam Sports Amrith Krishnan, Rishab Ramapriyan Graphics Kevin Chen, Monica Tang Web Jacinta Chang, Nithya Rajeev Tech Andrew Chen, Brian Tseng Business Shivane Sabharwal Circulation Tanvi Raja Ads Andrew Choi, Sayan Ghosh Events Deeksha Raina, Ruiwen Shen Writers & Photographers Mustafa Ahmed, Anu Asokan, Ashley Chang, Ishika Chawla, Anthony Chen, Ella Chen, Kylie Cheung, Michelle Dalarossa, Carolyn Ge, Mallika Gupta, Andrew Kan, Amber Lee, Kevin Li, Lucille Njoo, Ansh Patel, Tanushri Sundar, Bindhu Swaminathan, Zen Thumparkkul, Chloe Velasquez, Didi Wu, Cindy Yuan, Richard Chenyu Zhou, Victor Zhou

Adviser Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@the smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.

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grace’s gray area

harshita hashes it out How the "Mission Bubble" and all its flaws were good for me

High school is a journey, not a goal

By Grace Dong

By Harshita Gupta

Opinion Editor

Opinion Editor

The Harshita who walked into MSJ her freshman year was different. I came in feeling pressured to pursue a definition of success that I didn’t believe in or understand. I spent my first two years here doing what I was told was the “right” thing to do: participating in activities because I thought I could be an officer one day, researching test prep centers in fear of poor scores, and my sophomore year, getting four hours of sleep every night and bragging about it.

I spent much of my time in autopilot mode. But inevitably, living how I was supposed to live, versus how I really wanted to live, took its toll. The only club I had a shot at an officer position for made me miserable. I had taken SAT diagnostic tests for a devilishly expensive test prep course everyone told me I needed to take, but felt helpless at the thought of spending eight weeks practicing process of elimination. My mental health was in ruins and the sleep deprivation was starting to catch up with me.

While the problematic aspects of MSJ culture are different for each of us, it can often feel like parts of the majority’s value system are asking us to compromise our identity or what we believe in. We’re told that we get to be our own person now, but at the same time we feel like people are telling us who we should want to be, time and time again. And however frustrating this is, I am grateful that I have had such a conflicting value system pressure me over and over–because at the end of the day, it’s helped me achieve greater clarity. The helplessness I’ve felt when it didn’t feel like I could be me or happy by doing what the

Opinion 7

MSJ dialogue told me I was supposed to do, pushed me to re-evaluate and develop what I wanted to do instead.

For me, that meant starting to pick identity development over conformity.

It was choosing to shut down the selfdoubt and join extracurriculars I wasn't experienced in; deciding that I wanted to prioritize my mental health; making sure I paid more attention to the people around me than to how those people could benefit me; forgetting about what gave me better "narrative" in the college app process or demonstrated ambiguous qualities I didn’t even know how to define for myself yet. Your way of discovering identity and being you can be entirely different, but that's what's remarkable about it: it's yours.

And I guess my point is this: I would not have as clear of a vision today of what gives me fulfillment, what brings me growth, and the relationships I want to create, if I hadn’t been so unable to find it in the dominant discourse around me. It’s like a debate– when you need to fight to defend your argument against a strong majority opposition, you need to know what you’re talking about, inside out. MSJ gave me that chance.

So when I walk off the graduation stage on June 8, will I be glad to be moving on to a place free of many of these MSJ-specific prejudices, stigmas, and expectations? Yes. However, I can say without a doubt that if I could do it all again and pick any high school in the US, it would be here. Don’t let MSJ be your weakness–instead, take it as a challenge to get to know yourself better. Reject what frustrates you, and rise above. ▪

Most of us have walked away from a conversation imagining what we could have said to make it less awkward, less confusing, or less “Oh gosh, why am I not socially competent?”

This scenario genuinely encapsulates my high school experience. I followed up countless choices and actions with “Oh gosh, why?” but this was all part of my growth from being someone with a one-track mind to being someone more receptive to the possibilities around her.

Many of us use short taglines to describe and categorize ourselves. Mine used to be “I’m a dancer” or “dance is sort of my thing,” but in the past year, I’ve found that I’m not just a dancer and dance isn’t my only thing. Journalism’s also my thing, history’s also my thing, and I even think I kind of like calculus now. (Please note: Sophomore year Grace abhorred math with a passion).

These are all “things” that I discovered gradually throughout high school.

Sophomore year me was also convinced that I was into business, so I joined an entrepreneurship club and started an online store. I found that I didn’t enjoy those activities, so I conceded to knowing that I gave it my best shot. Business may not be my thing now, but I’m not ruling it out as a future possibility.

However, this four-year-long trial and error process consisted of more than just figuring out what I didn’t click with.

At the time, I viewed many of these trials as failures on my part. Today, I consider journalism a top interest, because the Smoke Signal is one of my favorite activities, but I can guarantee that when I was a meek staff writer two years ago,

my journalism career was bleak at best.

As a sophomore, I didn’t get any editor positions I had applied for. As a junior, I got my third choice position. But now as a senior looking back, I am so, so grateful that this was the hand dealt to me.

These so-called “failures” allowed me to grow and reach where I am today.

My time as an Advertising Manager and staff writer of the Smoke Signal in my junior year was immensely valuable to my development as a writer and worker. I had never pictured myself as the Opinion Editor, but here I am today, lamenting that this is my last column ever because of how much I love this job. Even while we’re trying to find our “passions” or while we’re simply figuring out what we do and don’t enjoy, we shouldn’t be afraid of bumps in the road. These are the obstacles that work in tandem with planned out goals to help us find what will bring us fulfillment in the long run.

These setbacks are not “failures,” and we should be open to recognizing the doors they open for us. It is tempting to find one thing we excel at and to stick with it for the comfort and the ease of fitting into a mold. And while it is definitely exciting to discover a passion this early in life, it is also important to remember that there are countless activities and fields to explore and that it’s okay to not know what “your thing” is.

The Grace that is writing this column is nowhere near the Grace I had envisioned myself becoming when I was a kid or even when I was an underclassman. There are 1000 things I could have done differently, but I’m finding that I still ended up exactly where I should be. ▪

When it comes to sexual education, we cannot afford to be narrow-minded

By Carolyn Ge & Tanushri Sundar Staff Writers

While sexual education is a necessity for everybody, its standards in the US vary widely because they are set by individual states. There are two main forms of sexual education: “comprehensive” and “abstinence-only.” Comprehensive sexual education teaches abstinence-only as an option but also informs adolescents about contraception and other preventative measures against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, while abstinence only does not mention these methods. Students require and deserve a comprehensive sexual health education that addresses the needs of all individuals and provides information about controversial issues such as sexual orientation, abortion, contraception, and masturbation.

Abstinence-only programs are restrictive and do not delay the onset of sexual intercourse for adolescents, as shown by the Waxman Report, a 2004 study of 13 abstinenceonly programs in the US. The study found that students were presented with misleading information about the risks of abortion and the effectiveness of contraception. These were preventative measures intended to protect students’ innocence, but at what point does innocence become ignorance? According to a

These were preventative measures intended to protect students’ innocence, but at what point does innocence become ignorance?

2012 report by the Future of Sex Education Initiative, a group that develops the National Sexuality Education Standards, the US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates within first-world countries, with about 600,000 unintentional pregnancies per year. In addition, sexually active individuals between ages

15 to 25 contract half of the total number of STI’s transmitted annually. Clearly, our nation’s sexual education curriculum has vast room for improvement.

In addition, sexually active individuals between ages 15 to 25 contract half of the total number of STI’s transmitted annually.

Clearly, our nation’s sexual education curriculum has vast room for improvement.

Take the Netherlands, where schools introduce the topic of sexuality at the age of four. Lessons about respect, intimacy, and safety are integrated throughout the students’ school years, and as a result, the Netherlands has one of the world’s lowest STI transmission and teen pregnancy rates in the world. When adolescents learn about different types of intimacies, they are more comfortable reporting sexual abuse and communicating with their partners about safe sex. Schools in the Netherlands give parents tools to help them talk to their children about sex, such as parent nights to preview curriculum. The key to the Netherlands’ success is that love and relationships are stressed as the foundation for sex, which prompts honest and open dialogue. The US, in stark contrast, treats sexual health education as a detached subject. We must stop teaching sexual health in terms of prevention when it should be focused on relationships, communication, and decision making.

We must stop teaching sexual health in terms of prevention when it should be focused on relationships, communication, and decision making.

Issues often labelled as obscene are the first to be ignored in sexual health education, such

as contraception and health education for the LGBTQ community. State laws such as Arizona’s mandate that no schools districts teach sexual education that “portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative life-style.” With LGBTQ youth five times more likely than nonLGBTQ youth to look for information online in lieu of parental and institutional guidance, laws like this further stigmatize the LGBTQ community and increase the prevalence of misinformation.

With LGBTQ youth five times more likely than non-LGBTQ youth to look for information online in lieu of parental and institutional guidance, laws like this further stigmatize the LGBTQ community and increase the prevalence of misinformation.

Our perception of what is “obscene” is skewed by the taboo nature of sexual health within our community. There are those in our community who say that teaching sexual health is the parents’, not the schools’, responsibility.

Some argue that the curriculum contains con-

tent too mature for a school setting. However, looking at the Netherlands’ successful approach to sexual education, it is clear that it is always better to have correct and substantial information than to not have enough information, as this prompts adolescents to turn to weaker resources like their peers for potentially misleading or inaccurate information.

Objective, medically-accurate information presented in such a way that allows students to make their own decisions is not harmful.

The core idea of the California Department of Education’s comprehensive sexual education program, which is followed by FUSD, is to present information, discuss responsible decision-making, and leave students to make their own choices. Therefore, we must recognize that only covering “safe” topics, such as “anatomy” and “abstinence,” does not reach this goal. There is something inherently wrong with the ways that students learn about their bodies and their sexualities through abstinence only programs, and the solution is to begin the dialogue with not, “What do I need to know about sex?”, but “What could I need to know about sex?” ▪

24 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

mandate sex education.

18 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

require that information on contraception be provided.

13 STATES

require that the instruction be medically accurate.

9 STATES

require that discussion of sexual orientation be inclusive.

2 STATES prohibit the program from promoting religion. guttmacher institute, 2016

8 Opinion

www.thesmokesignal.org

Too much homework?

Don’t blame the system

By Anthony Chen Staff Writer A recent FUSD Customer Satisfaction Survey showed that 65.7 percent of MSJ’s parents disagreed with the statement that “teachers assign the right amount and quality of homework.” An overwhelming majority of parents’ comments noted that their children received too much homework in certain classes. Principal Zack Larsen sent out an email over spring break addressing his concerns about the survey results. Larsen’s concerns about the amount of homework teachers give reflect a legitimate issue in our learning environment.

Homework assignments sometimes serve little value if they are repetitive and much easier than the questions on tests and quizzes. The assignments’ deadlines can also cause problems for students. In a survey that Larsen sent out through Naviance, more than half of the 189 sophomores who completed the survey responded that they were assigned homework on Friday due the following Monday every weekend. When those students have extracurricular activities over the weekend, they have no time left to relieve stress through exercising, other hobbies, or catching up on sleeping between school weeks.

Half of the 128 juniors who responded to Larsen’s survey are currently taking four or more honors or college-level AP classes, neither of which must follow district homework policy since they require extra work to cover more material.

However, students should be held responsible for the workload they receive. To stand out among their overachieving peers in college applications and other opportunities, students are piling on more work than they can handle. As often as MSJ students hear that overloading on AP classes does not ensure better college accep-

tance or a better education, statistics show that they have yet to truly understand that idea. Half of the 128 juniors who responded to Larsen’s survey are currently taking four or more honors or college-level AP classes, neither of which must follow district homework policy since they require extra work to cover more material. When students spend a majority of their time at school taking weighted courses, their workload naturally rises.

Signing up for too many challenging classes also significantly drops the quality of education because students end up cutting corners. Students may choose not to complete assignments because homework usually accounts for very little in students’ semester grades. In assignments with higher point values, plagiarism from the Internet or a peer’s work also offers a dishonest but seemingly easy way out that looks especially tempting when there is too much work to complete.

These highlighted issues, such as stress and cheating, are familiar to any student within this community. The problem lies in that students expect systematic solutions to these issues. Voices that the Smoke Signal gathered in a previous issue suggested putting a cap on the number of AP classes students can take in order to relieve stress. Now, parents and students are calling for teachers to assign less homework. While these solutions can help address the students’ stress, they only partially solve the issue.

Students must stop dismissing the “Mission mentality” issue as a cliché, make a conscious effort to think for themselves, take charge of their own schedules according to their own abilities and interests, and make time for stress-relieving activities, rather than follow the crowd and expect the system or an editorial to fix everything.

Larsen said, “As much as students can try to isolate themselves from what their peers say, think, and do, and do what’s best for them, they’re going to yield the best results for themselves.” ▪

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 3, 2016

MISSION HIGHLANDS SWIM CLUB

Memberships available for $545. This price includes 2016 annual fees.       

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Mention this ad when purchasing a membership and receive 20 guests passes— $100 value.

41900 Palm Ave—Across from MSJHS. For information send email to memberships@highlandsswimclub.org.

Website: www.highlandsswimclub.org

Friday, June 3, 2016

The Smoke Signal

“A little background on me as a highschool student: When I was about to graduate high school, my parents did not have the means, expectations or desires for me to go to college. They insisted that I not go to college, in fact.

So, this is what I would have told myself as a highschool graduate: You are not disrespecting your parents when you go against their wishes for you. You are not a bad person, you are not undervaluing your heritage, you are not barring your identity in the family, and must follow your heart. It doesn't matter what you study in college, or where you study. What is going to get you the farthest are your people skills and your heart.

Get clear about what you want, and if your heart is in it, you will get it.

[Elvia Sepúlveda]”

www.thesmokesignal.org

Feature 9

"Dear Mr. Cain (18-year-old), Reflecting back on the previous 10+ years, I have a lot to share with you. However, there isn’t enough time to go back and explain everything that I’ve learned so here are a few main points: 1. Do it yourself. If you want something then figure a way out how to accomplish it.

There will be people there to support you, but you have to make the effort to ask for help and find those willing to work with you.

2. You are in control of your stress. Minimize your stress levels by taking care of the things that you can control and understand there is always something you can’t, so accept it and move on.

3. Sleep is your friend. Walking around sleep-deprived, zombie-like, doesn’t let you reach your 100% potential so do not cheat yourself or others. Be GREAT EVERYDAY! 4. Balance is key to personal success. There are times you feel you are missing out on something, but remember you will have more opportunities later on and appreciate what you are doing NOW and enjoy it.

Good luck next year in college and enjoy the next step in your life. Enjoy the process and you are your biggest motivator!

[Mr. Cain (Present)]"

"Dear Lauren, Slow down and breathe because everything is going to be just fine. I know you are worried about securing your future, but right now, your main job is to go to college, take as many interesting classes as possible, get involved with your school, and start making friends because all of those opportunities become a lot harder to accomplish once you start your career. I am not saying it is impossible, but it is harder and it will be easy to find excuses not to do those things.

This idea of racing to adulthood because somehow that is how you will have all the answers is myth. At no point will you ever feel like you have arrived because there will always be examples you will find of people having it "together" more so than you. Us "adults", we are fakers. We do not always know what we are doing or where we will be going, but we do know what we wished we had done. So if you wish it now, do it! Who knows where or what direction you might go in if you do not always choose the 'safe' route. You will never know until you try.

Please try.

Always love and acceptance, Your older, teacher, self <3 [Lauren Ware-Hartbeck]"

I N & ALUM

r e h c a e T letters

squez loe Vela e h C & ey wrot Chen s that thable riters r e t W t

By Ella le ff ta d S valu hare

ho s ome chers, w may contain s a e t d n a y i lly—the J alumn t to MS e letters carefu u o d e h l reac d through th oke Signa a "Dear Graduating Me, The Sm past selves. Re heir t o t “It’s time to Where you’re currently at feels like the home stretch of advice! go off to college. All of the things four years of hard work, and rightly so. The diploma you you once thought mattered the will be handed in just a matter of time represents the exmost, your GPA, your SAT score, your Varperiences, hardships, trials, and moments of ecstasy and sity tennis match at NCS, all no longer matter anymore. joy; the tears of despair and the tears of joy, the mounGet ready to start with a clean slate and make your mark taintops and the valleys that you’ve been through in in the next 4 years. Step out of your comfort zone, go join your high school years. But it doesn’t stop there; you’re clubs, become a residential assistant, play intramural part of the continuity that connects the past, present, sports. Stuck on an assignment or don’t understand lecand future. Senior year in high school is precious; ture material? Go hit up the teacher assistant or even cherish every moment of it. Overflow in compasthe professor herself at their office hours. Take advansion, strive for excellence, and love God and othtage of all the school resources, and make sure you ers in word and deed. But don’t forget where start looking for internships as soon as you can. What you’ve come from, or where you’re going, you heard as a kid was right, experience trumps all. and the people and the places along the [Allen Shih, Class of 2012]” way. Pursue your dreams, foster your passions, and always be a Warrior.

[Edward Njoo, Class of 2014]”

"Dear Graduating Rob Van Deusen, Some advice for future years: 1. Push your teachers to teach you. Don't just accept the answers to get a grade. Ask for explanations and understand them.

2. Enjoy your life, put play where it is appropriate and put work into its proper place. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

3. Do what you twant to do. You will enjoy life more if you do something that you enjoy doing!

4. Develop a passion for your goals in life. Money is not everything as it is just a means to get things done.

5. Enjoy your family because it is the only one you have.

Be proud of what you do. The future is there for you to create.

[Mr. Van Deusen]"

“Dear graduating senior, Up to this point, parents and teachers have kept you accountable for waking up and showing up on time. From here on, only you are accountable for yourself. The faster you learn self-discipline (from keeping a schedule to managing your own finances), the earlier you’ll “have it together” and find success. The only way you’ll hit a target is if you aim for it.

Getting through high school has mostly been about achieving the grades; in college, it’s about absorbing as much as you can and discovering what really interests you (despite feeling conflicted for not pursuing what others think you should study).

By now, you’ve probably stopped growing vertically. Remember, everything you put into your body either makes you healthier or worse off. Learning how to cook is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

The teachers you’ll remember a decade from now are the ones who’ve made a positive impact on your life; always aspire to do that for others, no matter what age, profession, or position.

Lastly, it’s ok if you weren’t one of the 23 graduating valedictorians; MSJ isn’t an accurate representation of the rest of the world. Your self-worth isn’t based on achievements, and your real friends and family love you unconditionally — always remember that.

[-Serena Wu, Class of 2006]”

openclipart.org, designbeep.com, designchair.co.uk, nocookie.net, shuttlestock.com, clipartpanda.com

10 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Ashley Chang & Tanvi Raja Staff Writers

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 3, 2016

Cell phones and computers provide a convenient way for students to stay in touch. However, with technology comes responsibility. Sexting inappropriate sexual content has become more prevalent in recent years as teenagers increase their use of mobile technology. "Why not, the Kardashians are doing it."

What is Sexting?

Sexting occurs when a student takes a photo of themselves nude or semi-nude and sends it to another person over the phone or computer.

Patricia Allen has taught English 9, English 9 Honors, English 10, English 10 Honors, English 11A, and AP Literature and Composition over the course of the 21 years she has been at MSJ. Once she is retired, she wants to catch up on her long-deferred reading, travel, and do some volunteer work. She has seen how much MSJ has changed ethnically and feels that it has grown increasingly academically intense. She advises students to be aware of their technological use and reject society’s tendency to define people simply as numbers. Allen has also learned that teaching is definitely uplifting but can be crushing as well due to the growing general criticism of the teaching profession. Her most significant memory is of 9/11, the hardest day for her, during which she had to stay strong for her students in a time of strong emotions.

Jack Fendell has been at MSJ for 18 years and has taught physical science, earth science, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, Physics, and AP Physics. After retiring, he plans to take photography classes at Ohlone College and help intercity students enter college through the College Track program. He has really enjoyed being a teacher at MSJ but feels that it’s time for him to do something else. Fendell has noticed a big change in attitude over the years in that students are more serious and he can’t feel the joy coming from them. His advice to students is to relax as it’s impossible to be certain about the future. The most important thing he’s learned from teaching is not to lose his temper because he feels that teachers who do so also lose their students. Although he’s leaving at the end of the year, he’ll never forget how well behaved the students were.

Sarah Heimsoth will be relocating to American High School after teaching American Government and Economics at MSJ for one year. Her most significant memory is simply being around driven students. She advises them to enjoy high school while they can because it’s the life experiences that matter. As for the staff, she encourages them to keep pushing students to do their best. One thing she has learned over the years is that no matter whether it is junior high school or high school, the students’ biggest motivation is candy. When Heimsoth is having a bad day, she appreciates that there is always one student that does something funny or says just the right thing to eliminate her frustration and lift her spirits.

Katherine Mattingly will be retiring next year after 32 years at MSJ. She has taught CP English and Psychology to all grade levels, as well as US History to juniors. After being bitten by the “traveling bug” a few years ago, Mattingly aspires to continue traveling after retiring. She looks forward to visiting countries around the world, as well as possibly road tripping across the US with an R.V. and her two dogs. She is also excited to visit Disneyland during Halloween, read more, conduct volunteer work, and not grade any more essays. Because she graduated from MSJ, Mattingly has many memories from the school. Her most significant one, however, is when she was nominated for the Disney American Teacher Award in 2000.

Spenser Peterson has taught Government, Economics, and US History at MSJ for one year. He will be relocating to Hopkins Junior High School next year where he will teach seventh and eighth grade history. As an MSJ alum, Peterson enjoyed being coworkers with his old teachers and sitting on the other side of the desk this year. He has noticed an increase in cheating and academic pressure in his classes and encourages teachers to give meaningful homework. Although he is moving next year, Peterson still considers MSJ his home and has sincerely enjoyed working with the staff and students.

Why is Sexting so dangerous?

Sexting can ruin a teen’s reputation and cause serious emotional and psychological problems.

Once a photo is electronically uploaded, it’s forever out of your control. An angry ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend can post it publicly for all to see, which could have long term consequences. Even if you can get that particular photo deleted, it probably will still be in the “cloud." There have been cases of teens committing suicide because they were so distressed over images that were sent out that embarrassed and humiliated them.

Sexting is prohibited under child pornography laws. You can be arrested and convicted of child pornography trafficking for sending or receiving sexually oriented text messages regardless of how unintentional and innocent the sexting may have been. And yes, teens can, and are, arrested for this.

Sexting can open the door to pedophiles. Pedophiles have been known to use photos to blackmail children/teens into having sex with them to prevent further distribution.

Recent Research: University of Utah surveyed 606 teens ages 14-18 years old and found that approximately 20 percent of the teens said they had sent a sexual image of themselves via a cell phone. About twice as many teens admitted to receiving a sext. To top it off, of those who reported receiving a sext, well over 25% said they forwarded it to someone else.

So they are sharing those pics with their friends.

Why are you sexting?

Curiosity?

Sex creates curiosity, which leads to exploration and experimentation, especially with teens. This is nothing new. Teens are curious as to what others look like.

Peer Pressure?

Peer pressure to participate in sex could be another reason teens are succumbing to sending nude pictures of themselves. Think about it, if you’re a girl and other girls are boasting about sending pictures to their boyfriends you may feel pressured to do the same, especially if you feel like “everyone else is doing it”. If you’re a boy and your friends have naked pictures of girls on their phone, you may feel pressured to do the same, especially if your friends single you out if you don’t.

Love?

To the love-stricken teen, it’s easy to cave in to the pressure when you think “this is the one." You believe with all your heart this is the person you’re destined to be with for eternity.

Final thought.

Finally, I have had to investigate incidents of sexting on high school campuses. In each case, I can tell you the teen that sent the photos wishes he or she had not. I also dealt with several cases where someone was filmed while participating in sexual conduct. Don’t allow your sex partner to film you having sex, it may come back to haunt you.

And yes, according to the law, you are not supposed to be having sex until you are at least 18 years old.

Stay safe, Officer Sanders aapt.org

Friday, June 3, 2016

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

THE

DIEHARDtakeTRYHARDS on Chopped!

Feature 11

They’ve demonstrated their skills on the staff and editorial board of the Smoke Signal, but it’s time for the Diehard Tryhards to step into new territory—the kitchen. Faced with time limits and plot-twist ingredients, the Smokies are about to be challenged with a whole new type of competition. Who will be chopped, and who will escape the cutting board this time? *The competition was composed of 3 rounds: appetizer, entree, and dessert. Contestants were provided a basic ingredients basket, and were given surprise ingredients for the appetizer round, and basic taco supplies for the entree. Each dish was judged on taste, creativity, and presentation.

By Jacinta Chang, Harshita Gupta, Kevin Li & Richard Chenyu Zhou Web Editor, Opinion Editor, and Staff Writers

HARSHITA I grew up inhaling chaat masala and lemon pepper from my mother’s spice rack, and while I never felt the need to cook myself, I’m confident that my inherent taste intuition will kick in when DHTH calls.

I’m excellent at following instructions, so the recipe should secure me my win… The Diehard Tryhards are allowed recipes, right?

I’ve prepared for this the true MSJ way— cramming. In the last 24 hours, I have cooked pesto pasta, lettuce wraps, South Sudanese peanut vegetables, shrimp lentil salad, and barley goat cheese bread. I have learned the difference between roughly chopped and finely diced, and my mastery of the defrost mechanism is a game-changer. My lowly competitors think that their “long-term” “accumulation of knowledge” is going to save them today, but little do they know… last minute is the way to go! I am taking them down.

KEVIN My mom has raised me from

JACINTA Having grown up on episodes of Iron Chef and Cake Boss, my eyes are accustomed to the chaotic kitchen scene. But though they say that seeing is believing, I still have yet to come to believe in my own cooking abilities. Even though I have no shame in saying that I am not gifted in any possible culinary sense, I’m honestly ready to put the “try” in “Tryhards.”

a small shrimp of a baby to a hulking 6-foot high schooler on 17 years of fantastic cooking. That being said, I clearly inherited my dad’s culinary genes— we can only cook as well as is necessary for survival. On the rare occasion that we try, something always goes wrong. Don’t believe me? Just phone the fire department. They have a full squad on standby specifically for when the Li men try to experiment.

thoughts before I’m simply hoping and praying that the time I’ve spent watching Tasty videos instead of studying will come in handy for these challenges. I think I’ve accepted that I am no natural chef, but there’s no way I’m letting that stop me. Hopefully my obsession with insta-worthy latte art and Sunday morning brunches will give me an artistic edge in this competition. Skills? Nah. Aesthetics? You bet.

Judging from the potluck we had last Thanksgiving, I know Richard (he cooks with a bloody cleaver!) is going to be a massive thorn in my side. Actually, judging from my own comparative lack of culinary experience, all three of my competitors are going to be huge obstacles in my fight to remain unchopped. However, I know I have one thing going for me: the fact that none of us knows what we will be cooking and what ingredients we will have to use.

the food

final rankings

RICHARD

Since my Thanksgiving cooking adventure, I’ve formally graduated from the microwave to the stove, even if it’s limited to only three dishes. Cooking definitely isn’t my strong suit. Even when I follow a recipe, it often turns into a disaster. Throw in mystery ingredients and a time-limit?

The only recipe I’m making is for disaster.

The Chopped format is going to take everything I have.

I’m going in with some mixed expectations —part of me thinks I’m going to win, but a bigger part of me thinks I’m going to get chopped in the first round. Still, no matter how bland or burnt my food tastes, I’m going to decorate it so that it looks like it just rolled out of a three star Michelin restaurant. Presentation is the name of the game for me.

12 Centerspread

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 3, 2016

The Smoke Signal contacted MSJ teachers and the Class of 2016 Officers to share some departing words with the graduating class. The teachers responded to questions to share their perspectives about graduation, and the Class of 2016 Officers wrote a letter to their fellow seniors.

Dear Class of 2016, Rocky road. A classic ice cream flavor, yet truly the only way to describe our high school experience. Like other classes, we’ve had our fair share of obstacles; however, we were able to make one of the greatest comebacks, with a surreal senior Homecoming as well as an overwhelming amount of support and spirit that we shared through our events this past year.

Just like rocky road ice cream, our class has so much to offer as individuals, each bringing our own talents to the table. Although we are diverse in personality, we have come together as one coherent unit. Like the satisfaction you feel after polishing off a bowl of ice cream, we hope the four years we have shared together has left you with the same feeling of content and bliss.

As we all branch off in our own directions in pursuit of our own goals and dreams, we hope you hold the memories you’ve made and the experiences you’ve encountered during your time here at MSJ close to your hearts, no matter how good or how bad they were. Believe it or not, the relationships you built, the risks you took, the challenges you faced, and the mistakes you made have all contributed to your growth as an individual and have made you so much stronger. Our childhood is quickly approaching its end, and we’ll soon be facing the realities of the world. We won’t have the same luxuries and routines we’ve been used to our entire lives. We’re growing up, and yes, it’s scary. So when times get rough, as we are sure they will, remember to keep things in perspective. Be confident in your capacity for success (however you may define it) and invest that same amount of grit and enthusiasm you’ve already been giving into everything you put your mind to. Cherish the time you have with your friends and loved ones. Treat others the way you’d want to be treated. Move forward from those regrets.

You are all so unique, so special, so talented — we hope you recognize that. You have the potential to accomplish so many amazing things; many of you already have, and all of you will, in time.

Don’t be afraid to try new things, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to follow what you’re truly passionate about, regardless of how others may view you or your decisions. You do you!

It’s been an absolute honor to have served you this year. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Continue to empower others and inspire the world!

Love, Your Senior Class Officers Natalie Sin, President Vivian Zhao, Secretary

Shivam Patel, Vice President Michael Hsiu, Treasurer

the Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Editorial: “Post-Graduation Plans” in Perspective “Find out what you love and follow it passionately.

Find out what brings you the greatest satisfaction beyond and it will lead you to both personal and financial happiness. Go out and change the world.

If not you, then who?”

- CP & AP US History Teacher Tony Bellotti

“I know everybody wants to go through school in four years, but honestly, take some time, see the world. Go on some adventures and explore and do all those things because real life happens way too fast.”

- AP Psychology, CP & AP US History Teacher Rachel Tevlin

“Make a plan, but be flexible enough for that plan to change. Choose a major, but know that it’s not the end of the world if you change your mind later. Life has a wonderful way of working itself out. Be flexible!”

- Choir, Chorale & AP Music Theory Teacher Jason Aucoin

“Look at every experience as an opportunity to learn about yourself and to appreciate what you have. Remember only you can measure your success, which can come in a variety of forms.

Success is not always monetary. It can be having healthy relationship, raising a child, or improving society.”

- Honors English Teacher Elizabeth Waller

“My advice for graduating seniors is understanding that you’re your biggest motivator, and you’re the one person that can hold yourself accountable, so it relies on you. For the first time in your life, there are not any people outside that can help you go on, it’s all basically up to you. That allows you tons of different opportunities and a lot of chances but it boils down to how much you want it, and how much you’re willing to work for it, and how much you’re willing to be truthful to yourself.”

- CP Psychology & World History Teacher Jason Cain

The Post-Graduation Plans issue is finally here, and with it comes the inescapable discussion about stress, prestige, and intelligence. Less than a month after most decisions are released, the hallways are again filled with talk of college, the selectivity of each university, and who got in where (and how).

Different, nebulous ideas about admissions and decisions begin to take more distinct forms in these conversations—often morphing into assumptions.

Whereas one university may have accepted few students this year, rising in esteem for its selectivity, another institution may have boasted a higher acceptance rate than previous years, adopting a less valuable label. Though many of us may dislike this familiar dialogue, it is difficult to escape. It is up to us, as the MSJ community, to draw the line between what really matters and unnecessary speculation.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is a sense of continuity. While graduation marks the end of our high school experience, the steps that lie ahead are not set in stone. The classes we’ve taken, the experiences we’ve had, and the people we’ve met have all shaped our identities in more ways than we can count. Similarly, the conclusion of our time here offers the same promise of new perspectives, experiences, and interactions beyond MSJ. We can speculate about our future dreams, experiences, and friendships, but that’s all it will ever be—speculation.

In the end, our post-graduation plans are only one of many decisions we will make, another milestone in a longer journey.

Our identities are constantly shifting, and the Editorial Board acknowledges that each student’s individuality cannot be conveyed within two pages of a single issue. Each student is so much more complex than a single post-graduation decision or the college they’re listed under. While it’s easy to view the “college list” as a celebration of a perceived “end result” rather than the process and growth of high school, it’s important to focus on the means rather than the end. Who have we been as people, what has brought us to this next step? By recognizing that the opportunity to pursue our passions past graduation

is a gift, not a prize, we lessen the urge to seek selfvalidation.

For some, this opportunity may be pursuing higher education; for others, it may not be.

Regardless, it is imperative to understand the merits of choices that deviate from the “traditional” university route. No post-graduation option is better than another. Ultimately, how we use our knowledge is most significant, not whether we choose to take the first step at a university.

Year after year, we’ve seen this obsessive focus on post-graduation decisions corrode our potentially supportive school atmosphere. Pressure, unconstructive criticism, and misinformation pervade the college admission discussion, and the speculated attribution of other people’s successes to factors other than their hard work and dedication only detracts from the validity of our aspirations. Ending this unhealthy discussion begins with respecting different perceptions of ambition, as well as the criteria that go into making this post-graduation decision, whether it be monetary concerns, the strength of specific academic programs, or family circumstances, among many other considerations.

Respect extends so much further than the words we say or the direct treatment we give others. We must change the little things: our tendency to make assumptions, our whispered rumors and cursory glances, our subconscious categorization and subsequent discrediting of others and their achievements. We should instead appreciate the value of our peers’ decisions, recognize we cannot understand their decision-making process and the circumstances that factor into such choices, and celebrate our journey these past four years. After all, though we may choose different paths in fulfilling our passions, come June 8, we are united in our transition to new beginnings. ▪

photos by staff writers ashley chang, carolyn ge & mallika gupta. compiled by ishika chawla, andrew choi, carolyn ge, kevin li, tanushri sundar & richard chenyu zhou.

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Photo 13

photos by staff writers zen thumparkkul & victor zhou, smoke signal archives

14 Centerspread

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Centerspread 15

*percentage is calculated from total number of people who submitted

Cal Poly Pomona Nikhita Bandreddi Christopher Kwok Courtney Yu

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Amber Chiang Michael Conn Jonathan Lee Justin Nguyen Jocelyn Tam James Kao

CSU East Bay Priscilla Long

CSU Fullerton Heather Wang

De Anza College

Michel Nguyen Khadijeh Samiezade-Yazd Rudrik Suthar Ajitesh Vedula

Hope International University Marshall Munoz

Loyola Marymount University Harman Brah James Crocker Shivani Subramaniam

Mission College Ayesha Rashed

Ohlone College Janina Abalos Zeeshan Hudda Lorenzo Hyer Mahima Kaur Cynthia Wang George Wexler

Pepperdine University Lois Zhou

Saint Mary's College of California Teresa Gu Thi Luong

San Francisco Conservatory of Music Jessica Mao

San Francisco State University Caitlin Chan Joycelyn Chan Patrick Wouang

San Jose State University Nicole Hsu Amin Khan Jessica Mar Nikhil Pathania Divyaratna Ramachandran Yujia Sun Vineetha Tanniru Devanshi Thakar Ruchika Tirupachur Hong Sheng Wu

Santa Clara University Harshan Aravindakshan Jonathan Chao Christopher Desiniotis Fatima Israr Parwana Khazi Jennifer Lau

Kelsey Leon Rohan Nair Apoorva Rajanala Eliza Zhu

Georgetown University (D.C.) Camilla He

Stanford University

Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)

Hannah Choi Grace Dong

UC Berkeley

Mohammed Abdulwahhab Aparna Bharathala Karthik Bharathala Melissa Cai Cindy Chan Kevin Chen Siddharth Chittaranjan Shruthi Chockkalingam Alan Chuang Ajay Damodaran Sruthi Durai Srinath Goli Emily Gosti Justin Han Michael Hsiu Brian Hsu Chakshu Hurria Saurav Kadavath Amrith Krishnan Samuel Kung David Lee Alex Li Jerry Lin Kevin Liu Erica Mao Zhuoying Mao Jessica Mar Dominic Melville Shradha Menghrajani Anusha Mohan Dhruv Muley Nishant Nayak Anurag Papolu Shivam Parikh Riya Prahlad Saksham Pruthi Anaha Raghunathan Keshav Rao Shreya Reddy Shivane Sabharwal Shefali Sastry Jaeyun Seo Aarsh Shah Judy Shan Trisha Shang Amy Shen Ruiwen Shen Judith Silverberg-Rajna Harikaran Subbaraj Annie Tang Sara Tsai Andrew Wong Didi Wu Lindsay Yang Kevin Yu

Ankit Kuchhangi

Harvard University (MA)

Claire Zhang Emeri Zhang Alyssa Zhao Miranda Zhou Emily Zhu

Alice Cheng Harshita Gupta

Hofstra University (NY) Matthew Saleem Paras Shah

UC Davis

Shreya Atitkar Kai Goodman Brittany Lau Lawton Lee Jennifer Lin Joshua Liu Chandni Nagda Madhura Naidu Alisha Nanda Taruna Neelakantan Kajal Raju Karthik Ramesh Sabrina Sheu Marianne Rara

UC Irvine

Annie Chen Melissa Chin Brian Chou Ashley Gin Mohammed Haque Liang-Kuan Lee Wilson Luk Shubham Mahajan Priyanka Saba Alex Tam Sonya Wong Annie Xu Elsie Yi William Yue Vivian Zhao

UC Los Angeles Tiffany Chen Cheston Cheung Evelyn Gao Jelena Lee Elaine Lin Taasin Saquib Natasha Sarkar Natalie Sin Mavis Zeng Kevin Zhu

UC Riverside

Aditya Acharya Rashi Ambashta Katherine I. Chen

Indiana University Bloomington (IN)

Srinath Gopalakrishnan Charles Han Joseph Ju Saisidhardha Kalakota Saurabh Kamble Nivedha Karthikeyan Andrew Kim Douglas Lam Samuel Liu Riddhima Mathur Anusha Murshed Joyce Pi Tom Shih Alex Thomas An-Chi Wang Cecilia Yip Grant Zou

Shriya Ghai Jennifer Huang Rushali Kothari Zehao Li Natalie Lin Yuhan Ling Kunal Mehta Umut Oktem Matthew Ong Saagar Parikh Megan Roche David Tan Karen Trinh Arjun Umashankkar Mohini Vaidya Lucas Williams

UC San Diego

UC Santa Cruz

Joshua Chan Simar Chhabra Emily Hsu Ethan Hsu George Hu Michelle Kao Christina Li Nicole Li Vivian Lin David Lin Erikka Linn Eric Liu Austin Pan Abhiraj Sanku Elliot Suh Anita Yen Eric Yuan Young Ju Yun

UC Santa Barbara Osamah Baig Vivian Chang Spencer Chau Deborah Chen Rui Yu Ding Haokuan Dong Jonathan Gao

Dwayne Bhatia Priyanka Chary Yvonne Chen Sanjay Damani Varuna Dharasker Anjali Dileep Jennifer Dutra Nikhita Ganesh Christina Guan Saksham Gupta Gregory Han Elizabeth Hu Shruti Jain Tejas Kaladi Cory Lam Anish Parasrampuria Khang Tran Jessica Zhao

University of San Diego Gavan Singh

University of San Francisco Anastasia Ecin Ryen Teo

American University (D.C.) Sajal Merchant

Amherst College (MA) Olivia Zheng

Arizona State University (AZ) Rishab Amudhasagaran Salik Himmati Saurabh Inamdar Amit Jamuar Nina Vasan

University of the Pacific

Urmi Mustafi Tiancheng Qin Qingyue Wu Brian Xie

Rhode Island School of Design (RI) Minji Koo

Rice University (TX) Katrina Cherk

University of Massachusetts Boston (MA) University of Miami (FL) Juliana Kim Devi Nallakumar

University of Michigan (MI) Shivam Patel Chloe Marie Velasquez Julie Wang

School of the Art Institute of University of Oklahoma Chicago (IL) (OK) Julia Lin

Anu Asokan

Seattle University (WA)

University of Oregon (OR)

Tufts University (MA)

University of Pennsylvania (PA)

Ayush Narayan Rohan Panuganti Keifer Chiang

Marissa Padilla

Tulane University (LA)

Katherine Chen Katie Jiang Justin Yue

Sarina Chitre

University of Texas at Austin (TX)

Boston University (MA)

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJ)

University of Chicago (IL)

University of Utah (UT)

Christine Wu Anusha Chillara Romir Desai Joy Gu Rebecca Hong Anusha Venkatesan Jerry Yu

Case Western Reserve University (OH) Mallika Chatterjee Lavanya Rajan

Columbia University in the City of New York (NY) Christine Hsu

Cornell University (NY) Jacinta Chang

Fayiza Al-Sanady Imani Brown

Drexel University (PA)

Whittier College

George Washington University (D.C.)

Adil Bari

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)

Saarthi Jethi

Ipsita Krishnamurthy Kashaf Qureshi

Samantha Bernstein

University at Buffalo (NY)

Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

Prerika Chawla Kylie Cheung Olivia Hong Alexander Kuo Nithya Rajeev Nishir Shelat Julian Zhang

Anna Chen Jerry Yan

Reed College (OR)

University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

Mount Holyoke College (MA)

Barry Liu Jonathan Luo

University of Southern California

Johns Hopkins University (MD)

Jordan Wu Caren Zeng

Boston College (MA) Ashley Oh

Sriya Vutukuru Melissa Jacobsen

Damon Pham

Peter Huang Soukhya Inamdar Jonathan Leung Andrew Liu Kevin Nguyen Sougat Pradhan Hugh Smith Arthur Wang Jiayi Zheng Amy Li

Raviteja Bethamcharla Kiran Kittur

Savana Wang

Sunny Pasumarthi

New York University (NY) Meher Badia Sonam Bhuptani Hansen Chen Alan Jin Loren Kita Serena Lightstone Abhishek Singh Katie Sun Andrew Wang Tiffany Wong Andrea Yee

Northwestern University (IL) Adviti Atluri Jessica Cao Eric Yang

Pennsylvania State University (PA) Tarj Patel

Purdue University (IN) William Ho Ethan Hu

Kiet Nguyen

Laya Gollapudi Agnes Lo Thomas Li

University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

Sara Panjwani

Christopher Guan

University of Washington (WA)

Shubha Swamy

Shourya Jain Truman Leung Avnish Narayan

University of Hawaii at Manoa (HI)

University of Wisconsin Madison (WI)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA)

Ian Lee

Kevin Chang Tiancheng Cheng Stanley Chiang Ryan King Pavani Malli Nikhil Mehta Fatima Mian Zuhayer Quazi Tanvi Raja Aashna Shah Aayush Suri Conan Wen Kara Wong Joanna Wu

Benjamin Yin

Neha Shah

Washington University in St. Louis (IL) Neeharika Kotte Andrea Tam

Wayne State University (MI) Waleed Eliwat

Williams College (MA) Emily Zheng

compiled by ishika chawla, andrew choi, carolyn ge, kevin li, tanushri sundar & richard chenyu zhou.

16 Photo

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The Smoke Signal

Hannah Choi started her journey with music at age four, learning how to play piano.

Building on her foundation, she began playing cello at seven, focusing on classical music with modern influences. She cites cellists such as Jacqueline Du Pre, Lynn Harrell, Yo Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, and Christine Walevska as her inspirations, motivated by their dynamic and interpretive styles. A member of the California Youth Symphony for seven years, Choi has performed several times as a soloist in many concerts. Choi has also since performed at Carnegie Hall four times, won 20 competitions, and learned from renowned music teachers. She will continue her musical career at Stanford University and hopes to record all six of Bach’s cello suites, more than two hours of difficult composition.

“On a personal level, the highlight of my career was college audition season. I faced the huge challenge of learning six pieces, recording and submitting supplements to professors, traveling to colleges, and playing a show-stopping audition in addition to the regular college application process … I was so grateful to be acknowledged by many respected professors. Although I was exhausted after completing this challenge, I am thankful for gaining confidence.”

Julie Kim took her first steps in dance when she was just two years old, after her parents took her to a dance class to be more confident. Kim took dance classes on and off until her freshman year, when she began to take dancing more seriously. In the last four years, she has grown more passionate about dance and wants to continue pursuing it in college and beyond. Kim’s proudest achievement is performing at the San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds baseball game in the summer of her freshman year. In the future, she plans to double major in dance and athletic training and hopes to be a dancer and athletic trainer for a famous contemporary dance company.

“Dance is kind of like a music-verbal translation to visual art and movement. At least that’s how I feel whenever I dance any style I do. My body is translating what I hear in the music.”

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Growing up, Senior Allamaprabhu Pattanashetty always knew he would enter the fine arts, but never thought he would actually pursue film until his freshman year. During that year, he was commissioned to create a film as part of a drama project and soon after began creating short films nearly every month for both his freshman and sophomore year. From this experience, Pattanashetty said he had realized his passion for film. He said, “my goal or dream job would be to direct and film something of my own creation and see something that I’ve thought of in my head come on screen, which is pretty cool in my opinion.” After enrolling in a film and video production course at Ohlone College, he sent a film he created in the course to Withoutabox, a website which links aspiring filmmakers to several film festivals. Upon sending his film, Pattanashetty won third place at the Ohlone Film Festival and an award of merit at an international film short story competition. Next year, Pattanashetty will be attending New York University as a film and video production major and hopes to be settling for any career within the film industry, hopefully in directing and writing, in the future.

“I like directors who takes risks and do things that most directors wouldn’t do.

That’s why whenever there’s a set style of filmmaking, whomever branches out from that and does their own thing are the kind of people that inspire me.”

By Zen Thumparkkul, Chloe Velasquez, and Victor Zhou Staff Writers As the 2015-16 school year comes to an end, several seniors are beginning their journey into the fine arts, some as a career and others as a professional hobby. For this issue, the Smoke Signal features a few of these seniors, highlighting the diverse array of fields each are pursuing, their accomplishments, and their goals. These seniors were selected by self-nomination and chosen by the Smoke Signal based on the responses to an online survey posted in the Class of 2016 Facebook group.

While Amber Chiang has been devoted to art since a very young age, she discovered her interest in graphic design the summer of her junior year. “You see it [graphic design] everywhere. Everything uses graphic design––all the packaging you see, all the websites, all of social media. All of that is graphic design,” Chiang said. She now takes Digital Imaging and Art 3 in school and has designed logos and T-shirts for numerous clubs and organizations such as MSJ’s swim team, Fremont Flute ensemble, Crystal Children’s Choir, and Tri-City Band Corps. Her typical style is minimalistic, focusing on neat and interesting composition. Chiang is also very passionate about photography and has taken photos for various events in the past years. This fall, Chiang intends to major in graphic design at Cal Poly State University and has tentative plans to minor in photography in the future.

“I just really like it when people like the photos that I take for them. That’s just what makes me happy.”

Arts & Entertainment 17

Jennifer Huang found herself mesmerized the moment she saw her first color guard performance at a spring assembly. She auditioned for and joined MSJ’s guard team that year. In the following years, color guard, became a large aspect of her life. She is not only a co-captain of MSJ’s color guard and winter guard team, but also the leader of Class of 2016’s first homecoming color guard air band. Last December, Huang attended the audition camp for the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, an open-class drum corps and sixtime Drum Corps International (DCI) World Champion. Huang intends to march with the drum corps and compete in DCI every summer for the next four years.

“When I’m spinning, all my other problems seem to disappear.

Performing is all I focus on. I do color guard more than just as a catharsis of stress; color guard is a means of expression that makes me really happy.”

Upon watching the film Together and hearing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Senior Jessica Cao fell in love with violin. She began playing by the second grade and pursued her passion by joining several local organizations such as the Oakland Youth Orchestra, performing both solo works, mainly from the Romantic Era, and orchestral works. Annually, Cao looks forward to performing at the Davies Symphony Hall for the Bay of Hope Youth Orchestra Festival, in which six local youth orchestras gather to showcase their talents.

Among her accomplishments, she considers her role as concertmaster in the Festival Orchestra, which comprises the top players from each orchestra, to be one of her proudest moments. In the future, Cao hopes to continue playing in an orchestra, most likely as a part-time job alongside her career choice.

“The Oakland Youth Orchestra took a tour to Argentina and Uruguay a couple years back and there was a concert where we played in the countryside. For the last song, we played an Argentine folk song and they were literally clapping, dancing, and standing on the chairs, going crazy. I feel like an experience like this is pretty priceless. So, just having more chances to perform in this kind of setting is a pretty big motivation for me.”

photos by zen thumparkkul. courtesy jessica cao, amber chiang, hannah choi, jennifer huang, julie kim, allamaprabhu pattanashetty.

18 Arts & Entertainment

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By Michelle Dalarossa, Shivane Sabharwal & Brian Tseng Staff Writers

Indie electronic, or indietronica, was popularized in the 2000’s, specifically in 2002 when the record division of Sónar Music Festival released a compilation CD titled, Indietronica Vol. 1. The genre’s blend of indie, electronic, pop, and rock elements is characterized by the use of synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers, providing a futuristic and lush sound.

Grime is a genre that developed in the early 2000s in the U.K. It is influenced by a variety of other genres, most notably dancehall, U.K. garage and junge (two types of electronic music), and hip-hop.

FKA Twigs (LP1), Charlie XCX, Tegan and Sarah (Closer), Wampire, Imogen Heap, The Postal Service

Skepta, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, JME, Roll Deep

First emerging in the 1960s, baroque pop is known for incorporating elements from classical, orchestral music into pop.

With the use of cellos, french horns,

harpsichords,

and

more, artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and the Bee

Dream pop is a type of alternative rock that was coined in the 1980s to describe a growing music scene in the UK that later became known as shoegazing. It is characterized by introspective, soft lyrics over guitar effects that are meant to immerse the listener in the music.

Art rock is a branch of rock music that emerged in the early 1970s which explores a more modernist and avant-garde approach, with influences from classical music and jazz. Due to its virtuosity and musical complexity, art rock aspires to elevate rock to the level of high art, and was created to appeal to artistically inclined teenagers and young adults.

Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Grimes, Lana Del Rey, The xx

Radiohead, Sigur Rós, The Velvet Underground, Brian Eno

Gees created a dramatic, rich style of music that continues to influence musicians today.

Arcade Fire, Florence+The Machine, Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, Belle and Sebastian

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Arts & Entertainment 21

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R M u s i C : t i m e f l i e s | a r i a n a g r a n d e | F i l m : c a p ta i n a m e r i c a : c i v i l wa r | C o n c e r t : B e yo n c e

bey Sl’a’yed

Under the Radar

Music review

By Ishika Chawla Staff Writer Timeflies is an American pop duo, which formed in 2010, with producer Rom Resnick and vocalist Cal Shapiro.

Their music ranges from eclectic YouTube covers to original releases with influences from almost all genres of music.

In 2011, the pair released their first album, The Scotch Tape, which gave them their claim to fame, hitting #2 on the iTunes pop charts and #8 overall with its debut. Following its release, the artists signed with Island Records and recorded two new albums and released their single “Once in a While,” a catchy EDM-pop number, in 2016 with their upcoming album to-be-announced.

Along with their original music, Timeflies runs their own YouTube channel with almost 500,000 subscribers, where almost every other Tuesday (known as “Timeflies Tuesdays”) the duo posts new music, usually covers of popular songs.

The duo is known for their upbeat sound and unique mix of genres such as hip-hop, pop, R&B, rap, and especially EDM, given Resnick’s background as a DJ. They use pulsing electronic beats in order to maintain a rhythmic tempo in the background in order to complement their music. Their 2016 release “Once in While” explores a new genre for the duo as it is more upbeat than their previous releases, but still has the same smooth rhythm. .With stellar background music and lyrics, Timeflies is certainly a pair to watch out for. ▪

Book Bites

By Mustafa Ahmed and Andrew Chen Staff Writers

By Ashley Chang Staff Writer

crawlsf.com

By Grace Dong Opinion Editor She’s slayed the Billboard Music Awards. She’s slayed the MTV Music Awards. She’s slayed the Super Bowl Halftime Show (twice). And on Monday, May 16, Beyonce absolutely slayed at Levi’s Stadium for the Santa Clara stop of her Formation World Tour.

Technically scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Beyonce didn’t make her appearance until after 9 p.m.. Instead, opening act DJ Khaled pumped up the stands by bringing up guest artists like Too Short and E-40. The audience cheered while the sun was still up for Khaled, but the real show didn’t begin until long after sunset. The wait between Khaled’s exit and Beyonce’s entrance dragged for nearly an hour, and the only entertainment available were video advertisements for her new album, Lemonade, and new clothing line, Ivy Park.

Despite the tedious wait, Beyonce’s performance more than made up for it—in just two hours, Queen Bey sang and danced her way through a whopping 30 songs, never once showing any signs of waning energy or enthusiasm. Returning to her Super Bowl 50 debut in February, which also took place at Levi’s, she

kicked off the show with her single, Formation. She and her dancers were the epitome of the lyric, “I slay,” as they executed dynamic choreography in wide-brim black hats and black leotards. She effortlessly transitioned into similarly spirited songs including, “Sorry,” “Kitty Kat,” “Bow Down,” and “Run the World (Girls),” the last of which was accompanied by brilliant orange flames that lit up the stadium.

The next set featured an angelic looking Beyonce in a white leotard singing a mix of upbeat and slower songs, including “Mine,” “Baby Boy,” and “Countdown.” Beyonce particularly spotlighted “All Night,” a song from her new album, Lemonade, as her favorite song. The genuine joy in her voice, face, and laughter as she sang about redemption was infectious.

One more costume change later, the queen returned in a sparkling gold leotard and a throne. Her voice shone with personality and sass throughout “Don’t Hurt Yourself ” and “Ring the Alarm.” The crowd went ballistic during “Feeling Myself,” when Beyonce changed the lyrics from “Changed the game with that digital drop” to “Changed the game with that Lemonade drop,” referring to her

unexpected, unadvertised 2016 album release.

Beyonce’s vocal prowess truly shined in the latter half of the concert, especially during her acapella rendition of “Love On Top.” By the end of the song, Beyonce simply watched in amazement as the audience sang the lyrics back to her perfectly. She then jumped right into her “favorite song to sing live,” “1+1,” and absolutely nailed the high notes.

In addition to phenomenal vocals, the show also featured creative choreography when Beyonce and her dancers began dancing in boxes during the slow and sensual “Crazy in Love (Fifty Shades of Grey Remix).”

For “Freedom,” Beyonce revealed the most innovative choreography of the entire show—dancing on water. She and her dancers kicked their legs high and splashed barefoot, highlighting the accents of the song.

Beyonce closed the show with a stellar performance of “Halo,” after telling audience members, “Think of who you love and sing this to him.”

From the impressive choreography to her powerful vocals to the stunning costuming and staging, Beyonce proved, once again, that she deserves the title “Queen Bey.” Rating: A+

Hats Off To cap

Student Recommendation

Title:Gone With the Wind Author: Margaret Mitchell Difficulty: Medium Genre: Historical Fiction Scarlett O’Hara, a southern belle from Atlanta, Georgia, attempts to deal with the significant financial hardships she faces after fighting that takes place during the Civil War ravages her hometown.

“I liked how the time period and unique geographical component of the setting are depicted. Even though it was long and took a while for me to read, I nevertheless really enjoyed the novel.” -Michelle Zhang, 10

Staff Recommendation

Title: The Lord of the Rings Author: J. R. R. Tolkien Difficulty: Medium Genre: Fantasy Frodo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire, journeys with various individuals across mythical lands to defeat the Dark Lord Sauron, who had created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer all of Middle Earth.

“I really enjoyed reading all of the books [in the trilogy]. They are some of the best fantasy novels ever written.” -AP Physics 1/Honors Chemistry Teacher Jack Fendell

Smokie Recommendation:

Title: The Age of Innocence Author: Edith Wharton Difficulty: Medium Genre: Romance Lawyer Newland Archer and socialite May Welland seem like a perfect match, but their relationship in 1870s New York society is upturned when May’s scandalous cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, arrives and threatens their happiness.

“I find it a highly relatable work because it’s truly a commentary on happiness and freedom, and the consequences of repression and conformity.” -Staff Writer Kylie Cheung, 12

By Chakshu Hurria & Annie Tang Feature Editor and Centerspread Editor

Captain America: Civil War, the latest release of the commercially successful franchise Marvel, excites the audience with its classic fight scenes, lighthearted humor, and bits of romance—all while maintaining an intricate, engaging plot. Unfortunately, despite Civil War’s overall strong performance, the movie had its technical weaknesses as well In fact, for those who aren’t well-acquainted with the cross-overs within the Marvel Universe, the start of the movie can be slow and perplexing. The opening includes an ambiguous flashback from 1991, which suddenly changes to a fight between members of the Avengers and an unexplained villain. Although these scenes, as well as the following action sequences, showcase the beautiful costuming and exciting stunts that audiences have come to expect from Marvel movies, the lack of context as to why such a fight is occurring leaves the audience with more confusion than anticipation.

The information flow remains disjointed with the film’s transitions, which seem like an unsatisfactory at-

tempt to save both time and effort.

Instead of a smooth switch from scene to scene with the support of the characters’ actions or lines, Civil War instead utilized a direct cutaway to the next plot point with only an uppercase typeface detailing the new setting or time. Although the transitions became tiresome and choppy over time, their presence didn’t detract from the undeniably enjoyable experience.

Civil War’s complex storyline and nuanced character development more than makes up for the poorly executed transitions and absence of immediate, widespread appeal. Despite the film being the third in the Captain America series, it did an excellent job in creating a dispute that didn’t automatically polarize Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) into good or bad. By playing on the theme of morality and different perceptions of “justice,” Marvel makes it difficult for its audience to decide who to cheer for in this civil war.

The addition of a new character, Spiderman (Tim Holland), brings a new layer of depth to Civil War and creates a new audience favorite. His presence adds a sense of relatability for Marvel’s large teenage demographic, as Spiderman is able to capture the

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essence of being a normal teenager trying to get through high school. He appeals especially to the MSJ audience, as his admiration for the Avengers and normal teenage worries (“but, I still have homework to do!”) are both realities of many MSJ students. During the otherwise incredibly intense fight scenes, Spiderman also fires some of the iconic light-hearted banter and witty quips that Marvel is known for. The appropriate balance of comedy and action offered a humorous reprieve, and ensured that the battles didn’t become repetitive. Though some critics say that his role was nothing more than a marketing ploy for Marvel’s upcoming Spiderman movie—a claim that may very well be true—his interaction with various characters, such as Stark, throughout the movie allows the audience to view said characters in a new light.

Overall, Civil War is definitely a film to catch before it leaves the theaters. Just be sure to brush up on your Marvel knowledge before you come, prepare to fall in love with some new characters, and spend a portion of the two hours questioning which side of this civil war you’re on.

Rating: A-

Having proved her vocal talent through her past two albums, Yours Truly and My Everything, both of which reached number one in the US, singer Ariana Grande returned with her third studio album Dangerous Woman on May 20. She experiments with darker themes, emphasizing her shift from her former pop princess image. With this mature change in style, Grande makes sure to establish herself as the “bad girl.”

“Moonlight” is a soft and warm introduction to the heavier tracks to come.

It expresses the sweet love between two individuals, giving off the feeling of a honeymoon. The plucking of the strings in the background adds more to the ethereal melody, executing the song’s dreamlike quality perfectly. The standout from the album is clearly its namesake and title song “Dangerous Woman.” It’s laced with strong beats and has a slow and heavy rhythm that complements the song’s topic. Though it contrasts greatly with the previous track, “Dangerous Woman” nevertheless also showcases Grande’s powerful vocal skills. The rising tension in the pre-chorus matches perfectly with the escalating melody as Grande belts out “All that you got, skin to skin, oh my God/Don’t ya stop, boy.”

“Into You” centers around infatuation and affairs, but the sexualized lyrics don’t do much for the song in the midst of many similarly-minded tracks. However, the EDM-infused beat is undoubtedly infectious, and the catchy tune is reminiscent of a club dance atmosphere.

The album takes a gentler route as it transitions into songs like “Leave Me Lonely.” One of the few songs that have a deeper love story, “Leave Me Lonely” tells of gripping heartbreak and dangerous goodbyes. It features R&B and jazz singer Macy Gray, whose characteristic raspy voice adds more soul to the heartfelt ballad and immediately turns the album in a new direction. Gray’s resonant voice complements Grande’s airier tone, but at some points, the song seems fit Gray’s drawled-out sound slightly better.

Towards the end of the album, “I Don’t Care” is a refreshing break from the sensual love songs that constitute most of Dangerous Woman. String instruments start its introduction, setting up the song’s laidback attitude. “I Don’t Care” expresses Grande’s sentiment that she no longer cares about what others think of her.

In this case, Grande’s lyrical and breathy voice suits the song’s relaxed melody.

Dangerous Woman allowed Grande to demonstrate versatility in her artistry and exhibit a new side to her. Although the bad girl approach grew a little repetitive throughout the songs, the album does not lack in the diversity of melodies and genres. Her voice never fails to impress and manages to bring a mediocre song a few notches higher.

Grande’s change in direction is sure to be welcomed and leaves the question of which way she’ll be headed next. ▪ Rating: A-

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photos by staff writers michelle dalarossa and mallika gupta

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Softball fights hard against Washington Huskies

By Sayan Ghosh Staff Writer On Thursday, May 12, MSJ Softball faced Washington High School (WHS) in their second to last home game of the season. Despite a strong showing in the early innings of the game, MSJ lost 2-15 due to Washington’s strong offensive showing.

The team came into the game after winning a preseason game against Hayward High School and a regular season game against MVAL rivals Irvington High School. MSJ began the game fielding. Freshman Katrina Trammel was the starting pitcher. WHS began the game by scoring two early runs in the top of the first inning.

However, the MSJ fielding staff responded well by catching out a WHS batter. Despite the bases being loaded towards the end of the inning, the fielding staff prevented further runs by dismissing two more WHS batters. In the bottom of the first inning, MSJ responded well with Freshman Sierra Raha hitting a run batted in triple, scoring Senior Captain Aparna Bharathala. Raha scored the second run of the inning by stealing home plate.

The team continued its solid pitching and fielding into the second inning. Trammel struck out the first WHS hitter, and although WHS responded with a consecutive single and double, MSJ ensured that WHS scored no runs in the inning, catching out and tagging out two WHS hitters. Senior Annie Chen hit a single early in the inning, and despite the next hitter not reaching first base in time, reached second base with two outs. With Bharathala at bat, Chen stole third base as Bharathala eventually walked to first. Unfortunately, MSJ could not capitalize on this situation to take the lead.

WHS displayed an impressive offensive performance in the third inning, which extended the point difference by quite a bit after the close initial innings. They scored via a two-run home run and a combination of singles and doubles, widening the gap to 12-2 by the end of the inning. MSJ responded valiantly, with Trammel and Freshman Jenna Iwamiya hitting singles, but they could not

Captain Senior Marissa Padilla throws the ball.

reduce the deficit in the third inning. WHS scored through a two-run home run and a run batted in double early in the fourth inning.

MSJ responded with strong fielding, preventing extra runs from being scored with some clever plays. MSJ could not reduce the deficit any further in the fifth inning, and the game ended after the fifth inning at 2-15. The team displayed promising pitching and fielding throughout the entire game, however, WHS’s scoring streak in the third inning proved too powerful to overcome. Bharathala said, “this year, we had quite a run. We won our first pre-season game, putting us in high hopes for future games. However, due to injuries and other unfortunate circumstances, we were unable to beat out most of the teams that we played against.

Despite this, we held our heads high and continued to give 110 percent in games and practice and play by our mantra of ‘focused fun’.” ▪

Sophomore Hannah Scherer attempts to get the opposing player out on home base. photos courtesy marissa padilla

Boys’ Golf finishes impressive season MSJ’s Boys’ Golf Team finished off a remarkable undefeated season by placing fifth at the NCS Tournament held on May 16 at The Club at Roddy Ranch in Antioch. The Smoke Signal interviewed Coach Jason Cain and Captain Junior Vijay Srinivasan to talk more about the team’s accomplishments and future goals.

Smoke Signal: What are some of the team’s accomplishments this year?

Jason Cain: First, we went undefeated in season, and also in league as well, so we beat our outside teams and all the MVAL teams. But from some of the big matches we had, we beat San Ramon Valley High School at their course, Bishop O’Dowd High School at their course, and Granada High School at their course as well, so those were three really big wins for us. Another accomplishment was that we won three outside tournaments; we won the Discovery Bay Invitational, the Deer Ridge Invitational, and the Tracy/West Invitational. In the MVAL Tournament, there’s 10 all-league selections, all based on the two-day tournament, and all six of our players that played in the tournament got all-league selections, so they were in the top 10 scorers.

That was a huge accomplishment.

SS: What was the team’s most important game this year?

JC: I think it was against San Ramon Valley, because San Ramon Valley beat us by a couple strokes last year at NCS. [Last year] we took fifth, they took fourth, and they [tournament administration] take the top three teams. But when we went over there at the beginning of the year and beat them at their home course, it really kind of showcased “we can do this; we can compete with the top golfers.”

SS: What do you hope for the future of the team?

JC: I see us continuing to grow and get better and better each and every year, because we still have a

By Andrew Chen & Andrew Choi Staff Writers

staying on them and at and about. Making those three foot putts, yeah it’s easy, but making 15 of them in a row, and making six foot putts. It’s not always about hitting the ball the farthest, or hitting the ball the straightest, it’s about around the greens, chipping and putting, and basically scrambling your way across the golf course. And when opportunities do arise on the golf course, you really make them count.

SS: What made the team more successful this season compared to last season?

Vijay Srinivasan: The team was really deep this year compared to previous years. The number of good players we have this year is higher than what we had in the past, so we had more options when picking which players would play certain matches and tournaments. We also had a lot more experience, with a lot of our good players having already played for the team. We were pretty inexperienced last year, but we were able to take what we learned from some our struggles from then and apply it to our game this year.

Boys’ Golf team wins many awards at the Deer Ridge tournament.

very young team—we have three new freshmen and a really strong sophomore class this year that really helped contribute to the team. We’re losing two seniors, and it’s sad to see them go— one of them was a four-year player—but we have such young talent that I think we’ll have a strong team for the next three or four years to come.

SS: Coming into this season, how did you feel?

What did you hope to achieve?

JC: I felt that we were going to be good, but I didn’t expect us to be this good. We still need a lot of work and we still need to continue to improve, but the big thing is that a Fremont team hasn’t gotten past NCS in boys’ golf in probably 10 or 15 years. Realistically, just trying to put Fremont on the map, put MSJ on the map, because

courtesy jason cain

it’s usually overlooked by De La Salle, Foothill, Monte Vista, and so it’s really just trying to show that MSJ has a team that, although we don’t play at a country club or anything, that we can compete with the best.

SS: How do you think the team’s efforts during practices helped them achieve their feats? Was there anything specific you stressed during practices?

JC: Attention to detail, really working on the mental game along with the physical game. A lot of our kids have their own swing coaches and each swing coach teaches their kids differently, based on the kids’ abilities and what their personal swing is, so for as far as a high school season it’s perfecting the little small things, and really

SS: Do you think MSJ Golf can continue this dominance in the coming years?

VS: The next few years should be really good for this team, especially next year. All of this year’s varsity players will be returning, so the team can continue to excel, and the younger players will hopefully continue to improve.

SS: What was the most notable match or tournament where the team really shined?

VS: We really dominated at the tournament at Shadow Lakes Golf Course in Brentwood. Everyone played incredibly, and we shot a 376 as a team, winning the whole tournament. That was one of three tournaments we won this year, which is amazing. There was also a non-league match against Granada High School at Poppy Ridge Golf Course in Livermore where we shot a 184 over nine holes and dominated our opponents. ▪

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A

OLLEGE ADMIS C S ND

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Insight Education Newsletter: Course Selection

Friday, June 3, 2016

SI

NCE 1999

Happy New Year! With the new year comes many new things, resolutions, looking back and looking

forward into the coming year. It feels like you just started the school year, but now you are already having to look at your next school year by choosing classes. How do you even begin? It can be a stressful and hectic time to think about the year. Here are some tips when thinking about course selection.

E G E A L D L M O C I SS D N

Review your High School's Plan and Class Mapping

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A T C I U ONA D E L

VISORS S AD ION

The first thing you should do is review your high school’s plan and class mapping. All high schools will have one that is most likely accessible on the website or you can pick up a hard copy at your counselor’s office. Once you have that sheet handy, it should help you figure out what class should be next in your sequence. You need to make sure you are fulfilling your high school’s requirements for graduation, but you should also consider what courses you need for college admissions. A great place to start is to review the UC A-G approved courses your high school offers—that way you can choose electives and classes that will count towards your UC GPA.

Do you know what you possibly want to major in? Consider what courses you may need

if you do pursue that major. So if you need to take physics by senior year, make sure your math course complements the science (make sure you have the skills to take the higher level science course).

Consider extra courses outside of School

You can also consider if there are courses you want to take outside of school to show mastery or interest in a specific area of study. You want to show that you are capable of taking college-level courses, and there are a variety of ways to do that.

You can take a community college course during the summer, take an AP class, do a class online through a university. Colleges will be excited to see that you took initiative to challenge yourself and that you can handle yourself in their school.

SI

Don't do what your friends are doing

NCE 19

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Sometimes you may feel the urge to do what your friends are doing…. DON’T DO IT! Do what is right for you and what will complement your interests. What electives are you truly interested in? Do that elective or extracurricular activity. You want a meaningful experience for yourself because you will be writing about your experience not your friend’s.

Finally, the dreaded D

If you made a D in a class, taking the next course in sequence and making an A in the next class will show mastery of the first class, but WILL NOT replace the grade. There will still be a D on your transcript and it will be calculated into your GPA. So figure out if you can retake the course during summer school, or if your school approves an outside course to replace that grade.

Overall, when you are selecting courses, take classes that are rigorous for you and make sure you have the time management skills to succeed in your courses and stay involved in extracurricular activities. You want to enjoy your high school experience, so do what is best for you, your personality and your interests!

Insight Education

39355 California St, Ste 209, Fremont 510-400-7600 | info@insight-education.net www.insight-education.net

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Sports 25

College Athletes

By Mustafa Ahmed, Ella Chen, Ruiwen Shen, Zen Thumparkkul Staff Writers

As their high school sports careers come to an end, many MSJ seniors are getting ready to continue their exciting journey in college. Read on to find out about ten soon-to-be college athletes, their inspirations, and backstories.

EMILY zheng

Aarsh Shah Aarsh Shah will begin playing table tennis at UC Berkeley this fall. Shah was first introduced to the sport when at the age of five he began taking lessons at the Indian Community Center, where he cultivated his “two-winged attack” in which he uses both his forehand and backhand in an aggressive and fast-paced manner. Some of Shah’s accomplishments include finishing among the top 16 in the USA Olympic Trials and winning the bronze medal in Men’s Doubles at the 2014 National tournament. “I find table tennis fascinating because to win you really have to focus on all the small, minor details,” said Shah.

With the help of the Tennis Recruiting Network, Emily Zheng was selected by Williams College to play on their team next year. Having begun tennis at seven with the prime motivation of defeating her dad, Zheng started playing professionally at eight and went on to win second place as part of Norcal National Team three times. She considers her backhand and serve her most skillful techniques and focuses on speed and consistency to overcome her disadvantage in power. She looks up to Roger Federer for his superior talent, sportsmanship, and competitive, yet classy, character on court. Zheng strives to continue Williams College’s legacy by winning its seventh National Championship in a row. “I like the competitive vibe, the energy, and the fact that everyone is so dedicated and passionate about what they are doing. That’s a really positive atmosphere to be in, whether you win or lose,” said Zheng.

Chris Stoneking Agnes Lo Ever since he was ten-years-old, Senior Chris Stoneking has been playing football with the Fremont Football League. After having played for more than five years, he is ready to be an Offensive Lineman at Laney College. Some of the highlights in Stoneking’s career include being a starter on the MSJ Varsity Football Team since sophomore year, being Team Captain in his senior year, and being named Second Team All-League.

Despite the challenges of keeping team morale high, Stoneking enjoys each game, because it is an opportunity to play with his team, which has become a family to him. After having played at the junior college level for one year, Stoneking looks to transfer to a Division One school and possibly even pursue a professional career in the future.

JAMIE Ng This fall, Jamie Ng will be pursuing water polo as part of Ohlone College’s team. Having been inspired by her older sister, who started playing water polo in eighth grade, Ng first started out as part of the Ohlone 2012 Winter Polo Team. She later played as part of MSJ’s junior varsity team in freshman year and on the varsity team in the following three years. As the captain and sprinter of this year’s water polo team, Ng enjoys having a team she can rely on, as well as learning new techniques and plays. After playing for Ohlone College in the next two years, she plans to transfer to another college and play on their team as well.

Agnes Lo will be diving for the University of Chicago starting the fall of 2016.

She first began in 2011, after she had just quit gymnastics, and soon began diving two hours for six days of the week. After having dived for two years, Lo made it to USA Junior Olympic Nationals, a feat she attributes to her intensive training at the Stanford Dive Club with her coaches. Her biggest challenge has been dealing with a chronic back injury, a result of structural problems and many pulled muscles in the middle of competitions. Even so, she hopes to reach the apex of her career by making it to the NCAA Division 3 finals during college. Looking back at her extensive diving experience, Lo said, “I enjoy the team aspect of the diving; we support each other, and whenever I go to practice, I can de-stress and forget everything else,” Lo said.

Serena Lightstone Ever since she was little, Senior Serena Lightstone participated a variety of sports, picking up swimming at the age of four. She stuck with swimming through the years and is now going to swim for New York University. However, Lightstone’s swimming career was not without a few setbacks: she got mono in sophomore year and tore two ligaments in her ankle in junior year. Although she had to take time off of swimming, she managed to final with her 100-meter backstroke at NCS in sophomore year, which she considers her most memorable competition. Her specialties are sprint freestyle, backstroke, and Individual Medley events. In college, she hopes to push herself further and make NYU’s Nationals Squad in her freshman year.

photos courtesy serena lightstone, agnes lo, jamie ng, aarsh shah, chris stoneking & emily zheng, graphics from images.google.com

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Friday, June 3, 2016

ERIkka linn

ERIC YANG

Senior Erikka Linn started her track career after hearing a morning announcement in freshman year telling people about track tryouts.

Now, she specializes in high-jump and long-jump and is going to jump for University of California San Diego. She had been doing high-jump all four years of high school, already placing first in MVALs as a freshman, but had only started long-jump in junior year.

She prides herself in making to NCS Meet of Champions consistently each year. In college, she hopes to break her own Personal Record and pass 18 feet in Long Jump. Linn enjoys the simultaneously tired and accomplished feeling she gets from doing track.

Senior Eric Yang was introduced to wrestling because two of his three brothers wrestled at MSJ; he started out playing soccer but after attending an MSJ wrestling practice with his brother Leo Yang, he switched sports. Yang’s extensive wrestling career has garnered many accomplishments, including placing sixth at the CIF State Tournament, earning the title as NCS Champion, and winning the Journeyman National Wrestling Tournament in the fall of 2015. After suffering a finger injury in his junior year, Yang trained hard and was recruited to wrestle in Division One at Northwestern University. “I love the intensity of [wrestling], especially when training. The time I put into practicing directly correlates to my performance on the mat, and I can see my hard work pay off. Wrestling fosters competitiveness.. I won’t pursue a wrestling career after college, but I might coach a high school team to pass on what I’ve learned,” said Yang.

Adil Bari

Marshall Munoz

Senior Adil Bari tried out almost every common sport until he settled for football in the summer of the seventh grade. As the MSJ Varsity Football Team’s Wide Receiver, Bari has broken the school’s single rushing record, won First Team All-League Kick Return, and been selected as the MVP of the MSJ Football Team. He hopes to bring up Whittier College’s football program as an offensive athlete, then transfer to a Division One school to play football. As one of the team captains of MSJ Football this year, Bari learned to maintain team morale and overcome the challenges of not always playing on the winning team. He said, “I look up to Stephen Curry. He’s doing what he loves and he’s balling out. I want to be like that too.”

Senior Marshall Munoz began playing baseball at the age of three and quickly assumed the position of right field. Munoz has had many accomplishments in his baseball career, earning a varsity letter twice and being the player-coach of his competitive travel team. While training for baseball can at times be challenging, Munoz said that he “enjoys being with the guys, being out in the yard playing ball.” As a college athlete playing baseball for Hope International University, he hopes to become stronger physically and improve his mental attention to detail. photos by staff writer mustafa ahmed, courtesy adil bari, erikka linn & eric yang, graphics from images.google.com

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Spring Sports

By Ansh Patel, Bindhu Swaminathan, Cindy Yuan & Victor Zhou Staff Writers

Boys’ Swimming

www.thesmokesignal.org

Sports 27

As the school year draws to an end, so does the spring sports season. Read on to find out how MSJ’s nine spring sports teams performed this season.

In Revie

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Boys’ Swim has persevered through this season with an undefeated record of 7-0. During their past MVAL meet on May 6, the team won with a score of 542. They passed onto NCS on May 13 and 14, with Lyon Zhang taking fourth in breaststroke and 200 IM. At States on May 20 and 21, Zhang placed seventh in 200 IM and 8th in 100 breaststroke. Although winning is not an issue, the team looks forward to breaking new records in the future, and becoming more diverse.

Girls’ Swimming Girls’ Swimming had an undefeated season, which comes as no surprise to their coach and team members who work for their spotless 7-0 record.

The team qualified for MVALS on May 6 and 7 and NCS on May 13 and 14.

Team Captain Serena Lightstone placed 12th in 100 backstroke and 13th in 200 IM. Jessica He also placed 4th for 200 free and sixth in 100 free. During States on May 20 and 21, Girls 400 freestyle, placed 13th at states, Jessica He placed 12th for 100 freestyle, and Agnes Lo placed 10th for diving. The team chalks up their winnings to the hard work of every athlete and the contributions of their coaches and parents.

Boys’ Golf

Boys’ Golf dominated the season with an undefeated record through both preseason and league play, and won three out of the four tournaments they participated in. After qualifying for NCS, they placed 5th in the tournament.

The team also defeated several formidable schools from around the Bay Area, including San Ramon Valley, Granada, and Bishop O’Dowd, a definite highlight this season. “This is the most talented team so far,” said Coach Jason Cain. With many returning sophomores and three strong freshmen joining the lineup, the young team hopes to continue improving in the future with additional experience and skills.

Baseball

Baseball fought through a challenging season, putting up close games against many tough opponents. The Varsity team is very young, with eight sophomores compared to just one last year. The team is contending with the loss of four seniors, but looks to improve their ability and maturity in the coming seasons. Despite their hardships, the team rallied around their star players and made a strong preseason showing, winning four games.

Girls’ Softball Despite a rough start to the season, Girls’ Softball quickly adjusted with the addition of two new assistant coaches and a large number of freshmen on the team. This season came with a huge breakthrough as the team won their first dual match in over three years against Irvington High School. The team credits much of its success to new freshmen who have shown exceptional skills and have prior competitive softball experience, contributing to the team’s positive attitude and energetic atmosphere.

Track and Field This spring season was a tough transitional period for Track and Field, with only two coaches tasked with handling nearly 200 athletes, compared to last year’s four coaches. However, this season was a breakthrough season for many younger athletes, and the team hopes to build upon this young talent in future years. Exceptional performances at MVAL finals allowed 17 athletes to move on and compete at NCS Bayshore, of which six moved on to compete at NCS Meet of Champions.

Boys’ Tennis Boys’ Tennis had a solid season this year, placing second in the league with a couple of close matches against well-matched rivals for a final standing of 11-3. The team did extremely well, considering they came into the season without a coach until current Coach Tom Thomsen stepped up. Currently, the team has no graduating seniors and hopes to improve further next year and build upon existing foundations with the entire team returning.

Badminton

Showing off months of rigorous training, drills, and practice, the Badminton team finished undefeated in their league. Winning all their dual meets, the team felt more than prepared to compete in the MVAL Championships, which were held on May 6 and 7. After competing at MVAL, the team advanced to NCS and won as a team. Because of their exceptional performance at NCS, the team moved on to NorCal where they brought 13 players. A total of 9 players placed at the competition.

Boys’ Volleyball

Despite a noticeable lack of teamwork and communication that led to their first loss of the season, the Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team rallied back to end the year with an outstanding 9-1 record. As the season progressed and the team played more games together, teammates grew closer and synergy within the team grew stronger. Ambitious and determined, the team was crowned district champion in April, but unfortunately lost their home NCS playoff match against San Ramon Valley by a score of 3-0. photos by staff writers mustafa ahmed, andrew kan, amber lee, cindy yuan & victor zhou, courtesy serena lightstone, danice long, thien nguyen & marissa padilla

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photos by staff writer anthony chen

photos by staff writer zen thumparkkul