Volume LII, No. 8

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. 52, NO. 8

May 5, 2017

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Trials begin for new drop-off system Robson Homes sponsors improvements to drop-off loops on Palm Avenue

By Ian Hsu & Maggie Zhao Staff Writers Students, parents, and faculty tested a new traffic configuration starting May 1. As part of the new plan sponsored by Robson Homes, two additional drop-off zones were outlined in a trial plan hoping to reduce traffic on Palm Avenue. One drop-off zone will potentially be in the horseshoe, and the other will be in the previous staff parking lot.

The drop off lanes are a result of Robson Homes’ new construction of houses on land across Mission Boulevard from MSJ, approved by the Fremont City Council on March 14. As part of the proposal, Robson Homes also agreed to construct a driveway for MSJ student drop-offs on Mission Boulevard to improve traffic flow along Palm Avenue. The original proposed plan called for only a single loop near the north side of campus, but it was recently modified to include more access points.

If the trial run of the traffic configuration goes well, the horseshoe will no longer be used for office parking, and will instead be renovated into a drop-off loop intended to decrease traffic on Palm Avenue as per the modified plan. The horseshoe parking spaces would then be available to visitors only. In addition, the current staff parking lot would be reconfigured into a second drop-off loop. The only entrance to the staff parking lot would be the main three-lane entrance on Palm Avenue, and cars would exit through a new lane leading back out to Palm Avenue. Staff would park in the student parking lot, and students would need to park closer to the soccer fields, as there will be no construction extending the student parking lot.

Robson Homes Project Manager Jake Lavin, who is in charge of the design and construction process, said that “the plan [will] give parents multiple locations on the campus to drop off their students.

With the construction of a new drop-off loop on Mission Boulevard, and the two new drop-off loops created on Palm Avenue, there will be separate and distinct drop-off loops and routes for parents approaching the school from the south, the west, and the north. Parents will be able to plan accordingly to use the route that works best for them.” Assistant Principal Jeff Evans said, “The traffic has been an ongoing problem for the last three years I’ve been assistant principal — to figure out how to solve traffic in the morning, and now when Robson Homes stepped up to build houses on the hill they said they would help us build some things and so this is part of the agreement.”

Lavin believes the new plan will ultimately be more successful because “this approach has been used successfully elsewhere in the School District.

There is currently no drop-off locations on the campus, and no ability to turn around on Palm Avenue. The street is being used for the drop-off and that slows everyone down. The new plan moves the drop-off activity onto the campus, and allows drivers to return in the same direction as their approach. There will still be congestion on Palm Avenue due to the convergence of so many cars at the same time, but the new configuration should keep parents moving in a more orderly fashion.”

Construction for the trial test began on April 13, when Robson Homes construction crews coned off the staff parking lot. The sidewalk curb was

Alumni panel gives advice MSJ alumni speak about their journeys on unconventional career paths

By Stephanie Dutra, Andrew Kan, Anagha Mandayam & Julia Park Staff Writers MSJ hosted an alumni panel open to students and parents at 6:30 p.m. on April 6 in the A-Wing Flex Room. The panel featured seven successful alumni who followed unconventional career paths to reach where they are now.

After a brief introduction from each alumnus, Assistant Principal Jeff Evans asked the alumni questions about their goals and experiences during and after high school.

Evans’s first question was, “What were your goals in high school? How have they evolved since graduating?” Social Studies Teacher and Class of 2008 Alumnus Spenser Peterson replied how during high school he had just wanted to complete high school and attend Boston College. However, he realized in college that he enjoyed working with students and wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, which motivated him to become a teacher. Class of 2007 Alumna Grace Chiu, who is currently a public middle school teacher in San Francisco, added that although she had originally wanted to simply experience life outside of Fremont,

Top: Robson Homes’s plan for the proposed drop-off system. Bottom left: Northbound cars enter the horseshoe to drop students off on May 1. Bottom Right: Eastbound cars drive through the new loop in the current staff parking lot.

removed soon afterwards and several staff parking spaces were removed as well. These modifications are only temporary, as the new arrangement is only for a trial run. If the trial run is unsuccessful, the temporary lines will simply be painted over and the traffic situation will return to its previous state until

photos by staff writers ian hsu and maggie zhao. courtesy robson homes

she now wants to positively affect those around her.

Before Evans moved on to the next question, Class of 2010 Alumna Emmeline Wang, who has her own coffee blog and works for Saint Frank Coffee, and Class of 2009 Alumnus Jose Ruvalcaba, who has worked for both NASA and Google, discussed the importance of having a positive perspective and following your passion.

The rest of the panel continued in a similar fashion and covered a variety of topics such as the challenges they faced, how MSJ had prepared them for life beyond high school, and how the meaning of success has changed for them as they grew older. Class of

“Life after MSJ is so much different . . . You get exposed to a diversity of different people that don’t come from the same community or background as you.”

— Class of 2009 Alumnus Alan Ngo

Students and parents attend the alumni panel presentations.

INTERACTIVE BOBA MAP

staff writer stephanie dutra

The Smoke Signal compiled a list of 12 milk shops that are not so well-known at MSJ, but deserve recognition all the same. Check out the map online to learn more!

a better plan is proposed. While the outcome of the trial is yet to be seen, Lavin has a “high degree of confidence that the new traffic configuration will ultimately prove to be an improvement over the current situation.” ▪

2010 Alumnus Jai Kakkar, who owns three businesses and is starting a fourth, said, “Success to me now is being in a state of mind that makes you happy.” Wang also originally had a different perception of the word success, thinking it entailed making a lot of money.

However, after her mother was hospitalized, her priorities changed and she began to pursue her passion for coffee. Wang said, “When you are happy and you are finding a purpose you can serve, the money is just a byproduct, a score for what you are serving.”

Students and parents were given the opportunity to ask questions following the panel. Common questions parents had included how to best support their

MEET THE 2017-18 CLASS OFFICERS

The Smoke Signal reached out to the incoming class officers to discuss their plans and goals for the incoming year. Read on to see what they have to say!

staff writer stephanie dutra

Class of 2009 Alumnus Jose Ruvalcaba and Class of 2010 Alumnus Jai Kakkar present their experiences during the alumni panel.

children in MSJ’s competitive environment, while students inquired about dealing with peer pressure. Class of 2009 Alumnus Alan Ngo, a technical recruiter at Facebook said, “Life after MSJ is so much different . . .

You get exposed to a diversity of different people that don’t come from the same community or background as you.” Class of 2012 Alumnus Matt Farberov, a US military intelligence officer, also said, “Realize that what you’re in at the very moment is not the end all, be all. Anyone who can say with a straight face that they’ve never failed is lying to you. I’m sure everyone up here has failed at one point or another.”

Parents and students had the opportunity to talk with the alumni one-on-one following the panel. Evans hopes that the alumni panel had shed light on a diverse set of possible futures after high school and hopes to host the panel again this fall. He said, “The theme of tonight is journeys, and the different journeys we have.” ▪

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MSJ 3D Printing Club hosts Designathon Third annual Designathon challenge held on April 9

By Michael Ren & Bethany Woo Staff Writers MSJ 3D Printing Club held its third annual Designathon challenge on April 9 in C-120. During the event, participants learned about computer aided design (CAD) modelling, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. They also entered their creations in competitions, with the most innovative individuals and teams receiving awards.

The event kicked off with an introduction to the two competitions for the day. The beginner-oriented Tier One challenge was to design an object relating to Easter. Participants in this challenge would be able to submit their designs and have them printed by the end of the day. The Tier Two challenge was to design an object that would aid in students’ everyday lives.

Students could either work individually or in teams.

Submissions were judged by the 3D Printing Club coordinators, and the winning designs would also be printed on the spot. The winners received certificates

and 3D-printed trophies.

For Tier One, the individual winner was Freshman Darren Wong and the group winners were two sixth-graders from Challenger school, Ayush Raj and Atharva Bhagwat. For Tier Two, the individual win-

ceived the Most Creative award.

The Designathon challenge was first held three years ago with the focus of raising awareness and educating people about 3D printing and its many subfields, such as bioprinting and habitat printing. The event has been held every year since with the same spirit, and this year’s participants included elementary, middle schoolers, and high schoolers alike from all over the Bay Area, some as far as Cupertino. The 3D Printing Club was able to add to the event by giving everyone the opportunity to have their creations printed, due to an increase in the number of 3D printers that 3D printer company Type A Machines lent to the club for the event. “We’re trying to actually print people’s designs so they have a physical inspiration every day to remember to think creatively,” said 3D Printing Club President Senior Vaishnavi Dornadula.

During this year’s event, coordinators gave workshops during the day to help beginners get started.

The first workshop taught students how to use TinkerCAD, a cloud-based online CAD program that would be used to create models to be 3D printed.

It was followed by a workshop describing how 3D printers worked. Ganti said, “[The event] is pretty good actually because it teaches other people how future technologies work — not a lot of people are aware of these types of technologies — and integrating them at a young age will let them be more innovative in the future.”

Before the awards ceremony, the Designathon hosted entrepreneur, author, and advisor G. Venkat for a guest presentation. Venkat is the CEO of bit-

“[The event] is pretty good actually because it teaches other people how future technologies work ... and integrating them at a young age will let them be more innovative in the future.”

— Sophomore Rohit Ganti ner was Freshman Shreyas Arora, and the team winners were three seventh-graders from Hopkins Junior High School: Dishita Jhawa, Nemi Desai, and Aanvi Kalucha. Sophomore Rohit Ganti received the Most Innovative Software Use award and seventh-grader Saarah Nazar from Hopkins Junior High School re-

staff writer michael ren

MSJ 3D Printing officers give an overview of the event.

staff writer bethany woo

Students from Hopkins Junior High School and elementary schools in FUSD observe a functional 3D printer.

Wise Academy, an adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) driven eLearning platform for elementary school students. Venkat used Gomes Gopher, an AI similar to Siri that he created, to interact with the students and teach them about 3D printing and its real-world applications, such as printing organs for medical transplants or printing food for third-world countries. He also briefly explained the process of coding Gomes Gopher, the basic functions of an AI, and how an AI receives information. Venkat, along with a representative from Skoruz Technologies, presented the award certificates and 3D-printed trophies to the winners.

Next year, 3D Printing Club hopes to be able to continue to improve their event and increase the number of participants and their interest in 3D printing. ▪ photos by staff writers michael ren and bethany woo

Stanford Survey results released

MSJ students took the Stanford Survey of Adolescent School Experiences this past winter. A total of 1,868 students participated this year, the third year MSJ has taken the survey. Recently, Principal Zack Larsen released the full results to students and parents at a presentation on April 27. Some highlights of the survey results are featured below. To go over the survey in full, parents and students are invited to attend the next presentation at 8 a.m. on May 10 in the Career Center. ▪

3.35 2.82 2.59

1.83 2.34

3.88 3.36 3.26

2.76 3.09

Hours

48%

0

Right amount of homework Too much homework

26% 19% 12% 10%

6% 6% 2% 1%

0

1

3

2

4

5

Hours

7.06 6.54 6.12 6.12

6 7

8

10% of students were not proud of anything Percentages

10

20

60%

57% 30%

43%

I am interested in class when...

Students who often work hard, but rarely find 7% 3% work interesting, 13% valuable, or fun Students who work 49% hard and find work 28% meaningful; "purposefully-engaged" 52% Students who often work hard, find work meaningful, and enjoy it; "fully-engaged" Students who did not work hard, find work meaningful, or enjoy it; no engagement Students who exclusively worked hard, enjoyed work, or found it interesting

Academics Sports Performing arts None Community service Social accomplishment Visual arts Club activities Family Position in student government or council

79%

Working on an individual assignment with others Getting information about a test from a student who has taken it Helping someone cheat on a test Paraphrasing or copying sentences without referencing the source Copying someone else's homework

Academic Engagement

What are you proud of?

7% 7%

Average hours of sleep on weekdays

Average time spent on homework

52%

Percentages

Amount of homework per night

I have cheated by...

34%

50%

41%

27% 21% Percentages

0

25

50

72%

75

Topics are interesting Teachers are enthusiastic I have friends in the class What I am learning is relevant to my life The class includes debates, discussions, experiments, etc.

We work in groups

graphics by piktochart.com. layout by staff writers gloria chang and andrew kan.

News Pg. 2: Voltage of Imagination was a second alternate for advancing to World Championships.

Opinion Pg. 3: “Safe Place” is the name of the mental health resource.

A&E Pg. 11: Carly Rae Jepsen is featured in “Good Time” by Owl City.

Photo Pg. 17: “Till I Collapse” by Eminem is misspelled.

IN

mic.com

sfgate.com

United Airlines faces outrage after a passenger was dragged from plane after the company ovebooks flight.

NATIONAL

LOCAL

Fiirefighters respond to the Oakland Ghost Ship fire.

East Bay Times wins Pulitzer for Ghost Ship coverage The East Bay Times won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire in December 2016. Journalists covering the incident were the first to uncover issues concerning inspections and permitting of the Ghost Ship building.

In addition, their narrative story, “The Last Hours of the Ghost Ship,” which gave a chronological sequence of the events of the fire, was highly praised. This award marks the fifth time a Bay Area News Group paper has won a Pulitzer Prize.

BRIEF

United passenger removed from flight After a video showing a passenger being forcibly removed from United flight 3411 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport went viral on April 10, the United Continental Holdings’ stock initially dropped about 4 percent, knocking $1 billion off the company’s market value. Though later rebounding to a smaller loss at $250 million, there has been a massive reaction online regarding CEO Oscar Munoz’s statement in an email to employees obtained by ABC that while the situation “upset” him, the passenger was “disruptive and belligerent.”

Compiled by Jenny Miao, Hana Sheikh & Maggie Zhao Staff Writers

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

corrections

for the MARCH 31, 2017 issue

businessinsider.com

Onlookers react to the attacks on Coptic church in Egypt.

Churches in Egypt attacked by terrorist groups Two churches in Egypt, St. George Church in Tanta and St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, were victims of terrorist attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on April 9. The targets of the attacks were Coptic churches, where Palm Sunday worshippers gathered. As a result, over 44 people were killed and 100 were injured, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for troop deployment around the country and a state of emergency.

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Opinion 3

CLIMATE CHANGE: PERSPECTIVES

By Ella Chen, Julia Park, Hana Sheikh & Vicki Xu Staff Writers

On March 28, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to repeal former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the US’s main effort to keep up with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. The Smoke Signal gathered information and collected voices from the MSJ community to compare the different perspectives on global climate change.

ON PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP One of President Donald J. Trump’s campaign platforms involved withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, an international deal primarily concerning greenhouse gas emissions management. By doing this, Trump indicates he has no intention of meeting the carbon dioxide pollution limits set by the Paris Climate Deal, although he has not decided whether to formally withdraw from the agreement.

According to The New York Times, only a 3.6 degree Fahrenheit increase is necessary to lock the world into an irrevocable pattern of natural disasters, rising sea levels, and food shortages. As the second largest polluter in the world, the US is key in preventing this consequence, and so climate change denial only harms rather than helps.

“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”

— President Donald J. Trump, Twitter, Nov. 6, 2012

“This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullsh*t has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps, and [sic] our GW scientists are stuck in ice” — President Donald J. Trump, Twitter, Jan. 1, 2014

“I will also cancel all wasteful climate change spending from Obama-Clinton, including all global warming payments to the United Nations. These steps will save $100 billion over 8 years, and this money will be used to help rebuild the vital infrastructure, including water systems, in America’s inner cities.”

— President Donald J. Trump, New Deal for Black America speech, Oct. 26, 2016 “My administration is putting an end to the war on coal …

I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy, to reverse government intrusion and to cancel job-killing regulations.”

— President Donald J. Trump, executive order signing conference, March 28

MSJ’S PERSPECTIVE “By simply doing things like being energy efficient, recycling, or finding more environmentally-friendly transportation methods, I try to take steps toward preventing climate change every day.

If everyone starts making an effort, starts making good decisions and caring about the society we live in, change can be made.”

— Zoya Hajee, 10 “To combat climate change, I currently try to cut down greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible ... I do try to carpool whenever the opportunity arises. Also, my family is committed to unplugging all electronics after use and changed all our old light bulbs in our house to LED light bulbs.”

— Victor Yau, 11 “I don’t even think [MSJ teaches] it [climate change] … do they?

I mean, they do mention it a little here and there in geography, and probably environmental science, [but] I’m not sure because I can’t take it right now.”

— Karen Li, 9 “I am the Student Commissioner for the Fremont Environmental Sustainability Commission ... What I enjoy the most about this role is that I can directly help in creating a new, cleaner future for us to live in. I plan to take all I’ve learned to the college level and beyond to help create new government policies and create new tech to solve the environmental problems we have today.

My advice is [to] be as involved as possible. As the younger generation it is our job to create a sustainable world to live in as it directly impacts us and the generations to come.”

— Hetav Gore, 12

“Don’t always listen to media. I don’t mean to completely not heed what it says, but we should be skeptical about the media because both sides are biased regarding every issue. I think the best way to equip yourself and become a more productive member to help the environment is to be more educated on resources and the natural capital that is involved.”

— AP Environmental Science Teacher Lisa Ishimine “I’m currently drafting a letter to the Chamber of Commerce to get connected to a science or math classroom in the Maldives so that students here can be face-to-face with young students there and motivate action on our part.”

— AP Computer Science Teacher Charlie Brucker “The first step is what you can do individually in your community. Be an example for friends, siblings, and other family members. Even if it’s a donation of a dollar, by making a financial commitment to a cause, it’s a step forward. As high school students move toward the age of voting, they should be very involved in the supporting of legislation that advances renewable energy.”

— Digital Photography Teacher Bruce Farnsworth

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Daily tasks: Use the lights only when you need them; otherwise, sunlight works just as well. Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs or LED lights. Do only full laundry loads to save water and energy.

Use both sides of a sheet of paper, and try to print less when you can. Install higher-efficiency and faucet aerators, since reducing water usage means to reduce the amount of gas and electricity needed to heat the water.

Long-term overhaul: If you’re willing, talk to your parents about installing some solar panels on the roof; after particularly sunny months, you may even have a negative energy bill. (Estimate how much you’ll save with Google’s Project Sunroof.) More importantly, you’ll be slightly less reliant on fossil fuel-powered electricity. And finally, insulate your home, so you reduce the need for heating and air-conditioning, also mostly powered by fossil fuels.

Shopping: Money talks.

Make wise consumer choices and support “green” businesses, or boycott “nongreen” ones. Companies pay attention to consumer tide shifts, and they care about their brand image. For example, after more than a year of protests led by Rainforest Action Network, Home Depot announced in 1999 that it would stop selling wood from endangered areas and begin giving preference to sustainablyharvested wood. The company now tracks the origin and species of all wood in its products.

Transportation: Walk or bike more; drive less. It’s healthier for you anyway.

If possible, try to switch to hybrid or more gasoline-efficient cars to diminish fossil fuel combustion. Plan trips wisely: if you can do all your shopping in one round trip, do it in one round trip, instead of several small shopping trips.

Get involved: At the end of the day, your congressional representatives serve you.

Voice your environmental concerns loudly, persistently, and consistently, and they will take note. (Otherwise, you can vote against them the next time they run for office.) Public concern for pollution, for example, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

graphics by staff writer vicki xu, iconarchive.com, courtesy junior jasmine syu

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tanushri’s tangent

The Smoke Signal Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 52, No. 8 | May 5, 2017

anthony’s answer

Recycle time: finding value in our activities

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By Anthony Chen Opinion Editor

By Tanushri Sundar Opinion Editor

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 510-657-3600, ext. 37088 MISSION STATEMENT The Smoke Signal’s mission is to represent the voices of the MSJ community and serve the public by providing accurate, meaningful, and engaging information presented through print and digital mediums.

SCHOOL POPULATION 2005 students EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Rishab Ramapriyan, Monica Tang NEWS Ishika Chawla, Lucille Njoo OPINION Anthony Chen, Tanushri Sundar FEATURE Kevin Li, Brian Tseng CENTERSPREAD Ashley Chang, Mallika Gupta A&E Michelle Dalarossa, Sayan Ghosh SPORTS Mustafa Ahmed, Cindy Yuan GRAPHICS Zen Thumparkkul, Victor Zhou WEB Andrew Choi, Carolyn Ge TECH Andrew Kan, Julia Park BUSINESS Jonathan Ko CIRCULATION Deeksha Raina ADVERTISING Ella Chen, Richard Chenyu Zhou EVENTS Heather Gan, Amber Lee WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Shivani Avasarala, Evangeline Chang, Gloria Chang, Amy Chen, Hannah Chou, Joelle Chuang, Stephanie Dutra, Katherine Guo, Ian Hsu, Jessica Jen, Jonathan Ko, Anagha Mandayam, Jenny Miao, Ansh Patel, Michael Ren, Hana Sheikh, Evie Sun, Helen Wang, Bethany Woo, Vicki Xu, Maggie Zhao ADVISER Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.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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At age 15, I spent most of my summer vacation staring longingly at Mission Peak through a glass window. I had enrolled myself in an expensive standardized test preparation “bootcamp,” naively believing it would help me achieve the near-perfect SAT score that many of my classmates had already earned.

However, spending five hours a day, five days a week, for eight weeks studying College Board’s cocktail of critical reading, mathematics, and writing taught me that “SAT bootcamp” was little more than a moneymaker. I wondered why myself and my peers, many of whom had already completed rigorous courses, were forking up thousands of dollars to be drilled in basic algebra and reading comprehension. How had test preparation businesses convinced some of the brightest students in the country that they needed to invest so heavily in the SAT, a standardized test that disappears from our memory after high school?

We grossly overestimate the value of SAT scores because of the lack of reliable information in our community. Parents often rely on word of mouth when planning their children’s academic futures, especially if parents are unfamiliar with the American public school system.

Conversations along the lines of “Soand-so’s older brother got a 2400 and got into Stanford,” coupled with a bombardment of test preparation advertisements (including the ones in the Smoke Signal ), inspire a sense of urgency. We’re convinced that a strong SAT score is an important competitive edge and are willing to invest hard-earned money in order to measure up to our peers. It’s

difficult to listen to those who advocate against over-preparation when enrolling in a program seems like a surefire shot to success — after all, there’s no harm in a perfect score, right?

While that may be true, there isn’t much benefit in a perfect score either, according to Marilyn McGrath, director of undergraduate admissions at Harvard College.

She said to USA Today that “Generally speaking, the SAT is not very important.

It helps us calibrate a student’s grades.”

Also to USA Today, Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University, said, “We look at the academic credentials (the scores and the grades), what’s in the school profile (what courses the school offers), and what a student takes.” In short, the SAT is one of three pieces of academic information and clearly the least distinctive one — a student’s transcript and course load have far more depth than a single number.

This isn’t to say students should blow off standardized tests, only that the magnitude at which we pursue test preparation in our community is ridiculous.

Our high school summers are valuable chunks of time — they would be better spent reading interesting literature and writing for pleasure than over-analyzing obscure passages and cranking out stale 5-paragraph essays. The discourse surrounding standardized tests must shift to highlight the fact that as students in a nationally-ranked school, we should be confident enough in our intelligence to forgo thousand dollar, hundred-hour test preparation centers. In my experience, online resources and books, affordable tutoring, and copious amounts of chocolate can get the job done just as well. ▪

The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

Stanford Survey results demand immediate action

MSJ students recently took the online Stanford Survey of Adolescent School Experiences, with 1,868 students responding to questions about their experiences in areas such as homework, extracurricular activities, stress, parent expectations, and academic engagement. The data from the Stanford Survey has been released to students, faculty, and parents.

While we often attribute stress to several familiar causes, such as students taking too many difficult classes or being overloaded with homework and extracurricular activities, the numbers reveal that we cannot pin the blame for student stress on a single source. Rather, there are many other complex and unexpected factors at work that we must investigate. The Stanford Survey suggests that all parties in the MSJ community have significant power in creating a healthier environment, and we must prioritize creating evidence-based solutions rather than blindly pointing fingers at the administration, students, or parents for the mental-health conditions on campus.

For instance, the survey reports that 49 percent of students rarely find their schoolwork interesting, fun, or valuable, and lack of student interest is correlated with higher incidences of cheating, academic anxiety, and sleep deprivation. However, increased student engagement is correlated with greater teacher support and more mastery-oriented parents. These results indicate external factors that could affect student stress, and both teachers and parents should take the time to reflect on the survey and see how they play a role in the numbers produced.

However, students must also take mentalhealth at MSJ into their own hands and work on solutions from the bottom up. Focusing solely on external factors and on what we

cannot fully control prevents us from finding our own ways to reduce stress. For example, the survey reports that only 17 percent of students do homework without any distractions, while 49 percent are texting or chatting and 43 percent are on social networking sites. These numbers indicate that many students have yet to develop strong time-management and organizational skills, and guidance in developing these skills could mitigate stress just as well as reducing timeconsuming homework loads.

These are only a few of the findings from the Stanford Survey, which offers substantial insight into students’ experiences at MSJ. As the administration uses the data to prepare future courses of action, teachers, students, and parents should do the same. The administration took a step in the right direction by participating in the Stanford Survey and releasing the results to the public, and it should continue to seek feedback in order to create concrete, effective solutions. Further data can be collected via focus groups, surveys, or anonymous discussion forums. As students, we all have our own unique experiences with stress that must be taken into consideration.

By further sparking a dialogue, students will be encouraged to contribute their own voices to the solution. As a community, all of our perspectives are key to unravelling the root causes of stress and crafting an effective response. ▪

Opinion 5

We often hear the advice that time is a valuable resource that we must not waste.

As my last month or so of high school approaches, the idea that time is a limited resource has become a daily reminder. Reflecting on how I have spent the past four years, I have begun to wonder — if time is a limited resource, is it also recyclable?

Of course, this idea is not rooted in science fiction or time travel. Rather, it stems from the concept that what we spend our time on can be revisited and repurposed.

Throughout the past year, seniors in high school have convinced countless colleges and adults about how they plan on applying their high school experiences to their college lives and later to their careers. Their studies fuel their interests in certain fields, and their extracurricular activities build character. Examples of these narratives go on and on. However much we choose to believe in those narratives, the whole idea that we can find value in our past actions later on is the essence of recyclable time.

In a limited scope of four years in high school, students have a set amount of time to spend on classes, extracurricular activities, other hobbies, family time, hangouts, and more. While the pervasive solution to our busy schedules is to manage and micromanage our time to wring out every last second, it is also important to keep in perspective which of our activities are the ones that will still be useful or relevant in the future. Which interpersonal relationships and lessons that we work on today can be revisited or utilized further down the road? The time that we dedicate to those activities will not be wasted because its value does not vanish as soon as it passes.

When students treat the clubs they join or classes they take as investments for the

future, students spend less time trying to follow trends of taking the next advanced class and joining the biggest clubs on campus. Instead, they get to reconsider what they actually want to make of their high school experience. While taking APs and STEM classes or joining the most popular clubs on campus may be the appropriate path for many, the reality is that our community has created an almost blind pursuit for certain pathways in high school, be it for advanced classes or extracurricular activities. These highways for the high school experience do not slow down to let students question how they are spending their time.

The concept of recyclable time applies not only to the activities we choose, but also to our perspective of those activities. A large part of the conventional idea of recycling is repurposing the resources after they have been used to create a product. In the same way, how can we repurpose what we have done using time that has already passed? What can we gain from hours of lectures and homework that we often complain to be mundane and useless? What can we gain from years of high school clubs that might not follow us into college? Finding these answers gives purpose to the work that we do day in and day out.

However, the answers to why we do certain activities or learn certain things are not always immediately apparent; the process to discover value behind our activities often happens in the future. To truly utilize our time, we must understand that time efficiency does not always mean how much we can do in a limited amount of time, but rather how much we can make of what we do in that amount of time. ▪

Letter to the Editor: Response to March 31 Editorial “Mental Health: Caroline Tang’s urgent reminder” Dear MSJHS Community, I just read the March 31 online editorial in The Smoke Signal about the community’s recent loss of Caroline Tang, and want to respond with a few thoughts I hope will be helpful to MSJHS teachers, parents and students.

I graduated from Gunn High School in Palo Alto two generations ago … For reasons very different from those now claiming lives in Fremont and Palo Alto, my Gunn graduating class lost at least six members to tragic early deaths … Some of these deaths were actual suicides. Others came later in life, natural consequences of risky lifestyles. The circumstances behind the choices my high school classmates made were in many ways a far cry from those behind recent choices made by young people on both sides of the bay.

But the two waves of fatal choices decades apart do have one thing in common. The communities, schools, friends and families of these two series of young people who ended their lives suddenly or slowly, then or now, did not prepare them to overcome the despair that drove these decisions.

Try as we may have, we did not manage to help them develop identities, purposes, or passions for living that were strong enough to inspire other choices than the ones they made. …

I came to teach English at American High School almost 20 years after graduating from Gunn High School. Over three decades, I have tried to make my English classes into places where my students learn about themselves and how they fit in the world in ways I wish my lost classmates and I had learned when we were in high school — while they gain the academic skills they need. My approach has been to invent ways to weave self-discovery into our curriculum for all my students.

I’d like to share two of the practices I’ve developed with the MSJHS community ... [to be continued online] …

Sincerely, John Creger American High School English Teacher

To read the full Letter to the Editor and learn about Creger’s practices, visit www.thesmokesignal.org.

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Friday, May 5, 2017

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Opinion 7

Big Brother is watching: Internet Privacy

By Heather Gan & Vicki Xu Staff Writers

By Katherine Guo & Michael Ren Staff Writers

staff writer heather gan

During March of this year, the House of Representatives, Senate, and President Trump moved to repeal a rule preventing internet service providers (ISPs) from selling customer data, making users less secure on the web. While websites and corporations are definitely wrong to sell user data, we must also take responsibility to protect ourselves from being exploited.

Internet privacy is essential because third parties gain remarkable power with user data. Third party actions can range from acceptable (and even desirable) to extremely alarming. On one hand, having advertisements tailored to what a user wants to see can be a win for the advertising company, the website hosting the advertisement, and the user. On the other hand, this public stream of information might also give third parties access to users’ location, acquaintances, and businesses — information that leads to identity theft. This is especially true in the case of ISPs, which have access to all of the user’s actions on the internet. For students today, the threat of a hacked social media account is only the smallest consequence of the recent repeal. Third parties are already able to gain access to Social Security numbers and bank information, especially with the frequency at which we use the internet for our activities.

Online shopping, especially, has become popular for its convenience, but this comes at a price. Many websites allow frequent users to store credit card information on their sites for ease-of-use. However, when stores’ data systems are breached by spyware or hackers, consumers are at risk of having their credit card information stolen. Stores ranging from Arby’s to GameStop to Amazon have fallen victim to hackers, opening their consumers’ private information to the public. This can be considered equivalent or even more dangerous than ISPs selling out user data.

Even if ISPs, websites, or apps do not actually sell the data to third party users, the unapproved collection of data is a cause for concern. The concept of privacy itself implies the right to avoid secretive seizure of information. According to attorney Bert P.

Krages, if people are in their own houses they may legally prohibit photography of their property regardless of whether or not the photos are later released.

These strictures should apply similarly to Internet use. While ISPs and apps may not sell their users’ information, the fact that the caches exist provides the opportunity for a data breach, be it from ISPs themselves, or from an outsider.

While it seems tempting to place all the blame on the website providers, Internet users must also remain vigilant online. For most, cookies and Terms of Service (ToS) seem like no more than a nuisance, and many hurriedly click the “ok” or “I agree” button. This would hardly be a problem if not for the fact that, according to World Wide Web Technology Surveys, of the 50.3 percent of websites that use cookies, 49.1 percent of them use unsecured cookies.

On websites that use unsecured cookies to simplify login processes and record passwords, cookies are a backdoor for unauthorized parties that users unintentionally consent to. A survey by Adweek observes that only 17.56 percent of people always read the ToS, demonstrating the ignorance the general public holds towards internet privacy.

Internet users have an integral part to play in their online privacy. University of Chicago Law School Professor Omri Ben-Shahar said in an interview with NPR that users should carefully read the ToS in instances where their information may be compromised. At the end of the day, data gathering from ISPs, websites, and apps has become a commonplace occurrence, but that doesn’t necessarily justify its existence. While data gathering may streamline web browsing, the very act of data collecting is an invasion of privacy that may open up customers to harm.

Nevertheless, because the Internet has become so ubiquitous, consumers should constantly be alert and read the ToS for hidden contracts before clicking “I agree.” By becoming proactive Internet users, we reduce the risk of compromised data, especially when Congress doesn’t seem willing to help us do so. ▪

staff writer vicki xu

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Student Spotlight: Cathy yin

By Heather Gan Staff Writer

Sophomore Cathy Yin is a classical singer who recently performed in Stanford University’s opera production, The Ballad of Baby Doe, and the Santa Clara University Mozart Young Artist Gala. She was also accepted into Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Vocal Program. The Smoke Signal interviewed her about her classical singing experiences and what she has in store for the future.

singing, it helped me with school, because I am not a deep thinker naturally.

SS: How did you become a part of the Mozart Music Gala and Stanford’s opera production of The Ballad of Baby Doe? CY: I have two teachers. The Mozart Music Gala was hosted by one of my teachers, Song Xiao Hua, who is a well-known classical singer in the Bay Area. The event took place at Santa Clara University, but Santa Clara University was not associated with the event. She asked most of her students to sing in it.

The opera production that took place at Stanford was directed

by Stanford. My other teacher, Wendy Hillhouse, is a lecturer at Stanford and asked me if I wanted to perform in it. I agreed and performed a full opera there.

The Smoke Signal: Did you learn an instrument before learning opera singing?

Cathy Yin: First of all, I would not call myself an opera singer, and consider myself more of a classical singer.

I started with piano, and then my dad really wanted me to try singing, because my entire family sings. He persuaded me to try it, and I finally gave in. I started about SS: How did you find out about the Boston University Young two years ago, and since then, I have really liked singing. Artist Vocal Program?

CY: I heard about it from my dad, who knows a lot about good summer programs. Last summer, he advised me to apply for Interlochen Summer Vocal Artist Program, which is held at Interlochen, Michigan, and I was accepted. For this upcoming summer, he told me to apply for Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Vocal Program. I did not expect to get in, because the program is very selective. But somehow, I managed to get in, which really surprised me.

SS: What do you hope to learn from this program?

CY: Because I have not decided whether I want to pursue music, I hope going to Tanglewood Institute will help me decide.

I think learning all the different aspects of classical singing will help me decide whether I am truly interested in this. staff writer heather gan

SS: Has there been a time when you wanted to give up?

CY: Every day is a tough experience, because I am not fully committed. I do not have the time and effort to practice every day. It is really on and off. Some days, I am really interested, but I do not really want to practice. I also get a lot of criticism from my dad and my teacher every day, but from that criticism I can keep improving. Sometimes, singing a difficult song lowers my self-esteem, but I have to keep on trying or else I will not get SS: How has classical singing impacted your life?

CY: It taught me how to think deeply, because classical anywhere. singing is not only technical and mechanical, but also emotional. By going into the deep aspects of classical SS: Will you be pursuing classical singing in the future?

Sophomore Cathy Yin

SS: How did learning the piano first help you with learning classical singing?

CY: When I am singing, there is piano accompaniment, so it is good to know how to play the piano to accompany my singing.

SS

2017 Answer Sheet

Feature 9

SRO ROBINSON REPORTS

by Officer Kelly Robinson Summer is quickly approaching. As the weather continues to get nicer and nicer, you and your friends will want to make plans to take advantage of this beautiful California sunshine. While driving to your destinations, keep in mind it is a state law that drivers under the age of 18 CANNOT use a cell phone in any way (hands free or not) while operating a vehicle. “Driving” includes while stopped at a traffic signal or in heavy traffic. Violating this law can result in a traffic citation or even a vehicular collision. While traveling with friends, have a passenger text and read messages for you, as you stay focused on the road. When driving alone, safely pull into a parking lot and park your vehicle, if you MUST use your phone. It is in everyone’s best interest to avoid any cell phone use until you have reached your destination. Have a fun and safe May! — School Resource Officer Kelly Robinson

CY: I am still thinking about it, because it could be a possible career choice. However, pursuing music is very hard. Everyone knows that piano is a very competitive field but think singing is less competitive. In actuality, it is very competitive. If you think, ‘I like singing, and I want to do it, but I am not the best,’ that is not a good thing to tell yourself. The objective of classical singing is to think that you have to be the best. For now, singing is something I could do in college, but I am thinking of pursuing a more stable career such as engineering or something science-related.

SS: What recommendations and advice do you have for people who are interested in classical singing?

CY: I think a lot of people think classical music is boring; pop music is what is trending right now. However, I feel that classical music is very beautiful, and there is a lot of meaning to it. If you want to give classical singing a try, then go for it.

The technique in classical singing is similar to pop singing so if you are interested in pop singing, I recommend you to try classical singing first and then pop singing. The technique you learn from classical will really help. ▪

Test Day Tips

By Shivani Avasarala, Amber Lee & Hana Sheikh Staff Writers

In the midst of studying for tests and managing other schoolwork, AP testing is always a hectic time. The Smoke Signal reached out to AP teachers and counselors through in-person interviews and online forms to ask for test day advice. In addition to the hard work of studying, this compilation of tips and tricks will be the cherry on top to prepare you to take your tests with confidence.

A. Signature B. What are your tips for students going through AP Testing?

“My first most important piece of advice: go pee before you take the test, even if you don’t have to. Use the bathroom, make sure you have layers so you can take them off so you’re comfortable, don’t over-caffeinate, and it’s not the end of the world, it’s just a test. And having failed an AP test, I can promise you your life is not over.” — AP Psychology Teacher Rachel Tevlin

“Do as much as you can ahead of time. If you can study, or there are certain things in AP Art that you can do ahead of time, write certain procedures down, and in my case, get the portfolio organized, get the art online, do it as soon as you can. It relieves the stress of having to wait for the last minute, to study the last minute, and everything is on top of you.

Try to plan.” — AP Studio Art Teacher Edie Christensen

C. What advice do you have for students to succeed on AP test day?

“Day before I would definitely say go to bed early, get enough sleep so they can think and function and recall their memory.

The day of, I would definitely say get up a little early and eat a good breakfast, you know, some of those basic things are so important for test-taking performance. Maybe lastly review whatever they think is most critical, maybe based on what their teacher recommended to them.” — Counselor DeAnne Andrews “Just be calm, not nervous, and then, because for Mission students, most of them if they are able to take AP, they should get at least a 3, so if they panic, it probably will affect their performance. So just do whatever they can, step-by-step, and relax, don’t be so nervous about ‘I must get a 5, if I don’t get a 5, then my life is failed,’ and that will affect their performance, because sometimes when they’re nervous, the things they know, they’ll forget.” — AP Chinese Teacher Yung Chiu

“Snack on Omega-3 rich food (such as nuts) before each practice session and on actual exam day. Most importantly, be calm and tell yourself ‘NBD.’” — AP Chemistry Teacher Sai Kumar “1) Bring a watch (to pace yourself in case you cannot see a clock) 2) Do not question your knowledge during the exam; the same theorems and concepts you’ve learned before the exam apply to the exercises on the exam.

3) Be calm, control your stress and fear; your success in this exam lays on the other side of fear. Remember to breathe.”

— AP Calculus AB Teacher Iulia Rusu “On the day of the exam, get a good night sleep and have a good breakfast that helps you survive for three hours. Stay calm and answer all the questions. You all have worked very hard the whole year (remember those tedious guided readings) and I am positive you all will do very well on the exam.

Finally, please do not forget to bring your four function calculator.” — AP Biology Teacher Arshiya Sultana

D. What do you think teachers can do to help students be confident on test day?

“There’s daily practice about different components of every exam, and be assertive, always ask your teacher about something you’re not clear about, don’t ever be afraid to think it’s a stupid question — there are no stupid questions. Before the test is the time to ask.” — AP French Teacher Valerie Aidan “I know it’s a scary time, but most students come back and report that the test was a lot easier than they thought it was. And so they are well-prepared; they must have confidence in their own ability once they get into the test, if they can relax.” — AP English Literature Teacher Cherylle Lindsey “The day before the test, I open my room to all students for a study session from 5 to 8 p.m. So that way they can get together, they can talk to each other, or they can ask me questions.

And then I just tell them here are the things you need to know, these are the rules for the AP test, you know, don’t bring your cell phone, these are the calculators that are allowed to be used for the AP test. And then I just tell them that you’ve got to show up at this time, at this location, so they all should know where they’re supposed to go, so that there’s no confusion the day of the test, and then they should not try and stay up all night the day before the test, because then they’ll just be too tired, so they should get enough rest, and then just make sure that they’re prepared, and that their calculator has fresh batteries, things like that.” — AP Calculus BC Teacher Matt Lazar “I think the work we’ve done over the course of the whole year should help them, and at least from my perspective, we’ve been working at an AP level pretty much the whole year, so this test should be similar to their experiences they’ve already have. So they should go in with as much confidence as they have in the class.” — AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C Teacher Peter Geschke

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THE

DIEHARD TRYHARDS Take Aim at Archery CINDY

JESSICA

Having devoted a large portion of my childhood time to reading about archery, my theoretical knowledge can finally be put to practical use! I will not be deterred by my appalling lack of upper-body strength, and my reliance on luck caused by my poor hand-eye coordination may just result in a bullseye. My prior experience with archery consists of one shaky memory of me shooting at a wall with a foam arrow and a plastic Nerf bow. This time, I may not be aiming for the stars, but my performance will (hopefully) not disappoint.

By Cindy Yuan, Jessica Jen, Helen Wang & Maggie Zhao Sports Editor and Staff Writers

Four adventurous Smokies tried their hand at archery at Archery Only at 37300 Cedar Blvd. C, Newark CA. After a lesson and a few practice rounds, Cindy, Jessica, Helen, and Maggie entered the arena, each determined not to bow out.

MAGGIE

I’m no stranger to athletic competition, but archery is a long shot off from the fast-paced action I’m used to. It takes a lot of upper body strength to pull a bow, and I am sorely lacking in that department. To calm my nerves, I called upon the all-knowing Google, and a quick “how to archery” yielded several videos and a nifty stepby-step guide. Being the sloth that I am, I was bewildered by the mountains of information and settled for winging the competition based on ever-reliable TV knowledge. My shooting won’t be on point, but I’m determined not to fall flat, at the very least.

As someone who decidedly lacks both coordination and strength, archery may prove to be a challenge unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before.

However, in honor of third-grade Percy Jackson-obsessed Maggie, whose favorite Greek goddess was the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, I am determined to take a shot at trying something new. Who knows? My opponents just might end up bowing down to my newfound talent. Ultimately, my target for this challenge is to pick up a few tricks that would potentially help me survive the 76th Hunger Games.

I started off shooting with great precision and less than great accuracy, but after some helpful tips and practice my target looked less like a pointillist piece of art gone wrong. I went from shooting into the outskirts of the target to consistently landing closer to the center, eventually painting quite nice misshapen circles. However, my accuracy remained inconsistent, with some rounds resembling constellations. I think the results were satisfying, though. I created my own rendition of “Starry Night” with a few well-placed arrows.

Archery turned out to be easier than I expected.

I watched carefully during the lesson and settled in relatively quickly. During our numerous practice rounds, I was wildly inconsistent, but when it came down to the competition rounds, I was determined not be an easy competitor. I entered a state of zen, feeling oddly unconcerned with the thought of failure. I had no idea if I subconsciously improved my technique during this time, but my arrows flew straighter than ever. Sadly, after those two rounds, my arrows promptly reverted to ignoring their intended paths, landing in the corners of the board.

While I was initially overwhelmed by all the foreign equipment, I quickly found that I enjoyed archery. Looking to my left, I noticed my competition was putting up a stiff game and so I tried to improve my aim and accuracy with every round. Despite my enthusiasm, a few of my initial arrows didn’t even land a mark on the target and many of my shots landed on the outer rims of the target, a rather abysmal performance. I quickly realized that if the Olympian Gods existed, Artemis would be sorely disappointed with my performance.

Surprisingly, my arms were not sore after my archery rounds. Then I realized it was because I had not expended enough energy to ensure my arrows were pointed down the right path.

This and my poor eyesight probably made my dreadful aim inevitable. My performance, however, did not fall short of my expectations, unlike my arrows. I did much better than expected considering my previous experience with archery. Even though I earned second place, I am pleased with my experience and eager to challenge Cindy to a second round.

I woke up the next day with my back muscles crying out in pain. Turns out, I severely overestimated my upper body strength, which proved to be no match for this sport. An hour of beginning archery made me, a seasoned athlete, sore beyond imagination. For the next two days, I hobbled around feeling five times my age, a sore back hindering my every move.

The pain was most definitely worth it though, as I won first place and established myself as the Smoke Signal’s very best archer. Does anyone know if the Avengers are accepting summer applications?

I was aiming to do better than this but was unfortunately shot down by my competitors, and I ended up in last place. Despite having one or two decent shots throughout the rounds, those were not enough to make up for my unpredictable and uncontrollable aim. I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t have survived more than three minutes in the Hunger Games. However, I’ll be sure to make up for lack of accuracy with lots of practice and by working hard at improving. The next time I try my hand at archery, I’ll shoot for first place.

THE COMPETITION

THOUGHTS AFTER

Friday, May 5, 2017

HELEN Even though I have had experiences with basic archery before, it has only ended in arrows shooting wildly in seemingly impossible angles. However, I will not let my previous drawbacks faze me; I am determined to hit my goal of number one by maintaining focus and stability throughout the competition. Having gone through a period of YouTube archery fervor, I finally understand the art of staying on target under high pressure. My goal for this archery contest is to utilize my past experiences, good and bad, to make the other competitors quiver.

During practice, I was thoroughly prepared to refine my rusty skills and to hit a bulls-eye every single shot. However, my arrows seemed to go everywhere except where I wanted them to. Frustrated, I altered my form slightly to compensate for the weight of the bow, but it just caused a bruise on my arm from the string. When the competition began, I was more annoyed than motivated. As my bow aimed toward the target, I could not recall my mantra of peace under pressure, and shot two disappointing rounds of arrows.

I used to do archery, but then I took an arrow to the knee. I vowed to make my opponents quiver, but I’m afraid that they were quivering with laughter after my defeat. However, this will not be my mediocre end. Even though I got third place, I will continue to hone my accuracy and strength so I can be the winning archer once more. I definitely recommend archery for anyone looking for a return to their medieval roots or some competitive fun with friends, and I look forward to future endeavors at sport!

FINAL RANKINGS

2ND

1ST

4TH

3RD

photos by feature editor brian tseng

Friday, May 5, 2017

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Centerspread 11

By Evangeline Chang, Joelle Chuang, Heather Gan, Jenny Miao & Evie Sun Staff Writers

During this year’s Multicultural Week, 46 clubs and organizations sold a variety of food from different cultures to provide students and staff with an enjoyable and tasty experience.

Here are some of the unique treats that were offered.

“One of the members of our club brought samosas to our booth on Monday. She said it was really good, so I tried it yesterday, and it was the first time I tried that.”

— Jade Zhang, 10

“I tried the chicken musubi for the first time; I think that’s Japanese and I really liked it, so I think I’m definitely going to try out more Japanese cuisine when I go out next time. I’m glad for MC week!”

— Devanshi Pratiher, 11

“My favorite things [to] buy, or that I’ve bought every time I’ve come at lunch is probably the ice cream float and basically just drinks in general, since sometimes I’m not hungry but really thirsty. “ — Ananya Verma, 10

“It’s hard to choose [a favorite] because I like a lot of cuisines, but I especially like Mexican cuisine because there are so many flavors.”

— Olivia Chakraborty, 10

“I wanted to try the Korean barbecue, but they weren’t here today so I got the popcorn chicken instead, and it was really good.”

— Shray Vaidya, 9

photos by staff writers evangeline chang, joelle chuang, heather gan, jenny miao & evie sun, graphics by keywordsuggest.org

12 Centerspread

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The Smoke Signal

Max Chou (9), Jaycee Horng (10), Jonas Koh (10), Kristine Yuan (10), Jessica Kim (11), Claire Mi (11), Grace Tng (11), Bernice Yu (11), Ashley Chang (12), Ashley Chen (12), Jamie Horng (12), Ethan Huang (12), Tiffany Li (12), Mackenzie Lim (12), Melvin Lin (12), William Neo (12), Ha Vy Nguyen (12), Alice Shih (12)

By Evangeline Chang, Joelle Chuang, Heather Gan, Jenny Miao & Evie Sun Staff Writers

“I think the most rewarding part is definitely the bonds I made with everyone. I had to work with every single one of them, helping them strengthen their weaknesses and motivate their strengths.”

— Tiffany Li, 12

“Just leading a Multicultural performance really puts teamwork together and as I said before since we all come from different places its nice to be united with one hobby that we can all share with the school.”

— Meixuan Qu, 12

Serena Huang (9), Samantha Teng (9), Andrea Wong (9), Alice Drozd (10), Sharon Tao (10), Emeline Tu (10), Shivani Pandey (11), Sabrina Shih (11), Rosabel Wu (11), Anthony Bowser (12), Nitya Vakil (12)

“No matter how stressful the process is and how messy everything looks at the moment, everything always comes together at the end.

That’s how it is with every dance; it becomes a beautiful type of chaos.”

— Rosabel Wu, 11

www.thesmokesignal.org

“Performing in Multicultural Week is something I highly value as it is not only the school’s best assembly but it is a hybrid of representing a culture and showing your talent to others.”

– Mackenzie Lim, 12

Jessica Kim, 11

Olivia Lee, 12

Brandon Li (9), Cindy Wang (10), Anna Wu (10), Wallace Lim (11), Jasmine Syu (11), Minh Thai (11), Jessica Wang (11), Alyssa Lo (12), Jemmy Zhou (12) “It might be really stressful trying to choreograph the entire thing, but after we perform, we always hear the crowd cheering. We also get a lot of congratulations from a lot of people, so it is really nice.”

— Jasmine Syu, 11

Jade Zhang ,10

Gabriel Tseng (9), Olivia Chakraborty (10), Jessica Chung (10), Sophie Lee (10), Thao Luong (10), Angelina Xu (10), Kristine Yuan (10), Levy Lewei Cai (11), Aman Chopra (11), Brandon Do (11), Anthony Li (11), Ansh Vidyarthi (11), Rishiv Chugh (12), Akshita Gandra (12), Rosefina Gao (12), Patti Harikumar (12), Tarika Herman (12), Anna Lan (12), Matthew Lee (12), Rushalee Nirodi (12), Heiley Patel (12), Tom Scrutton (12), Rachael Tang (12), Lillian Tsai (12), Rin Vuong (12), Philip Yang (12), Andy Zhou (12)

“Chamber Chorale doesn’t get many performing opportunities, so the Multicultural becomes something we can remember.”

— Rin Vuong, 12

Nitya Vakil, 12 Ananya Verma, 10

Centerspread 13

Wesley Lee (9), Quynhlan Nguyen (9), Minjee Cho (10), Daniel Koo (10), Jessica Kim (11), Jared Pingue (11), Tanuj Kalakuntla (12), Mackenzie Lim (12)

“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase other cultures and to be able to share that with our community and hopefully not only raise awareness of these cultures, but also to improve our understanding of them and appreciate them.”

— Jason Wong, 12

Andy Zhou, 12

Alison Ishikawa (9), Danielle Hsieh (9), Naomi Lam (9), Kelly Yang (9), Jade Zhang (10), Jaycee Horng (10), Iris Bai (11), Ashley Chang (12), Meixuan Qu (12), Claire Wu (12)

The Smoke Signal

Kevin Choe (9), James Fong (9), Natalie Hoffner (9), Edward Lu (9), Nina Padar (9), Malia Santo (9), Emily Yang (9), Ariel Chiang (10), Taylor Cooper (10), Neeti Dhomse (10), Alice Drozd (10), Ashmita Guha (10), Thiviya Sri Indran (10), Ana Ren (10), Ananya Verma (10), Jessica Chang (11), Chelsea Chan (12), Tai Dakin (12), Makenna Fong (12), Elaine Fu (12), Jamie Horng (12), Olivia Lee (12), Tiffany Li (12), Meixuan Qu (12), Olivia Su (12), Jason Wong (12)

“The Moana medley we are doing this year required a lot of time and effort from everyone. Though we had to spend a lot of time practicing, it was still really fun.”

— Andy Zhou, 12

Jonas Koh, 10

Shiantel Chiang (10), Jaycee Horng (10), Ananya Verma (10), Ashley Chen (12), Tiffany Li (12), Mackenzie Lim (12), Melvin Lin (12), Jennifer Liu (12), Ha Vy Nguyen (12), Alice Shih (12), Azalea Xu (12)

Friday, May 5, 2017

Max Chou (9), Anita Sun (9), Amy Chen (10), Kristine Yuan (10), Brandon Do (11), Mallika Gupta (11), Emily Jean (11), Felisha Li (11), Divya Rangavajjhala (11), Lucille Njoo (12), Andy Zhou (12)

“We’ve become a close knit family that works hard and plays hard and we hope to have a lot more experiences like this one.”

— Melvin Lin, 12

Students concluded the week with a vibrant and impressive assembly. From Tinikling to Classical Chinese dance performances, students amazed the crowds with their diverse talents.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Jessica Wang, 11 Anna Lan, 12

Tanish Ambulkar (12), Kartik Anand (12), Vikhyath Avantsa (12), Shubhreet Bains (12), Jay Bisen (12), Tanya Chadha (12), Karina Chopra (12), Dilina Gunawardena (12), Christopher Ha (12), Shubha Jagannatha (12), Tanuj Kalakuntla (12), Kousheyo Kundu (12), Vedant Mehta (12), Tulika Mohanti (12), Khushbu Patel (12) Seema Saini (12), Pavitman Sandhu (12), Neha Saxena (12), Anish Shourie (12), Chhavi Singal (12), Armen Singh (12), Nitya Vakil (12)

“To me, [performing in Multicultural Week] means that I’m a leader, and that I have done something to impact the school, and I am contributing to the school’s diversity.”

— Anish Shourie, 12 Kartik Anand ,12

Raasi Bommu (10), Neeti Dhomse (10), Thiviya Sri Indran (10), Siddharth Nag (10), Ishani Pandya (10), Ananya Verma (10), Aarushi Agrawal (11), Aditi Cuddalore (11), Ayush Gaggar (11), Ankita Hooda (11), Vinit Majmudar (11), Shivani Patel (11), Tulsi Patel (11), Laurise Randall (10), Shubhreet Bains (12), Pavi Bhatter (12), Tanya Chadha (12), Devarshi Chemala (12), Vaishnavi Dornadula (12), Hetav Gore (12), Sanjana Gundala (12), Christopher Ha (12), Jamie Horng (12), Shubha Jagannatha (12), Anjali Krishnan (12), Tulika Mohanti (12), Anuj Nanavati (12), Ralphyn Pallikunnath (12), Keval Parikh (12), Khushbu Patel (12), Meixuan Qu (12), Preetham Ramesh (12), Neha Saxena (12), Ruchika Shukla (12), Ria Tomar (12) “It’s been a really good experience; you

create a bond with the people who are in the group, and you learn to work with each other and [we] communicate a lot.”

— Tulsi Patel, 11

Kinshuk Arora (9), Shraesht Chitkara (9), Riya Chopra (9), Surabhi Haniyur (9), Sakshi Prabhu (9), Raasi Bommu (10), Ankita Hooda (10), Siddharth Nag (10), Kanchan Raju (10), Laurise Randall (10), Aarushi Agrawal (11), Sachin Boorada (11), Vyas Chitti (11), Arpita Gaggar (11), Ayush Gaggar (11), Shreya Hedge (11), Sara Jivani (11), Vinit Majmudar (11), Jasmine Mehta (11), Riya Modi (11), Roma Modi (11), Shivani Pandey (11), Sonia Tasser (11), Abhinay Aeruva (12), Tanish Ambulkar (12), Jay Bisen (12), Devarshi Chemala (12), Sarah Chong (12), Sarah Easow (12), Hetav Gore (12), Sanjana Gundala (12), Aayushi Gupta (12), Christopher Ha (12), Jamie Horng (12), Pavan Jariwala (12), Tanuj Kalakuntla (12), Anjali Krishnan (12), Kousheyo Kundu (12), Neha Malhotra (12), Tulika Mohanti (12), Anuj Nanavati (12), Keval Parikh (12), Meixuan Qu (12), Neha Saxena (12), Anish Shourie (12), Chhavi Singal (12), Ria Tomar (12), Nitya Vakil (12), Nishat Vemuri (12) “Multicultural is a really good way for us to bond because it’s our last time dancing together.”

— Tulika Mohanti, 12

Ayush Gaggar, 11

Iris Bai, 11

“I think the most rewarding part is just the small things where in the mornings, during morning practice even if everyone’s tired, there’s times when we joke around and have some laughs which is really nice.”

— Cherin Koh, 11

Christopher Ha, 12

Jessica Hsu (10), Jenna Iwamiya (10), Andrew Kinoshita (11), Michelle Zhao (11), Hayley Arima (12), Jason Wong (12)

Jessica Feng (10), Emily Lee (10), Iris Bai (11), Emily Chang (11) “To me, performing during Multicultural Week is really important because Chinese dance isn’t something a lot of people know about or have seen very often, but it’s been such a huge part of my life and it’s amazing to be able to share it with others.”

— Iris Bai, 11

Nathan Tran (9), Jill Barrameda (10), Tarun Devesetti (10), Timothy Krishnadas (10), Aaron Mendoza (10), Joyce Zhang (10), Victor He (11), Cherin Koh (11), Eric Li (11), Jill Mukai (11), Jared Pingue (11), Rushil Chakrabarty (12), Kristie Chiang (12), Tai Dakin (12), Lilian Joy Feng (12), Makenna Fong (12), Jamie Horng (12), Tiffany Li (12), Brendan Liu (12), Meredith Mao (12), Jerome Mariano (12), Meixuan Qu (12), Jiti Sarkar (12), Jocelyn Wang (12)

Social Science Teacher Karl Hui

Social Science Teacher Karl Hui

Anthony Bowser (12), Stephen Tselikov (12) “Performing for Multicultural week is important to me, because I love to entertain others, and performing in general is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy spreading the culture of hip hop that many may not get a chance to see every day.”

— Anthony Bowser, 12

“We started practicing during winter break, and this year I worked with two new members and we lost Mrs. Madsen, who moved away last year. It has been really fun teaching them a new song that we are performing this year.”

– Hayley Arima, 12 Jason Wong, 12

Jared Pingue, 11

Chitra Dassapa (12), Ashley Mehta (12) “To see the joy the student body gets from the assembly itself and all the performances is so exhilarating and it makes everyone and each group work so much harder.”

— Chitra Dassapa, 12

Stephen Tselikov, 12 Chitra Dassapa, 12 photos by staff writers evangeline chang, joelle chuang, jenny miao & evie sun

14 Centerspread

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 5, 2017

By Evangeline Chang, Joelle Chuang, Heather Gan, Jenny Miao & Evie Sun Staff Writers

Every year during Multicultural Week, students dress in honor of different cultures from all over the world, typically their own. Here, the Smoke Signal recognizes a few students and staff in their special cultural clothing.

“I’m currently wearing a yukata, it’s like a Japanese traditional dress. A lot of people get it confused with a kimono, but those are multiple layers while a yukata is a lot thinner. I went to Japan a few years ago so that’s where this is from.”

— Evangeline Chang, 10

“I’m wearing traditional Indian clothes, Bollywood tradition. It’s called an anarkali.”

— Heiley Patel, 12

“So the outfit I’m wearing is called a chudidar.

It’s a very common form of clothing worn in India, both for everyday jobs and parties.

It consists of balloon pants, a kurti which is kind of like a long shirt, and a dupatta.

The embroidery on the kurti can be very simple or very detailed depending on its use. My outfit is a fancy, but comfortable chudidar. I personally love Indian clothes, because they are usually extremely comfortable while also looking elegant.”

—

“I’m wearing a kurta, which is traditional Indian clothing. I wear it on special occasions like this one, because I’m representing my culture. It’s meant for festivals [and] any kind of special occasion; it can even be worn for a wedding, or auspicious occasions.”

— Sriram Acharya, 11

“I am currently wearing a hanbok; it’s a type of traditional Korean clothing.

For me, I like the detailing on the bottom of the dress; you can see that it’s very floral and also has a bit of animals on it. I also like the color.”

— Eunice Min, 12

“I’m wearing what in my language I would call a salwar kameez. The salwar is the bottom part and the kameez is the top. It’s just a kind of casual, everyday kind of look that you would see in India. My outfit was actually made in India. It’s very soft and comfortable but it has a lot of colors and I like displaying my personality through that.”

—

“I’m wearing an Indonesian batik shirt!

Batik is a special textile native to Indonesia, and it’s made through a special process of dyeing to make all these bright patterns and symbols. I love wearing it to celebrate the vibrance of my own culture.”

— Lucille Njoo, 12

Ruchika Shukla, 12

“This outfit is from Barranquilla, Colombia. We use them for the Barranquilla Carnival, a three-day party.

This dress, we use it to perform a dance that is called La Danza del Garabato. It comes from the slavery times, when the slaves a long time ago just had one free day a year.

So on that day they dress up in this kind of costume and dance and make fun of the slave owners. They mock them and they used to mock and make fun of their own misfortune.”

— Spanish Teacher Daniris Smith

Vaishnavi Dornadula, 12

“I’m wearing a traditional Chinese dress made of velvet. I got it from Chinatown.”

— Isis Chu, 12

.

“[I’m wearing an] ao dai, and it’s traditional Vietnamese wear for women during special occasions.”

—

Ha Vy Nguyen, 12

photos by staff writers evangeline chang, joelle chuang, heather gan, jenny miao & evie sun, graphics by www.miomo.tictail.com

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Smoke Signal

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Arts & Entertainment 15

C R I T I C S’ C O R N E R M us i C: fat h e r j oh n m i st y, ly d i a le e | F ilm : yo ur n a m e, g h os t in th e s h el l

Under the radar

Your name

lydia lee

By Gloria Chang Staff Writer Lee Ye-Jin was an 18-year-old Korean high school student when she recorded a cover of Adele’s “Hello” as a school assignment in 2015. After posting her video performance on YouTube, her vocal abilities garnered the attention of major entertainment news sites, from Korean blogs to American magazines. The New York magazine, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and ABC News posted her rendition and praised her singing, and MTV went so far as to say “Queen Adele herself would shed a tear” in an article headline. Within a month, her video reached 10 million YouTube views, and the Ellen DeGeneres Show invited her to the US to perform the cover.

When the short month of virality simmered down, Lee worked toward composing her own music as an artist.

After two years, she officially made her American debut as Lydia Lee on January 31 with her single “Blue.” Born in Korea and raised in New Zealand, she said in a Soompi interview, “I always thought I could bear more emotions better in English and in a western music style. That’s why ... all of my songs are written in English.” Through her diligent music-making process, her debut highlights her incredible vocal range, emotional lyrics, and goosebump-inducing moments.

Although her spine-tingling singing effuses naturalness, she hopes to show her audience that she is no longer a shy teenage girl, but a mature, passionate artist who wishes to share stories and inspire others. ▪

Book Bites

Music review Father John misty

imdb.com

By Ella Chen & Richard Chenyu Zhou Staff Writers Your Name, originally Kimi No Na Wa in Japanese, came out in US theaters on Friday, April 7. Originally released in Asia last year, the film received critical accolades for its intricate plot and beautiful animation. Having grossed more than $350 million since its release, Your Name is the highest-grossing anime film globally and its director, Makoto Shinkai, is being heralded as a rising name in the animation world.

The film is based on Shinkai’s novel published a month prior to the film’s premiere. Your Name opens by introducing two main characters, Taki Tachibana (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Mitsuha Miyamizu (Mone Kamishiraishi), who swap bodies and live each other’s lives for short periods of time. Taki, a boy from Tokyo, experiences rural Japan as Mitsuha immerses herself in the city life she has always dreamed about. However, the movie does little to explain how or why Taki and Mitsuha swap bodies, instead leaving it up to the audience to

draw conclusions based on the few clues given as the plot thickens.

Shinkai artfully tells the tale of two teenagers through skillful cut-sequence editing and dual-paneled images of the two characters. With Japanese pop tunes and scenes similar to music videos, the audience is captivated as the animation comes to life in vibrant colors and bright scenery. The film is successful in creating a relatable story for all age groups; its cleverly-placed jokes will amuse younger audiences while its portrayal of the contrast between modern and traditional Japan will resonate with older viewers.

As the movie progresses, Shinkai explores the ancestral Japanese concept of time, probing the fine line between reality and illusion and incorporating references to both pop and Japanese culture.

The film remains captivating through its suspenseful, back-and-forth action and breathtaking animation. In addition, the music perfectly fits the atmosphere of the plot. The score ranges from upbeat and fast-paced to slow and melancholy but always matches the flow and tempo of the dialogue. Shinkai is able to use the soundtrack to further emotionally bind the audience in Taki and Mitsuha’s

tangled story. However, the film is not without its flaws. Although Shinkai uses body-swapping as a novel plot device, the film’s Inception-like plot can be difficult to follow, especially as the details behind it are not made clear.

Critics have called Shinkai “the new Miyazaki,” an honorable title but one that may not fit the director quite well.

Shinkai has earned merit for Your Name because its style is completely different from most Hayao Miyazaki films. While Miyazaki creates a mood of timelessness, Shinkai’s approach is more modern and realistic. He has paved his own path in the animated world, blazing a trail for contemporary anime.

Your Name is a stunning, must-see film that delights with its unexpected plot twists and whirlwind of emotions.

Audiences will leave the theater speechless and longing to know what happens next. ▪ Rating: A

Ghost in the Shell

By Amy Chen Staff Writer

Student Recommendations

Title: Red Rising Author: Pierce Brown Rating: Medium Genre: Science Fiction Follow Daro, a Red, the lowest color coded class of society on the futuristic planet of Mars, as he infiltrates the legendary Institute of the ruling Gold caste to seek justice and bring down his enemies.

“Not only is the book very interesting, because it’s set 700 years from today in a space setting, but it’s also very informative on the issues that minorities and others face throughout the nation and the world.” — Raj Bhutoria, 11 Title: The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories, Volume Two: Outer Space, Inner Lands Author: Ursula K. Le Guin Rating: Medium Genre: Short Stories/Fantasy Dive into this collection of witty, satirical short stories that hosts an abundance of intricately constructed imaginary worlds and fantastical stories.

“Le Guin is a master of making you think that each story is going to be about one thing and it ends up being completely different. It really changes how you think about the world and what you really know.” — Kris Yuan, 10

Staff Recommendation

Title: War and Peace Author: Leo Tolstoy Rating: Hard Genre: Historical Fiction War and Peace presents the ideas of fate, free will, and knowledge while following the interwoven lives of individuals during the Napoleonic Wars and the French invasion of Russia.

“It is probably the greatest novel I’ve ever read. It’s so good about detail, and it’s a fantastic book.” — English Teacher Cherylle Lindsey

imdb.com

By Evangeline Chang Staff Writer Dystopian movies have become a trend in this century, and Ghost in the Shell is no exception when it comes to robots and technology taking over the world in the future. Ghost in the Shell, directed by Rupert Sanders, is the live action adaption of the original Ghost in the Shell manga by Masamune Shirow and the 1995 animated movie of the same name. The plot follows the main character Major (Scarlett Johansson), the first technology of her kind. Made by Hanka Robotics, she is a human brain connected to a synthetic body and is more of a lingering soul residing in a shell rather than a human. Major later learns that people think their memories define them, but it’s really one’s actions that define oneself.

The movie’s message is relayed through Major and her choices while she searches for her true self and forgotten memories. She starts off as a creation by Hanka Robotics, and works protecting District 9. After an anonymous hacker Kuze begins attacking and threatening Hanka Robotics doctors, Major and her team set out to find him. To her surprise, Kuze was a synthetic body with a human brain

created by Hanka Robotics just like her, but he was a failed experiment that was discarded. Through him she is able to unveil her true past and the corruption behind Mr. Cutter, a Hanka Robotics head. By discovering her identity, Major finds a purpose to her existence and work.

The film’s plot explores self-discovery and how technology can impact the world, but it is not particularly creative.

A story about a “hero” trying to find her true purpose and erased identity seems almost too cliché. At the same time, a skilled usage of visual effects and graphics makes the film more interesting. The idea of a bustling city far in the future with animated holograms instead of billboards or advertisements is well-executed. One major artistic flaw is the abundant amount of CGI shots in the film, most of which is visually overwhelming with bright lights and holograms. This creates a lot of clutter, which can be straining on the eyes. Despite this, most of the visuals are symbolic of the busy, technological environment Ghost in the Shell tries to represent.

As with many movies in the current day and age, Ghost in the Shell faces quite heavy criticism on the casting.

Whitewashing is not uncommon in live

action films, but making most of the main cast caucasian in this case was extremely unsuitable. Not only was Ghost in the Shell originally a Japanese story, but it also takes place in Japan. The environment of the story is thrown off by the ethnicity of the cast because the cast makes the setting seem less authentically Asian. In a world of technology in Japan where there are even Japanese Geisha robots and servants, why would the most important figures be anything but Asian? Even the workers at Hanka Robotics, a Japanese robot company in the story, are cast as caucasian actors and actresses. Considering that the film was even worked on in collaboration with Shanghai Film Group Corporation and HuaHua media, the authenticity of the setting was expected to be better.

In general, the movie is satisfactory but the occasionally overwhelming visuals and the bad casting choices are disappointing. The concept is clear and interesting for a dystopian movie, but the producers could have done much better visually given the substantial storyline. ▪

By Jonathan Ko Staff Writer From the first soft chords of indie rock artist Father John Misty’s third studio album Pure Comedy, the casual listener could be forgiven for calling the smooth, crooning music elevator music. However, the moment the listener begins paying attention to the words, this illusion is completely shattered. The album is nearly cover-to-cover a diatribe against every problem in the modern world, from death to human vanity to societywide revolution — all wrapped together with the silky smooth voice and decidedly stripped-back acoustic arrangements of Father John Misty.

The album begins with the titular song “Pure Comedy,” backed by just an acoustic guitar and a piano. It is the sonic equivalent of a deep sigh, with all the angst and despair that comes with one. The song opens with the words “The comedy of man starts like this: our brains are way too big for our mothers’ hips” and the album continues along the same lines from there. The masterful lyrics of Father John Misty could easily serve as a long rant against humanity, the earth, and a million other things that fit into the artist’s nihilist worldview.

From song to song, the musical style shifts only slightly, never varying far from a simple piano-andguitar approach with vocal backings and light strings mixed in. The other constant through the album is Father John Misty himself, whose voice manages to seem detached and unconcerned while discussing unusually weighty subjects. He injects dry humor here and there, such as on “Ballad of the Dying Man,” where he remarks upon a dying man checking his newsfeed with the words, “It occurs to him a little late in the game — we leave as clueless as we came.”

The superb lyrical nature and perfectly produced toned-down instrumentals, however, are somewhat wasted on the relentlessly angsty album. Over the course of its 74-minute length, Pure Comedy’s nihilism and general despair begin to wear down the listener. It could be said that the album is more easily digested if the listener deliberately ignores the words and focuses only on the sounds.

There are notable exceptions to this trend, such as “Smoochie,” a love song written in appreciation of Father John Misty’s wife. Perhaps the song that stands out most is the penultimate “So I’m Growing Old on Magic Mountain,” a wistful ballad to youth and partying. It ends with an incredibly beautiful musical sequence, a five-minute outro that consists only of instrumentals.

Throughout the album, several traits of Father John Misty become exceedingly clear. His pessimistic outlook on life is perhaps matched by no other, and neither is his musical genius. However, the sweet, buttery voice combined with apocalyptic, anguished lyrics produces an effect that can be described only as jarring; it is easy to focus on one or the other but never both at once. The album is still worth a listen due to the evident artistry of Father John Misty, but ultimately the depressing lyrics produce a drowning effect on the listener. ▪ Rating: C+

Rating: C fatherjohnmisty.store

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Arts & Entertainment 17

Artistic merit of sampling and remixing

By Shivani Avasarala & Ansh Patel Staff Writers The numerous rules of music copyright have been established for a reason: to protect the works of artists from unlawful plagiarism and give them due credit for their accomplishments. It is due to these laws that the iconic musicians we look up to today can claim classic hits as their own. However, controversies around the issue of music copyright are ultimately compromising the works of aspiring DJs and musicians, who are simply looking for opportunities to put their own spin on popular music and classics as well.

The debate over ownership of music is not limited to rising artists, but extends to the harsh reality of the music industry as well. For example, take Mike Posner’s smash hit “I Took a Pill in Ibiza.”

Scrolling through comments underneath the video, one can easily notice the obvious divide between common listeners and ardent fans of Posner. The controversy stems from the primary argument: Is it unfair that music producing group SeeB’s remix of “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” was much more widely received than Mike Posner’s original acoustic version of the same song? After all, the remix has a staggering view count of more than 796 million views on Youtube, significantly larger than the view count on the original song, with a little over 25.6 million views. A similar situation is brought up with several other remakes of songs from the early 2000’s. One significant example is Robin Schulz’s 2015 release, “Sugar”, which sampled from the 2003 hip hop track “Suga Suga” by Baby Bash. Though some listeners with an older background of music recognize the classic and appreciate the remix as well, there still exist an overwhelming number of listeners who feel that the recognition for the remix over the original is undeserved.

Although there were no legal issues in these scenario, there still seemed to be

a lingering resentment towards the producers of the remixes, as if they were wrongfully collecting recognition for a song that did not belong to them. These opinions on plagiarism and copyright infringement should not be associated with the integrity of sampling, especially in situations like this where the original artist is rightfully acknowledged.

For young and ambitious artists looking to deliver their ideas to the public, the resentment takes a much larger toll.

Artists are threatened with lawsuits for violating copyright infringement laws if they “sample” another musician’s work, which involves taking a snippet of a song, repurposing it, and using it in another piece. For example, in 2012, Don Henley of the Eagles threatened to take legal action against Frank Ocean because of Ocean’s sample of “Hotel California” on his track “American Wedding.”

These opinions on plagiarism and copyright infringement should not be associated with the integrity of sampling, especially in situations like this where the original artist is rightfully acknowledged.

Despite these risks, artists from all genres, backgrounds, and levels of success have borrowed sounds and sampled other artists’ work. Critics like Kristan Caryl of Attack Magazine claim that artists are attracted to remixing or sampling because of its simplicity. It is much easier to remix an existing track than to come up with an original, distinct sound. This fact alone has led many to dismiss the artistic merit of a remix or sample, but as Caryl puts it, “If you always add the same thing or make all the remixes sound the same, it would get boring very quickly.

It’s one thing to have a recognized sound

or signature, it’s another to do the same thing over and over again.”

Though the artist that uses a sample may not have originally created the snippet, the music put together using the borrowed sounds deserves artistic recognition. Very rarely is a sample used to create music similar to the original. Instead, artists use samples to make music that goes in a different direction or combines different styles, beats, and tempos. Samples are the stepping stone for experimentation, as artists may combine different samples from different genres to create an entirely new sound. For example, even though Kanye West didn’t sing as a part of the ARC Choir, the vocal samples he borrowed and rearranged to create the bassline for his single “Jesus Walks” made the song his own: A hauntingly beautiful gospel track turned into a modern, grandiose hip-hop track.

The employees were friendly, accommodating, and willing to answer questions about the food. Customers can watch their orders being made, which was especially intriguing with the rolled ice cream metal skillet and the cotton candy machine sitting on the front counter. Yet many of the items on the menu, such as the fresh mango snow ice, were unavailable, which was inconvenient. Even though there was no one else being served, the entire ordering process took over 20 minutes, which definitely dampered the experience.

Icy Blue

By Hannah Chou & Jenny Miao Staff Writers

By Jessica Jen & Hana Sheikh Staff Writers

Food The menu features a wide variety of sweet drinks and desserts. Besides smoothies and frappuccinos, there were 25 types of milk tea with 20 toppings to choose from. The tea was served in plastic pouches which was unique, but the tea tasted bland. All of the desserts were very visually appealing, such as the Oreo Cookie Crumble Sundae, which was topped with cotton candy. The snow ice ended up untouched because of its overwhelming artificial sweetness, but the rolled ice cream was a success. Overall, the desserts and drinks seemed like a hit or miss.

Rating: 3/5

It’s the repurposing of an old sound that gives a sample its novelty. How an artist decides to use and incorporate someone else’s music is much more important than the fact that the artist borrows sounds. Though musicians run the risk of lawsuits and negative public perception if they sample without the permission of the original artist, if done legally, sampling can enhance the artistic merit of music. ▪

Ambiance

Service

Rating: 3.5/5

kanyetothe.com

Kanye West with production equipment

The newest addition to the dessert and tea shops in Fremont is Icy Blue, located at 43360 Mission Blvd Suite 102, Fremont, CA 94539. The Smoke Signal decided to try out this restaurant three weeks after its opening.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Bright blue walls with white accents and lots of natural lighting provided a great backdrop for taking pictures of food, and made the seating area very welcoming. On the back wall hung a collection of photos showcasing the items served at the shop, which added a personal touch to the atmosphere. There was clearly a lot of attention to detail to furnishing, as the wooden backsplash under the counter matched the wood of the menu board. One of the quirks here was the fully lit Christmas tree, which sat in the back corner, but it somehow fit into the aesthetic of the restaurant.

Rating: 5/5

Price The milk tea was affordable and similar in price to other tea shops in the area, at around $4, depending on the flavor of drink and toppings. The food was definitely on the pricier side despite the large portion sizes. Some of the more complex desserts were especially expensive, such as the rolled ice cream at $8.75 and the snow ice at $7.95. The scoops of ice cream range in price, from $3.50 to $7.50 based on choice of cone and scoop.

Rating: 3.5/5 photos by staff writers jessica jen & hana sheikh

18 Sports

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Righteous Role Models

By Amber Lee Staff Writer

“I’m not paid to be a role model … Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” These are the words of Charles Barkley, a former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), speaking in a 1993 advertisement for Nike. Barkley does have a point — in an ideal world, athletes should not be viewed as role models purely because of their skill in sports. However, that doesn’t mean athletes can’t be role models at all.

Sports fans and youths still look up to sports celebrities and take influence from their behavior, since these star athletes are so closely associated with fame and success. While it’s okay to admire athletes as role models, we should actively look for athletes who exhibit the values we ourselves want to embody as well, both on and off the court, instead of idolizing them for how well they play in their sport.

In a culture in which athletics are valued highly, prominent sports celebrities are often portrayed as successful because of their athletic talent, making it easy to admire them.

However, we shouldn’t blindly idolize an elite athlete, ignoring or excusing their unethical behavior and prejudiced attitudes. While most fans would not literally imitate an athlete role model who has committed crimes, in their minds, they might trivialize the crimes as not so serious. Other times, it might be the small things that an athlete does, such as making racially charged comments that feed and perpetuate implicit biases in viewers or fans.

Rather, when we look to certain athletes as mentors or guiding examples, we should choose these athletes for their commendable actions or character traits. Different factors to take into consideration could include the sportsmanship that an athlete displays in games, or how the athlete uses his or her fame

Friday, May 5, 2017

Spotlight: Anna Voznyuk

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The Smoke Signal

and influence to promote charitable causes.

For example, NBA Point Guard Stephen Curry, besides being a skilled shooter on the court, also supports Nothing But Nets, a campaign to fight malaria by providing mosquito nets to people in Africa. Through raising awareness for this issue, Curry is an example of a role model who has leveraged his fame to inspire other people to get involved in a good cause.

Furthermore, aspiring athletes and students of underrepresented minority groups might also look to professional minority athletes for motivation. Take Danica Patrick or Jeremy Lin, for instance. One is a female racecar driver in a male-dominated area of sports, while the other is an Asian-American playing in the NBA, and both have excelled in their sport, defying stereotypes. As a result, these two athletes serve as role models for a younger generation of minority groups.

But even if we find athletes who are good role models based on their character and behavior, we should keep in mind that these athletes are humans, not perfect heroes. Professional Cyclist Lance Armstrong serves as a case in point: Armstrong founded the Livestrong Foundation (formerly the Lance Armstrong Foundation) to advocate for cancer patients, yet he also committed the reprehensible act of cheating through performance-enhancing drugs. Although his actions in starting a charity are admirable, his use of drugs is not. By acknowledging both the good and bad things that an athlete has done, we can pick their good actions and values that we want to emulate while making a conscious effort not to overlook the times when that athlete behaved unethically, thus taking a more mindful and nuanced perspective of our athlete role models. ▪

By Deeksha Raina Staff Writer Sophomore Anna Voznyuk is a competitive rhythmic gymnast. The Smoke Signal interviewed her to find out more about her experience with rhythmic gymnastics.

The Smoke Signal: When did you start practicing rhythmic gymnastics?

Anna Voznyuk: I started practicing when I was 6 years old. I do rhythmic gymnastics.

Artistic gymnastics are the bars, the beams, and the flips; rhythmic gymnastics is a different sport that requires more flexibility. This is where we do the scorpion [a rhythmic gymnastics move], ring catches, or turning leaps.

There are a lot more [components], like ribbons, balls, clubs, and also a floor routine.

SS: What do you like about gymnastics?

AV: I do it because we [the team] are basically like family. We’ve been together for so long and it [rhythmic gymnastics] requires so much time that you basically spend every day together, working out and training, so we’re really close, like family.

SS: What level do you participate at and what’s your greatest accomplishment?

AV: I’m competing at the national level. I’m still trying to get in this year and I’m really close. Because many people are not able to do rhythmic gymnastics for a long time because there’s school, I’d say one of my greatest accomplishments is being able to stay for a long time in gymnastics. It’s really stressful, and takes so much time, so definitely staying in [rhythmic gymnastics] through high school is the greatest accomplishment.

overcome?

AV: In gymnastics, we have good days and bad days. It could be really stressful and you can have tests, or a lot of homework. I’ve had to go through some really depressing moments, especially if I go to a competition and do badly. Other days I’m more confident and happy. It’s really unstable. The hard part is trying to get stable. It’s really difficult when there’s so much stress and so much time spent on practice. We want to do well, but it doesn’t always happen that way.

SS: Do you plan on pursuing rhythmic gymnastics in the future?

AV: I hope I can. The thing is, I’ll have to find a place with a rhythmic gymnastics gym nearby. So I’m planning to go to college that has a gym nearby. Later, I want to train younger girls in rhythmic gymnastics and maybe train as part of a team myself.

SS: Do you have any gymnasts you look up to as role models?

AV: My biggest role model is one of my teammates actually, Juliette Wong. She recently quit because she’s going to college, but she never gave up and was really talented and didn’t care what other people said about her. But I also have other role models from the national team including Anfisa Kupriyanova and Katerina Vedeneeva. ▪

SS: What is a typical day, including school and training, like?

AV: I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and do my homework or get ready for school. Then I go to school and come home at 3:15 p.m. I eat quickly and at 3:30 p.m. I get an Uber, and ride to gymnastics and train and stay there until 8:30 p.m. I get home usually around 9 p.m. and eat and finish my homework.

SS: What are some difficulties you’ve had to

1/2 page excel

Sophomore Anna Voznyuk

staff writer amber lee

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Smoke Signal

Evolution of Fitness

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Sports 19

By Shivani Avasarala, Katherine Guo & Ian Hsu Staff Writers

Fitness has evolved over time, and the trends of each time period reflect the attitudes of that era. Though fitness has developed since the Greco-Roman times, the 20th century prompted a spur of changes and trends. Ranging from the early 1900s to present-day, the Smoke Signal explores how fitness, athletic clothing trends, nutrition, and high school sports have progressed to become an integral part of American society.

1900s to 1920s At the beginning of the 20th century, French Professor Edmond Desbonnet published fitness journals which recorded methods of physical exercise and strength training, and also popularized exercise clubs.

At the same time in the US, Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick established the Public Schools Athletic League in hopes of encouraging more students to participate in athletics. The League held athletic extravaganzas for elementary and high school students in a variety of sports including basketball, rowing, rifle marksmanship, and baseball. Several other elite sports, such as football, were initially not part of the program due to the League’s purpose to involve the average athlete in sports.

A typical gym from the 1900s.

Women model 1920s athletic clothing.

1930s to 1950s

Newly established Little League in action.

A women’s field hockey class at UC Berkeley.

Due to the Great Depression, many placed less value on athletics, simply focusing on having enough to survive. During World War Two, drafted men were not physically fit enough to serve their country as soldiers. Thus, fitness became a larger priority and children were prompted to begin physical education at a younger age. Many athletic leagues that were shut down during Great Depression became active again during the war, such as Little League, which was created in 1939 and spread rapidly throughout the US. Colleges and universities also began to offer Physical Education majors after World War Two, prompting an increase in sports education throughout America.

1960s Baseball was the prevalent sport during this period, with boxing following close behind. Baseball pitchers such as Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax dominated the field during the day while Muhammad Ali dominated boxing rings at night, both sports garnering large fanbases. President Lyndon B. Johnson created the Presidential Physical Fitness Award in 1966 for American youth in grades K-12, aiming to standardize physical education across the US. The test was created with a military focus in mind due to widespread fear of the Cold War. At-home exercise machines start to appear on the market following the rise of the self-esteem movement and emphasis on body image.

Saint Louis Cardinals Pitcher Bob Gibson.

Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

1970s to 1980s Improving technology led to widespread prevalence of TVs and videocassette recorders as well as an increased emphasis on slim body shapes, ultimately leading to the development of fitness videos for women. Many of these videos placed heavy emphasis on aerobics, cardio, and toning exercises. The popularity of workout gyms increased and fitness fashions became common as a result. Tight, shiny neon clothing was commonly worn to gyms, and women frequently poofed up their hair and paired it with a headband before going to the gym.

A popular workout video filmed at the height of fitness fashion.

1980s TIME magazine cover.

1990s

Opportunities for girls’ sports increased as high school sports continued to gain popularity and move into the public eye.

The popularization of the National Basketball Association under Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal led to an increase in popularity for high school basketball. Celebrity appearances at gyms prompted an increased awareness of body image and group classes became routine. As gyms became popularized, more and more high school students had gym memberships. Attention to health was also promoted by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) mandate of nutrition labels on all food packaging.

Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six titles in the 1990s.

FDA required nutrition labels on all food packaging.

2000s to Present

Wearable technology becomes popular.

WiiFit became a popular game for many households.

Popularity of contact sports such as football and lacrosse decreased by 11.6 percent, as reported by EngageSports. This overall decline was greater than that of non-contact sports, at an 8.1 percent drop, spurred by new research on injury awareness. Boys’ sports opportunities quickly outpaced those of girls’, prompting a call for greater gender equity in high school sports. Athleisure and wearable technology became standard parts of clothing, with the emergence of fitness trackers and the popularization of leggings. WiiFit and similar games were introduced to the mass market, and studies observed improvements in motor control in children.

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20 Sports

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Friday, May 5, 2017

Badminton smashes competition at Newark Varsity

By Joelle Chuang Staff Writer

MSJ Badminton attended the Newark Varsity Invitational Tournament on April 1 at Newark Memorial High School. Overall, the team did well, with a total of seven individuals and pairs winning top three for their events. Freshman Alexander Zheng and Junior Carleen Li won first place in the Mixed Doubles event. The Warriors swept Girls’ Singles with four juniors all making it to the semifinals, and Captain Junior Danice Long winning first place for this event.

As for Boys’ Doubles, Girls’ Doubles, and Boys’ Singles, seven MSJ players won either second or third place. In total, the team won 14 out of 24 possible trophies.

Badminton has had a dominant win-

“[Zheng] played from 8:30 a.m. in the morning to 12 a.m. at night, and not once did he complain even though both his legs and his right arm were cramping.”

— Assistant Coach Jason Lau ning streak at past invitationals, and as NCS champions for 13 years in a row, the team lived up to its strong reputation. The Newark Varsity Invitational was one of the largest invitationals that the team attended this season, with a total of 312 players from 25 schools competing. “This tournament had significantly more competition, which made it more difficult for our less experienced players to step up,” said Long.

A player that stood out to both Assistant Coach Ryan Ang and Assistant Coach Jason Lau was Zheng, who not only won first

place in mixed, but also made it to semifinals for Boys’ Doubles and Boys’ Singles.

Lau said, “I was particularly impressed by his mental fortitude; he played from 8:30 a.m. in the morning to 12 a.m. at night, and not once did he complain even though both his legs and his right arm were cramping.”

Head Coach Jason Han added, “Despite only practicing a few times with each other, [Li and Zheng] were able to overcome difficult opponents and work as one.”

Ang attributed the team’s success to the hard-working mentality of the team as a whole. However, many lessons were also learned at this tournament. Ang said, “[the tournament] was a giant wake up call for me and for our players, who all learned a lot about their personal weaknesses.” Several big matches were lost by very small margins because “[the players] often [disregarded] the importance of tactics and shot selection,” said Ang. With MVALs and NCS approaching, the tournament was a valuable platform for players to prepare for future tournaments. Long added, “Something we need to remember is to stay humble ... we need to remember that there are other teams out there, and we always have to be ready for a challenge.”

As for the rest of the season, the team will continue to train even harder than ever.

Lau said, “I believe that we’re going to have an exemplary season and I look forward to finishing it off with such a strong group of individuals.” ▪

Members of the team pose next to their trophies, a longtime signature of the Newark Invitational.

Junior Howard Tay attacks the shuttlecock as Freshman Alexander Zheng locks down the front court.

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Junior Danice Long hits a backhand shot. photos by staff writer joelle chuang, courtesy cam chung

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Smoke Signal

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Special 21

Religion and Spirituality Religion in Schools: a Timeline

By Deeksha Raina & Vicki Xu Staff Writers

Practices for School Holidays, Ceremonies, and Clubs (Oct. 26, 1988) FUSD allowed teachers to objectively discuss religions in the classroom, but with solely secular educational purposes. Staff should not encourage religious or anti-religious behavior, but will not forbid students from expressing religious or antireligious sentiments. In addition, in accordance to the Equal Access Act, federally-funded secondary schools must give equal access to all extracurricular clubs, which includes religious clubs. “Extracurricular” means that the club’s activities are not directly related to school curriculum.

Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, 8th Cir., (1980) An Eighth Circuit court decision ruled that recognizing religious holidays is appropriate as long as it is done to study the religion in a secular way, and not promoting the religion in any kind. The Supreme Court let this ruling stand.

Engel v. Vitale (1962) A Supreme Court ruling decreed that public schools may not endorse religions, but may teach about them.

Religious Expression in Public Schools (Aug. 19, 1995) The US Department of Education published a comprehensive guide to religion in public schools, covering the teaching of City religions, practicing religions, and restrictions: “Students in of informal settings … may pray and discuss their religious views with each other. Teachers and school adminBoerne istrators … are representatives of the state and are v. Flores prohibited by the establishment clause from solicit(1997) ing or encouraging religious activity … also are The Supreme prohibited from discouraging activity because Court struck of its religious content, and from soliciting or down the Reliencouraging antireligious activity.” gious Freedom Res-

Clothing and Literature (Oct. 26, 1988) Students may wear religious clothing in school, and may also distribute religious materials at a reasonable time and place decided by the school.

Stone v. Graham (1980) A Kentucky state law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in each public school classroom was struck down as unconstitutional.

Abington School District v.

Schempp (1963); Murray v.

Curlett (1963) In both cases, a state law requiring some religious activity (state-composed prayer in the first, Bible reading in the second) was struck down as unconstitutional.

First Amendment (Dec. 25, 1791) The First Amendment is established to the Constitution, cementing the separation of church and state.

“Congress shall make no law respecting Everson v. Board of Education (1947) an establishment In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of religion, upheld New Jersey’s law of reimbursing parents or prohibiting of parochial and private school students for their the free expenses in busing children to school, because the exercise church did not directly benefit from the money. This exthereof tended the “Congress shall make no law respecting an …” establishment of religion …” to states, not just the federal government.

Current Events

By Gloria Chang Staff Writer

2015: According to the Federal Bureau of Investiga2007tion, the majority of religiously-motivated hate 14: Pew crimes target Jews and Muslims. 51 percent Research of hate crimes were committed against Center’s ReliJews and 22 percent were committed gious Landscape against Muslims.

Study looked into a sample size of 35,000 Nov. 29, 2016: The Southern Americans and discovLaw Poverty Center reered that the Christian popported that 867 cases ulation has been in decline, of harassment or indropping from 78.4 percent to timidation were 70.6 percent of the US adults. This has filed within corresponded with a rise in Americans 10 days with no religious affiliation. The number of of unaffiliated Americans had risen from 16.1 percent to 22.8 percent.

toration Act, a 1993 federal law that mandated that strict scrutiny be used when determining whether religious freedom had been violated, and that Congress should consider whether even religiously-neutral laws burden religions before passing them.

Westside Community Board of Education v. Mergens (1990) The Supreme Court upheld the 1984 Equal Access Act, which is described in more detail under “Equal Access Act.”

Released Time for Special Instruction (Religious) (Feb. 22, 1984) FUSD authorized students to obtain additional instruction from a religious group, as long as the place of instruction was “suitable” and the parents provided written consent. If needed, students will be excused from school, but for no more than one hour per week.

Equal Access Act (Aug. 11, 1984) Congress passes the Equal Access Act that guarantees that students in public schools may form religious clubs. “It shall be unlawful for any public secondary school … to deny equal access or a fair opportunity to, or discriminate against, any students who wish to conduct a meeting … on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical, or other content of the speech at such meetings.”

States with Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (enacted by legislature): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia States with Religious Freedom Restoration provisions (enacted by state courts or similar decisions): Alaska, Hawaii, Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, Wisconsin These acts and provisions state that the religious liberty of individuals can only be limited by “least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest.” No religious groups can demand the government to harm others or act in a specific way, under claims that religious freedom protects religion-related requests.

March 16, 2017: Trump proposed a budget plan that would cut the DeFeb. partment of Education’s funding by $9 billion, but provide $1.4 bil27, lion to school choice policies and programs. The funds include 2017: a $168 million increase to charter schools, and “$250 March The police million for a new school choice program centered 24, of Philaaround private schools,” according to US News 2017: Netdelphia, PA and World Report. This highly benefits flix released reported that religious private institutions and thus, a biopic between 75 and many Christian-affiliated schools film The Most 100 headstones were have applauded the budHated Woman toppled or damaged in get proposal. in America about the Mount Carmel Jewish Madalyn Murray Cemetery. After the recent O’Hair, the atheist accemetery attacks, Muslim nontivist whose efforts led to profit, Celebrate Mercy, raised the Supreme Court ban$130,000 to repair the headstones of ning official Bible readings in damaged graves. public schools. graphics by 123freevectors.com. layout and coverage by news editors ishika chawla & lucille njoo & a&e editors michelle dalarossa & sayan ghosh

22 Special

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Friday, May 5, 2017

Religion and Spirituality For the third installment of the Smoke Signal’s identity coverage, statistics and stories provide a look into the school atmosphere and student attitudes toward religion. The purpose of this coverage is to inform students of various religions and perspectives, and highlight the importance in individuals of different backgrounds coexisting peacefully. By spreading awareness through information and education, we can better embrace our differences.

In order to gather insight into the perception of religion at MSJ, the Smoke Signal conducted a cluster sampling survey on April 10 of students in eight English classes, two from each grade level. A total of 190 students responded.

Student Perception of Campus Environment

On a scale of 1 to 5 , how accepting are MSJ students towards religious differences?

10.6%

4

(least)

(most)

4.8%

5

5

3

30.2%%

3

2

31.2%%

2

1

23.3%

The discussions about religion at MSJ are respectful 4.4% 7.1%

39%

4

(least)

(most)

On a scale of 1 to 5, how visible are religions or religious communities at MSJ?

19.3% 3.2%

1

4.3%

The academic curriculum that MSJ offers sufficiently covers religion

Religion is an approachable subject at MSJ 2.1%

34.2%

9.6%

Religion is discussed without bias in the classroom 7.6%

10.2% 17%

12.9%

31.4%

16% 42.9%

28.6%

15.6%

Agree

Neutral

33.5%

15.1%

23.1%

41%

Strongly agree

11.9%

38.2%

Disagree

31.9%

Strongly disagree

Word Bank

By Michael Ren Staff Writer

Religion The belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, regarded as creating and governing the universe (American Heritage Dictionary)

Antitheist A person who is opposed to the existence of a god or gods (Oxford Dictionary)

Spiritual (1) Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical thing. (2) Relating to religion or religious belief (Oxford Dictionary)

Atheist A person who does not believe in the existence of God or any gods (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Agnostic A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known about the existence or nature of God (Oxford Dictionary)

Denomination A religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups that share the same religion (Cambridge Dictionary)

Sect A religious group that has separated from a larger religion and is considered to have extreme or unusual beliefs or customs (Cambridge Dictionary)

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Smoke Signal

Personal Stories

from msj students

www.thesmokesignal.org

Special 23

The following quotes are voluntary submissions that the Smoke Signal received from MSJ students. From April 7 to 25, we invited students to submit their own anecdotes or remarks about religion to us through email.

Many people view Christianity as a suppressive religion because of all the historical events Christians are responsible for and all the movements they're associated with, past actions performed by Christians don't stem from their faith in Christianity. Christianity is actually quite flexible. Everything is based on one's personal relationship with God, so Christians don't usually condemn each other for doing ungodly things (i.e. cursing, taking God's name in vain, lying, etc.) We believe that once one has experienced God as the Spirit in a meaningful way s/he will naturally retrain her/himself from doing these ungodly things. In essence, only God can judge you. — Anonymous

I agree with a lot of Judaeo-Christian values such as kindness, justice, and generosity, but I don't agree with religion nor do I believe there is/a(re) god(s). I did not grow up in a religious household, so I was never taught to put my faith in any deity. However, even if I were to adopt a religion, which one do I pick? There are so many and they are all so different. If I believe one is the truth, does that make the rest of them false? I prefer to stay out of it and make the most of the one life I was given. Also, I don't trust organized religion, it is too easy to corrupt. In fact religion is also easy to corrupt, though it's probably due to bad humans. I do believe in the cultural value of religion though. Sometimes things don't have to be logical or explainable, it's just part of who we are. America wouldn't be the society it is today without the contributions of everyone from the Puritans to the Catholics to the Quakers. — Anonymous

Student Voices

Do you believe that the MSJ community offers a respectful and supportive atmosphere towards students of different religions? Why or why not?

“People at Mission aren’t really openly supportive of any religion, but it is supportive in the way that no one really cares what religion you are and no one calls attention to the fact of what religion you are.

Because of that, it might be relaxing and comforting for people who think the media is attacking them.” — Caroline Chen, 12

“I feel like the students of MSJ don’t really care about what religion people are, so yes, I would agree with that statement in that we are pretty accepting of religion here. There’s really no reason to discriminate against someone that believes in something different than you.” — Joy Halvorsen, 10 "I think some common misconceptions surrounding religion and spirituality is that people that are very religious or place a high emphasis on spirituality in their lives are often very conservative, and I don't think that that is true.

People that are very religious or very spiritual tend to have more faith and are more emotional in what they do, such as in their actions. I don't think we should think of them as very traditional and conservative. With people being very emotional and having a lot of faith, I think that that is present at MSJ, and it is something I really respect in my friends, where I see that they have a lot of faith in their surroundings and they tend to be very open emotionally."

— Savvy Gupta, 11 "Misconceptions surrounding religion and spirituality in general are mostly present in teachers, not students. Some teachers will make jokes that are disrespectful towards specific religions." — Bruce Bai, 9

“Sometimes I believe that [MSJ offers a respectful and supportive atmosphere]. Often times people say that they do [support different religions], but they do not act that way. For example, people may use slang or other types of offensive language towards religions.” — Jessica Wang, 9

"Yes, I think it does because there are clubs where students can go to interact with people of their own religions or they could make their own club too. I don’t see people getting bullied because of their religion in Mission and I think the Mission community is quite open to different religions." — Grace Tng, 11

What do you think are some common misconceptions surrounding religion/spirituality in general? Are they present at MSJ? "Even though we're really diverse, there are misconceptions. For example, the fact that everyone who looks south Asian is Hindu or Muslim, or the idea that religious people are more uptight.

Though these misconceptions are less present at MSJ than they are in the country at large, they're still present when people assume my religion when they're talking to me, or when they're confused when they hear my Catholic friend's name because she 'looks' Hindu." — Shayna Kothari, 12

“Especially at MSJ, a lot of the students are really liberal, and a lot of people — or some of them that I know — don't believe that in a modern society we have a place for religion. I feel like also, a lot of people feel that religion provides structure, but at the same time it kind of messes up our world." — Kimberly Chen, 10

Opinion: Understand other religions to build a more supportive community Unity in coexistence

By Jonathan Ko & Evie Sun Staff Writers

Religion plays an important role in all modern societies, and MSJ is no different. With clubs like Youth Alive and Muslim Students’ Association, MSJ is home to a vibrant community of different beliefs, from Christianity to Islam to Buddhism to Hinduism to atheism.

People learn about religions and follow certain beliefs in different ways and for various reasons; some are raised in a religious household, while others may decide to adopt a certain faith by choice after facing a life-changing event or to help them cope with life’s challenges. Since our environments play a large role in our beliefs, it is important to make an intentional effort to learn about different religions in order to understand and respect those around us.

Unlike race and ethnicity, which can be visible attributes, religion defines people though its values, but is at the same time a deeply personal experience. In the same way that physical attributes should not be a barrier for people, religious beliefs (or the lack thereof) should not be a limit, either. Because faith is a different and unique experience for each person, it is inevitable that diversity exists within MSJ and any commu-

nity. This reality means that we, as a society, must be inclusive to people of all beliefs, and realize that different religions must coexist in today’s world.

For many people, their religion is a solid rock that stands unmoving within the fastpaced flow of their life. For others, their religion ebbs and evolves along with their life changes. At MSJ, students may have been raised in a household that follows a certain religion, but they need not feel ashamed for questioning that accepted faith. As each student grows and begins to explore their own beliefs, they must also understand that there is no one right method to follow their ultimate religion, and that they can explore a number of different beliefs before arriving at those they choose to identify with.

In order for coexistence to take place, mutual respect must first lay the foundation.

When this mutual respect does not exist, perpetrators of hate crimes are encouraged by pre-existing divides. According to the FBI, we have already seen a dramatic uptick in hate crimes, and several have hit worryingly close to home. Last November, the East Bay Times reported a hate crime against a 41-year-old Fremont woman, who returned from a hike up Mission Peak to find her car damaged and a note reading, “Hijab Wearing B****.

This is our nation.”

Hate crimes are not the only threat that comes from a failure to respect other religions. It is not unusual to hear casual jokes leveled against people of certain religions while walking through the hallways of MSJ. Offhand comments, while by no means caused by malicious intent, can only drive our community farther apart and away from the goal of acceptance. We must stay on guard for small acts of hate like these to keep the school a safe community for all. We must defend the victims of this sort of discrimination by standing up for them whenever we can, and avoid falling prey to the bystander effect. As Albert Einstein said, “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

The power of religion not only lies in its ability to provoke discussion, but it also unifies students by allowing them to regard other beliefs with respect and tolerance. Ultimately, all students simply hope to coexist in an environment where they are accepted regardless of their differing beliefs and religion, or their lack thereof. With a more accepting and open attitude, MSJ can become a more comfortable community for all of its students. ▪ layout and coverage led by a&e editor michelle dalarossa & news editor lucille njoo

24 Photo

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, May 5, 2017

Green week

By Ian Hsu & Andrew Kan Staff Writers

In honor of Earth Day, L2’s Green Team organized lunch time activities aimed towards promoting environmental awareness and going green.

Celebrated from April 10 to 13, each day featured a different theme –– “Conserving Natural Resources” Monday, “Living Green” Tuesday, “The Earth is Our Home” Wednesday, and “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Thursday.

L2 Green Team Members Seniors Stella Bradley and Chelsea Chan, ASB Activities Coordinator Ali El-Sadany, and Green Team Member Senior Jocelyn Wang ask Juniors Nisha Sen and Sara Jivani environmental trivia questions.

Participants were awarded free MSJ-customized water bottles.

Speakers from Wildlife Associates present Rubio, a scarlet macaw, in the main gym. Other rainforest species introduced at the Wildlife Assembly on April 12 included a six-banded armadillo, a spectacled owl, and a prehensile-tailed skink.

Junior Neha Ranjan displays her dress to student judges Junior Kevin Wu, Senior Chelsea Chan, Junior Cherin Koh, and Master of Ceremony Senior Shohan Bhattacharya at the Trashy Fashion Show on April 13. Her dress, a collaboration with Juniors Aman Agarwal, Amreen Sunil, and Rahul Maurya, finished second place scoring 27 out of 30.

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITERS IAN HSU & ANDREW KAN. GRAPHICS BY WALLPAPERSCRAFT.COM

PHOTOS BY STAFF WRITER JENNY MIAO. GRAPHICS BY PSDGRAPHICS.COM, SOLARILLUMINATIONS.COM, STATIC.PEXELS.COM, UPLOAD.WIKIMEDIA.ORG