Issue 3, 2012

BY EESHA KHARE & SHOUVIK MANI

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espite being too young to vote, many Lynbrook students participated in the 2012 presidential elections on Nov. 6 by organizing and preparing events to increase political awareness, voicing their opinions and encouraging others to vote. Newly re-elected President Barack Obama won a second term with over 270 electoral votes.

Government classes were actively involved in teaching students about the election process and each candidate. Students in the AP U.S. Government and Politics classes recently completed projects in which they had to organize a campaign for the two candidates. Each student was assigned to Mitt Romney or Obama and worked to plan out the details of the campaigns in Ohio and Florida, two key battleground states, by developing media advertisements targeted at specific areas.

Senior Louise Zhou, for instance, was in charge of researching the political and social conditions in Ohio. She became appreciative of the many factors that election campaigns must focus on to influence a voter’s decision. With this enhanced understanding, Zhou was able to evaluate the elections through a completely different perspective.

Senior Soumya Kandukuri and Media

Teacher Angela Estrella also organized a potluck to watch the presidential debate on Oct. 22 to raise political awareness among students. The event included a live Twitter feed, text-to-poll system and presentations to inform students about major issues before the debate.

“It is so important for us to share our opinion and not take that right for granted,” said Kandukuri. “There are so many people around the world fighting for that right.”

Inspired by the concept of grassroots campaigning, Kandukuri volunteered for the Obama campaign over the summer. She attributed Obama’s victory to his ability to mobilize his supporters and bring them out to the polls and was glad that she was able to contribute to his success.

“The reason why Obama’s campaign was so successful was because it was a local effort,” she said. “It was so homegrown that it made you feel like you were part of the process. The Obama campaign was so much more personal.”

Junior Sid Malladi is another example of a student who actively worked to encourage others to vote. As a part of the My Vote Our Future voter outreach program, he worked

with local community and educational organizations to register voters from underrepresented groups, such as youth and minorities. Malladi said he had noticed that Lynbrook students were more apathetic toward casting the vote.

“Lynbrook students are aware but not active in the elections,” he said. “When I look at other schools outside of our district, I see that people are more concerned about education policy and minimum wage.”

Because of this indifference, Malladi had to work hard to convince potential voters of the benefits of voting such as civic duty and the ability to have a say in the government.

On a more personal scale, senior Nikitha Adira personally encouraged her 18-year-old friends to vote in the elections.

“It’s important to know the government that surrounds you and the policies that are being implemented,” she said. “If you choose not to know about your president then you’re doing an injustice to yourself.”

Although Adira is 18-years-old, she does not hold U.S. citizenship but is looking forward to vote when she is granted citizenship.

“I want to be an influence toward who will be the next president,” she said. “I want to be able to know that I put my vote in for the per-

son who will be taking decisions for the society.”

While each candidate might have had a different vision for the country’s future, students such as junior Anirudh Velamuri d i d not consider either of the candidates as an ideal choice. Classifying Obama as “the better of two compromises,” Velamuri felt that nothing changed with this election.

Velamuri viewed the greatest obstacle to United States politics as partisanship and said that people should ensure the nation’s leader has “a vested interest in our nation,” and not just in individual party interests. He believes that continued bipartisanship will prevent progress for the next four years.

“The American people should not expect much to be honest,” Velamuri said.

“Hoping for cooperation between the parties is too idealistic.”

The elections prompted many students to voice their opinions and learn about American politics. Many such as Kandukuri and Malladi even benefited from being directly involved with the election process.

“The whole election process has been really refreshing,” explained Kandukuri.

“It has given me even more faith in what I believe in.”

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Potential dance policy to combat inappropriate dancing

BY KATHY JANG & LAUREN TAI

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UHSD has been discussing new methods over the past few weeks of preventing inappropriate behavior to combat provocative dancing during schoolheld functions.

Although types of dancing commonly known to students as freaking or grinding are considered common among high school students today, the Lynbrook administration became more invested in this specific manner of dancing after hearing the term “freshman rape dance” among students and teacher complaints.

The term “freshman rape dance” has long been used to describe the Welcome Back Dance, in which freshmen are submerged into their first high school dance, which has a very different dance culture from those of middle school dances.

“I think that title of the tradition is just

a dumb name that students use as a joke,” junior Selin Toprak said. “Most students find it funny, and if it really is offensive to some, then they just shouldn’t go to the dance.”

Although the student-made title does not have any literal meaning, Davidson said, “The word rape—that’s frightening. There’s a concern expressed by a lot of parents wondering what ‘freshman rape dance’ is.”

Past dances have garnered very negative feedback from chaperoning teachers, and very few are willing to chaperone anymore due to the styles of dancing.

“As teachers, we tend to think of our students as our children and seeing them dance in this very inappropriate manner makes me feel morally uncomfortable,” said English teacher Connie Willson. “If parents saw what their children were doing, they would probably be upset at us for not stopping it.”

The school is not so much concerned

about profits earned from hosting dances in this discussion.

“We host dances because we want [the students] to have fun,” Davidson said. “It’s supposed to be an event that every student wants to get involved in and where they can feel healthy and safe.”

Even though the potential changes are directed to make school dances more fun, many students feel that such a policy would do the opposite.

Toprak said, “I think it’s really unfair that admin are stepping in because I really don’t think the way kids dance, especially at Lynbrook, is that extreme. I think as students we should be able to have a good time and dance how we’d like.”

There will be a series of meetings held in November in order to determine the best decision to make at this point. The administration also plans on discussing this topic with the ASB officers.

Field Hockey • pg. 13

Movember spreads awareness of prostate cancer H istory teacher Jeffrey Bale and ASB will again be hosting Lynbrook’s third Movember, a month-long event to raise money and awareness for prostate and testicular cancers. This year’s festivities may vary, however, bringing back the MoCase, a talent show that raises money for Movember; class competitions; staff choir performances; a digital montage; and Mustache Mondays.

“Last year, there were some issues and Movember was a little lackluster,” Community Link Commissioner senior Marshall Cheng said. “This year, due to Homecoming being three weeks earlier, we have a lot more time to dedicate to Movember.”

This year, they have brought back the MoCase, short for Movember Talent Showcase, and it will take place at the end of November as the finale for Movember. After acts have been approved, it will be held in the auditorium.

Coin Wars, which will take place from Nov. 13 to 20 at the top of the quad, is also new to Movember. Classes will compete to earn the most points by putting coins in their jar to gain points and putting dollar bills into other classes’ jars to deplete their points. Additionally, each class will be a certain Mario Bros. character; the seniors are Mario, the juniors Luigi, the sophomores Wario and the freshmen Waluigi.

“We were brainstorming ideas for characters to make Movember more fun,” said Bale. “The first people I thought of having mustaches were the Mario Bros., and it worked out perfectly too, since they collect coins as well.”

Other than growing out facial hair, students can show their support for Movember in other ways. “For those unfortunate

people that are unable to grow much facial hair, including myself, there’s always the opportunity to participate in the games, activities and the Coin Wars. Also, students should feel free to wear fake beards and mustaches to show their support,” said Cheng.

The ASB commissioners have advertised through Facebook, Legislative Council and daily announcements more this year in order to raise money and increase participation.

“Last year, I wasn’t really sure what Movember was about,” said sophomore Kevin Chen. “This year, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about growing their facial hair out, so I decided that I would try growing my facial hair out as well.”

Senior Aaron Chien, however, has been involved in Movember for the past two years.

“While some people may not be able to grow out mustaches and beards, they should still try,” he said. “It’s the thought that counts, and I’ll definitely be growing my beard out like in previous years.”

The purpose of growing out facial hair is to spark people’s interest and make them ask about Movember. Additionally, Movember deals with male cancers, so growing out facial hair is a sign of support for men that are affected by cancer, In 2010, Bale brought Movember to Lynbrook after being introduced to the idea by two of his friends.

“They looked ridiculous with mustaches,” Bale said. “I asked them why they were growing mustaches when they looked so bad. I was intrigued when they said it was for Movember.” Shortly after, Bale worked to bring Movember to Lynbrook.

Movember has already begun, and events will continue to be held as the month progresses. Direct donations will also be accepted through the donation jar, Coin Wars and the Movember page online under Lynbrook’s team name “Team Lynbro2012.”

STAFF SINGERS| Mr Richmond and Mr. Pugh join the choir in a song .

MOVEMBER CHOIR| Mr Esquivel sings with the mustached choir.

BY MICHELLE SU

Letter from the editors

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s current President Barack Obama was elected for a second term in the 2012 presidential election on Nov. 6, the community also voted on various pieces of legislation relevant to Lynbrook students.

For example, Proposition 30 was passed, saving the district from cutting up to eight days from the school year and increasing taxes to fund public education. In addition, Measure D, which increased minimum wage in San Jose by almost $2, was passed. The election was more than a national issue­; it was also a local effort. Lynbrook hosted the first-ever presidential debate potluck in the library Oct. 22 and saw a full house.

While most Lynbrook students are not 18 years old yet and cannot legally vote, this issue of the Epic covers student and staff efforts to encourage participation in the election. Eesha Khare and Shouvik Mani’s “Election 2012” (pg. 1) also doubles as a response to our readers’ feedback about reporting issues beyond the school campus.

Though students find an escape from stress and obligations in sleep, some students suffer from sleep paralysis, a sleep disorder in which the body feels numb or heavy. Jessica Cao investigates the disorder in “Locked in the body: Investigating the world of sleep paralysis” (pg. 10), which can be found in the in-depth section. As part

of the package, Editor-in-Chief Irene Hsu discusses her own experiences with sleep paralysis in her accompanying column, “A wake-up call” (pg. 10); the relationship between stress and sleeping disorders has long been known, and the impact of stress will be covered in the centerspread of our fourth issue, which is scheduled to release Dec. 11.

After three grueling months, fall sports have reached the end of their seasons. the Epic covers the final moments of the teams’ victories last week in Kelsey Hurwitz’s “Field hockey goes to CCS quarterfinals” (pg. 13), Jacob Antony’s “Boy’s water polo triumphs in first round of CCS despite a clock delay” (pg. 13) and a Rani Mavram’s Sports in Seconds (pg. 14) about girls’ tennis qualifying for CCS. In our last issue, which was released Oct. 21, we placed an unfinalized version of Jeffrey Yang’s “Two directions for state schools” (Issue 2, pg. 1). We failed to correct Fremont Education Association (FEA) Site President Bob Blaschke’s quote about Proposition 30. He was quoted as expressing his own opinion of the proposition, rather than FEA’s opinion. The correct version of the story and the quote can be found on lhsepic.com, under “Print Issues, Vol. 48 Issue 2.” For more on the status of the budget and Proposition 30, see Yunqing Chen and Michelle Su’s news story “School district superintendents discuss budget cuts and effects of Proposition 30,” released Nov. 4 online.

We hope that you will enjoy this issue.

Check in with our website, lhsepic.com; our Twitter, @lynbrookepic; and our Tumblr, lhsepic.tumblr.com. Please feel free to email us at enc.epic@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Happy reading,

Shannon Chai, Irene Hsu & Sabrina Shie

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Hackathon comes to Lynbrook

BY HENRY SHANGGUAN

Valkyries Winter Show The Valkyries Winter Show will be on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the gym. Tickets are $6 through the Valkyries pre-sale and $8 at the door. The show will feature guest dancers, singers and gymnasts, as well as solo performances. Three baskets containing prizes will be raffled off during the show.

LIMB Holiday Craft Fair

Lynbrook will host the holiday craft fair on Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the gym and field house. Multiple vendors throughout the Lynbrook community will be selling at the open event.

Interact’s The Walk

Interact club is hosting a walkathon Nov. 16 at the Lynbrook Stadium to fundraise for the worldwide Life, Love, Literacy initiative.

For every five laps that participants walk, they will receive food and other incentives from Cicero’s Pizza, Panera Bread, Pizza My Heart and Potsticker King.

Community Use of Facilities

The FUHSD Board of Trustees has passed a new policy allowing all community members to access school facilities when school is not in session. Stober Field, the football field, the track and the baseball field will be open to use before and after school, on the weekends and during extended breaks.

Christmas in the Park

Christmas in the Park officially opens on Nov. 23 in downtown San Jose. There are a variety of events including decorating 400 trees. Giant Creative Services is also hosting Winter Wonderland within Christmas in the Park and includes rides and foods such as candy apples. San Jose Downtown Association is holding Downtown Ice across from the park in the Circle of the Palms.

by Khaya Bhatia and Hima Rajana

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oftware developers from around the Bay Area will join students on Nov. 16 to 17 in the Lynbrook library for #hackLynbrook, its first ever “hackathon,”to create innovative educational technology.

Hackathons, also known as “hack days,” are programming marathons in which software developers and designers ollaborate to create purposeful pieces of software from scratch.

Senior Quinn Winters is the primary organizer of #hackLynbrook. It is hosted by the Lynbrook Virtual Vikings, a group of TAs led by Library Media Teacher Angela Estrella that provides tech support for teachers.

The hackathon will include free registration and meals.

On Nov. 16, participants will form teams, watch a keynote presentation and participate in a Design Thinking workshop led by Zanette Johnson and Christian Perez, graduate students from Stanford University’s Institute of Design. Then, on Nov. 17, teams will have eight hours to design and program their “hacks” from scratch.

Estrella originally suggested the event in hopes of sparking a more productive dialogue between students, teachers and the education technology community.

“I feel there’s this disconnect between the education technology community and the tools that they’re creating and what teachers really need” said Estrella. “Lynbrook is a place of innovation. We could be at the cutting edge of having an influence on the Edtech community. Lynbrook can be the place that bridges that gap.”

To achieve the goal, #hackLynbrook participants must build a product that either helps students learn or helps teachers teach. “It’s an intentionally vague prompt because we want to see how people can interpret this,” said Winters. “We want to see organic growth between the development community and the education community.”

Many students who have registered for the event, such as senior Anish Dhar, are excited to see what products they will develop. “I think the exciting part is making something new on the spot; it’ll be cool to see what everyone can come up with,” said Dhar. “I’ve heard a lot about [hackathons] and how much fun it is to work with your friends in them.”

While the programming and prototyping will be completed primarily by students, the Virtual Vikings are recruiting profes-

sional developers, designers and computer science students from Stanford University to mentor participants. Teachers are also invited to share their classroom experiences with educational technology. As Winters discovered at a hackathon in August, RemixEd K12, a team must utilize a wide variety of skillsets to succeed.

“We had a rough brainstorm of what a hardware product would look like, but we didn’t ever get the chance to put something together. I thought, ‘If only we had developers, designers, professionals,’” said Winters. “We’ve gotten the word out specifically to that community of educational technology developers [such as] people who design websites like Quizlet—software products that help people learn.”

Because so many members of the educational technology community will be

present, #hackLynbrook will also provide a great networking opportunity for students, according to Estrella.

Teachers, students, and professionals, such as Lynbrook Excellence in Education President Sandeep Pandya, will evaluate the hacks to determine which has the most potential to benefit the learning environment The top three teams will receive prizes from the event’s sponsors, including tote bags from Khan Academy and premium lifetime accounts to Treehouse, an online program that teaches web and iOS development. To encourage teachers to contribute their product ideas, the first 10 to register will receive premium Evernote subscriptions for a year.

These hacks are not #hackLynbrook’s only goal.

“What I’d like to see is not so much any tangible product, but a development of a relationship between our school and the commnity around us,”

said Winters. “If we have that relationship and we can foster it, it will strengthen the programs at our school and give students a whole new perspective.”

So far, Estrella has also received positive feedback from the educational technology community, students, and even teachers.

“We’re at the forefront of doing this. We’ve gotten interest from Gunn High School; their library media teacher is coming to participate in this. We’re being leaders in showing how a school can sponsor [a hackathon],” she said. “I don’t think most teachers see themselves as participants of a hackathon; we’re hoping to change that.”

With possible follow-up events during the second semester, Winters and Estrella hope that #hackLynbrook is only the beginning of teamwork between students, teachers, and the education technology community.

“As we look at the future of education, it’s a collaborative process,” Estrella said. “We’re working with all these different players involved who genuinely want to help with education. [#hackLynbrook] is about building those relationships and Lynbrook being a leader in innovative teaching with technology—part of that is getting students involved in that process, having our voices heard in the Edtech community about what students can do and the insight they give, and what teachers really need.”

“It’s really about the potential that you have from this one event,” said Winters. “If you can get into the community with one event, you can continue with more events and bring the school closer to the community that develops the technologies we use.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JEFFREY YANG

New club IEEE ventures into engineering

BY JAMES WILHELMI

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he Lynbrook Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) club was approved Oct. 18, making it the first club run by the group to exist at the high school level. The club hopes to create an outlet for students interested in pursuing a career in engineering.

IEEE is a professional organization with over 400,000 members internationally. Its mission is to advance and create technological innovation.

The collective holds conferences on technology and produces over 100 scientific journals on different aspects of the subject. IEEE also sets the global standards for various industries, including telecommunication, energy, nanotechnology and biomedical research.

One branch of the institute, called the IEEE Foundation, was founded in 1973 to promote technology education at the collegiate level. IEEE clubs are common in colleges and universities across America.

In recent years, the companies which IEEE collaborates with, such as Google, Yahoo! and Facebook have reported to

the organization a decrease in technological aptitude and knowledge among prospective employees. In response to this, one of the options that IEEE contemplated was expanding their clubs to schools below the collegiate level. When senior and Lynbrook IEEE President Noorsher Ahmed contacted IEEE over the summer with the idea of creating a club at Lynbrook, he said that the institute was excited to make it happen. The club at Lynbrook is funded by IEEE will serve as the organization’s test case to see whether its efforts will have a positive effect in the K-12 educational group.

“Our goal isn’t just to get students interested in engineering,” said Ahmed, who met with Silicon Valley IEEE Director Brian Berg and IEEE K-12 Education Director David Craven periodically over the past three months to plan the launch the club. “It’s also to develop student skills and to give Lynbrook students an edge over students around the world in starting their careers.”

Senior and IEEE Treasurer Arvind Bhamidipati is in agreement with Ahmed.

“We want to be able to provide an environment to nurture creativity and student engineering capabilities,” Bhamidipati said.

The club covers different forms of engineering, such as biomedical and aerospace, as well as other topics. “Entrepreneurship and Internet Protocol (IP) play huge roles in the tech industry,” Ahmed said. “For Lynbrook students, to have a good understanding of those aspects of engineering will be a huge advantage.”

Lynbrook IEEE is planning events, such as hands-on workshops and engineering competitions. “We are thinking about doing something called kinetic art, which is a fusion of artistic design and engineering know-how,” said Bhamidipati. “We may also have exclusive internships and job shadow opportunities.” The club is also planning an electronic waste disposal day that will decrease both the community’s carbon footprint and the disposal costs.

Using IEEE’s influence in the corporate world and taking advantage of Lynbrook’s location near the offices of many technology companies, the club is going to host guest speakers from companies such as Google, Microsoft and Apple, according to Ahmed and Bhamidipati.

Meetings for Lynbrook IEEE are held on Tuesdays at lunch in room 106.

Mandatory voting should be enforced

BY LAUREN TAI

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ver since Lynbrook implemented eduBallot, an online voting system, in the 2010-2011 school year, voting in school elections has been voluntary, much like it will be when students vote in adult elections. The voter participation for the 2012-2013 Class Officer Elections was approximately 62 percent, similar to the turnout rate for the 2008 presidential election.

These numbers are disappointingly low.

To encourage more political participation in future elections, school ballots should be mandatory for issues that impact the whole school. They should only be voluntary for issues that impact only a specific group of people.

Voting should be mandatory for issues that impact how the school functions, such as class officer and school site council elections. Mandatory voting means that instead of asking students to go to the ballot, the ballot would come to them.

Ballots could take the form of Scantrons and time could be designated in class for students to vote.

Teachers can regulate the voting period to make sure no students try to corrupt the votes.

Lynbrook needs to consider this paradigm to boost the legitimacy of democracy at the high school level. In student government elections, students can practice directly voicing their political opinions since the candidates they choose represent them and end up making decisions for them. Students will be ensured the chance to vote and not lose it due to forgetfulness, which is often the case during online elections via eduBallot. The school can foster active participation in students, whose school experiences will hopefully encourage them to vote in their larger communities once they turn 18.

Concerns may be raised that mandatory voting infringes on people’s freedoms. “Voting shouldn’t be mandatory because you can’t force an opinion on someone,” said senior Marshall Cheng, who is in favor of our current system in which voting participation is voluntary. But mandatory voting does not have to force opinions on others; ballots can have a “no vote” preference so students can abstain from voting in the entire ballot if they want to. This way, the school can get an accurate gauge of how the student body thinks about an

issue. For instance, sophomore Malka Kauser thought that there should also be the addition of a “no candidate” option for class and ASB elections because sometimes “the candidates for a position aren’t really the best.”

Cheng raises another concern of indifferent voters. “Voting in high school could definitely help develop an individual’s voice,” he said. “But if people don’t care about the issues, it doesn’t matter much.” This can be compromised by not making entire voting system mandatory. On decisions that will not impact the entire school, but only a particular group of students, there can still be voluntary voting online. “EduBallot is like a screening process that weeds out the people who don’t care. The only people who do vote are the ones who care,” Cheng said.

Such a trend can be seen in the 5 percent voter turnout in the school’s Name That Room poll, which was the ballot to choose the name of the new black box theater, Studio 74. Although it was open to the entire school, the poll did not attract votes from the majority of students because the ballot itself only affected the drama department.

Lynbrook switched to the electronic ballots because “eduBallot was an electronic format that added a level of secrecy that a paper ballot would not have,” Assistant Principal of Activities Dave Erwin said. Paper ballots, however, can still maintain a level of secrecy if the teachers monitor the period well and collect the ballots individually instead of asking students to pass them up.

Judging from eduBallot statistics, voting turnout percentages for school elections are high but drop dramatically for run-offs. When students are asked to vote again, less people do. Mandatory voting eliminates that problem, ensures large participation and lets the results be fairly determined by the entire electorate. In the future, Erwin said, “I would definitely want to see more active participation.”

A system of mandatory and voluntary voting should be implemented in our school. If some ballots were mandatory, students could practice being aware and avoid losing their chances to voice their opinions. On other more exclusive ballots, students can practice optional voting for topics they are interested in, which is how elections will be in life after high school.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN TAI

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lthough many adults are concerned about the appropriateness of dancing at school events, the pending decision to ban the dance style of freaking or grinding will not solve any perceived problems.

The moniker “Freshman Rape Dance” for the annual Welcome-Back Dance is an inaccurate label. Although students often refer to the dance in this way, very few are coerced to dance in a way that makes them uncomfortable.

In this particular situation, the actual problem is the the impression the offensive moniker gives to unsuspecting freshmen. It is an inappropriate and offensive use of the word “rape” that will only exacerbate the negative image.

The goal of protecting girls is an admirable one, but some of the girls themselves do not have an issue with freaking, choosing to partake with full knowledge of the consequences and resulting image.

For example, sophomore Quyen Bui said, “Everyone freaks and grinds at dances. Everyone who actually goes to dances enjoys freaking. If someone doesn’t like freaking, then they usually just don’t go.”

Freaking has long been the norm at dances and partially

Freak on students, freak on why most high school students attend dances. Bui said, “If we can’t freak, then what else can we do at dances? It will be just like Miller dances. Those were fun, but just not the same. I don’t know if I would go to dances.”

This is not to say that unsupervised, uncontrolled freaking be encouraged. Sophomore Savannah Pumphrey said, “I don’t think that this style of dancing is a huge deal, but there are limits. Going all the way to the ground or to the wall is inappropriate for school dances, but most of the freaking at Lynbrook is not like that.” Students are, generally, aware of the rules and the type of dancing that outline the boundary of propriety and have proved consistent in staying away from it.

On the flip side, should the administration feel the need

to place more restrictions on freaking, students will inevitably feel the need to push back. What used to be freaking could be replaced with an even more extreme and endangering form of pointless retaliation, causing more regulations but little control.

Pumphrey also said, “At other schools, the situation is a lot worse in terms of how they dance.”

The administration has already made efforts to define what it believes to be inappropriate dancing, but to no avail. Not all students can be caught all the time, and if students are comfortable with and not endangered by the way they dance, then it should be allowed. Part of high school is about making mistakes and growing by learning from them. Students may eventually look back on their experiences at dances with a different, more developed perspective as adults.

Before the administration goes ahead and bans freaking at dances, the repercussions that follow would make it worse. This is simply creating a problem when, in reality, there isn’t one. Freaking is just a form of dancing that, at this school, does not have any issues.

The Link Crew circus is due for renovation

Former Link Crew leader reflects on her experience and makes suggestions

BY EESHA KHARE

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he slogan, “Follow the leader” adorns the blue shirts of every Link Crew leader around campus. But Link Crew does not live up to this role model expectation. The program currently places too much focus on social aspects like carnivals rather than academic support. Link Crew should organize more activities such as academic follow-ups to better connect with freshmen and develop leadership qualities.

Link Crew works to promote two relationships: social and academic. It does a great job addressing social relationships through movie nights and carnivals, where many freshmen are able to make new friends and get relief from their bustling high school lives. But the social aspect of Link Crew can still be improved by a small change—requiring Link Crew leaders to remember the names of the students in their group. Surprisingly, most Link Crew leaders cannot even remember the names of the students that they are supposed to follow up with throughout the year.

This is one of the biggest problems that distances leaders from their students. As a result, many freshmen feel uncomfortable approaching their leaders for help because their leaders will not even recognize them. Link Crew leader senior Jennifer Tan explained, “Link Crew is not a one-time thing. Recently, I went out to lunch with one of my Link Crew kids and you can really see how much they have grown over the year. Link Crew leaders need to know that it is their responsibility to reach out to their kids.”

To enforce a name-memorization requirement, leaders should be provided with a list of students and their photos and study them thoroughly before the orientation. It is not hard to remember the names and faces of 10 students. Link Crew Commissioner senior Silvia Signore agreed, “Simply saying hi to your freshmen, remembering their names and maybe starting a conversation with them in the halls will help them develop a trust in their Link Crew leader.”

But focusing on the social aspect of Link Crew is simply not enough. One area that Link Crew needs to place a greater focus on is promoting stronger academic relationships. Each year, leaders are required to conduct at least one academic follow-up where they teach academic concepts through interactive games and seminars. This year, leaders conducted a seminar with the Gay-Straight Alliance club to teach students how to become more openminded about other sexual orientations.

Also, the games played in Link Crew connect fun

games with abstract concepts, thus teaching students important lessons through nonstandard means. Leading more seminars on issues that freshmen must face on campus—such as stress, pressure, sexuality and competition—is essential for Link Crew leaders to be able to forge strong relationships with their students and serve as true mentors. Link Crew Adviser Michele Quindipan agrees that the school would benefit from having more academic follow-ups and said, “Link Crew has a book full of activities, and we pick and choose which would be the best for students at our school. However, it is important to remember that there are not very many groups of people on campus that get to use classroom learning time, so we try to minimize that.” In order to address this problem, Link Crew can periodically check in with students about academic and social issues through email or Facebook. Even personal sessions where leaders can meet individually with each student would be helpful.

In order to get Link Crew leaders who are more dedicated towards helping their freshmen students, it is important to improve the selection process of Link Crew Leaders. The current system consists of a written application followed by a “Play Day,” where senior Link Crew Leaders evaluate applicants based on enthusiasm, engagement and ease of communications. For mentorship to become an essential part of the program, the selection process needs to include an aspect that also tests qualities necessary for a mentor. For example, on Play Day, applicants should be given 10 minutes to think of how to creatively teach important lessons to students based on a elevant topic, like peer pressure.

Link Crew leaders have the power to do what other adults on campus cannot do; since they are around the same age as freshmen, it is easier for them to lead by example. By incorporating such changes into the program, freshmen will not only because better acclimated to the school and have a mentor who looks out for them in their freshman year, but Link Crew leaders will also be able to truly get the gratification of helping others.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY KHAYA BHATIA

Reward music customers for taking the higher road

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hysical music is dead. Truly. Well, I’m sure it’s alive and well somewhere in a hipster’s vinyl collection but for us mortals, it is dead indeed. With the advent of the iPod, iPhone, and Toyota Prius, physical CDs have become obsolete. Okay, maybe the Prius didn’t do much.

The truth is that music in its physical form, be it burnt onto a CD or written into the grooves of a vinyl, has simply lost its appeal. Let’s face it, nobody wants to take the time to drive to the nearest Target/Safeway/ Chipotle and actually purchase a piece of round plastic in a lame box with paper with words on it. Hell, I don’t even know where you buy CDs anymore. I just know the most convenient and quick ways to get music without having to lift my fingers from my laptop keyboard.

It’s not the time commitment though. If I remember correctly from my practice APLAC synthesis essay prompts, it’ll take more time in my life to look for pennies to pay for gum or something than the time it would take to buy real music instead of downloading it. PS, I only use nickels and fifty-cent pieces.

The fact of the matter is that physical music in general no longer holds any clear advantage and appeal to consumers over a mere 99-cent iTunes download. I won’t even venture into the murky legal territory of pirating for now.

Music should be art, but it’s hard to be drawn in when it comes in a generic plastic jewel case with a mediocre cover and nothing else of interest. Purchasing music should encompass an entire experience that starts with the packaging itself.

With this, the music would become a piece of art in itself, disregarding the actual musical contents (there are some albums that will never be art, no matter how sweet the box is).

What artists need to start doing is providing more of an incentive for buyers to actually purchase their physical albums, instead of buying digital or (gasp!) pirating.

Not that any of us would be that immoral and insensitive to their hard work, of course.

Being able to own a physical piece of art, I think, would greatly substantiate much of musicians’ work, which currently is viewed as more “eh” than anything. It’s not really considered a big deal to pirate music in today’s society, although it is arguably as bad as stealing a Rembrandt or something.

I recently purchased the deluxe version of Macklemore’s debut album, The Heist, which I see as a beautiful example of the potential held in physical album art. Lovingly wrapped in faux gator skin, the album contains individually designed artist cards with a piece for each different track (there are 18 of them). This might not exactly relate but there was a sticker in the envelope that may or may not have intentionally been in there but I put it on my laptop anyway.

Having these extras just completes the experience of a really solid piece of art that I personally own, more than just a couple files on my laptop. Opening the box made me feel special, like seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time immigrating from a foreign nation (I’ve never been to New York, by the way). Let me know if you ever want to borrow it, it’s a fantastic album. Don’t pirate it.

What I’m trying to say is buying music should be like obtaining a beautiful classical Michelangelo sculpture that maybe sings or raps or plays the guitar or produces instrumentals too. So maybe I’m not the best at drawing comparisons either, but it would warm my heart on this cold November evening to see more effort by artists to make their music a more complete experience.

Substitute teachers must be able to cultivate a better learning experience

BY ANAND CHUKKA

Turn that frown upside down by being optimistic

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alking through campus on a typical day at school, comments like, “I hate my life” to “I’m going to flunk chemistry” or the popular “FML,” can be heard everywhere.

In Lynbrook culture, pessimism seems to be the popular trend. A comment about stress or how life sucks is always received with pity and understanding.

In contrast, that rare optimist who says things like, “you can do it!” is dealt with rolled eyes and a raised brow.

But I brandish a smile against the prevalent attitude of negativity and depression and say, “Away with the darkness! Let’s pick ourselves up and see the positives!”

I really do believe that if we start looking, we’ll find that we’re actually pretty fortunate. Though pessimism is the cool and accepted thing now, we can invert this trend and make Lynbrook a much more positive environment.

It is true that Lynbrook kids put a lot of stress on themselves and pile up more curriculars and school work than they can manage. Some students struggle with family issues, and others with peer pressure.

But these problems are everywhere, and the best students can do now is to appreciate what they have.

If people can’t learn to live in the moment and be happy now, they will keep these perspectives as they get into college, then when they get a job, then when they start their own family… honestly, responsibilities and difficulties are inevitable no matter what stage of life.

Maybe it’ll help to indulge yourself in a hobby or day off to maintain a more positive outlook and be happier. Treat yourself! Give yourself a break! Ask that nice girl out to the dance, and have that night out with friends.

We oftentimes forget that our happiness and well-being should be the top priorities.

Here’s another simple suggestion: if people are putting themselves down, friends seem to be obligated to say things like “Pft! Save some pretty for the rest of us!” or “Dude, I bet I failed worse.”

While some are momentarily comforted when others put themselves down, I think comments like “It’s okay, try harder next time,” or just silent sympathy can go farther.

Furthermore, students can bring up others by making their own optimism infectious.

People don’t have to be preachy or pigheaded about it—dropping positive remarks subtly is more effective.

Maintaining a happier outlook and believing in our own capabilities will make us achieve greater things. Giving compliments and smiling can be the new trend, the prevalent attitude.

Also, people drop negativity noncommittally, like saying “fml” after dropping a pencil.

By refraining from these little comments, it is possible to really make a difference in making Lynbrook a more positive atmosphere.

We can skip out on saying things that put ourselves and others down, and focus on saying things that’ll build people up.

Lynbrook students are generally healthy people, with one of the best educations offered in the world. They live in the Bay Area, a pretty affluent area, don’t starve and enjoy individual freedom. They’re missing out if they don’t recognize these privileges.

Everyone is a person with value, with their own strengths and successes; we should appreciate ourselves.

While seeing the cup half full requires some effort, it’ll definitely pay off. By believing in ourselves and our abilities, we contribute more to society and, just as importantly, live with more personal satisfaction.

When many students walk into a classroom with a substitute teacher, they immediately think, “Yes! Free period!” The widespread attitude toward substitute teachers is one of nonchalance; students often dismiss the credibility of substitutes and take advantage of their loose control over classrooms. Students and teachers, however, must realize that the nature of substitute teachers is not necessarily to teach the curriculum, but to supervise and foster the learning environment in classrooms. A successful substitute experience requires cooperation and respect from all parties involved: students, the absent teacher and the substitute teacher.

In some cases, substitutes can help teach the curriculum, but this ability should not be expected for the job.

Sophomore Jun Seo Park said, “In terms of math, [my substitute] was definitely qualified, and she was able to swiftly answer any questions without hesitation.”

Getting a knowledgeable substitute may be a bonus, but students should not look down on or disregard substitutes that cannot explain the topic to them. Cultivating a learning environment, not demonstrating their academic expertise, should be substi-

tute teachers’ first and foremost priority.

In order to become a substitute teacher in California, adults must take the California Basic Educational Skills Test, which covers critical reading, math and writing.

Then, prospective substitutes choose which school district they want to work in and undergo a background check. Substitutes are hired not based on specialized expertise in a field but rather on the merits of passing this general test, which reaffirms the idea that the primary role of a substitute is not just to teach academic concepts. Usually, substitute teachers are only required to carry out the tasks left by the teacher. To accomplish this, substitutes need to gain more classroom control. Then, they will be able to prevent students from leaving their seats, cutting class, gossiping or listening to music, which are all common occurrences in classrooms supervised by substitute teachers.

Sophomore Jasmine Hahm said, “One day during a free period the substitute was browsing on their computer, and the class was like a zoo. I couldn’t get any work done.”

To create a more productive and worthwhile period, there needs to be a mutual understanding between students and substitutes. Students need to respect the substitutes as adults and the substitutes need to put forth effort. Students need to be

more responsible and take control of factors in their hands.

Park said, “Many students loosened their attention during the lectures because there was a substitute teacher.”

Substitute teachers go through a thorough screening process to get their jobs as substitutes; they are not unqualified individuals. Students must be more attentive and treat their substitute teacher as they would their real teacher to facilitate a worthwhile learning environment.

To set an example for substitutes of how teachers maintain order in their classrooms, potential substitute teachers should spend a week of their training observing teachers in the FUHSD. The substitute teachers in FUHSD should be required to travel between the five schools, and shadow at least one teacher before actually substituting.

This would help substitutes learn how to gain authority over their students because they would have the experience of being in a teacher’s shoes and realize the dynamics of the students.

The substitute teachers at Lynbrook need to engage the classes more effectively because of the high academic standard that Lynbrook maintains. For that reason, a middle ground between students and teachers needs to be established.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE SU

Nature isn’t nature with crowds and central heating

BY KATHY JANG

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rom time to time, students find themselves stricken with the urge to wander into the outdoors and rough it for a day or two. Their findings invariably find their way to a public Facebook photo album and almost always present one of two options: either a flock of people dancing around the pole atop Mission Peak with captions indicating that “it was a difficult climb, but we finally made it up!” or a nice-looking cabin with central heating and plumbing.

A better term to describe these escapades would be “hanging out,” not camping, and certainly not hiking or backpacking. If the desire to traipse around in the wilderness ever arises, hiking informally in a tight shirt and skinny jeans around an immensely popular reserve or staying in a slightly less comfortable house does not provide the experience associated with hiking.

Junior and president of Hiking and Environmental Impact (HEI) Medha Sindha said, “I feel like people who partake in outdoor activities informally or in large parties aren’t taking in the whole experience. There is something about hiking which gets you

really connected to the environment, which is sometimes lost when you’re doing the activity as a huge party, or just informally.”

Hiking at an overcrowded tourist trap is not anything new, nor will it provide the slightest sense of adventure or freedom that nature offers. Of course it is worthwhile, but in order to get back to natural roots, a certain amount of minimalism is required.

First, try sleeping in a tent for once. Not one of those eightman tents that are incredibly tedious to set up, but something practical—something light enough to hike around with.

And if tents are inaccessible or too expensive, try sleeping under the stars. It is surprisingly peaceful to stare at the night sky on just a tarp and sleeping bag. And then there is a third option: sleeping in a hammock. Not only are hammocks

comfortable, but they are also ridiculously fun to swing in.

The great outdoors is not just a hobby for a select group of people. It represents the natural foundations of the world, and everyone should experience it at some point in life without the presence of hordes of The North Face-garbed teens and modern amenities. It is an activity and exudes simplicity.

It is a sort of liberation.

During the rare occasions in which an opportunity for relaxation finally pops up, stacks of homework and textbooks are still sitting in plain sight, emitting their enticing siren song. It is almost impossible to cut loose until homework is not physically present.

For anyone who has gone hiking of their own accord, even in tourist-infested places, there is a part of them that actually enjoys the outdoors.

Shed any uncertainties about being mauled by mountain lions or tripping down a steep ravine and gear up!

JOEY JOEYLILI—EPIC — ­ EPIC

DAVID PUGH

BY SAMUEL CHANG

E

ver since he was 12 years old, social studies teacher David Pugh has always had a fond interest in drumming. When he was 15 years old, Pugh joined his first band, “Felix and the Hightones,” which covered a wide variety of genres including blues and rockabilly.

Constantly surrounded by a hugely diverse multitude of bands and instrumentalists, Pugh drew his first inspiration from a variety of musicans. “When I was 12 years old, I saw a movie called “The Benny Goodman Story” which featured the drummer Gene Krupa who was one of the first superstar drummers of the 1930s and 1940s, playing a solo in a song called “Sing, Sing, Sing”. From that moment on, I wanted to be a drummer,” said Pugh.

His current band, The Lyratones, is often

hired by companies and schools to play at dances, private parties and weddings. “In the winter we’ll also play in a mall like Emeryville for the Christmas shoppers or for a circus club in Menlo Park called “Shall We Dance?” where it’s a formal gig,” said Pugh.

Despite having to teach and play music at the same time, Pugh considers this lifestyle a perfect balance. “When I was in college I was tempted to major in music but I also loved history, geography and politics and the thought of becoming a “starving musician” wasn’t too appealing. I realized that I could pursue both passions without giving up music, and there is an overlap,” said Pugh.

Drumming is ultimately a form of selfexpression for Pugh. “Playing with a band is also mentally energizing. When you’re playing, you get into a zone and a lot of things that may bother you during the day you don’t really think about when you’re playing,” said Pugh.

n stage, the crowd’s energy becomes a supernatural force, ricocheting off the walls and into the assembled musicians’ hands.

Familiar with this fervor, instrumental band director Michael Pakaluk plays the trumpet for several bands: the Menlo Brass Quintet, Mission Peak Brass Band, DubFX and the Damon Castillo Band, who performed a Train concert in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

“Unlike the bands I teach, the Menlo Brass Quintet is a chamber of brass, Mission Peak plays British style music, and DubFX is a reggae band,” Pakaluk said.

Throughout his college years, Pakaluk received numerous calls from bands who wanted him to play for them. Soul, funk and a couple of jazz bands called in; there were

no limits to the musical genre. Playing in a band provides a refreshing musical outlet to pursue other genres.

“I like playing in bands because it offers a different release, new styles,” Pakaluk said.

The rewards of playing for a band are bountiful, but Pakaluk also recalls the tedious loading and unloading of equipment, the clueless sound tech guys, the low pay and the long hours on the road.

When asked if playing was worth it, he replied, “It’s worth playing if it’s a good group, so sometimes we get really good food back stage and kind of like star treatment.

Bad shows are in bars with bad sound guys.”

Like a true performer, Pakaluk embraces the adrenaline and plays with frenzied spirit.

“My job requires converting emotions into focused intensity. I do experience a mix of nervous excitement before performing. but I make efforts to do the same thing I instruct our marching band to do: set the heart on fire, put the mind on ice,” said Pakaluk.

it was very tedious.”

While filming, Naylor had to repeatedly perform various exercises until the film crew had the right shot. Of all the filming they did, Naylor’s least favorite part to film was running for about an hour in the neighborhoods around Wrestling Prep, the clips of which did not make the final cut in the video.

Another clip that took a lot of effort to shoot was one where Naylor had to say, “If there’s something you’re really passionate about, don’t hold back. Take it to the mat.” On filming this scene, Naylor said, “We had to do so many takes because I kept laughing.” On the experience as a whole, Naylor said, “Most of the people were nice, but I guess I’m not really cut out for TV. I just think I’m not very

good at acting.”

Naylor felt the video was a bit misrepresentative because “when they were filming it, they made everyone [on set] be really supportive, and it’s not really like that...they’re not as into [wrestling], so they’re not as supportive.” Also, “The guy that I wrestled, if I actually wrestled him, he would beat me up, but they were like, ‘You have to let her win.’”

Of the video production as a whole, Naylor said, “I guess in a way, it put girls’ wrestling out there, which is still developing, so it was good for girls’ wrestling.”

The video can be viewed on the Disney Channel YouTube page under the title “Anna is a Wrestler! - Make Your Mark - Disney Channel Official.”

MICHAEL PAKALUK

BY FRINA REDOLOZA

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JOEY LI ­—EPIC

Anna Naylor: taking Disney Channel to the mat

BY KELSEY HURWITZ

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ver the summer, after earning second place at the 2012 USA Wrestling Cadet Women’s freestyle nationals, junior Anna Naylor was approached by Disney Channel representatives who asked for her participation in a short TV feature called “Make Your Mark.”

The short, which is broadcasted during commercial breaks on Disney Channel, displays kids who participate in interesting or unique activities. When asked about how the Disney representatives discovered her, Naylor explained that she had garnered attention after the Cupertino Patch—a local online newspaper—published an article about her

Nationals win. “When I first heard, I thought it was like one of those things that doesn’t turn into anything. I just didn’t think they’d follow through,” said Naylor of her initial reaction to being approached by Disney.

The video shows Naylor wrestling, her determination and her training routine. It also has the quintessential Disney theme of inspiring people to follow their passions.

The process of making the short took over three months. “They talked about it for like two months, and then they filmed it,” said Naylor of the steps before the shoot, which took place at Wrestling Prep, the gym where she trains. “They videotaped me wrestling and interviewed me,” said Naylor. “It took about ten hours to film a two minute clip, and

Kruk’s art show takes a trip to SF

BY SABRINA JEN & JOY SHEN

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ot that you don’t have enough distractions in your life, but November— aside from the influx of sparse chin hairs in the uncontrollably masculine environment known as Lynbrook—also means new and returning TV shows settling in for the long haul. So, without further ado, here’s a list I’ve compiled of my favorite shows, old and new, and why you, impressionable reader, should watch them with me.

New Girl

If you haven’t heard of it before, New Girl is a comedy centered around Zooey Deschanel’s character Jess, a kindergarten teacher who moves in with 3 dudes, and the resulting quirky chaos that ensues. This show is so enticing because everyone knows exactly who the characters of the show are in their own life. Everyone has a Schmidt, a walking-talking incarnation of embarrassment; a Winston, the wallflower who actually turns out to be a lot cooler than you originally thought; a Nick, someone who has a lot of potential but ends up settling; and a Jess, who, with her quirkiness and overall unpredictability, manages to tie the three together.

M&M wrappers. This sculpture, called the “FlaM&Menco,” was a sleeveless dress with dramatic red and brown ruffles on the bottom. Kruk explains that the red flamenco dress sculpture symbolizes the red fighting cape which a matador holds, which also represents the courage that she had towards the companies. Both these costumes not only tie in with “Eye Candy,” but also show Kruk’s strong feelings towards the letters which she received from M&M more than ten years ago. They show the companies that she “isn’t afraid to go to court,” even after the threats. “‘The M&Matador’ is probably the most important artwork that I’ve made in my career thus far,” Kruk explained. Although Kruk knows that “circles of influence are very small in our society,” she attempts to cultivate a greater audience to understand and witness the significant relationship between people and packaging. Kruk wants people to realize that in fact, people waste material packaging themselves everyday through clothing, style and looks and should instead focus on expressing their individuality.

PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF CHARLOTTE KRUK

How to be properly distracted by some great TV shows

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ccording to art teacher Charlotte Kruk, “when you’re young, you just want to fit in, and it’s funny how so many people try so hard and how people judge others based on what they wear and what they look like.”

For her upcoming solo exhibition “Eye Candy,” debuting Nov. 15 at the Dogpatch Cafe in San Francisco’s Museum of Craft and Design, Kruk will be making “cheeky statements in an undercutting way.” The Dogpatch Cafe currently operates as a satellite gallery for maintaining visibility while the space is being built.

Kruk describes her works as “repackaging trash and transforming it into sculpture.”

By using candy wrappers to make her artwork, Kruk hopes to show her audience the “wastefulness of our over-packaged society.”

In 2001, Kruk received threatening letters from the companies M&M and Mars expressing their discontent with her usage of their candy wrappers as art materials for her

art pieces. The companies demanded that Kruk “immediately turn over the artwork for destruction,” and claimed that Kruk had violated their rules of fair use and trademark infringement.

“It was frightening receiving those letters,” said Kruk, “and I kind of stopped making that vein of artwork for a while.”

After reaching out to specialized art lawyers, Kruk was reassured that she had not violated any legal regulations.

“The candy wrappers were owned by me, I had bought all of the candies and had carefully kept the packaging. They rightfully belonged to me and I had the right to reuse them to create art,” Kruk explained.

In response to the letters from M&M and Mars, Kruk decided to make a matador sculpture entirely out of M&M candy wrappers. Five years and an outrageous “amount of raw grit” later, Kruk finished her “M&Matador” sculpture to symbolize the bravado of a matador.

After finishing the “M&Matador,” Kruk created another sculpture also made out

Game of Thrones

Characters? Good. Plot? Incredible. Setting? Gorgeous. There are a lot of characters to sift through, partially because the original author, George R. R. Martin, isn’t afraid of making his plots as confusing as possible, and partially because he’s not afraid of killing off main characters and throwing forgettable ones. But even with a convoluted plot that has you remembering characters as “The Dude With The Puny Sword” and “The Prostitute With Personality,” I dare you to watch this without getting emotionally or physically involved.

Supernatural

For all your daily angst needs. To be honest, I don’t really understand what this show’s about but something about a not unattractive dynamic duo plus slaying demons makes irresistable and perfect for making you feel good about your problems.

Elementary

Yes, this is another modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, and yes, in an attempt to make it different, Joan Watson is Asian and female and Holmes is a recovering addict.

Watson is calm and complex, Holmes is undeniably brilliant without being too much of a show-off. The changes, in this interpretation, make it original but still somewhat consistent with the canon, a difficult feat exhilaratingly executed. Also, did I mention something, somewhere, about Joan Watson being Asian and female?

Nikita

I usually watch this one on mute because while the writing is wince-worthy at times, the action more than redeems it. Lots of femme fatales with guns and balls. Backbreaking stunts and the occasional plot.

What more do you want?

There you have it! A quick list of TV shows that have kept me coming back for more. Join me and I promise you’ll maybe regret most of it.

Thank me later, Yunqing

MODELING WITH STYLE | A display of Kruk’s works made of unconventional materials such as cane sugar wrappers, M&M wrappers and vanilla extract bottles.

Eat nothing but quality cupcakes

BY IZABELLA KIPNIS

T

hroughout my life, I have been offered one too many cupcakes. On the bright side, I have learned that an extraordinary cupcake must meet two pivotal guidelines: visual appeal and taste.

My taste-testing adventures took place at two small cupcake shops in Los Gatos.

As I stepped into Icing on the Cake, I was astonished by how crowded the store was. Assuming that everyone was there for a reason, I took my chances and stepped into line. As a friendly woman directed me toward the cupcake display, I realized that I was up for a challenge. The variety of cupcakes included the Cookies n’ Cream cupcake (bottom left) and the German Chocolate cupcake (top right).

I was unable to make a decision, so the helpful sales clerk recommended the German Chocolate cupcake.

Although pricey at over $3 per cupcake, I would justify this expense with its quality. From the outside, the cupcake looked and smelled delicious. Topped with coconut, pecans and a rich chocolate drizzle, I could almost taste it in my mouth just by looking at it. Having expected a meager, thin disposition, I was impressed by the rich, milk chocolate flavor in the cake. On the other hand, I was not blown away by the frosting. While seemingly delicious, I found it far too sweet. The coconut shavings and pecans were tolerable, but the added chocolate masked their flavor.

My next experience impressed me the most. The first thing I observed in Nothing Bundt Cakes (bottom right) was the

lack of people in the store. Inevitably, I began to judge the taste of the cupcakes by their lack of popularity, but all negative thoughts vanished as soon as I tried a sample of their most popular selection. I walked over to the counter and asked for a Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, which cost $3.99. I was excited to try my dessert, but was disappointed when I was told to not consume it for twenty minutes, while it reached room temperature.

Visually the cupcake looked simple enough. The cake was in a dome shape, while the thick frosting was arranged in a star-like pattern across the top and sides. But the taste was anything but plain. The frosting and cake fit together perfectly. The cake was not extremely thick, but it had a great mix of chocolate and chocolate chips. The frosting was by far the best I have ever had. Specific to the store, this buttermilk frosting was out of this world. It was sweet, but not too sweet.

Rich, but not too rich. It was perfect.

I loved the Nothing Bundt Cakes cupcake and would recommend it to everyone.

It wasn’t meticulously detailed or cluttered with toppings, it tasted divine and made me appreciate the art of baking cupcakes.

KELSEY HURWITZ—EPIC

Two Epic staffers sharing the same Zodiac sign analyze the accuracy of their horoscopes for the day.

BY SARAH TARTER

BY JACOB ANTONY

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L

ypically, when I flip through magazines or scroll down the Yahoo homepage, I glance right past all the ridiculously sappy horoscope blurbs and just roll my eyes.

I’m not one of those girls who fawn over their star signs or believe they should stay home from school if the planets aren’t aligned in a position favorable to their astrological birth charts. Before today, I thought that anyone who believed in horoscopes was a complete lunatic. But after conducting a brief experiment, I am beginning to think otherwise.

Today I promised myself I would read my daily horoscope with an open mind and objectively analyze my day. I wanted to see if there was any correlation between my personal reality and the mystical fantasy that those crazy zodiac fanatics believe I should be experiencing. To my surprise, my horoscope did not contain any outrageous speculations about my day such as “Mars and Venus are tugging in opposite directions today so if you leave the house you will be struck by lightning.” I had expected to read something utterly absurd, but my horoscope was actually very reasonable and accurately reflected various parts of my day.

For example, my horoscope said, “You may have to cut someone some slack, but certainly not to the point of being taken advantage of.” I have a friend who asks me for advice almost every single time he has to write an essay, and I generally just stop what I’m doing and help him with his writing. I don’t mind helping him because I feel like it is the right thing to do, but it usually ends up costing an extra hour of sleep.

When he asked me for help, I decided to find a way to be easygoing but avoid being overworked. I spent about 15 minutes helping him with some of his main ideas, but then I told him I had to go work on my own homework. This went surprisingly well, and I didn’t feel guilty at all, which was proof that my horoscope knew what it was talking about.

I’m certainly not ready to start obsessing over my horoscopes, but after this experiment, I will no longer roll my eyes when I hear someone gushing over their star sign. Maybe horoscopes are merely coincidental, or maybe there is just an ounce of truth to what they say. Either way, I am no longer under the impression that they are completely ridiculous.

BY HIMA RAJANA

F

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

or those who enjoyed the slapstick humor of Despicable Me and the infectious charm of Tangled, Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph will not disappoint. Writers Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee created a plot that is suitable for audiences of all ages. The plot is simple enough for younger audiences to comprehend, yet has enough twists to keep older viewers engaged. With its combination of typical feel-good Disney themes, creative graphics and a heavy dose of humor, Wreck-it Ralph is a good excuse to take a break from your math homework.

Wreck-it Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, is the antagonist in an arcade game. He is forced to live in a garbage dump and is fed up with being shunned and feared by other game characters just because he is a bad guy. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he decides to prove his worth as a hero by obtaining a shiny medal, just like Fix-it Felix does when he wins the game. On Ralph’s quest to become a hero, he ends up in Sugar Rush, which is essentially Mario Kart set in Candyland. While the actual setting is reminiscent of Candyland, the characters are quite original. Donut policemen and a sour-tempered Warhead-esque minister are among the ranks of Sugar Rushians. I loved the Diet-Coke lagoon with Mentos stalactites suspended above it.

During his time in Sugar Rush, Ralph helps a young “glitch,” or wrongly coded character, achieve her dream of racing.

Venellope,

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

voiced by Sarah Silverman, is a lovable 9-year-old who, like Ralph, is stereotyped because of her role in her game, and Ralph becomes a big brother to her. Soon enough, we learn that King Candy is harboring a secret important enough to send him on a wild car chase after Venellope and Ralph. Of course, Venellope doesn’t know how to drive, so Ralph is just pushing the car along with his fingers. The car chase is entertaining and is an avenue for Disney to amp up the creativity—but not if executed poorly. The car chase dragged on for almost ten minutes, and from the way loud whispers filled the theater, I knew I wasn’t the only one getting bored. By the time the happy ending came around, I was ready to head out.

While the idea of proving oneself is well intentioned, Disney does not fully convey the message that heroism is not just a label. Ralph’s primary goal is to obtain a medal. To be consistent with Disney’s objective of teaching viewers a lesson while entertaining them, the medal should have been earned morally. While older viewers will understand that Ralph is a hero because he has helped Venellope, Disney places too much value on the idea of the medal. If broken down, Wreckit Ralph is the story of a bumbling fool who steals a medal and goes on a wild goose chase to retrieve it after someone steals it from him, and Disney should not have had him steal it in the first place. This conveys the message that the ends justify the means, which simply isn’t true. Disney fails to show the audience who a real hero is, hinting at the idea, but ultimately not coming full circle.

In terms of technical elements, Disney found the right balance between overblown and cute.

The animation was seamless, but all of the characters seemed to have that wide-eyed, cherubcheeked look that has been ubiquitous since Agnes from Despicable Me appeared in 2010. The 3D elements of the movie were well done, and I shrank back for fear of an exploding peppermint multiple times.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SAMUEL CHANG

Horoscoping out the future

et me preface what I’m about to write with this: I don’t believe in horoscopes. I don’t believe in astrology, numerology, biorhythms, tarots or whatever else people use to scam middle-aged women these days.

So you can understand my indignation when I was told I had to write this story. Horoscopes? Really? I think I would rather vote for the Green Party than get anywhere even remotely near a horoscope.

Anyway, like Sarah, I’m a Scorpio. Going off of ifate.com’s daily horoscope for Nov. 6, I was asked to “pursue studies and make enquiries” that morning. Regardless of the horoscope, I don’t think I had much of a choice in the matter because I was going to school that morning. As much as I didn’t want to go through odd block periods, I was forced to obey my horoscope, but I don’t think it really worked out for me because I ended up falling asleep in fifth period.

The horoscope’s next order of business was to tell me to strike a balance between giving too much and too little. I didn’t understand what it was referring for me to give: time, effort, Munchies?

I ended up ignoring it because it was too vague for me.

It also told me to cut people some slack. Since we were in the middle of production week at the time of this horoscope challenge, I figured I should go easy on my co-editor and the minions of our section. That didn’t really help us out because we ended up getting about an hour of work done in five.

The finances clause didn’t really apply to me because, as much as I want one, I don’t have a job. But, I paid attention to the news, which was probably a good idea because I learned who was elected president.

All in all, exactly as I predicted, my horoscope was useless. I think the main reason for the horoscopes’ popularity is not that they’re accurate or telling in any way; they just make vague and general statements or requests that can apply to anyone, regardless of whether Uranus is disrupting the orbit of Jupiter’s second moon in the Orion constellation (yes, that was in fact something I did read on the Internet). It doesn’t matter what your sign is—it doesn’t dictate who you are or what you’ll do. That all depends on you.

Wreck-it Ralph’s soundtrack definitely could have been better. The majority of the music was recorded by Harry Jackman, and while most of the songs were fitting, I would have liked to see more creativity on Disney’s part in terms of choosing songs that are already out there. I can accept that “Celebration,” by Kool and the Gang is the universal happy-ending song, but Skrillex and Owl City did not do the movie justice. “When Can I See You Again?”

by Owl City seemed awkward and didn’t convey Fix-it Felix’s dejection properly, giving off a cheesy vibe. The only other song on the soundtrack that worked well with the action was “Shut Up and Drive,” by Rihanna, which was used when Venellope learns to drive and is speeding along the track.

I would recommend this to anyone saddled with a younger sibling at the movies. You won’t have to constantly cover his or her eyes and ears, and you’ll get a good time out of the movie too.

Locked in the body: Investigating the world of sleep paralysis

BY JESSICA CAO

W

hen she was a freshman at Lynbrook, Class of 2011 alumni Jackie Lee woke up in the middle of the night to find her roommate from orchestra summer camp trying to strangle her. Paralyzed and terrified, Lee struggled to free herself. As soon as she could move, the apparition disappeared.

That was her first experience with sleep paralysis, a condition in which a person is conscious but unable to move. In sleep paralysis, people may believe that there is an intruder in the room, or that something is restricting their breathing.

While Lee realized that her episode had been sleep paralysis due to hearing about the experiences of friends and family, Lee said, “I did panic because the experience is unlike anything you experience before.”

Immediately after she was freed from paralysis, Lee got up from the couch she had been sleeping on and went to her room.

Experiencing sleep paralysis is a sign that one’s body is not moving smoothly through the stages of sleep.

It is also linked to lack of sleep and irregular sleep schedules.

Four out of 10 people experience it, either when waking up or falling asleep, at some point in their lives.

Sleep paralysis of disrupted rapid eye moment (REM) sleep, known as hypnopompic sleep paralysis, is normally characterized by complete muscle atonia, a variety of sensory experiences and unconsciousness that prevents individuals from acting out their dreams, according to researchers Julia Santomauro and Christopher C. French of the University of London.

Sleep paralysis that occurs as a person is falling asleep is called hypnagogic sleep paralysis. The body relaxes and if a person becomes aware, they will realize they are paralyzed. Isolated sleep paralysis (ISP)

and recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) are two main classifications. ISP may occur only once for less than a minute in an individual’s lifetime, whereas 3 to 6 percent of the population suffer from RISP, in which sleep paralysis occurs multiple times and for more than an hour.

Lee has had three episodes of ISP. The second and third times she was paralyzed with her eyes closed but could feel something sitting on her chest, suffocating her.

Sophomore Jennie Bang, however, has suffered from RISP. From her freshman year of 2011 to October 2012, Bang

experienced sleep paralysis episodes up to seven times a week, multiple times a night. She believes that this was because of exhaustion, caused by adjusting to high school life. Her episodes of paralysis occurred as she fell asleep; in these episodes, a girl with a completely featureless, blank face would sit on a chair in her room and stare at Bang.

“I was really creeped out,” Bang said.

At the same time, however, she was aware of what she was experiencing, because sleep paralysis is common in Korean folktales.

Senior Victor Xu experienced hypnagogic ISP twice in his junior year. “I thought it was really cool,” said Xu, who was merely paralyzed and did not sense anything strange or supernatural.

He then tried deliberately to repeat the experience and succeeded a few nights later.

“You want your body to shut down but your

mind to be conscious, so you have to push your brain to stay awake,” Xu said.

The pathophysiology of sleep paralysis has not yet been identified; the condition and its hallucinations have classically been depicted throughout culture and history as visitations from demons or spirits.

Sculptures like The Nightmare by Eugene Thivier and paintings like The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli portray stern demons sitting atop paralyzed young women. Images of sleep paralysis are also prevalent in East Asian, Inuit and St. Lucian folktales.

While the supernatural visions may not be real, the feelings of fright definitely are.

“It feels jarring like an electric shock, except the feeling is constant while you’re fighting against it and trying to get out of the paralysis,” Bang said.

“You can definitely still experience all your senses, which makes it a lot scarier than nightmares,” Lee said.

People can often experience hallucinations involving other senses, like pressure on the chest, difficulty breathing, hearing footsteps and seeing smoke-like substances.

“My vision seems so real but at the same time I feel like it’s just my imagination,” Bang said.

After finally removing the chair from her room in October, the sleep paralysis episodes stopped.

“Usually when you are released from sleep paralysis it is an immediate regaining of movement and breath,” said Lee. Bang believes this is the reason for her repeated episodes: after being released from paralysis, she would fall back asleep but would not change her sleeping position, setting the stage for another episode.

Sleep paralysis is not a condition to be overly concerned about. The treatment for both ISP and RISP is as simple as having a regular sleeping schedule and finding ways to relax throughout the day.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

A wake-up call

I

can’t pinpoint exactly when I began to suffer from sleep paralysis, but sometime last year in the beginning of first semester junior year, I stopped falling asleep comfortably. After an entire day of exhaustion, sleep never came as easily as I had hoped. Nearly every night for three months, somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, I felt as though there was someone or something, an intruder, in the room.

For those first three months, I felt an intruder standing in my room. It had never “approached” me, but during the in-between of sleep and wakefulness, I got the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. My body felt weighed down. I couldn’t move. If I managed to fall asleep again after wiggling my toes or shifting my arm, anything to unthaw, I would find myself paralyzed again; this would repeat for what felt like an hour. I began to dread going to bed, and at the start of second semester, I moved into our guest room. The sleep paralysis then disappeared for about seven months.

Even on the Epic staff, nearly everyone has had some sort of sleep disorder—insomnia, sleep talking, sleepwalking, sleep paralysis. Over half of our staff saw the beginning or a spike in the disorder at the onslaught of high school.

The fact that sleep paralysis began for me personally when junior year started is not a coincidence. The fact that our staff alone, all 36 members for the Epic, chronically suffered from other kinds of sleep disorders is not a coincidence either. While the specific causes of certain sleep disorders, such as sleep paralysis, have yet to be identified, stress and disruptive sleeping schedules affect the body as it moves through the REM cycle, according to Senior Editor Susan Davis of WebMD. It has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, narcolepsy and migraines, but the fact that 25 to 50 percent of the general population has suffered from sleep paralysis at least one time in their lives shows that the condition’s most minor form may stem from stress.

Sleep paralysis and other sleep disorders may be signals that a larger problem is brewing; even as early as in middle school, kids may not get enough sleep because they are “unable to find a solution to a problem,” according to Dr. Tripty Gandhi, a family practitioner in Santa Clara, Calif. The most effective way to solve this, said Gandhi, is to talk the problem out with someone. Maybe sleep disorders are wake-up calls to reorganize and make sense of our lives.

Recently, it returned, less frequently but of greater severity. The intruder moved closer each time paralysis hit until a few nights ago, I felt something around my neck trying to strangle me.

Even at that moment, the terror I felt was subdued. I was completely aware that I was delirious, there was no physical intruder and that everything was just a glitch in my REM cycle. I don’t think the intruder is an apparition, or a ghost. And Mom, if you’re reading this, I doubt that paralysis will go away just by praying.

For more on stress, depression and their effects, please stay tuned for our centerspread in Vol. 48, Issue 4, scheduled to release Dec. 11.

BY SARAH TARTER & RANI MAVRAM

T

he stereotypical high school relationship is full of drama, contains plenty of awkward moments and only lasts for a few weeks. It is hard enough to maintain a successful relationship when your significant other goes to the same school as you, but when he or she lives in a different city or even another country, things can get even more complicated.

Despite the common belief that long distance relationships are destined for failure, some students still choose to put in the extra time and effort that is necessary to sustain a relationship. Several students have found a variety of ways to cope with the challenges that arise from long distance relationships.

Many of these relationships usually begin when one partner leaves for college. Most couples choose to break up and go their own separate ways after high school, but a few couples are determined to make their relationship last no matter the costs are.

After senior Molly Chou’s boyfriend Kevin Liou, Class of 2012 alumni graduated, they became one the many couples who would have to decide whether to break up or continue the relationship.

“Before we were dating, Kevin told me that he would never want to have a girlfriend during college, because he wouldn’t be able to live the college life,” said Chou. “We never really thought about breaking up before he went to college, because there was no reason to. Now, I tease him about what he said in the beginning.”

For Chou, continuing her relationship with her boyfriend was a nobrainer. Even though her boyfriend left for college, the couple felt that it was perfectly logical to continue the relationship no matter what problems the distance

may have created. Similarly, senior Derek Lou and his girlfriend, Class of 2012 alumni Tiffani Lau, did not have trouble deciding whether to continue their relationship once she left for college.

The couple never thought of breaking up. Lou imagined the long distance relationship would be a lot more difficult, but he was willing to make the necessary sacrifices in order to maintain it.

“She was a junior and I was a sophomore when I asked her out so we didn’t really think or worry about it,” said Lou. “We both knew that we weren’t going to break up just because of distance.”

While making the decision of whether or not to try a long distance relationship comes easily for most committed couples, actually maintaining the relationship can be much more difficult. Thanks to technology, it is relatively easy for couples to stay in contact.

Unfortunately, talking on the phone and chatting online do not replace the ease and comfort associated with seeing someone in person.

Senior Silvia Signore has firsthand experience with these frustrations. She met her boyfriend while on vacation in Italy about a year and a half ago, and the two continued talking to each other online when Signore returned to the U.S. While it is not difficult for the two to remain in contact since they talk to each other every day, Signore says it is often frustrating that she is unable to see him in person.

“We text and Skype a lot, but sometiemes I just really wish he could be here with me,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to talk to him so often, because that does bridge the distance a little, but sometimes I just feel like I need to be with him, and talk to him in person.”

For some couples, this lack of physical interaction is too difficult to overcome. Senior Lucy Matveeva and her exboyfriend decided to continue their relationship during her junior year after he left for college in Chicago. After about a year, the couple decided that the relationship was holding both of them back because of problems with communicating and maintaining the relationship.

ART BY JESSICA CAO

Teenage relationships, going the distance

“We figured that even though we were far away the bond would still be there ... but I was a junior and my stress just kind of took a toll on me. I also thought I was too young to be counting the days until the person I loved would come home, and I mean he was in college, so I didn’t want to hold him back from any new experiences.”

While some couples can cope with the various difficulties that a long distance relationship entails by communicating online and talking in the phone, others find the distance too hard to deal with. Trust, maturity, and communication are all key elements in maintaining a successful relationship, but sometimes they are just not enough to compensate for the lack of physical interaction.

Lifting the veil on the enigma of arranged marriages

BY PRACHI LAUD & PRASANN RANADE

W

hile the institution of arranged marriage has been common in history throughout many cultures, it has become less prevalent today. Though it is still practiced, many students would prefer a love marriage over an arranged one.

“It’s like playing with fate,” said sophomore Tiffany Lee about arranged marriages. “It’s the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, so everybody should have the right to choose that person for themselves.”

On the other hand, many mothers of Indian students at Lynbrook have had successful arranged marriages, which has caused many Indian students to view arranged marriages in a positive light.

“Widely, people feel that it’s the parents who arrange [the marriage] but it’s not that way,” said Lakshmi Perepa, mother of sophomore Shreya Perepa. “It’s arranged only in the sense that the boy and girl did not know each other. The meeting has only been arranged by someone. It’s like you’re giving your opinion too under the guidance of the parents.”

Perepa, who had an arranged marriage, met her husband through mutual friends, after which a meeting was arranged between their families. After this, the process of courtship began, during which the two got to know each other before they made a final decision.

The parents’ involvement in arranging the marriage gave Perepa a support system for guidance and advice. She feels that the arranged marriage helped make her transition into married life a successful one.

“In any marriage initially the difficulties will be there, but if you are on your own, it’s difficult to solve [problems], and the support will not be there,” she said. “But if the parents are also there from both sides, there are experienced people who can help you to sort out your problems and guide you.” An arranged marrigae involves more communication with both families than an arranged marriage.

When she had tough times during the early stages of her marriage, she said that it helped to “know at the back of your mind that you can call back on someone” to help you. The

marriage brought the two families so close that Perepa felt as though she had gained many new family members. “[My husband] has an elder brother, so I can look towards him as if he is my elder brother,” said Perepa. “It completes the family; it completes you, as such.”

Vidya Kavuluru, mother of sophomore Shivani Kavuluru, also believes that having an arranged marriage is a safe route to finding a life partner, because the families will have a thorough understanding of each other’s cultures. According to Kavuluru, the families perform background checks on the potential spouses and their families, which helps ensure the reliability and honor of the families.

“In an arranged marriage, you get to know what the person is like,” she said. Kavuluru also had the advantage of having known her husband from childhood, since he is her first cousin. The only formality left after she had made her decision was to officially arrange the meeting and marriage.

Having seen the successful arranged marriages of their parents, some students at Lynbrook feel that it could be a good option for them as well.

“Their parents arranged it for them, but it sort of fell into place for them,” said senior Lakshana Senthilkumar about her parents’ marriage. “My parents are close and if I do end up having an arranged marriage, I would support it, because [my parents] can arrange it, but I will have a say in whether I want to marry someone. Parents know best and I think we should continue with that.”

Junior Guneet Kaur feels that having an arranged marriage teaches people life lessons that a love marriage cannot.

“I would say [my parents’] arranged marriage had a positive effect on my family,” she said. “Most people that get a love marriage, they don’t really have to adjust to the other person’s life, but when people have an arranged marriage, they have to learn to adjust to all the things in life. It’s a good moral lesson and teaches you great people skills too.”

She doesn’t think that her parents’ arranged marriage made her family dynamics any different than families whose parents have had love marriages.

“I think since my parents had adjusted before they had kids, when my brother and I were born, it was pretty

simple—they were already communicating,” she said. “We’re a pretty open family. We don’t hide things from each other.”

Kaur is also comfortable with having an arranged marriage someday.

“I feel like I do want to learn to adjust,” she said. “In arranged marriages the parents usually pick out the guy, and my parents definitely have a better opinion about a guy than I do. If I have time to know the guy, I will be okay with [arranged marriage].”

Despite the increasing popularity of love marriages in cultures around the world and the stereotype that the age of arranged marriages has passed, many Indian students at Lynbrook consider arranged marriage an equally viable road to a successful married life.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JANE JUN & FRINA REDOLOZA

A look into the journeys of transfer students

BY KHAYA BHATIA & NIKITA DHESIKAN

JOEY LI- EPIC JOEY LI- EPIC

Senior Byrne Greider spent three months of her first semester in Melbourne, Australia with a host family through Youth for Understanding, an exchange program.

Greider said that the academics at Williamstown High School, the public school she attended, were not taken as seriously compared to Lynbrook, which allowed teenagers to be raised with laidback and open minded attitudes.

Australians also utilize the public transportation, but it is mainly because teenagers are not allowed to drive until 21 years old.

“After driving for two years, it was different to take public transportation because I never use it here,” she said. “I prefer driving because it’s more reliable; I was stuck waiting for a bus at 1 a.m. and it was so scary because the bus was late.”

The drinking age is also different in Australia; young adults who are 18 years old are legally allowed to drink alincluding freshman and sophomore years. Another major difference she noticed is the lack of parties at Lynbrook. Often, when “parties” are mentioned here, they involve drugs and alcohol. At her old school, however, parties had a somewhat different meaning.

“Basically, whenever anyone felt stressed out or overwhelmed, they would throw a party,” Tripathi said. “Everyone who was invited usually brought their friends and we would just hang out. We usually start by just talking and eating and then soon we’d all end up having a giant dance party. Most of the time, it feels like people here are too busy to throw parties for no reason.”

In the end, Tripathi cannot decide which location she likes better. She said that though she is not sure she will entirely like the differences here, she will “get used to them.”

cohol, which is three years earlier than in the United States.

“There were a lot more underground parties and people drank more there because they were allowed to,” she said.

“They had underground tunnels that people would rent and throw massive parties. Girls would dress in high heels and dresses and the parties lasted the whole night.”

Greider says she prefers Australia because teenagers are more mature and easygoing. She “hopes to go back to Australia one day.”

After growing up with an older brother her whole life, having two “sisters” in Australia was a change. At the same time, she felt that she had a better relationship with her parents after the stay.

“It made me realize how much I missed being away,” she said. “It opened my eyes to everything else that happens around the world.”

NIKITA DHESIKAN- EPIC

Junior Anupriya Tripathi moved from Naperville, Ill. in August 2012. Although she has moved every year for different reasons, she believes this move has been her hardest.

“The biggest difference that hit me as soon as I came to Lynbrook was how many Asians there are here,” Tripathi said. “It was weird to not see any Caucasian, African-American or Hispanic people anywhere.”

Another difference Tripathi immediately noticed was how competitive Lynbrooks students are.

“The first week I was in school, I could practically feel the tension between students,” she said. “In my old school, we were academically rigorous but we were not competing against each other.”

She also said that her old school, Metea Valley High School in Aurora, IL, offered Honors and AP courses for all grades,

about medieval history but the freshmen at Lynbrook are not required to take a history course.

One part of California that McMichael first found bizarre was the how eco-friendly people are here. He was in disbelief over how hard it was to find a rubber band within a 10-mile radius.

“Y’all have this whole entire crazy eco-friendly bull,” he said. “I mean, I’m cool with saving the environment and all that, but y’all don’t sell rubberbands. What’s up with that?

It’s hard to get a rubber band out here. When I first came out here and saw the numbers of Priuses on the road, I knew we had moved to an eco-friendly place.”

Another drastic difference is that for the past one-and-ahalf years, he lived in a campus dorm room. Now, he lives at home with his family.

JOEY LI- EPIC

Junior Derrick McMichael moved to California March 2012 from Academy of New Church (ANC), a boarding school near Philadelphia. After moving from five different schools, three public, one private and one boarding school over the course of one and a half years, McMichael said that Lynbrook was just another change.“The first thing I noticed was there’s not as many fights,” McMichael said about Lynbrook. “Where I went to school, there weren’t any gang fights, just lots of physical fights. But, in the Philadelphia public school district there was a lot of gang violence.”

Even though Lynbrook is known as an academically challenging school, McMichael said that ANC was more rigorous.

The curriculum pattern history was different, and he studied two to three hours each night; now, he studies for an hour every night. For example, in his freshman year, he learned

T

he majority of Lynbrook students have spent their entire high school experience in one school. Some students, however, have had the opportunity to compare their old lifestyle with the new ones presented here.

Junior David Ackerson is an exchange student from Puerto Varas, Chile. He arrived in August 2012 and will be staying at a family friend’s house until January 2013.

Ackerson’s main difficulty was becoming accustomed to Lynbrook. His school in Chile only had around 800 students in total, from first to twelfth grade. In addition, the location of Lynbrook is very different from his school at home, which is surrounded by farms, lakes and volcanoes.

Ackerson also noticed a major difference in the variety of people at Lynbrook.

“In Chile, it’s almost like everyone is the same,” he said.

“Here, there are so many different types of people. No one person is the same as the other here. Everyone seems to have different tastes, different thought process—you can even see people have different sexual preferences. I think it’s very cool to see everyone have the freedom to be different. It also is a little overwhelming to get used to.”

After enrolling at Lynbrook, Ackerson also ran into awkward situations, especially concerning greeting girls. In Chile, when meeting a girl, it is normal to give them a small hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“It is so weird that people shake hands here,” he said. “The first time I met a girl here, she extended her hand and I had no idea what to do. I was so confused. Still, every time I meet a girl here, I am never sure what to do. Shaking their hand just feels so weird.”

Field hockey goes to CCS quarterfinals

JOEY LI—EPIC

PLAYING THE BALL| Left: Senior Jackie Pratt races to complete a pass. Center: Senior Varsha Cidambi takes the ball from an opponent. Right: Sophomore Guneet Kaur weaves through the opposing team’s defense.

BY KELSEY HURWITZ

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH TARTER

A

fter seven years, the field hockey team has finally made it to CCS. Led by senior captains Emily Novakovich and Zoe Rathbun, the players qualified to CCS through a buy-in game on Nov. 3 against Los Altos. Though Lynbrook has had a history as a dominating field hockey team from the program’s start with Sandi Stober, they have not played at CCS for several years. Because of this, the team has worked hard throughout the season and was ecstatic to live up to field hockey tradition by making it to CCS this year.

However, the return to CCS was an arduous process, requiring extensive work on skills, team morale and focus. Each practice was played with one goal in mind: qualifying to CCS. Senior Dana Rothwein agreed, “We were just working towards CCS the whole season.”

Junior Rebecca Hatton was inspired by the years of Lynbrook field hockey tradition. During the rededication ceremony for the Stober field in September, she had the opportunity to meet with many players from over 30 years ago.

She said, “After seeing the Lynbrook field hockey players still behaving like a close-knit family even after so many years, I used that as inspiration, remembering that I will continue to hold strong bonds with the players currently on the team.”

This idea pushed Hatton to strive to uphold that field hockey tradition and keep its strong legacy surviving.

Aside from this strong commitment, a different system was implemented this season, which changed how the teams can qualify for CCS. The first place team in the league gets an automatic bid to CCS. The second, third and fourth place teams qualify to play buy-in games against lower-seeded teams from the higher league; a win in the buy-in game gives a bid to CCS. On the last day of their regular season, Lynbrook beat Saint Ignatius with a 2-0 victory to place third in the league.

As a result, they played against Los Altos, seeded seventh in the higher league, which the team say was a nerve-wracking experience. Novakovich said, “It was intense because we weren’t for sure set in going into CCS.” However, the team was able to successfully win against the upper division team, receiving a spot in the CCS championship.

The team won its first CCS match against Willow Glen on Nov. 8 2-0. For future years, the team hopes to continue this legacy of a field hockey powerhouse at Lynbrook, such as the team under Stober in the past. Junior Niki Konstantinides said, “This victory will set our tone for the team next year; this year’s victory has motivated us to not give up what we have accomplished. We will not be a one-time wonder.”

Boys’ water polo triumphs in first round of CCS despite a clock delay

BY JACOB ANTONY

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he boys’ water polo team once again proved its worth on Nov. 3 with its fourth consecutive win at the El Camino League championships against Saratoga High School, 16-13 and again on Nov. 6 with a CCS first round 1514 win against Monta Vista. The Vikings made history, becoming the first Lynbrook team to win a CCS water polo game in 16 years. As of now, the Vikings remain undefeated with a 13-0 league record and 20-4 overall record, capping a stellar season for the boys.

Despite a slow start in the first half of the league championship game, the 8-7 game picked up for the boys after the half. Plagued with missed shots and missed saves, it was looking to be a tight match for the championship well into the second quarter. “We had some problems shutting down their top player, [since] he scored five goals on us, so the only way to work around that was making sure we had a man on him at all times,” said senior Patrick Kim, who scored twice.

After a long range goal from the opposite side of the pool by senior Danny Nguyen, the team pulled away in the second half to put the score at 16-9 three minutes into the fourth, in which they remained on top for the rest of the game.

“Playing in the clutch makes the game much more exciting for us, and our team gets way more hyped before the game too,” said Kim. “The game was a little closer than we hoped but the thought of losing never really occurred to us.”

“We’ve got some really talented guys and I think we know that. We trust in their skill and try not to panic under tight situations,” said Nguyen. “I think we all trust each other and knowing that your team has confidence in you makes it easier to make big plays down the stretch.”

After league finals, the boys moved on to their CCS matchup against Monta Vista. “Monta Vista is like Saratoga, except

faster,” said junior Rishabh Hegde,The game first had a grim outlook for the Vikings, who trailed to the Matadors 8-3 at the half. “It was hard to gain momentum and we had a lot of missed opportunities on our shots,” said junior goalkeeper Matthew Lund.

“At halftime I think our morale was lower than when we started but we knew we could still win....Sungmin [Hahn] provided us with a lot of early goals in the second half and eventually our players came through in the clutch,” said Nguyen. A concerted effort by senior Adam Brunmeier, junior Gary Chen, Hegde and the rest of the Viking offense closed the scoring gap until they tied with the Matadors at 12-12, until Hegde scored a goal. “When Rishabh had scored that last goal in the 4th quarter...I think that’s what it must feel like to win the World Series,” Lund said.

The victory was short-lived, however, because a game clock delay called by Monta Vista forced the teams to replay the last 90 seconds of the match, sending it into overtime.

Brunmeier and Hegde both scored goals that the Matadors matched, until Hegde again scored the game-clincher in the last seconds of overtime, making the final score 15-14.

With a fourth championship and a CCS win under their belt, the boys are extremely satisfied with their work this year. “Honestly it’s an honor to be on this team. At the alumni game, some alumni said that we were the best team they’ve seen from Lynbrook in a while. To be able to show the rest of the water polo community what we have got is a real pleasure that I am happy to be a part of,” said Lund.

For the departing seniors, it was especially important. For them making history as a Lynbrook team is just the icing on the cake. “I’m going to miss playing alongside my teammates who I’ve been playing with for years and being a part of a winning team. We’ve grown really close over the years and it’ll be a shame to end that,” said Kim. “That said, I’ll never miss hell week and conditioning.”

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RISING AND DELIVERING| Junior Rishabh Hegde fires the ball to a teammate as two Saratoga defenders close in on him. Hegde has been a reliable player for the Vikings, scoring in nearly every game.

Two staffers’ takes on bandwagoning

BY KASTURI PANTVAIDYA

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crolling down Facebook the other day, I encountered a myriad of posts about the Giants winning the World Series. “LET’S GO GIANTS!!!” and “PANDAMONIUM” statuses were taking over my usually mundane news feed, and I didn’t even know they were playing that week. As I scrolled further, I noticed someone talking about how everyone on Facebook was simply a “bandwagoner.”

How do they know who is a fan and who isn’t? I’m not, but I was happy about them winning after seeing my overjoyed Giants-crazy f r i e n d s .

Bandwagoners are still fans because being a fan is not correlated with your loyalty to a team. There’s nothing wrong with being a “bandwagoner” since all this means is supporting a popular team.

According to Urban Dictionary, a bandwagoner is someone who cheers for a team only because they are popular.

As a diehard Sharks fan, I thought to myself: am I a bandwagoner? After

considering how I religiously watched every game last season, jeopardizing my math grade in the process, I concluded that I wasn’t—but it’s not like I discovered them on my own, either. After the Sharks had a 53-win season in 2009, my loyalty to them was confirmed. So, am I a bandwagoner because I became a fan after they had a great season? I think not.

I hadn’t been faithful to them before, but their sudden popularity made me discover their greatness. If anything, my fellow fans made me appreciate them, at a time when I thought no team could ever beat the Detroit Red Wings.

Now, let’s move onto the people who don’t know smack about a team until they’re on top.

Everyone bags on them when all they do is support a team. That’s totally one of the seven deadly sins; they shouldn’t be bashed for expressing their favor toward a team. If that’s not convincing enough for y’all, think of it this way: these “bandwagoners” add to the fan base of a team. As a true fan, this is what you should want.

Moral of the story: don’t call people “bandwagoners” for supporting your teams. The more the merrier, right?

And for those of you who are being called this vile term, support whoever you want guys. Haters gon’ hate.

BY DHIRAJ NALLAPOTHULA

I

’m going to get straight to the point. I hate bandwagoners with a passion. Yes, I said it. Hate. The strong word commonly associated with, gasp, haters. Yeah, I guess you could call me a hater but to be honest, when it comes to bandwagoners, I really don’t care what you say. If you haven’t guessed already, this is the “con” part of these two columns, where I will distinguish two types of bandwagoners and rip them to shreds so that they will go into hibernation for the winter.

The first type of bandwagoner is the one who likes a team just to always be a winner. Being a fan of all things sports, I can pick out these bandwagoners in the blink of an eye. They wear team apparel only when that team is playing well, they highly publicize game scores, they conduct non-stop analysis of the team and they take pride in showing up fans of the other team. These types of people are not true fans. They simply think they have to support every team, whether it’s in baseball, basketball, football, hockey or soccer just so that they can get bragging rights.

The second type of bandwagoner is the one who “likes” the team that you like.

This type of bandwagoner is the type that I have seen a lot of. This is because of the success of the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, as they both made it

into the playoffs. This type of bandwagoner will say “Dude, the A’s suck, they’re so poor and won’t even win a game.”

Funny, because the A’s won their division this season and went to the playoffs. Then they’ll say, “Oh yeah, the A’s are actually hella good. They’re my favorite team.” The sports knowledge that these “fans” possess is all fake. The fact that they are so clueless when it comes to knowing a certain team is what really angers me. They aren’t the real fans, they want popularity and that is not what being a fan is about.

The Giants on the other hand, won six consecutvie elimination games a proceeded to maul the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Despite the euphoria the Giants brought to the Bay Area, the bandwagoners hung around. I found that many of these “fans” did not know who Buster Posey was. Shame on you. Even the least sports minded person can find out who Posey is by watching the 10 o’clock news on FOX Television Network.

I think I can hear the wimpy bandwagoners crawling into their beds looking for a blanket and teddy bear. Well, I think my work here is done. Later.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY FRINA REDOLOZA

Varsity football team ends in high note after a difficult season

BY SARAH TARTER

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hile the varsity football team experienced various challenges this season, their determination and mental toughness enabled them to end the season with a sense of pride. The season was off to a good start due to a fresh coaching staff, new field and a different offensive strategy.

The players experienced their first win of the season on Sept. 7 when they beat Del Mar High School by 35-13. This win was immediately followed by another sweeping victory on Sept. 14 when the team beat James Lick High School by 27-6.

However, the winning streak was quickly broken when the team lost to Wilcox High School on Sept. 21 with a final score of 55-0. This was followed by another loss on Sept. 28 against Gunn High School by 20-12, as well as a loss to Fremont High School by 31-46 during the Homecoming game. When looking at the team’s record, it might seem as if the players were stuck in a rut for their next two games, since they lost to Mon-

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ta Vista by 21-14 and to Cupertino by 20-3. However, head coach Jim Grassi believes that the games against Monta Vista and Cupertino are the best examples of the team’s improvements.

He is proud of the players for working hard and remaining disciplined throughout the games against Monta Vista and Cupertino, and said, “Although they were losses, I think they show the improvement that we’re making towards being a successful program.” Grassi’s speculations of improvement proved to be accurate since the team next beat Harker High School on Nov. 2 by 49-35.

Despite the struggles that the team faced in the middle of the season, the combination of speed, aggression and a few key players contributed to a season that the players are overall proud of. Senior Kyle Williams, junior Eric Day and senior Tim Wallis all played a major role in the team’s accomplishments.

Williams scored 4 touchdowns against Harker, and his impressive statistics enabled him to be awarded as the 49er’s Player of the Week. Williams will be able to attend a private

practice with the San Francisco 49er’s during which the head coach Jim Harbaugh will present him with the award. In addition to receiving the award, he will also be given tickets to a 49ers game in which his highlight reel will be broadcasted on the Jumbotron. While Williams is thankful for the award, he believes that Day and Wallis also deserve a large portion of the credit.

“I just gotta thank the rest of my team for that award because even though I did have 4 touchdowns, they were all from like 3 or 4 yards out of the endzone. Eric Day and Tim Wallis really helped me out on that because they both got over 100 yards that game,” said Williams.

Grassi believes that with the help of several key players and an improvement in offensive strategy, the team was able to make major improvements from the beginning of the season. While they did face multiple challenges throughout the season, such as the difference between the physical size of their linemen and the linemen of the teams they played, Grassi believes the team is much more unified then it was at the beginning of the season.

Valkyries prepare for Winter Show

BY JOEY LI

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he Valkyries’ Winter Show has been a Lynbrook tradition for years, showcasing various dance performances of the team and other talented individuals. While preparation begins in October, the team’s routines trace back to the summertime.

Many of the Valkyries’ routines are from their summer camp, where the team hones their skills and works with instructors from the same organization that arranges their competitions in spring. “It’s basically four really intense days learning routines,” said junior and Team Lieutenant Victoria Li of the dance camp. “Afterward, the girls that were in the routines teach them to the team for winter show.”

Other routines come from outside events. “We pretty much compile all the dances we’ve practiced and performed, such as welcome back rally, football games or Homecoming,” said senior and team captain Cheryl Sun. The team does not have a huge amount of time practicing the routines, though. Practicing for routines is separated into a system where they split into different groups for routines after team practice. “We don’t get a lot of time to prepare,” said Li. “Preparation totals a just a few hours spread across 45 minutes for different routines on different days.”

However, the performance also offers a range of opportunities to the team, especially for underclassman dancers.

Underclassmen that attend camp are given a chance to im-

prove their skills and try teaching routines to the team, while in general the senior officers are the ones teaching. The chosen dancers have to both teach and refine the dance as well as order costumes and edit music. “It’s a nice bridging of the age gap,” said Li. Routines are separated into a range of difficulty levels to accommodate different dancers on the team.

Sophomore Rachel Tu sees the show as a chance for underclassmen to experience the duties of a leadership role. “It basically gives underclassmen opportunities to lead and see what it’s like being an officer,” she said. “There’s always a lot to think about and it can get pretty overwhelming, but all the Valks in general have to be totally committed. to the team.”

Leading a routine for Winter Show gives a taste of the commitment needed to hold a leadership role.

Non-Valkyrie performers, known as “fillers,” allow the team time to change costumes and have the chance to show off their own talents. “We just talk to people we know or clubs we know,” says Li. “It’s a pretty informal process.”

“Winter Show offers students an opportunity who typically don’t have a chance to perform,” said junior Jenny Sung.

“Preparation is hard because everyone’s so busy, but if we want to do it we’ll make it happen.” Past performers have ranged from b-boys to jugglers, and many times students from other schools come to perform as well.

Tickets can be bought from any Valkyrie member for $6, and the show will take place on Nov. 15 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Lynbrook gym.

HIGH KICKS| The Valkyries perform high kicks as a team in a coordinated manner. The kicks are often seen in the Valkyries’ performances.

PREPARING FOR THE TURN| In order to prepare for the turn shown in the picture below, the Valkyries fall into the necessary position.

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STANDING AT THE READY| The Valkyries gather in a condensed, circular formation of kick line , gettting prepared to begin their kick routine.

COORDINATED TURN| While practicing their competition lyrical dance, the Valkyries perform a coordinated À la Seconde Fouette turn.

In good faith

BY JOEY LI

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eyond school, family and friends, students still find time for spiritual self-discovery regardless of the day of the week. This photoessay explores their religious journey.

Clockwise from top, Muslim senior Noorsher Ahmed, center, kneels in prayer during the festival of Eid al-Adha, otherwise known as the Feast of the Sacrifice. In many ways a similar to Thanksgiving, the celebration includes feasts and traditional donations to the less fortunate.

Middle right, Roman Catholic junior Aaron Aquino stands in quiet contemplation by a statue of Jesus. Bottom right, he bows his head in prayer by a figure of Mother Mary. Aquino attends mass on a regular basis.

Bottom left, Christian freshman Dorothy Lin prays at church during the benediction at the end of a sermon. She helps with the welcome team on Sundays while her sister, a senior, sings and plays keyboard for the worship team.

Middle left, Hindu sophomore Akshar Patel helps wash special dishes in preparation for Diwali, one of the most important Hindu holidays of the year.

Each dish is cleaned individually so that they can hold food offerings to the goddess Lakshmi.