Issue 6, 2013

Marsh to retire after 42 years

BY NIKITA DHESIKAN & HIMA RAJANA

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ssistant Principal Sydney Marsh will be retiring at the end of the 2012 to 2013 school year after 42 years of working at Lynbrook.

Marsh started out as a “work-study student” in 1970, when Lynbrook had been open for only �ive years. She worked as a theater tech and aimed to put on Lynbrook’s �irst musical while simultaneously earning her Master’s degree at San Jose State University.

After two years, Marsh was hired as an English teacher through an internship program. She spent her next 34 years at Lynbrook in the classroom, teaching English, art and theater. In addition, she authored several Blue Ribbon School reports, advised the cheerleading team and served as the National Honor Society advisor and Thespian Society advisor.

“By 2006, I just needed change,” she said.

“I had done different things over the years, different programs, different committees in the district, but I wanted to shake it up a little. At that point, it felt like the time to really take a big leap.”

In order to “shake it up,” she decided to get her administrative credential through an FUHSD-SJSU partnership and become an assistant principal. Now, six years later, she has decided to move on and pursue other goals.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” she said.

“From the time I was 21 to now, my life has been at Lynbrook High School. This school is my whole world other than my home. To think that I’m planning to leave all that—it’s really hard.”

For the past 42 years, Marsh has been a constant presence at Lynbrook. She has witnessed the switch from typewriters to laptops in classes and has also witnessed campus remodeling projects such as the pool and �ield. She has even seen current guidance counselor and Class of 1994 alumnus Shana Howden grow from her former English student to her colleague.

“I can honestly say that if it weren’t for Mrs. Marsh, I wouldn’t even be in education,”

said Howden. “I can’t tell you how much of an effect Mrs. Marsh has had on my life.”

On making her decision to retire, Marsh said, “I was in Aptos and I looked out over the ocean, I thought about how lovely free time would be. That was pretty much it. The time is right.”

Although Marsh reconsidered her decision to retire when Principal Gail Davidson announced her retirement in January, she ultimately came to the conclusion that the school would continue to grow despite the loss of two administrators in the same year.

“For me, I think the idea of retiring really came up when I realized that I had done these projects enough,” she said. “I still feel so healthy and so young, which is because I’ve been around students my entire life. I think it’s time that I do the next challenge and have some fun in another avenue.”

After retiring from Lynbrook, Marsh is not completely sure what she will do next but some of her plans include working with student teachers at a university, doing volunteer work in domestic violence awareness, working at a museum and traveling to Vermont.

“No matter how well you plan, you never really have life totally �igured out,” said Marsh, re�lecting on her past and on her goals for the future. “You just go where it leads you.”

“Working with students teachers is just so fun,” said Marsh. “When you get on the same mental wave as the student teacher, and then he or she has an epiphany—that’s what I really enjoy.”

Before she leaves, however, one of her goals is to guide the new Assistant Principal of School Climate through the transition.

“I’d like to make things ready for the new person,” she said. “I think it’s important to talk them through some of the things that we do. I hope we can keep some of our traditions like Pay Day brunches, where I usually set out a treat and some coffee for the staff.”

While it is not certain who will be hired, Marsh hopes that the decision will be made before the end of the school year.

“When I made my announcement to the

staff at our last Pay Day brunch, I was looking over the sea of people, some of which I’ve been working with my entire life and others which I have worked really closely with in the last year. Everyone was looking at me and smiling,” she said. ”I’m going to miss that. I’ve also formed close bonds with many, many students,” said Marsh.

“Mrs. Marsh retiring is really a bittersweet event for me,” said Howden about her retirement. “I’m happy for her because I know she’s going to do well taking on new challenges, but I’m de�initely going to miss having someone on campus who I know will unconditionally support me.”

Senior Byrne Greider, who went to Australia as an exchange student throughout summer 2012 and into part of �irst semester, also felt the reach of Marsh’s support.

“She has always been so helpful, especially when I had decided to spend three months in Australia which overlapped the �irst month of school. She often has to play the bad cop at a high school so obviously some students don’t take that very well, but I know she just does what she does because she cares about all the students. I think she has handled it very well and she’s never stopped caring,” said Greider.

Looking back on her work experience at Lynbrook, Marsh has no big regrets, although she does wish she could have changed one thing about her job.

“Because of the nature of my job, I don’t really have contact with all the students at Lynbrook, but only students who need support for different reasons to keep our school environment safe and healthy,” said Marsh. “I wish I could have interacted with more students in different ways.”

Although there is no speci�ic event that sticks out in Marsh’s mind as her best memory, she feels that there are several small parts of her job that have left a large impact on her.

She said, “The monthly parties that we plan on the Lynbrook Staff Association, or sweetnatured students that say ‘Hi Ms. Marsh!’ when they see me out on traf�ic duty, that’s what I’m going to miss.”

JOEY LI—EPIC

New baseball field to be inaugurated Feb. 16

BY RANI MAVRAM & HENRY SHANGGUAN

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ynbrook will be celebrating the Phase II grand opening of the new baseball and softball �ields on Feb. 16 in conjunction with Lynbrook’s �ifth annual Baseball Celebration Weekend.

The celebration, organized by team parents Miko Otoshi and Jennifer Cousins, will feature three games, a burrito lunch which includes a dessert buffet, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a ceremonial pitch made by a district of�icial and senior ASB President Stephanie Hahm.

The of�icial openings of the football �ield and Stober �ield took in place in September and October of 2012..

The new baseball �ield is still located in the same position as before, but now includes batting cages in addition to new scoreboards, bleachers and shed.

Otoshi and Cousins organized this event

as “an ideal way to kick off our baseball season,” similar to the inaugurations for the football �ield and Stober Field to kick off football and �ield hockey.

They also hope this will be a good opportunity for baseball fans and members of the school community to take part in starting the baseball tradition on the new �ield.

“It was important to us that each stage of the opening of the �ields be celebrated since they are a big step for our community and our teams as a whole,” said Co-Athletic Director Jeremy Kitchen.

The opening ceremony will feature three baseball games throughout the day. The �irst game between the varsity and JV team starts at 9 a.m. The losing team will continue on to play the alumni team at 11 a.m.

After the two games, there will be a burrito lunch beginning at 12 p.m. catered by Rio Adobe Southwest Cafe, followed by a dessert buffet for $12 per bag. The meals can also be

pre-ordered ahead of time for the event.

The opening will also include an of�icial ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a ceremonial �irst pitch thrown by a school district of�icial to mark the beginning of the championship game between the winner of the previous two match-ups.

Senior Kyle Williams believes the �ield has helped the team greatly and made practices more ef�icient.

“The batting cages have really helped me with my hitting, especially to �ind the consistency when I’m batting, during practice as well” said Williams.

In addition to providing team members with more resources to develop their batting skills, the new �ield provides a new location to store equipment and supplies, which was previously unavailable.

JV Coach Michael McCloskey said, the new �ield has “brought a level of excitement that is unmatched and unforeseen.”

LHS Super Bowl pg. 13

Seniors start Breakfast Club to raise funds

BY JOY SHEN

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i t h some extra time on his hands during winter break, senior Class President Joseph Wei began visualizing the second semester activities he would need to carry out during the latter half of the school year.

Spoons, senior picnic, prom— these traditions have evolved, over time, into notable rites of passage for second semester seniors.

Wei recalled overhearing, as an underclassman, rumors about senior breakfasts, which seemed to �it the idea of class bonding over a warm, hearty meal. He decided to establish a new senior tradition beginning with the Class of 2013.

And thus, the Lynbrook Breakfast Club was born.

On the morning of Jan. 30, the �irst Lynbrook Breakfast Club meet-up took place at Mimi’s Cafe. The event generated roughly 20 to 30 attendees across all four grade levels, which was half of what the senior class of�icers were expecting.

“Like any event, it’s a work in progress,” Wei said about the club. “People have to feel accustomed to the idea before they will look forward to it.”

The exact dollar amount earned through the fundraiser has yet been calculated.

On the last Wednesday of each month, the Lynbrook Breakfast Club meets at a designated restaurant for food and company before the morning bell rings.

“Every [Wednesday morning] seemed too tiresome,” Wei said. “Once a month seemed perfect and more special.”

After discussing the idea with his of�icer team, the concept developed from a casual get-together to a monthly class fundraiser.

The of�icers hope to lower bid prices for prom through this idea.

As the discussion continued and the logistics of the club began to formulate, Wei was reminded of the overarching theme established by the ASB back in autumn: school unity.

Also, since the senior class of�icers had not been sure of attendance, they decided to extend an invitation to students of all grade levels via Facebook. The class presidents from each grade eventually agreed to make Lynbrook Breakfast Club a monthly fundraiser for all four classes.

Wei said the event functioned with the senior class “taking the mantle as the big brothers and sisters of the school.”

The initial response from the student body was one of surprise and confusion.

Sophomore Class President Amit Pasupathy said about the invitation, “[It] threw me a little off guard because when I was added to the [Facebook] group, I originally

thought that it was just spam.”

S i m i l a r l y, when senior Diane Kim received the Facebook event invite, she said, “I thought the invite was referring to the movie The Breakfast Club; it took a moment for everything to click.”

Kim also adds, “Though I like the concept, I don’t think many people are willing to give up their Wednesday mornings, since it’s our only late start.”

Each month, the senior class of�icers are planning to seek out a new location to hold the Breakfast Club. After successfully securing a restaurant, the seniors proceed to create fundraiser �liers for distribution to each individual grade level.

The breakfast venue is given speci�ic instructions to split checks by class. Pro�its are divided between the four classes accordingly.

Essentially, Wei views it as the senior class of�icers “running a school wide event for the other classes as well”.

The next Breakfast Club is scheduled for the morning of Feb. 27 at The Original Pancake House.

NIKITA DHESIKAN—EPIC

All-State Choir admits 13 students

BY KELSEY HURWITZ

Letter from the editors

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he month of love is not without controversy. This year’s Love Week (pg. 3) began with the annual Sadie Hawkins dance, which saw an all-time low attendance. See senior Andy Tsai’s letter to the editor (pg. 6) on the subject, which is also in response to our staff editorial “Freak on students, freak on” (pg. 4) from the Epic’s third issue released on Nov. 11, 2012. The full version of his letter can be found on our website, lhsepic.com. For the science behind those Valentine crushes, see “What causes a �luttering heart?” (pg. 11) in order to read more about students’ experiences with physical attraction.

For additional wardrobe ideas, take a look at page 7, which features various fashion blogs, including Teen Vogue Fashion Click Blogger and Lucky Brand Blog Contributor Joyce Chen’s fashion blog, “Joyful Out�its.” Additional fashion blogs are listed on our website.

To understand more about the athletic recruiting process, turn to [Athletic recruit headline here] (pg. 15). Featuring two seniors and one junior, this story follows NCAA recruitment from freshman to senior year.

We hope that you will enjoy this issue, and please feel free to email us at enc.epic@ gmail.com if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Policies for submitting letters can be found under “Contact Us” on our website.

Happy reading,

Shannon Chai, Irene Hsu & Sabrina Shie

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ynbrook had 17 students selected to be a part of the Coastal Regional honors choir this year, which performed in November last year. Of those 17 regional choir participants, 13 students have been accepted to the All State Honors Choir, which is the highest number of students from a single school in California. These 13 students are Arvind Bhamidipati, Rachael Chambers, Tiffany G Chen, Sara Dyslin, Carlo Isola, Franklin Lee, Indu Pereira, Shritama Ray, Reo Sato, Mackenzie Shimojima, Joy Tang, Varshaya Visvanathan and Emily Zhong.

Every year after an intense audition process, students from various choirs in California are selected to participate in one of three regional honors choirs in the state. After that, if they choose to audition, these choir students are eligible to be selected for the All State Honors Choir, which brings together singers from each region to participate in one �inal performance.While auditioning for the regional choir, which is a third of the size of the All State choir, the students had to display a number of skills including singing an Italian art song, listening to notes and sing-

ing them back and singing perfect scales.

They had to perform these tasks live while being watched by a group of judges who would give them marks in each category that would determine whether or not they would be in the regional choir. They competed against the top singers in the state to earn a position in the state choir. After performing with the regional choir, they had the opportunity to apply to be a part of the All State choir. To apply they just had to write that they were interested next to their name while signing in at the regional choir show, and then based what the judges were looking for for the All State choir, they selected the singers with the highest scores from their original regional tryout.

Of having the highest number of singers from a single school in the state, junior Sara Dyslin said, “We’ve had a lot of students in the past in regional honor choir but when it comes to All States normally there’s only been around �ive, so this year it’s really cool that there’s so many people in it. And it makes it easier to learn the songs, because there’s more people to practice with.”

Junior Carlo Isola adds, “We’re not really known for our arts, we’re known as an

NIKITA DHESIKAN—EPIC

ALL STATE CHOIR| The students selected for the All-State choir from left to right first row: senior Mack enzie Shimojima, senior Franklin Lee, senior Reo Sato, junior Sara Dyslin, junior Shritama Ray, junior Carlo Isola, senior Rachael Chambers. Second row: senior Varshaya Visvanathan, freshman Joy Tang, freshman Emily Zhong, freshman Indu Pereira, freshman Tiffany Chen, and senior Arvind Bhamidipati.

academic school, so to be able to represent Lynbrook through choir is really cool.”

The All State honors choir is divided up into three choirs: women’s choir, men’s choir and mixed choir. The students who qualify are randomly assigned to one of them, though if they participate for multiple years, they’re not assigned to the same choir as they were the previous year.

The All State Honors Choir has performed a mixture of classical music, from modern and classic composers.Once in the All State Choir, each student is sent musical pieces to learn and prepare for the �inal concert. Students prepare the pieces individually, or with the other students in the area who have been selected, and have the opportunity to work with the choir teacher if they would like. After months of learning the songs, each student in the All State honors choir will meet to rehearse the songs for the �irst time as a complete group just a few days before their show, as well as work with world-class conductors.

Choir teacher Crystal Isola said, “That’s really the exciting part, all these students learn all the same music and then they get together for three days and perform music they’ve never sung together before, and they’re all really great.”

Isola likes having many students involved because they bring back so much to Lynbrook choir classes. She said, “They get so much out of performing at this level, it’s such an educational experience for them, and then they come back and bring all that experience and excitement with them and it helps us with our choir.”

Based on performances from previous years, Isola said, “Do you ever hear something so beautiful you get chills? That’s what Honors Choir is like.”

This year the performance of the All State Honors Choir will be in downtown San Jose at the California Theater, on March 23.

It’s open to the public and admission is $10.

News in Brief Students show their love through ASB activities

BY SARAH TARTER ASB Elections ASB of�icer election speeches will be held at the gym on March 4. Polls will be open from 12:45 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Eduballot. Results will be announced on March 5.

Oliver!

This year’s spring production of the play Oliver! will be held from March 7 to 9 in the auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold for $10 at the top of the quad starting March 4.

Junior Prom

This year’s junior prom will be on March 22 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Los Gatos Opera House. The theme is “Light Up the Night.”

Tickets are currently being sold at the top of the quad for $50 until March 8. From March 11 to 20, tickets will be sold for $55.

March Madness

The annual March Madness single-elimination basketball tournament will start on March 4. Sixteen teams of 3 will be playing against each other during lunch in the gym.

By Anand Chukka & Michelle Su

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n the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Lynbrook hosted “Love Week”, a school-wide event that consists of a week of games and celebration from Feb. 11 to 15.

Every brunch during Love Week, ASB representatives hosted various activities for students which included “huggy bear,” “balloon popping,” “couples trivia” and “schoolwide hearts.”

Love week has been a tradition at Lynbrook for many years, and originally took place during the week before the Sadie Hawkins dance. However, this year ASB attempted to dispel the common notion that Love Week was only for couples by encouraging students to spread love not only to their signi�icant others, but also to their parents, teachers and peers.

In addition to hosting games in the quad, ASB decorated the school with approximately 1,800 paper hearts, each dedicated to a speci�ic student.

Students signed others’ hearts with words of approval and af�irmation. This idea was adopted from Fremont High School.

“We don’t want to discriminate against singles, so we wanted to promote all kinds of love within the student body,” ASB President senior Stephanie Hahm said. “[Fremont] usually prepares four months in advance, but we did it in less than a month’s

time, so it was extremely hard.”

Many students were highly appreciative of the time and effort ASB members put into creating hearts for each individual student and organizing the entire process.

The purpose of Love Week was to provide an opportunity for students to have fun and relieve stress by playing games and listening to music in the quad and to encourage students to express their appreciation for one another.

“It’s like a spirit week with the added intention of spreading the valentine spirit of love around the school to both individuals and couples alike,” said senior Danny Nguyen from the ASB Recognition commission. He co-organized the Love Week event with commission member sophomore Rani Mavram. While some students enjoy participating in the games, others feel that certain games have the potential to be embarrassing for participants.

For example, in the “couples trivia” activity, couples are quizzed on their knowledge of their signi�icant other, and are eliminated if they fail to produce the correct response within a given time.

“I think for a lot of the games and activities people can sometimes feel a little awkward about participating in them,” says junior Tiffany Tsai. “I just like watching because from a viewer’s perspective it’s pretty entertaining.”

BALLOON POPPING| Sophomore Anderson Ju and sophomore Faline Tran hug to pop a balloon.

PHOTOS BY JOEY LI—EPIC

COUPLES TRIVIA| Senior Ashley Shak and senior Andrea Christensen participate in couples trivia.

Distinguished award evaluation pending

BY JACOB ANTONY & JAMES WILHELMI

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small group of California education experts visited Lynbrook Feb. 13 to evaluate the school’s candidacy for the 2013 California Distinguished School.

The California State Board of Education gives the award to public schools that are the “most exemplary and inspiring.” Evaluators are sent to schools that have been given consideration for the honor.

“It is an acknowledgement from a respected external source that what we are doing is high caliber and of high quality,” Principal Gail Davidson said. “It’s important to our students, our parents, and our community.”

In past years, all public schools in the state were allowed to apply. This year, however, the state’s Board of Education invited only certain schools to narrow the candidate pool. Monta Vista High School and Lynbrook High School were the only FUHSD chosen to submit an application.

As part of the application, each school must identify two signature practices, or areas of emphasis, identi�ied by teachers and administration to improve student learning. Lynbrook’s practices were academic language production and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) work for students.

“As a school, for a long time, we have been working to to improve students’ oral and written language and communication,” Davidson said. “However, we have now increased our focus speci�ically on academic language production. Virtually all of the teachers work on it. It’s in the way that they teach and structure lessons and activities to ensure that you are actually creating language in the classroom.”

Examples include senior research pa-

pers, Socratic seminars and close reading in English classes, all of which tie in with the school’s goals to develop academic language, foster cross-disciplinary connections and effectively manage stress.

The Department of Education representatives recognized this, citing strong emphases on Socratic seminars and English learners’ (EL) development.

The second educational practice that Lynbrook is focusing on is an emphasis on coursework that reinforces the applications and uses of STEM. For instance, Lynbrook had 850 students take the American Mathematics Contest and 90 students submit projects to the Synopsys Science Fair.

After a school identi�ies its signature practices, it submits a 17-page application, including data from sources like the school Academic Performance Index, students’ SAT scores and their STAR score averages. Lynbrook’s application was written primarily by Assistant Principal Sydney Marsh and English Language Development and World Literature teacher Chairperson Shana Smith.

A team of two or three educators toured campus to speci�ically determine whether a school’s claims about their educational practices and growth merit the award. The educators interviewed students, school administration and parents, and also visited classes in progress.

Feedback from the representatives at the staff meeting on Wednesday was unanimously positive. They noted Lynbrook’s impressive “synergy of student and teacher motivation” to learn and teach as well as the passion and professionalism behind their work.

The California State Board of Education will announce the 2013 California Distinguished School winners in late March.

Mapping to conceptual thinking

BY EESHA KHARE

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elocity: 4.5 m/s. Time: 1 s. Equation: a=v/t. Answer: 4.5 m/s². Students at Lynbrook are often tunneled into a position where every question has a known solution, allowing no path for self-discovery.

Understanding concepts breeds problemsolving skills, and critical thinking is necessary for rapidly changing job markets and other future unknowns. Conceptual thinking, which involves understanding associations to be able to think on a grander scale, should be incorporated into the course curriculum.

Vocabulary quizzes deprive students from a full learning experience because students memorize just facts. Most students memorize them for the short-term, regurgitate them on a test and then forget them until the �inal.

Sophomore Neha Sharma said, “Students resort to cramming before tests without actually learning the material. We should be given better background info so we could understand what is happening.” Mind maps, in which students map out and connect different concepts in a diagram, are a good way to teach students how to understand vocabulary in a greater depth. Visual diagrams also allow students to take the time to analyze the relationships between ideas and think on a more interdisciplinary scale.

In addition, in many history classes, students have to develop skits to learn about different aspects of civilizations. Sharma said, “Most of the activities we do are one group teaching the class about one subject area, but it’s not really effective because they often leave parts out or don’t teach properly. Having individual groups reenact the whole scenario would be more effective.”

Instead of having individual students lead skits on narrowed topic areas, teachers can guide students to understand the entirety of the subject content by having them complete a project on the overall concept rather than a particular area. This will foster a greater appreciation for cumulative learning, where material taught builds on material from previous units.

While the revamped California Core Standards, which require short-answer responses on standardized testing, are one step in the positive direction, teachers should also incorporate more open-ended questions into their lessons. Art teacher Lee Akamichi works closely with his students to expand their awareness of transformations occurring around the globe. In one particular assignment, he assigned them the topic “cell phone” but gave them no directions.

He wanted students to think critically and consider all the details of the project on their own.

Akamichi said, “The point was to take the students to the very edge of their normal comfort zone of memorization, quanti�ication and certainty.” While students may often feel out of their comfort zones when they are thrust into a world without directions, such experi-

ences are necessary for them to learn how to think on their own. Akamichi said, “Our art graduates tend to think different and bigger than many of their contemporaries.” When there are no boundaries, there are no limits. As a result of this critical thinking, he said, “The top art schools will produce some of the most skilled artists and designers in the country and many of our art grads will hire them.”

Similar assignments should be incorporated in literature classes, where instead of assigning speci�ic prompts, teachers can give one word themes for students to openly write about; in AP Literature, for example, students were told to write freely on themes from Albert Camus’ The Plague.

Like Akamichi, library media teacher Angela Estrella encourages students by stressing the use of the library as a forum for collaboration. She said, “When students have big questions in class, they can come to the library to collaborate with students, teachers and me. As a staff member, I help guide them in the right direction and am more like a coach.” If students can learn how to use the library as a collaborative platform to work closely with their peers, they will be able to better develop bigger ideas.

Students should also be given more opportunities to build their own projects. This year, Estrella has worked with students to help them develop individual projects, including the presidential debate potluck and the hackathon.

Senior Quinn Winters was one student who worked to develop his individual project of teaching students how to use their technology skills to apply them to common problems in Lynbrook software. He said, “People can’t measure their own growth and learning in a year very accurately, so it’s better to get that big idea of steps in the right direction and continue the progress.”

Therefore, he advocates having senior capstone projects that students work on throughout high school in order to develop projects on a more grand scale. Currently, seniors have to complete a literature and history research paper, but if this project can be bridged across different subjects, for example combining history and science, then students will be able to learn a new interdisciplinary approach.

Because students must be adaptable to �it to jobs in the future, it is becoming more important to develop conceptual thinking so they can think more openly and on a bigger scale.

As Akamichi said, “Solutions or answers will not be remembered, but rather invented”—only conceptual thinking will allow that.

Dance askings take banality to a whole new level

BY JOEY LI & KASTURI PANTVAIDYA

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ance askings today have become the stuff of Hollywood, going the whole nine yards with everything ranging from choreographed �lash mobs to serenades. The focus has shifted from genuine askings to a competition, always aiming to outdo the others. Don’t even think about receiving a sweet, handwritten note along with a box of chocolate.

“Some of the choreographed askings I’ve seen have been ridiculously elaborate for no good reason at all,” said sophomore Divyya Munshi. “It’s crazy when more simple dances such as Sadies have askings similar to those of prom.”

Sophomore Sarah Kim, for example, planned her Sadies asking for a week, before asking junior Gary Chen at the top of the quad. Kim put together a choreographed dance with many of her close friends and had them practice with her beforehand.

“You always want your asking to be the best,” said Kim. “A majority of people ask with things such as posters and �lowers, and I thought it would be cooler to be more unique than that.”

However, this desire has quickly given many the same idea of what exactly is “unique;” with this new status quo of student dance askings, many students are beginning to question the merits of fellow students’ methods.

Now, there is a constant undertone of competition and publicity as students attempt to outdo their peers, as the expected norm has become trite, borderline painful ordeals at the top of the quad. In many ways, the trends in asking can be chalked up to pure bragging rights.

“It’s kind of like, ‘Look I can get a girl,’” said senior Ethan Chiou. “If you think about it, it becomes less about the girl and more about one’s personal image.”

Transformed into something of a public-

ity stunt rather than a heartfelt request, it seems that askings have lost their intended sincerity. It should not be necessary to need to hold “practices” for askings—there begins to be the feeling of how everything needs to be perfectly planned and executed, generating negative pressure on what should be a fun occasion.

“When I want to ask a girl to a dance, I do feel some pressure to make it like what everyone else does, which comes from other people that have put so much effort into asking someone, so I’d feel the need to do that too,” said freshman Dara Jokvar.

The pressure to plan and perform such a public asking is simply unfounded—many students feel that the genuine intentions behind askings are often lost amidst the pressure of planning and executing some form of elaborate performance.

Indeed, askings have become somewhat plagiarized due to students trying to pull off a bigger and better affair every dance, but of-

ten simply stacking previous ideas on top of each other.

Senior Jia Gao has even gone to comment on this in her own Sadies asking, which involved a poster that read “I apologize for not: asking in the quad, singing a song, doing an interpretative dance, using more than 5 posters, and being punny,” much to the commendation of other students.

“Inherently, a public dance asking is a testament to the public nature of high school relationships,” said Chiou. Many feel that the asking is not so much about the substance, but how it appears to other people, somewhat re�lective of the more shallow focus of high school itself.

“I don’t know why people feel that they must do them on such a big level,” said junior Nishna Kommoju. “I’d be happy with a chocolate bar. It has to be the right chocolate bar, of course, but that would satisfy me just �ine.” As it stands, sometimes it is the smaller things that are the most meaningful.

Legislative council reforms Having elected representatives for each grade level is the missing piece to the communication improvement puzzle

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he current legislative council consists of over seventy people. With such a wide pool of representatives, it is hard to ensure equal qualities of work delivered by each individual. Thus, the extent of communication between ASB and the student body highly depends on each homeroom class’s independent legislative representative.

There needs to be a better way of representing the students.

Though sophomore Sahil Khan favors legislative council the way it is right now because of how easily classes can voice their opinions, he thinks that there are small holes in the system. For example, he did not hear about the recent passing of the marquee and sound system project because his representative did not relay the information back.

IDC Representative Arnav Mishra sees legislative council as “the approving body for the whole school.”

But even though ASB decisions are being checked by legislative council, a disconnect in communication still exists between ASB and the student body.

Legislative council’s responsibilities include passing the school budget and new clubs, presenting daily announcements to third period classes and approving anything that will impact the entire school.

This year, many changes have been made to add legitimacy to the council, such as moving meetings from the cafeteria to the auditorium, incorporating PowerPoints at the meetings and getting apparel for all representatives. Mishra adds that this semester, legislative council will also be expected to run its own spirit week and increase its in�luence over school events.

ASB Community Link commissioner and chair of legislative council Ruchi Pandya said, “I have de�initely seen a difference in the students’ desire to contribute. For example, more people come up and ask how they can participate after the meetings.”

Though the majority of representatives may be enthusiastic, this desire is not equally shared among all legislative representatives. For example, sophomore Julia Wang notices that some representatives do not show up to meetings. Because legislative council has a lot of potential, she thinks that in the future, representatives should be asked to ask their class for opinions and to interact more with other legislative representatives in order to play a bigger role.

As election season comes up, ASB needs to consider other methods to make the council more effective. First would be instilling a higher sense of responsibility and purpose to the position. Instead of basing members off of homeroom elections, students should run within their class to become a legislative representative, making it a formal position in student government. Each grade should have �ive representatives who will each take on the current duties of legislative council. Having a smaller body would not only require students to qualify themselves for the positions, but would also offer more opportunities for democratic participation and learning how to manage a campaign. A smaller, and more focused group would boost recognition of the position and ensure more commitment.

Student Leadership teacher Andrea Badger said that this model would probably “lose the classroom representative piece, which is what a legislative representative is supposed to be.” But in the current system, there is no way of checking how seriously the classroom’s representative is taking the position. Guidelines are handled loosely if a classroom’s legislative representative does not attend the meetings or is not as active. The group of twenty students would then be in charge of gauging the entire student body’s opinion by being in charge of their own grade.

Five people would manage around 400 students’ opinions. This could be achieved through updates via email every other week on current school events, giving the students the option of caring or not.

For more urgent issues such as the decision to approve the marquee, the legislative representatives can email their classes, gather opinions and bring those opinions into meetings with ASB. More interactive polling can also take place. This way, the entire student body would be taking a more active role in the decision-making process, giving everyone the opportunity of being informed at all times. It places the responsibility of accessing information in the hands of the students themselves, not depending on just one student.

In order to implement such a system, major changes would need to be made to the ASB Constitution, which outlines the current legislative council paradigm in Article IX. The main issue is that the position needs to be revamped to make it more effective and more incorporated in the student body.

GRAPHIC ILLUSRATION BY OPINION SECTION

No head room for primitive thoughts at school

R

ecently, while reading the pig rape scene, in Lord of the Flies, I was struck by the gloom of William Golding’s thoughts about human nature. While reading the book at home, I disagreed with Golding’s cynical interpretation of human nature, as I believe humankind as a whole is more compassionate than what Golding portrays.

The few examples of human sel�ishness that Golding addresses are, in my mind, outliers and simply products of Golding’s pessimistic view of the world.

I came to class the next day, ready for a serious discussion about Golding’s underlying message but instead got a cold dose of reality. Instead of respecting the seriousness and gravity of the scene, the class burst out into laughter. I was speechless at the lack of respect given to the atrocious passage.

A lot of Lynbrook students, the smartest and brightest students in the country, can’t give people, or pigs, the respect and compassion they deserve.

In class, we were discussing the primitive nature of the characters in the book because they were the ones laughing about raping the pig. Yet there we were, distinguished Lynbrook students, laughing about the rape scene, no different from these primitive characters. How ironic is that?

After that day in class, I walked home, pondering the lack of respect that my classmates gave to the passage. The disappointment didn’t end there. More and more often on campus, I’ve noticed Lynbrook students showing disrespect to grave issues.

After the Newtown shootings, Principal Davidson went on the announcements to ask us for a moment of silence for the children killed. All it took was 30 seconds of silence. I was appalled that some students in my class could not even accomplish that, making noises and coughing on purpose to act funny.

A similar incident occurred a week earlier. As I was walking to class, I heard three kids laughing about the Malala posters on the wall. I listened in on what they were talking about, and again I was speechless at their topic of conversation. Instead of talking about her in�luence on education in Afghanistan or the improvement of women’s rights, they were laughing about her “mustache.”

After she was shot, I expected Lynbrook students to show a little respect for her and her recovery. Rather, like before, I was treated to a disrespectful tirade of comments.

We need to make a conscious effort to be respectful at times when it’s necessary. I don’t think that a lack of compassion is the problem here; rather, many students have become desensitized to these awful crimes because they aren’t exposed to these issues.

Many students don’t read the news regularly, and therefore these students do not realize the solemnity of these issues. This lack of knowledge is what leads to the desensitization of these issues.

A feasible solution to this would be for all history teachers to require students to read the news regularly, and present what they’ve read. This would help students understand what the reality of various harsh situations around the world.

The fact of the matter is that these incidents are too distant to truly touch most of us students.

Most students at Lynbrook are very privileged, and frankly, very lucky to never gone through very serious trauma. That, however, is no excuse to laugh and joke about serious issues.

Given this luck, we should give respect to the others that have experienced it.

We need to take a minute and think before we speak, and show respect for the issues that deserve it.

Piracy: sharing ain’t caring

BY YUNQING CHEN

A confused gamer’s desperate cry for help

A

ll us humans are only human, and naturally, there are a few things we don’t understand. I don’t understand how people can solve Rubik’s cubes or spend hours uploading pictures of their lunch on social networking sites.

But here’s one thing I don’t understand at all: video games.

Gamers, gamers, gamers. I constantly hear conversations about this game and that game, this move and that move and this prize and that prize. But for someone as naïve as I, this makes about as much sense as the iPhone would to George Washington. Hearing gamers talk, I get the feeling that I’m being left out of something. I’m often stuck in awkward conversations about the latest video games and supposed record-setting kill-streaks.

I never really have much to say. Soon, my friends take notice of my eerie silence and ask me whether I have played the game or at least heard of it. My answer is usually something along the lines of “Yeah, I’ve seen it a few times before.” These answers may or may not be true, but that’s beside the point. I need to be introduced to the world of video games to avoid feeling like an outsider.

Getting straight to the point, I don’t understand gaming—but I’d like to. It’s just that most of my experiences with gaming have not been all that positive. For me to genuinely enjoy something, I need to see the good side of it and experience at least one victory. Like the couch potato who is afraid to play basketball for fear of being hit with the ball, my feelings too stem from a similar source.

Too often have I tried to play video games been embarrassed. Once, I took out the game and played for two hours straight. The next day, when a friend of mine came over, I challenged him to a bout, predicting an easy victory given that I had played and he hadn’t. I was dead wrong. For three hours straight I was ridiculed, overwhelmed and outplayed at each step. It was a terrible experience, and I stayed away from videogames for a while after that.

For all you gamers out there, this is my cry for help. First, fellow gamers, you have to stop laughing at my desperate attempts to prove my video-game worthiness. I would love having a chance in the gaming world, as the games would keep me busy when I’m bored. But if I can’t learn the tricks and trades of the art of gaming from my friends because they will laugh, then where will I learn it from?

Many times I have seen people get embarrassed and never get back into a new activity because their friends are not supportive of them and ridicule them.

And gamers, I know it’s always fun to see a fellow bro lose on the lowest dif�iculty, but wouldn’t it be more fun if we all could play the same game together with more competitors who are your friends. Isn’t friendly competition always better than friendly ridiculing?

Video games just seem so fun, and I want gamers to introduce me to their circle. And I admit, gaming is a good medium for conversation and a great debate starter. Virtually everybody who understands video games looks like they’re having a really great time. This is a call to action: I want you guys to introduce me, and others like me, to the world of video games.

It’s for reasons like these that I, among many others, want to be introduced to the world of video games, and gamers: we can’t do it without you.

P

iracy is, at its core, stealing—acquiring an artist’s work without having to pay royalties. As an illegal means of free mass acquisition, it is understandably popular, to which anyone with basic knowledge of the internet can attest. The perks are many and varied, but these bene�its often circumvent the fact that they negatively impact the circulation of music, which, in turn, makes piracy itself a means to an end: endlessly disseminating valued property while simultaneously preventing the manufacturers of said property from making more music.

First, some background. Most are familiar with the publicized legal complications surrounding Napster’s original run in 1999, when it was eventually shut down because of online users’ mass sharing and exchanging of �iles. Since then, it has evolved into a community that, according to a study conducted by The Recording Industry Association of America in 2000, is responsible for a loss of around $5 billion in sales worldwide every year. Its progression since then can be most accurately summed up as an expansion, with multiple hosting sites like The Pirate Bay, Isohunt and SeedPeer allowing for easy transmission of �iles without the baggage of actually paying for the respective artist’s efforts. Since the music theft demographic consists of mostly high school and college students, the accessibility of free, ripped media stands to increase signi�icantly in the future, with in�initesimal chance of reverting, or better yet, coming to a standstill.

An often cited argument for the bene�its of piracy is that it makes for good PR. Senior Danny Yang said, “It can be used as a form of promoting the artist. You pirate the music, and if you like it, you want to pay more.” This is a fair point, considering multi-million dollar labels pay enviable sums of money for that kind of attention and response. Friends tell friends who tell more friends

about a favorable album they have stumbled upon, and word of mouth reaches to a point where a frenzy of convinced customers purchase the album of�icially, adding to total revenue—a sum that otherwise would have dwindled if not for that initial friend who was smart enough to pirate it in the �irst place. This can also be condensed to one person: someone who loves an album after perusing it decides to purchase it on iTunes to support the artist.

But this depends on the situation.

Torrenting a popular album that has had plenty of positive reception and sold well does not help because the positive PR has already been established; pirating it, however small the perceived effect of one measly person illegally downloading one measly album, hurts more than it helps. For an album that maybe has not had that much recognition, the justi�ication fares stronger because it may eventually aid in widening the band’s fanbase, but the alternative of purchasing the album as well as spreading the good word achieves that and more, since piracy generates losses too great for just good PR to bridge. “Of course, the amount of promotion the artists receive compared to how much the artists lose isn’t enough to cover the money lost from piracy,” said Yang.

Another argument for pirating music is that it, as a result of making money no object, �ilters out those who rely on the technological advantages of the studio and gives precedence to those who are able to perform and enrapture the audience without extraneous arti�icialities, as music should. “Artists should train harder to hone actual skills,” said senior Jessica Kim, “rather than relying on AutoTune to sound somewhat okay.”

Tours will be raised in honor of the artists who can put on a show for their actual abilities, fostering a more creative music industry that is pushed towards

originality rather than repetition.

But artists who put out records have to perform in long-winded tours, up to multiple years in one run. Having to increase the workload because of piracy could, as Yang said, “be physically damaging if they’re forced to perform live for the sake of gaining more pro�it.” Though piracy can be used as a form of promoting the artist in certain circumstances, it is often the catalyst for situations in which artists are overworked and not bringing in enough to continue making more records—sinking future projects as well as labels.

But to be clear, this is no diatribe. Pirating has been heavily integrated in any expanse of media, and its bene�its have the ability to empower and entertain any audience with information as well as access to a virtually unlimited plethora of sources.

Its reach is simultaneously intimidating and admirable—and the artists pay the price. The bene�its differ depending on the situation, but one thing remains clear. “In the end, it’s still stealing the artists’ property, and we aren’t in a position to motivate them to do any better in certain aspects of their profession. [Artists] make records because they’re passionate about what they do,” said senior Daniel Tsai. With the problems that arise from piracy, that much remains the same.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE SU

Letter to the Editors: senior responds to staff editorial on freaking

O

n the Subject of Clothed, Simulated Coitus Coitus: physical union of male and female genitalia accompanied by rhythmic movements (Merriam-Webster) After attending the �irst and last Sadie Hawkins dance of my high school career, I was reminded of the article “Potential dance policy to combat inappropriate dancing.” Several points of conversation arise.

First, from an on the battle�ield and in the foxholes perspective, the term “freshman rape dance” arises from a colloquial ubiquity and conceptual misunderstanding of the word rape. Language isn’t a static set of phonetic sounds, and the word “rape” has been integrated into the high school vernacular to develop new meanings beyond its original de�inition, i.e. “I got raped by that �inal exam.” A social effect of this conversational utilization of the word “rape” is that students are more comfortable with labeling acts as rape when they are not, such as when older students �lirt with younger students, giving rise to the term “freshman rape dance.” Second, no part of Lynbrook dances involves rape. From a supervising perspective, yes it does appear that the writhing mass of �lesh and sweat, makeup and deodorant is distasteful; however, dances are social microcosms where teenagers learn to interact with each other, where gender dignity is still preserved in the ritual of males asking permission in order to dance with females, and where, according to the referenced article, the school

administration wants to “host dances because we want the students to have fun.”

On that note, if I had to choose between Sadies and Miller dances where I used to play Monopoly with my friends in the library, I would unequivocally, without any hesitation, pick Miller dances. Although it seems to me that the school administration would like Lynbrook dances to return to the celibate, two-people-glued-together-likewood-planks slow dancing that once was middle school dances, the harsh biological reality is that while people nearing the end of child bearing age may not have elevated hormone levels anymore, teenagers still do, and that sexual tension will �ind its way out – if not through “club dancing” then through other, less desirable means.

With this in mind, school dances then, should arguably be a venue not just for students to socialize lightly and snack on hors d’oeuvres, but also for students to meet hormonal needs in a safe and supervised environment. The problem with Lynbrook dances, however, is that along the spectrum of completely banning “club dancing” to complete tolerance of “club dancing,” the Lynbrook administration has not found a comfortable middle ground that both students and staff can agree upon. In this letter, I try to vocalize some of the views of students.

To read the rest of this letter from Andy Tsai, please visit lhsepic.com

CRUSH MAGAZINE

BY SABRINA JEN

C

rush. It’s a sweet and simple word, yet it brings something different to mind for every person. For the co-editors of fashion blog Crush Magazine, sophomores Wakana Ishihara, Yaoyao Pei and Rachel Tu, it not only expresses the innocent “crush” that many people develop at one point in time in high school, but also “means having a crush on other girls’ styles,” said Tu. It implies “youth and a bubbly characteristic, just like a high school student,” said Ishihara.

The idea of the fashion and beauty magazine, located at http://crush-mag.blogspot. com, �irst began when the editors “wanted to create a club that did not limit to one particular topic in the world of fashion and cosmetology,” said Ishihara. Instead, they wanted to incorporate all aspects of fashion into the magazine, including photography, design,

styling, modeling and business.

The editors have not been able to create a print magazine due to their lack of support from Lynbrook students and administration, so they decided to start out simpler by creating a blog to publicize and inform the school of its presence instead.

“We want to excite students at Lynbrook, who will be our future readers when the magazine is released,” said Pei. Today, the blog is composed of various different aspects of fashion. Not only does the blog contain many tips regarding fashion and trends through posts entitled “Editor Picks,” they also have posts called “How to Wear it,” where the editors take wardrobe essentials and pair them multiple ways to go from day to night. The blog also features new styles of clothing and cosmetics through various photo shoots.

For the photo shoots, Ishihara said, “Our inspiration ranges from people on the streets to high fashion magazine models.” In their

most recent photo shoot titled “She’s got the Moves like Moss,” the editors’ ideas originated from high fashion model Kate Moss.

The girls hope that through these posts, “students will learn to be bolder and more con�ident while wearing different types of clothing that may not be seen around school on a typical day,” said Pei. The editors also enjoy sharing new projects on the blog, which are entitled “DIYs,” including their most recent post demonstrating how to create sock buns. These tutorials are meant to give inspiration to the readers, as well as inform them of new or unique styles. “We encourage our readers to use artistic skills to create something simple that they can call their own,” said Pei. Additionally, the editors show their personal styles and photography techniques through photo diaries, which are “generally accounts of the editors’ lives told through photos instead of writing,” said Pei. These photo diaries include personal experiences

of the editors regarding fashion. For example, Tu shared a photo diary of her experience attending a program hosted by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in June 2012, where she was “exposed to many sides of the fashion industry and what a future in fashion would look like,” said Tu. Crush also allows members of the community to become more involved with the blog by featuring students’ out�its on typical school days, since “we want to be relatable to the students at Lynbrook,” said Pei. The editors explain that although larger projects, such as photo shoots, take up a large amount of time, “we’ve all had a passion for fashion for a long time,” said Tu, “and Crush is just an outlet for expressing our creativity.”

Although they want Crush to become a print magazine one day, “this is a task too big for just the three of us,” said Ishihara. “We would really like to make a club next year to have people on our team that are just as passionate as we are.”

student fashion blogs For many people, a blog is what defines and portrays an individual’s unique character and personality. For fashion enthusiasts, owning a blog devoted to clothing and everything else related to fashion is another opportunity to explore their interests. Thus, the Epic presents a feature on some of these student-run fashion blogs to showcase the talent found on campus.

Two fashion blogs are featured below in print and two others are featured in web. To find more information about junior Elly Fan’s blog and junior Jenny Sung’s blog, please visit lhsepic.com.

PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF JOYCE CHEN & YAOYAO PEI

JOYFUL OUTFITS

BY MICHELLE SU

J

unior Joyce Chen started blogging in September of her sophomore year. Her blog, joyfulout�its.blogspot.com, features daily looks, “how to wear” posts and out�its categorized by the weather.

“I started getting interested in fashion during the Miller magazine drive, when I started reading Seventeen magazine, but it wasn’t until freshman year that I learned about fashion blogs, which is what later inspired me to create my own blog,” said Chen on how she got interested in blogging.

Chen had wanted to start a fashion blog for a while, but it wasn’t until one of her classmates mentioned it to her that she actually started blogging.

Blogging is extremely time-consuming, which is why Chen does not post as often

as she would like. Each post includes styling, photography, photo editing and the actual writing. “If I want to write something, it takes longer, but I’d say that it generally takes about two hours per post,” said Chen.

With about 750 followers, Chen is a Teen Vogue Fashion Click Blogger and a Lucky Community Blog Contributor. After an application process, she was approved to be a blogger for those sites, and every time she wants to submit a post, Chen needs to wait for approval by the blogs’ managers.

Many of Chen’s out�it posts are featured on those blogs, along with many other teen bloggers. Chen has even gotten emails from people asking for advice on how to pair certain clothes with others.

Chen has also gained many useful skills from running her blog. “I’ve contacted small businesses and brands, and I’ve talked to other bloggers in order to do guest posts,” said Chen. Having people comment on her blog and leave their blog URLs allows Chen

to meet new people and gain connections.

Also an intern on Nordstrom’s BP fashion board, Chen works with other teenage interns during monthly meetings to discuss trends and merchandising speci�ically geared towards juniors’ fashion.

Though she does not think she will get into the fashion industry in the future, Chen enjoys working on the fashion board “because it’s really fun to be able to work with others, and sometimes we’ll just have parties or hang out. It’s also inspiring to hear about higher up executives’ stories of how they moved up from being sales managers to where they are now.”

For now, Chen continues to blog as a hobby, as creating out�its is something she enjoys. Like many others, for Chen fashion and dressing up is a form of self-expression.

She explained, “There are so many new things, and there are always new kinds of clothes, so there’s always something new to look forward to when it comes to fashion.”

This fashion blogger’s inspiration for out�its comes from the bloggers she looks up to, such as the women who run atlantic-paci�ic. blogspot.com and �lashesofstyle.blogspot. com. Chen admires the out�its many fashion bloggers create, and they give her new ideas for her own out�its. Mainly, however, Chen creates her out�its through trial and error.

“My style has a lot of contrast. I typically start with one article of clothing, and I like to add something printed or colorful on top.

Depending on what I’m wearing, I might also add a statement necklace,” said Chen on composing her looks. “Sometimes I think it looks okay, but when I take a picture of it, I realize that it’s not exactly the best, and from there, I change it up next time.”

As far as future plans go, Chen has not decided if she will enter the fashion industry. She said, “I want to continue blogging in college, but it will depend on my workload, though I know I’ll de�initely keep blogging throughout high school.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

Reviewing the Grammys

W

ho doesn’t love music? With the Grammys �lying by this past Sunday, let’s just run down some of the best and worst moments.

Best: Ed Sheeran and Elton John singing “A Team” together Yeah, so Elton John messed up some of the lyrics and it was strange watching one of the (older) icons of the music industry sing with the soothing vocals of Sheeran, but I was proved wrong. It’s probably the performance that caught my interest because I expected meat dress whipped cream entertainers and loud, hyped up music and I got a stripped down rendition of a song about narcotics. It was so unexpected I had to keep watching.

Worst: Taylor Swift pulling a Gagaesque circus set

Though I expected some love-hate combination of strange and surreal as the opening number, seeing Taylor Swift perform “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” surrounded by men dressed up as white rabbits was appropriately off-putting. Also, when she wails, she wails. Sometimes I wish the girl would just lip synch.

Best: Adam Levine

He was really good. With all the crap I give his band because of the decrease in quality of their recent albums and their formulaic pop hits (belt the intro, rap-sing the chorus, another dude raps, belt the ending), I realized how much his live performances make up for it. Even when he sang “Girl on Fire,” he hit the high notes better than Alicia Keys. All is forgiven.

BY KHAYA BHATIA

BY DHIRAJ NALLAPOTHULA

D

uring the past �ifteen years of my life, I have never been to Costco, so you can imagine how overwhelming the warehouse was.

As we drove up to Costco, it did not look as big as everyone described it. But looks can be deceiving because the minute I stepped into the building, my jaw dropped.

Among the swarm of people with carts, I guarantee I crashed my cart into at least thirty people.

When I opened Dhiraj’s shopping list for the �irst time, my mind went blank because I did not know half the items on the list. For example, I had to �ind the Original StriVectinSD® Cream, Nico-derm and the African Mango Diet Lean. I can assure everyone that I am not pregnant, not addicted to cigarettes and not on any speci�ic diet, so how was I supposed to know what those items were? I didn’t, so I decided to break the rules a little. Oh well, nobody needs to know.

One of the rules of this challenge was that we were not allowed to ask employees for help, but I caved within the �irst �ive minutes. I couldn’t �ind anything and became frustrated, so I sneakily asked the employee about the pregnancy cream. He looked at me judgmentally and asked me if I was pregnant. His reaction was by far the highlight of my experience and for now, I can advise everyone to never ask Dhiraj for a shopping list.

Overall, Dhiraj de�initely won; however, in my defense, my list was much harder than his. At least the next time, I’ll be a little bit more experienced in navigating such an overwhelming warehouse.

I

f you ever want to embark on a journey to �ind the infamous needle in a haystack, I highly recommend training at Costco to hone your skills. Costco is essentially the equivalent of a haystack, while the shopping list is the needle.

My shopping list was not that challenging, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t embarrassing.

There were a couple of items, like a box of tampons, that I had to cover up in order to maintain my already dwindling dignity. Other than that it was a breeze. I was able to pick up eight out of ten items, compared to the four items typically picked up in 30 minutes by a regular Costco shopper—which by the way was how many Khaya ended up �inding.

Despite the fact that I routed her in the challenge, I did have quite a few struggles of my own. I found myself going in circles and moving at a snail’s pace for more than half of the challenge. I also happened to bump into more people than I could count with my �ingers. I drew some forgiving smiles along with some soul shattering glares. Additionally, I also found it tantalizingly dif�icult to avoid the tasting stations. I �igured that if you want to have the Costco experience, food tasting is a necessity.

I managed to �ind all but two of my items with ease. The two that I didn’t �ind were mango lassi and antifungal cream, but I realized that carrying around a box of tampons and antifungal cream would do more harm than good. If only I had more time— then again Costco doesn’t make time, it ravenously devours it.

Worst: Bruno Mars and the rat pack performing “Locked Out of Heaven”

It took me half the performance to actually �ind the guy because everyone else was a head taller than him, and since they all wore black, he practically blended into the background. He was cute in his hat thing, I guess.

Though his vocals were great, I didn’t enjoy the whole “we don’t have enough famous people up here shoot let’s bring Rihanna” and just plopped her gorgeous Barbados-ness in the middle of the set. It was a strange amalgamation of uncoordinated that I just wanted it to be over. Oh hey, and there’s Bruno.

Best and worst: Miguel, 5 Grammy nominations, 2 minute performance and the overall lack of R&B singers representing I hadn’t heard much of this artist or his music, so when I learned that he was nominated �ive times, I expected breathtaking lineups, stunning visuals, the whole nine yards. But what I got was a two-minute disappointment.

Wiz Khalifa’s awkward interjections of “YEAH UH HUH YEEEEEEUH” didn’t help his performance, but even with that, his two minutes up on the stage had me asking the Grammy stage coordinators, “Why?” For a musician with such a highly acclaimed career, albeit shorter than other big names, his performance was a lot more relevant and interesting than the other drawn-out oldies remixes. Probably the worst part was that it had a lot of potential to be an incredible performance, but ended up being a question left unanswered, and not in the good way.

As always, you’re welcome, Yunqing Chen

KASTURI PANTVAIDYA—EPIC

PICKING IT UP| Costco rookie Khaya finds the fifth item on Dhiraj’s list: Huggies diapers.

LOOKING UP| Khaya and Dhiraj, with their carts full of the required items in hand, stand side by side in Costco.

A head start on college

BY KATHY JANG

T

he most daunting hurdle associated with senior year is widely recognized as completing college applications, a step that is undeniably monumental in determining one’s future. Each year of high school is a further step in preparation for college, but this year, junior Julia Huang decided to cut off her high school education early, and was accepted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Dec. 15.

A highly prestigious university, MIT’s acceptance rate lies at a meager 9.7%. This year, Huang was one of the few admitted, a year earlier than typical.

She had long considered applying early to college because of high school’s limited opportunities, but was urged against it by some of the school faculty, who wanted her to further round her education in the humanities.

Huang’s prowess in math and computer science is one of the main factors that led her to apply early. She has attended a multitude of esteemed international competitions, such as the China Girls’ Math Olympiad (CGMO)—where she received a silver medal—and the European Girls’ Math Olympiad (EGMO), the selection of which is judged based on students’ perfor-

mances on the AMC 10 and 12.

The logistics for early application are not too different compared to that of a senior. The only difference was that she needed to explain why she chose to apply early.

“Applying to college early isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. It’s not typical, but it has happened before,” said guidance counselor Malissa Goldstein, “but we discourage it because we want our students to have more time to just be teenagers.”

Huang, however, never considered herself a “humanities person” and applied anyway because she simply could not see a career in humanities for herself in the future.

Huang said, “I felt that there were no more math, science, and computer science classes left for me to take for senior year, and that taking a gap year for these subjects would hold me back because these are the areas in which I am the most interested.”

Although Huang will be leaving Lynbrook one year early, she tries to stay optimistic about leaving everyone she knows.

Huang said, “I am sad that I’ll be leaving my junior friends behind, but eventually, we will be separating from each other and meeting new people at college. I am just doing so one year earlier.”

For the full version of this story, visit lhsepic.com

REACHING HIGH| Costco veteran Dhiraj searches for the Gummy Vites on his list.

There were no more math, science or computer science classes left for me to take and taking a gap year would hold me back.

JULIA HUANG//11

”

2012 MIT Admissions statistics 18,109 Applied, 1,620 Admitted 8.9% Acceptance Rate Lynbrook Class of 2012 42 Applied, 7 Admitted 16.7% Acceptance Rate

JOEY LI—EPIC

MACHINE WORK| Senior Diane Wang uses the machines in room 612 to model and cut out the parts that are necessary for this year’s robot.

TEAMWORK| Seven members of the robotics team gather around copresident senior Brian Axelrod to see the latest changes to the design.

NUTS AND BOLTS| Junior Erik Yeh uses the CNC mill to create a part for the robot. The CNC has been crucial in helping the team this year.

Building the better robot W

ith the build season deadline for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) approaching on Feb. 19, the robotics team is busy developing a robot that can execute a variety of procedures from throwing discs through slots to climbing up a pyramid. This year, the robotics team is equipped with new machinery and over 130 members to tackle what its members describe as one of hardest challenges in recent memory.

The FRC is a robotics competition hosted by the non-pro�it organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) in which thousands of teams composed of more than 300,000 students from over 60 countries come to compete. Each team builds a robot to participate in an arena game, which varies every year. The robot must comply with FIRST safety rules and meet the technical requirements set by the organization. Additionally, the robot must be built within a six-week time frame beginning on Jan. 5 called the build season, after which it can be used in FRC competitions all around the country.

“When you see the robot driving around, it is really rewarding because you feel proud of your hard work,” said Lin. “You get to apply many things that you learn in class. It’s not just about learning a formula, but also its application.”

This year’s FRC game, Ultimate Ascent, involves two alliances of three teams each scoring points by throwing discs into three levels of slots. Teams receive bonus points if their robots climb on top of a pyramidal structure at the end of the match.

When co-hardware lead junior Anurag Makineni witnessed his �irst glimpse of this year’s challenge at the 2013 FRC Kickoff at San Jose State University (SJSU), he was initially astounded by its complexity. He said, “I was really confused. It just seemed so hard. It seemed almost impossible.”

While the team �igured out an approach for the disc-throwing portion of the game

early on in the season, the engineering challenge of getting a 120-pound robot to climb up a 10-foot-high pyramid has proved to be rather troublesome.

Part of the problem arises from the signi�icant changes made to robot speci�ications by FRC regulators this year. For instance, while robots of previous years were allowed to have a base area of up to 38 inches by 28 inches, this year’s robot is only allowed to have a base that measures up to 112 inches in perimeter, making it considerably smaller. This modi�ication has tested the robotics team’s adaptability to change.

“One of the biggest problems has been packaging everything in this tight amount of space,” said Makineni. “The robot has to be smaller than ever but do so many things such as picking, storing and shooting discs as well as climbing up the pyramid.”

The team has considered a variety of approaches to the design challenge of getting the robot to climb up the pyramid. One con�iguration that was proposed initially involved hooks under the robot’s base to pull it up the pyramid, but failed because it was impractical. After a lot of experimentation and several trials with prototypes,

the team is now pursuing a power take-off (PTO) system, utilizing the four existing drivetrain motors and a custom-built gearbox to lift the robot on top of the pyramid using hooks attached to the robot’s body.

The team is now in the process of �inalizing the last details of the design and is making individual parts for the robot. In the �inal week of the build season, the team will assemble these individual components into one robot and do �inal experimentations.

“Every year, the challenge de�initely gets harder. Even though we are more behind in schedule than we were in previous years, we’re seeing a lot more in student learning.

A lot of our students are getting involved in the detailed design of the robot,” said copresident senior Diane Wang.

In response to a large member pool, the robotics team has taken proactive steps to facilitate student learning. Over the past few years, the team has introduced software, computer-aided design (CAD), animation, and hardware workshops to bridge the gap between new and experienced members. In these workshops, members develop new skills and apply them in situations similar to those encountered during USED WITH PERMISSION OF MILES CHAN

BY SHOUVIK MANI

ROBOT DIAGRAMS| Computer-aided design models of the robot assist the team by organizing the designs.

build season. In the hardware workshop, for example, students built turntables for AP Physics and learned design techniques in the process.

Despite the dif�iculties faced in the design stage, the task of building the robot itself has been abetted by the new machinery that the team has acquired this year. With generous grants from corporate sponsors such as Sony, NASA, Western Digital and Google, the team has purchased advanced machinery that has made the building process more accurate and ef�icient. For example, members can now feed their CAD models into the new computer numerical control (CNC) machine to cut out sophisticated curves which were previously impossible to cut by hand. These new machines have given members the opportunity to participate in the entire development process from start to �inish, as they can now design, build and assemble the robot entirely in-house.

“In the past, there were a lot of discrepancies between designers and the machines. Now, our designs are much more realistic. Instead of having to send parts out, students can be involved in every single step and in the entire process,” said public relations of�icer junior Michael Lin. After the robot is completed, it will be shipped to Boston, Mass., where it will sit in a warehouse for one month. On March 20, the robotics team will head to the Boston for its �irst competition of 2013, the Boston Regional. Upon their arrival, the robot will be inspected by FRC organizers and prepared for the competition. The team will also be competing at the Silicon Valley Regional on April 4, which is a local FRC event held at SJSU. “We generally do well at competitions, but we do well only because we make our priority the experience of robotics,” said robotics Vice President junior Miles Chan.

“The most important thing is that the students bene�it from the process of building the robot. That is more important than the competition itself.”

There’s always a time for change

R PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY LI

Torn apart at the heart: Studying the effects of parental divorce

BY IZABELLA KIPNIS & JESSICA CAO

T

here’s a variety of reactions that occur with divorce. The majority of kids are upset, they feel like their world has been turned upside down,” said school therapist Dawn Bridges. Many physical changes can happen; kids have to move, change schools, the �inancial situation can also change.

Sophomore Meagan Benensohn has shuttled back and forth between her mom and dad’s houses almost every single day for over 10 years.

“I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember,” Benensohn said.

On the other hand, junior Selin Toprak’s parents divorced when she was seven years old. “I didn’t really realize it when my parents separated formally,” said Toprak.

“Before that my dad had been sleeping in the downstairs guest bedroom and my parents didn’t talk to each other, so the divorce was almost expected.”

Similarly, senior Lucas Ranieri faces a huge barrier due to the fact that his father lives across the globe in Italy.

“I don’t really know what the hell happened because I was so small and didn’t know what was going on,” said Ranieri.

In general, Bridges advised parents to “clearly present what’s going to happen to their children. Parent as a team even though you are no longer a couple. They should not be critical of each other to their children.”

Unusual living arrangements and �ights are the least of what kids with divorced parents have to deal with.

“It was a lot harder for me back when I was in elementary school than it is now,” Benensohn said. “As a 10-year old, I had to worry about not saying certain things to my parents. For example, if my mom told me not to tell my dad about a new job she was getting so she wouldn’t have to

pay as much child support, and I accidentally told him, I’d look a little bit like a liar and she’d think that I was taking his side.”

Toprak had always been closer to her mom, and her relationship with her dad deteriorated steadily after the divorce.

She said, “Before the divorce I didn’t really get along with him, and afterwards, when I was at his house on the weekends, I didn’t have my mom to help me out if we got into an argument. I haven’t seen him in two years.”

Toprak has received copious advice from her mom’s friends about her relationship with her father.

“It makes me uncomfortable when my mom’s friends say stuff like, ‘Oh, you should visit your dad,’” said Toprak. “They don’t really understand why I don’t talk to him.”

Although Ranieri had to move back and forth between Italy and America all throughout his school career, he tries to take a more positive outlook on the situation.

“I don’t think you can look at the whole situation as a ‘what if’ because it already didn’t work out,” said Ranieri. “Obviously things changed and it took a huge toll on

my sister Michaela and I with going back, court decisions and changing schools, but it helped us. I mean, I learned to travel at a super young age through large airports with just my sister.”

Besides having to deal with internal family con�licts, Benensohn also feels that her future relationships could be affected by having not only divorced parents, but also two sets of divorced grandparents.

When asked whether she felt she was more likely to get divorced, her response was immediate and vehement.

“That I’ll get divorced in the future, it’s a big fear of mine. If I don’t have an example of married parents to follow, how am I going to do it?” Benensohn hopes to instead learn from her situation and try not to make the same mistakes her parents did.

“I think my mom didn’t really know how to pick someone right for her, and that’s why my parents ended up getting a divorce,” she said.

Ranieri, however, believes that his parents’ divorce and the subsequent custody arrangements has helped his love life.

“I will strive even harder to keep a relationship to avoid letting what happened to me happen to my kids,” said Ranieri.

Although Benensohn’s parents attempted to put her into therapy once, she preferred to rely on herself and her friends.

Benensohn does her best to separate her home life from her academic and social life.

Although she �inds it helpful to be able to vent to friends who can relate, Benensohn has also used her experiences positively to comfort others.

“I tell them that if there’s a rough spot and your parents are �ighting, it will pass, and not to immerse yourself in it if you don’t have to,” said Benensohn, “In the end, it’s your happiness that they want.”

Bridges agreed, “It helps to talk to someone. They have to allow themselves that period of mourning.”

e�lecting over the past few years, the �irst word that always comes to mind is change. When my parents split up, everything in my life took a 180 degree turn into a world that I was not at all prepared for.

Two homes. The common misconception that children living in two places have two of everything is very untrue. Though I have two rooms, toothbrushes and closets, the rest of my belongings did not suddenly multiply with my parents’ divorce. Initially, I switched off every two days. This meant mastering the art of packing and unpacking my textbooks, laptop, chargers, clothing, and other necessities almost daily. Forgetting something was not often an option considering the 15 minute drive between the two houses.

The new kid in school. After attending the same school for nine years, coming to Lynbrook was not an easy change. On top of starting high school, I had to leave my old friends, be the new girl, move twice and watch my parents separate. There were plenty of times when everything seemed to be falling apart and I just wanted to give up. A big hindrance to my concentration was hearing one parent bad mouth the other at home.

Single and ready to mingle. My parents were both back in on the dating scene rather quickly. I did not attempt a remake of Parent Trap for my parents, but because I had not yet absorbed their divorce, they kept their relationships a secret. More recently, I have become accustomed to their dating lives and even enjoy seeing them happy with others.

A sister with a story. Up until the point of our parents’ divorce, my sister and I did not have common ground to relate on, but afterwards, our lives became increasingly similar. We stand up for one another when one parent is yelling at one of us; this drives them crazy. We should have always been doing this, but only began with their separation.

Although I hate to admit it, I saw my parents divorce coming early on. I’m still the same person, but it changed my perspective on many things, particularly relationships of all kinds—especially friendships. I have learned to value friendships deeply and understand other people’s various situations.

No two people go through the same experience and come out of it the same way.

The only thing that almost always remains the same for everyone is the reaction they receive when they admit to people that their parents are not married to each other. It often includes an “I’m sorry” and a look of pity.

What I would have liked is consistency, especially with my friends. There is really no need for sad smiles or long hugs. Nor is there reason to talk about family at school unless the person brings it up—school is a chance to get away from what happens at home.

I am able to talk casually about my parents divorce because I play down the emotional severity of it for everyone involved.

My entire family was affected in a way that cannot be undone, but I think that it was for the better. People are happier now than they were then, and thats what matters.

For everyone in similar situations, always search for the positives. Focus on school and extracurricular activies or try something new. Just do something to take your mind off of it—divorce is not an easy concept to grasp.

Developing a political ideology T

he soft sound of clicks on keyboards �illed lab 005 as sixth period AP U.S. Government students spent the block period taking surveys about their political views on social and economic issues. After a series of questions, the political ideology tests helped identify students’ political preferences, categorizing students as “left-leaning populist,” “authoritarian left,” “libertarian right” and so on.

“I like AP Government and the stuff like the political ideology tests that we’ve done so far, because it helps you to be more aware,” said senior Rachel Chang. “Before, we didn’t really know how to relate politics into our personal lives and have our own viewpoints—that is, until we analyzed how it exactly affects us.”

Political socialization, the process in which people discover and build their own political ideologies, is an important stage that occurs when students are in high school. As people grow older, they tend to become more staunchly �ixed on their positions, which makes their high school years a vital period of discovery and growth to producing well-informed, democratic citizens.

However, students may have other priorities such as academics and personal lives that take precedent to knowledge of current events. Another reason for this de�iciency of political interest may be that because many Lynbrook students come from immigrant families who are not instilled in a tradition of following American politics. Students �ind it harder to develop their own ideologies

when they are not as exposed to as many opinions and knowledge on American politics. It is more dif�icult for students to establish their own political stance when there’s a split between their parents’ culture and the culture of their current environment.

“We come from Asian culture, and it’s more dif�icult to develop a stance with American politics,” said freshman Esther Kao. “Asian culture tends to be more conservative. California is more democratic, so there’s a rift and this makes it harder for me to know what to follow. “ “Views not challenged are views not held,” said AP U.S. Government teacher Jeffrey Bale, who has been running political ideology tests in his AP U.S. Government classes for the past �ive years. “It’s important to �igure out for yourself why you support an issue, a candidate, or how you want to change the world. Lynbrook students have lots of advantages, and the environment here shouldn’t be so self-focused. Students should be looking for ways to improve society, and it goes that the more you know, the more you can do.”

Membership in campus clubs such as Amnesty, Model United Nations and Speech and Debate, which discuss current events and political viewpoints of world leaders, have helped students be more aware of the world around them and develop their personal ideologies.

“I think generally, people are less aware if they are not involved in clubs,” said senior Jeffrey Luan. “I’m in Amnesty, where we have petitions and presentations on human rights and issues such as Libya, women’s rights and so on. It’s helped a lot for me in knowing that I stand left on the political scene and why I do.”

Politically passive or not, over the years Lynbrook students have shown a trend of leaning left on social issues, shown through both results on political ideology tests and other school-held political events. In the 2008 Lynbrook Obama-McCain mock election, President Barack Obama won with a staggering landslide, approximately 450 to 20 votes.

“I think student here tend to lean left liberally because of the diversity here,” said Bale. “Urban areas are generally more progressive because they’re less homogenous. Also, this is a young school. The younger generation tends to be more open to newer, fresh values.”

Though many students believe that most people who attend Lynbrook are staunch liberals, students have also

shown a trend on their political ideology tests as being more conservative on economic issues.

“This may be because students here are typically upper class,” said Bale. “I’ve also seen a lot of opposition to af�irmative action, for example, and perhaps it’s due to the particular ethnic groups that exist at Lynbrook and how individuals from those groups may feel they are being negatively affected by such policies.”

Hudepohl, who identi�ies herself as a Democrat, says she is liberal on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

“My personal belief is that people should be able to choose—I guess it goes back to natural rights,” she said.

She says growing up in a culture of being politically aware and interested in government has encouraged her to develop her own political ideology. Though her parents played a role in her political socialization, ultimately Hudepohl made her own decisions as to where she stood on the political agenda.

“We talk informally,” she said. “Especially during election season, my parents will talk about their views. They try to stay knowledgeable; they have their opinions and they’re justi�ied, even if I don’t agree with all of them.”

Whatever it takes, some say students shouldn’t neglect developing political ideologies and participating in government. “We need young people,” said Bale. “There’s so much that Lynbrook students can do. Why not focus the best minds on these important issues? We need young people to force new views onto the table, to power new ideas.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY INDEPTH

BY JANE JUN

What causes a fluttering heart?

Investigating the roots of physical attraction and its role in teenage relationships

BY PRACHI LAUD

A

t the core of powerful love is physical attraction, according to biological anthropologist and professor at Rutgers University, Helen Fisher.

Love, as described in Fisher’s book, Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love, is a combination of three things: physical attraction, personality attraction and long-term attachment. But research has found that romantic love is primarily driven by chemicals of the brain’s reward system such as dopamine, which creates a powerful physical draw to a counterpart, often incapacitating rational thought and logic.The origin of physical attraction is a spontaneous “focus of mating energy” on one particular person, like a love at �irst sight.

“At �irst glance, before I know somebody, [attraction] is just based on what they look like,” said junior Maya Kapilevich, who examines characteristics such as hair color, eye color and muscularity. However, she admitted that she also factors traits such as humor and intelligence.

Research has shown humans feel themselves instinctively drawn to those who display positive evolutionary traits, such as con�idence and intelligence, that indicate greater chances of survival. Kapilevich believes that these traits can enhance or diminish the attraction she feels.

“If you’re really uncon�ident, people will notice you less,” said Kapilevich. “But people who, even if they’re mediocre-looking, are putting themselves out there, it does make them seem more attractive because you’re

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JANE JUN

drawn to it.”

Kapilevich experienced this �irst-hand in a previous relationship. “[His] con�idence just kind of affected everyone,” she said. “He was so con�ident in himself that it spread onto other people and other people had the same opinion about him as he did. It made me like him more because I believed what he said about himself, because he was so sure of it.”

School psychologist Brittany Stevens has observed the effect of personality on physical desirability as well.

“People who are physically beautiful but are insensitive in their treatment of others are often found less attractive— there is a con�luence of factors that equal a person’s overall ‘attractiveness’,” said Stevens. “I’ve noticed that people who exhibit positive character traits are deemed more attractive, even if they don’t physically meet a cultural ideal of beauty.”

Certain physical factors unrelated to looks or personality can have an in�luence. For instance, Kapilevich’s boyfriend, sophomore Daniel Vahabi, values hygiene as an important factor in attraction. “If someone has really bad hygiene, its a turn-off, no matter how hot they are,” he said.

Stevens believes that relationships based solely on physical pull tend to be unable to withstand the test of time.

“The intensity of physical attraction generally subsides over time, so the deeper connection and positive behaviors must be intact for people to feel motivated toward maintaining a romantic relationship,” she said.

Senior Christina Zhu learned a similar lesson with her former relationship. “Having physical attraction in a relationship is good, but if it’s the focus of the relationship, it will most likely fail,” said Zhu. “Relationships need work, and if you decide to go out with someone just because he

or she is ‘adorable’, then it may not be the best idea.”

Physical attraction played a large role in Zhu’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend. But after spending time together, she saw that their personalities were incompatible, making the relationship unsuccessful. She prioritized personal compatibility for her next and current relationship with senior Daniel Kho from Cupertino High School.

She valued emotional connection over just physical attraction, and her relationship with Kho began with bonding over similar interests.

“Physical attraction wasn’t that important in this relationship,” Zhu said. “I was already attracted to the personality, and physical attraction came naturally with that.”

Zhu felt that the role of physical attraction was less vital to this relationship because she and Kho go to different schools and don’t see each other as often. Physical attraction was merely the “icing on the cake.”

Physical appeal may also provide professional success.

Oftentimes, people who are physically desirable are more likely to be given esteem because society associates attractiveness with traits such as responsibility.

“As a culture, we also highly value beauty and physical perfection—if you possess a trait that people value, it could spill over into people’s estimation of your skills in other areas,” said Stevens.

The importance of empathic listening...

BY PRASANN RANADE

E

very day, each student needs to communicate through either the written or spoken word. Entire clubs such as Speech and Debate and Toastmasters have undertaken the task of teaching students to become better communicators. Yet, very few people, and even fewer teenagers, focus on becoming a better listener, in part because of the emphasis put on speaking skills.

The spectrum of listening includes various categories such as hearing, paying attention, critical listening and empathic listening. History teacher Esther Lee shared her own different steps in the process of listening.

“I’m hearing what you’re saying, I’m agreeing or disagreeing with it, I’m responding to what you’re saying, and I’m posing a question,” said Lee. Of the different types of listening, the one most applicable for students at Lynbrook is empathic listening, or listening

with the purpose of understanding the other person’s views and perspectives.

“My goal in empathic listening is to understand your view and perspective from your perspective, not what I think is right or wrong or what I think about it but how you are making sense of the situation,” said Shawn Spano, Professor of Communication Studies at San Jose State University.

Empathic listening allows one to broaden one’s perspective and expose themselves to new ideas. For example, many students prefer to sit silently during class discussions or Socratic Seminars in order to listen to others students.

“The more you listen, the more you learn and you learn a whole lot more instead of just talking,” said sophomore Shivani Kavuluru, “You start to see things in another person’s shoes. It’s more of an ‘Oh, I didn’t think of it that way’ feeling.”

Nevertheless, students do not always listen empathically, either because they have not been taught to listen in such a way, have not been exposed to empathic

listening or do not know how to begin to listen empathically. For example, they may believe themselves to be truly listening in a conversation when actually they simply selectively hear parts of a conversation in order to construct their reply.

However, these methods disguise empathic listening.

“Empathic listening by de�inition is not about judging; it’s about understanding,” said Spano. “The fact that I’m focused on me, what I think, and my views is a big impediment to listening.”

Listening plays a major role in improving relationships with people by increasing trust; therefore, by learning how to listen empathically, one can improve the quality of interactions.

“Use your ears and your mouth in the proportion that you have them. God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason which clearly means that you need to listen more and speak less,” said Kavuluru.

For the full version of this story, visit lhsepic.com

BY FRINA REDOLOZA

M

outh zipped shut and mind wide open, shyness is a cage that incarcerates opinions and thoughts. The role and signi�icance of shyness comes to play when it concerns participation and communication.

“I’m not helping my students if I don’t push them out of their comfort zones,” said French teacher Valerie Amzallag. “I teach them that it’s okay to make errors, it’s not the end of the world if they mess up.”

The reason behind silence varies with each person.

It may be from the dislike of methods, indifference to the subject, teacher favoritism or fear of judgment.

“People are afraid of sounding unintelligent in front of their peers, especially at Lynbrook,” said sophomore Michelle Ng. “Overcoming shyness is for people who

are willing to step out of their comfort zone.”

On the other hand, the impact participation has on the grade, the need to express ideas and the yearning to be socially accepted by society are several incentives that stomp out the silence.

“If I don’t communicate my needs, it’s harder to get along,” said sophomore Shreya Batra. “When the ideas and opinions I contribute have value, then it could help someone too.”

Regardless of the motivation, a common excuse for keeping silent is that being shy is part of their nature.

Introversion is often used out of context to mean shy.

The true de�inition of introvert is someone who naturally prefers independence and seclusion while the de�inition of shy is to be timid and reluctant.

Being an introvert herself, Amzallag believes that introvertion is no excuse not to participate, as participating and communicating are not impossible tasks.

“I was an introvert and I am even now,” Amzallag

said. “An introvert can never be extrovert, but participating is a skill that can be learned. Speaking up is an obstacle others may not have, that you have to cross.”

The key to subduing shyness it is to truly realize the importance participation has in living life. For example, junior Anvitha Rayabhari opened up more with the change from middle school to high school.

“After coming to high school, my best friend and I couldn’t always be together, which is why I had to speak to others,” Rayabhari said. “Throughout the transition, I wasn’t really scared, but I was more anxious and nervous. I am less shy now and I can approach people easily, and vice versa.”

Self-proclaimed introvert senior Arkadip Saha has gained a deeper understanding of participation.

“I realized that although introverts like me prefer to absorb information, sharing ideas is important too,” Saha said. “In this world, it is crucial to create a balance between listening and speaking.”

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...and overcoming the fear of participation

PHOTOS BY JOEY LI

EVADING DEFENDERS| Unlike tackle football in which contact is often inevitable, the nature of flag football requires ball carriers to avoid defenders at all costs to avoid having their flag pulled. From left to right: junior Eric Day, senior Arun Giridharan, junior Tamas Truckai, senior Christopher Wong and senior Pranav Singh, are each pictured here eluding potential “tacklers,” in hopes of breaking containment and scoring a touchdown.

The LHS Super Bowl: A new tradition

BY DHIRAJ NALLAPOTHULA

A

thletics Unlimited (AU) and Leadership, Experience and Opportunity (LEO) clubs have come together to create the �irst annual Lynbrook �lag football Super Bowl which began Feb. 4 and lasted two weeks. The tournament consisted of 10 teams of eight and was single elimination, with winners receiving a $5 Pinkberry gift card.

The idea for Lynbrook to hold a Super Bowl tournament came from LEO Club senior Hyun Kang. He approached AU for assistance with the main details of the tournament which ranged from rules to timing issues, public announcements and the of�iciating of the games.

The main reason for organizing this tournament was that LEO and AU wanted to feed off of the excitement created by Super Bowl XLVII at Lynbrook. “The event was so that Super Bowl enthusiasts could have fun at our own home �ield seeing their friends compete for our own Super Bowl,” said AU president junior Arnav Mishra.

Kang saw an opportunity to expand intramural options for students on campus. “I thought that there should be more options in terms of intramural sports that the entire student body can be in and play a more active role in. Although we have great games like Spikefest and March Madness, I felt that we should try and broaden the scope of the sports �ield and include football,” said Kang.

Despite the upbeat vibe for the tournament, a big concern

regarding player safety had been raised after the �irst two games where there were at least two tackles and one �ight per game. Although the tournament style is �lag football, where players wear �lags around their waist and tackles are made by pulling the �lag off an opposing players’ waist, full body tackles have occurred in the tournament, causing concern for player safety.

Unfortunately, the tournament was short on resources to limit the excessive contact. “The issue is that we have only one referee, [Statistics teacher Bob] Blaschke, and he can’t see everything. In the future, we may ask some varsity football players or other teachers to be there to keep an eye on any fouls Mr. Blaschke might miss,” said Mishra.

The players, on the other hand, had mixed views about player safety. “It’s football, it’s not a safe sport, but you can’t take away from everything because that just makes the sport boring and then it’s just more rules than fun,” said sophomore Rohan Khasgiwala.

The threat of being penalized for tackling seemed to be a �ix for player safety during games. “These rules get into the players’ heads that if you want to win, you [have] to get rid of the penalties and if you want to get rid of the penalties, you have to play fair,” Khasgiwala said.

The widespread support and popularity for this tournament has sparked an interest for more sports-oriented tournaments throughout the year.

As a result, AU is currently planning a new tournament

coming the �irst week of April. The tournaments are typically centered around the prominence of a speci�ic sport at that speci�ic time. “Other tournaments may come and go depending on what sports are on the world stage. We had a Super Bowl because the 49ers did extremely well. Maybe in 2014 with the next soccer World Cup, we will plan a Lynbrook Soccer World Cup. These are just ideas for the future; none of them are �inalized,” said Mishra.

The players have found the experience of the tournament to be relaxing, offering a disconnect from the stress of academics and an outlet to promote athletics, especially football.

Also, the competitive aspect helped the players have fun while they strived to win. “It’s always fun to play when there is competition and when there is competition, there’s something driving you to play [well],” said Khasgiwala.

The tradition of school-wide athletic tournaments has been able to bring the various classes together for the common goal of Lynbrook pride. “One of the most unifying subjects and activities is a sports game. Since we have put no age restrictions, the teams are made up of students from many grade levels. This, unlike highly competitive rallies and Homecoming, brings about a sense of school unity among all if we go to that [Lynbrook] stadium each day to see our peers in a friendly competition,” said Mishra.

At the end of the day, according to Khasgiwala, “You’re not driving to beat the other person because it’s the end of the world, you just want to play.”

the youngest people on such a successful basketball team,” said sophomore Elaine Ma. “All the seniors and juniors on the team are welcoming even though they make us carry the �irst aid kit and ball bag on the away games.”

Sophomore Dolly Yuan said, “For the �irst few games, I wasn’t very familiar with my role on the team, so I was a bit uncomfortable with running the offense as point guard. But my teammates have really helped me through things and we have all gotten to know each other a lot better. I know that they have my back if I make any mistakes.”

Despite losing twice so far, the team has been able to stay on top in their league. “This just made us closer because we push ourselves” said Senthilkumar. “Our coach always says, ‘Getting to the top is easy, but staying there is hard.’”

As the regular season draws to a close, the team has directed its focus toward the Central Coast Section (CCS) championships and NorCals. “Our goal, of course, is to make NorCals this year,” said Yuan. “First, we need to focus on �inishing off leagues strong and focus on improving as a team. In CCS, it would be great if we could win Division 2 Champs.” This year, their performance suggests that they are entering the

competition as one of the favorites for the title.

If they make it to NorCals, the next level after CCS, they will be competing against other highly ranked schools. But, considering their success throughout the season, they have a good chance of doing well. Another opportunity for the girls is that this year, NorCals has been reorganized in a way that puts several schools into an open division, which gives Lynbrook a better shot at advancing in NorCals.

Additionally, with �ive seniors leaving, the team will have a vastly different dynamic next season. “Our team this year is strong, but I think next year we will still be good,” said Yuan.

“Although a couple of main players are leaving this year, our current players will only improve. I think we will be able to stay at the top of leagues and make CCS next year.”

Despite Yuan’s optimism, the team acknowledges that staying on top will be dif�icult. “The sophomores and juniors cannot approach next year wanting to �ill the seniors’ shoes,” said Ting. “They need to re�lect on what they have learned from the seniors, but set their own expectations for what they would consider a successful season. It’s never about �illing shoes; it is always about walking in your own.”

Girls’ basketball looks to succeed in postseason play

BY IZABELLA KIPNIS

A

fter starting off on a strong note, the girls’ basketball team has pushed themselves consistently throughout the season in order to �inish strong.

With this common ground, the Lady Vikes have become an extremely tight-knit team. The team believes that their offcourt dinners and bonding opportunities have played a large part in their success. Senior Lakshana Senthilkumar said, “Basketball season is one of the longest seasons and through it, we had a very smooth transition from a team that did not really �it together, to what we are now. We will continue keeping in touch after the season.”

A contributing factor to their success is the two sophomores on the team. “I brought them up this year because I felt that they could contribute to the energy of our team, and would be mature enough to handle this level of competition and commitment, and they have surpassed my expectations,” said varsity coach Cynthia Ting.

Both sophomores see their time on the team this season as a very rewarding experience. “It’s pretty cool being one of

Girls’ soccer coach boosts morale V

BY SABRINA JEN

Let us practice how we want to practice

T

he badminton season has started, and there’s one thing I know I won’t be doing for the majority of practice: actually practicing. Half of the time I’ll be sitting, waiting for an open court, and the other half I’ll be crammed on a court with �ive other players, each of us probably wondering the same thing: instead of wasting time at school practices, why not just train individually outside of school?

For individual sports such as tennis and badminton, outside training can offer an intense and rigorous program that school practices simply can’t match. Most underclassmen tennis and badminton players in varsity get there due to outside training, and even coaches advise players to train outside of school to improve. But with mandatory school practice, it becomes nearly impossible for players to �ind time for outside training, forcing players to train in less effective school practices. The Lynbrook Athletic Department should implement a system that allows athletes in individual sports the option to participate in outside training in place of school training.

One of the main bene�its of this system is that it would lead to stronger sports teams.

Outside training can work wonders for players. I’ve seen that wimpy guy that didn’t make the JV cut come back as a scary monster after a year of training at a private club. Outside training is simply more effective than school “training,” and allowing players to train outside during the season would result in stronger players, resulting in stronger teams.

But that’s not to say that Lynbrook coaches aren’t great at what they do. They just have an impossible task. The two coaches for the badminton team are tasked with coaching a team of over 100 players, with only eight courts available for use. With so many players to coach, school coaches obviously won’t be able to deliver the same quality of training that outside training, which often consists of one-on-one practices, can offer.

Allowing players to train outside of school will also work to solve the problems of excess players and limited court space. With the system, each player that chooses to train outside means one less player at school practices, which translates to one less player taking up court space and one less player that the coaches have to worry about. It’s a win-win situation; players who train outside will get better training, while the players who remain at school practices have more court space and individual attention from the coaches, leading to improved training for both groups.

One of the only possible downsides of outside training is that it could lead to poor team dynamics because players who train outside won’t be able practice with the rest of the team. However, individual sports teams don’t require much team dynamics to be able to function well. Furthermore, most of the team-bonding happens at matches, which players will attend, regardless of where they train. If having your entire team cheer you on at a match doesn’t promote strong team dynamics, I don’t know what will.

And while players are required by CCS regulations to practice at school during the season, there are ways of circumventing this, such as making just one day of practice a week mandatory to ensure that players are still technically attending school practices.

Some other schools have already adopted a similar system for their individual sports, allowing players the option of training outside of school, and have developed highly successful programs. Like pretty much everyone else on campus, I want to see Lynbrook teams improve, and allowing players to train outside is a good place to start.

arsity girls’ soccer coach Mitch Basin (pictured bottom right, kneeling) acknowledges the mindset of striving for high academic achievement at Lynbrook, where “school always comes �irst.” Basin has learned that “as much as you want them to be there during games and practices, school comes �irst,” he said.

Since a competitive academic atmosphere comes with a large amount of commitment and stress, he said, “I have to know how hard to push, but also when to back off and let them take a break.”

Because the environment is demanding at times, Basin has observed that the girls are often stressed. Still, he said, “Soccer allows an avenue to express emotions that come along with high school.”

Basin explained that although he has been coaching for 16 years at a high level,

including the Nevada Olympic Development State team, this team is different.

In soccer, “negativity spreads like cancer, and it can bring down a team, he said. But Basin shared that this team truly cares about one another, which is one of the biggest components of being successful, since chemistry and camaraderie are very important in order to play �luidly.

Co-captain senior Mackenzie Shimojima agrees with Basin about how important team chemistry is. “On the �ield, we work well together and trust each other’s abilities, which come from the good chemistry off the �ield,” said Shimojima.

From his experiences in the past, he has learned that it is very dif�icult to “take 20 individuals from various backgrounds and put them together to become one united team.” In the beginning of the season when the girls were �irst selected, Basin said, “I didn’t just look for the best, I looked for the group of girls who would �it together the best.”

Basin understands that the girls come from different backgrounds, and their interests are not just soccer. But he feels that there is an advantage with this diversity. “They are able to look at the game with a different set of eyes,” said Basin.

“These girls are able to step out of the box and look at the sport from a different perspective than other athletes which I have coached in the past. No matter what obstacles they face, they never give up.”

Whether it is an injury or an illness, the team is able to stay together.

Basin’s main goal for the girls is to become better every time out. Shimojima adds that he encourages with the attitude of wanting to reach their goal for not just themselves, but also for the team.

“I tell them that I can teach them better techniques with handling the ball, and how to improve on shooting, but I can’t coach heart, so that’s up to you,” said Basin.

KASTURI PANTVAIDYA—EPIC

Boys’ soccer finishes roller coaster season

BY KASTURI PANTVAIDYA

A

t the brink of failing to meet their own expectations, the varsity boys’ soccer game on Jan. 18 was a reality check for the team. The team lost to Monta Vista 6-0. but worked hard ever since to redeem themselves, both individually and as a team.

“A 6-0 loss is considered a blowout, showing that the winning team’s level is higher than the losing one. Having such a blotch on our record was actually pretty embarrassing,” said senior Mike Zhong when re�lecting on the loss.

After the game, there were many raised voices, but the team agreed that in order to avoid such a disaster again, they were going to have to raise their playing level.

“The Monta Vista game was a reality check. It made us realize where we were in the season and the work we had to put in to get where we want to be,” said varsity cocaptain junior Alex Wong. Though the postgame atmosphere was unpleasant, the boys walked off the �ield knowing one thing: they could only go up from there.

“After that game, the team changed,” said Wong, “Everyone was more persistent and serious in practices.” The environment on the �ield changed due to the fact that the team realized how important it was to stay committed to their goals.

As they neared the end of the season, they slowly regained their con�idence, knowing that they did not want another game like the one against Monta Vista.

“We realized we needed to practice more ef�iciently, and to have more discipline as a

KASTURI PANTVAIDYA —EPIC

BATTLE AT MIDFIELD| Junior varsity midfielder Jake Zatz fights with a defender for control of the ball.

team,” said Zhong. The fact that they were scheduled to play Monta Vista again for their last game of the season also acted as motivation for the team to improve in all aspects of their play.

Their recent wins against other schools helped to boost the players’ con�idence in themselves. The game against Cupertino on Feb. 8 resulted in a 2-0 win, ultimately reinforcing the team’s ambitions.

“We were really pumped for the game against Cupertino, and we were able to prove to ourselves that if we put our mind into something we want to achieve, then we can achieve it,” said varsity co-captain junior Andrew Bae. The win played a large part in boosting the team’s morale as well.

“We were all very happy. We had never had so many fans before, so it was fun having people come out and watch us,” said Bae. “It was de�initely a con�idence boost.”

Due to their success, the team strongly believed that they had what it takes to meet their two ultimate goals: to win the rest of their games, and to beat Monta Vista.

Since Jan. 18, the team has won three of their six games with a score of 2-1 against Palo Alto and Wilcox, and 2-0 against Cupertino, while losing in games versus Fremont and Milpitas. They ended the season on Feb. 13, losing by three goals in a game against Monta Vista. Despite coming up short on a few occasions, their late season surge overshadowed their losses.

Students share their recruiting stories

BY HENRY SHANGGUAN

W

ith four Intel Science Talent Search semi�inalists, 62 National Merit Semi�inalists and numerous acceptances into our nation’s top universities, we often lose sight of the minority of Lynbrook students who are recruited not just for their intellectual prowess, but also their athletic ability. On average, one in every 500 Lynbrook seniors goes on to play college sports in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Each year, this handful of Vikings works tirelessly to catch the eyes of college athletic recruiters from across the country while excelling not just in the classroom but in gyms and athletic �ields.

Just as acceptance to Stanford or MIT for academics is no easy feat, recruitment for college sports at top universities requires years of training and commitment. For example, senior Jacqueline Hudepohl, who is being recruited to play basketball, has been playing since the �irst grade and practices about 20 hours a week.

Junior Anna Naylor, who has received interest as a prospective college wrestler, practiced for up to 8 hours a day over the summer.

Starting the recruitment proces Throughout the recruitment process, athletes and recruiters must adhere to the NCAA’s strict recruitment policies. During their freshman and sophomore years, athletes typically create detailed personal sports pro�iles and record their performance in games.

Striking a balance During the entire process, however, recruits must continue maintaining good grades in school. Since colleges require their recruits to maintain a certain GPA and earn certain scores on standardized tests, athletics recruitment is by no means a free pass through high school academic courses.

For Naylor, wrestling strengthened her discipline and provided an incentive to work hard in school. “I think if I wasn’t wrestling, my grades would be worse, because wrestling has so much discipline and sports require that students maintain a certain GPA,” said Naylor.

Between practice, school work, social life and other extracurricular activities, recruits sometimes struggle to balance. Lynbrook places immense emphasis on good grades, so it is dif�icult to dedicate yourself to a sport and juggle the pressure of doing well in school,” said senior Shaelyn Silverman, who is being recruited to run cross-country in college. “I was juggling Homecoming, with school work, with college apps, and running sank to the bottom of my list of priorities. My coach was furious.”

Initiating the conversation During their junior year, athletes begin corresponding with college coaches by sending them their resumes and highlight reels.

Because the NCAA’s policies generally restrict recruiters from contacting athletes until the end of their junior years, initiating the conversation early in the year can help recruits gain visibility and prompt recruiters to take notice.

Receiving initial interest from colleges starts the exciting and rewarding emotional journey of college athletics recruitment. “It was a good feeling, kind of like a validation and acknowledgement of all the hard work and time I’ve dedicated to basketball over the years,” said Hudepohl.

The give and take For some, like Silverman, pursuing a sport for college means giving up other lifelong passions. After spraining her ankle in a soccer game during her sophomore year and ruining her 4x400 relay team’s chance of making it to the State Track and Field Champi-

onships, Silverman realized she had to make a decision. “My sheer humiliation of letting down my team, coupled with my realization that I had to choose only one sport to focus on—either running or soccer—compelled me to want to quit,” said Silverman. “I decided, in one of the most dif�icult decisions of my life, to quit soccer, which I had been playing since �irst grade, and focus on running, since it was clear I could not excel at both.”

Others, like Naylor, sometimes struggle to overcome frustration and defeat. “One time I lost to someone who I should have beaten and I felt like all my work was a waste if I could lose a match like that,” said Naylor. “I think what kept me with it was partially the thought of ‘what am I going to do with myself if I don’t wrestle?’ It’s a big part of my identity.” For aspiring recruits, their sport represents much more than just an activity—it is their passion.

Narrowing down the options During the summer following junior year and into their senior year, recruits begin visiting colleges, narrowing down their choices and meeting potential coaches for in-person interviews. Silverman recounted that as she grappled with whether or not to prioritize running over all her other commitments, her weekend with the MIT team helped her rediscover her love for running.

“Running and hanging out with them made me realize how much I love running, underneath all that indifference that I built up. The day I returned from the trip, I started caring about running, working during practices and stepping up to the position of team leader that I was supposed to assume at the beginning of the season. That trip saved me,” said Silverman.

While only about 2% of American high school seniors receive athletic aid, scholarships can also factor into a recruit’s college choice. Silverman, for example, received an offer of $20,000 from the University of Colorado, Boulder. For Naylor, the prospect of a wrestling scholarship makes all her effort and practice even more worth the while. “It is a good feeling to have wrestling positively affect my future options,” said Naylor.

In narrowing down their options, recruits must learn to balance athletic endeavors with academic aspirations. For Silverman, academic pursuits are her �irst priority. “I decided that I would choose my college based on my major rather than its running program because I know that I may not pursue running after college, and I don’t want my studies to be negatively affected,” said Silverman.

Sealing the deal Finally, if the athlete has been successful up to this point, he or she makes the �inal decision and commits to play at the college of his or her choice. Depending on the college and how highly sought after the recruit is, recruits can even essentially bypass the school’s admissions cycle.

Silverman still feels the thrill of the process. “These recruitments immediately replace any former doubts. The sheer realization that your hard work has paid off, and that colleges desire you, creates indescribable emotions.”

Those who get recruited receive the opportunity to pursue their dreams and passions through college, playing on more advanced teams with more coaching resources and players. For the players, though, it is not recruitment or scholarships that matter most; it is all about the sport. “Playing in college was never really my goal.

My goals have always just been to be the best I can be and to help my team win, and this is just a bonus. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to continue playing the sport I love,” said Hudepohl.

The road to college is never easy. However, for those that receive a chance to pursue their dream and play sports in college, this road less travelled is just as rewarding.

JOEY LI—EPIC

“It is a good feeling to have wrestling positively affect my future options.”

-Anna Naylor (11)

JOEY LI—EPIC

“It was kind of like a validation and acknowledgement of all the hard work and time I’ve dedicated to basketball over the years.”

-Jacqueline Hudepohl (12)

JOEY LI—EPIC

“These recruitments immediately replace any former doubts. The sheer realization that your hard work has paid off, and that colleges desire you, creates indescribable emotions.

-Shaelyn Silverman (12)

Life of a #Secondsemestersenior

BY JOEY LI AND KASTURI PANTVAIDYA

A

fter college apps, summer camps, internships and God knows how many AP courses, second semester seniors have �inally earned their freedom from three and a half years of high school. Take a look at how these seniors take advantage of their newfound deliverance from high school drudgery.

Above left, senior Frank Wang looks back as he composes a landscape photograph at sunset at Mission Peak in Fremont. Wang, an avid photographer and adventurer, has been using his spare time to explore more natural locations to build his photographic portfolio in places like Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas.

Above right, senior Juliette Delforge-Melia trains ten-month-old Rosette, a to-be guide dog.

Through the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind, Delforge-Melia has been giving Rosette basic obedience and socialization training for a future career assisting the blind.

Right, senior Arjun Manimaran tastes chili cheese fries from Carls Jr. He has been on a quest to �ind the best-tasting fries in the area, so far rating The Counter’s Parmesan French Fries as the best out of around ten different restaurants.

Below, senior Jackie Pratt practices longboarding while walking her dog along a neighborhood street. Pratt had planned to learn throughout high school but did not have time until second semester senior year.