Issue 1, 2016

Reflecting on a cracked self-image

BY CATHERINE HUANG AND KELSEY LU

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hysical appearance, intelligence and athleticism are only a few of the many insecurities that students battle with on a daily basis. Students strive for superiority by comparing every aspect of themselves to their peers; at Lynbrook, this includes comparing test scores or varying styles of fashion. The

feeling of incompetence that many teenagers experience from such comparisons are essentially ingrained in their minds. As a result, this creates an additional pressure to do well in school, and this mindset is becoming especially prevalent among high school students across the country.

Insecurity rises primarily from the concept of self assessment, which becomes common among teenagers as they start to become more aware of their sur-

SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY — EPIC

roundings. During their adolescent years and during transition phases like sudden matureness, teenagers tend to start worrying about what others think about them and often begin to compare themselves to others.

“I was insecure about what other people thought about me and compared myself to others frequently [about things like] education,” said freshman Zainab Nasir. “But then I got over that feeling [once] I realized that putting myself down based on what other people thought of me wasn’t helping myself.”

By noticing and obsessing over their own flaws, people eventually begin to believe that others notice their flaws as well, inevitably lowering their self-esteem. This increases self-awareness, causing a person to be envious of those who do not have the same flaws. Envy toward seemingly perfect people can affect a person’s self confidence if one feels they he or she is lacking in a certain department.

“The lack of self confidence can be tied to a teenager’s thoughts of ‘I am not good enough’ or ‘everyone else seems to being doing so many great things’,” said clinical forensic psychologist Francis Abueg. “Especially in social media, everyone seems to have fabulous lives taking many wonderful trips, and teenagers often think ‘why can’t I be involved in all of this’, creating a sense of insecurity about [what’s going on in their lives].”

Students have become particularly susceptible to insecurities as a result of immense pressure to do well from parents, teachers and peers. Attending a school noted for its academic excellence pressures students to feel like they must achieve as much as their peers do due to a fear of falling behind fellow classmates.

“With so many expectations from our families and those around us, many of our achievements are often undermined,” said junior Amber Hsu. “[Comparing achievements] makes students feel bad about themselves, even though they’ve done great things.”

Past issues with appearance and relationships can also contribute to a lack of confidence. Physical, emotional or sexual abuse can affect the way individuals view themselves, while experiences with betrayal, rejection or abandonment may provoke an unwillingness to trust others.

“Our hindsight bias makes us very vulnerable to attributing the horrible things happening to ourselves and our own actions,” said Abueg. “If a person has grown up with a lot of hardship or trauma, they may make the mistake of blaming the hardships on themselves, thinking that ‘it must have been something that I did’ that caused the difficult situations.”

Combating self-doubt can be difficult, especially when admitting such feelings to people who may not entirely relate to them. Although physically correcting flaws remains a viable see INSECURITES page 11

Science department adjusts Synopsis science fair criteria holes and fill out paperwork. We can’t house all the projects students want to do.” n Sept. 12, the Lynbrook science deStudents are aware of the pressures partment announced a new selection placed on STEM mentors during the Synopprocess for students who wish to re- sis process and understand the need for a ceive Lynbrook mentorship for the Synopsys refined selection process. science fair. The new system requires stu“They have good intentions, because they dents to submit a proposal answering spe- want to ensure that the projects are of good cific questions about quality,” said junior their projects to the Abhinav Naikawadi.

STEM department; “THE SELECTED PROPOSALS DEThe number of from those, only ones PEND ON WHAT FIELDS WE HAVE, proposals chosen dethat show high ratioon the qualTHE QUALITY OF PROJECTS AND pends nale and understandity of the projects, the THE TEACHER’S TIME.” ing will be selected. In teachers’ interest level previous years, menJASON LEE in the projects and torship was offered to STEM TEACHER the availability of reall Lynbrook students sources at Lynbrook. interested in particiStudents are assigned pating in the science fair. to teachers based on how much experience This change was due to several factors but and knowledge the teacher has about their was primarily due to a lack of resources. project topic.

“The amount of behind the scenes time “We don’t want to force any teacher to that a teacher has to do [for each project] mentor a project where they don’t know the takes quite a bit of time,” said STEM teacher field,” said Lee. “The selected proposals deJason Lee. “We have to read the proposals, pend on what fields we have, the quality of understand what the student is trying to do, projects and the teacher’s time.” see if it’s manageable, check for any scientific In order for their projects to be selected

BY ESHANI MEHTA AND WILLIAM GUO

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for mentorship, students must conduct detailed research on prior to submission to make sure that their project is original and creative. They also have to ensure that the project can be performed at a school, where there are multiple safety regulations. Projects involving viruses or other potentially harmful organisms and substances cannot be conducted at Lynbrook, so students need to factor this into the research process as well.

“We’re looking to see that they did their homework, that they’ve done the readings, that they’ve done the thinking and processing and they show that in their rationale,” said Lee. “What we’re also looking for is that their scientific thinking and engineering practices are above the standard.”

Although this new selection process limits the number of students who will be able to be mentored by Lynbrook faculty, Lee hopes that this process will help students become more knowledgeable about their own projects before performing experiments.

“What I’m hoping for is that students dive a little deeper, so they can really explore these ideas further and have a deeper understanding of the field they want to explore and do the project in,” said Lee.

FOOTBALL // pg. 14

MICHYLA LIN — EPIC

Main Street Cupertino grand opening

BY MICHELLE LUM

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n Sept. 17, Main Street Cupertino held its Grand Opening Celebration, almost a year after the first establishments in the area opened. Located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, Main Street offers restaurants, stores, office space, apartments and a hotel.

Covering 18 acres of land, Main Street Cupertino was developed by Sand Hill Property Company. On Jan. 20, 2009, the proposal for Main Street Cupertino was approved by the Cupertino City Council. Construction began in September 2013, and the first restauraunt opened in November 2015.

“Cup e r t i no does

WILLIAM GUO —THE EPIC

lack a downtown, so the thought was that [Main Street] would kind of function in a certain way as a downtown for the city,” said Associate Planner Gian Martire. “One of the ideas of this was to have a walkable shopping district that even people in Rancho Rinconada can utilise without having to get in the car and drive to Santana Row or Valley Fair; they can keep their patronization of these businesses locally.”

Main Street’s grand opening began with a parade, which the Cupertino High School marching band, the Fremont High School marching band and color guard and San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl MVP Jerry Rice took part in. Sand Hill Property Company executives and several local officials attended the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony held in the Main Street Town Square, a small grassy area located next to Philz Coffee.

At the grand opening, community members were able to partake in a multitude activities.

Dear readers, Welcome to the first issue of the Epic for the 2016-2017 school year! The Epic is an award-winning publication dedicated to informing Lynbrook and the local community about events, issues, and ideas relevant to our populace.

A fresh, new school year brings new changes in the city with the grand opening of Mainstreet Cupertino (pg.3).

As homecoming season rolls around, turn to the staff editorial which delves into the opinions of the homecoming court nomination system (pg. 6).

Turn to the in-depth section to read about the impacts of participating in a foreign exchange program and the experiences of students who have (pg. 10).

Flip to the sports section to read about three students who play the unique sport of squash (pg. 14) and a recap of the first few football games our teams have had this season (pg. 14).

Here’s to hoping we have another great year—for us editors at the Epic, of course, but also to all our readers, new or otherwise.

Happy Reading, Shreyas Iyer and Jessica Luo

tablishments were open, it’d have been a much better celebration.

“Watching everything being developed is fun. There’s kind of like this slow excitement to it, and I can’t wait until this opens. I guess that we’ll just have to wait to see what that looks like,” said Philz Coffee Store Leader Billy Streeter.

“We’re still pretty close to the residential [area], but it’s good to be in the epicenter of town, where things are happening.

I think that [Philz] being part of Main Street Cupertino is going to be good for business. I’m excited about it.”

Main Street also offers 260,000 square feet of office space in two four-story buildings. Current tenants include companies like Apple, STX Entertainment and Cinarra. The Lofts at Main Street, which provides 120-unit market rate apartments in a four-story building, will open in fall 2017. An 180room Residence Inn Marriott hotel is being planned to open at Main Street in spring 2017. Visitors to Apple and other tech companies in the area stay in other cities because of the scarcity of hotels in Cupertino, so the hope is that this new hotel will help Cupertino keep up with the demand for hotel rooms and give visitors an opportunity to stay and experience the city.

To help with increased traffic, a new parking garage has been built, with five stories above-ground and two levels underground. There will also be underground parking for the Lofts, housed underneath the apartments and separately from the main parking garage to try to keep traffic at a minimum.

With its downtown atmosphere and variety of restaurants, retail, office and apartment space, Main Street Cupertino has much to offer to the surrounding community. The Grand Opening Celebration has only given a small look into what Main Street will mean to the city of Cupertino.

Pritchard takes the stage

BY JUSTINE CHEN

Letter from the Editors

Rice participated in a charity football toss with three winners chosen from a drawing of residents who had donated to the Cupertino Educational Endowment Fund, which supports educational programs in the Cupertino Union School District. Residents could also watch performances by stilt walkers and participate in activities such as hula hooping and balloon twisting.

Throughout the day, the Cupertino High School marching band, the Lokahi Polynesian Dance Group, Shaolin Kung Fu and the Elements band performed in the Town Square. The Mobile Secret Word Hunt organized by the radio station Mix 106.5 gave community members the opportunity to win an $800 “Experience Main Street” grand prize, and the Taste of Main Street event allowed Main Street restaurants to provide visitors with samples of their food.

“So far, it looks really nice here, with a lot of new restaurants coming into the area.

I’m just glad to know that they’ve got something to somewhat replace Vallco in a way,” said former Lynbrook alumnus Michelle Francia Helms, Class of 1992. “I like that whole idea that it is open, and I like the way the buildings are constructed where Alexander’s Steakhouse is.”

Main Street’s biggest attraction is its 130,500 square feet of retail, including many restaurants and stores that are not found elsewhere in the area. Despite already having Alexander’s Steakhouse, Capezio, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, LYFE Kitchen, Oren’s Hummus Shop, Pieology and Tea Chansii, construction on Main Street is ongoing, with places stores like Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle, AT&T and Target Express to come. “[The Grand Opening Celebration was] pretty cool. I saw a lot of performances; for example, I’m pretty sure Cupertino High School’s marching band was there. That was interesting, but I was disappointed that a lot of construction is still going on,” said sophomore Jeff Liu. “A lot of stores, like Target, are not open. I feel like if more es-

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n Sept. 21, in an event hosted by ASB Recognition, nationally acclaimed motivational speaker Michael Pritchard addressed and educated Lynbrook students on how to create a positive change for themselves and the school community.

Pritchard inspires youth and adults through anti-bullying programs, guidance speeches and educational films. His initial career on the Hollywood comedy stage included guest appearances on the Emmy-Award winning show “Taxi” and working with celebrated comedians such as Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld and Whoopi Goldberg. Despite his success and fame in the acting industry, Pritchard chose to use his comic talents to empower others. Pritchard joked with the audience and performed different sound effects to ease them into a more serious discussion. Praised for using humor to educate, Pritchard teaches audiences character building, emotional intelligence and violence prevention, inciting motivation and leadership in both youth and adults to improve their surrounding environments.

This event’s focus was “Dealing with Pressures and Stress,” and it explored how students pressure themselves and how to combat these pressures. Pritchard has previously spoken to students at Miller Middle School, and many Lynbrook students are familiar with his speeches. ASB hoped students would gain awareness and sensitivity from the assembly.

“We wanted to invite a motivational speaker to Lynbrook this year to help start off the school year with a strong mentality and inspire our students,” said ASB Recogni-

tion head and junior Lilian Chen.

Pritchard helps students deal with pressure and bullying and instructs them on the correct way to treat their peers. Defining pressure and bullying as the negative effects others may have on one’s well-being, he preaches a lifestyle of positivity. Pritchard strongly encouraged students to embrace one another’s differences.

“What’s important for us is to nip [pressure] in the bud in the very early stages and be able to express our sorrows. Like the little boy said, ‘Don’t let your sad turn to mad or then it all turns bad,’” said Pritchard during the assembly, quoting a young man who gave him advice during a prior presentation.

Numerous students volunteered to share personal experiences and advice on how to combat pressure and bullying with the audience. By cracking jokes, Pritchard let students feel more comfortable in sharing, therefore allowing students to empathize with their classmates’ struggles.

“I definitely [learned] that I wasn’t alone,” said senior Eric Lin, who spoke during the assembly. “I now know that are awith me on this and that they also feel the same way.”

The main message Pritchard wanted to get across to students is the importance in self-love and “being your own best friend.”

He wanted each student to be compassionate toward themselves and others to create a positive change in the community.

“The most powerful gift is to love and believe in yourself. On the road of life, you only have one constant companion,” said Pritchard, quoting his motto. “Make sure you become good company for yourself. Be a person who encourages yourself. Be driven and be the driver.”

MICHYLA LIN — EPIC

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT// Pritchard asks students about their experiences.

MICHYLA LIN — EPIC

LIGHTENING THE MOOD// Pritchard makes jokes to relate to the students.

MICHYLA LIN — EPIC

ADDRESSING THE CROWD// Pritchard speaks to crowd about bullying and stress.

News in Brief

FUHSD Marching Band Expo The FUHSD Marching Band Expo will take place on Oct. 1 at the Homestead High School stadium. Lynbrook’s preformance starts at 8:55 p.m., so don’t miss out! Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID. Tournament of the Bands The 46th Annual Cupertino Tournament of the Bands is Oct. 8 at the Cupertino High School stadium. The day will include a parade, concessions, the competition and more. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

Homecoming Game Cheer on the Vikings at the Homecoming game on Oct. 7 against Cupertino High School! The JV game is at 4:30p.m. and the varsity game starts at 7p.m. Go Vikes!

Little Italy Street Festival The first Little Italy San Jose Street Festival is Saturday, Oct. 2 from 11a.m. to 8p.m.!

Walk around Little Italy, and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy. There will be local bands and information about the future Italina Museum and Culture Center. Admission is free, but get your tickets before they sell out!

PTSA Reflections Remember to turn in your PTSA Reflections entry before Oct. 11. This year’s theme is ‘What’s Your Story?’. Don’t miss this chance to express your creativity and see your work shine!

by Mehek Kapur

Walia’s team qualifies to World Robotic Olympiad

BY HSINYEN HUANG

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ophomore Nikash Walia’s robotics team, Ingenious Inventors, won the Regular Junior High Division at the United States National Championships of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), which was held on Sept. 4 at Northern Illinois University. He will be advancing to the World Championship held in New Delhi, India, which takes place between Nov. 25-27.

The ultimate aim of competitive robotics is to design a robot that can effectively solve a given challenge. Robotics also strives to promote valuable skills such as teamwork, programming, operating machines and effective communication. Competition judges give points based on the efficiency of the robot as it performs different tasks, and teams are ranked by their best score in a round.

Ingenious Inventors competed in the Regular category and were assigned to design a robot that could solve a variety of different problems such as collecting and sorting objects. Scores are based off of a rubric that is designed to evaluate the robot, with 100 points being the best score. Walia’s team scored 75 points in the first round, 95 points in the second round, and 100 points in the third round to win the championship.

Other categories of competition include the Open category, WRO Football and the Advanced Robotics Challenge. Participants in the Open category must design a robot that solves a problem pertaining to the current theme of the competition. This year’s theme, “Rap the Scrap”, places an emphasis on managing waste. In WRO Football, teams program a pair of autonomous robots to play soccer against other teams. The Advanced Robotics Challenge allows older,

more experienced students to continue pursuing competitive robotics.

Walia first found out about robotics through his computer science teacher in sixth grade and began competing in WRO that year. His passion for information technology and computer science motivated him to continue pursuing robotics as a hobby.

“I’d say that I am a little bit of a perfectionist, so I like to get as close to perfection as possible,” said Walia. “This is something that I see in robotics. In robotics, everything is objective and at face value and that’s something I really value in my life.”

Aside from participating in robotics competitively, Walia also coaches two teams of elementary and middle school children. Both of these teams went to the National Championships with him as well, competing in the Regular Category as well. One of the teams he coaches, Ingenious Explorers, won the Regular Elementary category.

within Lynbrook.

As a parent of two children currently enrolled in Lynbrook and Miller Middle School, Yuan believes that her experience through involvement in the Student Site Council (SSC), the Parent Te a c h e r Student Association (PTSA), management of Teacher App re c i a t i o n Day and the Chinese New Year celebration create a strong base for a potential leader. Yuan believes that a board member should be easy-going and easy to communicate with.

“If the FUHSD board has a member that deeply understands the parents’ and students’ concerns and expectations, we will definitely have a better Board.” said Yuan.

Yuan was actively involved with the cell tower issue, where she gained information on thoughts of the board members and concerns of the parents.

Through this experience, she was able to see herself as a communicator between the two. As for Yuan’s plan, she believes in increased t ra n s p a re n c y between the board and the community.

“I know what the district and the parents think, so we must communicate and understand others’ opinions,” said Yuan. “I will communicate with the community members and parents on important and urgent issues and everyone should have access to reach me so they can express their opinions. If the FUHSD board has a member that deeply understands the parents’ and students’ concerns and expectations, we will definitely have a better Board.”

Rocklin has taught at Lynbrook for the past 11 years and believes that his previous experiences as a parent enable him to connect more with voters and the board. In the early 1990s, he was involved with West Valley Elementary’s walkathon and Homestead High School’s debate team and marching band.

Rocklin believes that these prior involvements give him the necessary amount of experience with community activities as well as community members.

“I have experience working in the [tech] industry for 25 years and I have an idea of the skills needed to succeed

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NOELA BAE

“I didn’t want other people to face the challenges I had [with finding good coaching], because I felt like they would get scared away from robotics,”said Walia. “It’s this feeling of hopelessness I didn’t want [the kids I coach] to feel.”

Walia and his team are striving for top four at the World Championships. They are planning to tackle some of the anomalies in their robot that caused it to malfunction at the National Championships. Furthermore, he plans to continue coaching in hopes of getting more kids interested and involved in robotics.

“I want to be there to guide [kids] and help them get along with what they do,” said Walia. “As for the competition, since we were already scoring 100, now the goal is to increase the efficiency of our robot even more.

Our goal is to make the programming suit the robot better, [and’ to make sure we can push the robot to its limits without pushing it over them.”

Active FUHSD members run for school board

BY MEERA BALAJI

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n Nov. 8, the election for the FUHSD Board of Trustees will be held to replace Nancy Newton, a member of the board who will be retiring this November, and an open position currently held by Jeff Moe, who will be running for his second term. For the past three months, Lynbrook teacher Roy Rocklin, incumbent board member Jeff Moe* and community member Jenny Yuan have been campaigning to secure their spot in one of those positions.

The FUHSD Board of Trustees makes decisions for all high schools in the district, mainly working to create policies that solve pressing issues in the district’s high schools. The Board’s decisions affect the lives of many in the Lynbrook and FUHSD area, the most recent controversy being the boundary change in January. The boundary change discussion sparked petitions and an open meeting involving over 200 community members.

All three candidates have been actively involved with Lynbrook and the community, with Rocklin volunteering at West Valley Elementary and Yuan’s parent involvement

there, along with being a parent of two children who graduated from Homestead High School,” said Rocklin. “I feel like that is a good combination of experience that would make me a good candidate.”

As a teacher, he’s been able to experience a connection with his students, but forming that same connection with voters has proved to be a far more difficult task.

“In campaigning, you mostly deal with big pictures and using a few anecdotes or facts to support that bigger picture because you don’t have the voter’s attention that much,” said Rocklin. “In the classroom, you have your students’ attention quite a bit, and you can go into detail about the issues involved.”

In and out of the classroom, Rocklin believes that his background as a Bay Area parent and teacher create a solid foundation for him to build his campaign off of, qualifying him for the position.

“The board should continue in doing what it does, and making decisions based on fact and reason, and that we here at Lynbrook are an open and welcoming community,” said Rocklin. *Jeff Moe was unavailable to be contacted.

Kaepernick kneels to protest oppression The 49ers quarterback employs constitutional rights to object racial violence

BY NOELA BAE

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olin Kaepernick, the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers football team, chose to sit during the national anthem of a preseason game on Aug. 26 to protest the brutality that AfricanAmericans face in America. Kaepernick’s protest induced controversy because critics believed he was disrespecting veterans; however, Kaepernick was simply exercising his constitutional right of free speech while spurring national discussion regarding the sustained and critical issue of racial injustice.

As a biracial man with African-American and Caucasian roots, Kaepernick felt the need to address the issue of how AfricanAmericans are treated in America. Though Kaepernick had not spoken out about this issue previously, his statement made it clear that he could no longer remain silent in a country in which black people are unlawfully shot by white policemen. He followed up his statement on Sept. 1 when he decided to kneel during the national anthem of another preseason game.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” said Kaepernick.

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick’s protests parallel the sports tradition of nonviolent activism, such as sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s black power salute at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968 and basketball prodigy Mahmoud AbdulRauf’s refusal to stand during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner in 1966. While Smith, Carlos

and Rauf were praised at the time for their activism, Kaepernick, 48 years later, is being belittled and disrespected as being unpatriotic for the same form of nonviolent activism.

Many critics insist that Kaepernick’s actions reflect utter disrespect for veterans, soldiers and other Americans who serve the U.S., though Kaepernick has been protesting with only good intent. His choice to sit down was only a means of bringing attention to the pressing issue of black oppression, not to disrespect any Americans or veterans.

“I realize that [those] of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put themselves in harm’s way for my freedom of speech, and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee,” Kaepernick said. “So I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.”

In fact, veter- ans have been accepting and supportive of Kaepernick’s movement.

The hashtag #veteransforkaepernick has been trending on social media as an acknowledgement of Kaepernick’s right to protest and acclamation for his speaking out against oppression.

T h i s overwh e l m ing support on social media shows that veterans recognize Kaepernick’s actions not as a

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MICHYLA LIN

CLAIRE CHIANG//IN MY OPINION

Self-Diagnosis Steps

I

was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Choreoathetosis in fifth grade, although I remember having had it since second grade. It wasn’t until I started falling in school hallways and fainting spontaneously that my parents and I realized that something was seriously wrong. As a clueless second grader, I had overlooked my symptoms, since the Internet told me that they were common and harmless. It took a referral to

a pediatric neurologist, several electrocardiogram (EKG) tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, weekly blood tests and finally prescription medication to accurately determine and diagnosis my condition. Even after I was diagnosed, I still experienced several muscle paralysis episodes. It took many blood tests, close electrolyte monitoring and different prescription medications for me to finally keep my condition under control and not let it be life-threatening. In my case, my own self-diagnosis or lack thereof kept me from seeing a trained medical professional who ultimately, through careful and detailed methods, properly diagnosed me.

I remember opening an issue of Reader’s Digest to the cover story of “Silent Signs Your Body is in Big Trouble” (September 2015).

One trouble was cancer, and one of its signs was being too tired to get through the day without a nap. As someone who needs a never ending amount of sleep and takes naps regularly, I thought for a split second that I might have cancer before realizing how absurd I was being. Silly me, trying to diagnose

protest of the military but rather a protest of the mistreatment of minorities in America.

“I salute Colin Kaepernick,” said former governor of Minnesota and naval veteran Jesse Ventura. “I fully support him. That’s why I served my country. So that you have the freedom to protest. If we don’t like protesting, what’s next? I don’t have to agree with him, but I’ll still respect his right to do it, and everyone should respect that. I salute Colin Kaepernick for having courage. Whether I agree with him or not is irrelevant.”

Ventura underscores that one does not have to agree with Kaepernick. Disagreement, however, does not equate to condemnation. Kaepernick deserves respect for courageously exercising his right to speak freely.

“I’m paid to ensure the Constitution of the United States remains in force to define the powers and limits of government to ensure the people are secure in their freedoms and liberties,” said U.S. Army colonel Daniel Markert, father of senior Casey Markert.

“Free to protest, free to play football, free to cheer, free to change the channel.”

Kaepernick does not deserve nearly as much criticism as he has received, but the amount of backlash and disparagement Kaepernick has been receiving has been overwhelming. Not only has Kaepernick potentially self-immolated his career and reputation to address oppression in America, he has also brought attention to this pressing issue on a national level. Kaepernick knew that other forms of communication such as tweeting would not have had the same impact as sitting down during the national anthem. As a well known football player, he took the chance to address an issue that has been undermining the unity of America.

“I don’t think that [Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem] is disrespectful. He quoted that he would not stand up for a flag that oppresses people of color, which is something that I 100 percent agree with,” said junior Garrett Riley, a Lynbrook football player. “He is trying to make a change for something he strongly believes in, so it’s not disrespect for the veterans who fight; it’s him trying to make a point across in one of the biggest platforms of the NFL.” Kaepernick’s actions have also started a movement of protest against the oppression of minorities in America. He may have misled veterans, soldiers and other citizens of the U.S. for allegedly disrespecting our country, but by initiating a national debate in overcoming the oppression that colored people face in America, Kaepernick has proven himself to be a true American patriot. myself through some magazine.

Online health sites and magazines often publish articles that mention vague health symptoms prevalent in many people and tend to attribute these to some extreme, life threatening disease. Some guides may even say that just having one of the mentioned causes puts you at risk for the accompanying disease. That is rarely the case, as one sign can pertain to multiple diseases or could lead to a completely different disease. Certain brain tumors present themselves psychiatrically as mood swings or depression, leading people to think that they have a major depression or anxiety instead of a brain tumor. Instead, a variety of indicators and multiple tests are required to fully and accurately diagnose a certain condition.

Typing in “do I have...” to Google leads to autofill searches such as diabetes, ADHD, anxiety, and many more equally or more serious results. As the internet has become such a widespread part of our lives today, it seems normal to easily diagnose yourself by googling your symptoms. Yes, it is time-

INFOGRAPHIC BY CATHERINE HUANG AND JESSICA LI

saving and free. But it isn’t smart--people dedicate their lives to create clinics and hospitals that can easily and accurately diagnose patients for a reason. The time and effort that you save getting a proper diagnosis and medication instead of trying out all sorts of over-the-counter medications and different home remedies for a disease you may not even have will be well worth that extra trip to the doctor and $20 copay. If you feel ill in any way or uncomfortable, it’s completely normal to do your fair share of research based on the internet’s resources or think you have something or another based on an article that you read on a whim. That’s not enough, however, to sentence yourself to death and misery. In addition, if you have already diagnosed yourself with a certain disorder or illness, you may mislead a physician when you go get it checked out. It’s only enough if a doctor can confirm that certain symptoms are harmful. After all, people don’t spend thousands of dollars on medical school only to be outsmarted by the Internet and noncertified physicians.

Youtube policies spark controversy

BY ERIC WU

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n Aug. 31, Youtube producers who create videos covering a wide range of topics were all dealt an unexpected blow from Youtube. All channels that contained videos featuring excessive cussing, sexual material and controversial topics, among others, were notified that their videos had been demonetized, meaning that producers could no longer make money off of advertisements. These claims, however, can be appealed and certain videos potentially monetized again.

Though this may be perceived as an unreasonable action and a form of censorship on Youtube’s part, Youtube is simply refusing to support certain content, which is in no way a violation of their rights as a private enterprise.

Many channel owners expressed outrage and disbelief at the sudden and unexpected enforcement of Youtube’s policies. Youtube star Philip DeFranco, a 10-year veteran on the platform with a cumulative count of 6.5 million subscribers and 2 billion views, was especially vocal about the issue affecting all of his channels after at least 12 of his videos were demonetized.

In a recent video, he explained that the flagged videos were deemed not advertiser-friendly for containing “graphic content or excessive strong language.”

DeFranco’s videos often cover news regarding controversial topics, and they contain frequent cursing. For youtubers like DeFranco, creating content and publicly posting such content is their job and primary source of income. Though the demonetization of these videos may seem like Youtube is taking away from youtuber’s earnings, it is a fair action as Yout u b e

does not necessarily have to pay those who utilise its own services, nor change its rules and policies to meet desires of its users.

Despite their loss in revenue, youtubers’ main issue with the policy change lies within Youtube’s supposed censorship. Videos which violate Youtube’s community guidelines can still be uploaded, but by removing ads from those specific videos, Youtube no longer supports their videos, which some consider to be a form of censorship.

“By taking away monetization, [Youtube is practicing] a form of censorship,” said DeFranco in a video discussing the policy changes. “If you do this on the regular and you have no advertising, it’s not sustainable.”

The difference between censorship and business, however, is clearer to others.

“I don’t think what Youtube is doing is censorship,” said senior Subhodeep Battacharya, who follows various popular channels on Youtube. “Censorship would be if they took down videos they don’t like, but they don’t.

They just make it harder for them to be made by not supporting them.”

Furthermore, this is not a new change in policies: the policies deciding what qualified as advertiser-friendly were already in place and Youtube has demonetized videos before.

“The change they implemented was not a policy change but an improved system of notification and appeal for the content creators,” said Battacharya. “This is important because content creators who make a living from [making videos] should know [if] they are making money from their work.”

Nevertheless, the current system does contain many flaws that should be looked into. Steven Williams, more commonly known under the channel name Boogie2988, is a youtuber who posts videos discussing ways to deal with suicidal thoughts and suicide prevention. Since the enforcement of these policies, several of his videos have been demonetized due

to their sensitive content. The videos that Williams makes, as well as those created by other users, are part of what makes Youtube such a valuable resource on the internet. They can hardly be compared to the likes of those created by people who upload offensive content, but both can be considered in violation of the policies and therefore demonetized.

“Their guidelines about what is inappropriate aren’t very clear,” said junior Vidushi Somani, who has been creating her own Youtube videos for several years. “They were vague and used words like ‘not limited to’, so they can just make up [guidelines that weren’t specified] and say that it is inappropriate.”

Having created content and posted it on Youtube herself, Somani understands the youtubers’ plight with indefinite guidelines. By not clarifying their guidelines, Youtube is making it hard for users to create new content when it isn’t clear whether or not they will be demonetized for something that they might not consider as crossing the line.

Though these videos can be appealed, such cases certainly reveal flaws that need to be addressed. Unclear guidelines and removal of helpful content are issues that should be revised immediately.

It is understandable that many dedicated youtubers are unhappy about facing adverse consequences due to the new enforcement of polices. But instead of crying censorship, they need to recognize that this can be fixed or changed to better benefit their needs through their input and cooperation, not through incessant complaining. Specification of exactly how much profanity, sexual content and controversial and sensitive material is considered too much would be a big step forward by Youtube in the communication department.

PHOTO BY SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY | GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC WU

AURELIA YANG//IN MY OPINION

Be yourself: sincerity over authenicity

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iving in a society where “being yourself” is the defining advice for worldly success, it’s easy to overlook the true definition of the popular catchphrase and assume that the authentic you is always the best you. It is evident that we all want to live authentic lives, find an authentic partner, and work with authentic colleagues, but we often forget the true meaning of being “authentic” and carelessly assume that authenticity is always the best way to go.

As motivational speaker Brené Brown said, authenticity is “the choice to let our true selves be seen,” but even that definition is ambiguous. The question lies in whether or not it is always appropriate to “be yourself” -- which, coming from personal experience, I can assure you definitely isn’t the case.

Let me be “authentic” for a moment here: nobody wants to see your true self, despite what they might tell you. We all have thoughts and opinions that we perceive to be important but, are better left not spoken.

Think about the classic example of a girlfriend asking her boyfriend if a dress makes her look fat. Despite the cheesy expectation of the boy to immediately say “no,” this generic scenario does make a good point -there is a fine line between being authentic and being socially distasteful.

Personally, I never really knew where to draw the line. If one of my friends dyed her hair a color that I didn’t find particularly appealing and asked for my opinion on it, I would compliment her and later feel guilty about not being completely honest.

The same principle also applies the other way around. I recall one of my friends honestly commenting on the way I wore my hair to school one day, telling me that it looked “weird and messy,” which, surprisingly, bothered me to an unexpected extent. Although I preferred an honest answer, hearing someone tell me something I specifically didn’t want to hear really took a mental toll on me, and I spent the rest of the day feeling self-conscious about my hair.

Growing up, we were all taught the rule that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, but we were also taught to always tell the truth. So, which of the two are we expected to follow?

Throughout my sixteen years of learning to balance authenticity with social societal expectations, I have come to the realization that there is no defined “right way” to act. Some of what we say will always be too much for others, and that’s perfectly okay. The key to maintaining the perfect balance is never to impress at the expense of honesty.

So, to answer the question above, the conclusion is to find a medium. Instead of seeking to be our “authentic” selves and then making great efforts to express them, we should pay attention to how we present ourselves to others and then strive to be the person we claim to be -- a word I like to call “sincerity.”

Sincerity is defined as pure thought — being who you are, not who you think you are. To be sincere is to mean what you say. In other words, don’t go around lying to people to tell them what they want to hear. Instead, try to find another angle that you’re genuinely fond of and compliment from there.

So the next time someone advises you to just “be yourself,” don’t be afraid to set them straight. Realize that it’s not what you say to others; it’s the manner in which you say it that truly matters.

Anti-BDS bill enforces political views on businesses

BY DIVYA NELAKONDA

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t the end of August, the California State Assembly passed the political standpoint.

Although an individual or business Anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (Anti-BDS) bill with 69-1 may be entitled to choose who they do in favor. It has been sent to Gover- business with based on their political nor Jerry Brown who will determine interest, the same cannot be said about a governing body. It would be extending whether or not to sign it into law.

The Anti-BDS bill states that the their rights to the point where the govCalifornia state legislature will dis- ernment’s transactions are determined continue taxpayer support to individ- purely on a single political position that may not be agreed uals or compaon by all citizens. nies that engage They are deciding in discriminaIN THIS SPECIFIC SITUApolitical opinions tory actions, of businesses, and even those that TION REGARDING ISRAEL, punishing them may be permisTHESE BOYCOTTS SERVE AS for disagreeing. In sible under the A SPEECH ACT FOR PEACE IN states such as New first amendment.

Jersey, similar AntiThese actions THE WORLD, WHICH MEANS BDS bills are being mainly pertain, THESE BOYCOTTS HAVE A approved, and state though not exclusively, to the boyMORAL CAUSE AND SHOULD governments are refusing to invest cott of the State BE PROTECTED.” in businesses which of Israel. Due NISARG SHAH participate in boyto the ongoing SENIOR cott because of poconflict between litical outlook.

Israelis and PalIn Perry v. Sinestinians, some Americans want to discourage Israeli dermann, professor Robert Sindermann, publicly criticized the Odessa Junior Colactions by boycotting.

The Anti-BDS bill gives the Califor- lege’s administration. When informed of nia state government rights to make his criticism, the college chose not to rechoices that infringe on an individu- hire him, leading Sindermann to accuse al’s basic human rights. By refusing the school or denying his first amendto support businesses that boycott Is- ment rights. Sindermann, accused the rael, the government is making it ac- school of denying his first amendment ceptable to essentially penalize busi- rights and the court ruled that the govnesses based on their political views. ernment could not deny one benefits No matter what one’s view on the due to their opinion.

This ought to be considered in regard war or BDS is, one should know the government should not be allowed to the Anti-BDS bill, the government is to dictate what political view is right not allowed to deny support or refuse or wrong and manipulate businesses’ investment in a company because of its

political standing. The government and its citizens do not holistically share the same rights since they must be distinguishable from one another. Ultimately, the government passed the Anti-BDS legislation for their own benefit.

“This bill will decrease the freedom companies have. It would make a statement about the views the US government has on the way people express their opinions and political views,” said sophomore Selina Li. “The passing of the Anti-BDS bill is a way to control what people are allowed to think or act.”

The bill justifies the government’s right to punish businesses which boycott the Israeli government by claiming antidiscriminatory purposes. Yet, by passing this legislation, the government is essentially permitting the discrimination of businesses based on political opinion, the same consequence that the bill was initially intended to prevent. Though it is infeasible to rid each individual of biases, a fair governing body should not should not have the same biases and pass policies that discriminate against the people they govern. Having a government with a unified political view is not the right way to overcome prejudice, instead expression of political perspective must be allowed, be it boycott or protest. People must be allowed to use

these forms of expression to draw attention to inequality going unnoticed. “[The government should] not restrict their political statements, as long as their intentions are benevolent. Since they are trying to encourage peace in regions near and in Israel, there intentions are innocent and not discriminatory” said senior Nisarg Shah. “In this specific situation regarding Israel, these boycotts serve as a speech act for peace in the world, which means these boycotts have a moral cause and should be protected.”

By passing the Anti-BDS bill, the California government is expressing its willingness to threaten its own people’s rights of expression simply because of an individual’s political beliefs.

Businesses should be the ones making decisions regarding their involvement with certain entities, instead of the government determining citizens’ affiliation based on its own diverging political views. It would be pushing Californians to conform to a single political position rather than promoting the expression of ideas that are right and wrong, insinuating that only the government’s stance on controversial issues is correct.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OPINION SECTION

Inaccurate representation in Homecoming Court

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omecoming Court is an annual tradition at Lynbrook meant to recognize those who have actively contributed to their class’ homecoming preparations, whether they are involved in dance, decorations, skit or backdrop. Surveys are sent out a few weeks prior to homecoming week to their respective classes in order to determine who is on Homecoming Court. The recent Homecoming Court survey, however, suggests that the voting system for nominees may not be the most effective way of honoring those who deserve recognition the most.

The survey appears to be a flawed process in which the majority of the student body who nominate candidates are not actively involved in homecoming themselves; therefore, they do not have the proper amount of knowledge needed to nominate homecoming court candidates. By making a few changes to the current voting system, the nomination survey can better recognize those who deserve to be recognized.

Nominations for the Homecoming Court should be based on dedication and participation toward homecoming, yet a few of the nominees for Homecoming Court this year and in previous years have included students who have contributed little or nothing at all to homecoming rather than those who merit recognition. Because other acknowledgement opportunities such as Viking Recognition exist to recognize year round class

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic participants and volunteers, the nomination process for Homecoming should focus solely on Homecoming itself.

Class officers as well as others who actively participate in Homecoming activities have voiced concerns over students going unrecognized due to the voting system being based off of the class’ limited knowledge of homecoming.

“There are people who have done so much for homecoming and people might not think to nominate them because the first people that come to their mind [...]

would be class officers,” said senior class president David Lee. “I think the whole system isn’t fair, [and] it doesn’t represent [homecoming court] accurately.”

A main cause for this disparity in recognition is that a large part of each class does not go to regular homecoming meetings, and students who do not see the behindthe-scenes work would not truly understand how much certain students sacrifice for homecoming.

Though handfuls of students offer copious amounts of time and effort, they generally go largely unrecognized because only GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY HEDY ZHOU the minority of students who

regularly attend meetings are aware of their dedication.

“There are lots of people whose names aren’t really known but they’re putting in so much work and so much time and really it’s completely voluntary,” said senior Kyle Chang. “Should they choose to they don’t need to do anything at all for our class and without those keystone people we would be [in trouble] because they are contributing so much.”

To ensure more accurate results from the voting system, nominees should be chosen by people who actively participate in homecoming-related activities. For example, they should be chosen by students who regularly attend homecoming meetings and practices.

This solution would be reinforced with sign in sheets at each practice and meetings so that officers could create a custom list of people who are knowledgeable of how much other students have contributed to homecoming. After the students from this custom list have voted for their nominees, then, to incorporate the voice of all the students, the entire student body should vote from the predetermined pool of nominees for Homecoming Court. This system would ensure that those who deserve to be nominated will be and that nominations based off limited knowledge of the class’s homecoming process will not interfere with the Homecoming Court’s integrity.

First ever all mens’ choir fully assembles

SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY—EPIC

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s the mixed vocals harmonize together as one, choir teacher Crystal Isola praises her first ever all men’s choir.

This year, Lynbrook music is introducing a new choir that consists of eleven male students and focuses on a variety of songs from a cappella to pop.

“I’m super excited for this year because I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” said Isola. “This is my first choir with all boys and it’s an all new palette of voices.”

The men’s choir was created when Isola realized that there was an abundance of males in the advanced jazz group for the first time and she noticed the opportunity to create an all men’s choir. Singers from the concert choir were recruited by Isola and some of those members selected people for the choir themselves, introducing people from different musical backgrounds. To be a part of the men’s choir, singers must demonstrate the ability to read and understand music and work well both in a group and independently.

“The feel is very different in an all boys’ choir compared to a choir with both genders,” said senior Nick Lui, who has been a part of choir for seven years. “This is the smallest group I’ve been in and we’re definitely tighter as a choir. I feel like we connect and understand each other more, and since this is a small class, we get more individualized attention.”

Currently, the choir is working on the “Songs America Voted By” concert, which will be held on Oct. 13 with the four other choirs. It will feature campaign songs from presidencies throughout the years, and the singers have been researching the history of the songs in the form of projects. They are annotating the songs and are making posters to help the attendees of the concert understand the context and lyrics of the songs.

“I wanted to do a cross-departmental collaboration and combine history and music,” Isola said. “I hope they learn some history and classic American songs that people really knew at one point in time.”

Apart from helping her students understand the meaning of the songs, Isola is also planning the concert itself.

“This concert is going to be wonderful,” said Isola. “It will be really fun because the concert combines American history with music just beautifully.”

The choir will attend also events such as jazz festivals and rotary clubs in the future to perform and demonstrate their skills. Isola is also planning to invite the president of the San Jose State University’s men’s a cappella group, Pitch! Please, and Lynbrook alumni, Kevin Schoenfeld, to visit and hold workshops to help the men improve on their skills.

“I’m really looking forward to this year,” said Lui. “We’re definitely learning more in terms of the context of the songs and I think we’re really growing as a class.”

perience. Sometimes you sing in a group and sometimes you sing solo but it’s always an unique performance opportunity. Sometimes you get to go to cool places too!

WILLIAM GUO—EPIC

BY JOCY HE

A musical talk Epic staff writer Jocy He talks to sophomore Kevin Li (left) and junior Andy Chun (right) about their experiences in the new men’s choir and their interest in music.

Jocy He: What are you most excited about for this year?

Kevin Li: I’m super excited for the concerts.

In a few weeks, we will be doing the “Songs America Voted By,” which is us singing a bunch of election songs. I’m pretty excited about that.

Andy Chun: I’m most excited for all of the concerts we’ll sing in.

JH: What do you like the most about singing in general?

KL: I think it’s the music because throughout my life, I’ve always been deeply involved in music whether it be piano, or singing, or actually making the music.

AC: I like singing because it’s an unique ex-

JH: What do you like to do in your free time?

KL: I like making electronic music, but it’s nothing serious yet!

AC: I play the guitar and I’m also an officer for robotics.

JH: Is there anything different between choir last year and this year? Which one do you like more?

KL: Last year I took A choir, which had more people than men’s choir. I think this year will give us a more personal connection between the teacher and the students because Ms. Isola can give us more advice. I like this year more because it’s just bunch of guys with similar interests.

AC: From a group perspective, this year has a wider grade range of students than A choir.

It’s also more individual-oriented, so we get to focus on everything more. We really get to hammer in what we learn.

JH: What does a day in boys’ choir generally look like?

AC: We start with warm-ups and go over music we’re learning. Sometimes she sends us off for sectionals and then the next day, we go over the piece we practiced as a group.

How to find time in school to catch up on sleep

BY ALEX XU

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t shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that many students at Lynbrook don’t get enough sleep during the school year. Between grueling schoolwork and a plethora of extracurricular activities, students have trying schedules and must forego sleep as a tradeoff for academic success. To ensure as much rest as possible, here are a couple tips to help you get the most sleep out of your school day.

1. Use tutorials, lunch and brunch wisely Basic math indicates that we have around 95 minutes of independent time on tutorial days, or an hour on days without. As it turns out, that is more than enough time when it comes to resting. While brunch may not necessarily provide an optimal amount of time for napping, there is no excuse not to make use of the larger break periods to rest up and refresh yourself. Even if club meetings or other obligations cost you some breaks, a couple of naps during the school week can really make a difference and add precious hours to your daily sleep.

2. Speed through tests Understandably, teachers allow students plenty of time during tests in order to accommodate all students’ working speeds. A test that takes up most or all of a period, however,

can become a nice sleeping session. While this should only be done if the teacher is fine with students doing independent work after tests and if the test is relatively easy, finishing early can turn into a nice, quiet nap.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX XU

3. Personal vehicles If you belong to the group of lucky juniors and seniors that have a car or have access to a friend’s car, you’re in luck. Turns out that having a private haven to sleep in is quite nice compared to other potential places to sleep. While it may not compare to the library in terms of how spacious or comfortable it is, peace of mind is a worthy tradeoff for a tiny sleeping space. Just make sure that the temperature inside is monitored, as you do not want to wake up in scorching or freezing conditions.

4. The library Odds are you have probably never made full use of the library’s resources. Aside from being a library, a printer, a public computer and a meeting place, the library also features some of the comfiest chairs and sofas in the school, making it a great place to sleep whenever you get the chance, and it is almost always open before, during and after school hours. Make sure you wake up on time, however, and that you respect the librarians and other students.

Circle of Gifts

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y parents grew up in a rural town in India. And by rural, I mean RURAL. My mom’s family had to build a second house because the animals took over the first house. The only way to get there is by airplane, followed by a long road trip and then a long train ride. My parents managed to come to the United States in their late 20’s and brought their traditional Indian beliefs along with them. Naturally, they tried to spread these belief onto us (my brother and I), however, growing up with an exposure to many different cultures caused me to question some of those antiquated beliefs and value others.

Even at a young age, I was able to recognize my parents’ shady antics with money. I am not talking about their finances or anything like that; I’m talking about their use of birthday money and gifts. Birthdays were an exciting time for a young me with friends and family all gathering to bring me a ton of gifts. These gifts, however, weren’t the typical gift-wrapped presents you would expect to see at a birthday parties. You see, Indians generally give you envelopes filled with either cash or gift cards (and you will see why later). All the money I received would go directly into my very own piggy bank which my mom also called her “purse.” That was a weird name for a piggy bank and it didn’t really look like a pig, but what did my little foreign (although I was born in Mountain View) self know right? If I ever asked for the money to buy the latest Pokemon game, I was told that I would have to break the piggy bank and I wouldn’t be able to save “my” birthday money anymore. As I grew up, relatives or family friends would offer me money to take as a gift outside of birthday presents and I would be forced to refuse it. No matter how much I wanted it, my parents did not want to feel obliged to get something for that family later.

The cash went to my parents, and the gift cards, if they were not already, became a part of “The Circle of Gifts”. Once in the cycle, gift cards are passed down from family to family (mainly Indian) until someone finally spends it. To my parents, and apparently many other Indian parents, gift cards are valuable because they can be used as gifts for the next birthday party they are obligated to attend. My parents specifically keep any gift cards they can use for themselves such as Costco (by the way, who even gives a kid a Costco gift card?), Macy’s, JC Penny’s and possibly Target. Any gift cards that I had a liking toward, however, would be stored away until the next time we went to a birthday party.

The deadliest sin anyone could commit was writing a name on the card itself.

I made this mistake one desperate day in hopes of keeping a $50 Toys “R” Us gift card and that plan backfired horribly. The day of my family friend’s birthday party, my mom reached into her cabinet and pulled out the only appropriate gift card, which happened to be that gift card from Toys “R” Us. I suffered a painful berating. But the worst part, I didn’t even get to keep the gift card.

My mom crossed out my name on the gift card and gave it away to the friend anyway.

The day of the birthday went by and many months passed. It eventually came to my now-not-so-anticipated day, my own birthday. The gift cards and cash-filled envelopes flowed in and were subsequently put away, but one gift card stuck out to me for some reason. It was a $50 Toys “R” Us giftcard.

There, on the back of the card, scribbled in a very familiar handwriting was: “This is Shiva’s gift card!”

Sully touches down on the big screen

BY PATRICIA WEI

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m I going to make my connecting flight? Am I going to get to play golf with my friends this afternoon? On Jan. 15, 2009, the passengers of U.S. Airways flight 1549 from New York City, N.Y., to Charlotte, N.C., knew the answer: no.

They were stranded in the middle of the Hudson River and their luggage was still on the Airbus-320, sinking into the water. They sat in lifeboats and stood on the wings of the aircraft, shivering while the waves crashed. This image of a miracle is from “Sully,” Clint Eastwood’s biopic starring Tom Hanks which recounts the story of the most successful water landing in aviation history.

The film is based on true events that happened in January 2009, when Captain Chesley Sullenberger, played by Tom Hanks in the film, and First Officer Jeff Skiles, played by Aaron Eckhart, landed their plane on the Hudson River after both engines lost power due to a collision with a flock of birds. Sully’s fast thinking saved him, his crew and all 155 people onboard. Eastwood approaches

the story with a unique angle by focusing on the aftermath and allowing audiences to see the behind-the-scenes of the successful landing. The movie starts off just a few days after the successful landing, when investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) analyzed Sully’s decisions in the cockpit, and decided whether Sully’s water landing was the best and safest choice.

While the rest of the world celebrates them as heroes, Sully and Skiles fear that the NTSB will view them as frauds for endangering passengers’ lives. While the film is enthralling, the investigation is fictional and is only used to retell the story of the plane landing.

Hanks and Eckhart both displayed excellent acting as they conveyed their characters’ pride and gratitude and their fear that their lives would be drastically changed by the event. This film highlighted not only Sully’s skill, but also the contributions of the people outside of the airplane. In addition to Captain Sully, the air traffic controllers, the Coast Guard and the Red Cross were all depicted as heroes. The film included epic, heartwarming shots of scuba cops jumping out of helicopters to save passengers swimming in the Hudson River and Coast Guard members giving their hats to survivors.

Although the ending of the film is predictable because of its historical reality, every

moment is still captivating. From jerky shots of the pilots trying to control the airplane in the cockpit, to beautiful peaceful-looking stills of New York from 2000 feet up, the actors’ performances and film’s creative shots draw audiences into the story. Perhaps the most touching scene is when Captain Sully stands on the deck of a N.Y. Coast Guard ferry soon after exiting his aircraft and watches the empty Airbus-320 drift on the Hudson River, surrounded by Coast Guard boats and discarded yellow and orange life vests.

The scene exudes peacefulness, showing that all passengers are safely on the ferry boats instead of stuck in the airplane or swimming in the icy water.

Dramatic effects of fiery engines, creative shots from both inside and outside the cockpit and Eastwood’s unique angle of the Miracle on the Hudson makes “Sully” a film that inspires, captivates and leaves viewers in awe and admiration of everyone’s effort. This film is aimed toward an audience of all ages, especially those who want to experience a story about true heroic events and learn about all the people behind them, possibly channeling their inner aviation enthusiast.

market. They will teach members about options for investments such as options, bonds, stocks and strategies used by Wall Street professionals. The officers also want to send members to at least two national stock competitions and more local ones throughout the year, as well as hold intra-school stock competitions and tour local investment firms and hedge funds. They are currently considering

Korean Club This year, the Korean Club is joining Lynbrook’s other language interest clubs such as French Club, Jwapanese Club and Spanish Club. Korean Club is for those interested in learning more about traditional and modern Korean culture. At meetings, the officers plan to teach Korean as well as organize other activities, celebrate some traditional Korean festivals and familiarize students with both the language and culture of Korea.

“We want them to know what Korean culture really is—a lot of them know what K-pop and K-drama is, but not really about traditional culture, so we want to get members interested in that too,” said junior Habin Jung, one of the club’s co-presidents.

The officer team is looking forward to sharing their passion for Korean culture.

JUMP Club JUMP is a new dance club that combines several different styles of dance and teaches them to students. They will also be hosting workshops led by professionals and have showcases to display their work. During the meetings, officers plan to teach members dance through videos by famous choreographers and in person, as well as possible member-led routines, where members teach routines to the rest of the club.

“We want to give members the opportunity to perform and showcase their talent in a supportive environment where everyone has a shared passion for dance.” said senior Eileen Mao, one of the club’s co-presidents.

JUMP plans to incorporate different styles of dance into their routines and performances rather than just having one specific focus so they can allow students to expand their interests and become better dancers.

“We plan to expose members to various dance styles to allow them to grow as dancers and develop persistence.” said senior Bahaar Bhatia, the other co-president of JUMP.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MICHYLA LIN

Introducing Lynbrook’s four new clubs

BY MEHEK KAPUR

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lthough Lynbrook offers a large number of interest, service and competition clubs on campus, it may still be challenging to find the one that fits your needs perfectly. Here are a few of the new clubs that have popped up this year due to student interest on campus.

Cooking Arts Club Cooking Arts club was created after the officers noticed that there weren’t many opportunities at Lynbrook for students interested in cooking. Lynbrook offers only two classes dedicated to culinary fields, giving the cooking arts club a unique focus. They plan to teach members new skills through lectures, demos and workshops and focus on the importance of teamwork, communication and leadership.

“I’m planning on making it a very interest-based club where anyone can join as long as they want to learn how to cook because cooking is such an important life skill,” said sophomore Christine Lee, the club’s president. “Anyone can just drop by, hang out with us, have fun.”

The officers are also considering collaborations with other clubs, such as language clubs, for unique activities including cooking foods related to the cultures of those clubs together. Lee hopes the club will grow quickly, since cooking, to her, is an universal activity that brings people closer.

“Many people have a lot of priorities: SATs, GPAs, college. I think cooking is a hobby they can use to relieve stress and hang out. It’s like a family basically,” said Lee. Business Investment Club The Business Investment Group is a new club dedicated to discovering hedge funds and investments. The club plans on using funds to invest in real life businesses and plan other activities relating to the stock

GRAPHIC II ILLUSTRATION BY KELSEY LU

working with similar investment clubs at Homestead and Harker. ”We really hope when our members leave the club, they’ll have a better understanding of investing,” said senior and president Joshua Soong. “When people think about it, they really think about just stocks, but investing is so much more than that.”

Soong has invested in the stock market for years, as have most of the other officers, and the club’s adviser, Mr. Ellington. Combined, the officers and Mr. Ellington have about thirty years of experience with the stock market.

A taste of San Jose’s new frozen treats

BY MICHYLA LIN

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side from ice and boba, you may be in the mood for some simple ice cream. I recommend checking out Icicles in Willow Glen, which has captured attention on social media for their unique concept of making rolled ice cream from scratch before your eyes. Since the ice cream takes longer to make, I would suggest going when you have an hour or two to spare. I had to wait in line for about 45 minutes before I could order, then an additional 20 minutes for my ice cream to be made. My order was placed aside in a group of orders so that I could see the ice cream making process, though it was not very organized. The ice cream is flattened on the anti griddle then rolled into tubes which are place in the cup. After the ice cream is made, an employee will ask which toppings to add, without additional charge. If you feel like you don’t have enough toppings, you can add even more at the self serve bar.

I got the Mint Oreo Blast with a roasted marshmallow and extra crushed oreos, coming out to be seven dollars. Because the ice cream was in rolled tubes, it turned into a dense block of ice in my mouth. Despite that, I enjoyed the ice cream and the

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any may have seen notifications and posts on Facebook about the opening of the DIY boba bar CreaTeave Cafe, created by the chain cafe Hello Desserts. The Cafe itself is only a part of the Hello Dessert store. The assembly line is self explanatory: simply choose a size, add ice if preferred, then proceed to add whatever you want from the choices of toppings and tea provided.

If it is your first visit, an employee is there to help guide you through the process as well as to give recommendations on how to best use the DIY boba bar. I made a small Jasmine green tea and added grass jelly, white pearls and black pearls for around three dollars total. Aside from what I chose, there were also fruit jellies and popping boba. The advantage to the DIY boba bar is that you can add as many toppings or combinations of tea as you want for an inexpensive price. Though I got a small sized drink, the cup itself was about the size of a large from other boba shops, for a much lower price. The tea is brewed to be very bitter, which you should keep in mind when choosing milk and sugar levels. There are two machines with preset settings to give your preferred amount of milk and sugar. With the

process of making it. The serving is also large, so it won’t be difficult to split between two people -- for a date perhaps?

Overall, Icicles is definitely a great place to visit for a unique experience.

touch of a button, your drink will be complete. I definitely recommend checking out the DIY boba bar with friends.

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f you’re looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth without overloading on sugar, Meet Fresh is the place to go. Located in the newly renovated Main Street Cupertino, Meet Fresh is only the second location of the Taiwanese dessert chain in the U.S. Be aware of the fact there is only one cash register, but there are menus available for those in line to browse. The menu consists of very traditional Taiwanese treats and drinks, such as sweet tofu or shaved ice with various toppings like azuki red beans, mung beans or sweet potatoes, all of which are healthier for your body than most Western sweets are. There are also beverage options such as purple rice porridge drinks and winter melon tea. I ordered the basic shaved ice topped with chewy rice balls, taro, boba and sweet red beans, accompanied by lemon infused winter melon tea, both of which were not overly sugary and quite mild in flavor. There is plenty of seating within the store with both bars and tables where you can hang out with friends. The shaved ice comes in a very large bowl, fit for two to four people.

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f sweet rice balls seem a bit daunting but you are still craving a frozen treat, head on over to Recess for authentic italian ice. The multicolored ice comes in a variety of about 15 flavors, most of which are fruity, accompanied by several toppings of your choosing such as cookie crumbles, sprinkles, gummies, syrups and soft serve. You can also try multiple flavors of ice by ordering off a menu of pre-made combinations or design your own order with up to three different flavors. I decided to order a medium sized cup with a peach and pineapple combo and vanilla soft serve for an additional 50 cents. My order came out to be around five dollars total. The ice itself was not my favorite--it was true to flavor but had a bit of a chemical aftertaste.

The serving sizes are also noticeably small for their price in comparison to other typical ice cream places. The soft serve saved the experience, mostly because it covered the chemical taste and came in a larger

I was surprised to find that the taro was still hot, which proved just how fresh their ingredients are. Many places that sell similar desserts prefer to premake the ingredients and unceremoniously slap them on a bed of ice, whereas true to their name, Meet Fresh takes the time to ensure that all the components of their dishes are freshly prepared. I definitely recommend a visit to Meet Fresh if you want to try authentic Taiwanese cuisine.

portion than the ice itself. It did strike me as odd that the soft serve was only fifty cents, yet I got as much if not more of it than actual italian ice. The store itself was very aesthetic with both an Instagram-worthy wall and very cute wall quotes, so I would recommend checking it out if your Instagram feed needs a refresher.

Viewing the world through a new lens Lynbrook students share takeaways from global journeys

BY PATRICIA WEI AND MICHYLA LIN

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s junior Kevin Liu listens to recordings of Japanese words and repeats the words to improve his accent, he realizes that his newfound motivation for learning Japanese has come from participating in the Kakehashi Project, a free exchange program to Tokyo and Hiroshima that the members of the Level II Japan Bowl team were awarded after taking fourth place at the National Japan Bowl in April.. “Kakehashi” means “connecting-bridge” in Japanese, and the main purpose of the program is to help form a stronger connection between Japan and the United States. Similarly, most foreign exchange programs strive to create cultural understandings between countries by providing students with experiences to grow both academically and culturally.

Foreign exchange programs usually involve students staying at a host family’s home and then attending a local school.

While experiencing the culture of another country through their host familes and school activities, many exchange students also take on the responsibility of representing their home country. There are several programs through which high school students can study abroad: American Field Study (AFS), Youth For Understanding (YFU) and Rotary Youth Exchange. In addition, there are opportunities specifically for students in the Bay Area like the Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Program.

These experiences can range from one week to a whole year.

Regardless of the length of the trip, participants return with many new insights, such as interest in relations between countries, appreciation for other ways of life, increased motivation to learn a new language, or confidence in how they inter-

act with others.

“If a person only sees things presented right in front of them and doesn’t take the opportunity to go different places or meet different people, then they are only in the small world of themselves,” said Chia-Ching Lin, president of the Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Association, who has organized exchange trips between Cupertino and Hsinchu, Taiwan for several years. “But once they open that lens, they open up another emotional strength within them.”

Exchange programs enable students to immerse themselves in a culture and society unlike what they are used to.

Junior Collin Pratt, who is currently participating in an one-year exchange program in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, has already gained new perspectives from his peers in school in Germany that encourage him to live in a new light.

“Nobody here cares about the grades of their peers or even their own grades like we do at Lynbrook. Being here has made me realize my life is not all about my last math test, that one sport I could have played or even the college I end up going to,” said Pratt.

“It’s about the people I surround myself with, the effort I put into what I do and ultimately

thinking about where I am rather than where I should be.”

In addition to Pratt, many other exchange students have said that being around the country’s local people has inspired them.

Liu, for example, was inspired by how the people he met were so hard-working and were able to come so far in their Japanese studies. Consequently, he is more motivated to continue studying Japanese. Sophomore Allison Lui, who has participated in the Cupertino-Hsinchu exchange program as both a host sister and an exchange student, says that her experiences taught her the personal skill of opening up to new people.

“In Taiwan, you know no one. If you’re there, you’re there to make new friends and get to know more people and they want to open up to you too,” said Lui. Additionally, exchange students are able to form meaningful friendships with host families and members of their delegation.

Sophomore Ashley Gong, a participant of the Kakehashi program, states that her biggest takeaways from her trip came from her warm-hearted host family.

“My host family made me interested in how people act,” said Gong. “In Japan, people act differently from people here, and that

was clearly displayed when I was with the host families. For example, when I first entered the host family’s house, [my host family’s] the first thing they did was give me tea.”

Furthermore, future employers may look at foreign exchange experiences favorably, as such programs show an awareness of other cultures, an ability to communicate in other languages and a willingness to be challenged. According to UC Merced’s data, 59 percent of employers have said that studying abroad would be valuable in an individual’s career later on in their organization.

Despite the many benefits and unique opportunities that students get to experience, there are still struggles that come with participating in a foreign exchange program, such as assimilating with a different culture or communicating with different languages. Students who enjoy planning their own activities and sightseeing on their own may also find the rigid structure of a foreign exchange program somewhat disheartening.

“The biggest challenge for me was and still is the language barrier,” said Pratt.

“It gets quite frustrating at times because I am just sitting there not understanding anything the teacher is saying. I am also sometimes afraid to ask the teacher to slow down or repeat things because I don’t want to irritate my classmates. To overcome this, I always tell myself if I don’t get over these nerves I won’t learn anything, and my grades will suffer.”

Students who are interested in studying abroad can pick from the numerous foreign exchange programs offered. These programs provide stimulating experiences along with challenging opportunities, and students are guaranteed to return with more than they bargained for.

WILLIAM GUO - THE EPIC

Strengthening with superfoods

The psychological and physical benefits of nutritious foods

BY AURELIA YANG & CHLOE LAI

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lthough a fresh morning brew guarantees a burst of energy to begin the day, it alone cannot fight off

MICHYLA LIN—THE EPIC

the drowsiness that shrouds an individual for hours on end. Fortunately, there are healthier and more beneficial alternatives that can be used to counter this troublesome dilemma — superfoods, power-packed, nutrientrich foods considered to be specifically beneficial for the mind and body. Studies have shown that those in need of enhancing their productivity during the day find reprieve in consuming the right nourishment, which in turn enhances their overall appearance i n

addition to heightening their mental and felt really energized compared to the junk physical performances. food I sometimes have pre-workout,” said As the human body is naturally pro- senior Maryrose Lund, a varsity water grammed to fight stress, it is important to polo player. “With the right foods, I defikeep the body healthy so that it can continue nitely feel different physically.” to carry out its job. Whether it is physical Besides their ability to enhance one’s stress, such as playing an intense sport, or mental and physical condition, supermental stress, such as cramming for a load of foods also have the power to alleviate AP tests the week before, studies have shown physical appearance as well. The human that anti-inflammatory foods, such as avoca- body’s list of beauty needs may be dedos and blueberries, have a positive effect on manding, but they can be relatively easy the gut, which regulates the inflammation to fix with the help of specific foods. Difof the immune system. These gut hormones ferent foods contain different healing then enter the brain, influencing comprehen- properties, which correspond to particusion, cognitive ability as well as the ability to lar benefits for the skin, hair and body. adequately process information.

Foods like soy that are rich in amino “All food has nutritional value, it’s just acids can contribute to moisture retensome foods have more nutrients than oth- tion in the skin, improving its elasticity ers,” said junior Lucy Euler. “Superfoods have and overall glow. Dairy products such as an exceptional amount of yogurt can assist in nutrients compared to the cleansing the body and average percentage of that “ALL FOOD HAS NUTRI- prevent the proliferanutrient present in regular of toxins, leaving TIONAL VALUE, IT’S JUST tion foods. I think a lot of foods the body noticeably you think will benefit you SOME FOODS HAVE MORE leaner and healthier. in some way create a pla- NUTRIENTS THAN OTHERS. “Appearance-wise, cebo effect because it re- SUPERFOODS HAVE AN EX- even if they’re small ally affects you more psy- CEPTIONAL AMOUNT OF NU- things, you’ll definitechologically than it affects ly notice them,” said TRIENTS.” you physically.”

Lund. “For example, While there is no magic LUCY EULER sometimes, if I eat pill to allow individuals to JUNIOR vegetables, my usually reach the height of their chlorine-damaged hair cognitive powers, there are feels stronger, my eyes specific superfoods that have been proven to are brighter.” improve brain function, protect against ageThough they harbor extensive beninduced cognitive decline and encourage fo- efits, these power foods oftentimes come cus and clarity. Such superfoods, also known with a heftier price tag, causing their true as “brain foods,” include walnuts, which are worth to be questioned by the consumer. rich in heart-healthy nutrients; coffee, whose “In my experience, eating certain antioxidant richness helps maintain brain foods hasn’t significantly increased my health; and dark chocolate, which help regu- performance physically or mentally,” said late cholesterol and blood pressure. sophomore Justin Chan. “You put so much “With our culture and the lifestyles we’ve energy into buying and going on a special created for ourselves, we tend to eat fast food diet and not have the outcome equal the because it’s convenient. In general, the idea work you put into the preparation.” of a ‘superfood’ is just trying to get people to Freshman Stephen Tao acknowledges move from a processed food diet to a more this concern as well but argues that the plant-based and natural one,” said culinary positive outcomes of superfoods greatly arts teacher Megan Hamilton, “The more di- outweigh their financial inconveniences. rectly you consume something from nature, “Superfoods can be incorporated into the more it will benefit you.” your diet, if it proves to be too much of a The range of the psychological benefits hassle, but definitely not as the bare miniobtained through superfoods extends to mum,” said Tao. “If you’re an athlete or their effects physically as well. When the more serious about diet, superfoods can brain is active and healthy, the body, in turn, give you a lot more of that natural energy functions more efficiently and becomes and nutrients compared to the sugarstronger. Foods like salmon are a good sourc- high, for example, energy drinks provide. es of lean protein, which help repair torn muscles It does make a difference.” after strenuous workouts.

The types of food that one chooses Specific superfoods can also boost one’s metabolism to consume are a key determining facby a healthy and natural means. Metabolism, although partly tor in the way one thinks, acts and looks. ruled by genetics, can be enhanced by consuming protein-loaded Whether rich in antioxidants or abundant foods such as egg whites and fiber-rich ailments such as whole grain in minerals, superfoods are inevitably a bread. For an athlete, what one consumes before, during and after exercise powerful means of feeding both the mind can make or break athletic performance. and the body, enhancing mental acuity as “One time, I had an açai bowl from Jamba Juice right before practice, and I well as overall physical performance.

DELVING IN DEEP| A look at teenage insecurities in today’s world continued from INSECURITIES page 1 option to combat insecurities, singer Alicia Keys’s make-up free statement at the Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Aug. 28 shows how embracing shortcomings can make people feel more comfortable and confident being themselves.

Having a role model to inspire students through their times of self doubt can make a big difference in the way students see themselves and how they act accordingly. It also encourages them to overcome their personal insecurities after seeing others overcome their own. Different role models tend to provide students with a multitude of solutions to solve their struggle with insecurity.

“Many people develop insecurities because of a highly unusual interest that is

commonly stigmatized,” said Abueg. “Finding role [models] or making friends with those who have similar interests [puts an end to] people feeling unconfident and suffering in isolation.”

Brittany Stevens, the Lynbrook school psychologist , helps students combat insecurities by telling an old Native American story she has heard of which compares two imaginary wolves with opposite motives in a student’s mind.

“There are two wolves inside of you, a good and bad wolf,” said Stevens. “The one that wins is the one you feed. If you feed

the bad wolf with bad thoughts and negative self-talk, it becomes larger and needier.

The “wolf” you pay attention to is the one that grows. It’s really about building a habit of your own self talk and thinking about which wolf you feed.”

With students becoming increasingly aware of what they view as their shortcomings, it is essential that those with lower self-esteem embrace their insecurities. Insecurities are only seen by people themselves and are not reflective of their actual appearance to others. As a person grows and matures mentally, having only fed the good wolf, insecurities will only seem a patch in a long, winding, yet interesting road.

A breakaway from the four year path Exploring the psychological and worldly benefits of vocational schools

BY ALEX XU & SRINIDHI SESHADRI

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ost students, whether they are freshmen who have just started their high school journey or seniors who have come face-to-face with college applications, have already begun contemplating possible college and career options. Despite the fact that a majority of students at Lynbrook choose to attend traditional four-year colleges after high school, there is another option available for pursuing further education—vocational schools.

Vocational colleges, also known as trade schools, are institutions that cater to a specific field and can typically be completed in two years, allowing students to start their careers early on. Unlike four-year universities, where students are required to meet general education requirements through classes that may not pertain to a student’s specific interests, vocational schools focus on specific skills that help students learn their desired trade at a quicker pace in comparison to standard universities, although this is less common in the Bay Area. Vocational schools can be especially advantageous for occupations in dental, medical or practical fields, such as physical therapists, pharmacy technicians, plumbers, hair stylists and carpenters.

“There are still very active vocational programs, and a lot of their careers are needed and necessary if we think about construction, hotel management and culinary arts,” said guidance counselor Malissa Goldstein. “They’re still viable careers for a lot of people in a lot of parts of the country.”

One of the practical benefits of going to a trade school is its affordability. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the cost of in-state tuition fees for a four-year public college in 2014-2015 was $7,934 per year, while the fees for a two-year vocational school were $3,793 per year. The lower cost allows students to graduate with less student debt compared to a standard four-year college.

Another major advantage of trade schools over traditional universities is the hands-on and specific course training at the former compared to more theoretical and analytical classes at the latter. Students generally graduate trade school with more experience in their chosen field, as well as an associate degree and a stronger background of knowledge in their field. Trade schools also have smaller class sizes; therefore, the lower student-faculty ratio provides a more ideal learning environment for many students

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MICHYLA LIN

who strive to pursue intense vocational training.

Vocational schools, however, have their own set of drawbacks as well. Since students who choose to go to vocational school do not take the variety of rigorous courses required for regular four-year college students, their education will not be as well-rounded as that of traditional students and may lack the finesse of an interdisciplinary education.

“Even if you only earn a degree in one major, because you have the general education background [at a four-year college], typically it opens more doors,” said Goldstein.

Students at trade schools are also obligated to finalize their occupation decision early on and do not have as much career flexibility after certification, whereas students who choose to go to a four-year college are not required to commit to their major or career for the entirety of their life. In addition, should a student decide to switch career paths in the future, new pursuits would render the time spent at trade school useless if the two have nothing in common with their past experiences.

“I’ve taken business classes at Lynbrook and participated in clubs like FBLA that teach me about business,” said senior Katherine H. Li. “But even though I’m reasonably interested in it, I still want to have that flexibility of changing majors if it’s necessary.”

Additionally, despite the fact that student loans for vocational school attendees are less than those who attend traditional universities, the annual earnings of students who follow a trade school are less than that of traditional students who obtain a bachelor’s degree from a traditional college. NCES reported that workers between

the ages of 24 and 35 with a technical or trade school job earned $35,720 annually on average in 2014. While the median annual earnings for someone with a bachelor’s degree was $46,900, the additional cost of two or three years of college for those in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree can set a student back a decade or more financially.

“I would recommend that students think about where their interests are and what they can afford and go from there,” said Barb Takahashi, College and Career Adviser. “Some students don’t really like traditional school that much or are eager to start working and begin earning money much more quickly.”

Emerging community colleges that consist of both the flexibility of four-year colleges and the focus of trade schools have become another attractive option for students. Their versatility and even lower costs have begun to bring in more students than trade schools, which have begun to decline, especially in this area.

“I can speculate that many of the for-profit trade schools have proven to be poor investments, and customers have become warier of what they’re buying and getting from some of them,” said Takahashi.

Despite the fact that most students go to standard four year colleges after high school, vocational and trade schools still remain viable options for those who are looking to pursue specific careers as efficiently as possible in the real world.

Getting to know the new sports coaches this year

ALL PHOTOS BY MICHYLA LIN - EPIC

BY JESSICA LI

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arah Giarritta, a year round swimmer and former high school water polo player, is now coaching varsity girls water polo, in addition to coaching two other swim teams. This season, she is focusing not only to winning games and developing the team’s skill sets, but also to improving each player’s integrity and character.

“I know a lot of people focus on whether you win or lose or your strength, but I think it’s your personal strength and personal endurance that matters, and that’s what I’m trying to coach the girls,” said Giarritta. “I want them to succeed in this sport but also grow in their characters.”

The players also greatly appreciate and agree with Giarritta’s principles of good character and positivity.

“Especially because most of us are not going to go on playing water polo in college, I think building up our characters is what really matters in the end,” said co-captain senior Victoria Chen.

Furthermore, Giarritta has formed genuine connections to the players in mentoring them. They look forward to every practice and game.

“The girls have just brought so much light into my life and I love how I can be there for them and mentor them and they’ve just been such an encouragement in my life and just a joy,” said Giarritta. “I love coaching them and love being around them.”

As the season continues, Giarritta is positive and confident about her team as a whole and hopeful in watching her players grow individually in their characters, making waves even outside the pool.

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ynbrook field hockey alum from the Class of 2009, Nicole Hjartoy has returned as the varsity field hockey coach. Playing field hockey was one of the highlights of her high school experience, and she hopes that her players will enjoy the sport as much as she does.

Hjartoy aims to not only improve the team and its players, but also to create bonding experiences for the team.

“Having others to back you up, and always being there, talking to each other, wearing the kilts - [field hockey] is just a team sport.” said Hjartoy.

Ultimately she wants her players to give their all and forget about their worries and academic stress.

Co-captain and senior Danlin Lillemark is looking forward to learning from Hjartoy.

“She’s not only focused on building up our skills, but also keeping our team morale up because it’s more than just a score that matters in a game,” said Lillemark.

Avery Gigoux, the new JV field hockey coach, is also hopeful for this season. Gigoux, a Saratoga High alum, coached cross country and track before coming to Lynbrook.

Gigoux also considers bonding as crucial in field hockey.

“If our girls can communicate with each other and trust each other, it makes them a lot better players, and I think that is very beneficial on the field,” said Gigoux.

With the two new coaches, both teams are improving, and Gigoux is optimistic about the team’s success this season.

Overall, both Hjartoy and Gigoux are looking forward to bonding with their players and coaching this season’s field hockey team.

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ean Askanas is this season’s new girls varsity volleyball coach. Prior to coaching at Lynbrook, he worked at a volleyball club and high school in Hollister, California. To him, his job brings out his competitive and analytical side “I enjoy competition and like to fill the pieces of the puzzle to make a team work effectively,” said Askanas.

The girls volleyball team is currently in the A-league, and Askanas hopes for them to stay and continue to succeed at this level.

“This year we lost a lot of height, but Coach Dean is definitely trying to balance out all of our skills,” said co- captain and junior Sara Mandic. “Even though we have been playing more skilled teams, we have also been getting a lot of success.”

Behind their recent success are Askanas’s strong discipline values that ensures his players follow and understand.

“Dean is more strict and disciplined, always making sure we’re doing what’s right and that we’re always on task,” said co-captain junior Amy Steinmetz.

Askanas expects the players to arrive 15 minutes before practice to set up nets, and then do warm-ups and drills.

For now, Askanas is determined for the team to stay in the A-league, and with his dedication and commitment, his team is well on its way to achieving this goal.

“Every team we play [in the A-league] is going to be very difficult, but the girls are very dedicated and hardworking, and I think we have a lot of potential this season,” said Askanas. Currently, Askanas is working improving on each

ALL GRAPHICS BY SPORTS SECTION

CHELSEA LI//IN MY OPINION

Trying to commit

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n first grade, I took gymnastics at a competitive gymnastics club in Fremont for a year until my family moved from the area.

I then did Chinese dance and competitive swimming until seventh and eighth grade respectively. Sometime in between, I also took up volleyball and ice skating. In freshman year, I decided to join the cheer team. Since sophomore year, I haven’t been consistently playing a specific sport.

Growing up, I tried a number of physical activities, but never excelled at any of them.

I could swim all four strokes without drown-

ing, but I couldn’t swim fast enough to earn top awards at swim meets. I could do basic tumbling and splits, but could not complete the graceful maneuvers of beam and vault.

Knowing the basics of a variety of sports can definitely come in handy, but every time I heard about a stellar athlete, especially during the Olympics this past summer, I felt a pang of envy.

As I watched gymnast Simone Biles’ breathtaking performances, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have continued the sport. I would never have made it to the Olympic level, but I would definitely feel much more dedicated to the sport, having trained for almost ten years. However, would I be willing to take away time that could be spent on academics and other extracurriculars for practice in the gym? Coming from someone who won’t settle for anything below a 700 on an SAT II Test, probably not.

I just don’t have enough commitment to stick with one thing; when I see something else that looks interesting and fun, I insist on trying it. Then, when I lose interest, I move on to something else. Or, maybe because I knew I had to have enough time for home-

work, friends, and sleep, I told myself that trying a variety of sports wasn’t a bad thing; after all, I was getting the exercise. Being (somewhat) fit was definitely better than sitting around all day. True, I needed time to study, but I considered a moderate amount of physical activity beneficial both mentally and physically.

Additionally, I’ve gained many new experiences from each sport. Volleyball and cheerleading taught me how important it was to work together effectively with others, while ice skating taught me to be patient, as one single move could take countless tries to perfect. Each sport allowed me to adopt a different mentality, and ultimately, I’ve learned to approach real life problems at different angles in order to find a solution.

Because I wasn’t particularly good at any sport, however, I did not consider myself “athletic.” I felt that athletes were supposed to be known to excel at one physical activity, Even though I swam competitively, I never considered myself a competitive swimmer. I danced, but I wasn’t a dancer. Of course, I enjoyed winning as well, but there was a limit to how much time I would allow out of my

schedule for practice in order to achieve that victory.

As I entered high school, I felt that because of my workload and other extracurricular activities, I would gradually become less motivated to stay fit. Although I did have less time to pursue a sport, I continued to try to find time for exercise. When I did find free time, I would do anything that made me feel happy at the moment.

These days, I don’t play any particular sport, but I exercise by following workout challenges or dancing for fun. I’ve found that I didn’t need a specific sport to stay (somewhat) fit. Sometimes, I do regret quitting swimming or Chinese dance, both of which I had done the longest and most genuinely enjoyed.

Through my experience of trying out multiple sports, I’ve learned to stay continuously active all my life. True, I do regret not focusing on one particular sport, and internally scold myself for not having enough commitment to just sticking it out. However, at the end of the day, I’m grateful for the variety of activities I’ve experienced, and how they’ve all shaped me as a person.

Three freshmen squash their way to success

BY CLAIRE CHIANG

Pushed by her parents to begin playing squash, freshman Avni Anand grew up with a distaste of the sport until she began playing competitively. After playing for about four to five years, US Squash ranks Anand 3rd in the nation for juniors 15 and younger during the 2015-2016 season.

“At first I hated squash because I was bad at it and it was a waste of my time,” said Anand. “But now that I’m better at it and I play competitively, I find that I truly do enjoy playing squash.”

She has since picked up field hockey, playing for Lynbrook’s JV field hockey team. Taking up another sport, as well as transitioning to high school, has created a stressful schedule for Anand.

“It’s definitely more stressful in high school to manage everything,” said Anand. “But I really enjoy squash and it’s

fun to play, so I just do it.”

Anand practices at the Squash Club of Los Gatos, usually for two or three hours on weekends and one and a half hours on weekdays, with the exception of Monday. She also attends five to six Junior Champion Tournaments and U.S. National Championship tournaments every year. These tournaments, located mainly on the east coast, have helped Anand create some of her most memorable experiences with the sport.

“I’ve made a lot of new friends through squash and it’s really nice going to the east coast because all of them live over there,” said Anand. “When we’re able to get together and play as a team, everything we do is just fun.”

Anand hopes to continue playing for the next four years and into college and is currently preparing for the college recruitment process.

MICHYLA LIN—EPIC

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During a typical week, she tries to practice four to six times at Bay Club locations in Cupertino or Santa Clara. She usually competes once or twice a month at the local gold or silver levels and occasionally at national tournaments. Previously, as a middle school student, Thawani easily found time to balance her schedule with just one to two hours of homework each night. Shifting to high school, however, has presented her with a challenge.

After being awarded the William Ketcham award at the 2015 Silver Nationals in Baltimore, given to the athlete that improves the most based on ranking, Thawani is optimistic that she can only go forward “I was proud knowing that my hard work really paid off,” said Thawani. “Receiving the award reminded me to always work hard and never give up.”

larized on the east coast and less on the west, Kanchi does not find the lack of squash here as a disadvantage but rather a slight advantage.

“Many East coast squash players are unwilling to travel to the West coast for tournaments,” said Kanchi. “As a result, when there are local gold tournaments, many of the better players don’t participate and it makes it easier to perform well.”

Kanchi is hopeful for her squash career these next four years and possibly through college, but for now focuses on the progress she is making right now. As squash is such an unpredictable sport, she finds that each win is another indication of her progress and ability.

“Whenever I do win, it’s always a very surreal feeling because it’s really hard to win at this game,” said Kanchi. “So every time I win it’s just like ‘Wow I actually did it!’”

MICHYLA LIN—EPIC

Freshman Maanvi Thawani grew up watching her father play squash with a friend every week. She soon began to experiment with the sport, mindlessly hitting the ball or casually playing at times, and eventually developed an interest in the sport in the sixth grade.

“At first, I played just for fun,” said Thawani. “But then I realized that I really liked playing squash [competitively], and it just went from there.”

Thawani used to play tennis, but her inability to practice without having a partner deterred her from the sport.

Squash, however, gave her the ability to practice on her own.

“One thing I really enjoy about squash is the flexibility,” said Thawani. “I can go practice literally whenever I want to, whether it’s by myself or with a partner that I find by the courts.”

A former tennis player, freshman Anika Kanchi disliked the outdoors and decided to find an indoor sport that she enjoyed. After trying out sports like volleyball and basketball, she eventually found squash and decided to devote her time to it.

In addition to squash, which she practices everyday for about an hour and a half at Bay Club Santa Clara and Cupertino, Kanchi also does Taekwondo and dances. Both of these activities as well as the increasing high school workload have caused her to adjust her schedule.

“It’s honestly been really hard to keep up with everything,” said Kanchi. “Sometimes I’ll have to go practice with my brother later at night or even in the early mornings.”

Kanchi has been in the gold level for one and a half years and plays in gold tournaments about five to six times a year, mostly on the east coast. Although the sport is highly popu-

2014 to 1.6 million squash players. Squash is mainly based on the east coast, but here at Lynbrook, three freshman squash players have cultivated their skills over years of practice and are now nationally ranked.

MICHYLA LIN—EPIC

nside a small, four-wall court, athletes scuttle back and forth, hitting a hollow ball repeatedly against the barrier.

Squash is fast paced and requires immense focus, leaving

little time for rest or distraction. Although it is a racquet sport lesser known than its more common counterparts, tennis and racquetball, squash has been rapidly expanding population in the United States. The Sports and Fitness Association (SFIA) shows 101 percent overall growth between 2009 and

Lynbrook football tackles various challenges

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOCY HE

BY HARSH JAIN

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he Lynbrook football team has performed well in the beginning of this year’s season, winning their first three games en route to a 3-2 record. The team shut out Harbor High School 41-0 and Hill High School 21-0 before going on to win against Prospect High School 51-6. Their last two games against Stevenson High School and Los Altos High School, however, ended in losses.

This year’s varsity team is comprised of 34 players, most of whom are seniors. The Class of 2017 has been working together at the sport for four years, and they are able to lead younger players in hopes of correcting mistakes from previous seasons.

“Being a team that has a lot of players that have been together for four years now, we really have been able work well together,” said captain and senior Arnav Virmani. “Our mentality this season is to take everything one game at a time, one week at a time, but our end goal as any team’s is to do the best possible.”

The players hope to make it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) this year, as they were unable to qualify for CCS last year. Seniors Tarab Ansari and Brandon To, however, were sidelined for the past four games; as such, the team has had to recover from the loss of two of their best playmakers. Ansari is now back in

the game after recovering from his injury, but To is out for the rest of the season. Captain and senior Jeff Wallis, who has suffered injuries in the past, understands how injuries affect a player personally and the team as a whole.

“Injuries are just a part of the game and as players and as a team we have to play through it and support one another,” said Wallis, “This year we’re just supporting our teammates who are injured, and they’re supporting us.”

The team’s current success is due to not only their hard work and dedication but also to the support and leadership of Coach Alan Vinciguerra, who has coached the team for three years. Under Vinciguerra, the team has developed a successful strategy this year following seasons of practice.

“We run a spread offense and we have been able to adjust it to the players we have,” said Vinciguerra. “The players have been able to understand and adapt to this new program well.”

Regardless of victories and defeats, the Lynbrook football team has been working hard in order to ensure that they are able to play to the best of their abilities.

With all their efforts, the recent successes of the team are only indicators of future success. Their next game will be Sept. 30 at Fremont High School. They will play Cupertino for this years’ homecoming football game.

MICHYLA LIN—EPIC

Finding the nearest gym fit for your workout A look at the unique qualities of three different local gyms

BY SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY

SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY —EPIC

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etting a membership at your local YMCA provides you with loads of options to do during your visit. The gym is pretty average with limited but high-quality equipment. The YMCA may be the only gym with only one squat rack, which causes heavy traffic for that one machine and many angry gym enthusiasts. But with an expansive pool and a variety of weekly activities a membership at the Y extremely worth it. The weekly courses offered range from First Aid and /CPR to the hardcore Zumba. Its appeal is only further increased with service and staff that are better than those at most gyms in the area.

M SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY —EPIC

ost students at Lynbrook would probably say they work out at the Right Stuff. And it’s hard to blame them because it is a big enough gym with lots of good equipment to work with, however, it’s popularity may be its biggest problem. WIth so many gym enthusiasts, it easily becomes comes crowded and difficult to find an open bench or exercise machine. With so many people you are most definitely going to run into someone who hogs the machine even when they’re on their phone. Although the excellent service and the nice staff make up for any jerks in the gym. If you can find the right time to beat the rush and finish your workouts, then this is an excellent gym to check out first.

ALL GRAPHICS BY SPORTS SECTION

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old’s Gym, from the outside, may not look as appealing as Right Stuff, but the facilities and equipment inside are amazing. The gym is three stories tall with each floor dedicated for a a specific task. Going from bottom up, the gym has a floor for weights, boxing or kickboxing, then cardio equipment. This may be the most intimidating gym for your first time because it is typically frequented by massive bodybuilders and sponsored athletes. Everyone minds their own business and follows proper gym etiquette, so you don’t have anything to worry about as long as you are respectful as well. The gym itself could probably use some open windows or air fresheners, however.

SHIVATEJA VEMIREDDY —EPIC

Discovering new looks to dye for

BY MICHYLA LIN

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hile last year favored more subtle natural hair colors, 2016 has set a new standard of hair color. A whole rainbow of shades,

Above: Junior Kai Tsao sports a subtle color which appears to be different colors depending on the light. In this case it looks brown in the shade and red in the light.

Below: Freshman Aneesha Nema changes up the usual ombre by adding a simple wash of color. She chose a green-blue tone that fades into her natural black hair.

once thought to be reserved for high fashion runways, are now seen on the streets of cities across the globe.

From neutral tones to bright neons, to gradients and metallic tones, many new hair dyeing trends are being created this year, making it difficult to decide what to

do with your hair the next time your feeling adventurous. Check out a few examples of interesting hair colors and effects worn by Lynbrook students that may inspire you to try something new and bold at your next hair appointment.

Above: Senior Ariana Wang’s bright pink locks are in line with recent hair neon hair trends that are increasing in popularity. Examples of celebrities who also sport this trend include Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.

Above: Sophomore Brian Chou proves that guys can pull off ombre hair just as well as girls, styling his hair with a simple yet eye-catching rustic bronze hue.

Below: Junior Amy Dang compliments her unique style with mint colored hair interlaced with subtle purple hues, creating a mesmerizing color melt. Once styled, the layers of color are revealed.

Below: Senior Leslie Chan amps up the typical ombre hair by combining a color melt of cooler toned colors. This effect is also very popular among Korean Pop artists, such as Twice’s Kim Dahyun.