the Epic, Volume 59, Issue 2 - November 6, 2023

Sections News // pg. 2-4 Opinion // pg. 5-7 Features // pg. 8-10 In-Depth // pg. 11-13 Sports // pg. 14-16

Website

Find exclusive content and all archived stories at www.lhsepic.com

Social Media

Follow our Instagram @lhs.epic for breaking news, sports and event coverage

Volume 59 Issue 2 | November 06, 2023

Lynbrook High School, 1280 Johnson Ave., San Jose, CA 95129

Roy Rocklin Science Building officially opens its doors

BY DAEUN CHUNG

T

he Rocklin Science Center officially opened its doors to welcome physics and chemistry students on Oct. 27, 2023 with an opening ceremony. On Oct. 30, students moved into their new science classrooms. story continues on pg. 6 || opinion

Editors’ Picks Rabbit sculptures hop through community for charity with Cupertino Rotary Club pg. 4 Editorial: District should consider alternatives to turf pg. 5 Solar panels, electric grids, a Lynbrook alumnus and — Oppenheimer? pg. 10 How romantic love works, scientifically pg. 11 The mental and physical toll of body idealization on athletes pg. 14 PHOTO BY CHELSEA LEE GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY VALERIE SHU

NEWS

02 the Epic

San Jose Power to power up city as new provider “We will continue to provide all of the highway that the city can use to fund electricity infrastructure for everybody projects and entice companies to move through PG&E, and we will continue to have fter months of debates and to San Jose because of the potential of all the distribution lines and transmission delays, the San Jose City Council lower power rates,” history teacher and lines that they currently have,” Cohen said. unanimously voted to approve the department lead Steven Roy said.

“But separate lines that would be owned and creation of a new, publicly-owned power The new power utility would operate on operated by utility — San Jose Power — on Oct. 3. two highthe San Jose The project is touted as an opportunity voltage power municipal to supply power at lower rates and aid lines that will utility could more competitive development of the tech run through be installed, industry.

San Jose, with and they “The voting was delayed once for about California would be six weeks in order to give time for more Independent operating at conversations between the city’s Energy System the same time Department, the stakeholders at PG&E and Operator, as PG&E’s the Electrical Workers Union, to get a better a stateexisting understanding about the city’s proposal,” chartered distribution.”

San Jose District 4 councilmember David nonprofit that Many Cohen said. manages the argue that a SJP is still in the exploratory phase, as wholesale new power more research is needed to determine if electricity utility the implementation of a new power utility market could cause is worth the investment. However, the city for 80% of displacement claims that its early studies showed a 15 to California and of current 25% reduction in electricity costs. The city funded the PG&E also plans to release a financial plan for SJP new lines. workers. The in 2025, which is scheduled to start offering The The city of San Jose hopes to install new underground power lines International power in 2028. proposal for through a newly proposed power utility provider known as San Brotherhood “I think it’s good that we have a more San Jose to Jose Power. Studies showed a projected 15 to 25% reduction in of Electrical local service,” sophomore and JSA club create its own electricity costs. it aims to bolster key infrastructure areas such as Workers Unit secretary Vikrant Vadahavoor said. power utility San Jose Airport and Diridon Station in order for them to receive 1245, which “Especially when the city can control its dates back to reliable and resilient power. represents own actions rather than relying on a private former Mayor over 25,000 enterprise.”

Sam Liccardo’s term from 2015 to 2023 workers in Northern California, sent a letter It is unclear whether or not SJP when his administration started looking to the city regarding concerns that the new will serve residential areas. For now, it for alternatives to power utility could displace workers in the aims to bolster PG&E after the already long run. key infrastructure unpopular power utility “In reality, since we’re not planning to areas such as San company faced a wave take over PG&E and its infrastructure, all Jose Airport and of financial difficulties of the workers performing infrastructure Diridon Station and criticisms over maintenance would still be needed,” Cohen in order for them its poor handling of Said. “So I don’t believe that there’s any risk to receive reliable projected reduction in electricity operations during posed to current PG&E employees for this power at a lower costs through San Jose Power power outages. project.” cost. It also aims to However, the city Despite claims and mixed opinions that expand development clarified that, as of right surround the creation of SJP, it is too early to by attracting tech now, PG&E and San Jose jump to conclusions until further research is companies with Clean Energy will be working in tandem, done on evaluating its possible impacts. these decreased aiming to provide the city with more electricity costs. reliable support rather than cutting ties “The basic premise is to create a power with PG&E entirely.

BY TAEK KIM

PHOTO BY ANUSHKA ANAND

Letter from the Editors Dear Vikings, It’s Myles and Susanna, your Editorsin-Chief, and we’re ecstatic to introduce the Epic’s Issue 2!

Be sure to check out the Editors’ Picks! In News, learn about the upcoming 2024 construction projects; in Opinion, delve into the debate about the merits of modern art; In Features, follow the electric journey of Class of 2009 alumnus Narayan Subramanian through his work in the U.S. Department of Energy; in InDepth, explore the science behind true love; in Sports dive into Statistics teacher Kenneth Iam’s career in diving.

Make sure to check our website lhsepic.com and Instagram @lhs.epic for web-exclusive content. This issue, watch our Roy Rocklin Science Center news package and listen to a podcast about busting college myths.

From love’s faint spell and abstract art To Oppie’s doubtful due, the Epic’s worked through late nights To bring these stories to you.

Creases and folds of character And lawmakers past their due, These tales of creation and cunning Were edited through and through.

And now that craft and toil is done And countless drafts reviewed, We hope you relish and have some fun With the Epic’s Issue 2!

Poem by Surya Saraf and Riki Murase.

Stay Epic, Myles Kim & Susanna Tang Editors-in-Chief

A

15-25%

Citizens Advisory Committee to combat FUHSD declining enrollment

27-28

26-27

25-26

24-25

23-24

22-23

21-22

20-21

19-20

18-19

17-18

A

mid declining enrollment across all five FUHSD schools, the Citizen Advisory Committee on Enrollment is carrying out renewed efforts to address the impacts of these trends.

The CAC was established by former FUHSD Superintendent Polly Bove in early 2016 to tackle student enrollment issues across the district. While the CAC is independent from the district Board of Trustees, the CAC provides them with policy recommendations regarding enrollment. CAC members include staff, student and parent representatives from each FUHSD school who make decisions to influence district policy.

“The advisory committee was initially formed after concerns arose about enrollment decline in Lynbrook,” FUHSD Superintendent Graham Clark said. “At the time, Cupertino High School was actually growing, and we needed to build more classrooms, while Lynbrook was declining. We actually wouldn’t have to build those classrooms if we could just transfer some kids from one school to another, and that’s exactly what we did by forming the Citizens Advisory Committee.”

FUHSD enrollment collectively is expected to decline by nearly 2000 students in the next five years, with a projected decline in enrollment of nearly 670 students in 2023-24 school year. Even though the district has lost just under 380 students this year so far, which is significantly less than the predicted loss, the future is uncertain.

“Seven years ago, it was primarily just a problem we were seeing in Lynbrook, but now we’re having a similar problem at Monta Vista High School with declining enrollment,” Clark said. “We’re involving more schools like Homestead High School in trying to address the problem. Declining enrollment is an overall problem across the district, but it is impacting our school sites in different ways.”

Although the original purpose of the CAC was to address the growing disparity of student enrollment between specific schools in the district, the committee is shifting

declines. Ideally, an athletic program has both a JV and toward handling the issues arising as a result of all FUHSD varsity team to allow underclassmen to experience the sport schools decreasing in size. For instance, elective programs and develop their skills. However, without enough student such as the world language department will be difficult to athletes to fuel the team, in many cases, JV programs across sustain in light of declining enrollment. sports could be eliminated. Although the committee has “The meeting on September 28 was to formalize that not yet made a decision about what possible solutions to we’re shifting the focus of the group,” FUHSD Director of implement, it hopes to inform members on impacts toward Administrative Services Jason Crutchfield said. “There are world language programs at their next meeting. To adapt issues such as the difficulty of offering 20 levels of language to the current situation, the CAC plans to spend this school or robust athletic programs or elective programs; anything year examining how to manage issues caused by enrollment that was already small just gets much harder as you get declines across all district schools. smaller.”

“The only thing on the next agenda is to look at data In their first meeting of the school year on Sept. 28, the and decisions around the world language, but this is just CAC discussed the challenge of handling the repercussions to start educating the CAC members on what’s going on,” of declining enrollment. FUHSD administrators highlighted Crutchfield said. “I think we have the right people to look the topic of district transfer programs including the deeply at these issues and figure it out — we always have.”

Lynbrook Supplemental School Assignment Plan and the Monta Vista Supplemental School Assignment Plan, which allow incoming high school students to attend Lynbrook and Monta Vista High School regardless GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY GARY PAN AND VALERIE SHU of their resident FUHSD school. These programs were started with the goal to Projected FUHSD enrollment to school year of 2027-2028 balance enrollment across schools.

“Lynbrook is always going to be the 2.5k Fremont smallest school, but the program has Homestead helped maintain the ratios of students Monta Vista within each school,” junior and Lynbrook Cupertino CAC representative Jennifer Chua said.

Lynbrook Declining enrollment affects these transfer programs by minimizing the 2.0k number of students who can participate in them. Ultimately, programs like the LSSAP will be hard to maintain.

“Eventually, multiple schools are going to be in the same range, so drawing 1.5k students from one to send to the others is going to be harder to do and not really a viable solution,” Crutchfield said.

Athletic programs will also experience major setbacks when enrollment further

Number of Students

BY DAVID ZHU

November 06, 2023

NEWS

03

The Roy Rocklin Science Building officially opens its door to students

BY DAEUN CHUNG

easily demonstrate pendulums and swings with my giant oscillating spring and bowling ball.”

Promethean smart boards were also added to all physics Story continued from front page. classrooms to enable interactive lectures and live lab demonstrations. The laboratory workspace for chemistry “I am really excited about this nice addition to our classes was also expanded in order to prevent common lab campus,” junior Anusha Shringi said. “I believe the new accidents such as spilling chemicals or breaking glassware. science building has a lot of potential for the physics and New fume hood storage with better ventilation were chemistry departments.” installed to provide safer and healthier The building is named after Roy chemistry classes. Some desks were also Rocklin, a former science teacher rearranged as well to foster collaboration and member of the FUHSD Board of and communication among students.

Trustees who contributed greatly to To commemorate the opening of the Lynbrook’s science program. Rocklin new science building, principal Maria started his teaching career at FUHSD It’s nice to have a Jackson, superintendent Graham Clarke, as a chemistry and physics teacher at science building that FUHSD science teachers and students, Lynbrook. During his time at Agilent the FUHSD Board of Trustees, numerous matches the caliber of Technology — a global corporation community members and the Rocklin that delivers instruments, software our students,” family gathered together in front of the and services to laboratories — new science building. After the dedication Rocklin equipped analytical devices, Maria Jackson, speeches for Rocklin, Clarke and Jackson such as High-Performance Liquid Principle revealed the building sign and cut the Chromatography and Immobilized ribbon with Rocklin family. With snacks Artificial Membrane Chromatography. and candles prepared for all guests, the “Any teacher who worked with him ceremony ended in full of gratitude and appreciation for would know that he always sought out students and had a Rocklin. heart for students who might have needed more support,” “It’s nice to have a science building that matches the chemistry teacher Lester Leung said. “He had a knack for caliber of our students,” Jackson said. “The Voyager facility explaining complex concepts at the most basic level, using and the life science classrooms are next. All classrooms in accurate analogies.” subjects will be After 10 years at Lynbrook, Rocklin decided to run for upgraded over wan FUHSD Board of Trustee position, assuming his seat in the next few 2016 and serving for almost six years until he passed away years.” from skin cancer in 2023. In honor of Rocklin’s devotion and Starting in dedication to Lynbrook’s science department and FUHSD, summer of 2024, the new science building was later named after him. the school will be With the approval of $275 million school bonds through remodeling the the passages of Measure CC and Measure G in November interior of the 2018 and June 2022 respectively, Lynbrook began the 300s wing, where construction of the new science building. Its modernization the old chemistry process included installing new Heating, Ventilation and Air and physics Conditioning systems, replacing classroom lights with LED classrooms were bulbs, painting, roofing and flooring. located. Each The Rocklin Science Building is two stories, with classroom’s walls staircases located on both sides of the building. The will be knocked classrooms on the first floor will be used for chemistry down to merge students and the physics classrooms will be located on and enlarge the the second floor. Although the building design was mostly existing rooms. modeled after Cupertino High School’s 6000 wing — the school’s new science building completed in February 2021 —Lynbrook took efforts to accommodate specific interior requests for each classroom.

PHOTO BY DAEUN CHUNG “I requested them to build me something that allows me to hang heavy objects,” Taylor said. “Now, I can Speakers at the opening ceremony shared memories of Rocklin and the many contributions that he made to the district and school.

Lynbrook to construct a new future with upcoming infrastructure plans

BY AUDREY SUN

F

ollowing the completion of the new Rocklin Science Center, Lynbrook has begun the early phases of expanding other facilities across the life science, business and computer science departments. Spaces that will be constructed or enlarged include lab spaces with updated infrastructure, a Robotics Makerspace and the Voyager Building.

In the summer of 2024, renovations for the 300s wing are set to begin. The 300s wing will be expanded by taking down walls and enlarging classrooms, resulting in fewer classrooms throughout the building.

To compensate, the construction of the new Rocklin Science Center was recently completed to maintain the same number of classrooms.

there’s currently only two computer labs on campus.

“I’ve always loved taking With this robotics space, computer science classes “When you we can all maintain and here at Lynbrook, and it’s build a new improve the performance great to know that the labs classroom right are expanding to make the of not just the robotnow, it has to subject more accessible for our ics teams, but also our be at least 960 students and accommodating square feet,” rankings among STEM for our hardworking CS Principal Maria programs." teachers,” senior Vipra Bindal Jackson said. said.

“Our classrooms Celine Li, Another location on are about 740 campus that will be going Senior and Robotics square feet, so through construction is the our goal is to Club President Voyager building, a location make as many used for students enrolled in classrooms as we can 960 square feet.” a therapeutic special education program.

This will provide business and computer The new Voyager building is scheduled science classes with greater lab space since

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRAATION BY MEADOW SHEN

for completion in 2024 and will serve as a multifunctional facility designed to foster learning in a safe setting. It is currently located next to the tennis courts and behind the pool.

“Right now, all of our students in the Voyager program are in portable classrooms that are very outdated,” Jackson said. “It would not be cost effective to fix them and get them repaired since they’ve exceeded their use expectancy which is why we’re building new facilities.”

Aside from classroom facilities, Lynbrook is also planning to create new facilities for the robotics team. Currently, robotics uses portable classrooms which are not equipped to meet all student needs. Because of this, robotics will soon have their own makerspace and building for workshops and

training. They are currently considering the location of the entrance of the makerspace to be by the new Voyager building and are still in the process of designing the infrastructure. Construction will be started in 2024 and is expected to finish by 2025.

“With this robotics space, we can all maintain and improve the performance of not just the robotics teams, but also our rankings among STEM programs,” senior and Robotics Club President Celine Li said.

Most of the current construction projects are scheduled to be built over summer. However, if any delays take place, teachers may have to share rooms until the classrooms are finished. School administration is approaching future construction plans with care to create minimal disruptions for students.

04 NEWS

November 06, 2022

Vision 2030 to provide college education to more students Education and Workforce Development support, and to assist them in taking charge at DeAnza College. “They can enter the of their own future. In addition, if the plan workforce faster, with a higher level of is successful, enrollment of community n June, the Chancellor of California education, which translates into higher college students and also dual enrollment Community Colleges, Sonya Christian, pay.” among high school students will increase, introduced Vision 2030, a framework Some students at Lynbrook have already alleviating concerns of declining enrollment. aiming to increase enrollment in California taken advantage of the dual enrollment One of Christian’s current goals is community colleges by expanding its program offered in the FUHSD district. to establish partnerships with outside dual enrollment programs to high school Students are able to register in any class groups, especially labor organizations, to freshmen and implementing a greater provided at the DeAnza, Foothill, Mission or help workers earn degrees by attending selection of bachelor programs. Through West Valley. community more equitable opportunities for education “There's college. across all demographics, Vision 2030 hopes a freedom The plan to increase social mobility. of choice to also aims to In FUHSD schools, dual enrollment is take whatever implement currently offered to juniors and seniors, course you're more where they can take a class at De Anza, interested in,” bachelor’s Foothill, Mission and West Valley colleges junior Audrey degrees for high school credit. This program Na said.

“I programs on educates students beyond the scope of the think dual community FUHSD curriculum, allowing them to explore enrollment is college collegiate level courses like multivariable a really good campuses. calculus, astronomy and psychology. With idea to further However, the new plan guaranteeing dual enrollment explore a the plan is access to high school freshmen, including PHOTO BY IRENE HWANG subject matter still far from those at Lynbrook, the idea of requiring 12 because you concrete. completed units of dual enrollment credit De Anza College will be one of many community colleges to really do get the implement the Vision 2030 framework, providing more dual For example, in order to graduate is being considered. opportunity to the classes Christian believes this plan will expose high enrollment opportunities to high school freshmen and greater meet professors educational opportunities for the community. offered school students to new fields and help them as dual gain diverse interests, potentially translating enrollment into their future and they can really help for the Vision 2030 program are still education. guide you in whatever undecided. Colleges will need to gauge “Dual enrollment you're interested in.” interest to determine which of their wide shows students In the 2017-18 school selection of courses they will be able to offer what college life is Dual enrollment shows year, 57% of lowincome for dual enrollment, as only courses with about. By the time students what college life California high school enough student interest will be offered. they graduate from graduates attended “We have a lot of programs, but if we is about." high school, they can college while their more don’t have enough students to fill a class, it already have several affluent peers had a college doesn’t work,” Bryant said. “There has to be classes under their Randy Bryant, attendance rate of 75%. enough interest in the student body to fill a belt and have college De Anza College This staggering statistic class in order to offer dual enrollment.” credit, so it makes the demonstrates the education time that they are in gap between socioeconomic levels. Vision college shorter,” said 2030’s goal is to expose underprivileged Randy Bryant, Dean of Career and Technical students to quality college and career

BY IRENE HWANG

I Upcoming Viking Events Student vs. Student Game, Nov. 7 Join the Lynbrook students in the gym during lunch for an exciting student versus student basketball game!

Sanskriti, Nov. 17 Enjoy a night of classical South Asian music and dance performances hosted

by AISA in the cafeteria. Make sure to try traditional South Asian snacks while you're there!

LIMB Craft Faire, Nov. 18 Check out a variety of goods, from handcrafted decorations to jewelry, at Lynbrook music's annual craft faire! It will be hosted near the field house on Saturday, Nov. 18 to support both local businesses and the Lynbrook’s music department.

Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 23-24 The holiday season is here! Enjoy a four day weekend with family and friends and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Student Thrift Store Nov. 29 - Dec. 6 Students and staff drop off unneeded clothing to the ASB den between Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The clothing donated will be on sale from Dec. 4-6 to thrift some new clothing! Unsold items and profit will be donated.

Photos by Alexandra Wu. Reporting by Gary Pan.

Rabbit sculptures hop through community for charity with Cupertino Rotary Club

BY VALERIE SHU

P

ainted with vibrant designs by local artists, colorful rabbit sculptures from the Cupertino Rotary Club’s rabbit project have found homes through auctions that succeeded in raising more than $30,000 for charities.

Created by Cupertino Rotary, a 501(c)3 community service club dedicated to humanitarianism locally and internationally, the Cupertino Rabbits project began recruiting artists in early 2023 to

Alex the Great Main Street Cupertino

commission paintings on premade sculptures.

Applications were welcomed from all different experience levels, and the project was joined by artists from across the community including Lynbrook students. Rabbits were chosen for their connection not only to Asian culture – with 2023 being the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac – but also for aligning with Western ideas of rabbits being symbolic of spring, growth and renewal. Local organizations from FUHSD to the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce partnered with Cupertino Rotary to sponsor certain pieces, helping to select the rabbits’ sizes, poses, painting themes, artists and locations for exhibition.

The final product was a series of 37 diverse pieces, exhibited in local parks, businesses, and schools across the community before being auctioned to buyers through an online silent auction starting Oct. 9. The most popular pieces continued bidding in-person at the grand finale at Quinlan Community Center on Oct. 16. Cupertino Rotary donated

the first $11,000 raised to an initiative organized by the Rotary Clubs of Santa Clara and Kharkiv, Ukraine to renovate commercial and industrial buildings in Kharkiv into housing for families whose homes were demolished in the war.

The remaining funds will be used for ongoing Rotary Club charity projects in the community.

“It makes me feel grateful to know that my art is helping to make a difference,” said senior Anna Ding, an artist for the project. “A lot of the time I feel like I create art for myself so it’s fulfilling to help with a greater cause.”

Named Alex the Great, Ding’s 20 inch tall rabbit was the smallest of three available sizes and sponsored directly by the Cupertino Rotary Club. Sporting a white baseball jersey, the sculpture was a faithful recreation of the real Alex – a flemish giant rabbit who had become the unofficial mascot of the San Francisco Giants –

of the Rabbit and the lantern festival is one of the largest Asian holidays,” Lin said. “I looked at a lot of references, like lanterns and food – I wanted to make it as seamless as possible.”

Covered from head to tail with color and detail, Lin’s design featured a festive nighttime marketplace with aspects of the traditional holiday celebrations such as lion dancing and Chinese knots. Others’ designs were similarly inspired by faraway cultures, with a series of four rabbits sponsored by Asian supermarket Marina Foods – each painting referencing their respective country – being shipped overseas and gifted to Cupertino’s official sister cities in Italy, Japan, India and Taiwan.

“Art had mostly just been a hobby of mine,” Lin said. “So I think that it’s really cool that this project can let me take an interest and transform it into something with a bigger impact.”

A lantern festival Cupertino Library

and was exhibited outside a restaurant on Main Street Cupertino before auctioning for $1400.

Apart from those inspired by local organizations, many rabbits’ designs depicted themes of spring and growth with lively paintings of flowers, leaves and blue skies. Other designs connected to the rabbit’s roots in Asian culture with paintings that referenced aspects of Chinese culture, such as senior Allison Lin’s Lantern Festival rabbit.

“My design was very Asian inspired, because it’s the Year

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY VALERIE SHU AND VIDUSHI UPADHYAY

OPINION

the Epic 05

District should consider alternatives to turf

I

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY INAAYA YOUSUF AND SARAH ZHANG

n the upcoming FUHSD Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 7, plans for renewing artificial turf in 12 out of the 15 turf fields in coming years will be discussed and voted on. At Lynbrook, both the stadium and Stober field are due for renewal. Among the district’s other plans for renovation, replacing turf fields with new artificial turf has raised concerns in the community because of the detrimental effects of chemicals and microplastics found in turf.

With the overwhelming number of benefits of alternative natural athletic grasses, student health and the environment will benefit from exploring such alternatives.

On Sept. 12, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that proposed limitations on the manufacturing of synthetic lawns that contain “forever chemicals.” Polyfluorinated substances, or PFAs, are found in some turfs and released once the rubber absorbs a certain amount of heat. Studies published by the National Cancer Institute on Dec. 30, 2020 reveal that it takes several years of direct exposure for PFAs to possibly lead to different types of cancers. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Post reveals that patients who have had prolonged exposure to PFAs are twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer.

While Newsom was in favor of the objective of the bill, he raised concerns about the effectiveness of implementing such dramatic change. PFAs can also accumulate in the water supply and traces of microparticles can be inhaled and ingested by student athletes when they come in contact with the fields.

Beyond the possible risks of PFAs, synthetic fields also have other downsides, including long-term effects on the ecosystem. Since turf is not recyclable, deteriorated turf will sit in the landfill while a new batch of artificial turf is produced — a process that uses over 600 pounds of water. According to an article published under ScienceDirect in October 2023, turf waste accounts for 15% of the plastic particle abundance in the environment. As turf deteriorates, rubber and plastic particles are released into the environment as well, contributing to microplastic pollution. Typical sports fields contain about 40,000 pounds of turf

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic and 240,000 to 720,000 pounds of black rubber infill. Replacing lawns, natural green surfaces, with turf also lowers the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the grass, contributing to global warming. On a smaller scale, turf fields inhibit native species and ecosystems that would thrive in natural grass.

“When you staple plastic grass to the ground with harmful chemicals, these plastics will break down and drift into the soil, stormwater, and oceans,” former FUHSD parent Carrie Levin said. “They’re polluting the water that they think they are saving.”

In recent years, some schools have transitioned to using Bermuda grass, a type of grass specially designed for athletics and suitable for the California climate. Natural grass installers have come up with new formulations of Bermuda grass that use up to 38% less water than other grasses and require much less maintenance. The overall cost is lower in the full lifecycle analysis compared to artificial turf. These grasses also have a longer lifespan than the regular grass students are used to seeing in elementary and middle schools across the CUSD school district. There are Bermuda grasses specific to athletic fields, and there are currently two other models being developed by UC Riverside that will be available very soon. Half of the NFL stadiums use Bermuda grass, and some athletes may prefer this over turf.

The Portola Valley School District, CSU Stanislaus, West Valley College and many other schools have already implemented natural grass fields.

Options like these aren’t common knowledge and therefore tend to be overlooked. The disadvantages of grass are disproportionately emphasized in many cases because Bermuda grasses aren’t part of the discussion. Newer formulations of organically managed grass also include pesticide treatments that are nontoxic.

On April 24, Lynbrook was awarded the Green Ribbon Award for various factors such as improvements to electrical units and the installation of turf fields, actions seen as contributions towards environmental sustainability. However, the information about long-term health and environmental issues has only recently come to light, which should prompt reexamination of the district’s green goals.

On the surface, installing turf saves water, but the 15 artificial turf fields at FUHSD contribute to global warming in indirect ways.

Many school districts such as FUHSD believe that natural grass uses too much water, maintenance and money to keep it in prime shape, but extensive research on the amount of water it takes to produce the turf

shows that it outweighs the amount of water needed to grow grass.

At Lynbrook, many student athletes prefer turf because of its consistent condition in varying weather conditions. If grass can be well-maintained, it can reduce factors like turf burn and chances of injuries such as ankle fractures. In another sense, real grass fields tend to have pits and bumps left from previous games and created during usage. These pits cause severe injuries when players trip over them — from ankle injuries to severe scrapes on the skin.

“Bumpy and patchy grass fields sometimes make you trip and fall, but the grass is really good to play on when it’s kept well,” sophomore soccer player Tishneet Chhabra said.

Both options of grass have their respective disadvantages: inconsistency in the texture of natural grass can cause safety hazards during irregular weather, while turf is more likely to cause an ankle fracture because the pressure on the field will be absorbed by the athlete’s foot.

“What I believe is both turf and natural grass have pros and cons, natural grass is better only if really well maintained, but turf is consistent in its playability,” sophomore marching band member Anish Gupta said.

Wet grass fields can pose logistical complications and safety hazards, while hard falls on turf could be more harmful to players in terms of concussions and fracturing ankles.

“I think the school’s top priority should be the health and safety of its students,” field hockey player Mahi Shah said. “I believe that it should be an urgent responsibility to upgrade our fields to minimize the amount of toxic chemicals entering our athletes’ bodies, and at the very least, disclose these dangers to our athletes.”

When it comes to factors that can rapidly impact our environment and our community, it is crucial to understand the pros and cons of each option before making any decisions.

“Educate yourself about artificial turf,” Levin said. “Is it safe? Is it good for the environment? Is it best for the globe?” the Epic voted 31-3 in favor of this stance with 5 abstaining.

Turf/Artificial Grass

Real/Bermuda Grass

•

• • •

• • • •

Contains polyfluorinated substances (PFAs) Increases health risks Contributes to microplastic pollution Contributes to global warming Ideal in any weather conditions

• • •

Can have inconsistent texture Designed for athletic activities Saves ~38% water than normal grass; designated for Cali climate Keeps local ecosystems thriving Requires less water to maintain Not ideal for rainy weather

PHOTO BY LILLY WU

BY ROBERT YU//IN MY OPINION

Unfolding dreams

A

ccording to Japanese folklore, it is believed that by folding a thousand paper cranes, a person’s dreams would be granted.

This is known as “Senbazuru,” a superstition that has inspired since the early Edo period. Though most would scoff at the absurdity of this myth, I choose to stand by its power.

When I was younger, the language barrier between me and my grandmother made it difficult for us to bond. The most vivid memory that I shared with her was when she folded a perfect origami paper crane.

I watched endearingly as each fold complimented the next, a medley of dexterity and craftsmanship. Despite my grandfather’s deteriorating health and her time-altered hometown, she was able to find solace in these creases and pleats alone. Our language barrier didn’t prevent me from understanding that she wanted me to try folding next.

In middle school, long before I understood the consequences of procrastination, I found myself folding paper grids minutes prior to exams.

Folding origami was my refuge. With every crease, my mind delves further into the paper world as the toil of my expectations transforms into bliss.

It took little time before I amassed a collection of about 150 paper sculptures, which demanded more space from my house than a whole bookshelf. Every new sculpture added to my collection comes out better than the last — the results of my hard work on full display. Whether I felt like crafting a dainty flower or a soaring eagle, each piece carried its own narrative, a piece of my emotion and identity. While others have their own role models and superheroes, I drew inspiration from origami more than anything else.

But like a sheet of scratch paper, this period of discovery was abruptly shredded apart. I had moved schools three times within the span of five years, each move leaving a deeper scar than the last. I felt as if a part of myself was torn and left behind every time I had to move. With my environment continually shifting, the only constant where I could find refuge was within squares of freshly cut origami paper.

While the bonds of my old friendships wither with time, the art of origami extends a hand out to me, telling me to rise up and create something that truly inspires.

At my family’s chatty dinner table, I am occasionally asked by my family members about how my day went, which is usually met with nonchalant replies. Reflecting on these small exchanges, there are moments when I wonder how I want to shape my future. At this point in life, some of my classmates have already laid out a solid path that they want to pursue. However, my dream is just an unfolded sheet, open to impressions and inspirations. The cathartic relief of saving a patient’s life calls out to me just as much as the dramatic flair of a courtroom case. For now I’ll keep on folding my papers and enjoy every second of it. Maybe one day, amid a flock of a thousand paper cranes, I will catch a glimpse of my very own dream, coming true at last.

06 OPINION

November 06, 2023

Are the blind box collectibles money draining or worth gaining?

BY ROHAN KAKHANDIKI

collecting more figurines, the collector is trying to recreate their original excitement. lind box collectibles — small figurines inside “The tactics that businesses use can greatly influence windowless boxes — have been popular among collectors,” business teacher Andrea Badger said. teenagers for many years. The anticipation “Consumers can also influence other consumers by driving comes from not knowing what’s inside the box while it on social media.” opening it. A typical collectible costs around $10, Another method that companies use to retain with more valuable ones costing hundreds. customers is to make different models of these items.

Although these products have reached By regularly adding more to the catalog, collectors will immense success, many view them as a go into stores trying to get a specific character. Trying waste of time and money. However, these to get a specific model is up to chance, so many other collectibles have a lot more meaning models could be bought repeatedly before finding the to their owners, as the happiness that desired one. The constant pursuit of specific models collectors get from buying them justifies can even lead to collectors reselling the high prices. their figures. There are more than Sonny Angels — baby angels with 1,300 different models of Sonny different headgear — and Smiskis Angels, so the chance that a collector — tiny glow-in-the-dark figurines finds the one that they want is in different poses — are among the minimal.

“Toys may have little most popular brands of blind boxes.

The common addiction to practicality, but they’re Collectibles often depict figurines in buying doesn’t dismiss the values also just nice things that fun poses and features. Collecting has of collectibles, and the passion that make people happy.” become an even more widespread collectors feel is valid. Regulating how hobby, with some students owning much collecting one does is a difficult displays of 20 to 30 figurines. solution to maintain, but if done Rebecca Cai, “I use the collectibles as decorations correctly, would alleviate issues such as Sophomore around my room,” senior Allison Wu splurging. Many collectors have found said. “I like the mystery of opening the buying to be a drain on money or time. box, and the suspense of seeing if I get However, the happiness that they gain the one I wanted makes me happy.” from the toys makes collecting worth the trouble.

The method of hiding figurine is not new; in fact, they “They can be really expensive and they sometimes feel have been popular since the mid-1990s. Examples include like they aren’t really worth it,” sophomore Rebecca Cai Dunny, which are tiny rabbits decorated in unique art. said. “But they’re just cute and it’s a nice way to add to your The collectibles’ long-term popularity shows the lasting general aesthetic.” power that this trend has, and how addictive it can be for Although many value the figurines, some simply don’t collectors. The business model is simple: to gain more understand the appeal, calling out collecting as a waste of customers by adding a sense of uncertainty or mystery. By money, time and space. They claim that the lack of practical

B

value that the collectibles have makes them unnecessary.

However, if others find them to have no value, it’s important to also realize that it is happiness, rather than practicality, that are the collectibles’ defining value. If collectors derive joy or passion from buying them, the figurines are worth the money. An object shouldn’t have to have utility in order to have worth. The worth of it is decided by the owner.

“It’s the same reason why people buy toys,” Cai said. “I think that toys may have little practicality, but they’re also just nice things that make people happy.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ALYSSA WANG AND ROBERT YU

Senior leaders: placing a cap on the age of politicians GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX COTTEREL

Recently, older politicians have dominated the world of politics. The current average age of a member of Congress is 59 years old, an all-time high.

BY VIHAAN PATEL

I

f the average person retires in their 60s, why don’t politicians? Recently, older politicians have dominated the world of politics, using their resources and experience to win over younger candidates.

However, due to mental and physical health concerns, older candidates are not as fit for these positions as they claim to be. Implementing an age cap and limiting older candidates from holding public offices would benefit citizens by increasing the number of younger politicians in office and therefore putting a greater emphasis on modern issues.

Recent trends show that today’s politicians are older than ever. USA Today finds that the current average age of a member of Congress is 59 years old, an all-time high. Increasingly, many are starting to label the United States government as a gerontocracy — a government controlled by older officials. One of these officials, Former Sen. Diane Feinstein, who served from 1992 until she died in September 2023, was in office until she was 90 years old. While Feinstein was an inspiring politician who set precedent by becoming the first female

senator from California, her recent death has reignited the debate about how old politicians should be.

“Due to natural health concerns that come with age, it’s better to have a fit and able president so that their decisionmaking capabilities are optimal,” senior Anil Duvvuri said.

The fundamental issue with having predominantly older politicians is their unwillingness to focus on modern problems, such as climate change. In a study conducted

by Pew Research Center, it was shown that about three-quarters of millennials believe that the climate is the top priority to ensure a sustainable planet, while only around half of people between the ages of 60 and 80 believe the same. While most older politicians claim to have a strategy to combat modern issues, they rarely put their plans into action. For example, Feinstein refused to vote “Yes” on the Green New Deal in 2019 — a bill designed to increase efforts to combat climate change — despite claiming to prioritize the climate during her campaign. In general, older politicians are more resistant to change because they were not affected by the same issues that are considered more pressing today.

“Older politicians can say what they modern issues and are more mentally and want, but they grew up in a completely physically capable than older candidates. different generation and the way that While they may not be as experienced, policies affected them versus how they young candidates are adaptable and affect us is tremendously different,” Junior can relate with the general public more State of America officer Kaawon Kim said. effectively. Some may argue that an age cap This is a problem because modern issues rule would exclude promising candidates tend to escalate into more serious issues from running, but these candidates would if not addressed properly. Today’s most still have over 30 years of their lives to run pressing issues in the U.S. — healthcare, for other government positions. gun violence and drug addiction — all “It’s important to understand that if started as smaller issues in the early 1900s. you’re a politician over 60 years old, you’ve If we continue to elect old candidates who had 25-30 years to run for positions of disregard modern issues, these issues could power,” Kim said. “If you don’t get elected, it turn into major problems in the future. may be disappointing, but we need to give However, if we elect younger candidates, younger people the chance to get elected as such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and well.”

Sen. Jon Ossoff, who are actively working to While the majority of older politicians address modern issues, these issues can be experience mental and physical decline resolved more efficiently. after they turn 70 years old, some healthy Because older politicians remain stable candidates almost throughout their 70s. always beat younger Many people argue candidates, an age that instituting an age cap rule would be cap would be unfair to the best way to limit these healthy politicians the number of older and limit the amount candidates on the years old is when cognitive of good candidates ballot. Voters tend to running. No matter the decline most often begins, age of a candidate, the back the candidates according to the National with the most number one factor to Library of Medicine. experience, who are be considered in their typically older. In campaign should be their addition, those who competence. run for re-election, “I think it’s important like former President Donald Trump and to have unbiased dialogue about the President Joe Biden, have more resources abilities of older candidates and what they than lesser-known, younger candidates. can bring to the job, regardless of their This causes experienced candidates to political parties,” Government teacher Mike get re-elected and younger candidates to Williams said. continue to lose. This vicious cycle needs to To ensure that candidates are apt to be stopped in order to improve the chances serve, an age cap should be enacted at about of younger candidates in elections, but it 70 years old — old enough that they have would be difficult to change without an age plenty of time to serve in other positions, restriction on older candidates. but not too old that their health interferes “Before running on the national scene, with their ability to govern. Although candidates need to build name recognition the process of implementing this rule and a fundraising base, which is something would take time, smaller changes might that benefits those who have been in politics include age caps for certain positions at longer,” Saratoga Mayor Kookie Fitzsimmons the state level or term limits for members said. of Congress. Any change that limits the Implementing an age cap rule would number of older politicians would be lower the average age of politicians and worth it to allow for younger, more suitable benefit young candidates in elections, politicians to take on the mantle of leading who provide a fresh perspective on the country.

70

November 06, 2023

OPINION

07

Drawing the line between art and abstraction

BY AMANDA JIN

W

ith recent changes in mindset, where society is more accepting of different forms of expression in the 20th century, a new form of art has emerged: contemporary art. Often, it contains elements that don’t depict any specific subject, but rather an abstract concept. This idea was first developed in the modern art era, which began in the 19th century. Art is about expression, and this form of art does it in its own unique way. This makes it very different from traditional standards, making people question whether or not it should really be considered art. However, it should have a baseline to determine if it fits into the category of real art.

Classical art

F

rom the ancient Greeks and Romans, classical art became prominent, and it continued to influence art produced in the following centuries while becoming the standard. For this style, there was an emphasis on form, proportion, perfection and restrained emotion. As a result, artists with strong mechanical skills were much more rewarded as they were able to replicate nearperfect copies of the real-life objects they were trying to depict. This was extremely limiting to those who wanted to express themselves differently and restrained their artistic execution. Also, tastemakers began demanding this specific style, not allowing other skills to flourish.

“Here’s the important thing behind art,” art teacher Matthew Reynolds said. “It’s about: Who are the tastemakers of this era? In the future? Who is making the

Modern art

M

odern art became popular in the 1860s and maintained its popularity until the 1970s. This was a completely new movement that broke many of the unwritten principles of art previously set at the time. Artists could then focus more on expression and develop their own personal style rather than blindly follow traditional methods. Unconventional materials such as metal and mixed media, where multiple different traditional mediums are combined to reach a unique product.

Many people were initially confused by this sudden change in style and did not easily accept this new movement. However, since art is about expression, it should represent the artist’s message and should not have to follow any predetermined rules. Being able to communicate emotions is more valuable than

decisions about whose art is valuable? Whose art gets to be remembered?”

Much of the art that was being put into museums were decided by tastemakers — the people who ultimately decided whether or not a piece was worthy enough.

However, art shouldn’t be decided by a group of people who have influence on the art world, but rather it’s case by case. During the Renaissance period from the 14th to 17th centuries, classical art was reborn and largely influenced western art. “David” by Michelangelo was made extremely meticulously, having the exact proportions of an idealized human figure. At the time, this was the standard that artists had to follow. Similarly, the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci is characterized by her mysterious yet realistic expression, and embodied the ideal woman of the time. Though these masterpieces are beautiful, they emphasize how harsh the standards for art were at the time.

perfect portrayals of a subject. This often includes showcasing things beyond what can be seen visually such as stories and emotions.

“The intent of sitting down and making something to express oneself, a concept or an idea, and putting something out there for somebody else to view or interact with is important,” Reynolds said. “If that one single person has an idea and finds a way to manifest that as an art object, I think for me, whether or not I like it, it is art.”

Popular pieces that incorporate these themes include Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist).” Visually, there is no solid object that the viewer’s eyes can latch onto; instead, their eyes are constantly wandering, following the flow of the different paint strokes. These pieces evoke deeper thoughts from the viewer about what is really happening in the piece, which in itself is art.

Contemporary art

I

n the 20th century, contemporary art appeared, mainly characterized by the pushing of boundaries to what can be considered art. However, this open acceptance of expression has led to many controversial pieces being produced and sold.

There should be a boundary between real art and random lines on a canvas. The artist should have demonstrated incredible technical skill in the past to showcase their capabilities. Otherwise, someone who has no experience could declare themselves as skilled of an artist as someone who practiced for years. “The Comedian” by Maurizio Cattelan portrays a banana taped to a wall, a piece that has been going viral in the past few years. This piece was made to mock and “laugh” at the art world for allowing so many odd pieces to reach fame,

including itself.

“I don’t agree with artists who are like ‘What can I do just to get out there and get more eyes and more clicks?’”

Reynolds said. “It’s like the art-equivalent of clickbait.”

Often, it contains elements that don’t depict any specific subject, but rather an abstract concept. This idea was first developed in the modern-art era, which began in the 19th century. This makes it very different from traditional standards, making people question whether or not it should really be considered art. However, there should be a standard that creative pieces must fulfill to fit into the category of real art. Art will continue to break traditional standards as our society moves forward, and we should be open-minded and discover the beauty that isn’t just surface-level visuals. Art is subjective and differs between artists; however, it should have been made with effort and the intent of enjoyment, making it art rather than a low effort painting.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY INAAYA YOUSUF

PHOTO BY LILLY WU

BY CLAIRE GUO// IN MY OPINION

My twin and me

F

or the longest time, I came in twos.

Two matching pink dresses, the label hand-embroidered with L and H: CHelsea and CLaire. Two Elsa costumes for Halloween, a set. Two of everything, a closet of duplicates. Since the beginning, I was one

and two at the same time — both my twin and I, myself and another — co-existing simultaneously in a single plane. The most important thing about me became the differences between her and I, which I knew like the back of my hand. Missing dimples, the two-inch difference between heights. As I grew, so did that list of differences — until it became long enough to define me.

From the very beginning, being a twin was the first thing that caught everyone else’s eye. I was “that twin” or “that girl with the twin sister.” When I was younger, it didn’t feel bad to be characterized this way — walking into any gathering of adults meant a chorus of “oohs” and “ahs.”

At school, we were a pair, and our double identity helped us stand out. Teachers remembered our names first — Chelsea and Claire — but never which one of us was which.

Yet, as we grew older, I began to realize

that I was barely my own person. Oftentimes, I found myself struggling to find my own identity, separate from the person who looked so much like me that it was easier to count our differences than the abundant similarities. Everything I did felt like an extension of my sister. Even our hobbies were the same — we both spent our days reading the same books, listening to the same music, our ideas so intertwined that people asked us if we could really read each other’s minds.

But that all changed when I entered high school. Suddenly, an entire world unfolded before my eyes, and I was finally free to forge an identity separate from Chelsea. Surrounded by an abundance of opportunities, the two of us went our separate ways to chase individual passions.

I joined groups and clubs that had always interested me, like the Epic and Future Business Leaders of America, while Chelsea

pursued ASB and Junior State of America.

Throughout it all, I found joy in finding footholds in things I had never done before — happiness from my name, bolded on a byline, a community in hundreds of people at business conferences. On my own, I explored the intricacies of Adobe Photoshop and graphic design. However, we still did many activities together, such as Mock Trial and Indesign, collaborating and learning from our unique experiences. I have grown, both separate from and along with Chelsea.

I am my own person, but being a twin helped me become more uniquely me.

Now, after everything, I count my twos differently. Two is the number of minutes between when we were born. Two is the number of times my friends and family sing happy birthday. Two is a peace sign by my eyes, my own quirk that shows up every time I take photos. Two is a great number to come in.

08 the Epic FEATURES Capturing aviation through Ethan Wong’s lens

BY LILLY WU

S

PHOTO BY LILLY WU ILLUSTRATION BY THE FEATURES SECTION

tanding just 50 feet away from the runway at the Naval Air Station Fallon, sophomore Ethan Wong strategically positions himself before clicking his camera to capture the Lockheed Martin F-35C as it flies by. As the training facility of the United States Navy that inspired the movie “Top Gun Maverick,” the NAS Fallon was just one of the many places Wong visited to practice his aviation photography. Through his Instagram account and online portfolio, Wong shares images of different subjects ranging from aviation to galaxies.

In 2022, Wong started his journey with his iPhone camera, taking pictures of everything and

anything around him. After realizing his father owned a Panasonic LUMIX G DMCGF3 camera, which was even older than him, Wong began using it to propel his own photography journey. As he progressed into this hobby, Wong eventually bought higherquality equipment, with the Canon EOS-5D Mark IV as his main camera and the Canon EOS-1DX Mark II for backup. Since he always had an interest in planes from a young age, Wong quickly gravitated toward aviation photography, or “planespotting,” and has continued the hobby ever since.

“I remember scrolling through Instagram and seeing many people posting photos of planes and found it interesting,” Wong said.

“It wasn’t necessarily the easiest subject to start out with, but it allowed me to develop the skills I have today.”

To take these photos, Wong frequents many airshows or military bases in his free time. One of his favorite airshows occurred in April 2023 at the March Air Reserve Base in Los Angeles, where he had to take two flights to make the one-day trip to the venue.

Wong is able to share his photography through his Instagram account @ethanwong.photo.

Since launching the account in October 2022, Wong consistently posts about three times a week, featuring new

batches of photos from different events or trips.

“I thought Instagram was the best place to share my photos with others,” Wong said.

“Everything on my page is designed by me; I just like putting it out there for people to enjoy.”

Through Instagram, Wong has met and befriended many other local photographers.

One is junior Jonas Rossiter at Archie Williams High School, another fellow aviation photographer from the Bay Area, who met Wong through a mutual group chat.

Despite never meeting in person, the two bonded over exchanging feedback on their photos and chatting about photography.

“I really like Ethan’s photography,” Rossiter said. “There’s a lot of variety in how he takes pictures and he is always able to find unique angles and ways to make a subject look interesting, which is especially difficult with aviation photography.”

Despite aviation photography still being his main focus, Wong plans on branching out to new subjects to photograph such as the components of the natural world. This led to his interest in astrophotography, which involves photographing the stars and sky.

“I really want to get into astrophotography even though it’s the hardest type of photography,” Wong said.

“Some shots are actually thousands of

photos stacked into one, and I want to learn the process just as a way to challenge myself. However, I won’t be able to do so just yet until I get the right equipment.”

In the future, Wong hopes to continue pursuing his hobby. As for his career, Wong plans on using his connections from aviation photography to become a pilot if he is provided with the opportunities to do so.

With the Air Force Academy as his dream school, Wong finds it useful to help serve his country while doing something he loves.

While looking back on his own photography journey, Wong reflects on the mistakes that he has made along the way and considers what advice he would give his younger self and other aspiring photographers.

“In photography, it’s okay to mess up as long as you learn from your mistakes,” Wong said. “Use photography as a way to express what you are not able to communicate with others. It’s also important to remember that it is you who takes the photo, and not your camera.”

Fashion Forward: Amy Sun fuses style and technology

BY ALYSSA WANG

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM AMY SUN GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AMANDA JIN

U

nder the flickering light of her bedside lamp, Class of 2021 Lynbrook alumna Amy Sun continues sewing the last piece of her recent collection, Genesis, in which she focuses on what she calls a “Neo-Chinese” style. Desiring to modernize elements of Hanfu — traditional Han Chinese clothing — in her style, Sun began YINGNA, her clothing brand.

After founding the University of Washington’s fashion club, MESH, in her freshman year, and helping organize its first fashion show, Sun created her brand in 2021. Her initial goal was to educate others about Chinese culture. Researching more about her Han Chinese background, Sun realized how unrecognized her culture’s traditional clothing was.

She hoped to popularize her culture’s clothing and to share her appreciation for it with others.

Wanting to further connect her brand and her heritage, she named it YINGNA, a combination of her Chinese name, sūn shān nà, and nickname, yíng yíng.

“I have always thought that my culture and its fashion is beautiful, and I want to

share it with others,” Sun said. “There is also little Hanfu awareness within the ChineseAmerican community, and I want to be able to combat that.”

Sun was always interested in fashion and clothing, and joined Lynbrook’s Indesign in her freshman year. The club’s creative flexibility allowed her to create different stylistic pieces while incorporating unconventional items. She then became a designer for Indesign’s annual fashion show, learning different styles and techniques throughout those four years.

“All the members of Indesign were always encouraging and supporting one another, and having that space on campus to sew and learn with really fortified my skills,” Sun said.

With her experiences from working in Indesign, Sun has started her own clothing line. Much like her initial process at Lynbrook, she still utilizes thrifted materials and unconventional designs to create unique pieces that showcase her culture.

To ensure the success of each piece in her collection, Sun has to go through an extensive process: from brainstorming different styles and researching designs to planning and creating the piece itself. In the past, the creation process had been more spontaneous; Sun simply cut and sewed, seeing where each cut of the fabric would take her and adjusting when needed.

However, as her brand and goals grew, her process did as well.

“I used to always dive in head first,” Sun said. “Now that I have rebranded, I do a lot of research to make sure I include all the unique details and properly showcase my culture. My new process makes the actual creation process much more efficient, and

my designs come out much cleaner.”

As an Informatics and Arts double major, Sun not only studies art but also the intersection of technology and society.

She plans to try using 3D-printed fabrics to make her pieces more sustainable and produce more professional accessories for her next collection. Sun also hopes to include wearable LED lights and motherboards in the future, creating better textiles and more unconventional pieces.

“Fashion has never really incorporated any sort of technology, and many designers focus on using traditional fabrics and methods for their pieces,” Sun said.

“However, it’s always my dream to be able to combine them. Testing out more innovative fabrics means that we can sample what the future of fashion can be.”

With the growth of her brand, Sun hopes to expand her clothing collections and continue to craft at least one new collection a year. She wants to inspire others to experiment outside traditional fashion rules and is confident that her pieces will be a part of the movement that paves the future of fashion.

“As a college student, I don’t know how long I can keep my brand going,” Sun said.

“However, if it ever does come to a close, I hope that my designs successfully spread more of my culture and show that fashion has no true limits.”

November 06, 2023

FEATURES

09

AP Literature Teacher’s Favorite Poems A “Sweet and Fitting” Poem

BY ALEX COTTEREL

“T

he initial stanza seems quiet; it feels like they can hear the destruction in the distance, and then somebody notices and shouts it out, ‘Gas! GAS! —’” literature teacher Maggie Welsh said.

“Dulce Et Decorum Est“ uses vivid visuals, rapid, rhythmic pacing and a sadistic setting to immerse the reader into a waking nightmare. The early 20th century poem is a product of the experiences of Lieutenant Wilfred Owen and the horrors that he saw on the British-German front of World War I. Marching through the muddy French terrain, the group of soldiers that Owen depicts are being bombarded by bullets and poison gas. There is an instant suspended in time as the soldiers realize the gravity

of the situation. Owen skillfully utilizes punctuation to bring this moment to reality.

“The use of dashes creates a pregnant pause when we can feel the gas coming, and it replicates the feeling that they’re running when somebody says “Quick boys!’” Welsh said.

The narrator watches a man succumb to the gas and there is nothing they can do other than hoist the dying soldier onto the back of their wagon and keep moving. The narrator is forced to march on, watching the life spilling out of the man with the blood that spews from his lungs.

Throughout the poem, Owen meticulously chooses his words and delicately shapes his sentences, creating a sharp contrast between the image of a dying man with the beautiful language used to describe him.

“These tactile, visual words create this really awful picture of what happens, and even though we’re being disturbed by the image it’s so vivid, it’s so rich, and then it becomes so personal,” Welsh said.

The narrator sees the dying man as if he is drowning, but he is drowning in a “green sea” that seems eerily calm

and beautiful under the “thick green light.” In contrast, the man’s dilapidated body is described with every sickening detail, using words that leave nothing to the imagination. This allows the reader to experience the concreteness of war without glorifying its barbarity, yet simultaneously understand the surreal feeling of living through a war that is so intense it feels like a trance.

The aspect of the poem that most stands out to Welsh is the political antiwar stance that Owen takes in the last few lines. He recognizes the culture that leads to children all over the world to be “ardent for some desperate glory.” He believes that a society that idolizes war causes children to long to partake in the slaughtering of thousands and forget the harsh reality of losing their own life and those who are close to them.

After having truly been through this experience Owen describes the happenings of war as “obscene as cancer” and confesses a feeling of betrayal by the people who had glorified war all his life.

He juxtaposes the old Latin phrase “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country” with an “old lie.”

physically true to me,” Levin said. “I Finding a Friend in a Poem feels want to touch the poem and I want to feel it.”

BY ALEX COTTEREL

G

PHOTOS BY ALEX COTTEREL AND DEEKSHA RAJ

rief is an overwhelming topic that Ellen Bass attempts to tackle in her 2002 poem “The Thing Is.” Her precise word choice solidifies the abstract themes of intense emotion into a personal understanding.

“This poem has been a friend to me,” literature teacher Erin Levin said. “Any time in my life when I have felt overwhelming sorrow, or experienced a struggle or loss, I think of this poem.”

Bass contextualizes the emotions experienced around grief as a tangible reality with vivid imagery and imagination.

She describes the emotion of grief as sitting heavy in the body like “an obesity of grief,” and turning the air alien as if it is “more fit for gills than lungs.”

The physical analogy that resonates with Levin the most is when Bass writes, “everything you’ve held dear, crumbles like burnt paper in your hands.”

“I remember that line most clearly because I feel like I could do the gesture myself, like I could hold my own hands out and think about what it feels like, and that

He draws parallels between the organic Finding Your Tribe In a Poem world. layers of life and the individual’s emotional and

BY DEEKSHA RAJ

F

rom euphoric to emotional poetry, literature teacher Jessica Dunlap loves diving into poems with an open mind and peeling apart its layers. Dunlap is most enticed by melancholic poems.

Currently, her favorite poem is “The Layers,” by Stanley Kunitz.

Dunlap stumbled upon this poem while watching a PBS series about poetry which featured different poets. One of them was Stanley Kunis and it discussed “The Layers.” Dunlap found that it immediately resonated with her. She describes this poem to be less obscure than many other poems.

“I don’t think it would leave the average person perplexed,” Dunlap said. “Although I am an English teacher, it’s kind of a thing that I do, but I think it was immediately comprehensible to me.”

Kunitz’s language delves into nature and the natural

psychological depths.

“It’s just one of those poems that I would love to have committed to memory just because I think it’s just so rich and personally meaningful,” Dunlap said.

“The Layers,” is an introspective poem.

Published in 1971 as a part of Kunitz’s collection called “The Testing Tree,” it reflects the poet’s journey through life. The poem explores the idea of reconciling past experiences and losses, while also emphasizing the importance of perseverance and the process of self-discovery.

“I first read this poem many years ago; I immediately loved it and started analyzing it,” Dunlap said. “I go back and read it again when I miss it or need a good poem.”

Dunlap explains that it’s important to live in the layers of our life. Our life has many layers including the good and the bad, and all these different experiences in between. This poem reminds her to not focus on the loss, but rather to remember all of the good and all the richness, depth and nuance that our lives accumulate over time.

“It’s the kind of poem that I would share with colleagues who are retiring, because they may be leaving Lynbrook, but their journey is not over,” Dunlap said.

Another message from the poem that

Bass ties together the many sides of grief she explores in the poem as finding a home in the body in one line that demonstrates a feeling of pure agony, “How can a body withstand this?”

The poem does not leave the reader with only a hopeless sensation of all-consuming grief. In its last lines, Bass encourages the reader to look for the beauty in life, despite the flaws that it may have.

“Then you hold life like a face between your palms, a plain face, no charming smile, no violet eyes, and you say, yes, I will take you, I will love you, again,” Bass writes.

“It’s almost a hopeful idea that you could love life the way that you love a person,” Levin said. “Life is this face that’s not particularly appealing but you say to that person and life, yes, I will love you again anyway.”

When she first taught literature Levin asked her students to make physical representations of the poem.

Many students made drawings that she still keeps to this day, and some made 3D sculptures out of paper to represent specific lines. Levin hopes that this poem stood out to Dunlap is the idea that we are constantly evolving and there is always room for improvement. The last line of the poem, “I am not done with my changes,” reinforces this theme.

While choosing a favorite line was as difficult as choosing a favorite child for Dunlap, one of her favorite lines from the poem is, “Oh, I have made myself a tribe out of my true affections, and my tribe is scattered!”

Dunlap relates this line to high school seniors who will go off to college next fall.

“You’re gonna leave people behind, you’re all gonna disperse,” Dunlap said. “Then wherever you land, you’ll find more people that are part of your tribe.”

She also loves many of the other lines throughout the poem because, Dunlap explains, that they all go together to tell a story describing why people are the most important.

Reflecting on her AP Literature class many years ago, Dunlap believes that this poem shares a crucial message to people of all age groups. After developing a tight-knit bond with this class, Dunlap wanted to gather a reflection about the year, what they studied, and what they were looking forward to. She was very thrilled to see that her students were also very passionate about this poem and spoke of themselves in terms of the poem.

Despite its melancholic undertones, the poem ultimately conveys a message of

“This phrase seems to be a truism but it is more of a lie that has been told to our young people so that they will sacrifice themselves,” Welsh said. “Owen is trying to say our humanity is more important.

Our lives are more important than winning wars.”

stuck with her students, and that it allows them to find the beauty of emotions in both poetry and life. She hopes that the poem can become a refuge for others going through hard times and provide a relief for anyone that feels lost in grief, just as it did for her.

“The poem doesn’t make the problem go away; it shows you that somebody gets what you’re going through,” she said. “I hope to never have to use it again for my own suffering, but if I do I know it will be a friend again.”

resilience and optimism. It emphasizes the possibility of personal growth, transformation and the continuous evolution of the self.

“The message of this poem is slightly visceral to me,” Dunlap said. “ I just kind of felt it in my gut.”

Overall, “The Layers” is a deeply introspective and meditative piece that allowed Dunlap to reflect on her personal journeys, emphasizing the importance of resilience, self acceptance and the continual process of growth and self-discovery at any stage in life.

November 06, 2023 10 FEATURES Solar panels, electric grids, a Lynbrook alumnus and — Oppenheimer?

Hitting the ground running, he worked in a carbon capture lab the summer of his freshman year at Columbia. At that time in 2010, the lab was considered at the cutting edge of carbon capture and storage, a field that has since gained more popularity.

In the summer before his senior year, after attending the first Threatened Island Nations Conference hosted at Columbia Law School, he was motivated to intern at the United Nations, serving as an adviser to the Marshall Islands, and working on issues on their climate change vulnerabilities.

Unbeknownst to him at the time — this initial introduction to the small, low-lying Pacific island USED WITH PERMISSION FROM NARAYAN SUBRAMANIAN nation would prove to Subramanian, visiting the Marshall Islands in 2017 during his work as a consultant for Independent Diplomat, be a recurring presence collecting data and consulting with government officials, to advise the small island nation on developing a “2050 in his life for many years Climate Strategy”. afterward. these historic bills and moving the country “I started research in 2011 on the implicaBY MYLES KIM along its clean energy transition.” tions of sea level rise for the Marshall Islands, Subramanian’s work in the clean energy under a Columbia law school professor,” Subranternal memos, conversation transcripts and space can be traced back to his formative manian said. “That really opened my eyes to a historical analyses all soon met the yellow years in the Bay Area, attending Dilworth and completely different impact of climate change glow of incandescent lights lining the halls of Blue Hills elementary schools, Miller Middle where potentially an island nation itself can the national archive as Class of 2009 alumnus School and Lynbrook. become uninhabitable.”

Narayan Subramanian began his work — re“The thing I cherished about high school is Even after concluding his internship, the conviewing the controversial 1954 Atomic Energy that we had a very deep sense of community nections that he had fostered within the Marshall Commission’s decision to revoke Dr. J. Robert in my class,” Subramanian said. “We took Islands government, combined with his ongoing Oppenheimer’s security clearance. class and school spirit very seriously.“ support for the government on climate-related “I started with a lot of the books that have At Lynbrook, he was an avid participant in matters, landed him a job in 2015 with a nonbeen written on the Oppenheimer hearing,” Subspeech and debate: competing in the national profit organization, Independent Diplomat, that ramanian said. “I was then able to go through the circuit and becoming the team captain his helps underserved countries negotiate in internafootnotes and use those to hone my search in the senior year. He was also deeply involved in the tional forums. There, he advised the Marshall national archives.” science fair, conducting experiments to adIsland government on climate negotiations and For decades, scientists and historians dress environmental issues. In 2009, the Epic worldwide have condemned and lobbied for published an article about one such project the reevaluation of the decision, citing concerns during his senior year — an award-winning about the precedent Oppenheimer’s Hearing set dissertation on freeze desalination. for persecuting scientists based on their political “My parents encouraged me to take full beliefs. advantage of the opportunities presented to Most recently in early 2022, 43 U.S. Senators, me,” Subramanian said. “They let me compete the directors of the Idaho National Laboratory on the national circuit for debate and very and all living directors of the much encouraged me to Los Alamos National Laboratodo research abroad for my ry, requested the Department science fair projects.” of Energy reconsider the AEC’s Reflecting now, he “He wasn’t trying decision. The Secretary of credits his teachers with Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, to artificially inject sparking his continued then tasked the Office for meaning and purpose interest in the humanthe General Counsel with ities. Because of this, he into his life,” determining the fairness of has kept in touch with the hearing. At the direction of former and current faculty Nelda Clark, Granholm, Subramanian, who like Mrs. Clark, and Mr. Narayan’s AP was appointed at the start of Williams who taught his the Biden administration to the Literature Teacher AP Literature and AP DOE as a legal adviser for the Government classes.

Office of the General Counsel, reviewed the AEC’s “Be curious, and develop decision, ultimately making the recommendation relationships with your teachers, “ Subramato her to clear Oppenheimer’s ‘black mark’ after nian said. “They’re a wealth of knowledge and 68 years, on Dec. 16, 2022. wisdom.”

“Revisiting the Oppenheimer decision allowed From Clark’s perspective, of all of the me to delve even deeper into the Department of students she had taught and later fostered Energy’s history,” Subramanian said. “I was was friendships with over the years, she considers able to learn about from the creation of the AEC Subramanian to be one of the most unique. She after World War ll to the 1970s energy crises and believes that Subramnian’s journey illustrates subsequent regulation of energy appliances, and the importance of not feeling constrained how these foundational organizations and laws by the narrow definitions of success and enable us to implement historic laws today.” fulfillment that are often ingrained in Bay Area As a legal adviser, he not only handled the youth.

DOE’s legal challenges but also helped implement “He wasn’t trying to artificially inject some of the most comprehensive federal environ- meaning and purpose into his life,” Clark said. mental and energy legislation in American histo“It was evident that he naturally gravitated tory — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the ward environmental issues, and those are the Inflation Reduction Act. Under these new laws, characteristics that set him apart from others.” he supported the drafting and implementation of Subramanian contends that his involvenew multibillion-dollar energy programs. ment in debate and the science fair were In July 2023, Subramanian became the adviscrucial in helping solidify his college studies er to the Secretary of Energy for Clean Energy and eventual career path in environmental law Projects and Supply Chains. Now, he oversees and policy. At Columbia University, he majored the implementation of the new laws’s energy in Earth and Environmental Engineering and initiatives and programs, covering a range of minored in Political Science, later pursuing his issues related to how the department is investing law degree at Columbia and master’s in Public in clean energy infrastructure at large.

Affairs at Princeton simultaneously.

“My career goal has been to work on the clean “I had a pretty humanities-rich college energy transition and address the climate crisis,” experience, but I wish I could have explored Subramanian said. “In many ways, I feel lucky to those fields even more,” Subramanian said. be where I am right now, getting to implement

I

helped the country gain an outsized influence on major elements of the Paris Climate Accords, established in December of that year.

“It was an incredible experience,” Subramanian said. “I was able to work with both the president and foreign minister of the country.”

In 2017, amid his graduate studies at Princeton, Subramanian once again returned to Independent Diplomat as a consultant, advising the Marshall Islands on a “2050 Climate Strategy”. In this role, he spoke to local officials and synthesized data, working with various stakeholders to develop a national strategy to tackle the climate crisis.

“One thing that I have learned from my experiences working with the Marshall Islands is that: moral voice carries a lot of weight in these international forums,” Subramanian said.

Through his years of experience working in climate and energy policy, he’s observed the evolution of the field and public attitudes firsthand.

Subramanian believes the most pressing issue facing American energy policy today by far is centered around how governments handle the clean energy transition.

“I think that the pandemic, among other things, exposed our grave supply chain vulnerabilities as a country,” Subramanian said.

Regarding the pace of the transition thus far, despite the fact that there are still many challenges to overcome, he remains optimistic.

“The early evidence indicates that the transition is definitely underway,” Subramanian said. “We’re seeing record announcements from the clean energy sector about new battery manufacturing plants, additional deployments of solar and wind power and investments in more efficient energy appliances.”

As for the future, Subramanian plans to continue to work in the energy sector — assisting the clean energy transition in any capacity he can — even if he no longer does so from a window sill of the unmistakable Brutalist architecture of the DOE building, a stone’s throw away from the white house and the national mall.

IN-DEPTH

the Epic 11

How romantic love works, scientifically

BY RIKI MURASE AND ANUSHKA ANAND

Y

our heart rate quickens. A tingling shiver of electricity runs down the back of your neck when you see them. As they come closer to you, your stomach flips and a knot forms in your throat. Your breath catches in your chest as your pupils dilate and your face begins to flush red. You’re in love, but why?

There are four typically defined psychological stages of love: euphoria, early attachment, crisis and deep attachment.

Separate from the biological levels of love, these stages typically indicate important timelines of romantic relationships.

In the initial euphoric stage of love, partners are mentally and physically inseparable. This period, typically spanning between six months to two years, is characterized by an overwhelming sense of infatuation between each partner. Each interaction has a heightened emotional intensity, creating the excitement of the early phase of romantic connection.

“I still have the same intense feelings toward him that I felt in the beginning of our relationship,” said senior Estella Oh, who has been in a relationship for a month and a half.

Following the euphoria stage, the early attachment stage is marked by heightened dopamine levels. It emphasizes the establishment of a deep emotional connection between partners. The intense emotional bond created in this phase lays the foundation for an evolving dynamic of the relationship. However, this stage is often misunderstood as a stage of more stable, deeper attachment.

The end of the early attachment stage marks the beginning of arguably the most important stage in a romantic relationship: the crisis stage. This phase frequently acts as a critical deciding point of many relationships, where

partners demand resilience and adaptability from each foundation of love in hormonal processes and evolutionary other. Couples navigate emotional challenges, testing the tendencies. There are three established biological levels of strength of their connection. This stage requires a conscious love: lust, attraction and attachment. dual effort to overcome obstacles and reinforces bonds that Lust is primarily driven by the innate human desire for will either unravel or solidify the relationship. sexual gratification. Stemming from the biological drive to “I think communication plays a huge role in reproduce, it originates in the brain’s hypothalamus, which understanding your partner’s interests and thoughts,” stimulates the production of the sex hormones testosterone senior Janhavi Venkatesh said. “Understanding how and estrogen from male testicles and female ovaries. they communicate and how to interpret them is Attraction involves neural pathways that control necessary to make sure nobody is uncomfortable.” “reward” behavior where neurotransmitters such as In the expression of love, people dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin play important often refer to five types of love language roles in facilitating infatuation and euphoria. expression: physical touch, gift-giving, Attachment is the predominant factor in long-term words of affirmation, acts of service and quality time. relationships. The neurotransmitters oxytocin and A person with physical touch as their primary love vasopressin are released in large quantities when partners language feels love through physical affection, such as are in this stage of love. This stage marks the end of the holding hands or hugging. Words of affirmation refer to infamous “honeymoon phase” of a relationship, in which the expressing affection through spoken words, praise or initial feelings of complete infatuation are subdued. appreciation. Acts of service are nice things partners do “When I started dating Empress, she was perfect in my for each other to make them feel appreciated, such as head,” Joshi said. “Now I know that she’s obviously not helping with household chores. perfect, but that makes her better to Someone with quality time as their me. She feels more like a person now love language usually wants time rather than just an idea.” of undivided attention where their Creating lasting relationships partner is present and focused on is a delicate balance of honest and “I think that everyone them. open communication, mutual trust “I think that everyone has a little has a little bit of every and a deep respect for each other’s bit of every love language,” Ming said. love language.” individuality. Relationships thrive “But something Nachiket and I try to when couples develop the ability do is love each other in the other’s to adapt to challenges they might Empress Ming, preferred language.” encounter. Understanding how love senior The calm after the storm happens thrives under proper navigation and in the deep attachment stage, a phase understanding each stage facilitates pivotal for lasting relationships. these lasting relationships.

Couples, having intimately known and understood each other through the previous stages, are able to enter a stage of profound connection. The deep attachment stage is characterized by a sense of security and mutual understanding, where partners are able to handle crises with shared reliance and love.

Between these stages of love lies the biological GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLOTTE BOLAY

12 IN-DEPTH

November 06, 2023

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY EILEEN ZHU AND NICOLE GE and

Perceptions of feminism across the board

BY QIANZI LOO AND MEADOW SHEN

W

estern ideals of feminism emphasize independent women who reject patriarchy and advocate for educational and occupational equality. Beyond the proud Western sentiment, feminism can be recognized with a deeper complexity when viewed through different cultures and religions, adding nuance to the idea of female liberation, which has been muddled through generalization.

In principle, America’s founding values of freedom and liberty assume gender equality as a basic human right. As early as the Enlightenment Era, prominent figures such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Stuart Mill advocated for equal rights for women on the basis of individual rights and reasoning. Wollstonecraft, in particular, published “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” in 1792, in which she challenged patriarchy and advocated for gender equality in education.

Throughout the 20th century, these women’s rights activists were gradually met with success when acts such as Title VII and IX of the Civil Rights Act banned gender discrimination in education and the workforce and when women gained access to contraception.

Unfortunately, Western feminist values do not apply to women of all ethnicities, cultures and religions.

White and middle-class women in America have been historically given more opportunities to work outside of their households when domestic service work was transferred to women of color. Beginning in the early 20th century, occupations for cleaning, cooking and caretaking fell upon African American, Asian American and Hispanic women. In addition to holding different positions in the workforce, women of racial minorities were often pressured by familial and cultural expectations that caused the idea of feminism to be perceived and practiced in different ways.

“In America, feminism is usually not intersectional, and that’s a huge problem because non-intersectional feminism is just white feminism,” senior Niharika Emani said. “It only seeks to empower white, upper class women without regard for the nuances and struggles of women of marginalized groups.”

Globally, many women in developing nations are unable to attain the same rights as women in the West because of philosophical differences and remnants of colonialism. In developing countries, women often have restricted access to education, healthcare and employment, forcing some to adapt to a different kind of society: one with a larger focus on the domestic sphere and subservience to male patriarchs.

The gradual development of the West has led to a hegemonic relationship between Western feminism and that of developing countries. In other words, following

the ideology that Western societal values were “superior,” term “feminism” can trap so-called feminists in a fixed Western feminism came to act as the universal standard mindset. of what feminism should be. Many Western feminists have With the rise of social media-fueled “feminist values” also come to generalize women in developing countries and cancel culture, the term “feminism” has become to be collectively powerless, oppressed and restricted by a highly controversial topic where opinions differing outdated values influenced by societal norms, when in from the mainstream can lead to public backlash. reality, feminism is a much more nuanced concept. As a These unconventional beliefs have caused people to be result, many women of color have felt alienated and unable labeled as “anti-feminist,” when in reality, they equally to relate to the mainstream feminism promoted by the West. support women’s empowerment.

“Modern American feminism is defined by the idea of In this sense, Western feminism empowering women, but there needs to be more emphasis can become a restrictive term, on actually deconstructing the system that holds women failing to include or recognize down in the first place,” Emani said. other ethnic and cultural An instance of disparity surrounds the feminist interpretations of feminism. perspectives on women acting as housewives. Western “Whenever you coin a phrase feminism discourages women from staying at home, urging — for instance, feminism — them to take on roles outside of the home, reaching for there’s a stance against it,” higher education or political involvement. However, many English teacher Andrew Seike women in developing countries simply hope to have more said. “Unfortunately, adopting rights and garner respect so they can feel safe in their a certain belief may disregard homes. other beliefs. It takes an In countries such as India, feminist movements open-minded individual to have combated rigid marriage and familial customs accept and respect these often and advocated for wage and occupational equality. The opposing beliefs and have patriarchal society in India mimicked the ones in medieval them coexist without conflict.

Europe, yet they remained more pervasive in areas where Feminism is just one facet of child marriage existed and women often received little my life journey to promote rights once married. Other patriarchal attributes include equality.” dowries, gender-influenced abortions, siring sons and the Even in other European caste system. countries like France, opinions “My grandmother lived in India when it was still a British regarding feminism can differ colony, but she also had to deal with the patriarchy that from the feminist movements caused her to be married when she was that sprung young,” said Tanya Bakhru, professor of from American Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies women’s rights at San Jose State University. “However, activists. while we grew up in very different Individuals are “There needs to be more places and times, I still think about more concerned emphasis on actually all the ways we’re connected through with receiving shared experiences, like issues with social benefits and deconstructing the system bodily autonomy.” alleviating the stress that holds women down in Since the late 1800s, women’s rights on both sexes with regard the first place.” in India have made major strides in to parenting, providing them with the progress. Women were encouraged platform to dedicate more time and Niharika Emani, to participate in activism. Later, in energy toward career goals. Funded the 21st century, the passage of the through government taxes, the French Senior Protection of Women from Domestic municipality provides generous vacation Violence Act and Criminal Law (Amendment) Act proved to and maternity leaves, as well as the equivalent of a daycare be testaments to reformist efforts in India. system for children as young as three years old.

Religious beliefs also play a critical factor in women’s “Feminism should be deeply intersectional — it not only rights movements. While Islamic feminism itself has been focuses on issues of gender but also on class and social a relatively recent concept, starting in the 1990s, it is issues that are woven together,” Bakhru said. “Feminism is associated with feminist ideas in Egypt dating back to the really about social transformation.”

1890s, where Muslim men and women alike drew on Islamic reformist ideas to fight against those using religion as a method to justify their repressive practices. Later, the rise of secular nationalism promoted the belief in equality regardless of race, religion or gender, embracing the idea of social equality in addition to gender equality.

In African countries such as South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, where many women still face the lingering effects of slavery and neocolonialism, their major concerns do not align with Western feminist values. As Elma Akob, a global keynote speaker and advocate for women empowerment, said in her 2022 TEDx talk, “The Dangers of Western Feminism to African Women,” women of color were fighting for basic rights and concerns surrounding arranged child marriages, issues that typically didn’t arise in Western feminist movements, mirroring the struggles of Indian women.

She clarifies that while not undermining Western feminists’ achievements, their standards for the

!"#$% &'#%(&)

November 06, 2023

IN-DEPTH

13

The silent epidemic of falling literacy rates

BY CHARLOTTE BOLAY AND EILEEN ZHU

the initiative to connect children in underprivileged However, the funding did not provide an adequate solution communities to books and reading. According to a study because the quality of education differed among areas in done by Reading is Fundamental, 61% of children at or common memory for many individuals is learning the U.S. In 2021, the government allotted $675 million to below the poverty line have no books at home, meaning the alphabet in kindergarten — starting with a improve adult education. These efforts failed again, as the they lack the resources that would support literacy. By foundation of 26 letters, students eventually grow funding wasn’t enough and many people were being placed providing free reading opportunities to families and funding their knowledge by reading books and writing. on extensive waitlists. Less than 3% of adults who qualified for new texts in schools, Reading is Fundamental has made However, an invisible crisis accumulates within pockets of for the program did not receive help for its many problems an impact on many children. Donating poverty: a growing number of citizens in the country face such as uncertified teachers, poor to these charities is a small way that illiteracy, which in turn inhibits employment and economic learning environments, and the society can greatly increase the number mobility. In Silicon Valley, where resources and high-quality system that prioritized students who of books and resources being distributed education are a standard of living, this is generally unheard had the ability to graduate faster. to children in poverty. of. Additionally, the idea of reading for pleasure is becoming By increasing the amount of funds “I truly believe there is brilliance in less common, and in turn, Americans place less of an and improving the quality of adult all our youth,” Wei said. “Some of the emphasis on reading and literacy. education, the country can increase youth I’ve worked with are incredible The National Center for Education Statistics defines literacy rates. of low income rappers and poets, truly creating art and literacy as the ability to use printed and written information Children as well as adults are children cannot read expressing themselves with their words. to function in society, achieve one’s goals and develop facing the effects of the crisis: at a basic level I think it would be powerful to see the one’s knowledge and potential. Fewer Americans are approximately 40% of students education system provide culturally accomplishing this as years pass, especially in impoverished across the nation cannot read relevant teachings when it comes to communities. Though accommodations have been made at a basic level, according to the reading & writing and tap into the inner talent of our youth.” to provide the resources needed to become literate, these National Literacy Institute. Of the low-income population Along with declining literacy rates, interest in reading efforts have fallen short, leading to dramatic increases in of children in the U.S., almost 70% cannot read at a basic illiteracy in both adults and children. level. COVID-19 only worsened these problems, as students books is also waning. About a fourth of Americans have not read a book in the past year according to Pew Research.

One in five people in the world are completely illiterate, were kept from learning in a classroom environment The desire to read sophisticated texts has diminished as according to the World Literacy Foundation. Furthermore, for months. Additionally, some high school students are well. Reading full books in classes from elementary to high nearly 130 million Americans, or over half of adults graduating without being literate, which later on affects school is declining, and these books are being replaced with read below a sixth-grade level, and a their employment. excerpts to cater to current students’ short attention spans. large number of them are found in less “Too often the system gives up on youth too early, when Below 6th Students’ workloads combined with the stimulation that privileged areas. truly I believe they all are capable of success with the grade level comes with using technology cause students to lose interest “This scares me because when you right support,” said Stanford student Patricia Wei. “Lack in picking up a book. can’t get past a certain point in reading, of resources is definitely an issue. Some youth might have “Technology definitely contributes to the decline in you don’t have skills to get anything better learning disabilities and need extra support, which they’re literacy,” Willson said. “We look at our phones all the time, than a minimum wage job,” librarian Amy not getting.” we’re distracted by the immediate response of technology, Ashworth said. “I know that there are lots To ensure that children are receiving adequate and I think we just don’t make time for reading.” of trades where it’s not literacy instruction, parents must take Literate Although illiteracy runs rampant in poverty, there are required to do extensive initiative alongside educators. Encouraging Illiterate solutions to these problems. Pushing for the government to preparation, but any job reading from an early age, even if only for 10 provide higher quality classes to adult education, donating requires reading.” minutes a day can be greatly beneficial in a to charities, exposing children to books through libraries Improving adult child’s growth. Parents can spend time with and spreading awareness about illiteracy can help America education in America their children in a library, a free and easy move forward to a brighter, literate future. will give illiterate adults way to access many books.

Literacy in America “When you read, you become an empathetic person the chance to grow. This “I think creating a culture of reading at because you’re able to view through the eyes of someone isn’t a new idea: sixty years ago, the federal government home is very important,” English teacher Connie Willson else,” Ashworth said. “It’s impewrative that people have established programs that provided funding for adults who said. “If kids don’t see their parents reading, they will not those experiences and not just live inside their own bubble, struggled with reading and employment. Presidents Lyndon read. If you don’t have any books lying around the house, otherwise they are shackled to something that is less. And I B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy encouraged this as well. they will not read for fun.” would want more for anybody.”

Charities like Reading is Fundamental have taken

A

55 mil.

155 mil.

54 mil.

70%

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY YVONNE WU

A one-to-one teacher to student ratio

BY LILLY WU AND OLIVIA YUAN

I

Through homeschooling, parents can influence not only what their child learns but also the settings in which they learn it. Parents can protect children from social struggles and pressures, such as bullying, that happen in traditional schools.

According to NCES, over 80% of parents of homeschooled children choose this form of education over concerns about school environments regarding safety, drugs or peer pressure.

Furthermore, environments with personalized accommodations can be essential to the growth of students with disabilities or health conditions.

According to the National Special Education Advocacy Institute, about 38% of students receiving homeschooling have special needs.

“Both my husband and I were homeschooled when we were younger, which caused us to homeschool our own children,” homeschooling parent Colleen Beeson said. “My husband’s homeschooling situation allowed him to work at his own pace, and he started junior college when he was twelve years old. As for me, I am very dyslexic and faced many teachers who weren’t very understanding growing up. Because of this, I didn’t want my son, who is also dyslexic, to go through the same struggles.”

However, some homeschooled children may also experience distinct disadvantages.

A lack of social interaction with other kids their age may restrict their opportunities to meet new people, making it harder for them to navigate in society when they reach adulthood.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLOTTE BOLAY AND EILEEN ZHU

homeschooling resources more accessible for all. As shown by three of the top five nstead of waking up every morning for reasons parents decide to homeschool 8:30 a.m. classes, a typical day in the named by the National Center for Education life of a homeschooled student can be Statistics — dissatisfaction with moral, quite different. Some homeschooled academic and religious instruction — students start their academics later in the homeschooling’s self-regulating nature also morning for shorter periods of time, with lends parents more control over many facets their classrooms located in the comfort of of their child’s education, including the their own homes. This form of education curriculum they are taught and the learning has shaped students’ development in ways approaches parents take. traditional schools do not.

“An advantage of homeschooling is that In the years since the COVID-19 I can customize the experience for my pandemic, the number of homeschooled children and give them one-on-one attention students soared due to factors such as in every subject,” homeschooling parent health concerns and skepticism regarding Erin Heyming said. “I also have the power to the quality of remote decide what assignments learning. Remote learning my children work on, so “An advantage of was an introduction to they can avoid doing busy homeschooling is that alternative education work such as coloring systems for most students pictures.”

I can customize the across the nation. For some Although surpassed experience for my students, it provided a in prominence by moral children.” unique level of flexibility and academic motivations and privacy that they in recent times, religious Erin Heyming, wanted to preserve even motivations have long after traditional schools Homeschooling Parent been a leading factor in shifted back to in-person the choice to homeschool. learning.

They cause some families “I liked online school during COVID-19,” to reject the more general teachings of sophomore Helyx Belew said. “I liked traditional schools in favor of educating working at home at my own pace and their children on specific worldviews. determining my own schedule. I found “Public schools give students exposure that it was very similar to homeschooling to a diversity of beliefs that some cases and that I do better in school when I’m not of religiously motivated homeschooling surrounded by other people constantly might give to a similar degree,” said Robert because of how overwhelming it can be.”

Kunzman, managing director for the Even before the pandemic, there International Center for Home Education were still many reasons why parents Research. “But sometimes the latter ends would homeschool their children. As the up being an environment where only their Coalition for Responsible Homeschooling family’s religious perspectives are explored. reported, online networks in the Internet The parents want to raise their children in a age made educational materials and other safe zone of their own teachings.”

Read more at lhsepic. com

SPORTS

14 the Epic

The mental and physical toll of body idealization on athletes

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY ASHLEY HUANG, DAVID ZHU, GRACE ZHU AND ROHAN KAKHANDIKI

BY ASHLEY HUANG AND CRYSTAL ZHU This story contains references to content that may be difficult for those who have experienced body dysmorphia or are sensitive to topics concerning body image or eating disorders.

“There’s always the risk that somebody could have a flawed vision of what they think their body type is or should be for their sport.

Education is a big thing”

I

n the dim lights of the locker room, an athlete stands in front of the mirror. The other teammates have already left the room, but this athlete remains, nervous over the coming game. Criticizing themselves over their body, they worry that they’ll perform poorly in the game and let down the whole team. In anticipation of the game, they decided to refrain from eating for most of the day, yet their body remains the same — a far cry from the idealized body they had envisioned for themselves. Before they leave, taking one last look in the mirror, they bow their heads in shame, deciding to fast the next day as well.

Each sport has its own standards for the ideal physique, whether it be powerful legs, sculpted arms or long limbs. This pursuit of the perfect physique often begins with a comparison between aspiring athletes and those who they believe symbolize their ideal body.

The sports world is one with expectations and stereotypes, where many believe that appearance promotes performance.

Every sport has different criteria for what constitutes the ideal body image — each shaped by the unique demands of the particular sport. For example, swimmers seek advantages with streamlined bodies, strong shoulders and long, powerful arms.

Basketball players, much like swimmers, tend to be athletes with long, toned legs and arms, with more emphasis on height.

Favoring specific body types over others stems from both performance and aesthetics. Particular muscle structures often represent the ideal training outcome; thus, many athletes with that muscle build tend to perform well. However, sometimes an ideal athlete’s body is also shaped by the audience’s and judge’s preferences, having almost nothing to do with ability at all. For instance, having long legs, a long neck and a small head is often a common standard for a ballet dancer’s body, taken to fit the ballet aesthetic.

“There’s always the risk that somebody could have a flawed vision of what they think their body type is or should be for their sport,” Foothill College Head Athletic Trainer Warren Voyce said.

Beauty standards are not a new trend among sports, evident from Victorian-era sports corsets to modern diet culture and tips for staying fit. Quickly absorbed by the goal of a “better body,” people who are exposed to modern diet culture may excessively change their habits to pursue their idea of a perfect figure.

Junior Rhea Lalwani is captain of the cheerleading team, where she is a base. In cheerleading, members are divided into two groups: the fliers and the bases. Fliers tend to be shorter and leaner — usually the ones being lifted — while bases are taller and more muscular, the ones doing the lifting.

As a result, not all cheerleaders who wish to become a flier are able to. Yet the two parts, both fliers and bases, work toward the team in equal ways.

“It’s not just about a person’s body,” Lalwani said. “It’s about what will benefit the team the most. People usually take it like: ‘because I’m built this way I can’t do it,’ but that’s not the case.”

However, the constant pursuit by athletes to achieve the ideal body image may lead to more challenges than

Warren Voyce, Foothill College Head Athletic Trainer

advantages.

When it comes to “bulking” in the context of sports and fitness, individuals aim to build muscle mass and overall body size, increasing body fat — attributes that are beneficial in some sports. Unfortunately, excessive and forced bulking, when done incorrectly in the constant pursuit of a specific body image, may lead to consequences such as excessive fat gain, joint stress, digestive discomfort and cardiovascular health risks.

On the other hand, some athletes who seek to appear slimmer and decrease bulky muscle through unhealthy means, such as starving oneself, may experience nutritional deficiencies, which may result in nausea and fainting. This may lead to eating disorders and detrimental mental health, including anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphia.

“As athletic trainers, we’re very cognizant of identifying and intervening athletes who might be putting themselves in danger,” Voyce said.

In controlled amounts, body and diet standards serve as a guideline for athletes to properly train and understand how to

improve.

Certain training techniques, developed by professionals through years of trial and error, have proven to be most effective toward helping athletes improve within their sports.

“Education is a big thing,” Voyce said.

“There are appropriate techniques for gaining or losing weight, and appropriate fueling methods to help support an athlete’s strength that athletes should be educated about. Athletes should also be taught to be able to identify when they might be into unhealthy eating patterns.”

Aside from detrimental eating habits, many athletes who push their bodies to their limits in order to achieve the ideal body image are susceptible to overexercising or overtraining. This behavior involves pushing the body beyond its natural limits, often without adequate rest or recovery.

“A lot of the time, athletes are very pressured to fit the mold, because a lot of people aren’t naturally born with this physique,” ballerina and freshman Valerie Sokolenko said.

“They are pressured to do whatever it takes to take on this mold, but it’s not really good for your mental health. Sometimes they take on these special diets, they eat differently, or they overtrain.”

With the exponential growth of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, athletes and athletic influencers have taken the spotlight, showcasing their own bodies. What an athlete eats in a day, the amount of hours a football player spends in the gym and weight-trainer mirror selfies of well-built muscles have become extremely popular among the sports and online community. Coupled with alreadyprevalent insecurities over the average body, these “super” bodies only serve to intensify competition and comparison between athletes both within and beyond their communities, which may inadvertently contribute to feelings of body dissatisfaction and insecurity.

“Young athletes don’t realize that they may not have the access to nutrition programs, strengthening conditioning programs or other programs, and may not have the hormonal profiles yet to be able to achieve certain body images portrayed on the internet,” Voyce said.

Moreover, online influencers tend to

show a onesided image: using camera angles or filters to unrealistically refine their bodies. Without enough information, viewers, and especially athletes, come to the conclusion that their bodies should be held to that standard as well, resulting in possible toxic expectations of — and an urge to drastically change — their own body, through unhealthy methods in hopes for a more prominent result. Furthermore, student content creators can encounter negative comments on social media platforms when they post about their own body.

Prioritizing technical skills instead of an ideal physique can lead to improvement in an athlete’s performance, boosting confidence and bettering the environment in which the athletes train. Rather than focusing on how their body looks, athletes can instead focus on training to become better technically, focusing on the positive and not the negative. Learning to be comfortable in their own body requires communication and encouragement, both from themselves and others.

Freshman Tyler Nagareda has been playing basketball and volleyball since third grade and fourth grade, respectively, and is planning to try out for both the basketball and volleyball teams. In these two sports, athletes hone their strength and capability to jump and pass balls. Taller bodies are often preferred, stemming from the need for successful rebounds in basketball, and an easier time playing front row in volleyball, as well as the ability to run faster. When he was younger, he struggled with a negative mindset around his weight, as well as bullying because of it.

“Body standards can hurt somebody’s confidence, and when somebody’s confidence is bad they usually play a lot worse,” Nagareda said.

After he persisted in his training with encouragement from his family, he was able to improve his skill through practice.

“They encouraged me, helped me, kept me playing and not giving up on it,” Nagareda said. “I feel a lot less excluded and picked on.”

Figures of authority, coaches and instructors can also play a large role in improving athletes’ confidence in themselves and their bodies. Coaches and instructors have the power over the amount of emphasis they put on an athlete to prioritize results and body image over psychological needs and actual skill. Healthy methods of coaching combine patience, freedom and collaboration between the coach and athlete. Coaches also serve as a source of support and encouragement for athletes who may be struggling with body insecurities.

“I want to be there for my athletes and be an open source for them, so that if something does come up, they tell us about it, because then we can get them the help that they need,” Voyce said.

November 06, 2023

SPORTS

15

Diving into AP Statistics teacher Kenneth Iams’ college years

A

mid the deafening silence in the stadium, AP Statistics teacher Kenneth Iams positioned himself at the edge of the diving board. It was his turn to attempt his prepared dive: a front double with two twists. With a deep breath, he sprang off the board. Time appeared to slow as he carried out each motion, completing a somersault, straightening his body, executing two full twists and finally neatly folding over. Palms flat together above his head and toes pointed, he broke through the water.

Iams began his diving journey at six years old. His mother would take him to an outdoor community swimming pool in the summer in Pennsylvania. The pool had a one-meter and three-meter diving board, which were the catalysts for his deep love of the sport.

“It’s the feeling of controlling yourself as you arc up through the air and come back down,” Iams said. “There’s also the thrill of doing the harder dives, seeing how many flips I can do before impacting the water, and whether I can do it with good form and grace.”

Diving presented Iams with numerous opportunities; he received recruitment offers from several universities. However, between middle and high school, he faced

a significant decision: whether to pursue a career in diving and aim for the Olympics, or to only participate in collegiate-level diving due to the limited resources in his area.

The nearest three-meter diving board in his hometown in Pennsylvania was half an hour away, so he relied on summer camps to train his skills. However, Iams ultimately decided against pursuing the Olympics to prioritize his education, and ended up committing to Princeton University’s Division I diving team with the class of 1991.

At Princeton, Iams was an All-American for the 3-Meter Dive for three out of the four years of his collegiate diving career. In diving, the All-American award is granted to athletes who make the top eight of the NCAA championships. He missed the title one year due to a torn tricep because, with this injury, it was near impossible to minimize the splash. He was also the first person to compete a front double with two twists on the 1-Meter dive, a dive he invented himself.

Iams is most proud of getting All-American his senior year because he had to balance a lot of schoolwork with diving.

“I really wanted to do very well in my last year in my sport, since I knew this was it; the sport was going to be over because there was nothing else after college,” Iams said. “I try to show all my students how much I appreciate all the hard work they do when teaching. While I hope everyone

likes working for the sake of challenging themselves, it’s also nice when other people recognize it as well.”

In his final dive to make All-American in his senior year, Iams made a bold decision to perform a front one-and-a-half with three twists instead of the less-challenging front one-and-a-half with two twists. Despite knowing that the simpler dive might have secured a higher score, his coach encouraged him to attempt the harder one. Although the dive wasn’t perfect, he had no regrets about his choice for that last, memorable dive.

“I knew it was a gamble but I was proud that I did what I had practiced,” Iams said.

“Although it didn’t necessarily pay off score-wise, I was still happy since I had fun doing it.”

Through diving, Iams learned to embrace failure. He believes that it’s important to think critically about what led to failure and then address any areas of deficiency.

“In diving, failures often involve smacking the water, which usually results in red marks,” Iams said. “However, you just treat them as fun mistakes, and try not to do it that way again. You’re not going to have achievements without failures; they go hand in hand.”

USED WITH PERMISSION FROM KENNETH IAMS GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID ZHU

BY NICOLE GE

The detrimental impacts of injuries on the mind and body

BY GRACE ZHU AND VIDUSHI UPADHYAY

W

hile many athletes experience injuries during their athletic careers and most of these situations result in a speedy recovery, if certain precautions are not taken, they can be prone to suffering long-term injuries that can have everlasting impacts on their personal and athletic lives as well as their mental wellbeing.

The most common injuries seen in sports are minor sprains or strains, and while they may not seem serious at the time of the injury due to the lack of severity, these small inconveniences can lead to joint issues or arthritis.

Repeated injuries toward joints can render these crucial bones unstable. Instability in joints results in increased sliding between joint surfaces and eventually weakens the muscles, leaving the body to function at reduced efficiency.

“If you’ve been injured one time, the likelihood of re-injuring the same spot is higher,” athletic trainer Scott Leveau said.

“That’s why you see athletes who, even before injury, will

PHOTO BY ROHAN KAKHANDIKI

proactively wear a brace to prevent the injury.”

She reassures herself that she will return soon, but feels a Among professional athletes, injuries are major disconnect with her team and disappointment that considered to be one of the deciding factors contributing she won’t be able to participate fully in a major milestone. to the longevity and quality of their careers. Long hours at Her doctor and coach banned her from stunting at the practices and games take a toll on athletes’ health and often performance and were skeptical about her participation lead to frequent injuries, which may shorten the athlete’s in the dance itself. Luckily, Beberg had an incredibly fast career. However, one of the lesser-known impacts of injuries recovery, but the possibility of missing the opportunity to is the impact they have on an athlete’s mental health and participate in her senior homecoming performance took a personal life. Influential athletes like Serena Williams, toll on her.

Micheal Phelps and Simone Biles have expressed their “I’ve been looking forward to this homecoming for years concern on the lack of attention being given and the thought of not being able to to athletes’ mental health. After scratching stunt, perform or have that bonding most of her events for the Olympic Team experience with my team was soulfinal in Tokyo, Biles expressed that she crushing.” Beberg said. “If I am forced to had made this decision because of the sit out for a long period of time, I know “In high risk sports, detrimental impacts gymnastics had been it would be an incredibly big change for you’re one game away having on her mental health. my lifestyle and mindset and would have from a career-ending “In high-risk sports, you’re one game a detrimental effect on me.” injury.” away from a career-ending injury,” Despite the variety of rehabilitation said Dr. Rachel Grashow, director for and remedies available to athletes, epidemiological research initiatives for the Dr. Rachel Grashow, it is impossible to predict all factors Football Players Health Study at Harvard of recovery. Prevention of injuries Director for University. “Athletes invest their whole life is crucial to decrease recurrence on epidemiological in their sport, making it hard for them to research initiatives at weakened former injuries. Pre-season shift gears. A lot of depression and anxiety conditioning, strengthening and Harvard University can result from leaving the game due to flexibility building is crucial. loss of identity.”

“Not being able to dance would be After dedicating seven years upsetting,” senior and Valkyries co-captain Abigail Fong said. to cheer, senior and captain Ayanna Beberg finds herself “Dance is one of my forms of self expression. The current unable to practice with her team as they prepare for the enjoyment dance brings me is more important than the biggest night of her career — her senior homecoming — possible injuries.” due to a concussion.

16 SPORTS

November 06, 2023

Daphne Zhu leaps through rhythmic gymnastics

BY EMILY PEDROZA

J

unior Daphne Zhu dusts her fingers with chalk; apparati — colorful hoops, balls, clubs, ribbon and rope — are scattered around her gymnasium. As sunlight slips through Bravo Rhythmic Gymnastics’ windows, she traces recent recordings of her routines, marks mistakes, takes a deep breath and takes steps toward the floor to practice more.

Zhu’s origins in rhythmic gymnastics sparked from her dance lessons, dating back to when she was 3 years old. Four years later, a friend from her dance studio inspired her to try out at her gym. Zhu was intrigued by adding apparati, which are certified items such as hoops and clubs, into dance.

“Daphne has always been someone I looked up to,” said freshman Mengdi Xiong, a rhythmic gymnast at Zhu’s gym. “She has always been very supportive and she encourages everyone.”

Zhu also enjoys coaching younger gymnasts in beginner levels: correcting their technique, guiding them through developing new skills and occasionally

choreographing fun routines for them.

“It means a lot to me when younger gymnasts master something new,” Zhu said.

“They look happy and I’m really grateful for the opportunity to impact them and help them start amazing journeys as I had.”

A constant challenge in her sports career has been her injuries. Five years ago, Zhu injured her Achilles tendon, followed by knee and tailbone injuries, leading to disruptions in her training. She often had to choose between taking breaks and falling behind schedule or showing up with the risk of furthering her injuries. Over time, she has learned firsthand the importance of prioritizing mindfulness and physical health, especially in a sport where body and muscle control is essential for competitions.

“It was really hard being injured because I didn’t want to rest for too long,” Zhu said.

“It was very hard to get back into a flow; you lose flexibility, muscle strength and stamina.”

With a strenuous training schedule at the gym, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m every weekday, it often leaves Zhu little time for balancing school and her personal life.

To make up for this, Zhu tries to optimize her time at school: chipping away at homework during free

periods like tutorial, lunch and brunch. Still, sometimes, this work in school isn’t enough.

She would often have to resort to pulling out classwork during car rides on her way to her practices.

“I’m starting to respect that when I’m tired and want to sleep,” Zhu said.

This mental strength fortifies her in other areas too, present in her pre-competition routines. One thing she incorporates before each contest is taking the time to visualize her routine. Afterward, to prevent herself from focusing on the negative parts of her routines, she thinks of moves she executed well.

Through the challenges she faced, her teammates, parents and coaches have supported her along the way, creating an environment where she can thrive in the sport. An example of their tightly bound community is their carpooling system, where teammates and parents rotate trips to the gymnasium, a long commute.

She hopes to continue rhythmic gymnastics throughout the rest of high school, and as there aren’t very many rhythmic gymnastics collegiate programs, she hopes to return to dance in college.

“Rhythmic gymnastics is a part of my identity — it’s who I am,” Zhu said.

editors-in-chief myles kim susanna tang managing editor anushka anand copy editors katie chin surya saraf design editors chelsea lee valerie shu adviser josh miller news editor apurva krishnamurthy opinion editors alyssa wang lilly wu features editor emily pedroza in-depth editor eileen zhu sports editor ashley huang

“Rhythmic gymnastics is a part of my identity — it’s who I am.”

Daphne Zhu, Junior USED WITH PERMISSION FROM DAPHNE ZHU GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AUDREY SUN

The sport of slinging revived in the Bay

A

chance encounter led senior Rasul Abdullayev to get involved with the sport of slinging. Bored during his winter break and motivated by memories of playing with slingshots in his childhood, he searched the internet for more information about slinging. Instead of the Y-shaped contraption, however, images of people swinging ropes populated Abdullayev’s screen — he had mistyped “slingshot” for “slinging.” Nevertheless, the search results intrigued him.

To use a sling, a roughly spherical projectile item, like a stone or tennis ball, is first placed in the cradle. Held by a handle and a tab on the free ends of the cords, the sling is then swung in an arc. At the end of the arc, the slinger releases the tab, which allows the projectile to fly outward — ideally forward.

There is a large slinging community online, found throughout YouTube and forums such as slinging.org. Despite the bustling virtual community, no one Abdullayev knew personally had any idea what a sling was. Thus, he was excited to share with his friends the slings he made while following Youtube instructional videos. By learning from experienced slingers over the internet, Abdullayev and his friends quickly learned more about the sport.

“It’s such a close-knit group where everyone helps each other out,” Abdullayev said. “Everyone shares their knowledge, from which others are free to take or add on to.”

Through the practice sessions near his house, Abdullayev and his friends put their knowledge into action. They decided to start a club to spread their joy in slinging with others. With the establishment of Bay Area Slinging Club, practice sessions occurred more regularly, and more people started joining — attracted by flyers, posts online and the sessions themselves. Sean Huang, a current Stanford University sophomore, was the first person to sign up for the club through a post he saw on slinging.org.

“Though I didn’t know the members before practicing with them, we quickly connected because we were all really interested in slinging,” Huang said.

For safety reasons, Bay Area Slinging Club holds practices in open grassy areas.

The projectiles travel at high speeds, resulting in high force which could easily shatter a window. While staying away from populated places, the club likes to practice in locations visible to passers-by.

Get involved in slinging by visiting the club’s website, bayslinging.org, or their practices at the park; they’re open to all levels.

“We want others to come and ask us questions,” founding member Sivaan Sharma said. “Slinging is hard to describe, but it is fun. You can only really experience that feeling by actually slinging yourself.”

business/pr manager deeksha raj social media manager riki murase staffers alexandra wu alex cotterel amanda jin audrey sun charlotte bolay claire guo crystal zhu david zhu erin fitzpatrick gary pan grace zhu inaaya yousuf irene hwang meadow shen nicole ge robert yu rohan kakhandiki sarah zhang taek kim vidushi upadhyay vihaan patel olivia yuan yvonne wu

USED WITH PERMISSION FROM RASUL ABDULLAYEV

BY SARAH ZHANG

web editors daeun chung qianzi loo

small print: the Epic is the official newspaper of Lynbrook High School and is a student-run open forum not subject to prior review, as protected under the California Education Code. Views expressed in the Epic do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the administration or faculty of this school or district. Letters to the Editor, guest columns and other materials to be considered for publication are welcome. Visit lhsepic.com/submissions for the guidelines and submission form. valued contributors: Soo Yeon Choi and Lisa Liu.