Sections News: pg. 2-3
Opinion: pg. 4-5
Features: pg. 15-16
In-Depth: pg. 17-18
Sports: pg. 19-20
Seniors Front: pg. 7
Senior Columns: pg. 8-9
Senior Map: pg. 10-11
Bequeathals: pg. 12-13
Collage: pg.14
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Lynbrook High School, 1280 Johnson Ave., San Jose, CA 95129
In 2022, the global market of the skin lightening industry had an estimated value of $8.8 billion. Through incessant advertising and marketing, beauty consciousness has skyrocketed across communities of color, promoting the narrative that darker complexions are inferior to lighter skinned counterparts. Colorism, a term coined by novelist Alice Walker in 1982, is defined as a preference for lighter skin between and within different ethnic minorities. Its roots are entrenched in communities across many communities of color worldwide.
story continues on pg. 18 || in-depth
STAFF EDITORIAL: THE VOICE OF THE EPIC
As the lunch bell rings, it’s hard to miss the trash left behind in the scramble to get to classes: disposable lunch trays, clamshell salad cartons and food wrappers litter the campus, often still filled with remnants of lunches. The gradual rise in similar instances of irresponsibility with trash and recycling across campus has raised concerns among members of the community who are left to contend with the consequences. These incidents stress a need for increased student accountability and awareness to help maintain cleanliness on campus.
Although there are many trash cans and recycling bins on campus, littering is still commonly seen in locations such as the quad and tables. Undisposed trash is typically minimal at the beginning of the year, but the quantity noticeably increases as the year progresses. To combat this issue, students should do their part in cleaning up and throwing away trash correctly.
story continues on pg. 5 || opinion
Lynbrook teacher and staf retirement pg. 2
Cleaning up our act for a cleaner campus pg. 5
Kimchee Masala brings new favors to music pg. 15
Sunscreen from beach to bleach pg. 17
Committed pg. 20
Dear Vikings,
As the year comes to a close, we welcome our new Editors-in-Chief, Myles Kim and Susanna Tang. They, along with next year’s Editorial Board, Section Editors and Managers, have worked tirelessly to bring you this issue. We are very proud of them for their hard work!
As a tribute to the Class of 2023, explore our senior issue! On pages 7-14, find content ranging from a comic strip mapping the seniors’ high school journey to the long-awaited college map and bequeathals. Our seniors reflect on their high school experiences and give lessons and advice on pages 8-9.
Before summer, take a walk down memory lane with Mr. Clarke and Mrs. Otoshi in News; in Opinion, learn about the consequences litter brings to campus; in Features, meet Kimchee Masala, Lynbrook’s newest student band; in InDepth, delve into the effects of colorism in various countries; in Sports, learn about the journeys of six new college recruits. Don’t miss our web-exclusive content, including a video of heartfelt messages from underclassmen to seniors, a video of behind-the-scenes coverage of Indesign’s first fashion show in four years and an article reviewing the latest installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
On behalf of the publication, thank you for your readership. With your support, the Epic was able to win the most publication awards it has ever won in a single year. Through sharing the stories of those around us, we hope that you have become closer with the Lynbrook community. Have a great summer!
Signing out,
Elizabeth Cheng & Amy Liu
Editors-in-Chief 2022-23
After working at Lynbrook for a decade, peer tutorial clerical assistant Miko Otoshi announced her retirement from Lynbrook during the Pops Concert on May 17. A master of the band room and homework center, Otoshi continuously found ways to give back to the community.
“It’s nice to be in an environment where there’s a lot of youthful energy, and I feel productive helping teachers,” Otoshi said.
As a mother with three Lynbrook alumni, Otoshi found herself involved in the Lynbrook community starting with her joining Lynbrook PTSA. After working behind the scenes to attain grants for various programs and helping out as a parent volunteer through Lynbrook Instrumental Music Boosters, Otoshi joined the music department as an administrative assistant.
“She’s very earnest about her responsibilities, making sure everything is organized,” Pakaluk said. “She really stands out, dedicating her time and energy , and it’s kind of rare to see that in parent volunteers.”
Her role in the music department included managing the instrument rental system, coordinating domestic and international tours and copying sheet music among other responsibilities. Students greatly appreciate the continuous effort she put in to provide a smooth and positive classroom experience.
From there, Otoshi dabbled with other ways to help students, eventually becoming a coordinator for the STTAR program.
“Ms. Otoshi is dependable in everything she does for STTAR tutoring, homework center and National Honor Society,” said senior and NHS internal Vice President Vivian Zhao. “Without her, we wouldn’t have been so successful with maintaining and improving our school’s peer tutoring programs.”
Whether it was during her time as a parent volunteer or a clerical staff member, Otoshi found seeing students progress over their high school journey extremely rewarding.
“It’s always nice to see students who got matched with a STTAR tutor become a tutor themselves in their junior or senior year and say that they enjoyed doing it,” Otoshi said.
Otoshi hopes to spend more time with her family and pick up old hobbies. She also plans to continue being involved at school, occasionally volunteering for the instrumental music department.
After 23 years of teaching, of which the past three have been at Lynbrook, English teacher David Clarke decided to retire. His students hold lasting memories of his teaching approach and will cherish their memories of his class for years.
“Mr. Clarke is one of the most intelligent teachers I’ve ever had,” Clarke’s teaching assistant Owen Yuan said. “He explains things in a way that makes it simple to understand and you can talk to him about anything.”
After graduate school, Clarke considered teaching as he had a Master’s degree in English education, but instead spent most of his young adult life working jobs ranging from hospitality to construction. Returning to Silicon Valley, Clarke worked in the technology sector for a decade. Still, he remained open to exploring other careers.
“It was a very interesting time to be in tech, but I wasn’t really invested in it,” Clarke said. “When the company I worked for went under, I got into teaching.”
As a teacher, Clarke wanted to emphasize the importance of fostering creativity in his classes through discussion-based learning, as opposed to only having lectures, while also giving his own commentary periodically.
“My feeling both as a parent and teacher is to provide kids with opportunities to make their own decisions,” Clarke said. “It’s much more a matter of opening their eyes to how things work.”
Clarke has enjoyed engaging in stimulating conversations with students, particularly from when he used to teach AP English Literature and Composition. He cherishes his experiences teaching overall, as they gave him a deeper understanding of students’ learning. Looking back, Clarke says that he would have tried to explore more ventures in his life.
“Don’t be held back by the thought that because what you’re doing is comfortable, you ought to stick with it,” Clarke said. “When it’s time to jump, close your eyes and jump.”
Jumping into a new stage of his life, Clarke plans to continue his regular activities such as home and garden renovations. He also hopes to get back into construction and may take college classes as well.
“Mr. Clarke brings so many different perspectives because of the different lives he’s led,” English teacher Terri Fill said. “It will be difficult to replace the knowledge storehouse that is Mr. Clarke.”
To conclude a successful year full of engaging events such as Mardi Gras, club socials and more, students taking French hosted their first pétanque social in four years on May 22, where members played the popular outdoor French game. The French Honor Society worked closely with French teachers and other French
complimentary snacks such as crepes and cookies.
In pétanque, teams try to throw boules, small metallic balls, as close as possible to the but, a little wooden sphere. The word “pétanque” means “foot fixed” or “foot planted,” because the position of the but is fixed once it is thrown and the other players must match its fixed distance. A complete pétanque team often consists of three or
The game was created in the town of La Ciotat in Provence, France, in 1907 by Jules le Noir and Ernest Pitiot. Pétanque gained widespread popularity in the 20th century and eventually became known worldwide, evolving into a beloved recreational activity and international competitive sport.
“It’s also important
The event was run by the current FHS officers who wanted to bring it back after its past cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns. This year, a couple French students wanted to spontaneously host the event so they quickly pulled it together within two weeks. French teachers also offered their students extra credit to attend.
During the event, French students were assigned into small groups of six to eight people and learned the rules from posters.
“It was so much fun,” said Grace Lin, an eighth grade student from Miller Middle School. “I like meeting high schoolers and playing the game, even though I wasn’t good at it.”
One challenge the hosts faced during the event was a lack of clarity regarding the rules of the game. Attendees were expected to come to the event with basic knowledge on how to play the game so they could help teach the middle schoolers; however, many people came without knowing the rules of pétanque. However, after a brief explanation at the start of the event, the attendees understood the game.
During the 2023-24 school year, FHS hopes to continue hosting similar events. Since they have already enjoyed playing pétanque together, they want to try out playing other French games like Escargot (Snail) and Jeu de la barbichette (Game of the Goatee).
I like the idea of spreading French culture and exposing it to new people.
Sarasvati Bhat, FHS Activities Director
As the school year winds down, excitement brewed in Youth Activities for Kids Club, culminating in the Penpal Meetup on May 25. After months of exchanging handwritten letters and gifts, YAK members finally got the chance to meet their third-grade pen pals from Dilworth Elementary School face-to-face.
On the day of the meetup, members discussed their memories of elementary school and shared excitement to see their pen pals for the first time. With many members having gone to Dilworth when they were younger, they conversed about whether teachers they remembered were still teaching. Others talked about memories of participating in a similar pen pal system when they were in elementary and middle school. They were ready to fill the shoes of the high schoolers they looked up to at a young age.
When they arrived, members and their pen pals shared laughs and stories while enjoying a meal together, with conversations ranging from what cars high schoolers owned to older siblings of the pen pals YAK members might know. The exchange of small gifts such as stickers and keychains added a special touch to the event and symbolized the bond they had formed. Members enjoyed answering questions about middle and high school, which, for many third graders, seemed years away. The event not only served as a culmination of exchanging letters with their pen pals but also brought back nostalgic memories for the Lynbrook participants from their elementary school days.
“I had a middle school pen pal when I was in third grade and we met again in high school,” junior Nachiket Joshi said. “The feelings I got from that experience really enriched my life, so I wanted to be on the giving end of it this time.”
Over the years, the pen pal meetup has become an annual highlight for the club, consistently drawing the highest level of participation from members. The event was initially inspired by the club’s desire to create meaningful connections between elementary and high school students and promote empathy across the two diverse age groups.
“I think it’s really cute and nostalgic that we get to chat with these third graders, who remind me of my childhood and my brother who’s in fourth grade right now,” senior and vice president Owen Yuan said. “It really makes my day and also makes me sometimes wonder if one of them is a younger brother as well.”
The event was coordinated with third-grade teacher Judy Pereyda, who had worked with YAK to host pen pals for seven years at John Muir Elementary School, where she taught before
“Talking to Mrs. Pereyda about how much her students loved pen pal letters really touched me,” junior and secretary Sophia Yang said. “We don’t get to see them at all until the meetup so I loved seeing the happiness on their faces from a simple conversation.” However, organizing the event presented its fair share of challenges. Coordinating schedules and ensuring effective communication between the two schools was a challenge for officers. However, the dedication and commitment of officers, members and staff ultimately ensured the event’s success, overcoming obstacles that arose along the way.
“Mrs. Pereyda was super easy to work with and she really helped with the letter exchange process,” Yang said. “The major obstacle came around the AP testing weeks when we had to push the event back to best fit our members’ schedules.”
For many members, their favorite part of the event was how it fostered a sense of fulfillment that cannot be replicated. As many members were a part of the same program when they were younger, knowing that they were providing the same experience was especially rewarding.
“We try to volunteer at every possible school around our local area because we just want children and parents to always have an easy and fun time,” Yuan said. “Especially after a year and a half of COVID-19, which is like losing almost a quarter of your childhood, it’s tough for them to adapt back to in-person learning.”
Beyond the handwritten letters and tangible gifts, the event exemplifies the magic of bridging gaps and forming lasting friendships. The club’s meetup continues to inspire future initiatives, igniting the vision of an even more vibrant club with engaging activities in coming years.
ASB Pride, June 2
Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community by wearing bright colors and stopping by the quad to make your own lanyards.
Valhalla Yearbook distribution, June 2, 5 & 6
Stop by the auditorium to collect a yearbook. Distribution for seniors will be on June 2 from 2-3 p.m, and for other grades on June 5 from 3-4 p.m. and June 6 from 2:15 - 4 p.m.
Marching Band & Colorguard
Kickoff, June 3
If you are interested in joining Marching Band or Colorguard, check out the kickoff from 10 a.m. to noon in Room 77.
Finals Week, June 4 - 8
Good luck on your exams! Have an Epic summer, and we’ll see you next year!
Graduation, June 9
Congratulations to the Class of 2023 for graduating! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish after high school.
By Anushka Anand, Larry Wang and Samiya Anwar.
“There are not enough adjectives and superlatives in the dictionary to describe her,” said Paul Boehm, in memory of his wife, former ASB Financial Technician Judy Boehm. “She dedicated her life to serving other people.”
A beacon of light for the Lynbrook community, family and friends, Boehm is remembered for her unwavering support and kindness for Lynbrook students during her tenure. Due to medical complications, she passed away on April 18, having retired from her job as the ASB Financial Technician in February 2022.
Since she began her Lynbrook career in 2001, Boehm was responsible for organizing finances for clubs and sporting events. This encompassed club reimbursements, school events and reviewing receipts and all club funds. Her remarkable dedication to her role and compassion fostered positivity that defines much of Lynbrook’s supportive, nurturing environment today.
“She really added to the culture and levity of being in ASB,” former ASB Treasurer Pranay Mamileti said. “She was super kind and understanding when it was my first time on the job; she was really funny and just a really incredible person.”
Principal Maria Jackson cherishes her time spent with Boehm, including lunch
periods together in the old office building.
“We would spend so much time laughing about something we saw on TV, or funny things that happened to us — she had the best laugh,” Jackson said.
Boehm’s children, Noelle, Scott and Kevin Boehm, attended Lynbrook in the 80s and 90s, while she served as the head of the PTA.
Scott Boehm reflects on his mother’s passion for serving the Lynbrook community, and supporting her children no matter what.
“She let us live, adventure, make mistakes and learn from them,” Scott Boehm said.
“She was always there as a loving, guiding hand.”
An avid sports fan, Boehm frequently supported her sons — who both played as quarterbacks for the Lynbrook football team — and sported their football jerseys in the stands. She would often invite her sons’ teammates to her house to give them haircuts and etch inspirational messages in their hair before the evening’s game.
Boehm was often considered a second mother to her children’s friends and community of neighbors. A welcoming figure in her “neighborhood family crew,” a tight-knit group of neighborhood friends and family who often vacationed together, Boehm is warmly remembered for her limitless
compassion and strength through obstacles she faced throughout her life.
“Whenever faced with challenges or uncertainty, I often find solace in thinking,
‘What would Mrs. Boehm do in this situation?’”said Jennifer Grossman Sills, Boehm’s friend of 35 years. “Her ability to roll with the punches and find strength and resilience even in the face of adversity inspired me and many others fortunate enough to know her.”
Before joining the Lynbrook staff, Boehm was a social worker and served in the American Red Cross, helping wounded soldiers and veterans in Air Force and army hospitals. Following the 1964 Alaskan earthquake, Boehm provided relief support for injured Alaskan citizens, and made national headlines for her continued dedication to her service after a tornado
destroyed her home at the Air Force base in Texas. Soon after, she went on to work in a mental health hospital in North Dakota and volunteered for a suicide hotline.
“Her life was about just giving herself to others, and never complaining,” Paul Boehm said. “It was just remarkable — the love she gave — not only for her children and myself, but for others.”
Boehm wasn’t just a financial adviser: her past work in mental health services — both in children’s guidance and suicide prevention — helped many Lynbrook students overcome their own mental issues.
“In addition to her job responsibilities, she always took invaluable time for students struggling with personal dilemmas,” Paul Boehm said. “She was always there to offer a soft shoulder and give heartfelt support to many students in need.”
In her free time, Boehm loved to go for drives along the California coast with her husband and always stopped for a cup of coffee at Whale City Bakery, a small roadside café in Davenport. In Half Moon Bay, she would watch airplanes land at the local airport overlooking the sea. Boehm’s memorial service, a Celebration of Life, will be held at Rainbow Park on June 4.
Anyone interested in attending should contact Scott Boehm at (858) 395-3389.
“Her life was about giving herself to the community, and never complaining. It was just remarkable — the love she gave — not only for her children and myself, but for others.”
— Paul Boehm, HusbandYAK members chat with Dilworth third-graders about high school life.
With the Class of 2023 graduating, seniors are reflecting on their transformative journey and the valuable lessons they’ve learned along the way. Here are some of their inspiring insights and life lessons, reminding underclassmen that there is no one way to walk the path of Lynbrook.
“I’d recommend getting your driver’s license as soon as possible. Personally, I found driving to be cathartic while running errands alone and exciting when driving with friends! Driving is a great way to take a break from Lynbrook’s stress culture.”
— Aneesha Jobi, Senior
“One thing that helped me manage my time while simultaneously balancing self care was meditating for
“Take the time to invest in your personal relationships more, particularly with your parents. As you mature in high school and hit your senior year, you begin to realize the time you spend with your family is quickly dwindling.”
— Anishka Banerjee, Senior“In my senior year of high school, I started to notice the staff at Lynbrook who work so hard for us but often go under appreciated. Since then, I’ve befriended the Lynbrook custodian and crossing guard. I think a meaningful way to connect with the school is to appreciate the staff, as it helps to have a support system at Lynbrook that consists of teachers, counselors and other mentors.”
—Kylie Chang, Senior
effect of keeping me awake without making me overly energetic. In general, I’d recommend tea over coffee for the high school student because it’s healthier and still provides a moderate energy boost!”
-
“Figure out what works for you personally when it comes to researching college and career options. It’s easier to feel pressured into what is conventionally seen as acceptable at Lynbrook and steer yourself toward a certain path, but it’s more important to find something you would genuinely enjoy studying.” ”
- Christina Cheng, Senior
BY AUDREY SUN
High school students often struggle
to find free time amid their busy schedules filled with athletics, extracurricular activities and rigorous courses. While it can be a challenge to find the time, students should consider employment due to its benefits such as acquiring valuable work experience, dealing with personal finance and developing effective interpersonal skills.
Since 2000, teen employment rates have been steadily dropping. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, more than 51.7% of teens in the U.S. were employed before 2000, whereas employment rates have dwindled to a meager 35% today. One major reason contributing to this decline is the growing emphasis on the value of education. As high school students are facing greater pressure to secure college admissions, they tend to spend the majority of their time on schoolwork, as finding a job falls lower on their priority list. With more attention on extracurricular activities and maintaining their GPA, students are less inclined to consider beginning their career in high school.
Summer is one of the best times for students to get a part time job as they have more free time. However, as summer programs are becoming increasingly popular, students tend to veer away from the idea of getting a part time-job. While most summer programs provide students with additional classroom experience, getting a job will allow students to gain more real-life experience.
“When you first start interviewing for jobs, you will most likely be asked to talk about an experience or give a situation, and that’s really hard to come up with if you don’t have a job,” business teacher Andrea Badger said.
By securing a job as a high school student, students can learn at an earlier stage about
different personal finance skills and develop a better sense of how to effectively manage money. Students will also open their own checkings and savings accounts, which allow them to set their own savings goals and learn more about the responsibilities of managing money.
“After working a job as a flagfootball referee and sports coach, I have learned the value of money, and I have become more conscious about spending it,” sophomore Amine Ali Chaouche said. “It instilled in me a sense of responsibility and appreciation for what I have earned.”
Furthermore, they can also gain an understanding of the dedication and effort required to earn money. This will better prepare students for future employment, helping them develop skills such as
budgeting and filing taxes.
In addition to giving students the freedom to earn extra cash and build savings, holding a job in high school also helps students grow and develop interpersonal skills. Interacting with coworkers and customers, navigating conflicts and adapting to new environments all offer invaluable experiences to better prepare students for the future. These experiences help them develop lifelong values and skills that they can apply to in their future careers.
“The most valuable lesson I learned through my job is how important communication is,” junior and Vitality Bowl staffer Madison Badger said.
“Learning how to communicate with different types of people is not easy, and my job has taught me how to deal with those situations.”
Juggling work and school can be one of the hardest
parts of being a high school student and is what deters many students from getting a job. However, because of these challenges, students can develop a strong sense of discipline and learn how to manage their time effectively. Additionally, students who have a part-time job can learn about the importance of maintaining a healthy worklife balance, learning to fulfill the demands of their part-time job while still staying committed to their academics.
High school jobs are also a way for students to explore their career interests and passions. Whether it’s interning at a finance firm or being a swim coach, students are able to gain firsthand experience and delve deeper into potential career pathways they are interested in. By stepping out of the scope of the classroom and undergoing the demands of working, they are able to learn many practical skills that they can carry into their career.
“My future career will be in the field of sports, so I think teaching kids how to swim will definitely be beneficial to me later on,” junior and swim instructor Alita Huang said.
Taking a gap year to work is another option students can consider. This gives students the ability to develop personal skills before college and an extra year of time to pursue interests.
“I think taking a gap year is a really valuable experience,” Class of 2022 alumna Mei Corricello said. “If you work any job where you interact with people, you’ll be able to gain more perspective about the community.”
From problem-solving to communication, finding employment as a high schooler is a great way to gain valuable experiences in the real world to benefit their future careers.
“I highly recommend other high school students to get part-time jobs because it allows you to go outside of your comfort zone,” Chaouche said. “You can explore new experiences in areas that you may have thought you don’t like.”
Story continued from front page.
“I’ve seen an entire uneaten pizza, multiple cartons of unopened milk, spilled salads and napkins everywhere,” junior Jaye Nagata said. “There has definitely been much more trash left around campus this year than last year.”
Littered food also attracts the attention of animals such as seagulls, who have grown accustomed to waiting for the end of meal times to eat from students’ leftovers. One example of efforts made by school staff to mitigate this problem was an Instagram post by school principal Maria Jackson’s account in January. Written on behalf of the custodial staff, it touched on the health risks associated with seagulls and requested that students be more considerate and take responsibility for keeping the campus clean. Still, the trash and littering issues persist.
“We definitely need help with picking up the garbage after brunch and lunch,”
facilities manager
Fulgencio Pelayo
said. “Crows, squirrels and even mice can be seen on campus, scrounging for trash left out by students.”
Similarly, in recycling bins in classrooms and across campus, negligence in distinguishing between trash and recycling when disposing litter has affected the campus’s waste management as well as those responsible for it. For example, Training for Transition, a course taught by culinary arts and special education teacher Megan Miller, educates students on college and career readiness and allows them to get hands-on experience handling mixed recycling. In this class, groups of students help collect recycling from bins across campus every week, but often must dispose of litter and remove trash from recycling contaminated by other students.
“Putting trash in recycling bins creates needless work for whoever is collecting it,” Miller said. “While it’s not done with malicious intent, students should educate themselves about what can or cannot go in recycling bins to reduce unnecessary work for others. ”
People on campus such as Miller, Pelayo and those who assist them are inconvenienced by students’ negligence, causing them to spend time on issues that could be easily avoided at their origin by students taking simple steps. While school custodians are ultimately responsible for cleaning up the waste on campus, their difficulties are greatly amplified by the lack of student awareness and attempts to address these issues within the student body.
“I think encouraging each other to pick up trash goes a really long way, especially with Lynbrook students,” Assistant Principal Tara Grande said. “The biggest way to address the issue of littering is to get more student-to-student contact to raise awareness and enforce change.”
Lynbrook provides multiple methods for food preservation. For example, bins are placed near the condiments area of the cafeteria to allow students to place extra fruit for others to take if needed. Furthermore, hot food left from brunch and lunch are often donated in large quantities to the Peninsula Food Runners, an organization whose mission is to limit food waste and alleviate hunger by collecting excess food in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. As the school continues in their efforts to limit food waste on campus, it is important for students to contribute as well.
“One of the values that we’re supposed to be imparting to students while they’re here is character and citizenship,” Jackson said. “It’s realizing you have the power and efficacy to change the world that you’re living in right now by taking care of our campus and realizing that what you do has a ripple effect on other people.”
the Epic voted 39 - 0 in favor of this stance with 1 abstaining.
The entertainment industry remains lucrative, consistently overcoming intermittent economic downturns. Paradoxically, Hollywood writers have long been receiving inequitable treatment and pay — a result of industry standards around staffing, employment duration and streaming that consolidate revenue in the hands of studios. On May 2, after failed negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, on concerns such as TV staffing minimums and the use of artificial intelligence, the Writers Guild of America walked off the job.
While the WGA continues to picket for better conditions, media coverage of the strike has been prejudiced against the writers, omitting information and adopting the perspective of the inconvenienced consumer to stoke antiunion sentiment. Even so, these news reports are beneficial in bringing more attention to the grim realities of TV and film writers.
“Past WGA strikes have precipitated positive changes for writers,” senior Yuvraj Dhadwal said. “It’s awesome that the WGA is striking for the first time in 15 years, and they’re fighting for really important things.”
Hollywood writers earn money through channels such as writing and selling movie scripts, revising existing screenplays or selling ideas for potential productions. They may also receive compensation as residuals on their material that is being re-aired or reused. Despite these streams of revenue, most writers only earn a pittance. For instance, Valentino Garza, producer of the critically-acclaimed “Jane the Virgin,” only made three cents off of two episodes in the series, despite high viewership. Furthermore, the WGA has found that the amount of writers working at a minimum wage increased from 33 to 49 percent over the past 10 years. The WGA strike is the culmination of struggling writers to be able to make a stable living, as a result of being subject to the greed of large corporations and studios. Hollywood
writing has become a precarious career, with the uncertainty of freelance work. Considering elevated company profits, studios should come to a compromise with writers, in favor of writers.
“Jobs, especially in the film industry, are not equally well -treated,” senior Maia Bline said. “And writers do tend to be on the short end of the stick.”
Hollywood writers are also nervous about the rise of AI; the ongoing strike is the first large-scale union effort to pressure an industry into regulating the use of AI. Most writers are barely earning enough, and they face increased competition from machines that cost less for studios. Though AI tools result in crude writing, studios don’t seem to care about the diminished quality of their productions, as long as they are able to minimize expenses on aspects such as hiring writers.
“It’s efficient and it’s fast, but AI has no creativity,” Bline said. “No matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replicate what a human being can do in terms of imagination. Writers don’t want creativity in the film industry to disappear. And that process is being hastened by AI.”
Much of the media coverage comes from the press tied to the show business or technology sectors, the very industries that would support the proliferation of AI and stagnant wages for workers. This is detrimental to film writers, as these media conglomerates, which only have a financial interest in the situation, are more likely to ignore the plight of writers. Without disclosing enough insight on the rationale behind the writers’ strike, the news media is covering it in bad faith — intentionally misleading its viewers about the reasonable demands the WGA has.
In fact, headlines reinforce anti-WGA assumptions, creating anti-union sentiment. The Hollywood Reporter published a story with the headline “Striking Writers Mock ‘Wednesday’ Star Jenna Ortega” about lighthearted jokes writers made about Ortega, owing to her active involvement in her script. In reality, writers were not mocking Ortega, but were being complimentary. Nevertheless, the article and its misleading headline caused a lot of backlash against the WGA, with many readers reacting by deriding the poor conditions of TV writers, calling it a “skill issue.”
“Writers give it their all to make great content that entertains the public,” Bline said. “The cancellation of shows is a small issue in the face of writers gaining a decent standard of living. Castigating striking writers for an inconvenience that is not their fault is unfair and selfish.”
Consumers should be aware that many news providers have vested interests in large studios and corporations. For example, The Hollywood Reporter is owned by Eldridge Industries, which has ties to Netflix. Deadline Hollywood, a brand of Penske Media Corporation, has a long precedent of anti-union sentiment. This is problematic, especially as they are a major source of WGA strike-related news. Their article about the cancellation of Saturday Night Live episodes
was posted to Twitter, saying the anchors were “set to host” the episodes, but “the writers strike forced an end” to the 48th season of the “venerable” show. With this framing, Deadline demonizes writers as perpetrators of an offense, when, in fact, the AMPTP is culpable.
News sources are churning out articles framed so that writers are made out to be the cause of the entertainment slowdown, pitting writers against consumers. But even as the AMPTP argues that viewers, unable to watch their favorite shows, are disadvantaged due to the strike, studios retain an immense backlog of content that would help them weather the writer walkout. In Netflix’s first quarter financials meeting, for instance, chief executive Ted Sarandos said that they “have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world.”
Journalists should remember to portray unbiased information with the intent of correcting misconceptions, especially as the public is not likely to know the grim realities of film writers. Meanwhile, consumers should save their frustration at not being able to watch new TV shows for the studios, not writers.
“Have an empathetic worldview,” Dhadwal said. “Your life may be hard without new shows to watch, but writers’ lives may be even worse. So help them out.”
life may be hard without new shows to watch, but writers’ lives may be even worse. So help them out.
Yuvraj Dhadwal, SeniorGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY INAAYA YOUSUF GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LILLY WU, AMISHI CHANDRA AND INAAYA YOUSUF
PHOTO BY SUSANNA TANG
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY CATHERINE ZHOU AND AMY LIU
For many, freshman year is not much beyond a fond memory of youth, a cringeworthy point in life from which they grew as the rest of their high school years bloomed. When I think back to ninth grade, however, I bitterly try to push the subject out of my mind.
I still vividly remember my first week of school and the disaster that P.E. class was as a student who didn’t know any of his classmates. I stood petrified and alone in the gym, surrounded by students playing basketball in groups I couldn’t approach for fear of ruining the good time they were having. For the first time in my life, I felt truly stuck in solitude, unable to speak at the new school I’d moved to because I was no longer at the age where I could easily speak to peers regardless of if they were strangers.
Toward the end of eighth grade, my parents informed me of plans to enroll me at Lynbrook instead of Cupertino High, where most of my middle-school peers were to attend. I realized this would mean abandoning most if not all my friends, which deeply upset me. The fact that my parents would not listen to a single plea shocked me to the point where I distanced myself for months.
That summer, I was incessantly told that attending Lynbrook was in the interest of my academic prosperity, and that I wouldn’t regret the decision. But above all else, the betrayal felt at having to move schools clouded my thoughts. By the time school started, I’d developed a rigid mindset to avoid talking to anyone.
Though I eventually did adapt thanks to sympathetic classmates, my stubbornness created an unstable period of isolation for several months. My avoidance of others led to heightened paranoia, molding an inability to speak to strangers that would stick for the rest of my high school life.
For much of high school, I was troubled by the thought that I wasn’t living the ‘correct’ path of my life and that things were meant to be different, were meant to be better. But over the years, I’ve realized moving schools was only a factor in this dissatisfaction — my high school life was what I made of it, and that’s something I’ve been forced to accept. With each setback I’ve felt an increasing awareness of my inaction; by refusing to face the inevitability of my environment, I’ve allowed much of my adolescence to be filled with unhappiness.
Though I was challenged by being placed in an unfamiliar environment, making friends wouldn’t have been nearly as difficult had I not been adamant on isolating myself — internally, I probably realized this throughout during my first few months at Lynbrook, yet I chose not to change. Had I gathered the courage to take action, how different would my high school life have been?
Throughout my whole life, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I confidently proclaimed, “I want to be a neurosurgeon.”
Yet, as I started exploring more subjects in high school, I quickly realized that my passions lay in a completely different field: political science. This realization left me at a crossroads when applying to college, torn between following my heart or following a path that would satisfy my parents.
From the moment I knew what a neurosurgeon did, I thought I was destined for that profession. It was a field both interesting to me and approved by my family. Yet, as I began the college application process and reflected through my personal essays, neuroscience lost its luster: my apparent interest was only surface-level.
In addition, everything I did in high school was more oriented toward humanities than STEM subjects. I participated in Mock Trial, the Epic and organized the school’s abortion rally. The only time I had even entered the world of medicine was the summer before senior year, when I decided to volunteer at a hospital while completing a prestigious medical program, none of which evoked a true sense of purpose.
Yet for some reason I could not throw away neuroscience. Every single college essay I wrote was political science related, yet I applied to every school as a neuroscience major. After listening to my friends talk about their alignment of majors with their extracurricular activities, I worried about my profile, but there was nothing I could do. In the end, I was accepted into many reputable colleges, but I still felt unsatisfied. I realized my true goal wasn’t the prestige of the college, but my field of interest: I yearned to pursue something in political science, so I started to think about potentially double majoring.
When I approached my parents about this, they urged me to carefully consider my options before making a hasty decision. As I was researching, I saw the prominent role of artificial intelligence in the modern world. All of a sudden, the puzzle pieces clicked; I could major in cognitive science, the interdisciplinary study of the mind and intelligence, to blend neuroscience, AI and political science. Although I may not be standing in the courtroom and enacting change through legal cases, I can still help build a better future with what I learn.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it is one that I feel content with. I have learned that there doesn’t have to be a hard solution; I didn’t need to decide between one major or another. Instead, I forged a new path that bridges together my passions. I found a way to mix my two passions, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Hello! I’m in eighth grade right now, but you already graduated high school. You’re off to college! I’m thinking somewhere still in Calif., and definitely in the U.S. Williams is in a rural corner of Massachusetts. Maybe it will clear my head and help me focus. Or it will be one isolated delusional bubble — the latter isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Do you still want to be a teacher? I hope so. Maybe you’re off to college to study something arts or language related. I hope you have found your true passion through high school.
I like how you hide your fear of delving into the humanities. It might be due to our poor experience with Lynbrook admin or the examoriented nature of high school, but I don’t think teaching is the dream anymore. Curb your buzzwords for a moment — we know what we like to do, but it’s not quite clear how it translates into work.
I wish that you’re happy and have friends to support you along the way. Not necessarily a group, just people that will be there for you.
Wish granted. Zoom calls late at night, walks in the park during tutorial, exchanging music tastes on drives around the oh-so-fascinating suburbs. There will be too many flowers to carry on senior night, secrets that can only be shared during karaoke and neighbors disturbed from the booming bass coming from inside our car.
I want you to be satisfied with your life and your body, ok? You are beautiful! You already know that, but it’s just a reminder.
I also like the positivity complex. Thanks for the reminder; we’re still strong and getting stronger. How are sports? Still playing basketball, I hope. Have you picked up any new sports along the way?
Don’t be afraid to try anything new!
We will learn that those “never give up” maxims cannot be taken without context. There’s no reason to kill yourself over perseverance. It takes a lot of courage to quit — quitting means changing, and change is okay.
You’ve become more confident, I hope, more outspoken, willing to lead. Not afraid to speak your mind and do what you truly want to do. I know you’re doing well. Good luck on the next chapter!
My confidence has fluctuated throughout high school; at the end of the day, I’m just trying to live and have a good time. I have learned to indulge in uncertainty and boredom as a form of hope and opportunity. After applying to college, I have learned how to prioritize my life even when it feels like I have none. I’m no longer afraid of working hard, just to fall after. I do things even if they make me a little uncomfortable (this column included!). I apologize — not I, but we. We enjoy going kneedeep, knowing that no matter what, at the end of four years, we tried all that we could. We did our best.
Love, Elizabeth
In the beginning of my senior year, I had no idea where I would end up after high school: whether I would be staying or leaving home for college. As I weighed my options, my friends and peers constantly talked about moving to a different state or country. I felt like everyone would look down on me if I stayed home because I wouldn’t get the same experiences as them. Amid discussions and periods of reflection, I came to realize that staying home shouldn’t be stigmatized.
After I made my decision to attend San Jose State University, I wanted to live on campus my freshman year so I could still achieve that college paradigm of self-reliance, but my parents were adamant I stay home. We constantly fought about housing and what my future would look like. I felt completely defeated when they told me that staying at home was my only choice.
I carried this feeling of indignance with me until we sat down for dinner to talk in a calmer manner about the benefits of staying at home: not having to share a room and bathroom with strangers, having access to homecooked meals, not having to worry about the Freshman 15, having a strong and secure support system nearby, having a car that I could take anywhere and the chance to save money.
My parents and I also chatted about why so many students at Lynbrook want to move out for college. Lynbrook’s culture pressures students to obtain high grades and be locked into the Bay Area mindset, and as a result of this and other factors, many of my peers have a poor relationship with their parents that compels them to want to attend college far away from home.
But, I never felt this parentchild strain. In fact, I realized that another advantage of staying at home is how I can still be around my parents. All my life, my parents have done nothing but tell me that doing my best is all that matters; they never pressured me to excel in whatever I wasn’t comfortable with. I am grateful for that and the continued opportunity to connect with them further.
As a child, they knew how much I hated taking academic classes outside of school, so instead, they would sign me up for ice skating, swimming and other fun activities. When discussing my future, they never pushed me to go into any specific field while encouraging me to do whatever would make me happy.
Once I saw just how much I had underappreciated my relationship with my parents, all the money saved and the opportunities I would have despite staying, I got on board with the idea of living at home for college. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them, so why not spend a few more years calling them my roommates?
Why did the scarecrow get an award? Because he was out-standing in his field. [Cue laugh track.] I know, I know; that was a really bad joke. It probably didn’t even make you laugh, but I swear my humor is usually much better than this. But these jokes (and much funnier ones) helped me cultivate a positive attitude to help overcome Lynbrook’s academic stress.
I still remember that fateful day in freshman year when I stepped out of my Biology class after receiving a test score that was much lower than I had expected. The multitude of emotions in my mind and weeks of burnout surprisingly culminated into laughter. Soon, the laughter turned into crying, and I felt myself slowly slipping into panic. Yet, as my tears started to dry, I felt relief from letting all my emotions out.
I’ve always viewed school as an obstacle in the grand scheme of my life as I reluctantly trudged through every day with a bright, neon sign reading “the future” hanging over my head. I needed to get good grades, apply for all the extracurricular activities I could and make college admissions fall in love with me. Yet, the expectation to do better than my best resulted in me doing worse than I imagined. I had to change the way I confronted my schoolwork if I wanted to stay afloat in this sea of stress.
Laughter helped me realize that the things I was most stressed about were relatively insignificant. By laughing at mistakes I made on tests or writing jokes in the margins of my APUSH notes and literature books, I started to improve academically. I felt less stressed, talked with classmates and asked teachers for help (who knew that would get my grades up?). I was becoming a person I was proud of.
Whether it’s self-degrading comments, nonsensical puns before exams or being late to class almost every day, I found ways to share my laughter with others. Making others laugh helped with relieving stress, creating a moment where people let themselves enjoy school instead of letting the pressure control them.
Enjoying school gave me a chance to breathe and focus on things that made me happy. I stopped seeking validation from the subjects and extracurricular activities I hated. I stopped trying to latch onto an idea of a perfect future.
These four years don’t dictate my life nor do they set up my success for the future. These four years showed me how to take a step back and laugh, even when I feel like wallowing in self-pity. I can’t control everything in my life, so why should I stress about those things? The future might not pan out the way I want it to, but I’ll always find ways to laugh. I’ve taught myself not to chase after happiness in the future, but to find it where I am now, in the present.
Stepping into a bustling fifth-grade classroom, I embraced a life-changing move from Chennai, India to San Jose, California, hoping for better education and brighter opportunities, but unaware of the challenges that would test my resilience and shape my identity.
The language barrier proved a major hurdle as English, not my first language, hindered effective self-expression, particularly in essay writing where my lack of emphasis caused a disadvantage. Coupled with teasing and mockery for my accent, it deeply affected my confidence and made me reluctant to seek guidance from others.
Amid these trials, cricket offered solace — a passion from my Indian roots — where joining the local California Cricket Academy brought belonging and familiarity, erasing cultural barriers and fostering camaraderie through a shared love for the sport.
Transitioning into middle school, the challenges multiplied as academic rigor escalated, straining my ability to keep pace; prioritizing studies, I reluctantly left competitive cricket, although my passion for the game remained steadfast. Setbacks in meeting heightened academic expectations and sacrificing my beloved sport eroded my self-esteem, leaving me uncertain and inadequate.
In high school, I grasped the significance of education, understanding the importance of strong teacher relationships with teachers and prioritizing my grades. Recognizing my weakness in essay writing, a skill that had eluded me since my transition from India, I bravely sought English tutoring, transforming my abilities and boosting my confidence. This newfound energy allowed me to invest in various aspects of my life, nurturing a blossoming appreciation for writing. Motivated to enhance my writing skills and explore personal growth, I eagerly joined the Epic and pursued new opportunities.
Looking back on my journey, I’m astounded by the transformative power of time and experience. From a 10-year-old dreamer with aspirations of becoming a professional cricket player for the Indian team, I have undergone a remarkable evolution.
Approaching the end of high school, I’m content and accomplished, having unearthed inner strength and resilience through perseverance and embracing challenges.
To those who find themselves grappling with their own trials and tribulations, view these obstacles as opportunities for personal growth.. Life’s journey is a tapestry of diverse experiences, woven with moments of triumph and moments of struggle. Embrace the complexities of life, cherish the diversity of your own story, and let it unfold in vivid hues on the canvas of existence.
Music is an unmoving constant in my life. As I became taller, my to-do list longer, my career ambitions uncertain and my stress levels soared, my ears remained plugged with the sounds of Jeff Buckley’s guitar, J. Cole’s reassuring voice or Kaytranada’s uplifting beats. My playlists, in themselves, are minipools of memories, each associated with a specific time in my life.
Entering high school as an eager future author and leaving as yet another computer science major is likely one of my most stereotypical experiences, feeling like I’ve succumbed to the pressures of a Bay Area high school, despite only ever being influenced by my own desires and self-discovery. While I’ve desperately clung to words through my extracurriculars, my drive to pursue the humanities career-wise has diminished, and I gravitate toward rows of brightly colored Matlab code more than size 11 Arial font. Yet I can’t fully shake my obsession with language, and it manifests through the collections of music and books that constantly occupy my mind and room.
“Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake- Windows down on a summer drive with my favorite people, probably halfway through the Prospect and Lawrence intersection.
“First Love, Late Spring” by Mitski- Reading “Kafka on the Shore” for the first time and sitting there staring at the pages, attempting to grasp what I just experienced.
“16” by Baby Keem- On repeat for all of my family’s 2021 Hawaii trip because the only music I had downloaded was from “The Melodic Blue”.
It goes on and on and on, each song marking a time in my high school life. Tangible music in the form of records or CDs is especially alluring because each piece to collect comes with history, a specific market or thrift store I purchase it at— the used books store in Saratoga’s downtown that is yet to exist on the Internet, a pop-up store my friends and I found wandering around Boston last summer, a present given by someone I love. While music encapsulates memories, the process of collecting it births new ones. Slipping the disk into my record player is a constant surprise, seemingly impossible that tiny scratches can assemble into the soaring symphonies of Beach House’s “Depression Cherry.”
Whether it’s the incessant nagging of a lyric that won’t escape my mind or just the Spotify app on my phone, I carry music with me at all times. In times I questioned myself or my reasons, music was there to question me back, fostering a safe space to experiment and think. And throughout each year of high school, it has allowed for my infatuation with words to persist. More than anything, it ties me to who I was yesterday, the day before and even tomorrow.
Tears flowed down my face as I walked through the San Francisco Airport security check alone. Gazing out the plane window, I was terrified of the month I would be spending at summer programs on the East Coast. Little did I know that this trip would help me understand just how vast the world beyond the Bay Area is.
After landing, I sat in the baggage claim with a girl from Montana. She had taken three layovers to reach Washington D.C. and shared how no one ever leaves her rural town. Her peers are expected to attend college in-state and prioritize settling down rather than education. In addition, her town was extremely Republican and opposed masking and vaccinating during the pandemic. The stark contrast between her city and mine fascinated me. We were from polar opposite locations, yet we were attending a program on our shared interests.
Likewise, my roommate from Colorado illuminated regional differences between the Bay and other parts of the U.S. She had received a full-ride scholarship for horseback riding, a sport I didn’t know colleges had. When discovering that her friend had dropped out of high school at 17 and given birth, I reflected on the educational and social values that I had been taught, realizing that other cultures and communities may not share the same values.
This trip also made me confront my hidden bias toward non-native English speakers. One of the kindest friends I met was an international student from Indonesia. I preferred to spend time with classmates from the U.S., but once I got to know her, I was fascinated by her experiences at an international school and life in Jakarta. After I caught COVID-19 right as she finished recovering from her own bout of illness, she took care of me, retrieved meals and comforted me. Her selflessness proved to me how I shouldn’t be afraid of language barriers, as good hearts exist worldwide.
Prior to that summer, Lynbrook and the Bay were all I knew. I was shielded, even blinded, by my limited perspective. My constant grind through AP classes and extracurricular activities had clouded my compassion toward those who prioritized other goals above academics. I had known the Bay was unorthodox compared to the majority of the U.S., but nothing could have prepared me for the immense shock I felt from the drastically different life stories of my peers. Studying about the world is one thing, but experiencing it is another; I am more invigorated than ever to study abroad and learn in a more diverse environment.
The unique glimpses of my new friends’ lives have been a beautiful stepping stone in mine. They’ve opened my eyes to the world, and I can’t wait to see even more clearly at college.
“You never know what someone is going through” is a phrase that I’ve heard throughout my life, usually at the center of some sort of moral lesson. Never did I imagine that that “someone” would be me — unfortunately, my intestines and brain had other plans.
In the summer of 2021, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, an autoinflammatory digestive disorder that brought months of stomach pain, nausea and fatigue to my junior year. I lost a fifth of my body weight, half of my hair and all of my energy. Despite all the loss, I also gained; my perspective shifted as I reevaluated what was important in my life.
To cope with my health, I prioritized happiness. I cultivated my passions, such as writing; I spent time with friends; and I leaned on my family. I prided myself in my perseverance and positivity through it all, which was monumental after a multiyear struggle with social anxiety and self-esteem.
Although it was difficult to live confidently as I woke up in a seemingly new body everyday, I found a sense of self within my morals and personality. I struggled to find my identity in the early part of high school, but when Crohn’s took away the energy I poured into my facade, I rediscovered who I was at my core. Despite the times I’ve found myself confined to a hospital bed, Crohn’s has also set me free — I live unapologetically as myself with confidence in my values.
When I could no longer strain myself on academics, I learned to disregard the nagging feeling that I was being judged for my incomplete homework, extreme tardiness or tiredness in class. This brings me back to that crucial quote — “You never know what someone is going through.” Although I doubt my peers truly cared whether I turned in my homework, my own awareness of my performance increased my empathy. When it came to others, I began acknowledging that there could be some missing piece to the puzzle that could completely change my perspective.
With the confidence I gained from Crohn’s, I confronted the possibility that I could have ADHD — my missing puzzle piece. Since my diagnosis, trying medications has once again made me tired, anxious and plagued by tummy aches. But this time around, I already know to be kind to myself. Even with being self-conscious of my incessant hyperactive talking, I have become funnier and more open as I learn about a long-hidden part of myself.
If you take anything away from this, it should be to be kind to yourself and others. If you, too, are struggling to find your identity or experiencing a personal or health hardship, to end on a cliché, trust that it does get better.
Link Crew Orientation. Club
Info Day. Homecoming. While all my friends were finding out about these opportunities for the first time, it was nothing new to me. I already knew the details of these events by heart, and I was close to finishing my plan for what activities in which I would participate.
Moving into high school, the knowledge that my older brother passed down was one of my prized possessions. I prided myself in knowing what lay ahead of me before my friends; what they were surprised by, I already expected.
Under the impression that everything I did in high school needed to eventually be in my college applications, I continued with activities I had started in elementary school to show my commitment — dance, music and activities showing interest in medicine and biology, the career path I thought I decided on.
Some of the groups I wanted to join needed planning ahead. By the spring of eighth grade, I had already joined Chamber Orchestra and Valkyries. I had summer practices. My first experience of high school was way before the first day of school!
Clubs I joined in high school seemed to depend on carefully calculated choices. I chose clubs that were not too big nor too small to maximize my chances of getting an officer position early on. I sweated my way through leadership applications — every opportunity seemed so close within grasp yet so easy to lose and mess up my grand plan. Every goal I set for myself became an expectation, and positions I didn’t get felt like failure.
For some activities, I don’t regret pre-planning — I would never trade my experiences in Chamber Orchestra or Valkyries for anything else. However, for others, after the initial euphoria of getting the position I wanted, the privilege slowly turned into a chore. I was an officer for so many clubs, and I had no time to join any new ones I wanted. What would it have felt like if I had jumped into highschool without knowing anything, figuring out my path as I went along? Having an expectation of what;s coming is comforting, but the more I knew ahead of everyone else the more I craved surprise.
For everything I did accomplish, each activity made it into one line of my Common App statements. Who knows how much each activity ultimately mattered during college decisions? I know now that every position I applied for was not guaranteed; at the same time, I will never know if there were any other opportunities I would have taken if I had followed my interests and done things differently.
In the fall I will be a freshman again. But this time as a college student, I’ll gladly be the one with no expectations or plans ahead of them.
Arizona State University
Satvik Gonur
University of Arizona
Kate Lee
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Hannah Cho
Sanved Doshi
Shivani Parimi
Trevor Knotts
Victoria Dai
California Institute of Technology
Ethan Feng
Chapman University
Annika Liou
Maia Bline
Samantha Strand
De Anza College
Denis Gamolya
Omar Haq
Harvey Mudd College
Larry Wang
San José State University
Jasmine Rihal
Keith Beltramo
Mars Fabila
Shrihari Arunachalam
Santa Clara University
Matthew Fu
Shreyas Sivapuram
Stanford University
Justin Leong
Marina Yu
Neelesh Bokkism
Nirali Shah
Parmis Tabibiazar
Shyon Ganguly
Vaishu Enduri
Venus Dhanda
University of California, Davis
Alex Qi
Esha Dasari
Esther Shih
Keshav Kannan
Sruti Elangovan
University of California, Irvine
Christina Cheng
Neha Ayyer
Rajas Athavale
Russell Lin
Selina Hsieh
University of California, Los Angeles
Alisha Bhatia
Arushi Gupta
Charlene Guo
Emma Tu
Ishan Bhatia
Jasmine Lu
Katie Chung
Kavya Pandrangi
Riya Abiram
Shubhan Yenuganti
Steven Pan
University of California, Riverside
Alvin Sun
Anirudh Nandakumar
Arpansree Gusidi
Kai Iwamoto
Leejae Kang
Nidhi Deshpande
University of California, San Diego
Samantha Leong
University of California, Santa Barbara
Aarthi Gopalakrishnan
Avishi Reddy
Kevin Wang
Mina Chao
Thomas Zheng
University of California, Santa Cruz
David Olmo Marchal
Sana Gupta
University of Southern California
Austin Tsai
Sophia Khubchandani
Vineeta Muvvala
Colorado College
Andrew Peng
University of Colorado Boulder
Samyukta Sarma
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ankith Madadi
Anushree Atmakuri
Claire Chen
Jeremy Wu
Kaustubh Khulbe
Kayla Chen
Kristy Wang
Lakshya Kalra
Nandini Rao
Pranav Virupaksha
Rebecca Wong
Ryan Chen
Sneha Sundar
Sri Srinivasan
Indiana
Indiana University
Edwin Young
Purdue University
Arjun Iyer
Joseph Zou
Leo Huang
Mridula Naikawadi
Natalie Chang
Pranav Tallapaka
Shashin Gupta
Vachan Arora
Louisiana
Tulane University
Edward Sha
Northeastern University
Cindy Chou
Jasmine Chen
Lauren Yee
Wayne Suh
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Nikhil Venugopal
Niranjan Mathirajan
Williams College
Elizabeth Cheng
Maryland
University of Maryland
Ateef Mahmud
Julian McCartney
Kevin Plunkett
Utsav Kataria
Michigan
University of Michigan
Janice Chong
Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis
Akul Murthy
Duke University
Jamie Tan Rohit Suresh
15+ 10-15 7-10
4-7 1-3
New York University
Akshara Taraniganty
Caroline Wang
Derek Li
Edward Ke
Paulina Chin-Wong
Samantha Huang
Sravya Vakkalanka
United States Military Academy
Yechan Lee
University of Rochester
Leanna Fowler
Ohio
Case Western Reserve University
Ashley Chen
Ian Shih
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University
Andrew Yuan
Erin Hsu
Evan Cen
Jibin Lee
Lillian Yu
Medha Lolayekar
Mehul Goel
Ryan Wang
Samantha Wong
Tiffany Louie
Timothy Kim
Ale Ramirez
Rhode Island School of Design
Vivian Chen
Texas
Rice University
Catherine Zhou
Jason Shan
Jeffrey Su
Russell Chen
Ryan Ellis
Sharon George
Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nathan Tsang
Canada
McGill University Janet He
University of Toronto
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOPHIE AU PHOTO BY SUSANNA TANGI, Akshara Taraniganty bequeath boygenius tickets to Kyrsten Su, show tunes and Antarctic gorillas to Alex Giaquinta, more fangirling over poetry to Emily Pedroza, a super successful non-stressful Safeway run-filled junior year to Sriya Sthanikam, and a livelaughlove next four years to my brother Chaitanya Taraniganty, Class of 2027.
I, Akshat Dhingra, bequeath unbelievably bustering eats to Riley, a sensational track season to Jason, depressing tiktoks to Chloe, impeccable rizz to Sean and Cyrus, infinite outrageous takes to AJ and Sagar, a spirited year to Ayan, another Jalwa masterclass to Riddhi and Samay, ICDC dubs to Krish, an Izzbaba W to Harsha, more camera magic to Colin, a bigger water bottle to Rishab, a happy positive year to Atharva, and my love to the Lynbrook Track & Field team.
I, Akul Murthy, bequeath Ugadi resets and Azule Park tennis matches to Atharva and Mihir, aux hijacking privileges to Athreya, Tamil bashing to Anika, suits and early-morning speech tournaments to Calvin and Vansh, Spanish vocabulary presentations to Kaawon, Bajirao Mastani jokes to Kimaya, political banter to Myles, Family Guy reels to Meghna, current affairs jokes to Srivikram, Pathaan debates and Kendrick convos to Vipra, and many memories and successes to LSD, AISA, GIDAS, JSA, and the varsity tennis team.
I, Allen Wang, bequeath the happiest finish of her high school experience to Bethanie, a fire flirting game and girlfriend to Cyrus, a never faltering 4.0 GPA to Sean, an injury free track season to Chloe, an indoor voice to Riley, the ability to dust all opposition to Jason, unmatched hurdling domination to Kartik and Vihaan, entrance to Paris Baguette to Ilan, and my never ending love and support to the Lynbrook Track and Field team.
I, Allison Hsu, bequeath spontaneous errands y no más exámenes orales a Aarya Aluri, well-stocked mini-marts and cabinet-whiteboard-manifesting to Stephanie Li, dual Rec mothership + a reflective, rewarding college application experience to you both, crazy dubs and unmatched rizz to Sagar Bhatia, fun-filled food runs to Colin and AJ, fulfilling VP terms to Maple and Gio, a massive budget + my whole heart to ASB Rec, and a magical four years to my sister, Claire Hsu, 2027.
I, Alvin Sun, bequeath successful rizz to Alan Fu, D1 scholarship in vb to Alex Lee, a mighty growth spurt to Austin Liou, and a stress free season for Ben Ching.
I, Amishi Chandra bequeath dramatic acting, dancing with strangers, and a thousand more spouses to Ohana, a not stressful and better than this year college admission season to William, all my AP lit skills to Jannie, country finalists to mock trial, and the least stressful and best four years to my brother Arnav (Class of 2027).
I, Amy Liu, bequeath mid-election college acceptances to Susanna, hallway waves to Myles, Korean romanized lyrics to Chelsea, notes apps to Anushka, hot cheetos and belly flops to the Epic, icy griddies to Valerie, back-in-the-day outreach calls to Maple, less Miller violence to Nathan and Sid, “Ditto” to Elizabeth, gavels upon gavels to MUN, ducks to Dara, banana slug farms to Alicia, singing monsters to Rohan and Micah, party tea-spilling to Nina, and all the love and support to Mia.
I, Andrew Peng, bequeath 3200s and Cornell to Adarsh Iyer, not being mid and a capybara to Adit Kantak, sub 5 to Agastya Pawate, fast 800s to Aiden Kato, pasta to Nicholas Kong, some height to Vijay Kirshnamoorthy, States and Arcadia to the Distance Boys, old man strength and new bikes to Mr. Signore, fun practices and big PRs to all of Lynbrook XC and Track, and a stress-free junior year to my little sister Annie Peng, Class of 2025.
I, Andrew Yuan, bequeath trees to Samuel Wang, first place at Scioly Nats to Manank Doshi, a functional flight plane to Michelle Jiang, chicken tikka masala to Aryan Patnaik, clubs beginning with the letter M to Harry Chiu, USAPhO knowledge to Alex Lee, a half-made song to Chelsea Lee, and E&M to Susanna Tang.
I, Aneesha Jobi bequeath post-badminton dinners at Dave’s to Calvin, Sumedh, and Saketh, a magical Silsilay 2024 to Anika, Vipra, Athreya, and Kimaya, 6’3” energy to Ayan, a good red eyeshadow palette to Riley and Lauren, late nights at Santana Row to Arnav, Vansh, and Aadi, hips that don’t lie to Samay, AJ, and Sagar, dumb decisions and Drake tickets to Riddhi and Angela, complex footwork to Sanaa and Vidushi, and a “foofy” year to all of LHS Jalwa!
I, Anishka Banerjee, bequeath my tennis girls an endless supply of hair ties and a dedication to training on the bleachers, my econ club officer team good times and luck with promoting the dismal science (in name only!) to members next year, Mihir wheezing laughter and the occasional real talk on reposeful railroad walks, Chelsea a fun fall season and winter formal memories, and a promise of staying in touch to everyone else who made these years memorable.
I, Ankita Chatterjee bequeath my 90s rock mixtape to Mme. Louie, Transcendentalism-themed bookmarks to Mrs. Fill, stargazing socials to Mr. Nguyen & the Astrophysics Club, overcoming the delulu to Nishka Shah, vintage to Daniel Tellez, and the word “goat” to Ranganathan Srinivasan.
I, Annie Liu, bequeath stuck mouthpieces to Grace, 16th note runs and ultimate sleep pictures to Daniel, most crafty and best snail art to Lauren, weirdest friend made on the UK tour to Manit, and lovely bombastic side eyes to Nolan.
I, Annika Liou, bequeath easy one-onnobodies and crazy lobs to Allison and Ava, unlimited bananas to Tanay, goofy timelapses to Esha, every pop tart flavor to Delaney,
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY NEHA AYYERamazing solos to Austin, many Ws to the girls water polo team, the weirdest harmonies to the altos, croissants to the dive team, and drivers licenses to everyone who I’ve taken home after practice.
I, Antone Jung, bequeath a book from his father to Sambhu, the will to play ap graves to Justin, saying yes to Chaas, Campbell’s glossary to Harold, hiking baguettes to Samuel and Ryan, ARK Zoom shenanigans and 50 leftover Otter Pops to Casey and Aarya, swift mboc reading, cute Scioly doodling, and successful sb interrupting to Selena, all my luck, lack of stress, and pounce intuition to Zacchini, and finally, big Mo to the entire Science Bowl team.
I, Arjun Kumar, bequeath less allergies to Karan, an intake without a Mary to Shovan, and infinitely more Blazers losses to Arya and Harsha.
I, Arushi Gupta, bequeath late nights of laughing and creating funny ARKtivities to Casey Fung and Aarya Aluri, a stress-free year of planning and organizing to all the class officers, a smooth senior prom for the 2024 COs, and an exciting new chapter of high school to my little sister Anshika Gupta, Class of 2027.
I, Ashley Chen, bequeath tears cried over AP Physics to Alex and Brandon, a girlfriend (finally) to Ashton, more Vivienne Westwood jewelry to Riley, an A in math to Han, a stress-free sophomore year to Rebecca, Joyce, Izzy, Angela, and Alicia, hot Instagram pictures to Briana, never-ending violin solo performances to Ashley H, and forever success to my little brother Wesley.
I, Austin Tsai, bequeath Nicholas Kong happy days baking, Adarsh Iyer the most marvelous memes, Aiden Kato with superb coping skills and fun, Adit Kantak with a hope to find music other than British drill, Agastya Pawate with freedom as well as academic excellence, and Casey Fung with delicious nights full of Asian food. Big PRs are to come next year!
I, Avishi Reddy bequeath joy in her art career to Meghna Rai, no more senioritis to Sarah Wei, a stress-free senior year to Rickey Chiu, happiness and leadership success to my prezzies plain janes Anika Sundarajan and Janhavi Venkatesh, and finally another wonderful year in Jalwa to Riddhi, Angela, Samay, Aadi, Sagar, Arnav, AJ, Lauren, Riley, and Vansh, with special captain duties to Sanaa, Vidushi, and Ayan.
I, Bethany Chan bequeath sub-15s and a perfect warm up time to Riley, spikes to Nithy, a prom date who likes tacos to Cyrizz, 400s and $10 to Seanathan, a foot to Chloe, speedy pr’s to Audrey, Shekinah, and Joyce, chairs and dried mango to Caius and Ravi, rakes and shovels to Eva and Diya, a memorable high school experience to Aadi, Amogh, and Aviva, and my room to Lauren.
I, Catherine Zhou, bequeath sutured bananas to Diya and Aishani, bunsen burner toasted marshmallows to Elizabeth, Eileen, and Anish, not getting trolled at Scioly tournaments to Manank, Michelle, and Aryan, sparkly/crunchy/sprinkle-y white powders to Sanya, correct writing alignment descriptions to Jianyu, the design editor macbooks to Chelsea and Valerie, and all of my luck and motivation + more to Calvin Zhou.
I, Chloe Chin, bequeath days and asbaes to Kimaya Pantvaidya, my closet to rat Avril Chin, the ASBest year ever to Chelsea Guo and Manit Mathur, a successful senior year to Alex Li, my Stanford legacy to Hao Gu and Austin Liou, Tuesday lunches to Gio Cabaltica, better driving skills to Alan Fu, better haircuts, shorts and shoes to Alex Lee, garlic cheese bread to Derrick Han, and hugs to Stephanie Li.
I, Christina Cheng, bequeath more mallet runs and beautiful pictures with Charlie and Snakey to Apple Gao and Melanie Tsui, future marimba positions to Emily Chen and Aviva Iyerkhan, jam sessions to Ethan Park, inflated gong and bass drum tires to Manav Choudhary, the best lasso spinning to Esha Rai, mothering to Daphne Chao, and fast loading times to future pit and drumline sections.
I, Cindy Chou, bequeath hugs to Daphne, the best snickerdoodle cookies to Nicholas, yummy salad to Apurva, a million github stars to Anish and Marc, no more cafeteria lunch to Vipra, and another year of amazing bassoon repertoire to Charlotte and Isaac.
I, Claire Chen, bequeath my survival in AP Chemistry to Alex Lee, amazing-never-seen-before-like-no-other-NBAqualifying basketball skills to Jeffrey Gao, Han, and Galen, buggy code to Anika, amazing fashion sense to Sahana, babysitting William and Tanay to Kyrsten and Esha, a pat on the head to Ali Ho, Stephanie Li, and Alex Li, and a big fat hug to PR, flute section, and dive (Austin included).
I, Claire Wang, bequeath my last shred of sanity and my practice habits to the rest of the clarinet section in marching band.
I, Daniel Wang bequeath all of Emma’s desktop wallpaper to Gio, the ability to do a successful windmill to Rohan, the greatest pre-test pep talks to Nimay, weekly post-percussion popcorn chicken to Susanna, several singing monsters to Micah, Simon Rubinstein-Salzedo’s rec letter to Isaac, the second-best ASBuddy to Calvin (you already know who’s first), a stellar senior year to Manank and Sanika, endless weeks of animal ARKtivities to Casey and Aarya, and lots and LOTS of dance battles to Aarit.
I, David Olmo Marchal, bequeath thanks to Nicholas Kong for all the rides to school, grass to be touched by Steve Yang, an NCAA Men’s Track and Field Championship for Adarsh Iyer, the key to the function to Adit, and a CCS trophy for Lynbrook XC.
I, Dennis Han, bequeath a girlfriend to Alan Fu, super spikes to Benjamin Ching, a stress free senior year to Sanika Iyer, strong biceps to my baritone amigos, and a fun four years to my bozo brother Derrick Han.
I, Dhruva Balan, bequeath the Lynbrook bassoon section to Isaac Lee, *most* of my good luck with teachers to Lyria Zhu (still need some for college), a junior year that does not destroy you to Mustafa Ipekci, and an epic musical journey to James Fan.
I, Edward Ke, bequeath platform Air Force Ones to Ryan Ma, stronger hands to Justin Kim, a proper backhand to Atharva Rayan, four inches of height to Mihir, three-lap warmups to Lynbrook Tennis, and endless Japanese coffee to Kitchen Sensei.
I, Edward Sha bequeath four successful rallies to Shreya, gorgeous dances to Carrie, stunning graphics to Ali, another year of aesthetic everything to AJ and 23-24 PR, pre-IDC car rides to Anika, Calvin, and Kyrsten, another delicious year of CAC to Val and Mrs. Miller, une année réussie aux officiers de la SHF 23-24, Mme Schang, et Mme Louie, infinite college merch to Juno, the best senior year to Alex, and everything and more to Gio.
I, Edwin Young, bequeath my aerial threat badge and lion mentality to my soccer teammates.
I, Elizabeth Cheng bequeath the best liberal arts college and multiple Editors-in-Chief to Emily Pedroza, 30-point games and a hot girlfriend to Sarah Wei, unlimited Wheat Thins to Anna Chiang, beaucoup de français à Sabine Zhang, too much member attendance to Sravya Vytla, and a beautiful senior season to Ava Tse, Reema Vanwari, Sonali Goel, Halie Yung, and Phoebe Tucker.
I, Ella Tao, bequeath unlimited boba drinks to Melissa Tao (and the rest of the office staff), dime passes to Vai, Aarya, and Tanya, the cutest mirror pics to Carrie, a log to Maddie, my incredible picture-taking skills to Valerie, and a successful freshman year to my little sister, Eva.
I, Emma Tu, bequeath a drivers license to Grace, a big sister to Chang, peach gummies to Kimberly, a grey hoodie to Jiahe, an iPhone to Martin, matching white skirts to Mehr and Olive, gavels to Sid, Valerie, and Elizabeth, infinite discord nitro to Alex, lots of love to Anika, Hao, and Amy, and an unforgettable year to the next COs.
I, Erin Hsu bequeath throwing epiphanies Delaina Scott, common sense to Sivaan Sharma, 80 ft to Gerry, 30 ft to Pranav, sticker meetings to Sophie Yang and Zixuan Lu, everything good and kind to Kimaya Pantvaidya, more white rabbit candy to Hao Gu, eyeliner and design skills to Lauren Chan, and four years of finding what you love to do to my brother Evan Hsu.
I, Esha Dasari, bequeath the best of neighborly love to Anagha, aloe and the healthy relationships you deserve to Chitrini, midnight grind sessions to Jeffrey, stolen chips and endless hugs to Nina, enemies to my heir arc to Calvin, infinite likes on Instagram stories to AJ, gossiping at Lattea and lovey reels to Anika, legitimate bonding sessions to Maple, Zayan, Ayan and Shreya, Mock Trial President and earning your success to Aahaan, and endless food, love and happiness to Sophie.
I, Evan Cen, bequeath a CCS qualification to the soccer team, a successful college app season to Bob Zhu, and good luck for the next four years to my sister, Anna Cen.
I, Evan Taylor bequeath more Arcadia trips to Sean Tat, sub 10.6 65s to Kartik and Vihaan, a St. Francis t-shirt to Jason Wu, more sleep to Casey Fung, healthier hair to Riley Chen, great math grades to Chloe Chan, unlimited rizz to Ilan Garcia, a D1 football scholarship to Cyrus Cao, a CCS trip to Maulik, and future dominance to Maddy and Allison.
I, Faith Wang bequeath placing at CCS and lots of food to my wrestling girls and more friends to my little sister Ellie Wang, Class of 2026.
I, Hallie Zhu, bequeath a strong, reconstructed ACL and the ability to drive to Anagha Shanker, bear hugs to Sanaa Gada, the lunch table to Sarah Wei, Just Dance battles to Lynbrook Girls Soccer, and spontaneous On my Way! trips + karaoke nights to Amita Chonnad, Akshita Dadi, Audrey Giaquinta, and Joyce Li.
I, Hannah Cho, bequeath my 10/10 W rizz to Austin Wu, an easy Interact year with many members to Abigail Lo, and my 87 brunch cranberry packets to Martin Wu.
I, Hannah Chung bequeath my title as Lynbrook’s best parker to my sister Irene Chung, pre-practice kicking to Esha Rai, Jolyn beef and unflattering Epic photos to Ava Roohipour and Allison Wu, Peet’s workshops and pho dates to Kyrsten Su, fleet week airplane models to Emily Pedroza, and a fun four years to my brother Caleb Chung, class of 2027.
I, Ian Shih bequeath all my sports experience and home teaching to Ethan Shih, college advice to Elvis Hou, chemistry study guides to Lily Fang, and friendship to Erika.
I, Irene Chen, bequeath a calm and peaceful season to Claire, Elisabeth, and Michelle, a man obsession-less life to Charlene, capybaras and miffys to Valerie, a short height to Tony, the foulest photos of me to ever exist to Clara, a sabre 20 to Vibhuti, a fluffy cow to Dominik, more megamind foreheads to Marie, indoor facilities to Lynbrook Colorguard, and a beautiful flourishing Miller garden to Apurva, Daphne, and Nicholas.
I, Isha Shah, bequeath the high-heeled sturdy to Shefali, cupcake
picnics to Diya (om-nom-nom), problematic fboy faces to Kate, belted A4’s (and a therapist) to Ayla, embarrassing choreo to Aspen and Claire, semi-successful SciOly and Vertigo events to Michelle (sorry), a mountain of unburnt bridge corpses to Manank, countless more human bones to Sanya, Natasha, Sarah, and Selena, writing worth celebrating to Emily, infinitely deep walks home to Esha, and all my love to my sister, Nishka, class of 2025.
I, Jamie Tan bequeath FAX and L&P+persimmons to Susanna Tang, XP to Yvonne Wu (+yellow crocs and WIMBELDONNN, go Sissies!!!), afternoon strolls and storytelling photography to Chelsea Lee, captain/MVP and 3-POINTERS to Alex Lee, cats to Brandon Zhang (Cats), FRENCH chats to Sarah Zhang, chem to Lauren Liu (best chem partner!), BIKING&ORANGES to Nicholas Kong (NICK KONG!), exciting socials and outside events to WiSTEM, and inspirational pep talks to Coach Poon and the girls tennis team.
I, Janet He, bequeath radiant to my beloved brother Jay He, insane combos to Tristan Lim, an exciting rest of high school to Ethan Chuang, the best knife skills to Meghna Rai, and the Asgardians to Lestyole and ChanMein.
I, Janice Chong, bequeath a well behaved and joke-filled set of children to TA to Abigail Lo, a fun new amp family to Celine Li, a full house of members in ARK to Casey Fung and Aarya Aluri, and a stress free group of models and designers to Maddie Badger, Janhavi Venkatesh, and Zoey Lim to manage.
I, Jasmine Chen, bequeath a stress free mb season to Daphne, more freedom and rizz to Miles, well-behaved drumline members to Nimay, much fun in salute gang to Scott, healthy sleep schedules to salute gang, a lot of laughter to Apple, less bio to Teja, ztz’s funny jokes to Abigail and Celine, more fun bonding sessions with the clarinets to Max and Shriya, no band manager stress to Medha, and finally, amazing seasons to marching band and winter percussion.
I, Jasmine Lu, bequeath many many bags of turtle chips and college application luck to Valerie, many Fire Wings trips and Lattea runs to Sarah, and an amazing two final years of high school to my sister Katherine.
I, Jasmine Rihal, bequeath flawless social media coverage to Riki, maturity for the next two years to Amrit, fun jackbox games to Mr. Baugh, lower blood pressure to Mr. Lee and successful future Issues to the Epic.
I, Jeffrey Su, bequeath a lit DECA year to Sriharsha Kadiyala & Krish Vazirani, Fantasy Basketball Ls to Eric Huang, and vbc dubs to Nina Pan.
I, Jibin Lee, bequeath all my love as well as a passion for taco bell, 1080, MLK library, five-twenty-five-o-sevens, barking, self-confidence, and restrain-constrain-pertaining to Grace, a diverse music taste to Chang, Art’s money for Yogurtland to Caitlin, Riley, and Mindy, and all the wet paper airplanes to Hoeun.
I, Joseph Zou, bequeath more championships to Ethan Park and boys water polo, belly flops to Tanay and William, record-breaking swims to Karen Gao, better hair to Josh Pu, UC Los Angeles commitment to Ryan Liu, gremlin stuffed animals to Deniz Genc, height to Alex Lee, seduction to Andrew Li, bad photos to Myles Kim, food to Jayden Yang, new shoes to Ayan Chaudhry, infinite supplies of jokes to Aakash Choudhary and Anish Lakkapragada, and rizz to my single brother, Ethan Zou.
I, Justin Leong, bequeath fast fish facts and sunroom buzzing sessions to Samuel Wang and the OSB team, actually spending science club’s unlimited funds on boba parties to Neel Kolhe and science club, easy PE credits, race pace long runs, and 20 minute hank’s hill rests to Bob Zhu, Adi Kewalrman, Zachary Leong, and the XC Varsity 2 boys, and committed JV basketball members to Mr. Bale.
I, Kai Iwamoto bequeath lots of luck to Minjun Seo with college applications, many backhand goals to Ethan Park, my Japanese skills to Deniz Genc, my amazing hairstyle to Tanay Ubale, relaxing practices to the rest of the water polo team, BIG wins to the swim team, and an exciting four years to my little sister Kalea Iwamoto, Class of 2027.
I, Kate Lee, bequeath pretty prom dresses and a stress-free year of AP Chem to Madison Guan, CCS cuts and swim merch that comes on time to Karen Gao, a sub-six minute 500 freestyle to Andrew Li, a warm pool to the Lynbrook swim team, and lots of hot pockets, 100 back wins, no more cap and goggle tans, and an incredible three more years to my younger brother Michael Lee, class of 2026.
I, Katie Chung bequeath my love for K-Pop and the Ravens to Luthien, Lilly, Nandini, Chelsea, Abigail, and Diya <3, a tolerance for physics and pulling through on tests to Sophie Liu and Daphne, Virtuosity sticker-making production skills to Zixuan and Sophie Yang, running around with a camera to Colin and the 2023-24 ASB Tech commission, car rides and photoshoots to Alicia, a fun and spirit-filled year to Stephanie, Kimaya, and Gio, and a key-chained covered backpack to Michelle.
I, Kaustubh Khulbe bequeath to Shaumik the Chipotle bag to… use at his discretion, to Monesh the contents of said bag, to Vidushi duct tape to fix the glass I did not break, to Rhea love to give her brother, and to Gauri my Porsche Hot wheels because Teslas are not it.
I, Kayla Chen bequeath bigger and better gingerbread socials and CSF legacy to the 23-24 officers, better salaries than jell and chill for Dara, Stephanie, and Madison, and fancier murals and installations to the PAC officers.
I, Keith Beltramo, bequeath a self-playing saxophone to Cyrus Wong, an average sized glove to Jalen Asamoto, and an
unlimited supply of bucket hats to Katherine Ye.
I, Keshav Kannan bequeath my teachings to William Jiao, beautiful jazz reharmonizations to Harvy Chang, slaps on the head to Sourabh Bharadwaj, infinite answers & pictures of his house to Brian Kao, waves (and my rice recipe) to Molin Ko, and my future cats to Emily Pedroza.
I, Kevin Plunkett, bequeath a 5 on the AP CS test to every future Computer Science major, UC acceptances to the juniors, a thousand three-stocks and their respective McDonald’s chicken nuggets to Tristan Lim, some finally good Asgardian players to Mr. Allen Chan, and my friend group’s table in the cafeteria to whoever sits there first next year.
I, Kevin Wang, bequeath Andrew Li the luck to find spike ball partners.
I, Kristy Wang bequeath lots of cake to Riley and Chloe, a big big farm to Cyrus, lots of food to Sean, three steps to the hurdlers, inner peace to Christie, girls to Vinay, and many more sunny beach trips to Mrs. Quindipan and Porto.
I, Kylie Chang, bequeath more origami butterflies and X-board murals to Ding, Effie, Wang, Sophie, Yuyao, and Ayla, Google Calendars and Apple Pencils to Priyanka, and 2048 wins, an A in APLAC, and a fun-filled, not burnt-out senior year to Alex.
I, Lauren Yee, bequeath Ava Roohipour incredible driving skills and a more diverse palette, all the ugly k-pop t-shirts for Alison Ho, unlimited boba for Allison Wu, good luck to the entire Lynbrook girls water polo team, and good grades and fun times for Lucas Yee
I, Leo Huang, bequeath the #1 cap to Michael Lee, impeccable rizz to Tanay Ubale, my school spirit and energy to Ayan Chaudhry, a Stanford acceptance letter to Ryan Ma, a breeze of a junior year to my brother Arnav Singhal, wins on end to the boys’ water polo team, much love and more chaos to Jalwa, and fun years to come to my actual little brother, Lex Huang.
I, Lillian Yu bequeath all soft and moist clay, an endless supply of blue rutile, stain-free hoodies, and windless, sunny days to Layla Olguin and her ceramics quests, and a stressfree year to Reema Vanwari and Iris Yu.
I, Maia Bline, bequeath all the happiness in the world to Chelsea, all the love to Abigail, more dance adventures to Luthien and Lilly, reasonable amounts of sleep to Riki, cool fluffy hats to Alicia, three more years of fun to Diya, infinite coffee for Kitchen Sensei, a great summer vacation to Mrs. Kraemer, a fresh croissant to Mr. Signore, a port-a-potty to Mr. Bale, students that participate to Ms. Welsh, and big hugs to the classes of 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 <3
I, Mars Fabila bequeath more baritone solos to Daniel Yang, BTS concert tickets to Iris Tsai, an A in physics to Lucas Chen, a growth spurt to Gabriel Kan, more Brawl Stars trophies to Darshan Kudlamath, a positive KDA to Kiriti Kotipalli, more eyeliner to Richard Yuan, 1st place to the Lynbrook Colorguard, free candy to Mrs. Otoshi, and all of his owed boba to my partner in crime, Nolan Wong.
I, Medha Lolayekar, bequeath future you-know-whos to Sonali and Naomie, never-ending badminton practices to Aarushi, feces to Alex, and four years of fun to my little brother Chander, class of 2027.
I, Meera Nambiar, bequeath air circulation in the Web Room to Daeun Chung and Qianzi Loo, a seat in the car for away games to Brigitte Au, and a pasta-party, jamba juice, goal filled season to all the field hockey girls. Y’all are going to do great next year.
I, Mina Chao, bequeath happy genes and parental love to my growing list of children, bad Groove Back tutorials to my Ravens, flawless scorebook skillz and shoulder squeezes to the Lynbrook Girls Volleyball Team, a box of tissues and hugs to Tanya Wang and Vaishnavi Kunapuli, 8+ hours of sleep to Amy Zhang, furry noises to Chelsea Lin, superior music taste to Luthien Wang, and most of all, charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to future classes of Lynbrook.
I, Mohong Li, bequeath peanut bubba to Riki Murase.
I, Mridula Naikawadi, bequeath extra seat belts for Celine’s car, a couple more inches to Shovan’s height, a backpack full of snacks for Cindy, lots of JST crimps for Anil, medicine for Shaumik’s constant sickness, and more feet pics for the entire tennis team.
I, Nandini Rao bequeath Dua Lipa tickets to Melisa, the comfiest floors to sleep on to Khadija, Sophia, and Sanjana, cough syrup tasting Baja Blasts to Carlynda, and the best next four years to my brother Anish, class of 2027.
I, Natalie Chang bequeath my amazing nonexistent yearbook leadership skills to Laasya Kolli, a 10 dollar donation for new photo equipment to Daniel Wan, and all the hikes we never hiked and my ability to cringe every time to YKW’s story to Susanna Tang.
I, Nathan Tsang bequeath sub 11, sub 15, sub 23, sub 40, and sub 50 to Sean Tat, Chloe Chan, Jason Wu, Joyce Li, Bryan Zhao, Mathew Ju, Casey Fung, Vihaan Patel, Kartik Gudapati, and Ilan Garcia, long jumps to Ravi Sevalia, Cyrus Cao, and Caius Leung, rizz to Aiden Kato and Adit Kantak, CAA club fanatics for Nicholas Kong, stamina to Adarsh Iyer, gacha games for Vijay Krishnamoorthy, grades for Agastya Pawate, and a stand partner for Alex Liu.
I, Navya Anand bequeath safe car rides and a drama-free senior year to Manasa, lots of made
threes and bug-less code to Maggie, lots of viewpoint drives to Sarah, and a fun four years to her little brother Aarav.
I, Neelesh Bokkisam, bequeath all the birch trees to Samay Sikri; a couple of inches to Ayan Choudary; bunda to AJ, Aadi, & Sagar; the green discus to Delaina Scott; RAGE to Pranav, Gerry, Abhinav, Sivaan and Steven; the single life and education to Meghna Rai; rats to Sindhuja Bokkisam; Taco Bell sauce to Vipra Bindal; non-crippleness to Lauren Chan; and my love to Athreya Iyer.
I, Neha Ayyer, bequeath amazing In-depth graphics and song choices to Eileen Zhu, spectacular mafia deduction skills to Sarah Zhang, stress-free stories and basketball rizz to Nicole Ge, ‘that’s crazy’ moments to Vidushi Upadhyay, up-to-date tea to Alyssa Wang, bless ups and Caprisun-filled productions to the Epic <3, and a 5 on the AP Chem test to Alison Ho.
I, Nidhi Deshpande bequeath my height to AJ, Arnav, and Sammy, my nonexistent choreo skills to Sanaa and Vidushi, my looks to Riddhi and Angela, my amazing luck in the relationship department to Aadi and Sagar, and the best senior year to Lauren, Riley, Ayan, and Vansh.
I, Nirali Shah bequeath an alarm clock to Carlynda Gao and my Taco Bell points to Melisa Ferhatovic.
I, Niranjan Mathirajan, bequeath Aakash Ozarker and Nikhil Addagadde for being by my side through the trenches of AP Chemistry tests, Naman for letting me shower before him at Competition, Monesh for finding every way imaginable to blunder throughout our trip, and Shaumik for simply being out of pocket every-time I spoke with him.
I, Owen Yuan, bequeath a marketing test win to Krish, a growth spurt to Harsha, SEM glass to Vasisht, pin-trading skills to Arnav, extremely high expectations to Brian and Daniel, allergy medications to Athreya, and success to all DECA members.
I, Parmis Tabibiazar, bequeath fire Spotify playlists and Rom&nd products to Claire, chauffeuring duties and horrible singing skills to Ellie, an endless amount of Target dates to Laurie, screaming under tosses to Michelle, any and all miffy products to Valerie, my addiction to Noah’s to Yamani, authentic danishes to Marie, a supply of sarcastic comments to Chloe, the cutest boba dates to my favorite couple, Charlene and Clara, and my everlasting love and support to the Lynbrook Colorguard <3
I, Paulina Chin-Wong, bequeath many years of teaching Japanese to Jeremy Kitchen; sanity, good vibes, long runs, and consistent quads to Haley Tamtoro (you got this !!); my rifle (..) and a “non-chaotic” senior year to Daphne Chao; and a prospering Miller garden to Nick, Apurva and Daphne. To Rickey and Ben, have fun being seniors, you’re going to be a killer President-VP duo. To Shefali, have fun as a junior, I am sending you endless love and the cutest graphic ideas!!
I, Pranav Tallapaka, bequeath the best best best (did I mention best) productions in the world to Studio 74, better basketball skills to Eshwar Rajasekar, my NBA fandom to Amnah Khan, all of my chemistry notes to Alexis Giaquinta, the role of Mr. Director Man to Ohana Miura, my dead Genshin Impact account to Angela Pei, spotlights to Suhaib Shafquat, an eventful but fun four years to my sister, Mahati Tallapaka, and the title of Polo G to Gio Cabaltica.
I, Pranav Virupaksha, bequeath better API naming conventions to Anish Lakkapragada, my early-onset senioritis to Priyanka Supraja Balaji, too many “...” and “>.>” texts to Natalie Yang, endless squash tournament W’s to Nikhil Kanchi, junior year all-nighters to Snehil Kakani, and an unforgettable high school experience to my brother Samanyu, class of 2031.
I, Pranjal Chatterjee, bequeath fun physics problems to Harry Chiu and Sohil Rathi, a more extreme ENTJ personality to Crystal Lee, no-negs in Science Bowl to Selena Yang and Samuel Wang, #1 in Science Olympiad to Manank Doshi, español muy sofisticado a Shovan Jagadev, the pseudoscience presentation and every competition of Science Club to Neel Kolhe and Henry Yao, non-repetitive trombone songs to Harvy Chang and William Jiao, and the legacy of Music Club to Harry Chiu and Hugh Ma.
I, Rebecca Wong, bequeath cute cats to Michelle Zhou, tea parties to Dishita Aeron and Medha Nalakonda, heliumfilled balloons to the Girls Who Code officers, and pen pal stationery to Sophia Yang and Empress Ming.
I, Riya Ubale bequeath a calm personality to Medha, the holding of memory tests to Shriya and Max, a fun season to Zoe, a seat cushion to Daphne, a microphone to Agastya and Nolan (play louder), earplugs to Hugh, my legendary trumpet playing to Damon, driving skills to Dhruv, speeding tickets to Manit, black pants to Isabella, a hair tie to Dominik, fun chem labs to Apple, social skills to Amadeus, luck to Delaina, and a president title to Melanie.
I, Ryan Ellis, bequeath a healthy shoulder to Ethan Jok, a 5 for APUSH to Shovan Jagadev, a continued positive work ethic to Isaac Chang, a great badminton season to Richard and Paul Lim, and an egg to Jiahe Lu.
I, Ryan Wang, bequeath my aggressively bad water polo skills to Minjun and Ethan, any swimming speed left to Lucas, my mildly damaged science knowledge to Harsha and Saket, my gym gains to those in need (mostly Tanay), my elementary goalie talents to Andrew, the remainder of my captaincy competence to Deniz, and my love to those listed above and to others whose presences I will miss dearly. Ew.
I, Saahil Gupta, bequeath easy teachers to Sia Gupta, a Stanford acceptance letter to Ryan Ma, dominance establishment to the Japanbowl team, and a new tea room to Kitchen
Sensei.
I, Samantha Leong, bequeath a stress-free senior year to Alexis, everything but the best to Zayan, endless favoritism to Janhavi, gay fishermen fits to Alicia, (not) my hand in marriage to Ohana, (nonexistent) rizz to Gio, bad postpractice selfies to Ava R, actually clean dressing rooms to the drama kids, a great season to my field hockey girls, guitar skills to Lauren, lots of rest to Taek, McDonald’s lunches to Sydney, and no more biting to Chelsea.
I, Samantha Strand, bequeath many more years of inspiring students to Kitchen Sensei, successful seasons to the girl’s soccer program, amazing syngery to the JNHS officer team, a senior year full of good memories to Ian N., a stress-free second half of high school to Riley D., and a fun-filled high school experience to Eve D.
I, Samantha Wong bequeath hair rollers and my driver’s license to Thomas Lavery, a perfect future senior night and throw-ins to Anagha Shanker, no more concussions to Akshita Dadi, ankle braces and ponytail pulling to Sanaa Gada, an injury-free soccer season to Amita Chonnad, wins for Mbappe to Audrey Giaquinta, hat tricks and header goals to Isha Mani, more memories of playing center back to Joyce Li, and countless pasta parties and Fifa-11 warm ups to Lynbrook Girls Soccer <3.
I, Samyukta Sarma, bequeath Mac Miller-filled productions in News to Apurva; hugs and cutie pies to Nithy; ponytail pulls and cupcakes to Eileen; a giant fist for punching to Alyssa; and comfort hugs, mastered skills, and the most fab senior year to Chelsea.
I, Sana Gupta, bequeath tons of juicy gossip to Shreya, laughing at anything and everything to Esha, a stress-free junior and senior year and hundreds of locker snack runs in the middle of class to Siddharth.
I, Sarah Sun bequeath an amazing year to future ASBs and POTUS, gen Z/sarahqsun lingo to Ms. Kirsh/Mr. Lee, office comfort snacks to Mrs. Salazar, Haribo gummies to Mr. Wong, another Sun sister to Mr. Pallone, Trader Joe’s hauls to Janhavi, city girl mindset to Samiya, test study guides to Jeff Gao, fortnite bush camp wins to Zayan, and joker-free sigma grindset x work-life balance to Lynbrook students.
I, Satvik Shreesha bequeath four spirited rallies to my favs Zayan and Maple, game to AJ and Alan, inspirational pep talks to Alex and Ben, Hinduism to Chai, absolutely nothing to Regis, an undefeated season to lhsmensvball, dunking on ASB losers to Jeff and Colin, varsity cheerleading to Haoward, being like ur dad (Satvik) to Sagar, the Anika show to Anika, VE hard-work to Atharva, Harsha, and Calvin, and an amazing & memorable senior year to Kyrsten.
I, Selena Yuan bequeath prosperous years and an abundance of bald men and pineapples to Sophie, a lack of Monopoly prowess and corn to Nina, disease under a poncho to Carrie, some rizz to Alan, and elf shoes to Harsha.
I, Selina Hsieh, bequeath Ashley Huang with carrying Chamber Orchestra through Carnegie Hall, Kitchen Sensei with upholding the legacy of Japanese, Yuwen Zhang with the ability to beat everyone in soccer, Jayden Jung with the powers of MIT App Inventor and perfect memory, Aaron Chang with the all the powers of Jerma, and Sivaan Sharma with a trip to the hospital.
I, Serena Kher, bequeath cleats with better grip to Reema Vanwari, sugar cookies to the field hockey team, D1 hating skills to Dhruv Ghosh, Ike’s sandwiches + a good taste in men to Chitrini Anand, and a job to Nithyasree Ramamoorthy.
I, Sharon George, bequeath my top tier driving skills and caffeine dependency to Siri, immense plastic-cutting strength to Valerie, the ability to stay awake in class to Esha, a nonsenioritis senior year to Reema, and many more “cancersaving” discoveries and gingerbread socials to Lynbrook CSF.
I, Sharon Zhu, bequeath every single musical ever to Ayla Oner, my Mickey ears to Rutvi Pota and Diya Loonawat, infinite free food to all of dolci, an entire piano to Jessie Zhu, matching grips to Olive Li and Mehr Kambo, Taylor Swift-filled study sessions to Selena Yang, graduation cords galore to Science Club and Wistem, and all of my non-peanut containing candy to my sister, Eileen Zhu.
I, Shashin Gupta, bequeath to Vidushi a new mirror, to Gauri cash for American fast food, to Rhea a fire hydrant for the many burnt houses, and to Rutvi a watch to show up on time.
I, Shreyas Sivapuram bequeath to Aditya and Manav best wishes in their senior year and stress-free college apps, Madame Schang for being a great French teacher and supporting me, Manav for being a great math buddy and friend, and funny jokes in Mr. Bale’s class and best wishes to Shreyas A and Frank for the rest of their high school years.
I, Shyon Ganguly, bequeath successful Clink events to Calvin Zhou, Chelsea Guo, and Manit Mathur, enjoyable class office experiences to Kimaya Pantvaidya and Alex Li, sub 11 speed to Jason Wu and Sean Tat, a baton to Matthew Ju, a consistent three step to Vihaan Patel and Karthik Gudapati, CCS finals appearances to Chloe Chan and Riley Chen, and the most amazing senior year to Janhavi Venkatesh.
I, Sneha Sundar, bequeath all of the eloquent words in the Oxford English dictionary to Allison Pan, and the most enjoyable and memorable high school experience to my little sister Shwetha, Class of 2026.
I, Sophia Das bequeath ferocious renegades to Diya Shah, groundbreaking Fruit College enrollment to Nithya Kanagala, a gad
broin free season to Annie Peng, sanity and restful sleep to Jennifer Chua, a full beat to Shannon Tai, a pandits spirituality to Adit Kantak, massive gains and miles of Instagram reels to Lily Fang, therapy to Sarah Zhang, and a chocolate factory to Suzanne Das.
I, Sophia Khubchandani, bequeath study sessions and tech run-throughs to Jeffrey Gao, fire PR videos to Alison Ho, the future of tech and tutorial gaming sessions to Colin Chow, the “trust the universe” philosophy to Gio Cabaltica, an amazing ASBO experience to the new ASBO team, and a healthy worklife balance alongside an amazing three years to Susanna Khubchandani.
I, Sophie Au, bequeath boba runs to Dorothy Ko, difficult sightreading to Chloe Low, production Disney jams to Katie Chin, color palettes to Chelsea Lee and Valerie Shu, a-lasecondes in socks to Ashley Huang, heart dissections to Evelyn Hsu, Ayanna Beberg, and Aditi Adapala, a working gym sound system to Gio Cabaltica, non-pizza dinners to the Epic, unlimited baked potatoes and B06+ to the Valks, and borderline essay grades, successful secret pals, and a wonderful junior year to Brigitte Au.
I, Sravya Vakkalanka, bequeath a better Instagram posting schedule to Chit, carrots to Reema, essays to Sonali, grapes to Phoebe, another doppelganger to Madison, loads of outfits to Shefali, and absolutely nothing to Diya.
I, Sri Srinivasan, bequeath car talks, baseball players, and my abundance of friends to Chitrini Anand, and caramel frapps, my unmatched height, and the word GOAT to my little brother, Ranganathan Srinivasan.
I, Sruthi Medepalli, bequeath healthy relationships and forever clarity of mind + skin to Samiya Anwar, a stress-free senior year to Rickey Chiu, the word GOAT to Ranganathan Srinivasan, and a nontoxic four years at Lynbrook to Rishab Medepalli, class of 2029.
I, Sruti Elangovan, bequeath endless girlbossing + Dickson to Niharika & Lilly, influencer-fame to Crystal, borahae to Lori & Nandini, Holy Lawliness to Stefanny-pack & Amish, 69 marriage proposals to Abbae, non-bio reels + ur mom to Alex, cursed photos to Vai, crumb-free studying to Amy & Zixuan, criminally-defensive-side-eyes to Valerie, sundae doodles to Jannie, Forbes 30-under-30 to the Sophies, StarbucksDoorDashing to Kiara, scottish-bae to Anushka, sanity to Sumhead & Amanda and cheesy cheers + Anson’s spirit to Lynbrook Volleyball.
I, Stella He bequeath a stress free year and successful project planning to Aarya, Stephanie, and Sagar, a master commission leader to Gio, more matcha obsession and no broken fingers to Lauren, my beloved saber to Elisabeth, on time and daily breakfast to Janhavi, a girlfriend and senior prom date for Alan tofu, more cute hoodies and less league of legends to Ryan, all my snacks to Hao Gu, and a very successful year for ASB Recognition.
I, Steven Pan bequeath another W season to the boy’s golf team, tasty designs to Robert Yu, math club (not honor society) t-shirts to Neel Kolhe, and stress-free days to Nina Pan and Jeffrey Gao.
I, Tanika Anbuchelvan, bequeath Ramen Seas and digital photos to Carlynda Gao, endless strikes to Aahaan Bandopadhyay, seats at the Cupertino Library to Vipra Bindal, Mylapore Express to Athreya Iyer, T4 tea to Ainai Habtom, silver to Rishma Khandelwal, Jo Tiernee love stories to Ohana Miura, and the word GOAT to Ranganathan Srinivasan.
I, Tanmayi Rao, bequeath an endless supply of boba, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness to Anagha, free (field) trips to Sarah, the ability to drive to Ava, receiving calls from the ref to Allison, helicopter shots to Alek, and a CCS qualification and no more chairs sets to the girls water polo team.
I, Thomas Zheng, bequeath my forensics knowledge to Sindhuja Bokkisam and Yvonne Wu; my DECA business brain cells to Advait Phadke, Ashwin Subramanian, and Henry Yao; my AP scores and stress-free college applications to Ritam Chakraborty; and my advice to fully enjoy high school to every underclassmen. I bequeath an amount of “the limit as x approaches 0 of (1/x^2)” TP-tea to Mrs. Quindipan, a successful home construction to Mr. Dybdahl, and more ghetto stories to Mr. Seike.
I, Venus Dhanda bequeath all the coffee cakes and brownies in the world to Mr. Leung, my five-inch black stilettos to Nidhi Prasad and Ayanna Beberg for endless model walks, all my college essays to Jeffrey Gao, every hour of sleep I missed for biology notes to Radha Paravastu, and an amazingly proud and colorful senior year to Ari Rich and Spencer Eppstein (and Octavio Parish again if he doesn’t come to class).
I, Wayne Suh bequeath an iPad to Shovan for his Genshin Impact addiction, a new car to Celine for her reckless driving, a Beijing Duck to Cindy, a Lukaku jersey to Anil, and weights to Shaumik and his muscles.
I, Yechan Lee bequeath focus and 2024 Drum Captain to Nimay, rizz and my drum key to Miles, a disciplined band and colorguard to Daphne, lots of boba to Teja, bulking ability to Amadeus, 2025 Drum Captain to Scott, good plank form to Enzo, 2026 Drum Captain to Darren, many yawns to Melanie, heavyweight strength to Riki, infinite rizz to Neale, Mello SL to Chancie, Doritos to Delanie, and a great year to the future Agape officers.
I, Yuvraj Dhadwal bequeath lots of love and hugs to Chelsea Lin, plenty of driver practice to Karan Annam and Sophia Chen, and a diary to Celine Li so she can continue having her circular conversations with herself long after I’ve switched up.
BY MEERA NAMBIAR
With a count-off from the drums, the band starts to play and the neighborhood swells with bright music. In synchronization, strong bass blankets and solidifies under sharp electric guitar and drum snares, a honeyed voice tying melodies together. With a unique blend of different cultures and genres, Kimchee Masala is ready to spice up the Lynbrook community. Composed of seniors Jacob Chung, Sravya Vakkalanka, Rishab Sakalkale, Serena Kher and Keshav Kannan, and formed in February 2023, the new band gives its members a new way to explore various genres of music and bond as a part of a team, beat by beat.
The band started when singer Vakkalanka and guitarist Kher were looking for a drummer to perform with them at open mics. However, Lynbrook did not have many drummers available, and it took some time before they found their drummer, Sakalkale, and asked him to join them.
“The creation of the band was by chance,” Sakalkale said. “It wasn’t planned, but it kind of happened in stages.”
We all have diferent musical backgrounds. So together, I think it’s an interesting blend of music.
different musical backgrounds,” Kannan said. “So together, I think it’s an interesting blend of music.” Kimchee Masala focuses on covers, usually practicing on weekend mornings. They work on songs from various genres and decades, ranging from “Criminal” by Fiona Apple to “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, and adapt them to their own style by adding different structures and elements. One of Kimchee Masala’s challenges was finding a time to practice that worked for everyone, and agreeing on the sound of their band and the songs they wanted to play. Chung is into Japanese music, Kannan plays a lot of jazz and R&B, Kher and Salkalale lean toward rock and Vakkalanka dabbles in a wide variety, especially indie music. In the end, they decided to not restrict themselves to only one genre and merge a diverse set of styles.
Keshav Kannan, SeniorDespite only playing drums for a month, Sakalkale agreed to be the drummer. Soon after, Chung and Kannan joined as bass and electric guitar players, respectively. Because none of them had a drum kit, they began practicing in the Lynbrook band’s practice room, leading to their first band name, PR 1. Unfortunately, there were no available social media handles for PR 1. After brainstorming various names, ranging from Fungus Dogs to The Shagettes, it was Chung who came up with their current name, Kimchee Masala.
“We wanted to make a name based on the characteristics of all the people in the band so we decided to blend our ethnic and cultural backgrounds,” Kher said. “So we combined kimchee and masala together. They both taste really good and we’re all really hungry.”
The traditional Korean spelling of kimchee, a fermented vegetable dish, is a nod to Chung’s Korean heritage. The Indian term masala also reflects the ethnicity of the remaining members and adds dimension and duality.
After forming, the band borrowed a drum kit and moved from the practice rooms to Salkalale’s garage. Their sound is indie, with hints of rock, and combines the music tastes of all the members, ranging from jazz to Japanese pop.
“We play a bunch of different music, and we all have
“I play a lot of Japaneseinfluenced music on bass. But now, I’m playing more indie rock and music based in America,” Chung said. “It’s really interesting because I’ve never really done that before.”
Kimchee Masala has given all the band members a space to grow as musicians and bond. Some of their favorite memories include eating food together during practices while learning more about each other.
While the members of the band will be attending different colleges, they plan on playing at events throughout the summer and will book them through emailing and contacting venues. They are also contemplating continuing their band through Zoom, as they’ll be located in different areas in the country.
“I do other performances on my own, and when I see openings, I ask if they take bands or when I see bands playing, I ask them how they got the spot,” Vakkalanka said.
Kimchee Masala is competing in the Battle of the Bands happening during Grad Night and is performing in the First Friday concerts in Los Altos and the San Pedro Square Market in June. They share snippets of their behind-the-scenes practices on their Instagram account
@kimchee masala and hope to continue meeting in the summer before going to college.
“We’re making our music our own — we don’t want to play the exact original,” Salkalale said.
BY MYLES KIM
While some like to spend their hours indulging in the virtual realms of video games or heading to local eateries to grab some grub, junior Aarush Narang prefers to spend his free time in the kitchen, whipping up a variety of cuisines. From delightfully seasoned pasta to freshly baked cajun chicken breasts, Narang’s creations are a feast for the senses. For Narang, the kitchen is like a laboratory, where he can engage in culinary experiments, trying out various recipes and measurements to make delicious dishes.
Narang first learned to cook in sixth grade, driven by his desire to help lessen his mother’s workload in juggling both work and home responsibilities.
In seventh grade, he took Culinary
Arts at Miller Middle School, and in his freshman year of high school, he enrolled in Introduction to Culinary Careers. Initially, he primarily focused on making Indian cuisine, but, as he has taken more courses, he has developed his culinary skills while also experimenting with new cuisines.
“My favorite part of the process is probably chopping and preparing everything,“ Narang said. “That’s the most fun part because you get to see how everything comes together and coalesces into a tasty dish.”
Typically, when looking for new recipes to attempt, he browses apps like Tasty, an online food network that hosts a vast collection of diverse recipes from all parts of the world. Other times, he stumbles upon new recipes while browsing YouTube, often drawing inspiration from popular culinary-based YouTubers like Babish Culinary University, Joshua Weissman and Adam Ragusea. When it comes to new recipes, Narang tries his best to closely follow the recipe’s measurements due to its unfamiliarity. However, for dishes that he is more comfortable with, he is less stringent with following the recipes closely, and will sometimes even try to add his own personal spin to the dish,
adding some of his own spices or ingredients.
Around June 2022, Narang decided to start sharing his culinary creations on his Instagram account because he felt that he was constantly taking pictures of his food, but didn’t have an outlet to share them. In some of his posts, he also includes recipes for others to recreate his dishes. Since creating the account, he has posted more than 50 of his creations. His portfolio encompasses a diverse range of dishes, from baked sweets to salads, curries and pastas, each with its own unique personal touch of style.
“I find it really cool that he’s sharing cooking content,” junior Gio Cabaltica said. “I think it takes more courage to post your cooking than it does to post pictures of yourself, so I commend him for that.“
Narang usually opts for making Indian, as well as a mix of Italian, American and some Chinese cuisine. He also tends to include chicken in many of his dishes. Of the different foods that he has been able to make, he considers the MasterChef-inspired pan-seared chicken complemented by pea, carrot and cauliflower purees and a lemon pan sauce as one of his best and most challenging creations. While he regards risotto as a delicacy, he feels he can only
make it sparingly because of the amount of work and effort required to make it.
“There’s this one thing — it’s almost like a Chipotle bowl — that I like to make pretty often because I also work out on a regular basis,” Narang said. “It’s a quick meal with a lot of protein.”
Some of the most enjoyable aspects of cooking for Narang go beyond the intricacies and time dedicated to making a dish— Narang cherishes the interpersonal relationships that can arise from the process. In particular, he finds cooking with his mom especially fun because of the special bond they have with each other. Similarly, he often shares samples of some of the food he’s made with his friends at school.
“One time, he delivered me a container full of the chicken fried rice that he made the day before,” Cabaltica said. “And man, was he cooking! It was just on another level, like something I feel like my mom would make.“
In the foreseeable future, Narang aims to continue to pursue his hobby, expand his culinary skills and post his creations on Instagram in addition to assisting his mother in the kitchen.
BY RIKI MURASE
Owing to recent fashion trends, jewelry has skyrocketed in popularity, becoming a staple of stylish modern outfits. But there’s more to jewelry than just shine and glitter— it allows people to showcase their personal styles. Each piece has a different story to tell.
Junior Crystal Lee owns a black heart pendant with delicate crystal detailing that she purchased online in fall of 2021 and it remains her favorite piece of jewelry. To Lee, jewelry often holds sentimental value and expresses her personal style.
“It’s like my comfort piece that I wear almost every day,” Lee said. “It holds significance for me since it’s the first piece of ‘nice’ jewelry that I bought for myself, and it goes great
Junior Jocelyn Li enjoys bonding with others over similar interests by experimenting with unique combinations of jewelry. She owns a distinctive ring that she discovered while cleaning her mom’s jewelry collection. Its significance stems from its centerpiece aquamarine stone.
“I was discussing birthstones with my friends when I realized that the aquamarine happened to be my birthstone,” Li said. “It’s a little different from the jewelry that I normally wear, but it has allowed me to try new styles.”
Sophomore Luthien Wang wears jewelry primarily for aesthetic purposes and to bring flashes of color to her outfits. One of her favorite pieces is a golden bracelet she received for her 16th birthday. The multicolored crystal watermelons strung by a gold chain caught her eye and seemed to perfectly symbolize the beginning of summer.
“It suits my style because the jewels are brighter colors, and it adds a pop of color to my black-
Sophomore Richard Yuan’s current favorite piece is a black-beaded necklace that he purchased from a flea market stand. He often wears jewelry to add intricate detail to outfits that he feels would otherwise look bland. Weaving an appealing combination of his wardrobe and jewelry, Yuan has collected a significant selection of necklaces.
“I’m a huge fan of necklaces,” Yuan said. “They really draw attention to the top of your body, and chain necklaces can also be used as hip
Despite its obvious benefits in preventing sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging, modern sunscreen is often released into marine ecosystems, where it can take a detrimental toll on marine life.
Oxybenzone is found in 80 percent of chemical sunscreens. It not only poses a danger to marine life but is also the most frequently detected sunscreen chemical in natural waters. It is known to prevent skin aging; however, it dissolves easily in water and does not readily biodegrade.
bigger organisms like fish and other marine animals that live close to the coast.”
People may not know which ingredients are harmful or harmless to them and the environment.
One of oxybenzone’s most devastating forms of destruction is coral bleaching in hard corals, otherwise referred to as reef-building corals, which grow in colonies. Many forms of marine life depend on coral reefs for food and shelter, and any damage from coral bleaching causes a major decline in biodiversity.
Jason Lee, Biology and physiology teacherMoreover, oxybenzone often causes DNA damage to other marine life, which disrupts an organism’s endocrine system — an internal system responsible for relaying hormones, many people.
“Sunscreen is usually diluted in the water, where it has an effect on small organisms like algae in the corals or the embryos of invertebrates like sea urchins,” said Julie Pourtois, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. “Over time, we may start to see effects on
“People may not know which ingredients are harmful or harmless to them and the environment,” biology and physiology teacher Jason Lee said. “Everyone votes with their dollar, so when you’re buying chemical sunscreens, you are telling companies that this is what the customers want.” Some states have already taken action in an attempt to limit
BY TANIKA ANBU
Religion, superstition and culture have been passed down for ages, continuing to influence and impact each new generation, furthering the connection between people and their histories. Blood doesn’t solely connect us to our past; instead it is the ideas and cultures that form long-lasting bonds. For centuries, the older generation has passed down their way of life to the newer generation, allowing their legacies to continue years later. Religion is one element that continues to influence newer generations, and while it carries influence of its starting years, it evolves and adapts to the current day.
“Religion provides a set of morals and values to live by,” sophomore Athreyer said. “It gives you structure helps you develop good habits, but there are also other ways to find a connection to your culture and past.”
Religions such as Hinduism and Christianity can help devotees find a routine that guides their lifestyle. In Hinduism, for instance, the practice of Sandhyavandanam guides people to wake up at sunrise and complete ritual praying. This helps instill discipline and principle in practitioners' lives.
and history in different perspectives.”
Cultural traditions and customs can also strengthen the cultural connection between the newer generation and their ancestry. Cultural transmission happens in several forms, whether that be through family teachings and language or material items such as clothes. Cultural wardrobe, like kilts and saris, are ways that people stay connected to their culture. Adaptations and modernizations make these generational connections more applicable and customizable to each person that adopts the culture. The voices of past generations can also shape one's identity and beliefs.
“You always carry a part of your ancestors with you when you follow cultural beliefs,” freshman Nithya Kanagala said. “If people in your culture have certain morals, the next generation may have similar morals, and pass them on to the next generation — it’s a cycle.” While passing down customs can nurture bonds between generations, it may have disadvantages. Traditions and customs concerning prejudice and discrimination have often been harmful to society.
With the freedom to define the newer generations, the possibilities of cultural are endless.
“Religion serves as one way to make sense of being, of existing, as well as serving as a foundation for how to exist,” De
Anza College Sociology
Professor
Kamau Biragosaid.
“Relaying the past to the present can help newer generations understand their ancestry
4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen are washed into the ocean each year.
BY EMILY PEDROZA AND APURVA KRISHNAMURTHY
Story continued from front page.
Although European colonialism significantly influenced beauty standards worldwide, colorist mindsets predate Western contact in many countries. Historically, skin tone has largely been associated with social standing. For example, in South Asia and Latin America, tanner skin was often a result of working labor jobs in strenuous heat, which is why those with darker complexions are often associated with the lower class. Individuals in the upper echelons of society had the privilege of staying inside and working white-collar jobs. Consequently, having lighter skin is associated with prestige or higher status.
When enslavement was institutionalized in the U.S., having a lighter complexion was one of the contributing factors that granted slaves preferential behavior. Lighterskinned individuals were often able to work less-demanding jobs indoors, having a closer proximity to whiteness, while darker-skinned slaves were forced to work more grueling tasks outside. Furthermore, many white slave masters had children with their servants — thus, biracial slaves held certain privileges granted by their slave owners.
“There was a study in the late 70s that said African American children associated darker skin with more ‘negative’ traits,” colorism researcher Danielle Stamps said. “If they had a preference, they usually chose the lighter skin.”
Racial hierarchies and colonialism have heavily influenced beauty standards worldwide. Such attitudes established a widespread link between whiteness and beauty, imposing eurocentric beauty standards that projected the ideal of whiteness onto people of color, who did not
American colonialism from 1898 to 1946, Indigenous communities in the Philippines were conditioned to revere whiteness through images of Christian figures and Hollywood celebrities. Whiteness soon became synonymous to not only beauty, but also wealth, intelligence and power.
Media is a leading propagator of colorism in its various mediums. In the South Asian movie and television industries, for instance, lighter skinned actors almost always receive preferential treatment when hired, and are often cast as the conventionally attractive character over darker skinned individuals who experience job disparities due to their complexion. Similarly, in American entertainment, many characters meant to be darkerskinned are still played by biracial actors with lighter complexions. Moreover, in the Philippines, many actresses and beauty pageant winners are representation of their brand. Moreover, colorist prejudices can even influence healthcare. According to a 2021 study in the Journal of Social Issues and Public Policy, African American individuals and patients with darker skin are often subject to prejudiced treatment from healthcare workers, leading to inadequate healthcare outcomes.
Colorism has also driven hierarchies within racial groups. For instance, during the 20th century, the Brown Paper Bag test was administered within African American communities to confirm entrance into beneficial social institutions. Those with a complexion lighter than a paper bag would be granted more privileges such as access to more resources and public spaces.
“They had to pass in order to be inserted into a high African American society,” Stamps said. “I would fail the paperback just because I'm darker than a paper bag because that's more of a caramel color.”
The reinforcement of colorism causes many to resort to bleaching their skin to fit the media’s standards.
“Lightening products are common in all stores, but especially in India,” sophomore Sia Gupta said. “You’ll see tons and tons of brands specifically for skin lightening. They’re also being advertised all the time — they’re everywhere.”
Colorism persists through the promotion of Fair and Lovely, an Indian skinwhitening lotion brand making $317 million annually and advancing the growing multibilliondollar skin-whitening industry. Though change in the company has trickled from accusations of marketing whiteness, leading to their rebrand as Glow and Lovely, the paradigm for light skin stays prevalent in Indian culture. Additionally, while some skin treatments can be harmful, such as mercury and hydroquinone, which are both linked to bodily damage, many people are still determined to lighten their skin at the expense of these health hazards. Others opt for temporary alternatives for
creating the perception of lightening skin. For instance, Douyin, a Chinese entertainment app with over 730 million monthly users, includes an automatic whitening beauty filter which applies to any skin recorded on the app.
“I lived in India for five years before I came here,” Gupta said. “Even as a kid, I was always worried about getting tan, or thought being complimented for my lighter skin was something to be proud of.” Beauty standards in the U.S. and the rest of the world may be vastly different, but the majority hold a proximity to whiteness in high regard.
“It's kind of detrimental since it’s not something that you can control.” Gupta said. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the color of their skin to meet a built-in standard.”
All around the world, participating in sports can create lasting, meaningful and impactful bonds between people of different creeds, ethnicities and cultures. While many people are aware of popular sports in the U.S., such as soccer, basketball and baseball, there are many sports whose cultural roots are often overlooked yet still widely practiced around the world. Here are some of the sports that have been enjoyed for many decades with cultural ties and history.
Cricket, first introduced to India by British colonizers in the 1700s, caught the attention of Indian elites. The first recorded competitive match took place in 1721, as it gained popularity around the country. Cricket is played with two teams, each consisting of 11 players. The batting team aims to score by striking a white ball and running between two sets of wickets — stumps placed behind the batsman — while the fielding team prevents the opposing team from scoring. Cricket has become a unifying force, growing from a colonial introduction to a nationwide cultural phenomenon and bringing together communities under the passion for the sport.
Across China, badminton holds an important cultural significance.
Although the sport has ties to England from more than 2,000 years ago, many historians say badminton has a connection to the Chinese game of jianzi. Jianzi is played using various body parts, excluding the hands, with the objective of keeping a shuttlecock in the air. Badminton, on the other hand, is played with a racket, net and shuttlecock, with the objective of scoring points by landing the shuttlecock on the opponent’s side of the net. The modern version of badminton flourished in China in the 1950s, when the sport’s popularity rose. Today, badminton has not only created a sense of national pride with its national team’s successes, but has also influenced international collaborations.
Kendo, a modern martial art from Japan, stems from Kenjustu and can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries, incorporating the Japanese swordsmanship techniques of Samurai warriors. In kendo, opponents wear protective armor called “bōgu” and use bamboo swords called “shinai.” Kendo requires precision and control to score points and strike opponents. It is also characterized by a traditional fighting style that pays tribute to the sport’s ancestry, focusing on posture and precision. The sport is currently considered one of the most popular martial arts in Japan and is widely practiced around the world.
Originating in Montreal and spreading throughout the 19th century, ice hockey has become a Canadian staple. Initially, many thought that the game originated from field hockey due to their many similarities. However, newer research has revealed the sport could have its roots in the practices of the Mi’kmaq Indians in Nova Scotia in the early 1800s. The game is played on an ice rink between two teams, with six players per team. The objective of the game is to guide a rubber disk, the puck, past the opponents’ goal line to score points. The sport has had an Olympic presence in the men’s division since 1920 and the women’s division since 1998. The popularity of ice hockey has since spread past Canada, becoming a beloved international sport for many to enjoy and follow.
For Lynbrook tennis, the girls and boys teams typically do not intertwine, with the girls season in the fall and the boys season in the spring. As the boys season commenced, Head Coach Albert Poon organized Lynbrook’s first ever mixed doubles tournament to end the year on a high note. The tournament incorporated a fundraising event in which all donations went to Lynbrook’s Lexe program.
“I tried to think of something to relax the players after months of hard work,” Poon said.
Mixed doubles, in which each team consists of one male and one female player, is commonly played in many tennis clubs, but rarely seen in high school.
“I was really excited to play in the tournament,” senior Akhil Saboo said. “It was a new opportunity for the boys team to get to know the girls team. It was also fulfilling because the proceeds went to charity.”
This tournament was a relaxed environment where participants played for enjoyment and to raise money for the school.
Spectators were able to donate two dollars each to “handicap” a team — for instance, have them play with their non-dominant hand for the remainder of the game.
“A big
challenge we had in the past with spectators coming to our games is making them stay engaged because tennis can be difficult to understand for people new to the game,” said senior Agnik Banerjee, who came up with the idea of “handicapping” players. “We wanted to make our matches interactive, and the handicap idea accomplished that goal and also made spectators contribute to their favorite players’ success.”
In anticipation of the tournament, excitement brewed but concerns also rose. One of the main concerns leading up to the matches was a lack of chemistry between partners. Usually, doubles partners play with their partner all year, and over time, players are able to build chemistry and learn each other’s playing style. In this case, partners only had a few days to build chemistry. When playing tennis, it is vital to be in sync and communicative with your partner.
“My partner Edward was very positive and motivating which helped us focus on every point,” said senior Jamie Tan. “I feel inspired by him to bring the same enthusiasm to create an uplifting environment.”
Spectators were not only excited to watch tennis, but also to participate in the charity event.
“It was really entertaining watching my friends handle the handicaps,” junior
Harsha Kadiyala said. “I donated money to make them play on one leg — it was really funny.”
The pairs played to their best abilities.
Sophomores Steven Liu and Kylie Liao emerged undefeated at first place for the
final match.
“I have no doubt that we will continue organizing more tournaments like this in the future, and I can’t wait to play again next year,” Liao said.
As a child, senior Annika Liou was surrounded by water. After dedicating more than four years to water polo, Liou committed to Chapman University
to continue her water polo and academic careers. Since beginning the sport in 2019, Liou hopes to continue this fulfilling competitive sport while in college.
Liou tried out the sport after her friend convinced her to join the school team. Because she had already been a swimmer during middle school, it helped her get
Senior Evan Taylor initially joined track and field in sixth grade at Miller Middle School without any prior experience, and
devoted his time to running both in and outside of school, from running on weekends to training in the weight room during both on and off seasons.
Taylor also loves to support his teammates.
“My favorite part about my teammates is watching them succeed,” Taylor said. “Seeing them
ahead of the competition when she started playing water polo.
Gradually, Liou began to realize how much she liked playing the sport. While it was initially difficult for Liou to pick up the rules, she grew to love the sport.
“I really enjoyed the sport,” Liou
shine in their event makes me really happy.”
Taylor hopes for more people to join track to be able to experience the camaraderie and sense of belonging he was able to have from his time on the team.
Senior Tianyou Zhang will be swimming off to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall as a recruited breaststroker. Training with numerous coaches throughout the years, Zhang has come to appreciate how he has
been able to collaborate with each coach and learn from their unique perspectives.
“When I was younger, I was scared of the coaches, so it was more ‘what they say, I do,’” Zhang said. “Now, I can collaborate with the coaches and get their input on how to go about things.”
Zhang is excited to continue his
Senior Jerry Chu has been recruited by Carnegie Mellon
being 55.94 seconds.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a detrimental six-month pause on his training in his freshman year. By the time he got back up to pace in his junior year, an injury set him back again during the most critical part of the recruitment timeline. Even so, his coach at Santa Clara Swim Club, Kevin Zacher, witnessed Chu’s
passion become reinvigorated.
swimming journey with senior and teammate of nine years, Jerry Chu, who has also been recruited to swim for CMU.
“It makes it a lot more fun trying to push yourself when you have a friend telling you to keep going,” Zhang said. “Swimming truly builds a family community.”
“When we went down to Houston, Texas for a meet, he swam a couple of new best times,” Zacher said. “That really fueled him during the last year to get to the point where he can swim at CMU and impact the team positively.”
When senior Ethan Feng was four years old, his dad took him to try out for a soccer club in Oregon. As he grew up, he continued to play the sport not only because it was a fun hobby, but also
because he knew soccer to be a lot more than just a physical sport. Feng has committed to California Institute of Technology to continue his soccer and academic careers.
“Your physical body doesn’t limit you to play soccer,” Feng said.
It wasn’t until when he was at a soccer camp in Southern California,
that he decided to reach out to a college soccer coach. The coach was impressed by his skills, marking the moment he got his call back. With plans to continue his journey in soccer, he is thankful he persisted, numerous he faced way.
Junior Madison Badger began playing volleyball in sixth grade, and committed to University of Puget Sound to continue her volleyball and academic careers. Although still only a junior, Badger is ready to commit to Puget Sound and is excited to play college-level
volleyball. “I didn’t love the physical aggression when it came to sports,” Badger said. “But I really liked the sense of passive aggression that I get from volleyball.”
Because volleyball takes up a large portion of Badger’s schedule, the sport has taught her to balance both her volleyball commitments
and school work. Typically, Badger’s week consists of eight hours of practice, and two-day-long tournaments occur one to three times a month. Practice schedules are heavily dependent on court availability, allowing Badger to recognize the importance of being able to quickly switch on and off between school work and volleyball.
editors-in-chief myles kim
susanna tang
anushka anand copy editors katie chin surya saraf
chelsea lee
valerie shu
managing editor design editors 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
web editors
daeun chung qianzi loo
business/pr manager
deeksha raj
social media manager riki murase
stafers
audrey sun calvin zhou
inaaya yousuf
maple leung nicole ge samiya anwar sarah zhang
vidushi upadhyay
seniors amishi chandra amy liu
anirudh seshadri
catherine zhou
elizabeth cheng
jasmine rihal
jason shan
larry wang
meera nambiar
neha ayyer
sam sarma
sophie au
sruthi medepalli
tanika anbu
timothy kim
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: Yunhee Hong and Sanghoon Kim.
