Epic Issue 2, 2019

Viking Vault unlocks student job opportunities

BY BENNIE CHANG

T

he Viking Vault, Lynbrook’s student store, has found a home inside the newly constructed cafeteria. The store will continue to sell school supplies and snacks, but one aspect of it has changed — the Viking Vault is now a business run by

students in Lynbrook’s new class: Training for Transitions (TFT).

Established at Lynbrook this year, TFT is taught by culinary and special education teacher Megan Miller. The course aims to prepare students for the workforce. After observing the success of similar classes in other FUHSD schools, Lynbrook’s Special Education department decided to implement the TFT curriculum and adjusted it to �it students’ needs. In the class, students have the opportunity to try out different jobs on campus by assisting with Lynbrook’s recycling program, working in the print center and managing the student store.

Other than having jobs, students like junior Daisha Travenia are also learning about the job application process.

“We work on fake applications to get practice, so when the time does come and we want to get a job, we would know how to do it by ourselves,” Travenia said. “This class gives us practice and independence.”

One unique aspect of the program is that TFT students w i l l

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NEWS SECTION

work with students from Academic Community in Transition (ACT), a branch of the Special Education department, to run the Viking Vault together.

Before construction, the ACT program ran the student store out of a space near the old ASB den. During the renovation of the quad, the store was put on hold, and teachers used the time to re�lect on how it could be improved. They decided that they wanted the ACT students to have more interactions with other students in Lynbrook while managing the Viking Vault.

During this time, Miller started working on the TFT class with the goal of providing students with opportunities to try out new jobs. After hearing about the goals of the Special Education department, Miller proposed the Viking Vault as a place with job opportunities for both TFT and ACT students.

Once the store of�icially opens, TFT and ACT students will share the responsibility of running the store and managing the proceeds together.

“We want our TFT students to have con�idence when they begin their jobs and build their leadership skills in the process,” Miller said. “Also, having them work with ACT students whom they may not have exposure to on a day-to-day basis helps them learn how to be not only a role model but also a leader with responsibilities.”

Senior David Emory is excited to be in TFT because he wants to serve the community by working in the student store and helping ACT students.

“I’m looking forward to working and mentoring the ACT students,” Emory said. “Working together in the Viking Viking will not only help them but also give us leadership skills and real-life experiences in the process.”

T h e class has spent

Student brownie sale raises funds and awareness

BY SLOKA SURESH

L

ynbrook students Sanjana Narayanan, Hali Wu, Abdullah Ashiq, Nancy Qi, Zahara Aziz and Audrey Ding launched a fundraiser on Sept. 15 to provide �inancial support for Rose Morales*, a Guatemalan refugee. Morales is the daughter of Japanese teacher Jeremy Kitchen’s neighbor. Held at Lynbrook, the fundraiser raised both awareness and funds to aid her and her family as they seek political asylum.

Through the asylum system, the U.S. grants refuge to foreign nationals in need of protection. In order to be considered for asylum, individuals must �irst prove their eligibility through proof of persecution or fear of persecution within their home country. If their applications are accepted, individuals will have an opportunity to appeal for asylum before an immigration judge. If applicants fail to meet any of the criteria, they may be sent back to their country of origin.

For many asylum seekers, the �inancial burden of hiring an attorney proves to be the biggest obstacle. While there are organizations that provide reduced-cost legal aid to refugees, they often lack the

resources to accommodate the number of individuals seeking protection within American borders. To expedite the process, Morales’s family has sought legal aid from a private attorney who charges $6,000 to even begin the proceedings.

After hearing of Morales’s circumstances through former Paper Airplanes of�icer and Lynbrook class of 2019 alumna Patricia Wei, Narayanan, Wu and Ding knew they had to take action. They decided to hold a brownie fundraiser to raise money quickly and promoted the event through direct messaging on Facebook. Homemade brownies, sold at $1 apiece, attracted students to donate to the cause.

“We had a chance to make a difference in someone’s life that related to the issues that we’ve been working on,” Narayanan said.

“We weren’t really sure how much money we could raise, but then we made $150, which is truly amazing.”

The fundraiser went beyond the money it raised; it also helped create awareness about immigration issues and motivated the organizers to further their impact through similar initiatives.

“I think [the fundraiser] did two things,’’

Kitchen said. “One, it got us closer to covering the $6,000. I think the second thing [was] being able to communicate to them that there’s this group of students who felt strongly enough that they were willing to donate their own money.”

The success of the �irst fundraiser has sparked plans for a second. Although the date is not �inalized, the organizers hope to hold a larger brownie fundraiser and raise more money by marketing to more students.

Additionally, they hope to expand their efforts to involve the Paper Airplanes club.

“Our fundraiser is just our way of having a real world experience in contributing rather than just learning about things[refugee related issues] through presentations,” Wu said. “It’s more a way to learn about the issues from someone who’s in our community and going through those struggles.”

The fundraiser is a testament to the power of student voice. Every member of the Lynbrook community has the opportunity to make a difference, and it is through initiatives like these that students are able to create awareness and spark change. *Names have been changed for privacy reasons.

months preparing to open the store. To set up the Viking Vault for its opening, TFT students sent out a survey to the student body to gauge interest in potential products. After discovering that people most wanted to buy school supplies, Viking apparel and snacks, students then worked together to decide which speci�ic items to place on shelves.

During �ifth period, Miller trains students like Emory and Travenia, reinforcing their knowledge of proper business etiquette.

Students learn critical skills such as being accountable and transparent while handling money and being professional when helping customers. In addition, the students work together during class to brainstorm innovative ways to reach more people.

“One of the things we’re hoping to pilot this year is to offer online pre-orders for students,” Miller said. “Our hope is that the TFT and the ACT students will be able to work together to �ill pre-orders and gather the inventory package, so it is ready to go.

Then, Lynbrook students can come in and give us their names, and we will have their order ready for them.”

To prepare for day-to-day operations, Miller and the TFT students held a soft opening of the Viking Vault from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30 for staff members. Some teachers used the pre-order forms and went to the store to pick up their package. Throughout the week, students worked in the Vault during lunch and tutorial, and they were able to get hands-on experience interacting with teachers and staff members.

After a �inal week of preparations, the Viking Vault of�icially opened on Monday Nov. 4 to students on campus. Now, Vikings can go to the student store during Monday lunches, Tuesday tutorials and Wednesday lunches to purchase school supplies, Viking apparel and snacks.

“TFT has really helped develop bonds between us students,” Emory said. “Everyone here is so nice and social, and we have really gotten to know each other well.”

TFT students feel that the Viking Vault is more than a student store — it is a family where students can discover their futures together and build lasting connections with people they might not have met otherwise.

FOOTBALL// pg. 17 Improvement in work ethic leads to victory

02

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

NEWS

NOVEMBER 06, 2019 News in Brief

WINNING CAKE | Erin Levin’s three-layer “Batty Cake” wins first-place in the cake category and overall for its outstanding taste and appearance.

BY STELLA HUANG

H

alloween is the perfect time for both students and staff to come together to enjoy sweet, spooky indulgences.

After the success of last year’s Chili CookOff, the organizers of the Lynbrook Staff Association (LSA), English teacher Andrew Seike and print center technician John Hott, decided to hold a Halloween Bake-Off for their monthly staff event.

The Halloween Bake-Off, which occurred on Oct. 30, had three categories for teachers to compete in: pies, cookies and cakes.

Each teacher was allowed to participate in as many categories as they liked, and their entries were judged by four staff members, including guidance counselor Nikki Dang, retired Lynbrook principal Rich Amlin and music teachers Michael Pakaluk and Crystal Isola.

WINNERS | Winners of the bake-of pose with their prizes. (pictured from left to right: Jessica Dunlap, Erin Levin, Jena Rajabally and Megan Miller)

English teacher Erin Levin brought a three-layered cake and prepared for the contest days in advance. A layered cake takes hours of careful preparation, but to Levin, the effort was worth it. As others ate the cake, they were able to enjoy a variety of �lavors and could appreciate the carefully constructed layers. Levin was excited for the event, especially since baking is one of her favorite hobbies.

“I like that it’s an opportunity for the teachers to show a hobby that’s completely unrelated to school,” Levin said. “I really enjoy seeing other people eat the stuff that I’ve made too.”

On the morning of the event, teachers brought their confections to the staff lounge for the four judges to sample during �ifth period. A variety of desserts were brought in, including skeleton cookies, candy corn cake, carrot cakes, key lime pie and witch

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NEWS SECTION

STELLA HUANG — EPIC

SPOOKY DECORATIONS | The setting of the bake-off was decorated with various festive decorations including flowers, pumpkins and crows.

�ingers.

As teachers entered the staff lounge, they noticed the room’s decor and the dishes placed immaculately on the sides. The tables were decorated with autumn leaves, small pumpkins, fake crows and string lights. Refreshements were provided for the teachers before the main event.

The judges started to tally their votes and decide on the winners as the other teachers arrived. Every judge rated each dish out of twenty points — ten for the taste, and ten for the appearance. After a short period of discussion, Seike and Hott revealed the winners and runner-ups.

Guidance counselor Malissa Goldstein’s peach pie, culinary and special education teacher Megan Miller’s “Witch Fingers” and Levin’s “Batty Cake” were the winners in the pie, cookie and cake categories respectively.

The runner-ups were English teacher

Jessica Dunlap’s “Toad Venom Pie” and administrative clerk Jena Rajabally’s “Pecan Sandies” cookies and “Death by Chocolate” cake, winning second place twice. Levin’s three-layer “Batty Cake” was selected as the overall winner with the highest scores in taste and appearance.

“There was nothing [about Levin’s taste] that was polarized,” Dang said. “It was not too sweet or too tart. It was not too crunchy or too moist. [The cake] was good and pleased everyone’s palate.”

As the event came to a close, teachers left the staff lounge having satis�ied their hunger with delicious desserts. Seike looks forward to holding a similar event during second semester. “[The Bake-Off] is about bringing people together through sharing good food and having a relaxing time to be with each other without any stress,” Seike said.

911 texting service launches GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY SONG

Letter from the Editors Dear readers, On Sept. 21, the Epic lost our beloved content editor: senior Belinda Zhou. Belinda graced the Epic staff with her genuine kindness, passion and talent. We were extremely lucky to know her and work with her on this publication.

Belinda began her journey in the Epic during the 2017-2018 school year as a staff member in the Opinion Section. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she never failed to lighten the mood during even the most stressful situations.

In the 2018-2019 school year, she progressed to become the Opinion Editor, and was a talented leader to her section members. Belinda was patient and kind to every Epic staff member she interacted with and strived to put out fresh, amazing content.

She had a work ethic like no other, and was capable of anything she put her mind to.

Belinda made every class in�initely more lively, with her fun-loving, vivacious attitude.

Belinda was not just a section editor and staff member of the Epic, but a true friend to many of our staff members. She helped make the Epic’s environment as fun and welcoming as it remains today; the staff will not be the same without her.

Everyone on the Epic staff misses Belinda dearly; we will miss her love for boba, pho and Sriracha, as well as her support for each and every one of us. She will be remembered in every issue we publish, every article we write, and each design we create.

Rest easy, Belinda. We will always love you and miss you.

With much love, Editors-in-Chief Nicole Ong and Aileen Xue, Mr. Miller and the entire Epic staff

BY DIANA KOHR

“The texting program is not for convenience,” said Ken Geraci, a member he new text to 911 program was of San Jose Police Department’s (SJPD) of�icially released by Santa Clara Communication Support Unit. “It’s for some County in September, and it is very speci�ic situations. As an example, you’re at school, and currently available there’s an active shooter to most cities in on campus. You want Santa Clara County, to make sure that the excluding Campbell shooter doesn’t know and Los Gatos. who’s in there, so This program everybody needs to stay provides those who quiet. That’s the perfect are deaf, hard-oftime to text to 911. hearing or have a Or if you’re one of the speech disability millions of people in the with a way to country who are speech contact 911 in case or hearing impaired, of an emergency. and simply cannot use Before this program the phone, you can now was released, people reach us directly.” with hearing and The SJPD webpage speaking disabilities lists several guidelines had to communicate for texting 911. The text using sign language messages must include or through a the user’s location and specially designed type of emergency. typewriter device Additionally, senders to a relay service, are advised to send which would then simple, concise notify emergency messages without using dispatchers. With abbreviations. the 911 texting “Texting is not new to program, they can anybody in the control now ef�iciently GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY DIANA KOHR room,” Geraci said. “We communicate their all text. We all know a lot of situation through text message.

Additionally, if an emergency situation the shorthand abbreviations. The dif�iculty is arises in which it is unsafe or impossible to that sometimes those mean different things call, the victim can quickly and silently text to different people in different contexts.

911, rather than endangering themselves Being misunderstood results in a question by speaking out loud. However, citizens that delays [the user] from getting help.”

On Jan. 2, SJPD released a soft opening are reminded to text only when absolutely of the 911 texting service after testing it necessary and to call whenever possible.

T

for several months. The purpose of this soft opening was to test the reliability and consistency of the program before of�icially releasing it to the public. According to Geraci, SJPD has received 670 text messages since the soft opening, excluding professional testing. A majority of these texts have not been real emergencies. Rather, curious citizens have been texting in to con�irm that the service works. Out of the 670 text messages that have been sent, only four were actual emergencies.

Despite the extensive testing, there are still restrictions to the 911 texting program.

For example, the user location tracker is often inaccurate, services are only available in English and photos and videos cannot be sent through the program.

“I really like the concept [of the program] because it allows people who are already at a disadvantage because of their disabilities to contact 911,” sophomore Anwen Huang said.

“But there should de�initely be an option to text in different languages because not everyone is an English-speaker, and locationtracking should de�initely be improved.”

The program vendors, along with the Federal Communications Commission, are working to develop NG911, also known as Next Generation 911. Changes include re�ining location tracking by adding a z-coordinate and allowing users to send photos.

“It’s all in the works of technology being developed,” Geraci said. “Some people in the country may already have some components of that in the system they’re using. It just hasn’t been re�ined to make it here yet.”

Although citizens are encouraged to “call when you can; text when you can’t”, the future of the text to 911 program is bright, and improvements are rapidly being made to ensure that the public can easily access 911.

Veterans Day There will be no school on Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

Walk/Bike to School Day On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the PTSA is hosting a walk/bike to school day. Walk or bike to school, and get rewarded with a healthy snack!

LHS Drama Fall Play Come to the auditorium on Nov. 14, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. to watch this year’s Fall Play, You Can’t Take It With You. Tickets are avaliabe online and will be sold at the door.

Coffee with the Counselors Monday Nov. 14 is the second Coffee with the Counselors meeting of the year.

Students and parents can come at 7:45 a.m. for an open question and answer session.

Junior Guidance Night Junior guidance night will be on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6:45 p.m. in the auditorium. Juniors, make sure to come to learn more about planning for next year!

NEWS

City exchange forms FUHSD bond with Taiwan

BY PRIYANKA ANAND

W

hen the group of �ive high school students from Hsinchu, Taiwan, signed up to come to Cupertino as part of the Cupertino-Hsinchu Sister City Association’s (CHSCA) annual student exchange program, they imagined that they would be visiting a high school resembling those they had seen in American movies.

From Oct. 29 to Oct. 31, the Taiwanese students explored Lynbrook with their hosts, accompanying them to their various classes and interacting with teachers and students throughout the three days. At the end of their trip, they were pleasantly surprised that through their exposure to American culture, they found that Lynbrook students had much in common with them and their friends back home.

Nicknamed “Windy City” for its climate, Hsinchu is located in northern Taiwan and is one of the country’s major educational and technological hubs. The city’s exchange program with Cupertino was founded in 2004 and aims to promote a cosmopolitan culture in both

communities and expose students to unfamiliar cultures.

The �ive students from Taiwan — sophomore Yuan “Caroline” Han, senior Ting-Hsiang Wei, junior Yu-Cih Chao, freshman Ting-Yun “Melissa” Peng and freshman Shao-Ying “Jocelyn” Yang — come from different schools across Hsinchu. One of the �irst differences they noticed was the organization of grade levels: in Taiwan, seventh to ninth grades are considered junior high school and tenth to twelfth grades are high school. As they looked closer, they found more distinctions between the two systems.

“The school campus is so much bigger here,” Wei said. “Here, you get to choose your classes. In Taiwan, you are given your classes and can not choose. Also, it seems more like a university here because you move around to your classes, while in Taiwan, all the teachers come to your homeroom class.”

The students also explored the culture of Cupertino, which to their surprise, was quite similar to the culture in Taiwan.

“The people are much nicer here,” Han said. “In Taiwan, everyone pretty much minds their o w n

LIMB Craft Faire On Saturday Nov. 23, LIMB will be hosting the annual Winter Craft Faire. Come out at 9 a.m. to make and buy cool crafts and enjoy a fun time with friends!

Thanksgiving Break Nov. 28-29 is Thanksgiving break. There will be no school on Thursday and Friday.

by Teresa Arisawa

03

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY DHRITI IYER AND TERESA ARISAWA

PRIYANKA ANAND — EPIC

business. But the culture is also very similar because there are many Asians here.”

On days when the exchange students were not shadowing their hosts at Lynbrook — freshman Vivian Chen, junior Justin Wu, junior Di “Kelly” Zhi, freshman Janice Chong and freshman Jasmine Chen — the host families took them around the Bay Area, visiting famous sightseeing spots in San Francisco and touring Stanford University and the Apple and Intel campuses. They also went to shopping malls, giving the hosts an opportunity to introduce the exchange students to local culture and activities.

“I do not normally go shopping during the week, but we went to a mall on a Tuesday, which was really fun,” Chong said. “[The exchange program] is a great way to take a vacation from the normal school things and show the exchange students around.”

Near the end of their stay, the exchange students also experienced an integral part of American culture — Halloween. Since Halloween is not widely celebrated in Taiwan, the exchange students had a unique opportunity to participate in a fun social event that was completely new to them.

“We decided and bought our costumes ahead of time and we [were] really looking forward to trick-or-treating,” Chao said.

“Taiwan does not have such a huge celebration of Halloween.

Only preppy American schools sometimes have costume competitions.”

The exchange students left on Nov. 3 with many new stories to share with their families and friends in Taiwan. The student exchange experience not only helped exchange students and hosts learn about each other’s lifestyles, but also helped them discover many unexpected connections between their cultures.

PTSA works to improve parent-student communication

BY MELISSA CHEN

D

r. Hanna Chang, a Lynbrook Class of 2007 alumna and certi�ied psychologist, spoke at a workshop on Oct. 24 offering advice to parents to help them foster better relationships with their children.

Sameer Mathur, head of the Parent Education Committee on the PTSA, had been searching for ideas for a parent education series.

“The majority of [Lynbrook parents] are �irst generation Asian immigrants who have grown up in a different environment and perhaps cannot completely relate to their [children’s experience] at Lynbrook,” Mathur said.

“So [this workshop] is meant to be a bridge to help them understand different expectations, different dynamics.”

Chang began by informing parents about the adolescent stage of development. Adolescents are more selffocused, which can make them prone to judgement from others. Teens also become more independent as they seek autonomy and control over their own lives.

Chang showed a chart outlining factors that in�luence teens, including the education system and family. When such aspects of teenage life con�lict, Chang explained, it can create confusion for teens. A clash in a second generation student’s life can occur between ethnic traditions and customs at home versus American ones at school, making it harder for him or her to navigate their identity.

At Lynbrook, this struggle varies from student to student. For some, the problem is diminished because of the

Asian American majority at school and in the community.

“Maybe in different schools, [a student] will be trying to blend in and �it into a more white culture, but there’s a lot more Chinese people here,” said junior Matthew Lu. For others, �inding a balance between heritage and daily life is a larger concern and more dif�icult to accomplish.

“It’s hard to �igure out where you lie on the scale of the American culture and your parents’ culture,” said senior Priyanka Pereira. “The balance for me is being open to learning more and to telling people I don’t know that much but I still want to learn more.”

Chang explained that a cultural gap also forms when parents develop values and social norms differently while raised in another country, which may make relating to their children harder.

The cultural gap, Chang said, only adds to the generational gap between parents a n d

children, which is more universal to all families. Teenagers in this age are especially exposed to a culture that is unfamiliar to their parents, because of the increasingly signi�icant role social media and technology play in lives.

After giving the audience an understanding of their childrens’ viewpoint and the causes of a changing dynamic between parents and their children during adolescence, Chang delved into common parent-child relationship dif�iculties.

Chang emphasized trust issues that come from children lying to avoid consequences, cover up feelings, or make themselves look better. She drew from her own experiences counseling Asian American teenagers and adults alike to advise parents on how to best handle lying.

“It is far more important to me to build trust and connect with them, and to maintain trust, then it ever will be for me to call them out,” Chang said. “If you’re able to become

MELISSA CHEN — EPIC

a safe and non-judgemental person for them, then they’re going to be a lot more comfortable with you, and maybe one day comfortable enough to tell you the truth.”

For creating supportive relationships, Chang believed that parents can help their kids in the decision-making process, but allow the kids to make the �inal choice and learn from their mistakes.

Validating feelings and actively listening are also demonstrations of support and unconditional love that help strengthen parent-children relationships.

“As our lives becomes more fast-paced and busy, �inding authentic connections with someone else becomes a lot harder,” Chang said. “If they feel safe with you, they will come to you.”

The talk ended with a thirty-minute Q&A between Chang and the audience.

Parents asked for more speci�ic pieces of parenting advice, including how to handle certain situations.

Many parents attended the presentation, hoping to learn more about their children’s experiences, and how to better help them. Chang’s talk reinforced themes parents had heard before, such as respecting choices, providing more freedom, and reducing expectations and pressure on their children.

“Generally I know what needs to be done,” said Lynbrook parent John Davies.

“But it’s hard to do sometimes.”

Though some of her thoughts have provided familiar ideas to the Lynbrook community, Chang gave some reliable advice for Lynbrook parents to put into practice, and encouraged more understanding connections between Lynbrook students and their parents.

04

opinion

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

New CSU math requirements threaten equity

BY EMMA CIONCA

F

or years, California high school students have only needed three years of quantitative reasoning classes, classes that require some degree of math, to be eligible for California State University (CSU), a public university system. However, that may soon change with a newly-proposed requirement for eligibility, for which a vote is scheduled for November by the CSU Board of Trustees. This requirement would add one more year of quantitative reasoning classes to the existing requirement, which is predicted to have negative consequences on various groups of high school students throughout California. Many have voiced concerns regarding the updated requirement’s equity.

Its effects will be felt by students in districts that are struggling and those looking to pursue careers in humanities. These people, who by no fault of their own, are being put at a disadvantage. They are either obligated to obey a requirement that won’t help them in the future or, due to their school’s budget, have more dif�iculty taking the classes needed to ful�ill the requirement.

The requirement would be �irst implemented within the system’s freshman class of 2026. To meet it, students must take four years of quantitative reasoning classes in high school. This could be �illed by traditional math courses or elective courses such as personal �inance, computer science, forensics, engineering or sports medicine. Courses of this nature are offered by all comprehensive California high schools. The reasoning for the change is the additional year of quantitative reasoning class better prepares students for a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Further, a study conducted

by CSU shows that students are more likely to return for their second year of college if they took four years of quantitative reasoning classes in high school.

At �irst glance, this change seems to be

an improvement, but upon closer analysis, while sacri�icing students who traditionally the situation is more complicated than it perform lower? We have to make sure we appears. It would better prepare students bring the bottom up.” looking at STEM careers, but to a person To prepare for a possible increase in pursuing a career in humanities, it creates teachers needed to teach the courses undue complications. The extra quantitative required, CSU is proposing to increase its reasoning course would replace another Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative. class that could be of more bene�it in CSU trains many of California’s teachers the long run. A university should cater and they hope by increasing the amount to the needs of all students, which is not of people trained, they will be able to get exempli�ied by the all high schools up to new requirement. the level of the new “A lot of people requirement by the are doing what "Are we making those that are time it is implemented. they're passionate more privileged, even more However, if CSU is about,” said privileged becuase they're able already aware of some freshman Esha to perform, while sacrificing schools' limitations, Dasari.

“Some they should not be students who traditionally people might not waiting to train more perform lower?" �ind a passion teachers until after the in mathematics Chris Baugh new requirement is and if they're as this Math teacher implemented, not passionate heavily strains already about these kinds struggling schools. If the of things, they main focus is to improve shouldn't have to do it.”

California schools as a whole, there is no Even more concerning, schools in rural reason to wait. or low income neighborhoods often do Regardless, adding more math and not have the resources to provide courses science teachers could be bene�icial since it besides the traditional math and science allows for an increase in classes available. ones. This disadvantages students at Nevertheless, it should not be only those those schools, as it forces them into more departments receiving new teachers. It mathematics and science courses, rather seems as if these new teachers are being than a specialized elective course that trained solely to ensure students would be more bene�icial to their future meet the requirement, rather and could also ful�ill the requirement. than actually teaching "I think it's �ine to raise the bar; we them. want our students to be held to high Another expectations,” said math teacher Chris Baugh. “But if implementing those changes widens the achievement gap, we have to question whether it’s having the intended effect. Are we making those that are more privileged, even more privileged because they're able to perform,

complication regards applications to the University of California system (UC) and CSU. In the past, since 2003, UC and CSU have had the same entry requirements for their colleges. By changing the quantitative reasoning classes requirement, CSU will have one more year required than UC’s three years.

This could cause confusion for students hoping to apply to both, as some students qualifying for UC will not qualify for CSU. Being prepared is important, however; the new requirement bene�its only the students pursuing a career in STEM. Forcing people pursuing humanities to abide by a requirement that won’t help them in the future will hurt students more than it helps. Providing equal opportunity and limiting confusion when it comes to college applications is also an important part of preparing students for their future. CSU is well aware that California’s high schools are not all fully preparing their students for college; so rather than placing a greater burden on already struggling schools, they should opt for changing requirements once schools are able to shoulder the weight.

BY KATIE CHEN

B

ody image. Weight loss. Plastic surgery. Reports surrounding these controversial topics swirl around the media, garnering the attention of large companies such as Instagram. In a recent announcement on Sept. 18, the social media platform announced that it will be tightening its rules surrounding diet and cosmetic surgery posts — great news! … But, not so fast. Although these restrictions may have been created with good intentions, their implications and limitations on free expression fall short of their goal.

Instagram’s updated rules were a response to concerns over content that can foster insecurities regarding body image and health. The rules prevent minors from viewing posts advertising cosmetic or weight loss products, such as those promoting cosmetic surgery and diet pills, that either provide an incentive to buy these products, include a price for them or both. In addition, they call for the complete removal of any such posts that “make a miraculous claim about certain diet or weight loss products, and are linked to a commercial offer [for such products] such as a discount code,” as per Instagram’s press release.

Staying home for homecoming

C

lass of 2021, I like you. You’ve got a lot of nice people. You’ve got a lot of my friends. You’ve got a lot of good spirit.

But do I like you enough to spend hours after school poring over decorations or practicing a dance? … No. Don’t get me wrong — it’s great to see so many people having fun during Homecoming.

I’ve always been in awe of people who dedicate so much time and effort into creating a memorable experience for their school.

Every year, it puts a smile on my face to see people laughing and shouting at rallies and football games, knowing that they love the feeling of being in the crowd and cheering for their class or school. But frankly, it’s just not

forging bonds with people all over campus and creating lasting memories with them.

That’s what makes my experience more rewarding, and those friendships are part of what makes Lynbrook a better place, just as skit dances and football games do.

I recall my �irst rally at Lynbrook in freshman year. I spent ten minutes shoving past people I didn’t know to get to the only available seat in the bleachers, and the next forty minutes getting shoved by the people next to me in the bleachers. I peered down at the gym �loor through the narrow window between the two heads of the tall people in front of me.

It felt like I was watching someone else’s show. I wasn’t a participant in the scene; I watched people shout and cheer, tapped my foot and let my mind wander toward the nagging worry of my impending Biology test.

(Ah, more innocent times.)

I never felt like the experience was mine.

When it belonged to hundreds of people, it became distant and remote, and it was hard for me to �ind personal attachment.

I ditched the second rally. That day, my friends and I sat in the quad and took goofy pictures for half an hour. While the setting was far less glamorous than the balloons and decorations of the gym, I found myself smiling more, laughing more and making more memories. This experience, unlike the others, felt distinctly personal. I knew that it

would be closer to my heart than anything I saw lost in a crowd.

As you might have guessed, I'm not exactly known for my extraordinary level of school spirit. But I do have pride in my school — not in the institution or in the Lynbrook name, but in the many incredible and kind people I have been blessed to meet here.

What will I remember about Lynbrook?

Not the events. Not the dances or the games.

Not even the class of�icers, the skit voice actors or the Homecoming royalty. (Nothing personal, guys.) I’ll remember my friends and my teachers — the people I knew personally.

While Homecoming is often celebrated as a community activity, but I’ve found that the simple, everyday practice of talking and laughing with peers and staff is an unsung form of building a student’s own high school experience.

As I’ve become an upperclassman myself, I �ind myself compelled to make a case in defense of antisocial, negative-Nancy rallyditchers across campus like me. So my advice to freshmen and anyone new to Lynbrook is this: go to Homecoming. Go to the rallies, the dances, the games. Get the full “high school experience.” But if you’ve tried it and it’s not your thing, take your time to discover what you do love about and value in your four years at Lynbrook. If it’s not your cup of tea, you aren’t missing out on the world by staying home for Homecoming.

GRAPHIC ILLUSRATION BY OPINION SECTION

ELENA WILLIAMS//IN MY OPINION

my cup of tea.

As a class-A introvert, I have always felt a bit out of place at rallies, where I can never seem to �ind any excitement in the cheering and shouting; honestly, it gives me more of a headache than anything. At dances, I’ve always found it more enjoyable to hang back and talk with my friends than to get on the dance �loor. Getting lost in the crowd, I’ve realized, isn’t my thing.

In the past two years as an underclassman, I heard a great deal of advice from upperclassmen to go out to school events and have “school spirit.”

“Make the most of your time in high school!” is common to hear. While these words might motivate some to go out to make Homecoming decorations or practice their dances and skits, they remind me that the way I choose to spend these four years will become what I remember of high school. With that in mind, it becomes clear that I’d rather not go to events that don’t appeal to me.

As Homecoming rolls around, I �ind myself reevaluating what “school spirit” means to me. I look back on my two years and two months of high school, and I realize that my most treasured memories have not been from Homecoming or rallies, but from the everyday experience of being with my friends and talking to teachers. In my experience, “school spirit” has meant

05

Instagram crosses ethical boundaries

ALARA DASDAN — THE EPIC KAVYA IYER — THE EPIC

OPINION

It is important to recognize that a difference exists between protections and restrictions — protections are intended to preserve liberties and rights, while restrictions constrain said liberties and rights. Though the rules may have begun as protective measures, they function as restrictions, which curb free expression, prompting concerns over their implications on future censorship on social media platforms.

By allowing Instagram to restrict such posts, users are involuntarily recognizing Instagram as an authority on what should be considered “good” or “bad” and opening the door for future censorship. As it stands, censorship in the media is becoming an increasing issue due to its opinionated nature, intended or not, that ultimately affects the content users see and, consequently, their ideas.

“Who knows what else they will keep from me?” junior Grace Huh said.

Furthermore, restrictions are ineffective because they do little to solve the issue of negative body image. These products are still on the market and are being sold by in�luential �igures such as the Kardashians, from whom customers will buy regardless of the platform of promotion.

“Instagram is just one source of the problem,” junior and Intersections

of�icer Zoe Parkhomovsky said.

“There are a lot of others that we need to acknowledge are causing us to think this way.”

In addition, exposure to negative ideas is bound to happen, so providing supposed protection from them may actually have an adverse effect in the long run if users begin relying on others to �ilter out information for them. ¨We should be teaching teens to be resilient instead of protecting them from these realities,” junior Alden Gu said.

Censorship is not a solution to the issue; instead, it is a temporary facade that gives the impression of protection.

“It’s that age-old ethical question — do we know what’s good for you?

That’s really the kind of question that needs to be raised at that point,” said San Jose State University Associate Professor of Advertising John Delacruz.

All hope is not lost, however. There are alternative methods to confront the issue at hand that are both potentially effective and stay within ethical boundaries, an important one being media literacy to educate users.

“Media literacy might be the answer — essentially, it means being equipped with skills that help decipher good from bad,” De Anza College journalism instructor and San Jose City College journalism instructor and campus media adviser Farideh Dada said. “It is important that people be more educated on how to use media so they can make responsible decisions for themselves. It is also important for media organizations, including social media companies, to use their to ful�ill their mission that is educating the audience.”

Instagram already has effective measures in place that allow users to give their feedback on content that appears in their feed.

“I think Instagram’s current state is effective in that it allows viewers to report or to not see such ads again,” Huh said.

The pitfalls of the new additions to Instagram’s rules outweigh their intangible bene�its, as censorship in the media is increasingly becoming an issue in its inhibitory effect. The ethical question lying behind such a restriction is one that ought to concern users, and in�luential forces such as Instagram must be kept in check before such restrictions become the norm.

JASMINE HOU//IN MY OPINION

Online learning

“W

elcome to CTY Online Programs!” the email read.

“I will be your teacher and your guide for this intensive AP Chemistry course.” I looked at my screen and sighed.

The summer had barely begun and I was already back in the classroom. Only this time, I was alone. I’ve spent months balancing equations and memorizing polyatomic ions.

Although I am only three months into the course, I’ve begun to re�lect on the pros, cons and impacts of taking online courses.

As I watched the webpage load painfully slowly, my frustration builds. My initial test of resilience was my �irst lab. As I rif�led through the pages and read the procedure, I discovered that the course material did little to prepare us for our activity. This is the �irst disadvantage of online courses: the inability to quickly clarify concerns that may hinder full understanding of the material.

After several fruitless Google searches and confusing YouTube videos, all I wished for was a teacher, a tutor or anyone to explain what was being asked of me. The stress and irritation this caused made me feel like a pile of pitiable mush.

But perhaps the most dramatic difference I experienced was the isolation caused by the absence of a peer’s or a teacher’s physical presence. Sitting alone at the library for hours on end watching videos on organic nomenclature is already a bore; without a friend willing to suffer through it with you, the hours feel more like months.

With my brain often only half-awake and unresponsive to the material, I found myself easily distracted.

Many believe that the greatest advantage of online courses is the �lexible schedule, but this �lexibility eventually became one of my worst enemies. Due to the lack of scheduled class time or discussions, I often found myself procrastinating on my assignments and stressing about them just hours before they were due.

This experience ultimately forced me to reevaluate my study habits. As the months went by, I realized that staying up until 3 a.m. watching videos in the dark was not enjoyable, so I learned to properly allocate time and split up the course load. To combat self-induced distractions, I began to analyze my own study habits and reconsider my optimal study environment. When I realized that I could not receive an immediate answer to questions about the material, I was forced to take a step back and use critical thinking to solve problems on my own. Online courses drive students to develop time management skills, cultivate critical thinking and reasoning abilities and allow them to learn more about themselves as students.

After several months of taking this course, I’ve realized that online learning is not for me. Although these courses de�initely taught me a lot about myself as a student, the journey required too many sacri�ices, both physically and emotionally. Staying up late to study affected my behavior at school and the constant anxiety from deadlines distracted me from other extracurricular activities.

Taking a class online is a demanding endeavor. Whether it is one worth investing in depends on the student, their interest for the subject and their current learning habits.

Students who cannot commit several hours every day to learning concepts that they express little interest in will only �ind online courses a source of unnecessary stress that may inhibit them from discovering their true passions. However, a student with high self-control and exhibits a strong desire and commitment to learn might �ind the experience worthwhile as it will challenge their abilities.

06

OPINION

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

Climate Change: America loses its cool

BY RACHEL WU

A

merica has long been viewed as an economic powerhouse, a symbol of prosperity and opportunity. But in an era when environmental conservation laws are repealed and the U.S. pulls out of environmental committees, America increasingly finds itself taking steps back regarding climate change. In light of this, America should work to remedy this issue, rather than persistently turning a blind eye on worldwide concern over climate change.

With more than 97 percent of activelypublishing climate scientists convinced that the climate has been warming over the past century, it is becoming more imperative to take action. This is especially since humankind—the ones causing it primarily through the burning of coal, oil and other fossil fuels—will be the ones who suffer its consequences.

According to an ongoing temperature analysis conducted by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the average global temperature on Earth has increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880, with nine out of ten of the warmest years on record having occurred since 2005. According to NASA, these increasing temperatures will have devastating results such as greater droughts, stronger hurricanes, rising sea levels and increasing wildfires.

In light of this alarming reality, the Global Climate Strike, which consisted of international strikes and protests demanding climate action, was reported to have attracted more than 7.6 million attendees, more than 500,000 of whom were in the U.S., and considered to be one of the largest climate protests in world history. This instance, along with many other climate strikes, expresses the

overwhelming call for action and indicates the need to address this issue.

“If you do a simple search on Google for statistics on how our climate is developing with the modern society, it's clear to see that our global emissions are reaching a tipping point, where if we don't do something about how we live our life right now in terms of sustainability, there's going to be a point where we can't backtrack into a place where it's safe to live,” said senior Amanda Zhu, who took part in the strike in Silicon Valley.

Leading the climate change movement in recent months, teenage activist Greta Thunberg made headlines when she expressed her disappointment in world leaders in her Sept. 23 speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit. Around a year before, at just 15 years old, Thunberg started the “Fridays for Future” movement to raise awa re n e s s a b o u t w o r l d leaders' inaction regarding climate change.

T h u n b e r g began this movement by demonstrating o u t s i d e the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks

holding a sign that read “Skolstrejk för klimatet" ("School strike for the climate").

Her protests gained momentum and eventually inspired the Global Climate Strike.

In response to Thunberg’s passionate call for action, U.S. president Donald Trump sarcastically posted on Twitter that Thunberg “seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future,” completely disregarding her powerful speech to the U.N. His ignorance of Thunberg's serious message and the consequences of ignoring climate change display his disrespect and willful ignorance towards the issue.

Moreover, the Trump administration notified the international community on Nov. 3 that the U.S. plans to officially withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord next fall. The Accord has nearly 200 c o u n t r i e s i n v o l v e d and aims to “strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” As the world’s secondlargest ART ILLUSTRATION BY ALARA DASDAN

emitter of greenhouse gases and the only nation to abandon the global effort to combat climate change, America’s withdrawal from the Accord sends out a powerful signal of its neglect toward the urgency to fight against global warming.

"I think that we are abdicating a leadership role in [the discussion of climate change],” said history teacher Mike Williams. “We are the number one economy on the face of the planet and the science is there. We are announcing to the world that [climate change] is not an issue when it is. In our ability to shape that argument to our benefit, as well as the world’s benefit, we are deciding through this President’s policies to just throw our hands in the air and abdicate that power, and we do so in a way that is counter to the overwhelming evidence that this is going on. We are choosing to not have a leadership role in shaping that policy and kind of laughing in the face of received knowledge about science.”

The reality we are facing is that is happening, not in the near future, but the here and now, a reality that we must not turn our backs on.

Trump’s ridicule of Thunberg’s address to the U.N. and his formal statement of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord is unacceptable; Trump has taken a step backward with regards to climate change, and has shown clear ignorance toward Earth’s future. If not because of the existing science proving climate change’s devastating effects, the widespread support of action to combat climate change — as evidenced with the recent Global Climate Strike — would likely not exist. Regardless of whether he agrees with the issue or not, Trump should, especially as a prominent world leader, address this issue with the seriousness it requires.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE ZHU

Homeroom stress initiative does not adequately address student needs

L

ynbrook students can face a great deal of stress, whether from academics, extracurricular activities or interpersonal problems. This year, Lynbrook administration has taken steps to help students manage stress with a new mental wellness program in collaboration with Youth Public Policy Institute and UpLevel Works.

This effort is a step forward in addressing Lynbrook students’ mental health struggles, but the program should have been more careful with its tone and more clear about its intentions to promote mental wellness.

Barbara Tsai and Bill Lennan of UpLevel Works, an organization that aims to teach people skills to improve their mental wellness, gave a presentation to students that focused on managing stress during their English classes. The presenters taught students two main skills that day: “breath” and “choice.” “Breath” encourages students to breathe deeply and slowly to allow the body to relax, while “choice” describes the ability to choose the right mindset.

“Mental models are really important to help people understand things,” Tsai said.

“Stories and mental models help us access within our own experience, something that we've already learned and transfer that knowledge to a new arena.”

Following the presentation, the program continues throughout the year during �ive homeroom classes. The �irst homeroom lesson included a video af�irming the bene�its of stress and an activity for students to link stressors in their lives to their values.

The activity was designed to help students view stress more positively.

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic Even though the program’s core messages were well-intentioned, the program should have adequately addressed the needs of Lynbrook students. The lighthearted tone tried to encourage discussion by fostering an approachable atmosphere, but this levity con�licted with the seriousness of the topic.

Discussing mental health issues in such a casual manner can trivialize the subject and diminish students’ experiences, particularly with mental illness.

High school students are on the cusp of adulthood; to address their stressors with childlike metaphors implies that the students themselves are children. Many students have had stresses and experiences similar to those of adults; this tone, along with the implication that these issues may be solved merely with deep-breathing and the choice to feel otherwise, are demeaning and insensitive to some students' feelings.

“I know that was obviously not their intention, but the superpowers felt very childish; the fact that they were saying ‘just choose to be happy’ wasn’t very eye opening,” senior Michelle Pugh said.

While deep breathing can be a remedy for some stress, the technique has varying levels of success for different people. By acknowledging the limits of such a technique, the presenters can avoid alienating students who struggle with deeper issues.

“One of the problems was they were speaking to us on how to deal with things like anxiety but the people in the audience who have dealt with anxiety and depression, like myself, we either already know it or telling us to breath and choose to not do it isn’t going to help us,” Pugh said.

The presentation should have made it more clear that its focus was on mental wellness and not mental illness, which requires a more nuanced approach to treatment.

“We're not talking about the deepest darkest moments of depression, how you come out of post traumatic growth or how do you handle trauma,” Tsai said. “What we’re trying to do is develop the habits of mental wellness and build a strong foundation to prevent illness and support recover. It's what I do in my everyday life to support my being healthy and sound.”

Due to the lack of this differentiation, the presentation may have come across as ambiguous to those who need more information about the distinction between day to day school stress and serious mental health issues. Students may be more receptive to the suggestions if they did not have the expectation that the presentation would address serious mental health topics that require unique solutions.

In addition, the prerecorded video felt

disconnected, causing students to feel as though they were being required to �inish a predetermined course. The program and assembly should have been catered toward Lynbrook students as the program felt generalized. Due to the intense academic culture as well as the stigmatized mental health struggles present at Lynbrook, it is necessary to address stress without trivializing student experiences.

Although it is important for students to learn to live with stress, the Lynbrook administration and teachers should examine the root causes of excessive student stress.

In addition to having students try to manage their own stress, teachers can help by reevaluating the necessary workload and listening to their students’ concerns.

Lynbrook administration continues to work to provide students with helpful and relevant information regarding managing stress levels by working with students and outside organizations. The beginnings of this mental wellness program at Lynbrook helped provide possible strategies and useful information on how to manage stress, but there were also aspects of the program that can be improved in the future. Students also need to be open to trying and using the strategies that they will be taught.

“It’s my hope that students will embark on something with an open mind and really give something as sincere [effort]. You're too young to be closed. I just want to encourage students to be open and honest with their feedback,” principal Maria Jackson said. *The Epic staff voted 38-0 in favor of this stance.

features

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

07

08

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

FEATURES

in memoriam

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

亲爱的女儿: 你永远活在爸爸 妈妈的心里!

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY JASMINE HOU MEDHA UPADHYAY AND LILLIAN FU — THE EPIC

- Jessica Yang & Michael Zhou

BY YOUQI HUANG

I S

n the face of the global climate crisis, people around the world are combating the issue in a variety of ways, from participating in strikes and protests to making smaller changes toward a sustainable lifestyle. Some activists have gained fame through their involvement, such as Greta Thunberg, who has since become the face of teenage activism worldwide. Her unique take on climate change has inspired teenagers around the world to take up the cry. Here on campus, three students take action to drive change on environmental issues.

enior Charu Vijay �irst became involved with environmental activism after participating in a beach cleanup in Belize. Uncovering the origins of the trash that she and other students picked up made her realize how heavily human activity affects the environment.

“If you see a Japanese microwave on the shores of a Belize beach, you realize your impact,” Vijay said. “You use a piece of plastic for ten seconds, but it’s going to be there forever.”

Since then, she has made several lifestyle changes in an attempt to live more sustainably, such as not using plastic straws and bringing a mug to coffee shops. Vijay also began avoiding boba because it was preventing her from reducing her plastic waste consumption.

“After knowing all I did about the environment, it didn’t feel right to use that much plastic or to eat meat when it’s such a simple change,” Vijay said.

In addition, Vijay served on the Saratoga Youth Commission for two terms, where she became part of the initiative working toward making Saratoga a “green” city. To achieve this goal, Saratoga needed to have a certain number of trees planted per resident. Vijay worked with the city to improve their existing program for subsidized tree planting to further incentivize residents to get involved.

“I thought that it would be great if Saratoga made subsiding trees more organized and transparent, because a lot of people own unused land,” Vijay said. “I worked with my commission and the council to �igure out a way to make that happen.”

She also attended the climate strike protest in San Francisco on Sept. 20. Attendees marched to Representative Nancy Pelosi’s of�ice to demonstrate the widespread support for legislative action against climate change. Many promoted the Green New Deal, which seeks to address the climate crisis by increasing government investment in clean energy jobs and infrastructure.

Vijay’s experiences have �illed her with a passion for environmental science and activism. The growing awareness within the community toward climate-related issues has made her proud of her involvement and the progress of the global movement.

“Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t use a plastic bag at the grocery store because of you’,” Vijay said. “Seeing that people care through small things like that, then going to the strike and seeing thousands of people who care, it’s really inspiring.”

Vijay encourages potential activists to believe in their individual power and to take on the responsibility of driving change instead of waiting for others to step up.

“When you make choices that are bad for the environment, you are consciously perpetuating the effects of climate change,” Vijay said. “Every person can make a difference when we collectively push for change.”

S

ophomore Aedon Sheets got involved with Volunteers for Outdoor California (V-O-CAL) �ive years ago through his father, who volunteered with them as well. V-O-CAL is a group that works to build and maintain trails.

“I �igured that it would be fun from what I’ve heard about the organization,” Sheets said. “It would be helping things in nature, and building upon pre-existing land to create the trails.”

The group operates from spring to fall. Each weekend, volunteers drive moving trucks �illed with tools such as pickaxes and shovels out to the trail on which they are working that week. Then, they camp out in the wilderness and help with whatever work they can, whether by clearing, building or �ixing a trail.

“Within the greater Bay Area, national parks and nature reserves have asked us to work on their trails,” Sheets said.

Sheets’ experiences with V-O-CAL have brought him closer to nature. Through his work, he has become more interested in protecting the environment and more conscious of the harm humans can in�lict on their surroundings. V-O-CAL was responsible for clearing and repairing trails in many areas devastated by the Camp �ires, a series of destructive wild�ires that ravaged parts of Northern California. These �ires, the deadliest in California history, revealed the sobering reality of human environmental damage to Sheets.

“When we saw the [2018] wild�ires, it showed me the potential people have to destroy the environment,” Sheets said. “We went out to build the trails, and all of the trees were burned down. No leaves, just black.”

Sheets believes that both utility companies and people in the community have a responsibility to prevent future �ires.

California’s wild�ire season has both been lengthened and exacerbated by climate change, producing more �ires, each more destructive than the last. Therefore, he encourages individuals to not only get involved in local environmental efforts, but also in efforts to combat the climate crisis, and by extension, wild�ires. He believes that the community should help support organizations and groups that hold utility companies accountable.

Spending time restoring trails has also in�luenced Sheets to become more aware of his own resource consumption. He is careful to use no more than he needs, especially of paperbased goods, because they come from the same trees and forests he works to protect.

Sheets recommends that Lynbrook students get involved in a program like V-O-CAL, whether they are already interested in protecting the environment or they do not feel the immediacy of the crisis yet.

“It’s really fun, and you meet really cool people,” Sheets said. “For people who aren’t yet interested: try it. You can still have fun doing these things, and it will also bene�it the environment.”

S

enior Rhea Anand is a co-founder of For What It’s Earth, a group that aims to educate the community on local and global events related to climate change, as well as lifestyle changes and product alternatives they can implement to live more sustainably. The project also raises money to support the global effort against climate change.

“We chose an environmental focus because we thought there wasn’t enough awareness about it,” Anand said. “If we gave pro�its to an environmental organization, we’d be able to create more awareness for that cause.”

On the website for their project, Anand and her team sell crafts such as upcycled polaroid bookmarks and friendship bracelets, as well as commissioned items such as painted hydro�lasks and jeans. Proceeds from these sales are donated to the Environmental Defense Fund, a prominent nonpro�it advocacy group.

They also run a blog on their website where they link articles, give rundowns of major events concerning the climate movement and provide ways for readers to get involved. These include donations, product alternatives and tips to lead a more sustainable life.

“We wrote [a blog post] about the Amazon �ire, one about cruelty-free makeup and another about vegan diets,” Anand said. “Things that people might not even think about that have to do with climate change.”

Anand also attended the San Jose Climate Strike on Sept.

20, and was impressed by the number of people in attendance and the broad range of ages in the attendees. Her experience that day in�luenced her to introduce more climate change related issues in Intersections, a social justice club in which Anand is an of�icer.

“While all aspects of social justice are important, climate change is the most pressing,” Anand said. “If I can get a new crowd of people to join in on this somehow, then I know I’m making a difference.”

Anand hopes that their project can inspire other community members to take action in preserving the environment themselves.

“We want to give information,” Anand said. “We want to spur something inside people that makes them want to change. By giving people resources, we want to increase awareness.”

Anand encourages Lynbrook students who are interested in environmental activism to join a club on campus or start one if they can’t �ind one tailored to their interests. She wants them not to be intimidated by the prospect of starting a project themselves, using her own experience as an example.

“We started with some friendship bracelets and my friends’ art skills and we turned it into something,” Anand said. “It’s de�initely possible to start with nothing, and create something. It can be at any point in your life, at any age, if you are passionate about it.”

Belinda Zhou

July 13, 2002 - September 21, 2019 There were so many times when I suddenly recall a memory I had with you, and I would wish that you were still alive. There are so many events I never got to experience with you, like helping you choose a dress for prom and sending you off to college. I have so many things I wanted to say to you but never got the chance to. I have so many regrets, and I wish that I could go back and change what happened. What if I had been a better sister? Could things be different now? I guess I’ll never know.

It hurts me to think that I’ll never be able to talk with you and see your face again. But in the end, I am content with the time we had. Thank you for all the advice and support and love and happiness you gave me. You’ll always be in my heart. I will always remember and love you, Belinda. - Caitlyn Zhou

09

O

n Sept. 21, 2019, senior Belinda Zhou passed away after a battle with leukemia. Lynbrook lost a shining star, an individual who blessed every classroom with her genuine personality.

Prior to attending Lynbrook, she attended R.I. Meyerholz Elementary School and Joaquin Miller Middle School. Belinda was a dedicated student at Lynbrook and contributed much to her community. She served in leadership roles in the National Chinese Honor Society, the California Scholarship Federation, and the Epic. She was also a part of the Santa Clara County Office of Women’s Policy’s Girls Advisory Team.

Inspired by the kindness and compassion of the medical team who cared for her at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital, Belinda wanted to pay the positivity forward.

She was determined to become a nurse herself. She began preparing for this endeavor by enrolling in online classes and evaluating different options for nursing school.

Belinda was known for her bright personality, never failing to cheer up those around her with her vibrant sense of humor. Belinda was vivacious and sweet, genuinely caring for each and every one of her friends. She lived her life to the fullest; friends remember her singing “Fergalicious” by Fergie and her love for popcorn chicken, coffee ice cream and plum green tea boba. Belinda was also an avid dancer who enjoyed dancing both alone and with her friends.

Belinda’s passion, kindness, and empathy will be forever remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

She is survived by her parents, Jessica Yang and Michael Zhou, and younger sister Caitlin Zhou.

lhsepic.com

the epic

FEATURES

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

BY CLAIRE CHIU

Why junk food keeps me healthy

I

Album review:

BY RON AICH

At times, West lets the beat fter withholding the release of his ride and allows album multiple times, Kanye West the original �inally released the gospel-inspired sample to EP “Jesus is King” on October 25. Before its function as the release, the album, previously known to chorus for the fans as “Yandhi” went through a signi�icant song. Through metamorphosis. Initially, Yandhi was meant this technique, to be the spiritual successor to “Yeezus,” West swaps a West’s experimental industrial-rap record. traditional chorus Around April 2019, however, the project was for slowed vocals in scrapped when West experienced a personal “Follow God.” religious revival.

The lack of a “Everything that I do is for the church,” traditional chorus, West said in an interview with Apple Music however, sabotages the album Beats 1 podcast. by shortening its length to only This awakening resulted in the complete 27 minutes. The brevity of the songs reworking of “Yandhi.” What was expected is something we have never seen from West to be one of West’s more straightforward before. Even on his shortest project, “Ye,” projects became an experimental fusion of the longest song ran for �ive minutes; the gospel, hip-hop and pop, creating a unique longest track on “Jesus is King” barely breaks and unclassi�iable sound. three. As a result, the album feels somewhat Although this album claims to be a incomplete. Songs “Everything We Need” gospel project, West’s trademark sound is and “Hands On” are full of potential, but feel still present amidst the choir vocals. Shrill un�inished due to the absence of a chorus sirens, drones and synthesizers reminiscent tying the song together. The current version of previous projects of the album feels mediocre thunder over the compared to the polished lilting guitars "At some points, Jesus is King product audiences expected. and organs. On The complete lack of tracks “Selah” and sounds like West screaming passable lyrics in “Jesus is “Use this Gospel,” ‘GOD IS GREAT’ on a broken King” also contributes to West effortlessly the sloppiness of the �inal switches between record as he describes his product. Corny lines are gospel and his relationship with God.” commonplace; even the unique rockbest music is marred by inspired style. The shoddy lyricism and tacky transition from punchlines. At times, West traditional strings to electric bass in these seems like he is forcing himself to rap about songs builds dazzling crescendos in typical Christianity. The song “Closed on Sunday” Kanye fashion. These climaxes, combined features a seemingly distant West, who with West’s angry delivery and the hard- raps, “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-�il-a.” hitting drums, leave the listener in awe.

West follows that terrible analogy with West also showcases his ability to more religious eyewash on the song “God form beats out of vocal samples, which Is,” where he spouts clichéd Christian lines he used heavily in earlier albums, such as such as “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, all “Graduation” and “Late Registration.” The the things He has in store.” Such lyrics come track “Follow God” samples a soul ballad, off as inauthentic and make some parts of which West chops and pitches up to create the record almost unbearable to listen a joyful, vibrant beat. The sampled beat to. At some points, “Jesus is King” begins immerses the listener in West’s vision of a to sound like Kanye screaming “GOD IS Sunday service as West delivers his most GREAT” on a broken record as he describes charismatic lines. his relationship with God. It is dif�icult to

13

ENZO CABALTICA//FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A

GRAPHIC BY FEATURES SECTION

Lynbrook High School | the Epic

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LILLIAN FU AND RENEE GE

12

take West’s supposed devotion seriously, as the shallow lyrics offset the somber atmosphere created by the instrumentals.

In fact, West’s authenticity since his revival has been questioned by the Christian community, who have accused him of making a mockery of their views.

His use of stereotypical Christian sayings in his verses combined with his shallow praise of God throughout the record caused many to question his faith. West himself acknowledges this doubt in the song “Hands On,” in which he says, “What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?

They’ll be the �irst one to judge me.”

For an artist who has infamously developed a Jesus complex over the course of his career — he declared himself the Messiah in 2006 and released the track “I Am A God” in 2013 — one has to wonder how long his religious experimentation will last. Regardless of whether West continues to practice Christianity, “Jesus is King” offers fans a glimpse into West’s future discography; he is releasing a gospel album, “Jesus is Lord,” on Christmas. Although the album sounds incomplete, its high points reveal what a more cohesive Kanye gospel project may have sounded like. The quality was also inconsistent throughout the project, but West’s gospel music will only grow stronger as he becomes acquainted with his new sound.

can’t spend more than two hours without eating. I don’t like feeling hungry. While I eat my fair share of fruits and vegetables, I prefer eating junk food (who doesn’t?). My backpack is always �illed with snacks and treats such as chips and cookies. My all-time favorite food comes from In-n-Out Burger: a double patty hamburger with grilled onions, extra lettuce, tomatoes and animal sauce.

Served with crispy french fries and a large neapolitan milkshake, it is my ideal meal. Just the thought of it makes my stomach rumble.

Unfortunately, my favorite meal (or snack, depending on how hungry I am) lacks nutritional value. According to the nutrition page on In-N-Out’s website, a doublepatty burger, fries and a shake contains a total of 86 grams of fat, which exceeds the recommended daily intake of 67 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet. The burger and fries also have a whopping 1,690 mg of sodium, surpassing the ideal limit of 1,500 mg. The milkshake contains 65 grams of sugar, which is about 15 teaspoons and will probably make me hyper for a few hours.

Junk food such as my precious In-NOut seems to be viewed by most as a guilty pleasure that should be avoided. My friends enjoy binge-eating unhealthy food, but some of them try to cut down by abstaining from certain treats. One of my friends gave up Takis after loving them for six years because he wanted to slim down. Another friend of mine who is trying to build muscle meticulously avoids excess carbs, which means no candy, chips or ice cream.

I don’t understand how people can completely give up junk food. I know that eliminating junk from your diet makes you healthier. I know that a large cup of boba can have more sugar than a can of coke, and that Red #40 dye in Takis and Cheetos is a possible carcinogen. I want to be healthy. There have been weeks when I eat almost no junk food and feel good. But I have never considered depriving myself of my favorite junk food just for the sake of being �it. To me, peak health is not worth giving up the pleasure of eating food that I love. Eating at In-N-Out is so gratifying that I forget how much sodium, oil, and trans fat I am consuming.

I enjoy savoring my food and its delicious �lavors. As soon as I start munching on my burger and fries, I feel satis�ied. As my stomach is �illed, my mind feels ful�illed as well. I feel comforted as I consume my meal. The �lavors momentarily distract me from my stress from school and college application deadlines. Eating is one of the simplest pleasures I can experience, which is why I snack frequently.

Healthy food rarely tastes as good as junk, and In-n-Out is no exception. The frenchfries deep-fried in sun�lower oil are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and taste savory without being overly salty.

The milkshake complements the crisp fries with its sweet creaminess. I can taste all 65 grams of sugar and I love it. The burger itself is warm and �illing.

Rather than sacri�icing my beloved burger, I just limit my portions. Instead of forgoing junk food altogether, I enjoy it in moderation.

I eat only when I am hungry, and keep my portions small so that I don’t overeat. I also only get In-N-Out about twice a month at most. Waiting weeks in between each trip to the fast-food joint makes me appreciate every bite even more. I accept junk food as a necessary enjoyment that keeps me happy.

Yes, staying �it is important to me, but I’ll never sacri�ice the blissful experience of sinking my teeth into a freshly grilled burger.

14

in-depth

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

Ring at first sight: exploring arranged marriage

BY KAVYA IYER AND ANUSHA KOTHARI

E

very quintessential Bollywood movie centers around a love story and often involves a rebellious relationship between two young lovers. They often �ind themselves in disagreement with their families and their actions con�lict with the societal norms. The plot of the movie depicts the young couple �ighting for their love.

The movie concludes with their families accepting and even encouraging the relationship. However, the prevalence of marriages in which two people fall in love before getting married, commonly referred to as love marriages, on-screen starkly contrast with the tradition of arranged marriage.

An arranged marriage is a marital union determined by other individuals, usually family members. The couple is set up on a date and given a choice as to whether they would like to seal the union, unlike a forced marriage, in which the couple does not get time to familiarize themselves with each other and the family is completely in control regarding the decision.

“In arranged marriages, it is not like the people involved haven’t seen each other or don’t know each other before the marriage is decided,” said math teacher Anshul Agarwal. “The families have thought through it carefully; they have listened to different opinions had discussions before reaching a decision, which is made with the approval of the person who is getting married.”

There are various ways that a potential arranged marriage can occur. In some instances, the couple’s parents may be good family friends, and have already planned for their children to get married in the future. In other cases, families may put a picture of their son or daughter in a special matrimonial column of a newspaper, which often includes their child’s religion, caste, occupation, aspirations and other applicable information about the child, in addition to the family’s contact information.

After receiving a response to the advertisement from another family, the two families involved come together in order to discuss the potential of marriage and work out necessary logistics.

“My parents’ marriage was arranged through a newspaper advertisement: my mom’s mom responded to the ad for my dad and my dad responded to the ad for my mom,” said junior Haadia Tanveer.

“They agreed to meet and they talked for a while, so they were okay with getting married.”

In recent years, many marriages are being arranged through matchmaking websites, which function similarly to dating websites.

Arranged marriages can happen for a variety of reasons which vary according to different social, cultural, political and economic norms. As a result, people may not consider the idea of a love marriage, even if they do not have anything against it. The thought that marriage is a family matter is also a common mentality among certain cultures. While in Western culture, marriage is considered to be a matter between two lovers, South Asian and Middle Eastern culture generally regard marriage as a connection between two families, not just the people getting married.

“I like how in Indian culture, marriage is not just between two people but between two families,” said senior Nyna Velamuri.

The tradition of arranged marriage dates back centuries, and started because families wanted to protect young women as well as ensure that the family honor is kept intact, which remains true to this day. In addition, arranged marriages may occur for religious reasons.

“[When my parents and their families were discussing the potential of marriage], they talked a lot about certain things like religious agreements,” Tanveer said. “I feel like there’s certain ideals each family holds, like religious ideals and social status.”

They can also happen out of poverty: when a family is so poor that they arrange a marriage for their child either to make money or because they can no longer afford to take care of the child.

Having parents with an arranged marriage also has effects on their children. Due to cultural stigmas, especially during their teenage years, many parents may have never experienced dating leisurely rather than for marriage. Due to this, the children may feel more inclined to hide their dating life from their parents, or feel guilty for dating.

“I think a lot of parents [who had an arranged marriage] don’t understand the idea of dating for experience,” Tanveer said.

“They think you should only [date] when you’re genuinely ready to settle down.”

On the other hand, some believe that parents’ marriage has little to do with the child’s proclivity to share their dating life with their parents.

“I’m not sure if the parents’ marriage plays a factor in the children telling them if they are dating or not dating somebody,”

Agarwal said. “I think a student’s tendency to reveal details about dating to their parents is more based on the bond between the parents and child.”

Since arranged marriages are a common occurrence for many South Asian families, some students on campus �ind themselves guilty of making jokes regarding the fact that without an arranged marriage, they would remain single for life. Many of the students who make these jokes consist primarily of those with ethnic backgrounds often associated with arranged marriages.

Although the jokes themselves may seem harmless, there are often other effects that arranged marriages can have, both on the couple involved — as well as their children— that may go unnoticed.

“I think people may make jokes like that as a coping mechanism,” Tanveer said. “They use humor as a coping mechanism in general, and in this case people may think ‘I’m gonna have to get married to someone that I haven’t necessarily chosen for myself,’ and to cope with that they make these jokes to convince themselves that ‘[having an arranged marriage] is not that bad.”

Some of these students, especially as they get older, feel a sense of security in knowing that they do not have to �ind their own life partner.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SHARLENE CHEN

“I’m [okay with] having my parents �ind someone for me eventually, it would just depend on the person,” said Vishal Kalyanasundaram, Lynbrook class of 2012 alumnus. “At this point, I’m like ‘yeah, why not?’ I would keep the option if it’s there.”

According to some of these students,an arranged marriage is not as bad as people unfamiliar with the concept may make it seem, and the stereotypes associated with it are frequently not true.

“In arranged marriages, the couple can grow to love each other,” Tanveer said.

“Sometimes there is a mutual respect because an arranged marriage is stronger agreement between families than a love marriage.”

Especially as students grow older and start dating for marriage, they become more open to the idea of having an arranged marriage because of the drama and uncertainty that comes with relationships. With an arranged marriage, people are more likely to have their family’s support, arguably making it the easier option.

“I think when I was younger I was more opposed to an arranged marriage because I thought it would be weird to marry someone you don’t really know, but now that I am older, I can appreciate my parents’ relationship, which was an arranged marriage,” said senior Shubhra Dubey. “It teaches me that a partnership takes more than love and attraction, and although I don’t want an arranged marriage, I de�initely will take aspects of one in my future relationships.”

Some students cite the low divorce rate of arranged marriages — six percent according to a 2012 study by Statistic Brain — to explain why they would not mind having an arranged marriage because it would likely be successful.

However, others highlight that the low divorce rate among arranged marriages can be attributed to the fact that there is a stigma around divorce in cultures where arranged marriages are most prevalent.

“In Indian arranged marriages at least, I feel like if divorce wasn’t such a taboo the success rate would be much lower,” Tanveer said. “Couples often stay together because the marriage was arranged so that they could have a family, and they want to remain together for the family.”

Other students feel less comfortable with the potential of having an arranged marriage and would prefer to have a love marriage, regardless of their parents’ experience.

“I know how to be happy on my own and I would rather not get married than have an arranged marriage and not be happy or be disrespected by [my signi�icant other],” Tanveer said.

Due to the frequency of arranged marriages within the Lynbrook community, some students who have primarily been exposed to arranged marriages are unaware that love marriages have become increasingly common in regions historically known for arranged marriages.

“When people �ind out that my mom married her brother’s best friend through a love marriage, they are surprised because they are not used to Indian parents having love marriages,” said senior Anika Kanchi.

Although arranged marriages still occur among the Lynbrook parent community, there is an evident generational gap regarding one’s mindset toward these unions. While many parents are indifferent toward having an arranged marriage, students prefer to have the freedom to decide who they want to spend the rest of their lives with.

“I think having an arranged marriage would take away an aspect of freedom in my life, because as of now, I’d like to choose the person I’d spend the rest of my life with,” said junior Vijaya Kukutla.

NOVEMBER 06. 2019

M

IN-DEPTH

Examining Lynbrook security cameras

ore than a dozen security cameras are placed around Lynbrook’s campus, and the Lynbrook administration is planning to install more in the near future.

Security cameras have been on Lynbrook’s campus for decades, but they were not heavily present until around ten years ago.

“When we �irst installed cameras, the wish was to have all [of the school] covered,” said Jose Ramirez, Lynbrook’s student conduct specialist in charge of security on campus. “Obviously, that’s not realistic in one shot, unless a multibillionaire makes a donation. So we have to go in small steps. Some of those are baby steps, some of those are giant leaps.”

The administration noticed there were issues that were left unaccounted for due to a lack of cameras. Before the installation of cameras, an alarm would sound when vandalism, theft or similar activities occurred. But in cases where no staff were on site, it was dif�icult to �igure out what happened. After several incidents, the administration began to look into installing cameras. The administration started by implementing a couple of cameras on campus to pilot their new system. Now, the administration is planning to double the number of cameras for greater security coverage.

“We’re still short on what experts recommend for Lynbrook to be thoroughly covered as far as cameras go, but [this second installment of cameras] is a second step in the process to getting that,” Ramirez said.

Security cameras enable administration to quickly check on what is happening whenever an alarm goes off by opening a website on their computer or an app on their phones that display recordings from the cameras. They may then evaluate the circumstances and, if necessary, contact the police to resolve the situation.

BY ALARA DASDAN AND KAYLIN LI

“It’s not going to �ix all of our problems, but it’s going to help us in the future,” Ramirez said. “Because if people know that we’re monitoring, and that we’re actively looking to identify them, and we’re sharing the information with the police department, that may be enough of a deterrent to tell people, ‘Let’s not vandalize Lynbrook. Let’s go vandalize [some other school] instead.’”

At Lynbrook, the one major source of concern is bike theft. Students sometimes leave their bikes

“Cameras are here to monitor student safety, and after-hours, school safety.

And that includes vandals and breaking and entering, anything that could happen when we’re not here to visit the scene.”

Jose Ramirez Student Conduct Specialist

at school unlocked, leaving them prone to theft by passersby. Other concerns, such as vandalism, require more attention. Unfortunately, not all these issues can be enforced since the school requires that individuals secure their personal property. This bothers some students on campus, who believe that bike theft and issues in the parking lot should be monitored.

“Most of what happens, if anything happens, happens in the parking lot with people getting their tires slashed, or people getting their bike stolen and their locks cut,” Sun said. “Those cameras are ineffective. They do nothing to keep us safe in the

locations they’re being installed. I don’t feel any safer with those cameras around.”

To install a camera on Lynbrook’s campus, the school must acquire suf�icient funds not reserved for educational purposes before allowing camera vendors to bid for the project.

One vendor is then chosen to install the cameras.

The placement and location of the cameras are often determined based on input from the vendors as well as the budget available.

To address concerns that the cameras might invade students’ privacy, Lynbrook administration has made it clear that they do not intend to install cameras in classrooms or bathrooms. They believe that placing cameras in hallways is more acceptable, as there is less of an expectation of privacy in hallways. Students disagree about whether this is an appropriate practice, however.

“You can still do whatever you want to do as long as it’s not violating school rules,” senior Akshaya Ramakrishnan said. “So I think in a way, it’s not really violating your privacy because it’s not inside classrooms. You can do whatever you want, but you should obviously make wise decisions.”

However, some students believe that the security cameras are not effective or appropriate at Lynbrook.

“It’s pretty concerning, because I think it’s a big invasion of what little privacy we have here at school,” senior Robert Sun said. “My right to privacy doesn’t end just because there’s criminals around here, or there’s people breaking stuff, or doing whatever.”

There is no way of telling what danger could happen at a school, so schools can only prepare for the worst. If security cameras are necessary to protect student safety, then the administration is willing to implement them.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SLOKA SURESH AND CLAIRE CHIU

15

16

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

IN-DEPTH Insight Education Winter Test Prep

SAT Boot Camps

sports

17

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

Varsit y football tackles obstacles

SAT Dec Exp. Boot Camp: Dec 26 - Jan 3 (5 day) Dec 26 - 28 + Jan 2 -3

9:00am - 6:15pm

SAT Winter Boot Camp: Jan 4 - Mar 7 (10 day) Every Saturday

9:00am - 6:15pm

SAT Feb Exp. Boot Camp: Feb 17 - Feb 21 (5 day) Monday - Friday

9:00am - 6:15pm

More classes on our website Visit www.insight-education.net 408-252-5050 | info@insight-education.net | www.insight-education.net

AUDREY WONG —EPIC

BY ANUSHA KOTHARI AND MICHELLE ZHU

A

s the buzzer rang at the end of fourth quarter, Lynbrook’s varsity football players raced onto the �ield to celebrate the �irst victory of their high school careers, showering each other with Gatorade and shouting in excitement.

On Sept. 20, the varsity football team defeated San Jose High School 17-6, marking the end of the team’s two-year losing streak. Senior Ananth Pilaka scored Lynbrook’s �irst touchdown of the game, reaching over a defender to catch a ten-yard pass from junior Lucas Liang. Shortly after, junior Danielle Ma scored three points by making a 33-yard �ield goal. In the second half, junior David Heydinger broke six tackles on an 88-yard punt return to score the team’s �inal touchdown, sealing Lynbrook’s victory.

“The win was just a �irst step for us,” said Pilaka, who has been the Lynbrook football team since his freshman year. “It was a reminder that we’re moving somewhere because we feel like we are getting better with each game even though our record and scores never really re�lect that.”

The varsity team last won in the 2016-17 season, ending the season with a 5-5 record. At the time, current seniors were freshmen on the JV football team and only witnessed varsity’s wins from the sidelines; current sophomores and juniors have only seen losses. The varsity team’s victory against San Jose High School marked the �irst time that any player on the team had won a high school football game.

“There’s a tradition we have where if we win, we get a play a song called ‘Country Roads’ by John Denver,” Pilaka said. “I never got to listen to that song since I had never won a game; I was happy to �inally get to do that.”

The win was a signi�icant emotional victory for the team as it served as proof to the community and to players themselves that Lynbrook football was capable of winning.

“Football at Lynbrook isn’t associated with winning; so [the win was important in] proving to ourselves that we could actually compete,” Liang said. “We could actually make a difference, we made a change. It really gave the whole team a boost of con�idence.”

Throughout the game, the players were not just �ighting for the �irst win of their high school careers, but also against the prejudice and s t i g m a

surrounding football at Lynbrook. Frequent losses are not Instead, they describe themselves as a “family” or “tight-knit the only thing perpetuating the negative association with group of friends.” In order to foster a warm environment, football at Lynbrook; peers also contribute to the stigma by new captains are assigned every game based on their engaging in conversations that undermine the team’s efforts. performance during that week’s practices.

“Last year, there was always a tension [on the team] “What people don’t know about football is that we really do care,” Liang said. “We literally sit in our locker room for between the captains and the players, and the coaches were a lot more authoritative than this a good hour after a game, just crying year,” Pilaka said. “This year, there’s and talking to each other about how no hierarchy, so there is more open we could do better.” communication, and we are all close This year, the team has especially to each other.” focused on improving not only its The players also builds a positive game plan and ability, but also the atmosphere through team bonding overall team dynamic and the work activities.

During the season, ethic of the players. Unlike in the past teammates spend about four hours two years, every player this season prioritizes football and consistently RJ Davis together daily. Before practices, they attends practice.

Varsity Football Head Coach usually workout together for 30 to 60 minutes, and after, they play spikeball “People will be held accountable if for one to two hours. The team often they don’t show up to practice,” Pilaka hangs out at Jake’s of Saratoga after said. “We are trying to emulate [the 2016-17] varsity team’s work ethic, which is our �irst step to games to relax and re�lect on the game.

Additionally, the new coaching staff has played a signi�icant a winning season.”

The team practices rigorously, �ive days a week from 3:30 role in improving team dynamic. In the past, coaching staff to 6 p.m. throughout the fall sports season in addition to pre- members overtly disagreed with each other over offensive season practices in the summer and year-long workouts. strategies and acted more like authority �igures than During practices, they run stretches and drills tailored to mentors to the players. This year, the coaches have not only established a culture of growth within the team, emphasizing each position and review mistakes from previous games.

Since Lynbrook players are on average smaller in stature the importance of improvement over winning, but have also than players on other teams, they have to play harder, faster worked hard to build a personal connection with the players.

“They are at that level of intimacy with us where, and smarter. This season, the team emphasized physicality making themselves stronger through intense conditioning. hypothetically, we could talk about problems and issues that As a result, many of the players are less hesitant to tackle we have at home, and they are there to listen to us,” Pilaka their opponents. This additional con�idence enabled the said.

The coaches are the team’s number one fans, motivating team to gain more yards and score one more touchdown than the players during tough games and always believing in the other team in their victory.

The team chemistry has also considerably improved; them. This support has promoted a culture of determination players no longer refer to each other as just “teammates.” and keeps the team hopeful to win more games in the future.

Despite facing dif�icult opponents throughout the season, Davis is con�ident that the team will continue to improve.

“Don’t shut us out yet. This may not be the year, but I can tell you that as long as I’m here, I will continue on �inding ways to show improvement.

Don’t give up on us yet. We’re here for Lynbrook.

We are Vikings.”

“Don’t give up on us yet.

We’re here for Lynbrook.

We are Vikings.”

1.

3.

1: The team listens to an uplifting message from their coach after a heartfelt homecoming loss to Gunn High School on Oct. 25.

4 and 5: The team reflects on the game and celebrates the positive aspects of their performance.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MEI CORICELLO

4.

2.

5.

2: Senior Jonathan Leslie runs the ball past a defender. The team has become less hesitant to tackle this season, which has contributed to gaining more yards in their games.

ANUSHA KOTHARI, AUDREY WONG AND BENNIE CHANG —EPIC

18

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

Staff cheer on their favorite sports teams BY:SHARLENE CHEN AND SHAMITA GURUSU SHAMITA GUSURU — EPIC

NOVEMBER 06, 2019

Sports in Brief Total

SHARLENE CHEN — EPIC

Total

WINS

As of:

49

11/6

LOSSES

36

FALL SPORTS Team: Varsity Football Girls Varsity Field Hockey Girls Varsity Volleyball Girls Varsity Water Polo Boys Varsity Water Polo Girls Varsity Tennis

Highlights of the Season

Luca Signore

David Taylor

U

nlike many San Jose Sharks fans, physics teacher David Taylor has been a Sharks fanatic for nearly 30 years since their �irst season. In 1991, Taylor moved to San Jose as the Sharks debuted as the city’s only professional ice hockey team.

“The excitement is what drew me in,” Taylor said. “Ice hockey is a very fast-paced sport and the action just never seems to stop.”

Taylor is a Sharks season ticket holder and goes to as many games as he can. He never misses watching a game.

Among the Sharks, Taylor has many favorite players including forward Patrick Marlowe, alternate captain and forward Tomas Hertl, and defenseman Brent Burns.

“They all come through in tough times,” Taylor said. “When we really need someone to step up and take control over the things, these are the guys that usually do so and take the measures to be responsible for the team.”

Although all games are intense and �illed with fast-paced action, Taylor feels the most stressed when the games involve such high stakes as winning against a rivaling team like the Vegas Golden Knights.

Taylor’s favorite game in his nearly 30 years of being a fan was the Sharks’ win in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoff �irst-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. To Taylor, coming out victorious despite losing for most of the game, especially when the stakes were the highest for the Sharks, was the strongest and most memorable comeback of all time.

This season, Taylor looks forward to watching more Sharks games and making more memories with the team and their fans. Taylor is hoping the best for the Sharks and is excited to see the Sharks defeat all rivaling teams and win the Stanley Cup. SHAMITA GUSURU — EPIC

H

istory and P.E. teacher Luca Signore has been an avid fan of Italian soccer team Torino F.C. since the day he was born. Soccer is pervasive in Italian culture; it is customary to know all the different teams in Italy and watch soccer as a family.

“Every family supports a particular team, and so you were born into being a fan of that team,” Signore said. “From as young as I can remember, I was already getting team merchandise as presents like jerseys or soccer balls.”

Signore still regularly watches soccer whenever he can. His favorite team, Torino F.C., plays in the Serie A league in Italy near his hometown of Torino, Italy. Although his family lived near Juventus F.C., a better-known team that boasts the famed athlete Cristiano Ronaldo, they have always supported Torino. When Torino earned its promotion to First Division in 2006, Signore attended that game with his father and friends and he considers it his most memorable experience.

Every year, Signore visits a museum memorial of the team. In 1949, Torino was one of the best teams in Italy, but tragically, all the team members died in a plane crash. He has a team souvenir book that contains various items illustrating the history of Torino.

However, Signore’s favorite soccer player does not play for Torino. Francesco Totti, a mid�ielder who played for A.S. Roma from 1993 to 1997, another Italian soccer team based in Rome, is his all-time favorite. Totti received many offers to join famous teams, but he turned them down to spend his career in his hometown of Rome.

“That sort of loyalty doesn’t really exist anymore, and it’s refreshing to see someone give their heart and soul to the city and people they love,” Signore said.

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaches, Signore hopes to see his two favorite countries, Italy and the U.S., succeed.

SHARLENE CHEN — EPIC

Julie Morelos

Michael Esquivel

S

panish teacher Michael Esquivel has not always been an avid fan of baseball. For a short period of time in his childhood, Esquivel watched Major League Baseball (MLB) and collected baseball cards. However, as Esquivel grew older and attended high school without playing any sports, his connection with baseball faded. It was only when Esquivel married his wife that he rekindled his love for the sport.

“My wife’s brothers are huge sports fanatics and spending time with them got me back into watching baseball,” Esquivel said. “I married into a family who were diehard fans of the San Francisco Giants, and I guess if I married into a family who were diehard fans of the A’s, I would be a huge A’s fan right now.”

Esquivel tries to watch Giants games at home as frequently as he can; however, he does not get many chances to do so, as his family prefers watching the Giants play at the stadium instead of on television. As a result, Esquivel goes to several games every season and has only become more of a fanatic.

Esquivel always tries to arrive at the stadium as early as possible in the hopes of claiming the giveaway iten at the gate. His collection of free merchandise ranges from bobbleheads to a variety of shirts and sunglasses.

“A cool bobblehead I got is the one of [Clayton] Kershaw,” Esquivel said. “Kershaw is actually a pitcher for the Dodgers, the Giants’ biggest rival. Even though he is on our rival team, I think he is one of the best pitchers — if not the best pitcher — in the MLB, so I have him up there to give respect where respect is due.”

Next season, Esquivel looks forward to �inding out who the new Giants coach is. He hopes the new coach will lead the Giants through a successful season, which the Giants have not had in a long time.

B

asketball has played a big role in Spanish teacher and Lynbrook alumni Julie Morelos’s life. In school, Morelos played basketball and afterward, she coached for 10 years.

Morelos has a two-year-old son she wants to spend all of her time with, so she has less time to play basketball. Lynbrook offered a coaching position to her, but she turned it down. Consequently, she began to watch National Basketball Association (NBA) and some collegiate games as her means of continuing to engage with basketball. Her favorite team is the Golden State Warriors, her local team.

“Currently, Stephen Curry [is my favorite player],” Morelos said. “Everybody says that, but he has changed the game of basketball.”

She believes that his shooting skills are unparalleled and that he is a great role model in both life and basketball. Her favorite piece of fan merchandise is Stephen Curry’s jersey, which she acquired while playing a shooting game at Great America.

“I actually played quite well and my �inal score was the best for the day. And so I won a legit Stephen Curry jersey,” Morelos said.

As the NBA season approaches, she is also very excited about how the Los Angeles Lakers will fare since LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play together for the �irst time. In addition, New Orleans Pelicans have gained a lot of promising young players such as Zion Williamson.

“People are comparing [Williamson] to James. So I’m super excited to see what he does,” Morelos said. “In the preseason, he was scoring 30 points a game.”

Morelos believes that it is important for students to have a hobby that inspires passion, like basketball has in her, rather than restricting their activities to studying.

She encourages this mindset among all her students.

GRAPHIC ILLUISTRATION BY ETHAN LEE AND STELLA HUANG

Record: 1-8 2-11-1 21-6 11-12 3-5 11-4

Football: The varsity football team broke their two-season losing streak with a victory against San Jose High School on Sept. 20.

Girls Volleyball: The girls varsity and JV volleyball teams were undefeated within SCVAL, and varsity made it to CCS playoffs.

Girls Tennis: The JV team broke Homestead’s season-long winning streak with a win on Oct. 24 and the varsity team quali�ied for CCS playoffs.

Cross Country: The girls/boys varsity cross country team won the Mt. San Antonio College (SAC) invitational meet on Oct. 26. The team also quali�ied for CCS playoffs.

SPORTS

19

NCAA takes steps toward compensation for athletes

BY MEI CORRICELLO

P

rompted by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Fair Pay to Play Act, which allows student athletes in California to sign endorsement deals, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) board voted unanimously to begin modifying rules that would eventually allow its athletes to promote their own images for pro�it starting Oct. 29. The decision is a step in the right direction if it employs the same changes as the Fair Pay to Play act, because it opens the door to new opportunities for college athletes, enabling them to receive compensation they deserve and were previously denied.

“While it isn’t enough right now, it’s a step in the right direction, and it’s showing the NCAA that they need to do something,” said sophomore Pranay Mameleti.

One reason that these sponsorship deals should not be banned is that some athletes need the money. Many athletes come from backgrounds with a poor �inancial situation, and during their time in high school, their families depended on them working to provide for the home. When they go away to college, they spend a majority of their time playing a sport and are no longer able to work a job and support their families. By letting their children, families are making a sacri�ice to boost the school’s athletic success. When they are able to make money by promoting their talent, they can �inancially support their families at home and represent their schools.

For years, the debate concerning whether

student-athletes should be paid or not has been centered around the country’s best mens’ basketball and football players, but the NCAA’s decision could very well bene�it athletes competing in less mainstream sports.

“The better players are the ones who are going to get to play professionally, but it seems like it’s geared towards basketball and football,” said Ray Wright, a Lynbrook P.E. teacher and father of Ryan Wright, a Tulane University football player. “Athletes who play sports that don’t make huge amounts of money are going to be like, ‘I’m the star track athlete’ or ‘I’m the star golfer’ and I’m not getting any money. And that basketball or football player is getting a ton of money, even though the golfer might have more of a future in professional sports.”

H o w e ve r, t h o u g h these athletes might be offered fewer sponsorship deals, they can still use their skills to bene�it from the Act, albeit to a lesser extent. When they showcase their ability at the national and international levels, with some even representing the U.S. in the Olympics, players in every �ield will �ind opportunities

for advertising deals. They will have to contend with the reality of inequality among different sports, but some pay is better than none at all. The NCAA’s prohibition of any deal has made it impossible for any athlete to earn money for their hard work; no matter how unequally applied, deregulation is a step in the right direction.

The NCAA board vote should follow the model of the Fair Pay to Play Act, which would eventually give players the rights to their own public image and allow them to receive the compensation warranted by their dedication to NCAA sports. The act challenges the NCAA’s control, an organization that brings in more than one billion dollars a year. The decision’s effect is still uncertain, but it does show the right intentions for the future of college athletics.

Girls Field Hockey: The JV team ended their season number one in the league.

Their record for this season is 8-1.

Valkyries: The dance team hosted their annual Fall Show on Nov. 1, featuring senior solos that are typically performed during the spring.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY SONG

photoessay

20

V E I T C A O E S R T C U M Y Z E A S !

R C

BY MELISSA CHEN

On Oct. 31, teachers opened their doors during lunch to greet students with bowls of candy. While the minimum requirement to trick-or-treat was to wear orange or black, many students were more festive, dressing up as vampires, monsters, angels and more. Some even got more creative and designed unusual costumes like boba and hamburgers. Take a look at some student costumes!

Zombies: Saniya Patel(12), Neha Mannem(12) Chicken and Apple: Alisa Lu(11), Rishima Tewari(11) Tourist and Unicorn: Daniel VanWiggeren(11), Hamza Khan(11) Lorax: Charu Vijay(12) Bobas: Judy Wu (12), Amy Yang (12), Eunice Leung (12), Jessica Atmadja (12), Angelin Li (12), Allison Li, Angela Steinmetz (12) Hippie: Sunny Aswani(9) Burgers: Lauren Yee(9), Joseph Zou(9), Neil Kanagala(11), Ishan Saharoy(11), James Vincent(10), Colin Newton(10), Annika Liou(9), Aadit Sangwan(10)