Epic Issue 3, 2019

Class of 2009 reunites ten years later

BY SHARLENE CHEN

�inished medical school and is starting on his medical residency. en years have passed Recently, Loury visited Lynbrook and since Lynbrook’s Class of admired the new campus improvements 2009 graduated. such as the new quad, cafeteria, �ield house, On Nov. 30, they d a n c e studio and weight hosted a reunion room. He is pleased that at BJ’s Restaurant students at Lynbrook get and Brewhouse to to enjoy the state of the relive high school art facilities. Numerous memories and other former students reunite with their echo his sentiment. old classmates.

In addition, they The event reminisced about their organizers included high school teachers’ Monica Shieh, Anna impact on their lives.

Sheng and PJ Loury, Melanie Savala said who were the former that her teachers class president, vice helped her realize president and ASB that she wanted to rally commissioner, pursue a career in nd a e e L SHARLENE CHEN — EPIC Ruby respectively. To plan math. n e h C Ch ri y stina Nguyen an Emil for this event, the d Lynbrook’s PJ Loury, Nyas Ramasubramani Luke Manalo and Joe Peng event organizers sent pressure-�illed interest surveys to environment also their class Facebook impacted alumni group until alumni and gave them agreed upon a location slightly negative and date. Hanna Yelavich, an alumna who memories of high capsule previously worked as a part-time wedding activity school. Although for planner, helped coordinate the logistics alumni to open the rigorous and the �inal venue. The Class of 2009 also another academic training did help in college, many ten previously held a �ive-year reunion, which years later. The in alumni came to the conclusion that none of saw lower turnout than this event. remaining tables had a variety of photos the Bay Area, what they valued immensely, such as grades The reunion was a great opportunity for from high school scattered across them. she dabbled around in a few jobs within and academic standing, in high school classmates to reconnect, reminisce about When asked about their most memorable the technology industry, but she felt that mattered much in adulthood. They said that old memories and catch up on their current moment at Lynbrook, almost all the alumni the culture was not for her. She left to run they put too much weight on numbers like pursuits and interests. mentioned their senior homecoming where equestrian club for a few years until she their GPA and disregarded other aspects of “We all live such busy lives, and this Vishak Visvanathan, Brad Williams, Jordan found a new love for jewelry design and their life like their mental health. reunion is such a nice excuse to actually get Plecque and others pseudo-graf�itied the settled into a job in luxury retail.

The alumni also wanted to pass along together and catch up with those that we Viking mural with thin paper and blue “I’m de�initely not in the career �ield I helpful tips to the current students of may have lost contact with after graduation,” painter’s tape. Visvanathan looks back fondly would have thought to be in, but it’s unique, Lynbrook, including advice to build good Laura Yelavich said. study habits and work hard. Others said at that time, remembering how he got up at and I love it!” Yelavich said.

The organizers put out three tables labeled 4:30 a.m. and blasted Kanye West’s “Good Others, ended up doing exactly what they to enjoy high school while it lasted and get Past, Present and Future that displayed Life” as they worked. involved with social events like Homecoming, planned on pursuing in high school. various artifacts and small activities. The The alumni have all taken different life “I loved speech and debate back when I rallies and sports games.

Past table presented old school newspapers, paths since their graduation, with some even was at Lynbrook, and I’m currently �inishing “Spend more time �inding your passion yearbooks and shirts. The Present table experiencing drastic career changes. Yelavich up law school,” said Narayan Subramanian. and what motivates you than always meeting asked classmates to pin where they live now graduated with a bachelor’s in �ine studio Likewise, Nikhil Jain, who had planned your parents’ expectations,” said Paige on a map, and the Future table had a time arts, but after feeling the pressure from living on going into medicine in high school, has Hodges.

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GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MELISSA CHEN

Interact supports education in Nicaragua

BY ELLIU HUANG

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nteract Clubs from all �ive FUHSD schools held a fundraiser, A12 Annual Charity Mixer: “A Carn1ival 2 Remember,” at Cupertino High School on Nov. 15. The dance was part of its yearly international project titled “Build for Tomorrow,” which aims to help Nicaraguan youth receive education.

Interact will send the money raised to nonpro�it organization BuildOn, which will use the money to build a new school in Nicaragua.

Lynbrook Interact Club of�icers collaborated with of�icers from other FUHSD schools to organize the fundraiser.

BuildOn’s goal is to increase literacy in third-world countries and to improve the quality of education. It organizes events and projects and opportunities for students to volunteer in impoverished areas around the world. Rural areas of Nicaragua have poverty rates of 50 percent and more than 100,000 illiterate youth due to lack of local schools.

At Interact Club, students work together to solve local and international issues through volunteering events. Interact offers many opportunities for volunteer experience and promotes leadership, service and integrity.

“We live in an area where many are privileged, but there are many others in the world who are not as fortunate.” said freshman International Project Committee (IPC) member Edward Sha. “I think that since we have some extra resources, helping Nicaraguan children would be great.”

The IPC plans an event every year during �irst semester to raise money. This year, 10 IPC chairs from the �ive FUHSD schools met to plan speci�ics for the dance, while Area 12 International Project Coordinator Kayla Wong worked with BuildOn to manage the money through the district’s bank account.

IPC chairs worked together with IPC members to �ind chaperones and a DJ, coordinate the location of the dance and make decorations. Two weeks before the dance, IPC Chair senior Yiling Zheng needed chaperones to monitor the dance. Right before the deadline, she found retired adults who could chaperone for the dance.

At the dance, members of Interact volunteered at the event to get service hours by setting up decorations and selling food. Volunteers had to work together to coordinate speci�ic jobs and ensure that the event ran smoothly.

Interact Club co-president senior Emma Nguyen estimated that approximately 200 people attended the dance. Interact earned around $1600, which is a major success compared to previous years’ results.

Although the dance was very successful for their �irst event of the school year, Nguyen believes that more time to inform people would help increase participation. Many students could not go to the dance because they had other plans for that day.

“The promotion was a little rushed,” Nguyen said. “We could have had more time to sell the event. If the event were made a week later, I think that would have made the event more successful because people would have more time to see the pro�ile picture and hear about it.”

Interact’s fundraiser will not only help illiterate children in Nicaragua receive education but also increase students’ volunteer experience. The dance was a great success in terms of money fundraised, but much of the planning could be re�ined to increase participation.

With these improvements in mind, IPC hopes to better plan another big event in February — the talent show.

SNEAKERHEAD// pg. 7 Nguyen shows off his shoe collection

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DECEMBER 11, 2019

NEWS

California pushes back school start times to 8:30 a.m.

BY MEI CORRICELLO

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eginning in the 2022-2023 school year, California high schools will be required to push back school day start times to 8:30 a.m. Though the impact on FUHSD remains to be seen, school administrators have begun to discuss the shift while exploring its potential effects on Lynbrook students and families.

On Sept. 13, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Later School Start Bill, which previous governor Jerry Brown had vetoed. The bill calls for high schools and middle schools to begin at no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively,

excluding schools in rural areas and those with optional zero-period classes.

Evidence shows that students’ physical health, mental health, attendance and academic performance improve when they begin school later. When students reach adolescence, their circadian rhythms cause their sleep schedules to change. They are more inclined to stay up late and wake up late, a change the bill aims to accommodate in order to maximize student success.

FUHSD administrators are currently unsure as to how the bill applies to schools in the district. Currently, FUHSD students have the option to decide between two schedules: periods one through six or periods two through seven.

Beginning in 2018, periods two through seven schedules at FUHSD have started after 8:30. Since

beginning school before 8:30 a.m. is optional, whether FUHSD schools may be exempt from the bill has yet to be con�irmed. Sometime in the next year, the California Board of Education will likely release guidelines regarding what kind of schedule will be permissible under the new rules.

“I do like our current system, which gives students and parents the opportunity to choose [between early and later start times],” said FUHSD Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits. “However, the fact that the state might not give us a choice gives me concern.”

Lynbrook students may bene�it from getting more time to sleep in the morning.

However, some Lynbrook students would prefer to end their school day earlier as opposed to later, so they can attend their activities or do homework.

“If you think about it, school starting an hour later will push back the whole day’s activities, and students will end up starting

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY PRANAV MISHRA

homework later and staying up later,” said sophomore Tetsuo Eng, a JV football player, wrestler, and track athlete.

These changes, if implemented, may end up pushing back students’ after school activities, including athletic practices. With later dismissals, student athletes will have less daylight time for practices and games. However, the bill may help unify athletic schedules across the league and throughout schools.

“One positive could be that if every school had to start at 8:30, all teams would be on the same page about when athletic events start,” said FUHSD Associate Superintendent Trudy Gross.

The administration of San Francisco Union School District (SFUSD) are also having their own conversations about the major revision of schedules that needs to occur in order for the schools to adapt to the change.

“We have to take into account schedules, transportation, and after school activities, so it will be a challenge,” said SFUSD Deputy Superintendent Myong Leigh. “However, we understand that the argument for this change is based on scienti�ic research that shows bene�its for students.”

Many unanswered questions and possible challenges lay ahead in implementing the new system. While the ef�icacy of the legislation remains to be seen, legislators hope that the bill will provide teenagers with the opportunity to sleep in, perform to their potential in the classroom and pursue extracurricular activities.

Craft aire sells holiday cheer

GRAPHIC HEADLINE BY RON AICH

BY YOUQI HUANG

Letter from the Editors Dear readers,

With �inals approaching, take some time to rewind and read our last issue of the year.

Browse our pages to discover more about California’s decision to push school start times back to 8:30 a.m. and the effect it will have on Lynbrook students (pg. 2). Take a look at our story about Cupertino Union School District’s declining enrollment and its repercussions for this community (pg. 3).

Flip to the opinion section to read our staff editorial that introduces a discussion about make up work and absence policies at Lynbrook and their correlation with students’ decisions to come to school when sick (pg. 6).

Next, read a festive article about four recently released holiday movies (pg. 8), with selections from rom-coms to Net�lix releases.

Also, learn about two students’ competitive bridge experiences (pg. 9).

Of course, be sure not to miss the story detailing the emergence of esports in today’s gaming industry (pg. 11). Check out our infographic if you’d like to learn more about the recent process of impeaching President Donald Trump (pg. 11).

Last but not least, look back on 10 years of Lynbrook athletic excellence (pg. 13) and read about a staffer’s perspective on the Warriors’ performance this NBA season (pg.

14). Also take a look at the athletic bene�its of cross training (pg. 14).

If you’re still looking for more content, check out our website at lhsepic.com for additional stories, photos and multimedia projects, or follow our Instagram @lhs.epic for digital content.

Stay warm and happy holidays, Nicole Ong and Aileen Xue

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ynbrook held its 40th annual Holiday Craft Faire on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Hosted by Lynbrook Instrumental Music Boosters (LIMB), an organization that supports Lynbrook’s music program, the faire featured over 100 vendors selling various handcrafted items.

The event is LIMB’s largest fundraiser of the year and was organized by Craft Faire Chair Jen Liu. The planning process for the faire began as soon as the previous year’s ended, with the organizers holding a meeting to evaluate what parts of the fundraiser went well and what aspects could be improved. Liu started reviewing vendor applications and documents, such as seller permits, in July. Once the school year commenced, more parent volunteers joined the effort.

“The money we make here goes to funding student trips, new band uniforms and additional instructors,” Liu said.

At the faire, the vendors were split into indoor and outdoor booths, selling items ranging from handmade soaps to locally-produced honey. Two Lynbrook clubs, Character Design and ArtReach, and Lynbrook alumna Grace Ling, also set up booths.

This is Character Design Club’s third consecutive appearance at the Craft Faire.

Half of its proceeds went toward the club,

and the rest was donated to the American Cancer Society.

“When we started it, it wasn’t because we had a need to raise money,” said Vice President Anna Shaposhnik. “Rather, we wanted to reach into the community with our art.”

Character Design sold stickers and keychains featuring original designs from club members, newspaper cup holders, notebooks with custom covers and commissioned drawings. Customers could request a character, family member or pet to be drawn and pick up the �inished piece later in the day.

“The �irst year, we got so much business,” Shaposhnik said. “No other booth sells custom art, so I feel like we are special in that way.”

Ling graduated from Lynbrook in 2015 and has always had a passion for art and drawing. She majored in bioengineering and computer science and engineering at Santa Clara University for her bachelor’s degree, but is considering moving toward a more art-centric career.

“I recently started selling my art in artist alleys at anime conventions,” Ling said. “I was excited to see an opportunity to become a vendor at my high school and to reconnect with my friends and teachers.”

Ling has an art account on Instagram, @candyleaf_, where she posts her drawings ,and runs an online store on Etsy with the

same name. Her art is inspired by her STEM background. For example, one of her designs is based on the cytoplasm of a cell. At the Craft Faire, she sold acrylic charms, pins and stickers of her original designs.

Lynbrook’s music program also ran a bake sale and a raf�le, with proceeds going to LIMB. Vendors could choose to donate one of their goods to the drawing, and prospective participants could buy tickets for a dollar each for the chance to win one of those prizes. Liu cites both of these as important sources of income from the faire.

The food trucks parked along the driveway to the school were another option for food. Ten percent of their earnings went toward supporting LIMB. “We make money through the fees that vendors pay,” Liu said. “And then we also make money from the bake sale. It’s a big bake sale, so we usually make a couple thousand dollars and quite a bit of money from the raf�les.”

Liu is proud of the popularity the faire enjoyed this year and thanks student and parent volunteers for their contributions, as well as the many visitors. Community members who attended the faire also had a great experience.

“I liked how there were such a variety of different crafts and talents on display,” said sophomore Leah Homstad. “All the crafters were really welcoming and knowledgeable, which made the experience very valuable.”

Alumna Grace Ling poses with her booth, showcasing her work on sale

Handcrafted tissue box covers are displayed on a table inside the field house

YOUQI HUANG — EPIC

Vendors sell decorative hangings, plants and other ornaments at the Craft Faire

DECEMBER 11, 2019 News in Brief

NEWS

Halloween Haunt haunts park visitors

BY AUDREY WONG

Winter Concert Get into the festive mood by catching the second Winter Concert on Dec. 12 in the Lynbrook auditorium! Tickets are $5.

The orchestra will be performing several Christmas pieces such as Sleigh Ride and White Christmas.

Mid Year Break To celebrate the holiday season, two weeks off from school start on Dec. 20!

Wrestling Tournament Come out to support the Lynbrook wrestling team on Dec.21, in the gym!

PTSA Parent Ed Night Part 2 Dr. Hanna Chang is giving a second talk on January 16, in the Lynbrook auditorium from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. All Lynbrook parents are welcome to attend.

The �irst part of Dr.Hanna Chang’s talk in October focused on building supportive relationships with teens, and the second presentation will cover mental health, speci�ically anxiety. The presentation is designed to educate parents on how to better cope with anxiety and stress when it appears.

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hooter.

The word that sparked a frenzy among park-goers. On Oct. 26, reports of a shooting happening inside Great America caused waves of parkgoers to panic as they tried to escape the park. The cause of the widespread panic was an armed robbery that broke out nearby, which someone falsely identi�ied as a shooting in Great America.

This misunderstanding caused many to believe that there was an active shooter, however, a person with a gun was not located, according to the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD).

Among these park-goers were Lynbrook students who also �led the park. Freshman Sarah Sun thought that people’s immediate response was to run, following others’ lead.

“The �irst one or two minutes people were like ‘Is this real?’ and then after that people were like ‘Oh shoot!’ it actually is,” Sun said. “At �irst people were not emotional just yet, so they just ran out of instinct.”

Despite the scare, not all park-goers

ASB Winter Formal This year, the Snow Ball will be held at the San Jose Tech Museum on January 18.

Early tickets are $35 with ASB and $40 without. Normal tickets are $40 with ASB and $50 without.

knew what had taken place to incite the stampede of people.

“No one actually really knew [what happened] until halfway through it all,” junior Joshua Davis said. “Everyone was starting to panic and run, and then I believe somebody yelled there was a shooter. I think that’s how I �igured it out.”

Some park-goers were trapped inside the amusement park and took shelter in the gift shops. Others were able to escape the park and �ind safety, such as taking refuge in nearby hotels.

Freshman Lucy Barnes found evacuating the park to be dif�icult as the overwhelming mass of people crowded the exits.

“The barricade [that organized the line of the rides] fell on top of me, so I fell on the ground. Me and my friend was trying to hold me up, but she had to keep running [with the crowd in the direction of the exit],” Barnes said. “I got up and I just sprinted out of the park.”

In a response to all the chaos, Great America tweeted that “there were unsubstantiated reports of a gunshot at the park”. Both on-property police and park authorities removed a group of teenagers from the park. Although this cleared up the confusion over whether or not there were gunshots, it still did not improve the situation.

The news of an active shooter caused an uproar on social media. On CBS San Francisco news, the SCPD urged people not to report crimes on social media.

“In this situation, social media was the conduit for misinformation and unnecessarily drained Police and Fire Department

resources,” the statement said.

However, some students felt that the use of social media helped them maintain composure as they were able to communicate with their friends and family.

“I did [post on social media] but then I deleted it because I didn’t want to draw attention to the shooting,” Barnes said.

“I feel like the more we publicize and romanticize shootings, the more common they are.”

Barnes, Davis and Sun believe that there should be increased security and thorough searches when entering Great America so that people cannot bring �irearms into the park.

“I think it’s important for everyone to stay alert,” Barnes’ mother, Jenny Barnes, said. “Any area with large numbers of people could be a potential target. Taking steps to notice exits, alarms, security and play out scenarios as an exercise are useful safety precautions.”

Having undergone such a frightening experience, albeit a false alarm, parkgoers hope that there will be addition security and actions taken to prevent future incidents.

Martin Luther King Jr Day Enjoy a day off on January 20!

by Melissa Chen

ART ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY SONG

GRAHIC ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA CIONCA

BY TERESA ARISAWA

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eclining residency in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) has lowered enrollment, leading school of�icials to consider new measures and possible elementary school closure. This has already had effects and may lead to large impacts in CUSD and FUHSD. As the largest elementary school district in Northern California, CUSD has always faced enrollment issues, with some schools over�lowing with students while others are struggling with enrolmentl. The Bay Area housing crisis has compounded this problem, with questions arising regarding student numbers at elementary schools such as John Muir, Dilworth, Meyerholz and Blue Hills.

Over the past few years, CUSD has tried to increase enrollment in several ways, none of which have signi�icantly bolstered enrollment. Some included opening enrollment to students outside of the elementary school boundaries, adding transitional kindergarten classrooms to John Muir and Montclaire Elementary School and the “Dawn to Dusk” program, which provided a preschool and afterschool program, in hopes of attracting students.

However, these programs have not signi�icantly increased enrollment due to factors such as low demand and high operating costs.

Since becoming the CUSD superintendent in 2018, Dr. Craig Baker has worked with the District Board to propose 16 new enrollment solutions

for the district, divided into three categories: “attract,” “recon�igure” and “consolidate.”

Proposals under the “attract” category aim to draw in students by creating new programs and magnet schools, and opening enrollment to outside district boundaries.

“Recon�iguring” entails schools going from Kindergarten through 8th grade, rather than the traditional K-6 and reforming boundaries to divert more students to schools that need increased enrollment. “Consolidating” means closing a school. Baker and the District Board have stated that all options are to be weighted equally.

Although declining enrollment is not a new issue, many community members were unaware of its reality until recent months.

While there have been many committees to track enrollment and educate others on the topic, there has been a lack of advertisement of these organizations, causing many to remain oblivious to the situation.

In an attempt to involve the people most affected by these changes in the decisionmaking process, Baker and the District Board have been holding board meetings at CUSD schools. These sudden meetings caused a sense of urgency and worry in the community, with parents voicing their concerns on online forums such as Whatsapp and Nextdoor.

Baker and the Board have not implemented any concrete plans, but have alluded to possible developments in the near future. It has been stated that nothing will be enacted until after the current school year, making now the time for discussion. But with the possibility of school closure hanging in the air, the question of how such an event would affect the community remains.

Liao and many others are arguing against school closure. At the Board Meeting held on Nov. 21 at Miller Middle School, many parents brought up their concerns about

how closure would affect the community.

“This is where your kids go to learn and are supported by an amazing staff. For Muir, small is good, as kids can get individual attention and support,” Liao said. “As a parent, you also have a lot vested in the school, because of the giving of your time and money to support it. This is the place your family has built friendships and community.

No one wants to see that go.”

There have been many solutions suggesting relocation rather than closure, such as �illing schools with different students or a new program, such as a second Chinese Language Immersion Program (CLIP). CLIP involves a unique incorporation of Chinese culture at an American school and is very popular at Meyerholz.

“I think that John Muir’s enrollment rates are really low, and it would be more ef�icient to use the space for something else,” said former John Muir student Carolyn Li. “Replacing Muir with a CLIP-only program would maximize the productivity of the space, especially since so many people are being waitlisted for CLIP at Meyerholz.”

Nonetheless, it is unpredictable whether such measures would work, as the supply and demand of these programs may not play out as intended.

With this sudden rise of community involvement and communication with the district, a satisfactory solution for this enrollment crisis will hopefully arise in the near future.

GRAHIC ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA CIONCA

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opinion

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

BY KATIE CHEN

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ech giant Google has broken the mold with its data practices, and its latest brainchild, Project Nightingale, is no exception. With Nightingale, a trip to the doctor’s of�ice becomes a statistic in Google’s database — a person’s life unwittingly condensed into numbers on a screen, and a violation of basic human rights.

Fittingly deriving its name from that of Florence Nightingale, a trailblazer in modern nursing and medicine, Project Nightingale is a health data-harvesting venture conducted by Google and its partner Ascension Healthcare, the second-largest healthcare provider in the U.S. Nightingale aims to use arti�icial intelligence and machine learning to develop effective medical treatment plans for each patient. The project allows Google to harvest the medical data of 50 million Ascension patients across 21 states and upload it to a cloud database without their consent, underscoring the need for updated digital privacy legislation. Though Nightingale aims to improve medical treatments through the power of computers, the project’s ends do not justify Google’s means.

This project highlights a long-standing ethical concern with data collection practices. Patients typically assume that their medical information is con�idential, but Project Nightingale betrays this trust.

Furthermore, the fact that Google harvests this information without patients' knowledge begs the question: what other "con�idential" information do more than 150 Google employees now have access to?

“Google gives people the illusion of control over personal data, but makes it in fact dif�icult for them to effectively make choices leading to more privacy protections,” said Nicolo Zingales, associate professor at Leeds Law School.

“I don’t think the general public knows the More concerning is the potential for Nightingale to set a precedent for data full extent of the use of their medical data, as harvesting practices in the future. Other consent given for medical purposes typically companies may follow Google’s example, enables the processing of data for purposes and con�identiality may soon become a that go beyond the speci�ic treatment of relic of the past as the world progresses the individual in question,” Zingales said.

“Unfortunately, to a large extent this is due into an era of entirely online data.

While there is some legislation to the extraction of broad consent combined regarding these practices, there is a clear with a vague purpose speci�ication, which lack of restrictions for medical data in the may well be in violation of several data privacy laws.” technological age.

One concern is that such data is “The unique sensitive nature of medical information warrants greater scrutiny and inadequately protected; generally, data regulations which address the risks posed is encrypted on the front-end — the user to individuals by this data being used by interface — and back-end — the server people who are looking at it for one purpose — but not in between, where it is stored, and converting it to something else,” said Al making third-party access concerningly easy.

Gidari, Professor and Consulting Director of Notably, the lax enforcement of privacy laws Privacy at Stanford Law School’s Center for has allowed third-party organizations to gain access to personal Internet and Society. medical data.

“What we are really “Despite a growing talking about is if we "The unique sensitive awareness of the should have rules nature of medical range of existing that limit third-party access to data that information warrants data practices, we have a problem has already been greater scrutiny." of enforcement,” collected. I would like to have more Al Gidari Zingales said. “I clarity regarding Law professor am concerned that enforcement will not how, when, and be effective without where this data can closer oversight of be used and how it is what happens ‘under audited.” the hood.’ I think that Google claims that it adheres to the guidelines set by we need more resources for regulators and the Health Insurance Portability and a global and holistic coordination between Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects authorities investigating data practices. The such data, but Ascension employees have enactment of comprehensive data privacy expressed concerns regarding the project’s legislation in the U.S. would be a very welcome compliance with HIPAA. Additionally, step in that regard.”

Ethical data harvesting alternatives HIPAA was written and signed into law in 1996, when legislators could not have do exist and have been put into practice; foreseen the extent of Google’s massive for example, the University of California (UC) system makes sure to obtain patients’ online data harvesting.

knowledge and consent before collecting their data from its af�iliated hospitals.

Furthermore, the UC system ensures patients are aware of where their information is going and what is being done with it. The success of policies that respect patients’ privacy proves that Nightingale’s infringement is not only unethical; it is unnecessary.

“At the front end, the medical services collecting the data should not have done what they did without having patients' consent,” Gidari said. “It is better that individuals have the option to participate. There should be an opt-in system through which people have the right to choose whether their data can be used for that purpose.”

Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has passed vast amounts of legislation in the �ield of medical data, has af�irmed that Project Nightingale underscores a necessity for further legislation and that the nation’s lawmakers must do better to protect citizens’ privacy.

“Having patients' permission is a matter of safety in terms of privacy and where they do not want their information to go,” said Emily Mao, a junior and Good Samaritan Hospital volunteer. “I can get access to, for example, which department a patient is in, but I do not have access to the patients’ whole records, which I feel that only doctors and nurses should have access to. If you do not know where your information is going, it is even more concerning that the company handling it is Google because Google has such a big network.”

Nightingale’s data collection practices constitute a blatant violation of patients’ rights. The project highlights, more than ever, the necessity for new data regulations. Given the current circumstances, though, patients must be aware of the risks to their own privacy and make an effort to protect their personal data.

tried to. Now, I have a breakdown over every little blemish, and sometimes �ind myself desperately longing to change my features with the snap of my �ingers.

I began to feel insecure about my culture and heritage. When others saw my old pictures, I received comments like, “Ew, you looked so Indian.” This made me think that in order to be socially accepted as “attractive,” I had to move as far away as possible from my Indian roots.

I started trying to erase every trace of my heritage from my public appearance. I hid the fact that I did Indian classical dance, and I was terri�ied of anyone seeing me in public when wearing Indian clothes. To this day, when I do my makeup a certain way and receive comments saying I look “super Indian,” my �irst instinct is to never do my makeup like that ever again, even if I think I look good.

While these comments made me feel slightly more con�ident about my current physical appearance, they also made me question Western beauty standards. What’s so wrong with looking “Indian”? No matter what nickname I adopt to avoid the culture associated with my full name, or how much foundation I put on to make my complexion lighter, I’m going to stay Indian. There’s nothing I can really do to erase my identity, so why was I trying so hard to avoid something that was an innate part of myself?

Subconsciously, whenever someone told me I looked "so Indian," my mind jumped to the stereotypical image of a studious and socially-awkward Indian girl with oily hair slicked into a thick braid. I didn’t want to be that girl. But I didn’t realize that looking Indian didn’t have to mean being that girl.

I’ve always been a people-pleaser, but I’ve �inally accepted that there is no way for me to please everyone. I realized that for my own mental well-being, I need to learn how to make myself happy before worrying about others; it sounds cliché, but it really is true.

Prior to my glow up, I was so far from the ideal beauty standards that I wasn’t worried about trying to attain them; I already felt that it was an impossible feat.

Ironically, I felt like I was happiest when I was at my “ugliest” because I really didn’t care what others said about me. However, I’ve changed signi�icantly since then. While I am proud of who I am becoming, being a peoplepleaser has turned out to be one of my largest hurdles in discovering the best version of myself.

Am I ever going to get to a stage where I don’t care at all about what society thinks about me? Probably not. But stopping myself from letting others’ opinions get in the way of how I dress and present myself is a more realistic goal. I’ll start here, and maybe one day I won’t care about others’ judgments after all. Baby steps!

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OPINION SECTION

KAVYA IYER//IN MY OPINION

Physical glowup, mental glowdown

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hose clear-skinned girls with a tiny waist but wide hips, sporting crop tops and distressed jeans, showcasing an effortless smile bedazzled with teeth whiter than snow. That's who I wanted to be, but I was far from it.

When I moved here from San Diego in 2015, I was absolutely ecstatic that nobody here knew what I looked like in the past three years. I was embarrassed by my prior appearance — from my questionable fashion choices (skorts paired with leggings were my go-to out�it) to teeth so crooked they were borderline buck teeth, I was not exactly the de�inition of attractive.

Now when I think about what I looked

like in 2015, I honestly can’t understand how I truly believed I looked good. To cut myself some slack, many of my “upgrades” from then to now were things I did not have much control over. My appearance improved signi�icantly after my braces were taken off and when I opted for contacts rather than thick-framed glasses.

As I became more active on social media, I found the inspiration to develop my own style. Though all of these changes happened to coincide, I didn’t realize how drastic the change was until people began to comment on my glow up.

Out of the blue, people began complimenting my out�its or commenting that the way I did my hair a certain day looked nice. I wasn’t used to the attention because people usually looked at me without a second glance, but now that I had it, I loved it — at least, I loved it for a while.

These positive comments also came with their share of criticisms, and suddenly, nothing I did seemed to be enough. People began critiquing smaller �laws — things that I couldn’t change without cosmetic surgery. All of a sudden, my nose was too large, my forehead too broad and my legs too skinny. Every time I looked at myself, all I could think about was the criticism.

In a way, I was less self-conscious before my glow up, even though I didn't live up to conventional beauty standards and never

DECEMBER 11, 2019

OPINION

05

RESPECT WOMEN. JUST DO IT.

BY ALARA DASDAN

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ike’s February 2019 advertisement told women to “show them what crazy can do”, but recent court cases and �irsthand accounts from women working at Nike reveal a darker side to the sports brand. The advertisement aimed to boost Nike’s reputation more than promote a product, but its use is misplaced when Nike’s workplace disrespects its women. If Nike truly wants to support women’s rights, it should �irst show women the respect they deserve.

While Nike and other large corporations claim to support feminism, the desire for good press often drives these progressive advertising decisions. These advertisements, dubbed “femvertisements,” raise concerns over being simply catchy but meaningless slogans with super�icial messages about female empowerment, and Nike’s advertisements are no exception.

If Nike is willing to pander to social justice movements by creating �lashy advertisements promoting feminist ideals, it should also make an effort to exemplify these same values beyond blanket statements.

“Nike is a really big brand,” said sophomore Srushti Patil. “As a big company they need to make sure to have a good image. I feel like [the campaigns] are in a way mostly just for public favor.”

Female employees Kelly Cahill and Sara Johnston sued Nike in 2018 for workplace discrimination and harassment. The women reported that the corporation paid its men substantially more than its women and that men often received higher-level positions than women.

According to an inquiry by a group of female employees in Nike’s Beaverton branch, women reported get-togethers with coworkers ending at strip clubs at the insistence of

their male peers. Nike workplaces were often also sites of inappropriate behavior, such as a supervisor bringing condoms to work every day.

Additionally, Nike’s human resources department reinforced this culture by turning a blind eye to female employees’ complaints.

“They want to have a good image so their company can continue to grow,” said Patil. “But their actions in the past haven’t really shown that [support].”

A company that mistreats the women it hires has no right to claim it supports feminism. Regardless of the transgressions of individual employees, the lack of action from Nike to intervene and penalize those employees re�lects on its values as a company. Its actions are what de�ine its beliefs, not its advertisements.

Nike also has a track record of treating female athletes with disrespect. Track and �ield runner Mary Cain joined Nike as an athlete in 2013 with a promising career ahead of her, but she resigned soon after.

In an interview with the New York Times, Cain recounts the emotional abuse she experienced from her coach at Nike — Alberto Salazar — who gaslighted her into staying on a diet that made her aesthetically thinner but too malnourished to support her running. Her story echoes that of Olympic distance runner Kara Goucher, whom Salazar also coached.

These actions from Nike directly contradict the messages it touts in its advertisements. Slow-motion shots of women holding medals are not enough to ignore how Nike must either practice what it preaches or stop making these advertisements altogether.

Olympic runner Allyson Felix has recounted her unpleasant interactions with Nike as well. Nike tried to cut Felix’s pay by 70 percent after she gave birth and failed to provide solid solid assurance that she would be able to renew her contract

after having children. While Nike’s recent advertisements praised Serena Williams for having a baby and “coming back for more,” the way the company treats its own female athletes directly contradicts this message.

“Women are getting penalized for natural things that happen in their lives and I don’t think that it’s fair,” said P.E. teacher Lauren Blazek.

For a company that promotes feminist messages in its advertisements, Nike’s blatant mistreatment of its female athletes casts uncertainty on its true values. In this era of social justice, more companies are catering to intersectional feminists and their ideals in their public relations campaigns.

However, their treatment of women behind closed doors often belies these messages, suggesting that their advertising decisions are made for the sole purpose of maintaining good publicity and boosting pro�its.

Corporations like Nike may claim to embrace feminism, but this is often far from the reality.

These controversies reveal a deeper issue in society: that pro�it trumps progress. The public eye is turned toward feminist ideals, so the corporations bombard them with the same values in their ads to create a sense of allyship and reliability in their brand. Once the fourth wave of feminism washes away, companies will move on to whatever social movement comes next. If brands truly believed in bettering society for women and other minority groups, they would treat them more as people than an achievement to check off on a todo list.

If Nike truly wants women to “show them what crazy can do,” it should promote its female athletes’ achievements rather than using its women for publicity alone.

DIANA KOHR — EPIC

RON AICH//IN MY OPINION

Being forced into fast fashion

F

ashion will produce 8 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. That’s 2.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. This makes the fashion industry the world’s second-largest pollutant.

When I heard about the considerable carbon footprint caused by the fashion industry, I was shocked. How could one T-shirt be responsible for more than 15 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions?

More importantly, though, I was surprised that the unsustainable nature of the fashion industry hadn’t received more attention.

After doing some research, I discovered all my favorite brands were unsustainable.

That denim jacket I got for 50 percent off at Forever 21? Twenty kilograms of carbon dioxide. Those Jordan 1s I bought earlier?

Twenty-seven kilograms. It seemed like everything in my closet had to go. After hours of investigation, I found that only one item was 100 percent ethically made: my dad’s old, wrinkled hand-me-down Patagonia tee.

This was a problem. Although I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint by monitoring my clothing, I wasn’t sure where to begin.

Coming to school in head-to-toe in Patagonia wasn’t an option; I would have looked like Brother Nature. I began researching other name brands dedicated to sustainability.

Turns out, there are none. I then turned my attention looked into smaller companies that speci�ically marketed themselves as environmentally friendly.

Because of their environmentallyconscious label, though, sustainable brands are considerably pricier than their massproduced counterparts. The San Francisco startup Allbirds, for example, creates ethically-manufactured sneakers, but a $95 pair of Allbirds costs twice as much as a pair of Vans or Converse. As a high school student working seven hours a week, my hands were tied. Paying so much extra for the sustainable label simply wasn’t something I was ready to do. Even larger companies like Patagonia overprice their goods for their sustainable label; a Patagonia hoodie costs a whopping $80. For something so critical to the future, accessing an environmentally friendly hoodie shouldn’t be so hard.

Sustainable fashion is being restricted by its limited availability and its high cost; it doesn’t appeal to the average consumer.

Brand recognition is also something to consider. In today’s world, looking good isn’t all there is to fashion. The logos you wear play a signi�icant role in whether an out�it is considered stylish or not. Even though my favorite brands are wasteful, I still support them because of their reputation. I’m willing to pay extra to buy into both the company’s image and the item’s pop culture appeal.

In many ways, I am continuing the item’s legacy and acknowledging its rich history. A pair of Allbirds can never be as interesting as other brands because they don’t have an established cultural in�luence. A pair of Jordans, on the other hand, can make the wearer feel as if they are contributing to something greater than themselves.

What name brands offer their consumers is irreplaceable. The feeling of community that traditional streetwear companies generate is something sustainable fashion has yet to achieve. Because of its high price point, sustainable fashion feels elitist; not everyone has the money or time to care about the movement. To normalize sustainable fashion, larger companies should look to increase consumers’ exposure to environmentally conscious clothing.

Until sustainable fashion becomes more mainstream, though, I’ll continue to wear my all-white Kirkland tees and Levi’s �lannels.

06

OPINION

DECEMBER 11, 2019

Drugs, sex, shame — with a side of Rice

BY PRANAV MISHRA

S

ome students compete over athletics, while others compete over academics. All too often, teenagers love competition. Enter the Rice Purity Test. Now, students can spend their time comparing how many times they have used drugs or ways they have had sex. This online quiz claims to measure one’s purity on a scale of 1 to 100. Simple enough? Not quite. The test is unhealthy, as it diminishes students’ experiences to a mere number while encouraging them to engage in misconduct.

The Rice Purity Test is a survey first administered by Rice University in 1924.

The test asks 100 yes-or-no questions to output a numerical score, with 100 being the “most pure” and 0 being completely “impure.” The first test was given only to women in order for Rice to gauge how risqué their female population was.

It often resulted in shaming: women with scores below 70 were viewed as immoral, whereas those with scores above 90 were seen as uptight. The test has since become popular worldwide, despite retaining its most fundamental problem: it reduces test-takers' complex experiences to a single numerical value.

“The Rice Purity Test puts you in a loselose situation,” senior Katherine Wang said.

“It’s made many people I know feel terrible about themselves. You feel embarrassed if your score is too high, and it constantly encourages you to be ‘cool’ by trying to check as many things as you can off the list.”

The Rice Purity Test has instigated a culture of unhealthy comparison among teens. It is not uncommon to hear friends talking among themselves about how low their scores are, as a show of how adventurous they have been. The result is dangerous: it fosters an environment where students are avidly looking for ways to lower their own scores to impress their peers.

“While I think the Rice Purity Test is a fun thing to joke about among my friends, it does pose dangers,” said junior Vivek Verma.

“Many kids brag about how low their scores are, creating a culture of peer pressure.”

The questions on the Rice Purity Test are worrisome — some questions go as far as to ask about getting arrested or getting convicted of a felony. Even the more “moderate” questions — having sex in public, doing methamphetamine, shoplifting — encourage actions that could have grave consequences on impressionable young teens. In an environment where a lower score has a higher value, the test ironically

perpetuates the negative behavior that it was intended to humiliate. Simply put, it’s the worst bucket list ever created.

“The test can be as uncomfortable as it is fun,” said sophomore Arwen Ma. “When your score ends up being lower than those of our friends, it becomes easy to feel judged and conscious of yourself as a person.”

As Ma expressed, the test can also cause low scorers to feel bad, for fear of being too “impure.” This idea of impurity is primitive and has no place in an era where we strive for progressive change.

Therefore, it is important to remember that this test is an extremely limited metric — these 100 questions are anything but exhaustive and are incapable of encompassing the breadth and depth of one’s own life. As such, it cannot accurately measure someone’s virtue on the basis of such a limited set of questions.

It is clear that throughout its history, the Rice Purity Test has remained a symbol of arbitrarily quantifying one’s own worth. While on the surface it may seem like harmless fun, it is imperative that one considers the insecurity and potential harm it can cause once administered.

Missing tests is not usually encouraged, but perhaps this one is worth skipping.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATTION BY YOUQI HUANG

TERESA ARISAWA—EPIC

Letter to the editors In response to issue 2 editorial Dear Editors, the Epic’s November editorial claimed that the HAERT Program presentations didn’t address real mental illnesses. While the editorial made valid points, it didn’t communicate the program's true purpose, and was incredibly damaging to FUHSD administration's �irst attempt to �ix issues caused by our high pressure environment.

The presentation aimed to promote mental wellness, not treat mental illness, and provide preventative, not curative, care. When the Youth Public Policy Institute of Sunnyvale (YPPI) went to the FUHSD board, it was to help deal with Bay Area high schoolers' day-to-day stresses The district already has infrastructure for mental care, in the form of student advocates.

The main concern was that the superhero theme demeaned those with mental illnesses. While we didn’t connect with the superhero theme, it’s emblematic of the presentation’s most important takeaway: Lynbrook is trying.

The editorial's strong stance against the program bene�its nobody. Going forward, administration will be less likely to support such programs, which aim to help. The article was written after the �irst presentation and can only be seen as premature.

Bay Area schools are known to be insanely stressful, culminating in tragic suicides like those at Gunn. While Gunn hired staff trained in suicide prevention, they weren’t there when students needed them most. These presentations introduced the importance of mental wellness to students; they exist to change Lynbrook’s high-stress culture and prevent another burnt-out student from becoming a headline. We ask that you approach them with an open mind.

— Sophomore Pranay Mamileti and the rest of the YPPI mental health team

Reconsidering absence policies to accomodate student and staff needs

W

ith �inals approaching and �lu season rearing its ugly head, it becomes commonplace to see students struggling to maintain both their grades and their health. Eighty-six percent of 126 Lynbrook students surveyed indicated that they have prioritized academics over their own health in the past.

Lynbrook staff and administration generally agree that students should avoid coming to school when they are sick, as they could aggravate their health or make other students ill. Nevertheless, some students struggle through their classes, even when sick, to avoid missing important school work since making it up can be dif�icult. In fact, eighty percent of students surveyed agreed that making up work can be tedious, stressful and overwhelming. The school, therefore, should work with its student body to create an environment in which students feel more comfortable missing school when necessary, whether they are working through a physical sickness or need a mental break.

With regard to reasons for absence, 83 percent of those surveyed agree that mental health should be given equal priority to physical sickness. However, many students may not realize that mental health is considered an illness and can warrant an excused absence, similar to physical sickness. Teachers and school administration should explicitly address mental health and exhaustion as a legitimate reason to miss school. Without this con�irmation, due to stigma about mental wellness within the community, students who require mental breaks from the stress of academic and extracurricular responsibilities might feel that their needs are invalid. Thus, these students may feel pressure to falsely cite physical sickness as their reason for absence, rather than mental health, when discussing their absence with their teacher and the

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic attendance clerk.

Further, some students may feel uneasy about communicating with teachers about absences and the procAess of making up work, in part because different teachers have signi�icantly different absence and makeup policies. As a result, contacting each of their teachers can not only be laborious for students, but also can be intimidating and confusing. Additionally, students might not be unsure whether their speci�ic health issue — be it mental or physical — is a valid reason to miss school, and consequently may feel hesitant about discussing an absence with their teacher.

Although there is a general consensus that teachers should provide students the number of days they missed to make-upork, there are no explicit guidelines that are easily visible

on the Lynbrook website student handbook.

Teachers are largely given autonomy in creating their absence and make-up policies, which range from very lenient to extremely strict. For example, one teacher may have a policy that allows students to make up assignments and tests within a few days or weeks of the absence, while another may require them to do so on the day they return.

This causes variation among the methods through which students approach make-up work, with some taking advantage of lenient policies and others experiencing stress about the assignments they have to make up.

In general, it is also important for both students and teachers to acknowledge that a day off is meant to be a time for rest and recovery, not a day to do more work. When students return to school after sickness,

they must focus not only on making up missed work and learning concepts taught while they were gone, but also on managing additional assignments. Doing so is a challenging task for any student, and even more so for students that are simultaneously trying to fully recover from an illness. Students should not feel the need to sacri�ice the quality of their work or face earning lower scores than they deserve because they fall sick.

Prompt and honest communication between the student and the teacher is imperative to solving this issue in an effective manner. Currently, students are responsible for contacting their teachers when they are absent, whether by email or by approaching them in person when they return. As a result, communication should be the primary focus when addressing absence and make up work policies, as it is the �irst step to reducing any confusion that might arise among students.

Students’ health should be given priority — whether physical or mental — and addressing the issue of absences and make up policies is one step in that direction.

In the Epic’s next issue, the staff editorial will further explore the perspectives of students, teachers and administration and propose ideas to mitigate the current issues of confusion and stress that accompany missing school. The editorial will also aim to address the complexities that arise in the process of trying to provide solutions. Such complexities include the dif�iculties teachers face due to students’ lack of communication, the struggle with trying to make fair decisions between students, balancing leniency and strictness, and the potential bene�its and pitfalls of a standardized, schoolwide absence and make up policy. * The Epic staff voted 38-0 in favor of this stance.

features

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

07

Just for kicks: Mr. Nguyen’s shoe collection

BY ENZO CABALTICA

S

ENZO CABALTICA — EPIC GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FEATURES SECTION

2017 All-Star Game Air Jordan 1

ELENA WILLIAMS//FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I can’t believe I’m not vegan!

A

h, vegetarianism. The easy middle ground for those of us who aren’t quite comfortable with eating meat, but are a bit too attached to our grilled cheeses and milk chocolate to go full vegan.

I grew up more or less vegetarian in observance of my family’s religion. Like

hoes, footwear, kicks. Most people only own one or two pairs. Physics teacher Thanh Nguyen has 37.

Nguyen’s extensive collection boasts a variety of brands ranging from Nike to Puma. Each day of the week, he wears a different sneaker that brings �lair to his otherwise formal button-down shirt, tie and slacks. His shoe choice is an interesting addition to his daily Physics lesson.

“I start planning my out�it from the shoes up,” Nguyen said. “I ask myself, ‘what type of socks do I wear with them? What pants?’ From there, it’s ‘what tie do I wear?’ Once I have a tie picked, I pick a shirt to match the tie.”

Nguyen wasn’t always an avid sneakerhead, the slang term for a fan of shoes.

As a child, he owned two pairs at a time; in college, he was only interested in skate shoes since he rode a longboard. He particularly liked shoes from Macbeth, a Californian brand founded by former members of the rock band Blink-182. Unfortunately, Macbeth went out of business, forcing Nguyen to turn to mainstream brands like Nike for new skatewear.

Once Nguyen began earning his own money, he was able to spend more on shoes. In 2016, when he was browsing the Gilroy Nike outlet’s skate shoes section, he spotted a pair of black and teal basketball shoes.

“I turn around, and I see a pair of All-Star Game Kobe 11 Lows, just on the rack, 50 percent off,” Nguyen said. “And I’m like, ‘These are pretty. And the sole is glow in the dark.’”

Nguyen did not buy the Kobes that day, but regretted it and later bought them on Goat, a popular sneaker reselling site. On Goat, sellers buy coveted shoes upon release and sell them at an in�lated resale price. The Kobes were the �irst shoes Nguyen bought at resale price, marking the beginning of his sneaker craze. As he searched for them online, he found another shoe: the 2017 All Star Air Jordan 1. These iconic leather high-tops were the �irst shoe designed for the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan. The particular colorway was nicknamed “Chameleon” for its iridescent turquoise which appears to change color depending on the angle of the viewer’s eye. Nguyen bought them at resale price and started collecting more Jordan 1s in different colors. Eventually, they became his favorite type of sneaker.

“I don’t feel bad getting more than one pair of Jordans because it’s such a classic silhouette,” Nguyen said. “It’s the OG sneaker. It’s the �irst one that people were like ‘I need to buy this.’ I grew up watching Jordan on TV. I had a Space Jam backpack that had a fold out basketball hoop. If I could have just one pair of shoes, it would be the Chameleons.”

Nguyen’s younger brother, also a sneakerhead, noticed Nguyen’s growing Nike collection and introduced Nguyen to an Adidas shoe: the Ultraboost.

Boost is Adidas’s trademark cushioning system, and the Ultraboost is known for its cloud-like comfort. After buying a pair, Nguyen was browsing other styles of the shoe when he saw the Aspen Ultraboost Mids, a limited edition collaboration between Adidas and the streetwear brand Kith.

“It was about how comfy they looked and how nice they looked,” Nguyen said. “Nothing else looks like a sweater on your feet. And then after [I saw them] I’m like, ‘alright, let’s let’s see what else is out there.’”

Nguyen expanded his collection with different styles of Adidas Boost shoes, including Inikis and Pure Boost. However, he found them all uncomfortable after standing while teaching for long periods of time. He revisited Nike for models such as Air Max, Flyknit Racers and Reacts, all of which were more supportive. He also returned to his skater roots, buying Vans and Nike SBs. Soon, the entire back wall of his garage was �illed with shelves of shoes.

“I bought a lot [of shoes]; for a while I was buying like, one pair a month for a good year-and-a-half,” Nguyen said. “Then I took a step back and looked at my cabinet and I’m like ‘okay, I can start getting rid of some.’”

Nguyen often chats with Chemistry teacher Lester Leung and Physiology teacher Jason Lee about shoes, both of whom own Boosts. He also gave some of his unworn shoes to his brother for his birthday and gifted a pair to his father, who wears them proudly to work.

For Nguyen, shoes are more than just a wearable; they are a fun way to personalize his attire. Since teaching requires continuous standing and walking, he values comfort and versatility. He prefers classic shoes over newer styles, and loves sneakers that commemorate his favorite bands or organizations, such as his NASA vans. Although he no longer buys sneakers every month, he is always on the lookout for interesting new pairs to add to his collection.

“I joke that [my sneakers] give people something attractive to look at when they look at me,” Nguyen said. “But shoes are a good way for me to express myself and show some �lair.”

many Hindus, I eat no meat or �ish (with some exceptions, like when I have no selfcontrol and the pasta bolognese is right there). As I grew older, however, my dietary choices became more about ethics than religion. I learned more about the meat industry, and I realized I did not want to support its cruelty toward animals or its emissions’ contributions to global warming.

My vegetarianism became an easy way for me to stand up to cruelty and negligence — and an easy way for me to feel good about myself for standing by my values.

It didn’t occur to me until much later that I was still taking the easy way out. If I really were so willing to change my practices based on my beliefs, then I would have become vegan rather than vegetarian, as the industries that handle animal products are no more ethical than meat industries. I was too proud of myself for adopting a more sustainable lifestyle, ignoring the fact that I was still far from perfect.

All my attempts at veganism have failed,

though. When my family plans a dinner with dairy products, am I supposed to turn my nose up at it? When someone offers me a donut at school, what am I supposed to do?

Not take it? And am I really supposed to eat — gasp — dark chocolate? Blasphemy!

Becoming vegetarian was easy; growing up, I ate meat rarely, so eliminating it from my diet was simple. There were no awkward moments with my family, since they are all vegetarian as well and could easily support my diet choices. Because of this, I underestimated the power of convenience, which made it much harder to fully align my practices with my values. I did succeed at consuming fewer animal products, however, if not totally changing my diet. This, I realized, was a more reasonable goal.

As consumers, we often face choices between doing what we believe is right and doing what is convenient or practical. Even if you have no issue with eating meat, your personal values might con�lict with another consumer choice you make — for example,

N7 Air Max Zero

Vans Sk8-Hi NASA

Puma RS-0 x Polaroid

2018 Vans Sk8-Hi Metallica

Ultraboost 4.0 Grey Four

2017 All-Star Game Kobe 11 Elite Low

buying cheap clothes that might not have been made with ethical labor, or supporting large corporations over local businesses.

But there are limits to what choices we can make based on our principles. I might care about the environment and want to lower emissions, but if I don’t have the money for a fully electric vehicle, it would be impractical to buy it.

We shouldn’t be ashamed of ourselves for having our limits, but we can’t throw our hands in the air either. We can settle for a middle ground, making choices not so inconvenient that they derail our lives, but enough so that we stay true to what we believe in. For me, that means working toward eating fewer animal products — despite my seething hatred for vegan cupcakes.

If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, I’m not judging. But I hope that if you’re making choices that don’t align with your own values, you can work to nudge the line forward, inch by inch. I’ll keep trying to do so myself — though I’m not budging on the cupcakes.

08

FEATURES

LAST CHRISTMAS

E

DECEMBER 11, 2019

BY CLAIRE CHIU

ven with a sea of rom-coms to choose from, the movie “Last Christmas” stands out. On Nov. 8, “Last Christmas” starring Henry Golding and Emilia Clarke premiered. Unsurprisingly, the movie’s inspiration comes from the lyrics of “Last Christmas” by Wham!, which is also the theme song of the movie. While this movie is a pleasant addition to the existing Christmas movie offerings, it is not entirely without drawbacks.

“Last Christmas” features Kate, an aspiring singer played by Clarke, who meets Tom, a put-together charmer played by Golding. Before meeting Tom, Kate had undergone a life-threatening ordeal that left her emotionally broken; after the pair meet, however, Tom helps Kate face her personal issues and helps her live her life to the fullest extent.

The chemistry between Golding and Clarke was the most impressive part of this movie. Instead of following the conventional “girl meets boy” rom-com storyline, in which the interactions between actors can feel especially stiff or forced, Golding and Clarke’s interactions give a sense of natural attraction — the two do not fall in love at �irst sight, which provides depth to their relationship over time. In fact, Kate rebuffs Tom’s efforts at friendship initially, thinking that he’s up to no good.

What’s inspiring about this movie is the theme of family and its acknowledgement of problems in real-life. Of course, some aspects are dramatized, but the rawness of the characters’ struggles is appealing; the audience is able to sympathize and connect with the characters. Some scenes even draw a few tears. Furthermore, the commentary on society extends beyond just private life to talk about racism and polarization. Re�lecting the current state of society, the movie encourages the notion of spreading kindness and standing up for each other.

Despite a unique plotline, “Last Christmas” was not a �lawless movie. While the acting was spot on, the plot was far from stellar. Critics were divided over the unique twist in the plotline of “Last Christmas.” While plot twists may make an action movie, or another movie in a different genre, some found that the twist detracted from the romantic mood. The sudden jolts in mood from happy to somber to happy again seemed jarring rather than meaningful. Furthermore, some of the dialogue seemed cheesy at times and detracted from the movie’s overall aesthetic. While the reception to this movie is divided, “Last Christmas” still exceeded expectations as a rom-com movie.

Typically, rom-coms are negatively associated with the stereotype of subpar acting. “Last Christmas”, however, delivers a spot-on performance that will render the audience moved. For those who are new to the romcom genre, this movie surprises with its captivating plotline and stellar acting, and for those who already love holiday rom-coms, this movie is perfect to sit down and watch with loved ones.

THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

T

BY LILLIAN FU

his winter, Net�lix added another holiday original to its supply with “The Knight Before Christmas.” Starring Vanessa Hudgens, a romantic comedy icon, this movie promises everything a rom-com lover wants: a feel-good, cozy ninety minutes of pure romantic bliss.

The story follows Sir Cole, played by Josh Whitehouse, as he �inds himself transported from his 14th-century knight life in England to the suburbs of modern Ohio. The old crone who sent him gives him until Christmas Eve to complete his quest, a challenge which every knight must conquer. High school teacher Brooke Winters, played by Hudgens, accidentally hits him with her car when he arrives. Out of guilt for causing his apparent amnesia, she decides to take care of him.

It’s not hard to predict the rest of the plot. The two fall in love, and Cole realizes that his quest is opening his heart. He returns to the 1300s only to turn right back around, appearing before the brie�ly heartbroken Brooke in a dramatic �lurry of snow and chain mail. It’s exactly what audiences crave as the holidays draw near, hitting every cliché line and cheesy scene with sleigh bells and snow�lakes in the background. It brings nothing new to the table, but it’s lovable anyway.

“The Knight Before Christmas” may be absolutely predictable, but it’s the perfect movie to warm you by the �ireplace. The two leads hold the �ilm together.

Whitehouse’s scruffy hair and doe eyes complement his dog-like character perfectly, and his acting brings life to the kind and innocent Sir Cole. Hudgens’s smile seems patentable, and her line delivery as Brooke is impeccable.

The characters are generic, but the actors’ charm shines through the screen. Sir Cole provides ample comic relief as he blunders through the modern world with his sword loyally strapped to his side; the inevitable secondhand embarrassment, however, is kept surprisingly tolerable. His general cluelessness and goo�iness keeps the movie itself from being too dumb. While his character arc is bland and largely ornamental, viewers still �ind themselves cheering for him.

Although Cole’s journey is somewhat half-baked, Brooke’s is far more so. She’s advertised as a disillusioned lover, but she doesn’t act like it; she is as eager for a relationship as Cole is from day one. The pain she previously experienced in love is only shown through two conversations with a student of hers and three scenes in which she nearly encounters her ex. For the rest of the movie, she smiles through all her problems, lips never resting for more than a couple seconds.

The movie relies heavily on the lead actors to leave an impression on the audience, while the characters and plot are as crowd-pleasing as possible. Whitehouse’s endearing silliness and Hudgens’s cheekbones carry the movie. While this movie might not be the right �it for those who don’t have a history of enjoying romantic comedies, it is perfect for anyone who wants to relax and get into the Christmas spirit.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY FEATURES SECTION

LET IT SNOW

“L

BY SLOKA SURESH

et It Snow”, a recent addition to Net�lix’s Christmasthemed rom-coms, stands apart from the bland and predictable holiday releases expected during this time of year. Based on the novel by Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle, and John Green and complete with the quintessential mistletoe romance and winter wonderland setting, the movie’s unique plotline is the perfect mix of charming and unconventional, making it a must-watch for this holiday season.

Told through three interconnected love stories, “Let It Snow” follows a group of high school students brought together by a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. At �irst glance, “Let It Snow” seems like every other cookie-cutter Christmas movie with a syrupy sweet plot and classic happy ending. However, its underlying complexity makes the story far more compelling than expected. At its core, the movie examines what it’s like to be a teenager in modern day, capturing relatable emotions and vulnerabilities. Topics ranging from anxiety about college to navigating the world as an LGBTQ person are all major themes that shed light on challenges teens face as they transition into adulthood.

Beyond the movie’s thoughtful commentary on adolescence, the director’s warm cinematic approach greatly adds to the visual appeal. The whimsical, almost ethereal, setting balances the unorthodox content by reinforcing the feel-good holiday atmosphere. There were, however, very few location changes. It reaches the point where viewers almost wish the director had not taken the title “Let It Snow” so literally when deciding to shoot a decent number of the scenes in bland, snowcovered areas.

The stellar performance by the “Let It Snow” cast is another feature that sets the movie apart from traditional Hallmark holiday movies . Mitchell Hope’s performance as Tobin was particularly memorable, as he captures teenage awkwardness while still maintaining his charm. It was also interesting to see his development as an actor, as his portrayal of Tobin stands in stark contrast to the popular jock persona in Disney’s “Descendants” which he is known for. Isabella Merced as Julie Reyes was another stand out. Her witty humor combined with her slight annoyance toward the world made her character a breath of fresh air amidst the movie’s abundance of cheesy lines. I was slightly disappointed, however, that Jacob Batalon has seemingly been type casted as the “funny sidekick.” While his role in the “Spider-Man” franchise as the humorous best friend was hilarious, his portrayal of Keon is very similar and is almost downplayed in comparison to the rest of the cast. This isn’t to say that he is a bad actor — on the contrary, he actually executes the role very well — but his character seems like an afterthought for the directors.

While by no means perfect, “Let It Snow” is a mostly enjoyable watch. Though familiar in its somewhat predictable plot, its relatable storyline and memorable characters make it a top pick for movies to watch this holiday season.

I

FROZEN 2

BY MEDHA UPADHYAY

t’s of�icial: Disney has managed to recreate the magic. Anna and Elsa are back with the whole gang, and Frozen fever is back in full force.

The royal sisters don’t feel quite the same as they did six years ago; though it’s subtle, they have both grown as people. This time around, Anna develops into a protagonist that young girls around the world have always wanted to see on screen.

She’s funny, strong, emotional and expertly voiced by Kristen Bell.

Elsa transforms into a cold self-sacri�icial hero, as one does when they feel that they’re to blame for every bad thing that happens to an entire country, but she thaws slowly throughout the movie. Kristoff is back too, but the �ilmmakers make the wise decision to send him on a separate path than Anna so that she tackles the climax’s challenges on her own. All the characters are given the space they deserve, with clever writing weaving together the stories of many interconnected characters.

The plot of this movie makes little sense, but at least it’s simple. The sisters are trying to clear the impenetrable mist around an enchanted forest inhabited by indigenous peoples. There’s also something involving earth, water, wind and �ire, a con�lict which causes the novelty of the plot to take a sharp nosedive. There are a couple of scenes that stretch a little past the realm of possibility, but the story �lows well overall. The tone never dips into anything too serious and there are jokes peppered throughout the movie that help break the tension. The progression of the story is absolutely phenomenal, especially the attention to detail. Every scene felt carefully and meaningfully crafted.

The topic of songs is unavoidable when “Frozen” comes up. The music of “Frozen 2” is good, but it’s not quite on the same level as the �irst soundtrack. “Frozen 2” features “Into the Unknown,” a bona �ide anthem with a relatively fresh sound, and a few other hilarious tunes that are unfortunately not catchy enough to be memorable.

However, at the risk of giving too much away, “Lost in the Woods” is hands down the best part of the entire movie.

Where “Frozen” goes, drama follows, and it’s been near impossible to miss those who are touting the franchise as a feminist milestone from a major production company. While it is hardly a revolution — Anna jumps over an entire canyon in heels and doesn’t twist an ankle — it does represent a pushing of the envelope.

This movie doesn’t have anything as dramatic as the Hans plot twist or the true love exposé of the original, but it features well-rounded female characters who are the heroes in their own stories. By toning down the drama, Disney manages to make the movie more realistic and less alienating to older viewers.

“Frozen” was an absolute pop culture phenomenon when it came out, and this is a worthy sequel. While the soundtrack doesn’t quite live up to expectations, the beauty of returning to Arrendale and reuniting with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven for another adventure makes “Frozen 2” worth the watch.

FEATURES

DECEMBER 11, 2019

09

Kings of bridge: finding success in competition

J

Arthur Zhou

Michael Hu

ALARA DASDAN - EPIC

unior Michael Hu and sophomore Arthur Zhou are teammates who play competitive bridge at an international level. Both Hu and Zhou were introduced to the game by their parents and continued playing recreationally. It wasn’t until they began taking serious classes that they realized they could also play competitively.

“My mom introduced bridge to me when I was six,” Hu said. “I got really into it when I started to play against my mom and her friends. That was what really prompted me to start playing bridge competitively.”

Zhou also recalls how parent urging boosted his interest in the game.

“My bridge journey started when Michael Hu’s mom encouraged my mom to sign me up for a bridge camp, and after the weeklong camp I was hooked on bridge,” Zhou said.

A standard game of bridge typically lasts for three and a half hours, with two teams of two players each. At the start of the game, each player is dealt 13 cards. After the cards have been dealt, players begin to make bids; this part of the game is called the “auction.” To win the “auction,” three players must pass the current bid. Once someone wins the “auction,” the “bridge” part of the game begins. Each player takes turns playing a card and the higher card wins. Winning the four cards in one round earns the team a trick. Each t r i c k

Attending these tournaments has helped Bridge become earns points, and the team with the most points accumulated more than just fun and games. Hu and Zhou have earned many by the end of the game wins.

“I usually practice for around four hours a week with signi�icant awards and titles such as representing the U.S. Arthur,” Hu said. “Additionally, I take classes every Sunday under 16 division at the World Youth Bridge Championships.

They also won the youth pair and watch professional bridge tournaments.” award in a tournament held in Zhou also practices every week to hone Las Vegas last summer. his skills and get better.

As Hu and Zhou continue “I attend online bridge training organized “Even if it isn’t to be played by the United States Bridge Federation for competitively, a casual game to earn recognition for their of bridge with your family or bridge abilities, they plan to two hours every week,” said Zhou.

Hu and Zhou compete as teammates in friends can be a great bonding attend bigger tournaments and build the popularity of the game two major tournaments during the summer, experience” among younger generations just one of which takes place out of the country, as well as local tournaments during the Michael Hu as their parents did for them.

“Bridge is a really fun and school year. Last summer, Hu competed in a Competitive Bridge Player interactive game,” Hu said. “Even tournament held in China where he played if it isn’t played competitively, a against competitors in his age division from casual game of bridge with your around the world.

“Playing in all these tournaments really helped me grow family or friends can be a great time to bond.”

Zhou believes that anyone can pick up the game of bridge as a person,” Hu said. “Not only did I have to learn how to live and take care of myself while I was traveling on my own, as long as they are willing to put in the work and time to I also learned a lot of bridge techniques playing alongside practice. Unlike other sports like basketball where genetics can determine a player’s skill level, bridge only relies on a these pronounced players.” player’s hard-earned abilities and their complete knowledge of a deck of cards.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATRION BY FEATURES SECTION

BY ETHAN LEE

10

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

in-depth

The effects of sleep deprivation among adolescents While schoolwork and extracurricular activities are always a drain on students’ time, increasing screen s each day comes to an end, sophomore time presents a unique challenge that Generation Z Aryan Dwivedi �inds himself struggling to students face — one that was less prevalent in previous stay awake. On a regular school night, he gets generations. Screen time is the second most common around six hours of sleep and sometimes even less cause of going to sleep late, affecting 60 percent of after working on extracurricular activities, such as poll respondents. Due to the rapid development his Synopsys application. Throughout the day, he is of technology, electronic device use has become a attentive during class, but soon enough, exhaustion central part of daily life. From working on homework catches up to him in the evening, and Dwivedi assignments requiring the use of a computer to eventually �inds himself unable to continue working checking the latest posts on social media on a phone, without taking the time to take a break and rest. students �ind themselves spending hours in front of a Dwivedi is among a generation of teens growing screen. When in use, devices with screens cause teens up chronically sleep deprived. From the 2015 Youth to sleep later not only because technology has the Risk Behavior Surveys, the Centers for Disease potential to be highly addictive but also because they Control and Prevention found that 73 percent of high emit blue light, which inhibits the release of melatonin, school students nationwide a natural hormone that signals the regularly get less than the body to prepare for sleep. recommended eight to 10 “I try to stay away from my phone hours of sleep in what has “I know getting six hours of because, otherwise, I get really been described as a sleep sleep is not enough. The thing distracted and will not get sleep,” deprivation epidemic. is that my body is adjusted to freshman Varsha Chandrasekran said.

“I know six hours of sleep make it seem like it’s enough, “I usually don’t charge my phone in is not enough,” Dwivedi my room, so I do not get distracted. said. “The thing is that my but then I feel dead by the As a result, I can actually have a good body has adjusted to make time 7:30 p.m. rolls around.” sleep because it is not in my room. If it seem like it is enough. For I have my phone near me, I would be Aryan Dwivedi on Facebook for two hours straight, so the �ive hours that I need Sophomore I try to keep my phone away from my to be active in school, my body is adjusted, but then I bed while I am sleeping.” feel dead by the time 7:30 In the 2018-2019 school year, p.m. rolls around. I know FUHSD introduced new class schedules there is an issue; it just gets shifted to a time when for all of its schools, which pushed back the schools’ it’s not affecting my school hours, but it is affecting start times to 8 a.m. at the earliest. This decision was me — I do not want that to happen.” made as part of a larger, ongoing effort to address the Consistent lack of sleep has detrimental effects critical issues of student sleep and wellness. on people’s mood, memory and overall health.

“The thought behind moving the start time later is Many studies have found that sleep deprivation is that the sleep right before you wake up, those last few linked to impaired attention, memory, reasoning hours, are really important,” Principal Maria Jackson and problem-solving skills. This is additional to said. “That way, students do not miss out on that drowsiness which is big public safety hazard on last cycle of sleep. The FUHSD Wellness Council was the road, as The National Highway Traf�ic Safety discussing these issues district-wide, and that is kind Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause of where the conversation started.” in 100,000 auto crashes a year in the U.S with the Similarly, the state has taken similar steps to push problem being greatest among people under 25 back the start time for schools. On Oct. 13, California years old.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 328, which “Getting the full nine hours of sleep is really mandates that California high schools begin no earlier important because you are getting more rapid than 8:30 a.m. Taking effect in June 2022, the bill eye movement sleep near the end of these nine shows promise in addressing the issue of high school hours compared to the beginning, and that affects students not receiving the adequate amount of sleep. different parts of your memory,” said Lynbrook “A lot of studies have observed that teens have a alumna Whitney Li who majors in psychology and late melatonin secretion compared to adults,” Li said. molecular and cell biology at the University of “That is what is called a sleep pressure delay, or a late California, Berkeley. sleep phase. After melatonin begins secreting, you In a survey of 404 Lynbrook students, the most actually sleep one to two hours after that, which is not common reported cause of sleeping late at night like most adults, so this is really a very particular thing is studying for tests and completing homework, to adolescence. That’s sort of the natural biological which affects 87 percent of respondents. In addition tendency to sleep later. The entire thing with the bill to schoolwork, 54 percent of respondents noted that participating in extracurricular activities has contributed to going to late sleep times, as it forces them to stay up later to �inish homework and prepare for the next day.

BY BENNIE CHANG AND RACHEL WU

A

— making schools start later on — can really help teens get the maximum amount of sleep.”

Getting the appropriate quantity of sleep is just one thing that students can do to improve their focus and mood. Daylight exposure in the morning has been shown to lead to better sleep at night as it helps calibrate the body’s internal biological clock.

In a study published in 2017 in the journal Sleep Health, of�ice workers who received higher levels of light in the morning were able to fall asleep more quickly and soundly, as well as feel less depressed and stressed, compared to people who were exposed to less light.

Additionally, rather than reading from a smartphone or tablet at bedtime, students can read from a paper book or magazine to help minimize screen time and exposure to blue light. In a study published in 2017 in the Wiley Online Library, participants wore special glasses to �ilter blue light; after two weeks, their melatonin levels increased by 58 percent, and they reported improved sleep.

Helping students understand the importance of sleep and its effects on the body is an issue that Jackson and many others feel deserves the attention of students.

“We are hoping that through education, we can help students understand that getting more sleep is to their bene�it,” Jackson said. “We can’t make students go to bed, but we are hoping that we can help students make different choices that are to their bene�it. All we can really do is present information to encourage you to make choices that are good for you.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY LILLIAN FU AND JASMINE HOU

IN-DEPTH

DECEMBER 11, 2019

11

Esports: the world of competitive gaming

BY SHAMITA GURUSU AND KAYLIN LI

I

n 2019, the esports industry has generated more than $1 billion in revenue, and its earnings are projected to grow to $1.8 billion by 2022. This growth, brought on by recent advances in technology and graphics, has taken many by surprise. In years past, the idea of earning money through gaming has seemed inconceivable. The rise of esports represents, in many ways, a transformation of the culture and industry of sports.

The term “esports,” short for “electronic sports,” refers to competitive organized gaming. Popular online games that have esports competitions include “Fortnite,” “DotA 2,” “Overwatch” and many more. In recent years, universities have caught on to the esports trend, offering courses and majors such as Entertainment Arts and even recruiting esports varsity athletes.

“I think we'll see esports overtake almost all physical sports, as far as the money market goes,” said computer science teacher Brad Fulk. “I think in the future you'll see a lot of esports on TV more than regular sports because a lot of the current generation are into esports.”

Esports competitions date back to 1972, when Stanford University hosted a recreational Spacewar! tournament.

Spacewar! was a multiplayer space combat video game developed in 1962 for the newly installed software program, DEC PDP-1, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As the gaming market developed, the purpose of esports competitions shifted from recreation to advertising and promotion.

The creation of gaming leagues in the past decade has also furthered the growth of esports. Every additional league attracts more players and raises the level of competition within their respective games.

Overwatch League, set up in 2016 by the game’s company, Activision Blizzard, was one of the �irst global professional gaming leagues to mirror the structure of sports leagues by having corporate sponsorships, salary bene�its for players and more organized schedules.

Esports viewership has increased with the growth of gaming streaming platforms as seen through Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon founded in 2011.

Twitch Interactive allows gamers to stream their gaming experiences and make money through fan subscriptions. In the past three years, the number of Twitch users has more than doubled, rising from 590,000 concurrent viewers in 2017 to around 1,260,000 concurrent viewers in 2019.

Youtube Gaming was also popular among

esports fans until the program was retired and its features combined with the main Youtube site in March 2019 in order to attract audiences from the main site.

Twitch, Youtube and in-game chat applications such as Discord and Xbox Party have enabled gamers worldwide to connect with each other anytime, anywhere. These and other technologies have fostered a sense of community that draws people to esports.

“When I was a kid, you couldn't get into video games the way that you do now.” Fulk said. “Now, even the games themselves are designed to intentionally connect people. It used to be that you only connected with the person you were sitting next to, but now they have designed games in a way where you can play with players in other countries.”

In the past two decades, gaming has progressed immensely. Video games, which previously were popular with teenagers mainly in Europe and North America has now shifted to a global scale, encompassing a vast demographic of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and ages.

“I think it's all about what's popular,” Fulk said. “The more popular anything is the more people pick it up. Quality of the game makes also makes a big difference and as a result we are able to see the massive growth of esports.”

While some parents may dismiss gaming as simply a hobby, the esports industry can be quite lucrative. Some professional gamers, such as Tyler “Ninja” Blevins of Fortnite fame, claim to earn six �igures a month. In recent years, esports events have started to offer more than $1 million in prize money; for example, this year, a 16-year-old champion won $3 million from the Fortnite World Cup. Like the Fortnite World Cup Champion, professional gamers, as well as esports audiences, are often relatively young. The age of a typical esports player ranges from 24 to 27 years; the minimum age to enter is usually 17, sometimes even lower. As a result, many teens, including Lynbrook students, have interests in the world of esports.

“I have always been into Nintendo games, they were an essential part of my childhood,” senior Wei Chong said. “At the beginning of high school, I became really interested in the competitive aspect of gaming and taking part in a passionate and competitive community of gamers is something that I really enjoyed and still do to this day.”

While the esports industry is still young, its recent achievements indicate that its hype is unlikely to die down anytime soon. As the esports industry continues to grow, gamers �ind that their hobbies may not only be pastimes, but potential careers as well.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SHAMITA GURUSU AND LILLIAN FU

Nancy Pelosi announced on Sept.

24 that six committees of the House of Representatives would conduct a formal impeachment inquiry on the grounds of a whistleblower complaint. The House Intelligence Committee released a declassi�ied version of the complaint on Sept. 26. It reported a July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump withheld military aid to pressure Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter over Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine and to release evidence of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

On Nov. 13, Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent began the Democrats’ public hearings, saying that Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, led efforts that aimed to pressure Zelensky to open investigations on the Bidens and conducted a smear campaign which sought to discredit the reputation of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, leading to her removal. On Nov. 20, Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, testi�ied that Ukraine agreed to open the investigations in exchange for a White House meeting between Trump and Zelensky.

Trump’s Impeachment

BY RENEE GE

1

3

2

4

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY RENEE GE

T

he movement to impeach President Donald Trump gained traction after an anonymous White House of�icial reported that Trump had abused his presidential powers to bene�it his 2020 presidential campaign, referred to as the whistleblower complaint.

The procedure for an impeachment calls for an investigation from Congress, followed by a formal impeachment by the House of Representatives who vote on the articles of impeachment, which detail the charges brought against the President.

The Senate then tries the President, who is removed from of�ice if a two-thirds supermajority of the Senators present during the vote are in favor of removal.

As of Dec. 9, the House Democrats plan to draft one article of impeachment on abuse of power and another on obstruction of Congress. Although the impeachment is ongoing, the effort has far-reaching consequences: it widens the divide between Democrats and Republicans, brings the Trump administration’s dealings into the light and cements the impeachment as one of the topics of the 2020 presidential election.

On Dec. 2, House Republicans released a report on the impeachment inquiry, which denies the whistleblower’s claim that Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate the Bidens and that Giuliani led an effort to contradict U.S. foreign policy. It notes that the whistleblower had no �irsthand knowledge of the July 25 call and cites Trump’s constitutional authority to remove Yovanovitch.

The report reiterates the claim that Ukrainian of�icials, not Russia, tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The report contends that the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry is biased and unfair.

The House Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on Dec. 4 to decide on the contents of the articles of impeachment. In the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler suggested that the articles could include the instances of obstruction of justice in the Mueller investigation.

The Republicans’ witness, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, argued that although the investigation into Trump’s involvement in Ukraine is valid, there is not enough evidence for an impeachment. He said that the impeachment is going too quickly.

12

IN-DEPTH

DECEMBER 11, 2019

sports

13

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

Lynbrook sports through the decade W

BY STELLA HUANG AND SUNNY LI

2010

ith 20 sports and 53 teams, the Lynbrook athletics program has had a signi�icant presence in student life over the past ten years. Teams have quali�ied to a higher level for the �irst time, won CCS championships and had unexpected victories. As the decade of the 2010s draws to a close with the end of 2019, here is a look back on some notable events. Sports featured include volleyball, football, water polo, swimming, basketball, golf, dance, marching band, color guard, baseball and cross country.

Boys Volleyball

The boys varsity volleyball team made it to Central Coast Section (CCS) Division I (DI) playoffs with a win-loss record of 17-10 during the season. The team won in their �irst round game against Gilroy High School on May 11, which resulted in a quarter�inals appearance. Unfortunately, they lost to Mountain View High School in the quarter�inals.

2012

USED WITH PERMISSION OF VALHALLA

For the �irst time in 18 years, the football team won their Homecoming game against the Harker School on Oct. 28. They scored four touchdowns to Harker’s one during the game, which took place at Cupertino High School due to the football �ield renovations at Lynbrook. The team ended the season with an overall record of 5-5.

Boys Water Polo The boys varsity water polo team remained undefeated for all 12 of its games in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic Leagure (SCVAL) El Camino Division. On Nov. 6, they won their �irst game in the CCS DI playoffs, the �irst CCS win since 1994. Lynbrook won against Monta Vista High School but were defeated in the quarter�inals by St. Francis High School.

2014

The girls varsity swimming team won the SCVAL El Camino League title by maintaining a perfect record of 6-0 and advanced to the CCS Championship Meet. There, they placed 30th out of 35 teams. The team of Malka Kausar, Zoe Lie, Angela Sun and Ariela Guadiamos placed 14th out of 16 teams for the 200-yard freestyle relay event.

Girls Basketball The CCS Division II (DII) girls basketball title went to Lynbrook �ive years ago after they entered the playoffs with a win-loss record of 8-4 in the SCVAL De Anza Division. Lynbrook won the CCS �inal game against St. Francis High School and but lost in the Northern California playoffs of the California State Championships.

2016

The six golfers on the girls golf team scored a total of 395 points to �inish in second place behind St. Francis High School. Lynbrook advanced to the Northern California Regional Tournament, where they �inished in �ifth place as a team. Jessica Luo �inished second at the regional tournament and Angela Liu tied for second at the state championships.

Valkyries Dance Team For the second time in three years, the Lynbrook Valkyries dance team took �irst place in the Open Kick division at the USA dance nationals championships in Anaheim, California.

Tigard High School from Oregon and South Kitsap High School from Washington came in second and third, respectively. The last time that Lynbrook won was in 2014.

3.

2018

1.

The Lynbrook marching band and colorguard placed second in the �inal round of the Norcal Bands of America competition. West Salem High School of Oregon took �irst place with a score 3.75 points greater than that of Lynbrook. Previously, Lynbrook had placed �ifth in 2015 and seventh in 2016.

Boys Baseball The varsity baseball team quali�ied for the CCS Division I (DI) playoffs for the �irst time since 1993. In the 2018 season, the team had an overall record of 18-9 and were ninth seed going into the playoffs. In the �irst game of the playoffs against the eighth seed Homestead High School, Lynbrook lost 4-1.

USED WITH PERMISSION OF VINCENT PENG

The girls and boys varsity cross country teams �inished in third at the CCS DII championships and quali�ied for the state championship, which is the �irst time both teams have quali�ied in the same year. At the state championships, both teams placed 22nd in their respective races.

2019

Cross Country

USED WITH PERMISSION OF KRISTA STIRLING

2017

Marching Band and Colorguard

USED WITH PERMISSION STELLA HUANG

USED USED WITH WITH PERMISSION PERMISSION OF OF OFKRISTA KARL MONDON STIRLING

2015

Girls Golf

USED WITH PERMISSION VALHALLA

USED WITH PERMISSION OF AUSTIN YU

2013

Girls Swimming

USED WITH PERMISSION OF MALKA KAUSAR

2011

Football

USED WITH PERMISSION OF VALHALLA

2.

5.

USED WITH PERMISSION OF VALHALLA

14

SPORTS

DECEMBER 11, 2019

Cross-training strengthens athlete performance

BY JASMINE HOU

According to the Mayo Clinic, training and technique errors can result in overuse injury. In order to avoid such rom football to swimming to track and �ield, Lynbrook injuries when training, athletes should focus on using proper athletes do it all. But while some students practice form and gear, pacing themselves and gradually increasing multiple sports to explore their interests, others’ intent their exercise level without overstressing their muscles. lies in the practice of cross training.

Finding the balance between exercises is also key, as varying Through cross training, athletes supplement their exercise activities is vital to avoiding injury. routines by training in several sports. By strengthening skills “If you use weightlifting as part of your cross training, and muscles through a variety of sports, cross trainers aim to your muscles can get very tight; if you don’t add �lexibility create a well-rounded exercise regimen or stretching into your routine, you and negate the shortcomings of solely have the potential of tearing them,” practicing their primary sport.

Thurman said. “On the �lip side, if “Cross training helps strengthen your “If you have the right mindset your cross training focuses more overall capabilities,” said sophomore and attitude and are driven on �lexibility but you do not have Aryan Shah, a track and �ield runner enough, then you should activities like weightlifting, all that who routinely supplements his training definitely consider cross training. stretching can cause your body, with swimming and biking exercises. “It joints and ligaments to be very helps to improve on skills that your main Use it to build from where you loose and make you more prone to sport might not be able to speci�ically started and better yourself as dislocations.” an athlete.” target or ful�ill completely.”

Aside from causing risks for In addition to running three miles injury among athletes, cross training Tammi Trujillo in the mornings, Shah bikes anywhere requires a signi�icant amount of Cross-Training Athlete from 10 to 25 miles on a spin bike or time and effort, which may also put swims about 15 to 20 laps. This way, he students at risk of overwhelming can continue to exercise and keep his themselves with the workload. heart rate up while avoiding the repetitive strain on his knees “Time management has been especially dif�icult for me,” and ankles caused by running too often. This also helps him said sophomore Tammi Trujillo, a soccer player who also vary his routine. participates in �ield hockey, football and track and �ield. “I “When I take an easy day off without running as much as often �ind it dif�icult to schedule my school work and other usual, I tend to bike or swim to keep up my aerobic capacity,” extracurriculars around these activities.”

Shah said. “I often do it as a supplement to my training to Additionally, by increasing a student’s workload, cross keep my body in check.” training may signi�icantly reduce the time they spend focusing Cross training often yields skills that may help an athlete on their primary sport. Junior Anastasia Truschankova, who in their main sport as well. For example, sophomore Charlie plays volleyball and dances outside of school, has faced this Chiang primarily trains for track, but additionally participates issue. in a variety of sports, including water polo and swimming, to “With volleyball and dance, I �ind myself having to carefully vary his training. balance the two activities,” Truschankova said. “Because I “In water polo, we have to tread the water constantly, have these split interests, I sometimes can’t focus all my time which builds up strength in our legs,” Chiang said. “This on being the best volleyball player I can be.” applies to track and �ield, as I need to use similar leg muscles Despite these challenges, students who have learned to when running.” carefully evaluate the risks in cross training and develop When performed correctly, cross training reduces the risk effective routines have seen their efforts improve their for injury and helps athletes with faster recoveries. athletic performance.

“When your body is used to being trained at a higher “Because of their cross training, people that I know have level while being stretched out between different aspects at been able to run longer and faster while staying away from that higher level, your body knows how to be more ef�icient injury,” Shah said. “And personally, I see myself improving as and will lead to faster recovery times,” said athletic trainer well, so I will de�initely continue cross training in the future.”

Kathryn Thurman. “When you have better body awareness, After weighing the bene�its of cross training, student better balance and more experience in a competitive athletes may consider expanding their exercise regimens environment, you are also less likely to be injured.” to see whether other exercises can boost their overall Professional athletes often employ this technique to performance. They should, however, be mindful of the prevent injury. Steve McLendon, an NFL nose tackle, has potential costs before committing to a new routine. participated in ballet lessons since his senior year of college.

“Always eat better, sleep better and stay hydrated,” said McLendon claims that dancing has strengthened his knees, Chiang when asked his advice to those beginning to cross ankles and feet and notices the difference between his train. “Manage your time, give yourself proper breaks and performance on the �ield with and without his ballet lessons. rests and do not overwork yourself because overworking is However, cross training also poses its own risks. When the same thing as not working at all.” athletes do not consciously manage their activity levels, they Still, dedicated athletes who are careful to avoid these may overwork themselves. pitfalls may �ind cross training a valuable tool in reaching “Similar to most other activities, if not done right, cross their athletic potential. training has the chance of causing severe injuries, ” Shah said.

“If you have the right mindset and attitude and are driven “For example, if you run a mile every day to cross train and enough, then you should de�initely consider cross training,” you run that mile each time at 100 percent effort, you are Trujillo said. “Use it to build from where you started and very likely going to get injured from overworking yourself.” better yourself as an athlete.”

F

RON AICH// IN MY OPINION

The Warriors are fun to watch again

T

he moment Steph Curry hit the hardwood, I knew it was over. Just like his hand, the Golden State Warriors’ slim playoff aspirations for the year were brutally crushed under Aron Baynes’ 260pound frame. Curry was out for three months, and I was devastated.

Bad luck has its peculiar way with the Warriors. Although they have been the dominant force in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the past �ive years, the Warriors were perennially hampered by injuries during that run. During Game 5 of the

2019 NBA Finals, former Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant tore his Achilles tendon and left the arena on crutches. During the following game, All-Star guard Klay Thompson tore his ACL in the middle of a 30-point rampage. The Warriors went on to lose the game — and the championship.

This season was going to be tough. I knew that. With the loss of Durant and grizzled veterans Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, the Warriors were sapped of their bench depth and playoff experience.

However, I still had reasons to be optimistic, as All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell arrived in the sign and trade that sent Durant to the Brooklyn Nets. Russell was one of my favorite players to watch last season. His steady demeanor and electric scoring ability made me feel that he was a perfect �it for the team; he provided a scoring punch in Thompson’s absence.

The Warriors also selected Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole and Alen Smailagic during the 2019 NBA Draft. In my mind, this made sense.

Poole and Paschall’s play styles meshed almost seamlessly with the Warriors system, and the team was packed with young players with something to prove. At the very least, I hoped this ragtag bunch could provide enough depth to �ight for the eighth seed.

So much for that. Since Curry’s injury, the

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHARLENE CHEN AND YOUQI HUANG

Warriors’ win record has slipped to a dismal 4-16, and the playoffs are nowhere in sight. In addition to Curry, Thompson and Russell, six other players have also missed considerable time. For a while, I couldn’t bring myself to watch Warriors games out of sheer disbelief.

The days of the high-arching three ball that scraped the ceiling and swished into the nylon net were over. The slow, awkward style of this new team reminds me of high school prep teams playing together for the �irst time, and the results often aren’t even as pretty.

There’s only so many times I can watch wideopen jumpers hopelessly careening off the rim. While the players on the court wore the same jerseys, shared the same team name and ran the same plays, they weren’t the Warriors I knew. They weren’t my Warriors.

When the Warriors played the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 4, I was expecting a blowout loss. Portland was a bona �ide playoff team fresh off a Western Conference Finals appearance. Their supercharged backcourt of sharpshooting All-NBA guard Damian Lillard and crafty shooting guard CJ McCollum were sure to carve up our leagueworst defense. Or at least, that’s what was supposed to happen.

I was in for a pleasant surprise. Golden State was down 63-60 at the half, but I was excited because of Paschall’s 17-point �irst

quarter. The whole team was �iring on all cylinders offensively; undrafted rookie Ky Bowman quietly had himself a career night, and �inished the game with 19 points and eight assists. Lee also ended with 18 points and a team-high two steals. Golden State was almost unrecognizable in the halftime highlights. The chemistry between the team and the electric atmosphere in the building were almost reminiscent of the scrappy Warriors teams from 2012 to 2014.

It was then that I realized this season wasn’t about winning. It was never about whether the Warriors could make the playoffs or not. The novelty that came with being underdogs has made the season interesting again. In past years, it seemed as if the Warriors were sleepwalking through the regular season to preserve their bodies for the playoffs. Now, with nothing to lose, the regular season matters and every players gives it their all. Knowing the Warriors have a chance to upset the league’s �inest on any given night motivates me to watch every game. The pride that comes with punching above your weight is something that Warriors fans know all too well. Until the Warriors are fully healthy, I am excited to see this motley crew of journeymen and undrafted players continue to outshine expectations. These are my Warriors.

DECEMBER 11, 2019

SPORTS

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photoessay

Lynbrook High School | the Epic lhsepic.com

Popular study spots to try this final season

BY MELISSA CHEN

S

tudents have different study habits — some use flashcards and others read notes. Some need silence and others enjoy background noise.

Often students go to places like libraries and cafes for a change of setting. As finals week approaches, here are some popular spots to study.

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“I’m more productive at the library. At home I tend to go on my phone, and here, it’s quiet,” said sophomore Stephanie Wang.

“I love studying at Peet’s since it has such a comfortable and chill environment. It’s just a nice place to relax and get some alone time,” said junior Vishma Raj.

“There’s a nice ambience thats not too quiet or loud. Having other friends to keep me company helps me stay awake and entertained,” said senior Akhil Aggrawal.