Music department and colorguard tour Spain BY MICHELLE LUM
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usic rings out in a hall of stained glass and large paintings, an almost heavenly atmosphere. This is a venue like no other: it is the concert hall of the University of Barcelona. Performing on the international stage for the �irst time since 2013, students in the Lynbrook music program visited Spain over spring break. From April 14 to 22, the band and symphony orchestra toured the cities of Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza alongside students from Monta Vista High School. Members of the Lynbrook colorguard team also accompanied the band and orchestra on the trip, taking a dance workshop, although they did not perform. In total, 160 students represented America in Spain as national ambassadors of music and dance. The highlight of the trip were the concerts, held at wellknown venues in three of Spain’s largest cities. Students �irst performed at the University of Barcelona, then departed for the city of Valencia, where they performed at the Valencia Conservatory with the Banda Sinfonica del Conservatorio. The �inal leg of the trip was Zaragoza, where students performed with a local ensemble at the Auditorium of Zaragoza. Pieces played included Symphony No. 3 from Don Quixote, The Redwoods and The Stars and Stripes Forever. Mr. Michael Pakaluk, Lynbrook’s instrumental music director, decided to organize the trip to Spain as a nod to the tour in Spain that Lynbrook took in 2005, as well as in accordance with tours taken by other local schools like
Saratoga High School. The Lynbrook music department decided to combine groups with Monta Vista, which contributed many needed string players to the tour. “Many of our performances at Lynbrook are pretty formal,” said Pakaluk. “In Spain it’s a lot more about enjoyment of performing and sharing our music with another culture and trying to transcend the boundaries of distance and language and communicate with music. Spanish audiences are also really receptive, more so than they are here. They’re very enthusiastic with supporting concerts and music groups.” Besides performing, students also learned from Spanish conductors and teachers, discovering new styles and skills. While in Barcelona, students participated in a workshop led by musician José R. Pascual Vilaplana, who has studied at the Conservatory of Alcoy and the Conservatory of Valencia and conducted around Spain. In Zaragoza, students participated in a residency at the Conservatorio Superior, a conservatory for music students, and met some of the current students there. However, as with any other trip, there were unforeseen challenges. One of the three �lights carrying students to Spain was canceled, resulting in a group of more than 80 students joining the tour late. This meant that the students on the canceled �light missed the tour of Barcelona and the workshop with Vilapana, and a planned concert at the Conservatori Superior de Musica de Liceu of Barcelona with the Symphony Orchestra of the Vozes was canceled. Despite such challenges, the tour went on with considerable success due to the preparation that went into it. Students practiced intensively the weeks before departure, participating in long rehearsals. On April 12, just before students left, a
farewell concert was held in the Lynbrook auditorium, where they performed the pieces that would be played in Spain in front of parents and friends. Senior Davin Tjong, who plays the euphonium, was chosen to play a solo for the piece Morceau Symphonique alongside the orchestra after winning a concerto competition in December of last year. “The biggest challenge [of preparing for the tour] was working with new people,” said Tjong. “The groups that went to Spain are not the same groups that you play with normally. You’re playing with people from Monta Vista and other bands, and you don’t know how it all works out together. It’s also twice as big a group, so it’s different. I was honestly more nervous about practicing than performing because when I practice with the orchestra, it’s all people I know, but when we go on tour, we’re playing for a bunch of people we never see again.” Music, however, was not the only part of the trip. In their free time, students went sightseeing on guided tours of the three cities and explored the popular City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. While performing and learning, Lynbrook students also made new friends, such as students of the Conservatory in Zaragoza. The colorguard team also participated in a �lamenco dance workshop while in Valencia. Hours of work, planning and effort resulted in a culminating tour of Spain that was an overall success. During the trip, students performed in notable concert halls, learned from the best and explored a new culture. It was, undeniably, an experience of a lifetime.
ERIC WU — EPIC
Future freshman officer elections modified BY NICOLE ONG
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eginning in the 2018-2019 school year, freshman class of�icer elections will be held in August rather than at the end of the eighth-grade school year at Miller Middle School. Instead of being voted as a class of�icer and then placed into a class of�icer position, the newly-implemented system will mirror upperclassmen elections, where students run for and are voted into a spot. These new policies were proposed by leadership adviser Jason Lee and assistant principal Brooke Chan. Prior to the switch, prospective freshmen ran to be a part of the freshmen class of�icer team; the eighth grade class would then vote for who they want on the of�icer team at the end of the eighth-grade school year at Miller. The four candidates with the most votes were then named as the freshmen class of�icers. Speci�ic positions, such as president or secretary, would be chosen after an interview with the ASB president, Lynbrook leadership adviser and assistant principal in charge of activities. “Obviously, this changes the election in its entirety and strategies as well,” said ASB
president senior Lilian Chen. “The freshmen class of�icer team will not be comprised of the four most popular or most voted for candidates, rather it will be the candidate best for each speci�ic position. I think that freshmen should have to go through the same election process as the upperclassmen to keep things fair and transparent.” The goal of updated election policies is to ensure that there is equality for all candidates since many incoming students come from middle schools besides Miller through a lottery system. In contrast to previous election process, the new voting method gives every freshman an equal opportunity to run for class of�icer, while the previous election process would give candidates from Miller an advantage over students from other middle schools due to past presence. There will still be �ive freshmen class of�icer positions: president, two vice presidents, secretary and treasurer. “I like how they are trying to include people from other schools into the class of�ice team, but I think voting in August is too soon for people to get to know their classmates from other schools,” said freshmen class vice president Antara Mallick. “The advantage
about the current freshmen voting system is that the class of�ice team got to meet up over summer and get to know each other.” Some issues with the new policies, however, have yet to be resolved. For example, the revised election process will impact Homecoming preparations. While the majority of classes begin arrangements in June, the freshmen class will not have a newly-elected class of�icer team to lead their preparations. Leadership advisers have proposed that senior class and ASB of�icers assist the freshmen in their planning, but details of the resolution are still in the process of being determined. “With all the homecoming prep that goes on over summer, their needs to be a stable team in order for the management of homecoming to run smoothly,” said Mallick. “I don’t really know how the new freshmen will be gathered to homecoming meetings and everything without a class of�ice team over summer because the class of�icers are the people who send out all that information.” While the goal of these policies is to offer greater equality to all students running for freshman class of�icer, only time will tell if new policies live up to the expectations.
BOYS GOLF// pg. 14
News in Brief PTSA International Day Come out to PTSA’s International Day on Friday, April 27 during lunch at the quad. Explore the different countries and their cultures as they present their booths.
Senior Prom The senior prom is on Saturday, April 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the San Francisco Hornblower Cruise. Get ready for a fun night of dancing, photos and games with your friends. Valks Spring Show The Valkyries’ Spring Show on Friday, May 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the gym. Go cheer on our lady vikes!
STEM Day STEM Day is set to be held on Friday, May 18. The event will be a collaboration of STEM-related clubs on campus, and is open to all Lynbrook students and incoming freshmen.
Students display work at ArtNow BY MICHELLE ZEMLYAK
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eld at New Museum Los Gatos, the 2018 ArtNow Exhibition is a competition that offers high schoolers from the Bay Area a chance to submit art pieces into eight categories all under the theme “Perspectives.” This year, the competition chose 87 out of more than 1400 submissions for display. The artwork of three Lynbrook students, senior Maya Sabatino, sophomore Caroline Ho and senior Joshua Paaske were featured at the exhibition. Sabatino began working on her piece, “Be Safe, Keep Cover Closed,” in art teacher Matthew Reynold’s studio art class. The project began as an assignment to choose an ordinary object and turn it into a work of art. She used sixteen matchbooks, each representing a previously banned book with the title written on the inside and a design from the novel on the cover. The title, “Be safe, Keep cover closed” is the warning written on each matchbook. Sabatino won the Best of Show Award and received a $5000 scholarship for the piece. “When people see my piece I want them to understand the absurdity of censorship,” said Sabatino. “Many books like Where’s
Waldo were banned for miniscule things, so I want people to think about our behavior toward censorship becoming irrational.” Ho took a new approach to the theme of perspectives with her �ilm project, “Breaking Free.” She wanted to take a unique approach to a common, overdone theme. “There are so many pieces that portray society negatively, but I wanted to create a piece that showed perhaps it was the character that doesn’t understand society,” said Ho. “I wanted to take common motifs and change them up a bit.” Initially she created an animated comic strip with characters moving between the panels, breaking the fourth wall. Later, however, Ho reworked her project into a video to better �it the animation and video category. Inspired by his great-grandfather’s helmet and war diary, Paaske created “In Memoriam,” a tribute to his great-grandfather’s sacri�ices during World War II. “After reading the diary I realized just how
much my great-grandfather went through to ensure that I would be able to live in a safe environment,” said Paaske. “And I am really grateful for that.” Paaske placed �irst in the sculpture category with his tribute to his family. He aimed to create a piece in remembrance of his great-grandfather that also honored the dedication of U.S. soldiers. This ArtNow exhibition offers a unique experience to view artwork from high school students around the Bay Area and runs until Sunday, May 6.
InDesign Fashion Show Look out for InDesign’s annual Fashion Show on Friday, May 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the quad. The evening will be �illed with student pieces and performances, so be sure to buy your tickets to support their hard work. Pops Concert Watch Lynbrook’s choir, band and orchestra at the Pops Concert on Tuesday, May 22. The show lasts from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. and is held at the auditorium. Don’t miss out on this exciting last concert of the year! by Risa Mori
PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF JENA RAJABALLY
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY HSIN YEN HUANG
Robotics finishes a rewarding season BY JONATHAN YE
Letter from the Editors Dear readers, We hope you enjoyed your spring break and are ready to �inish the rest of the school year strong! Check out the news section for stories about Art Now, an annual art exhibition and education program (pg.2), as well as the music program’s tour in Spain (pg.1). Be sure to read a pro-con story about Facebook’s recent data leak (pg.4), and an opinionated story on the responsibility of drivers in response to accidents involving self-driving cars (pg.5). Flip to the features section to read about junior Maxwell Wang’s passion for drones and �ilming (pg.7), and a staffer’s comparison of brand name products and products by a company called Brandless (pg.8). In the in-depth section, learn about the change in the de�inition of masculinity over time (pg.11) and the repurcussions of excessive gaming with the popularity of multiplayer game, Fortnite (pg.12). Go to the sports section for an overview of the swimming and diving season (pg.13) and a feature of spring athletes who share their memories playing their sport (pg.14). Happy reading, Catherine Huang and Eshani Mehta
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ick. Thirty seconds left. Hands slippery with sweat, the Lynbrook robotics team drivers carefully maneuver their robot to achieve one �inal feat in the competition: throw the last light blue cube into the given basket. The team of drivers, which consists of seniors Elton Chang, Shadaj Laddad and Jing-Chen Peng and juniors Eesha Deepak and Aayush Shah, had practiced this action with their robot numerous times, but the team grew nervous in the heat of the competition, surrounded by cheering crowds and yelling coaches. Lynbrook Robotics, which competes with the team name FIRST Team 846, had an extremely successful season this year. The team was ranked ninth out of 60 teams in a second seeded alliance and quali�ied for regional �inals. At the �inals, after partnering with Team 971 from Mountain View High School, the team was able to win the Quality award. “The Quality award was a great accomplishment,”
PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF LYNBROOK ROBOTICS
said junior Shaunak Bhandarkar, of�icer at large of Team 846. “It really showcases the systematic approach and organization we value on this team.” On March 17, Team 846 �lew to Lubbock, Texas, to compete in the 2018 Hub City FIRST Robotics Regional in Lubbock, Texas. They �inished quali�ications in fourth place in a �ield of over 40 teams, with a record of 9-2. They swept elimination matches 6-0 to win �irst place at the regional competition to qualify for the FIRST Championship. They were also awarded the Excellence in Engineering Award Sponsored by Delphi for their modular student-designed robot, and for their work in bringing the Scala programming language to FIRST. They �inished the Hub City Regional with a stellar 11 game win streak. “I am very impressed with out team’s performance this season,” said Bhandarkar. “Our success extends across the entire team, as we had a well-engineered design, quality software, as well as successful driving.” From April 18 to 21, Team 846 competed at the FIRST Championship held in the George R. Brown Convention Center and
Minute Maid Park. The team broke their previous record at the championship: the team took home seventh place in 2014, but took �ifth place this year. “I was decently impressed with our effort,” said junior Nikash Walia, of�icer at large of Team 846. “Our team was more organized this year, since we managed to complete nearly all of our goals during build season.” To many members, however, robotics is much more than just competition. “Robotics is extremely rewarding because all the work we put in results in a strong team bond,” said junior and public relations of�icer Aayush Shah. Many members held an interest for robotics and programing well before high school. Some started in the middle school league the First LEGO League, while others watched competitions as children and were inspired to participate in them in high school. “I joined the team when I was a freshmen because I had visited a competition when I was younger,” said Shah. “It got me really excited to see robots battling on the �ield, and I knew that that was something I wanted to do, too.”
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY RISA MORI
Facebook leaks personal user data
Two staffers express their opinions on the level of responsibility that Facebook holds for the recent breach of user privacy BY ERIC WU
BY MEERA BALAJI
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY DIVYA NELAKONDA AND HATIM SAIFEE
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acebook has recently been rocked by a scandal revealing the leakage of the private data of up to 87 million users to a third party. Its stocks have dropped nearly $80 billion in value, and outraged users have rallied to Twitter with the hashtag #DeleteFacebook. Despite this uproar, however, Facebook should not be condemned for being the business it always was: if privacy is of such importance to the billions of internet citizens in this day and age, then changing the culture of ignorance and loose privacy laws in this country will be the true catalyst of change. From a base standpoint, Facebook, �irst and foremost, is a business. Its goals and actions re�lect that of generating a pro�it for the company; everything else is secondary. In exchange for being able to provide a free service, Facebook keeps track of users’ browsing habits, posts they click on and pages they “like,” feeding this information to third parties in order to effectively target ads. Facebook did not commit any illegal acts, nor did it practice any dishonest and unethical business practices. Using its services is completely voluntary, and all policies regarding sharing of users’ data are openly listed in its Terms and Conditions. It is not Facebook’s responsibility to make sure that users properly read the listed conditions, among them the ones that consented users’ data to being used by third parties. The European Union has recently integrated privacy laws in its General Data Protection Regulation, going into effect on May 25. These European regulations will allow people to access their own data, transfer their information from one service to another and delete it altogether. The United States would do well to integrate similar laws that, if had been in place previously, would have prevented the leakage from expanding to the extent it did. Undeniably, something went wrong in order for 87 million people to have their private information snatched away. However, the solution to this problem lies not in deleting Facebook, but in pressuring our country’s leaders into creating well-de�ined privacy laws that will ensure something like this never happens again.
TZEN-HAO NG//IN MY OPINION
Sinclair stations democracy
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inclair Broadcast Group, the largest U.S. telecommunications company, has recently come under �ire for demonstrating its lack of regard for the journalistic process. Speci�ically, it has been revealed that Sinclair-owned media stations read off of identical scripts; ironically, the
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Scan to read more about each writer’s opinion on the Facebook scandal
scripted message that triggered alarms was about fake news on social media. Subsequently, a �lurry of media attention has brought this issue to the forefront of a continuing debate about the reliability and trustworthiness of traditional news sources. The media has long acted as a check on the government’s use of power. This is predicated on an understanding that the information that the media provides to the public is truthful; unfortunately, recent actions by news stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group jeopardize this role. More than simply failing to act in their capacity to inform, these news stations actively threaten U.S. democracy, because if faith in media fails, it would become more dif�icult to check the potential excesses of the U.S. government. “Fake news” has become a buzzword in the current political climate, one often cited in reference to several mainstream media sources, and thus con�idence in their ability to accurately inform the public has decreased. Because public faith in the media
espite serving over a billion people worldwide, Facebook still does not understand that with great power, comes great responsibility. Last month, a third-party app accumulated the personal information of over 87 million people due to incoherent and ineffective privacy policies and guidelines for users. This is a violation of people’s right to privacy, since third party entities such as Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting �irm, were able to harvest data claiming it was for educational purposes. Professor Aleksandr Kogan created a psychology quiz application on Facebook and sold the collected data to Cambridge Analytica, a violation of Facebook’s policy that data from research may not be sold “to any ad network, data broker or other advertising or monetizationrelated service.” Initially, Cambridge Analytica denied all allegations of wrongdoing, but quickly changed their tune after involvement by law enforcement, knowing that what they had done was ethically wrong. It is an outrage that Cambridge Analytica was able to track users’ personal data, but even more so that Facebook permitted this furtive endeavor of tricking users that they were taking a quiz while secretly preserving their data to create personalized political ads. Laws should not dictate everything that can or cannot happen in a society; to some extent, people and companies must follow their own moral compass. For instance, it is legal to cheat on a spouse, but the pain it causes all parties involved is more than enough to deter most people from engaging in extramarital affairs. Likewise, Facebook should think twice about who all are impacted by the information that was unethically obtained due to the lack of user consent. It is time for Facebook to join MySpace, AIM and other obsolete social media networks, since it does not deserve support if it cannot respect users’ privacy. By blatantly ignoring numerous ethical red �lags, Facebook deliberately put personal information at risk and should be held accountable for its actions.
must be increased over a relatively long period of time,events like this instance of unprofessionalism from Sinclair present yet another roadblock toward restoration of faith in the media, and further support the notion that mainstream media sources are out to misinform the American people. It is crucial that faith in the media does not reach a critically low level, as the media serves important functions in democracy. Primarily, they inform the public from an outsider’s point of view; con�licts of interest prevent governments from being effective news sources. Should mainstream media lose the public’s trust, the general public would become less informed about issues, and thus, democracy would not function as well. The media also checks excesses of power in government. For example, during the Nixon administration, the Washington Post unearthed the infamous Watergate scandal, revealing Nixon’s abuses of presidential power and alerting the public of corruption in the White House, resulting in Nixon’s
resignation. Without the trust of the public, however, such checks on abuses of power become less effective, damaging the strength of our democracy. Some measures should be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) manages guidelines for television programming, including news broadcasting. Additionally, the FCC is obliged to regulate broadcasting services to act in the general public interest of society; this means that Sinclair acted against the purpose of the FCC’s regulations. While there is an argument to be had for protections afforded to the press by the First Amendment, the overall health of democracy should take precedence. Thus, closer regulation by the FCC of existing television news channels is in order. Perhaps this event will prompt a closer adherence to journalistic norms in the future; however, with Sinclair declining to issue an apology, one can expect to see more of the same in the future.
Drivers in autonomous vehicles must be alert Tesla Model X crashed into a highway barrier with Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving system he proliferation of self-driving cars on. In both cases, the drivers operating the has always been a dream commonly vehicle had been occupied with distractions associated with the future. Thanks prior to the accidents, meaning that drivers to advancements in arti�icial intelligence need to acknowledge the limits of current and sensor technology, the dream can now driverless car technology by constantly be realized with the efforts of companies staying alert. such as Waymo and Tesla. “It is dangerous to rely on a program Recent fatal accidents involving in terms of vehicle operation,” said junior self driving car technology, however, Tanvi Narvekar. “Recent accidents prove are enough of a reason to reevaluate unreliability of these programs, and their the safety of allowing computerized newness may result in software errors.” programs and sensors For the owners of to completely take cars with self-driving control of vehicles. capabilities, it should be Self-driving cars have “RECENT ACCIDENTS noted that even though not been developed PROVE UNRELIABILITY these cars are marketed enough to safely OF THESE PROGRAMS, as driverless, self-driving steer and navigate AND THEIR NEWNESS technology is driverwhile driving, not to assisted technology at MAY RESULT IN mention encounter best. Even Waymo, the unforeseen problems SOFTWARE ERRORS.” �irst company to start that require human developing self-driving Tanvi Narvekar cars for commercial judgment to resolve. Junior purposes, has stated Drivers must stay alert while operating these that self-driving car vehicles to make up technology still needs at for everything arti�icial intelligence lacks. least a decade to become fully autonomous. Self-driving cars have been in In an effort to paint their products in a development by tech and automobile favorable light, however, the marketing companies since 2009, when Google strategies used by these companies have announced its self-driving car project. indirectly caused consumers to become Since then, Google’s project has evolved overcon�ident in the ability of their vehicles into a separate company, Waymo, and to drive safely without intervention, which automobile companies such as Tesla have led to accidents from inattentive drivers. and Mercedes-Benz have manufactured “We still need some manual control,” said vehicles with self-driving features freshman Keshav Dandu, a member of the available for public purchase. Ridesharing robotics team. “If someone is in a rush, they companies like Uber and Lyft have also are more likely to ignore warnings from a been testing self-driving vehicles to self-driving car’s programming.” potentially replace human drivers. Since conditions on the road are always Recently, however, self-driving changing, drivers need to remain aware vehicles and the inattentiveness of of new developments. The sensors that drivers operating them have been the self-driving cars use to detect the car’s reasons behind fatal accidents. On March surroundings can be negatively affected by 18, pedestrian Elaine Herzburg was killed severe weather, and low visibility in such after being struck during a test run of one conditions can reduce the accuracy of the of Uber’s self-driving cars. Just �ive days car’s cameras. Additionally, autonomous later, Wei Huang died of injuries after his vehicles come equipped with maps of roads,
BY HSIN YEN HUANG
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ART ILLUSTRATION BY CLARA FERNANDES
but when conditions change, the car’s programming can easily be confused. Thus, to lower the number of accidents caused by unexpected circumstances, drivers must be attuned to their surroundings. No matter how advanced arti�icial intelligence becomes, computers will never be able to handle social interactions the way humans can. It would therefore be unreasonable to expect self-driving cars to interpret the body language of pedestrians or react appropriately to sudden moves by cyclists. This task remains up to drivers, because arti�icial intelligence will not be able to understand humans the way that other humans can. “Even biking signals can confuse humans, and the way that people communicate meaning could always mean something different to others,” said Dandu. “With a computer, this problem is worse and awkward or dangerous for pedestrians to pay attention to a camera mounted on a car.” Even if self-driving cars were programmed to avoid the risk of an accident at all costs, it would mean major slowdowns on roadways. The only way to �ind a balance between ef�iciency and safety would be for drivers to employ their natural intelligence. “The most dangerous aspect of selfdriving cars is the complete reliance on the system,” said Narvekar. “Glitches are still possible, and humans need to be there during glitches, or people might be injured.” While the idea of being able to drive anywhere without lifting a �inger may seem appealing to those who lead busy lives, the reality is that autonomous vehicle technology still requires the assistance of human drivers to operate safely. Owners of cars with autopilot capabilities must remain aware of the risks associated with the convenience of autonomous vehicles and should always remain aware of dangers on the road.
DIANA XU//IN MY OPINION
CHS threats spark unease
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t was halfway through lunch on March 27 when my heart lurched and I felt like throwing up. I could not fathom what my friend had just told me: there was a shooter on Cupertino High School’s (CHS) campus. No, this could not be true. I refused to accept this information that had been thrown at me with no warning. If there was a shooter, our school would be evacuating too. I felt my shoulders slightly loosen with relief at this thought, but deep down, I was still terri�ied. My body was tense as I was bombarded with what ifs that I could not answer. My friends and I sat on our blue bench, restlessly checking our Snapchats, waiting for anyone from CHS to contact us. The more we waited, the more anxious we got. We began to discuss what we would do if a shooter really came onto our campus. Where would we run? What would we do? Would we even know what to do? This made my stomach tighten all over again. We students do not know what to do in an emergency situation like this. We are not prepared for a situation in which a shooter comes onto campus. Yes, if we were in our classrooms, we would go into a code red and barricade the doors of our classrooms, but what if anything happened during lunch? We are vulnerable; everyone is unaccounted for. My eyes darted back and forth from the front of the school to the parking lot. I wanted to be ready if this threat came onto our own campus. That lunch felt excruciatingly long, and I wished for the bell to ring. I wished to be in my next period. I did not want to be alone in a situation in which a shooter came. I was terri�ied. The bell �inally rang. I entered my chemistry class, slightly relieved. However, I could not focus at all during that entire period. I still had a tight feeling in my stomach and a sour taste in my mouth. At the end of the period, one of my friends from CHS noti�ied me that it was just a phone threat and that everyone was okay. You would think I felt better, but I did not. Instead, I felt frustration and disgust. This phone call threat was the second threat CHS has received in a little over one month, the �irst being a series of text messages from an anonymous number sent to a student. With the recent increase of school shootings and threats, schools have become environments where students feel less and less safe. On March 29, Palo Alto High School went on lockdown due to a phone threat in which the caller claimed he would “shoot up” the school in 15 minutes. It was later revealed that the phone call was also a prank; it makes me afraid that people will begin to take threats less seriously, creating a Boy Who Cried Wolf scenario like that of the fable, where people will not believe it when there is a real threat because there have been so many fake ones. From that day, I have not been able to stop thinking about the possibility that I might one day experience something as horri�ic as a school shooting. Unfortunately, there had to be a potentially threatening experience this close to me for me to wake up and comprehend the vulnerability of today’s students. Before the threats, I could not say I was able to empathize with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I still cannot say that I know what it was like to be confronted with the sound of gunshots after having come to school thinking that it was going to be another normal day. After the scare I got from the news of that threat, it became very real to me that schools are no longer a safe environment for students.
Groupon to blame for racial slur in ad BY AILEEN XUE
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY BELINDA ZHOU
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s of late, there have been numerous incidents involving racist references in ads featured by major companies, one of the most recent concerning e-commerce website Groupon, which is known for providing customers with various coupons and promotions. Two ads listed by third-party sellers Margines and Kojwa, which are located in China, used the n-word to describe the shade of brown of several pairs of winter boots. While Groupon immediately removed the ads, banned the retailers from its website and apologized to its users for featuring an ad with a racial slur, the company has faced criticism and backlash for letting those ads pass through their screening process. Even though Groupon did not create the ad itself, the company is obligated to take responsibility for monitoring what content gets put out on its platforms. “There’s not much Groupon can do, they can only make sure that they ban the retailers,” said sophomore Shounak Ranabhor. “Groupon should de�initely learn from this horrifying event and develop a more sophisticated and detailed screening process for the future.” The two ads have been featured on Groupon’s website for about a month. While Groupon claims to �lag hundreds of ads with its screening process, it ultimately failed to prevent this unsettling ad from showing up on its website.
“Especially with America’s past and racism against certain groups of people, using these strong words to describe a product is completely unnecessary,” said Ranabhor. “It also brings bad publicity and offends a lot of people. It doesn’t matter if you’re directly affected by that slur, it’s just wrong to use a word like that.” Many customers went to Twitter to voice their outrage and disappointment in the company, resulting in the trending hashtags #boycottgroupon and #ShutdownGroupon. During this time frame, the value of Groupon’s stock dropped by a staggering 5.5 percent. While Groupon issued an apology and removed both sellers from its website, many customers are unwilling to ever use the app again. “I feel that the side the consumers are taking is a little extreme,” said junior Rita Chen. “I am pretty sure that Groupon was able to prevent other ads from showing up through their screening process. Just because one ad got through doesn’t mean that they weren’t doing their job carefully vetting ads.” Nevertheless, as offensive advertisements are bound to request a feature on on Groupon, the company should implement a stricter �iltering process before they allow any advertisements onto its website. Since the company is the channel through which the n-word was displayed, Groupon should accept its fault and move toward improving its website content. This is not the �irst time, however, that an ad with a racial slur has passed screening
processes and aired on a media platform. A couple days before Groupon’s ads were found to contain racial slurs, Chance the Rapper called out a Heineken beer commercial after the characters in it were found to have said the phrase“sometimes lighter is better.” “The prevalence of racial slurs in the world today, even in high pro�ile companies, just proves that racism is still prevalent in our modern society,” said sophomore Joyce Tung. “However, the fact that many people are speaking out against these acts demonstrates that our society has made signi�icant progress with racism.” Similarly, in January, clothing retailer H&M had to apologize to angered customers for having an African American boy model a shirt sporting the phrase “coolest monkey in the jungle.” “Racial discrimination has become so rooted in American culture that it makes its way into our everyday lives, sometimes without us even realizing it,” said Ranabhor. “I was walking to school the other day and I heard somebody yell at another guy “hey n----”. It was really offensive and I was taken aback by what had happened.” With racial slurs appearing in multiple advertisements, major companies must make sure to carefully vet their ads in order to insure incidents like that of Groupon’s and other major companies do not happen again.
Encourage solidarity by accepting student-led movements
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treets and quads across America on March 14 were �illed with students and teachers standing together as a tribute to the seventeen lives lost in the recent Parkland shooting and making a call for improved gun control. In light of the movement, we, the staff of the Epic, declare solidarity with fellow student activists. On Feb. 14, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened �ire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s campus, murdering 17 innocent students and staff members and injuring numerous others, making it one of the largest school shootings in American history. In response to this tragic event, students across the country started protesting and demanding gun reform. Students participated in this national student-led movement through a walkout one month after the event. The movement gave students the opportunity to support one another and voice their thoughts surrounding the issue. “When I heard about what happened, I was disturbed and the thought that schools were not as safe as I thought struck me,” said junior Arushi Gautam. “The walkout just gave us the chance to see that we have created a safe environment for each other to express our opinions.” The walkout was seventeen minutes long to represent the seventeen lives lost the day of the shooting. During that time, several students presented heartfelt speeches at the top of the quad with the goals of remembering those who died and urging their fellow students to be the generation that ends gun abuse once and for all. “I wanted to hear other people’s opinions and I supported the cause the walkout stood for,” said senior Celina Day. “I was glad that other people were also willing to stand up for what they thought was right and did not stand by and be repressed.” In general, most Lynbrook staff have been supportive of student protest and have remained neutral on the issue. Although teachers could penalize students for leaving
Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic class for the walkout, many chose not to and allowed students to freely exercise their right of civil protest. Some teachers, however, chose to hold students accountable for “cutting” class. A potential result for leaving in the middle of class deterred some students from being a part of the walkout, but to others like Gautam, the cause was more important. “So many people kept telling me not to walk out and that nobody was going to notice us doing it but the thing about the walkout was that doing it was a way to show your support for your community,” said Gautam.
A nationwide protest, March For Our Lives, was also held on March 24 against the injustice caused by gun violence against students in schools across America. Many Lynbrook students participated in the protests with posters in hand. In general, Lynbrook administration has been very supportive of these movements. Although they were concerned of possible security issues that the walkout could bring, they felt that this would be a meaningful experience for all students and staff. “It was great to see students care about an issue deeply enough that they go out of their
way to get guest speakers and community members,” said Vice-Principal Eric Wong. “Anytime you see students take skills or lessons that they’ve done in class and apply it to real world things that they care about, is really cool.” In other schools across the nation, administration have implemented severe policies, such as forcing students to wear transparent, plastic backpacks so their contents can be plainly seen. This is a clear violation of privacy and although may provide a temporary solution to the problem, alternative options should be pursued. We are lucky that this isn’t the case at Lynbrook, but the student body still need to be aware of the world we live in. “I think, sadly, more measures or more restrictions need to be taken,” said Wong. “We ask all students to stay vigilant, and if you see anything that is weird, always let an adult know.” We, as a staff and as individuals, feel very strongly toward preventing any further devastating events like the ones mentioned earlier, and helping rebuild our communities. We believe that Lynbrook students who feel strongly about the cause and want to get involved can make a larger impact by contacting their state representatives. They can follow suit of student activists from Parkland who have been openly challenging government of�icials and National Ri�le Association (NRA) members to implement gun policies. *the Epic staff voted 32-1 in favor of this stance Watch a documentary on the rise of youth activism in response to the shooting
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CLARA FERNANDES AND BELINDA ZHOU
Maxwell Wang flies to new heights with drones BY JUSTINE CHEN
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unior Maxwell Wang’s hands move quickly over the buttons of his controller, checking the drone’s battery level and connection signal. The drone’s propellers quickly pick up speed, levitating it away from the rushing river. He dips the drone under a large tree branch, being careful to survey the surroundings the drone is �lying in. Standing on the top of the mountain, Wang squints into the distance before seeing the drone �inally emerge from the treetops below. Ever since receiving a remote controlled airplane in the seventh grade, Wang has dedicated hundreds of hours to learning the technology and engineering behind drones and �ilm equipment and has created numerous short �ilms using drone technology. Through trial and error and multiple crashed �lights, Wang has gone through an arduous journey to learn the tricks of the trade. Now, Wang brings his camera and �ilm equipment wherever he goes. “A lot of the learning process comes from just mostly guessing and checking as well as using online forums,” said Wang. “A lot of skills you can’t really learn from any one speci�ic source, so you just try and fail over and over again until something works.” After years of practice, Wang has developed knowledge and expertise about drone technology and �ilm that have allowed him to expand his passion to pursuing business opportunities, working at or with several companies. In the summer of 2017, Wang was employed at Zero Zero Robotics, which created the Hover Camera Passport, as a part of the repair and distribution management team. He conducted general disassemblies and repairs, �ixing drones and helping customers. Wang currently does independent drone repairing, contracting and consulting, in addition to creating animations and �ilms for various companies such as UAVfutures. He typically takes on 5 to 20 commission projects at a time. In addition to recreationally �lying drones with juniors Alex Chang and Gaurav Vipat, Wang cofounded a Teens for Dreams program with junior Jason Dong. Through the program, they host bi-weekly workshops to teach others about drone technology and �ilmmaking. Each workshop includes presentations
ARUL GNANASIVAM—EPIC
and live demonstrations. The technology and machinery aspect behind drones and �ilmmaking is what attracts Wang the most. Wang uses a traditional digital single-lens re�lex for ground �ilming, a race drone to capture faster targets and a DJI Phantom 4. To edit his �ilms and create animations, Wang uses Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects. Wang has not only gained knowledge about �ilm editing and drone technology but has learned patience and persistence through his endeavors. Since �lying drones consists of laborious trial-and-error, it can be frustrating and demoralizing at times. “The most dif�icult part are the crashes,” said Wang. “The better you get, the more you crash because you think you’re getting better and you try more daring things when you aren’t better and you are just trying stupid things. After you crash, you want to give up because you just wasted a lot of money, resources and time on something that just �lew itself into the ground. It’s really hard getting back from that and to �ind the motivation to keep going after everything you’ve worked for in the last month just exploded in your face.” What has encouraged Wang to continue honing his craft is the support of his friends and family. As co-president of the Film Club, he currently works with members to undertake various video projects and introduce new �ilm styles to other students. “Maxwell brings a certain energy to every one of our projects,” said junior Film Club co-president Thomas Lin. “Whether it be on set or in a meeting, he has a way of just getting everyone excited and energized. His enthusiasm is apparent as the crew takes on a similar mindset of unwavering hope.” While unsure where this passion will take him in future, Wang hopes to continue furthering his expertise and take on more video projects this year, in addition to collaborating with more companies. “This really is a dif�icult career choice because the market is rather niche and very competitive for both drones and video production,” said Wang. “The overlapping �ield of aerial cinematography is expanding; however, it will be challenging to use it as a tool for admissions or a job. I hope that in the future, I’ll have the opportunity to apply my passion for drone and �ilmmaking to my career, and if not, it will always be a cherished hobby.”
1. Check out Lynbrook’s College and Career Center website The �irst place to look for jobs and internships is through Lynbrook’s own College and Career Center website. The site is often overlooked by students; the site, however, is often updated with new and interesting opportunities, so be sure to look there �irst. Compile a list of your interests before beginning your search— there are a wide range of activities for everyone, whether you are interested in hospitality, food service or medicine. After compiling a list, apply to the programs that �it your interests. Whether you’re looking for a job, an internship or volunteer opportunities, the College and Career Center has something for everyone!
2. Connect and apply for opportunities on LinkedIn If you’re looking for a summer internship, LinkedIn is the way to go! LinkedIn is an online platform that allows you to display your experience and skills while applying for jobs. Although you do not need an account to look for jobs on LinkedIn, creating a pro�ile is a great way to showcase your achievements and build an online resume. Not to mention, there are plenty of professional internship pages on LinkedIn, and it is much easier to apply when you have an account. Some internships even prefer you to submit your LinkedIn pro�ile instead of a resume. Start by �iltering your search to one of your interests at a time and applying to the ones that attract you the most.
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Be proactive start early The sayingand “the early bird gets the worm” applies to jobs and internships, The saying goes thatearly the early bird getsmiss the out worm, so opportunity. so don’t procrastinate! Apply so you don’t on an don’t procrastinate! Apply early so you don’t miss out on an opAlso, make sure to be proactive while looking for a job or internship. Find portunity! Also, make sure to be proactive while looking for a job creative ways to get what you want; for example, one person submitted his or internship! As author Stephen said, “I am not“Ia am product resume in a donut box! As author Covey Stephen Covey said, not a product of Don’tbe beafraid to ask of my my circumstances. circumstances. II am am aa product product of of my my decisions.” decisions.” Don’t afraid to ask questions and seize the opportunities when you questions and seize any opportunities as they come. can! 4. Look beyond the typical summer places Be proactive (personal experience: how I found an internship lastAs year) always, keep an eye out for any local job opportunities and look Astypical always,summer keep aninternships. eye out for job opportunities beyond the While you shouldand work on applying look outsideprograms of the typical summer internships places. Whileyour youfavorite to summer and internships, you should also visit should work on applications, youstores shouldfor also visit yourjob! favorcafes, tea shops. restaurants and a part-time Local businesses ite tea shops andtalent restaurants a part-time as well! lovecafes, to employ young at theirfor company. Theyjob usually have �lexible They usually have �lexible hours and discounts for you and your hours and discounts for you and your friends, making them the perfect fun friends, them the perfect fun summer job! summermaking job.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FEATURES SECTION
Brandless makes their name known BY NICOLE ONG
MICHYLA LIN // OH WHALE!
College is confidential
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n April 1st, I was locked in a staring contest with a glowing red Google spreadsheet. The spreadsheet was my college acceptance organizer: a battleground of 26 color-coded rows denoting my acceptance results. I was really losing. This spreadsheet fueled my anxiety for four years of my life, keeping me awake with stress-induced insomnia and triggering full blown meltdowns over missing assignments, leaving me completely and utterly exhausted. Though I expected to get rejection letters, nothing could have prepared me for the pure dread that weighed on my chest and got heavier each time I read the words “we regret to inform you...” The pressure built until I couldn’t even recognize success when I got to highlight a row green. For the entire month of March, I was in a bad mood. Every other day, I heard “soand-so got into Harvard or MIT”… My peers’ odd interest in my college acceptances only added to the pressure I was already under. I �inally broke when my mom asked me if I wanted re-apply to some schools for the spring semester. Though she meant only to remind me I had options if I wasn’t satis�ied my results, I only heard “You could have done better.” I spent that day alone, trying and failing to silence the voice in my head telling me I’m a failure. Fortunately, I have a close alumni friend who gave me an integral piece of advice: “The college you get into doesn’t de�ine you.” Seems logical enough, though why was this so hard for me to understand? I came to the realization that our community somehow all agreed upon this backward notion that college ranking somehow tied to one’s identity. Many students get satisfaction out of knowing they are going to a higher ranked school than their peers, which is a toxic form of academic competition that our school community unfortunately allows to slip through the cracks. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) cites the Silicon Valley as the rising youth suicide capital of the U.S., yet nobody seems to believe that this hyper-competitive environment, while not as extreme as that of Gunn High School, may be doing more harm than good. Competition can drive us, but when used to boost our self-esteem at the expense of others, we begin to view each other as rivals, not peers. A teacher once told me that what matters about college is not numbers, but the experience. Whether you end up going to an Ivy League university or a community college, your life is ultimately your own. Only you can build your own experiences, work towards your own goals, academic or not, and �igure out what you want to do in the future. My advice: life is catching up to us, and we don’t have time to waste looking down on others when we should be looking at ourselves. Take time to evaluate where you are in your own life. We need to recognize that de�ining ourselves as “better than” will not be able sustain us as we move forward in life. To those who may feel uneasy about college, no matter where you are in the application process, Oh Whale, Regardless of where you go, if look down on others, you’ll miss the best parts of growing up.
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f all the products I reviewed, I was de�initely most excited to test out these hand creams. Lemon verbena sounded fancy, an assumption that proved to be true. Looking through Amazon to �ind a brand-name counterpart for Brandless’s product, I struggled to �ind an exact lookalike until I stumbled upon La Chatelaine’s hand cream. La Chatelaine’s product was more expensive, $8 for an ounce of lotion, while Brandless offered $3 for 3 ounces of lotion. La Chatelaine’s lotion was hard to dispense. There was no doubt that this hand lotion was lemon verbena as the scent was overwhelming. On the other hand, Brandless’s lotion had a thin consistency. There was no noticeable difference in how soft the lotions made my hands, but the scent of La Chatelaine’s lotion was overwhelming and did not fade. Although the Brandless lotion’s scent faded, its much subtler smell and thinner consistency rendered it the winner between the two products.
he thing about Brandless’s highlighters that really stood out to me was the fact that they are made from 78 percent recycled plastic. Both products also came with a “quick-drying Smear Guard” to prevent smudging, and the only major difference before ordering the products was in price. On Amazon, 6 Sharpie Accent highlighters cost about $7.21, while 6 Brandless recycled highlighters cost only $3. And after trying the products, I still believe that there is no major difference other than cost. The tips of Brandless highlighters are slightly softer than the Sharpie highlighters’, and the thinner barrel and pen clip of Brandless highlighters make them much easier to store. The colors are almost exactly the same, and Brandless’s highlighters are only slightly thicker than Sharpie’s. All of this being said, I prefer the Brandless product, mainly because it is cheaper, but also because I like the softer tips of the highlighters.
t �irst glance, the Popchips were de�initely more appealing than the Brandless chips, as the packaging was more vibrant.The Brandless packaging consisted of only two colors, white and green, with a simple label detailing the name of the product and some of its qualities. On the other hand, the Popchips packaging contained a picture of the actual chip, sour cream and green onions. Yet, I decided to hold my judgement. Both chips looked roughly the same, but the Popchips were slightly smaller and thinner than the Brandless chips. The initial mild creamy, tangy �lavors of both chips were similar, the only difference being that the Popchips were saltier. The Brandless chips, however, left a bitter aftertaste. The Brandless popped chips were also crunchier and lighter. While I liked the crunchier texture of the Brandless chips, the bitter aftertaste of it led me to favor the Popchips.
s a tea lover, I had high hopes for the Brandless English Breakfast tea, but I am sad to say that I was disappointed by the results. I brewed each cup of tea according to package instructions and made sure to try both cups at the same time. The aroma of the two cups differed slightly: the Twinings tea had a very distinct aroma of English Breakfast tea but the Brandless tea did not. Upon �irst sip, Brandless’s tea shocked me. Brandless’s tea was overpoweringly bitter, much too strong for my taste. It tasted a lot more like black coffee than English Breakfast tea. I diluted the tea with a lot of water as I thought I had steeped it for too long, but it was still extremely bitter. The Twinings tea had a much more palatable, lighter taste with a distinct black tea �lavor. Of the two products, the Twinings tea was de�initely the better one and the one that I would recommend you to try. GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FEATURES SECTION
Famous Dex releases debut album BY MEERA BALAJI AND HSINYEN HUANG
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hicago rapper Famous Dex, also known simply as Dex, released his highly anticipated debut album “Dex Meets Dexter” on April 6. The release came after the rapper achieved mainstream recognition with his hits “Pick it Up” and “JAPAN.” The 14 track album includes the aforementioned songs, previously released as singles, as well as 12 additional tracks, with some songs featuring artists such as A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Diplo and Drax Project. “Dex Meets Dexter,” the rapper’s �irst full-length album, was �irst announced in November 2017 through a YouTube video, but the project’s release date was pushed back several times before �inally being released in April. The album was generally received with positive reviews, with many congratulating Dex on his �irst album release. Prior to “Dex Meets Dexter,” Dex had released seven mixtapes that were met with local success, but the album further propelled him into the public eye. The album opens with “DMD,”
an upbeat and catchy intro that is reminiscent of certain verses from “Pick It Up,” the rapper’s most popular song to date. Dex raps about the success he has enjoyed since breaking out into the spotlight, a common subject in his songs. The next track, “JAPAN,” was released as a separate single before the album. The song’s success is largely a result of the fun, light beat and catchy hook.
ART ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LEE
The lyrics are easy to follow and the song’s production leaves fans coming back for another listen. “Take Her,” however, fell rather �lat despite featuring Wiz Khalifa, a prominent rapper who has released a number of chart-topping albums and singles. The song lacks a uni�ied beat, as Dex raps at random intervals, and falls short in original lyrics, as he repeats the chorus a few times too many. Khalifa’s verse is rather short, with the bulk of his in�luence in repeating various words after Dex throughout the song. The remainder of the songs on the album, focusing on Dex’s lifestyle after catapulting into the spotlight, contribute to the album’s listening time of 39 minutes. Coupled with similar sounding beats and the heavy use of autotune, songs such as “Said So” and “XOXO” become lost in the lengthiness of the album. The album would have bene�ited greatly had �iller songs like “Chump” and “Them Days” been cut to shorten the album, and if Dex rapped about a wider variety of subjects. Overall, Dex’s album makes up for what it lacks in lyricism with memorable melodies and his clearcut development as a breakout artist.
Apps all students need for success BY RISA MORI
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ssentially a smart alarm, Sleep Cycle wakes the user up in the lightest part of his or her 90-minute sleep cycle which consists of three repeated stages: light sleep, deep sleep and REM-sleep, a dream like state, ensuring that the user wakes up feeling well rested. Through the microphone of the user’s phone, the app is able to analyze the user’s movements as he or she sleeps and then use this data to provide detailed sleep graphs and trends on the user’s sleep quality throughout the night. The snooze function in this app is easy to use as well; the feature is enabled by either lifting the phone or tapping twice on the phone screen. With a premium subscription, users are also able to identity their average sleep quality and bedtime and view how their lifestyle affects their sleep. Sleep Cycle is an effective alarm clock for Lynbrook students who need to optimize their already little sleeping time!
ater makes up 70 percent of one’s body weight and is crucial to the functioning of every individual. Plant Nanny uses a virtual plant to remind the user to drink water. The app �irst calculates the amount of water the user needs to drink in accordance to the user’s weight and amount of exercise performed that day. The user then selects a cup to drink from and the species of plant they want to grow. After each cup of water the user drinks, he or she waters the virtual plant. If the user does not drink enough water during the day, the plant dies.
esigned to keep users off their phones, Forest utilizes the pomodoro method, a time management system where the user sets speci�ied amounts of time dedicated to work and relaxation. During the time that the user allots for a speci�ic task, a tree of their choice will grow from a seedling to a tree. With each virtual tree that is successfully planted, the user earns coins which are used to purchase other species of trees. A further incentive for the user is the option to plant real trees using the coins earned on the app. According to Forest, 250,621 trees have been planted by its partner Trees for the Future. If the user leaves the app before the timer expires, however, the tree dies and no coins are earned. The user is also able to view their overall productivity by the number and variety of trees planted during the day which are grouped in the user’s forest.
ith such busy schedules, it is often hard for students to �ind time to work out. Sworkit provides its users with at-home workouts anywhere between �ive to sixty minutes that require no equipment. The user can �ilter through numerous workouts based on the dif�iculty, exercise category, and the stance. Some popular workouts include the seven minute workout, rump roaster, daily stretch and �ive minute abs. Each workout contains a guided video tutorial which helps users master moves such as elevated crunches and fast feet.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FEATURES SECTION
Vaping: an alternate take on cigarettes BY RISA MORI AND PATRICIA WEI
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rowing up, senior Miles Wong* often felt alone. His best friend passed away in front of him when he was nine years old. That same day, his mom was diagnosed with cancer, and his parents spent much of their time in the hospital. Wong had to raise himself. During his sophomore year, he started smoking. The smell, the texture, the way the cigarette �it in his hand gave him a sense of comfort and relief. Soon, he was smoking one pack a day. He noticed his lungs were getting weaker, and his doctor recommended that he switch to using e-cigarettes. Wong now uses a vaping device to help him cope with nicotine cravings. “At �irst, I was smoking for fun and relaxation,” said Wong. “Then, I was addicted and I just couldn’t breathe, so I had to quit. Vaping is a lot cleaner than smoking cigarettes, and it’s less stress on my lungs.” Vapes, or e-cigarettes, frequently come in the form of sleek pens that resemble �lash drives, with a temperature regulation device and a charger on one end, and an interchangeable mouthpiece with liquids, or “pods,” on the other. Pods can come in multiple �lavors ranging from mint to cotton candy and deliver the heated vaping liquid through vapor that is then inhaled. Some liquid formulas contain only water, propylene glycol and �lavoring, while others are nicotinebased, containing as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. “When you vape with nicotine, y o u
MICHYLA LIN — EPIC
feel a sensation called a Head Rush that lasts for a maximum of two minutes,” said junior Gerald Douglas*. “Your muscles feel tense, and it feels like you are sinking to the ground.” One popular vape products is made by Juul, a San Francisco-based company that created its products with the intention of helping adults who have trouble quitting smoking. Juul and a few other e-cigarette companies ensure that online purchasers are 21 or older. Even though federal law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under 18, teenagers have been able to gain access to vaping devices. For those who have nicotine addictions from smoking cigarettes, vaping has become a cleaner and healthier alternative that does not immediately tarnish their lungs with tar. “I started smoking cigarettes my freshman year because my friends were doing it, and then it became an addiction,” said former Lynbrook student and senior Aymie Dang, who currently uses a Phix, a pod vaping system similar to Juul, after quitting cigarettes. “The smell of cigarettes would stay on me when I went to class and it was kind of embarrassing. But the vape doesn’t do that.” Recently, more teens have started vaping not because of nicotine addiction, but to �it in with social norms. Videos in which teens perform vaping tricks have led many youths to perceive vaping as not only socially acceptable, but cool. “If it weren’t for social media, I don’t think half the people that vape today would be vaping,” said Dang. “It bothers me so much when I see a teen using a vape with nicotine when they don’t have [a previous cigarette addiction], because you’re so young. You’re poisoning y o u r body just to
seem cool or to �it in with others.” Others who enjoy vaping appreciate its social aspects. “I like using it with my friends,” said Douglas. “You know how people drink beer together? It’s kind of like that. It’s like a new culture among students. It’s not healthy, but it’s the new trendy thing.” S i n c e e-cigarettes are relatively new, the long-term health effects are currently u n k n o w n . Although vaping provides a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, they do not come without risks. Statistics from recent years have shown more evidence that e-cigarette use in youth may increase the risk of further tobacco product use. “Nicotine is highly addictive, and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to nicotine addiction,” said Nick Goldenson, a doctoral student studying at the University of Southern California’s Health, Behavior and Addiction Laboratory. “Exposure to nicotine during one’s adolescence can harm the developing brain, leading to de�icits in attention, cognition and impulse control as well as other mental health problems.” A research paper recently published by “Environmental Health Perspectives” concluded that e-cigarettes can potentially introduce toxic metals from the heating coil to the inhaled aerosol, demonstrating that nicotine-free vapor may not be completely safe either. At Lynbrook, teachers have seen a rise in the number of students who vape over the years, and they hope that these students will take calculated risks and think about the long-term consequences. “When I was younger, there was the impression that dipping tobacco was safer because there was no smoke, but we later realized that wasn’t true,” said special education teacher Miguel Alderete. “I know people who have throat cancer because of dipping tobacco. My hope for students is to hear me now, but listen to me later.” Teachers hope that students will take care of their bodies and realize that their previous mistakes do not de�ine them. “Every action you make is a small pebble that ripples in your body of water; some for the worst,” said science teacher Jason Lee. “But the great thing is your body is incredible at recovering. The hardest part of your body to recover and
�ind balance in is your brain, especially when it comes to establishing connections of happiness. To me, this is the basis of why people vape: it makes you feel happy, it makes you forget about stressful things and it allows you to chill. This is where you can become n e u r o l o g i c a l ly dependent, and dollars to donuts frequency and consistency is a primary factor.” Teens have used substances not only to rebel and experiment, but also to cope with underlying issues such as mental health and stress caused by academics and aspects of their personal lives. “Mental health is looked down upon in society. If you struggle with mental health, you are considered weak,” said Wong. “Mental health is not a joke. Some people do things because they want to. Some people do things because they have to.” At Lynbrook, substance use can be seen as taboo, with some students judging those who smoke, vape or use other drugs without knowing the full background behind or cause of such behavior. “Judgement feels like sh*t,” said Wong. “You feel like everyone’s against you. You feel alone. You feel anxious and depressed. Don’t judge people too fast because you never know what they’re going through.” According to a 2008 study of 35 years of tobacco cessation research, although 70 percent of smokers wanted to quit, less than 5 percent were successful. Yet through vaping, both teens and adults have found ways to stay away from the toxicants in cigarettes and gradually reduce nicotine intake. Because vaping has possible negative health effects, teens looking to experiment should be cautious. It is important for students and teachers to consider the factors that lead to substance use, such as stress or mental health issues, and show compassion instead of judgement. “When people read this story, I want them to realize that they’re not alone,” said Wong. “I didn’t give a f*ck about my life. But now I treasure my life. My best friend who passed away inspired me so much. He always had a positive energy to him, and I want to bring positive energy and show people that if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish it. If you want to quit cigarettes, put your mind to it.” *names have been kept anonymous for privacy reasons
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JOCY HE
Changing the face of Western masculinity When outdated social expectations become toxic BY MICHYLA LIN & DIVYA NELAKONDA
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t is 10 p.m. on a Friday night. A boy shrugs off his backpack, exhausted after a long session at the gym with his friends, during which they competed to see who could bench the most weight. Slipping off his shoes, he turns on the TV, ready to unwind with a quick round of “Battle�ield” when he sees another report of a shooting. The suspect is yet another male with a gun, and the news cites video games as a primary cause of the shooting. The boy promptly drops his controller. He wonders why society pushes him to embrace his masculine qualities, yet also tells him to suppress them. The American de�inition of masculinity �inds its roots in the hunter-gatherer roles of primitive male homosapiens: to be masculine means to be physically strong, aggressive and competitive. This “alpha” ideal, thought to be the pique of masculinity, has only been further enforced in recent years, as most common examples of masculinity are limited to brawny athletes, charismatic actors and virile sex-symbols. Recent news regarding violence and sexual harassment, however, have begun to paint such qualities as negative and undesirable. Though politicians cite mental illness as one of the leading causes of mass shootings, the truth lies in the statistics: only 14.8 percent of mass shooters have been linked to mental illness. Comparatively, the proportion of male to female shooters has been much larger: only three out of the recorded 98 shootings since 1982 having been committed by women, thus raising suspicion among some individuals that a possible cause of recent shootings may be a societal bias rooted in an outdated de�inition of masculinity rather than medical issues. Statistical and criminal evidence reinforce a possible link between traditional masculinity and mass shootings. Reportedly, 30 percent of shootings take place in of�ice settings by a discontent male employee. The 1991 shootings in Michigan and New Jersey
MICHELLE ZEMYLAK — EPIC
workplaces, for example, were led by men played increasingly large roles in de�ining the who felt that they were owed employment. masculine identity through violence. Turn Elliot Rodger, University of California, of the century cinema in 1999 especially Santa Barbara shooter, published a video underscored a violent aesthetic re�lecting the titled “Elliot Rodger’s Retribution,” where moral and cultural panic in society prompted he expressed a lack of romantic and sexual by Battle of Seattle protests, civil disobedience reciprocation and threatened to “punish,” at Woodstock and the Columbine shooting. “slaughter” and take “revenge on humanity.” The 1999 �ilms “Fight Club” and “Boys The result of such evidence culminates Don’t Cry” explore the deconstruction and in a concept called “toxic masculinity,” a formation of male identity, though ultimately phenomenon in which social expectations establishing alternative message. Both �ilms, restrict expressions of one’s masculinity develop ideas of escape from the normative relationship between to aggression and men and masculinity. shows of dominance, The popularization standards that of superhero �ilms haven’t changed “IF THERE IS A PUSH FOR such as “Spiderman” much throughout CHANGE AT ALL, THERE and”Hulk” accentuated history. SHOULD BE A PUSH TO stereotypical “Men are expected SAY, ‘DO WHATEVER male ideals, while to be leaders, “Forgetting Sarah tough, physically YOU WANT.” Marshall” and “Hot Tub strong, dominant, Senior Time Machine” iterated unemotional and Chris Wang that remasculinization is assertive, to name necessary for successful a few,” said Alison relationships. Even Dahl Crossley, romantic comedies, Associate Director of Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender such as “Knocked Up” or “Superbad,” where Research. “When men commit such more eccentric or effeminate male characters violence, it is largely unremarkable, given triumph in love, are problematic by pushing its alignment with dominant values and the notion that non-conventional males must prove themselves in alternative ways to the expectations of men.” The Western culture that restricts standard machismo men in order to win over the domain of male identity to speci�ic their love interests. In contrast, feminine standards have physicalities, sexualities and interests is also prevalent in a media that perpetuates transformed several times throughout the the cultural construct of masculinity. past two centuries. From Elizabeth Cady For instance, advertising may isolate Stanton and the Seneca Falls Convention the perception of masculinity to a rigid, discussing women’s suffrage in the 1800s to 2017’s �irst Women’s March �ighting for equal conservative male ideal. While female-targeted advertising has rights and representation of all minorities, recently taken a new form in embracing non- women have had an abundance of prominent traditional beauty and bodies, male-targeted female �igure heads who challenge what it marketing lags behind. For instance, male means to embrace one’s femininity. However, the same cannot be said lifestyle magazines such as Men’s Health and Maxim continue to enforce stereotypical for all males. The exploration of gay and male tropes and hegemonic masculinity. intersectional rights for male minorities Advertisements for beer convey tones of in more recent years have brought about reform with the manner in which members male camaraderie, and certain motor vehicle of the LGBTQA+ community are commercials are deeply gendered perceived and portrayed in to target ideas of physical today’s media. strength and adventure. In 2016, Covergirl was Film and media have
applauded for the inclusion of the �irst male makeup model. On Youtube, a rise in male beauty and lifestyle in�luencers have continued to break down boundaries and expectations for the perception of male presence in traditionally female industries such as the fashion and lifestyle industries, however have yet to dissolve the generalization that such individuals are also members of the LGBTQA+ community. In recent years, male beauty products have expanded into a lucrative market with the metrosexual man as its face. Metrosexual men are de�ined as heterosexual males who tend to be more meticulous with their appearance and more willing to dedicate their time and money toward self grooming. Rather than opposing traditional masculinity by selling more conventionally female products, metrosexual products, such as fragrance and lotions, are advertised by men with visual strength and virility, bridging the gap between traditional maleness and the perception of effeminate behaviors. Pop culture today is reevaluating what it means to be masculine. Traditional gender perception is beginning to question the existing dichotomy, and the conventions expected are increasingly challenged. The de�inition of masculinity is becoming increasingly less concrete, less reliant on merely physical and emotional traits or rigid ideals that brutalize outliers. With the greater integration of homosexuality in society, effeminate men are less often considered inferior. “It’s kind of silly that there has to be a de�inition of masculinity,” said Wang. ““If there is a push for change at all, there should be a push to say, ‘do whatever you want,’ rather than to rede�ine what it means to be masculine. I feel like once you rede�ine it, like going from thinking that ‘men are supposed to be big and hairy’ to ‘men are supposed to be small and skinny,’ then all of the big and hairy people feel kind of left out. So yes, there should be a push, but no, not a push to rede�ine masculinity.”
Popular music genres throughout the decades BY CLARA FERNANDES
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arents disliking the music that teens listen to seems to be a recurring theme across all generations. Popular music usually re�lects the society that each generation grows up in, which is why parents tend to dislike their children’s music—they simply can’t relate to it. Take a look at how popular music has evolved throughout the decades: it is apparent that the music that is sought-after often allows one to express his or her anger or let go of negative feelings, ultimately clearing one’s mind and feeling at ease.
Dancing music during the Roaring Twenties turns into uplifting tunes to cheer people up after the Great Depression.
Cowboys become commercialized in Hollywood.
African-Americans, Latinos and the LGBTQ+ community produce lyrically expressive, extravagant music to dance to.
Teenage rebellion inspires a new genre of music where controversial social con�licts are expressed through angry music.
Rap based on youth commentary on America or a method to brag about one’s wealth. 80’s- 90’s nostalgia returns.
Increased desegregation in New York incentivizes African American communities to lyrically expressive music.
Technological advances in the music industry allow new and more futuristic genres to be explored.
People want to express their pain through music. Dubstep becomes popular due to the accessibility of personal computers and music software.
Inside the classification of gaming disorder BY ARUL GNANASIVAM AND NOELA BAE
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After contentious debate over whether or not excessive gaming should be deemed a mental illness, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to include “gaming disorder” in its International Classi�ication of Diseases, the global reference used to identify diseases and health conditions. This decision is an effort to legitimize the health issues from excessive gaming and may set the precedent for further recognition of behavioral addictions by the international community. The WHO describes gaming disorder as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour” that becomes so severe that other life interests, such as personal hygiene and health, are
overlooked. The behavior must go on for a minimum of 12 months for an individual to be diagnosed with the disorder. Effects of gaming disorder vary from minor to drastic changes in an individual’s health. While minor symptoms can include isolation and physical discomfort when not allowed to play video games, more severe issues can involve migraines, wrist pain and, in some cases, even death. Although casualties are extremely rare, they are examples of the extreme consequences video game addiction can have. WHO’s decision has been met with mixed responses. Detractors believe gaming disorder’s classi�ication to be a premature call, while some
technology professionals, such as lead technology addiction specialist Richard Graham, consider it a milestone in recognizing mental disorders. “[The decision] is signi�icant because it creates the opportunity for more specialized services,” said Graham. “It puts [gaming disorder] on the map as something to take seriously.” Despite the varied opinions, cases of gaming addiction have been more prevalent as new video games grow increasingly popular. For example, Fortnite, a new multiplayer shooter game, is the latest fad among students and young adults. Of�icially known as Fortnite Battle Royale, the game has risen in such popularity that in February alone, a record 3.4 million people were concurrently playing the game, and its overall player base is estimated to have more than 45 million users. “[Fortnite is] not just the biggest game of the year, it’s the �irst game we’ve seen since Minecraft that’s had this kind of appeal,” said Mat Piscatella, a video games industry analyst at NPD Research. “The upside potential is astronomical.” Fortnite is a multiplayer survival game that involves scavenging for weapons and building forti�ications in order to be the last player standing. Technology addiction specialists maintain that Fortnite has been designed in a way to keep users entertained and challenged, and therefore addicted to the game. Fortnite’s
cartoonish visual style and lack of blood and gore moreover make it appealing to all age groups, and the wide selection of weapons and tools offer room for various playing styles and strategies. The game’s progression structure, which consists of 100 levels, encourages long hours of playing the game, increasing the chance for players to become addicted. Additionally, cosmetic items and various weapons encourage players to grind at the game for long hours until they acquire enough in game currency to buy the best skin. “Progression systems make people feel as if they are getting more skilled at the game which encourages people to continue playing the game,” said freshman Vamsi Mannava. “When people feel as if they aren’t progressing, they often quit their task. That also explains why the souls-borne games aren’t loved by everybody. The games are known for their notorious dif�iculty, and the thought of dying repeatedly and making little progress scares of people.” Available on several mobile and gaming platforms, Fortnite is not only easily accessible, but also free. The ability for console players to play with mobile players has dramatically increased the player base. Big-name celebrities such as Drake and Travis Scott have joined in on the craze as well, broadcasting their gameplay on Twitch, a streaming website, and Youtube. “Fortnite is really fun because the skill curve is really low,” says senior Rohan Dhesikan. “There are no characters to learn or strategies to memorize.” The extensive popularity of Fortnite, however, may contribute to the larger issue of gaming addiction. Most video game developers design their games to
Swim season ends with a splash Racing into league championships undefeated BY JESSICA LI
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ushing onward stroke by stroke, kick by kick, through the clear blue water, Lynbrook swimming and diving is right on the heels of celebrating a victorious season. Though the team has yet to compete in league championships, the team has managed to swim undefeated in all league matches. This season, both new and returning swimmers have been working incredibly hard and have brought the Vikings to victory. In addition to having top-notch freshmen swimmers in the ranks of athletes to rack up points for the team, returning athletes have also greatly improved their times. “Lynbrook swimming has been able to be so successful this season because of everyone’s dedication and strong work ethic during practice,” said sophomore Patrick Phelan. “I think I have done pretty well this season. I’ve improved my stroke technique and endurance, I’m swimming on faster intervals during practice and some of my times are faster than last season.” During meets, swimmings individually rack up points with their events for their school. At the end of each meet, all points are totalled, and the school with the most points wins the meet. Although Coach Aaron Waldrip has been coaching swimming and diving for more than twenty years, this is only his second season coaching for Lynbrook’s team. Additionally, two assistant coaches, Alec Dendall and Crispin Hawkins, have been working on athletes’ skill and technique. “One thing I really appreciate about [Waldrip’s] coaching style this year is that he’s aware of which swimmers are pushing themselves and which don’t work as hard at practice,” said senior Chloe Lai. “An awesome tool he picked up this season is an LED light machine that creates a moving light that you need to
“catch” along the bottom of the pool. He worked with some Even though swimming and diving are individual other swimmers and me to drill on this machine a couple sports, Waldrip has been working to integrate the times a day, which has really locked in my memory so that athletes into one united team, a challenge especially during a race, my tempo is on track.” since divers must go offsite at Monta Vista High Waldrip has also been working School to train. So far, divers have to improve team logistics and been helping out with timing mindset overall. To minimize the swimmers at meets. use of resources and swimmers’ “EVERYTHING IS FOR THE Athletes usually form tight time away from their classes, TEAM. THERE IS NO bonds with swimmers from Waldrip has reduced the number grades. As a long-standing INDIVIDUAL. ON TOP OF all of meets from a normal �ive or six tradition, right before important to only three throughout the entire THAT, EVERYONE’S GOT meets and CCS, swimmers come season. At these meets, three schools TO BE FIRED UP AND together to cheer. Additionally, in compete against each other at one WANT TO GO OUT AND order to facilitate team bonding, time instead of two. To increase WIN.” seniors plan picnics and lunches. swimmers’ chances of qualifying “Everything is for the for CCS, however, the Vikings have team,” said Waldrip. “There is Aaron Waldripalso competed in invitational meets no individual. On top of that, Head Coach everyone’s got to be �ired up and which they have not participated in for years. want to go out and win.” “It’s a huge strain on the As all regular season meets [swimming and diving] program to put on as many meets as are over, the athletes are hurriedly preparing for the we have in the past,” said Waldrip. “Some people like it and league championship �inals and CCS. The upcoming some people don’t like it, but all the coaches like it, and [less league �inals on April 26 and 27 will determine who meets have] helped us have more practice time.” moves on to the league championship meet. A typical practice entails doing drills and basic In addition, these meets will also give swimmers conditioning workouts on land. The athletes then do quick another chance to qualify for CCS. As long as they warm ups consisting of swimming and kicking for 200 yards swim within a certain time limit, they can qualify. each. During the two hours of each practice, they swim So far, freshman Alexa Kwan, sophomores Erin Gao, anywhere from 3000 to 6000 yards in total. In addition to Jessica Chu, Tiffany Tran, William Zong, Tianyi Zhang regular practices in the afternoon, athletes also have the and Patrick Phelan and senior Nathan Lee are set to option to swim and train at night with their club teams. compete in CCS championships. All relay teams have “At times, I would hesitate going to practice because the also quali�ied. work that we did was pretty tiring,” said freshman Michelle While the league championship meet will Choi. “Swimming took a lot of time from my original schedule determine whether or not Lynbrook stays undefeated and gave me less time to do my school work, but it was and wins championships, CCS meets in May will allow de�initely worth it in the long run. Even though it was tiring, I swimmers to further qualify to compete at state was having lots of fun competing and racing others.” championships.
ASHLEY SONG–EPIC
ASHLEY SONG// IN MY OPINION
Unathletic n’ unafraid
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t is safe to say that anyone who is even remotely familiar with me is aware that I am no athlete. Despite my lifelong wishes to be fast, strong or agile, I have never acquired any of these qualities during my �ifteen years. In fact, I am one of the clumsiest people you will ever meet. Now don’t get me wrong—being unathletic isn’t a crime, nor is it something to be ashamed of, that is, unless said unathletic person has a brother who is fast, strong and agile. That’s right, I have an athlete as my brother. Picture a family at a beach. The kids are
playing, the mother is trying to slather them with sunscreen while the dad is recording the scene. In one speci�ic recording, my brothers are racing each other on the shore, full of adrenaline. The camera pans over to the left, and there she is, a mini-me, slowly making her way along the shore, navigating around my brothers’ footprints to look for shells in the sand. That recording has come to be a pretty accurate representation of the relationship between my oldest brother, Clay, and me today. He was always out playing sports with his friends or challenging them to races. I, on the other hand, spent my time participating in less physically demanding activities such as reading a book or playing the guitar. A well-rounded athlete, Clay had no trouble with athletics. While he was working out and training to run a marathon, the closest I ever got to a marathon was watching the full Fast and Furious �ilm series to put off doing my homework. Throughout middle school and high school, my oldest brother, Clay, ran cross country and track. Outside of school, he would play basketball at Miller
with friends. He was always at the top of his P.E. class and excelled in any sport he tried his hand at. Even in college, he did rowing as a freshman and ran every morning. I recall him coming home during Thanksgiving break, ready to work off the weight he would gain from the food our mother spoiled us with. My plans for break, on the other hand, starkly contrasted. Masses of food and no school? Sign me up. I would never even imagine of ruining those blissful days with cardio. To say the least, P.E. has never been my favorite class. And running? Having to run circuits on block days is a heinous crime. I would much rather be in class copying formulas or sketching layouts for the next issue of this paper. Although it doesn’t bother me now, I won’t lie: I was often frustrated as the unathletic sibling. While I watched my brother free lance rock climb with ease, I couldn’t help but wonder why I wasn’t lucky enough to get even a fraction of his athleticism. With Clay being the oldest, my parents always held me to a higher standard of athletic capability: Why did I dread the mile when Clay viewed
it with no big deal? It felt like some sort of genetic glitch that I had to deal with. I would ask myself that same question. The way I used to see it, athletes had it all. They were �it, received recognition for their talents and could form close friendships with their respective sports teams, becoming friends with people I would never get to even meet. Plus, their athletic achievements would be the icing on the cake known as college applications. In my case, the only heavy things I could lift were boxes and people— for the most part irrelevant to school or sports club life. Now I can con�idently say my point of view has changed. Am I an athlete now? No. Am I okay with it? Yes. I’ve gotten used to my body and its capacities. As for my brother, we tease each other all the time. He jokes about my two left feet and I feign the admiration of a gushing fan. We still wrestle and play basketball when he comes home to visit us, and when he wins, I just tease him and tell him it’s because he’s 5’6”. I’m content with the way things are, although I’ll never stop hoping one day I’ll wake up like The Flash.
Looking back at two athletes’ journeys BY KELSEY LU
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s the bell rings, students can be seen running toward the gate, heading home after a tiresome day of watching history documentaries or performing chemistry labs. Other students, however, can be seen deviating from this norm, heading straight toward the swimming pool, baseball �ield or stober �ield. This routine of afterschool
activities has become a part of their everyday lives, as they have practiced their sport for many years. Since joining the middle school soccer team or swimming at the age of six, these students have experienced the endless rewards and hardships of playing a sport starting from a young age.
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arah Sotoudeh started dancing when she was three years old after he r mom signed her up for dance lessons. Sotoudeh was att racted to the versatility of danc e as both a sport and an art, so she decided to commit fully to the sport. As she continued danc ing, Sotoudeh learned new techniqu es. She enjoys the cycle of never-e nding learning. Sotoudeh likes the challenges faced while dancing ; there are technical elements and facial expressions to pe rfect. Along with this, dance ca n cause many injuries from ov erexertion. In Nov. of 2015, Sotou deh
hurt her hamst ring, requiring her to do physical therapy exerci ses and stretches at home. Despite her injury, Sotoudeh was determined to bounce back an d grow not only as a dancer, but also as an individual . As a member of the Valkyrie s, Lynbrook’s danc e team, Sotoud eh learned a lot fro m her peers an d coaches throug h feedback. Th is has given her m ore self-con�iden ce, which she take s with her to the dance �loor and to the classroom . In the future, Sotoudeh hope s to continue he r dance journe y because it has shaped her into the person she is to day.
ndrew Destin’s passion for baseball stems from his dad’s is always improv ing, he has also in�luence as w el en l countered many as fro m the local baseball ga obstacles. For mes he consist example, Destin ently attended since has been rejected childhood. W by college coache hen Destin started pl s as a recruit for aying baseball at th eir college teams. the age of four, his As a result of dad coached hi these hardships, m and cheered him on ho we ver, Destin during games. has learned the im As Destin de portance of hard veloped into work and time m a more competit anagement. ive baseball pl Today, Destin ayer, he began play sees baseball ing under a playing a huge ro new coach; conseque le in his life as ntly, he saw m playing baseball all ajor improvements ow s him to learn in how he play more about himse ed. He owes this to hi lf. It has helped s coach Andy Ta him network wi rpley, a former player th other athletes on the Boston an d visit prospe Re d Socks. Tarple ctive colleges y helped im outside of Califor prove Destin’s skills ni a. In college, by teaching Destin hopes to him new techniqu join a baseball es. Although team in which Destin he can further practice and hone his athletic skills.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SPORTS SECTION
Boy’s golf team in the green BY HATIM SAIFEE
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is putter gently touches the ball and sets it in motion. His eyes light up with hope and con�idence as the ball rolls toward the hole and slides in, translating into yet another victory for the Boys’ Golf team, who have been performing exceptionally well this season. The team is currently halfway through the season with a record of six wins and four losses, a major improvement from last season’s record of three wins and eight losses. In addition to head coach Art Zimmermann, the players have a new Assistant Coach, Lynbrook alum Khoa Dinh, who has helped improve the team’s performance by making sure to focus on each player’s weaknesses and strengths. “Coach [Zimmermann] wasn’t able to break down everybody’s swing because there are many players,” said senior Vikram Miryala. “With the addition of Coach Khoa, both coaches can give more individual attention to our swings, which has helped us a lot,” said senior Nihal Mahajani. This season has had great successes, with one of the highlights being the two consecutive gold medals won by sophomore Madhavan Anbuchelvan. “I am always expecting to get the gold, but I keep my feet on the ground,” said Anbuchelvan. “There are players who will perform better than I do and if that is the case, then they are indeed the ones that really
deserve the medal.” At the match against Los Altos High School, senior Evan Huang scored a hole-in-one. “Evan’s hole-in-one is a major achievement,” said head coach Art Zimmerman. “A hole-in-one is a holy grail for a golfer. There is a 1 in 12,000 chance for an average golfer to get one.” In Boys’ Golf, the team that has the lowest combined score of all the players wins the game. The Lynbrook team has usually been able to win games by ten strokes throughout the season. In their game against Homestead High School, however, the team achieved a very close win by defeating their Mustang opponents by only a single stroke. Even though the players play individually, the team dynamic plays an important role and greatly in�luences their performance. One such example is when they eat fries together. Coach Art buys fries for the whole team after every game as a ritual. “Golf is a solo sport, and the only team aspect is that we play in a team,” said junior Dave Lawrence. “However, it de�initely helps to be around people who are playing golf because there’s a sense of competition and they push you to do better. We also give helpful tips to each other when we’re struggling.” The team’s brilliant performance has taken Boys’ Golf to great heights this season and all players hope to carry this excellence forward to the following season. Their �inal game is on April 26, at the Deep Cliff Golf Course against Santa Clara High School.
ARUL GNANASIVAM–EPIC
Guess which Lynbrook teacher has which tattoo BY KELSEY LU AND SADHANA SARMA
“I got it with my best friend when I turned 21 and we wanted to get a tattoo that bonded us together. We’ve gone through and overcomed many adversaries and that’s why we got ‘Always Keep Fighting’. This is because you have to always fighting for what you love, what you believe in and the things that matter to you. I look at it when I am having hard days and it is an encouragement to me.”
Teachers’ names Mrs. Miller Ms. Howard
“My tattoo is a rock climbing knot. My husband is an avid rock climber and we actually met for the first time at the climbing gym. He was the person who taught me this knot. It reminds me of him and of the first time we meant, but it’s also an infinity sign so it means forever. Also, when I rock climb, I can’t wear my ring so I decided to get the ring tattoos and to get the infinity knot.”
“My tattoo is the title of a Hemingway novel. After reading it, my sister and I decided to go bull riding in Span like the people in the book did. The tattoo is partly to commemorate that moment, but the words themself mean that when things are really bad, they get better (The Sun Also Rises). On that trip everything went wrong for us which was a test for myself to stay positive.”
Ms. Christensen
Ms. Dang Ms. Harlin
“My tattoo is in my first cousin’s handwriting and it’s in Laos. The meaning is along the lines of confidence and where there’s a will there’s a way. One of the biggest things I learned about teaching was the importance of positivity. It is easier to praise my students to get them to cooperate than to call them out. I get better responses from staying positive too.”
“Two of my friends won free body piercings and at the body piercing location, they also did tattoos; I had been considering getting a tattoo for a while. So I called my mom for permission even though I was old enough to get one. My tattoo is a clover becuase I am Irish so it is an ode to my Irish heritage. I thought it was something small and easy to cover if needed.”
Answer Key Mrs. Miller → clover Ms. Harlin → The Sun Also Rises Ms. Dang → Confidence in Laos Ms. Howard → Knot/ Infinity Sign Ms. Christensen → Always Keep Fighting
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attoos are a way for an individual to express themselves, commemorate an important event and act as a reminder of lessons learned. We decided to showcase tattoos of several Lynbrook teachers and tell the stories behind them.