Epic Issue 1, 2018 by the Epic

Food deliveries give rise to safety concerns BY RACHEL WU

t’s lunch time, and the bell rings. Lynbrook students �ile out of their classrooms. Some head toward club meetings, while others round up their friends and settle on a place to eat their lunches. A noticeable number of students, however, have dispersed off-campus or to the of�ice to pick up their delivered lunches from food delivery services. Due to the construction of the new cafeteria which began during summer 2018, brunch and lunch food services have been relocated to the smaller concession stand near the football �ield. With no traditional kitchen equipment, food services are relying on a third party vendor which has led to different food than what students are used to and late deliveries. According to Lynbrook food service manager Jason Senior, Lynbrook has seen a 25 percent decrease in lunches purchased from the Lynbrook cafeteria since the relocation. In addition, since the cafeteria is under construction, the option for parents to drop off their children’s lunches is now unavailable. These changes have led to an increasing number of students using food delivery services through apps such as School Food, WeChat, and DoorDash. Not only do students �ind delivery services convenient but they also prefer

the variety in lunch options ordered from delivery services. Some students believe that the meal options from the school cafeteria have declined compared to past years. Junior Isabelle Wang began using food delivery services this school year when she realized there was a reduction in the serving size of lunches from the cafeteria. “I noticed during the �irst week of school that most of my friends and I were still hungry after we got lunch from the cafeteria,” Wang said. “Of course it is more expensive to buy it [online] than at school, but I think everyone is just willing to pay for it.” Like many other students, Wang uses a food delivery site called School Food. School Food is a lunch delivery service run by Matthew Lee, a 2013 Lynbrook graduate, along with his friend, Stephen Hung. School Food has a single delivery person deliver all orders to the group of people who ordered their lunches through a Google Form on its Facebook page. Lynbrook students have the option of ordering from local restaurants such as Chipotle, La Cueva and Bubble Tea Time. After �illing out the form, customers Venmo the cost of the lunch to School Food in addition to a $1.50 delivery fee which can be waived if a friend is referred to School Food. From his experience as a Lynbrook student, Lee recalls a considerable portion of students seeking other lunch options in comparison to school lunches. He says that the basis of School Food is to provide

students with that alternative option. School Food’s customers pick up their lunches during the �irst 15 minutes of lunch on Lynbrook Way, the street just beyond the bike racks which face the drama classrooms. “I have to stress that we are not delivering on campus,” Lee said. “We want to respect any of the school’s safety concerns.” Sophomore Eric Zhang has also expressed concern over the small serving size of the lunches. He believes that the larger portions provided by outside sources are more worth the value than options found at the Lynbrook cafeteria. Zhang also prefers the quality and taste of food of food delivery services. Zhang had ordered lunches from a WeChat group comprised of Miller and Lynbrook students and their families. Over the weekend, parents would meet up on the Lynbrook campus and give containers to the parent selling the lunches. The parent selling the lunches would then cook the lunches and store them in the containers. During the school days, the parent would then deliver the lunches to the students. “When I used to order lunches, I would order about three times a week. I normally prefer tastes of foods that are not sweet or plain, so anything spicy, salty or giving off different tastes that are not sweet or has not taste, I would order,” Zhang said. “Also, you can order outside food for less than ten dollars for two or three times the amount.” With the rise in the use of food delivery

services among students, safety concerns from Lynbrook administration have arisen. School administrators have often encountered delivery people entering the of�ice, trying to complete their food deliveries. Some have refused to listen to the administrators’ repeated requests to deliver the lunches off campus, and a few have walked onto campus and have even poked their heads into classrooms in search of their customer. On Sept. 14, an email was sent from the Lynbrook administration to students’ emails stating that while students cannot have food or drink delivered to school, lunch delivered off campus is still permitted. Jose Ramirez, Lynbrook’s student conduct specialist, says people walking onto campus possess a great safety issue. “There is no reason for a food delivery person to be wandering around campus,” Ramirez said. “For a person intent on doing harm here, posing as a parent or delivery man would be a great way to gain access to campus.” Ramirez has found that the email has helped resolve the issue so far and has recalled only one incident of a delivery man coming onto campus since the email was sent out. Lynbrook administration will continue to enforce these regulations throughout the reconstruction in light of the recent proliferation of lunch deliveries.

ART ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LEE AND ARUL GNANASIVAM

The reality of mental health for the model minority BY DIVYA NELAKONDA AND NICOLE ONG

ith more than 50 distinct individual races and ethnicities and more than 30 languages spoken, the Asian-American and Paci�ic Islander (AAPI) community is the fastest-growing and most diverse racial and ethnic group in the U.S. Such diversity creates a plethora of cultural in�luences on mental health. In a recent survey sent to Lynbrook students, 60 percent felt that being Asian-American in�luenced their mental health; the most common sources of this stress were parent and peers. “As most Lynbrook students know, being Asian-American in�luences everything: who we are, what we do, what we eat,” said sophomore Jordan Lee*. “At the core of it all is our parents and their beliefs; these expectations build up over time and begin to feel con�ining, leading to frustration and anxiety due to factors such as pressure and achievements, among others.” In a 2007 study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Public Health research team, Asian-American participants reported that the primary sources of stress included parental pressure to succeed in academics and uphold the

“model minority” stereotype and the impression that mental health concerns are too taboo to discuss with their families. In some Asian cultures, education is highly valued, and children who do not exceed academic expectations can be seen as shameful. For example, Confucianism, an ideology created by Chinese philosopher Confucius, heavily emphasizes education. In several Asian countries, a traditional classroom education is supplemented with intense after-school tutoring. “Asian society’s view on children is they have to be successful,” said junior Avery Chen*. “Parents always want to be able to brag about their child. With the pressure of being a good parent getting mixed up with your child performing well, it creates a stigma around being Asian that your self worth is determined by the grades you get, your academics or your extracurriculars.” Moreover, stress from the “model minority” stereotype adds to the high educational expectations for AsianAmericans. Asian-Americans are often associated with the “model minority” myth that Asian-Americans are socioeconomically better off than other minority groups and

are expected to set the standard for other minority groups to aspire to. Stereotyped as hard-working, passive, and intelligent, AsianAmericans are often inherently assumed to be high achievers. AAPI individuals are thought to have overcome racial bias and are perceived to be less in need of assistance and resources than other minority groups. “I hate the term ‘model minority’ because it assumes that a group is in the same position as those with privilege, and that other minorities should look to us as the ultimate example of what they should be,” said Derek Zhou, a senior at Palo Alto High School and a member of the Santa Clara County Youth Advisory Group on mental health. “Moreover, the term ‘model minority’ negates the genuine issues that plague the Asian community.” Although perceived as a positive stereotype, the myth has a devastating effect on the psychological wellness of AAPI individuals. While AAPI and Caucasian communities have similar rates of diagnosable mental illnesses, little research has been conducted regarding mental health in the AAPI community. see MENTAL HEALTH page 12

MEGAN YANG // pg. 13

NEWS

OCTOBER 5, 2018

Meet four of the new faces on Lynbrook’s faculty BY ALISHA NAIDU

Barbara Sweet arbara Sweet is a new face on campus, teaching several Spanish classes and advising Interact Club. Before coming to Lynbrook, Sweet worked at Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill. Sweet’s husband, a Lynbrook alum, mentioned Lynbrook’s strong academic reputation, which sparked her interest in teaching at Lynbrook. Her experience at Lynbrook so far has been quite different from her experiences at other schools due to Lynbrook’s competitive academic environment, as she �inds that the rigid structure surrounding clubs differs from her previous schools. However, she �inds teaching truly gratifying. “I enjoy my classes,” Sweet said. “I like to make assignments fun for the kids, but I have a lot of fun with it too. I get a kick out of listening to students planning and strategizing — I �ind it cool.” Sweet’s ultimate goal is to push her students to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture. She wants the Lynbrook student body to know that her high expectations stem from her love for her students and her hope for their success.

ALISHA NAIDU — EPIC

Brandon Clark randon Clark, a former Lynbrook basketball coach, is new to the Special Education department. From a young age, Clark was drawn to the world of teaching students with disabilities and wanted to guide students through learning real life skills. “I was a teacher aide and worked with students with disabilities. I really liked it,” Clark said. “I like that with the students I currently work with, it’s more of a focus on living skills and being out in the community. I’ll never teach anything else.” While other teachers focus more on curriculum, Clark focuses on behavioral management and life skills education. He enjoys bringing his students out into the community, whether it be Rainbow Park or other locations where his students can interact in a real world setting. Clark also wants to extend an open invitation to the Lynbrook community to stop by and greet the Special Education department once in a while. “While we may be a little separated, we’re a part of this school,” Clark said. “They have the same things going on as other Lynbrook students, like trying to make friends. I’d like the community to come meet some different students that they may otherwise not get to meet.”

Elizabeth Louie lizabeth Louie is a new French teacher who majored in psychology with a minor in French. Later, once she realized she had an interest in teaching, she received her teaching credentials from San Francisco State University. Louie �irst became drawn to teaching at Lynbrook when her old high school cross country coach mentioned that Lynbrook had a great environment and community. “When I got here, everybody was so open to helping me,” Louie said. “It’s refreshing to have students who are motivated.” One of her favorite experiences has been connecting with her students by getting a sense of the atmosphere on campus. Louie’s goal for her students is for them to feel comfortable making mistakes and to enjoy engaging with the cultural and historical background of France. “I love it here,” Louie said. “Everyone is so amazing and so driven; it is really, really impressive. But I do hope that students �ind a good balance between schoolwork and personal life, because I know what it’s like — I was one of those students who was determined to take every AP course, but honestly, �inding that balance is so important.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY DIVYA NELAKONDA

Roma Rajpal oma Rajpal’s teaching career began later in life than most. Rajpal never thought she would be a teacher. She began in computer programming before moving to California and becoming a stay-at-home mom. Once her sons graduated high school, Rajpal was encouraged by them and the Hyde Middle School’s principal to pursue education. Rajpal was a substitute teacher at Hyde, then accepted an offer to teach at several different schools. She chose to transfer to the FUHSD due to her children’s excellent experiences at Cupertino High School. In her �irst weeks at Lynbrook, Rajpal was impressed by students’ work ethic. One student who helped a new student particularly caught her attention. “I was in awe of the way he taught him. He was like a teacher,” Rajpal said. “He started assessing him, and I was blown away. It made me happy to see amazing citizenship.” This year, Rajpal hopes her students see the beauty in mathematics and understand the importance of �inding their passion. “I went from being a stay at home mom for 20 years, then I changed paths,” Rajpal said. “Now, I give all of my energy to the teaching world. You can do anything, at anytime, if you want to do something bad enough. ”

Cupertino’s Bobatino eases student stress

Letter from the Editors Dear readers,

Welcome back to school, and a special welcome to the Class of 2022! We hope you have been getting back into the rhythm of school, especially given the numerous changes this year with new faculty members, construction, the introduction of homeroom and a new bell schedule. As the Editors-in-Chief of the Epic for the 20182019 school year, we’re excited to share with you the work of our talented staff. Our �irst issue covers topics from the changes at Lynbrook (pg. 1, 2, 8) to a staff editorial focusing on how switching the current homeroom and tutorial days may be bene�icial to students and teachers (pg. 6). Additionally, �lip through to read about a challenge completed by four Epic staffers who tried dishes from each other’s cultures (pg. 7), the stigma of Asian American and Paci�ic Islander mental health (pg. 12) and pro�iles on female football players (pg. 14). Be sure to visit our website, lhsepic.com, for multimedia packages and additional stories as well. We’re glad to bring you another year of quality content, and hope you enjoy! Wishing you a wonderful school year, Justine Chen and Michelle Lum

he crowd rushed toward the line as volunteers �inally came back with another round of boba. As they sipped their drinks, students played the games provided, including a Spikeball and giant Connect Four and visited the various booths centered around combating stress and improving mental health. Hosted by the City of Cupertino and the Cupertino Teen Commission, the �irst-ever Bobatino event was held on Sept. 15 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Main Street Cupertino in partnership with De Anza College, the Art of Living Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the LGBTQ+ Youth Space, the Adolescent Counseling Services and Caffeinated Letters. These organizations wanted to give students the opportunity to receive information from local resources on how to deal with stress and anxiety. “For the last couple of years, the Teen Commission has been bringing the conversation of youth mental health to the discussion table,” said Daniel Mestizo, a City of Cupertino Recreation staff member. “Bobatino is the latest effort to get local youth and teens to socialize, get a respite from stressors and �ind resources which can help them in their daily lives.” It took around eight months to plan Bobatino. The City of Cupertino and the Teen Commission worked together on the three main components of the event: collaborations with their partners, the logistics of the event and securing boba orders. “We thought this was a very important event targeting youth, and we wanted to make sure that youth had information on

stress, depression and anxiety because it is such a real thing that’s happening in their lives today,” said Amy Aken, a Kaiser Permanente representative. The City of Cupertino invited community members to host activities, which included �ield hockey and a giant Connect Four. “The City of Cupertino saw our [calligraphy and other work] at Bitter + Sweet cafe and invited us to do this lettering booth as a way for students to de-stress,” said Caffeinated Letters founder Jessica Liao. “A lot of our community members use lettering as a way to release stress and use the power of words to connect deeper to themselves and to help whatever process they’re going through in life.” Nevertheless, due to the high number of attendees, volunteers had to constantly go to nearby boba shops to buy more boba. “It was kind of uneventful, as they kept running out of boba, so it took a while to get the advertised free boba,” said senior Christina Cui. “However, I liked the location because Main Street is a nice place to take pictures. After Bobatino, my friends and I were able to have a fun time taking pictures.” Despite this complication, the event exceeded the City of Cupertino’s expectations, and the City of Cupertino is currently planning similar events. “I think that we will inevitably get more interest out there from the community, and I look forward to seeing what other organizations and people are willing to step forward and participate,” said Cupertino Mayor Darcy Paul. “Continuing the event and engaging

more potential participants will be the main driver of substantive improvements.” Bobatino is just the start. The City of Cupertino is planning more events to help students combat stress and improve mental health. In the near future, residents of Cupertino can look forward to more activities to relieve stress and help with mental health.

CHLOE LEE — EPIC

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MELISSA CHEN AND AILEEN XUE

BY CHLOE LEE

OCTOBER 5, 2018

FUHSD Band Expo The Lynbrook Viking Marching Band will be performing at Fremont High School on Saturday Oct. 6. Come cheer on Lynbrook and other FUHSD schools.

FUHSD Orchestra Concert At Fremont High School, all �ive FUHSD school orchestras will be performing together for the �irst time since 2001. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. and lasts until 9:00 p.m. Come out to enjoy music and support the orchestra programs! Diwali Festival 2018 Enjoy multicultural music, dance, arts and crafts and food at the Diwali Festival on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The festival will be held at Memorial Park on the �ield. No Classes Oct. 15 There will be a non-duty day on Monday, Oct. 15. Enjoy the day off preparing for homecoming and relaxing with friends.

Homecoming Game Come out to the �ield on Oct. 19 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. to watch Lynbrook play against Monta Vista. Be sure to come out and support the Lynbrook football team! Go Vikes!

New California bill combats recent wildfires BY KAYLIN LI

early a year after deadly wild�ires blazed through Northern California in October 2017, state lawmakers sent a bill to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk that will affect how the damage caused by future wild�ires will be paid. Senate Bill 901 (SB 901) allows utility companies such as Paci�ic Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to pass liability costs to customers. This prevents such companies from going bankrupt, and customers from suffering a loss of utility services. However, this has led to accusations of lawmakers attempting to bail out utility companies from their responsibilities of resolving the wild�ires they have caused. Twenty-one large wild�ires destroyed more than 8400 homes and countless lives in the Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Mendocino, Butte and Solano Counties. English teacher Kristy Harlin, whose family was living in Santa Rosa at the time of the wild�ires, was affected by these �ires. “My parents and my brother evacuated at 3 a.m. in the morning, and that was because they didn’t get an alert or anything,” Harlin said. “While our house was �ine, a lot of our family friends, neighbors and former classmates lost their houses.” On June 8, the California Department of

Forestry and Fire Protection found that many of these deadly wild�ires can be attributed to power line failures. This has led to enormous costs for utility companies, and PG&E in particular has a potential $17 billion in liability costs that could push the company into bankruptcy, leaving its customers with the bulk of the debt. While some of�icials truly believe that this bill would be bene�icial, others may be giving into utility companies to let them off for wild�ire damages. Still, others believe that PG&E is not all to blame. “PG&E holds some responsibility, but with the dry environment here, �ires are a risk that we have as Californians,” Harlin said. “To put it all on PG&E is to oversimplify the issue.” In order to prevent bankruptcy, SB 901 mandates that the California Public Utilities Commission perform a stress test on how much the utility company can pay before passing on costs to ratepayers. The bill also covers streamlining the process of cleaning forest debris that can fuel wild�ires, left unchecked due to active �ire suppression. “The bill says that the money PG&E saves won’t go to their employees; it has to prevent future natural disasters, and for people to make sure that their electricity poles are not in dangerous places,” said junior ChapLum Lau, who had family in wild�ire regions.

“They’re making actions to make sure that a future wild�ire is less probable.” Santa Clara County Fire Department’s Fire Captain and Public Information Of�icer, Bill Murphy, agrees that the bill provides signi�icant funding toward reducing wild�ire risk. “[The bill] is signi�icant legislation that has been passed to help address the wild�ire risk,” Murphy said. “Senate Bill 901 actually sets aside nearly a billion dollars over the next �ive years for projects to reduce �ires. It’s a signi�icant commitment at the state level to work with local government to reduce the risk to communities that are affected.” While the bill may seem bail out utility companies and allow wild�ires to persist throughout California, it is also provides many measures to combat wild�ire risk. “The community, state and local agencies are involved in reducing wild�ire risk, but SB 901 provides signi�icant funding to address the problem,” Murphy said. “With the passage of SB 901, we need to work with the community and partner agencies to secure funding through SB 901 to address the risk to our local communities.” The bill has both its bene�its and disadvantages, but in the end it is a step, whether misguided or not, toward combating the prevailing issue of wild�ires.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SUNNY LI

News in Brief

NEWS

Author Visit On Wedneday, Oct. 24, Justina Chen is appearing in Study room 2 in the library to showcase her new book, Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Come during lunch to purchase a signed book. by Melissa Chen

New school year brings exciting changes to Lynbrook BY CHRISTY YU

riday Homeroom, construction for a new quad and cafeteria and a new school website are major changes at Lynbrook this year. Despite the conditions students must adapt to, staff and students hope these improvements will pay off. Due to the FUHSD decision to start schools later than or at 8 a.m., a new bell schedule was created. With the later start time comes a later end time, which may be bene�icial for students needing sleep. This can be a drawback for athletes, as the schedule cuts into after school sports. The new schedule also includes a Friday Homeroom period. In Homeroom, students can bond and interact with one another. The purpose of Homeroom is to improve student’s social and emotional lives by relieving stress. “Over the years, through many student surveys, we have gotten feedback about

ARUL GNANISIVAM — EPIC

HOMEROOM | Homeroom is designed to include teamwork activities. Students bond over a game on the grass during homeroom.

students feeling disconnected from one another, or feeling a high level of stress, or anxiety at school,” said Kathleen Sullivan, an assistant principal in charge of School Climate and AP Testing. “We thought Homeroom might be a way for students and staff to connect in a homework-free and grade-free environment.” To encourage student engagement during Homeroom, teachers have introduced new activities, including teamwork games and stress-relieving activities. Teachers take into account student suggestions to personalize the experience. “The main activity that we did last Homeroom was a guessing game in which everybody wrote down the name of a famous person on a sticky note,” said drama and literature teacher Naomi Rollins. “They had to go around and ask yes or no questions of the other people as to who they were.” One of the most noticeable changes on campus is the construction zone where

the quad and the cafeteria used to be. The �irst phase of construction included a PE classroom, a new dance studio and a combined weight room and �itness center, completed in spring 2017. The reconstruction of the quad and cafeteria are a part of the second phase of construction, to be completed next year. By 2020, a guidance and student service building and an auditorium lobby addition will be completed. While many look forward to the new buildings, both students and staff have to cope with the inconveniences to campus life. Although some teachers �ind it dif�icult to teach classes with the construction noise, they have adjusted through various methods. “I think [the noise] just causes me to pause and sometimes lose my focus for a second, but I’m able to pull it back,” Rollins said. “Sometimes, I play music to cope with the noise. When we read ‘Dos Palabras,’ a Latin American story, I played Latin American guitar music in the background.”

In addition, the blocked paths cause trouble for students and teachers while getting from class to class on time. “People who have classes that are closer don’t have to rush, so they walk slower,” said freshman Caroline Hou. “The narrow space between the construction zone and the language building forces me to stay behind them so I have to walk slowly too. After they reach their class, I have to run the rest of the way to 3D Design.” Meanwhile, the school website was redesigned to improve accessibility. “[The website] looks a lot better than before,” said sophomore Alec Chen. “Some parts are a little harder to get to, for example, School Loop, and the popup at �irst launch is a little annoying, but I would say it is an improvement overall.” The changes on campus are intended to improve student life. Despite temporary inconveniences they might bring, many look forward to seeing the results in the future.

PRIYANKA ANAND — EPIC

NEW BUILDING | The first multi-story building on campus includes a PE classroom, a new dance studio and a weight room.

UPDATED WEBSITE | The new Lynbrook website is easier for students to navigate and has a cleaner, more professional layout.

lhsepic.com

OPINION

LYNBROOK HIGH SCHOOL | THE EPIC

The U.S. Open: A step back for equal rights Serena Williams stands up to discrimination at women’s finals “But, because [Williams] is looked up to, I think she cares a lot more than me. At my he crowd erupted into a chorus of level, there aren’t many people watching, so aggressive “boo’s.” Serena Williams, it’s easier for me to just focus on the match.” Williams also mentioned that as a role arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time, had just been given a game model for her daughter, as well as children penalty for calling the chair umpire a “thief,” of younger generations, she would never leaving her opponent, 20-year-old Naomi act against the rules and serve as a negative Osaka, a game away from winning her �irst in�luence. Furthermore, it is very hard for anyone to take an insult to their background Grand Slam title. Osaka went on to win the match, but and character at such a public level, but unfortunately, that is not what viewers will Williams made sure that the viewers knew remember from this tennis event. The sexism what was happening was unjust. As the match carried on, Williams appeared that the umpire, Carlos Ramos, displayed shaken. After a hard rally, she received a toward Williams, will remain in the public’s memory. At a time where women’s rights is point penalty for smashing her racquet in frustration. an issue, this event is a Infuriated, she step backward. confronted Ramos, Ramos �irst issued “WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO and a game penalty a warning when he caught Williams’ coach, REACT THE SAME WAY AS MEN, IN followed. It all happened Patrick Mouratoglou, within two minutes. SPORT. THOUGH SHE HAS THE SAME suggesting a strategy to The audience was her by motioning with PASSION, THE TENNIS COMMUNITY shocked; spectators his hands. Though it couldn’t wrap their was an illegal action, as WANTS HER TO TONE IT DOWN.” minds around the stated by the Grand Slam Rulebook, Mouratoglou Porchia Jenkins fact that Williams himself admitted that PE Teacher had been unjustly forced to be a game other coaches also try to away from losing her coach during matches 31st appearance in a all the time. Williams, bothered by the ruling, Grand Slam �inal. The events at the match left many in confronted Ramos and demanded an apology. utter disbelief, not only in regards to the “I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose,” Williams �irmly told Ramos, drawing a loud outcome of the match, but also because of cheer from the crowd. She took his ruling as the imprudent sexism. The double standards an insult against her character and training, in the treatment of male and female athletes as well as being discriminatory of her gender. was glaringly obvious. For the �irst major “Competition can bring [emotions] out of tennis tournament to rewarding both male people. It comes down to making sure that and female athletes equally in prize money, you are able to keep your emotions under the 2018 U.S. Open did not leave a positive control and use them in a positive way,” said impression of gender equity on its viewers. “It was more than just the sport or a Jennifer Grif�in, Athletic Director and PE teacher. “Unfortunately, bad sportsmanship call. If I was in Serena’s position, I might will probably not go away, it tends to come have reacted the same way. Women are not allowed to react the same way as men in with the competitive nature of sports.” Though Williams may have displayed sport. Though she has the same passion, bad sportsmanship, she was justi�ied in her the tennis community wants her to tone reaction, because after such a long struggle it down,” said PE teacher Porchia Jenkins. for women’s rights, such insults are dif�icult “She’s getting hit at all angles, and I think a to ignore. Williams is at a point in her career lot of why she reacted that way is because where she has garnered enough respect and it was a buildup of everything that has been accolades to not have a problem stepping up happening to her in the past. She was just and �irmly advocating for what is right, as she overwhelmed with all of the challenges she had to overcome, and burst at that moment.” has numerous supporters to back her up. In the past, male players who have “It doesn’t really matter what [anyone] says, I wouldn’t care,” said freshman and committed similar or worse offenses tennis player Hillary Chang, who has been have not received the appalling treatment in a similar situation where she was called Williams did. John McEnroe, 16-time Grand a cheater by her opponent during a match. Slam champion, is infamous for arguing with

umpires and using obscene language on the court, but was penalized relatively few times for doing so during his career. At the 2012 Australian Open, Marcos Baghdatis broke four racquets in a row, but was only �ined $1295, which is less than half of the $3000 �ine Williams had to pay, in addition to the point penalty, as a consequence for breaking her racquet. “Male tennis is more popular, so [the umpires] avoid disrupting the game by giving penalties because they want matches to go smoothly,” said sophomore and tennis player Ryan Yoon. “[Women’s tennis] is less popular, so it’s easier to make calls.” The sexism at the match also overshadowed Osaka’s skill. As a strong competitor throughout the tournament, her victory was not surprising. She is even credited as the “next Serena” because of her similar playing style. Unfortunately, her victory will always be seen through the lens of an underlying controversy. Moving forward, action needs to be taken off the court so that women are not discriminated against. Rules at sporting events need to be more sensitive to player’s gender. For example, the decision to ban Williams’ French Open catsuit out�it, displayed insensitivity toward female athletes. An altered physicality and speci�ic medical needs are inevitable outcomes of a pregnancy, which Williams had gone through in 2017. Moreover, the promotion of the idea that women are weaker must be stopped. It is a daunting task to accomplish because of our malecentric history, but a step in the right direction would leave a positive impact. The 2018 U.S. Open women’s �inals reminded the world of how abuses of power and the patriarchy manifest themselves in sports culture today. In order to prevent similar events from happening in the future, it is necessary that changes �irst be made outside the sports world so that female athletes do not have to be penalized over actions that are common in the world of their male counterparts.

on the Internet. The reading and writing section of the August 2018 SAT had already been used in the October 2017 International SAT. Although the October test was not of�icially released by College Board online, pirated versions still ran in circulation. Some students had used this test to practice, while others had taken it at test prep centers. There were even a handful of students from other countries who had taken the test in October and travelled to the U.S. to retake it since the August test isn’t available internationally. Students who had already read the passages and knew the answers evidently had an unfair advantage. As I scrolled through Twitter later that day to �ind SAT memes to de-stress, I noticed a plethora of my peers expressing their fears and worries regarding the test. Many, including me, were afraid that our test scores would be cancelled. For seniors, this would not fare well, as this was the last opportunity we would have to boost our scores before submitting early applications to colleges. This wasn’t my �irst time taking the SAT, but this was the �irst time I had ever felt so stressed after taking the test. For days

following the SAT, worry that the test I had prepared so hard for would be cancelled plagued my mind. For others, �inances were an issue. Taking the SAT isn’t cheap, and having to fork up more money to retake a test because of a mistake made on College Board’s part is extremely unfair. This isn’t College Board’s �irst case of widespread fury this year. In June 2018, students went into a frenzy after seeing their test scores. Scores for the math section were much lower than usual because of the curve, which equates test scores based on the level of dif�iculty in order to maintain fairness. Overall, students were seeing drastically lower scores than they had anticipated in accordance to the number of problems they got wrong, causing an uproar which was expressed all over social media through the hashtag #rescoreJuneSAT. With so much at stake for us students, College Board should be more proactive in ensuring that testing is consistently fair. The issues faced in both June and August could have been avoided had the company been a little more cautious while compiling questions and passages for the test. In the case of the June SAT, College Board

BY PRIYANKA ANAND

SRINIDHI SESHADRI //IN MY OPINION

College Board SAT catastrophe

he only sound I could hear was the scratching of pencils on paper as we vigorously bubbled in our answers. The proctor announced that our time was up, and I leaned back with a sigh of relief. Months of preparation and practice tests had led up to this moment. Just like thousands of other students, I took the SAT this August, but I may have taken my sigh of relief too early. Little did I know that the test I had just spent four hours on was already circulating

ART ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTY YU

could have used questions that were of a similar dif�iculty level to most others tests; whereas for the August SAT, it could have found new passages instead of reusing older ones. Both circumstances could have been prevented had College Board taken more cautionary measures prior to administering the tests. If students are required to sign a fairness agreement each time they take an SAT, shouldn’t College Board be held to the same standards? College Board should uphold their promise that tests “are designed to give every student a fair and equitable opportunity” by being more conscious of the effects a lack of test security could have. Increased proactivity on College Board’s part would be bene�icial to both the company to maintain its reputation and students in guaranteeing them fair and smooth testing. Although I did get my score on time and the whole incident is now just an interesting story to tell, College Board should have never reused an old test and needs to establish higher standards to maintain test legitimacy. College Board should be proactive in ensuring that such breaches of test security never occur again.

OPINION

OCTOBER 5, 2018

Recent straw bans prove ineffective BY MELISSA CHEN

t seems that #Stopsucking may actually suck, quite a bit. This movement denouncing plastic straws has been met with unprecedented support and approval, and government action toward eliminating straws. However, the recent straw bans barely scratch the surface of the vast amount of work necessary to reduce plastic waste, and the bans’ marginalization of the disabled community is largely unaddressed. On Sept. 20, Assembly Bill 1884, a bill requiring that restaurants only provide plastic straws on customer request, was passed, making California the �irst state to prohibit the use of plastic straws in restaurants. Prior to this bill, a number of cities across the country, including New York City, Miami Beach, San Francisco and Seattle, had already taken initiative and enacted or proposed similar ordinances banning plastic straws. Large businesses and corporations such as American Airlines, Marriott International and Starbucks have publicly renounced their distribution of plastic straws and even drink stirrers. These bans have stirred up a strong mix of support and approval, with a shot of bitter controversy. The straw bans themselves are actually insigni�icant in the grand scheme, prompting some to label it merely as a “feel-good-movement”, especially in comparison to more pressing causes linked to pollution that warrant immediate attention and effort. “Plastic straws are quite an attractive item to target, as they are buoyant and end up �loating to the top of the water,” said senior Amol Singh, president of the Environmental Impact Club. “So, it’s what people end up seeing on beaches and on the coastlines. I feel like the environmental bene�its of the straw bans have been blown out of proportion.” Straws do add to the waste in land�ills and oceans, as they are often accidentally discarded during the sorting process at facilities due to how thin and light they are. Nevertheless, their actual contribution to plastic waste is trivial. According to the Ocean Conservancy, a non-pro�it environmental advocacy organization,

plastic straws only accounted for 5 percent of the top 10 waste items collected on beaches worldwide in 2017, and even less in weight. Reducing any plastic is bene�icial, but there are more ef�icient ways to do so. “We should be reducing the number of bottle caps, which make up a signi�icantly larger portion of plastic pollution,” Singh said. “One of the most important items to target would be cigarette butts, which leach chemicals into the ocean.” Cigarette butts are by far the most common waste found on beaches, and the number of discarded caps is more than twice that of plastic straws. Aiming to reduce these items that make up a larger percentage of plastic pollution would have a far greater impact on the environment in comparison to the reduction of plastic straws. The �ixation with plastic straws also disregards higher priorities pertaining to environmental conservation. Recycling, or the lack thereof, still remains a huge issue. Not only are many people still not recycling appropriately, but that there simply is not a reliable method of disposal for items that should be recycled. Most of the items that are “recycled” go to waste management services, which in turn ship the recyclables to other countries for processing. However, as foreign waste importers have tightened restrictions regarding what waste they accept, an increasing amount of recyclable material is going to land�ills instead. Cities that struggle with this problem have to apprise residents that certain potentially recyclable items should be thrown away instead. This contradicts the message presented by the straw bans: the government-enforced bans demand communities to relinquish plastic straws, while a portion of citizens lack the opportunity to recycle plastic responsibly. “There are several issues linked directly to environmental conservation that should be taken much more seriously than they have been in the past by government and communities, and hopefully, the new legislation signals a change in regulation,” Singh said. As support continues to grow for the straw bans, the protests of some are drowned out. For some disabled individuals, straws are

not just a convenience, but a necessity, especially for those with limited resources and assistance. Their physical conditions may render them unable to drink without straws, and plastic ones are their best option. Alternatives like paper and metal straws all have drawbacks in terms of material resistance and heat conductivity. “At an individual level, [the straw bans] may not work for some people,” said biology teacher Jessica Lu. “There’s always bigger implications, every time you make regulations and change things.” For now, plastic straws are still fairly accessible to the disabled, being available upon request in restaurants. If the straw movement continues to ramp up speed, however, plastic straws will inevitably become less and less accessible, and may leave the disabled community struggling to keep up. As the bans continue to gain momentum, it is important that the straw policies being implemented be executed comprehensively, to avoid any unintentional effects. Despite their shortcomings, the bans and movement have potential to change the structure of conservation action if developed thoroughly. “[The straw ban] is an advancement,” said sophomore Aileen Mi. “It is a small step in a journey to stop environmental pollution.” Currently, there are many limits to what the straw bans can accomplish for the environment, and it is important not to overlook them in order to keep progressing forward. If the world can effectively use this campaign to inspire concrete environmental goals, #Stopsucking can truly impact the way we continue forward in handling the protection of our planet.

GRAPHIC ILLUSRATION BY OPINION SECTION

DHRITI IYER//IN MY OPINION

Balmain virtually robs models

he collection featured three models of different ethnicities, but unlike many models in the fashion industry, these three had one distinct feature: they weren’t real. In an attempt to incorporate technology into the world of fashion and to diversify the Balmain Army, the French designer brand Balmain recently released a campaign for its pre-fall 2018 collection featuring three virtual models: Shudu, an African model; Zhi, a Chinese model; and Margot, a French model. While the idea of employing virtual models has been gaining traction in the fashion industry, virtual models take away jobs from working models, especially those who are minorities, who are already struggling to get jobs in the highly selective industry. As an Indian girl growing up in America, I spent a large portion of my childhood watching television shows and movies featuring girls who had long, beautiful blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. I thought I needed to have similar features to be beautiful, yet I had none of those. It took me a number of years to realize that it was acceptable to be different and that I didn’t need to look like a stereotypical American girl to be considered beautiful. Replacing real models with virtual ones make minorities feel replaceable and insigni�icant. Fashion houses are giving away runway positions that could be given to actual models of color. It is already rare to �ind a model of color in a predominantly white industry, and replacing them with virtual models just as they are starting to gain more representation is counterproductive. In the 2015 Spring New York Fashion Week, only 20.9 percent of the models were colored. In 2018, the number increased to 36.9 percent. Despite this growth, minority models still face dif�iculties breaking into the industry, dif�iculties that have been exacerbated by Balmain’s virtual models. It almost feels as if colored models aren’t good enough, forcing Balmain to create virtual models for the sake of diversity. When I saw the virtual models, I felt uncomfortable and a little scared by the impact seeing virtual models may have on children. Using virtual models would lead to a new, unattainable standard of beauty that could not only harm people of color but also the children who look up to those women. As someone who used to be heavily in�luenced by the standard of beauty I saw in the media, I know that it has the ability to shape people’s perception of the world, especially those of a child. Virtual models give the designers more power to reinvent the standard of beauty, erasing the imperfections and setting impossible body types as the norm for adolescents. Diversity and representation within the media is important in opening our minds to different cultures and establishing a new standard of beauty in which race doesn’t matter. Balmain is a brand that has always been at the forefront of the �ight for representation of all ethnicities, especially since its creative director is a French African man himself. Rousteing has always been open about hiring models regardless of their ethnicity, and his support for minorities within the industry has been a driving force in the push for representation. For him to abandon his efforts in favor of technology would negate all of his previous efforts. It is important that Balmain keeps diversity as a priority and to continue pushing for more representation of minorities in the industry rather than employing CGI models.

OCTOBER 5, 2018

OPINION

Nike under fire for featuring Colin Kaepernick in ad BY ANUSHA KOTHARI

ichael Jordan in 1985. LeBron James and Serena Williams in 2003. Colin Kaepernick in 2011. Nike has been represented by a number of athletes who have transcended social and political barriers. The company has a long history of conveying political messages in the process of advertising its brand. Although Nike’s

MEDHA UPADHYAY--EPIC

Sept. 5 ad, starring Kaepernick, is more blatantly political than its previous ad campaigns, the brand’s involvement in political matters should be commended rather than criticized. “I think it is extremely justi�ied [for Nike to get political] especially because the youth of this nation look up to big brands,” varsity football Co-captain Dave DeSouza Lawrence said. “When Nike took this stance, it showed that they want change in the community.” Kaepernick was a National Football League (NFL) quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2017. In August 2016, Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice against African-Americans in the U.S., sparking controversy throughout the nation. Many fans applauded Kaepernick for using his platform to speak up for social justice issues. Others, however, believed kneeling during the national anthem was disrespectful to the American �lag and the numerous veterans who have fought for our country. Consequently, Kaepernick has been a free agent since that incident, and the Nike advertisement featuring him has received heavy backlash as well. “Kaepernick is kneeling to raise awareness. He is not trying to disrespect anyone.” said sophomore Haadia Ta nve e r. “[Nike has] gotten political before. N o t everyone is going to like what [Nike has] to say, and Nike knows that, but I’m not sure the company cares.” On the c o n t r a r y, o t h e r s

disagree with Kaepernick’s decision to kneel and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) and are against Nike for releasing this ad. poll taken after the advertisement’s release As a result, some are destroying their Nike revealed that 19 percent of the people apparel by burning their shoes or cutting surveyed would buy more Nike products, off the Nike swoosh off clothes. However, suggesting that Nike releasing this ad was a destroying Nike merchandise does not good marketing strategy, as people tend to have any direct effect on the company as value socially active companies. the products have already been purchased. “If the 30 percent surge in Nike sales The people who do so are simply making a showed anything, it’s that it galvanized the statement that they no longer support Nike. people who already believe in Nike,” said The advertisement ends with Kaepernick physics teacher Thanh Nguyen, a Nike and e n c o u r a g i n g NFL enthusiast. “A people to follow his more socially active example: “Believe in company will make NIKE TOOK THIS me more likely to buy something. Even if “WHEN it means sacri�icing from them. It’s not the STANCE, IT REALLY SHOWED sole reason, but it is a everything.” “People have been THAT THEY WANT TO CHANGE big factor for me.” giving that advice for Since its sales quite a long time but THE COMMUNITY.” have increased, it didn’t have a lot of employing a political political signi�icance ad campaign could be until they put it with as a skillful Dave DeSouza Lawrence perceived Colin Kaepernick,” maneuver to increase Varsity football co-captain sales, maintaining Lawrence said. Nike originally Nike’s decision to signed a deal with feature Kaepernick. Kaepernick in 2011 and chose to maintain In the past couple of years, Nike has carried its partnership with him even after his out numerous ad campaigns with political controversy. Companies often terminate or undertones, such as its Equality campaign do not renew deals with individuals if they featuring professional American fencer perform questionable actions. Nike chose to Ibtihaj Muhammad and signing a lifetime advocate for Kaepernick because their values deal with National Basketball Association aligned. Nike is not overstepping boundaries (NBA) star LeBron James, who is known by supporting a controversial athlete, as the for frequently speaking out on social and company is simply promoting itself. political matters. “I think Nike can do whatever it wants. Nike is rising above the stigma of being I don’t think there should be regulations political, and its success should encourage on what Nike can do,” said varsity football other companies to follow its lead. co-captain Zayhaan Batlivala. “The ad is “[Supporting controversial athletes] working well with the people it was targeted normalizes them,” Nguyen said. “It tells their toward, but I can see why some people would story on a wider platform, giving it power.” be upset by Nike getting into politics.” By featuring Kaepernick, Nike is When choosing to publicize this ad, Nike participating in conversation that it is fully risked receiving immense criticism. By justi�ied. The company is following the supporting a controversial athlete, however, practices of a sports brand while supporting Nike has gained a lot of attention, which has Kaepernick, and utilizing a political campaign caused an almost immediate spike in sales was a clever move for Nike. for the company. After the ad’s release, sales Nike should be commended for using increased by 31 percent and Nike’s stock its platform and power to speak out reached an all time high, which is at at $84.72 against racial injustice, as doing so inspires per unit as of Sept. 30. An Entertainment individuals and changes.

Adjusting homeroom to adapt to student needs

n hopes of alleviating student stress, the Lynbrook staff and administration have introduced Homeroom, which falls on Fridays with occasional exceptions, such as rally days and days before the end of a grading period. While this 35-minute period has been designed to help students take their minds off of schoolwork, many have instead been experiencing heightened stress due to the lack of Friday tutorials. Homerooms should thus be rescheduled to an earlier day of the week, in lieu of the Tuesday or Wednesday tutorial, and Friday tutorials should be brought back. After it was decided that the 20182019 school year would have a new bell schedule with three tutorials, a survey was sent out to the Lynbrook staff to gauge interest in brainstorming ways to utilize this new tutorial. Once staff members began to show interest, a committee of roughly 15 teachers, administrators and mental health staff was formed and began to convene in January 2018. The committee agreed to introduce Homeroom in the following school year to help students m a n a g e stress,

Staff Editorial The Voice of the Epic and deliberated which day to have it on. “We decided on Friday because we didn’t want to pick a day that would make it harder for students,” said Malissa Goldstein, interim assistant principal. “We thought that it would be better for students to have more consistent tutorial periods than one that might get taken away by rallies, Homecoming and other special events.” When tests, quizzes and projects fall toward the end of the week, however, the current bell schedule may pose a problem. The absence of Friday tutorials makes it dif�icult for students to �ind time outside of class to work on a group project assigned late into the week, or ask teachers questions about an upcoming test. In the

latter situation, students would have to wait until the following Tuesday to talk to their teachers; if the test is on Friday or Monday, they may never even get their questions answered in a tutorial setting. “I have my tests and big assignments on different days of the week,” said senior Margarita Sokolenko. “If the tutorials were more spread out, I could use them to get my work done more ef�iciently.” To increase student productivity and reduce the high levels of stress, Friday Homerooms should be moved to Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and tutorials should be reinstated to Fridays. This change would allow for a larger gap between the two tutorials in each school week, giving students

more time to ask teachers questions about tests, homework and general class topics, as well as allow teachers to get in contact with their students if they were unable to do so earlier in the week. “I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility to change [the timing of Homeroom] even mid-year,” said assistant principal Kathleen Sullivan. “It’s not a commitment, but we’re open to the possibility.” Stress levels may also be largely reduced if teachers test on days other than Friday. Though placing quizzes on Fridays may seem a favorable way to end the week and assess how much class material a student has absorbed, doing so consistently may fuel the stress culture. Teachers and administrators should thus work together to �ind the most effective means to lower student stress, whether that involve switching the timing of Homeroom or avoiding Friday as a testing day — or perhaps even both. Such may be dif�icult changes to enact, but will help in working against the long-standing culture of stress at Lynbrook. *the Epic staff voted 30-8 in favor of this stance

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY OPINION SECTION

LYNBROOK HIGH SCHOOL | THE EPIC

FEATURES

lhsepic.com

Mixing it up: Epic explores cultures BY ENZO CABALTICA, SUNNY LI, PRANAV MISHRA AND RISA MORI

ood brings people together, but it is also what sets each group apart through different cooking methods and ingredients. In this challenge, four Epic staffers create a traditional dish from their respective cultures for each other to taste.

RISA

rowing up, I had always enjoyed the “okonomiyaki” that my dad made, so I thought: what could go wrong? It’s cheap, fast, delicious and never disappoints. This savory, pancake-style dish involves �lour, eggs, shredded cabbage, meat and shrimp grilled on a pan, topped with otafuku sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed �lakes and bonito �lakes. As I was preparing the ingredients the day before, I envisioned myself gracefully �lipping the “okonomiyaki” — much like my dad or the street vendors of Osaka — but I had not accounted for my extreme lack of experience with making the dish, or cooking in general. The batter looked clumpy, and I lost count of the number of times the others sent doubtful looks and comments my way, especially because of the way I was grilling the “okonomiyaki” on a crepe-maker. There truly cannot be a way to screw up “okonomiyaki,” however; as the savory taste of the toppings outweighed all else, the end product was delectable. After �inishing my dish, I �inally had the chance to try what Enzo, Sunny and Pranav prepared. While I was familiar with some dishes, Enzo’s “halo-halo” was new to me, and as someone with a sweet tooth, it might be the favorite dish I tried in this challenge. The recipe was very simple, yet the dessert still had a good balance of different �lavors. This challenge has reminded to me to be more open-minded toward other cultures, so it goes without saying that my newest addition to my weekend plans will include going out to a restaurant of another culture — though I might start with supplying myself with another serving of that “halohalo” to ful�ill my cravings.

ENZO

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY FEAUTURES SECTION

KELSEY LU AND ASHLEY SONG — EPIC

ew people are aware that I am Filipino, so I signed up for the challenge because I knew I could share a unique dish. I decided to make “halo-halo,” a traditional Filipino dessert that literally translates to “mix-mix.” “Halo-halo” is made of preserved fruit followed by layers of ice and ice cream, and topped with evaporated milk. The Philippines is a tropical country on the equator, which is why most desserts are frozen: to offer relief from the sweltering humidity. Since the preparation of my dish only involved combining the ingredients into a glass, I �igured it would take about �ive minutes to make one serving. Sadly , I forgot to take into account that I had to crush ice, which took about 15 minutes. I manually grinding the ice with a mortar and pestle, but even that did not produce as �ine ice shavings as I would have liked. I successfully scooped the fruit preserves and ice cream into the glass though, and drizzled evaporated milk over the top. All the hard work I spent mixing ingredients had made me hungry, so I was eager to taste the other dishes. Risa’s “okonomiyaki” was probably my favorite. It was a crispy pancake-like dish made of meat wrapped in cabbage batter. I assumed that I would not enjoy the taste of fried cabbage, but one bite of the okonomiyaki changed my mind. The fried batter tasted light and the meat was perfectly cooked. This challenge was fun and tasty, and also reminded me of the diversity of the staff. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know my fellow staffers and had a memorable experience laughing about our questionable culinary skills.

SUNNY

y mom and grandpa always made “manto,” a white, bread-like steamed bun, and I loved eating it for breakfast even weeks afterward. “Manto” is the plain form of steamed buns — it is soft and doughy, but not as airy as bread. I thought that his challenge would be a great opportunity to �inally make this classic dish for myself and share it. Initially, it seemed like there was too much water in my dough, but I just needed to keep on kneading for a little longer so it would come together. The rest of the process went smoothly, including shaping the dough, resting and steaming the buns. While making my dish, I had the chance to watch and help other staffers cook. We all ran into dif�iculties because we had no prior experience making the dishes: Pranav dropped his dough, Risa added too much cabbage and Enzo could not crush ice. Luckily in the end, it all turned out to be �ine because the food was good even with the imperfections. Because I had not tried any of the other foods before, this challenge made me realize that I need to branch out more. In particular, Pranav’s “chaat” was especially different from my usual diet. It was an explosion of salty and spicy �lavors and of crunchy and soft textures. The different elements of his dish, the tamarind chutney, yogurt, chickpeas and deep-fried crisps, were distributed evenly, which added to the element of surprise. Each bite was different. Through the challenge, I tried different foods, but ultimately, I realized that the end result does not have to be perfect, because the experience of making and sharing food is most valuable.

PRANAV

aving lived in India for most of my life, I have always felt a strong connection to my native culture and still follow its many customs and traditions. Perhaps the most prominent aspect of Indian culture is the culinary diversity it encompasses. For this reason, it was really hard choosing a single dish to represent Indian cuisine, but eventually I decided on making “papdi chaat.” I felt that this popular street-food-style snack was a re�lection of Indian lifestyle in many ways — colorful, chaotic and rich with texture and �lavor. During this challenge, I realized that making this seemingly complex dish was more straightforward than I had anticipated, but also much more messy! Additionally, I was lucky enough to learn about other cultures from the food of my fellow staffers. Sunny’s “manto,” in particular, stood out to me for its rich balance between taste and simplicity. Watching the meticulous process of folding, baking and steaming the dough was fascinating, but what really stood out was the �lavor of the dish. Warm, doughy and comforting, “manto” was the kind of food that made you feel fuzzy inside. By trying new delicacies from foreign cultures, I exposed my palate to a variety of new �lavors, and, at the same time, connected twhe familiar ones to my own culture. But most importantly, struggling to cook with my less-than-adept fellow staffers was a really rewarding experience, because with the struggle, we learned that the pain and love that goes into a plate of food is what makes it taste great, no matter what culture it represents.

FEATURES

OCTOBER 5, 2018

What makes us different: Our backpacks BY KELSEY LU

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Sophomore Austin Tong “I learned to manage the stuff I actually have to bring because in middle school, I had a huge backpack, and it was super heavy. As the year progresses, my backpack has gotten messier, and my papers just get randomly thrown in.”

Senior Jessabelle Ramos “I carry around my drawing tablet as art has become a hobby of mine; I started doing it because my mom wouldn’t buy me traditional art supplies as it would be expensive to buy supplies again and again.”

KELSEY LU — EPIC

Indali Bora takes a seat on FUHSD Board

BY KATIE CHEN

s students adjust to the changes of the new school year, senior Indali Bora already has her work cut out for her as the 2018-2019 FUHSD student board member. Bora has been involved in leadership in the past, being active in her class council in elementary and middle school. She decided, however, to take a step back from leadership courses at the beginning of high school. “When you work so much in a leadershiporiented environment it is often hard to see how students react to events, so for a large part of high school, I didn’t really partake in ASB or anything in that �ield,” Bora said. “That was because I was trying to be involved in clubs and organizations and understanding students’ perspectives.” During her time out of the limelight, Bora discovered an opportunity to serve as a student board member but did not, at the time, have any knowledge about the work of the Board of Trustees. After ample research, she was taken by surprise when she learned about the great impact the board has on students and immediately recognized the communication gap, which she hoped to bridge, that left many other students unaware of an blind to the board’s work. As the only student member on the Board of Trustees, Bora primarily focuses on representing the district students’ voices at FUHSD meetings, which happen approximately every other week. She works with Lynbrook Intra-District Council (IDC) Representatives Amrit Ranjan and Aneesha Nema, as well as ASB President Emily Zhang, to improve her presentations regarding student matters before meetings. “The most important function of the

student board member is to provide a voice for students,” said Board of Trustees member Roy Rocklin. “Many of the decisions the board makes directly affect students, so it is important for the board to know what students think about the issues we confront.” As the student voice of the Board, Bora feels that it is her responsibility to relay these student ideas. “At meetings, most of the opinions come from administration as well as parents, but oftentimes, it’s hard to gauge what the students are feeling about certain things happening around campus like construction and bell schedules,” Bora said. “So if students are unhappy with a decision or have a speci�ic opinion regarding something, I would be putting that opinion out there in the Board of Trustees.” In addition, Bora is responsible for informing the Board of Trustees about student activities, collaborating with Nema and Ranjan as well as IDC Representatives from other schools in the district. Bora strives to promote students’ involvement in their respective schools. “Students tend to have an opinion, but they don’t know where to channel it or how it will be communicated to the district or the school,” Bora said. “I try to provide a more clear and consistent channel for

transparency and communication.” Although her position comes with many responsibilities, Bora enjoys the work she does for the community. Because she represents students from all FUHSD high schools, she has the opportunity to observe the different people and environments at each school and communicate student opinions to the board. “Even though some schools are just a couple miles apart, they can be different,” Bora said. “But being able to �ind the commonalities in that and sharing them with the Board of Trustees is a very unique and interesting experience.” While her term has just begun, Bora has high hopes for the year to come. She hopes to continue Voter Registration Week, a second-semester project of the 2017-2018 school year, which got students involved politically by pre-registering for votes. Additionally, she wants to take on a district-wide service project, with the aim of connecting the district together. “[Voter Registration Week] is a project that I’m really looking forward to continuing this year, and I also hope to do another district-wide project — maybe a service project or something like that — but just really �inding more ways to connect the district even though we’re so far apart,” Bora said. Aside from plans she has for the district, Bora has set goals for herself ASHLEY SONG — EPIC

as a leader, one of which is working on her communication, both with the Board of Trustees and the students, who are already experiencing the impact of Bora’s work. “She’s really helpful to the rest of ASB,” Nema said. “She doesn’t have a set commission to lead like most of the other ASB of�icers do, but she took it upon herself this year to work closely with the class presidents in merging the gap between ASB and class of�icers. I think that’s one of the things Indali does best — connecting people. She’s really good at �inding solutions to problems in a way that bene�its everyone.” Outside of her role in the Board of Trustees, Bora participates in various activities. She has been involved with her class since elementary school, and Homecoming is no exception — she has been the girls’ dance choreographer since her sophomore year. She is also active in clubs, debating with other role-playing diplomats for the competition club Model United Nations, as she is co-president this year. Ultimately, Bora’s aspiration as am FUHSD Board member is for all the district’s students to feel comfortable communicating their concerns and to have issues resolved through doing so, normalizing the connection. “It’s easy to �ind �laws and problems in things that are happening, but we don’t look hard enough to �ind what the solutions are, and that doesn’t really help — that just creates an endless cycle,” Bora said, in message to Lynbrook students. “So if you see a problem around campus, if you have an issue, address it to the necessary bodies. As an individual, my job is to represent student voices, and I can’t really do that unless students voice their opinions. I just hope that they’re comfortable in me making their opinions heard.”

FEATURES

OCTOBER 5, 2018

Serving the school with warm smiles Behind the counter: An inside look at Lynbrook Food Services BY JESSICA LI

ne year ago, the area was almost completely desolate at lunchtime. Now, a hustle-bustle of starving students sprinting to the small blue-andwhite shack next to the football �ield is a typical sight at 1 p.m. Since the new bell schedule and school construction took effect this year, the Lynbrook food services staff has �lipped its whole operation upside-down. While other schools in the FUHSD turned to food trucks for brunch and lunch during construction, a combination of incredible heat, stuf�iness and truck accidents at these schools led to a move to the snack shack near the football �ield for Lynbrook. “[The snack shack] was an existing structure, so we didn’t really have to do a whole lot other than move in and tailor it to our needs,” said food services manager Jason Senior. “It unfortunately took away our ability to cook, but it’s only temporary, so we’ll live with it.” The whole team consists of a diverse, yet in many areas common, set of backgrounds. Jason Senior: manager and mountain biker. Edgar RodriguezVasquez: master chef and rock climber. Then come the ladies, most of whom began working at Lynbrook since their now-grown kids were in school, but have continued because they simply love the job and all that it entails. Anna Conroy: empty nester, avid reader. Cathy Cruz: empty nester, mom of two, lover of movies. Cindy Brown: no kids, but loves family and church. Deborah Yeung: reserved mom of three grown kids. Ying Zhao: current and previous Lynbrook mom whose son’s name on the Viking boat next to the tennis courts due to construction. On a regular weekday before the lunch,

the women can be found sitting together on a bench near the basketball courts, conversing and laughing while eating lunch. And when the time comes to prepare for lunch, the atmosphere in the snack shack is fun and friendly, jokes and laughs galore. Despite their eclectic range of personalities, they �ind common interests in their jobs and everyday life at Lynbrook. Together, they adapt to and combat the changing aspects of their jobs and lives. “I really look forward to coming here in the morning,” Conroy said. “We have some kind of a friendship going on, and we really like to work with each other.” Just two or three years ago, before Senior and Rodriguez-Vasquez started working at Lynbrook, the women’s jobs were completely different. At the old cafeteria next to the now torn-down quad and under different leadership, the women had to deal with balancing the fast-paced responsibilities of both cooking and serving food in a limited amount of time. Like before, they quickly switch into action mode at brunch and lunch time, when students come spilling in, all hungry and eager to eat. The snack shack’s design, offers minimal interaction between the server. “I do miss working in the cafeteria,” Brown said. “I don’t get to be personal with the kids [in the snack shack]. Now I’m behind a window, and the only kids I can get personal with are the ones I already know.” They also have to deal with the snack shack’s smaller and more limited space. “[The snack shack] gets pretty warm when it’s really hot outside,” Cruz said. “It’s a lot more togetherness [with us working in a smaller area].” Furthermore, the staff often �ind themselves separated from the rest of the school due to the new cafeteria location. “We were participating more in school life

CINDY BROWN

before,” Conroy said. “Here, we’re isolated.” Merely by chance, Rodriguez-Vasquez They have noticed a decrease in people, and Senior met. After four years and students and teachers alike, coming to buy different jobs together, they continue their food at the snack shack, whether it be due to riendship, bonding over the different food the decentralized location of the snack shack ideas to implement at Lynbrook, shared or the later brunch and lunch times. experiences coming from the corporate “For the �irst week, some teachers came food world and even outdoor travels. to buy food from us,” Yeung said. “Now, “When I �irst started coming from they hardly come the corporate anymore.” world into a school Additionally, with environment, the the limited space and “I DO MISS WORKING IN focus became resources of the snack THE CAFETERIA. I DON’T more on wellness shack, the hot food GET TO BE PERSONAL and education as sold at lunch must WITH THE KIDS [IN THE opposed to making be ready-made and Senior SNACK SHACK]. NOW I’M money,” delivered from an said. “It’s a lot more outside vendor, while BEHIND A WINDOW, AND supportive [here], Rodriguez-Vasquez THE ONLY KIDS I CAN GET but the challenge makes all the cold PERSONAL WITH ARE THE for me was to food sold at brunch in ONES I ALREADY KNOW.” adapt. I hadn’t the snack shack. worked with kids; “I would have I’d always worked never seen myself with adults.” Cindy Brown doing this job Throughout the because I come from big adjustments restaurants. I liked to of their jobs and cook, I liked to make work environment, fancy stuff, I liked to do all that stuff, but it’s the food services staff have been able to stressing,” Rodriguez-Vasquez said. “When I support each other and the students in came here and I saw a different side of what readily adapting to change. They have it could be, I really enjoyed it.” been open to student opinions about their Rodriguez-Vasquez and Senior started food, listening to students’ suggestions working in the corporate world, making and coming up with options of new foods and serving food in restaurants and at other to sell. They may even start sending events. Nevertheless, they have both found surveys. their jobs at Lynbrook much more balanced Their ultimate mission is to serve the and enjoyable. students and ensure that they walk away “When you’re at a restaurant constantly with big smiles and full bellies. stressing, you have no life when you’re “We want to make kids happy. We working every night. All you do is work. It want to see them smile. I say these words gets tiring,” Rodriguez-Vasquez said. “Now, everyday,” Zhao said. “Teenagers have a I’m not stressed. I get to enjoy my day, and I lot of homework, and you have to make get to do activities afterward.” them happy in giving them food.”

DEBORAH YEUNG CATHY CRUZ

ANNA CONROY Not pictured: Edgar Rodriguez-Vasquez, Jason Senior, Ying Zhao

ASHLEY SONG — EPIC

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IN-DEPTH

LYNBROOK HIGH SCHOOL | THE EPIC

Tapping to the beat: Rap’s influence on culture BY CLARA FERNANDES AND ASHLEY SONG

ost Malone, XXXTENTACION, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, Drake — these renowned rappers have topped Billboard charts in in 2018. Like with the prevalence of swing music in the 1940s and the dominance of pop and punk in the 2000s, rap music has recently experienced a surge in popularity. Rap is a musical genre in which rhythmic and rhyming lyrics are spoken to musical accompaniment. This style of music is at the heart of a continually growing but well-established style now known as rap, a culture that supports self-expression through a combination of music, dance and art. Rap songs top the charts for moststreamed, with Drake’s “God’s Plan” currently in �irst place. Although rap was already experiencing some levels of popularity in the early 1990s with the development of “gangster rap” and pop-rap crossovers, the music genre never quite took the masses by storm. So what has changed? “Rap culture is a constantly changing set of norms, and it’s almost unde�inable because around every 5 to 10 years, it is basically recreated,” said Jeffrey Bale, U.S. government and economics teacher, who has enjoyed rap music since his youth and has even dabbled in producing it. “If you look at the origins of what hip hop culture was, it was largely inner-city party culture. Back then, it was the relationship of an MC and a DJ, and now that’s a lot less the case. DJ’s are just not really a part of hip hop, and rap has completely spread out of urban areas.” Rap’s recent renewal can be accredited to new platforms available to the public. Today, the process for aspiring rappers to put their work out into the world is easier than ever — just compose a beat on a computer and lay down a vocal accompaniment, and the beginnings of a song are already at work. Finally, fancy equipment and pricey resources aren’t necessary. With the addition of streaming platforms such as SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music, these amateur musicians have gained the power of selfpublicity and exposure. Rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, 6ix9ine, and Lil Peep, who rose to popularity on these platforms, are dubbed “SoundCloud rappers” for this very reason. Today, digital platforms help new musicians showcase their talents, breaking free from the traditional constraints of the music industry. There are seemingly no rules: one does not

RISA MORI — EPIC

have to be good at guitar or have strikingly good looks — one just needs talent. Some of these new SoundCloud rappers are infamously known for mumble rap, a loosely de�ined subgenre of rap. The microgenre strays from the clear cut, hard-hitting lyric tendencies of generic rap, and instead features simple yet incomprehensible lyrics, resembling mumbling, hence its name. Mumble rap, though thoroughly embraced by a vast majority of younger listeners, has faced more opposition old school rappers, whose music were originally focused on story-telling. Famed old-school rapper Snoop Dogg spoke for the rap community when he articulated his disappointment toward the music now being marketed as “rap,” while also mimicking the trend in an episode of his Youtube talk-show series Double G News Network. However, this is just one opinion of many. “Some people feel that rap and hip-hop is over and [mumble rap] is just a new genre,” said Bale. “I think that is an argument that can be made, but at the same time, all genres of music are constantly changing.” While rap continues to in�luence American culture and the music industry alike, its association with derogatory language, drugs, violence and misogyny has provoked heated debates over whether its idolatry is unhealthy for younger, more impressionable listeners. It is reinforced time and time again that rap music’s negative in�luence on society greatly outweighs any sort of positive in�luence it may have. Rap artists have become role models to kids and young adults, who have been observed copying behavior seen in music videos and language heard in rap lyrics, where the casual use of derogatory terms and racial slurs may encourage the idea that using these terms is acceptable. People who feel this way also usually assert that much of the behavior encouraged by many rappers promotes a hedonistic lifestyle, revolving around substanceinduced pleasure and materialistic pursuits, heavily showcased in what they wear. “I think it’s hard to escape the fact that rap is an in�luencer,” Bale said. “If you grow up absorbing that as part of your media experience, there’s absolutely going to be an impact on the listener or viewer.” Rappers’ actions have resulted in the creation of the recently popularized “hypebeast culture,” a new wave of younger people who enjoy buying and reselling very expensive garments from designer brands. “My interest in hypebeast clothing began near the time of a Yeezy drop in the summer of 2017, when my

friend taught me how to buy the shoes at a retail price and either wear them or sell them at a higher market price,” said senior Kenny Wang, former seller of hypebeast clothing. “After making some money from reselling shoes, I was able to afford more expensive clothing and had more freedom in choosing what to buy.” Hypebeasts are also commonly associated with drugs and alcohol, such as smoking pods popularly known as Juuls. Many rappers may also push the image of in�idelity or sexism through their blunt, explicit lyrics, possibly pushing misogynistic views onto young boys. “My friends got me into [the hypebeast culture] and I was just interested in how it works,” said junior Snehith Nayak. “I started with $100, and as I spent more as time went on, I was eventually able to create a pro�it. If I can use my skills of getting these articles of clothing to sell it to somebody else who would wear it more than I would, then it’s bene�icial to both me and the hypebeast community.” On the other hand, rap has a supportive audience who maintain that rap is harmless, if not bene�icial. The rap community’s self-expressive nature can encourage mass awareness of current issues such as sexism, racism, suicide, violence, gun abuse and substance abuse. This has been a longstanding factor in how many people justify their love for rap since its emergence. The lyrics of certain rap songs today are used to reach listeners on pressing social issues. One example of a viral song that increased awareness about suicide prevention is Logic and Alessia Cara’s “1-800-273-8255,” which discusses suicide prevention. In the �irst verse, Logic raps from the perspective of someone calling the hotline, facing suicidal thoughts, communicating to his listeners the pain someone goes through. Verse two is from the perspective of a hotline operator, telling the person on the other line all the reasons they should �ight to keep on living. This song received critical appraise for its honesty and boldness, along with its catchiness. Since its humble beginnings in New York’s Bronx borough, rap music has steadily risen in popularity. But it represents something more than just music; it represents two different worlds: one of materialism, drugs and alcohol, and another of activism against pressing issues like racism and violence. Rap culture is not just a phenomenon; it is a movement.

IN-DEPTH

OCTOBER 5, 2018

What comes after the rainbow: dating for LGBTQ+ BY CLAIRE CHIU AND PATRICIA WEI

ophomore Clarissa Brown* recalls her �irst date with her girlfriend. As the two had a shared fascination for the arts, Brown’s girlfriend invited her to an art museum. For the past six months, they’ve made memories while going to coffeeshops and sharing food, learning more about each other in their relationship. Despite having good dating experiences, Brown, like many in queer relationships, has faced obstacles that make it dif�icult to be authentic in front of others. Brought up with more conservative ideals, Brown �inds the idea of coming out to her parents about her sexuality and relationship dif�icult. “I haven’t come out to my parents yet, and I’m afraid that they will stop supporting me,” Brown said. “I’m very scared about how they would react and what would happen in that situation.” Brown’s fear of being unaccepted isn’t uncommon for LGBTQ+ teens. According to a youth survey conducted by Human Rights Campaign, 92 percent of LGBTQ+ teens say they hear negative messages about being LGBTQ+ by peers, the Internet, school and other external in�luences. As a result, they may feel forced to hide their relationships and sexual orientation until they feel safe and accepted. “Usually, teens in LGBTQ+ relationships are hesitant and just say that they’re friends,” Onderko said. “They try to avoid the girlfriend-boyfriend label because they feel like that increases pressure. Instead, they keep it more private.” LGBTQ+ children and their parents or other relatives coming from

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ALISHA NAIDU AND CHRISTY YU

different generations may come across dif�iculties in �inding common ground on their viewpoints. “My parents are accepting, but I feel like I can’t talk about [my relationship] mainly with my grandparents,” said sophomore Jeffrey Williams*, who identi�ies as bisexual and nonbinary and is in a same-sex relationship. At Lynbrook, some in the queer community believe that although the population leans liberal, homophobia is still common. “I hear ‘that’s so gay’ and the f-slur all the time,” said sophomore Aanya Singh*, who identi�ies as bisexual. “I went to Christian school before, but I feel the homophobia is much worse here. There are so many good people here, but there are also people who have so much hatred for people they know nothing about. I think it’s cultural, because ideas from previous generations are passed down. Many of our parents are immigrants from countries where it was more common for LGBTQ+ people to experience discrimination or where same-sex marriage was illegal.” With more exposure to the experiences of LGBTQ+ relationships, the LGBTQ+ community hopes that they can create safer and more understanding environments, fostering more acceptance. According to a survey of LGBTQ+ Americans conducted by Pew Research Center, 92 percent of adults say that society has been more accepting of them in the past decade. The LGBTQ+ advocates and community seems to be making huge steps towards normalizing the notion of the LGBTQ+. “I think being an ally is important,” said senior Ariel Wang, treasurer of Lynbrook’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance club. “Be proactive and stand up for others when you see them being mistreated or disrespected. Respect their pronouns. I’ve realized that there aren’t many differences between straight and queer relationships. My friends in straight relationships and queer

relationships all tell me the same things and experience the same emotions.” Those in the LGBTQ+ community hope others will look beyond a person’s sexuality and appreciate them for other aspects of themselves, such as personality or talents. “Sexuality isn’t a person’s de�ining trait,” Singh said. “There are more parts to who I am than just who I’m attracted to. Everyone is a multi-faceted person. I feel like people don’t really care about the other facets when you’re different.” Religion can also impact LGBTQ+ relationships, as many have set guidelines as to how relationships should look. For example, some Christians believe homosexual relationships are considered sinful, which can pose as threats to people in queer relationships. In a 2013 survey of LGBT Americans conducted by Pew Research Center, most religious groups were seen as unfriendly to the LGBTQ+ community. Brown, however, feels differently about the importance of religion in her life. “I was raised Christian, and I de�initely believe in the concept of God. My parents are Christian, but they aren’t necessarily deep into their relationships with God,” Brown said. “I feel the Bible is misconstrued. I do not feel my faith is in con�lict with my sexuality. They can coexist.” those in queer relationships can often feel misrepresented by the media. In media such as TV shows, portrayals of gay couples may come off as caricatures. For example, hit TV show “Modern Family” features queer couple Cam and Mitch, who some think come across as dramatic or stereotypically gay. “There’s a lot of stereotyping and exaggeration,” Williams said. “People think we always say, ‘I’m so gay for you’ to each other. Being in a queer relationship isn’t that different from being in any other relationship. I wish more people would understand that.” The experience of being in a relationship, regardless of gay or straight, can help teens

discover aspects of their identity, such as boundaries and priorities. “The developmental task of adolescence is identity formation,” said Lynbrook psychologist Dr. Brittany Stevens. “You learn a lot through pairing off with someone. You learn about balance, prioritizing and speaking up for yourself. I think those are some positive things that can come from the high school dating experience.” For Williams, his relationship has opened him to new hobbies, taught him more about how he should treat other people of different identities and helped him learn more about his own identity. Williams met his boyfriend online through a video game. They talk every day over the phone and plan to meet in person every three months. One of his favorite memories is the �irst time they met in person. “My boyfriend is transgender and taught me a lot about the challenges transgender people face,” Williams said. “He also helped me learn more about my own sexuality and helped me realize that I identify as nonbinary. He’s my best friend.” Dating for LGBTQ+ teens may face extra challenges, but the experiences can also bring joy and appreciation for someone who understands them. In a way, the struggles they face and experiences they gain from dating are crucibles that help mold and shape their idea of relationships. They learn more about themselves and their standards, and what a relationship should be. “Fundamentally, it’s just you loving someone else,” Stevens said. “Their gender is not the most important quality. Are they kind and respectful? Are they going to prioritize you? These are all the things I would ask anybody in any relationship.” *Names have been kept anonymous for privacy reasons

A probe into Mueller’s Russia investigation BY HSIN YEN HUANG & ELENA WILLIAMS

n May 2018, former FBI Director Robert Mueller III and his team were given permission to conduct an investigation into the possibility of collusion, or illegal conspiracy, between President Trump’s campaign team and Russian of�icials. Many suspect that Trump himself worked directly with the Russian government to elect himself president. So far, members of Trump’s campaign team have pleaded guilty to lying about contacting foreign of�icials, while several Russian of�icials have been indicted for hacking and meddling in the 2016 presidential election. After a series of shocking revelations, how close is Mueller to uncovering the truth?

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY PRANAV MISHRA AND RISA MORI

IN-DEPTH

OCTOBER 5, 2018

The hidden struggle behind Asian-American mental health continued from MENTAL HEALTH page 1 Those struggling with mental health within the AAPI community are three times less likely to seek mental health services than Caucasians. While the “model minority” myth plays a signi�icant role in this statistic, a 2010 study in the American Journal of Public Health noted that the most deterring factors were the negative stigma around mental health in Asian cultures and a lack of awareness of mental health resources. “There have been times when my mom has said, ‘�ine, I’ll get you a therapist.’ But it is always in a derogatory way; it is always out of anger. She thinks I can just solve the issue myself or ignore it,” said sophomore Amy Sun. “Yes, there are resources at school, but you have to feel like you yourself can reach out �irst. When you need professional help, but do not know how to reach out or recognize that you need it, it feels like there are not any available resources.” Mental health issues in Asian cultures may be caused by the expectations for each individual. Children and adolescents are brought up to be humble, obedient and polite: they are expected to meet and conform to traditional behavioral standards, and emotional outbursts are discouraged. By learning to suppress emotions from a young age, AAPI children are at a higher risk for mental illness by being unable to recognize negative emotion or reach out for help. “The most common misconception is that Asian-Americans don’t have mental health issues,” Zhou said. “Though I can’t speak for all Asians, I have grown up in a Chinese-in�luenced environment for my whole life; this has de�initely in�luenced my attitude toward mental illness. A lot of this comes from Chinese culture, which pressures you to live in balance and honor your family. When a topic that doesn’t align with these values comes up, it is immediately ignored. In this way, a lot of Chinese people internalize their feelings.” In many Asian cultures, mental health struggles are perceived as not only a re�lection of the individual, but of the family as well. Traditional Asian values place heavy emphasis on family image;

ART ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE LEE

consequently, opening up about mental illness brings shame to the family. Additionally, in numerous AAPI cultures, mental illnesses are traditionally believed to be caused by lack of harmony in emotions or by evil spirits. In Buddhism, problems in one’s life are thought to be related to offenses committed in one’s previous life. Philosophies stemming from Confucian beliefs discourage one from publicly displaying emotions to maintain familial harmony and prevent being viewed as weak. The stigma created through these beliefs lead AsianAmericans to dismiss, deny or neglect symptoms. The treatment for these issues include home remedies, traditional herbs or acupuncture. Reaching out for professional help is avoided, as it af�irms the severity of the illness. “Stigma and ignorance in the AAPI community is dangerous and costs lives by delaying treatment,” said Helen Hsu, a staff psychologist at Stanford University specializing in the Asian-American population. “Prognosis is always better when things are addressed as soon as possible. I have heard countless people delay treatment due to myths and misunderstandings. We need to create a community where it is okay to talk about mental health and never blame families or people who fall ill.” Outside of the cultural stigma surrounding mental health in AAPI communities, Asian-American and Paci�ic-Islanders face additional obstacles to receiving help. Many mental health resources are offered only in English, erecting language barriers and making it dif�icult for Asian-Americans and Paci�ic-Islanders to access mental health services. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), half of the Asian-Americans suffering from a mental illness will not seek help due to language barriers. Additionally, due to inattention to mental health among Asian-Americans, there is a lack of AAPI professionals in the mental health �ield. For example, according to the APA, in 2002 only 2.3 percent of ninety-thousand doctoral level psychologists were Asian. With little research on Asian American mental health, only the small population of AAPI practitioners tends to be the ones familiar with this literature. “Eighty-three percent of the psychologists in this country are white,” Hsu said “We have a serious shortage of [AAPI] practitioners, professors and researchers with the linguistic and cultural knowledge [to discuss mental health with members of the AAPI community]. This is improving slowly, but there is a supply and workforce development problem. In the past, this has contributed to our community being neglected as AAPI needs were rarely mentioned in research.”

Even within the AAPI community, the broad scope of the Asian-American identity leads to several different cultural in�luences on mental health. The unique immigration experiences of each AAPI cultural group can lead to several cultural contexts behind mental health issues. While many Asian-American teens in the Silicon Valley experience mounting pressure to excel in a science, technology or mathematics careers, those who entered the U.S. as refugees from the Vietnam War encountered various traumas, making them more susceptible to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, children of Asian-American immigrants often feel pressure to make up for their parents’ sacri�ices in immigrating to the U.S. For many, this surfaces in an overwhelming pressure to relieve their parents’ �inancial burden by making enough money to support both themselves and their parents. For others, it means living up to the precedent set by a highly successful parent who experienced the additional challenge of immigration. “Both of my parents are immigrants, so I feel the pressure to live up to what they have done and achieve more because I am an American citizen, something they planned to make it easier for me to gain access to more opportunities,” said senior Sam Gupta*. “At the end of the day, the Asian experience of ‘how I made it to America’ still in�luences the choices of �irst generation kids. “ All factors considered, there is a striking de�icit of mental health resources that understand and respond adequately to the impacts of Asian-American cultures and the “model minority” myth on AAPI individuals’ mental health. “Schools, counties and hospitals do not make suf�icient efforts to recruit and promote AAPI staff,” Hsu said. “The ‘model minority’ myth still causes this population to be ignored in needs and assessments. Our own community makes the matter worse by hiding problems due to stigma. If we hide the problem, we do not get any research nor funding. AAPI communities need to speak up about our needs and push for the right kinds of services and support.” Although the AAPI population faces many unacknowledged barriers, it is not to say that AAPI individuals have the worst mental health in regards to other races. “Yes, [AAPI individuals] do have it hard. Yes, we do have pressures,” said senior Shiva Patel*. “But we need to understand that everyone is different. Everyone has different backgrounds, everyone has different sets of values, and whatnot, and those all contribute to the mental health that we have to go through. It’s just that the reasons that the symptoms come out is because we have different contexts and different backgrounds that make it come out.” *Names have been kept anonymous for privacy reasons.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTY YU

LYNBROOK HIGH SCHOOL | THE EPIC

SPORTS

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Megan Yang earns full ride to UCI BY ELENA WILLIAMS

etermination, perseverance and a good eye: senior Megan Yang has all the skills she needs to excel in golf. Through �ive years of hard work and practice, she has risen from a novice player to one of the top golfers in the state, her journey culminating in a full-ride sports scholarship to UC Irvine. Before she picked up golf, Yang was a talented gymnast approaching the competitive level. Still, she knew that her passion for gymnastics was dying. “At the time, I was mostly there because all my friends were there,” Yang said. When Yang sprained her ankle in seventh grade, she took time off. The distance from the sport led her to reconsider her future in gymnastics and ask herself whether she truly wanted to commit long-term or choose a new sport to pursue. In the end, Yang decided that golf, which she had played recreationally with her father, might be a better �it. With two years of practice and experience under her belt, Yang joined the Lynbrook girls’ golf team in ninth grade, where she immediately excelled. After �inding her place on the team, she grew to respect her experienced senior counterparts, who became her role models. They, in turn, encouraged her at practices and cheered her on at tournaments. “When I played, it didn’t feel like I was playing alone,” Yang said. “Even though golf is a single-player sport, they were always there to help me.” Central to Yang’s personal and athletic growth was the process of building her con�idence and pushing her limits. The support of her upperclassmen teammates helped, but she also needed to discover her potential on her own. Her �irst major high school tournament, an American Junior Golf Association championship in Vermont, helped her accomplish that. “I had just barely quali�ied, and I didn’t expect to place at all, but then I did. That was when it all became realistic,” Yang said. “That was when I could say, ‘I can do this.’” In the years since, Yang has worked tirelessly to hone her abilities. “We practice four days a week, and she’s practicing seven days a week,” said girls’ varsity golf coach Art Zimmermann. “She’s always at the golf course somewhere, or playing at a tournament.” With hard work, her already impressive game has become phenomenal. Every success bolstered her con�idence and gave her the courage she needed to get out of her comfort zone. Win by win, her ambitions became achievements, and her dreams

MICHELLE LUM// IN MY OPINION

Female athletes face unfair sexism

fter years of having the same uniforms, the girls’ tennis team was excited for a change: new tank tops. We quickly placed orders to ensure that our uniforms would arrive in time for matches, not realizing that a white tank top with an open cut in the back would cause such a disruption. Without our knowledge, the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League girls tennis coaches had made a new rule that sports bras could not be seen when players wore uniforms.

Upon being told that our tops wouldn’t meet the cut, we scrambled to piece together the reasoning behind the uniform guidelines. When we asked about the rationale for the no sports bra rule, the response we received was feeble: “it just doesn’t look nice.” We were frustrated. Granted, we should have run the uniforms by the school before ordering, but at that time, we were unaware that there was such a process in place or that the back of a simple sports bra would pose a problem. These days, it’s nearly impossible to �ind an athletic tank that doesn’t show at least a small part of a sports bra. More infuriating, though, was that the league coaches, who are predominantly male, had created this rule in the �irst place. As I was now being prevented from wearing a tank top of my choice on court, I found myself confronted with the sexism that many female athletes have faced before. Just a few days prior, I had read about Serena Williams and how the French Tennis Federation president, disregarding the fact that her catsuit had been specially designed to help Williams with blood clots after her pregnancy, had stated that Williams’ catsuit

solidi�ied into realities. Before she knew it, she was the star of the Lynbrook girls’ golf team. “She’s always been our anchor, always bringing in a great score when we need her to,” Zimmermann said. “She’s always been the �irst, second or third golfer on the roster. This year, she’s our number one.” As Yang grew over the years, she saw herself become a role model for the next years of underclassmen golfers. “She was an inspiration to all of us,” said sophomore teammate Laasya Chukka. “She encouraged us to work harder by seeing how much she had accomplished in high school. She made us believe that we could do the same.” This summer marked another milestone in Yang’s journey, when she played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, an extremely competitive tournament in which she faced off many of the best young women golfers from the U.S. and around the world. Once again, she expected the championship to be a learning experience and nothing more, and once again, her success proved her doubts wrong: out of 156 star golfers, mainly of college-age, Yang was one of the 32 who made the cuts to the second round. “Just qualifying was amazing,” Zimmermann said. “For her to get to the second round was incredible.” In early August, UC Irvine offered Yang a full-ride scholarship to play on their women’s golf team. She accepted, relieved that her hard work meant freedom from the stress of applications and the �inancial burdens of attending college. Looking to the future, she can’t help but be excited, especially about the new family she will become a part of. “I’m really looking forward to the sport, as well as getting to meet the people,” Yang said. “You always hear about how the friends you �ind in college last for life, and I’m looking forward to making friends with other people like me on the golf team.” When Yang graduates this spring, Lynbrook will lose an invaluable athlete and an incredible person. “She’ll be sorely missed next year,” Zimmermann said. “You don’t always get athletes like Megan on your team, and not a lot of them go on to play collegiately. I’m excited for her, and I’m proud of her.” Next fall will mark the beginning of an exciting and challenging new journey for Yang. She will �ind herself in the uncharted territories of both college life and collegiate athletics. Still, her work ethic, determination and strength will carry her forward in the years to come.

would not be allowed on French Open courts again because organizers thought that it was disrespectful. Similarly, I related to French tennis player Alizé Cornet, who was penalized for �ixing her shirt on court in the middle of a U.S. Open match. During a break, Cornet had accidentally put on a shirt backward; upon realizing this, she took off her shirt to put it back on the right way and was subsequently issued a code violation. Although U.S. Open organizers later apologized for the warning, it is still appalling that Cornet was given a code violation for a simple action that any male athlete would have easily been allowed to perform. As the uniform issue remained unresolved, I wondered about how such sexism could still exist in a world considered so forwardthinking as ours today. In response to the catsuit controversy, Williams sported a tutu at the U.S. Open, a tournament in which she also stood up for herself against a sexist umpire. In our own way, my team fought back as well by demanding for our rights to wear what we wanted. Since we had already placed the order, our

HATIM SAIFEE — EPIC

team was eventually allowed to use the tank tops as uniforms, but was given a warning that we should always run our uniforms by the school in the future. Our con�lict was settled in a few days, but the issue of sexism toward female athletes, and women in general, remains. In the 21st century, how can we prevent inspirational icons like Williams from wearing out�its of their choice? How can we subject top athletes like Cornet to unfair warnings for doing something that is considered acceptable for male athletes? How can I allow my teammates and myself to be told what we can or cannot wear while playing our sport? Something needs to change. Ridding the world of sexism overnight is an impossible task, but we do have the ability to enact small-scale change. This season, my team will proudly wear our tank tops at matches in the way that Williams wore her tutu at the U.S. Open, in de�iance of those who wish to push a sexist agenda upon us. I hope that when I visit the girls’ tennis team next year, I won’t hear any complaints about uniform restrictions.

SPORTS

OCTOBER 5, 2018

Cross country team takes season in stride

is lungs burn. 50 meters. His breath gets heavier with each step. 40 meters. His legs almost collapse, but his mind refuses to let them stop. 20 meters. His heart beats through his chest, and his skin burns from the sun. 10 meters. Almost there. 5 meters. Done. He comes to a stop and gasps for air. Three miles may seem like a lot, but for the cross country team, it is just another day at practice. To prepare for the physical strain of a race, the team trained throughout the summer. “Our coach, Jake White, held practices every day at 6 a.m.,” said captain and senior Roopak Phatak. “You don’t have to run fast. You just make sure you get mileage and build up your aerobic capacity.” In order to endure long distances, athletes work on the rhythm of their running. Runners focus on breathing, which helps sync their movements and ensure the

runner keeps a consistent pace. By running everyday, runners can �ind what their ideal pace is. Runners also keep track of where other competitors are during the race. They can then hold a position between two runners to ensure they are keeping up. Some also stare at the back of competitors’ heads, allowing for them to focus on the race. “I keep in my mind what pace I want to keep the entire race,” said junior Austin Chen. “Or speci�ic people I might want to stay with throughout the race.” During the �inal stretch of a three mile race, it becomes easier for runners to give up, forcing them to �ind ways to stay at pace until the �inish. “You have to push yourself to the limit both physically and mentally,” Chen said. “[You] tell yourself that the race is almost over and there’s no reason to slow down now.” The team has shown impressive results from its hard work over the summer. Its �irst meet took place at Pebble Beach on Sept. 8,

SUMMER|The team ran three miles every day at 6 a.m. over the summer.

where the team placed third. Two days later, juniors Vincent Peng and Cosmo Cao won �irst and second, respectively, in a Lynbrook meet. Despite his success, Peng, like many other runners on the team, has higher goals in mind, such as making it to states championships. Although some runners focus on qualifying for states or CCS, others focus more on personal growth. “People have a goal per each course,” said senior Catherine Hwu. “The statistics are online, so it is about beating your own time.” Runners had another chance to improve their personal records when they traveled to Hawaii for the Iolani Invitational meet on Sept. 13. Due to hurricanes and storms, the conditions were often rainy and windy. “The weather is completely different in Hawaii,” Peng said. “It is humid there; it’s just worse. You get more sluggish.” The girls’ team battled the conditions to place eighth out of 18 teams, and the boys’ team placed eighth out of 28. When not competing, they enjoyed

START OF THE SEASON|Catch the team

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at their upcoming meet on Oct. 6 at Crystal Springs in Belmont!

Hawaii’s attractions. They also enjoyed group meals such as traditional Hawaiian barbecue. Dinners gave them an opportunity to spend time with the whole team. “We spend so much time together running and at meets, so it’s easy to become super close to people on the team,” said sophomore Gaby Tran. “When the upperclassmen make an effort to be inviting to the freshmen, it helps the team grow closer and makes being on the team a lot more fun.” As the season continues, not only does the team want to achieve their individual goals, but they want to grow closer as a team. “I would even go as far to call it a family,” Chen said. “[We’re] very tight knit, and we share many laughs at practice, whether we have a workout that day or a long run.” The experiences at meets and Hawaii have given the team practice both physically and mentally. As the season continues, the team hopes to continue its efforts to make it to state championships, not just as a team, but as a family.

HAWAII|The girls placed 8th out of 18 teams and the boys placed 8th out of 28 teams at the Iolani Invitational meet.

FINISH

BY ARUL GNANASIVAM

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SPORTS SECTION

Four female football players kick off their season BY AUDREY WONG

hen most people picture a football player, the �irst image that comes to mind does not usually include someone who has long hair and wears a dresses on special occasions. One typically imagines someone who is not only tall and brawny, but also male. This year, however, four female players: Amanda White, Rhea Chowdhury, Danielle Ma and Rei Trujillo have been added to the football team.

KATIE CHEN — EPIC

Danielle Ma One of Lynbrook’s JV football kickers, sophomore Danielle Ma, realized her talent for kicking during last year’s Powderpuff games. “We were tied against the seniors, and I kicked the winning �ield goal as a tiebreaker. It was so nerve-wracking,” Ma said. Ma was surprised by the positive comments people gave her. Many approached her after the game and told her to join the football team. This shocked Ma; she did not think she was quali�ied enough to join, only being able to kick from the 15 yard line. “I felt like kicking for the football team was something I could pursue,” Ma said. “That �ield goal [made during Powderpuff] and the encouragement that came after felt so empowering.” Initially, she was worried about being the only female player on the team. White and Chowdhury, however, were on the team. Ma was also in�luenced by her parents. Ma’s father is an avid football fan and encouraged her to join. Ma feels fortunate enough to be playing on a team where her teammates support her and treat her like family. She cherishes and values her bond with the team and feels immense pride and joy to be a part of it.

Rei Trujillo When the school year began, sophomore Rei Trujillo had not made up her mind about joining the team. After watching her friend practice, Trujillo regretted her decision of not joining the team. After attending a few practices, Trujillo was eligible to join, Trujillo’s background in soccer helped her adapt faster to the new sport as she was used to the various techniques of kicking and being in cleats. At �irst, Trujillo felt awkward because she had joined later than the rest of her teammates. With the help of Ma, however, Trujillo later found herself �itting in with the other players and feeling more included in the football family. “Knowing the team is a process, it is not given. You must work to develop a bond with them,” Trujillo said. The satisfying feeling of kicking the football excited Trujillo and motivated her at practice. Due to lost time from joining the team later, Trujillo has yet to kick at a game. Trujillo looks forward to playing in this year’s games along with being more involved on the �ield, since she has not had the opportunity to kick at a game yet. She is excited to have more experiences in football such as bonding with the team, improving her kicks and playing in games.

Rhea Chowdhury Similar to White, senior Rhea Chowdhury joined the varsity football team after the football coach Alan Vinciguerra asked her to. Chowdhury was concerned about balancing her time between clubs, Homecoming and other activities that she could only participate in during high school. This made her unsure at �irst. However, the players and Chowdhury created a close bond that made her feel comfortable and supported. The team surprised Chowdhury with their actions of standing up to students who insulted her. “The team would defend us when students insulted us,” Chowdhury said. “I remember that a football player actually went up to [the student who insulted White and me] and said something along the lines of, ‘No, you respect them because they are part of the team. They are doing this and you are not, so you have no right to insult them.’” Chowdhury is motivated by her team; they are always encouraging. Chowdhury is grateful to the players on the team that support her no matter what, whether she makes her kicks or not. Chowdhury’s current goal is to try and make a 47-yard �ield goal.

Amanda White Senior Amanda White, one of the varsity kickers, thought about joining football in May. The football coach Alan Vinciguerra asked White and fellow senior Rhea Chowdhury to be on the football team. White was initially hesitant to join because of time commitment. “Because it is my senior year, and I wanted to make sure I was enjoying Homecoming and other clubs,” White said. “I wanted to make sure that football would not be too strenuous.” Nevertheless, Vinciguerra convinced both White and Chowdhury to join and attend practices. “The satisfaction of watching the ball go through the upright [goalposts] and the support that my teammates, coaches and friends give, makes it all worth it,” said White. White feels that experiencing this journey with Chowdhury is the best part of her decision to play football. “Experiencing it alongside Rhea is the best part,” White said. Although she feels content with her early achievements, White has made a new goal for herself: make at least three �ield goals during the season. Each day, she is one step closer in achieving her goal.

OCTOBER 5, 2018

SPORTS

lhsepic.com

LYNBROOK HIGH SCHOOL | THE EPIC

PHOTOESSAY

Remembering memorials of Lynbrook’s past

his school year has been highlighted by changes around campus. With change, it becomes important to not forget the ones before us who built up our school to where it is today. Out of many such individuals, four have been recognized with memorials for their efforts in helping Lynbrook’s vision and community. Blayne F. Jones was a math teacher and football coach since the founding of the school. Jones was a “gentle giant,” and was well liked around campus, and a memorial was dedicated upon his retirement. Located between the science wing and math wing

“Blayne F. Jones - 1937 - 1992 - Coach, Teacher, and Friend. Dedicated by Lynbrook’s High School’s Class of 1993”

Marie San Antonio was an attendance secretary at Lynbrook for almost 34 years. Antonio began her role at Lynbrook during the time Lynbrook was founded, and was a big personality on campus. She knew most of the staff around campus, and her lengthy service to Lynbrook created her a memorial when she retired from the staff. Located near the basketball hoops “Her strength, spirit, and compassion reached all of us at Lynbrook for over 34 years. ‘Live, Love, and Laugh”

Sandi Stober was a successful �ield hockey coach and P.E. teacher who built up Lynbrook’s �ield hockey program to where it is today. Her passion and energy for coaching led to team to great success, and she coined the phrase, “Rah Hockey!” Stober Field is named in her memory. Located on Stober Field “Stober Field” - dedicated to the memory of Sandi Stober, 1946 - 2001. An exceptional teacher, coach, and friend to the Lynbrook community. “Sandi’s smile will grace this field with hockey love.”

Anita M. Olsen was a student at Lynbrook High School, and was also a part of the cheerleading team. She tragically died in a car crash during an exchange program in Brazil. Lynbrook students recognized her by planting a tree, titled the “Tree of Life,” in her honor. Located between the history wing and the �ield house. “Tree of Life - This evergreen was planted in memory of Anita M. Olsen - 1956 - 1973. Students of Lynbrook High School”

*Note that this information is based on recollections and may not be entirely factual.