the Epic, Volume 57, Issue 4 - February 1, 2022 by the Epic

SECTIONS

News: pg. 2-3 Opinion: pg. 4-5 Features: pg. 6, 11 In-Depth: pg. 12-13 Sports: pg. 14-16

CENTERSPREAD Special content on high school relationships: pg. 7-10

101 COVID-19 cases since Jan. 3

HIGH SCHOOL

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Judy Boehm retires after 20 years

AUDREY SUN - EPIC Students waiting in front of the old office to test for COVID-19 after returning from winter break.

LAUREN LIU - EPIC Since 2001, Judy Boehm has managed the school’s finances, regularly working with staff and students.

BY AMY LIU

BY TIMOTHY KIM

ince the beginning of the school year, Lynbrook has reported 108 COVID-19 cases, 101 of which occurred on and after Jan. 3. Faced with the surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant during the holiday season, FUHSD and Lynbrook implemented guidelines such as COVID-19 testing and new masking requirements to stop the spread and keep students and staff safe. From Jan. 3 to Jan. 7, 65 students and staff tested positive for COVID-19; out of the 52 student cases, 20 occurred before Jan. 3. During the weeks of Jan. 14 and Jan. 21, there were 17 and 19 positive cases, respectively. While some neighboring districts have discontinued contact tracing in the second semester, Lynbrook and other FUHSD schools have kept this practice in place. Upon receiving the alert of a

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SHARLENE CHEN

story continues on pg. 3 || news

Boys basketball dominates the court BY CATHERINE ZHOU

s the clock ticked down, the crowd erupted into cheers when the boys varsity basketball team defeated Gunn on Jan. 25 by seven points. With an overall record of 13-5 and a standing of 14th in the Central Coast Section, this season has been the team’s best one in years. The season started off strong with an impressive 71-37 win against Westmont in the Vikepound season opener game on Nov. 27. One of their most memorable games of the season was their second game against Carlmont, one of the top teams outside their league. Despite being undermanned and down 10 points at the half, they rallied back and won the game. “It made a lot of guys realize that it’s not just a few of our best players that carry us to win, it’s a team effort,” head coach Rick Appler said. With this mindset, the team continued to dominate. After a close loss against Los Altos, they maintained an incredible six-

story continues on pg. 16 || sports

hether it be for AP exam registration or reimbursements, students know that they can count on financial technician Judy Boehm to help them manage their finances. After 20 years of working at Lynbrook, Boehm has announced her retirement from this position following the 2021-22 school year. Boehm is stepping down from her role with some reluctance, as recent issues with her eyesight have made fulfilling her job increasingly challenging. “My average day at work has changed a good bit for me because my vision is suffering, which is why I’m retiring,” Boehm said. “My vision really has gotten compromised and will not improve. At first, I thought it was just my glasses, but unfortunately, it isn’t.” Prior to the beginning of her career

story continues on pg. 2 || news

Editors’ Pick • Superintendent Polly Bove retires pg. 2

oung love. It’s unexpected. of unconditional love set our standards Spontaneous. Intoxicating high; we learn that we each only deserve yet carefree. Sometimes, it’s the best. But when that love, or rather overwhelming. Humbling. Challenging. infatuation, toes the line between But, it teaches us a lot about ourselves. passionate and obsessive, relationships What kind of people do we want to be? sour. What kind of High school love people will we is unique; it doesn’t surround ourselves carry the weight of with? And who will jobs or mortgages. we each build a life It’s simply an with, if we choose opportunity to to? learn and grow These four years together. To of high school serve fearlessly discover to prepare us to the world around navigate reality. We us, to question of Lynbrook students must cherish every everything that have been in a romantic relationship we we know and to form at Lynbrook. love each other relationship in high school Whether we keep intimately without in touch after holding back. We graduation or drift must set out to onto our separate paths, we will have love against all odds. To believe that we shared a love during these transformative have something special regardless of what teenage years that will stick with us forever. others think. These relationships will model future ones. Healthy, supportive, demonstrations stories begin on pg. 7 || centerspread

23%

• Regeneron STS Semifinalists pg. 3 • The humor and harm of school Instagram pages pg. 4 • Lynbrook Ravens: What’s K-popping? pg. 6

JASON SHAN - EPIC The Ravens dance group brings K-pop to students during brunches, lunches and events.

• All about cryptocurrency pg. 12 • Rose-colored romanticization vs. historical eras’ reality pg. 13 • College recruits pg. 15

NEWS Superintendent Polly Bove retires 02

the Epic lhsepic.com

BY BENNIE CHANG

“S

uperintendent Polly Bove has been, in my time at Lynbrook and FUHSD, the most influential superintendent we’ve had,” Principal Maria Jackson said. “She’ll be very hard to replace, and I’ve personally found her a role model for women in leadership.” A native Illinoisan, Bove was adopted at 9 months old, growing up the daughter of an engineer. Because of her father, overhauling car engines, putting up roofs, building fireplaces and reading construction plans became the norm. Studying mathematics and rhetoric at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, she went on to work in computer science firms. “My dad said I had to study chemistry, physics or math, so I chose math because it was the most appealing,” Bove said. “I cannot count the number of times I've thanked him for that in my heart.” After moving to California, she started teaching at the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in 1973, becoming one of the few women to teach mathematics and computer science. Seventeen years later, she joined FUHSD as an assistant principal at Homestead and went on to serve in districtwide positions, overseeing special education and human resources.

"A role model for women in leadership"

BENNIE CHANG — EPIC After 16 years, Superintendent Bove retires from her position and wishes the best for her successor.

Eventually becoming deputy superintendent, Bove was then named the interim to replace her predecessor, who had a falling out with the school board. While she never sought the position, she cared deeply about the community, so she accepted the offer to guide the district through the challenging period. After eight months, the board made her appointment permanent. Through her 32 years in FUHSD and 15

years helming the district, she has revitalized school facilities and buildings and furthered alternative education programs, including those for special education students and 18 to 22 year-olds. Amid the 2004-05 downturn, she worked with the teacher union to create a revenue sharing model, preventing union fighting. When the 2008 recession shook America, FUHSD fought the nationwide trend and kept all of its employees.

Financial technician Judy Boehm retires Jan. 31 BY TIMOTHY KIM

Letter from the Editors

he fresh smell of spring. Red and pink blossoms around every corner. Love saturates the air. “Do you have a bank account? Because I’m saving all my love for you,” you tease your significant other. To which College Board dreamily replies, “You had me at bank account.” Despite the subliminal consumerism messaging rooted in Valentine’s Day, it is important to take the time to express our appreciation to those around us: friends, family, teachers, even greedy, monopolistic corporations. Throughout our high school years, none other than the Big Acorn has been our little spitfire, one who will not let you get away with anything: PSAT practice, SAT registration, AP test last-minute cramming. As we continue to pour our hearts, souls and bank accounts out to the insatiable College Debt Foundation, be sure to check out our centerspread on high school relationships. Read about cute askings at Lynbrook (pg. 7), the stigmatization of sex (pg. 8), the intricacies of toxic relationships (pg. 9) and homophobia in the Bay Area (pg. 10). As the season of love approaches, do you seek advice for asking someone out? Check out our Youtube channel to watch Chelsea and Lina woo students with their best pick-up lines. Read about students’ past experiences on bike theft (pg. 2), being called out on anonymous FUHSD Instagram pages (pg. 4). During the President's Week break, indulge in reading new books (pg. 11) or begin your journey to investing with cryptocurrency (pg. 12). Whether you’re reading this alone in the middle of homeroom or laughing over it with a significant other during lunch, we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed making it. Much love, Mei Corricello & Bennie Chang Editors-in-Chief

LAUREN LIU — EPIC As financial technician, Boehm manages Lynbrook's finances, such as checks and cash.

Story continued from front page. at Lynbrook in 2001, Boehm worked at a publishing company. After the company moved offices from San Jose to Michigan, Boehm received a call from Lynbrook, asking if she was interested in working as the school’s financial technician. Already familiar with Lynbrook and its staff members because her own children were alumni, Boehm decided to take on the role. “I had already been very active with the PTSA and School Site Council,” Boehm said. “It was like coming home to family because I still knew a lot of the staff and students.” Overall, Boehm has positively impacted the lives of students through her work over the years, and she fondly recalls helping students, past and present, manage finances for school events. “Mrs. Boehm is an absolute pleasure to be around,” ASB Treasurer Pranay Mamileti said. “She is always willing to set aside her work to help us with whatever we need, and that selflessness has been essential to ASB's work. Her financial knowhow has proved essential to ASB, clubs and academic teams on campus.” Boehm’s help and role at Lynbrook goes far beyond managing finances for individual students, as she meticulously organizes all financial needs for clubs, classes and school-related events while also offering advice for staff who oversee student clubs and classes.

“When I was a club adviser and later a class adviser, Mrs. Boehm took care of all our financial needs,” math teacher Sarah Kraemer said. “She’s so organized and helped us so much by telling me how my club was doing in finances. She manages the money for every school or sporting event and organizes all of our cash boxes. Her dedication and hard work for her job is so admirable.” Boehm will miss watching students graduate and the inclusive and positive attitudes of students on campus. “The student talents are just amazing on this campus,” Boehm said. “The difference between a regular accounting role someplace else is that you don’t have the interaction with students, and that’s one of the most gratifying parts of my job.” Though she feels sentimental about leaving Lynbrook, Boehm has high hopes for the next financial specialist and stresses the importance of prioritizing time-sensitive tasks. “Some student needs are more pressing than others,” Boehm said. “Learning to prioritize what needs to be done first and still being responsive to what other students and staff need is important.” Boehm will be missed by students and staff she has worked with and helped throughout her career at Lynbrook. “I don't know how I'm gonna function without her, just because she does so much for us,” Kraemer said. “There are some people who you just don’t know how anyone would take over their role. She's such a friendly face all the time, and she makes everyone feel so happy all the time. There’s going to be a void now and I'm gonna miss her, but I wish her the best in her retirement.” Her lasting impact on the school undoubtedly extends beyond just being known as a financial technician, as her exceptional kindness for all staff and students she has interacted with in the past 20 years has helped shape the positivity of Lynbrook as we know it today. “Mrs. Boehm’s impact on Lynbrook goes far beyond her work as a financial technician,” Mamileti said. “Her smile, kindheartedness and demeanor makes anyone who stops by her office smile.”

“Out of that adversity, we came together,” Bove said. “So was that the biggest challenge? Or was that the biggest opportunity to build trust?” When the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around, Bove knew that if she was going to keep facilities running and ask anybody to work in-person, she had to model it herself. Prioritizing community input, she initiated a task force to gather parent and student feedback and help craft the district’s COVID-19 response. Bove’s Jan. 7 retirement announcement prompted the board’s search for a replacement, who will be named at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Bove has led a staff of nearly 1,000 and a student population of more than 10,000. She leaves FUHSD as one of the best public high school districts in the nation, touching the lives of each person she served and worked with. “Thank you, first and foremost, for being a role model,” Associate Superintendent Tom Avvakumovits said. “You taught us through example. You shared how important it is to listen, to all who inquire, regardless of how insignificant the concern may seem to be. You stressed the importance of standing in the shoes of others, to really try to gain perspective, so that we can better understand, and ultimately, better support the community.”

Campus bike theft On Jan. 25, 46 of the 200 bikes on campus were found unlocked. Bike theft is preventable if one locks their bike. Three students share their past experiences of bike theft. I had left my bike in the cage next to Lynbrook Way without a lock during a Winter Rally practice my sophomore year, and when I came back, it had been stolen. When I went to Mr. Ramirez’s office to see if he saw who stole my bike, we watched them ride my bike down Lynbrook Way on the surveillance cameras. — Pranay Mamileti, Senior When I returned to my bike after a football game, the lock was cut, and all traces of my bicycle except for the lock disappeared. Judging from the way my bicycle lock was cut, it was unlikely that the theft was spontaneous, meaning it may have been an organized theft. The staff weren’t able to do anything about the incident as it happened after school hours in the dark. — William Jiao, Sophomore My bike got stolen after football practice, and the security footage didn’t really reveal the face of the perpetrator. Mr. Ramirez showed me a new way of locking my bike: taking the lock itself and putting it through the bike frame and the back wheel, and then attaching the lock to the metal itself. Thieves usually cut the rope but can’t cut the lock itself, so only the front wheel can be stolen at worst.” — Siddharth Chattoraj, Senior

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY LINA MEZERREG

February 01, 2022

NEWS

101 COVID-19 cases since Jan. 3 BY AMY LIU

Story continued from front page. a case, Assistant Principal and COVID-19 designee Susan Rocha determines close contacts by establishing who was within six feet of the individual for 15 minutes or more. This is done by examining seating charts of the student’s classes and asking students who they were around during lunch or sports. Due to the surge in cases in the first four days following winter break, Rocha was not able to thoroughly contact trace and instead sent close contact emails to entire classes. “It’s very difficult to keep up with the contact tracing,” Rocha said. “It’s almost impossible. If you think about it, there have been 40 cases in the week after winter break, and every student averages five classes. That’s 200 classes we need to determine close contacts in, and that doesn’t include where they were at lunch or if they were in after-school sports.” Since then, the increase in cases has slowed, and the normal contact tracing procedure has resumed. As of Jan. 19, the definition of a close contact has changed to an individual who has shared an indoor airspace with someone with COVID-19. Close contacts are no longer required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status. In anticipation of a surge in cases following winter break, FUHSD opened COVID-19 testing centers at each of the five schools on Jan. 3, set to remain in place until the end of the school year. Students and their immediate family members can take an Antigen test from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays at Lynbrook’s former main office and the rest of the week at the other FUHSD schools. At this time, students who are involved in basketball, wrestling and music are required to take tests every week. “The line gets fairly long, but it’s relatively efficient inside the testing center,” said junior Harita Sunkara, who gets tested every week for basketball. “The testing center definitely helps

people feel safer. On a personal level, my parents feel more comfortable sending me to practice knowing that I’m testing negative.” On Jan. 4, teachers passed out at-home test kits provided by Santa Clara County during sixth period for students to take a COVID-19 test at home. It is unclear if Lynbrook will receive more at-home tests in the future. However, students can order up to four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government online. “The intention was to get the tests out before students went on winter break so they could test before they came back, but that did not happen,” Rocha said. “The county ran short of supplies and we didn’t get them all in time. If students tested positive, they could quarantine because the understanding of Omicron is that there are a lot more people that are asymptomatic or have really mild symptoms, so they wouldn’t even know if they were positive.” Students also received five KN95 masks on Jan. 20. The goal is for a different mask to be worn every day and the set of masks to be reused each week. In an update from FUHSD on Jan. 14, students are encouraged to either wear a KN95 mask or double-mask with a surgical mask covered by a cloth mask. “We are handing out masks because there is research that if you have a different mask for every day of the week, then your masks will last longer,” Principal Maria Jackson said. “You don’t have to throw it away after each use.” Despite the procedures implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19 at school, many students and parents are worried about the risk of transmission associated with attending school in-person. 37% of the 231 responses from the Epic’s Instagram survey preferred remote learning, citing reasons such as not feeling safe and wanting to protect the health of their loved ones. “The COVID-19 vaccine ensures you experience less severe symptoms but doesn’t completely make you immune,” freshmen Anusha Shringi said. “Even going into remote learning would be beneficial as it could potentially help lower the spread of COVID-19

throughout Lynbrook.” However, 63% of respondents preferred to continue going to school in-person. Students mentioned reasons such as struggling to pay attention in an online setting, wanting to physically see their friends and not wanting to miss out on school events such as rallies and prom. “I would prefer to continue in-person school because I don’t want to miss out on second semester senior year events,” senior Aryan Dwivedi said. “COVID-19 taking away our on-campus experience, including major events like Silsilay, homecoming and powerpuff, was disappointing. So in hopes of that not happening again, I’d definitely be open to staying on campus, though I understand that health and safety is the ultimate priority.” At this time, Lynbrook will be continuing school in-person in accordance with County Public Health and Santa Clara County Board of Education mandates. “We, as a district, can’t make the decision to go to remote learning right now,” Jackson said. “The County Health and California Department of Education are not giving waivers for that to happen at this time, so going into remote learning without a waiver could mean an incredible loss of state funding.” Administration encourages students to continue wearing masks and social distancing, considering vaccination and boosters and staying home if sick. “Practice safety not only for yourself but for others too,” Rocha said. “I really think that this will get better. I know it feels overwhelming, but it won’t be like this forever.” Read what the Epic thinks about these policies on Page 5.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TANIKA ANBU

Upcoming Viking Events Coffee with the Counselors Come out to the cafeteria on Feb. 8 from 8:00 to 8:50 a.m. to chat with your guidance counselors! This event is only available for freshmen, sophomores and juniors. College List Workshops for Juniors Calling all Juniors! Attend the College List Workshop on Feb. 9 during tutorial to learn more about compiling a list of colleges. Valentines Concert On Thursday, February 10 during your third period classes you get to see a Singing Valentine. All Singing Valentine performances are that night at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Tickets are $5 on sale during lunch in front of the ASB office from January 31 to February 4 and at the door. Summer Planning Workshop The College and Career Center advisers will be hosting a workshop for freshman and sophomores on Feb. 11 during tutorial to help students plan their summer. FUHSD Middle College The Middle College Information Night will be held on Feb. 3 from 6 to 7 p.m. over Zoom. Applications are due Feb. 11. Coffeehouse Talent Show Visit the cafeteria on Feb. 11 from 7 to 10 p.m. to support your fellow Vikes at the Coffeehouse Talent Show! From singing to poetry, students will display their unique talents in this judgment-free zone. Goodwill Donation Truck Support Lynbrook’s Music Department by donating any clothes or small appliances under 50 pounds to the donation truck on Feb. 12. Feb. 18 End of Grading Period The first grading period of the semester will end on Feb. 18. Presidents’ Week Break No school from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25 to honor our past presidents. Enjoy the one-week break! By Tanika Anbu Photo by News Section

Four semifinalists for Regeneron Science Talent Search BY ELLIU HUANG

Luke Zhao

Alexander Zhang

William Huang

Kento Nishi

Augmentation Strategies for Learning With Insufficient Data In the data-driven world, algorithms require massive amounts of data in order to accurately model the world. However, many fields of research — rare diseases and uncommon objects — lack available data. Senior Kento Nishi combats this problem with transformations that magnify a small dataset by a thousand times.

Single-cell Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Genetic Drivers of of Fast/Slow Motor Neuron Identity

A Novel and Efficient Method of Persistent Homology to Detect and Remove Topological Errors in Triang Mesh Data

Motivated by his grandfather’s paralysis due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, senior Luke Zhao discovered the genetic code for fast and slow motor neurons, which may one day provide answers to debilitating motor diseases, such as ALS and spinal muscular atrophy.

Modern algorithms take nearly 20 minutes to find and correct errors in 3D models of human brains generated from MRI and CT scans. Senior Alexander Zhang improved upon these algorithms by more than six-fold by using patterns in 3D surface topology and geometry, shortening the runtime to only three minutes.

An Investigation of the Formation of Fast Radio Bursts In his space-breaking research, senior William Huang investigated the mysterious origins of FRBs, bursts of radio waves in the universe that have puzzled astrophysicists for nearly two decades. Huang’s research could revolutionize the way astrophysicists observe supernovae, calculate distance in the cosmos and study the origins of the universe.

PHOTOS BY TANIKA ANBU AND NEHA AYYER GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NEHA AYYER AND LAUREN LIU

OPINION

the Epic lhsepic.com

Editorial: District perseveres through Omicron spike

AUDREY SUN—EPIC Students must swab their nose properly to ensure accurate results.

AUDREY SUN—EPIC The swab is placed in a test tube, and results are delivered in 15 minutes.

he new year greeted Lynbrook with a surge in COVID-19 cases, reaching an all-time high in the number of infected students and faculty. While FUHSD’s weekly reported case numbers were in the single digits through the end of first semester, Lynbrook alone had 65 student and staff positives during the week of Jan. 3. In response, the FUHSD community has proven its ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions through instruction flexibility, contact tracing and resources such as testing and KN95 masks. Lynbrook COVID-19 designee Susan Rocha has taken up the responsibility of mask mandates, testing centers, conveying the ever-changing CDC and Santa Clara County Public Health Department guidelines through emails and communicating with students, staff and families about isolation protocol. Confusion among students and staff runs rampant during such uncertain times, so it is imperative for the administration to continue their transparent and consistent updates with the Lynbrook community. To learn from experience following the January surge in mind, Lynbrook should brace itself for another possible spike after the February break by expanding the COVID-19 response team to prevent this heavy burden from falling on a single set of shoulders. Contact tracing has served as a source of reassurance for many students. When a student contracts COVID-19, administration works to identify close contacts, asking teachers for seating charts and students for who they spent lunch with. Teachers and club officers should implement their own contact tracing systems for activities to increase the efficiency of this process. Some staff, such as French

AUDREY SUN—EPIC The FUHSD community waits in line for a COVID-19 test at Lynbrook. Testing is paid for by the district, making it accessible for more people.

teacher Elizabeth Louie, have already done this by creating forms for students who use their room during tutorial and lunch. The FUHSD administration was cooperative in rapidly implementing CDC guidelines during the first semester and loosened restrictions as cases decreased. Compared to individuals from other schools, the Lynbrook community has been more responsible in adhering to relatively stricter guidelines, with little to no opposition from the student body. “Before the spike, there were some kids in certain classes who didn’t always wear their masks, but with everything that’s been going on, everyone has been wearing their mask,” junior Diya Dalal said. To continue combating the crises of 2022, the district should continue to provide resources, such as rapid antigen test kits and KN95 masks, to students. Further information on resources the district has already devoted to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic is available on page 3. FUHSD is unique in providing campus COVID-19 test centers, which are open at different schools throughout the week and provide both rapid antigen tests and polymerase chain reaction tests for staff, students and their immediate families. While the earlier distribution of rapid antigen test kits to students is standardized and provided by the state, testing centers and staff are paid for by the district and have allowed more students to access proper testing, especially in light of a national shortage of testing resources. “The talk about a layered approach to protecting against COVID-19 is really important,” Rocha said. “Vaccination is strongly encouraged, but it hasn’t become required. I believe

masking is probably the biggest priority, along with testing.” If a student is infected with COVID-19, they must isolate themselves for at least five days, which leads them to fall behind on schoolwork. By moving curriculum resources online, teachers can help students stay on top of their assignments while isolating, if they are physically up to it. Math teacher Rita Korsunsky has implemented remote testing options on Schoology, a solution that can prevent students from becoming overwhelmed with tests when returning on-campus. “Our policies toward schoolwork with COVID-19 should have been clearer — like clarifying when an assignment is due versus when it’s assigned and whether projects were excused or given make-up time,” junior Aakash Kapadia said To educate students on how to use the many resources provided to them, Lynbrook could devote a session of homeroom to demonstrating how to acquire governmentsupplied antigen tests, how to conduct self-tests and what to do in the case of a positive test result. The school has demonstrated a great level of responsibility and efficiency in ensuring the protection of each student. However, with increasing cases and new variants, a larger group of COVID-19 designees and standardized policies for remote assignments will help Lynbrook be more prepared going forward. While providing resources is a huge step in the right direction, educating students on how to use these resources and respond to positive test results is necessary to ensure the well-being of the student body. *the Epic staff voted 35-0 in favor of this stance, with 1 staff member abstaining.

The humor and harm of school IG pages BY CHELSEA LEE

down. Although this is a start to protecting the online privacy of students, permission for sharing photos should not only ike many recent internet jokes among teens, the be requested after the picture has already been posted, as it popularity of school Instagram pages originated on is not enough to save subjects from embarrassment from the TikTok before spreading to high schools all over the account’s audience. U.S, including those within FUHSD. A variety of accounts Subjects may not even have the chance to request for were quickly born from this trend, some with an immense their photo to be taken down if they are unaware it has been following: @lynbrooksleeps features Lynbrook students posted. The image could be in the hands of anyone with napping at school, @fuhsd.bathroomfeet showcases photos access to view the page and be shared with others beyond and videos of FUHSD students’ that circle. If the subjects do not come shoes and @fuhsdposturecheck across the post or if others do not displays FUHSD students’ bad notify them, an unwanted photo could posture. Although the anonymous be on the internet forever. “For some students, it administrators of these pages may “For some students, it may be may be inappropriate or only intend to provide students with a inappropriate for them and they quick laugh, they should be aware of unsafe for them, but for might feel unsafe, but for others, it negative effects such as cyberbullying others, it may be a comic may be comic relief,” freshman Reagan and harassment can easily arise from Markert said. relief.” such pages. These pages can easily compromise A few accounts have become wellindividuals’ internet safety and have led Reagan Markert, known among the FUHSD community, to serious consequences for students Freshman with follower counts ranging from a at other high schools. According to the few hundred to more than 2,000. Most, Branham Bear Witness, Branham High if not all, of the posts are sourced from School’s official newspaper, several students who photographed or filmed students have been suspended and others, often without the subject’s knowledge or consent, received police reports after similar instagram profiles were which violates their privacy. accused of cyberbullying and sexual harrassment on campus. “There have been a few times when people messaged us Since Branham Principal Cheryl Lawton’s announcement to take a post of them down, which we did immediately,” an on the issue, several Instagram pages Branham community administrator of the @fuhsdposturecheck account said. “We have deleted their posts or taken down their pages. have learned to try our best to only post pictures submitted For school Instagram pages, the line between humorous by what looks to be the person in the picture’s friend, not and hurtful content is often blurred. Account administrators zoomed-in photos of someone far away.” and students should assess the possible consequences of their Some account administrators make efforts to respect the actions and maintain respect when running or interacting wishes of photo subjects by communicating on their account with these accounts, as they can easily develop into centers biographies that people may request for photos to be taken of cyberbullying or harassment if managed irresponsibly.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA LEE

OPINION

February 01, 2022

Comparisons in parent WeChat groups are toxic BY NICOLE GE

ith college decisions in full swing, parents boasting about their child’s accomplishments have once again taken over WeChat groups created to convey class-specific information to Lynbrook parents. These conversations happen not only in groups for the senior class but also in those for underclassmen. Although these parent chat groups are good places to receive school-related news, they enable a harmful dynamic in which parents compare students’ accomplishments which causes students to feel insecure and lacking. The groups are active with discussion ranging from school events to recent news. Parents also share information about their own children, like what classes they are taking or what achievements they have attained. The chats can inflict feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in students if parents take their findings in a negative light and convey them to their child.

“It seems like they expect so much out of me when they mention other classmates’ achievements and expect me to do the same,” freshman Alice Wu said. Constantly seeing other parents showing off their child’s achievements in the chat may cause parents to believe that their child is below average in their grade. New, unrealistic expectations are made for the child as parents are unaware that they are comparing their child’s performance as a whole to glimpses of other students’ best. “Some parents like to brag about how many APs their child has taken and how

many clubs they attend, as if it’s easy to do,” said Cindy Wang, a parent of two Lynbrook students. “It makes me worried that my children aren’t smart enough.” As college decisions approach, conversations about college admissions occur in the WeChat group for the Class of 2022. While waiting for results to roll in, anxious parents deliberate over what classes or extracurriculars are needed to be accepted into certain colleges. However, these discussions are also common in chats with the parents of underclassmen. Such premature and aggressive comparisons of students give students an unhealthy amount of pressure that will only lead to poor self-esteem. Parents in Lynbrook WeChat groups should avoid comparing their child to other students in hopes of pushing their child to work harder, as incomplete comparisons can instead negatively impact students’ mental health.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE GE

Students deserve a modern literature curriculum BY LAUREN LIU AND LILLIAN FU

arlier this year, sophomores read In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez which follows the lives of four sisters in the Dominican Republic. The addition of Alvarez’s book is one of many recent actions implementing an overdue shift toward a more diverse curriculum for high school literature classes that have long been dominated by white male voices. Literature classes aim not only to instruct students in analysis and essay-writing but also to impart perspectives on the human experience through assigned readings. Thus, the traditional homogeneity of these readings has reinforced the marginalization of minority voices. When mainly taught books written by deceased white men, the narratives of more diverse voices are cast aside or are perceived as less important. “We would like each course curriculum to move toward a 50-50 look in terms of diverse voices,” English department lead Joanna Chan said. The classics — Shakespearean plays and The Great Gatsby — will always hold value, but countless culturally influential pieces of modern literature still never touch the

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AUDREY SUN AND CHELSEA LEE

classroom. Modern books address the problems of a world that high schoolers must grapple with, and a more conscious literature curriculum would prepare them for that eventuality. “It’s useful to learn about the uptightness of the Puritans, but it’s more useful to learn about the racial issues that we’re dealing with right now,” senior Helina Li said. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez, which the English Department has recently added to the American Literature course, is one such book that deals with the topic of immigration, which is especially relevant for Lynbrook students, a majority of whom come from immigrant families. Lynbrook’s majority non-white population makes relating to the protagonists of some assigned texts difficult. A colorful cast of characters who reside in settings reminiscent of the modern world guarantees more student investment in literature. The English department is working to include mirror texts, works in which the characters’ experiences and demographics allow students to relate easily. For example, Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert is set in

the San Francisco Bay Area and follows a Chinese-American high school student. Added to the freshman course this year, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz tells the story of two teenage boys grappling with the realities of growing up and discovering themselves. The novel features Mexican American and LGBTQ+ main characters, representation that allows students to read about people like themselves and introduces d i f f e re n t perspectives to those who do not identify with the protagonists. “Books are like cultural change,” sophomore Sandhana Siva said. “They give us insight into different themes that could be applied to our own situations.” In order to speed up the long process of approving a new piece of literature, the English department is trying to choose books that have already been approved by the district, such as Sáenz’s novel. Adding new books to the curriculum means that some texts must be replaced. Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, may be one of those books due to the controversy surrounding its use of the n-word and racial stereotypes in the portrayal of the character Jim. Currently, the English department is discussing whether or not to keep it in the curriculum. The possible removal of texts like this one can clear the way for works that better represent Asian Americans. “We read books to learn about that era and its themes,” Li said. “I feel like some books like Huckleberry Finn didn’t address the issues of their era very well.” The current literature curriculum, with a balance of older classics by white men and modern ones by diverse authors with diverse characters, shows a marked improvement compared to those of previous years. As the literature department continues to modify and improve the courses, they should look to include more LGBTQ+ and South Asian representation.

BY TANIKA ANBU // IN MY OPINION

Being brown in a small white town

y story started in a city North of New York City called Poughkeepsie. The concept of diversity there was so foreign that a local news reporter featured me and my friend for wearing traditional Indian dance costumes. Yes, I made it into the newspaper for being brown in a small white town! From preschool to third grade, I was surrounded by kids who I could never connect with, forcing me to live a dual life: a cultural one at home and a white-washed one at school. Whether it was hiding my hands decorated with mehndi or telling people I was eating pancakes when they were actually dosas, I was embarrassed of my culture. Luckily, I had an escape: a tightknit group of Indian family friends. We often celebrated holidays, such as Holi, Navarathri and Diwali, together. I partook in the basic Indian art forms that every other brown girl tried — carnatic singing and bharatnatyam. These activities kept me close to my heritage, as I was able to foster new friendships with students from these classes and perform works of art that I enjoyed. I remember sitting on my dance teacher’s sofa, chatting with my friends and eavesdropping on our moms’ gossip sessions. In dance shows to temple gatherings, I had found my community. At the end of third grade, I moved to India to be closer to family. Naturally, I thought I would fit into my new environment. What Indian kid could not fit in in India? Not me. At school, my American accent stuck out; at my cultural classes, I could not bond with the other students; and at family gatherings, everyone viewed me as American. Although I eventually found friends at school, I began to feel disconnected from my culture as I lacked the sense of community that I had fostered in Poughkeepsie. Meaningful holiday celebrations became a thing of the past. Instead of celebrating with lifelong family friends, we spent our Holis and Diwalis with random families from our apartment complex. Conversations that were usually filled with laughter and life became meaningless small talk revolving around weekend plans or what we ate for dinner. My sense of community shrank. Once again, I moved. This time, I landed in California. Even with a predominantly Asian and Indian population, I still felt lost culturally. During Holi and Diwali, there were no more competitions on who would shower first to wash all the colorful powder off their body or who would be able to hold the sparklers the longest — we had stopped celebrating altogether. Without a group of friends, I lost interest in my cultural activities and dropped out of dance. Through the hardships of moving and adaptation, I realized it was the people who helped me embrace my culture and develop my sense of community. After every move, my family struggled to find the group we once had to celebrate the way we used to. Now, with most of my friends being from school, I strive to build a community that I feel at home with. By surrounding myself with close friends and family, I am starting to regain my sense of community and cultural connection. Whether it is attending a friend’s Golu for Navarathri or praying for Ganesh Chaturthi with newly acquainted family friends, I am taking small steps toward reviving the culture I thought I lost.

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Why I dance to K-pop: “Kpop is more accessible and less intimidating than other dances while still having different levels of complexity and sub-genres.”

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Why I enjoy dancing with the Ravens: “Everyone’s really welcoming and supportive, even though, as a newcomer, I don’t know them too well. Whenever I come to practice, they know my name and call me over to sit and talk.”

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My inspirations: “I look up to the group Seventeen a lot, since they hold a lot of meaning to me as they were the group that got me into K-pop. I’m also inspired by my friends since we motivate each other when we learn dances together.”

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“Considering JAS that Lynbrook ON SH can be a stressful AN -E environment, it’s nice to have PIC a group of people that you can just chill and hang out with,” Chao said. In the meantime, they have amassed around 40 Lynbrook students on their Discord server, where they take input on what songs to dance to, create channels for communication between dance cover groups, post K-pop news and just have casual conversation. Following their first performance, the Ravens have started preparing three more dance covers to showcase in the coming months. At times, they encounter challenges with scheduling or members not knowing the choreography, but they provide support to members by preparing resources such as tutorials, “fancams” and honest feedback. In addition to performing dance covers, the Ravens host random dance plays every

Mina Chao Co-President

"One of my favorite moments: “There was a Friday when we were able to play our dance songs on the large speakers from ASB. It was a little scary, but we had a lot of fun as many people, even some new people, joined in, so I’m glad that we had that opportunity.” pr ac tic es of te n

AS ON tudents SH AN who frequent -E PIC the quad may find themselves in front row seats to the performance of the Ravens, Lynbrook’s unofficial K-pop dance team. Started during Hocofest when a group of students realized their shared love for K-pop dance, the Ravens aim to bring the world of K-pop to Lynbrook’s campus. While they came together in a casual manner, the Ravens take their dancing seriously. In addition to frequent group practices during the school day, members are expected to practice individually. The Ravens performed a dance cover of “Stereotype” by STAYC during the Valkyries Fall Show, a performance they prepared in just two weeks. The Ravens practiced every brunch, lunch and tutorial with an additional three-hour rehearsal the day of the show, totaling more than 10 hours of practice. “We rehearsed so much in the two weeks prior, so now, we cry whenever the song is mentioned,” Co-President Mina Chao said. After the performance, the dance crew realized they wanted to spread their love for K-pop and decided to apply to be a formal club at Lynbrook.

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other Friday during lunch in the quad, where choruses of many K-pop songs are queued up for anyone to join in on the dance floor. Both Ravens and other students who participate do not have formal dance training but just want to express themselves. “We want to make a safe space for everyone who likes K-pop and dance to get together, have fun and improve themselves,” Co-President Maia Bline said.

stereotypical binge-watcher, I once watched an entire TV show during finals week. Unlike most other spree-watchers, I spent my hours on a Chinese drama. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment Chinese entertainment became my guilty pleasure, but I know now that my love for it is an irreplaceable and unique element of myself. Growing up, I would curl up on the sofa every year to watch the annual Chinese New Year’s Eve Program, entertained by top Chinese performers in a four-hour long show. Although surrounded by Chinese language, culture and entertainment, I never considered these traditions my own. In the summer of 2015, I began watching the drama “Journey of the Flower” after glimpsing an episode airing on Chinese cable TV. Something about the drama captivated me; from then on, every evening at 5:30 p.m., I would shove my dinner down and rush to the TV to watch the episodes. Perhaps it was the swordriding, the forbidden teacher-student romance, the acrobatic martial art fight scenes or the tortuously cliffhanging plot that drew me in. My sixth-grade heart grew emotionally attached to everything the protagonist experienced, from blissful ignorance of the world to the pain of betrayal, all illustrated through lyrical, poetic idioms. The imaginary realm was entrancing in a uniquely oriental way, with traditional hanfu and majestic scenery. This was the first time I had watched any Chinese drama of my own volition, and I was hooked. Besides stunning visuals and even better stories, Chinese dramas educate me. Wuxia, my favorite genre by far, depicts the fictional adventures of martial arts heroes. More effective than my weekly Chinese classes, wuxia helped me understand the core Chinese values. In wuxia dramas, the older the character, the more powerful their martial arts are, resulting in 70-year-olds leaping gracefully from tree to tree or defeating enemies with a single flick of their wrists. I was perplexed. Shouldn’t their bodies have deteriorated? Over time, I realized this reflected the Confucianism values of filial piety, or respecting elders. From modern or war dramas, I learned much of mainland China’s slang and practices. Schoolyard dramas explained China’s college entrance exam system. Most of my drama-watching occurs during late nights. To not disturb my sleeping family, I turned off the volume and only read the subtitles. Initially, I struggled to understand or even read fast enough, but after reading subtitles for a while, my eyes fluidly breezed over every line. This subtitle-reading expertise led me on a new adventure: reading a Chinese novel. Though tired of asking my parents “what’s this character?” every 10 seconds, I pushed myself through every complicated sentence. I made it through, and to this day, it is one of my proudest achievements. I’ve long since evolved from the girl watching dramas 24/7, but I’m glad I encountered this hobby and further developed my understanding of my culture.

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PH 495 LYNBROOK STUDENTS WERE SURVEYED FOR THEIR OPINIONS

1. MUYI LIN CROWNED LUCY BARNES QUEEN IN A KNIGHT-THEMED ASKING.

BY MEERA NAMBIAR AND SAM SARMA

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ES!” As formal dances return to Lynbrook’s campus, asking culture has returned with balloons, crowns and Mario Kart with shopping carts. After Winter Formal and with Junior Prom around the corner, askings are on the minds of many students. The return of school events and an increase in the number of couples on campus have generated excitement around askings leading up to Winter Formal and proms. “Askings are a fun high school experience,”

2.FARHAAN KHAN RACES AS MARIO IN A SAFEWAY SHOPPING CART AGAINST YIXUAN WONG AS HIS RIVAL BOWSER.

4. IN HIS MARIOKART-THEMED ASKING, FARHAAN KHAN RECRUITED 13 FRIENDS TO SAVE AVISHI REDDY AS PEACH AND ASK HER TO WINTER FORMAL.

3. SOPHIA ZHENG MARCHED INTO THE QUAD WITH A MEGAPHONE AND BALLOONS TO ASK OLIVIA BU TO WINTER FORMAL.

5. KYLE WYATT DELIVERED ROSES AND A POSTER ASKING “SPEND SUN TIME WITH ME?” TO SARAH SUN.

said junior Lucy Barnes, who was asked by senior Muyi Lin. In one of the first public askings of the year, Lin wore a king costume from the drama department and rode into the quad on a scooter, surrounded by friends dressed as knights. Economics and Government teacher Jeffery Bale introduced Lin with a megaphone. “Now, I speak my dream to thee,” Lin said. “How about Winter Formal with me?” The scene ended with Barnes being crowned queen. The two won the Winter Formal asking competition organized by ASB

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Social, but Barnes feels that askings are not about the contest. “I don’t think the contest was a driving force,” Barnes said. “It was more that people wanted to show their genuine affection and appreciation for someone and be like, ‘This is my person.’” While askings are primarily about the couple, they can become enjoyable for all when involving a community of friends and teachers. “I think it’s a great way to bring people together and provide something fun to campus,” Bale said. Bale recalls one of his first years teaching when he had his own experience, requesting another teacher to co-chaperone prom with him as friends. “Some students were trying to get me and another single teacher to go and chaperone together,” Bale said. “So, I did an asking where I made her a book that was delivered to her classroom. It was huge, and all the students felt involved.” When senior Farhaan Khan asked junior Avishi Reddy to Winter Formal, he recruited many of his friends to set up a Mario Kartthemed asking for Reddy. Khan, dressed as Mario, raced against senior Yixuan Wong, dressed as Bowser, in shopping carts decorated like karts. The race was officiated by junior Esha Dasari and included classic Mario Kart items such as green shells and banana peels. “I chose Mario Kart because it was a joke between us,” Khan said. “It was one of the things we talked about before we started

dating. Avishi joked, ‘Oh, I’m really good at Mario Kart. I’ll beat you at Mario Kart.’ It was just a thing we had. So I thought it would be a cool theme for the asking.” Khan’s sign read, “Be the Peach to my Mario,” and Reddy cheerfully agreed. However, not all askings are a fairy tale. Oftentimes, students say yes to an asking even when the feelings are not reciprocated. The presence of an audience and the grandeur of an asking could pressure someone into saying “yes,” even if they are not comfortable going with that person. The fear of making the other party feel bad, in public or in private, can also contribute to a “yes” answer. When the response is “no,” the result is often embarrassment. “When you do it with so much hype and in public, and it is not appreciated, it amplifies the rejection,” Bale said, speaking from personal experience of witnessing askings gone wrong. Not all askings had a grand scene like Lin and Barnes’s or Khan and Reddy’s. Private askings, such as freshmen Yamani Huang and Richard Yuan’s, can be short and sweet. “It was kind of funny because Richard asked me in Chinese, and I thought that was pretty cool,” Huang said. The welcomed arrival of askings on campus have made one thing clear: Lynbrook askings go all out. Whether through a large public display or a few sentimental words, askings are something to look forward to every year.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SE BY ELIZABETH CHENG AND JASMINE RIHAL

here is no topic as severely stigmatized as sex. It’s everywhere — books, movies, TV shows, music videos — yet it is often still an uncomfortable subject for many high school students. Although everyone experiences sexual education in elementary, middle and high school, there are differences in Lynbrook students’ perception and experience with sex, from choosing abstinence until marriage to embracing sexual experiences earlier on. Sex allows couples to express intimacy and commitment, relieve stress and experience pleasure. However, it can easily become enveloped in shame, social stigma and insecurities. A lack of open conversations with parents or misconceptions from dramatized media can lead to these negative perceptions of sex. In California, the age of consent is 18, so even if minors have sex to which both parties consent, the law does not deem the act consensual, as minors are considered unable to recognize the weight of such a decision. In some other states, the age of consent is 16 or 17. Many teenagers in the U.S. still choose to have sex despite these laws: According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered by the CDC, around 39% of American teenagers under the age of 18 reported having had sex. However, if both parties are under 18, it is uncommon to face statutory rape charges because both of them are considered to be the criminal and the victim. “I think the age of consent [in California]

should be lowered to 16 or 17 because pleasure, then there’s an imbalance in people don’t listen to it anyway,” junior vulnerability. That’s where we see the Gina Sadar* said. negative effects of sex.” Sexual interactions between certain The state requires CUSD and FUHSD to minors are not mandated to be reported provide comprehensive sexual education because the age of consent law is different for seventh and ninth graders in order from reportability laws. For example, a to better educate the students. Schools sexual relationship between a 14-year-old follow guidelines set by the California and a 13-year-old must be reported, but Sexual Health Education Act and the not one between an 18-year-old and a 14 California Healthy Youth Act, which year-old. However, outline qualifications the legality of a sexual for educational interaction does not material regarding immediately justify Sex starts becoming toxic medical accuracy, age it, as every individual appropriateness and when people start thinking matures at their own more. that you need to have sex pace. “We’re taught with someone so that they “Whether the about sex and told that stay happy and will stay situation is mandated it’s a good thing; it’s with you. to be reported or up how humans work,” Teresa Aurora* to clinical judgment senior Ethan Morris Junior depends on the said. “But there’s this ability of a person underlying meaning to voluntarily make in how we’re being the decision and not taught that you have it be coerced in a power differential,” shouldn’t have sex because it can be bad Lynbrook’s school-based therapist Jenna for you.” Starnes said. Both districts have continued to use One reason why teenagers may choose the Positive Prevention Plus and Health to have sex in high school is because they Connected programs, respectively, despite feel pressured by their partners. A fear the curriculum being heavily criticized in of a significant other leaving can lead to recent years for not being inclusive of the someone having sex before they are ready, LGBTQ+ community. as some use sex solely to maintain the FUHSD’s sexual education curriculum relationship. It could also come from other provides freshmen with videos, forms of peer pressure, such as the belief workshewwets, readings and other that everyone else is having sex. resources on consent, contraception, birth “Sex starts becoming toxic when people control, STDs, dating, sexual violence and start thinking that you need to have sex inclusivity. Despite this, some students feel with someone so that they stay happy and that Lynbrook has not provided enough will stay with you,” junior Teresa Aurora* resources regarding what to do if a student said. became pregnant. Sex can transform from a form “A lot of public schools offer free of intimacy into a strain on the contraception or pregnancy tests, but relationship when the two partners Lynbrook doesn’t,” Sadar* said. “They are not on the same page about don’t educate people about what to do why they are choosing to have after [sex], and the school doesn’t support sex. people who’ve gotten pregnant or want “If both parties feel secure an abortion.” and good about having sex, The district’s sexual education then cool,” Starnes said. “If has taken steps to discuss there’s a difference in how the importance of consent people are approaching and how it can impact sex, like if one person a relationship. In views it as a way to be 2020, students more intimate but the learned about N other person views the nature HE EC N it as an act o LE f AR o f SH D IL

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consent from guest speaker Mike Domitrz from Center for Respect in a presentation titled “Can I Kiss You?”, and the presentation was overall well-received by students. The presentation touched on consent regarding sending nude photos online, commonly known as sexting. Despite being a common practice, it is illegal for anyone, including the subject of the photo and the photographer, to possess child pornography, which is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. “Some couples choose to send nudes, especially in a long distance relationship,” Aurora* said. “For girls, we often feel like if we don’t send our partner the pictures, they might break up with us. It can make the relationship dependent on nudes, which isn’t healthy.” Recent U.S. studies show that 70% of 15 to 17-year-old boys have watched pornography at least once. Many teens are now using explicit or pornographic sites to learn about sex, which can create false narratives about sex. “When people see such content [like pornography], they create this image in their mind that sex is supposed to be rewarding in a different sense than it actually is,” Sadar* said. “People make the whole thing about sex to prioritize your own pleasure, but it’s more about the journey than the destination. Porn is really animalistic and dehumanized, and it sets unrealistic expectations.” Lynbrook has a high percentage of first and second-

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utterflies and queasy feelings often accompany new relationships. The desire to be with one’s partner is overwhelming yet exciting, and the possibilities for the future seem endless. However, healthy relationships sometimes buckle due to psychological factors and harmful habits, which can negatively influence future relationships. Students often meet their first love in high school or college, which can substantially influence their mindset when forming connections in the long run. Along with excitement, relationships bring lessons of intimacy, trust and heartbreak. However, some young people are faced with struggles when their partner unexpectedly takes advantage of them. “High school relationships are definitely a great thing to experience,” senior Archana Pisupati said. “Having someone to talk to about everything, the good and bad, is really comforting and fun.” Often called the honeymoon phase, the first few months of most relationships are considered the best and smoothest. Partners are constantly learning new things about each other, which keeps the

EX, BABY generation American students, so many parents are from backgrounds in which romantic relationships and sex are never discussed or even not allowed at all. For some families, sex is a taboo topic, so it is common for students to hide their relationships and sexual activity from their parents because of a lack of open conversations. As couples at Lynbrook seek intimacy, it is vital to have open conversations about sex to maintain a healthy relationship. “Sex is one of those taboo subjects because people have different judgements on it and there’s so many societal stances,” Starnes said. “It’s not just sex — it’s sex with all these sticky notes and labels and layers to it.”

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excitement of getting to know someone new alive. Gradually, partners begin to trust each other more and reveal more personal emotions, giving their partner more power and influence over them. When this power is wielded in an overbearing or imbalanced way, however, a relationship can quickly become toxic and harmful. “The biggest indicator of a toxic relationship is when one or both partners are walking away from serious conversations or interactions with each other feeling worse about themselves,” Lynbrook’s school-based therapist Jenna Starnes said. “When you start thinking, ‘Am I the crazy one?’, you may be in a toxic relationship.” For example, in pressuring their partner to change their career goals or to work out through body shaming, individuals can discourage their partner’s healthy ambitions. Gaslighting, or invalidating one’s feelings, can also become common as one partner will do anything to undermine the other’s feelings or perceptions of reality in an effort to manipulate them. Large age gaps, especially in high school, can mean different levels of experience and maturity between partners. The older partner often knows more about navigating a relationship and will therefore take the lead in activities and decisions. However, if they begin to dismiss their partner’s feelings or ideas, the power dynamic becomes unbalanced and unhealthy. This puts them in the position to define their relationship and groom their younger partner into following their

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teenagers who suffer from dating abuse are subject to long-term requests. effects such as drinking, eating disorders and C o e r c i o n violent behavior. “I think it is very for sexual activity is one of the most important to know your common signs of a toxic own boundaries in a junior relationship. While some relationship,” teenagers are eager to explore Angela Chung said. more intimate activities with their “If you know it affects partners, others may feel pressured to your school work, then engage in intimate acts regardless of their you should end the emotional readiness. Although intimacy relationship. Sometimes, can strengthen a relationship, both I have struggled in being partners must have clear communication persistent in doing my work because of friendships. so both parties feel comfortable. Following a toxic interaction, partners People should make sure that school comes often attempt to reconcile through before relationships — relationships mechanisms such as love bombing — when happen a lot in life.” Toxic relationships are a major a partner attempts to influence a person through demonstrations of attention and problem among teenagers, but their affection — without concrete changes in severity is often overlooked. According their behavior. Fights and mistakes are to The New York Times’s teen dating improperly reconciled through affection or violence statistics in 2019, one loving gestures instead of a confrontation in three girls have been sexually assaulted in high school. Additionally, of the issues at hand. Positive endings to negative events one in ten teens have been physically confound the issue and allow the negative abused by their romantic partner. Among cycle to be repeated constantly with no those abused, 33% did not tell anyone plan for improvement. The attachments of about their experience. Moreover, 81% of parents don’t believe a relationship render toxic relationships are a it much harder to problem. leave toxic partners, “I see kids get and there are a really distracted by multitude of reasons relationships, and their why people choose grades might change to stay with partners a little bit,” Woodfin who they know are teens have been said. “Some even get not good for them. physically abused by anxious and depressed. “It’s hard to see their partner Sometimes they don’t what you’re in from have anyone to turn to the inside, and you which leads to bigger need somebody on the outside looking at it with you,” problems. That’s where I come in.” Emotional vulnerability is not easy to marriage counselor Jeni Woodfin said. “Find a therapist or find a friend. If you feel embrace, and many high school students safe and comfortable, you can establish who are in toxic relationships live in boundaries and try to correct the toxic denial. When people are pressured by relationship to get it into a more healthy their partners, they often justify the actions by convincing themselves of the place.” It is important to learn how to recognize actions’ validity. By ignoring red flags, and prevent toxic relationships because many lose their sense of reality. “When you are in a toxic relationship, they can render damanging emotional and mental effects on both partners. The it’s easy to make excuses for your partner,” impact is sometimes latent, but more often, Starnes said. “The what-ifs go on and on — it shows. Many people suffering from toxic ‘they had a hard past,’ ‘maybe if I did this relationships experience elevated anxiety, differently,’ ‘I can fix this.’” Studies on teenage relationships have a breakdown of their willingness to trust others and even changes in the ways they demonstrated that intimate partner act and behave. A study conducted by violence sets the stage for emotional the New York Times demonstrated that and physical problems in subsequent

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relationships and increased chances of becoming victims of other abuse throughout life. Youths who are subject to dating violence “I think the first relationship, if it goes badly, can discourage people from future relationships, or they start to think that this is what a normal relationship is supposed to look like,” Woodfin said. “They will try to recreate the toxic relationship with their next person and so on.” Recognizing the attributes of a positive or negative relationship can prevent toxicity. Healthy relationships come from trust, respect and open communication between partners, requiring effort and compromise from both parties. There is a balance of power in a healthy partnership: Partners respect each other’s independence, can make their own decisions without fear of retribution or retaliation and share in decision-making. “The biggest thing for a relationship to be successful is communication because that’s what you are promising the other person when you get into a relationship,” Pisupati said. “That way, you can solve any problems together before it gets toxic.” Fortunately, students can spot the signs and prevent such relationships before they impact their lives irrevocably. Taking the right first step and identifying red flags will help ensure a healthy relationship. Places to get help include counseling websites, national hotlines, school counselors and even parents. Reach out to any of the sources listed below to get help for yourself or a friend.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CRYSTAL QIAN

Homophobia

It’s not just a Southern thing

BY MEI CORRICELLO

alifornia is the face of progressive legislation and leads the national fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Yet the heart of the state, the Bay Area, is less accepting of the LGBTQ+ community than it appears, with a large Asian American immigrant community that perpetuates both subtle and overt forms of homophobia based in cultural tradition. As a result, affected teenagers struggle to discover and embrace their identities, which negatively impacts their mental health. In fact, LGBTQ+ Asians are three times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers, according to the Trevor Project, an organization

committed to saving young LGBTQ+ lives. In order to provide a supportive environment for all Asian American youth, we must acknowledge and correct our internalized homophobia. Eastern countries often perceive homosexuality as a western concept. Several Asian languages lack respectful LGBTQ+ terms, which makes their coming out journey more strenuous and uncomfortable than non-Asian peers’. Beyond being foreign or unfamiliar, homosexuality is publicly denounced or criminalized in many immigrants’ home countries. For example, same-sex marriage is illegal in China and India. Gay sex is outlawed in Singapore, with an appeal to the law being denied just last year. Even when immigrant parents truly intend to accept their children, they may fall victim to another form of homphobia: denial, out of instinctual fear of systemic and personal discrimination against their kids. “Some parents are scared that conversations about sexuality will turn make their kids more likely to be gay, so instead, they shelter their children and force them into a very heteronormative mindset,” senior Suanna Zhong said. “Without that exposure, kids blindly live by their parents’ traditional values, perpetuating a cycle of homophobia.” However, many of these cultural values did not exist before Asia was introduced to western influences. In ancient times, homosexuality was acceptable, if not sacred. Some Chinese leaders, particularly those of the Han dynasty, identified as homosexual or bisexual, and numerous Indian deities were gender-fluid or transgender. It was not until eastern countries experienced western influences that homosexuality became taboo. With homophobia now deeply ingrained in several eastern cultures, we must reaffirm their initial values of acceptance for future generations. Sex, sexuality and romantic relationships are rarely discussed in many Asian households, leading to children feeling ashamed for questioning their sexuality. Mental health is also off-limits in this regard, so countless Asian-American LGBTQ+ teens do not receive therapy that could aid them in discovering clarity and self-

acceptance. In this stifling environment, teens experience extreme isolation and are driven to suppress their emotions. Western culture encourages speaking up, loving oneself and pursuing individuality, but Asian culture emphasizes following the norm and serving one’s family. Many immigrant parents dream of putting down roots in the U.S., which traditionally includes a healthy and extensive family line. They want their sacrifices to amount to successful children and grandchildren, which many misguidedly believe cannot be achieved through same-sex or transgender relationships. While most of their homophobic tendencies were instilled in them by previous generations, immigrants and their children carry the responsibility of dismantling the stigma and carrying out our country’s core values of freedom and expression. “Lynbrook is an incredibly diverse school, so there are many people whose parents have immigrated here to start a better life,” Gender Sexuality Alliance Vice President Neha Krishnan said. “Although this is amazing, it also means we brought over some of the inherently homophobic cultural values from before, and we need to address them.” Krishnan is Asian American, identifies as lesbian and goes by all pronouns. Coming out to her parents was a difficult decision for her, but Krishnan has no regrets, as it was taking a toll on her mental health. Although her parents were initially unaccustomed to the LGBTQ+ community, they have made it clear that they will love and support her no matter what. We must recognize that homophobia is not a removed issue. It takes different forms among the Asian American immigrant community but is present even in outwardly progressive communities like the Bay Area. “There is definitely homophobia at Lynbrook, but it’s hard to pinpoint because of how normalized it is,” Krishnan said. “It’s also difficult because it can look so different from what we see in the media. People don’t mean to be directly homophobic, but lack of education and the culture of just ignoring homophobia can make it seem that way.” To lead the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, we must practice what we preach by educating ourselves, holding each other accountable and reflecting on our actions in the Bay Area. Clubs like GSA meet regularly as a safe space to raise positive awareness for LGBTQ+ issues on campus. “In closed-minded environments, you never get to explore your sexuality, which is kind of scary, but also really fun,” Zhong said. “It was a big part of my own teenage experience.”

why they were excluded. Fear of missing out, also known as FOMO, is a widespread issue across all social media platforms. Beyond obsessively keeping up with their feed to stay in the know about social gatherings, friends and acquaintances alike request to follow finstas, a portmanteau of “fake Instagrams,” of those they know to ensure they do not miss out on interpersonal drama. Someone with a large social media account often runs a smaller private account designed for obscurity, where they can express more personal sentiments and are free from expectations to uphold the personality cultivated on their main account. Being accepted or denied when requesting to follow a finsta suggests whether a person is close enough with the owner to be privy to these thoughts, creating an additional dimension of friendship in the already complex world of high school relationships. On these accounts, people feel free to spam, post lesscurated photos and fill captions with random rants that are directed toward someone, which can be a form of cyberbullying and gossiping. Finstas become places for friends to talk behind each other’s backs, where they can vent about the object of their frustration without the tension that accompanies a real life confrontation. Offline, they may be friendly, but below the surface, there may be drama that is left unaddressed. “Personally, I feel like finstas are alright to have and use in moderation,” junior Paulina Chin-Wong said. “I do not have one, but I have friends who do. For my friends who have them, they use them for specific social cliques. For example, one of my friends whom I go to dance with uses her finsta to vent about

class, body aches and pains.” Finstas can also serve as a space for friends to get closer and for individuals to share more personal experiences. It can be a comfortable platform that helps individuals set limits with people on their main account by taking a break from viewing their friends’ posts without awkwardly unfollowing them. “There’s some things that you don’t want to post to all of your followers — but that you also want to post to some people,” Jain said. “It’s like having a close friend group you tell stories with.” When used appropriately, social media is a vehicle to connect with p e e r s in one’s community a n d s t re n g t h e n friendships.

Friendships, finstas and FOMO BY: SOPHIE AU AND ANIRUDH SESHADRI

like. A comment. A text. Social media enables students to create bonds with peers and communicate with friends, but it can also be a toxic space that enables cyberbullying and increases the volatility of relationships. With the evolution of social media platforms, friendships have extended beyond chatting occasionally online to keeping streaks on Snapchat and FaceTiming. Some friends are more active on social media than others, and communicating with them more through these platforms can lead to closer relationships with these friends than others. Still, others find that this does not create a difference in their friendships. “I think what it does is it strengthens all those bonds,” freshman Aaditya Jain said. “Because with your close friends, you’re always talking with them. But with people who aren’t that close, you can still reach out to them, you can still talk to them.” In addition to keeping up with existing friends, students can meet more people who share interests, commonly through online cooperative games or streaming. Social media has also allowed some to stay close to their childhood friends, who may longer be going to the same school as them, or reconnect with them after a period of absence. “I meet a lot of people online — for me, it’s from Discord and video games,” junior Stefano Pena Segovia said. “I know people from North Dakota whom I’ve never talked to in person, but I know them through Smash Bros.” Although he has never met them in-person, Segovia and his gaming friends are all familiar with each other’s faces, as they turn on their cameras to greet each other. Other students who are not as outgoing online can make new friends through mutual friends, which they may be more comfortable with. “If one of my friends is already friends with someone else, then it’s easier for me to go and talk to that person,” freshman Nidhi Parthasarathy said. Services on social media, such as “discover people nearby” on Instagram and mutual friends on Facebook, have allowed students to amass followers, many of whom they do not know on a personal level, while carefully curating an Instagram profile that represents themselves in the best light. “I think it relates to how our generation has been brought up with social media,” Jain said. “Many people feel it’s a necessity to have a lot of followers and nice photos on their Instagrams to base self-worth [on].” People also tend to share photos of gatherings and parties with friends and classmates through Instagram and Facebook. When friends find out about gatherings that they were not invited to, it can make them feel left out or wonder

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CRYSTAL QIAN

Feburary 01, 2022

FEATURES

Lynbrook’s Librarians

Librarians’ Picks BY NEHA AYYER

To read the full review scan the QR code.

AUDREY SUN—EPIC

BY LINA MEZERREG

BY AUDREY SUN

S B

helving books, checking out devices and providing research resources are all daily responsibilities of Lynbrook librarians Susan Lucas and Amy Ashworth. For Lucas and Ashworth, respectively, being a graphic designer and getting a master’s degree in French have paved the way for them to pursue their career as librarians.

efore becoming a library media teacher, Ashworth “Anytime I go into the library, I feel peaceful and calm, but was a library media specialist, performing clerical and at the same time, excited about the possibilities of reading technical duties in the library. These included provid- everything around me,” Lucas said. ing technical support, assisting library users and working Lucas became a graphic designer after college. with students. While earning her master’s degree in French “When I was doing graphic design, it was like matching and raising her children, she needed a part-time job to pay people to designs, which I enjoyed,” Lucas said. “Similarly, for her master’s program. In 2018, being a librarian allows me to match Ashworth’s sister recommended her people to books and predict what they for a job opening at Lynbrook because might like or what they might find inAshworth was already credentialed, teresting.” Anytime I go into the and Ashworth accepted the offer. Before coming to Lynbrook, Lucas library, I feel very peaceful “I love working in high schools,” was a librarian at her daughter’s eleand calm, but at the same Ashworth said. “I love the age group mentary school. She volunteered at time, excited about the because they’re all mature enough to the school library to closely monitor function well.” and take care of her son with special possibilities of reading Ashworth’s flexible work schedule needs. At the time, volunteering in the everything around me. allows her to work at her own pace. library was the only job that allowed Susan Lucas, Her responsibilities include shelving Lucas to be at the school weekly. Library Media Specialist books, publicizing library events, pro“I started volunteering every viding teachers with research resourcweek for a few years and really enes and working with the technology joyed helping and spending time with team to update and distribute new the students in the library,” Lucas said. technology at Lynbrook. “I felt like I could be involved.” Ashworth is also the adviser of the Students for Literacy Lucas continued volunteering in her daughter’s class, club, which recently planned its December book match. and soon after, her daughter’s school offered her a position “Matching takes time, so I read a lot of young adult fiction as a librarian. As Lucas’s children grew older, she moved on [to] be a good reader advisory librarian,” Ashworth said. “It to working in high school libraries. In 2018, Lucas started also takes time if a person has lots of specific preferences, but working as a librarian media specialist at Lynbrook and has it’s a challenge I don’t mind. It’s fun.” enjoyed her experience so far. Ashworth’s role has helped develop the library, her love “Lynbrook students are not only studious but [also] confor books and her relationships with students on campus. scientious,” Lucas said. “I’m really impressed with how enWhen Lucas was growing up, her mother took her to the gaged and interested Lynbrook students are in the learning Saratoga Library every week. After a few years, it became a process.” habit for her, and she grew comfortable with the library’s calming environment.

n the outside, Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon may seem like just another romantic comedy, but further exploration reveals a hilariously written story of how far a boy in love will go for the girl of his dreams — and how far his friends will go to have his back. Within 10 minutes of meeting, Sunny falls for Cirrus and convinces her that he’s part of a rock band. This is a tale not only of a boy hopelessly in love but also of identity, loyalty, friendship and seeing past first impressions.

To read the full review scan the QR code.

ove and Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura is a queer young adult novel that follows Nozomi Nagai, an art museum intern who is attracted to Willow, a girl who works at the gift shop. She falls into a fake-dating plan, navigating complicated family dynamics along the way. The focuses on romance and other topics including family, coming out and being true to yourself. Although the book lacks some character development, Nozomi is still a relatable protagonist.

BY EMMA CIONCA

K To read the full review scan the QR code.

lara and the Sun shares the world from the perspective of Artificial Friend “AF” Klara, who explores human emotions with the assistance of Josie, a dying girl. Through her selflessness and observation of Josie’s relationships, Klara illustrates the incongruity of human nature. Klara’s neutral personality allows readers to examine the story from an unbiased perspective. Despite Klara’s character development, the plot itself ends abruptly, leaving questions unanswered and readers wanting more.

That’s no bird....it’s a plane BY MYLES KIM

MYLES KIM - EPIC

very day, 1.6 million travelers fly in and out of airports around the world. However, some people go to the airport for a different reason: plane spotting. Plane spotters flock to airports to observe, track and snap photos of all types of aircrafts. Plane spotting as a hobby did not gain traction until the 1950s, and apps like FlightAware and Flightradar24 have made the activity increasingly popular and more accessible. Many airports today have designated plane spotting terraces; beaches and parks serve as great spotting locations as well. Sophomore Jonathan Chen started spotting in seventh grade and has continued to pursue the hobby. “I’ve always liked planes since I was young,” Chen said. “I got into photography when I was around 7 or 8 years old, so a couple of years ago, I thought, ‘Why not combine the two?’” Although there are few planespotters at Lynbrook, there is a larger community of planespotters across the Bay Area. On most days, Chenchecks Jet Tips and Flightradar24 to track the movement of any special aircrafts with new decals or liveries, which are special stickers or paint jobs, respectively. On a whim, he might decide to go plane spotting if a certain aircraft piques his interest. “Every time an airline wants to promote something through a promotional special or advertisement, those

planes typically have some sort of special decal or livery on them,” Chen said. “Those are the planes that you’re trying to go for.” Weather is another factor that affects how well the photos turn out. Chen finds weather that is somewhat overcast during sunrise or sunset the most favorable. Chen leaves for the airport 30 minutes before the plane is scheduled to depart or land, then stakes out a good spot for photos. Using liveatc.com and Flightradar, he tracks where and when the plane will land and positions himself accordingly. Once he has photos of the planes, he heads home to edit the photos, a process that takes 45 minutes. Chen keeps track of the different types of planes he spots using his Instagram page @jonthespotter, which has garnered more than 700 followers. His photos have been featured numerous times on the San Jose and San Francisco airports’ Instagram pages. “I decided to create [an account] because I didn’t know where else to post my airplane photos,” Chen said. “I wanted to share them with other people, not just keep for myself to look at.” Chen has also had the chance to plane spot at airports abroad, notably in Taipei, Taiwan. For Chen, grabbing a camera and a ride over to the nearest airport is all he needs to relax after a long day a at school.

the Epic lhsepic.com

IN-DEPTH

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY YOUQI HUANG AND JASON SHAN

February 01, 2022

IN-DEPTH

Rose-colored romanticization vs. the reality of historical eras BY ANWEN HUANG AND NEHA AYYER

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY IN-DEPTH SECTION

web search of “Victorian Era” yields lavish ballroom scenes. A browse for the “1980s” produces neon glitzy outfits. However, these depictions often sugarcoat the realities of historical eras, reinforcing flawed ideas of what life was like during them. Victorian Era: Despite the popular belief that Victorian living was refined, the era is more nuanced than most know. As industrialization swept Britain, flocks of people migrated to the cities to find work. London’s population density during the 19th century doubled to almost twice the city’s modern-day density, and the high population created atrocious living conditions that bred filth and disease. Outside the home, urban life was also far from luxurious. “In cities, there’s a growing service industry providi n g

BY DEEKSHA RAJ AND KATIE CHIN

rban agriculture — the production, marketing, and distribution of food in urban and suburban areas — has taken root across the Bay Area. Breathing life into the area’s bustling urban sprawl, community gardens and local orchards offer residents fresh produce and opportunities to form meaningful connections. “I grow flowers, beans and cucumbers,” sophomore Atharva Rayan said. “It helps me feel more connected to the environment.” The idea of urban agriculture dates back to 3500 B.C., when Mesopotamian fa r m ers reserved plots of land for farming i n

KATIE CHIN—THE EPIC

basic necessities for the growing population, so that consists of most of the working class,” AP U.S. History and World History teacher Steven Roy said. “But at the same time, you have factories where there’s really no safety regulations, and they tend to be dangerous — a lot of open spinning belts, people getting torn apart on machines and things like that.” 1920s: “People often think of the twenties, the Roaring Twenties, as a time of glamor, new freedoms, women’s liberation and growing consumerism, and that is true to some degree,” said David Bush, Adjunct History instructor at Foothill College. “But it was also a time of labor unrest, declining farm prices, a growing KKK and strong anti-immigrant sentiment.” Following World War I, farmers nationwide remained poor, battling a surplus that made agriculture prices plummet. The racist propaganda that inspired Prohibition was one encapsulation of the era’s pervasive bigotry. The other was the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, which, by the middle of the decade, had up to 8 million members. In popular culture, these elements have been disregarded. Frequent symbols of the time, such as flappers, young women known for their carefree lifestyle, appear at 1920s-themed events, reinforcing the idea that the era was one of liberation. However, for the most part, the time is difficult to generalize. 1960s: The hippie movement of the 60s, which has been romanticized through fashion, was only one element of a more tumultuous era. “The beginning of the 1960s was not about hippies at all. The beginning was about the Civil Rights movement,” San Jose State University history professor Raymand Buyco said. “In con-

cities. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, European cities like London, Paris and Stockholm had allotment gardens, plots of land given to the urban poor, to help them become self-provisioning. With one acre of land each, these families grew and sold their own crops, gaining easy access to fresh food and income. In the 1890s, English urban planner Ebzener Howard championed the garden city movement, which moved gardens and larger agricultural fields to be within walking distance of towns. Today, urban agriculture can be found scattered across the Bay Area. Once populated with unending orchards and fields, the area’s agriculture is now preserved in community gardens and local orchards. Founded in 1990, Sunnyvale’s Orchard Heritage Park boasts 10 acres of open land, housing 850 to 900 blechnum apricot trees. Trees are often replanted so the lush apricot trees can be sustained and provide greenery to the city of Sunnyvale year-round. The trees are carefully tended to by Charlie Olson, also referred to as Sunnyvale’s apricot hero, who has headed the orchard for more than 25 years.

trast to most African Americans fighting for their basic rights in the Civil Rights movement, the hippies were middle class — these were not working class people struggling to put more money in their pocket or have better working conditions. They were largely college kids who decided they didn’t want to live like their parents.” Despite popular depiction as a peace-loving decade, many held pro-war sentiments during the Vietnam War. And even with the Civil Rights movement, African Americans continued to face discrimination and economic inequality. The movement also did not extend toward other minorities. For many, the era presents a dichotomy. “I think of the 60s as a time of change, with significant strides toward racial equality with the Civil Rights Movement,” senior Angela Hu said. “But I also think of drugs and liberation that’s countercultural.” 1980s: The view of the 1980s as a time of glamor and liberty was only true for some. During the AIDS epidemic, the LGBTQ+ community was stigmatized, with AIDS being referred to as the “gay disease.” The nation also saw a rise in neoconservative politics. “During Reagan’s presidency, unions were attacked, government programs lost support and affirmative action programs were curtailed,” Bush said. “The increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and the growing gap

Park officials hope that the space will continue to educate community members about agriculture and encourage gardening in the community through educational programs in its children’s teaching garden. “I hope we’re allowed to expand to allow people to be able to grow gardens in any space they can,” said Laura Babcock, director of the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum. Benefits of urban agriculture include cutting energy costs of healthy food production because it thrives in smaller spaces and coexists with city life. Additionally, as havens for pollinators, community gardens promote biodiversity in suburban areas. However, urban agriculture faces challenges of limited space, as agriculture groups struggle to balance their agendas with their city’s development goals. Changing support from local governments can also prove difficult to navigate, and programs consistently face a lack of funding and support from the city. “You always have a tussle with politicians’ decisions as to whether providing housing is more important than providing agriculture,” Babcock said. “It’s really up to every city to find their balance the best that they can.” Despite this, urban

between the rich and the poor hurt women, children and people of color the most.” The militarization of the War on Drugs led to drug hysteria and high imprisonment rates. In prison, many drug users’ health declined further. Modern 80s-themed shows like “Stranger Things” (2016) glamorize the 80s with a modern-retro atmosphere, erasing the struggles that people faced during this time. Conclusion: Popular depictions of historical eras create distorted views, and historians stress the importance of understanding the complexity of history. “The present is a creation of the past, and without acknowledging and dealing with the complicated — and often horrific — past, we will continue making destructive choices,” Bush said.

agr i culture continues to show promise as local food supply in cities has noticeably grown through the development of urban farms. Beyond providing space for fresh produce, community gardens also help to increase social bonds among people in a neighborhood, regardless of diverging backgrounds. Many feel that urban agriculture has built promising relationships within the community,” Babcock said. “It’s unreal, and it’s always been culturally diverse. There’s always been a sense of pride.” Gardens strengthen pride within a community, serve as an excellent opportunity for education on food sustainability and involve community members with their surroundings.

DEEKSHA RAJ—THE EPIC

DEEKS

HA RA J—THE EPIC

Left: Apricot trees at Sunnyvale’s Orchard Heritage Park. Middle: Lettuce at the Calabazas Community Garden. Righ: Garden plots at the Calabazas Community Garden.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY IN-DEPTH SECTION

SPORTS

February 01, 2022

NINE YEARS OF DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT HAS NETTED SENIOR MEI CORRICELLO ADMISSION TO GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY AS A VOLLEYBALL PLAYER AND A POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR.

AFTER 15 YEARS OF TRAINING, SENIOR SAMANTHA WU WILL BRING HER GYMNASTICS CAREER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE SHE HOPES TO CONCENTRATE IN HEALTH SCIENCE OR NEUROSCIENCE.

SAMANTHA WU

MEI CORRICELLO

SUSANNA TANG — EPIC

EMMA CIONCA — EPIC

JODI AU

ALYSSA MENG

SUSANNA TA NG — EPIC

SUSANN

A TANG

SENIOR JODI AU WILL BE ATTENDING NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AS A DIVER AND BUSINESS MAJOR AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF DIVING.

— EPIC

AFTER SIX EXCEPTIONAL SEASONS, SENIOR ALYSSA MENG WILL ATTEND NEW YORK UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL AS A TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE AND A POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR.

BY SUSANNA TANG AND JASON SHAN Read more about our 2022 college recruits on lhsepic.com.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SUSANNA TANG AND CATHERINE ZHOU

SPORTS

February 01, 2022

Winter sports athletes aim high editors-in-chief mei corricello bennie chang managing editor elliu huang a.

copy editors youqi huang crystal qian design editors sharlene chen lillian fu adviser josh miller

news editor amy liu opinion editor elizabeth cheng features sophie au in-depth editor anwen huang

sports editor emma cionca web editors sruthi medepalli anirudh seshadri business/pr manager ria phelan

PHOTOS BY EPIC STAFF

a. Senior Ashlee Liu defends against a Saratoga player; b. Senior Nikhil Narasimhan attempts a layup in a game against Westmont; c. A Lynbrook wrestler competes against his Cupertino competitor; d. The Valkyries perform their routine at the West Coast Elite Dance competition; e. Boys soccer faces off against Homestead; f. Freshman Alice Wu challenges a Los Gatos defender; g. Senior Anthony Huang and Junior Sophie Au perform with the Valkyries; h. Junior Mohong Li wrestles against a Cupertio wrestler.

Boys basketball dominates the court BY CATHERINE ZHOU

Story continued from front page. game winning streak, outscoring the teams by a range of 14 to 50 points per game. For the first time in several years, they defeated Silver Creek to become champions of the Lynbrook Winter Classic tournament. Led by top scorers Derrick Cai, Jonathan Fu and Nikhil Narasimhan, the team qualified for CCS, and they currently have a 43-2 record in the El Camino league. The team credits their extraordinary success to their dedication and teamwork. Players went to preseason strength and conditioning workouts in the summer, and in the months leading up to the season, they trained nearly every week. As the season progressed, the team learned to persevere through difficulties from COVID-19 and injuries, emerging stronger than before. “It’s been tough to not only practice but also to stay motivated because we don’t

know when we’re going to have a fully healthy team, but we just learned how to cope with it,” senior and co-captain Nikhil Narasimhan said. In addition, the team welcomed back 11 seniors from last year’s young varsity squad, and most of the players have played together for several years, so the team is more experienced and tight-knit than previous years. “I think our team chemistry is really good, and we’re all friends on and off the court,” junior Jonathan Fu said. According to the players, the coaches have also played a large role in their success by effectively managing the team, developing game strategies, and keeping the players in check. Before every game, the coaches set three team goals for rebounds, free-throws, and turn-overs before every game. If they succeed in those goals, they’ll most likely win the game. More importantly, these goals are meant to inspire all the players to work hard.

“It doesn’t really require skill to accomplish them, it’s just based on your effort,” senior Albert Huang said. Indeed, the players’ efforts have resulted in many wins, and they have set their sights high. “Our biggest goal is to win leagues, and then after that go for a CCS run, and see what happens from there,” senior and co-captain Derrick Cai said.

CATHERINE ZHOU — EPIC The varsity boys basketball team celebrates a win by 50 points against Andrew P. Hill High School.

staffers amishi chandra anushka anand audrey sun catherine zhou chelsea lee deeksha raj emma constable jasmine rihal jason shan katie chin lauren liu lina mezerreg meera nambiar myles kim neha ayyer nicole ge samiya anwar samyukta sarma susanna tang tanika anbu timothy kim small print: the Epic is the official newspaper of Lynbrook High School and is a student-run open forum not subject to prior review, as protected under the California Education Code. Views expressed in the Epic do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the administration or faculty of this school or district. Letters to the Editor, guest columns and other materials to be considered for publication are welcome. They should be sent to Room 611, Josh Miller’s box in the main office or enc.epic@ gmail.com

the Epic, Volume 57, Issue 4 - February 1, 2022

Articles inside

K-popping?

• Rose-colored romanticization vs. historical eras’ reality

• The humor and harm of school Instagram pages

Semifnalists

• Superintendent Polly Bove retires