March 08, 2022
NEWS
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Astrophysics explores space with astrophotography BY SOPHIE AU
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so the officers hosted this activity again this year. Members learned about each nebula and voted on the nebulae they wanted to take photos of. “Each officer gave a humorous presentation on why their nebula is amazing and the others’ are inferior,” senior and member Ronak Badhe said. “This annual ritual in which there is a light-hearted competition is a great experience and makes Astrophysics Club unique.” The observatory’s 10 global robotic telescopes are used by professional astronomers for research, so the time available for the Astrophysics Club to take pictures is limited, as photos take a couple of minutes to capture. Once the settings are inputted by the user, the robotic telescope automatically adjusts the settings and takes the photos. Astrophysics Club pinpointed the Corona Nebula and Tarantula Nebula among other nebulae, along with the space coordinates in the Equatorial Coordinate System for the robotic telescopes to aim at and take a photo. Nebulae, composed of widely scattered stardust and gas clouds, are dark, so the telescope settings were tweaked to capture clear images. Extending exposure time allows the telescope to gather more light when taking the photo and brighten the image. The club was able to pick filters to color their photos to make them more visible as well. With camera time left for the club to request more photos, Astrophysics Club is planning to
take pictures of exoplanets in mid to late March, when exoplanets become clearer. Exoplanets are significantly darker than the star they revolve around and much further away, requiring more telescope time to increase exposure and produce brighter images. If their results show new data, Astrophysics Club will be able to send it to NASA to potentially be included in their exoplanet watch program and coauthor a paper with NASA on updates on properties of exoplanets. “We also are planning on exoplanet observation, which has extraterrestrial implications,” senior and Astrophysics Vice President William Huang said. “That’s why a lot of people are interested in exoplanet observation in the first place.” On Tuesday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 6, the observatory uploaded files of Astrophysics Club’s photos, which turned out very clear and colorful. Their experience working with the telescope has been rewarding and has also inspired them to continue to pursue astrophotography. Members will explore photographing more space objects, engaging with astronomy equipment and space research.
PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION FROM ASTROPHYSICS CLUB
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY ANUSHKA ANAND
Aletheia faces an uncertain future BY SUSANNA TANG
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or the past 11 years, Aletheia, a student publication that publishes anonymous student writing submissions regarding sensitive issues like romance and religion, has provided a platform for those with controversial perspectives to be heard without the judgment of others. However, Aletheia recently caught the attention of Lynbrook’s administrators because it has not followed school rules of having a districtapproved adviser, which means it cannot be recognized as a publication officially affiliated with Lynbrook. The group’s advisers have always been parents of Aletheia members. Potential parent advisers are interviewed based on their passion for forwarding Alethia’s mission statement of providing students with a platform to share stories with peers and the community anonymously. Comparable with teacher advisers, parent advisers supervise meetings, occasionally state their opinions during discussions and evaluate the appropriateness of topics. The publication meets biweekly at a member’s house or on Zoom to discuss the current issue and to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming publication. “In order to gain support from and be affiliated with the school, like clubs, journalism and yearbook, it must be advised by a certified employee,” Assistant Principal Yukari Salazar said. “That’s just a rule enforced by our district and ASB.” Aletheia has traditionally made use of the school’s print center, morning announcements, website, homeroom time and publicized parent donation requests. However, the absence of a permissible
connection between Aletheia and Lynbrook may lead to the school preventing the group from accessing these resources. The creation of Aletheia was inspired by Verdedera, Monta Vista High School’s discontinued student publication, which was advised by Hung Wei, a former FUHSD governing board member and a parent to a Monta Vista High School alumnus. After Wei stepped down from her position as adviser in 2017, Verdedera disbanded. However, only this school year has the district realized the need to set an appropriate structure and to follow volunteer screening guidelines. When Aletheia was first founded, cofounder Frances Guo approached Aletheia’s first parent advisers Cindy Wen and Miko Otoshi, hoping to create a safe environment to discuss taboo topics. The nature of the
topics, such as academic pressure and classroom environment, could hinder the members from openly discussing in front of teachers. Since Lynbrook has no jurisdiction over Aletheia, the publication’s future plans can only be made by the parent advisers and members of the group. If Aletheia finds a certified adviser, which is what Salazar urges, their eligibility for the use of school resources will remain. Without a district-employed adviser supervising Aletheia’s publication, Aletheia will not be able to use school resources, so they will ultimately need to make a decision on whether to disband, apply as a club, find a certified adviser or continue as an entity separate from Lynbrook.
Upcoming Viking Events No School on March 14 There will be no school on Monday, March 14. Enjoy the three day weekend! Club Food Day Support your clubs on Wednesday, March 16 during lunch in the quad to buy varieties of food and enjoy a treat! CAASPP testing Good luck to all the juniors who will be taking CAASPP testing from Monday, March 21 to Wednesday, March 23. Powerpuff From April 4 to April 8, the four classes will compete in football and dance on the football field for Powerpuff. Make sure to cheer on your class! Coffee with the Counselors Freshmen, sophomores and juniors can join the counselors virtually on Tuesday, April 12 to ask them questions for the next school year. Spring Break There will be no school from April 18 to April 22. Enjoy a week off from school!
LAUREN LIU—EPIC Compassion & Forgiveness, Isolation and More Than Meets the Eye are three past issues from Aletheia.
By Anushka Anand Photo by Emma Constable
