The Epitaph, Volume 60, Issue 1, 2022-2023

The Epitaph

Graham Clark plans for district future

gether and practice against each other,” Clark said. “Their equipment can be left there and since the setup time with robot ics is time consuming, I think this will re lieve them of that.”

By Nicole Pimenta Innecco, Hope Saena and Faith Watters

Starting his position as FUHSD su perintendent on July 1, former HHS principal Graham Clark has begun implementing his plans for the school year and district’s future. Clark’s plans span numerous aspects of the district, including construction, nutrition and the implementation of a new course.

Since the passing of measure G, which allocates $275 million for FUHSD construction, the district has been allowed to conduct more work in construction across the five schools, such as classroom modernization. At HHS, the B, L, C and science buildings will be revamped to improve safety.

“What’s taking so long for the construction to finish is the seismic strengthening. These buildings need to be the safest place to be if there’s ever an earthquake,” Clark said in a Zoom interview. “Schools have a high er construction standard, as they are supposed to be local area shelters in case there is an emergency or fire.”

Another project the district is com mitted to building is a robotic center for the robotics teams from all schools, whose location is not yet determined, Clark said.

“We would like to build a studio where the five schools can come to

Additionally, to combat declining en rollment across FUHSD, Clark said the district plans to restart the Citizens Advi sory Committee, whose goal is to ensure registration stays consistent across the five schools, he said.

“We are trying to make sure we can sta bilize and monitor the enrollment,” Clark said. “We need to keep the schools the same size so that everyone can offer the same courses. If not, we would start to lose some electives due to interest level.”

Another change being implemented is the FUHSD Nutrition Services Student Board, a student committee looking to improve student satisfaction with meals.

Clark said with the district’s new change of feeding all students for free, the Nutrition Services Depart ment is ensuring the program is pro viding meals students desire.

“If you’re serving food that no one wants, they’ll just throw it away,” Clark said. “We want to eliminate waste and keep students content.”

In addition to integrating more student voices in decisions like nu trition, Clark said there will be a new ethnic studies course hopefully offered next year in the social studies department. Although some class es already touch ethnic issues, this course will dive deeper into the top ic, Clark said. The course will ensure that underrepresented groups have their stories told.

See Graham Clark, page 2

Securly implemented districtwide

By Erin Loh

To better suit FUHSD’s management of the one-to-one device program and to al low the district to qualify for federal E-rate funds, FUHSD implemented Securly, a web filter, across all five campuses for the 202223 school year, chief technology officer Scott Harrington said in an email.

All students and staff must have the Securly certificate downloaded on their personal devices to access the FUHSD net work. Designed specifically for schools, Se curly is cloud-based and enforces safe in ternet use through blocking inappropriate web pages and granting administrator visi bility to students’ online activity, according to Securly. Other districts in the Bay Area, such as the Palo Alto Unified School Dis trict, have also implemented Securly in re cent years, Harrington said.

Behind the scenes of Homecoming

Harrington, who led the effort to bring Securly to FUHSD, said Securly’s services are ideal for the district because they filter internet content on school-owned comput ers, even off campus. However, Harrington said that Securly’s web search filters do not apply when personal devices are used off campus. Filtering internet results off cam pus became necessary after the establish ment of the one-to-one device program last school year, when many students be gan borrowing school Chromebooks for at-home use.

In addition to Securly’s ability to screen content at all times on school Chrome books, Harrington said Securly’s affordable price and focus on K-12 schools were add ed benefits of the filtering system.

Securly also grants FUHSD eligibili ty to e-rates, a federal program that gives schools and libraries discounts for band width services.

Harrington said Securly blocks websites deemed inappropriate, as well as social me dia and gaming websites students should not be on during class time.

“Filtered categories include pornog raphy, drugs, gambling, adult content, network misuse, hate, games and search engines that do not have safe search,” Har rington said. “We are not doing any key word filtering.”

See Securly, page 3

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in a minute

Local: Wildfires blaze across Califor nia: Currently in the peak of wild fire season, California is battling over 10 fires, with the largest be ing the 76,781-acre Mosquito Fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills, ac cording to Cal Fire. The Mosquito Fire has displaced over 20,000 people as of September, but recent rainfall has aided firefighters in achieving 85% containment. Still, this year’s damages have been dra matically lower than last year, with 365,000 acres burned so far this year compared to 2.4 million acres burned at the same time last year.

National : Hasidic schools violate education standard laws in New York: An in vestigation conducted by The New York Times revealed that Hasidic yeshivas — schools of the Hasidic Jewish community in New York — have long been denying children their right to a basic, secular edu cation. The investigation, which has taken place for over a year, uncov ered that yeshivas cover very little math, English and science, instead focusing almost solely on teaching religious texts. The investigation further revealed that in 2019, fewer than 20% of third through eighth

ASB strives for sustainability

New commissioner works to protect envi ronment districtwide

By Ella Chan, Nicole Kim and Brevin Reed

While multiple groups have worked to make HHS more environmen tally friendly, there has been a lack of coordination between the teams bringing environmental activism into the spotlight, ASB club com missioner, junior Elisa Floyd said.

To help align the efforts of dif ferent organizations at HHS and across the district, ASB created the position of ASB sustainability Commissioner.

“I met with Superintendent Clark in June and later brought [the idea] to Ms. Kirby and the zero waste committee,” Floyd said. “[We] helped put together the role’s responsibilities.”

These new responsibilities will include leading both the climate crew and zero waste committee.

In addition to being implemen tation, each school in FUHSD will have their own sustainability com missioner throughout the district to make events and activities less wasteful.

“The climate action team which will consist of all five commission

ers,” Kurkure said. “they’ll meet on a monthly basis to share ways each of their schools are reducing their waste production.”

At HHS, sophomore Aayushma Adhikari will be the sustainabili ty commissioner. Combating cli mate change has been a goal of hers ever since she was in middle school, Adhikari said.

“I was a part of climate crew freshman year, where we sorted through classroom recycling,” Adhikari said. “Making sustainable changes in my own life motivated me to take it a step further and do something at the district level.”

In her new position, Adhikari said she hopes to make school events just as enjoyable as before, but less wasteful. Future events Adhikari said she wants to include are fundraisers and a schoolwide advisory promoting environmental activism.

Selecting the sustainability commissioner was not an easy process, leadership adviser Jessica Kirby said.

But Adhikari stood out as a pri mary candidate due to her previ ous involvement in the zero waste committee.

“[ The sustainability commis sioner] is an incredibly unique role and one that we’ve never had b efore,” Kirby said. “Not only will this help guide the team in re

thinking how we use materials, but this will also encourage and provide creative ways to decorate and advertise that make us more sustainable.”

Some of the events ASB hopes to improve include rallies and dances, since they believe it helps strengthen the homestead community and builds friendships. During the first rally of the year, an audit of all the trash generat ed from the event was taken, EL Commisioner Chetan Kukure said.

“At our previous rally we measured everything on a weighing scale,” Kurkure said. “We also made a handbook of how each individual class can be more sustainable.”

ASB is also looking to create an entirely new event for the upcoming school year to promote sustainability across the campus, Kurkure said.

“It’s going to be a week-long event with different activities and theme days,” Kurkure said. “We’re hoping to educate people on what environmental advocacy is.”

Ultimately, these efforts are building toward making HHS a less wasteful community, Floyd said.

“The sustainability commision er ensures that there’s going to be a long lasting effort to make events more sustainable, which is truly valuable,” Floyd said.

Photo by Nicole Pimenta Innecco

grade students at Hasidic schools performed up to the state standard on math and English tests, com pared to 45% of students state wide. Additionally, many yeshivas use physical harm as punishment, including slapping and kicking. Despite failing to uphold state education requirements, Hasidic yeshivas have received over $1 bil lion of tax money within the last four years, The Times reported.

In response to the Hasidic school investigation, a law was passed in New York on Sept. 13 to regulate the teaching of secular subjects in schools across the state.

Graham Clark

International: Ukraine makes advances on Russia: Ukraine claims to have re taken over 2,317 square miles from Russia in September, according to The Guardian. The retaken area includes Izyum and Kupiansk, two towns that served as Russian sup ply hubs. The Russian withdrawal marks the largest retreat since Kyiv in April, according to BBC News. The retreat can be attribut ed to the strength of the Ukrainian forces aided by weapons shipped from Western countries, as well as poor leadership and morale on the Russian side.

Additional ly, Clark hopes to qualify HHS for the Green Ribbon Schools program, which encour ages schools to strive for excellence in environmental impact. Clark said the program will measure the dis trict’s energy efficiency as well as gauge recycling and environmen tal education.

“When I found out that he was our superintendent, I jumped around like the Raiders had just won the Super Bowl.”

Byron Lee Business Teacher

when Clark left HHS to become the district’s assistant superinten dent.

“We’d like to be a leader as a school district in the fight against climate change,” Clark said. “I think there’s a lot of passion around that.”

Clark, who has dedicated 25 years to FUHSD said he has gained much of his leadership ex perience through numerous jobs, such as serving in the military. Later, he focused on education, as suming the role of District Asso ciate and Deputy Superintendent.

“I started out as a teacher at Fremont High School back in the late 1990s and I was also an assis tant principal at Fremont and Cu pertino,” Clark said. “I was in the National Guard and went to Iraq for a year, but when I came back, I became the principal of Home stead.”

English teacher Steve Lavelle taught at HHS when Clark was a principal, and said he was beloved by the entire community.

“Staff appreciated the auton omy and trust he granted them, students loved how empowered he made them feel,” Lavelle said.

Lavelle said everyone was sad

“I made him a tribute mock umentary film based on Gener al Patton called ‘Clark’, because he used to speak figuratively in a military fashion to the staff during our meetings,” Lavelle said. “He is a man of action, and simply put, always gets things done to the betterment and benefit of those around him.”

Like Lavelle, business teacher Byron Lee said he also knew Clark from when he first worked at HHS. Lee said he was exhilarated when the district announced Clark’s pro motion to superintendent.

“I really enjoy him as a person, but also as a leader, because I can always rely upon him,” Lee said. “When I found out that he was our superintendent, I jumped around like the Raiders had just won the Super Bowl.”

Lee said he appreciates how Clark maintains transparency with the staff through all matters of the district, such as decisions and fi nancial struggles.

“I knew this would be wonder ful for the district,” Lee said. “I view Mr. Clark as a man of incredible integrity, honesty and someone I trust to make wise decisions.”

ACTIVISTS IN ACTION: Climate crew offers tutorial time to provide HHS a cleaner cam

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Counselor added due to district mandate

Medeiros is ready to support students

By Lia Klebanov

To relieve the growing student to-school-counselor ratio, FUHSD implemented a requirement that four counselors be provided on each site this school year.

Both HHS and FHS have a large student population, which created the need for five counsel ors, assistant principal Terri Han nigan said. At HHS, the previous caseload per counselor was 575 students and that number has now reduced to 514.

“To make the numbers more equitable across the district, the district decided to add a split site,” Hannigan said. “A split site is one counselor for two sites, so they would spend half of their time on each site. The workload is current ly more proportionally split among the counselors and proportional to other school sites.”

After transferring to FUHSD recently, school counselor Eric Medeiros said they have received, along with others in the same po sition, therapy training, which al lows them to act as a trusted adult while providing support and advo cating for students.

Additionally, they are involved with recording various student body data and conducting re search through reports.

As a split-site counselor, work ing on two campuses has proven to be challenging, Medeiros said. Medeiros spends three half days at both school sites and the other two full days at either HHS or FHS.

Due to the never-ending move

ment, Medeiros said they have had to come to terms with the fact that certain tasks are going to take lon ger than usual to complete. How ever, they do believe their presence on both campuses is important.

“It can be overwhelming, but it’s this uniquely cool situation where I can work at two schools and help students that might need to talk to somebody,” Medeiros said. “A student might relate to one counselor more than another, and I know that may happen to me this year because I am part of the LGBTQ community.”

One concern with the resulting counselor changes is a disruption to students’ relationships with pre vious counselors and the writing of college recommendation letters.

However, Medeiros said stu dents have the option of approach

ing the staff member or admin they have a connection with and requesting to have them write the letter instead.

To get to know students and write accurately reflecting rec ommendations, Medeiros is con ducting interviews and utilizing resources such as the brag sheet, they said.

“I understand if a student came to me and said, ‘I know that you’ve been assigned as my new counsel or, but I really want to talk to Mr. Chan about something,’” Medeiros said. “We have new caseload as signments, but we’re ultimately all doing the same job and we all want to be supportive in the best ways we can.”

At the same time, principal Greg Giglio said FUHSD does not have any upcoming plans re

garding adding more staff to stu dent-support services, such as the College and Career Center, due to declining enrollment.

Overall, Medeiros said they en joy guiding students on their high school journeys and hopes to help them discover their true passions without regard to overbearing ex pectations.

“I love helping students figure out what their path is with what they want to become in their fu ture,” Medeiros said. “I know a lot of students, especially at a com petitive school, feel as if they have to be something they’re not and that’s not what I’m about at all. If there are students out there who may be having difficulty exploring who they truly want to be, I would really hope we could talk, regard less if they’re in my caseload.”

Securly

Continued from page 1

For students worried about Se curly accessing to personal data, Harrington said the software offers the same level of security as other data resources the district uses.

“I think some users perceive that this program is gathering information on their device,” Har rington said. “The filtering is done on the network, not on the device.”

In fact, in addition to schools, many companies and orgainiza tions have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates on their websites to ensure user information is pro tected, according to Kaspersky.

Harrington said students who choose not to download Securly should borrow a school Chrome book. Moreover, while the district has access to students’ online ac tivity, principal Greg Giglio said administrators only access this information if someone’s safety is at risk.

“Maybe people are concerned that a student is suicidal, or may be they’ve been sending sexual ly harassing things,” Giglio said. “[Otherwise], it’s very rare that we go into browsing history. It’s really because there’s a legitimate safety concern, and we’re just trying to look in all directions.”

Still, Giglio said he understands why not all students are comfort able with downloading Securly.

“I’m glad that people are con cerned about their digital safety, because that’s something you al ways got to pay attention to,” Giglio said. “[But] it’s a virtual classroom, so we have to treat it that way.”

Despite not all students choos ing to download Securly, Giglio said the web filter’s benefits far outweigh any costs.

Reflecting back and looking forward

New, old staff share perspectives

By Karuna Chandran, Madhavi Karthik and Macy Li

Toby Mockler

After serving as the HHS facil ities manager for five years, Toby Mockler is now in the transition al period of moving to the district office, where he will take on the role of FUHSD facilities manager, with someone else moving into his current position.

Although the exact details of his new position are being final ized, Mockler said he will support sites across the district, including other satellite properties the dis

trict owns. As he will continue to collaborate with other teams to per form day-to-day operations, Mock ler said he is excited to be involved in discussions about budgeting and construction on a broader scale.

During his time with the HHS community, Mockler recalls his most fulfilling experience: witness ing his group develop into a tight ly-knit team.

“When I inherited this team, it hadn’t been laid out for them how connected they could be to the school and to each other,” Mockler said. “This group of men and one woman have come to learn that what I do affects what you do, and so on down the line. If we come at things together, we can be way more successful.”

For his personal growth, Mock ler said he looks forward to the impact he can make in the dis trict space, but remains fond of his experiences at HHS.

“As someone who’s the fa cility manager, I’m not a cer tified educator, but my voice is heard,” Mock ler said. “That’s not a situation you get every where, so that feeling makes my team per form better. We feel more con nected to the school because facilities are re ally important to the education

of students and that’s why we’re here.”

Brian Dong

After nine years with the HHS community, assistant principal Bri an Dong said he was offered a new position as the assistant principal of Academic Interventions at the district office.

His decision to leave HHS was challenging, especially because of the connections that he has culti vated with students and staff. He said HHS has given him the op portunity to create lasting memo ries and grow as an invidiual.

“I had a lot of conversations about my career trajectory, what my strengths are and what I’m perhaps lacking or things I need to learn about,” Dong said. “Ulti mately, there are other areas of the district that I didn’t know much about, so [this new position] was an opportunity to learn a little bit more.”

During his time at HHS, Dong said he served as a dean of stu dents for three years and an as sistant principal for six. Reflecting on his experiences, Dong said he has witnessed a variety of trans formations on campus. Yet, one thing has remained constant: the kind-hearted people.

“The fact that I get to work with some really great people that care about students every day brings me joy and makes my job enjoy able,” Dong said.

Looking forward, Dong said he strives to be a better leader. At the district office, he will be managing broader initiatives like the sum mer academy, the eighth block program and the work experience program.

As Dong enters a new chapter

of his life, he said he is ready to pursue his goals and is excited to see what the future holds.

“The fear of the unknown is a bit scary for some people, but it’s important to take a leap of faith, to try to grow,” Dong said. “And I think that’s where we’re headed right now.”

Susan Rocha

New assistant principal Susan Rocha has been a constant in the district, working as a teacher at CHS for 20 years, then becoming an assistant principal at FHS and LHS, before finally making the move here.

“One of the things that’s been consistent is that we have a fan tastic district that provides a lot of opportunities for every kind of student,” Rocha said. “I think that’s what I liked the most and what I really noticed here is the diversity in the student population, which I think is so important.”

Rocha said she is in charge of interventions, which involves col laborating with students at several levels to properly provide support for them. This includes working with the library and technology, but also helping the academic center, coordinating 504 plans and supporting departments such as the English and social studies de partments.

“I’m really looking forward to helping with athletics and there’s a pretty robust sports program at HHS, so I’m excited to get involved in that,” Rocha said. “When I saw the clubs fair, [I noticed that] there’s a very large number of clubs here and I’m looking forward to hearing what some of those are and how students are making the most of their high school experiences.”

“There are some things we do that I think people can legitimately be mad about. This is not one of them,” Giglio said. “This is, ‘We’ve got a network system to keep run ning. We don’t want people doing stupid stuff on it.’”

History teacher Nicholas Neese said his students have reported that Securly has prevented them from being able to access websites that they need for assignments. Neese said many of his students have resorted to using personal hotspots in class as a solution to both weak Wi-Fi and as a way to access the internet on campus without Securly.

Moreover, Neese said part of his issue with Securly has to do with the way it was introduced.

“It wasn’t fully explained to staff or students in a way that made it seem like this is the right call for what we’re doing,” Neese said. “It was a bit of a surprise to me when I showed up the first day and found out I had to download something.”

However, Giglio said teachers were notified via email weeks be fore they came on campus about the need for Securly and the steps to download it.

Additionally, Neese said he wished he knew which criteria used to deem whether sites are safe. Harrington said that while blocked categories are determined by Securly and not the district, stu dents can request that their site tech teams unblock certain sites. Ultimately, Neese said not all of his students chose to download Securly for privacy reasons.

“Students who bring their own computer still have to download Securly to be part of anything,” Neese said. “And some don’t feel comfortable with that, which is fair because it’s their own device rath er than the school’s.”

SHOOT FOR THE STARS: Medeiros said they hope to help students navigate high school and learn more about themselves.

Photo by Karuna Chandran

Photo by Lia Klebanov

The Epitaph

Volume

Editors-in-Chief

Madhavi Karthik

Macy Li

Managing Editor

Karuna Chandran

Production Manager

Hope Saena

Senior News Editor

Erin Loh

Junior News Editor

Nicole Kim

Senior Opinion Editors

Keshav Kumar

Lindsey Steel

Junior Opinion Editor

Anushruti Nagarajan

Senior Lifestyles Editor

Lia Klebanov

Junior Lifestyles Editors

Saira Ahmed

Brevin Reed

Senior A&C Editor

Amber Birrell

Junior A&C Editor

Rajiv Venkatesh

Senior Sports Editor

Niyatee Jain

Junior Sports Editor

Harshitha Vijayakumar

Senior Design Editors

Seoyoung Hwang

Christine Kim

Senior Multimedia Editor

Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

Senior Social Media Editor

Saira Ahmed

Photo/Illustration Editor

Joss Broward

Web Manager

Seoyoung Hwang

Copy Editors

Joss Broward

Rajiv Venkatesh

Reporters

Ella Chan

Manya Girivasan

Nathan Gu Patrick Hao

Nicole Pimenta Innecco

David Lin Brian Ling

Parth Dhaulakhandi

Anderson Picone

Gabriela Salazar

Helen Tam

Mackie Vu Evelyn Wang Faith Watters

Annabelle Yip

Emma Yu

Veronica Zhao

Adviser

Natalie Owsley

Donor

Shauli Bar-On

Mission Statement

STAFF EDITORIAL

Implementation of Securly violates trust, ignores student opinions

Schools must be a place where students’ voices are heard and students’ rights are respected. However, the recent implementation of Securly on school Wi-Fi violates this crucial trust. The decision by the district fails to encompass student opinions and demon strates a lack of concern for the opinions of the student body.

Beginning this year, all de vices connected to school Wi-Fi must install Securly, which fil ters pornography, drugs, gam bling and other innappropriate content, FUHSD chief technol ogy officer Scott Harrington said. Securly also records web activity, such as student brows ing history, Harrington said.

While reasonable limita tions on school internet use are necessary, the lack of commu nication between the district and students about the imple mentation of Securly is unac ceptable.

In an email sent out on Aug. 12, the district instructed students to download Securly, with no explanation of its func

tions. Students have a right to be fully informed about the changes that directly affect them – and for a policy with such widespread effects, trans parency from the district is im perative.

Additionally, for an is sue this impactful, the district should have consulted the student body to en sure stu dents felt comfort able with Securly. Over 77% of students said that they feel Securly violates their pri vacy, ac cording to a survey of 332 stu dents by The Epi taph. Giv

‘Girls who code’ fights gender disparities

By Emma Yu

This year, the girls who code club is merging with pro gramming club, doing away with separate meet ings. In inte grating the two branches, pro gramming club officers must tread a fine line — balancing the support system that GWC tra ditionally offers with the reality of gender disparities in computer science.

Now in its fifth year, GWC is a branch of programming club ded icated to educating women and nonbinary coders. The original reason behind its founding was the low turnout of women at pro gramming club meetings, senior and programming club vice pres ident Radhika Agarwal said. With programming club being mostly boys, GWC aimed to help girls de velop an interest in coding.

er question about safe spaces: are they meant to last forever? Safe spaces are undoubtedly necessary for many people living in unsup portive environments, but they are only a stepping stone on the great er path to true equality.

IllustrationbyJoss

en this information, the district should have considered stu dent input and informed them about the effects of Securly be fore employing the software. This decision to implement the highly unpopular software without communicating with students before hand will likely fuel resentment towards the district.

Broward

Proponents of Securly may argue that con stant surveillance allows schools to provide help to students who are at risk of harm ing themselves or others.

This argu ment has some

merit, as Securly has detected suicide-related searches from students in Wisconsin, accord ing to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

However, this advantage is rendered useless when 47% of surveyed students report ed using VPNs and personal hotspots to conceal their com munications or search history and bypass installing Securly, ultimately limiting its effective ness.

While the district’s concerns about security are understand able, using Securly has proven to be unpopular and potentially ineffective. By implementing Securly, the district failed to inform its students and disre garded their opinions. In the future, the district must ensure the input of students is taken into consideration as well as educate students about policies that affect them.

If this step is not taken, the rift between administrators and students will only grow, and students will feel less val ued in the educational process.

Teacher shortage harms education

By Erin Loh

Deeply involved in the lives and well-being of students, teachers are the epitome of a support sys tem. But currently facing low pay and demoralizing working condi tions, teachers are now the ones in need of support.

Although the teacher shortage has persisted for over a decade, the severity of the shortage wors ened after teachers battled the uncertainty of the pandemic. Now, 72% of district officials nationwide report there are not enough appli cants to fill available positions in schools, according to the EdWeek Research Center.

conditions can lead more teachers to quit their jobs, only exacerbat ing the problem.

The first step in teacher re tention is to ensure positive work environments for all educators. Teachers who left the profession generally had less influence over school policies such as discipline, classroom materials and curricu lum choices, according to the Eco nomic Policy Institute. As profes sionals in the workforce, teachers deserve a voice in policies pertain ing to them.

If

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As one of few girls in my AP computer science class, I always felt out of place. GWC remedied that feeling, allowing me to col laborate with other girls and learn new concepts alongside them.

Although GWC largely succeeded in creating a community of wom en and nonbinary coders, the is sue of programming club being male-dominated was still unsolved.

This year, programming club offi cers are setting out to change that.

While I do lament losing the comfortable and open environ ment of separate GWC meetings, I know this is a necessary change. The reality of men dominating the programming field cannot be ignored forever, which is why the two branches merged in the first place. This situation raises a larg

Critics of safe spaces argue that they create their own echo cham bers, isolating key groups while others become further separated. This exact reason is why safe spac es are only a temporary solution — society must ultimately address the root cause of disparities. GWC understands this dichotomy, and their integration with program ming club will allow officers to work toward true gender equality in programming.

GWC has helped me and count less others overcome our anxiety about entering the field of com puter science. Now, they have the potential to help us follow through with our ambitions and succeed in the real world — an even more important endeavor. This month, I went to the first programming club meeting of the year. It was lively, crowded and complete with a fun team-bonding activity. There was a wide mix of all genders, both in attendance and on the officer team. Ultimately, it is a great first step in the right direction.

To combat the teacher short age, states like Arizona have re laxed certification requirements that allow teachers to begin train ing while simultaneously earning their bachelor’s degree, according to The New York Times. Addition ally, many teachers-in-training are assigned to fill vacant positions.

However, underqualified ed ucators are often less effective at teaching content than fullytrained teachers, putting students at greater risk of falling behind. Underqualified educators also lack training in emotional support, so students struggling with mental health may not receive the help they need.

Furthermore, the teacher short age puts a strain on current edu cators. 80% of members report having to take on extra duties to compen sate for vacant positions, ac cording to the NEA.

Taking on more work can feel overwhelm ing and ex hausting for teachers, and such working

Another effective way of ensur ing teacher retention is offering more competitive salaries. Teach ers consistently earn about 20% less than other college graduates, according to the NEA.

Yet, because of the long hours teachers work and the significant role they play in raising the next generation, they deserve to be compensated the same amount or even more than the average col lege graduate.

The teacher shortage has been worsening for far too long. To sup port our students and educators, action must be taken to combat the shortage of educators. If we address the teacher shortage, we will not only generate positive ef fects in the short term, but will set the next generation up for success as they enter the workforce and improve our society.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION: FUHSD failed to inform students about the functions of Securly.

CLOSING GENDER DIVIDE: Professional disparities in computer science carry into classrooms.

HIRE

Illustration by Emily Tumacder

Reading curriculum fails to include marginalized voices

standing of other communities until my Lit erature and Writing class studied “The Hate U Give,” a novel on Black experiences and police brutality in modern America.

There’s more to world history than Europe

Curriculum must increase focus on non-European countries

By Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

Literature is a powerful tool for sharing our voices and has been used throughout history to express unique perspectives. How ever, core literature classes at HHS provide few opportunities for students to explore va rieties of thought.

The books I have read in English cours es are mostly written by privileged white authors. This narrow selection conveys to students that only these voices are worthy of being heard and prevents them from im mersing themselves in diverse perspectives.

An example of this is reflected in the American Literature Honors course, a class for students to explore the American experi ence through literature. Of the four required books, two center around white stories and two share Black experiences.

While the inclusion of the African Amer ican community is a significant improve ment compared to previous curricula, other communities that shape America, such as different ethnicities and genders, remain overlooked. These people have been si lenced throughout history, but their stories deserve to be heard.

As a child of immigrants who worked incredibly hard to succeed in an unfamiliar and unwelcoming society, the lack of ac knowledgment of them is degrading.

What is more frustrating is knowing that my peers will not have the chance to better understand their experiences through liter ature.

The lack of diversity among the authors of books in English classes negatively im pacts students. A book reflects the mindset of its author. As a result, if all the authors that students are exposed to have similar attitudes, students will develop a narrower perception of the world.

I myself maintained a limited under

This book opened my eyes to the expe riences of the African American communi ty and changed my outlook on that group. Other students can experience similar rev elations, yet are prevented from doing so by the restrictive book list in classes.

While HHS works to diversify the liter ature curriculum, more notable changes must be made to the authors and subjects of stories studied to broaden students’ mind sets and make students of all communities feel heard.

In a class that explores the greatest American literary works, it is disappointing the immigrant experience does not fall un der this category.

IllustrationbyMacyLi

By Nicole Kim

Eurocentrism is a pervasive issue that skews our perspectives, and I never felt its presence more than in world history. Eu rocentrism is the tendency to interpret the world based on European values and expe riences, according to Merriam-Webster. At HHS, the world history curriculum excludes the perspectives of non-European countries.

The history and social science content standards outline 11 major ideas that world history courses must follow, according to the

California Department of Education. Eight of these 11 guidelines center around Europe, two focus on European imperialism’s effects and only one covers world economies and innovations.

While Europe plays a key role in many significant historical events, the role of other countries should also be taught, so students can understand history in a more well-rounded way.

A large portion of the curriculum focuses on the spread of communism and totalitar ianism. Students spend copious amounts of time analyzing Russia and the Cold War, but overlook countries such as Korea, Vietnam and Cuba where communist and totalitarian governments were prominent.

Because students are left with the im pression that only European history is worth studying, they are robbed of understanding how other countries affect both historical developments and modern events.

However, blame cannot be solely placed on the curriculum. World history teachers must play a role in changing the eurocentric perspectives in their classrooms. Teachers within the history department are allowed a degree of professional freedom, and with this, must take it upon themselves to focus on non-European viewpoints.

Whether spending an extra 30 minutes on totalitarianism in South America or taking the time to find primary sources from Indians under British rule, teachers need to take initiative too.

While time, resources and curriculum re quirements may challenge teachers, chang es do not have to be drastic to be effective. Any step toward diversifying the curriculum is a step toward positive change.

World history is a valuable class, as it introduces students to history throughout the 20th century and its effects on current events.

POWER OF LITERATURE: Narrow book lists prevent students from understanding minorities.

College admissions robs hobbies

Growing obsession with elite institutions fuels perfectionism

By Joss Broward

Many cynics theorize that high school is a killer of creativity and vibrancy in the minds of youth. Yet, many fail to identify the real culprit: the college admissions process.

The college process robs teens of their passions by ex pecting students to achieve greatness in their hobbies. The pressure to gain elite college ac ceptances is harmful, permanently blurring the line between hobbies and competition.

Over the past few decades, the number of college appli cants has been increasing, lead ing to lower admission rates. According to an analysis from US News, average college acceptance rates have dropped by over 37% since 2006. For top 10 schools, ad mission rates have decreased by more than 50%.

When it was easier to obtain acceptances to top-tier institu tions, high school students faced lower expectations, because they were being compared to fewer individuals. This provided stu dents with time to pursue their true passions for pleasure, to better themselves or to positively impact their community.

Now, in the current era of rampant single-digit admission statistics, teenagers face great

er pressure to turn their simplistic hobbies into a success story for a college essay. This causes teens to struggle to derive genuine plea sure from their initial hobbies be cause enjoyment alone is no lon ger a reason to spend time on an activity.

The trend of students pursuing fake hobbies for college reflects a desire for perfectionism and is therefore harmful. By participat ing in activities with the ulterior mo tive of achiev ing success, stu dents attempt to seek perfection: getting into their dream college. Not only does this habit teach kids to priori tize activi ties that

create success over happiness, but it can harm teens’ mental health.

In fact, there is a strong link between perfectionist attitudes and suicidal ideation, as well as suicide attempts, according to a 2018 study by Canadian Ph.D. re searchers. Moreover, researchers at the American Psychological As sociation have found that perfectionist ideas in young peo ple have increased over the past few decades, with one notable cause being the increasingly com petitive college admissions

Finding happiness through hobbies is one of the core joys of life. As college admissions become increasingly ruthless and prospec tive applicants are ex pected to have more impressive resumes, teenagers are forced to develop perfectionist habits at the expense of true passions. To stop high school students from losing sight of their true aspirations, college admissions officers and parents must place less emphasis on achieving excellence in extracurriculars. This will prevent attitudes and habits that will forever leave “college admissions“ ingrained in teenagers’ brains.

Yet, eurocentrism can leave students in formed on a single perspective, narrowing their worldviews. Preventing this should be prioritized – because world history, after all, is about the world.

Diplomat Dispatch

Pelosi’s visit threatens political stability in Taiwan

By David Lin

As a Taiwanese American with family members who often long for the recognition of their de mocracy from the U.S., I believe Speaker of the House Nancy Pe losi’s historic visit to Taiwan was reckless, leaving a trail of uncer tainty in East Asia.

The visit made Pelosi the high est-ranking U.S. govern ment offi cial to visit in over 25 years, ac cording to The New York Times. Pe losi has made it a mission to demonstrate her support for global democratic movements through trips like her 1991 Tiananmen Square visit, according to AP News.

Despite Pelosi’s good inten tions, what she left behind will be difficult to clean up, as China has become more hostile economically and militarily. Pelosi used Taiwan as a test of will against China for a political message Taiwan never requested, giving an excuse for China to lash out at Taiwan.

China has imposed trade bans

on many important exports of Tai wan. To make matters worse, there have been threats of military drills and missile launches closer to Tai wan, according to Reuters. Like China’s explosive response, our own decisions can result in unex pected catastrophes.

When I first heard about Pelo si’s visit, all I felt was a sense of joy and pride. However, within 24 hours, I was faced with fears for my family’s safety in Taiwan.

Pelosi’s failed diplomacy at tempt shows that we must be aware of our action’s consequenc es and lasting impacts.

Pelosi’s public visit to Taiwan was unnec essary to pledge her sup port. More ef fective and sus tainable methods, such as de fense sales and business deals, can secure Taiwan’s democracy without damaging already unsta ble relations. Taiwan does not need a show of support from politicians, but concrete legislation to protect its security and independence.

We often act recklessly, believ ing we are doing the right thing in the face of injustice. However, careful diplomacy will go a long way. Whether it is protesting or standing up for what you believe, do it with all your heart — but ef fectively and strategically.

Diversifying book lists will promote inclusivity, empathy in classes

HOBBY

By expecting perfection, college admissions teaches stu dents to prioritize success over happiness.

Illustration by Joss Broward

and Faith Watters

DIVERSIFY WORLD HISTORY: High school history courses must spend time on non-European countries.

Opt-out defeats advisory purpose

Celebrating differences brings connectedness

By Rajiv Venkatesh

Some students view advisory as an annoyance that occupies their tutorials. Unfortunately, this perspective neglects the potential of advisories to educate students about important issues affecting our entire community.

The opportunity to opt out of these sessions undermines the goal of advisories to create a more connected student body. Allowing students to opt out limits their ex posure to content that creates a safer, more empathetic and more inclusive campus.

The opt-out option was newly implemented this year, Principal Greg Giglio said. One reason for this new policy was to allow stu dents to avoid particular advisory content that might be triggering for them.

Another reason behind the de cision was the ability to remove students who might disrupt healthy class discussions with harsh views, Giglio said. While the first goal of minimizing possible harm is justi fiable, the second goal of removing students who oppose an aspect of an advisory’s content is illogical.

This year, multiple advisories are being created by students, for students, with the goal of uniting our community by informing stu dents about a variety of important topics. Previous advisories covered topics like pronouns, anti-racism and mental health.

All of these topics are related to problems students face, and they must be discussed by everyone to create unity, which can only come

when we learn about and cele brate our differences.

Ultimately, advisories must reach our entire student body to be effective. If we remove the stu dents who have the most to learn from advisory content instead of immersing them in meaningful discussions, they will receive no exposure to information about im pactful topics that affect our com munity, such as LGBTQ rights and racism.

In the time outside of those 40 minutes allocated to advisory, mar ginalized students will continue to

face hate from those who have been allowed to opt out of advisory and opt into ignorance.

If some students cannot access the information discussed during advisories, the student body will grow more divided. The power of advisories to promote greater un derstanding of others’ perspectives will be lost.

By allowing students to opt out of advisory solely because they dis agree with the concepts present ed, HHS sends the message that refusing to even listen to the per spectives of others is a defensible choice.

Four students requested to opt out of the first advisory about LGBTQ identities, Giglio said. Of these students, two were al lowed to opt out, while two had their requests denied.

As advisories on top ics that may be divisive or controversial continue throughout the school year, the number of such requests will like ly grow. Instead of ac cepting opt-out requests, HHS must ensure that all students who would gain exposure to di verse perspectives pre sented in advisories are attending them.

IllustrationbyKeilaniGomez

POINTS OF VIEW: Students lose exposure to new ideas and perspectives when they opt out.

By guaranteeing everyone is included in presentations and discussions with se lective consider ation of opt-out requests, ad visories can fulfill their goal: to cul tivate a more connected community.

Eliminate summer homework

Excessive stress is not healthy for students

By Patrick Hao

It was another beautiful sum mer day in July. The view from the window displayed the unbelievably perfect weather. It was also Sun day, which meant that I would have absolutely nothing to do. No extracurricular activities, no sports, no stress.

Then, it suddenly occurred to me: I still had chemistry prep homework to finish. Oh boy. I sighed, closed the shades and re luctantly went to my desk to com plete the arduous task ahead of me.

Many students want their sum mer break to be stress-free, prefer ably with little or no schoolwork. Unfortunately, those hopes are usually dashed during the last days of school.

At HHS, numerous teachers give students summer homework, which prevents students from fully enjoying their breaks and creates the burden of having to complete the assignments before the start of school.

Ultimately, it would be wise for teachers to stop assigning summer work, because it causes excessive and unnecessary stress for stu dents that unfairly cuts into their limited free time.

The purpose of a break is for students to unwind after a stress ful year of school.

During the summer, students have the chance to pursue their passions or spend their free time with their families. However, sum

mer homework manages to inflict the exact opposite upon students.

Ironically, I find it’s much hard er to concentrate on completing homework during the summer, since I’m too busy wishing I had the time to relax or explore my hobbies.

Admittedly, many students have a bad habit of procrastinating un til the last minute, which not only creates unnecessary stress, but also does not allow them to prop erly review new subjects or retain new ideas.

This is probably why some HHS teachers assign summer homework, in hopes of eliminating stress during the school year and preparing us for new concepts.

However, this method has not worked for me, since much of my summer was spent try

ing to finish a multitude of assign ments, which leaves me less time for comprehensively studying what I learned the previous school year.

Although some teachers be lieve assigning summer homework will ultimately help students, that argument insufficiently addresses multiple issues.

For example, the benefits of preparing students for the upcom ing school year through summer homework is severely undermined by the harmful impacts on stu dents’ morale and can cause too much stress.

Admin should be actively dis couraging summer homework and ensuring that teachers who are currently assigning it are properly informed about the impacts of this excessive stress on students.

Through the looking glass

Managing your anger is essential

By Anushruti Nagarajan

I often find myself losing my temper because of minor incon veniences. Part of this stems from the exhaustion caused by school, extracurriculars and my social life. The other part, er, is sparked by my pent up an ger that ac cumulates over time.

And, walk ing around campus, I realize I’m not alone in this feeling.

Throughout the school day, I witness students getting irri tated by both trivial issues like the weather and more significant problems like failing an important test. Although everyone feels rage, it’s crucial for students to learn to manage their irritation, because annoyance on a small scale can lead to resentment on a much larger scale.

One can observe this pattern through the spread of rumors. Every rumor starts with a tiny lie, which is often told as a joke or out of irritation. Although the ru mors may not be shared with the intention to cause harm, this lie grows rapidly, eventually leading

to school-wide gossip. Although I try to avoid drama, I cannot help but feel angered when false state ments are spread about people close to me. The lies of one per son can affect the feelings of many others. Minor annoyances can lead to larger problems, harming nu merous peoples’ reputations in the process.

High school gossip is a small er issue, however, the idea of anger and its effects can be far more pervasive nation wide, fueling political po larization and a wide spread lack of empathy. On a broader scale, anger can blind and divide people when it comes to controversial top ics. The same anger among high school students is reflected on the national level, as politicians become increasingly hostile and the refusal to compromise leads to gridlock.

Anger is natural, and staying calm is challenging. Nonetheless, it’s important to be mindful that your uncontrolled irritation can harm you, others and society as a whole. The real fight is not be tween us and the world. It’s be tween us and ourselves — learn ing how to control your anger before it controls you.

Debt relief fails

Biden’s plan does not address root problems

By Keshav Kumar

If we want to address society’s problems, we need meaningful in vestments in lasting change, not temporary half measures. Many of our leaders have not learned this lesson.

Last month, President Joe Biden unveiled his plan for student debt relief, which fails to make the substantive reforms necessary to ensure equality in higher educa tion.

Biden’s plan cancels up to $10,000 in student debt for most borrowers, with recipients of Pell Grants, tuition assistance from the government, getting up to $20,000 in debt forgiven. This eliminates the student debt held by 45% of all borrowers, according to CNBC.

These efforts should be ap plauded, as they will improve the finances of millions. However, Biden’s proposal addresses the symptoms, not the disease, of the student debt crisis, a crisis that costs borrowers $1.6 trillion, ac cording to Forbes.

Any future attempts to resolve this issue must address its roots, which lie in the fact that tuition for four year universities has more than doubled over the past 20 years, according to CBS.

We should begin by making community college tuition free. When Tennessee did this while also expanding college counsel ing and mentorship services, there were significant increases in col lege enrollment and future income for the students affected, accord ing to The New York Times.

Although these measures were initially part of Biden’s agenda, they were abandoned after failing in Congress, according to Forbes.

Furthermore, the government must step in and do more to sup port public universities. To fund student facilities and financial aid,

public colleges have increased the price of tuition, essentially making students pay for their own services. Increased government funding would keep the burden from fall ing on students, according to The Atlantic.

However, some may argue that the cost of these measures is too much for taxpayers to bear. But while these reforms may be expen sive, the cost of the student debt crisis is much greater.

When borrowers have debt to pay off, they spend less on prod ucts and save less for the future, hurting economic growth.

In addition, the socially dis advantaged are more likely to be harmed by debt. As a result, the crisis hurts students of color and low-income families the most, ac cording to Brookings Institute.

If we want everyone to succeed in America, we must ensure that all can access higher education. If we want to have a stronger and more equitable economy and soci ety, we must push our leaders to create policies that work for every one, instead of just those who are already well off.

Many of us will be in college soon, meaning that we will be

NOT FAR ENOUGH: Biden’s plan fails to make the ambitious re form necessary to reduce burden.

LOSING LEISURE TIME: Summer break is meant to be treasured by students and teachers alike, not spent on school.

Roxanna

Real Talk

Taylor Swift teaches perseverance, self love

By Lia Klebanov

My first memory of being a Swiftie includes blasting “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Love Sto ry” at a birthday party in the fourth grade.

Only having vaguely heard a few of her songs before, I was tak en aback by the catchy melodies and lyrics. At the same time, re searching Swift’s experiences in the media made me realize her utter strength and perseverance.

As a young writer and storytell er/songwriter, seeing a woman in a male-dominated industry inspired me to be unapologetically myself and pursue my interests without a second thought about what others may think.

As an elementary schooler, I enjoyed playing dodgeball and rel ished the feeling of teaming up with fellow classmates to win.

During one rainy day in PE class, however, a group of boys be gan to taunt my friends and I for not being able to throw the ball as hard as they could. “This will show them,” I thought to myself. I threw the ball as hard as I could and

watched it soar across the gym, lightly hitting one of them. Even with a mod erate impact, at that mo ment, I felt un stoppable.

In 2020, Scooter Braun, most known for managing other fa mous stars such as Justin Bieber, bought Big Machine Records. Later, he sold the masters of Swift’s original recordings

HHS Studios film: ‘Hour After Hour’ an escapist movie

By Anderson Picone

For many students, summer is the season to travel or get ahead in school. For HHS Studios mem bers, it meant creating their own film. In the film, the main charac ter is trying to escape the stress in their life, but the issues are not so easily avoided. Eventually their worries explode all at once.

President, junior Anna Dob belaere said she hoped making a short film would help officers gain experience. The officers want the audience to see themselves in the main character.

The idea behind the movie was sparked by a single song, Dobbe laere said. “I came up with this idea last year when I had a song stuck in my head, and I started pic turing the things you could do with it,” Dobbelaere said. “When I be came president, I decided to have the officers create a short film us ing the song.”

Since there is no dialogue in cluded, music is the only sound el ement. Club member, sophomore Briana Holquin said. The music with the cinematography makes

the production Holquin said.

Vice president, senior Mason Carter said the production team focused on other ways to commu nicate like music to provide a new an perspective. He said he has al ways been passionate about fine details, this project was his chance to highlight these aspects.

Furthermore, Carter said the short film represents self expres sion, a technique where the view er has access to the character’s thoughts. Additionally, Dobbelaere

said viewers are able to relate to the character, resulting in many interpretations of the film.

Making a short film is no easy feat, Holquin said. She watched the film during the first general meeting and did not expect the production to be as high quality. The film club has the short film on their YouTube channel and links on their Instagram account.

This year, Carter said members have the opportunity to create their own short films.

Club members will be split into three groups with two officers to help aid them. Dobbelaere said the new filmmakers will start with screenplay writing and the officers will help stimulate ideas.

However, the process does come with its own challenges, which can be discouraging at times for newcomers.

“There are definitely challenges like scheduling filming times when everyone on the team is available [since everyone is busy with school work] and trying to find a suitable filming location,” Dobbelaere said.

“In the end, as you watch our film, you will see all these challenges are definitely worth it.”

without her knowledge, accord ing to BBC News. As a last resort, Swift decided to re-record all her previous albums under her own music group.

It was quite shocking to me at the time how one could so casually under mine the success of another, but I was more amazed at Swift’s ability to turn the situation into a history-making one while shaking off the haters. Not letting an unsavory situation deter

you from life goals is a mantra I carry with me and turn to when I feel lost.

In the last few years, female-led accomplishments have been high lighted in the media and rightfully so. With “Taylor’s Versions” being played on the radios, I applaud ev eryone supporting Swift, and I my self will never stream the original versions again.

Through the challenges I’ve faced, having Swift’s “Red (Taylor’s Version)” queued up has always made me smile. I look up to her and will continue trying to deci pher all her clues for the upcom ing album.

Candidates on trial

Mock trial kicks off year with club tryouts

By Evelyn Wang

The trial is ending soon and the scoring attorneys listen care fully as the final HHS attorney presents. Suspense fills the room as people anxiously wait for the re sults. Finally, the judge announces the HHS mock trial team as the winners. The room erupts with ap plause as club members embrace one another.

As a club, mock trial is about imitating real-life court trials while serving as a space where students can work on their acting and pub lic speaking skills, co-vice presi dent, senior Emily Tumacder said.

“We simulate a fictional court case that the state comes up with,” Tumacder said. “We all have differ ent roles to make it seem like an actual trial.”

The club began the school year with annual tryouts, scouting for new recruits. Mock trial hopes to continue building a strong club community, so officers looked for committed and trustworthy candi dates who would fulfill all respon sibilities, co-vice president, junior Rohan Venkatesan said.

Tumacder said the club had made changes to the tryouts pro cess so that it was more friendly to newcomers. During tryouts, students portrayed a witness and went through a series of personal interviews, Tumacder said.

“Students do not need any ex perience — we are looking [to see] if they have the potential to grow,” Tumacder said. “Because we are teaching them everything, if they show us they are eager to learn, then they are [considered] higher up.”

Moreover, Tumacder said mock trial is a useful opportunity for those who want to become law yers. Mock trial prepares students for the scenarios that may come up in future endeavors, she said.

“[Mock trial] allows students to

see what attorney life is like,” Tu macder said.

Sophomore Thomas Thorn burg said he was intrigued by the opportunities mock trial offered and decided to try out after hear ing about his friend’s experiences

Despite it being Thornburg’s first time participating in a club where tryouts were required, he said he was not nervous, especially since the process gave him more incentive to participate.

Students would not go through the tryouts process unless they were eager to join the club, Thorn burg said.

Venkatesan said mock trial try outs are necessary as fewer teams are smaller and require fewer par ticipants than those of other com petition clubs on campus.

“If we have 50 people trying out, we can’t take everyone be cause there is not a role for every one on the team,” Venkatesan said. “If we accept more people, they just won’t have anything to do.”

In the past, Tumacder said the club has struggled with publicity. In an effort to improve this, mock trial focused on appealing specif ically to freshmen at promotional events such as the club fair.

Another challenge mock trial has had to face was participating in tournaments online during the pandemic.

“The competitions being online was a bit of a struggle,” Tumacder said. “There were a lot of things we had to figure out like making sure the background was clean and the audio was working.”

As for their goals this year, mock trial club officers hope to improve competition results and build a strong team, Tumacder said.

“We want to advance as far as possible,” Tumacder said. “We were in the quarterfinals last year, so we are hoping to win and at tend states. We also hope to build a team that has a lot of underclass men so that in [future] years when some of the officers graduate, there will be a solid team.”

MOCK TRIAL TRYOUTS: Mock Trial’s officer team prepares for heavy deliberation on the acceptance of new members for the upcoming year.

Students create a pro duction for the ages

CAN’T RUN FOREVER: In this scene of the silent short film, the main character reflects on their past decisions that haunt them.

Photo courtesy of Jaideep Venkatesan

Photo courtesy of Anna Dobbelaere

Photo courtesy of Anna Dobbelaere

IllustrationbyLiaKleban

Photo courtesy of Anna Dobbelaere

Photo courtesy of Anna Dobbelaere

perceive Colombia as a place that is very dangerous and violent, but those are

reotypes. Colombia has a lot of wonderful hardworking people who

Jose Aldana

creating Cultural

Hispanic Heritage Month enables the community to honor cultural roots while viding an opportunity for others to learn about Hispanic culture and traditions.

share favorite customs, celebrations and historical

who have made meaningful contributions.

Christmas,

culture On Campus

Photo

Para

Photo courtesy of

Photo courtesy of Nancy Navaro

Photo courtesy of Nancy Navaro

Photo courtesy of Nancy Navaro

Photo courtesy of Nancy Navaro

Photo courtesy of Nancy Navaro

Photo by Amber Birrell

Cultural connections

Hispanic students, staff celebrate their heritage

By Amber Birrell and Annabelle Yip

Dancers parade through the streets in colorful dresses while music and families flood the surrounding areas — Hispanic countries are celebrating their inde pendence day.

Baile folklórico is a traditional Mexican dance focusing on folk culture while inte grating stylistic movements of ballet. The dance contrasts between large movements to show intense and delicate emotions that represent the ballet-inspired portion.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Ob servation includes uniting Hispanic communities and sharing their individual cultures, senior Ariana Te jeda Moreno said. To Dean Maria Trejo, the month is a celebration of each country’s fight for independence.

“It’s the celebration of the de sire to be able to be free and live a better life,” Trejo said. “It’s honoring that past, that fighting spirit.”

The word “Hispanic” is defined as somebody from a Spanish-speaking country, however, there is often a lack of differentiation between countries since many assume all Hispanic peo ple are Mexican, history teacher Nicholas Neese said. Similar to Neese, junior Nubynes Reyes said she has also faced these stereotypes.

“Every time I say I’m from Nicaragua, people ask if it’s in Mexico,” Reyes said.

“No, it’s not in Mexico, it’s a country in the center of Central America that no one knows about, not even His panic people sometimes, it’s sad.”

CREATING CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: Senior Ariana Tejeda Moreno, third from right, connects with her culture through a traditional Mexican dance, folklórico.

Despite these misconceptions, Neese said he values holding onto cul tural traditions as a way of connect ing with his heritage. Since he did not grow up speaking Spanish, traditional dishes are one of the strongest ties he has to his background, he said.

“Traditions are about making sure that I am able to connect with those of the past,” Neese said. “It feels nice knowing that I am continuing tradi tions and bringing traditions into my own life, but also adjusting them to what I think will benefit the next generation.”

Additionally, Neese said his family has been an important part of helping him to stay connected to his culture. He holds family dinners close to his heart since the delicious foods are a big part of his culture.

Similar to Neese, Tejeda Moreno finds it important to connect to her culture and does so through dance. Specifically, Tejeda Moreno said she participates in Folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance.

“Participating in Folklorico is a

Historical Hispanic Figures

By Amber Birrell, Anderson Picone and Annabelle Yip

Cesar Chavez

In the 1950s and ‘60s, union leader Ce sar Chavez advocated for farmers fac ing poor working and living conditions by leading marches and calling for a nationwide boycott. He founded the National Farm Workers Association, later called United Farm Workers, which aided laborers in earning higher wages and demanding im proved working conditions.

Ellen Ochoa

In 1991, Ellen Ochoa became the first Hispanic female astronaut to go to space. Ochoa has spent over 950 hours in space over the course of four missions. In recognition of her research and specialized work as a flight engineer, Ochoa re ceived the Distinguished Ser vice Medal awarded by NASA for her exceptional service to the government. She also has six schools named after her.

way I show my pride,” Tejeda Moreno said. “It also allows me to be involved in a community of people with that same mentality. It’s something that brings people together and makes ev eryone happy.”

For those who are not of Hispanic heritage, Trejo said Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to learn about the various independent cultures,

“It’s important to not only our [Hispanic] students, but all students, to make them feel welcome by focus ing on everybody’s culture and giving them the attention or highlighting the beauty, culture of food and the cele brations,” Trejo said.

Recognizing the merit of Hispanic people is important to senior Natalia Suzet Esparza because of the accom plishments her people have made, she said.

“We are here and we are working,” Esparza said. “We want to study, have the same opportunities and break ste reotypes. If we are acknowledged, we will rise above. We just need to be giv en the opportunity to shine.”

Clemente

Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clem ente, the first Latin American baseball player to collect 3,000 hits, debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, and led them to the World Series in 1971 de spite the language barriers he faced. Throughout his career, he won 12 con secutive Gold Glove Awards for field excellence. Unfortunately he died in 1972 in a plane crash while delivering goods to Nicaragua.

Sonia Sotomayor (1954-)

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina justice on the Supreme Court. She attended Princ eton University and received the Pyne Prize, the highest academic honor a student at Princeton can receive. She went on to Yale Law School and was the editor for the Yale Law Journal. During her career, she has taught law at multiple universities and served on the board of trustees at Princeton University.

Photo courtesy of Ariana Tejeda Moreno

No longer lost in translation

said.

By David Lin and Anushruti Nagarajan

Paraeducators help English Language department students adjust to HHS, a seemingly for eign environment for some new students. In FUHSD, paraeduca tors, or instructional assistants, are devoted to helping students adapt and thrive. A paraeducator’s role is to aid students who struggle with English or who recently moved to the U.S. These assistants play a vital role in education equality, as they guide newcomers through the American school system and en sure access to academic support.

To overcome language barri ers, Seth said she utilizes pictures and common English phrases, in hopes of gradually helping stu dents achieve an understanding of various topics. Seth enjoys working with kids, she said, and believes HHS would benefit from hiring more paraeducators to ensure all students receive the education they deserve.

“Being a paraeducator is a great way to give back what I got from [my education] to the com munity,” Seth said.

Miao Carroll (Chinese paraeducator):

works to understand her student’s emotions and helps them adjust to American culture. As a mother herself, she said she treats her stu dents like her own children, and she believes many students also view her as a motherly figure.

“It is hard for high school kids to move here,” Carroll said. “I can’t imagine if I had to move here at the same age, so I greatly empa thize with them.”

Grace Henson (EL coordinator):

A fresher slice

delicious enough to satisfy the stu dent body.”

By Harshitha Vijayakumar

A bland and boring school lunch with a lack of proper nour ishment is exactly what the Nu trition Board is actively fighting against.

After noticing how dreary school lunches and brunch meals had become since the free lunch initiative had commenced due to the new state law, seniors Valerie Xu and Emily Tumacder decided to take action by forming a stu dent-led nutrition committee in the 2021-2022 school year.

To diversify the meals offered, the Nutrition Board sent out a survey form allowing students to choose a meal from multicultural week to be offered weekly.

Chicken tikka, a dish originat ing from South Asia consisting of chicken in curry sauce, received the most votes. As a result, the dish was implemented as a Thurs day lunch option, Xu said.

Another goal of the board is to add more nutrition to meals to keep students healthy and alert during classes, Tumacder said.

A healthy student body means a focused and happy student body, she said.

Paraeducator Kiran Seth is well versed in Hindi, Punjabi and Guja rati, which helps her communicate with a diverse range of students. Seth works in several schools across FUHSD, such as FHS and CHS. On campus, she mainly of fers support to ELD students in the math departments by breaking down concepts, paraphrasing sen tences and acting as a translator, she said.

“I explain instructions in simple sentences and use hand gestures for easier communication,” Seth

Paraeducator Miao Carroll is fluent in Chinese and works most ly with Chinese-speaking ELD stu dents. As someone who has gone through the immigrant experience herself, Miao wanted to help oth ers like her, she said.

At the same time, she also col laborates with students from all backgrounds and helps them nav igate the American school system.

To support students, paraed ucators work from classroom to classroom in subjects that are not necessarily ELD related. Non-En glish classes like math or history rely heavily upon a strong under standing of English, since teachers often communicate complex top ics to students.

To bridge gaps, HHS provides these students with the resources to be successful and helps them overcome obstacles caused by lan guage barriers.

Not only does Carroll help students academically, she also

EL COORDINATOR HENSON: Hen son provides students with diverse resources.

ELD and psychology site co ordinator Grace Henson works alongside paraeducators and Dean Maria Trejo to ensure students are properly placed in the appropriate English Learner class levels.

First, transfer students take an initial English language test, which places them into either ELD 1, 2, 3 or mainstream English classes. From there, Henson determines the rest of their classes based on their corresponding level, she said.

Additionally, the EL ambassa dors program is a resource pro vided to students who want more one-on-one assistance. This pro gram pairs EL students with stu dent mentors, taking some of the weight off the hardworking par aeducators, Henson said. Through the program, students get to make friends.

“The ambassadors program gives students a chance to get used to being a teenager here in the U.S.,” Henson said. “It serves to help students navigate high school and have a safe space to turn to.”

“We started off as members of the culinary club, and something we wanted to focus on was school lunches and how to improve them,” Tumacder said. “We plan on con ducting monthly or bimonthly polls to get the student body’s opinion on [the food offered] so that we can make changes for fu ture lunches.”

As a freshman, Tumacder said she would often purchase lunch from the cafeteria due to the fla vorful tastes.

However, she found the lunches she returned to in junior year had greatly decreased in quality.

“I really wanted to know what was going on behind the scenes,” Tumacder said. “I started out talking to Ms. Carrie, the head of our food depart ment, and after learn ing about the sup ply chain shortage issues, I ended up helping her come up with and create more lunch options that are nutritious and

“Throughout our time on the board, we brought up our ideas and concerns [as well as student concerns] about the nutritiousness of some of the food to the district,” Xu said. “For example, this year, you can see how the hamburgers have tomatoes and lettuce in them compared to last year, [when] they lacked a lot of nutritional value.”

Junior Olivia Romero said she has seen positive changes being made to lunches, which she be lieves is crucial to the student body

At the same time, Romero said she feels the effort being made to im prove the nutritional value of the food provided on campus is not drastic enough and more can be done.

“I have noticed the food this year is a lot better quality and tastes better than last year, [so there is improvement]” Romero said.

“The food is defi nitely fresh er but portion sizes are still small, so I don’t feel they are as nu tritious as they could be.”

By Annabelle Yip, Ella Chan and Helen Tam

Kiran Seth, (Trilingual Paraeducator):

help students thrive, feel more

Nutrition Board aims to diversify, enrich school lunches

NUTRITION BOARD TRIBULATIONS: After a year of starting up the board, the founding members commence interviews for new representatives.

Photo by Anushruti Nagarajan

PAREDUCATOR KIRAN SETH: Seth uses visual aids to help ELD students.

Photo courtesy of Miao Carroll

PARAEDUCATOR MIAO CARROLL: Carroll helps students

skills

Photo by Anushruti Nagarajan

Exploring

Paving a path to college College events offer support, prepare se niors for applications

By Nicole Pimenta Innecco and Zeinab Rakhshandeh

Fall marks the beginning of a new, stressful year of high school. During this time, seniors face an additional pressure: college appli cations. Throughout this process, HHS provides support and re sources to assist students with de cision making, college and career counselor Shay Bellamy said.

“HHS has a plethora of things we provide for seniors applying to college,” Bellamy said. “We have the college and career cen ter, we’re [going to] have work shops and we have information on Schoology about opportunities for students to explore colleges.”

College representative visits provide students with a unique op portunity to talk to admissions of ficers and learn about colleges di rectly, Bellamy said. Their purpose is to aid students in identifying and finalizing the list of colleges they are interested in.

“I hope students use the infor mation [from the visits] to slim down their college lists and make an informed decision about where they want to attend,” Bellamy said. “It’s important to do your research and know what college you’re in terested in, instead of applying to multiple and wasting your time.”

Senior Ethan Chang attended the USC visit on Sept. 12 and said the visit featured useful informa tion surrounding the school’s pro grams and admission policies.

Furthermore, the visits enable students to explore a variety of col leges in an easy and inexpensive way, senior Keren Senderovitz said.

“For some people, it’s really hard to attend tours, especially in places on the East Coast,” Sen derovitz said. “When they come to you and explain about a school,

it’s much easier than having to pay for flight tickets and a hotel to see what the school is like.”

The visits are also meant to create open environments for stu dents to ask questions, New York University representative Katie Hindman said.

“We want to make sure we’re able to have face to face conver sations with students,” Hindman said. “We want them to see there’s a real person on the other side of these processes and make sure they feel comfortable.”

In addition to college visits, HHS hosted a presentation for se niors on Aug. 31, outlining the col lege application process.

This event shared essential in formation of the steps and proce dures, senior and attendee Shriya Wagholikar said.

“The presentation was good for basic information, and I got what I needed,” Wagholikar said.

“The process is streamlined, and there’s a document with a check list, which is also very helpful.”

However, Wagholikar said she had difficulty receiving help after the presentation.

“I had some follow up questions [after the presentation], and I’ve been trying to contact the guid ance department and Ms.Bellamy

multiple times,” Wagholikar said. “But they keep referring back to the slides, which doesn’t give me the information I want.”

Wagholikar said she feels HHS provides general information and resources about college, but lacks opportunities for one-on-one sup port.

“The school gives the infor mation on paper but doesn’t ex plain anything,” Wagholikar said. “They’re not very good about giv ing you the attention you deserve, even though it’s part of their jobs. I wish they would be a bit more in volved with each student.”

64.3% of seniors feel the re sources HHS provides on colleges are helpful and 74.6% of seniors feel more college resources should be provided, according to a survey of 71 students by The Epitaph.

Ultimately, college is vital to one’s future, and students must have the opportunity to access it, Hindman said.

“I hope students realize educa tion is for everyone and don’t feel like they have to prove themselves to be worthy of access to higher education,” Hindman said. “I want to make sure every student knows there is a place for them in college and they will be successful and supported wherever they end up.”

New classes on the block Science, humanities courses apply con cepts to community

By Keshav Kumar and Lindsey Steel

Science and Society

Science and society, a course introduced this school year, brings science out of the classroom — where formulas, laws and theories often limit students’ curiosity — and into the real world.

Developed by FUHSD teach

ers, science and society was in troduced to all schools in the dis trict this year, science and society teacher and science department head Dara Alleyne-Levy said.

“We wanted a more compre hensive lab course as an alter native to the traditional biology, chemistry and physics courses,” Alleyne-Levy said. “[Science and society] is a project-based learning course, so it’s really student-driven.”

Each unit explores scientific is sues that impact society, with the first unit covering addiction, senior Benjamin Fejes said. For Fejes, the class stands in a stark contrast to other science classes offered at

HHS, they said.

“The class has a broader range of topics compared to chemistry, which is centered on one subject,” Fejes said. “Towards the end of the year, it can get tiring. But with dif ferent topics, I think science and society will [hold] people’s inter ests longer.”

Later units will discuss water quality, waste management and human genetics, Alleyne-Levy said. Ultimately, the class allows stu dents to connect real-world issues to their community, she said.

“Students are going to generate a question they want to answer, and they’re going to learn some thing along the way in order to create a project,” Alleyne-Levy said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the students make because I think there’s a lot of opportunity for them to be creative and make an impact.”

Senior C.O.R.E

In typical high school literature and government classes, students might read The Scarlet Letter or study the Constitution. Senior C.O.R.E.’s activism-based curric ulum offers an alternative to this — because it is a class that is any thing but typical.

The course combines tradition al government and English classes to provide students with an inter disciplinary and hands-on experi

ence, literature teacher Shawnee Rivera said. This experience is sim ilar to the American studies course offered to juniors, which explores the intersections between litera ture and history.

“We want to show students the inherent connections that exist be tween those two courses. We also want to build a social justice com munity on campus,” Rivera said.

C.O.R.E.’s focus, Rivera said, is to provide an alternative to the strict grading and assessments that have defined high school hu manities classes.

“We have a lot of spaces for students in our school who are on

AP and honors tracks,” Rivera said. “But we don’t have spaces for stu dents who want a more balanced curriculum and who have a lot of fire and passion.”

So far, student Katia Bravo said she has been enjoying C.O.R.E’s focus on creating a strong class community and the incorporation of an interdisciplinary program.

“I’m looking forward to being able to do research projects and learn how I can be an activist in my community,” Bravo said. “I also think learning about different per spectives will help me gain a bet ter understanding of where I fit into the world.”

CHANCE TO EXPLORE: College representative visits allow students to become more informed about different schools.

REAL-WORLD ISSUES: Science and Society students learn about prob lems that impact their community, such as addiction and water quality.

Photo by Lindsey Steel

Photo by Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

Infographic by Nicole Pimenta Innecco and Zeinab Rakhshandehroo

Photo by Keshav Kumar

Infographic

Nicole Pimenta

and

Fashion Police

Diversifying fall fash ion with outerwear

By Amber Birrell

Outerwear is an essential part of fall fashion — but ironically, I often struggle with styling differ ent pieces. I like to throw on a hoodie or a puffer and call it a day.

I love how these two pieces can complement almost every type of casual outfit. However, I have made it a goal this year to play around with different styles of jackets and incorporate more vari ety in my closet, especially for the fall and winter months.

Starting off simple, oversized denim jackets are classic and sea sonless. They pair perfectly with almost any style, and they are a necessary addition to everyone’s fall closet.

For example, try a light wash jacket and a maxi dress for a more simple and feminine look. But for colder, more relaxed days, lay ering is your best friend — a cute pull over jacket under

Epitaph Picks

neath a black or blue denim one is an easy, fashionable combination.

For an even more casual look, denim sets are a great option, be cause they are bound to work per fectly together.

These sets bypass the time-con suming task of finding the perfect trousers to match a favorite denim jacket. Not only does the set match perfectly together but, the denim jacket can also be used to comple

Levi’s always features an exten sive assortment of denim pieces and is a great place to shop for the ideal, timeless jacket.

Despite the versatility of den im jackets, bomber jackets have a special place in my heart. They are coming in hot this year, with many brands like Givenchy and Etro in corporating them into Fall/Winter 22-23 runway shows.

Bomber jackets are a great transitional piece between sea sons, because they are lightweight yet warm. These jackets can be dressed up or down, creating an effortless look. Pair them with a set of baggy cargo pants — or for a more elevated look, try a simple slip dress with a fun heel.

Cotton On and Motel Rocks offer a tasteful collection of bomber jackets. The Yuu Shell Jacket from Motel Rocks is my favorite find.

Ultimately, bomber and den im jackets are some of my favor ite outerwear choices, and fall is the perfect time to exper iment with these different garments.

Fall fashion 2022

Underrated Artists

No Vacation captivates listeners with dreamy discography

By Saira Ahmed

San Francisco-based band No Vacation has been creating hyp notic bedroom pop since 2015.

With an album and numerous EPs, the band has a diverse selection of music for anyone, especially indie music fans, to enjoy.

Their first and only album “Amo XO” contains a combination of traditionally-struc tured indie songs and instrumentals.

The most streamed song on this album is “Beach Bum mer” for a good reason. It’s catchy mel ody makes it the per fect song to play on a road trip with friends.

No Vacation’s EP “Intermis sion” contains five flawless songs.

other staple of their discography, serving as their most streamed song. The way the instruments and vocals blend together is truly special. Although this is apparent in most of No Vacation’s songs, the spotlight falls directly on this one, which encompasses all the elements of a perfect song.

“Waltzing Back” is one of the best singles the band has released, featuring darker tones that bleed into their typically cheerful dis cography. Although it is a cover of The Cranberries’ 1993 song, No Vacation creat ed a distinct version with a completely different set of instruments and a different melody. The beginning instantly takes you to a dreamy world against the backdrop of No Vacation’s sig nature hazy vocals.

Album: ”MOTOMAMI+” by ROSALÍA

Single: “Hotel” by Montell Fish

TV Show: “DAHMER”

Movie: “Don’t Worry Darling”

Book: “Lapvona” Ottessa Moshfegh

The 2018 Audiotree Live Version of “Reaper” is a highlight, and it is even more memorable than the original version. The live version presents a more raw, atmospheric experience for the listener. While live versions of songs are typically filled with voice cracks and mis haps, this one has no imperfec tions.

Their single “Yam Yam” is an

No Vacation is brilliant at transforming simple melodies and elevating them into magical songs. More often than not, songs with basic melodies feel boring after multiple listens, but No Vacation never fails to capti vate me. Whether you are looking for relaxing, background music or more upbeat tracks, No Vacation has a wide variety of dreamy songs for anyone to enjoy. After seven years of releasing music, this band has never disappointed me, and I am excited to hear what they will release in the future.

Local boba shops offer peaceful ambience, tasty drinks

Gong Cha, Tea Era feature diverse array of treats

By Gabriela Salazar

A rich and creamy milk tea is the perfect drink to enjoy while re laxing, spending time with friends, or while grabbing a quick snack. I have been looking for a place with a peaceful environment to unwind after school, and I recently stopped by two boba places near HHS. Gong Cha and Tea Era offer an assortment of drinks and tasty side dishes. To my delight, I en joyed the sugary milk drinks they served in both locations.

Gong Cha:

When I first walked into Gong Cha, the atmosphere was welcom ing. Over the sounds of machines whirling and the lo-fi music play ing in the background, I heard a small “welcome in!” as the cashier greeted me with a smile. The cafe itself is decorated with a selection

of pastel shades and a mural, cre ating a lighthearted ambiance.

My go-to drink at Gong Cha is a large, non-caffeinated Taro Milk Tea ($6.25). The drink is a soft pur ple hue - creamy and sweet with a slight nutty taste. Gong Cha’s Taro milk tea was the very first drink I bought when I first went to the cafe, as well as the first boba drink I had ever tried with my friends, and it has since become one of my favorites.

I normally enjoy this drink with Gong Cha’s not-so-sweet mochi waffle ($5.50). The mochi waffle initially surprised me but disap pointed me at the same time. The taste of the waffle itself is sweet, but it is not enough to make your stomach churn. It has a chewy and squishy texture, sticking to my teeth with every bite, and there is a small crunch with every bite. To my disappointment, the sizes of the waffle vary from two wholes to one and a half.

Cafe: Gong Cha. Grade: A 1641 Hollenbeck Ave, Sunnyvale.

Tea Era:

Tea Era is, to my astonishment, quite the opposite of Gong Cha. The cafe is decorated with elegant colors — from the dark brown walls to the dark green benches and large potted plants scattered throughout the cafe. Just like Gong Cha, low beat music was playing in the background when I visited.

Tea Era features more drinks and food options than Gong Cha. My go-to drink here is their banana milk tea ($3.75), alongside their chocolate-baked thick toast ($3.50) and popcorn chick en bento ($9.50).

The bento box and banana milk tea are delicious. The drink featured the perfect level of sweetness with a creamy texture that compelled me to buy another.

I was deeply surprised by the dif

ferent spices used on the popcorn chicken. While tasty, the spices in some areas overpowered the taste of chicken. I was rather dis appointed in the bread, as it only featured a chocolate spread on top — something that could be easily made at home. Oftentimes, they offer a photo of what the food or drink looks like, but for others, that is not the case. It leaves the buyer at a disadvantage as they do not

know what to expect.

Overall, I enjoy the lively and welcoming atmosphere of Gong Cha more than my experience at Tea Era. Their drinks and waffles are exquisite in appearance and taste. Above all, it is a relaxing place to enjoy a boba tea.

Cafe: Tea Era. Grade: B 20916 Homestead Rd, Cupertino.

Diego Rivera comes home to San Francisco

SFMOMA exhibition showcases political power of art

By Rajiv Venkatesh

Through awe-inspiring murals and thoughtful portraits of the working class, Mexican painter Di ego Rivera’s striking, often damn ing visions of Mexico and America come to life at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Rivera, an ardent Communist, was among the most politically active artists of the 20th century, according to PBS. Much of his

work focuses on the marginalized Indigenous people of Mexico. Rive ra portrays their daily tasks as cru cial to the success of the nation. In one painting, an indigenous wom an struggles beneath an enormous sack of corn, symbolizing the bur den of society on the backs of the workers.

But at the same time, contra dictions abound. The people in these paintings are abstract, with mask-like faces. To me, this sug gests Rivera’s interest in the role of Indigenous people in Mexican society, but a lack of interest in the people themselves. Yet, whatever the intent, Rivera’s depictions of Indigenous people helped create a

new Mexican national identity that celebrated its Indigenous heritage.

From Mexico, Rivera and fellow artist Frida Kahlo, his wife at the time, traveled to the United States, where their work received wide recognition, according to KQED. He received more offers to paint murals, and he filled them with political messages. One particu larly powerful example is “Allegory of California,” a mural painted for a private club in the San Francis co stock exchange. In the mural, which was projected on a wall of the exhibition, Rivera depicts the riches of California alongside the agricultural workers whose labor built that wealth. By placing this

image in an upscale club, Rivera confronts patrons with harsh real ities in a place they would not ex pect to find them, increasing the visibility of agricultural workers’ struggles, ultimately.

The exhibition occasionally shies away from portraying the more controversial aspects of Ri vera’s legacy, which I feel results in an incomplete understanding of his life and work. However, the messages still shine through. By placing unconventional ideas in spaces of power, Rivera proves that art can create change.

Exhibit: SFMOMA. Grade: A151 3rd St, San Francisco.

POWER IN ABSTRACTION: Rive ra’s abstract style, inspired by the art of the Aztecs, allows him to send clear political messages.

SWEET AND SAVORY: A cold, sweet and creamy drink pairs perfectly with a chewy waffle or popcorn chicken bento at Tea Era and Gong Cha.

Photo by Gabriela Salazar

Photo by Rajiv Venkatesh

Photo by Gabriela Salazar

Illustration by Dhruv Sharma

Explore

‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ lacks diverse stories Stereotypical repre sentation harms mar ginalized communities

By David Lin

The new Netflix show “Extraor dinary Attorney Woo’’ attempts to raise awareness for the autistic community, but ultimately fails to tackle systemic biases and falls short of diverse representation.

The show follows the journey of autistic savant attorney Woo Young-Woo, who joins Hanbada law firm through family connec tions after struggling to find a job due to her disability.

Since its release in June, “Ex traordinary Attorney Woo” has gained immense popularity, with a total of 24 million viewers in the first week, according to Forbes. The show’s momentum has of fered viewers a glimpse into the lives of a stigmatized community, but it fails to examine the root is sues impacting the community.

The first episode of “Extraor dinary Attorney Woo” begins by highlighting that society only ac cepts autistic people who con tribute significantly to their com munity. The managing partner of Hanbada Law Firm only accepted

Woo Young-Woo because she was a genius and went to the most prestigious school in Korea.

Despite Korea’s relatively high percentage of people with autism, only 0.4% of them are employed, according to The Korea Times. The show misses the chance to tackle reasons behind discriminatory hir ing practices that have fueled the struggles of the neurodivergent community in the workforce.

Although not every show needs to challenge society’s problems, the goal of the production team was to bring light to the neurodiver gent community.

As a result, the producers cannot inspire people to combat systemic injustices if they do not address the root causes of dis crimination. With this failure, “Ex traordinary Attorney Woo” loses its chance to effect powerful change.

cover the diversity within the neu rodivergent community. Autism is known as a spectrum disor der, because of a wide variety of symptoms, including repetitive movements and communication skills that vary for autistic people, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. However, the majority is not represented in the media.

The savant genius syndrome

headphones to prevent sensory overload, a love of marine biology and difficulty communicating. The characters are practically identi cal. By perpetuating this stereo type, many real autistic stories are left unheard, and viewers become accustomed to this portrayal of au tism.

If there aren’t more shows that discuss autistic individuals on different parts of the spectrum, shows like “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” will build harmful ste reotypes, causing the neurodivergent community to be viewed through a limited lens.

The stories seen on the screen need to start incorporating all au tistic individuals on the spectrum. While “Extraordinary Attorney Woo’’ falls short of representation and tackling systemic biases, it is a stepping stone for new shows that include autistic individuals. By fos tering inclusivity in the media, we have the potential to render wide spread change and share diverse narratives.

TV Show: “Extraordinary

ined the greater discriminatory systems in Korea, but instead it only portrays issues as isolated instances for Woo Young-Woo.

BookTok drives sales

BookTok fosters vibrant community of readers

By Veronica Zhao

A brand-new book commu nity emerged during quarantine. Where? TikTok. In recent years, the term “BookTok” has gained popu larity, referring to a subculture of TikTok where avid readers share and discuss their opinions on the latest novels that captured their at tention. Books like “It Ends With Us,” “The Song of Achilles” and “Six of Crows” have been praised in a new light through social media.

The sudden wave of book sales surprised many writers, including Adam Silvera, according to the New York Times. He is the author of the book “They Both Die at the End,” a love story that chronicles the experiences of two boys during their last day alive. I often saw videos of readers on social media captivated by the novel, filming TikToks with emotional reviews and sharing their unique interpre tations of the book.

At first glance, videos on a view ers’ TikTok page seem to lack the potential to make a far-reaching impact. Yet, #theybothdieattheend has reached 20 million views, help ing the book achieve the title of a New York Times bestseller, accord ing to Goodreads.

Although many viewers adored the novel, I personally did not en joy the book. The romance was lackluster, while the plot moved at an unengaging, slow pace. Regard less, the novel’s popularity reflects the power of community and the impact of social media on reader ship.

“They Both Die at the End” is only one of the many novels to which BookTok has given fame, and the growing community on TikTok embodies the positive im pacts of social media: connecting like-minded strangers and giving them the opportunity to connect through shared passions.

There is a meaningful bond that forms when two users share the same anguish, the same laugh ter and the same crush just from reading the same book.

BookTok has not only influ enced the spike of sales in novels, but it has also helped individuals uncover a newfound love for read ing and encouraged previous book worms to continue on their read ing journey.

Personally, BookTok exposed me to book recommendations through dynamic visuals and trending audios.

Oftentimes, social media often serves as a double-edged sword. Despite it all, BookTok has proven that social media can benefit so ciety by uniting similar strangers and cultivating a vibrant commu nity.

SEEKING SERENITY: Whales bring Woo Young-Woo happiness and tranquility.

IllustrationbyLiaKlebanov

munity. For example, “Move to Heaven,” another popular Kore an drama with a savant charac ter, had the same traits: genius,

Woo”

B+

Rated: TV-14

‘Little Weirds’ enchants readers

By Emma Yu

To call “Little Weirds” by Jenny Slate a “book” doesn’t feel correct. Neither does “essay collection” or “anthology.” The New York Times calls it “a Book-Shaped Thing.”

Known for “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” and comedy roles like Mona-Lisa Saperstein on “Parks and Recreation,” Slate is a successful comedian by trade, but a romantic at heart.

In her 2016 autobiography “Book-Shaped Thing,” Slate truly writes unlike anyone else. She has the magical ability to transform each subject, however mundane, into a gem of wonder. She has a Midas touch, allowing you to see the world differently.

I first read “Little Weirds” in June 2021, sitting alone in my room. We had just finished a year of online learning, remote AP test ing and minimal contact with hu man beings. I remember looking up at my couch halfway through and thinking, “Wow, I love this couch. I’m so grateful for you. You are such a wonderful couch and so kind to me.” This is how Slate affects you: she makes you more thoughtful and gentle to the peo ple and things around you.

out Slate’s life — drinking beer at an airport, watching her dog steal coffee from her mug, going to the beach with friends. Others detail her daydreams or imaginary deaths.

Slate writes about the minutiae of daily life in a way that urges you to stop and appreciate how pro found and intricate our world is. The book hums with tunes of fem inism, nature and the human body.

Since last June, I have re-read “Little Weirds” several times, of ten in small doses: during an af ternoon at the park with my dog, waiting at the doctor’s office or whenever my brain feels like spa ghetti. I would like to think there is no problem Slate can’t fix, or at least put a band-aid on. I have not once been wrong.

High school students might just embody unhappiness. Our lives are constantly brimming with teenage angst, college application stress and social drama. But Slate reminds us that life is ultimately strange and beautiful.

among avid readers.

Many essays brilliantly describe tiny moments peppered through

“Little Weirds” clears your mind of life’s anxieties and malaise, emptying muddled thoughts and replacing them with a newfound appreciation for the world. Even if only temporary, this state of utter and delightful happiness is a beau tiful place to be.

‘The Hardest Part’: a journey of battling past mistakes

By Niyatee Jain

Breaking away from a mold created by famous rela tives is difficult. Yet, through out her career, Noah Cyrus has proven her authenticity through her music career. Hits like “July” and “I Got So High That I Saw Jesus” are inviting and never fail to en tice me with their acoustic background and Cyrus’ low but angelic voice.

Cyrus recently released her debut studio album “The

Hardest Part” on Sept. 16, which uses her country roots to convey a story about her past relationships and drug addiction.

“The Hardest Part” em braces the country genre that has influenced all of her family’s songs. This album revolves around Cyrus, so her voice is the focal point, only accompanied by an acoustic guitar and the drums.

While it was hard to pick favorites, “I Burned LA Down”

and “Ready to Go” — which Cyrus called a cousin to “July” in a Rolling Stone interview — capture the essence of what she said she hoped to portray: letting go of the past. Cyrus does not belt any of her songs, but instead calmly showcases her register with raw emotion and beautifully narrates the personal strug gles she has endured. In fact, the entire track list was writ ten by Cyrus.

She makes it clear this is

not an album to dance to, but to help listeners reflect on the past and grow. What makes the album stand out is how simple it is.

Cyrus is not experiment ing with anything new, but rather is honing her craft. With a ten-song track list she wrote herself, Cyrus takes listeners through her journey of loss, addiction and love. “The Hardest Part” is a 33-minute intimate country album worth a listen.

Album:“The Hardest Part”

Grade: A+

Artist:Noah Cyrus

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SHIPS AND XANAX: Cyrus’s freshman album captures adoles cence through a vulnerable story of personal growth.

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Inside the helmet

Senior discusses football, hobbies

By Anushruti Nagarajan, Brevin Reed and Emma Yu

After joining the football team on a whim, senior Nick Guidi quickly rose to the challenge of playing for varsity, despite having never played the sport. He now hopes to make the most out of his remaining time at HHS, he said.

Playing football has been an eye-opening but familiar experi ence for Guidi, who plays defen sive tackle and nose guard.

“I’m kind of fast and strong and the coaches like that about foot ball players,” Guidi said. “I think I exceeded their expectations as well because it was my first year playing.”

Guidi said he was introduced to the team by his friend Jomar Ab alos at the end of junior year, and was quickly put on varsity follow ing tryouts.

“I’ve never played football be fore this point,” Guidi said. “But I’ve been learning quickly and consistently talking to my team mates about how to get better.”

Prior to football, Guidi played on the golf team for three years as a practice player, which gave him the athletic background to easily make the football team.

In both sports, Guidi said it can be easy to make many mistakes, howev

er, preventing those same errors from happening again is what playing sports is all about.

While Guidi may be new to football in many respects, he said he uses his past experience in golf to navigate the sport.

“The best play is the next play,” Guidi said. “Even if you fail, the next time you can always do bet ter. Football and golf are similar in that way and that is why I enjoy playing.”

However, Guidi’s interests ex tend far beyond athletics. As an avid mineral collector, Guidi start ed his collection at the age of five by exploring riverbeds, looking for unique minerals and digging through mine shafts. He said he hopes to expand on his passion for geology in the future by study ing the field in college.

Guidi said he is also consider ing studying the topic in college, despite nuclear physics being a difficult concept to grasp.

“Physics relates to geology in a lot of different ways,” Guidi said. “The movement of mountains and tectonic plates all have to do with physics, so I find it interesting.”

In addition to pursuing these academic subjects, Guidi said he enjoys hunting and fishing near Sacramento and Monterey. Guidi said his favorite music to listen to when he is stressed or preparing for a game is heavy metal. He also spends his time blacksmithing kitchen appliances by utilizing his forge.

Though exploring extracurric ular activities takes up much of his schedule, Guidi said he manages to find a way to balance all of his interests.

“Football is a unique experi ence,” Guidi said. “You only do it during high school and I wanted to experience that.”

Courtside thoughts

Sexism in sports needs to end

By Niyatee Jain

Misogyny in sports should not be an issue in 2022. Studies show 95% of sports coverage, which in cludes games and stories about athletes and their achievements, focuses on male athletes only, ac cording to the Nieman Lab.

The consequences, such as pay disparities, are drastic.

For exam ple, the U.S. women’s soc cer team has won more champion ships than the men’s team, yet they were severe ly underpaid. According to NPR, it was not until this year they achieved equal pay after filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

This issue is worse between NBA and WNBA salaries. Sue Bird is arguably the LeBron James of the WNBA as they started their careers around the same time, and have the same number of rings. However, according to ESPN, Bird makes around $200,000 annu ally while James makes $44 mil lion. In fact, the average WNBA athlete makes about $72,000 per year while the average NBA player makes $6.4 million, according to Forbes.

The media plays a significant role because it silences female athletes by ignoring their achieve ments, resulting in the public neglecting their successes. The WNBA can pay their athletes more if it started receiving more revenue from games. If the press were to implement equal reporting poli cies, then more people would want to watch and cheer for women’s teams.

Misogyny is seen even more at the collegiate level. For instance, the NCAA rarely post ed about the women’s tournament in 2019, ac cording to Forbes. In 2022, Ore gon Ducks forward Se dona Price called out the organization

for giving more and better equip ment to the men’s team than the women’s team.

It is disheartening to see these athletes play for the same number of years, win the same amount of championships, but get paid half or even less. As a female sports fan, it is painful that one group of athletes receives more compensa tion and recognition just because of their gender.

Changes are needed locally to spark national change. While The Epitaph will do its best to highlight all athletic achievements fairly, we as a community need to recognize all sports regardless of gender.

Suited with spirit

Letterman jackets return to HHS

By Harshitha Vijayakumar

Known as a staple in many athletes’ closets, the letterman jacket is returning to HHS after a hiatus of over fifteen years, athletic director Mallory Lantz said.

Lantz said she decided to bring the customizable jackets back at the request of many students.

However, some student athletes, such as varsity soccer player and track and field athlete, junior Reagan Hall do not plan on buy ing the

jacket for the sake of comfort and fashion.

“They’re really expensive,” Hall said. “I find them outdated and would rather have a hoodie as they are more comfortable.”

One student advocating for the jackets is varsity track and field thrower, senior Ningning O’Brien. O’Brien said the letterman jackets are an accessory she has eagerly been anticipating because she be lieves it will increase school spirit.

“This is definitely something everyone should consider investing in,” O’Brien said. “It would be cool to see everyone wearing one, like in the movies.”

The jackets can be purchased by using the link on the athletic department’s Instagram page with a starting price of $138 and option al customizations costing extra, Lantz said. The customiza tions vary from patches to embroideries of your name. Buyers can also pick between leather and vinyl sleeves.

The jacket is available to all students, but only those who have participated in an HHS-sanctioned extracurricular for more than two years will receive the ‘H’ patch.

The ‘H’ patch demon strates the commitment a student has to their activity or a dedication someone has made to be a varsi ty-level athlete, Lantz said.

“This jacket represents school pride and unity,”

Lantz said. “As school spirit increases, people want to rep resent their school and this jacket is the perfect way for them to do that.”

Documenting sports creatively

Senior seeks to improve photography

By Saira Ahmed

Earlier this summer, senior Tomer Lev Ran picked up his camera and began casually pho tographing his friends, who hap pened to be on the football team. Then football season started, and so did his new pastime of sports photography.

“I’ve always had a thing for creating videos and cap turing different moments through a lens, whether it’s sports or creating short vid eos for fun,” Lev Ran said. “It’s definitely something I want to do on the side in the future.”

In addition to photogra phy, Lev Ran also said he pursues videography His first experience with sports videography was a four-anda-half-minute film of his friend playing basketball.

After practicing his vid eography skills, Lev Ran published his first video on YouTube and Instagram of the green and white game on Aug. 12. The comments he received encouraged him to continue filming games, he said.

“I uploaded it and it was a bit long, but it received a lot of positive feedback [from] all my friends,” Lev Ran said. “Everyone else was really liking it and so I figured since this video did so well, I could film more games.”

Lev Ran creates high light reels of games, which he calls “mixtapes.” These consist of an introduction and conclusion, with game

and halftime clips in between. Adding music in the background gives the video a better flow and rhythm, he said.

He has photographed football and field hockey already, but Lev Ran said he is looking forward to sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball and track and field.

Though Lev Ran has experi ence photographing sports, he still believes he has a long way to go

before being considered a profes sional.

“I’m still an amateur at best, but with each game and practice, comes more and more experi ence,” Lev Ran said. “You have to put yourself out there because if you go into [a game] thinking that if it’s not good the first time, you won’t keep trying, then you won’t ever get the chance to see what you’re capable of capturing.”

TAKES

Lev Ran said he hopes to practice his document ing skills by recording various sports.

BEHIND THE PLAYER: Guidi’s new love for football adds to his extensive list of hobbies.

Photo by Niyatee Jain

Illustration by Mikaela Kwan

Photos courtesy of Tomer Lev Ran

Barnyard takes the stands

Student section changes name, promotes spirit

By Nathan Gu and Hope Saena

Coordinated outfits, loud chants and exhil arating amounts of school spirit can be found when passing by the student section, now re branded as the Barnyard after taking inspiration from nearby schools like St. Francis and Moun tain View, junior Nate Enders said.

“St. Francis has the Rage Cage and my friends said, ‘We want something like that, too,’” Enders said. “My friend Mackenzie Da vidson came up with the name and it stuck be cause we all liked how it sounded.”

Though the Barnyard is not an associated club with HHS, senior Aidan Leone said the Barnyard is a group of students who want to cheer on the school’s teams.

“If you want good student sections and school spirit, it’s very important to join the Barnyard because that’s really what this pro motes,” Leone said.

Before a game starts, members will arrive early to set up decorations for the stands and prepare themselves for the upcoming game ac

cording to the theme, senior Francesca Pas tizzo said. The Barnyard leaders decide on a unique, fitting theme relating to the game and promote it on their Instagram page to gain more traction before the game starts.

Due to the large number of participants, Enders said they will branch beyond attend ing solely football games. If a student wants the Barnyard to attend their game, Enders said they should reach out to their Instagram page and provide details.

Additionally, Enders said he hopes to cre ate a more inclusive environment by ensuring people know the Barnyard is meant for all students.

“The Barnyard isn’t just for one group of kids. Everybody is welcome to join,” Enders said. “We want to get as many people and make as much noise as possible.”

As this is Leone’s final year, he said he hopes to create enjoyable memories for him self, along with the Barnyard and anyone who attends the games.

“We have made many good memories so far,” Leone said. “Through cheers like the SpongeBob SquarePants cheer and when our principal joined us, it makes us remember these moments more.”

BARNYARD WELCOMES EVERYONE: Leaders hope to wel come new members to create an in clusive envi ronment.

Swimming into the future

Senior commits to UCSB for swimming

By Madhavi Karthik

After swimming for almost a decade, se nior Eugenie Lanilis will continue pursuing her passion in sprint freestyling at UC Santa Barbara, a Division I school, next fall.

Lanilis initially signed up for swim lessons when she was eight, and the competitive as pect of the sport pushed her to continue, she said in a Zoom interview. In addition to being a part of the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics club for years, Lanilis has been a member of the swim team since her freshman year.

“It was more toward middle school when I started realizing, ‘Oh, I’m kind of good at this,’ and it’s fun to win,” Lanilis said.

Throughout her swimming career, Lanilis said the rigor of her club swim practices in creased dramatically when she entered high school, with morning and after school prac tices lasting a couple of hours. Due to the intensity of the sport, Lanilis said she in turn learned better time management skills, having to balance her practice and academic sched ules.

It was during her sophomore year when Lanilis said she became interested in swim ming competitively in college. She began reaching out to universities in the middle of her junior year and had meetings with coaches to gauge their team dynamics.

“I realized I still have love for the sport after so many years, and I don’t want to stop now,” Lanilis said. “I feel I have so much potential

Football 1-3

and I want to continue this sport in college.”

Amid the recruitment process, Lanilis said it was challenging to balance her academic re sponsibilities on top of consistently keeping in touch with schools.

“A lot of the time I would be confused and thinking ‘Do I even want to continue going through with it,’” Lanilis said. “When you think about it, junior year is not one of your easiest years and then adding on a bunch of meetings that you have to set up and thinking about college [is stressful].”

Overcoming the challenges she encoun tered, Lanilis ultimately committed to UCSB because the campus retains an ideal balance of social and academic prospects, she said.

“I’m really excited to be part of the team,” Lanilis said. “UCSB is in Isla Vista, which is right next to the beach, so I’m super excited about being able to do beach workouts and continue swimming.”

Leaping into the new season

2-2

“I think the team is a little sloppy at the start of the game. We usually get a lot of touchdowns in the last quarter, so we need to start how we finish.”

- Nick Guidi (Varsity,

Field hockey

1-4

“[The season] has been good. Everyone is encouraging each other to work harder and improve. I think we should be more positive and think about winning.”

- Bianca Javier (JV, 10)

Water polo

“This season we [had]a pretty bad start, [but] we’re trying to change practice to be more tough and [tolerate fewer] excuses for not showing up. We are a capable team but we need to have our heads in the game.”

- Alex Snook Manchon (Varsity, 12)

8-9

“The season’s been off to a great start, especially because we’re winning a lot more games. There’s great team chemistry since we introduced new players and we’ve also been doing more program wide bonding.”

- Kelsey Shan (Varsity, 11)

Girls Tennis

Girls volleyball Girls tennis

“The communication [this season] is really great. Even though there are a bunch of new people joining, we have all gotten real ly close to each other. I feel like we can rely on each other and know that we can trust each other if we need something.”

- Thien Mai Vu (Varsity,

been nice

foster

SPLASHING INTO COLLEGE: Lanilis looks forward to representing UCSB’s swim team.

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Harshitha Vijayakumar

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Eugenie Lanilis

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Keshav Kumar

Athletes

Feeling the Beat

of music

the crowd

“There are many stresses and issues that everyone deals with. But concerts give a sense of release and a sense of love and joy. You can take a mental break from everything that’s going on. They’re something to look forward to, especially during school.”

- Josie Cho (12)

“Concerts are a way for me to escape from reality. Whenever I go to concerts, I always forget about ev erything else going on in my life and just live in the moment.”

- Ashlynne Larkin (12)

“My favorite memory is the Rex Orange County concert, where the artist told everyone to shut down their phones. He played one of his famous songs, and ev eryone put down their phones. It was beautiful, it was human, we all danced around, being in the moment.”

By Gabi Salazar and Zein ab Rakhshandehroo

Read the Epitaph’s tips and tricks to have the most me morable and enjoya ble concert experi ence!

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29.8%

Cigarettes After Sex

Gotta Look GoodLive in the Moment

The best way to enjoy a concert is to watch with your own eyes. Do not view the concert through a phone screen – let loose and dance or sing! You should focus on enjoying the moment itself, instead of recording and not making any lasting memories.

Pro tip: To have an even more memorable experience, go to a concert with friends.

Watch Out!

Before arriving, be aware of the over whelming amount of people. There is a chance of you getting jostled by oth ers, so be careful in crowds. Also: per sonal space at a concert? ZERO. Be prepared to get up close and personal with the people around you during the show. Be ready for an emergency by being aware of your surroundings and mark different exit routes. Always stay with someone you trust, and if you are in a group, make a plan in case you get separated.

Everybody wants to look cute at concerts in hopes of catching the singer’s eye or fitting in with the rest of the crowd. Be stylish, but also be sure to wear clothes you feel com fortable with getting dirty, since chaotic concerts can often lead to accidental spills. To be even more prepared, bring comfortable shoes for dancing and wear lighter lay ers so you can dance freely in the crowd. If the concert is outdoors, check the weather beforehand and dress appropriately.

Cha-Ching!

Excluding the price of tickets, the cost of service fees, taxes and parking can accumulate. Be prepared to allocate addition al funds if you plan on buying food or merchandise onsite. To pay less for tickets, buy them within two weeks of the concert, because sellers are desperate to sell them off last minute and will market them with lower prices.

“I like the ener gy [before a con cert] because you can feel everyone wants to be there and is so excited.” - Lauren Salam (10)

- Yujiun Chen (12)

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of Seoyoung

Photo courtesy of Ashlynne Larkin

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Yujiun Chen